Blunt On Business

Most CEOs believe their impact story should convert on its own. It does not.🙅🏽‍♂️ In this episode, Rich Laster breaks down why impact narratives often fail to translate into 📈pipeline, even when the mission is real and the intent is strong. Drawing from Ivy League research and hands on experience advising B Corps and growth stage companies, Rich introduces the Impact Narrative Operating Model,...

In today’s crowded market, “better” is not a value proposition. It is background noise.📢In this episode, Rich Laster explains why objectively superior products still stall in sales cycles, lose pricing power, and struggle to convince investors. After 27 years in B2B sales and revenue leadership, Rich has seen the same failure pattern repeat across Seed and Series A companies. Founders lead with f...

⚠️Purpose does not scale on its own! In this episode, Rich Laster breaks down a hard truth many purpose led CEOs are confronting right now. A compelling mission is no longer enough to protect runway, defend valuation, or earn investor confidence. Without a clear model and measurable execution, purpose becomes narrative, not strategy. Drawing on 27 years of revenue leadership and research from Harv...

If your company is growing but feels harder 🏋🏾to run every quarter, you may not have a scaling problem. You may have a design problem. In this episode, Rich Laster 🔍breaks down the difference between a business that runs and a business that scales. Drawing on Harvard, Wharton, and B Lab research, plus 27 years repairing revenue engines that looked successful on paper, Rich explains how growth ca...

Most founders are taught that product market fit is the goal. Hit it, scale it, and everything else follows. That advice is incomplete, and for growth stage CEOs, it is increasingly ⚠️dangerous. In this episode, Rich Laster breaks down the critical difference between product market fit and purpose market fit; and why product market fit only explains why customers buy once, not 📈why investors stay...

If your messaging is clear to you but unclear to the market, you are paying a hidden tax in every sales, fundraising, and partnership conversation. This episode breaks down the exact discipline behind the “So What?” Test, and shows founders how to create messages that instantly signal relevance and value. Strategy defines stakes, and messaging is how those stakes reach the market. If your message...

Most high growth companies do not miss📉 their annual plan because the market changed. They miss because the plan was never grounded in how revenue works. By Q2, the assumptions break, the reforecasting begins, and the CEO becomes the shock absorber for a system that cannot learn fast enough. In this episode, based on the article How High Growth CEOs Trade Performative Annual Planning for Scalable...

Most B Corps do not fail because their mission is weak. They fail because their mission is not engineered into their strategy and revenue architecture. As soon as growth pressure hits, values drift, product shifts, sales cuts corners, and investors push for compromises that erode trust. This episode shows impact CEOs how to prevent that. In this session, based on my article, How B Corps Scale With...

Choosing between a fractional CRO and a full time CRO is one of the most expensive strategic decisions a Seed or Series A CEO will ever make. In this episode of Blunt on Business, Fractional CRO Rich Laster breaks down the real framework behind that choice and exposes why so many early revenue leaders fail. You will learn: • Why the CRO role has expanded into a cross functional architect of revenu...

🧠 Your CRM should not be a filing cabinet for deal notes. It should be the operating system that runs your business. In this episode of Blunt on Business, Fractional CRO and revenue architect Rich Laster explains how high performing CEOs transform the CRM from passive software into a strategic engine for scalable growth. You will learn:• Why CRM failure is a leadership breakdown, not a tech issue...

CEO / Founder, your hustle got you here, but it won’t get you to scale. In this episode of Blunt on Business, Fractional CRO and growth strategist Rich Laster breaks down the shift every Seed and Series A founder must make: from chasing deals to building a true Revenue Engine that scales beyond your personal effort. You’ll learn:• Why “deal chasing” is the biggest ceiling on growth• The four-pilla...

Your growth problem isn’t sales. It isn’t marketing. It’s misdiagnosis. In this Blunt on Business episode Rich Laster, Fractional CRO, founder, advisor, and 27-year sales leader reveals the hidden art every Seed and Series A CEO must master: diagnosing the real problem before you waste another quarter fixing the wrong one. Rich introduces his R.O.O.T.S. Diagnostic Model, a five-part system used by...

You built your company by selling its story. But if you’re still the one closing every deal, you’re not leading …you’re limiting growth! In this Blunt on Business episode, Rich Laster, Fractional CRO, 27-year sales veteran, and founder advisor reveals how to fire yourself as your company’s top salesperson without losing control of your message or your revenue. Drawing from decades of coaching CEOs...

Every founder loves to brag about a “warm” pipeline. But here’s the truth: warmth doesn’t pay the bills. In this Blunt on Business episode, Rich Laster, Fractional CRO and 27-year sales veteran, pulls back the curtain on the “Warm Pipeline” illusion that’s draining startup runway and misleading investors. Discover how to qualify your pipeline using the Readiness Quadrant and Deal Reality Checklist...

Hiring outbound sales talent too early can cost your startup time, money, and momentum. In this episode of Blunt on Business , Fractional CRO Rich Laster (GrowExpand.com) breaks down how to build outbound sales muscle the right way so founders can scale revenue without losing control of their message or market learning. You’ll learn: ✅ When to make your first outbound sales hire (and when not to)...

Outbound is changing …again! Today’s buyers don’t trust your sequence, your AI-driven personalization, or your “quick intro” messages. What they do trust are brands that show their expertise, respect their time, and lead with transparency from the first touch. In this episode of Blunt on Business, Rich Laster -Fractional CRO and founder of GrowExpand.com - reveals The Laster Outbound Trust Model (...

Inbound alone will not carry your startup past Seed. If you are relying on content and waiting for leads to arrive, you are already falling behind. The companies that scale to Series A and beyond integrate targeted founder-led outreach with inbound, creating the velocity and validation investors demand. In this episode of Blunt on Business, Rich Laster (Fractional CRO and founder of GrowExpand.com...

What separates companies that scale from those that stall? The answer often comes down to one thing: whether the sales organization can operate without the founder. In this episode of Blunt on Business , Rich Laster (Fractional CRO and founder of GrowExpand.com) breaks down exactly how to create a sales org that runs without your calendar -a hallmark of true scale and leadership maturity. You will...

What does a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer actually do, and why are so many growth-stage companies bringing them on board? In this episode of Blunt on Business, Rich Laster of GrowExpand.com breaks down why the Fractional CRO model is exploding in popularity, what separates it from traditional consulting or coaching, and the transformational impact it has on scaling companies. You’ll discover:•...

Are your sales slowing down, even though you have a great team and solid tools? The problem is rarely your people or your tech. It is almost always a breakdown in the Revenue Alignment Triangle: Message, Market, and Method. In this episode of Blunt on Business , Rich Laster (Fractional CRO and founder of GrowExpand.com) breaks down how Seed and Series A companies can realign their go-to-market eng...

Every founder reaches the same crossroads: should you pivot your offer or your audience? Make the wrong move, and you burn cash without traction. Make the right one, and you unlock growth. In this episode of Blunt on Business , Rich Laster breaks down why strategy is not just a plan but the difference between scaling and stalling. Drawing from Harvard Business Review research and 25 years in sales...

🧙🏾‍♂️You, great founder, must sell ...not, be easily sold! This video will help you understand exactly where AI belongs in a B2B company. For the article I mention, visit blog.growexpand.com📌 Get Your AI Driven CRM now at RichLaster.com

Most business leaders have 👀“a plan” but, too often, that plan is just a list of goals and tasks -not a real strategy. In this episode of🎙 Blunt on Business, I break down exactly what strategy is and isn’t, why so many businesses get it wrong, and how the right strategy can become your biggest competitive edge. 🧙🏾‍♂️ You’ll discover: • The key differences between a goal, a tactic, and a strateg...

Early-stage companies don’t fail because of lack of ambition🤑, they fail because of lack of discipline.🧘🏾‍♂️In this episode of🎙 Blunt On Business , Rich Laster breaks down why weekly pipeline rituals are the single most important habit for Seed and Series A founders who are serious about driving predictable📈 revenue growth, winning investor trust, and preparing for scale. You’ll Learn How To:...

Your pipeline is full, but your revenue is flat. 👀Sound familiar? In this episode of Blunt On Business , Rich Laster exposes one of the most damaging mistakes early-stage founders make: treating every lead like it matters equally. For Seed and Series A teams chasing real traction, mis-prioritizing leads doesn't just slow sales. It burns out your team, clogs your CRM with noise, and quietly er...