Carin Charon on Investing in People, Leadership Growth, and Building Impact
From CFO leadership to founder perspective, this conversation explores decision-making, accountability, and balancing life while building long-term value.
Show Summary
Growth doesn’t usually come from comfort, and this conversation with Carin Charon, CFO at Indy and founder of Total Shield, sits right in that tension. Carin shares her path from finance into operating leadership, reflecting on how saying yes to uncertainty, responsibility, and growth has shaped her career. The discussion explores what it means to lead with clarity, resilience, and self-awareness in environments that demand both precision and adaptability.
The conversation dives into operational discipline, financial stewardship, and the realities of running and scaling businesses behind the scenes. Carin reflects on accountability, learning through pressure, and the importance of surrounding yourself with capable people who challenge your thinking. At its core, this is a conversation about growth through discomfort, building trust in leadership roles, and developing the confidence to make hard decisions with a long-term perspective.
Show Notes & Links
Links
https://www.pivotol.com/at-depth-podcast
Investment Concepts & Strategies Referenced
Operational discipline as a value driver
Capital allocation and financial stewardship
Risk management in operating companies
Long-term thinking vs. short-term optimization
Decision-making under uncertainty
Investing in people and leadership capacity
Sustainable growth over aggressive scaling
Accountability as a strategic advantage
Systems, processes, and repeatability
Saying yes to calculated risk
Cultural / Conceptual References
Operating just outside the comfort zone
Leadership growth through discomfort
Transitioning from specialist to operator
Behind-the-scenes leadership (CFO perspective)
Responsibility as a catalyst for growth
Learning through pressure and mistakes
Trust and autonomy within teams
Confidence built through repetition and experience
Discipline over ego in leadership
Long-term credibility vs. short-term wins
