Author name: The Agile Operator

Why Sustainable Growth Matters More Than Rapid Scaling For many founders, growth is treated as the ultimate business metric. Investors celebrate expansion, startups chase headcount growth, and leadership teams often equate scale with success. But sustainable growth requires a different mindset. Jason Sgro explains that many businesses unintentionally create operational chaos by growing too quickly. […]

Home care software is one of those categories where the stakes are real, the workflows are complex, and “innovation” only matters if it improves care. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Ken Accardi, founder and CEO of Ankota, to talk about his path from GE Healthcare to building a home care software company—plus what

In this episode of Margins & Mandates, Jeff hosts Justin Nihon, CEO of Linear Air, a technology-enabled air charter broker focused on making charter aviation more accessible, transparent, and bookable—especially for regional travel and hard-to-serve routes. Justin explains how Linear Air evolved from an aircraft operator (Part 135) into an asset-light platform that uses a

Bootstrapped business growth looks different at every stage—but the hardest moment isn’t survival. It’s scale. In this episode of Margins & Mandates, Jeff Lortz sits down with Mike Sarafinas, Chief Revenue Officer at Point5, to unpack a 12-year journey built on relationships, customer obsession, and hard-earned confidence. Mike shares how Point5 grew from zero funding

Healthcare risk and compliance isn’t a market where you get second chances. In this episode of Margins & Mandates, Jeff sits down with Ed Gaudet, founder and CEO of Censinet, a healthcare-focused governance, risk, and compliance platform that started in third-party risk management and expanded into enterprise risk and compliance. Ed shares what it really

Marketing leadership in private equity is changing—and fast. In this episode, Jeff reconnects with Norman Guadagno, a fellow CMO and operator, to unpack what it really takes to lead growth inside PE-backed technology companies as AI reshapes discoverability, content placement, and sales enablement. Norman’s career arc gives him a unique vantage point: agency leadership, cybersecurity

Direct mail marketing is making a major comeback as businesses search for better ways to cut through digital noise. In this episode, Dennis Kelly, CEO of Postalytics, explains how modern direct mail automation is helping marketers improve engagement, track campaigns, and integrate physical mail into today’s digital marketing strategies. While many marketers focus heavily on

In this episode of Margins and Mandates, Jeff sits down with ⁠Pam Boiros⁠, fractional CMO, marketing strategist, and co-founder of ⁠Women Applying AI⁠. Pam shares her journey from leading marketing at major HR tech companies to building her consulting practice, ⁠Bridge Marketing Advisors⁠, where she helps B2B tech companies harness AI for growth. Pam’s mission