The Start, Scale & Succeed Podcast

In this revelatory episode, Ben Wright, Director of Stronger Sales Teams, shares why relying on one superstar sales rep can put your entire business at risk. If you're in stage 4 feeling dangerously dependent on a top performer, worried about what happens if they leave or burn out, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why depending on a single high-performing sales rep creates massive v...

In this pivotal episode, Scott Ritzheimer, Founder of Scale Architects, shares how to decide whether to stay in level 2 as a thriving solopreneur or move to level 3 by building a team. If you're in level 2 feeling pressure to hire but unsure if it's right for your vision, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why staying in level 2 can let you command premium pricing and focus on mastery...

In this practical episode, Tim Harrison, Founder and CEO of Coaching Innovation Lab, shares how AI can be your most powerful leverage tool as a stage 2 solopreneur. If you're overwhelmed wearing every hat, struggling with time constraints, and doing too much low-value work yourself, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why AI is now the essential third option beyond just eliminate or de...

In this clarifying episode, Scott Ritzheimer, Founder of Scale Architects, shares how to decide whether you should stay in stage 1 as a purposeful employee or move to stage 2 and start your own thing. If you're a dissatisfied employee feeling pulled to launch but unsure if it's right for you, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why level 1 can be the ideal stage for mastering your craf...

In this revelatory episode, Ryan Finley, Owner and Founder of Freedom Financial Services Group, shares how neglecting your marriage while building your business can destroy both. If you’re a stage 1 founder feeling pulled between launching your venture and maintaining your most important relationship, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why keeping your spouse involved in your business...

In this clarifying episode, Scott Ritzheimer, Founder of Scale Architects, shares why asking the right question about your current stage matters more than chasing the next one. If you're unsure which level you're in, feel stuck pursuing the wrong growth, or worry you're building something you won't want to lead, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why knowing your exact Founder's Evolu...

In this methodical episode, Bradley Rausch, Owner of bradleyrausch.com, shares how to turn your happy clients into a high-margin growth engine instead of staying trapped on the front-end hamster wheel. If you have clients, a team, and solid reviews but your growth has flattened despite chasing more leads, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why focusing on quality of revenue through re...

In this fundamental episode, Richard Gearhart, Founding Partner of Gearhart Law, LLC, shares how to smartly handle legal basics as a pre-founder so you can protect your ideas without big costs or risks. If you feel intimidated by legal stuff while still collecting a paycheck and juggling a side hustle, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to check your employment contract and docume...

In this empowering episode, Kim Sawyer, Founder of theWealthSource®, shares how to take ownership of your career as a pre-founder in stage 1. If you're feeling stuck in a job, dissatisfied despite a good paycheck, and wondering if you should make a change, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why treating your career as a business where you are the CEO gives you real control - How to di...

In this insightful episode, Yarin Gaon, Founder of Fractional Partners, shares why outside capital often destroys more value than it creates for stage 4 founders. If you're generating more revenue but watching profits shrink, feeling overwhelmed by complexity, and tempted to raise money to fix it, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why giving capital to an unclear business model is mo...

In this profound episode, Les McKeown, Founder and CEO of Predictable Success, shares how to navigate your current stage with clarity across all seven stages of the Founder's Evolution. If you feel uncertain about where you are, sense misalignment in your team, or wonder if you're truly in predictable success, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to use simple tests like "If you hav...

In this eye-opening episode, Nick Avaria, Founder of Agency Acquisitions, shares why many stage 4 founders get trapped in the missing middle. If you're growing revenue but profits are shrinking, complexity is overwhelming you, and your team feels misaligned, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why growth rewards you with more problems and a dangerous chasm called the missing middle - H...

In this functional episode, Jorge Chavez, President of Topaz Sales Consulting, shares how stage 3 founders can successfully hire and scale their first salespeople. If you struggle with inconsistent sales, bad hires, or feeling like no one sells the way you do, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - How to use a specialized sales hiring process that screens for real sales competencies - Wh...

In this clarifying episode, Richard Broo, Principal and Founder of True North PMP Consulting, shares how how stage 5 CEOs can diagnose and fix disconnects that derail projects and performance. If you feel overwhelmed by complexity, frustrated by information gaps between levels, or sense your team is not aligned despite your efforts, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why breakdowns ha...

In this insightful episode, Stacey Bailey, Senior Consultant & Executive Coach of The Intention Collective, shares how creative founders can successfully lead their first team in stage 3. If you feel frustrated that no one else can keep up, think like you, or deliver the way you do, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why expecting your team to think and work like you creates unnec...

In this eye-opening episode, David Barnett, Owner of www. DavidCBarnett.com, shares how to protect and strengthen your business as you grow in stage 3. If you’re growing fast but feel exposed to hidden risks, or worry that one mistake could wipe out years of work, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why focusing only on revenue and profit leaves your business dangerously vulnerable. -...

In this strategic episode, Jesse Gilmore, Founder of Niche in Control, shares how to escape the founder-as-bottleneck trap by shifting your identity from doer to leader and building real systems so you stop owning a job and start owning a business. If you’re still the single point of failure and every client or fire runs through you, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - Why succeeding a...

In this efficient episode, Scott Abbott, Founder and CEO of BOS-UP, shares how to lead executives effectively by blending robust systems with human-centered leadership, EQ, and intentional "Boss Up Moments" to scale beyond founder-driven chaos. If you struggle with executives falling out of alignment despite a strong team, or if you find that your drive and decisiveness now work against you at thi...

In this insightful episode, Eric Woodard, CEO of Win At Work, shares how you rethink dissatisfaction, stop chasing entrepreneurship as an escape, and find alignment by focusing on real needs and human connection. If you feel stuck, frustrated in your work, or tempted to start something just to “get out,” you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - How to identify whether your dissatisfaction i...

In this tactical episode, Anthony Blatner, Founder of Speedwork, shares how you transition from founder-led, one-to-one sales into scalable, one-to-many systems using LinkedIn and thought leadership. If you’re stuck closing every deal yourself and struggling to scale pipeline without burning out, you won’t want to miss it. You will discover: - How to shift from one-to-one sales into scalable one-t...

In this high-impact episode, Eric Nitzberg, Founder and Principal of Sierra Leadership, shares why even successful CEOs battle imposter syndrome and identity struggles in stage 5. If you feel exposed, question your role, or wonder “who am I now?” as your company grows beyond your hands-on control, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why imposter syndrome actually increases at senior le...

In this transformational episode, David Miller, Founder and CEO of Alchemy of Scale, shares how to move from overwhelmed founder to effective leader in stage 4. If you have managers but still feel like everything runs through you, you're frustrated with constant questions, and the team isn't owning results, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why having managers doesn't mean you have r...

In this gritty episode, Corey Dissin, Owner of The Corey Dissin Companies, LLC, shares why most early-stage founders fail—not from bad ideas, but from quitting before their habits compound. If you struggle with consistency, get distracted by shiny objects, or feel like entrepreneurship should be easier than it is in stage 2, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why discipline beats tale...

In this constructive episode, David C. Olcott, CEO of Samurai Success, shares how to move from reluctant manager to effective leader in stage 3. If you feel frustrated managing people, overwhelmed by constant questions, and stuck wearing too many hats, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why managing people directly creates constant frustration and burnout. - How to build systems that...

In this eye-opening episode, Alexis Sikorsky, Owner of Sikorsky Consulting Ltd, shares how to prepare for a strong private equity exit in stage 5. If you worry about leaving money on the table, fear private equity as the enemy, or feel stuck in growth and decision fatigue, you won't want to miss it. You will discover: - Why private equity is your friend, not your enemy, when you understand how the...