ScaleHQ Podcast

Sean breaks down 3 metaphors and 2 important mindset shifts you can use to when facing turbulence in your business. Sometimes times get tough, your business might be facing headwinds right now, and it might feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. If you are feeling demoralised or doubting how things are going to turn out, then this weeks episode is for you. This week, I talk about we...

Sean breaks down 12 reflective questions to help you plan for an outstanding next financial year. Time is ticking - the financial year end in Australia is almost here. Have you crafted your business game plan for the next 12 months yet? Well you know what they say - the path that got you here won't necessarily take you there... so it's time to hit the pause button, ask yourself the right q...

This week I make a guest appearance on The Silicon Valley podcast. Hosted by Shawn Flynn, we reveal insider secrets to buying and selling businesses that will help you navigate a potential sale in the future with greater skill to maximise your outcome. If you want to know the ins and outs of making the right moves, what to look out for in due diligence and what tricks investors play then have a li...

This week Sean speaks to Anita and Paul, Co-Founders of Nexacu, about how they built their business and achieved a $20M exit. This week we're diving deep into another Founder success story. This time I'm with Paul and Anita from Nexacu, a company that I started working with personally back in November 2020. Founded in 2013, Nexacu offers practical, instructor-led training for Microsoft end...

Is it going to be a game changer? AI has been increasingly in the headlines, particularly since the launch of ChatGPT, and most founders of a 7-figure business are thinking about how artificial intelligence will impact their business. There are lots of pros & cons but how will it impact your business and the lives of your customers? This week I interview Mike Trigg, a 25-year Silicon Valley ve...

Sean interviews Luigi Prestinenzi, a sales expert, who breaks down his step-by-step approach to generating sales. Luigi has hosted the SalesIQ podcast for the last 5 years and  "lives and breathes sales".  I have worked with Luigi on various occasions to help transform my business' sales program so I know he has tools and strategies that work. This week, I talk to Luigi to get into t...

This week we flip the podcast on its head, as Jaemin Frazer interviews Sean, to learn how this disruptive teen became CEO. Sean didn't emerge from wealthy parents, a private school network or above-average academic capability to navigate his way to CEO.  You might be surprised to hear that at 14-17 he was getting suspended for breaking noses, joyriding in cars, getting arrested for shoplifting...

This week, Sean interviews Ryan Robertson, to discover his secrets to scaling Bittn to over 60,000 customers in 10 years. 10 years ago, Ryan Robertson created Bittn. With a vision to revolutionise the pest control industry, Ryan has built a business that makes the job far simpler, safer and more enjoyable for customers than it has ever been. In the last decade, he has scaled Bittn to become a top...

Do you need to raise some cash to fund your next level of growth?  Then listen up as Sean shares 14 ways you can raise capital for your business in this weeks episode of the ScaleUps Podcast. Today, we're focused on capital. If you're in need of some cash to fund your business growth, dreams and big hairy audacious goals, then you are in the right place.  This week, Sean shares 14 differ...

Survival as a business often means getting paid FAST. In this episode, Sean shares 14 of the most important strategies for 7-figure companies to survive. Your number 1 priority as a business is survival, and without enough cash coming in, your business can't survive. You need to have the right strategies in place if you want to keep your business afloat. In this episode, Sean shares 7 ways to impr...

Sean interviews Brian Wills, high school dropout turned Founder, CEO and multi-millionaire who shares lessons learned on the journey. Brian created seven successful companies in four different industries over the last 35 years. His journey to success is filled with lots of lessons and in this episode he goes deep into sharing his experiences and philosophies on burnout, taking and managing risks,...

Brothers and co-Founders of The Back Room, Wayne & Scott share how they have scaled to 500 without losing their team culture. In this episode Sean interviews two brothers, Wayne and Scott Findlay, co-Founders of The Back Room. The Back Room has had an incredible growth trajectory by supplying skilled accounting, marketing, legal and sales professionals to other companies across ANZ, USA and th...

Natalie Simmons, founder and CEO of Barefoot Citizens Consulting, shares how important your business’ impact on society and the environment really is. For the past 15 years, data suggests that companies who’ve had a clear ESG focus have materially outperformed their competitors. And it makes sense right? They’re creating positive impacts in the world so they’re the ones we want to do business with...

What is a “sticky business”, why should you want your business model to be stickier and how can you implement switching costs to achieve that? A stickier business has customers who stay longer and/or spend more. Cashflow become more predictable, your competitive moat widens and your business becomes more attractive to potential investors or buyers. In this episode Sean shares valuable lessons on h...

It takes more than just planning to master strategy, you need to be able to execute it properly, and motivate your team. These things are crucial if you want your strategy to perform how you’d envisioned. In this episode, Sean interviews John Spence, a top 100 Business Thought Leader, and top 500 Leadership Development Expert.  John shares his key frameworks, which he has developed over three...

Leading strategist Rosie Yeo shares the alchemy needed to uncover bold ideas and build a powerful business strategy. The saying, “Fortune favours the bold”, is a common truth in the business world. Growing a business always comes with a certain amount of risk, and sometimes, you just have to take that leap of faith. But how do you be bold when there are so many unknowns? And is there a formula to...

Nicola Fowkes, General Manager of Operations at #EdventureCo, shares💡 the best way to merge teams 🎳 and manage people in an acquisition 🤝, and the mistakes leaders tend to make. Buying a business is more than just buying earnings 💰 and customers. You need to consider the intangible asset – the people 👨‍💼 If you’ve just acquired a business, it’s easy to shuffle organisational structures and c...

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get as a mentor and advisor, from founders of service-based businesses. There’s an art to getting the right people, providing them with what they need and empowering them to do what they do best, so your business can grow sustainably. We have compiled golden nuggets of wisdom from 5 reputable business leaders. First, there’s Liz Wiseman, best-se...

The end of the year is always a wonderful time to unwind and relax. It’s also the perfect time to take a hard look at where your business is at, evaluate what’s working and what’s not, identify the gaps, and hash out a plan for the next year. Sean reveals the key areas you should reflect upon: business strategy, personal effectiveness, leadership, and business rhythms. Tackling all these will get...

This is the first episode in a new type where we do a fly-on-the-wall series of interviews with 5 Founders who are still striving to scale. We’ll interview them 2-3 times each year for the next 3 years and follow their journey… the highs, the lows, the wins and disappointments. Some will succeed, some will falter, some may even fail.  But our community will be there with them all the way, che...

Forget about having a great strategy if you don’t have great people to execute it. Pointless. But how do you attract great people? It all starts with having a clear, and compelling employee value proposition which clearly reflects the commitments you’re willing to make and benefits you’re willing to offer your team members to make the environment an awesome and rewarding one to work in. AND as a w...

Lots of us Founders don’t grow up in marketing. But it’s absolutely core to helping us fulfil the potential of our businesses and maximise our impact in the world. Bad marketing? Sub-par impact! So what does good look like when it comes to marketing? And what are some of the simple things we can do to make our marketing better? Enjoy this week’s episode on the ScaleUps Podcast as we interview Simo...

Founders have massive reserves of energy and resilience. But it’s not infinite. So how can you tell when you’re starting to hit burnout? What should you do about it if you are? And what can you do to reduce the risk of it emerging in the future? In this week’s episode on the ScaleUps Podcast we interview Sophie Scott, award-winning journalist for the ABC, speaker and author on burnout, longevity a...

Recently we interviewed an investment banker on how to optimise your outcome if you’re selling your business - but one of the other key team members in the deal is the lawyer. Lawyers see the deal from a fascinating perspective as they’re thinking about risks, loopholes, terms, issues, the negotiation and when you’ve got a great one on your side they can be a force to be reckoned with for the buye...

If you don’t currently have a set of Values or Operating Principles that underpin decision making and how your team show up with each other and your customers – this is the episode for you. This week on the full ScaleUps Podcast 10 Minute Thursday episodes we unpack how to develop or improve your values or operating principles. We cover questions like: XXXX - Why do having Values or Operating Prin...