Grow or Go

Hackers and security threats are more active than ever. AI only makes things easier for them, and as an individual, or business, everyone is at risk. Security hacks can be detrimental to your livelihood, your business, your employees, and your bank account. Cybersecurity expert and owner of Cyberfin , Daniel Metcalf, joins us to explain the importance of your cybersecurity, what hackers are doing...

Learning what you are good at and focusing on that role is one of the best things you can do for your business. If you think you can do it all, your business will suffer. That's why it's critical to hire to your mission, vision, and have clear goals that everyone can shoot for. We had the pleasure of hosting Heide Olson on this episode who is a serial entrepreneur, mom, EOS conqueror, and probably...

Business ownership will never be easy, and thinking you can do it all and have all the answers is nonsense. You are digging yourself a hole when you don't need to. Ownership should be exciting, and give you freedom within your life, but to get there you need to have uncomfortable conversations. Chad Haldeman of The Resultants joins us for an honest conversation about what has made business owners...

Business sales and ownership transitions start years in advance of a sale. Buyers approach you, your kids want to take over, but when the time comes, nothing is prepped and the sale often falls through. Don't allow this to happen to your business that you've built from the ground up! This is your legacy, and planning ahead will ensure you are successful. If you haven't heard about Exit Planners be...

Steve Kalina joins Chris for an episode and talks all about manufacturing, workforce issues, tariffs, and what manufacturers can do to improve their business. As the President of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA), Steve leads the charge bringing manufacturing leaders together across Minnesota. Through workshops, masterminds, events, and fundraising, MPMA is doing everything...

Quality of Earnings, also known as Q of E, are crucial reports when evaluating a company's valuation and true earning power. Our President of True North M&A, Michael Hubsmith, joined Chris to interview Joe Hellman, of Redpath and Company. What's the point of investing in another "valuation"? Well, the answer is pretty simple. A Q of E completed from an outside firm justifies...

The Sigmoid Curve is present in everything, including Country Music Artists, like Blaine Larsen. Blaine shares his story with us about how the music industry actually works as a young rising star, and how you have to navigate it if you really want to make it big. It's not often that we meet award winning artists, or should I say, someone who wrote a song for George Strait! Blaine was a pleasur...

Entrepreneurial blood runs through many families. Especially a family like the Biggs. What does it take to be successful? How can you make sure that your family will remain strong while going through the ups and downs of business ownership? Chris hosts Colleen Biggs on this episode. Colleen comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and has made a stand in the franchising world helping owners launch Li...

Coffee and manufacturing, how does it tie together? Well... there's nothing worse than walking into the shop at 5am and having a crappy cup of coffee to start your day. It's one of the easiest ways to reinvest in your employees, and give them the necessary boost to increase productivity. Amy Teal joins us to talk about the struggles of labor in the manufacturing sector, and how she's a...

You've seen the news talking about changes in tariffs for weeks. Nobody has the answers, including us. That's why we brought on Pino Bacinello - our neighbor of the north. Pino and Chris dig into tariffs and what's really going on. It's affecting businesses of all kinds, and can have a massive impact on owners, and consumers. If you have more insight as to what's going on, and...

Meet Dan Bowling. Dan is not your typical entrepreneur. Dan was paralyzed from the neck down as a kid. But he didn't give up when the Doctors broke the news to him. When he healed completely, he was a growing teenager that soon would set state records in track and field. Dan wasn't done, though. Every day was a gift in his eyes, and with that in mind, Dan went to work to conquer whatever w...

Great salespeople often turn into sales managers. It's a natural climb up the food chain; but do they really know how to manage, encourage, and elevate their salespeople? The answer is no, and so many companies fail at this. Gary Braun joins Chris to share why these issues occur, and how to fix them. With decades of experience as a top sales performer, Gary now runs Pivotal Advisors, where his...

No matter how great of a salesperson you may think you are, your ceiling is even higher. We all think we have it figured out but guess what, we are usually winging it and not giving ourselves the highest probability of success. Todd Thiewes with Sandler tackles the hard truths of why sales individuals typically think they are doing well, when they really aren't. How do they get better? Tune in. To...

You want to sell your business to your employee who's been with you from the start. You've been planning on your eldest kid to succeed you when you are ready to get out. Time comes and guess what....? Things likely don't go as planned. Why? Tune in. Chris has Matt take the mic on this episode and share his experience and expertise of working with hundreds of business owners before they exit. There...

Servant leadership is a vastly growing practice. Even if you haven't heard of it, you can easily tell the difference between a self-serving leader, and a servant leader. Join us as we explore the transformative power of servant leadership with Andrew Leikvoll. Discover how this approach builds high-performing teams, debunks myths of being "soft," and drives significant performance im...

Ever wondered what it's like to own a Chick-fil-A restaurant? Join us as we sit down with Alex Wilson, a devoted husband, father, and faith-driven entrepreneur. Alex's journey began as a global tech consultant, but he found his true calling in operating two Chick-fil-A restaurants alongside his wife. Hear how he integrates his faith into business and family life, balancing success with spiritual v...

Starting in an apartment closet and selling car parts, Dan Carey brings us through his story of how he dominated the e-commerce automotive parts space. The real life Fast and Furious... well, kind of. After scaling the startup, Modern Automotive Performance to $10M in revenue, Dan and his brother implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) after hitting a plateau. This was as key change...

There are Business WARRIORS and Business WORKERS. Which one are you? Spoiler: companies with Business WARRIORS blast through their ceilings of success, while the opposition stays stagnant. Chris and Matt interview Erik Therwanger, the founder of Think GREAT. Erik draws from his experiences as a U.S. Marine, executive business leader, sales professional, andentrepreneur to help organizations achiev...

Ever wondered why you fell off the wagon after months or years of hard work? It's not a straight forward answer, but there are some tell tale signs as to why this happens. Chris and Matt dig deep with Leary Gates, who is an expert advisor that helps business owners scale their business to transform their world. Leary has spent the past 30 years advising Fortune 100, start-ups, and a host of middle...

For owners of childcare businesses, or anyone curious about the industry, this one's for you! We take a deep dive into Mike Minor's story on how he navigated owning and successfully exiting a generational, multi-location childcare business. Mike has over 30 years of professional experience including roles at Ernst and Young, Honeywell, and his own family’s childcare organization. He worked in ever...

When's the best time to sell your lower-middle-market company and how do you even do it? Chris and Matt interview Dan Sundin; a husband, father, dog lover, and tech nerd who started, grew, and sold his successful technology company. Dan grew up in less than desirable conditions and started his career at 12 years old, lugging around golf bags at Golden Valley Country Club. He had a passion for...

What is the sigmoid curve and why is it so relevant to business owners? Chris interviews Randy Krivo, owner of 4 businesses, and now one of the top business brokers in the country. For most of his professional career, Randy has started, built, and sold multiple businesses. Now, he focuses on helping business owners exit and maximize their life's work. Being in the brokerage and M&A space for 1...