The B2B Growth Blueprint

Planning for the next stage of your business doesn't mean the end—it means taking control of your future. But for many founders, the thought of "exit planning" feels uncomfortable. How do you prepare to leave the company you built without losing what you've created—or yourself in the process? Todd Krough, a seasoned Wealth Advisor at UMB Bank, brings over 30 years of experience helping business ow...

Imagine pouring everything into building a breakthrough fintech solution — only to hit a wall when it's time to sell into banks and enterprise buyers. It's not the technology holding you back… it's the go-to-market strategy. For many founders, especially technical ones, this is the painful bottleneck that stalls growth and burns investor confidence.     In this episode, Stacy Bishop — a 25+ year r...

Imagine spending years — maybe decades — building a successful company, only to discover when you're finally ready to sell… you can't get the value you deserve. For many middle-market business owners, this is exactly what happens. Whether due to lack of preparation, unclear financials, or misalignment with investors, the dream exit can quickly become a disappointing reality.  In this episode Marc...

Are you a founder in the $1M–$10M range, striving to scale your service-based business without giving up control or burning out? Kim Folsom, founder and CEO of Founders First Capital Partners, champions a transformative approach: helping entrepreneurs just like you gain access to growth capital, build recurring revenue, and evolve into effective business leaders. Drawing on her experience founding...

Digital transformation and sustainable revenue growth are top priorities for modern businesses, but many face challenges such as stalled sales, founder-led organizations, and lack of process. In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne welcomes fractional Chief Revenue Officer Susan Cashin to discuss strategies for overcoming these hurdles. Drawing on her experience help...

Candy Messer, founder of Affordable Bookkeeping and Payroll Services, joins host Mark Osborne to share how entrepreneurs can move beyond the stress of handling every detail themselves and build businesses that run smoothly with proper systems in place. With her expertise as a profitability advisor and host of the Biz Help For You podcast, Candy brings over 20 years of experience helping business o...

Selling or transitioning out of a business is one of the most important decisions an owner will ever make. But how do you know when it's time to plan your exit? How can you maximize value while ensuring continuity for your employees, customers, and legacy?   Neil Isaacs is a seasoned business intermediary with over a decade of experience helping owners sell their companies. As the founder of VR Bu...

Driving innovation isn't easy for any business leader. The methods that brought success yesterday may not secure growth tomorrow. But how do you know when it's time to rethink your approach? How can you ensure your team's efforts align with what customers actually need ?   Tony Ulwick is the founder and CEO of Strategyn and a pioneer of the Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) and Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD...

Joe Ort, founder and CEO of RevOps Inflection, joins host Mark Osborne to discuss how B2B companies can scale from founder-led sales to a sustainable, repeatable revenue engine. Joe shares insights from his 15+ years of experience helping companies grow from $10 million to over $100 million in revenue by aligning sales, marketing, and customer success. He emphasizes that successful growth isn't ju...

How Exit Planning Creates Value and Purpose Beyond the Business   Building a business is hard. Exiting it successfully — while aligning personal, financial, and legacy goals — can be even harder. That's where Scott Snyder, President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) and operating partner at Snyder Premier Growth, has made his mark. A nationally recognized thought leader, entrepreneur, and co-au...

  What if your business was always ready to sell, whether in two months, two years, or twenty? Too many founders miss out on growth or leave money on the table because their financials don't reflect the real value of their company. In this episode of The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast , host Mark Osborne sits down with Zachary Beukema , founder of The Lighthouse Group and fractional CFO who has advi...

How do small businesses stop spinning their wheels and start gaining real traction? Many leaders feel stuck, unsure of how to align their teams, execute strategies, and grow sustainably. What if there was a proven operating system to cut through the chaos? In this episode, host Mark Osborne sits down with Mike Walrod , a seasoned operator with over 25 years of experience and a unique background as...

  Building Strong Partnerships for Sustainable Business Growth   Partnerships are one of the most powerful levers for scaling a business—but they require more than contracts and agreements. They thrive on trust, alignment, and clear communication. In today's competitive business landscape, companies that master the art of collaboration can accelerate growth, expand into new markets, and create lon...

Why do your best ideas lose their impact once they leave the room? You spend weeks building a killer presentation, pitch deck, or white paper, only to have it flattened into a static PDF that gets ignored, skimmed, or lost in inboxes. What if instead, your content came alive, pulling your audience into an experience as dynamic as the conversations you wish you could have with them?   In this episo...

Are you a founder-led company that feels stuck in complexity, struggling to scale despite strong demand? Do you find yourself saying yes to every client request, burning out your team, and leaving growth opportunities on the table? Are you frustrated that your culture and systems aren't aligned , making it hard to scale consistently and profitably?   In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Pod...

What happens when a startup founder blends years of experience in film, business development, and cutting-edge tech to tackle accessibility challenges with AI? In this episode, host Mark Osborne sits down with Jordan Thompson—startup mentor, advisor, and now founder of Recruited (RAIRecruited.com). Jordan shares his journey from the entertainment industry to robotics, eVTOL aircraft , and AI-power...

Why do so many growing companies hit a wall after early traction?    They obsess over lead generation, but fail to communicate a bigger story that inspires employees, investors, and customers alike. Without a clear brand voice and aligned internal communication, chaos creeps in, processes break down, and growth stalls.     In this episode of The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne spea...

From Income to Outcome: Leveraging M&A for Generational Wealth with Brian Franco   Are you building a business that's rich in income but poor in long-term outcomes? Too many entrepreneurs focus solely on day-to-day profitability only to realize too late they've overlooked the true potential of their greatest asset. In this episode of The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne sits down wi...

Are you chasing a crowded market instead of defining your own? Ever wonder why some companies seem to dominate their space while others struggle to get noticed? In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast , host Mark Osborne sits down with Kevin Maney — bestselling author of Play Bigger , award-winning journalist, and founding partner of Category Design Advisors. Kevin has helped startups...

Are you building products faster than ever but unsure if you're headed in the right direction?    In the high-stakes world of B2B SaaS, founders often feel pressure to launch at breakneck speed, only to discover months later that they've been sprinting toward the wrong goal. How do you validate ideas early, align marketing promises with actual product capabilities, and design experiences that keep...

  Most business owners  don't plan their exit—until it's too late. With over 20 years of experience in business valuation and exit strategy , Melisa Silverman has seen firsthand how unplanned transitions can erode a company's value and legacy. As President of Avenue M Advisors and Managing Partner at the Founders Group, she's helped countless business owners align personal goals with business valu...

A lot of entrepreneurs build businesses that revolve entirely around them without even realizing it—until it's time to step away. The systems are in their head, the relationships are personal, and the whole operation depends on their daily involvement. When buyers look at that, it doesn't scream opportunity—it screams risk. After all those years of sacrifice, the idea that no one wants what you've...

B2B startup life moves fast, and founders are constantly pushed to make big bets with little more than scraps of feedback and intuition. You're trying to build something people actually want , but half the time, you're guessing at what that even looks like. It's frustrating—watching churn creep up or deals stall because something just doesn't click. Getting a clear picture of what customers really...

So many businesses pour time and money into marketing that looks good on paper but lands with a thud in real life. It's not always a lack of effort— it's just that guessing what people want doesn't work as well as actually asking them. Too often, brands talk at their audience instead of with them, hoping the message sticks. But when you really listen, it changes everything—because people are usual...