J Schwan, former CEO of Kin + Carta, entrepreneur, and tech services investor

I had the pleasure of working for J when he was the CEO of Kin + Carta, a 2,000-person data and experience consultancy. But it wasn’t always that way. The St. Ives Group was a printing company, responsible for getting books like Harry Potter into the hands of readers. Its leaders decided that printing was perhaps not the medium of the future and completely pivoted their mission to become a digital consultancy, acquiring 11 agencies globally within a short space of time. One of those agencies was Solstice, a firm that J Schwan had built from the ground up, and one of the leading mobile development firms in the US. Not long after the acquisitions, the CEO of St.Ives stepped down, and the CEO of Solstice, J, was asked to take the role.

In this episode, J talks me through the highs and lows of becoming a CEO of a large, publicly-listed firm going through a total transformation. We discuss the role of the CEO and the imposter syndrome he had when he took the job. J rebranded St. Ives to Kin + Carta and consolidated the agencies to achieve where the firm is today: successful, profitable, and performing in a growth market.

Early this year (2023), J stepped down from the role and left his legacy in the hands of his close colleagues, many of whom have been on the rollercoaster with him since the Solstice days. He reflects on some of the greatest pitches that his company won and tells me exactly how they did it. He also talks to me about pitching to investors and the importance of being picky regarding which clients you agree to work with. He also talks about his mentor, how he came to meet him, and why we all need to make sure we have people with more experience in our lives available to support us.

My favourite story from the episode is when he rallied his team in a David and Goliath competition for a client that would change the company’s fortunes overnight. It involves turning away a rockstar developer with all the answers, a trip to Mexico, and the movie 300. Watch the video below.

J is now on a new mission in life, mentoring and investing in young businesses in the tech services sector, which you can learn more about at thesecondmountain.io. He also posts regular videos, free for everyone, in his Masterclass series at youtube.com/@thesecondmountain.