In this episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sits down with Tom Thompson, Chief Economist at Havas Edge - the world's largest full-service performance marketing agency - and Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs.

With roots in naval intelligence, game theory, and behavioral economics, Tom spent over two decades applying the science of consumer decision-making to how the world's biggest brands generate leads and convert customers.

This conversation unpacks Tom's unconventional journey - from submarines and Gulf War intelligence operations to the U.S. Department of Treasury's housing crisis response, to becoming the in-house economist reshaping performance marketing strategy at global scale.

His central insight: most conversion friction isn't informational - it's psychological. And until marketers understand that, they'll keep optimizing the wrong things.

In this episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sits down with Michael Slawson, President of Apparel Advisors, and the go-to expert PE firms call when their portfolio companies need a serious go-to-market overhaul.

With a background spanning international consulting, the World Bank, clean energy entrepreneurship in Kenya, and hypergrowth stints at Hum Capital and Clipboard Health, Michael brings a rare blend of global perspective and on-the-ground sales execution to every engagement.

This conversation explores Michael's journey — from co-founding a pyrolysis-based clean energy charcoal company in East Africa and learning hard lessons about willingness to pay, to doing door-to-door pest control sales, to now building full GTM systems from scratch for sponsor-backed B2B companies.

His central insight: go-to-market is never just a hire — it's a system built around four pillars: accounts, channels, messaging, and RevOps. And if you're not building that system with flexibility baked in, you're accumulating GTM debt that future you will regret.

In this episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sits down with Jason Jones, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Tellen, a vertical AI company reinventing how accounting firms conduct audits.

With a background in venture capital, hedge funds, fintech, and DeFi, Jason brings decades of experience in identifying disruptive trends and translating them into scalable businesses.

This conversation explores Jason’s journey - from investing in early Web 1.0 companies and launching Lending Robot, to pioneering securitization protocols on the blockchain, and now building AI-powered tools for the audit and accounting space.

His central insight: disruption always follows a recognizable pattern, and opportunity lies in spotting it early.

In this episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sat down with Dennis Mortensen, a serial entrepreneur with four exits and a deep passion for building AI-powered products that solve real, tangible problems.

As the founder of Launchbrightly, Dennis is tackling a unique but widespread issue in the SaaS world: outdated help docs caused by constant product updates.

Beyond that, this episode is packed with powerful lessons for founders who want to build, validate, and scale startups correctly.

In this episode of [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sits down with Russell Palmer, the CEO and Co-Founder of CyberFilm AI.

Russell's journey from working at Microsoft and Samsung’s AI division to launching an AI-powered filmmaking tool is an inspiring story of innovation and perseverance.

CyberFilm AI is designed to help filmmakers create high-quality films on an indie budget, giving storytellers the tools to bring their visions to life efficiently.

Want to 10x Your Business? It Starts with the Right Leadership.

In the latest episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian sat down with Clate Mask, co-founder and CEO of Keap (formerly Infusionsoft), to discuss scaling businesses, leadership evolution, and the role of AI in entrepreneurship.

In the latest episode of the [A] Growth Ventures Podcast, the conversation centered around solving one of the most pressing challenges for businesses today: workplace disengagement.

Hamlet Azarian talked with Ghassen Benhadjsalah, a serial tech entrepreneur and co-founder of inncivio. It’s a startup focused on modernizing workplace learning.

With over 15 years of experience as a founder and a deep background in AI, machine learning, and fintech, Ghassen shared valuable insights on innovation, leadership, and building a team and product with lasting impact.

In this episode of [A] Growth Ventures podcast⁠⁠, we hosted Walter Paulsen, the former founder of Blackhawk Network, who has had multiple successful exits, including a unicorn.

Walter shared his insights on adopting AI, taking calculated risks, and aligning technology with long-term goals.

His advice, emphasizing core values and sustainable growth, offers powerful guidance for leaders navigating today’s rapidly changing landscape.