Shore Capital Podcast Network

In this episode, Dr. Brian McClain, founder and managing partner of Pinnacle Care Providers in Ohio, and Emily Rafferty, CEO of the new platform bringing Pinnacle together with Preferred Podiatry Group, share how a model of post-acute care built over decades became the foundation for a multi-state platform. Dr. McClain explains why staying the same was the bigger risk for a practice that had always improved, and how unscripted conversations with chief clinical officers across the Shore portfolio answered his concerns before he said yes. Emily describes why the work is personal for her and for most of the team, and how the platform plans to multiply the clinical model's impact through provider recruiting, technology, and relationships with the communities it serves. They also explain how physicians keep leading the clinical model through a clinical advisory board, and why growth in this business means more time with patients, not less. Finally, they look five years out, to a day when coordinated care delivered where people live is the standard rather than the exception. Key Takeaways: Weigh the risk of staying the same against the risk of changing, because with an aging population and fast-moving technology, a practice that improves slowly gets left behind Vet a partner by talking unscripted with leaders already inside the portfolio and asking them anything, because trust built that way is what lets a mission-driven practice say yes Keep physicians leading the clinical model and give them a clinical advisory board, so practices in different markets learn from each other instead of being standardized from above Buy time for patients by stripping out work that adds no value, because proactive care drives both quality outcomes and financial results Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:15 – Why Post-Acute Care Is Personal 07:37 – Bringing Pinnacle and PPG Together 10:21 – Why Partner, and Ask Them Anything 12:52 – Staying the Same Was the Bigger Risk 16:17 – Doctors Lead the Doctors 20:03 – Growth, Communities, and More Time With Patients Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jimmy St. Louis, CEO of Agentis Longevity, a national brand of longevity centers, returns for the third conversation in an annual series that began in the platform's first year. Year one was about vision and year two about lessons learned; year three, in Jimmy's words, is about driving the standard in a corner of healthcare that does not yet have one. He walks through the work behind that goal, from a world-class physician advisory board and appearances before Congress and the FDA to the Longevity Quotient, a fifteen-minute assessment that distills five clinical tests and sixty-five blood markers into a single health score tied to treatment protocols in every clinic. He also reflects on why the company's vision statement hinges on the word drive rather than set, how a team doing many things at once stays focused on four big rocks, and what makes sellers want to join the platform. He closes with three questions any consumer should ask before trusting a longevity clinic. Key Takeaways: Choose the words of your vision deliberately, because a single word like drive instead of set tells the team whether the organization is finished or in constant motion Build trust before scale by giving every stakeholder, from regulators to sellers to patients, a framework they can point to for what high-quality care looks like Standardize the core and let the edges vary: run the four core services exactly the same way in every clinic, and allow adjacent modalities to differ by market and customer base Prioritize visibly, so that every person in the company can name the quarter's four big rocks even when the organization is doing many things at once Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 03:03 – What Longevity Care Looks Like 06:40 – Set vs. Drive 11:58 – A Scoreboard for Your Health 15:58 – The Blueprint for the Ideal Clinic 19:21 – The Next Three Years 21:59 – Three Questions to Ask Any Longevity Clinic Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, I talk with Brad Morehead, Partner and Head of the Business Services Fund at Shore Capital Partners, who has also been a CEO, a CFO, a business professor, and a founder who built and sold his own company. We talk about business models: why the way a company acquires and keeps customers tells you more about how to build it than the industry it sits in, and what that means when you can group companies across a portfolio of nearly 70 by model rather than by end market. Brad walks through how models evolve, from founder-led selling to professionalized sales and from break/fix work to recurring revenue, and how a future-state org chart, the right board member, and a new set of KPIs carry a company through that shift. He also shares the lesson from a mentor that he now teaches younger investors: when someone tells you an idea didn't work, ask why, because you cannot be wrong when you are asking a question. We close with his own experience being acquired by a buyer in the exact same industry with a completely different model, which he compares to trying to build something with Legos and an Erector Set. Strategic Themes: Group companies by business model, not by industry, because a pest control business and a veterinary practice that both sell direct to consumers have more to teach each other than two companies that merely share an end market Draw the future-state org chart before you change the model, then design the transition structure, systems, and KPIs (attach rate, cross-sell, recurring revenue) that get you there Ask why when a founder says "we tried that and it didn't work," because the question gets you to the root cause, validates the person in front of you, and cannot be wrong Recognize the watch-outs that come with a model alongside its upside, because negative working capital or a subsidized customer acquisition model can let a company grow itself out of cash Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – What a Business Model Actually Is 05:29 – From Break/Fix to Recurring Revenue 11:43 – The Power of Why 14:40 – If I Gave You an Extra Million Dollars 17:52 – Negative Working Capital Is a Good Thing, Until It Isn't 19:40 – Legos and an Erector Set

In this episode, Marc Insul, president and chief operating officer of Commercial Asset Preservation (CAP), and Pat Bowe, head of corporate development and strategy at Maintera, share how a founder who had already sold one company chose a partner the second time around. Marc explains how driving past vacant buildings in Cleveland during the 2008 downturn led him to found CAP, and why he and his business partner came to see that their own capital could only take the business so far. Together with TCG Services, CAP now forms Maintera, a facility services platform serving operating and vacant commercial properties across the United States and Canada. Marc and Pat talk candidly about what founders worry about when they consider private equity, why no two firms operate alike, and what trust and transparency look like after the close. Marc also reflects on the value of fresh eyes on a business he ran for years and why, for him, the best part of selling is the ride that comes after. Strategic Themes Decide what you want after the close before you weigh offers, because the role you want, whether that's stepping back or staying on to keep growing, changes which partner is right for you Treat fresh eyes as the return on giving up control, since outsiders can spot what years inside the business have made hard to see Judge a partner by its conduct and its references, and talk to founders who have already made the move, because no two firms operate alike Get comfortable with someone else in your business first, because readiness is a mindset before it is a milestone Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 02:34 – What a Founder Sees in an Empty Building 06:59 – Giving Up Control, Gaining Fresh Eyes 12:35 – The Ride After the Sale 14:40 – One Plus One Equals Three 18:16 – Are You Ready to Partner? 21:35 – Eight Suitors and What Comes Next Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, I talk with Jamie Cusack, CEO of Keystone Access Partners, Shore Capital's entrance and access control platform built on Dillard Companies and The Ritchie Group, with operations across Memphis, Tupelo, the Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana. Jamie came to the CEO seat in an unusual way: he watched the Shore model work from the inside as a board member of another Shore company before betting his own career on it. He walks through what a growth-based partnership actually looks like for a founder, including the conscious leadership training his teams had never had access to before, and the open conversation every owner needs to have about what role they want next. Jamie also explains why so many owners are more ready to sell than they think, even if the business still runs on pen and paper. And he is direct about what Keystone looks for in a partner: a good business isn't enough, because the people have to be good too. Key Takeaways: Decide what you actually want before the offer conversation, because the right partnership builds a role around your answer, whether that is running the day-to-day, leading M&A, or stepping back Recognize that pen and paper is not a readiness problem, because the systems, data, and technology gaps that make owners hesitate are exactly what a platform partner is built to close Choose partners for capability and character, not just geography, because a business that treats its customers poorly is a non-starter no matter how good the numbers look Learn from the operators you bring on instead of standardizing them, because a process that works in the field is a best practice to spread, not a variance to fix Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, I talk with Owen Miller, CEO of 360Pack, a food and beverage packaging distribution business headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Owen joined 360Pack in its first year of operations through the Shore Capital CXO Fellows Program and, in less than five years, moved from CXO to VP of Supply Chain and Operations to COO and now to the CEO seat. He shares what it took to grow into each of those roles, including learning alongside founders with decades of industry experience and what the CEO seat has taught him that he couldn't have learned anywhere else. Owen also explains why the ambiguity of the CXO role is exactly the point: it demands intellectual curiosity, humility, and a willingness to run toward the messiest parts of the business while building influence without formal authority. Finally, he offers some straight talk for anyone considering the program: if you're looking for a cushy, kick-your-feet-up kind of role, this is not for you; if you're looking to be pushed and to grow like never before, there is no better place to be. Key Takeaways: Run toward the messiest parts of the business, because intellectual curiosity and a bias for the hardest problems are what turn an ambiguous role into an indispensable one Own your lane as the least experienced person in the room by speaking as the expert on what only you know, whether that's the data, the systems, or what the market is telling you, and cover the rest with preparation and hard work Build credibility stakeholder by stakeholder: for the board, know your numbers and deliver what you said you would; for your team, show them you care about their future and convert what they tell you into action Set the plan and get people behind it without formal authority, then own the results, because leading through influence is the skill the CEO seat demands most Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:20 – From CXO to CEO in Five Years 06:15 – Why the CXO Program 11:50 – The Least Experienced in the Room 13:55 – What Makes a Good CXO 18:15 – Do You Hate Losing or Love Winning More? 21:25 – Advice for Future CXOs Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Josh Allen, founder of Companion Baking in St. Louis, Missouri, shares how he turned a love of baking discovered in the Bay Area into a frozen artisan bread manufacturer shipping custom products across all 48 contiguous states. Guided by his grandfather's advice to listen to his customers, Josh built the business one customer and one product at a time, pivoted from wholesale to frozen manufacturing, and made helping customers tell their stories through bread the heart of what Companion does. He also reflects on why he always took the private equity calls out of curiosity, what made Shore different, and why partnering now rather than later lets him stay part of the journey as Companion builds its platform. Key Takeaways: Listen to your customers and they'll tell you how to grow. One customer, one product, one SKU at a time built a 33-year business. Say yes first and figure it out later. The willingness to solve a customer's problem tomorrow, like renting a van to deliver bread two hours away, opened the pivot to frozen that transformed the company. Sell the story, not the SKU. When customers help design their own bread, price fades and the relationship becomes sticky. Partner while you still have runway. Choosing partnership now instead of an exit later keeps a founder part of the next chapter, with a board, new leaders, and resources a small business could never afford alone. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:25 – From the Bay Area Back to St. Louis 08:45 – One Customer, One Product at a Time 12:18 – Telling Stories Through Bread 17:16 – Why Partner, and Why Shore 24:43 – Building the Platform Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, I talk with Nick Sherrard, Chief of Staff at Thermal Shipping Solutions and a member of the CXO Fellows Program. Nick shares how an internship at a Shore portfolio company showed him just how quickly he could make a measurable difference in a microcap business, and what it means to be Chief of Staff in a fast-growing, family-founded company. An engineer by training, he reflects on thinking in inputs, outputs, and bottlenecks, finding the root causes behind recurring fire drills, and driving change without authority by making every solution a win-win-win. Nick also describes the role of the CXO cohort, part joint therapy and part best practice sharing, and shares the best advice he's ever gotten: don't confuse urgency with importance. Key Takeaways: In a microcap business, you can make a measurable difference fast, and the impact is clearly yours. Nobody else in your company is living the same highs and lows as the CXO. The cohort is part joint therapy and part best practice sharing. Thinking in inputs, outputs, and bottlenecks turns recurring fire drills into root causes you can actually fix. When you can't mandate anything, change happens by making every solution a win-win-win. If you can't make that case, you're probably solving the wrong problem. Don't confuse urgency with importance. This job is a marathon, not a sprint. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 05:41 – The Cohort and the Operator Path 17:00 – An Engineer's Mindset 22:20 – Playing the Libero 30:02 – Urgency vs. Importance Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Keith Caldwell, CEO of H2O Care Partners, and Sarah Longstreet, the company's Chief Marketing Officer, share the story of building a national water treatment platform. It began in 2021 when Keith met Mark St. Hilaire, founder of H2O Care in Massachusetts, and saw an opportunity to combine doing good with the growth potential of a fragmented, family-run industry. Today the platform spans more than thirty brands across nearly twenty states, supported by a Boston-based resource team of over forty across marketing, finance, hiring, technology, and operations. Keith and Sarah reflect on the network effect that emerges when great local businesses come together, how each new partner brings superpowers that get shared across the platform, and why preserving local brands, community ties, and long-tenured teams is central to how they scale. They also discuss what makes the right partner, from founders approaching retirement to those just getting started, and what's next as the platform continues to grow. Key Takeaways: Great partnerships start with people. Keeping the local name, the team, and the reputation intact is what makes strong family businesses open to joining a platform. The network effect is real. Every new partner brings a superpower that can be captured in playbooks and shared so the whole platform gets better. Scaling doesn't have to cost you culture. Centralize what lifts everyone, like marketing, finance, and technology, and keep brands, community ties, and daily decisions local. The right partner comes down to mindset: teams and customers first, a strong reputation in the industry, and a genuine desire to grow. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:57 – The Origin of H2O Care Partners 07:54 – The Network Effect 11:04 – Scaling Culture, Not Just Operations 14:16 – Finding the Right Partners 18:01 – Driving Organic Growth 25:44 – What's Next Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson Sprayberry, Anderson Williams, and Cynthia Hiskes close out Season 2 with the widest lens of the series: why acquisitions fail on the people side and what to do about it. They explore how a lack of early communication creates anxiety that turns into headwinds before integration even begins, why clarifying the founder's role is critical to the entire organization's stability, and the difference between change (what happens externally) and transition (what happens internally). The conversation shifts to how talent strategies need to evolve over the hold period, from hiring athletes early on to developing specialists and frontline managers at scale. The episode wraps with a direct call to action: don't let another 5% of the hold period go by without having the conversations that matter. Key Takeaways: The biggest integration failures start with silence. Communicating what you know and what you don't know early prevents months of unnecessary anxiety. Clarifying the founder's role isn't just about the founder. It cascades through every team member who used to look to that person for answers. Change is the event. Transition is the emotional and psychological recalibration that follows. If you don't manage the transition, resistance will stall the integration. Talent strategies have to evolve with the business. What you need at launch (athletes and generalists) is different from what you need at scale (specialists and skilled frontline managers). Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:47 - What Makes Integration Succeed or Fail 06:45 - Change vs. Transition 10:58 - When Your Talent Strategy No Longer Fits 17:19 - Why Talent Strategy Is Business Strategy Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson Sprayberry, Anderson Williams, and Cynthia Hiskes step back from individual people decisions and ask whether the organization has a talent strategy at all. Without one, every hiring decision feels urgent, personal, and reactive. The conversation covers what a real talent strategy includes, the unique challenge of working with both selected and inherited talent in an acquisition-driven environment, and why someone has to own the strategy even if there's no HR leader in seat yet. They explore how org design should match the stage of the business, why not every role needs a top-of-the-nine-box performer, and how ongoing career conversations give leaders better information than annual reviews ever could. The episode makes the case that talent strategy is not a hiring plan. It's how you attract, retain, and engage the people who will build the business. Key Takeaways: If you don't have a talent strategy, every hiring decision will feel reactive. A clear direction helps you know when you're veering off course. In acquisition-driven growth, you're working with both the people you select and the people you inherit. Your strategy has to address both. Someone has to own the talent strategy. If ownership is assumed to live everywhere, it will live nowhere. You don't need an HR leader to get started. Not every role needs a top performer. What matters is having the right talent profile in the right seat at the right stage of the business. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:33 - What a Talent Strategy Actually Looks Like 05:02 - Building a Strategy in an Acquisition Model 12:46 - Who Owns the Talent Strategy 16:27 - Org Design and Stage Relevance 19:54 - When to Look Outward vs. Build From Within Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson Sprayberry, Anderson Williams, and Cynthia Hiskes tackle what performance management systems actually measure and what they miss. They make the case that an output-only mindset is dangerous, especially in a fast-moving environment where how someone delivers results matters just as much as whether they hit the number. The conversation covers how to embed values into performance reviews, why human capital metrics belong on the same dashboard as financial data, and the real cost of turnover that most companies never calculate. The episode closes with a direct challenge: if leaders say their people are the most important part of the business, the dashboard should reflect that. Key Takeaways: Measuring only what someone delivered without evaluating how they delivered it creates blind spots that erode culture and team performance. Performance management systems should be treated as a database for future action, not just a backward-looking scorecard. Human capital metrics like engagement, turnover, and promotion rates belong on the business dashboard alongside financial results. Manager consistency matters. If one manager's reviews all look green but performance is slipping, the system isn't telling the truth. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 03:55 - Embedding Values Into Performance Management 08:27 - Metrics Beyond the Scorecard 13:23 - People Metrics on the Business Dashboard 19:23 - Connecting the Dots to Talent Strategy Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson Sprayberry, Anderson Williams, and Cynthia Hiskes slow down to do the diagnostic work most leaders skip. Before deciding that someone is the problem, have you actually done your own work first? The conversation walks through the five whys approach, the will, skill, and fit framework, and why leaders so often project their frustrations onto the situation rather than diagnosing it clearly. They explore the difference between technical problems (which have known solutions) and adaptive challenges (which require the person themselves to change), and why coachability may be the single most important factor in these conversations. The episode closes by identifying when individual people problems start to signal something bigger: a system problem. Key Takeaways: Before diagnosing people as the problem, leaders need to ask whether they provided clarity, coaching, and the right environment for success. The five whys approach forces leaders to move past emotion and drill down to what's actually driving underperformance. Will, skill, and fit often blur together. Leaders make better decisions when they separate the three and have honest conversations about each. When you see the same patterns across different people or teams, it's no longer a people problem. It's a system problem. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:01 - Have You Done Your Own Work First? 04:41 - Will, Skill, and Fit 07:16 - Technical vs. Adaptive Change 09:36 - When People Problems Become System Problems Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson Sprayberry, Anderson Williams, and Cynthia Hiskes kick off Season 2 of Raw Talent with one of the bluntest questions leaders face: when do you invest in the talent you have, and when is it time to move on? They explore why most leaders answer that question too quickly, driven by frustration or loyalty rather than real diagnosis. The conversation unpacks how high-growth environments amplify the pressure, why the "messy middle" performers are the hardest to evaluate, and how a lack of role clarity often masquerades as a people problem. The episode makes a clear case that this decision should never be a gut call. It depends on how critical the role is, how urgent the need is, and whether the person has the coachability to close the gap in time. Key Takeaways: Most leaders default to keep or move on too quickly, driven by emotion rather than diagnosis. In high-growth environments, job descriptions go stale fast. Leaders have to continuously reset expectations so performance conversations stay grounded. The hardest calls aren't the top performers or the clear misses. They're the messy middle, where will, skill, and fit blur together. A strong performance management cadence makes the develop-or-replace decision feel like a natural next step, not a last-minute crisis. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:56 - Why This Question Keeps Surfacing 05:35 - High-Growth Pressure on People Decisions 10:36 - The Founder Dynamic 11:52 - Performance Management and Clarity Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Joe Rice, CEO of CXponent, shares how watching his father run a business sparked a lifelong pull toward entrepreneurship and building something of his own. He describes how CXponent cuts through the overwhelming noise of technology vendors and AI tools to help mid-market companies make better decisions, and why trust, not technology, remains the foundation of every client relationship. Joe reflects on his first company, what he learned from that exit, and what drew him back to build again. He talks candidly about what founders should weigh before joining a platform, the importance of readiness and timing, and why Shore's focus on stacking talent and investing in organic growth made it the right fit. Throughout the conversation, Joe makes clear that even in a market being reshaped by AI, the work still comes down to people, presence, and being a partner clients can count on. Key Takeaways: The technology landscape has never been more crowded. The advisors who win are the ones who cut through the noise and bring clients certainty, not just options. You cannot fake trust. Building the kind of client relationships that lead to board-level work takes time, expertise, and a willingness to get into the details. Joining a platform is not an exit. It is a choice to go further, faster, with peers who are still building. Once you get a taste of creating opportunity and space for other people, you are probably forever addicted. The best founders are not looking for a way out. They are looking for a way to keep going. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 10:05 – Joe's Origin Story 11:28 – Building CXponent with Shore 14:29 – Founder Readiness and Timing 19:40 – What's Ahead for CXponent Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Anderson talks with Ryan Resch, Principal of Operations at Shore Capital Partners. Ryan spent over a decade in basketball, from student manager at Baylor to Chief of Staff with the Phoenix Suns, before joining Shore nine months ago. He shares how first-principle problem-solving became the common thread across every career he has built, why the shift from the zero-sum world of professional sports to private equity changes how teams operate, and how that same builder mindset now drives Shore's internal AI enablement efforts. Ryan also discusses why AI is a platform-level shift, not just an operational initiative, and what it takes to build something transformational from the ground up. Key Takeaways: First-principle problem-solving makes skills transferable across industries. Break any challenge into its parts, and the path forward becomes clear. AI is not a tool. It is a platform-level shift, and the organizations building AI capability now are building a durable advantage. Talent wins games. Coordination wins championships. The real challenge is aligning people, roles, and resources toward a shared mission. Focus is a discipline, not a default. In an unbounded environment, saying no to good ideas is what protects your ability to execute on the right ones. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 02:09 - From Baylor to the NBA 06:22 - What Brought Ryan to Shore 10:47 - Building AI Enablement at Shore 18:01 - Operating Systems, Scouting, and Focus 25:17 - What's Ahead Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Anderson Williams talks with Cynthia Hiskes, Head of the Human Capital Center of Excellence at Shore Capital Partners. Cynthia brings deep experience building and scaling HR functions across companies of every size, and she shares why aligning your HR investment to the stage and scale of your business is one of the most important decisions a founder or CEO can make. They discuss what human capital looks like in microcap and highly acquisitive companies, why HR belongs at the strategy table from day one, and how the Center of Excellence facilitates learning across the portfolio so leaders don't have to figure it out alone. Cynthia also walks through how to think about talent assessment, organizational design, and culture during rapid growth and acquisition integration, and why the metrics that matter at exit need to be built into the planting phase. Key Takeaways: Match your HR investment to your stage because over-engineered systems early on waste resources, while under-investing later puts growth at risk Bring HR in early as a strategic partner, not a downstream handoff, because the best integration and growth decisions happen when human capital is part of the original conversation Treat human capital as a value multiplier, not a cost center, especially in microcap businesses where every key role disproportionately drives the outcome Build the metrics that tell your exit story (turnover, engagement, time to fill, wage sustainability) during the planting and growing phases, not at the end Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:31 – Stage-Relevant HR 06:36 – Org Design and Acquisitions 11:37 – HR as a Strategic Partner 18:14 – Talent and the Exit Story 26:02 – HR Misconceptions Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Ryan Burke reflects on his journey from selling roofs in Colorado Springs to founding Bulldog Roofing at 23 and partnering with Shore Capital to help build Skycrest Roof. He shares how frustration with bad actors in the industry and a belief that customers and employees deserved better pushed him to take the leap and start the business out of his living room. Ryan discusses the rapid growth that followed, the chaos that came with it, and the hard lessons of moving from hustle to structure as the business scaled to sixty people and $30M in revenue. He talks candidly about his initial fears around private equity, why protecting his team of family and friends was his top priority, and how meeting the people at Shore shifted his perspective on partnership. Ryan highlights the importance of readiness, the value of building real processes and resilience into a business, and what Skycrest is looking for in the next generation of founders as it continues to grow. Key Takeaways: Frustration with bad actors and a belief that customers and employees deserve better can become the foundation for building a business with real integrity and lasting culture. Moving from hustle to structure is the hard but necessary work of scaling, where documented processes, defined roles, and clear procedures turn chaos into resilience. Readiness to partner is not just about age or financial outcomes, but about understanding what you want, knowing your team, and finding a buyer who treats your people and your legacy with care. The right partnership brings creativity to the deal, expertise to the table, and a shared commitment to growing the business without losing the culture and people that built it. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:51 – Founding Bulldog Roofing 05:49 – From Hustle to Structure 08:39 – Readiness and Finding Shore 17:40 – Evolving as a Leader 21:14 – Building Skycrest Roof Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster. , highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, I follow up with Ross Koenig, Chief Data Officer at Shore Capital Partners and one of our earliest podcast guests. Ross reflects on how his role has evolved over the past three years, from leading the Data Center of Excellence supporting portfolio companies to focusing on Shore's own investment process data and cross-portfolio insights. He shares why Shore's longstanding commitment to process and documentation has become a powerful foundation in the age of AI, and how nearly 1,000 codified executive hires now enable pattern recognition that few firms can match. Ross also discusses why "garbage in, garbage out" matters more than ever, how AI is breaking down walls between executives and data, and why business owners who ignore AI risk being left behind. Key Takeaways: Build the data foundation first because AI only works as well as the process, documentation, and discipline behind it Codify what you know across people, processes, and decisions so you can spot patterns, learn from past outcomes, and make smarter choices going forward Recognize that AI's biggest unlock is accessibility, putting information and analysis directly in the hands of executives who used to be blocked by technical walls Engage with AI now regardless of size or industry because the cost barriers have fallen and the businesses that ignore it will quickly fall behind Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:36 – Building the Data Foundation 06:36 – Codifying Knowledge at Scale 12:15 – Accessibility and the Power of AI 15:31 – Why Every Business Owner Should Engage with AI Now Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

In this episode, Jackson and Anderson close out the season by addressing the question every leader eventually faces: how do you know talent development is actually working? They acknowledge that measuring behavior change is harder than measuring defects on a line, but argue that the value is no less real. The conversation moves through leading and lagging indicators, the business metrics that connect to people investment, and the observable cultural shifts that show up before the numbers do. The episode includes a powerful story about a first-time manager who nearly left because no one helped her shift from doing the work to leading through others, and wraps with practical, start-tomorrow advice for tracking progress. Key Takeaways: The ROI of talent development is real, but it shows up in things like turnover, internal promotions, and customer satisfaction rather than this quarter's margins. It's easier to notice failure than to recognize the problems that never happened because of proactive investment. Observable culture shifts (better meetings, fewer complaints, people coming with solutions) show up before the spreadsheet metrics do. Start with the behavior you want to change, name how you'll know it changed, and map that to business outcomes on the front end. Chapters: 00:00 - How Do You Know It's Working? 01:14 - Why Measuring Development Is Hard 06:20 - Satisfaction vs. Behavior Change 09:36 - The Business Case for People Investment 15:53 - Observable Signs Before the Numbers 20:19 - Start With the End in Mind Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts You'll also find other Raw Talent episodes, alongside our Bigger. Stronger. Faster., Microcap Moments, and Everyday Heroes series, highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.