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The Executive Connect Podcast

The Executive Connect Podcast

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 The Executive Connect Podcast Executive Connect is a leadership and business podcast for operators, builders, and executives focused on real-world execution, growth, and long-term value creation.

Hosted by Melissa Aarskaug, the show brings together founders, investors, and senior leaders to unpack what actually works across business strategy, wealth building, AI, and leadership. These are not theoretical conversations. Each episode is grounded in experience, hard-earned lessons, and practical insight from people actively building, scaling, and investing.

From navigating complex markets to leading teams, allocating capital, and adapting to technological change, Executive Connect explores how high-performing leaders think, operate, and make decisions in real environments.

If you are building a company, leading a team, or designing your next chapter, this podcast will challenge how you think and help you move with greater clarity and intention.Copyright Executive Connect Management & Leadership Ökonomie
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  • Why AI Needs Business Value First | Irving Wladawsky-Berger

    Why AI Needs Business Value First | Irving Wladawsky-Berger
    Apr 30 2026
    What separates real innovation from expensive hype?

    In this episode of Executive Connect, Melissa Aarskaug sits down with Irving Wladawsky-Berger, former IBM innovation leader, MIT research affiliate, and longtime advisor to global enterprises, to talk about what actually makes technology matter. Drawing on decades of experience through the rise of computers, the internet, and now AI, Irving explains why breakthrough technology only creates lasting value when it is deployed at scale across business and society.

    This conversation brings a rare long-view perspective on AI, open systems, enterprise transformation, and the economic realities behind innovation. From ERP and e-commerce to open-source AI and self-driving cars, Irving makes a strong case for focusing less on hype and more on usefulness, productivity, and business results.


    What You Will Learn
    • Why technology alone does not create transformation
    • What leaders still misunderstand about innovation
    • The difference between personal AI productivity and business AI value
    • Why simple use cases often succeed before complex ones
    • How the internet era can help leaders think about AI today
    • Why open-source AI may change the economics of adoption
    • What self-driving cars reveal about the hidden cost of scale
    • Why strong leadership starts with business and market value

    Chapters

    (0:01) Why this technology moment matters
    (1:32) What leaders misunderstand about innovation
    (4:36) Lessons from IBM’s biggest bets
    (8:00) Why AI adoption still stalls
    (13:42) What computers and the internet taught us
    (23:22) Why AI hype misses the point
    (29:08) Why open-source AI matters
    (35:08) Where AI may create near-term value
    (41:55) The leadership this moment requires
    (47:02) Why real breakthroughs take time


    Guest Bio

    Irving Wladawsky-Berger is a research affiliate at MIT and a longtime technology strategist, educator, and advisor. He spent nearly four decades at IBM, where he helped lead major initiatives in the internet, open systems, Linux, supercomputing, and enterprise innovation. Over the years, he has advised organizations across industries, including Citigroup, HBO, and Mastercard, and has become a respected voice on how technology, business, and society evolve together over time.


    Connect with Irving Wladawsky-Berger
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irving-wladawsky-berger-31497714/

    Connect with Executive Connect
    Website: https://www.executiveconnectexperience.com
    LinkedIn: Melissa Aarskaug
    YouTube: Executive Connect
    Instagram: @executiveconnectpodcast
    TikTok: @executiveconnectpodcast
    Facebook: Executive Connect
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    50 Min.
  • How Smart Investors Think About Angel Investing | Marcia Dawood

    How Smart Investors Think About Angel Investing | Marcia Dawood
    Apr 28 2026
    What separates disciplined angel investors from people who simply get excited by a great pitch?

    In this episode of Executive Connect, host Melissa Aarskaug sits down with Marcia Dawood, seasoned angel investor, author, and educator, to unpack what really drives smart early-stage investing. Marcia shares how experienced investors evaluate founders, spot risky patterns early, think in portfolios instead of one-off bets, and avoid the emotional mistakes that catch many first-time investors. She also explains why SEC rules matter more than most people realize, how women can step more confidently into investing, and why building wealth should start with aligning money to values. This is a practical episode for executives, founders, and investors who want a clearer, smarter way to think about risk, opportunity, and long-term wealth.


    What You Will Learn
    • How first-time angel investors often get it wrong
    • Why founder chemistry can cloud good judgment
    • What experienced investors look for in early-stage deals
    • How diversification improves long-term decision-making
    • Why SEC rules and accredited investor standards matter
    • How follow-up and founder communication affect outcomes
    • Why more women need to be active in investing
    • How to align wealth-building with your values

    Chapters

    00:00 Building wealth through aligned values
    00:19 What most people misunderstand about angel investing
    02:42 The emotional trap of backing founders too fast
    03:31 How smart investors evaluate early-stage companies
    05:11 Red flags that can signal trouble
    05:59 Why portfolio thinking matters more than single bets
    07:23 Why investor follow-up shapes better outcomes
    11:24 Understanding SEC rules and investor protections
    17:43 Why women still get left out of investing
    27:33 Where to start if angel investing feels overwhelming
    29:21 What angel investing teaches about leadership and focus
    31:25 Capital discipline and the value of patience
    35:26 Rethinking wealth beyond money


    Guest Bio

    Marcia Dawood is an angel investor, author, educator, and advocate for broader access to early-stage investing. She has spent more than a decade helping people better understand how angel investing works, how portfolios are built, and how investors can align capital with personal values. She is the author of Do Good While Doing Well and Unapologetic Wealth, host of The Angel Next Door podcast, and serves as Chair of the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. Marcia is also an associate producer of Show Her The Money, a documentary focused on the funding gap for women founders.


    Connect with Marcia Dawood

    Website: https://marciadawood.com
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciadawood/
    Podcast: The Angel Next Door

    Connect with Executive Connect

    Website: https://www.executiveconnectexperience.com
    YouTube: Executive Connect
    LinkedIn: Melissa Aarskaug
    Instagram: @executiveconnectpodcast
    TikTok: @executiveconnectpodcast
    Facebook: Executive Connect
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    37 Min.
  • Why Smart Companies Start Small Before They Scale Big | David Solomon

    Why Smart Companies Start Small Before They Scale Big | David Solomon
    Apr 27 2026
    What if the smartest growth move is not going bigger, but going smaller first?

    In this episode of Executive Connect, host Melissa Aarskaug sits down with David Solomon, Founder of SERO Growth and also a fractional CRO and growth strategist, to talk about what actually makes expansion work. David shares why rushing into large markets can hurt more than help, how the right first market can teach a company how to scale, and why founders need more than ambition to grow well. He also breaks down the real role of a fractional CRO, the danger of weak sales systems, and why sales, marketing, and strategy have to move together.

    If you are thinking about entering new markets, fixing stalled revenue, or building a stronger growth engine, this episode will give you a much sharper lens before your next big move.


    What You Will Learn
    • How to test a new market without risking the whole business
    • Why smaller markets can create stronger long-term growth
    • What founders often misunderstand about fractional CROs
    • How sales and marketing alignment affects expansion success
    • Why a CRM and playbook matter before you scale
    • What signals show a company may be ready for outside growth leadership


    Chapters

    00:01 Why starting small wins
    01:14 David Solomon’s path to growth strategy
    03:44 The biggest myth about fractional roles
    05:39 Why expansion should start smaller
    08:12 How small markets create leverage
    10:10 What makes a market worth entering
    12:06 Why research prevents growth mistakes
    13:56 Sales and marketing must work together
    16:32 The sales systems every company needs
    20:58 When to bring in a fractional CRO
    24:16 Building a practical sales framework
    28:43 The metrics leaders should watch
    31:19 Why sales teams should not become robots
    34:48 The first question David asks struggling teams
    37:17 Why global demand is still there


    Guest Bio

    David Solomon is the Founder of SERO Growth, a strategic market expansion consultancy dedicated to manufacturing and industrial businesses. He is also a fractional CRO who helps companies grow into new markets with stronger strategy, better alignment, and smarter execution. His career has centered on scaling businesses, opening global markets, and building revenue frameworks that help companies grow without breaking themselves in the process. He has also taught strategic revenue growth at McGill, where he developed coursework around what it really takes to lead revenue well.


    Connect with David Solomon

    Website: https://serogrowth.com
    Email: info@serogrowth.com
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsolomon13/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SEROGrowth

    Connect with Executive Connect

    Website: https://www.executiveconnectexperience.com/
    YouTube: Executive Connect
    LinkedIn: Melissa Aarskaug
    Instagram: @executiveconnectpodcast
    TikTok: @executiveconnectpodcast
    Facebook: Executive Connect
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    40 Min.
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