Scale Tales

Say My Name, Say My Name... What if something as simple as you r name c ould u nlock influence, opportunity , and revenue? This scale tale features Berthine Crèvecoeur West , the CEO of Westbridge Strategy Group. She reveals how a deeply personal challenge became the foundation for a powerful business strategy that propelled her to the TEDx stage – and it all started with her name.   In this episo...

What does it really take to deliver exceptional customer service at scale and earn one of Starbucks' highest honors in the process? In Part 1 of this two‑part conversation, you'll meet Austin MacDonald, a Starbucks store manager whose approach to leadership, community, and customer connection earned him the coveted Golden Apron, a distinction held by only a handful of managers worldwide.   In this...

This deeply personal 50th episode of Scale Tales is unlike anything we've shared before. In an intimate monologue, our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, unpacks her life‑altering journeys, losses, prophecies, and pivotal moments that led to her scaling an idea to leverage podcast episodes as a viable training tool into a global training platform.   Dr. Shanta Harrison, Alicia's cousin, make...

Behind every breakout company is a hidden layer of capital decisions, investor psychology, and timing that most founders never see. In Part 2 of this conversation, Karen Rands, CEO of Kugarand Capital Holdings and a 24-year veteran of the angel investing ecosystem , pulls back the curtain on how founders actually get funded and why passion, preparation, and positioning matter more than pedigree. F...

Karen Rands , founder and CEO of Kugarand Capital Holdings , tells a founder-first funding story that flips the usual investor-driven growth script. Drawing on years of experience running an angel group and advising hundreds of founders, she demonstrates how a thoughtful funding strategy, not just "raising money," enables founders to scale on their own terms and build businesses that buyers actual...

When a bored marketing director at an industrial-shredder manufacturer dared to put oddball demo videos online before YouTube existed, she accidentally invented a playbook for low-cost, high-impact viral marketing. Cathey Armillas - TED coach, CEO and co-founder of Speaker Skills Academy - turned a grassroots idea (watchitshred.com) into a phenomenon that drove roughly 1 million+ visitors in about...

What happens when innovation collides with integrity in the fast-moving world of digital advertising? For Rich Kahn , CEO and Co-Founder of Anura.io , the answer lay in a problem often overlooked: Ad fraud. From bootstrapping his first online venture in the early days of the internet to building a technology that now protects over 2 million domains worldwide , Rich's journey is a masterclass in re...

Organizations that treat inclusion as a day of slogans will be outpaced by those that build it into how leaders actually behave. Julie Kratz professor at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and CEO of Next Pivot Point , turned a decade of consulting into repeatable allyship programs that have trained hundreds of leaders at the likes of Amazon, TripAdvisor, Hitachi, and Fast Company.   J...

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, project management is no longer just about hitting deadlines—it's about enabling strategy, transformation, and leadership. Few people understand this better than Dr. Frank L. Harper, a world-renowned corporate educator, project management professional, and author who has trained leaders in over 65 countries. With decades of C-suite experience and a P...

In the fast-paced world of technology and corporate leadership, few journeys are as expansive and transformative as that of Dr. Frank Harper Jr. From a budding software coder in 1980s Connecticut to a globally recognized corporate educator, author, and transformation architect, Dr. Harper has shaped leaders and executives across more than 65 countries. His unique blend of hands-on project manageme...

In a world where countless graduates emerge with certificates yet still struggle to land their first job, why hasn't practical upskilling unlocked those global opportunities? That's the question Temidayo Adefioye set out to answer. What followed was a journey from selling his first C-Sharp CBT tool in Lagos lecture halls to building Talenvo, a platform that, in just 14 months, has united 1,500 cor...

In a world where AI touches everything from the way we drive to the way we shop, why hasn't it truly transformed the way we manage our money? That's the question Alexander Harmsen, co-founder and CEO of PortfolioPilot.com, set out to answer. What followed was a bold leap from aerospace and autonomous systems into the deeply personal world of financial advice, building a platform that now helps ove...

In today's fast-paced business landscape, scaling isn't merely about expansion—it's about smart, strategic growth. For Chris Heffernan, founder and CEO of dlivrd, the road from a casual cheesesteak lunch in Florida to building a multi-market catering delivery powerhouse was fueled by vision, tenacity, and a keen sense for untapped potential.   In this episode, Chris opens up about his entrepreneur...

In the crowded world of digital marketing, standing out isn't just about getting noticed it's about creating meaningful connections that turn clicks into customers. For Brandon Leibowitz, founder of SEO Optimizers, the journey to mastering online growth began in the early days of digital marketing and evolved into a deep expertise in search engine optimization (SEO) that transformed how businesses...

In today's rapidly shifting tech landscape, growth means more than just getting bigger it requires purposeful innovation and keen responsiveness to market demands. Engin Özer, the visionary behind Nevitech, transformed his career from Oracle ERP consultant into the mastermind of Klassifier, an advanced AI-driven language translation and analytics tool that's revolutionizing how multilingual commun...

In today's fast-moving business world, scaling isn't just about growing bigger it's about growing better. For Archana Shetty, a certified PMP, digital transformation strategist, and VP at one of the largest banks in the EMEA region, the journey to impactful leadership was anything but linear. Her path weaves through personal upheaval, cultural adaptation, and strategic reinvention proving that the...

In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, scaling a business isn't just about expanding; it's about creating the right blend of expertise, systems, and strategy that can evolve as the company grows. Charles Read, the president and founder of GetPayroll, has cracked the code on how to scale a payroll company to seven figures by aligning smart marketing with operational excellence.   In this scale t...

In the ever-shifting world of entrepreneurship, scaling isn't just about growth it's about building systems that can evolve with you. Tracy Hazzard, a trailblazing CEO and co-founder of Podetize, has mastered the art of combining human creativity with AI-powered efficiency to transform the podcasting industry from the inside out.   In this scale tale, Tracy shares how she helped scale Podetize int...

In the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, success isn't just about having a great idea, it's about embracing challenges and evolving with the times. Dilip Dubey, an accomplished AI entrepreneur and investor, shares his journey of creating two groundbreaking ventures, navigating the complexities of the AI world, and how his innovative mindset is reshaping the future of business.   In this...

I n the world of entrepreneurship, resilience and adaptability are key to building and scaling a successful business. Jake Smolarek, a serial entrepreneur with a passion for marketing and coaching, shares his journey from humble beginnings to running four thriving businesses simultaneously.   In this scale tale, Jake opens up about his transition from a construction business to a multi-million-pou...

In the fast-paced world of social media, the quest for digital popularity has become a defining pursuit for many. Tim O'Hearn, a software developer and author of Framed: A Villain's Perspective on Social Media , shares his unique experience in navigating the rise of Instagram growth services and the use of bots to automate engagement.   In this scale tale, Tim delves into the creation and scaling...

What happens when a high-powered executive faces a life-threatening wake-up call and completely reinvents his career to inspire others? That's exactly what César Suárez Uribe did. Once a stressed-out director in Colombia's insurance industry, he's now a globally recognized speaker and one of the few trainers in the world certified to teach the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology, a hands-on framework...