How Supportive Parents Make Mike Germano a Better Entrepreneur

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  Germano notes how his parents have never made him feel held back.  By being encouraged to freely pursue his own path and receiving constant support through the journey, Germano is able to more fully embrace his entrepreneurial career path. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Motivating by Reflecting on Company Milestones

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?" Germano does not use reflection to think on bad decisions. Instead, he reflects to think about where he has been and the story that has developed since.  He uses an example of how he can relate the story of his company to where he was and who he was with when celebrating success.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Learning from a Middle East Office Expansion

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Did You Learn From Expanding Your Business Into the Middle East?"  After speaking in the Middle East before the Arab Spring in 2011, Germano and his team opened an office there in 2012.  The experience teaches him what it means to do business in new locations and the challenges doing business in different cultures can present.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on What Lawyers Do to Protect Your Company

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2013 Year 4 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Has Working With Lawyers Taught You About Business?" Germano builds upon his Year 2 Capture Your Flag answer by sharing more about what lawyers have done to protect his company as it grows and becomes more successful.  By building relationships with the attorneys who serve his company, Germano stays better prepared for potential legal challenges that may arise.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on When to Promote an Employee to Partner

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Is Your Business Partnership Structure Changes As Your Company Grows?" As the company grows, Germano and his founding partners see jobs get more specialized and roles become less evenly distributed. Germano learns that what comes next requires hard decisions, including adding new partners and parting ways with a founding partner.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative. Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on 6 Manager Job Skills You Learn Running a Business

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Skills Are Becoming More Important to You as Your Career Advances?"  As a CEO responsible for managing a 60-employee firm, Germano finds he needs to trust his gut decision more as he gains experience and needs to do things more quickly.  Also, he learns to better understand people, especially what they are NOT saying and how it relates to what they really want.  Staying passionate, keeping employees balanced, managing time better and learning when to drop responsibility are also key to helping Germano grow.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Motivating Teams by Setting Clear Expectations

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are You Learning to Manage and Motivate Teams?"  For Germano, managerial effectiveness as a leader comes through clear communication when setting expectations with his team.  He makes sure his employees understand why their client or project is important and why they are the right person for the job. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Why Culture Comes Before Community

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Maintain a Strong Company Culture in Your Growing Business?" Germano differentiates culture from community.  Culture is about what employees understand the company to be about.  He defines Carrot Creative culture as "hustle, team, adventure".  He promotes an underdog culture set by its founders, built on hard work and fun, and maintained by its employees. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on How Management Can Inspire Employee Loyalty

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Procedures and Processes Are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?"  Germano talks about how role definition and operational processes are necessary to create managed growth at his company.  He shares how his business reached a point of needing dedicated human resources staff and how he arrived at and acted upon the decision to fill the position with an internal hire. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Building a Talent Acquisition Business Strategy

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are Your Recruiting Priorities Changing As Your Company Grows?"  Germano discusses the recruiting, interviewing and hiring processes his social media advertising agency has developed over time to recruit top millennial talent and managerial talent.  He shares how initiatives such as online interviewing tests and dedicated college campus recruiting - for example the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - has helped the company find the right Gen Y and millennial talent.  Moreover, he shares how he presents a value proposition around engaging and rewarding work when recruiting managers from larger digital ad agencies. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on How Long-Term Clients Help Business Scale

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are Progressively Longer-Term Client Relationships Changing How You Do Business?"  Germano notes how he learns to appreciate the possibilities that come with longer-term client relationship.  Over time, as client relationships become longer term and projects more strategic, Germano uses the increasing commitments to build company infrastructure to support business growth. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Winning Global Deals by Meeting Clients Face-to-Face

In Chapter 15 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" To Germano traveling abroad is less about the travel experience and more about in-person opportunity he gets to connect to international clients who, when given a world of choices, choose to work with his Brooklyn business and team.

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University.

Mike Germano on Performing Under Pressure in a CEO Job

In Chapter 16 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?"  Germano shares the pressure-filled moments that come with busy travel schedules and high stakes client pitch meetings.  He notes the greatest pressure and stress come from managing 60+ employees and being responsible for their livelihood.  He The more he can see his employees making a difference by the work they create, the more he feels capable of shouldering greater levels of pressure and stress. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Aspiring to More Than Making Money

In Chapter 17 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing as Your Experience Grows?"  Germano finds many people in his life tell him he is successful - from his parents to his wife to his peers to his industry.  He finds that defining success is not about reaching these respective expectations as end points but seeing them as new starting points on his aspirational journey. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on 3 Criteria for Investing in Entrepreneurs

In Chapter 18 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Has Being an Entrepreneur Taught You About Investing in Entrepreneurs?"  Before he even looks at the business idea, Germano looks at three things.  First, he looks at the major personal relationships in an entrepreneur's life, in particularly their life partner.  Second, he looks at how they handle money.  Thirdly, Germano looks at the team. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Why Brands are the New Venture Capital Investors

In Chapter 19 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "Why Do You Believe That Brands Are the New Venture Capital Firms?"  Germano finds there are progressively more ways for entrepreneur designers and developers to find money.  What Germano thinks is key now is distribution and he finds large brands have this distribution and also have innovation constraints.  With their innovation needs, access to investment capital, and distribution, Germano sees brands as the next generation of venture capital firms. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

Mike Germano on Planning Family Goals at Age 30

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, Carrot Creative social media agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Do What is Best For Your Family and Your Future?"  Germano talks about the work he is doing to be a more attentive husband and to take better care of his own health.  He notes how this will become increasingly important as he and his wife have children and start a family. 

Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO Brooklyn-based social media agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University.

Phil McKenzie on How Family Support System Helps You Manage Stress

In Chapter 1 of 18 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  He finds support in his family's encouragement and how it has helped him stay positive.  Being reassured by his parents provides a stress outlet that helps him fight through the entrepreneurial struggle. 

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder and Global Curator of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss the current and future state of influencer culture. Prior to that, he was Managing Partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC and an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co.  He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.