By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO Most executives assume the path to their next big role runs through recruiters, job boards, or a perfectly timed resume refresh. It doesn’t. For many of the most interesting leadership roles—CEO, COO, CRO, value-creation roles, interim operator seats, or board positions—the real gateway is a shortlist sitting inside Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. This December marks my 20-year anniversary of deciding to launch a recruiting firm and February will mark 20 years since I incorporated GM Ryan. Saying that out loud feels surreal. When I first started, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and I couldn’t have imagined the road Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude—specifically, gratitude at work. Most of us save our thankfulness for personal stuff: family dinners, quiet mornings, that kind of thing. But what if we brought more of it into our professional lives? And here’s the twist: Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO.   You Can Run a $200M P&L — But Can’t Market Yourself? Many senior executives are terrible at marketing themselves. They can close deals, scale products, manage teams — but ask them to describe their own value and suddenly it’s awkward. Here’s why — and how to fix Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. For many senior executives, there comes a point when professional ambition expands beyond the traditional operating role. The natural next step is often a seat on a venture capital or private equity–backed board. These opportunities are appealing for good reason: they allow leaders to share their experience, broaden Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. In today’s fiercely competitive business landscape, the race for top executive talent is more intense than ever. Companies are under pressure to identify visionary leaders who can navigate complexity, drive innovation, and deliver growth. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI): a game-changing force that is transforming the way organizations approach Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. As an executive, you’re supposed to know things. You’re expected to read a room, sense momentum shifts, and anticipate what your team needs before they even ask. But here’s a leadership truth most won’t say out loud: You are not a mind reader. Stop assuming. Start qualifying. Too Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. By the time you reach the executive suite, college might feel like a distant memory—more cap and gown than KPIs and quarterly reports. But here’s the twist: some of the toughest challenges from your university days still echo through the boardroom. The stakes are higher, the titles are Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO Let’s be real: every company is basically a giant road trip. There’s a destination we’re all trying to get to, there are a few pit stops along the way, and sometimes, yeah, someone forgets the snacks. But here’s the thing — we don’t get there if everyone’s just Read More

By Brian Mitchell, Managing Partner & CEO. Oof, that’s the million-dollar question right now—and such a smart one. The rise of AI is like the arrival of spring: it’s fast, disruptive, and packed with potential. You either plant seeds with it, or risk getting steamrolled by the storm. So how do you leverage AI for Read More