Scaling Up Business Podcast
542 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 84 ratingsScaling Up Business is all about how a few companies make it...and why the rest don’t. Our podcast shows are drawn from the lessons of our coaching clients, coaching partners, and the leading authors that contribute to our Conferences and the Scaling Up best selling book by Verne Harnish, and the Team at Gazelles.
We’ll share practical tools and techniques for building an industry-dominating business. These approaches have been honed over three decades of advising tens of thousands of CEOs and executives and helping them navigate the increasing complexities that come with scaling up a venture.
We want to turn what can feel like an anchor, into the wind at your back — helping you create a business where the team is engaged; the customers are doing your marketing; and everyone is making money.
Each episode of the Scaling Up Business show focuses on one of the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. We'll share the tools and methods that have been used by more than 40,000 firms around the globe to scale their companies successfully -- many to $1 billion and beyond.
Running a business is ultimately about freedom. The Scaling Up Business show tells leaders how to get their organizations moving in sync, to create something significant, and still enjoy the ride.
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Episodes
Core Values, How To Develop And Use Them
April 15, 2024 19:05 - 2 minutes - 2.64 MBIn this insightful episode, Bill delves into the essence and significance of company core values, demystifying how to get them right and why they are so crucial for creating a thriving, scalable business. He emphasizes that core values are not mere aspirational statements or the embodiment of desired traits but rather a reflection of how a company operates at its best. Bill argues that core values should guide the behavior and decisions within a company, ensuring it grows in a way that remai...
Managing A Positive Cash Flow with Peter Kingma
April 10, 2024 11:00 - 43 minutes - 78.8 MBWhy is it essential for management to strike a balance between profitability and cash flow for sustained business growth? In this episode, dive into the world of managing a positive cash flow and scaling up businesses with our insightful guest, Peter Kingma. We also explore the impact of different accounting practices on profit and cash flow, the significance of meaningful KPIs, and the importance of understanding cash flow in decision-making. Peter Kingma works with multinational clients ...
Delegating as a Leader with Dave Kerpen
April 03, 2024 14:00 - 45 minutes - 42.5 MBEffective leaders know how to delegate the things they don’t do well — or don’t want to do well — so that they can focus on their strengths and move the company toward greater success. Dave Kerpen is currently an advisor to many companies and is the CEO/Co-Founder of Apprentice, a platform that connects entrepreneurs and business leaders with smart and motivated college students looking for real-world experience and mentorship. Dave’s new book, Get Over Yourself, shares the roadmap for...
Perfecting your pitch
April 02, 2024 15:54 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBIn this episode, the focus is on mastering the art of pitching within the context of growing a company, emphasizing the importance of engaging people effectively despite their inherent complexities and irrationalities. Recognizing that people, including ourselves, operate in ways that might only make sense to them, the episode delves into how to craft a pitch that resonates and leads to more affirmative responses. The key lies in sharing a compelling vision of the future that addresses a pro...
Don't Self Sabotage with personal worries
March 27, 2024 15:14 - 3 minutes - 2.86 MBIn this episode, Bill delves into the psychological barriers that hinder our ability to secure affirmative responses in business interactions, emphasizing the detrimental impact of personal concerns and self-doubt. He identifies common worries, such as fearing one is too salesy or arrogant, and illustrates how these internal fears can prevent effective communication and diminish the enthusiasm in pitches or proposals. Bill proposes a solution to shift focus away from oneself and towards unde...
Designing a Company That Can Get Rich with Christopher Volk
March 27, 2024 14:00 - 44 minutes - 41.5 MBThe ultimate goal of building a company is to build its value. Designing a company that can get rich is not always top-of-mind for business owners, but it should be. Christopher Volk is the author of The Value Equation. Christopher was instrumental in leading and publicly listing three successful companies, two of which he co-founded. A 2019 regional winner of EYs’ Entrepreneur of the Year award, Christopher is a frequent university lecturer and serves on multiple non-profit boards. ...
Talent Assessment and Development
March 26, 2024 14:52 - 7 minutes - 7.29 MBIn this episode, Bill introduces a comprehensive approach to talent assessment aimed at enhancing team performance and fostering a positive work environment as businesses grow. He emphasizes the critical importance of assembling a team that not only performs well but also aligns with the company's values and culture. Bill introduces the concept of a talent assessment tool and process that focuses on two main criteria: fit with the company's values and performance in their current roles. This...
Dignity in The Modern Workplace with Ari Weinzweig
March 20, 2024 14:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBDoes dignity in the workplace really matter? Plenty of companies seem to get by without upholding dignity, but with over 40 years of experience and $60 million in annual sales, today’s return podcast guest knows there is a better way. Ari Weinzweig is the co-founder of Zingermans Delicatessen. Ari, alongside his co-founder, Paul Saginaw, started Zingerman’s in 1982 as a restaurant and specialty food retail space. Now the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses has 23 partners, employs over...
Process Accountability PACe
March 19, 2024 14:49 - 3 minutes - 3.56 MBIn this episode, Bill explores the crucial concept of process accountability as a key driver for company growth and efficiency. Focusing on the interplay between team engagement, performance, and the seamless integration of various business processes, Bill sheds light on the importance of defining and managing core processes distinct from functional responsibilities within a company. He emphasizes that processes like the transition from lead to customer experience involve multiple department...
Developing and training people for performance and retention
March 14, 2024 06:44 - 3 minutes - 3.36 MBIn this insightful episode, Bill dives into the critical importance of fostering a culture of learning and development within businesses to fuel growth and ensure talent retention. Bill emphasizes the necessity for every team member to contribute effectively and how investing in employee development significantly enhances job satisfaction and loyalty. He shares practical advice for companies, especially those operating with limited resources, on how to cultivate a continuous learning environ...
Transforming the State of Small Business with Michael E. Gerber
March 13, 2024 14:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBAre you working at a job, or are you working at building a business that will be worth enough to sell someday? Michael E. Gerber is the author of the NY Times mega-bestseller for two consecutive decades, The E-Myth Revisited, and nine other worldwide best-selling E-Myth books. For over 40 years, Michael has been impacting the lives of small business owners as one of the world's most renowned small business thought leaders. With 34 books in his name, Michael is a rockstar author who ...
Focusing on the Systems, Not the Symptoms with Dave Newell
March 06, 2024 15:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBIf you’re feeling overwhelmed by unsuccessful attempts to grow your business, you may be too focused on the systems. Growth happens when the focus shifts to addressing the systems, not the symptoms, of your company. Today’s guest is Dave Newell, CEO of Evolve Leadership Consulting. Dave works with small business leaders to implement the Five Facets of Business — a small business operating system — to optimize processes and foster team alignment around culture, strategy, operations, sto...
Functional Accountability: FACe Tool
March 05, 2024 17:54 - 8 minutes - 292 MB VideoIn this episode, we delve into the essential strategies for fostering teamwork and driving growth within your company. I introduce the concept of the "Functional Accountability Chart Exercise," which aims to clarify roles and responsibilities, boost productivity, and streamline operations. We explore the importance of eliminating ambiguity in ownership, ensuring individuals take full accountability for their tasks, and distributing workload effectively to prevent burnout. Join me as we...
Using Meaning in Your Marketing with Pete Steege
February 28, 2024 15:00 - 44 minutes - 41.6 MBThere is power in meaning, especially in your marketing, and it may be the ticket to achieving the growth that you are seeking. Pete Steege is the CEO of B2B Clarity. With over 30 years of marketing experience with a wide range of B2B technology and manufacturing businesses, Pete helps companies manage and scale their businesses by using meaning in their marketing to scale their businesses. In the early days of his career, Pete realized that marketing focused on sharing intellectual...
Manifesto
February 27, 2024 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.93 MBA great tool for reinforcing your strategy over time and embedding it in your company’s culture is the manifesto. An effective manifesto can be read daily, or at least weekly, shared with your team like a manifestation, and provides the opportunity to reflect on its relevance today. When reflected on often, a manifesto encourages people to apply its truths to their day-to-day actions and goals. There is a simple formula for developing your manifesto. First, identify the purpose. What i...
Franchising Your Business For Growth — Lance Graulich
February 21, 2024 15:00 - 38 minutes - 35.9 MBThere are plenty of ways to grow your business, but until you’ve worked out your strategy, it can be really hard to scale. One strategy makes funding growth much easier — franchising. Joining the show today is Lance Graulich. Known as the “King of Franchising,” Lance is the CEO of ION Franchising, an industry-leading franchise consulting and development group that represents over 800 franchise brands and business opportunities in every imaginable category. He’s also the host of the Eye...
One-Phrase Strategy
February 20, 2024 15:00 - 2 minutes - 3.11 MBSometimes the littlest things are the hardest things. Many people really struggle with their one-phrase strategy. The one-phrase strategy distills everything your business offers down to your competitive, profitable advantage over everyone else. The way you do business, your customer advantage, or the way you deliver goods or services all could become your one-phrase strategy. It’s generally operational, and it gives you a great competitive profit advantage. After you’ve figured out...
Creating a Bullseye for Customer Experience — Ali Cudby
February 14, 2024 15:00 - 47 minutes - 44.1 MBEvery company wants to grow faster, but what is the point of scaling up if you can’t retain the employees and customers you’ve already got? You have to deliver exceptional customer experience so that the growth you’re working on actually matters. Ali Cudby is the Founder and CEO of Alignmint Growth Strategies, which delivers consulting and training so you and your team know what to do to prevent customer churn before it starts. Ali knows customer experience is not a department — it’s c...
Profit Per X
February 13, 2024 15:00 - 2 minutes - 2.99 MBProfit per X is a strategic KPI that indicates the potential of the unit of measure that is most constrained in your business. As an independent coach, Bill’s most constrained thing is the number of days that he can work or profit per day. A laundry delivery service may deal with profit per truck or profit per stop. When you identify and optimize the number of profit per your X, it may be per customer, per product, per transaction, or per job, but whatever it may be, if you can optimiz...
All In — Mike Michalowicz
February 07, 2024 15:00 - 46 minutes - 43.2 MBNothing significant happens when you’re working alone. If you want to do anything big, you’re going to need a powerhouse team. Return podcast guest Mike Michalowicz founded and sold two multi-million dollar businesses by his 35th birthday. He is the bestselling author of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, Clockwork, and Fix This Next. He has built two additional multimillion-dollar companies and has become one of the world’s most popular speakers on small business topics. His new book is ...
X-Factor
February 06, 2024 15:00 - 5 minutes - 5.61 MBYour X-factor is the thing that gives you an advantage in your marketplace. It is your secret sauce to being better and standing out from your competition. It’s the key to growing faster than anyone else. It’s not easy to figure out your X-factor, and when you do, you have to keep it a secret that you can use for as long as you can because it doesn’t last forever. A truly great X-factor will expire as it is figured out by other people. You can figure out your X-factor by determining...
The Business of Safety — Apolonia Rockwell
January 31, 2024 15:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBSafety is at the core of the culture of every business. Sometimes it’s in direct ways, sometimes in indirect ways, but safety is always at the core of the work people do. Apolonia Rockwell is the Founder and CEO of True Safety Services, a company that specializes in on-site safety consulting and in helping employers with Safety/CDL Training local to Colorado, as well as nationwide. With a front-row seat to the dangers and harsh realities of hazards in the workplace in her childhood,...
Words You Own
January 30, 2024 15:00 - 2 minutes - 2.99 MBIf you asked people to pick three or four words to describe you and your business, what would they say? Would your customers and partners recognize your clear identity, or would they stumble? The words that you want to own in the future are the words that you invest in over time, starting now. Bill wants to be known as The Scaling Coach, and he has focused years and hours of effort on making that a reality. The key to identifying the words that you want to own is by talking to other...
Fire Yourself First — Jeff Russell
January 24, 2024 15:00 - 45 minutes - 42.5 MBHow can you get out of your business so that it can actually grow and thrive? Chances are, you’ve had days when you wished you could fire yourself. In reality, when it’s time to exit, you need to be the first person out the door. Jeff Russell is a best-selling author, renowned speaker, and accomplished entrepreneur. As the founder of many successful businesses and author of his latest book, Fire Yourself First, Jeff is an expert in helping business owners break free from the daily grin...
Guarantee Catalytic Mechanism
January 23, 2024 15:00 - 1 minute - 1.99 MBWhat is your guarantee? When you put your money where your mouth is, you lock in your brand promise. A guarantee can also serve as a catalytic mechanism that keeps your team focused on the right things and rewards the right behavior. Whether it’s a money-back guarantee or rewards for improvement, your strong guarantee serves as a bounty for the promise you have made. Make it big and make it strong to make it effective. Bill’s guarantee is that if you are unhappy with his team’s work...
Gain the Advantage by Leveraging the Voice of Your Customer — Mark Allen Roberts
January 17, 2024 15:00 - 34 minutes - 32.2 MBHow many of your strategy problems could be solved if only you knew what your customers have to say about your business? Mark Allen Roberts is the CEO and Founder at OTB Solutions, a Certified Scaling Up Coach, and a data-driven sales growth expert with over 37 years of experience in helping manufacturing CEOs and business leaders strategically drive explosive growth in revenue, profits, and shareholder value. Once Mark tasted the satisfaction of finding and solving customer problem...
Differentiating Activities
January 16, 2024 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.41 MBWhat are your differentiating activities? Differentiating activities are the operation-side things that you do differently than anyone else. They also help you achieve your brand promises over time. How are you able to deliver different results and, ultimately, a superior value to your customers? Start by identifying your brand promises, then look at the unique ways that you are operating. What is unique about your products and services, your operations, your team, and about the way yo...
Differentiating Your Business By Doing Things That Don’t Scale with Alex Sanfilippo
January 10, 2024 15:00 - 49 minutes - 46 MBAlex Sanfilippo is an entrepreneur, SaaS Founder, and Podcast Host. He is the CEO of PodPros, a software company specifically focused on independent podcast hosts and their guests to elevate their voices through podcasting and be heard. In his 15 years in the aerospace industry, Alex worked his way from taking out the trash up to the C-Suite. When he was told to stop the above-and-beyond initiative, he realized it was time for a major change. After an initial struggle, Alex identified ...
Brand Promises
January 09, 2024 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.66 MBBrand promises are what your customers can expect from you. It’s what sets you apart from the competition. You want to have three key brand promises that make your offerings clear. Your first brand promise should be your basic, core offering. The second brand promise should be a differentiator and highlight what makes you better than the other options. And for Bill, the third brand promise is all about fun. That may not be a fit for everyone, but it is perfect for the customers that Bi...
Success in the NFL and in Building a Business with Chris Gronkowski
January 03, 2024 15:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBNothing easy is ever handed out for free, but the challenge of working for what you want most is always worth the reward. After playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos, Chris Gronkowski ventured out to build a product with the aim to alleviate the challenges athletes experience with the standard protein shakers. Owner and inventor of the Ice Shaker, Chris has joined the Scaling Up podcast to share the highs and lows of his business growth. One of five ...
Your Core Customer
January 02, 2024 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.9 MBDo you know who your core customer is? The core customer is the buyer that you want to focus on. Your core customer loves working with you, would heartily recommend you, and willingly pays your full price. Your core customer is the top 20% of your clientele. Consider the essential qualities of your core customer and take time to learn more about what makes them who they are. The more qualitative factors you have about them, the more you will understand what you need to do to more effec...
The Best of Scaling Up 2023
December 27, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBIn this week’s episode, Scaling Up has lined up eight fan-favorite episodes from 2023. In case you’ve missed any of these classics, we have compiled a quick recap of each of the episodes and the guests below. Thank you for listening to the Scaling Up show! How can you get the most for your company and maximize the value of your company? The value of your business comes from how well the business can run without you. Nick Arellano is an award-winning M&A veteran who helps business owner...
Inspiring Conversations
December 26, 2023 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.86 MBGreat leaders inspire other people. There are a number of ways to inspire, but if all of your excitement and passion about your business only lives in your head, it’s not really doing much good at all. You want to light other people up about what your business can do and where it is heading. Inspiring conversations start with sharing your purpose, your BHAG, your vivid vision, and the solutions you have to the problems that you see in the world. Talk about the moment that you committed...
Ask of Your Needs and Share of Your Abundance with Curt Bear
December 20, 2023 15:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBEveryone likes to say they come from a place of abundance, but who really means it? And what happens when people are vulnerable enough to ask for their needs? Today Bill is joined by Curt Bear, founder of LoCo Think Tank, a small-business peer advisory group founded in 2014 in Northern Colorado to help business owners be more confident leaders and grow their businesses faster through perspective, accountability, and support. From small business banker to mobile food trailer owner, L...
Your Vivid Vision
December 19, 2023 15:00 - 5 minutes - 5.1 MBOnce you’ve established the purpose of your work and identified your BHAG, you need to create a vivid vision of your near future. Where do you want to be in 3‒5 years? What do your company, your team, your customers, and your product look like? Set aside some time when you can be uninterrupted, calm down, and look at the vision of your future. What does the business you are working so hard to build look like? What does your day look like when you’ve reached that 3‒5-year mark? Write...
Hiring Veterans and Why They Make Excellent Team Members & Business Owners
December 13, 2023 15:00 - 38 minutes - 37.2 MBIn honor of Veteran’s Day, Bill has gathered an elite group of military veterans, including Jason Simas, Dustin Zroka, and Betsy Feaster, for a conversation about hiring veterans and why they make excellent team members and business owners. From Air Force investigation to Exxon executive, Betsy Feaster now works as the CEO of Dog Training Elite. Her military experience trained her in problem-solving, work ethic, and teamwork, and gave her a great understanding of what is required to ge...
BHAG
December 12, 2023 15:00 - 5 minutes - 5.14 MBA BHAG — a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal — can play to your strengths. It’s not meant to be reasonable in any way; instead, it’s designed to inspire you to transform into something interesting. A BHAG also isn’t meant to be a financial goal. No one really cares that you want to be a billion-dollar company. But you can accomplish a compelling BHAG if you can translate that financial goal into something that is aligned with purpose. Take your financial goal, figure out what your impact will...
Don’t Give Up on “The American Dream” — R.T. Custer
December 06, 2023 15:00 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBContrary to popular belief, the American dream, as well as the classic statement wristwatch, are not a thing of the past. Today’s guest shares an incredible story of bringing both to life while legally battling an industry supergiant along the way. R.T. Custer is a Colorado-based entrepreneur, speaker, and co-founder of Vortic Watch Company. He helps founders create a life of freedom through community, connection, and mentorship and is on a continual journey toward the American dream. ...
Purpose and WHY
December 05, 2023 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.36 MBThe purpose of your company is the why or the what. There is something that you care deeply about that is motivating you to keep working toward your goal. At that motivational center you’ll find decision and action arise in the brain. What are you proud of? That is where you will find the why of your work. Consider a person that matters a great deal to you – what you would tell them about the work that you do? That is the why behind your efforts. Too many people get stuck on get...
Do You Sell, or Do You Help Your Customers Buy? — April Dunford
November 29, 2023 15:00 - 43 minutes - 40.5 MBGood sales pitches aren’t about what you have to offer. An effective sales pitch is all about what you have to offer that the other guys don’t have. When you can identify that selling point, you’re headed in the right direction to close the deal. April Dunford is an executive consultant, speaker, and author who helps technology companies make complicated products easy for customers to understand and love. She is a globally recognized expert in positioning and market strategy and has la...
Applying to Self and Mastery and Flow States
November 28, 2023 15:00 - 5 minutes - 5.02 MBWhen we become a master of something, it naturally flows through us. We feel powerful and effective. Flow state happens in peak moments of mastery, and these two are greatly interconnected. The beginning of mastery is to give up the idea of ever finishing. Bill is still deeply at work in the areas of his life that he is mastering. When we say we are done with something, we want to put it behind us. Instead, consider what it means to never be done learning more about the things you want...
Finding Common Ground — Keld Jensen
November 22, 2023 15:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBEverything is a negotiation. From the boardroom to the lunchroom, finding common ground is critical to getting what you want. Keld Jensen has more than 30 years of experience in international management, negotiation, and communication from his post as managing director of a listed Scandinavian company. He is the founder and former CEO of Centre for Negotiation, a consulting and training organization that has worked with private industry and governmental bodies in Europe, Asia, North Am...
F*ck the Slides – Creating A Winning Pitch Using Storytelling with Nir Zavaro
November 15, 2023 15:00 - 50 minutes - 47 MBYour slides aren’t working in your favor. The key to selling is the stories that you tell, and your pitch needs stories that engage people so that you can connect in ways that close the deals. Nir Zavaro is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He regularly tours the world, on a mission to help as many people as possible become better storytellers. Using his experience, storytelling fundamentals, and methods, he brings a fresh perspective on how to implement these into businesses, work...
The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership – Adam Bryant
November 08, 2023 15:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBThe playbook for navigating the transition from manager to leader has only become more difficult in recent years. Today’s guest understands the challenges leaders face and what it takes to be an effective leader in today’s workplace. Adam Bryant is the senior managing director of The ExCo Group, a leadership development and executive mentoring firm. He is a respected and noted expert on executive leadership who has interviewed more than 1,000 leaders for the “Corner Office” series he c...
Dealing with Rejection
November 07, 2023 15:00 - 2 minutes - 3.15 MBHow do you react when you hear “no”? People usually view no as a setback, take it personally, and get triggered or angry. But if you can learn to be loose and playful with every no you hear, you will find that you aren’t so deeply affected by it. When you approach no with curiosity, you might find that you can turn it into a “yes” in the future. Great leaders know how to be playful with a no. Whether they’re trying to hire someone, supply something, or pitch an idea, leaning into po...
Developing an Exponential Mindset to Lead in a VUCA World – Mark Divine
November 01, 2023 19:19 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBHow can you learn to stay calm and deal with a VUCA — volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous — world? Perspective is the number one tactic, and today’s guest is a special operator and leader who has the developmental skills and methodologies that can assist anyone in dealing with a VUCA world. Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL Commander, best-selling author, and leadership expert. After a 20-year career in the Navy SEALs, he was tasked with creating a leadership program for the SE...
Handling Upsets Through Deep Listening
October 24, 2023 14:00 - 2 minutes - 3.04 MBWhen people are really upset, there is a simple way to turn things around and bring them back into the game. Deeper listening is the key to understanding what is going on behind the complaint. The complaint itself is rarely the problem. More often it’s the personal value that they care deeply about that has been attacked or triggered. When a leader can identify the value that is behind the upset, they can diffuse the situation. Call the value out and give it a name to create a reset th...
Turn Your Career Setback Into A Growth Experience — Doug Lennick
October 18, 2023 14:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBNo matter how successful you are, at some point, you may encounter a career setback. Instead of being devastated, you can turn that setback into a growth experience. Doug Lennick, co-author of DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT, is the founding CEO of think2perform, a high-performance leadership development firm serving small and large organizations in a variety of industries. He has been in leadership roles for nearly 40 years and is widely recognized as an expert in the science of human...
What Can Go Wrong and What Probably Will
October 17, 2023 14:00 - 2 minutes - 2.66 MBGreat leaders tend to be optimistic and positive, but that can come at a very real cost. When you don’t think about or listen to what could go wrong, you’re setting yourself up for guaranteed failure. There is value in giving a voice to the negative possibilities. Bill once made a $2 million mistake by not considering what could go wrong. He quickly learned to balance his naturally positive approach with realistic and even negative possibilities. A great leader knows the value of empow...