This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnology Council.org.
About Kurt Wilkin
Kurt Wilkin is a trusted advisor for high-growth, middle-market companies as founder and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital and Co-Founder of HireBetter. With a passion for growth and a hard-earned, proven set of tools in his toolbox, Wilkin works with other entrepreneurs and CEOs to help them escape the start-up mindset and achieve next-level success.
His debut book, Who’s Your Mike?, reveals how entrepreneurs can transform their companies by minimizing hiring mistakes, investing in high potentials and making the difficult decisions to drop dead weight from their team. Wilkin draws on his extensive experience launching and growing businesses to help leaders navigate people challenges and tap into the power of making better hires. By putting the right talent in the right places—and pinpointing who is holding the company back—entrepreneurs can unlock meaningful change that will enable their organization to grow, scale and thrive.
Over more than 20 years, Wilkin has built long-lasting partnerships and helped hundreds of business leaders achieve their goals. He began his career in accounting, serving at Ernst & Young before joining an online retailer and discovering his aptitude for entrepreneurship. Wilkin founded The Controller Group (TCG) in 2001 and successfully sold it to Tatum in 2006. During those five years he rapidly grew the firm’s revenue, growing it into a $20 million company with more than 100 employees. During his time at TCG, he also co-founded Bee Cave Capital, a Texas-based early-stage venture group where he serves as managing partner.
Wilkin is an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, a graduate of Stagen Leadership Academy, a certified public accountant and an officer of Young Presidents’ Organization. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he is an active angel investor and serves on the boards of more organizations than he’d care to count. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three sons. Visit www.kurtwilkin.com for more information.
About “Who’s Your Mike?” Book
In Who’s Your Mike?, Wilkin aims to help readers put into practice techniques he’s spent decades fine-tuning. His no-BS guide isn’t the traditional business book: every chapter guides the reader through a different people challenge, so readers can quickly identify how to solve troubling scenarios. In fact, he encourages readers not to read the whole thing. It’s written a la “choose your own adventure,” so entrepreneurs can pick and choose the sections that will be most helpful to them.
Who’s Your Mike? tells the stories of both Wilkin’s own experience building a community of growth-minded leaders and people pitfalls he’s witnessed first-hand from other business leaders. In Who’s Your Mike?, readers will learn:
● That there’s no secret formula to hiring smart – we all make hiring mistakes
● If they’ve outgrown their current team, and what to do next
● How to handle the people they’re sure to meet on their entrepreneurial journey
Kurt has called Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas home his entire life and proudly claims to have “Redneck, Cajun, and Hillbilly rolled into one beautiful package.” That might explain his natural BS detector. He is the father of three active boys who don’t let him take life too seriously, and he resides in Austin with his wife, Carrie, who didn’t think he could focus long enough to get the grocery list right, much less write an entire book!
About Thom Singer
Thom Singer is an advocate for “Community and Collaboration” with people, companies, and non-profit organizations. He is also a keynote speaker (but he only works with specific types of events who are as committed to the human interaction as they are to the content).
After a successful career in sales and marketing, Thom Singer became a growth leadership speaker in 2009. A decade later he has brought his high energy presentations and action-oriented content to over 1000 audiences. Thom knows that as the speaker or master of ceremonies he has a responsibility to set the tone for a strong conference attendee experience. Known as “The Conference Catalyst” he creates an atmosphere of fun and interaction that lasts beyond his presentation.
Thom earned his Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) in 2014 and is committed to the business of meetings. He is the author of 12 books and is the host of the popular “Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do” podcast. On his show he has interviewed over 1000 entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, business leaders and others with a focus on discovering how the most successful people get farther across the gap between potential and results.