In this episode, I talk with Ryan Hutchins, founder and president of Peak Business Valuation, about the intersection of leadership, education, and business growth. Ryan discusses the overlooked risks small business owners face and the crucial role of leadership in navigating these challenges. He shares insights on business valuation, the company’s impressive growth, and the importance of hiring for a growth mindset. Our conversation also touches on the dynamics of running a business with a spouse, emphasizing communication and support. Listeners will learn the value of continuous learning and resilience for sustainable organizational success.

Great leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about practicing leadership skills consistently to inspire and guide your team. In this episode, I’ll dive into why the best leaders don’t just rely on experience but actively work on practicing leadership skills to improve their impact. I’ll share insights from my work with top CEOs and executives on how daily habits and intentional development can shape stronger, more effective leadership. Leadership is a skill that requires dedication, not just a title. Join me as we explore how practicing leadership skills can elevate your influence and drive real results.

Your mindset shapes how you lead, make decisions, and inspire those around you. In this episode, I explore why shifting your Mindset for Leadership is crucial to driving success and growth in your organization. I’ll share insights from my years of coaching high-level executives on how adopting the right Mindset for Leadership can help you overcome challenges, build stronger teams, and unlock new levels of performance. It’s not just about strategies—it’s about thinking differently to lead effectively. Join me as we dive into the power of a transformational Mindset for Leadership and how it can elevate your impact.

In this episode, I explore the key habits that CEOs should adopt to improve their effectiveness and leadership within fast-growing companies. I underscore the significance of daily practices like praising employees specifically to enhance morale and foster a culture of recognition. Weekly, I recommend reviewing calendars to optimize time management and reduce unproductive meetings. For monthly routines, I stress the value of one-on-one meetings that serve both as check-ins and coaching sessions, emphasizing the need for active listening to support employee development. Lastly, I discuss quarterly reflections on organizational goals, advocating for regular business reviews to assess progress and adaptability. My insights aim to guide CEOs towards refining their leadership style and strengthening their company culture.

In this episode, I explore the critical skill of effective communication for leaders, particularly in managing tough conversations that can significantly shape a company's direction. Drawing from my experience as an executive coach, I discuss observed challenges faced by CEOs in guiding their teams through uncertainties and aligning efforts around new opportunities. I introduce the concept of the "encouragement meeting" from my book, which emphasizes the importance of follow-up communication to reinforce progress or re-align team objectives. Additionally, I highlight the necessity of maintaining an ongoing dialogue that encourages continuous improvement. Ultimately, this episode highlights that courageous leadership and proactive communication are key to fostering accountable and high-performing teams.

In this episode, Rob Shallenberger, author of "Do What Matters Most," shares his insights on prioritizing our lives for greater personal and professional fulfillment. Drawing from his experience as an Air Force F-16 pilot and a leadership trainer, Rob emphasizes the importance of effective time management, revealing that 68% of people struggle with prioritization. He introduces the transformative habit of pre-week planning—an approach that encourages individuals to proactively design their schedules rather than reactively managing them. Rob outlines a structured process involving goal review, identification of key life roles, and actionable item scheduling, demonstrating how this practice can lead to significant productivity gains while reducing stress. Through impactful stories, he illustrates the profound effects of planning on relationships and overall well-being, encouraging listeners to adopt these habits for a more balanced and intentional life.

In this episode, I discuss the complexities of leadership and the drawbacks of excessive niceness. Drawing from my experience as an executive coach, I illustrate how being overly compassionate can hinder accountability and effectiveness, using a client's transition to private equity as a case study.
I emphasize the importance of self-awareness and encourage feedback tools, like 360-degree reviews, to identify blind spots. Ultimately, I highlight the necessity for leaders to evolve by balancing firmness and compassion to effectively guide their teams. Tune in for insights to enhance your leadership approach.

In this episode, we explore the innovative strategies employed by Justin Johnson, the founder of BMP Creative, a thriving social media agency that has seen significant growth in recent years. Justin shares insights into his journey of scaling the company from a small team to nearly 30 employees while emphasizing the importance of innovation as a driving force behind their success. At the heart of BMP Creative's growth lies a unique internal tool called the Busy-O-Meter, designed to foster transparency and understanding of employee workloads within a remote work environment. Every day at 11 a.m., the Busy-O-Meter prompts team members to rate their busyness on a scale from 1 to 10, encouraging open communication about capacity and creating a cohesive company culture. This innovative approach allows the team to efficiently allocate resources and support one another, effectively eliminating any guesswork regarding who may need assistance. The discussion further delves into the vital role of core values in building a culture of innovation. Justin explains that BMP Creative actively hires individuals who demonstrate a natural affinity for creative problem-solving, often evidenced through their side projects and personal passions. He recounts an enlightening interview with a candidate who not only worked in strategy but also engineered custom video distortion tools as a hobby. This propensity for innovation, Justin argues, is essential for maintaining a dynamic and forward-thinking organization. The conversation also highlights the rapid evolution of video production tools, particularly in the realm of AI, which Justin integrates into his company's workflows to enhance creativity and efficiency. He discusses the importance of staying ahead of trends and experimenting with new tools, like the Submachine platform that his team developed to streamline the creation of dynamic subtitles for Netflix content. By leveraging technology, BMP Creative boosts its output while ensuring high-quality results, allowing the agency to handle substantial client demands more effectively. Justin's excitement for storytelling comes to the forefront as he shares his endeavors in film, including his latest documentary about his parents' unconventional business. Drawing parallels between filmmaking and corporate innovation, he emphasizes the necessity of human emotion and compelling narratives in driving impactful content creation. Closing the episode, Justin invites listeners to think about how they can harness their unique stories and experiences to illustrate their professional journeys. He offers to collaborate on creating innovative sizzle reels that encapsulate personal and professional milestones, showcasing how narrative can be intertwined with corporate growth and innovation. Overall, this episode serves as a wealth of knowledge for those looking to implement creative strategies in their organizations, urging leaders to embrace innovation, prioritize transparency, and recognize the importance of storytelling in both their work and personal lives. 00:00:10 Introduction to Scaling by Innovation 00:09:46 Tools for Scaling in Remote Work 00:12:12 The Busy-O-Meter: A Transparency Tool 00:14:24 Hiring for Innovation: The Secret Sauce 00:16:39 Core Values That Drive Innovation 00:18:58 Innovation as a Way of Working 00:22:58 Personal Projects and Career Stories