Podcasts about growth strategies

Welcome to HALO Talks, where host Pete Moore sits down with Rich Drengberg, CEO of EoS Fitness and a seasoned leader in the fitness industry. In a rare podcast appearance, Rich shares his journey from Gold's Gym SoCal to transforming EoS into a powerhouse of high-value, low-price gyms across the Sunbelt. Listeners will get an inside look at EoS's disciplined growth, the importance of industry relationships, lessons from private equity partnerships, and why knowing your brand's identity is crucial, straight from someone who's helped steer one of the fastest-growing health club chains in the country.  Whether you're an operator, investor, or fitness enthusiast, this episode offers invaluable insights on building teams, scaling strategically, and staying ahead in a competitive landscape. Regarding chosing the right partner when looking to sell, Rich states, "We were in a great situation when we went to market that we didn't have to sell, and we were able to kind of pick who we wanted to partner with. And it was an interview process both ways. And because of that, we were able to have our cake and eat it too." Key themes discussed Transition from Gold's Gym to EoS Strategic and disciplined growth decisions Importance of experienced teams and industry relationships Private equity influence and operational mindset shift Real estate strategy and anchor tenant positioning Staying true to brand identity amidst trends Partner selection and aligning with TSG for expansion A Few Key Takeaways 1. The Power of Sticking to a Clear Identity: Staying true to the company's vision and brand identity was emphasized as vital for long-term success. EoS avoided "chasing every trend" and only adopted changes that matched their strategic direction, which helped them avoid diluting their brand and losing their core audience 25:23. 2. Disciplined, Focused Growth Strategies: EoS's growth was marked by a disciplined approach to new markets and acquisitions. Opportunities were critically evaluated, and only those fitting their model (right location, box size, and alignment with EoS values) were pursued. This sometimes meant saying "no" to enticing deals that didn't fit the vision 05:10. 3. Mentorship and Learning from Experience: Rich credited much of his development and EoS's success to mentors like Bob Giardina and Bruce Bruckman. Their guidance helped shift his mindset from operating a handful of gyms to building a scalable platform, and highlighted the importance of focusing on real estate and bigger picture growth rather than getting bogged down in minor operational optimizations 12:29. 4. Building Relationships is Key to Expansion: Entering new markets and securing prime real estate depended heavily on building trust and relationships with landlords, developers, and REITs. Early on, EoS was not the first choice for many landlords, but through perseverance and relationship-building, they became a preferred anchor tenant 15:28. 5. Industry Know-How Over Outsider Expertise: The episode stressed that having a team with deep industry experience ("gym rats" as described) was critical. EoS's management came from fitness, not coffee chains or hardware stores, enabling them to make better, faster decisions pertinent to the unique demands of the fitness business 17:26. Rich Drengberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-drengberg-5923046/   EoS Fitness: https://www.eosfitness.com  Journey To A Billion Dollar Deal-2 Minute Financial Drill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQtaGUQIyxY  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com  

This week Kelly cracks open the Business Breakthrough Confessional, where listeners write in the questions they don't necessarily want to ask publicly, and get a confidential answer on the show.  What's inside: Why you don't need advertising money in year one How to borrow audiences other people spent years building Why live selling and referral marketing are making a comeback Finding pockets of time to build around a full-time job and family Timestamps 00:45 —Lead generation with no ad budget in year one 02:00 — Borrowing other people's audiences with virtual speaking 04:00 — Starting from 0: livestreams and daily engagement to build a network 05:30 — The 50,000-foot view: spend your time market facing 07:00 — Why live selling gets more valuable as AI takes over the feed 08:30 — Referral marketing and the return of analog strategies 10:00 — Building a business around a 40-hour job and a child 11:30 — The Miracle Hour as the hour-a-day starting point 12:15 — Keeping the faith: do not grow weary Resources & Mentions The Miracle Hour book — Kelly's one hour-a-day daily sales system, recommended as the starting point for anyone building with limited time; available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold: https://a.co/d/0h2ZpX4o  The Business Breakthrough Hotline: Ready for your business breakthrough? Text your question + name to 916-418-9799 with the hashtag #BusinessBreakthroughHotline for a chance to be featured on the show!

In this episode, I'm speaking with Roberto Salas, a Global Consumer and Sensory Insights Executive based out of Princeton, New Jersey. With over two decades in the FMCG industry, his career has spanned the globe, starting in Mexico and taking him through South Africa, the UK, Latin America, and eventually to his current work at IFF. We had a fantastic conversation about bridging technical sensory science with deep consumer understanding, and how he translates complex human behavior into actionable commercial growth strategies. Please join me in welcoming Roberto Salas. Roberto Salas is a Consumer Intelligence and Growth Strategy executive with over two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. Operating in the Global Consumer & Sensory space, he specializes in translating complex market, consumer, sensory, and behavioral data into strategies that fuel portfolio growth, innovation, and brand differentiation. Throughout his career, Roberto has managed global and regional projects for major corporations, including Danone, ConAgra, Cargill, Yoplait, and currently IFF. His expertise lies in bridging technical product design with a deep, empathetic understanding of human needs. Over recent years, he has pioneered the use of AI-powered tools to mine unstructured data for actionable intelligence. A passionate advocate for democratizing research, he frequently conducts workshops to coach cross-functional teams, ensuring that genuine consumer value remains at the forefront of the commercialization process. Roberto holds a degree in Food Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC) in Mexico and a Master's Degree in Food Science, specializing in Sensory Analysis, from Kansas State University. Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: Roberto Salas Expertise Areas: Growth Strategy & Commercial Impact Global Consumer Insights & Cultural Nuances Sensory Perception Modeling AI-Powered Data Analysis (Unstructured Data)  

In this episode, Matthew and Peter from JPTD discuss the current landscape of financial advisory practices, focusing on the role of private equity, the impact of capital deployment on growth, and the challenges faced by advisors in an increasingly consolidated market. They explore the implications of AI on the industry, the ongoing wealth transfer between generations, and the importance of professional guidance in navigating M&A decisions. The conversation highlights the evolving nature of advisory practices and the potential for growth and success in the current environment. Capital Deployment and Growth Strategies With Peter Velardi Resources in today's episode: - Matt Jarvis: Website | LinkedIn - PeterVelardi: Website | LinkedIn - Get your practice valuation here - Learn More about our Coaching Programs  

Selma, Chief Revenue Officer chez Agorapulse explique sa vision sur la place du Product Marketing dans la performance commerciale.Au fil de son parcours, Selma a construit une vision très business du Product Marketing. Pour elle, cette fonction n'est pas un simple support marketing. C'est un levier qui permet d'aligner les équipes, d'améliorer la conversion, d'attirer les bons clients et de construire une croissance durable.Dans cet échange, elle partage sa vision du rôle du PMM et les signaux qui montrent qu'une entreprise a besoin de structurer cette fonction.Découvrez :

In dieser Ausgabe des AOM DSP Snacks sprechen Florian Vette und Florian Giulio Votta über B2B-Targeting mit der Amazon DSP und warum das Potenzial von den meisten Marken noch massiv unterschätzt wird. Die Themen im Überblick: - Audiences: Welche B2B-Zielgruppen stehen auf Amazon schon heute bereit und wie hoch ist ihre Daily Forecasted Reach? - LinkedIn x Amazon: Was verändert die neue Partnerschaft für das Targeting im CTV-Umfeld von Prime Video, Twitch & Co.? - Identity-Problem: Wie verknüpft man getrennte Business- und Privataccounts über Amazon Identity Graph, Householding und LinkedIn-Daten? - Datenquellen: Wie kombiniert man LinkedIn, Amazon, Acxiom, SEO Tab und Nielsen, ohne sich „kaputt zu targeten"? - Audience-Logik: Warum entscheidet die UND/ODER-Verknüpfung über die Größe deiner Zielgruppe? - Off-Amazon-Inventar: Wann lohnen sich Deals über Publisher-Netzwerke und B2B-Fachportale? - Trust & Always-on: Wie viele Touchpoints braucht ein B2B-Kauf wirklich und warum ist Sichtbarkeit im Buy-Moment entscheidend?

Instagram is changing faster than ever, and the strategies that worked last year won't necessarily grow your brand today.In this episode of Marketing & Margaritas, we're here to unpack six Instagram strategies that are driving real results in 2026. From the rise of Yap videos and Trial Reels to why caption SEO has replaced hashtags, we explore how brands can increase their reach, build genuine engagement, and stay ahead of the algorithm.In this episode, we cover:• Why Yap videos are outperforming overly polished content• How to create authentic content that builds trust and converts• Why replies matter more than likes on Instagram Stories• The shift from hashtags to Instagram SEO• How Trial Reels can help you reach brand-new audiences• Why relying on Instagram alone is risky—and where you should be showing up insteadWhether you're trying to increase engagement, improve your Instagram strategy, or build a stronger social media presence, this episode will help you understand what's working now and where Instagram is heading next.

Discover how market leaders—Walmart, Builders FirstSource, Progressive, and JPMorgan Chase—achieved exceptional growth from 2019 to 2024, outperforming peers by an average of five percentage points in revenue and seven points in profitability. In this episode, Simon Jones, David Schiff , and Kate Siegel discuss their new article on the three critical characteristics that drive sustained profitable business growth: committed investment strategies, diversified growth engines, and systematic technology integration. Related Insights Inspired for business growth: How five companies beat the market The race takes off in the next big arenas of competition The granularity of growth Rewired 2.0: How leading companies are (still) winning with AI? The ten rules of growth How innovative companies leverage tech to outperformSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

CFRA's Garrett Nelson examines PepsiCo's (PEP) rare earnings miss and the margin pressures weighing on results, while noting the company reaffirmed its full-year guidance. He discusses how aggressive post-pandemic price increases hurt demand, why consumer staples appear undervalued, and how PepsiCo's push into healthier snack and beverage brands could support future growth.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

On prend du recul sur le rôle du PMM à travers les yeux d'une responsable Marketing & Revenue.Selma, CRO chez Agorapulse partage sa vision de la fonction et les situations dans lesquelles elle crée le plus de valeur pour l'entreprise. Elle revient aussi sur un choix organisationnel fort chez Agorapulse : déplacer l'équipe PMM initialement au Produit sous son aile, puis faire évoluer progressivement son périmètre vers une équipe Go-To-Market qui ne se limite plus aux recommandations stratégiques, mais qui porte les sujets de bout en bout, de l'analyse du marché à l'exécution, avec des KPI directement liés au business.Selma nous partage des exemples concrets de collaboration avec le content, la lead gen et la brand pour arrêter de se marcher dessus mais aussi de ce qui permet à un PMM d'obtenir une place à la table des décisions.Enfin, elle revient sur plusieurs pivots de carrière qui ont marqué son parcours et partage ses réflexions pour faire des choix professionnels qui semblent contre-intuitif mais qui permettent de progresser sur le long terme.Si vous cherchez à renforcer votre impact business en tant que PMM, à confronter vos idées reçues et à mieux comprendre ce que la fonction Product Marketing  peut apporter à une organisation, cet épisode va vous donner quelques pistes de réflexion.Bonne écoute.RESSOURCES

Welcome to another episode of "The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas." In this episode, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with Michael Barbarita, the founder of a specialized fractional CFO firm dedicated to helping small and medium-sized companies achieve rapid growth.Michael Barbarita is not your typical CFO. While many fractional CFOs focus primarily on historical numbers and compliance, Michael's approach combines forward-looking financial expertise with strategic implementation. He shares how business owners hire him to double or even triple their profits by employing business and financial strategies that their competitors simply aren't using.The Fractional CFO Advantage: Michael explains why small to medium-sized businesses, which often cannot afford a full-time high-quality CFO, benefit from fractional services that provide a broad spectrum of scalable strategies.Beyond the Numbers: A core theme of this conversation is the necessity for CFOs to understand business strategy. Michael argues that while traditional CPAs look backward at historical data, a true CFO must be forward-looking to provide real value to a CEO.Pressure Testing Ideas: One of Michael's signature methods is "pressure testing" a CEO's ideas. Whether it's a new marketing campaign or a pricing change, he discusses the importance of expanding upon these ideas to ensure they are financially viable and strategically sound.The Conversion Formula: Michael introduces the concept of a conversion formula used to create successful messaging for things like drip campaigns, ensuring that a business stands out rather than just repeating what everyone else in the market is doing.Strategic Growth for Cash-Limited Companies: Most small companies face limited cash flow. Michael shares insights on how to improve financial foundations and implement growth strategies even when resources are tight.This interview serves as a master class for any entrepreneur looking to improve their financial footing and understand the financial ramifications of their business strategies. Michael's unique blend of strategic knowledge and financial expertise offers a roadmap for turning high costs and uncertain footing into favorable growth opportunities.Connect with The Unconventional Path:Our podcast is now available on YouTube. Simply search for "The Unconventional Path" to subscribe and never miss an episode.We're always on the lookout for interesting guests to feature on our show. If you know someone who has an inspiring story, unique perspective, or valuable expertise to share, please let us know. We're eager to connect with potential guests who can bring fresh insights and engaging conversations to our audience.We also love hearing from our listeners! Your questions, comments, and suggestions are incredibly valuable to us. Send us an email at bela.and.mike@gmail.com with your thoughts, and we'll do our best to address them in a future episode. Whether you have a question about a specific topic, feedback on a recent episode, or ideas for future content, we want to hear from you. Your engagement helps us shape the show and deliver content that resonates with our listeners.Thanks for listening,Bela and MikeFractional CFO, Entrepreneurial Finance, Business Strategy, Small Business Growth, Profit Strategy, Cash Flow Management, Strategic Implementation, Michael Barbarita, Bela Musits, Mike Wasserman, The Unconventional Path Podcast, Business Advising, Financial Forecasting, Startup Accounting, Growth Mindset.

Veteran Hang Gliding pilot Erika Klein shares her journey into the sport, the unique aspects of dune flying, and insights on safety, gear, and growing the sport. This episode offers valuable tips for beginners and enthusiasts alike- and if you haven't hang glided will get you very keen to go prone!

Schedule a Meeting with Joshua TODAY!Are you the biggest obstacle standing between your business and its next level of growth?Many contractors start their businesses because they love building projects; not managing teams, creating systems, or leading a growing company. But as businesses grow, owners often find themselves trapped in every decision, every jobsite, and every problem. In this episode, Joshua Gillow and Tanner Broughton discuss the challenges of scaling a hardscape business, building trust within a team, creating systems that support growth, and transitioning from working in the business to leading it.You will: Learn how to identify whether you're the bottleneck preventing your company from growing.  Discover why systems, delegation, and clear leadership roles are essential for scaling a contracting business.  Understand the mindset shifts needed to move from technician to business owner and create a stronger, more self-sufficient team. Press play to learn the leadership, systems, and growth strategies that can help you scale your business without carrying the entire company on your shoulders.Interested in learning more about Firescapes? Check out their website: https://www.firescapessd.com/Ready to get your copy of The CORE 10? Check it out HERE!Connect with Joshua at:The WebsiteThe Facebook GroupSales Master ClassesHow to work with Joshua - https://yes.express/apply/Tune into this podcast where a seasoned craftsman shares expert communication skills, strategies for overcoming stress and overwhelm, and insights on building a profitable business in landscaping and hardscaping, with tips on how to sell, close more deals, and achieve financial freedom to retire early as a successful business owner in the design/build and outdoor living industry. Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/puncherLicense code: AWUDIYK15E3NWYPK

Live at Cannes, Ari Paparo sits down with René Raiss, Founder of SQREEM, to discuss how the company's Large Behavioral Model (LBM) analyzes real-world behavior instead of language to predict intent, improve advertising performance, and power AI-driven insights across industries. Takeaways- Why SQREEM built a Large Behavioral Model instead of a Large Language Model.- How behavioral data provides deeper consumer insights than keywords alone.- Why AI models, not proprietary data, are becoming the competitive advantage.- How brands use SQREEM to improve targeting and lower customer acquisition costs.- Real-world applications of behavioral AI across media, healthcare, finance, and government.- How AI libraries and MCPs are replacing traditional software platforms.- - - Why understanding intent is the future of marketing and advertising. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to René Raiss and SQREEM00:49 The Story Behind the SQREEM Name01:20 What Is a Large Behavioral Model (LBM)?02:11 Why Consumer Behavior Matters More Than Keywords04:21 How SQREEM Collects and Models Behavioral Data05:44 AI Libraries vs Traditional Marketing Platforms06:48 Using Behavioral AI for Better Ad Targeting07:31 Campaign Performance and Lower CPA Results08:11 Applications Beyond Advertising and Marketing09:11 MCPs and the Future of AI Workflows09:43 SQREEM's Growth Strategy and Competitive Advantage10:24 Why the Model Matters More Than the Data11:14 Lightning Round and Closing Remarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UK Investor Magazine speaks with Daniel Prickett, Group Chief Executive of Christie Group plc, the long-established professional and financial services group serving the hospitality, leisure, healthcare, medical, childcare & education and retail sectors.In this interview, Dan introduces Christie Group and the brands behind it; Christie & Co, Christie Finance, Christie Insurance and Pinders in the Professional & Financial Services division, alongside Venners in Stock & Inventory Systems & Services.He explains how the firm's services complement one another, the value of cross-selling across divisions, and why it chooses to specialise in particular property-backed sectors with functioning M&A markets.Dan also walks through the Group's history (with roots dating back to the late 1800s), where it stands on strategy today, and the opportunities he sees over the next five years.He presents a compelling investment case, discussing the key takeaways for investors from the FY25 results published in April 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri shatters the industry myth that achieving more than 10% same-store growth is impossible. For the modern dentist, transitioning from an exhausted clinician to a strategic CEO requires executing targeted dental growth strategies. Rather than forcing generalized systems onto your team, true leadership means diagnosing your clinic's unique bottlenecks. To scale efficiently, stop treating every operational issue equally and focus your administrative time on the constraints that generate massive dental practice profitability.This episode serves as your survival guide for mastering dental practice management. George reveals the four operational levers that guarantee sustainable dental practice growth:- Patient Flow: Implement the Retain, Open, Fill method. Lock the back door by mastering hygiene reappointment rates, then open new columns.- Case Acceptance: Empower your staff to co-diagnose. When the team leads patient education, doctor production becomes completely predictable.- Consistency: Close the performance gap between your best and worst clinical team members to instantly elevate the practice floor.- Efficiency: Play "Whac-A-Mole" with your metrics. Identify massive operational leaks, like a high missed call rate, and resolve them immediately.Elite dental business strategies require you to leverage your time. If you only spend a few hours a week working on the business, you must direct that energy toward your weakest links. Customizing your dental growth strategies to target these precise inefficiencies guarantees predictable expansion year after year.Ready to take the next step in your dental practice journey? Visit https://sharedpractices.com to learn more about our Buyer Representation and Coaching services, designed to help dentists buy, grow, and optimize profitable practices. You can also use our Free Look to evaluate dental practice opportunities with real data before making a decision. For daily Dental Moneyball insights, strategy tips, and updates, follow us across our social channels.

Message Clarity Matters: Bruce Ashford on the Communication Bottleneck Killing Growth Bruce Ashford spent nearly two decades in academia as a professor and provost, but a personal crisis during COVID forced him to rebuild from scratch. What he discovered in his own recovery became the blueprint for helping mission-driven nonprofits and founder-led businesses solve their biggest growth problem: they can't articulate their value. The irony? Organizations doing genuinely important work often fail not because of what they do, but because of how they communicate it. Bruce works with CEOs to unlock two critical clarity challenges—message clarity and structural clarity—that separate thriving organizations from stuck ones. In This Episode Bruce's journey: from academic leader to recovery to messaging strategist How personal crisis revealed the power of rigorous self-inventory The six organizational components that must align for sustainable growth Why marketing firms miss the most important skill: the words Storytelling frameworks where the customer or donor is the hero How nonprofits underestimate their value through unclear messaging The founder bottleneck: why CEOs become the ceiling on growth Structural clarity: the airplane analogy that transforms organizations Vision and mission statements that actually inspire (25 words or less) AI optimization alongside human connection: winning over machines and people Building a brand presence so clear that growth becomes inevitable Timestamps 00:00  Understanding the Clarity Problem 05:58  The Journey to Message Clarity 11:51  Personal Transformation and Professional Growth 17:45  The Power of Story in Messaging 23:26  Real-World Applications and Success Stories 25:27  Targeting the Right Audience for Nonprofits 27:05  Communicating Value Effectively 30:04  Growth Strategies for Organizations 34:53  Leadership and Organizational Bottlenecks 37:26  The Importance of Vision and Mission Statements 42:29  AI's Role in Marketing and Clarity 47:29  Finding the Truth in Your Message Key Insights & Takeaways Insight #1: Message Clarity Is Half the Battle Most nonprofits and founder-led businesses haven't found the right words to communicate their value to customers or donors. This isn't a confidence problem—it's a structural one. Marketing firms lack messaging expertise, and leaders can't see their own label from inside the bottle. Getting clarity on your message transforms everything. Insight #2: Six Components Must Align for Growth Organizations don't grow by doing the same things harder. They grow when leadership, marketing, sales, product optimization, management/productivity, and cash flow all work in harmony. Like an airplane, if one component fails, the whole system fails. Insight #3: The Founder Is Often the Bottleneck CEOs carry too much on their shoulders and never delegate or systematize. James Clear's principle applies: "You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." Without processes and delegation, organizations cannot scale. Insight #4: Story, Not Features, Drives Action People don't buy features—they buy transformation. The most effective messaging makes the customer or donor the hero of the story, not your organization. When audiences see their own life reflected in your words, they act. Insight #5: Authenticity Compounds Over Time Whether it's personal recovery or organizational branding, finding and communicating your truth creates a moat that tactics can't replicate. Consistent clarity and authentic storytelling naturally attract the right attention and support. Resources & Links  Bruce Ashford's Website — https://www.theashfordagency.com/ Million Dollar Message Intensive — Bruce's flagship messaging program StoryBrand by Donald Miller — The framework that shaped Bruce's approach Small Business Flight Plan — The certification model Bruce uses Nonprofit Flight Plan — Bruce's adaptation for mission-driven organizations AI Trust Signals by Marcus Sheridan — Evaluate and optimize AI ranking factors Atomic Habits by James Clear — "You fall to the level of your systems" About Bruce Ashford Bruce Ashford is a messaging strategist and organizational consultant who works exclusively with CEOs of nonprofits and founder-led businesses. With nearly two decades in academia and nonprofit leadership, he watched capable leaders with important missions fail to communicate their value. After a personal crisis and recovery, he discovered that the same rigorous self-inventory that saved his life could transform organizations. He's a certified coach in StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, and Small Business Flight Plan, and he specializes in helping mission-driven leaders achieve message clarity and structural clarity—the two foundations of sustainable growth. Connect with Bruce: Website: www.theashfordagency.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brucerileyashford   For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery.We're happy you're here! Like the pod? Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/ Leave a rating and review on your favorite platform Follow @yourbrandamplified on the socials Talk to my digital avatar  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you're looking for restaurant growth strategies that increase sales without relying on constant discounts, this episode is for you. Roger sits down with Dog Haus CEO Mike Montagano to discuss how one of the industry's fastest-growing brands is building customer loyalty, protecting margins, and growing sales through memorable guest experiences, smart marketing, AI, menu innovation, and operational excellence. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why competing on price is a losing strategy • How loyalty programs drive repeat business • Restaurant marketing ideas that keep your brand relevant • How AI is improving restaurant operations • Why a strong bar program can become a major profit center • Menu engineering strategies that improve profitability • The KPIs every restaurant owner should monitor • How to create an experience that keeps guests coming back Whether you operate a single independent restaurant or a growing restaurant group, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can implement immediately to grow sales and protect your profits.

Jared Bell never planned to own a fencing business. He took a summer job at Butte Fence in 1994, liked the work, and decided to skip college and stay. Thirteen years later, he bought out a partner and took over day-to-day operations—just in time for the Great Recession. The company survived that challenge and has gone on to thrive, but not by following a conventional growth playbook. Bell has expanded the business by repeatedly asking a simple question: Why buy from a supplier when we can do it better ourselves? Over the years, Butte Fence has developed new products, configured more efficient processes, and steadily moved upstream, turning vendors into competitors and creating entirely new businesses along the way. In our conversation, Bell explains how that strategy evolved, what it takes to pull it off, and how a small business can identify opportunities hiding in its own supply chain.

On this episode of the EMARKETER Cannes Podcast Miniseries, we explore brand partnerships, retail data, and what it takes for retailers and brands to build more accountable, sustainable long-term growth together.   Sarah Marzano, Vice President and Principal Analyst at EMARKETER, sits down with Christine Foster, Group Vice President, Commercial Strategy and Operations at Kroger Precision Marketing, for a conversation recorded at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.   Get more insights like these with our free, industry-leading newsletters covering advertising, marketing, and commerce. Sign up at emarketer.com/newsletters Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com Cannes Lion 2026 Coverage Center: https://www.emarketer.com/learningcenter/toolkits/cannes-lions-2026/   For a transcript of this episode click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-kroger-precision-marketing-discusses-how-marketers-rethinking-brand-growth-strategies © 2026 EMARKETER   Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) is the retail media business of Kroger designed to make brand advertising more effective by closing the loop between media exposure and store sales. Powered by 84.51˚data science, and Kroger's popular loyalty card program, KPM connects consumers to brands through engaging moments that inspire purchasing online or in-store. https://www.krogerprecisionmarketing.com

Feeling lost in the noise of social media and AI slop? What if the answer to reliable visibility was proximity via partnerships, not posting? Casey Lightbody, founder of The Quiet Collective, helps quietly powerful women coaches and consultants grow consistent, fully booked businesses through strategic partnerships and relationship-led marketing, without relying on social media to be seen or successful. After burning her first six-figure business to the ground when she realized the model didn't fit her introverted, highly sensitive nature, she rebuilt everything differently, creating $166K in the first five months with zero social media posts. Casey walks us through her exact game plan for borrowing other people's audiences, the mistakes that kill most partnership attempts before they start, and why this approach to growth is actually working better now than ever. Connect with Casey: https://quietcollective.com.au https://www.instagram.com/caseylightbody.biz/ https://resources.quietcollective.com.au/marketingguide https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseylightbody/⁠ Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this episode, let's revisit a strategy skills classic interview with the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times, Dr. Rebecca Homkes. Survive, Reset, Thrive is a playbook for leaders derived from the author's first-hand experience working with executive teams across industries from software, technology, retail, fashion, and construction through to manufacturing. Drawing from over a decade of rich real-world experience, the author illustrates how to navigate the most complex strategic situations with a simple, executable approach. Rebecca Homkes explains how proactively to stabilize your business to withstand and grow through market shocks, reset your strategy to take account of new realities and thrive through uncertainty. Rebecca Homkes is a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO and executive advisor. She is a Lecturer at  The London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, Advisor and Faculty at the Boston Consulting Group focused on AI and Climate and Sustainability, and a former fellow at the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance. A global keynote speaker and recognized thought leader, she is also the global Faculty Director of the Active Learning Program with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), leads several fintech accelerators, and serves on the boards of many high-growth companies. She earned her doctorate at the London School of Economics as a Marshall Scholar and is now based in Miami, the Bay Area, and London, UK. Get Rebecca's book here: https://rb.gy/aq85ee Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2 Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions Free gift #3 Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom Free gift #4 Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1 www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build Free gift #5 The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach Free gift #6 Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

What does it actually look like to rebuild a content and SEO strategy for a world where search is shifting from clicks to mentions?In this episode of The Growth Leaders Series, Charlie Marchant sits down with Josh Spilker, Head of Search Marketing at AirOps, the AI-powered content and search platform. Josh has led organic growth at high-growth SaaS companies, including ClickUp, where he helped turn content into a serious revenue driver through a relentless focus on the middle funnel.Josh introduces the concept of content engineering: what it means, why it matters now more than ever, and how building connected AI-powered workflows is replacing the traditional brief-to-publish content process.The conversation gets into where Google and ChatGPT results actually overlap (and what the data says), why LinkedIn is starting to behave more like search than social, and why the middle funnel may be the most underrated opportunity in B2B content right now.Josh also shares how AirOps runs its own webinar-to-content workflow end to end, what he learned building comparison content at ClickUp that still holds up today, and why saying yes to uncomfortable things was the career advice he wished he'd had earlier.Read the full show notes: https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-josh-spilker/Check out Josh's post on the “10x Content Engineer” https://www.airops.com/blog/10x-content-engineerFollow Josh Spilker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshspilker/Listen to these episodes next:McKinsey's Thought Leadership Playbook with Daphne Luchtenberg https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-daphne-luchtenberg/Growth Strategy in the AI Search Era with Nick Lafferty, Profound https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-nick-lafferty/The Organic Growth Playbook Behind Wise with Fabrizio Ballarini https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-fabrizio-ballarini/Book a consultation to get a live review of your website and marketing

Radhika Das, IFN Journalist, interviews Boubacar Correa, Board Director and Aminata Faye Seck, CEO of Banque Islamique du Senegal, on financial inclusion, SME financing, growth strategy and supporting regional development in West Africa

Radhika Das, IFN Journalist, interviews Yasser Madani Alaki, Director of the Business Development Department at the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), on ICIEC's growth strategy, infrastructure financing opportunities, partnerships and future initiatives

Send us Fan MailMost entrepreneurs view legal support as something they need when problems arise, yet the most successful founders understand that legal strategy is one of the earliest and most important investments they can make in protecting enterprise value. In this conversation, Hillary Hughes shares how thoughtful contracts, intellectual property protection, governance structures, and investor readiness can help founders avoid costly mistakes, preserve negotiating power, and build businesses that are both investable and acquirable.Show NotesThe Strategic FocusThis episode explores the often-overlooked connection between legal infrastructure and business growth, demonstrating how the decisions founders make in the earliest stages of company building can significantly impact valuation, fundraising success, operational stability, and long-term exit opportunities. Through practical examples and cautionary tales, Hillary reveals why proactive legal planning is not an expense, but a critical component of sustainable growth.Key TakeawaysWhy founders should view legal counsel as a strategic business partner rather than a resource reserved for disputes and emergencies.The hidden risks within contracts, intellectual property ownership, vendor relationships, and manufacturing agreements that can destroy enterprise value during due diligence.What investors look for when evaluating a business, and how strong governance, clean records, and operational discipline increase confidence and valuation.Why AI can be a powerful tool for education, but remains an imperfect substitute for experienced legal judgment when negotiating complex agreements.Guest Contact & ConnectHillary Hughes Chair, Business Practice | Foster Garvey Consumer Brands Industry Group Leader Website: Foster Garvey LinkedIn: Connect with Hillary HughesJoin the proveHER Community for resources, events, and conversations designed to help ambitious women build, scale, and exit successful businesses. For additional insights from this episode, visit the companion Blogcast at Badass Women in Business.---Subscribe and ReviewIf you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  Instagram: @badass_women_in_businessLinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in BusinessWebsite: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.comAthena: athenaac.com

Don Norton, General Manager of Data Solutions at AdImpact, joins AdTechGod to discuss his journey from DoubleClick and Google to AdImpact, the evolution of TV measurement, the rise of CTV, political advertising trends, AI's role in media intelligence, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly automated industry. Takeaways Don shares lessons from DoubleClick, Google, Infillion, and AdImpact. AdImpact is expanding beyond political advertising into cross-TV intelligence. CTV and broadcast measurement require larger datasets and ACR technology for accuracy. Political advertising in 2026 is expected to rival presidential election spending levels. Local CTV presents one of the biggest growth opportunities in television advertising. AI is improving data processing, automation, and predictive insights. Despite automation, trust and human relationships remain critical in media buying and selling. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Don Norton and His Ad Tech Journey01:05 Starting at DoubleClick During the Early Internet Boom02:12 The Evolution from DoubleClick to Google04:00 Leaving Google and Joining Infillion05:31 Why Don Joined AdImpact06:06 AdImpact's Growth Strategy and Expansion Beyond Political Advertising07:05 Understanding Cross-TV Measurement: Broadcast, Cable & CTV08:01 The Challenge of Measuring Linear TV and Streaming Audiences10:09 What Advertisers Want from TV Measurement11:31 How AdImpact Uses ACR Data and Large TV Panels13:14 Who Uses AdImpact's Data and Insights?14:26 The Biggest Data Challenges in Media Intelligence16:34 AI, Data Validation, and Operational Efficiency18:54 Political Advertising Outlook for 202620:27 The Future of Local CTV Advertising23:10 What's Overhyped in Ad Tech?24:00 Why Relationships Still Matter in an AI-Driven Industry26:05 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Guests: AdTech God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Rose is the Chief Financial Officer at Kapitus, where he has led financial strategy, operations, and growth initiatives since 2018. With more than 25 years of experience across investment banking, fintech, and corporate finance, he brings deep expertise in capital markets, balance sheet management, and strategic planning. Prior to joining Kapitus, Anthony served as Chief Administrative Officer at Dime Community Bancshares and held CFO roles at ISI Group and the Global Equities Investment Bank at Credit Suisse. Earlier in his career, he held key leadership positions at JPMorgan Chase, including VP of Capital and Balance Sheet Strategy and Equity Research Analyst. Anthony holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and is known for his strategic insight, leadership, and ability to drive financial performance in complex organizations. During the show we discuss: Why credit discipline (not just tech) is the real backbone of successful lending companies How lenders evaluate you using cash flow vs. credit score (and why this matters) The real criteria that determine if you qualify for business funding Why fast growth can be dangerous—and how controlled scaling wins long-term The difference between loans, lines of credit, revenue financing, and equipment financing (and when to use each) How to still get funding even if your credit isn't perfect What lenders look for in a "strong borrower profile" Why many fintech companies fail—and what separates the ones that last Resources: https://kapitus.com/

Breaking the Owner Dependency: Operational Execution and System Architecture with Thomas RechtienIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Thomas Rechtien, the founder of Rechtien Consult, to deconstruct the operational bottlenecks that frequently trap owner-led manufacturing, contracting, and trades businesses in overwhelming 80-hour workweeks. As a premier business execution coach and strategic execution architect, Thomas details how a reliance on localized, tribal knowledge and centralized decision-making quietly devalues an enterprise and triggers executive burnout. This conversation delivers an intentional operational roadmap for founders ready to eliminate process friction, implement rigid delegation filters, and transform an exhausting daily job into a highly scalable, self-sustaining corporate asset.The Execution Architecture: Standardizing Workflows and Scaling Owner-Independent Operational EnginesThe single greatest impediment stalling the long-term capitalization of an owner-led enterprise is the founder's tendency to act as the primary operational bottleneck. When every critical decision, customer approval, and daily frontline problem must route directly through the CEO, organizational momentum grinds to a halt and leadership exhaustion becomes inevitable. Many business owners attempt to correct this strain by prematurely throwing capital at additional headcount or high-level fractional support, assuming an expanded payroll will naturally dissolve the back-office chaos. Real scalability demands the exact opposite approach: establishing a structured operational foundation first by standardizing core processes, defining clear documentation parameters, and solidifying internal workflows before attempting to inject new talent into a broken system.Transitioning an enterprise away from founder-dependency relies on a disciplined, non-negotiable commitment to communication efficiency and systematic delegation. Ineffective, unfocused corporate meetings that drag on without direction or repeat identical operational complaints week after week serve as an immediate indicator of underlying system deficiencies. True operational optimization requires strict meeting governance—anchored by predefined agendas, strict time limits, and absolute accountability tracking—paired with an intentional framework for shifting risk down the management line. Founders must overcome the psychological barrier of authority bias by delegating low-risk operational choices first, providing the training, support, and documented guidelines necessary for frontline teams to assume genuine psychological ownership over their specific outcomes.Ultimately, building a company that operates independently of its owner is a strict asset-engineering exercise, regardless of whether a clear exit strategy or liquidation event is on the immediate horizon. Businesses that rely completely on the daily physical intervention of the founder carry massive risk profiles and inherently command much lower enterprise valuations in the open market. Cultivating a calm, analytical leadership presence—often referred to as maintaining absolute composure under high-stress industry conditions—allows an executive to cut through operational noise and project clear, predictable 90-day execution metrics. By leveraging external, objective capability audits and diagnostics, forward-thinking business owners can bridge the gaps in organizational momentum, ensuring the company continuously scales its market share and functions as a highly valuable, predictable entity.About Thomas RechtienThomas Rechtien is the Founder and Owner-Led Business Execution Coach at Rechtien Consult, specializing in turning chaotic, founder-dependent operations into scalable, sellable corporate assets. Drawing from an extensive background beginning in master carpentry and expanding into decades of high-level industrial manufacturing leadership, Thomas blends practical craftsmanship with advanced execution architecture. He is widely recognized for his analytical, composed leadership style, helping trades and manufacturing leaders eliminate operational bottlenecks.About Rechtien ConsultRechtien Consult is an elite business consulting and operational engineering firm dedicated to helping owner-led contracting, manufacturing, and construction businesses scale sustainably. The consultancy specializes in executing comprehensive operational health diagnostics, meeting optimization frameworks, and custom delegation pipelines to reduce administrative strain on leadership teams. Through structured blueprints and resources like the Growth at Rechtien assessment, the firm enables small-to-mid-sized enterprises to build independent, high-valuation structures.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeRechtien Consult Official Website: rechtienconsult.comThomas Rechtien on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thomas-rechtienKey Episode HighlightsThe Founder Bottleneck Audit: Tracking direct operational dependencies to isolate which everyday approvals can be systematically offloaded to management tiers.Structure-First Talent Stacking: Why implementing software or hiring personnel before documenting workflows multiplies administrative chaos instead of resolving it.Meeting Governance Protocols: Standardizing company communication through strict time limits, advance agendas, and dedicated action-item tracking loops.The Asset Valuation Mindset: Constructing internal operations so the entire business functions autonomously, maximizing value for future investors or successors.Calm-Under-Pressure Leadership: Leveraging a composed executive mindset to cut through operational noise and establish clear 90-day corporate priorities.ConclusionThe conversation with Thomas Rechtien highlights that achieving true business autonomy is a predictable, structured exercise rather than an unreachable goal. By stepping out of the operational bottleneck, engineering rigid process guardrails, and mastering executive delegation, founders can successfully convert an exhausting, hands-on company into a highly streamlined, self-sustaining corporate asset.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Tim Foot, CEO of Slingshot Group. With nearly three decades of ministry and leadership experience having worked with thousands of churches, Tim brings deep insight into one of the most critical drivers of church health: your team. In this conversation, we explore what separates stagnant teams from those that create real momentum and how leaders can shift from survival to remarkable impact. Why teams stall out. // After working with thousands of churches, Tim consistently sees the same patterns: unclear expectations, misaligned priorities, lack of structure, and unspoken tension. Many teams are overly task-driven but underdeveloped relationally. Others don't fully understand how their strengths and weaknesses fit together. The danger of “hero-driven leadership.” // When a church relies too heavily on one standout leader to carry the mission it results in what Tim calls “hero-driven leadership.” While it can produce short-term results, it ultimately leads to burnout, unrealistic expectations, and fragile systems. Leaders often fall into this trap because it feels productive, and even rewarding, to be the one with all the answers. But over time, it limits team development and creates dependency instead of shared ownership. From hero to team. // The future of healthy ministry is team-based leadership. Instead of building ministries around individuals, churches must build systems and cultures where teams thrive together. This requires leaders humbly admitting they don't have all the answers and a willingness to slow down in order to build alignment. When leaders shift from being the “hero” to developing others, they unlock far greater long-term impact. The seven “key signatures” of remarkable teams. // Tim introduces a framework of seven core areas that every healthy team must develop: conviction, message, culture, roles, systems, friction, and risk. These “key signatures” work together like elements in music, providing structure that leads to a strong, unified outcome. Conviction anchors the mission (“why we exist”), while message communicates that mission clearly. Culture shapes how people experience the team, and roles define how individuals contribute. Systems enable growth, friction drives improvement, and risk fuels breakthrough. Why friction is actually healthy. // One of the most counterintuitive ideas Tim shares is that healthy teams need friction. Many leaders try to eliminate tension, assuming harmony equals health. But in reality, the absence of friction often means important issues are being avoided. Healthy friction leads to better ideas, stronger alignment, and greater innovation. The key is ensuring it doesn't become personal. When friction turns relationally destructive, it's unhealthy. But when it stays focused on ideas and outcomes, it becomes a powerful driver of growth. A practical tool for leaders. // To help teams take action, Tim points leaders to a free “team awareness assessment.” This tool helps churches evaluate how they're doing across the seven key signatures, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for growth. It's designed to spark meaningful conversations that lead to real change. A final challenge for leaders. // Tim leaves leaders with a simple but powerful reminder: if your mission matters, your team matters more. Churches often focus heavily on the people they're trying to reach, but neglect the health of the people they're leading alongside. Sustainable, mission-moving ministry requires both. To learn more about Tim's book Reaching for Remarkable: The 7 Key Signatures Behind Every Remarkable Team and take the free team assessment, visit reachingforremarkable.com or explore additional resources at slingshotgroup.org. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: TouchPoint As your church reaches more people, one of the biggest challenges is making sure no one slips through the cracks along the way.TouchPoint Church Management Software is an all-in-one ecosystem built for churches that want to elevate discipleship by providing clear data, strong engagement tools, and dependable workflows that scale as you grow. TouchPoint is trusted by some of the fastest-growing and largest churches in the country because it helps teams stay aligned, understand who they're reaching, and make confident ministry decisions week after week. If you've been wondering whether your current system can carry your next season of growth, it may be time to explore what TouchPoint can do for you. You can evaluate TouchPoint during a free, no-pressure one-hour demo at TouchPointSoftware.com/demo. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. Listen, listen, listen, pull in close because today’s conversation, I don’t even know your church, but I know that a large portion of your budget is being spent on the thing we talk about. In fact, lots of churches, it’s like half of their budget. And it’s an even larger portion of the outcome of your ministry. It’s incredibly important what we’re talking about today. And so you do not want to miss this. Rich Birch — And we’ve got an expert that has worked with not tens of, not hundreds of, but literally thousands of of churches like yours and wants to help you take steps forward. Excited to have Tim Foot with us. He has nearly 30 years of experience, which I’m not sure how that’s possible, such a young man, as a leader, pastor, coach, speaker, musician in both Australia and North America, bringing a diverse background to his role as the CEO and president of Slingshot Group. If you’re not aware of who Slingshot Group is, they take the guesswork out of nonprofit and church staffing. He’s recently written a book that I’m excited for you to learn more about. But Tim, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Tim Foot — Rich, it is so glad, it’s so great to be on with you today. I’m excited about this conversation.Rich Birch — So good. I'm I’m excited for it too. Why don’t you kind of give us a bit of the Tim Foot background? Tell us a little bit about about you and kind of give us the how do we end up here in this conversation today?Tim Foot — Yeah, it’s interesting. I often say to people, I had no idea that I’d be on the other side of the world to where I started doing what I’m doing. But this is what happens, Rich, when you say, keep saying yes to God.Tim Foot — Born and raised Tasmanian, worked as a musician and in ministry in Sydney for 10 years after moving from Tasmania, then relocated to Boulder County, Colorado in 2002, been here for 25 years now in ministry at a great church called Lifebridge Christian Church. Built ministry there for 10 years and went bivocationally started working with the Slingshot Group when there was a handful of us doing a handful of staffing and coaching work and then things exploded.Tim Foot — And I really, really hit my sweet spot and saw how God had been preparing me for so many years to work with teams, love teams, love the strategy of teams, love working with people, love the fact that placing the right leader on the right team exponentially moves the mission forward and affects culture in all kinds of ways.Rich Birch — So true.Tim Foot — And so I’ve had all kinds of roles in Slingshot over the years, now get to lead our team of amazing consultants around the US serving so many, and beyond, serving so many ministries and teams move mission forward.Rich Birch — Love it. I’m so glad that, yeah, this is going to a good conversation. You know, one of the things I want to take advantage of is the fact you’re really an expert. You know, you’ve worked with, you and Slingshot have worked with thousands of churches and organizations, and you you really get a chance to see churches at an interesting inflection point.Rich Birch — You know, often when we’re hiring a team member, bringing someone in or trying to develop our teams, you know, we’re thinking about the future and we’re, we’re taking a step back. And like you say, I do think it’s a transformative inflection point that you’re involved in. Rich Birch — So you’re sitting across the table from a lot leaders, and maybe even some leaders who their mission is stalling. Like things aren’t maybe going as well as we would hope. Are yeah there any patterns in that you’re seeing, are there things that you see time and time again in churches that might be holding us back?Tim Foot — Yeah, I immediately thought of a common question we’ll ask teams when we’re brought in when it comes to needing a new person on the team or helping coach leaders. We’re often brought in in crisis moments, moments of transition, but they’re also moments of incredible opportunity.Tim Foot — And we’ll often ask the question, hey, do you want a painkiller or do you want a vitamin? And so often the the team is thinking they want the painkiller, they want the pain to go away. They want to solve the problem, they want to fill the seat, or they want to break through whatever it is they’re struggling with. But honestly, deep down, they need to start a regimen of vitamins to help them get to a healthy place to move the mission forward.Tim Foot — We often will see an unawareness that the wrong people are around the table. Or an unawareness that they need other leaders around the table to help them move forward, whether it be vocational paid leaders or volunteers.Tim Foot — We’ll often see misalignment and a lack of focus on the right things. Communication misfires around why the mission actually matters. We’ll often teams see teams that are task-driven at the expense of relationships.Tim Foot — And then an unawareness of strengths and weaknesses and how they complement each other, how they help move you forward or how they hold you back. Other patterns are a lack of structure to support the work. Elephants in the room, taboo topics, fear around failure that leads to lack of innovation. So many different patterns we’ll see and be able to diagnose and say, hey, we need to have conversation around that because I think uncorking that will help you accelerate the mission.Rich Birch — That’s cool. One of the things I love by reputation that I love about Slingshot is I love that you’re asking those bigger questions that it’s not just like, okay, how do we get to let’s just, let’s get the next hire done and move on.Rich Birch — It’s like, you know, you’re, you’re trying to ask those bigger questions and which I, that which I think, you know compliment to you and your organization that you’re trying to. Because we know when we need the painkillers, but really we need to take some good vitamins over an extended period of time to make our things more healthy for sure. Hmm.Tim Foot — You know, Rich, when we jumped into staffing work almost 20 years ago now, we had to educate the church on the need to have outside advice around staffing. But it was a lot of art and not as much science.Tim Foot — And now we’ve developed so much science around the art with with things like our candidate match tool. When you’re looking for a leader, you have to align around what you actually want in that new leader. So many teams will say, hey, we need this, this, this, this, this, this. And in the end, they’re looking for a purple unicorn. And that’s not going to help.Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — And we’ll talk about that as we get deeper in the conversation.Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Tim Foot — But Rich, last time I looked, unicorns are still mythical creatures. Rich Birch — True. Tim Foot — And so working working out what you actually need… Rich Birch — Right. Tim Foot — …and getting an awareness around alignment with who’s around the table may actually change your idea of what you’re looking for. Alignment is so important in getting an awareness of what our strengths and weaknesses are. Are we focused on the right thing? And are we actually moving the mission forward right now or is it stalled out?Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, that’s good. One of your consultants, that remember once I was in a conversation about that very issue and and you know we had really lofty goals for what we were trying to hire. And and they they walked us through that conversation where it was like, okay, well, let’s let’s think about how many of these people are actually out there.Rich Birch — So and you list off hat half a dozen things that we were looking for and you cut back and you think, well, how many people actually work in the church? How many people have worked as long as we want to work and have had experience that we did and have done the stuff that we want to do?Rich Birch — And you literally get down to like, Well, there might be three people, you know, like, you know, and so anyways, that’s, that’s, that’s so true.Tim Foot — And actually… Rich Birch — You… Yeah, go ahead.Tim Foot — …that’s what we’ll often say. There are maybe three to five people when you have all of these filters in place, they can actually fill this role.Rich Birch — That’s true.Tim Foot — And that’s why you need to focus on ministry and you need to let us focus on finding those people.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, that’s good. That’s great. And yeah, and if there’s three to five and one of them is Jesus, the other is the Holy Spirit. So it’s like, you know, you’re down to just a very few. You… Tim Foot — And Rich, let’s not talk about why many, many teams wouldn’t hire Jesus these days.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. That’s a whole other topic. that’s That’s great. Now, you’ve said something once that caught my attention, and it’s in my head has been branded to you. And it’s that most of us were trained on a model, a leadership model that nobody named out loud, that everyone, that we’ve all absorbed.Rich Birch — What is that model? You know, what it look like? And I know when you named this, I started seeing this everywhere I looked. I was like, oh, wow, I can see this in multiple different places in myself and in our organization. What what is this model?Tim Foot — Yeah, I mean, the the model we see is hero-driven leadership. It’s when we rely too much on individuals to actually carry the mission. And I think the cracks have happened.Tim Foot — I mean, we’ve seen it, Rich, you and I are similar ages. I think the cracks are happening generationally. The builders and boomers were wired differently for a different time and culture. And us Gen Xers, we can code switch. I mean, we we see we see that happening all the time. And as we stepped into leadership, the cracks started to appear.Tim Foot — I mean, we see it every week. Another leader burning out, doing stupid things because of too much pressure. Then millennials and Gen Z are now leading in a new way that we need to embrace.Tim Foot — And so I think we’re seeing those cracks around that hero dependence, and we’re starting to see the need more than ever to have a team awareness, a holistic approach, or we’re just going to have leaders continue to burn out.Tim Foot — And we sit we see it around unrealistic hiring expectations, a lack of support for great leaders when they’re hired, a lack of development.Tim Foot — Hero dependence is a terrible staffing and growth strategy and becomes a massive trap when it comes to a number of the key focus areas or patterns we’ve seen that healthy teams focus on and move mission forward.Rich Birch — Yeah. See, this is the thing when you, I heard you say that once and it, it literally, I sat up and I was like, oh man, I’ve seen that in my own, you know, my own hiring. I’ve seen that in the way I’ve talked with, you know, I see the leaders around me. You see these people who they’ve kind of built the entire ministry around themselves and they’ve built, it’s like, it doesn’t work if they don’t, it’s like, they’re such a unique individual. They have to lift it all. Rich Birch — But what makes that model so sticky? Like, why do we keep coming back to that? Why? Even if we know like intellectually in our heads, yeah, that’s not a good idea. It feels like we just keep coming back to this same thing time. In fact, we actually reward it. We’ll be like, wow, isn’t that great? This person’s amazing. And we just kind of keep moving on. Why is that?Tim Foot — It’s the shiny object trap. I mean, that that the the shiny object, aka the the talented leader that we think is going to catapult the ministry. Often we see it in in hiring conversations when a particular organization wants to go after somebody that’s been in at a much bigger organization than them. And often that person, if if they can attract them, will come in with a playbook that isn’t uniquely suited to the organization they’re stepping into. Or there aren’t systems to support that new leader and the growth that’s going to happen. And burnout happens at every level. But but we both know, Rich, busy work makes us feel productive. But is it the right work?Rich Birch — That’s so true.Tim Foot — And and we know that we can be ourselves the shiny object. We we want to it feels good to be the hero. It feels good to be the one that’s solving problems. Rich Birch — Sure.Tim Foot — It feels good to be the one that has all the answers. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — And I think that’s one of the biggest threats in healthy leadership today is feeling like you have to have all the answers. Because I think one of the most powerful statements from healthy leaders and healthy teams is, hey, we don’t know what to do next. Because it actually opens up the room for new thought. It opens up the room for collaboration. And it opens up the room for teamwork. Tim Foot — But it’s easier to move quick. It’s easier to move quick and be surrounded by people who agree and play it safe.Rich Birch — So true.Tim Foot — And then down the road, we realized that we weren’t growing in every sense of that word. And the mission was stalled out. We know we often have to slow down, re-strategize, look at who’s around the table, work out how we work together to move faster in the long term. We have to be vulnerable to make a team work. And sometimes it requires us to actually help others win than focus on heroes. Tim Foot — I mean, you think about a winning sports team. It’s not about just one person out there doing all the work. We’ve got to work together as a team. You know, it’s it’s it’s how do we work together and have had have less dependence on that shiny object, those standout leaders or those heroes?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I love that. I remember years ago, we had a coach come in and as a lead team, and this basically spent a week with us and then, you know, try to help us get better in our leading of our people. And I remember at the end of the week, the leader who we brought in said you answer way too many questions. And I was like what do you mean by that? They’re like, you need to ask more questions and you answer. You’re you’re putting yourself way too much in the middle of all of this and you’re not letting…And I was like, oh that’s a good insight. You know, we’re not raising up other people we’re trying to uh you know make it all about us rather than about our teams. Well, I’d love to talk about your book.Rich Birch — So the title is Reaching for Remarkable: The Seven key signatures behind every Remarkable Team. Let’s start with the word Remarkable. You literally have it twice in your title and subtitle. Why Remarkable? And how does that relate to hero? Because I was like, isn’t that the same thing? Like, isn’t it couldn’t this be reaching for the heroic? So unpack that.Tim Foot — I love that word remarkable. And it’s always been our mission at Slingshot. We build remarkable teams through staffing and coaching because your mission needs a remarkable team to move it forward. Tim Foot — Jesus left us with the most remarkable mission. And but it wasn’t enough. He needed a team to move it forward. And if Jesus needed a team to move it forward, we need to move it forward as a team.Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — And so we’ve all got these unique expressions of that remarkable mission. But if that mission matters, your team matters more. Rich Birch — That’s good.Tim Foot — And so when it comes to Remarkable, it’s about the mission. It all comes back to the mission. And we never fully arrive, Rich. We’re always reaching.Rich Birch — That’s good.Tim Foot — We’ve always got to be focusing on the right things, doing the deep work of of of reimagining, reinventing, and re-moving forward to reach for remarkable momentum when it comes to our mission. But we’ve got to focus on the team and the right the right areas to move that mission forward.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. So you actually talk about these, there’s these seven key signatures. Can you take a little bit of time and just unpack those? We won’t be able to get into all of them, but kind of talk us through how does it hang together as kind of a big idea?Tim Foot — Well, give you a little bit of context behind why they’re key signatures. You mentioned it in the intro, in a former life, I was a working musician and I would do solo gigs. It was my tentmaking job to do ministry back in Australia. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — I would work three to five nights a week as a musician. And I always had way more fun working with other musicians in a team setting, because ah a band is essentially a team. And my best experiences, Rich, was when I was on stage with other musicians who were often better than me, but I was leading the band. We all lifted each other. And to achieve remarkable results, there was structure to it.Tim Foot — I mean, you know, there’s structure to music. There’s harmony and there’s rhythm and there’s key signatures. There’s tracks to run on that allow us to have a remarkable output. Rich Birch — That’s good.Tim Foot — And so as I move from that world into team strategy world, team specialist world, building teams world, I realized, hey, there are also tracks to run on as a team to reach for health and reach for remarkable, a remarkable output and remarkable momentum. And so that’s where we came up with these seven key focus areas that we call the seven key signatures behind every remarkable team.Tim Foot — And they’re a pathway, they work together. And I’ll run through them quickly. And then we can unpack what you what you want to unpack with the time that we have left, Rich.Tim Foot — But though, and they’re simple. I mean, these are patterns that I’ve observed over the last 16 years staffing teams, but the last 30 years growing in teams, learning from teams, leading teams. I mean, you and I both grew up in in church, Rich, and I learned a lot of of leadership lessons from being a volunteer on teams in in in my late teens and and early 20s, so much.Rich Birch — Yes, 100%.Tim Foot — But these patterns, this pattern or these key signatures start with number one, conviction. Conviction, which is a shared sense of why you exist and what you’re called to do. It’s the why behind the what. It’s the Simon Sinek. People buy why you do, not what you do. So that’s number one is conviction. Tim Foot — Number two is a message, a compelling and consistent way of communicating what matters most because, Rich, everything communicates. What’s the story our leadership is communicating? What we say, what we don’t say, our actions, our systems and processes. What story is it communicating? That’s number two. Tim Foot — Number three is culture, the values and behaviors that shape the soul of our team. How are people experiencing your ministry organization or your team?Tim Foot — Number four is roles, unique contributions for remarkable impact. Roles that clarify how we work together. Tim Foot — Number five is systems, which is scalable design for remarkable growth. Systems scale our mission. Tim Foot — Number six is friction because healthy friction moves the mission forward. How do we embrace healthy friction for growth? Tim Foot — And then the last one, number seven, and these all build on each other, is risk, which is bold moves that drive remarkable outcomes, initiatives that lead to breakthrough, strategic risk, not blind gamble. So those are the seven.Rich Birch — Love it. And you know friends, i I do think I would highly recommend that you pick up copies of this book. To me, when I when I saw this, to me, this feels like the kind of book that we should read together as a leadership team. Like, hey, let’s pull this together. You know maybe you’re looking for a fall thing to do with your leadership team. This would be a great book for you to pick up and go together. Rich Birch — There’s a couple I would love to tease out a little bit. I’d love you to pull out for us. Help us understand. You differentiate between conviction and message, two different things. I think lots of times we might collapse those into one. Why are they two separate? Help us understand the difference between those two.Tim Foot — Absolutely. Conviction, again, is why we do what we do. Without shared conviction, you won’t move the mission forward. There won’t be a reason behind initiatives. They’ll fall flat. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — There won’t be a reason behind the message you’re communicating. That’s why they’re different. So conviction is what keeps us in on the days we want to quit.Tim Foot — I mean, think about the early church in Acts 4. It’s a great, best example of conviction. Peter declaring in Acts 4:20, we cannot help but speak about what we’ve seen and heard. They didn’t just believe. They acted. It drove every decision.Tim Foot — If the disciples were just compliant, when Jesus ascended, they would have scattered. But because they were convicted, they ah nearly all of them gave their very lives for the mission. Conviction is our North Star. It’s It’s like calling. it’s It’s what keeps you the days, keeps you in it, the days you want to quit. And Rich, we know there’s going to be plenty of days you to quit. Tim Foot — Message, however, is is the story we’re communicating. It’s how we hire, fire, onboard, develop. It’s how we communicate our conviction and our overall mission. And in the book, we list a bunch of traps for each of these seven key signatures. And we can chat about some of the most common traps. But a common trap for for message is assumption. Rich Birch — It’s good.Tim Foot — We assume people understand and care like we understand and care. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — And we don’t ask enough questions. I mean, it’s why Jesus’ ministry was full of questions, Rich. Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim Foot — Because he was he was cementing conviction. I mean, Jesus asked the best questions and rarely gave the answers. He lived the answers and he teased the answers out because that’s what led to conviction. That’s why they build upon each other. Tim Foot — You can’t have a story without conviction. You can’t have a message without conviction. And you can’t have a healthy message unless you are asking the right questions to make sure people are hearing and understanding it. Tim Foot — Did you like like did you understand what I just communicated? What did you just hear that I that I said?Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — Why why are why are you so convicted to by our mission?Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim Foot — Why are you committed to it? So many great questions.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s good.Tim Foot — The book is full of questions too. I’m a I’m a serial question asker. They used to call me “Quiz” when I was a teenager because I asked so many questions.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim Foot — And it wasn’t until later that a mentor and co-founder of Slingshot, Stan Endicott—I think you know him, Rich—that he he convinced me that my proclivity for asking so many questions was actually a spiritual gift and not a special need.Rich Birch — Yeah. Tim Foot — Because questions, questions move conversations forward.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yep. Yeah, it’s true. It’s so good. And yeah, as I’ve shifted into full-time coaching, I have found, yeah, like that the the skill of asking a good question, it’s like, you know, I think the best moments I have with the people I’m working with are when we’re, I’m asking questions and they’re discovering, they’re tripping on to their own answers that maybe are a little different even than I would have. But just asking good questions, super important.Rich Birch — Okay. Another one that stood out to me of the, and again, friends, you’re going read all this. Obviously we can’t cover this in just, you know, half an hour conversation. But talk to me about friction, healthy friction. Tim Foot — Yeah. Rich Birch — So I literally have said as an executive pastor, my job was to remove friction from the organization. And so when you say, oh, you lots of us are trying to remove it. I was like, ouch, that’s me.Rich Birch — Because I think that’s, ah you know, I would I want to find places where we’re stuck and say, how do we get those unstuck and push this thing forward? So talk to me about why I’m wrong about friction.Tim Foot — I was there too, Rich. I was absolutely there. But when I get to number six, when we’re speaking on this or teaching on this, I will often say, hey number six is a wait, what? Tim Foot — I thought this was the sign of an unhealthy team. I used to think that. I used to think that the harmonious teams were the healthy ones, that when I walked into a context where there was all harmony with the team, that it was there was healthy, the absence of friction was healthy. But it’s not. It’s a sign of unhealth. Tim Foot — And I’m talking, there’s two kinds of friction, healthy and unhealthy. I’m talking about healthy friction. I mean, you think about a car and how the rubber meets the road, causes friction, moves the car forward. If you don’t have friction in your team, your mission isn’t going on anywhere.Tim Foot — It’s interesting, Zippia workplace survey found out that 76% of employees in the workplace avoid conflict, which is a real problem because healthy friction sharpens and aims teams, while avoiding conflict leads to complacency and stagnation.Tim Foot — Teams where members are passionately embracing friction will not only push through and forward to great results, they’ll attract and retain, which is really important, they’re going attract and retain top leaders. It’s where the mission truly comes alive and evolves to all it can be. Good leaders, rich, know to allow it. They know not to control it, but closely monitor it.Tim Foot — We get to decide if the tension or friction we allow is healthy or unhealthy. We call this the loaded gun of the seven key signatures, because when this gun goes off, it either breaks through a door or a wall that you needed to break through, or somebody gets hurt. And good leaders know how to monitor that and help it break through and not damage other leaders.Rich Birch — Yeah, let’s double click on that. Help me understand. So yeah, I’m going with you. I can see what you’re saying. You know, healthy friction, you know, unhealthy friction, good friction, bad friction. So give me an example. Rich Birch — You walk into it, you’re working with a ah church and there’s some telltale signs of, friction that’s that’s negative, that’s actually pulling the organization back, that’s that could be potentially hurting, or maybe has gone too far, or what’s, I’m not sure the best way to say that. Versus, hey, no, here’s some here’s some good friction that’s actually some good heat here that’s pushing the tires forward. Help us, what does that look like?Tim Foot — When when it becomes personal, Rich, that’s always the way you know it’s trending towards unhealthy. We’ll get to it in a minute, but we’ve got a team assessment on our website now around these seven key signatures, and we talk about unhealthy, inconsistent, functional, remarkable.Tim Foot — Most most teams live in that functional space. If you’re below unhealthy, it’s trending toxic, and that’s when you need ah that’s when you need the 4Sight group and Jenni Catron to come I mean, do some some deep, deep culture work. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — I’m all about our ecosystem. I know you are too, Rich. It’s like when you need the deeper work, then you need the specialist. Rich Birch — Sure, sure.Tim Foot — But right now you’ve got the general practitioner. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, yeah.Tim Foot — But but when it gets when it gets personal, you know that that’s unhealthy friction. Rich Birch — That’s good. Right.Tim Foot — And let’s go back to um the the harmony piece. Because that’s one of the traps when it comes to friction. it’s It’s the harmony trap. And it’s like it’s you wanting there to be you know violins and and and and birds singing and for everybody to be loving each other. That’s also a sign that there is unhealthy friction. Rich Birch — Right. Tim Foot — Because there’s things lurking that have been pushed down below the surface that are going to come out sideways that if you had just dealt with it straight away, it actually could have become momentum for your mission. It’s the unspoken influences trap. it’s the It’s the elephants in the room.Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — It’s what everybody’s thinking about, but nobody’s talking about. That’s going to that that’s gonna be insidious and it’s going to chip away at the health of your team. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Tim Foot — And it’s gonna become unhealthy friction. And so that’s a great question to ask. And that’s in the book too. What’s every thinking about, nobody’s talking about? Because that’s what we need to engage.Tim Foot — Now, if we think that’s going to lead to unhealthy friction, let’s have the the conversations outside of the meeting. So that when we get to the conversations inside of the meeting, we can engage this as healthy friction that will actually address the topic and will move us forward rather than becoming personal and eroding relationships.Rich Birch — That’s good. Yeah, that question, what’s everybody thinking about that nobody’s talking about? That’s powerful. And I can see, yeah, that even even the organizations I’ve led, you can see where there’s seasons where we try to push away that friction. nd that can be just super negative. And it’s like this, we’re all just in la-la land. We’re all just, you know, can see that for sure. Tim Foot —Yeah.Rich Birch — So you wrote this book, you put this resource together. help me understand how you’re hoping it will help our, our churches. You know, I’m picture, I’m a church of a thousand people. Maybe I’m the executive pastor. I’ve got a team of 12 to 15 people on my team. And how how could, how could this be a helpful resource for us?Tim Foot — Well, this I believe this is the most important work we need to be doing, Rich, because if your mission matters, your team matters more. So often we get so focused on the people we’re serving that we forget the people we’re serving with.Tim Foot — And if we’re stalling out mission, mission-wise, then we’re not moving forward. And that’s not and we’re not being obedient to God’s call. And so what I’m hoping is, I mean, personally, our kingdom first principle at Slingshot is to leave teams better than than the way we found them. And the last thing we want to do is place great leaders on unhealthy teams.Tim Foot — So what we’re hoping is that teams are going to focus around these seven alignment areas and start to move mission forward, attract great leaders, retain great leaders. When we place, I mean, I you and I have both had healthy long-term ministries at churches, and it is a massive blessing when you, if God wills it, and you stay somewhere long term. I want other people to experience that. And that happens when the right leaders are placed on the right team.Tim Foot — So what I’m hoping churches do is they take our team awareness assessment on on our website, reachingforremarkable.com, which is attached to slingshotgroup.org. And they get a sense of, okay, where what where might we need attention in these seven key areas? Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s good.Tim Foot — Because it heat maps, it gives you percentages, you can take it as a team. And then to start the real important conversations.Tim Foot — I mean, I’ve been in rooms with this work, Rich, where you start to see teams have conversation around alignment and and teams that were that were stale or leaders that were burnt out start to get a glimmer of hope. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s good.Tim Foot — That, oh, if we start to have these conversations around these areas, if we walk this pathway, if we focus in these areas where we’re struggling right now, we’re going to start to see results.Tim Foot — I mean, I even think about the key signature of systems. You know, it’s systems that scale remarkable growth. If we’re not building systems to to accommodate the growth that we keep praying for, God’s not going to bring the increase. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s true. Tim Foot — Because God isn’t going to bring growth if it’s going to hurt us. We have to be building the right kind of systems to support our teams and leaders so that the growth can come. It’s a stewardship issue. Rich Birch — Yes, yep.Tim Foot — So what I’m hoping happens in churches all over the place is that they start to focus on these key signatures and see mission momentum results that moves them forward as an organization.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Why don’t you tell us, you’ve mentioned it, but tell us a little bit more about the team awareness assessment. Give us like a bit of a, you know, you’ve kind of given us an overview there. Give us a little bit more why we should take that test and give us that URL again that we can send people to.Tim Foot — It’s reachingforremarkable.com and it’s it’s literally 10 minutes or less. Rich Birch — Right.Tim Foot — And it’s free as a leader. You can jump in and take it or you can sign up and and take it as a team. And it gives you obviously the team percentage on each of these key signatures. but also your own results. And when we’ve worked with real high-performing teams, it’s fascinating to watch these great leaders compare their individual percentage on each of these key signatures with their entire team and just to see alignment start to happen and the right conversations to happen.Tim Foot — Because we want to be able to focus in on where alignment is needed most. It may be real simple, Rich. Most teams live in that functional space. Rich Birch — Sure. Tim Foot — Functional’s fine.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim Foot — But it’s not going to get remarkable results. Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim Foot — And our mission is too important. We have to focus on team alignment to move it forward.Rich Birch — Yeah. It’s so good. Yeah. I was talking to a a leader recently of a very large church and they were saying, you know, I just feel like, I feel like we got a go Pro. And what he was saying is exactly what you’re saying is like, Hey, we we’re we’re fine. We’re functioning.Tim Foot — Right. Right.Rich Birch — But man, we want to go remarkable. We want to go from just just because we can do this thing week in, week out in their case, have thousands of people show up, tens of thousands of people show up. But it’s like, that’s not enough. We got it. But the mission’s too important. We’re trying to reach people. How do we go remarkable? Which to me, I think picking up a copies of these books as a team would be a great first step. Rich Birch — Where do people, where can people pick this up? Where can they get your book if they’re looking for that? I’m assuming Amazon, but is there anywhere else we want to send them?Tim Foot — No, Amazon’s a place to go. Rich Birch — Yeah, that is the bookseller apparently.Tim Foot — I mean, it’s we know these days where wherever where everybody’s going, Amazon’s the way. And I would just add to Rich that as a leader, you want to know. This is information you want to have.Rich Birch — Yes.Tim Foot — We’ve talked so much about self-awareness. And if we’re in leadership, we need to show up to our team self-awareness. So many profiles. Rich Birch — Yep.Tim Foot — We don’t talk enough about team awareness. You need to know as a leader if you’re moving your mission forward or where you might be stalling out because it’s too important. And these seven things, as I said earlier, Rich, they’re not they’re not rocket science. Tim Foot — I mean, I like to I like to couch it this way: Conviction shapes the heart. Message shapes the voice. Culture shapes the atmosphere. Role shape contribution. Systems shape sustainability. Friction shapes growth. Risk shapes the future. And that’s why I hope you’ll dig into this with us. Rich Birch — Love it. Tim Foot — Because we want to see the kingdom move forward and we want to see churches full of healthy teams that not only great leaders want to come and be part of, great volunteers want to be a part of and help move this forward.Rich Birch — That’s so good. Well, I think that’s a great place to end it. I was like, man, that’s, I’m like, I want to preach. Amen, brother. That’s fantastic. If people were, so we’ll send them to Amazon. We’ll put a link in the show notes for that. If people want to track with you or with Slingshot, where do we want to send them online to connect as well?Tim Foot — Slingshotgroup.org is our company website. And there’s a bunch of great stories there. There’s places that you can engage. We would love you to be in our ecosystem. And yeah, you can jump over there to reachingforremarkable.com. And we would love to come alongside you and help you continue to move forward in the unique ways that God has called you to.Rich Birch — Well, Tim, it’s great to see you. Tim Foot — You too.Rich Birch — We were just remarking before, we had dinner together there a couple months ago. That was fun, but it was fun to put the recording on today and connect a little bit. Appreciate you, brother. Thanks so much for being here today.Tim Foot — Thanks for having me, Rich.

What does it take to build a business that lasts for generations? In this episode of Building Unbreakable Brands, Meghan Lynch sits down with Matt Nielsen, Third-Generation Steward, Shareholder, Board Director, and Managing Director Europe at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. Matt shares how his family has approached stewardship, governance, and long-term decision-making in a century-old business. From bringing in an independent board and a non-family CEO to defining a shareholder vision that extends generations into the future, this conversation offers practical insights for leaders who want to strengthen their businesses without becoming the bottleneck to growth.Key Topics DiscussedDefine stewardship as a leadership mindset that prioritizes future generations over short-term ownership interests.Strengthen governance through outside perspective by leveraging independent board members and non-family executives to challenge assumptions and expand strategic thinking.Build a long-term vision that aligns stakeholders by separating shareholder goals from day-to-day business operations.Balance focus and diversification by protecting core strengths while exploring new opportunities that reduce risk and support future growth.Connect with Matt Nielsen on LinkedInConnect with Meghan Lynch on LinkedInBuilding Unbreakable Brands is produced by Six-Point StrategyBuilding Unbreakable Brands: 6 Practices for Family Businesses That Enduresixpointstrategy.com/practices

In Episode 351 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy breaks down why so many modern growth strategies are becoming nothing more than noise. From automated emails and LinkedIn DMs to AI-driven outreach tools promising quick wins, Kelly challenges the idea that more activity automatically means more progress. He explains why vanity metrics can be misleading, why downloads in podcasting are similar to meaningless outreach numbers in business development, and why the real metric that matters is creating qualified meetings with the right people.Kelly then brings listeners back to the fundamentals of real business development: authentic human connection, active marketing, and consistency over time. He explains why AI and automation cannot replace trust, relationships, and direct conversations, and shares a practical 10-step action plan to help business developers, entrepreneurs, and leaders cut through the noise, stop wasting money, and create opportunities that actually matter. This episode is a reminder that there is no easy button for growth, but with the right strategy and consistent execution, real opportunity is always possible.Key Takeaways: Activity is not the same as progress. More outreach only matters when it creates real conversations and opportunities.There is no easy button for real growth. Sustainable business development still requires trust, strategy, and effort.Being human is your greatest competitive advantage. In the age of AI, authentic connection is what helps you stand out.Vanity metrics can create false confidence. Big numbers mean very little if they do not lead to meaningful results.Meetings with the right people are the metric that matters. Qualified conversations are what move business forward.Automation cannot replace authentic human connection. Tools can support the process, but people still build trust with people.Active marketing creates real opportunity. Growth happens when you intentionally reach out instead of waiting to be found.Relationships should be built before the customer has a need. Getting ahead of the opportunity gives you a competitive advantage.Consistency over time is your secret weapon. Weekly action compounds into long-term business development success.Real business development is built through trust, strategy, and action. The fundamentals still matter, even in the age of AI.

Andy Kvesic left the job every lawyer wants to build something the profession had never seen. As CEO of Aprio Legal, he traded a general counsel role at a thriving family office for the harder, riskier work of acquiring a Phoenix law firm and redesigning how professional services actually work. The result is a historic combination: the first time two Alternative Business Structure firms have merged, bringing together a corporate law firm and a national accounting and advisory firm backed by private equity. Attorneys, accountants, wealth planners, and business advisors now serve the same clients under one roof. The idea came from watching entrepreneurs waste time and energy bouncing between disconnected professionals who never coordinated with each other. Arizona's 2021 rule change allowing non-lawyer law firm ownership gave Kvesic the opening to try something different. His merger with Aprio wasn't a calculated exit. It was the recognition that both firms were solving the same problem from opposite ends: Aprio's professionals were constantly referring clients out for legal work, and Kvesic's attorneys were constantly referring clients out for tax and accounting. Neither could fully serve their clients alone. Building the integrated platform also forced a reckoning with how differently law firms and accounting firms run their businesses. After two decades working almost exclusively with other lawyers, Kvesic found Aprio's infrastructure to be a genuine upgrade: multi-year planning, pipeline visibility, real margin analysis. For an industry that largely runs on a cash-in, cash-out model aimed at maximizing year-end partner distributions, the difference is significant. The legal profession is changing whether it wants to or not. The more interesting question Kvesic raises is whether the people inside it will have the courage to lead that change rather than resist it.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 From General Counsel to Law Firm Owner: Andy Kvesic's Career Path 02:51 The Vision Behind Raddock's Law and the ABS Model 09:03 How Aprio Legal Became the First ABS-to-ABS Merger 14:57 Cultural Differences Between Lawyers and Accountants 24:33 How Accounting Firm Discipline Is Changing Law Firm Operations 29:35 Growth Strategy and the Integrated Legal Accounting Platform 37:52 ABS Advice and the Future of the Legal Profession   Connect with Andy Kvesic: Connect with Andy on LinkedIn   Andy Kvesic - CEO, Aprio Legal | Partner    Connect with Howard Rosenberg: Connect with Howard on LinkedIn  Howard's Company web profile   Connect with Chris Batz: Connect with Chris on LinkedIn  Follow Columbus Street on LinkedIn Columbus Street Website  MergerWatch Website Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

Evan's Segway: https://amzn.to/49stgck Evan's Walker's: https://amzn.to/4wTxZ0O Use code TURFNERDS for 5% off orders $600 and up at Magna-Matic! Use code NERDS to save 10% on Spencer Products! Matt Dickey of Plum Creek Lawn Care in Sparta, Illinois joins the show to share his journey from coal mine dozer operator and firewood business owner to full-time lawn care entrepreneur. Matt breaks down how he built a lean, profitable operation in a town of 4,500 people using yard signs, word-of-mouth, and old-fashioned community relationships. Plus, hear the wild story of how his wife won a Viper V-860XP mower and Karma trailer at Equip Expo 2025! Serial number 37. If you're a small-town operator, a side hustler going full-time, or just trying to grow a simple and profitable lawn care business, this one's for you. Tap Here for Turf Nerds Merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Look! We Have A Website!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Green Frog Web Design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tell them the Turf Nerds sent you. Or Greg will scalp your lawn! Use promo code TURFNERDS for 50% off Equip Expo 2026 registration! Shoot us an email! Evan@TurfNerdsPod.com ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TurfNerdsPodcast?sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#LawnCare #LawnMaintenance #Mowing #MowingGrass #LawnCareBusiness #Toro #ToroMultiforce #CubCadet #BibleStudy #Bible #Christian #Business #Entrepreneurship #Comedy #2024 #Marketing #Advertising #TipsAndTricks #Tips #Success #Yakta #YaktaMowers #YaktaOutdoor #Spring #SpringRush #FYP #Mower #NewMower #UsedMower #RouteDensity #EquipExpo #EquipExpo2024 #Echo #Stihl #RedMax #Shindaiwa #StringTrimmer #WeedWhip #GreenFrogWebDesign #WebDesign #EzraMcCarthy #Aerator #Aeration #ZAerate #Bobcat #BobcatMowers #Husqvarna #HusqvarnaGroup #HYGREENTOOL #GOMOW #ThunderLightingSupply #ChristmasLights #Christmas #Trump #DonaldTrump #PresidentTrump #ElectionDay #EZDumper #DumpInsert #StempkyNursery #Mulch #MulchInstallation #TurfNerds #Newsmax #NewsmaxTV #CarlHigbie #CharlieKirk

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Kyle Willis from BELAY, a fractional remote staffing company that places experienced executive assistants with small business owners. Kyle shares how the fractional model works, who it's right for, and what separates business owners who build lasting EA partnerships from those who plateau early.They cover how to build your delegation list before you hire, what BELAY's matching and onboarding process includes, how mismatches get handled, and specific workflows that show what a high-functioning EA relationship looks like in practice.This conversation goes beyond hiring tactics. What is the real cost of doing work that only your EA should handle? How do you turn delegation from a task dump into a growth investment? And what does it take to build a true strategic partner who grows with your business over time? If you are a business owner running out of capacity and wondering whether a fractional EA is the right move, this conversation is for you.Download BELAY's free Freedom Framework: text ABOVE to 55123Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.ResourcesBuy Back Your Time by Dan Martell: https://a.co/d/05Rk66SQ Visit BELAY to get in touch with Kyle and his team: https://belaysolutions.com/ Thanks to our sponsorsCoach P ConsultingCoach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:https://www.coachpconsulting.comBe sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.Autopilot RecruitingAutopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.https://www.autopilotrecruiting.comMention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.Direct ClicksDirect Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.Exclusive offer for listeners:https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusinessGet a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.About Above The BusinessAbove The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

האם פרודקט-לד-גרואות׳ הוא פתרון היום לצמיחה באנטרפרייז שמסורתית היה סיילס לד? בפרק הזה אירחתי את שיר אברבוך, מובילת Product Growth ב-ZoomInfo, לשיחה כנה על המעבר המורכב לשהיא הגיעה להוביל בארגון. שיר משתפת בכישלונות שבדרך, מסבירה למה הגישה הבינארית של “מכירות מול מוצר” פוגעת בצמיחה, ואיך הם ניסו לבצע את ההתאמות ממודל פרודקט-לד שהפך ל“פח זבל” ללידים למודל סיילס-אסיסט. נגענו גם בחשיבות ביצוע פיבוטים אסטרטגיים – נושא שמקבל משנה תוקף לאור ההחלטות הארגוניות האחרונות בזומאינפו ובסייט הישראלי, המדגישות את הצורך של ארגונים לשנות כיוון מול מציאות משתנה. ואיך העולם שאנחנו חיים בו היום מכריח גם מערכות לגאסי מורכבות להשתנות באופן תדיר וקיצוני

What if the smartest restaurant you could open wasn't the biggest, busiest, or most celebrated, but the one you could control?Kim Alter didn't build Nightbird to chase stars. She built it to survive—and more importantly, to profit. In an industry obsessed with growth and recognition, she chose discipline: tight costs, small footprint, and total operational control.In this conversation, we unpack how Kim turned a 20-seat restaurant into a high-margin business, why she was willing to run unsustainably in the short term to build long-term stability, and how consulting sharpened both her standards and her boundaries.This is for operators ready to stop chasing validation and start building something that lasts.To learn more about Nightbird, visit nightbirdrestaurant.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

In this episode, Alan Condon, Editor-in-Chief at Becker's Healthcare, discusses Ascension's landmark acquisition of AMSURG, the continued evolution of outpatient care strategies, and how independent rural health systems are pursuing growth and sustainability amid financial and reimbursement challenges.

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Wendy Gugora, Director of Marketing at Prairie Capital Advisors, to talk about what it really takes to market a boutique investment banking firm in a space where the service is deeply personal, the sales cycle is long, and most business owners do not fully understand what they are being sold.  Wendy shares how Prairie has built its brand around thought leadership and education rather than traditional sales tactics, using more than 20 webinars a year, books, client storytelling, and conference speaking to help business owners understand their ownership transition options long before they are ready to act. She also talks about growing her marketing team from a team of one to a team of six, navigating a brand name challenge in a crowded Chicago market, and how a recent logo refresh energized the entire firm right in time for their 30th anniversary. From maximizing conference ROI to measuring what is actually working and cutting what is not, this is a smart and practical conversation about doing professional services marketing the right way. Key Takeaways Thought leadership and education are more powerful than sales tactics when the service is complex, high-stakes, and once-in-a-career for most clients Telling client stories in their own words builds far more trust than any promotional content a firm could create about itself Maximizing conference ROI requires a clear pre-event, during-event, and post-event strategy – not just a booth and a hope Evaluating every marketing initiative against clear goals ensures resources are spent on what is actually working and dropped when they are not A logo refresh done right energizes internal teams just as much as it strengthens external brand perception LinkedIn is the right platform for a B2B professional services audience – knowing where your audience lives and focusing there beats being everywhere at once Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at razorbranding.org

What does it actually take to build a go-to-market strategy for a category that barely existed 18 months ago?In this episode of The Growth Leaders Series, Charlie Marchant sits down with Nick Lafferty, Founding Marketing Engineer at Profound, the AI Search tracking platform helping major brands understand how they show up in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other LLMs.Nick brings serious growth experience to this role. Before Profound, he drove millions in B2B SaaS pipeline at Loom and Mailgun, then spent two years running a solo consulting agency before joining Profound. In this episode, Nick Lafferty covers:Why velocity is a moat in AI SearchWhat a modern, lean marketing team actually looks like, why Nick hires for a generative marketer mindset, and his advice for showcasing this online The growth strategy behind Profound, centred on sharing data and insightsThe go-to-market motion behind Profound's Zero Click events, scaling from 400 to 800+ attendees across New York and LondonThe layered mentality around AI Search for different business sizesWhy FAQ content and FAQ schema is the lowest-hanging fruit most big brands are leaving on the tableHow to make the internal case for AI Search investment when leadership is still thinking in Google termsThe career advice he'd send back to his first dayRead the full show notes: https://exposureninja.com/podcast/growth-leader-series-nick-lafferty/Follow Nick Lafferty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklafferty/New episode launches every Wednesday throughout June 2026, so stay tuned to hear from growth leaders from leading brands like McKinsey and Company, Wise, and AirOps! Book a consultation to get a live review of your website and marketing

Interview with Arturo Préstamo Elizondo, Executive Chairman & CEO of Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/santacruz-silver-mining-tsxvscz-undervalued-investment-series-with-arturo-prestamo-10185Recording date: 9th June 2026Santacruz Silver Mining entered 2026 with improving operations, rising financial strength, and a clearer path to growth across its Bolivian and Mexican assets. In the first quarter, the company produced about 2.3 million silver-equivalent ounces, including 1.3 million ounces of silver and roughly 21,000 tonnes of zinc, alongside smaller lead and copper output. Stronger silver prices and better operating performance helped drive a solid financial quarter, with management expecting production to rise further in the second quarter.The company's most important near-term focus is the Bolivar mine in Bolivia, where excess water in key mining zones has limited access to high-grade silver areas. Santacruz is carrying out a dewatering program to restore output from the Pomabamba and Nena veins, with a goal of returning to budgeted production levels by the fourth quarter of 2026. Management believes this recovery will not only lift silver volumes but also lower mining costs at one of its most important assets.Despite more than a month of political unrest in Bolivia tied to tensions between President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales, Santacruz says its operations have remained on budget and uninterrupted. The company has reduced risk by storing key supplies in advance and using rail for most concentrate shipments, limiting exposure to road blockages.Santacruz is also positioning itself for the next phase of growth. It expects to move from the TSX Venture Exchange to the TSX main board within weeks, a step intended to improve liquidity and attract a broader investor base. Management also plans to launch a share buyback, signaling confidence that the market undervalues the business. Beyond Bolivar, the company is advancing Soracaya, a brownfield Bolivian asset with a strong silver profile, as its main medium-term growth project in a silver market supported by persistent supply deficits.View Santacruz Silver Mining's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/santacruz-silver-miningSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

This is episode 849. Read the complete transcription on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. Watch the video of this podcast on YouTube here. The Sales Game Changers Podcast was recognized by YesWare as the top sales podcast. Read the announcement here. FeedSpot named the Sales Game Changers Podcast at a top 20 Sales Podcast and top 8 Sales Leadership Podcast! Subscribe to the Sales Game Changers Podcast now on Apple Podcasts! Purchase Fred Diamond's best-sellers Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know and Insights for Sales Game Changers now! Today's show featured an interview with Shiraz Hasan, Head of Channel Sales at AT&T. Find Shiraz on LinkedIn. SHIRAZ' TIP: "Always take the time to understand the outcome your customer is trying to achieve. Focus the discussion on solving that business problem, and let the sale happen naturally behind it."

For years, financial advisory firms treated talent as an HR function. Ray Sclafani is seeing a dramatic shift: the firms winning the wealth management industry race are treating talent strategy as enterprise value. In this episode, Ray reveals why your talent system directly affects growth, succession readiness, advisor retention, and client continuity and why waiting to address talent gaps is a strategic mistake that could cost your firm millions.What You Will Learn in This EpisodeWhy talent strategy has shifted from HR administration to enterprise value and what this means for your growth trajectoryThe 10 connected areas of talent architecture that drive firm value (investment, hiring, career pathing, bench strength, compensation, culture, and AI readiness)How to run a 5-question talent strategy audit that reveals hidden constraints to growth and client continuityWhy your talent system is the real ceiling on organic growth, not your marketing or business developmentThe critical difference between treating talent as a cost center versus treating it as capacity to growThe practical one-hour leadership exercise that connects growth goals to talent gapsKey Insight from This Episode"A firm cannot outgrow its talent system. Growth exposes every weakness in your talent strategy. The question isn't 'What are the best growth strategies?' The better question is: 'What kind of firm are you building and what talent system will it require?'"Talent development isn't an event you schedule when there's time. It's the strategic infrastructure that determines whether your firm can scale, retain high performers, and maintain client continuity through advisor transitions.The Talent Strategy Audit FrameworkAsk your leadership team these five questions:Growth Impact: Where does talent directly affect growth? (advisor capacity, business development capability, client service, planning depth, next-gen advisor development)Continuity Risk: Where does talent affect client continuity? (Which client relationships depend on one person? Which roles lack a successor or second chair?)Leadership Depth: Where does talent affect leadership capability? (Are managers trained to lead, coach, delegate, and hold people accountable? Most are not.)Retention Risk: Where does talent affect your ability to keep high performers? (Can they see a clear, compelling, financially rewarding future at your firm?)AI Readiness: Where does talent affect your firm's ability to evolve with AI? (Which jobs will change? Which skills matter more? Who needs training now?)The 10 Connected Areas of Talent ArchitectureThe firms winning are building talent systems across these dimensions:Talent investment and hiring strategyCareer pathing and progressionBench strength and succession planningTeam structure and rolesCompensation alignmentCulture and valuesAdvisor development and trainingLeadership developmentDelegation and accountability systemsAI capability and skill evolutionCoaching Questions for ReflectionWhich part of your talent strategy most directly affects enterprise value over the next three years? (Growth capacity? Succession readiness? Client continuity? Advisor retention?)Where is your firm still treating talent as an administrative function rather than a strategic imperative? What are the costs of this gap?What talent weakness, if left unaddressed, could slow your organic growth or damage client continuity?What would need to change for your leadership team to invest in talent development with the same seriousness you apply to investment management, technology, and valuations?Practical: Set aside one hour this week with your leadership team. On the left side of a page, list your growth goals. On the right side, outline your current talent system. Does the right side support the left side? If not, name the three biggest gaps and assign owners.Resources & References MentionedMcKinsey — Wealth Management Industry Talent ResearchSuruli Research — Advisor Retirement & Headcount AnalysisBuilding the Billion Dollar Business is hosted by Ray Sclafani, founder and CEO of ClientWise, the financial services industry's leading executive coaching and team development firm for elite advisors and wealth management teams.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Ivy Slater is the CEO of Slater Success, a boutique coaching and consulting firm working at the intersection of strategic growth and succession planning. Before becoming a coach and advisor, she built and sold a seven-figure business in New York City and has spent nearly two decades since working with leadership teams on the strategy, structure, and leadership development required for sustainable growth, with a particular focus on the legal sector. Ivy has guided companies through the leadership and cultural dynamics that shape whether growth, transition, or acquisition actually succeeds. Ivy is a TEDx speaker, host of the Her Success Story podcast, and author of The Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT SUCCESSION PLANNING AND LAW FIRM GROWTH Law firm leaders who avoid succession planning rarely think of it as avoidance. The conversation feels like it belongs later, closer to retirement, or after the next growth milestone gets hit. So firms keep running on the assumption that the people at the top will always be there, and the planning that would actually protect the firm never quite makes it onto the agenda. Ivy Slater argues that succession planning and strategic planning are the same conversation and that separating them produces short-term thinking at best. Firms that integrate succession into their growth strategy from the start are building something solid, something that can function and grow without depending on any one person to hold it together. That shift starts with how leaders think about succession itself, not as an exit, but as the foundation of a legacy. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Ivy Slater of Slater Success about why succession planning belongs inside the growth strategy, how to develop the next generation of leaders and rainmakers, what the numbers in your firm are actually telling you, and how to reframe succession from an end-of-career conversation into a strategy for long-term growth. 2:34 - Why firms treat strategic planning and succession planning as separate conversations 3:13 - Why separating succession from strategy produces short-term thinking 5:45 - The ego and fear that make succession planning feel threatening 9:14 - Succession planning means developing leaders, not just identifying successors 9:49 - How to know your people's strengths and develop them intentionally 13:39 - How Ivy's own business transition became a model for succession done right 17:54 - What firm leaders should actually be tracking 19:46 - Start every conversation with a success by focusing on what's working 23:43 - Reframing succession from exit planning to legacy building 27:28 - The real cost of waiting and what firms lose when they put this off 31:09 - Thinking 5 to 10 years forward and building a firm that lasts 35:58 - Why firm leaders need to read the storybook of numbers Mentioned In From Why Succession Planning Is a Growth Strategy, Not a Retirement Issue Slater Success | Her Success Story Podcast The Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy Ivy Slater on LinkedIn Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman   Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

AI is changing how people discover, evaluate, trust, buy, create, hire, and compete. The bigger question is whether your business model is built to survive a future where attention is fragmented, trust is harder to earn, execution is easier to automate, and buyers have more options than ever. Learn how to activate the M.A.S.S. Effect Business Model, a strategic ecosystem built around: • Media to create attention, trust, authority, and discoverability • Assets to create scalability, leverage, and income beyond your direct time • Strategy to create clarity, alignment, interpretation, and better decisions • Systems to reduce friction, support consistency, and keep the business moving Many businesses are addicted to acquisition because they never built retention. In an AI accelerated world, that becomes dangerous because information is easier to access, skills are being compressed, and execution is becoming automated. The real value now shifts toward trust, experience, clarity, influence, systems, and community. The future belongs to adaptive businesses that can evolve with the market, keep customers connected, turn trust into retention, and scale without breaking the founder, team, or customer experience. If your business grew tomorrow, could it actually hold the growth, or would the model collapse under the weight of what you asked for? Beyond The Episode Gems: Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality   This week opens at LE Miami — which Scott describes less like a travel conference and more like Coachella for hotel nerds — before the guys dive into the real industry tension underneath the party. Hyatt tells investors to stop counting rooms and start counting fees, arguing that “empty calorie” growth is the wrong metric. But the panel digs into the contradiction: the premium story is Park Hyatt, Andaz, Thompson, and Alila — while the actual growth engine may be Essentials, all-inclusives, and credit card economics. Translation: hotel companies are increasingly distribution platforms, loyalty machines, and maybe even banks. Then Hilton's Undergraduate by Hilton gets a second look. The name still gets roasted, but the strategy starts to make sense: college towns are wildly underserved, Graduate doesn't pencil everywhere, and tired select-service boxes are begging for conversion. The question is whether this is lifestyle innovation — or just another brand solving an owner pipeline problem. The guys also react to Sonder co-founder Francis Davidson's new AI travel startup, Odessia, and debate whether dedicated AI travel agents can win when ChatGPT and Claude already own so much user context. That leads into a bigger conversation about trust, human travel advisors, preference passports, and why overwhelmed travelers may want fewer options — not more. Finally, Minor Hotels makes the case for “asset-right” hospitality, arguing that brands need more skin in the game if they want owner trust. The crew closes with DMs, celebrity hotel speculation, World Cup demand anxiety, and Ben teasing a possible conversion-brand play of his own. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you're an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance   Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro & L.E/Miami Recap 05:52 — Hyatt's New Growth Strategy 16:35 — Hilton's Undergraduate Brand Bet 24:25 — Sonder's Founder Is Back: Odessia and AI Travel Planning 33:35 — The Human Concierge Is Making a Comeback 50:00 — What's In Your DMs? 59:25 — Spice of the Week   Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/   Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/   Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Matt Gregory, EVP & Chief Customer Officer North America at Unilever.Follow Matt on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-gregory-b702567Follow Unilever online at: http://unilever.comMatt answers these questions:As Chief Customer Officer, what are your top priorities for Unilever's customer partnerships this year, and how have those priorities evolved from your previous roles?Unilever spans many categories and channels. How do you balance a single, coherent customer strategy with the diverse needs of retailers, wholesalers, and direct-to-consumer partners? What makes for a truly effective retailer collaboration from a customer-first perspective? Can you share thoughts on what constitutes a partnership that delivered measurable value for both a CPG brand and retailer?  How has Unilever adapted its customer strategy to omnichannel realities—store visits, digital marketplaces, and social commerce? What role do retailers play in orchestrating that journey?In times of supply chain disruption, what are the key lessons for maintaining strong customer relationships, and how do you collaborate with retailers to mitigate risk for both sides?When a brand is already as big and established as Dove, growth typically gets harder—not easier. Yet, Dove is experiencing approximately double-digit growth in the U.S. over the last year. What's the unlock that allows brands like Dove to continue deepening relevance and sustaining that level of momentum?What competencies and capabilities do you prioritize when building and leading a high-performance customer organization? How do you foster cross-functional collaboration with sales, marketing, and supply chain?Looking ahead 3–5 years, what are the biggest shifts you anticipate in retailer-CPG partnerships, and where should brands and retailers collaborate most closely to win in the evolving landscape? You've had a career that spans GM roles and commercially focused leadership positions. What have you learned in your personal and professional history that you find yourself using most in your role today?What's something the industry is still doing today that you think we'll look back on in five years and wonder, “why were we doing it that way?”What excites you most about agentic AI and how it could reshape the shopping experience? And what, if anything, gives you pause?If you could make one singular change to positively impact the CPG industry, what would it be and why?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Marketing leaders are being asked to drive more growth with less budget, fewer resources, tighter timelines, and more pressure from every direction while AI is being treated like the shortcut to replace entire marketing teams. But AI will not fix bad strategy, weak alignment, poor customer understanding, or broken marketing fundamentals. In part two of this master class conversation with Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, the focus moves into what it really takes to become the kind of CMO AI cannot replace. Not by chasing every new tool, adding more MarTech, or hiding behind automation, but by understanding the business as a whole, building trust across departments, speaking the language of revenue, and creating alignment between marketing, sales, product, leadership, and the customer. To lead marketing in a volatile market where expectations keep rising and the old playbook is no longer enough, you need to know how to: • Make sales an ally instead of your bitter rival • Build shared pipeline ownership across marketing and sales  • Communicate risk without becoming defensive • Connect marketing decisions to the larger goals of the business • Set clearer expectations with your team and leadership • Understand resource constraints without using them as excuses • Stay close to customers while leading strategy • Create momentum without pretending there is an easy button The best marketing leaders are not just managing campaigns, tools, reports, and dashboards. They are translating complexity into strategy the business can trust. The reminder is clear: AI will not fix bad strategy. More MarTech will not fix bad marketing. The CMO AI cannot replace is the one who understands the business, earns trust, aligns with sales, leads the team, knows the customer, and gets back to real marketing when everyone else is hiding behind tools. (P.S. If you haven't, listen to Ep. 149 for part one of this masterclass episode) Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com  

Most spiritual practitioners create content without a clear discoverability strategy.Kelle Sparta did the same thing for years.Now, with more than 400 podcast episodes and the rise of AI-powered search, she's rebuilding her entire content ecosystem around SEO, keyword intent, and conversion strategy.In this behind-the-scenes episode, Kelle walks through her actual workflow, including how she uses ChatGPT to develop keyword clusters, reorganize content, improve podcast descriptions, and position her business for the future of search.She also shares lessons learned from repositioning the Spirit Sherpa Podcast toward spiritual entrepreneurship and what happened to her download numbers after making the shift.Whether you have a podcast, blog, YouTube channel, or coaching business, this episode offers practical insights into helping the right people find your work.In This EpisodeWhy SEO matters for spiritual entrepreneursThe evolution of the Spirit Sherpa PodcastHow AI is changing search behaviorCreating keyword clusters that convertTraffic keywords vs. conversion keywordsUsing ChatGPT for SEO researchWhy podcast SEO differs from YouTube SEORepositioning a brand without losing momentumUnderstanding discoverability in 2026The future of AI-driven searchspiritual entrepreneurspiritual businessspiritual coachspiritual practitionerspiritual marketingSEO for coachespodcast SEOAI search optimizationdiscoverability marketingconscious businessenergy healer businessintuitive entrepreneurspiritual growthbusiness growthonline visibilitycontent marketingChatGPT marketingkeyword strategycoaching businesssacred profitsTo learn more about Sacred Profits, Join Here: https://learn.kellesparta.com/sacredprofitsFor information about the "Adventures In Energetics" retreat: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wSaEmU1O6XvdHTaFtMWrc-j6lIx4argZYG7HN0sailE/edit?tab=t.0Join the community on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KelleSpartaIf you would like to learn more please book a Discovery Call here: https://kellesparta.com/discovery-call/

Marketing leadership has become one of the most volatile seats in business. CMOs and marketing leaders are often expected to create immediate pipeline, prove instant ROI, fix deeper business issues they did not create, defend brand investment, align sales, understand customers, translate strategy across the organization, and still become one of the first functions questioned, blamed, or cut when growth slows. In part one of this master class conversation, Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, brings a clear reminder back to the table: great marketing starts with trusting the buyer, knowing the customer, and simplifying how you market. In a market obsessed with performance data, attribution, automation, dark social, buyer signals, and immediate results, more complexity does not automatically create better customer understanding. For aspiring CMOs, current CMOs, marketing leaders, founders, and business owners, this conversation is a valuable look at how to lead marketing without getting trapped in the pressure cooker. It challenges you to rethink what it really means to put the customer at the center, not as a tagline, not as another automation workflow, and not as another dashboard filled with signals, but as a deeper responsibility to understand the person, pressure, timing, risk, and decision behind the purchase. The conversation moves through buyer trust, brand versus demand, customer empathy, attribution, sales alignment, CMO pressure, market timing, and the difference between chasing pipeline and building LTV. It is also a reminder to get out of your lane, understand product, spend time with sales, listen to customers, and learn how the whole business works. Because the best CMOs are not just campaign operators. They are translators, mediators, trust builders, and business leaders who know how to connect marketing to revenue, customer experience, and long term growth. Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com