Greetings! If you’re here, you already know my name. Probably.
By the time you’re done scrolling, I hope you’ll know a bit more.
Or, skip the life story and get in touch.
Wearer of many hats.
Well, not literally. I’m not a hat guy. But I have a wide range of experience.
From ceiling fans and gutters to surface cleaners and SaaS, I’ve built dynamic brands and technologies in sleepy categories while navigating the worlds of B2B, B2C, private equity and venture capital. After helping lead my first company to a half-billion dollar exit, I co-founded a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business obsessed with taking the clutter out of cleaning.
Following some advisory work and me time, I helped take an early-stage SaaS company from single-digit customers to seven figures of annual recurring revenue before joining its board of directors. And most recently, I brought my passions for growth, GTM operations and corporate strategy to CRG Automation, where I reunited with several former Big Ass Fans executives in pursuit of innovation in industrial automation.
Product Developer
Entrepreneur
Advisor
Marketer
Builder
Big Ass Fans
You probably remember your first time. Hot. Sweaty. A lot of twists and turns.
I’m talking about the first time you saw a Big Ass Fan, of course. The appropriately-named company first came onto the scene in 1999 serving dairy barns. Comfy cows eat more and produce more milk!
Fast forward 9 years, and in comes Alex Reed like a bat out of undergrad. I cut my teeth as an intern, launched and grew the company’s first consumer product, led global marketing and communications, then helped the company achieve a landmark sale to a private equity firm for $500 million. To be sure, a lot more happened between internship and exit, but that’s best told over coffee. OK, bourbon.
Truman’s
I must be a sucker for unloved product categories. Not sure how else to explain a move from fans to cleaners :)
In 2018, we first shared our vision for Truman’s and a system of refillable spray cleaners with a splash page and some renderings. The idea was simple: eliminate the unnecessary products, plastic waste and confusion of home cleaning products. And people liked it!
More than 10,000 people signed up before we ever shipped our first box. After a successful launch, we earned a venture investment from one of the largest CPG companies in the world and earned recognition from Fast Company magazine as a World Changing Idea.
Vsimple
The past: workflow is managed with emails, calls, desk side chats, spreadsheets and shared drives.
The future: Vsimple, an amazing team and AI-powered workflow management solution that change the way businesses run.
After serving as an independent advisor and later the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, I transitioned to the board of directors, a role I proudly serve in today. Learn more about the company at www.vsimple.com.
CRG Automation
After a brief stint as head of brand for Leaf Home, a PE-backed home services provider, I re-united with former Big Ass Fans executives in pursuit of innovation in industrial automation. I currently serve as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer leading go-to-market strategy and corporate development.
Thanks to a talented team and ambitious vision of solving the most complex automation challenges, we’ve had the pleasure of working with Fortune 100 brands and received coverage from The New York Times, Inc, Fast Company, TIME and many others. Check us out at www.crgautomation.com
Wait…you’re still here?!
Since you’re so engaged bored, I’ll share a little more.
Throughout my career, I’ve been featured in Inc, Forbes, Fortune, AdAge, Louisville Business First and Adweek, among others, and also helped my businesses and colleagues receive coverage in Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, NPR, Buzzfeed and on the cover of The New York Times.
Occasionally I appear on podcasts, panels and other media segments. The hosts only regret it about half the time.