The CXN Story
Tim Whitmire
I am the world’s least likely coxswain.
As an undergraduate rower in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I washed out of the sport after a failed sophomore year attempt to drop enough weight to row as a lightweight. (If only I’d had a few redshirt years — my twenties made me a natural heavyweight!)
I went on to careers in journalism and investment banking, then to leadership roles in a series of startup and early-stage efforts:
A co-founder of middle-market investment banking boutique BlackArch Partners;
Early employee of DealCloud, a leading SaaS provider of customized CRM platforms;
Co-founder and lead architect of a national network of free workouts for men, F3 Nation;
Not to mention a few efforts that never quite got off the ground …
Along the way, I found a calling advising organizational leaders. During one of those engagements, I realized my focus on team building, strategic inclination and experience in a wide range of settings and organizations had made me a professional coxswain — uniquely suited to help leaders find the alignment and internal accountability needed to move with momentum and purpose.
That insight inspired me to launch CXN Advisory — and to get back in the boat after more than a quarter-century off the water. When I rowed with the masters at the Belmont Rowing Center, we often scrambled to assemble a crew from whoever is available on a given day. Every once in a while, I ended up in a real coxswain’s seat — and the pressure was on to make up for all the dead weight I’m adding!
A lifetime of intellectual curiosity and experience at the startup and growth stages has made me passionate about learning alongside high-impact leaders: What was your insight? What is your big idea? How do you want to change the world? How can I help you “set the boat” of your organization and help your team find swing through times of tremendous change?
If your effort could benefit from an experienced coxswain, please get in touch!
Tim