Every company that wants to scale fast juggles many projects so they can move forward with speed. It is prevalent to put many projects before culture. In this episode, we look at why culture starts early. Today’s guest is Marc Randolph, one of the co-founders of Netflix. He was the first CEO at Netflix too. Marc had many other successes besides Netflix too. He is an investor and mentor to many legendary companies. He is also the host of a new podcast called That Will Never Work. Marc and I talk about the importance of culture in the early stages of business growth. One fact is getting the culture right in the beginning is more straightforward than changing culture when you begin to scale. Join us for this conversation on why culture starts early.

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A seven-year journey to get here. We reached 700 episodes and this very special one is just me. You get a summary of the not-so-obvious lessons from the Inc 5000 founders and CEOs. These lessons will challenge you and what you think to be right. I’m fine with pushing you to see a new perspective. You will discover lessons from proven leaders that have been in the top 1 percent in terms of revenue growth. Some of these are behind-the-scenes issues that sabotage my clients. Some are directly from interviews on the show. The most important thing is understanding even just one of these seven lessons will give you more power and clarity to be a more confident leader. They will guide you to extraordinary results. The not-so-obvious lessons in leadership will allow you to think about how you are able to evolve in each of the seven areas. Join me today in this very special — number 700 — and lean in to see which message is the breakthrough you need. You don’t have to be one of the Inc 5000 founders to benefit from these lessons. We all need these seven insights.

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Getting your message out into the world has been getting more difficult for years now. The amount of content is causing noise across all channels. Some people are slightly better at the hype of influence. There are some that so powerful in the hype strategies that they are hard to ignore. Our guest today is Michael Schein, author of The Hype Handbook. This book looks at the strategies that propagandists and cult leaders use to get people into action. Michael Schein and I discuss how you can learn from these mischief-makers to increase your influence. Micheal Schein has articles that have appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc, and Psychology Today. Learn from infamous Influencers that have always deployed the power of hype to get what they want.

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Mastering the art of developing your executive leadership team requires many skills. The leaders that you hire to support you in the journey to growth are usually competent and full of experience. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage. Developing your executive leadership team the right way is essential if you want to reach the company’s potential. Today’s guest is Jeff Hilimire, CEO and co-founder of Dragon Army. Jeff is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits. Jeff is also the author of The 5-Day Turnaround. Dragon Army is an Atlanta-based mobile and innovation company that helps clients navigate today’s connected landscape. We look at developing your executive leadership team in depth. Jeff shares how we have been able to create strong teams at the executive level. Jeff and I go way back, and it is an honor to have him back on the podcast.

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Every great company has some employee training provided. There are many reasons for employee training, but one of the most essential is because employees want to work in a place where they are growing. Employee training is expensive, but it is often cited that not having employee training is more costly in the long run. Today’s guest is Nick Smarrelli, CEO at Gadelnet Consulting. Inc Magazine ranked Gadelnet #3330 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. They have been recognized on the Inc list eight consecutive times. Nick shares that one of the company values is “grow or die.” We look at the mindset of leaders that invest in employee training.

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Leaders often talk about why transparency is important. However, the absolute truth is that each leader has a “transparency line,” which is how much openness they are comfortable with. In my hundreds of interviews with fast-growth companies, you will see a typical pattern in companies that make transparency a central part of their culture. Our guest is Todd Ablowitz, Co-CEO, and Co-founder of Infinicept. His company was #95 on the 2020 Inc 500 list. Infinicept is recognized as the second fastest-growing software company on the list. Todd gives you many reasons why transparency is important. We discuss the power of vulnerability. Transparency is important for fast-growth and to provide a basis for trust across the organization.

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When starting a new enterprise, many decisions must be made. Some are urgent now, and others can be pushed off until the future. One big question is what kind of company do you want to be? This question is interpreted in many ways. But strong companies that know employees are essential to the organization's success know the importance of putting people first. My guest today is Brad Casper at Heart and Soul Marketing. Brad came from a previous Inc 5000 company and wanted to start Heart and Soul Marketing with a clear focus on the people. We look at the business case of putting people first. Brad shares the questions that he started within the very beginning. Join this interview to learn the art of putting people first.

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Leadership is more than just getting the job done. We have to be Activator to lead our employees beyond what they believe is possible. Dr. Jason Jones is our special guest today. Dr. Jason Jones is the author of Activator, which is about understanding the brain science in unlocking high-performance leadership. We look at the core elements of activating others. Dr. Jason Jones shows us simple ways to connect, coach, and culture in the process of being an Activator. You will learn new elements of leadership through this interview with Dr. Jason Jones.

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Every business has to balance the right perks and profitability. Today we look at the power of offering parental leave and the impact it has on company growth. Parental leave is more than just time off to adjust to having a new child joining a family. Our special guest is Debbie Millin, COO at Globalization Partners. This company was 6th in the 2016 Inc 5000 list. Globalization Partners helps companies scale and grow internationally through their systems. Debbe and I talk about parental leave in today's world. We look at the reasons why it is essential if you want to create a place that attracts top talent.

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Leaders who can do most tasks in their company seem to struggle in one central area. It is learning to delegate the right way. The main reason is they know how to do the thing. They also know how they want it done. However, great leaders know how to delegate the right way. The art of delegation can help you be the best leader you can be. Our guest is Jordan Erksine, President of Dynamic Blending. Dynamic Blending was #17 on the 2020 Inc 500 list. Jordan begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is scheduling time. He also walks us through the end of the daily routine that has amplified his impact. In part two, Jordan is coached on the struggles of delegation the right way. He is transparent in our conversation, which makes for great learning. You will discover how to delegate the right way better inside this episode.

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Fast-growth companies are fast mainly because the CEO can remove themselves from being the bottleneck. My research into fast-growth companies revealed the importance of getting employees to take ownership. When they feel like owners, they can act like owners. My guest today is Pete Maldonado, Founder of Chomps. His company was ranked #22 in the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Chomps are located at major retailers where they sell Chomps meat sticks made with the best ingredients. Pete begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is improving collaboration in the organization. In part two, Pete is coached on getting employees to take ownership. We look beyond employees taking responsibility for their work. You will be a more effective leader when you apply the insights we discuss together. You will discover how to getting employees to take ownership inside this episode.

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Communication is a cornerstone in the skills of leadership. This does not mean you have to do all the talking. Actually, there is power in talking less and leading better. When you understand that listening is essential to leadership that aligns people. Our guest is Jory Schwach, CEO of Andium. His company was #200 on the 2020 Inc 500 list. Andium is an enterprise internet of things ecosystem that leverages its end-to-end software platform to bring intelligence and flexibility to hardware like never before. Jory begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is empowering others. He is very analytical and gives us a system to empowering others. In part two, he is coached on talking less and leading better. We look at what gets in the way when you talk too much. You will discover how to talk less and leading better inside this episode.

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