Episode 21: Michael Buckley - Leading the creation of unparalleled event experiences through Cadence

06/14/20 • 69 min

Today’s guest is Michael Buckley. Michael is the co-founder and CEO of Cadence, an event experience software platform for event organizers and most importantly, their audience. In his previous role at another enterprise software company, Michael realized that it seemed like the most amount of positive impact they were having with their customers was on the events side. After conversations with others at the company who were also very passionate about events, him and some other employees decided to split off and form their own company focused solely on events. Now, they’re aiming for the word Cadence to become synonymous with event experiences. Apart from Cadence, Michael also has some great perspective and thoughts on fitness and wellness to thrive in business. His daily routine is one that many would not picture for a software startup founder and CEO. In this interview, we discuss the impact the current pandemic situation has had on his business and the industry, when his passion for events really started to kick in, the jobs he held pre-Cadence and how those experiences led to the founding of Cadence, and of course, all things Cadence and event management.

Timestamps

00:02:47 Pandemic's impact on his business and the industry

00:13:05 When did his passion for events start to kick in

00:14:30 Does he consider himself a born entrepreneur?

00:15:39 College experience

00:18:00 The interview that changed his career outlook

00:20:11 First couple jobs after college

00:27:08 Impact of Great Recession on his career trajectory

00:28:30 Job where the "aha" moment occurred

00:32:09 Tipping point to start Cadence

00:39:57 Overview of Cadence

00:44:59 How they differentiate themselves from competitors

00:46:15 Culture at Cadence

00:54:39 Fundraising

00:59:22 What keeps him up at night

01:00:40 Ultimate vision for Cadence

01:01:46 Thoughts on fitness and wellness to thrive in business

01:03:00 His daily routine

01:06:00 His driving force

01:07:28 Advice for people thinking about starting a business

Timestamps

00:02:47 Pandemic's impact on his business and the industry

00:13:05 When did his passion for events start to kick in

00:14:30 Does he consider himself a born entrepreneur?

00:15:39 College experience

00:18:00 The interview that changed his career outlook

00:20:11 First couple jobs after college

00:27:08 Impact of Great Recession on his career trajectory

00:28:30 Job where the "aha" moment occurred

00:32:09 Tipping point to start Cadence

00:39:57 Overview of Cadence

00:44:59 How they differentiate themselves from competitors

00:46:15 Culture at Cadence

00:54:39 Fundraising

00:59:22 What keeps him up at night

01:00:40 Ultimate vision for Cadence

01:01:46 Thoughts on fitness and wellness to thrive in business

01:03:00 His daily routine

01:06:00 His driving force

01:07:28 Advice for people thinking about starting a business

Previous Episode

Episode 20: George Hodgin - Founder and CEO of Biopharmaceutical Research Company, Stanford MBA, Retired Navy SEAL

Today’s guest is George Hodgin. George is currently the founder and CEO of Biopharmaceutical Research Company (BRC). BRC was founded to address the needs of America's scientific community for diverse types of research quality and federally compliant cannabis and to provide USDA-compliant hemp testing. Cannabis is still illegal under federal law, meaning organizations like universities, biotech, and pharma companies can’t conduct research or clinical trials on the potential medical benefits and detriments of cannabis like they can with other drugs. BRC is working to solve this issue. Prior to founding BRC while getting his MBA at Stanford, George served as a Navy SEAL officer for a little over 6 years where he was responsible for (among other duties) leading a team of 24 Navy SEALs conducting counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations across five countries in Asia and the Middle East. In this interview, we get into where he grew up and the inspiration for joining the military, his decision to want to become a SEAL and preparation for SEAL training, what it was like to adjust to life outside the teams, and finally his company BRC.

Timestamps

00:03:43 Intro and where he grew up

00:05:16 Doing hard things to serve others

00:08:49 Why he decided to go to college before attending SEAL training

00:13:43 What sparked his interest in joining the military

00:15:06 Going to UNC

00:19:55 Only person in his ROTC class interested in becoming a SEAL

00:23:56 Going to BUD/S as an officer

00:27:56 How being a SEAL changed his perspective on life

00:31:46 Inspiration to start BRC and company overview

00:36:30 What the company is doing now

00:38:09 Fundraising

00:39:18 Biggest roadblocks facing the company

00:40:35 Ultimate vision for BRC

00:41:57 His driving force

00:43:06 Advice for people looking to find their purpose

Next Episode

Episode 22: Luis Ubinas - Investor, Advisor, Corporate Board Member

Today’s guest is Luis Ubinas. Luis is someone who’s been driven by a strong sense of responsibility from an early age. He grew up in the projects of the South Bronx in the 1970s, arguably the most dangerous neighborhood in the United States at the time. With the amazing support of others, including individuals and the government, Luis was not only able to survive that upbringing but also thrive in the years that follow. After graduating from Harvard in 1985, Luis went on to work at McKinsey and eventually become Senior Partner, where he developed and led the West Coast Media and Entertainment Practice. Following McKinsey, he became President of the Ford Foundation for 6 years and led a major restructuring of the organization during the Great Recession. Now, he’s a Board Member of numerous large corporations including Electronic Arts, Boston Private, and Mercer. Even with all of this professional success, Luis has always made it a point to look back on his past and make sure that others can have the same opportunities he has had. In this interview, we discuss Luis’ upbringing in South Bronx, how that upbringing shaped him, his work as President of the Ford Foundation, and the impact art and technology can have in driving social change.

Timestamps

00:05:31 How the environment he grew up in was a blessing

00:11:43 Why a high proportion of immigrants leads to lower criminality

00:14:27 How he navigated out of the South Bronx

00:17:03 Looking back on your past

00:21:40 Finding purpose

00:29:28 Impact of his time at McKinsey

00:31:55 Advice for people early in their careers

00:33:45 His sense of responsibility as a driving force

00:35:25 Understanding the goodness of what you've done

00:39:37 Taking the Ford Foundation job

00:40:58 Restructuring the Ford Foundation