Episode 24
Alisa Cohn: Making the shift from start-up founder to world-class CEO
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Being a founder of a start-up takes courage, grit, entrepreneurial spirit. It takes a special kind of person. Somebody who is enormously self-driven, determined and motivated. But how far will these traits take you as you look to scale your business? And what will you need to start, stop and change in your leadership style? How will you work hard and smart to avoid burn-out and mental health problems?
Alisa Cohn, confidante and coach to the founders and CEOs of some of the world’s most successful start-ups and scale-ups shares her knowledge on these shifts in perspective and practice.
Further resources
Named the Top Start-up Coach in the World at the Thinkers50/Marshall Goldsmith Global Coaches Awards in London, Alisa Cohn has been coaching start-up founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. A one-time start-up CFO, strategy consultant, and current angel investor and advisor, she was named the #1 Global Guru for Start-ups in 2021 and has worked with start-up companies such as Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, The Wirecutter, Mack Weldon and Tory Burch.
“To move from being founder to a CEO you have to shift your focus from building a product to building a business.”
Alisa Cohn, Executive Coach
VIEW RUNNING ORDER
02.52 | The biggest shifts from founder to world-class CEO. |
04.42 | The triggers of these shifts. |
06.17 | Does a founder role have to be all-consuming? |
08.06 | Traits of successful entrepreneurs. |
09.07 | Magic dust from her book. |
11.06 | Changes in leadership styles over the last five years. |
12.31 | What corporate executives can learn from entrepreneurs. |
13.59 | Red lines you’re not willing to cross. |
16.04 | Learnings from her own career progression. |
19.18 | How strategic has she been in her career? |
21.45 | Her biggest strength as a coach. |
23.25 | What’s on her development plan. |
24.30 | How she measures her life. |
25.57 | The best coaching she’s received. |
28.14 | The frontiers of coaching practice. |

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