Hey everyone, Pat here again. I was a one-man-band when I started SPI back in 2008. But even back then, I had a lot of help—from friends, advisors, and others. A lot has changed since then.
Over the years, I began working with more and more talented professionals to help me get things done. I hired freelance designers, business strategists, specialized agencies, lawyers, accountants, web developers, event coordinators, and other types of contractors. They all helped me think bigger, make wise decisions, create valuable things (like podcasts, courses, and live events), and—most importantly—deliver on my commitments to you, the fans.
That way of working was good for a while. It was instrumental in helping SPI get here. But as the saying goes, what got you here doesn’t always get you there. I started to feel that way in 2018. It had been a decade since SPI began. Things were still growing, but I’m not sure I’d say they were scaling, at least not in a healthy way. My time, energy, and attention were becoming increasingly drained as I pushed to do even bigger things, like FlynnCon. That’s when I knew SPI was ready for a big change.
The big change came in the form of formally joining forces with my longtime creative agency, Winning Edits. Matt and his team merged “in-house” here at SPI. At the same time, I hired my longtime assistant, Jess, onto the in-house team. Bringing the core talent into the fold was the energy spark SPI (and myself, personally) needed to make the leap into an exciting new phase of possibilities, growth, and achievement.
Don’t worry! We’re not at all “corporate-y”. And I’m not going anywhere. We’re merely a better organized business and more focused team with a far greater ability to elevate entrepreneurs to within reach of their dreams!
Now, without further ado, I’m thrilled to introduce you to everyone!
Team SPI
We exist to educate and train a world-wide community of entrepreneurs.
Those of us on “Team SPI” concentrate on all of our educational content and training experiences. We conceive, create, launch, and support our free guides, premium courses, SmartBar partnerships, live webinars, and more.
Pat Flynn
Founder, Creator, and Head of GrowthPat is the man who started it all. He is a family man who also happens to be the creator of SPI as well as a bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, industry influencer, and startup advisor. Oh, and he’s the world’s biggest Back to the Future fan.
Superpowers:
Entrepreneurship
Public speaking
Community building
Relationship development
Marketing and media
Team:
Executive, Growth, Education
Matt Gartland
COO, CFO, and Head of InnovationMatt is a servant leader whose greatest joy comes from empowering other leaders, teams, and organizations to achieve their potential through sustainable growth. Above all, he’s a father and husband who will never relinquish his Pittsburgh roots.
Superpowers:
Leadership
Strategic planning
Operations and finance
Content strategy
Product strategy
Team:
Executive, Operations, Finance, Innovation
Janna Maron
Content DirectorJanna is an accomplished publishing professional, author, holistic health enthusiast, and wine aficionado who loves sunshine, yoga, world travel, and a good house party, which she knows a lot about as an Airbnb Superhost.
Superpowers:
Storytelling
Editing and writing
Publishing
Content strategy
Workflow management
Team:
Education
Karen Beattie
Marketing ManagerKaren is multi-talented professional with years of experience as a marketer, writer, and editor. She's the author of two books, adores being the mom to her spirited 10-year-old daughter, and often questions her decision to live in Chicago when the mercury hits negative digits.
Superpowers:
Editing and writing
Publishing
Product launches
Branding
Marketing
Team:
Growth
Sara Jane Hess
Partnerships ManagerSara Jane (affectionately “SJ”) is a former Apple Genius with a knack for solving pesky problems, a gift for building deep relationships, and a spunk for just about everything, except perhaps her husband’s retro shoe collection.
Superpowers:
Relationship building
Customer experience
Business operations
Human resources
Culture development
Team:
Growth
Mindy Peters
Solutions ManagerMindy is an ardent learner who loves to solve problems, figure things out, analyze data, and generally be an enthusiastic nerd. She also has a deep affection for feline friends, bee keeping, homemade pizza, and all things Minnesotian.
Superpowers:
Training and support
System integrations
Data analysis
QA and compliance
Technical troubleshooting
Team:
Innovation
Non Wels
Solutions ExpertNon is the empathetic heart of the team who channels his compassion for others into meaningful customer experiences and moments. In his free time, Non is on the mic recording episodes of his podcast, You Me Empathy, or attending to his many animals.
Superpowers:
Communications
Community management
Customer support
Testing and support
Writing and editing
Team:
Innovation
Team Flynn
We exist to inspire and entertain entrepreneurs as a means of motivating purposeful action.
Those of us on “Team Flynn” concentrate on supporting Pat’s personal creations as well as his personality-driven brand. Specifically, we provide support for his publishing projects (like Superfans), his industry event (FlynnCon), his mastermind, and anything else touching the “Pat Flynn” brand.
Pat Flynn
Founder, CreatorPat is the man who started it all. He is a family man who also happens to be the creator of SPI as well as a bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, industry influencer, and startup advisor. Oh, and he’s the world’s biggest Back to the Future fan.
Superpowers:
Entrepreneurship
Public speaking
Community building
Relationship development
Marketing and media
Team:
All teams 🙂
Jess Lindgren
Executive AssistantJess is Pat’s right-hand gal, who handles all of his needs, great and small. She helps run Pat’s personal programs, including workshops and FlynnCon. When she’s not supporting Pat, Jess loves practicing yoga, traveling the globe, and basking in the glorious San Diego weather.
Superpowers:
Executive administration
Brand experience
Event coordination
Office management
Problem solving
Team:
Administration, Events, Workshops
Where We Work
We proudly embrace the ideals, diversities, and dynamics of remote working because we believe that distributed workforces play an important role in the future of work, life, and society.
La Jolla, California at WeWork
HQ1 is home to SPI’s creative and production studio. Pat works out of this location, which has been outfitted with state-of-the-art gear to ensure that all SPI productions (podcasts, courses, etc.) are of the highest grade possible. It’s a beautiful location in the heart of La Jolla where the team gathers on occasion during the year for staff meetings and workshops.
Columbus, Ohio at Industrious
HQ2 is home to SPI’s business and operations command center. Matt and several team members work out of this location, which is optimized for collaborations across business functions as well as with service partners that are local. It’s a versatile location in the lively Short North district where the team rallies once a year for its annual strategic planning summit.