The Conference Room with Simon Lader

In this episode, Simon sits down with Matt Friedman, an entrepreneur, franchise executive, co-founder of WingZone, and CEO of Epic Wings.After building WingZone from a fraternity house kitchen at the University of Florida in 1992 with just $500, Matt helped grow the brand into a global franchise with more than 140 restaurants across the US and six countries. After selling a majority interest in WingZone in 2020, he moved into franchise consulting before starting his new chapter at Epic Wings in 2026.Matt shares how he transformed WingZone from a seven-location regional restaurant chain into a successful franchise business, the advantages and challenges of franchising, and what entrepreneurs need to understand before expanding their businesses.The conversation explores franchisee relationships, brand consistency, unit-level economics, leadership, financial preparation, and the systems required to build a scalable franchise. Matt also explains why franchising is a long-term commitment, why franchisees must be actively involved, and how founders can build a model others can successfully run.Whether you're an entrepreneur, restaurant owner, aspiring franchisor, or someone considering investing in a franchise, this episode delivers valuable insights into building a scalable business, supporting franchisees, and turning a successful business model into a sustainable franchise system.Key MomentsIntroduction to Matt Friedman and his journey building WingZone from a fraternity house kitchen into a global franchise brandUnderstanding the difference between a franchise, franchisor, and franchiseeWhy Matt waited until WingZone had seven successful locations before launching its franchise systemThe advantages of franchising, including faster expansion, established systems, buying power, and technologyWhy brand standards and consistency matter—and how franchisees can maintain flexibility in local marketing and pricingHow franchisee ideas, advisory councils, and collaboration help drive innovation across a franchise systemThe difference between operating corporate restaurants and building a franchise business that supports other entrepreneursThe essential requirements for franchising, including proven business models, strong unit-level economics, and attractive returns on investmentWhy franchisors need sufficient working capital, the right team, and a long-term financial commitment to succeedMatt's advice on franchisee leadership, documenting business systems, and building a simple, scalable operating modelTo learn more about Matt Friedman, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about mattfriedman, please visit her website, YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Sabrina Runbeck, an entrepreneur, venture partner, strategic advisor, and former physician assistant in cardiothoracic surgery.After leaving the operating room for the world of startups and venture capital, Sabrina co-founded Scriptura Health and PlusPoint Path. She now works with healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, and leadership teams to help promising innovations become commercially viable, scalable businesses.She shares how her experience in high-pressure surgical environments shaped her approach to leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making. The conversation explores the challenges of transitioning from clinical medicine to entrepreneurship, building the right founding team, choosing business partners, and creating organizational cultures where people can thrive.Sabrina also explains why founders need to focus on their ideal customers, understand different leadership styles, align their teams around shared values, and build businesses around real market needs.Whether you're a healthcare professional, entrepreneur, founder, or business leader, this episode offers valuable insights into leadership, team building, business strategy, and turning expertise into meaningful business impact.Key MomentsIntroduction to Sabrina Runbeck and her journey from cardiothoracic surgery to entrepreneurship.How working in high-pressure surgical environments developed Sabrina's leadership and problem-solving skills.Why Sabrina decided to transition from clinical medicine into the business world.The importance of staying calm, preparing your team, and putting the right people in the right roles.Why corporate leadership experience doesn't always prepare people for the challenges of becoming a founder.How understanding people's personalities, values, and motivations can strengthen a business.Why choosing one or two ideal customer profiles is essential for building a successful company.What makes a great co-founder and why complementary strengths matter more than credentials alone.Sabrina's Nexus Core framework: the importance of having visionary, strategic, and planning-oriented people within a company.How founders can build stronger teams through better alignment, organizational structure, and understanding individual contributions.To learn more about Sabrina Runbeck, please visit her LinkedIn profile.To learn more about the PlusPoint Path, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down once again with Cleve Adams, a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and investor who has spent more than two decades building, scaling, turning around, and exiting high-growth technology companies, with a particular focus on cybersecurity, SaaS, and AI.Cleve was part of the early leadership team that built WebSense from a pre-revenue cybersecurity startup into a billion-dollar public company. He has since become a serial CEO, leading companies including PureSight, Hightower Software, Air Patrol, and Aquacore — completing four acquisitions and two IPOs, and generating an average return of 21 times investment for his investors. Today he works with growth-stage technology businesses as an investor and advisor, bringing a rare perspective on how you build teams, scale companies, and prepare them for a successful exit.Following their first conversation, which dug deep into the WebSense story, this episode explores Cleve's philosophy on building companies: what he looks for in the first 30 days, the early warning signs that a company is heading in the wrong direction, and how to tell the difference between a company that needs better execution and one that needs a total change of strategy.Cleve shares the inside story of how he repositioned PureSight from the consumer market into telecommunications — closing some of the world's biggest telecom companies — and how a single call made WebSense Cisco's first security partner. He also explains why strategic partnerships, not massive sales teams, powered his greatest wins.Whether you're a founder, CEO, investor, or business leader, this episode delivers powerful insights on hiring, leadership, product-market fit, operational discipline, and what it really takes to scale a company from millions to hundreds of millions in revenue.Key MomentsWhat Cleve assesses in the first 30 days of walking into a company"The people are everything": interviewing the senior management team from day oneThe "eight cylinders" test — making sure every department is firingThe firing mistake: diagnosing the real problem instead of firing the sales team"Fail or fly high": the early warning signs of a company going in the wrong directionStrategy problem vs. time problem — how to tell the differenceThe PureSight turnaround: repositioning a private-equity-owned company into telecomClosing Comcast, Telecom Spain, and Telecom France to prove the modelWhy he builds through partnerships instead of hiring 200 salespeopleThe Cisco story: how WebSense became Cisco's first security partner in 45 minutesThe Microsoft partnership: 45% of WebSense's monthly leads from one partnerTo learn more about Cleve Adams, please visit her LinkedIn profile.To learn more about the National Artificial Intelligence Association, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Matt Friedman, entrepreneur, franchise executive, and co-founder of Wings Zone, to explore how a simple idea launched in a fraternity house kitchen grew into a successful restaurant franchise. Starting with just $500 in 1992, Matt and his business partner, Adam Scott, built their business around a gap in the college food delivery market: authentic Buffalo wings delivered late at night.Matt shares how they tested their idea with minimal resources, opened their first storefront, and nearly tripled sales by reaching customers beyond campus. He reflects on the realities of scaling a restaurant business, managing operations, dividing responsibilities between business partners, and learning from mistakes along the way.The conversation also explores the importance of keeping a business model simple, understanding customer demand, expanding strategically, and building a team that allows founders to work on the business rather than getting trapped in daily operations. Matt also shares lessons from his entrepreneurial journey and offers practical advice for founders looking to build sustainable businesses. This is Part One of the conversation, with franchising and the business exit set to be explored in Part Two.Matt Friedman's introduction and the story behind Wings ZoneHow a $500 investment sparked a restaurant business at the University of FloridaIdentifying a gap in the college food delivery marketWhy studying Domino's Pizza helped shape the Wings Zone business modelStarting with a simple menu of chicken wings, French fries, and Coca-ColaOvercoming early challenges by operating from a fraternity house kitchenHow opening the first storefront nearly tripled salesThe challenges of scaling operations, managing costs, and handling increased demandHow Matt and Adam divided responsibilities to build a successful business partnershipLessons from menu expansion, entering new markets, and avoiding unnecessary complexityWhy founders need a clear capital plan, strong people strategy, and the ability to delegateMatt's advice on building a business that can operate without the founder's constant involvementTo learn more about Matt Friedman, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about mattfriedman, please visit her website., please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadioKey Moments

In this episode, Simon sits down with Liz Wharton, a cybersecurity executive, attorney, and founder of Silver Key Strategies, whose career spans technology, public policy, law, and business leadership.Liz shares how she moved from business, finance, and real estate law into cybersecurity and technology, eventually building a career helping founders and leadership teams navigate complex business challenges. Drawing from her firsthand experience during the 2018 City of Atlanta ransomware attack, Liz takes us behind the scenes of a major cyber crisis and explains what incident response looks like from the executive and legal side. She discusses crisis planning, decision-making authority, backup communications, leadership under pressure, and why organizations need to prepare before disaster strikes. The conversation also explores the cybersecurity “poverty line,” the difference between organizations that lack resources and those that knowingly underinvest in security, and why preparation, communication, and trusted teams are critical during a crisis.Key MomentsIntroduction to Liz Wharton and her career across cybersecurity, law, technology, and businessHow Liz unexpectedly transitioned from traditional law into cybersecurityWhat Liz does at Silver Key Strategies as an advisor and problem solverManaging a startup crisis during the Silicon Valley Bank collapseLiz’s firsthand experience during the 2018 City of Atlanta ransomware attackWhat a major cyber incident looks like from the executive and legal perspectiveWhy crisis response requires clear priorities, rapid triage, and flexible decision-makingThe biggest leadership mistakes organizations make during a crisisWhy tabletop exercises, clear authority, and backup communication plans matterThe cybersecurity “poverty line” and the difference between underfunding and deliberate underinvestmentTo learn more about Liz Wharton, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Silver Key Strategies, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Sara Carty, Founder and CEO of Unboring, and Kelly Allen, Co-Founder and CMO of Unboring, a cybersecurity marketing agency focused on making sophisticated technology more distinctive, human, and memorable.Sara and Kelly share how they found their way into cybersecurity marketing and why they believe the industry has fallen into a “sea of sameness”—from blue branding and hoodies to technical jargon and fear-based messaging. They explore why cybersecurity companies often play it safe, the pressure marketers face to prove ROI, and how investor expectations can influence messaging and creativity.The conversation also dives into the importance of building a brand with personality, taking creative risks without becoming gimmicky, creating meaningful experiences at cybersecurity events, and developing clear positioning that helps the right customers understand exactly what a company stands for.Whether you're a cybersecurity founder, marketer, CMO, or business leader, this episode offers valuable insights into building a distinctive brand, communicating complex technology clearly, and creating marketing that people actually remember.Sara and Kelly’s journeys into cybersecurity marketingWhy cybersecurity marketing has become a “sea of sameness”How unclear messaging creates friction in the buying journeyWhy copying successful competitors rarely creates a distinctive brandHow trends and buzzwords influence cybersecurity messagingWhy marketers need the freedom to take creative risksThe challenge of measuring creativity through ROIHow investor expectations can influence marketing decisionsWhen bold event marketing becomes a gimmickWhy everyone representing your company at an event should understand the productHow cybersecurity culture has evolved over the yearsWhy making technology more accessible can attract new talentHow to build a distinctive brand without losing authenticityWhy clear positioning and a focused target market can save time and marketing budgetTo learn more about Sara Carty, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Kelly Allen, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Unboring, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Cleve Adams, a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, investor, and six-time CEO with decades of experience building, scaling, turning around, and exiting high-growth technology companies.Cleve shares the remarkable story of helping build Websense from an early-stage cybersecurity startup into a billion-dollar public company, including how landing Compaq as an early Fortune 500 customer transformed the business. He also discusses strategic partnerships, raising venture capital, scaling through channel partners, and witnessing the cybersecurity industry evolve from its earliest days.The conversation also explores the rise of SaaS, today's increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape, and why Cleve believes AI represents another major technological shift comparable to the Internet.Key MomentsCleve Adams’ journey from Texas Instruments into the startup worldBuilding Websense from a tiny startup into a billion-dollar public companyHow landing Compaq became the turning point for WebsenseWhy strategic partnerships with Cisco, Check Point, and Microsoft accelerated growthHow Websense built its enterprise product around a real customer problemThe role of channel partnerships in scaling globallyRaising $6 million in venture capital after securing a major customerHow Websense pioneered user-based subscription pricing and early SaaS conceptsHow cybersecurity evolved from a handful of vendors into a massive global industryWhy Cleve believes AI could become as transformative as the InternetTo learn more about Cleve Adams, please visit her LinkedIn profile.To learn more about the National Artificial Intelligence Association, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with David Etue, CEO of Cyberbit, a cybersecurity executive with more than 20 years of experience building, scaling, and leading organizations across startups, high-growth businesses, and global enterprises.David shares lessons from his journey across different leadership roles, including how working across multiple business functions gave him greater context and empathy as a CEO. He also explores the differences between leading small and large companies, creating a culture of innovation, learning from failure, navigating acquisitions, and building teams that can perform without the CEO becoming a bottleneck.The conversation offers practical insights for CEOs, founders, and business leaders looking to build high-performing teams, encourage innovation, and lead successfully through growth and change.Key MomentsDavid’s journey from technology and cybersecurity into executive leadershipHow working across different business functions built context and empathy as a leaderWhat small companies do better—and what large organizations do better at scaleWhy successful innovation starts with the customer’s problem, not the technologyHow small, autonomous teams can help large organizations innovate fasterWhy failure needs to be an acceptable part of an innovative company cultureWhy high-performing teams need ambitious goals and room to learn from missed targetsThe leadership lesson: fail differently, learn, and don’t repeat the same mistakeWhy employees can struggle with the shift from startup autonomy to a larger organization after an acquisitionHow a CEO’s role changes as a company grows and why leaders must avoid becoming bottlenecksDavid’s three lessons for becoming a successful CEO: do what you love, develop empathy, and build a culture around your leadership principlesWhat’s next for David: cybersecurity readiness, AI, private-equity leadership, and national securityTo learn more about David Etue, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Cyberbit, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Kim van Lavieren, Co-Founder & CTO of Dawn Guard, and Martijn Hoffmans, Head of Go-to-Market at Dawn Guard, to explore what it really takes to build a cybersecurity startup from the ground up.Kim shares his journey from serving in the Dutch Marines and working in cybersecurity to becoming a security engineering lead at Amazon, where he saw firsthand how difficult it was for organizations to build secure systems. That experience ultimately led him to research how secure design could be automated and to co-found Dawn Guard.Martijn brings a different perspective to the conversation. After more than 20 years working commercially across cybersecurity, he first became an angel investor in Dawn Guard before eventually joining the company to help build its go-to-market operation.The conversation explores how Dawn Guard identified a fundamental problem in cybersecurity, why the company chose to address the root cause rather than add another security tool, and how it validated its assumptions with early customers and design partners.Kim and Martijn also discuss the realities of building an early-stage startup, including raising investment, hiring the first employees, establishing company culture, balancing customer demands with product vision, and determining when you've found product-market fit.Whether you're a cybersecurity leader, startup founder, technology executive, or entrepreneur, this episode offers practical insights into building a company around a real customer problem, making difficult decisions, and creating a product for a market that doesn't yet have a defined category.Key MomentsKim's journey from the Dutch Marines to cybersecurity and AmazonHow Dawn Guard's original idea became a companyWhy solving the root cause matters more than adding another security toolHow customer validation shaped Dawn Guard's early developmentWhy the founders were able to avoid major product pivotsThe importance of trust and relationships when building a startupWhy the first ten hires can define a company's cultureHiring for today's needs while preparing for future growthBalancing customer demands with long-term product visionWhy listening to customers too much can become dangerousHow AI is changing the way secure systems can be designedWhat product-market fit really looks like for an early-stage startupKim and Martijn's advice for founders building their companiesThe importance of solving a problem customers already feelTo learn more about Kim van Lavieren, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Martijn Hoffmans, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Dawnguard, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio

In this episode, Simon sits down with Dr. Sherry Zhang, an entrepreneur, molecular geneticist, bestselling author, and pioneer in personalized nutrition.After arriving in the United States from China with just three bags and $3,000, Sherry went on to earn her PhD in molecular biology and build a career at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, genomics, and longevity.She shares how her scientific curiosity led her from the laboratory into entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a biotech company, and the lessons she learned about fundraising, leadership, hiring, and building the right team.The conversation also explores personalized health, the future of AI-driven longevity research, and what founders can learn from listening deeply to customers and building products around real problems.Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, scientist, or business leader, this episode delivers powerful insights on curiosity, resilience, innovation, leadership, and turning ambitious ideas into meaningful impact.Key MomentsIntroduction to Dr. Sherry Zhang and her journey from China to the United StatesHow curiosity shaped Sherry's career as a scientist and entrepreneurThe journey from molecular biology to personalized nutritionThe moment Sherry realized her scientific research could help everyday peopleWhy she decided to become a founder and build a companyThe challenges of fundraising and finding the right investorsHow Sherry's leadership style evolved from science to entrepreneurshipWhy founders need to surround themselves with people who share their principlesThe importance of hiring the right talent—and making difficult decisions quicklySherry's top advice for first-time founders: listen deeply to your customersWhy building a focused minimum viable product is essentialHow structured communication can prevent unnecessary meetingsThe future of AI, systems biology, and personalized longevityWhat's next for Sherry and her work in health optimizationTo learn more about Sherry Zhang, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about GenoPalate, please visit her website.YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER    Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation. Get to know more about Simon at:    Website: https://simonlader.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/    The Conference Room is available onSpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicIHeartRadio