Episode 14: CEO in Residence Revealed: The Role, The Roadmap, The Results

In this episode of The Do Diligence podcast by Sleeping Giant Capital, host Derrick McIver welcomes Kelly Conway and Mitch Brownell, two dynamic executives in Sleeping Giant's CEO-in-Residence accelerator program. The episode offers an in-depth look into their unconventional career transitions from stable corporate roles to the uncertain, yet exciting world of entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA).

Kelly, a former CHRO and the sole income earner in a household with four children, shares her bold leap into business ownership driven by a desire for autonomy, values alignment, and impact in the human capital space. Mitch, a manufacturing leader with deep roots in West Michigan, recounts his entrepreneurial spirit and why acquiring an existing company became a more compelling path than starting from scratch.

Get an authentic look into the day-to-day life inside a search accelerator, the challenges of shifting from corporate predictability to entrepreneurial ambiguity, and the importance of relationship-building in sourcing off-market business deals. The episode also explores the emotional side of buying someone’s legacy, the need for courage and compassion, and the value of supporting infrastructure, like mentorship, diligence help, and peer camaraderie.