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A candid conversation about leadership, letting go, and the messy middle of building a people-first company.
What happens when a bartender-turned-restaurant-owner discovers a passion for experiential marketing and becomes the CEO of one of the top exhibit houses in the country? You get Michael McMahon.
In this episode, Michael opens up to host, Jane Gentry, about his winding path to leadership, how he cultivated his leadership voice over decades, and what it really means to “get out of the way” as a CEO. Jane and Michael go deep on practical tools for empowering executive teams, navigating change, and leading with intentionality and authenticity.
Episode Highlights
- (04:15) Michael’s unusual career start—from engineering dropout to restaurant manager
- (06:51) Why Michael loved bartending more than management—and how it led to opening his first business
- (09:26) Discovering a new passion in the trade show world—and why it clicked
- (11:22) Meeting his future business partner in an unlikely moment
- (13:35) Launching Hill & Partners and discovering his natural leadership pull
- (16:20) Why he offered to buy out his partner—and how it changed the business
- (22:56) “You gotta do the time”—on leading with consistency and human focus
- (29:42) How to avoid being the decision bottleneck as CEO
- (32:05) The danger of CEO grenade-launching—and how Michael avoids it
- (41:54) The benefit of leading from the bleachers
- (48:17) Why young leaders must collide with others to grow
- (49:08) What he wishes he had 20 years ago—a mentor, a rabbi, a coach
- (54:25) The idea of an AI colleague—and how it could change business building forever
If you’ve ever felt like the bottleneck in your business, this candid, reflective conversation will challenge and inspire you to lead differently.
Episode Guest
About Michael McMahon, President & CEO at Hill & Partners
Michael McMahon is the President and CEO of Hill & Partners, an award-winning experiential design firm with 30 years of success in the B2B tradeshow and event industry. With teams in Boston, Las Vegas, and Orlando—and a strong network of legacy partners—Hill & Partners delivers immersive brand experiences across the U.S. and internationally. The firm was founded in 1995 with a people-first philosophy, evolving beyond transactional production to become a collaborative, end-to-end engagement partner for both emerging and established brands.
Michael’s passion for face-to-face engagement began in the restaurant industry and evolved through hands-on experience in architectural model building and tradeshow management. That early exposure sparked a decades-long career in experiential marketing, where he continues to be energized by the work and the people it connects. He is also an active member of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA), having served on both its board and executive committee.
