Catalytic Leadership

Send us Fan Mail Growth can look strong on paper while everything underneath feels heavier than it should. You’re making decisions, approving work, clarifying expectations, answering questions, again. The numbers are up, but the agency still runs through you. That’s the Founder Bottleneck. In this episode, I sit down for the second time with Marilyn Jenkins , digital growth strategist and founder...

Send us Fan Mail You can grow revenue, scale teams, and carry real responsibility, and still feel like the business isn’t paying you . In this episode, I sit down with Mauro Campagnaro , Financial Advisor at Campagnaro Wealth Advisory in Calgary, Alberta, to address why getting paid as an owner often breaks down as companies scale. Mauro brings over 20 years as a business owner and financial strat...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re scaling a team and the drag from one low performer is slowing everything down, this conversation will give you the clarity and language you need. I’m joined by Brett Hoogeveen: trained engineer, former healthcare executive, startup investor, and co-founder of Better Culture, a firm trusted by leaders from fast-growing startups to Fortune 500 companies. We explore the rea...

Send us Fan Mail When you’re leading a fast–growing agency, becoming the bottleneck isn’t a character flaw; it’s a sign your systems, team structure, and internal leadership rhythms need to evolve. In this episode, I sit down with Tom McGehee, Marine, corporate leader, consultant, entrepreneur, and co-CEO of the Halftime Institute, to unpack how seasoned leaders break free from overload and step i...

Send us Fan Mail When your agency is growing, but profit stalls, client churn rises, and your team feels the pressure, it’s easy to wonder which lever to pull next. In this episode, I’m joined by Jeremy Shapiro, a seasoned serial entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience whose work has helped business owners break through growth plateaus using a simple, powerful framework he calls the Business Gro...

Send us Fan Mail Too many high-performing leaders hit their goals and still feel drained. If you’ve built success but can’t seem to slow down without guilt, this episode is for you. I sat down with Ari Williams , a bold and refreshing voice in Christian music and author of The Boundless Mind , to explore what happens when performance becomes our default mode. Ari shares her story of leading worshi...

Send us Fan Mail  Posting more isn’t your problem; conversion is. In this episode, I sit down with Ruheene Jaura , co-founder of Hey Levi and the new app Brandify, whose background includes launch work with Apple and Amazon. We unpack how AI personal branding (done right) separates you from your business brand, clarifies positioning, and drives revenue without feeding the algorithm treadmill. You’...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling isn’t the same as growing, and no one knows that better than Rachel Allen . For 17 years, she’s run Bolt from the Blue Copywriting, serving clients in 21 countries. But when she built and scaled an agency because she thought she “should,” the result was burnout, frustration, and misalignment. In this episode, Rachel and I unpack the mindset and structural shifts that lead...

Send us Fan Mail When your agency grows fast, the pressure grows faster:  clients, team, tech, everything scaling at once. The temptation? Add more tools, more systems, more noise. But growth without stability eventually breaks. That’s why I sat down with Kelsi Navalta , Director of Affiliate Programs at HighLevel, the leading white-label marketing platform for agencies. Kelsi is part of a smart-i...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling an agency comes with growing complexity: more clients, bigger teams, higher stakes. And with growth comes risk. If a single misstep could cost you clients, revenue, or even your reputation, how do you protect what you’ve built while continuing to scale with confidence? In this episode, I sit down with Kieffer Rittenhouse , a 30-year commercial insurance broker and partner...

Send us Fan Mail Decision fatigue, endless bottlenecks, unclear messaging - scaling an agency past 7 figures doesn’t just demand more hours, it demands smarter systems. That’s why I invited Lynn Colepaugh , founder of Cyber PR Army, to join me for this conversation. She blends brand strategy, music industry grit, and an unusual partnership with AI to help leaders use technology not as a crutch, bu...

Send us Fan Mail When you’ve poured months into a book, a campaign, or a launch, the last thing you want is to see it fade into the noise. But that’s exactly what happens when we rely on short-term thinking instead of building systems for long-term brand growth. In this episode, I sit down with Marika Flatt , founder of PR by the Book, who has spent more than two decades helping authors, entrepren...

Send us Fan Mail Hiring top talent is the single greatest lever for scaling beyond 7 figures. Yet too many agency owners find themselves stuck in bottlenecks, worn down by failed hires, or wasting energy micromanaging instead of building. In this episode of Catalytic Leadership , I welcome back Kasim Aslam, founder of multiple 6, 7, and 8-figure businesses, creator of Pareto Talent, and author of...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re scaling your digital agency past seven figures, you already know how costly bottlenecks can be. Old leads sit untouched, team handoffs slow progress, and valuable time disappears qualifying prospects who will never buy. That’s why I sat down with Bryce DeCora , co-founder and CEO of Closebot, to explore how AI for agencies is transforming sales and client acquisition. Br...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling an agency beyond seven figures can come at a cost: sleepless nights, constant bottlenecks, and the creeping sense that the business is running you instead of the other way around. If you’ve ever wondered how to build sustainable systems that protect both your growth and your life outside the agency, this episode is for you. I sit down with Donzel Leggett , Principal at Des...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling past seven figures brings incredible opportunities — but it also exposes new bottlenecks. If you’ve ever felt like your in-house team can’t keep up, or you’ve struggled with communication gaps and rising costs, this episode will give you a proven alternative. I’m joined by Chris Brown , Partner and CTO at Wow Remote Teams, a staffing and recruiting firm that sources top-ti...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling beyond seven figures can feel like you’re carrying the weight of every decision, every handoff, and every bottleneck yourself. When communication breaks down or execution falls apart, chaos creeps in. In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca Kallaus , Vision Architect and founder of Business Done Better , the go-to operations partner for agencies, coaches, and creators sca...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling your agency doesn’t happen by saying “yes” to every client that comes your way. In fact, that’s exactly what can keep you stuck in bottlenecks, overwork, and stalled growth. In this episode, I’m joined by Wes Towers , founder of Uplift 360, where he helps construction companies grow through smarter websites and SEO. Wes shares his journey of building from the ground up, th...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling a business shouldn’t feel like guesswork. If you’re tired of relying on referrals or one-off wins that can’t be repeated, this episode will show you a better way. I’m joined by Don Traxler , leading growth strategist and founder of RevSpark Media, where he helps medical clinics, wellness brands, and franchise owners achieve seven- and eight-figure growth through predictabl...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling past seven figures shouldn’t mean sacrificing your health, family, or freedom. Yet too many agency owners find themselves buried in broken systems, unclear handoffs, or team bottlenecks that steal time and drain margins. That’s why I invited John Henao , Founder & CEO of Go Staffy and eWiser, who scaled his own digital agency to seven figures with a fully remote Colomb...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling your agency shouldn’t cost you peace, clarity, or capacity. If growth feels like a bottleneck — more clients, more chaos, and too many hats — this episode will help shift that. I sat down with Brent Weaver , serial entrepreneur and now CEO of E2M Solutions, a white-label services platform supporting over 300 digital agencies worldwide. Brent built, scaled, and exited his o...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling overworked, under-inspired, or stuck rewriting the same proposals on repeat? You’re not lacking time — you may be underleveraging your creative edge. In this episode, I’m joined by Brad Ball , co-founder of Ardent Creative, Verity Software, and Committed Mastermind, to reframe creativity as a business advantage — especially when combined with AI for agency owners. Brad sha...

Send us Fan Mail Scaling an agency beyond seven figures demands more than hard work — it requires clarity, leverage, and systems that don’t break under pressure. In this episode, I’m joined by Richard Levy , Founder and CEO of Sophera Marketing, who brings decades of global marketing and leadership experience. We talk about how to use AI for agency growth in ways that actually move the numbers you...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re scaling fast but still stuck in every decision, system, and Slack thread, this episode is for you. I sat down with Flynn Zaiger , CEO of Online Optimism , a 13-year digital creative agency recently named one of Inc.’s Best Places to Work . Flynn started his agency six months out of college with no outside funding — and now leads a nationally distributed team that runs wi...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve scaled your agency — but now you’re carrying too much, spinning too many plates, and wondering how to grow without grinding harder. In this episode, I’m joined by Lindsey Busfield , VP at Optimize My Firm and host of The Personal Injury Marketing Minute . Lindsey is a leading voice in legal SEO — but what makes this conversation essential for high-performing agency leaders...