Introducing the “CxO Leadership Accelerator”
A private membership community for leaders and emerging leaders in G&A roles in operating companies.
I first heard the advice to “Start With Why” almost 10 years ago. I found that message incredibly powerful and eye-opening. It has resonated with me ever since.
Why does the CxO Leadership Accelerator exist?
Why do I get out of bed every morning to work on CxO?
Why should CxO matter to you?
Let me tell you about the “Why”, the “How” and the “What” of the CxO Leadership Collective.
My experiences over the last decade as a CFO and HR Leader in high growth companies have opened my eyes to the realities of the workplace.
(1) Everyone Can Be Replaced: In today’s white-collar world of work, most employees are viewed as replaceable. As a result, tenures at individual companies keep getting shorter.
(2) Value is Being Maximized for Shareholders: Employers primary focus remains on maximizing value for their shareholders (typically the venture capital and private equity investors who own the majority in most high growth companies).
(3) Optimizing for the Short-Term over the Long-Term: Investing in the long-term growth of employees, through training and development, has remained a low priority as most high growth businesses are cash constrained.
The stresses and challenges of building a successful career given this reality of the modern workplace convinced me to start the CxO Leadership Accelerator to help the next generation of professionals.
Why CxO? CxO will help professionals navigate their career, in a world where the odds are stacked against them and their employer is not investing in their long-term career success. My hope is that we can help professionals achieve greater satisfaction from their work and greater financial success across their career journey.
Why do I get out of bed energized to build CxO? I am pumped up to do this at scale, because helping people gives me joy and fills me up. I have learned that by lesson in a variety of milieus—by being a “little league” coach for various sports, a manager in a corporate setting, and an unpaid mentor to both finance teams and founders.
I feel fortunate about my career journey. Anyone who knows me well, will know I have had a multitude of challenges. And yet, on the whole, things have worked out really well. I attribute that to a fair bit of luck (more than 50%) and some hard work / skill. I want to acknowledge my “luck” and pay it forward by helping others.
In addition, I believe that the positive energy I (or anyone else) puts out into the universe will come back to each one of us as positive outcome at some point.
Why should CxO matter to you? If you are curious, interested in growth, passionate about learning, want to advance your careers and access like-minded professionals, CxO is the right place for you. The first group of people I have invited to join the community all fit this bill. CxO will provide you with the appropriate set of resources and opportunities to build a fulfilling and financially rewarding career. All members will be contributing to the overall success of each other.
How will CxO be different and valuable? CxO will offer a “a safe space” for authentic conversations without the fear of content or discussions being exposed to CEOs or investors (your direct and indirect bosses). We will provide curated conversations which present opportunities for participants to help each other, learn from each other and learn from experts. Our primary focus is meeting the needs of our members, and we will avoid any conflicts of interests that can arise in free communities which must cater to advertisers or recruiters to pay their bills.
What will CxO look like? CxO will be a private, paid, membership community of vetted, experienced operating executives (leaders and emerging leaders) in the finance, accounting, people operations, legal and other G&A functions. You can communicate with other members and outside speakers—in a group or private setting—via a combination of Slack, Google Groups, Zoom and in-person events (when possible). We will offer content that will enrich you as a manager and provide best practices implemented by experienced professionals who have faced similar challenges that you are currently facing.
Next Steps. We soft launched in October 2020 and will be building a group of founding members. If you are interested in joining us on this exciting journey or simply want to learn more, please feel free to reach out to me directly. More to come soon with a website launch.