The Scaling Executive

The signal this month is clear. The companies winning with AI have stopped running pilots and started scaling what pays. New data shows that 80% of enterprises running AI agents now report measurable return. Firms stuck on chatbots fall behind. The difference comes down to execution. This month McKinsey told CEOs to move past productivity demos and ask a harder question: how will AI change the eco...

In this episode, I talk with Ross Meglathery, CEO of Integra Tech and former Marine Corps officer, about leadership under pressure and what CEOs get wrong when scaling companies. Ross explains why leaders fail when they refuse to acknowledge their weak spots, how military leadership shaped his approach to business, and why building trust matters more than authority. We also discuss operational dis...

In this episode, I sit down with Stacey Epstein, CEO of Structured and former executive at SuccessFactors, ServiceMax, and Freshworks, to talk about the realities of scaling as a CEO. Stacey shares the leadership lessons she learned moving from CMO to CEO, why founders often neglect the areas they think they already understand, and how culture changes as companies grow fast. We also discuss AI, pa...

In this episode, I talk with Steve Harmon about the hidden pressure that comes with leadership. Steve shares lessons from scaling a family business into a multi-company operation managing millions of square feet of industrial space. We discuss stress management for CEOs, leading with culture, balancing growth with people leadership, building service businesses, and how AI is increasing productivit...

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Tharp to explore how great leaders actually use data. Matt explains why many teams misuse metrics to defend their opinions instead of uncovering problems. We also discuss behavioral design, product-led growth, scaling remote teams, adapting leadership styles, onboarding experiences powered by AI, and what founders can learn from building companies in rapidly c...

In this episode, I talk with Ben Behzad Bayat about scaling a fast-growing engineering company and the warning signs leaders often miss. Ben explains how businesses fail the same way structures fail and how small cracks appear long before collapse. We discuss leadership under pressure, hiring through uncertainty, building systems that detect problems early, and using AI to enhance employees instea...

In this episode, I speak with Marianne Abib-Pech about what it really takes for founders to scale. We discuss why many investors wrongly assume founders cannot evolve, how scaling can actually expand creativity instead of limiting freedom, and what separates resilient founders from the rest. Marianne also shares her perspective on industrial deep tech, leadership psychology, founder-investor dynam...

In this episode, I sit down with Erik Berggren to talk about the discipline required to scale as a CEO. Erik shares lessons from elite sports, military operations, and hypergrowth companies, including how leaders burn out by focusing on the wrong battles. We discuss prioritization, resilience, scaling teams across cultures, coaching founders through growth, and how AI is reshaping operational leve...

In this episode, I sit down with Ken Jisser, founder and CEO of The Pipeline Group, to talk about what most companies are getting wrong about AI, sales growth, and scaling globally. Ken shares how he built a 500-person company across 36 countries without raising funding or taking on debt, why adaptability matters more than resources, and how CEOs should actually measure the success of AI inside th...

In this episode, I talk with Andy Vaughn, president and CEO of Alliant International University, about leading through pressure, regulation, and organizational change. Andy shares how he helped navigate major regulatory threats, why CEOs sometimes need to personally step into difficult situations, and how relationship-building helped shape critical outcomes for his institution. We also discuss emp...

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Collens, CEO of Matter, to discuss the hidden leadership challenges that appear as companies grow. Steven explains why early employees don’t automatically share the same founder mindset, how culture can quietly drift during scaling, and why storytelling and values become critical as teams expand. We also explore healthcare innovation, startup ecosystems, AI...

In this episode, I speak with Kendall Dabaghi, co-founder and CEO of Kingdom, about building a biotechnology company from personal experience, scientific research, and real market demand. Kendall shares how his own health struggles led him into microbiome research, why founders must solve problems customers actually care about, and how he turned a scientific platform into a scalable business. We a...

In this episode, I sat down with Jeff Helfgott to discuss how CEOs should lead through change, especially during growth and acquisitions. We talked about why poor communication creates fear and resistance, and how involving people early and setting clear expectations builds trust. Jeff also shared insights on scaling teams, delegating effectively, and how to approach AI in a practical way that imp...

In this episode, I spoke with Hilary Dubin about the transition from doing everything as a founder to building a scalable company. We discussed how growth starts when you replace yourself with experts, the importance of systems and clear ownership, and how to navigate leadership as a co-CEO. Hilary also shared how her team approaches AI, from internal experimentation to using data and personalizat...

In this episode, I sat down with Doug Merritt to talk about what truly drives success when scaling a company. We explored why focusing too much on outcomes can hold you back, and how learning, curiosity, and strong feedback systems are what actually create long-term results. Doug also shared insights on building culture, aligning teams, and how leaders should think about AI, not just as a technolo...

In this episode, I spoke with Kevin Hohe about what it really takes to scale a business, from letting go of doing everything yourself to building a true people-first company. We discussed how many founders tie their identity to the work, why culture must be protected at all costs, and how resilience and belief in your vision are what keep you going when things get tough. We also explored hiring, l...

In this episode, I talk with Alberto Gimeno about product market fit and one of the hardest decisions CEOs face, focus. We discuss what happens when you try to serve too many markets at once, why that slows growth, and how to identify where real demand is coming from. Alberto shares how testing multiple customer segments helped validate demand, but also created complexity, and why committing to on...

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Monterroso to talk about one of the biggest bottlenecks in scaling a company, the CEO. We break down why operating from a daily to do list is a warning sign, and how delegation, systems, and processes are what truly enable growth. Steven shares how CEOs can stop chasing tasks, let go of perfection, and build teams that execute without constant involvement. W...

In this episode, I speak with Talbot Gee about what really changes as a company scales. We discuss why many CEOs get stuck operating in their comfort zone and how that becomes a limitation as the organization grows. Talbot explains how the role of a CEO evolves across finance, operations, sales, and strategy, and why leaders must continuously adapt. We also explore curiosity, learning from peers,...

In this episode, I sit down with Howard Chang to unpack one of the most overlooked barriers to scaling as a CEO, ego. We talk about how early success can create blind spots, why many leaders struggle to trust people who are better than them, and how that limits growth. Howard shares lessons from failure, rebuilding, and leading multiple companies, including how to think about problems more deeply,...

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Crowe to break down how AI is reshaping organizations and leadership thinking. We discuss why blindly trusting AI outputs is dangerous, how to shift from a doing mindset to a thinking culture, and what it takes to scale operations while maintaining control. Chris also shares insights on compliance, communication, team building, and how CEOs can use AI effecti...

In this episode, I talk with Kriti Sharma about how AI is changing the way CEOs should think about building products and scaling companies. We discuss why starting with real customer problems matters more than data, how to achieve product-market fit faster, and why focusing on a few key customers allows you to solve multiple problems at once. Kriti also shares how immersive, on-the-ground building...

In this episode, I speak with Joshua Gould about the real weight of being a CEO. We go deep into what changes when you take the top seat, from making decisions alone to managing a global company across 80 countries. Joshua shares lessons on handling pressure, scaling internationally, navigating complexity, and how AI is transforming operations while still requiring human judgment.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Rolls to talk about what it really takes to scale as a CEO. We explore the shift from being hands-on to leading globally, why trying to do everything slows your company down, and how to build a leadership engine that keeps growing with the business. Chris also shares how to invest in people, manage global teams, and use AI without losing quality as you scale.

In this episode, I speak with Nathan Louer about how to scale a consumer business while staying efficient. We discuss unit economics, labor and cost management, and how scaling can create efficiencies across locations. We also talk about prioritization, how to align leadership teams, and how to focus on long term growth instead of short term noise. We also explore how AI can improve internal effic...