In this episode, Alex Bridgeman talks with Janelle Heuton about her decade-long journey helping transform a small GIS company into a scaled software business serving local governments nationwide. Janelle shares how she joined GIS Workshop by chance, quickly rose to COO, and partnered with CEO Joe Heieck to drive strategic change, including shifting from custom development to SaaS products, completing nine acquisitions, and leading a move to the cloud. She reflects on the phases of her role, from client success to chief product officer, and the lessons learned through scaling, private equity investment, and building strong company culture. Now as co-founder of Heiton Partners, she is applying that experience to acquiring and growing enduring, founder-led businesses.

They discuss:

How shifting away from custom development opened the door for SaaS growth
The dynamics of the COO–CEO relationship and executing on a shared vision
Lessons from integrating products, teams, and clients through nine acquisitions
Transitioning from execution to strategic leadership with Heiton Partners
Identifying and developing high-potential future leaders within a company

This episode offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs, executives, and investors navigating growth, acquisitions, and leadership transitions.

Listen and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker, and TuneIn.

Learn more about Alex and Think Like an Owner at https://tlaopodcast.com/

Links:

Janelle on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-heuton-aa238927/

Heiton Partners - https://www.heiton.com/

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:43) - Janelle's career journey (00:02:29) - Transition to GIS Workshop (00:03:59) - Role evolution and responsibilities (00:08:06) - Challenges and strategic decisions (00:11:55) - Growth and acquisitions (00:28:43) - Private equity and beyond (00:36:30) - Advice for aspiring leaders (00:39:18) - Conclusion and farewell