A Little Hard Truth

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been writing about investing in others and creating space for people to grow. But sometimes, growth comes from hearing hard truth.

Recently, Evan Rogoff was kind enough to share some with me. He pointed out that in positioning myself for new roles, I’d drifted into too much corporate jargon. He was right — and that kind of honesty is rare and deeply appreciated.

I’ve built a career around clarity and simplicity, yet in the search process, I’d overcomplicated my own message. That reminder hit home. It’s easy to lose sight of what makes us authentic when we’re trying to fit into someone else’s frame. Humbling, to say the least.

In spite of my own lack of clarity, I had some great conversations. Ted Pizzo, whose heart for helping others is immeasurable, reached out with encouragement and perspective. I also met a kindred spirit, Aslihan (Ashley) Ayan, bonding over stories from my travels to her home country of Turkey. And I had energizing discussions with Ethan Spibey, a pioneering entrepreneur in corporate communications, and Judy Opperman, a CHRO extraordinaire also exploring her next chapter.

I’m continuing to explore operational leadership roles — COO, President, or EVP/Head of Operations — within growth-stage companies or those preparing for a liquidity event in retail, technology, and consumer services. My sweet spot remains mid-size to large organizations ($200–$600M in revenue).

As always, I’m grateful for the people who share insight, honesty, and perspective along the way.

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Rodney Sharples

Align. Simplify. Scale.

Building stronger companies through people & profit.