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 ...
Feb 25, 2021•26 min•Ep. 700
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 lear...
Feb 23, 2021•24 min•Ep. 699
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...
Feb 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 698
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 consecu...
Feb 18, 2021•22 min•Ep. 697
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...
Feb 16, 2021•23 min•Ep. 696
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 M...
Feb 14, 2021•23 min•Ep. 695
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 ...
Feb 11, 2021•26 min•Ep. 694
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...
Feb 09, 2021•21 min•Ep. 693
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 opt...
Feb 08, 2021•33 min•Ep. 692
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 t...
Feb 04, 2021•34 min•Ep. 691
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 n...
Feb 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 690
You have likely heard the phrase "Eat the frog." It comes from the iconic Brian Tracy. It means that you have to keep doing the hard stuff every day. This means can't procrastinate the problematic things. Leadership is a constant battle of being uncomfortable when you do the hard stuff. Today we talk about doing the hard stuff with Johnny Owens, founder of Owens Recovery Science. His company is #136 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Johnny begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, whi...
Jan 31, 2021•37 min•Ep. 689
Growing fast requires you to have to be an intentional leader. Pushing yourself and challenging your team members is a regular part of any CEO’s work. One aspect of being very deliberate in how CEOs spend their time is knowing the most valuable projects. Today’s guest is Bill Kerr, CEO of Avalon Healthcare Solutions. His company was ranked #4 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Bill begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is the power of giving up making decisions. He shares how...
Jan 28, 2021•26 min•Ep. 688
Everything evolves. Great leaders are intentional about it. Once your company stabilizes from a growth phase, you may be thinking about what is next. In other words, you have to identify your next role in leadership. When you intentionally focus on how you are evolving, you will be seen as a stronger leader. Today’s guest is Aaron Grossman, CEO of The Talent Launch Network. His company was ranked eight consecutive times on the Inc 5000 list. His company was ranked eight consecutive times on the ...
Jan 26, 2021•34 min•Ep. 687
Back-to-back meetings may sound optimal in how you approach your schedule. However, don’t overlook the power of making time to think. If you want to see around corners and create a new future, you have to give yourself space. It may be a walk outside or even scheduling a day away from the office. Find your best strategy of making time to think. Our guest is Bryan Jakovcic, President and Owner of Fusion Health. Fusion Health was #556 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Bryan begins by sharing his top strat...
Jan 24, 2021•43 min•Ep. 686
Improving leadership communication does not have the mindshare of many leaders like operational strategies. However, communication is an essential element that many employees often say needs improvement, even when the company is growing fast. In fact, improving leadership communication is critical in an agile work environment. Our guest is Mike Gentile, CEO of Cisoshare. Cisoshare was #88 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Mike begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is being in...
Jan 21, 2021•33 min•Ep. 685
Many leaders feel that they have to make the most of every minute of the day. They optimize their schedules to get the most out of their time. However, many times they are not creating time to think. I see this quite often in my work and eventually, it catches up with these leaders. Today, we see how creating time to think is more productive than a packed calendar. Our guest is Kurt Luidhardt, co-founder of Prosper Group. Prosper Group was #466 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Kurt begins by sharing hi...
Jan 19, 2021•37 min•Ep. 684
Don’t overlook the need to think about the future, innovation, and potential threats. Yet too many CEOs are overscheduled. I get asked all the time. “How to create more white space to think?” As leaders, we have to learn the balance of everyday work and thinking about the vision we are creating. Our guest is Matt Kueker, CEO of Kenway Consulting. Kenway Consulting was #4495 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Matt begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is the power to say NO. I...
Jan 18, 2021•30 min•Ep. 683
Believing you need to improve accountability across your organization is a common thought. However, many times it is seen as hovering. The idea is to improve how you delegate without micro-managing. Our guest is Renzi Stone, CEO of Saxum. Saxum was #4246 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Renzi begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, integrating personal and professional time. He even takes time in the middle of the day to squeeze in a workout to improve his focus at work. In part two...
Jan 14, 2021•30 min•Ep. 682
For many, success has a price. CEOs that put all of their energy and time into the work will often wake up one day and wonder what happened to their personal lives. I was one of those people and didn’t realize it in my first startup. One thing that CEOs must keep in mind is the importance of planning family time. Today’s guest is Jeff Kupietzy, CEO of PowerInbox. PowerInbox ranked on the Inc 500 list at #30 in 2019. Jeff begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is utiliz...
Jan 12, 2021•35 min•Ep. 681
Every CEO is faced with dozens if not more projects that must be completed. The challenge is choosing the right projects. Not all of them can be done immediately. It is usually a balance of short-term and long-term projects that need to be managed. One way to look at choosing the right projects is to have a standard selection process or a rubric. Our guest is Jeff, co-founder of Digital Have. Digital Hyve was #52 on the 2018 Inc 500 list. Jeff begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing hi...
Jan 11, 2021•33 min•Ep. 680
Your calendar is likely the one tool that keeps you organized. If your calendar is not right, you are likely late to meetings and unaware of your commitments. When you manage your calendar better, you feel productive and efficient. This special series on optimizing your time is all about how you can manage your calendar better. Our guest is Erik Huberman, Founder, and CEO of Hawke Media. His company ranked #110 in 2017 and #1508 in 2020 on the Inc 5000 list. Eric begins by sharing his top strate...
Jan 07, 2021•22 min•Ep. 679
One of the biggest challenges that CEOs face when it comes to optimizing their time is creating white space in their calendar. It seems that no matter what they do, they have people that want to fill in any available time on their calendar with a meeting. Creating white space is really about making time to think. Scheduling back-to-back meeting may seem productive, but the CEO that lacks time to think is likely to miss opportunities. Today's interview is with Justin Bakes, co-founder of Forward ...
Jan 06, 2021•28 min•Ep. 678
When you spend your time wisely, you are focused on the right things. You can remove distractions from your mind to do the most valuable things. It is a never-ending journey to optimize your time, especially when you are the CEO of a fast-growth company. This video kicks off a new series aimed to help you optimize your time. Gene gives you the context of this series in a way that allows you to optimize your time by learning from others. This series will last the entire month of January. Tune in ...
Jan 04, 2021•8 min•Ep. 677
What a year it has been. Instead of looking back at our mistakes, let’s look at how you can prepare for the new year. Discover three essential elements to being a stronger and more influential leader who can activate growth this year. When you prepare for the new year the right way, you will meet any challenges you face in the new year. You will also get a bonus treat when I share the uncomfortable truth about goals. This one thing will be the one thing that determines if you receive your goals....
Dec 31, 2020•20 min•Ep. 676
Those that have an ownership stake tend to think differently about the work and decisions they have to make. Do you believe that getting employees that think like owners without any real financial ownership is possible? Well, I have seen it happen over and over. In fact, it is one of the most significant driving forces in fast-growth companies. Today's guest is Sam Eitzen, CEO at The Snap Bar. Inc Magazine ranked The Snap Bar #217 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Sam shares his leadership insights tha...
Dec 30, 2020•21 min•Ep. 675
Being a servant leader is not new. The big idea is as the CEO; you serve your people. However, you have to understand the servant leadership skills if you want to get all the value you can out of this idea. Today's guest is John Eanes, CEO at Eanes Heating & Air Conditioning. Inc Magazine ranked them #4330 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. John shares how servant leadership skills have impacted his company's growth. We look at why it drives growth in a way that allows you to improve your servant le...
Dec 29, 2020•19 min•Ep. 674
Thinking you know it all is the enemy to growth. When you can stay curious, you get to see perspectives. Today's guest is Mitch Greenwald, CEO at Cloudbakers. Inc Magazine ranked them #1174 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Cloudbakers is the Google Cloud Premier Partner that will ensure a fast and quality implementation. Mitch gives us a look into why we must stay curious when we want to grow our companies. He and I explore what that means for leaders that can stay curious despite the pressure to know...
Dec 28, 2020•23 min•Ep. 673
Your company has a culture whether or not you intentionally set it. When you define your culture to empower people, you set up the business for long-term success. The essential parts to define your culture are a big part of why a company grows fast. Today's guest is Goddard Abel, CEO at G2. Inc Magazine ranked G2 #408 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. This company helps B2C and B3b brands provide immersive online shopping experiences. Goddard sees the power of culture through all of the companies he ha...
Dec 27, 2020•23 min•Ep. 672
Adapting to the ups and downs of a crazy, fast-paced work environment is all about embracing change. Companies that resist change and make excuses suffer the consequences. The leaders of any organization must embrace change, and they must also encourage growth across the organization. My guest today is Co-CEO and co-founder of Soundstripe. This company was ranked #68 in the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Soundstripe is a marketplace for royalty-free music. Travis and I look at embracing change from a pract...
Dec 26, 2020•22 min•Ep. 671
