Episode Summary
In this episode of Lead. Learn. Grow., Robin Green talks with entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host Kevin Rice about the journey from starting a business in a garage to building a 250-person company and achieving a nine-figure exit. But this conversation goes beyond entrepreneurship.

Kevin shares the hard lessons behind growth, including layoffs, reinvention, focus, and what it really takes to create meaningful differentiation in the marketplace. He also opens up about the personal cost of high performance, describing the "robot mode" many leaders fall into when work consumes everything.

The conversation then turns to Kevin's current passion: helping executives lead effectively at work while still being present at home. Drawing from his own experience as a full-time single father, Kevin explains how he began applying business frameworks to family life, creating practical systems and rituals designed to foster deeper connection with his kids.

They also explore the growing impact of AI on leadership, sales, and entrepreneurship, including why AI will likely reward adaptable, high-agency professionals rather than simply replace them.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

• Kevin's founder story: from humble beginnings to a nine-figure exit
• The hardest phase of scaling a business and what most outsiders never see
• Why many founders struggle when hiring salespeople too early
• The difference between generic marketing claims and true differentiation
• How focus and industry specialization helped drive an 80% win rate
• What "robot mode" looks like for high-performing leaders
• Why success can still feel empty when you are emotionally disconnected
• The shift from living by default to living by design
• How Kevin uses business frameworks to create structure and connection at home
• Rituals, presence, and intentionality in parenting
• Kevin's thoughts on AI, work, sales, and the future of entrepreneurship

About Kevin Rice
Kevin Rice is an entrepreneur, advisor, investor, and host of the podcast CEOs and ABCs. After helping build and scale a company from a garage startup to a 250-employee business with a nine-figure exit, he has turned his attention to a new mission: helping leaders succeed at work without losing what matters most at home. He is also writing a book currently titled The Executive's Guide to Parenting.

Connect with Kevin Rice

• Website: CEOs and ABCs
• Podcast: CEOs and ABCs
• LinkedIn: Kevin Rice

You can reach Robin Green at robin.green@sandler.com.

In this episode of Lead. Learn. Grow., Robin sits down with Andy McGowan, Director of the VCU Center for Professional Selling, to unpack Andy's unconventional career path — from professional sports and corporate communications to building one of the nation's top collegiate sales programs.

Andy shares how an early mentor recognized his natural ability to teach, how real-world selling shaped every chapter of his career, and why developing young sales talent has become his calling. He offers an inside look at VCU's nationally ranked sales team, the rapid growth of collegiate sales competitions, and why employers across industries are eager to recruit his students.

Together, Robin and Andy explore:

• What truly defines professional selling today

• Why outdated sales stereotypes no longer apply

• What employers actually look for in early-career sales talent

• Why engineers and first-generation students often excel in sales roles

• How AI is already reshaping sales preparation, practice, and performance

Andy also extends a direct invitation to Richmond-area business leaders who are looking for motivated, coachable sales talent — and explains why partnering with the VCU program creates value for both employers and students.

A practical, energizing conversation for leaders, recruiters, and anyone responsible for hiring or developing salespeople.

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If you'd like to learn more about Sandler's Sales, Management, and Leadership Performance program, you can email him at robin.green@sandler.com

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