Growth Think Tank

Driving company growth is more than just the bottom line. Many companies on the Inc 5000 are mission-driven. These leaders know the mission is important. Today's guest is Matt Fielder, CEO at Vinyl Me, Please. Inc Magazine ranked Vinyl Me, Please #342 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. This company made the Inc 5000 for the last two consecutive years. Matt and I discuss why the mission is important and ho...

The path forward will require new ideas that change how your clients engage with your company and services. You must focus on leading innovation if you want to stay relevant. Leadership requires different strategies when leading innovation is important. My guests today are Joel Cox and Dave Miles, Co-founders of Strategus. They were #2217 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Strategus operates in the realm...

When you walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk, you are leading by example. The complexity of running a fast-growth company requires you to be a role-model at all times. Today's guest is Aaron Riley, CEO at Cannasafe. Inc Magazine ranked Cannsafe #13 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Aaron shares the importance of leading by example. We look at all aspects of leadership in this interview. When you are leading...

If the challenges of 2020 have taught us anything, it has certainly taught us the importance of being adaptable. Inside of our companies, we have had to create new ways to work and connect with each other. Today we are looking at the keys to having a flexible culture. Our guest is Ryan Kohler, CEO at ApplicantPro. Inc Magazine ranked ApplicantPro #4225 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list and made the Inc li...

Every team has to work at forming better as a team. Executive leadership teams are not immune. Today we look at how to increase alignment with the leadership team. Our guest is Michael Bor, CEO at CarLotz. Inc Magazine ranked CarLotz #435 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. CarLotz is a consignment store for used vehicles. Michael shares insights on how to increase alignment with the leadership team. We ta...

As you grow, every founder begins to think about creating an executive leadership team. You may be able to promote within, which is usually a good idea when you have the talent ready to step up to be strong leaders. For many growing companies, they have to look outside their current employees. Today we look at hiring a great leadership team. Our guest is Abe Kleinfeld, CEO at GridGain. Inc Magazin...

Leading by example is not just a good idea. It is THE idea. Leaders must be a role model of leadership to their people. Today's guest is Betsy Bassan, Founder of Panagora Group. Inc Magazine ranked Panagora Group #451 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Her company provides solutions for an open marketplace in health, development, and learning. Betsy shares her journey of leadership. We look at being a rol...

Every leader would say that people are essential. However, most would say the business is designed to make money. When profit is more important, it is impossible to put people first. The irony within the ranks of the fastest-growth companies in America is that these leaders know the importance of putting people first. Today's guest is Eric Griffin, CEO at Mobile Outfitters. Inc Magazine ranked Mob...

Why would you want to show appreciation for your employees for doing their work? The simple answer is recognizing employees is something great leaders do consistently. The problem is recognizing employees is not something that is happening enough. I talk to executives consistently about how proud they are of their people and rarely are they taking the time to show that appreciation. Today's guest...

Company growth is not just one thing. It takes the right product/service, the right timing, and the right people. It also takes the right systems. I can attest that systems grow your business. I would not have a podcast today without the right systems that my team executes weekly to keep the content following. Today's guest is Trent Dyrsmid, CEO and host at Bright Ideas. Trent has been so successf...

Being open with your employees about financials and other aspects of the business takes real courage. When you are fully transparent, you share all that you can. When you embrace being fully transparent, you can connect with your team members in new ways. Our guest today is Tiffany Sauder, Founder of Element Three, a marketing partner to fast-growth companies. Element Three was #4125 on the 2019 I...

Do you ever feel like you are behind in getting your work done? Well, you are not alone. I will share with you some simple and powerful ideas for making the most of your time. It is all about getting the most valuable work done. In my early years as the CEO of a team, I felt like I was always behind. I had to make some fundamental changes that I wanted to share with you to make the most of your ti...

Every company that enters a scaling mode knows the importance of employees. Yet few leaders understand the reasons why we must put employees first. After years of studying fast-growth companies, it is evident to me that those leaders know how to put employees first. Today's guests are Arthur Barrett, President, and Tim Barrett, CEO, at Barrett Distribution. Inc Magazine ranked Barrett Distribution...

One profound superpower is how you leverage the power of empathy. Leaders that have a deeper relationship with their team members must use their hearts. Today we look at the power of empathy to increase connection with your people. Our guest is Jeanne David, CEO at Outer Aisle Gourmet. Inc Magazine ranked Outer Aisle Gourmet #63 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Jeanne gives us some stories that you will...

Every CEO struggles with how to spend their time. I often get asked how do you balance your time doing the day-to-day stuff and being the visionary the company needs. If you want to shift into being the visionary consistently, you have to be willing to let go of the old way of leading your company. In this behind the scenes, I give you a question to help you see why you must make time to think and...

Hiring the best is one factor in your company building the foundation for growth. The rules to attract top talent are not just in paying the most. Your culture likely plays an even more critical factor than your payscale when you want to attract top talent. Today's guest is Jason Carter, CEO at UNCOMN. Inc Magazine ranked UNCOMN #2356 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Jason shares how he thinks about cul...

Teamwork requires the right people and exemplary leadership. Building the right team is an exercise in many skills of leadership. Today's guest is Jeremy Parker, CEO of Swag.com. His company was ranked #218 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Swag.com is more than a place to buy your logo brand gear because they are a distribution system for your branded items. Jeremy shares his insights and challenges in...

Leadership is a never-ending process if you do it right. There is always another level of growth for those that you lead. I talked to a client the other day about the quote that starts, "teaching a man to fish." Many believe that leadership is about serving your people. I agree. However, some don't understand that it is not about telling them what to do, but leadership is about leading them to fig...

Leadership is not just about results. Of course, you have to execute. You also have to put your heart in leadership to create a team that wants to join you on your mission. Putting your heart in leadership will allow you to build a connection and belonging across the team. My guest today is John Hightower, CEO of Arch and Tower. John shares what putting heart in leadership looks like in today's mo...

The work in defining your company values may seem like fluffy work. However, after talking with hundreds of leaders from the Inc 5000, I can assure you that defining your company values is a strategic move that pays off. We look in the trenches with a company that has grown incredibly fast by emphasizing company values. Today, my interview is with Sam Bobley, Co-founder, at Ocrolus. They offer a s...

Imagine the power of visionary leadership that connects people and aligns the work to a robust culture. It is financial health, strong employee experience, and your own peace of mind. The vision of culture is not something we take time to consider, given the need for focus on today's issues. I invite you to think about your vision of culture as the company grows and evolves. This is an essential p...

One big issue in leadership is still the lack of representation of women in leadership. The surprising thing is that the strong women in my life are all strong leaders, so it makes sense that we would have more women leaders at work too. Today we look at how to improve the numbers of women in leadership. My guest is Heather Elrod, CEO at Amazing Lash Studio. Her company was ranked #260 on the 2018...

Creating a fantastic experience for your employees and partners is done with intention. Some of the keys to this are transparent communication and an open environment. Today's guest is Bill Spohn, Co-founder of TruTech Tools. His company was ranked #4643 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. We look at why they open up the financials. They also train their employees to understand the financials. Transparent...

When you decide to improve your leadership skills, you may think the best solution is to find the latest book on leadership. I have interviewed many authors in the world of leadership, and they are smart for sure, but they may also lead you down a different path. If you are the leader of an Inc 5000 company -- or want to be -- you might want to look to your peers on the Inc list. I study the found...

This may sound scary to you, but you should encourage entrepreneurial thinking at all your company levels. When you have entrepreneurial thinking, you have a culture of ownership. Today's guest is Dr. Johnny Garcia, founder of SimIS. His company was ranked #3401 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. We look at the power of entrepreneurial thinking. This is something I have noticed in my research with other f...