From Startup Grit to Culture-Driven Growth: Trevor Larson on Building Nectar

In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sit down with Trevor Larson, Co-Founder and CEO of Nectar, to explore how employee recognition fuels engagement and retention in companies of all sizes. From humble entrepreneurial beginnings to leading one of the fastest-growing HR tech platforms, Trevor shares his insights on building a scalable business, navigating pivots, and recruiting top talent.

Trevor walks us through his early side hustles, from painting citrus trees to eBay arbitrage, and how those experiences shaped his ability to sell—a critical skill for any founder. He reflects on his journey from a pre-dental student at Utah Valley University to launching and evolving Nectar into a leading culture-building platform.

We dive into key topics, including:

• The role of sales in every aspect of a founder’s journey—from fundraising to hiring top talent.
• How persistence and resilience helped Trevor navigate early challenges and startup pivots.
• The lessons learned from early customer churn and how Nectar repositioned itself into a high-growth SaaS business.
• Scaling a team with top-tier talent—including how Trevor personally recruits executives and key hires.
• The importance of optionality in fundraising and why finding the right investment partners matters more than valuation alone.

Trevor also shares invaluable insights on how companies can intentionally design their culture operating system to drive engagement, retention, and long-term success. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling a high-growth startup, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

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