Value Factory Podcast

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Jeromie Jackson, founder and CEO of Cinder Labs, to expose a problem most leaders don’t even realize they have: AI is already inside your business—and it’s creating risk faster than you can see it. Jeromie brings 30+ years of cybersecurity experience and breaks down the hidden dangers of AI adoption, from shadow AI an...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Scott Kelly to cut through the noise and get real about what actually drives—and limits—growth in owner-operated businesses. This isn’t theory or guru talk. It’s a grounded, experience-driven look at execution, leadership, and the trade-offs founders face when trying to scale without breaking the business. Andrew and...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Nick Anderson sits down with John Martinka for a candid, experience-driven conversation about what truly limits growth—and value—in owner-operated businesses. Moving beyond buzzwords and quick-fix advice, they explore the realities founders face when reducing owner dependence and preparing their companies for long-term success and a potential exit...

What happens when AI collides with small business, M&A, and the future of professional services? In this episode of The Value Factory, host Nick sits down with Eric Pasifici, founder of SMB Law Group, one of the most innovative boutique M&A law firms in the lower middle market. Eric shares a candid, experience‑driven perspective on how AI is already reshaping legal work, dealmaking, and co...

Growth isn’t linear. What gets you started won’t get you scaled—and it definitely won’t get you paid. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Nick Anderson sits down with Greg Alexander, founder of Collective 54 and author of The Boutique, to break down the real playbook behind building, scaling, and exiting a professional services firm. Greg shares the unfiltered story of scaling Sales...

Burnout is often treated like an unavoidable cost of ambition. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with serial entrepreneur, author, and burnout recovery expert Scott Anderson to challenge that belief head-on. Scott has founded ten companies and successfully exited eight of them. Through those experiences—and the hard lessons that came with them—he developed...

Family businesses are some of the most resilient companies in the world—but scaling them introduces challenges that go far beyond revenue growth. Leadership transitions, succession planning, and family dynamics often determine whether a company grows across generations or struggles during key inflection points. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Stephe...

In this episode, host Nick Anderson speaks with Sel Watts, founder and CEO of WattsNextPX, about the growing importance of People Experience (PX) and why many scaling companies struggle to get it right. Sel shares her perspective on the gap that often exists between leadership, operations, and the people side of the business—especially in mid-market companies navigating rapid growth. The conversat...

On this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Nick Anderson sits down with Patrick Lowndes, founder of Frontier Operators and Operator Flow, to explore why scaling a business requires more than entrepreneurial vision—it demands operator discipline. Patrick shares lessons from building and exiting VendorHawk to ServiceNow and explains why companies achieve stronger Strategic Planning & Exe...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Mark Kurtz to break down one of the most misunderstood topics in business today: the difference between generative AI and agentic AI—and why it matters for small and mid-sized companies. Mark shares his journey from working alongside Steven Spielberg in Hollywood’s cutting-edge visual effects world to operating at the...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Seth Rudin for a direct conversation about what really happens inside organizations as they scale. They unpack executive misalignment, board dynamics, strategic drift, and the operational cracks that show up when growth outpaces discipline. Seth shares hard-earned lessons from the field—why strategy without execution...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Sergiu Simmel to unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led hustle to scalable enterprise. This is not theory. It’s execution. Strategic planning, operational rigor, leadership structure, and the financial clarity required to build real enterprise value. Sergiu explains why many owner-operated businesses pla...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Nick Anderson sits down with Lauren Rogers, co-founder of Veritas Equity Partners, to talk about workforce housing, syndications, and building a disciplined real estate investment strategy in Washington State. Lauren shares how Veritas carved out a niche in the overlooked middle market—20 to 60 unit properties priced between $2–10 million—focusing...

In this episode, host Andrew Ballard welcomes Dr. Sam Zolfagharian, AI strategist, bestselling author, and co‑founder of JegaTech, for a deep dive into what it truly means for organizations to prepare for the age of AI. Dr. Sam introduces her powerful airplane analogy—asking leaders whether they would “get on board” the business they’re currently flying—illustrating how many companies chase shiny...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Andrew Ballard speaks with Garrett Silver about the realities of capital, ownership, and decision-making inside growth-stage businesses. Garrett breaks down how incentives, shareholders, and capital structure shape behavior—and why many leaders misunderstand what they’re actually optimizing for. The conversation cuts into the economics that keep busine...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Andrew Ballard sits down with Traci Robinson-Williams, Managing Principal at OneAccord, to unpack why growth stalls when leaders confuse activity with execution. Traci brings decades of experience helping organizations align strategy, structure, and people—and explains why most transformation efforts fail at the middle, not the top. They explore the re...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Huba Rostonics, Principal at OneAccord, to unpack why strong strategies fail without disciplined execution—especially in service-driven businesses like managed service providers (MSPs). Drawing on more than two decades in the technology channel, Huba explains the shift from founder-led to management-led organizations,...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Nick Anderson sits down with Mike Sharrow, CEO of C12, to unpack what leadership looks like when uncertainty is permanent. Drawing on his work with thousands of CEOs around the world, Mike explains why waiting for “normal” to return is a losing strategy—and why disciplined planning and conviction matter more than ever. They dive into values-driven lead...

Most professional services firms don’t have a marketing problem—they have a positioning problem. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Nick Anderson sits down with Kerrie Luginbill, Partner and Chief Growth Officer at OTM, to unpack why broad messaging kills growth and why trust—not tactics—is the real driver of demand. Kerry breaks down how founders dilute their message by trying to speak...

Hiring problems are rarely hiring problems—they’re leadership and culture problems in disguise. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Nick Anderson sits down with Brett Erik to unpack why companies struggle to attract and retain good people even when they think they’re doing “everything right.” Brett breaks down how employer brand is formed whether leaders like it or not, why culture shows...

AI is everywhere—but most small and mid-sized business leaders are still stuck between hype, fear, and scattered experiments. In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with John Manzanares, fractional CIO at OneAccord and seasoned technology executive, to cut through the noise and explain how AI actually creates leverage for leaders. John makes it clear why AI is...

On this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Andrew Ballard sits down with Mike Kadel, Managing Principal at OneAccord, to tackle the leadership crisis most organizations are ignoring: succession planning. With a wave of retirements accelerating across financial institutions and beyond, Mike explains why replacement planning is reactive, risky, and too late—and why true succession planning must s...

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, mental performance coach Karina Baldwin breaks down how our brains sabotage success—and how to retrain them for high performance. She explains why entrepreneurs let emotions drive decision-making, how identity gets tangled in business ownership, and what it takes to detach without losing passion. From neural pathways and self-discipline to fun as a per...

On this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard talks with J.R. Covey—sales psychologist, OneAccord principal, and creator of Narrative Powered Success—about the stories that drive or destroy performance. J.R. explains how cognitive behavioral and narrative therapy principles reveal the fears, habits, and self-limiting beliefs that quietly sabotage leaders and sales teams. He sha...

On this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, Andrew Ballard talks with Kim Frost, founder of Frost Connections and Managing Principal at OneAccord, about the truth behind why hiring feels harder than ever. Kim breaks down what most leaders get wrong—not a hiring problem, but a clarity problem—and how alignment, transparency, and preparation turn guesswork into great hires. From AI screening tools...