In today’s business world change is the only constant, and mastering transformation is the ultimate key to success. Welcome to Shift & Thrive!
Each week, Host Natalie Nathanson will bring you conversations with CEOs, who delve into how they successfully drove critical change in their organization.
Magnetude has helped numerous companies move from concept to growth. Our senior marketing team delivers innovative strategy, paired with flawless execution, so you can embark on your next transformational initiative with confidence.
What does it take to step into the CEO role at the exact moment your industry faces its most turbulent period in history? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson speaks with Brandon Muniz, CEO of HeiTech Services, a veteran-founded government contracting firm with 26 years of legacy behind it. Brandon shares how he navigated DOGE cuts, a historic government shutdown, and the pressures of a rapidly consolidating market all within his first year of leadership. The conversation covers his military-rooted approach to decentralized decision-making, how he and his team used uncertainty as a catalyst to modernize the company's brand and AI capabilities, and the personal resilience required to lead through compounding change.
April 8, 2026 / 37:56 / Read the Transcript
What does it actually take to survive a business crisis and come out the other side a better leader? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson sits down with Vaughn Thurman, CEO and Founder of HighGear Software, and a seasoned entrepreneur with nearly 30 years of experience building and scaling technology businesses. Vaughn opens up about the moment his company was simultaneously threatened by a bank calling in its loans, the IRS showing up at his door, and the sudden loss of 60% of revenue. What follows is a candid conversation about how radical transparency and hard-earned humility transformed not just his failing business, but his entire philosophy of leadership. From rebuilding broken trust with customers to engineering a values-driven culture at HighGear, Vaughn shares what it really looks like to navigate change from the inside out.
April 1, 2026 / 48:32 / Read the Transcript
What does it take to reinvent a company not once, but multiple times, while keeping your team aligned, motivated, and moving in the same direction? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson sits down with Sam Ziman, CEO of Global CI, a data scientist turned operator who has led his organization through a series of deliberate transformations. The business has transformed from federal staffing to managed services and now into commercial SaaS products targeting the healthcare market. Sam shares the mindset shifts, leadership philosophies, and hard-won lessons that have shaped both his company and himself as a leader, including why radical transparency became a cornerstone of how he leads, and why knowing when to stop talking can be just as powerful as anything you say.
March 25, 2026 / 33:52 / Read the Transcript
What does it actually take to move a dual-use technology from a proven prototype to a scalable, fundable business? In this Investor Spotlight episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson sits down with Derek Willis, Founder and Managing Partner of Etowah Capital Partners, who has spent more than three decades navigating the space between early-stage innovation and full-scale commercialization. Derek shares hard-won lessons from directing over $35 million in early-stage investments, why readiness level six is the critical inflection point for any tech startup, how founders can protect their cap tables while crossing the Valley of Death, what it really means to find product-market fit in a white-hot market versus a hyped one, and what he looks for in founders beyond credentials. From Silicon Valley in the early 90s to investing in national security technologies today, Derek brings a rare mix of operator instinct and investor discipline to one of the most complex corners of the startup world.
March 18, 2026 / 40:41 / Read the Transcript
What happens when accomplished leaders stop trying to lead like someone else and finally trust their own voice, instincts, and definition of success? In this special International Women's Day compilation episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson curates powerful moments from past conversations with extraordinary women founders and CEOs, weaving in her own personal reflections on building Magnetude Consulting while raising a family and learning to fully show up as herself. The throughline across every voice in this episode isn't about gender; it's about the kind of leadership that comes from living through hard things, making deliberate choices, and refusing to measure yourself by someone else's standards. What emerges is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the courage it takes to lead with authenticity at every stage of the journey.
March 8, 2026 / 31:35 / Read the Transcript
