Growth Think Tank

Every leader is called about to make tough decisions. When you want to grow fast, you must be a courageous leader. The fears that come up don't just go away unless you decide to face those challenges. You learn to push forward despite the fear. Being a courageous leader will give your team more courage too. My guest today is Michael Resnik, CEO of Trifold. His company was ranked #239 in the 2019 I...

One method of identifying the character traits of great leaders is to look at the visionaries that you admire. For years, I have asked my clients who they admire in the world of business. I call this exercise, "The Hero Analysis." They often select the greats like Musk and his peers: Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett. The character traits of great leaders drive the behaviors and rituals o...

Company growth in times of change requires leaders to have a rock-solid foundation for your culture and leadership. Today, we keep the conversation going on living your values to align the team. Living your values starts with hiring people that have the same attitude to work and life as you. You can teach them skills, but hiring those that are living your values before they arrive at your company...

After hundreds of interviews and my research with Founders and CEOs, I know the importance of living your core values when you want to create company growth. I can also say that many leaders believe they are living their core values because they have values printed on the walls at HQ or on their website. Let's talk about living your core values with my guest today, Shawn Lipman, who is the CEO of...

Your time is valuable. But not all the time is the same. To increase your productivity and focus, you want to do your highest value work at a time when you are at your best. I get asked by people "how to increase productivity," and today's behind the scenes is what I tell them. Find the time each day when you feel your best and naturally have focus. This is the time when you don't need extra stimu...

Experts with 40 years of experience are scarce. Today's guest is John Maxwell, New York Times best-selling author many times over. John Maxwell joins us to talk about his latest book: The Leader's Greatest Return. In this book, John Maxwell shares decades of insight on leadership. When I read The Leader's Greatest Return, I was able to connect the dots on my research with fast-growth companies to...

Have you heard about the OKR methodology? This OKR methodology has taken the world of leadership by storm. My guest today is Ivan Osmak, Co-founder of GTMHub. This company has been in hypergrowth mode because of the demand to bridge the gap between strategy and operational execution. We talk about why OKRs are essential. We look beyond the traditional usage of OKR methodology. Ivan even shares the...

One big challenge I see with leaders today is getting stuck in the day-to-day of the business. You tell me that they know they should go from Founder to CEO. You feel the need within the organization to improve your strategic leadership. Yet, you are covered up with day-to-day work. In this episode of behind the scenes, we look at four steps of going from Founder to CEO. You may feel triggered whe...

Leadership is not an easy endeavor. Because it involves other people makes it one of the hardest aspects of growing your company. I often get asked for the most crucial skill for a leader. After years of building my own companies and helping others to grow, I feel like empathetic leadership is the most crucial skill. The art of empathetic leadership provides the connection that your people crave a...

You want a team that drives growth and overcomes any challenges the company faces. I get asked all the time about how to create great teams that can navigate the challenges of fast-growth. Inspiring teams to feel ownership of their work and the client experience is essential in today's agile work environments. My guest today is Todd Ehrlich, CEO of BAMFI. His company was ranked #121 in the 2019 In...

Leadership has changed. In 2020 and beyond, employees are hungry for connection to their work. They want to feel like what they are doing will improve their skills and increase their value. You must improve employee alignment by listening to your employees to understand them. I struggled with employee alignment as a leader until I discovered that they have goals too. I'm going to share with you a...

Driving new revenue is not just having a great product or service. Companies have to get the message distributed to the right people. If you had marketing strategies for fast-growth, you would see more traction in your market. CEOs often resist some of the strategies that require them to be the face and voice of the company. Developing marketing strategies for fast-growth requires new thinking. My...

Nearly every company I know wants to have customer service excellence. You may look at brands like The Ritz-Carlton or Zappos to model what real customer service excellence is. The truth is it is not technology or even flawless processes. The secret to customer service excellence is putting employees first. My guest today is Matt Margolis, CEO of Stackify. His company was ranked #379 in the 2019 I...

Ownership is not just something reserved for the founders, partners, and stockholders. Ownership is a state of mind that can be developed. I believe that the most potent technique available to leaders in developing leadership coaching skills. When you coach an employee, you are not telling them what to do. Leadership coaching skills are essential for getting people to feel like owners. Today, I am...

Do you want a culture of speed? In our changing world, you may think about getting your people to speed up and adapt quicker. It does take exceptional leadership to enable a culture of speed. My guest today is Ryan Margolis, CEO of Professional Hair Labs. His company was ranked #372 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Discover the secrets of a culture of speed with Ryan. We look at why it is vital in today...

Many leaders across the world believe growth comes by putting customers first. However, fast-growth company leaders look at it another way. Employee first leadership is what drives growth. When employees feel valued, they are bought into the growth goals fo the company. My guest today is Josh Leslie, CEO of Cumulus Networks. His company was ranked #320 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Employee first lea...

Many people believe that the journey of success to significance must be linear. As in once you achieve success, you can create significance. I discovered that success to significance is more like a dance. Success and significance are best when they work together, much like partner dancing. Today, I am sharing some of the reasons why a linear approach of success to significance is wrong. I also sha...

When leaders value innovation, they often have a value for a continuous improvement culture. If you look at the products and services of your company, they have evolved over time. You might want even more innovation. You can be intentional about creating a continuous improvement culture when you understand how others do it. My guest today is Johnny Owens, Founder of Owens Recovery Science. His com...

Going beyond accountability is what I call an ownership culture. In an ownership culture, your employees feel the pride of ownership that drives a higher degree of customer satisfaction. It also drives fast growth like today's gues. Mason Arnold is the Founder of CeCe's Veggie Noodle. His company was ranked #3 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Mason and I discuss the power of the ownership culture. We lo...

Today's episode is what I like to call "behind the scenes" of my life. I share a personal story of a failure I had to endure. It was tough for me to share behind the scenes elements like this until I remember that being vulnerable is not a weakness. Showing your sensitive side is a sign of courage. This behind the scenes takes you right into the darkest time of my professional life. I share what h...

Embracing healthy conflict is hard to do. Often attempts at including healthy conflict within your culture fail. My guest today is Magdiel Rodriguez, CEO of Alivi. His company was ranked #300 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. We talk about what is healthy conflict. We look at the power of it. Discover the growth benefits of healthy conflict for your company. Get the show notes for Why you want healthy Co...

Learning is a process of continuous improvement. Leaders are often looking for strategies that activate continuous improvement across their organizations. My guest today is Chris Jacob, CEO of Gateway Genomics. His company was ranked #236 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Continuous improvement is not just a mantra; it is a way of working. Their products have iterated over the years to create the innovat...

Have you ever experienced a failure to success journey in your life? This is my story from failure to success to significance. Ten years ago, I had to deal with a huge failure that changed everything for me. We have all had defining moments that have transformed us. The failure to success journey pushes us to change. This is a look behind the scenes of what made me become a coach to successful lea...

Today, we talk about business core values. We talk about how to hire using your business core values. My guest today is Alex McKeown, CEO of Fusion Recruiting Labs. His company was ranked #223 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Alex shares the importance of business core values. He talks about how he uses those values to enhance culture. Your business core values are essential to the growth of your compan...

The company's core values are more than just words on the wall. The company's core values define how you lead and make decisions. My guest today is Todd Olson, CEO of Pendo. His company was ranked #73 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. We talk about how to develop company core values. We also discuss how to use them as a leader. In this episode, you will learn the importance of company core values and how...