Path to Profit: Lessons From Growth-Driven Business Leaders: Recent Episodes

GrowthForce

Path to Profit is a podcast looking at business growth from every angle possible. Hear stories of success—and failure—lessons learned from leaders that have grown and scaled their businesses. You’ll learn how to think strategically, get better insight for decision making, and develop a growth mindset that will help you change the way you run your business.

Each episode features an interview with a business leader, discussing topics like data-driven decision making, the importance of a strong team culture, getting the most out of failure, the necessity of management accounting, navigating the business lifecycle, and more, all for the purpose of helping you find your own Path to Profit.

Unpack cybersecurity, starting with this motto: “just assume everything is bad.”Cybersecurity wizard, Scott Kreisberg from One Step Secure IT joins Stephen King to discuss all things technology: from phishing to preventing cybersecurity attacks, this tech focused episode provides practical tips to enhance your online security.Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a business leader, or just someone interested in the evolving world of cybersecurity, this episode is packed with valuable insights and actionable advice to help you stay ahead of cyber threats.They discuss:* Innovations in cybersecurity * Strategies to prevent cyberattacks * How your company culture can go in to prevent cyberattacks * Simulated phishing * The change in tech over the years * Scotts 4 steps to digital communication * The impact of remote workers in security * The future of cyber security

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!Check out Scott’s new book: Tame The Tech Beast!

So, you’re ready to sell your business you built from the ground up - what’s your motivation? That’s the first question you should ask yourself.With over three decades of experience in finance and investment, Kirk Michie, Managing Partner of Candor Advisors, joins Stephen on this episode to discuss the Wild West of exit strategies.Kirk starts by emphasizing the "WHY" – how your motivations can guide the entire sale process and ensure a more favorable outcome.Whether you're contemplating selling your business now or in the future, this episode is packed with practical advice and expert perspectives to help you navigate this complex path to profit.They discuss:* Kirk’s journey to managing partner * How to find the right buyer * How to be a strategic buyer * Starting with WHY * The importance of due diligence * Real client stories * Why you should ignore “comparison is the thief of joy” * How you can increase valuation

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

By now, you’re most likely familiar with the concept of 1:1 meetings (well… we hope so).But did you know it can be the missing key to unlocking employee engagement? Jennifer Loftus, owner of HR consulting firm Astron Solutions, joins Stephen King for not only one of the most talked about topics, but the MOST IMPORTANT topic: Employee Engagement.After all, your people are your biggest asset.Tune in to listen to Jennifer’s takeaways on the importance of keeping employees engaged, and how to do so in a remote environment. They discuss:* Astron’s 25 year history. * How the pandemic shifted workplace culture. * The importance of your value proposition. * The power of one to one meetings. * The key to employee connectivity, even when remote. * Real client stories engaged employees. * How to get your employees to bring their best selves. * The important discussion of employee compensation. * The 5 elements of total rewards.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Are the riches really in the niches?We weighed in with Carolyn Boldt Co-founder, VP, & Director of Design of CrossFields Interiors & Architecture. Carolyn shares her journey and the strategic steps she took when ascending to Co-founder & Vice president, offering invaluable insights into leadership and business acumen. From designing for big enterprises to honing in on holistic health and wellness practices, Carolyn shares the “blueprint” for finding your niche. Carolyn walks us through how she successfully identified and catered to her ideal client, reshaping the trajectory of CrossFields' success.They discuss:* Carolyn's background & what her team is currently working on. * Michael Gerber's book, The E-myth & how she applied it to CrossFields. * The steps Carolyn took when leaping Co-founder & VP. * How she brought her company back to profitability. * The riches are in the niches - how she chose her specific ideal client.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

The past four years have challenged business owners to reshape both their financial and people strategies; Guy Geier, Managing Partner at FX Collaborative, is no different. Guy joins Steve on Path To Profit to talk about the reality of the new normal after the pandemic from a financial and cultural perspective, and actions taken by his architecture company when funds were tight to reach their current revenue of $25 million. Guy also shares the specific KPIs he consistently uses to manage his firm.This is a must-listen for any business owner who wants to find the “blueprint” for growing a successful firm!They Discuss:* Guy’s story of becoming Managing Partner at FXCollaborative * His shift to remote work and why they moved back to hybrid. * The reality of his numbers during the pandemic * What his company did when money was tight * The specific KPIs Guy tracks for FXCollaborative * How AI is affecting the architecture space * How architecture firms can leverage new AI technology * Why Guy thinks other architecture firms need to be careful when using AI technology

Check out the AEC Scorecard™ - the architecture industry’s FIRST scorecard made exclusively for their growing firm!Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

A strategic vision alone won't cut it. Russ Hawkins, CEO at Agilence Inc shares invaluable insights on leading struggling companies to financial success. As a seasoned leader with a track record of turning companies around, Russ delivers a masterclass in the art of transformation. His proven approach involves thorough a SWOT analysis, a proven people strategy, and the proper way to use data. With over $100 million raised and successful sales in three different companies, his experience is a goldmine for entrepreneurs and business leaders.We Discuss:* Russ’s process when being brought into a new tech company to turn it into a platform for growth. * Why a SWAT Analysis is the first step when coming into a new company * One of the most important lessons a business owner can hear * The baseline before you can start thinking about expansion * What supports the strategic vision of the business * Russ’ advice on how to stay on the good side of your investors * How Russ suggests businesses find the right data for them * The story of a turkey and a bull & hope it relates to business

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Let this statistic sit with you: 40% of roles in SMBs can not be filled. In this episode, Rob Levin, CEO of WorkBetterNow is the guide on our venture into the heart of labor shortages and the talent crisis. Rob is no ordinary entrepreneur. Since its inception in 2018, he has steered his business to a staggering $7 million run rate, boasting an awe-inspiring 17% net profit. So, if you're racking your brain, wondering how to solve the ever-persistent Great ReShuffle this episode offers a different perspective. We Discuss: How Rob grew his new business to $7 million & 17% net profit since starting it in 2018 * The talent crisis and how 40% of roles in SMB’s can not be filled * The solution to the labor shortages * What to look for when outsourcing talent in your business * When to hire in the U.S and when to hire overseas * The benefits & best practices to finding talent overseas * The challenges to finding talent overseas * How to maintain culture when outsourcing

Don’t forget the EXCLUSIVE WorkBetterNow offer! If you’re interested in working with Rob & his team, mention “GrowthForce” & you can get $150 off your services for each of the first 3 months! Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Taxes are a labyrinth, so our seasoned experts unravel the complexities surrounding business taxes, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. State Tax Advisors new president, Hunter Epps, and Chairman & Founder Riley Epps, join Stephen King to discuss the intricacies of taxes and how a solid foundation is key to avoiding those dreaded, stress-inducing audits that can make even the most seasoned business owner break into a cold sweat.Plus, for all our remote/hybrid business owners- we take a deep dive into how to properly handle payroll with employees in different states. We Discuss:* A Path To Profit exclusive announcement about State Tax Advisors change in leadership * How to set up payroll when you have employees in different states * Why getting your taxes right is important * The first step in finding the right rules for Taxes * How you can avoid stressful audits * The advantages of virtual assistants * How Upwork can help with labor force challenges

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Let’s rewind the clock back 25 years to the era of sending a press release through fax machines. Those days are long gone, but the press release still remains an effective marketing tactic to get in front of your target audience. Now, in a digital space. Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases joins this episode of Path To Profit to uncover the keys to unleashing the true potential of press releases.Mickie reflects on the challenges and triumphs that shaped the revolution of press releases.Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or a curious listener, this episode is your backstage pass.We Discuss:* The evolution of press releases over the last 25 years, from fax to email * How Mickie came to launch eReleases * Best practices for getting journalists attention * The important elements of an effective press release * Why small businesses need press releases just as much as bigger companies * The dangers of micromanaging * How he stopped micromanaging and started focusing on growing the business * Mickie’s proudest press release

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

It starts with business innovation, growth, and customer-centric strategies; It ends with a 1.2 BILLION dollar software business. On this episode of Path To Profit, we are stepping into the world of business transformation and success with Gordon Henry, Chief Strategy Officer at Thryv, as your guide. As a data-driven strategist, Gordon reveals the key metrics and analytics that other business owners should pay close attention to in order to stay ahead of the game.

In the U.S., women own about 50% of the businesses, but only generate about 4% of the revenue.
And no one is talking about it.

Except for Alex Batdorf, Founder & CEO of GetSh!TDone. Alex joins us to break down the statistics and the challenges that women face in today’s business world.

How can we support women in growing businesses that scale generational impact?

We Discuss:
* How she became an entrepreneur at the age of 19. * The statistics behind women business owners * The 3 biggest things women see as barriers * How the current business model keeps women from making 6 figures in revenue * How individuals can be an ally to women business owners * Her biggest mistake in her business

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

How do you know if you’re a ‘manager’ or a ‘people leader’? How do you motivate your employees to carry out your organization’s mission? Is your org chart set up correctly?

If you’re a business owner- you’ve likely asked yourself this once or twice. We weighed in with an expert.

In the second part of this 2-part series, Sarah Sentes, Managing Partner at Manager Tools, takes the mic and shares her expertise in all things Managerial, Mission, and Org charts! We’ll give you a hint: it starts with (proper) communication.

It’s an age-old adage: Employees don’t quit jobs - they quit managers.

The question becomes: what makes a successful manager?

We weighed in with an expert. Kate Braun, Managing Partner at Manager Tools, shares her formula for successful management (and the science behind it) on this episode of Path To Profit.

Kate’s story with Manager Tools dates back to 2006, where she was started as an intern.

She’s returned to be a Co-Managing Partner to help other leaders become effective & productive managers through communication.

We Discuss:

The difference between Leadership and Management
How to be an effective and productive leader
The behaviors of successful managers
The 4 things you can do to create results from retention and why you should measure it
How to build trust with your people
How to build a non-fearful environment for your people
The secret to effective feedback
The difference between Coaching and Performance Reviews
The rule of thirds in your 1 on 1’s

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Every business leader knows by now LinkedIn is one of — if not the — most effective social networks for expanding your brand.

But how do you know your sales team is taking full advantage of the platform?

We asked an expert. This week, Stephen King weighs in with Intero Advisory Founder and CEO, Colleen Mckenna.

As the leaders of LinkedIn branding, sales, and recruiting enablement, Colleen shares her four pronged approach in social selling and on how to make your business stand out through the digital noise.

Not only do we tap into Colleen expertise on navigating LinkedIn, but she shares her own journey of building her profitable consulting business from her dining room table.

We Discuss:

How her love and passion for technology, marketing, and business development helped her build her business.
Her LinkedIn sales secrets & the 4 paths of social selling.
Her steps for how she went from a HubSpot shop in her dining room to a business with 700K in revenue.
The gap she sees between recruiting and LinkedIn.
Her “surround sound” method to find a channel of communication with a prospect.
Why more often than not, women are underselling themselves on LinkedIn.
Her internship with Oprah.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

For most business owners, the world of M&A can feel like the wild west.

But this isn’t Aldridge’s first rodeo.

Aldridge CEO, Patrick Wiley & President, Bryan Gregory share the mic this week on Path To Profit. As a nearly 4 decade old business, this MSP company has has been through it all- from changes in leadership, M&As, and industry shifts.

Patrick & Bryan share the lessons they’ve learned along the way as they’ve grown their business through M&As.

We Discuss:

The history of Aldridge’s 38 years in business and how they found their niche.
What steps they took to grow to their business to $24 million in revenue.
Why you can’t sell- or BUY- your way to profit.
How to successfully navigate a change in industry
Their biggest business mistake.
How changing strategy can be your biggest asset.
Why it’s important to constantly help your people grow.
Cyber security measures you should be implementing.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram at @GrowthForceHQ!

Every CEO’s story looks different.

But David Snyder’s journey to becoming CEO of SmartAcre is particularly miraculous.

Tragedy struck and David was thrown into his current position. Despite challenges, David was able to turn SmartAcre into a fast growing, profitable business - 29% to the bottom line to be exact!

How did he do it? David shares the 3 phases he stands by that helped him turn his business around.

We Discuss:

How he took the reins after a tragedy left him with no other choice- and the 3 phases on management attributes to his success.
The importance of correcting fragmented core values.
How to lead a “people first” culture.
Tips on avoiding zoom burnout .
The importance of trusting your leaders.
Why having “connectivity time” with your employees is important, even if you’re 100% remote.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram @GrowthForceHQ!

From finding innovative environmental solutions to tragedies such as the Gulf Coast oil spill, to growing a service business to $50 million in top-line revenue, Laurie La-Pat Polasko, Vice President at Matrix New World Engineering, is not your average businesswoman.

Taking her scientific background and a life-long passion, Laurie ventured into the business world with a unique perspective that made her the successful leader she is today.

In this episode, we discuss:

The number #1 most profitable skill a business leader can possess.
The secret to having a highly profitable business (it may not be what you think it is!)
Interviewing tips to look for the team players.
Laurie’s journey and how her life-long passion contributed to where she is today.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn at @GrowthForce & Instagram @GrowthForceHQ!

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

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Five years ago, ESG was stable. It was profitable, but it was not growing.

When Michael Harnum first joined the company as CEO, his first order of business was to find out why.

Since that fateful moment, ESG has gone from a struggling startup to a high growth company with $10 million in top line revenue and $3 million in bottom line profits.

In this episode, Michael shares how he turned the company around.

We discuss:

Finding the right market for your company
The importance of standardizing scope and fees
Making your leading and lagging indicators work for you
Hiring and onboarding the right people for remote work

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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Twitter: twitter.com/GrowthForce
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/growthforce
Facebook: facebook.com/GrowthForce

Most business leaders focus on the bottom line—the one that measures a company’s profits.

But there’s another bottom line you should be focusing on and that is the triple bottom line—the one that measures a company’s impact.

In this episode, host Stephen King shares some tips on how you can raise more money and drive more impact in an organization.

Whether you’re involved in a nonprofit or know someone who is, you’ll find value in listening – because for-profit businesses should be run like the best nonprofit organizations, and vice versa.

Steve explains:

How to beef up an individual giving program
Why you should implement donor impact statements
Why you should convert your annual donors to monthly givers

Download our Nonprofit Ebook to help you raise more money and stay on the lookout for our On-Demand Webinar:

Nonprofit Challenges In A New World (eBook)

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

It’s the question that has been on every CEO’s mind over the last 18 months: How do you maintain your workplace culture in a hybrid world?

This is one of the biggest challenges businesses are facing as a result of the pandemic.

According to Michael Weiss, VP of Creative Circle and my guest on today’s episode, the silver lining is that the pandemic has also given us a degree of empathy that we simply lacked before — and that empathy can and should inform how we approach this challenge moving forward.

In this episode, we discuss:

Maintaining culture in a hybrid world
Engaging prospects with stories that differentiate
Using digital marketing tools to be where your clients are

Contact Michael at mweiss@creativecircle.com.

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website .

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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In the world of doggie daycare, the COVID shutdown should have been an economic disaster. With everyone now working from home, it seems inevitable that daycare services would decrease in demand.

But that wasn’t the case for Kathy Miller, President of Dogtopia - South Bay. In fact, her company not only weathered the storm but actually doubled its profits during the pandemic.

In this episode, she shares the story of the pivot that made it all possible.

We discuss:

The giveback business model
Going after the right customers
Strategies for finding passionate employees
Having a family plan, in addition to a business plan
Sponsoring a service dog

Learn more about the service dog program by emailing Kathy at kathy.miller@dogtopia.com or by visiting dogtopia. com/torrance-south-bay.

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website .

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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Running a Nonprofit and running a for-profit have more similarities than you may think. Everybody’s goal is to at least break even, and at best- have a surplus at the end of the year.

That’s why nonprofits can learn a lot, in terms of how to effectively raise money and generate profits, by studying the best for-profit businesses, and vice versa.

In this Nonprofit-focused episode, Jennifer Lehman, President & C EO of Mission Advancement, shares the best practices any nonprofit can take from the for-profit world and the most effective strategies for fundraising. With many business owners being on the boards of nonprofits, this is an important lesson for any leader.

We discuss:

Why your best donor is your current donor
Overcoming the fear of fundraising during difficult times
The science and art of raising money
Best practices for managing fundable programs

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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There’s a fine balance between investing generously in your product and effectively managing your margins.

The key is to find a happy medium between funding a quality product that makes your clients happy (and attracts new ones) and generating enough profit to grow.

Anson Sowby, CEO & Co-Founder at Battery ,shares how his company navigated these waters en route to generating $10 million in revenue with a 20% profit margin.

We discuss:

Balancing the quality of the product with the quality of the margins
Making finance a priority from the beginning
Focusing on growing existing customers rather than chasing new ones
Realizing that you work for your employees, not your clients

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website .

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

When you decide to purchase a restaurant franchise, you’re given a book on how to run it effectively. It breaks down how to approach marketing, handle finances, and run operations.

But when you’re an entrepreneur opening up your own business, no such book exists to guide you along the path to profit.

Today’s guest set out to write that playbook.

In this episode, I chat with Jeff Chastain, Founder and Business Transformation Coach at Admentus, Inc., about the lessons he learned from building a business and how he codified them into processes for other companies to follow.

He shares:

The mistakes made while building his first company
Why culture is so important to hiring well
How EOS can help companies stay on track
Why leading indicators are so important

Listen to Jeff’s podcast Building to Scale.

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website .

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Early on, many entrepreneurs learn the important lesson of making the business less about them, and more about the mission.

For today’s guest, Jacky Fischer, CEO of 3 Men Movers, that was exactly the mindset shift that sparked tremendous growth for her company. During this episode, Jacky shares the lessons she learned on her journey to building a $40 million business.

We discuss:

Putting the mission and vision of the company at the center
Working towards true accountability
How the manifesto informs her company’s culture
Why the way to run your business is the opposite of what you think

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Jacky’s book is The Growth Paradox: The Way to Run a Business is Opposite of What You Think.

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

In 2020, you were doing $100 million in revenue with 250 employees. But then, your revenue dropped to $20 million, and you could only keep 38 employees (most at 25% of their salaries). Right after an acquisition, too.

Just a year later, you’ve recovered to $45 million (that’s 250% bounce back), and many of your employees have returned.

This is the experience of today’s guest, Ray Pekowski, Owner at The Expo Group, a 30-year-old company that’s chosen to act like a startup to recover its growth.

In this episode we discuss:

Digitization, outsourcing, tax credits, and other resources and strategies that saved the business
How thinking like a startup has shaped the recovery plan
The importance of culture, hiring, and servant leadership
Stock appreciation rights (SARs)/phantom stock

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Ray’s book is Lessons of an Entrepreneur
The Expo Group also shares a ton of resources

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Lessons of an Entrepreneur: How to Grow, Take Risks and Survive

Visit this show online at growthforce.com/podcast.

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It’s strange to hear a five-time Inc. 5000 lister talk about down periods. But his company didn’t start becoming profitable for the first five years, easily. What changed? EOS.

In this episode, I interview Steve Thies, CEO at Integrated Biometrics, about how persistence and EOS led him to a success that only 3% of companies can boast.

What we talked about:

The origin of his company and the pain of long sales cycles
How he arrived at cash-flow positive
All things EOS (Wickman’s Traction is a must-read)
His predictive model for his company’s financial success
Value prop and persistence

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

Visit this show online at growthforce.com/podcast.

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How do you make decisions based on financial statements? For that matter, how do you communicate the content of financial statements so that others can make sound decisions? Join us for a discussion of the art and science of financials.

In this episode, I interview Chris Williams, President and CEO at Rocaceia LLC, about how financial statements inform his business strategy.

How to Use Financial Statements to your businesses’ advantage

What we talked about:

The business model he uses and why
Building financial statements that matter
Using visuals to communicate financial data
Monthly averages, quarterly averages, and the importance of even $250

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

You’re the CEO of a mid-sized company, and you do a great job with the process of running the business. The thing you may not have a great handle on is growth.

In this episode, I interview my longtime friend Art Saxby, CEO and Founder at Chief Outsiders, about how he took less than $2K and an interest in QuickBooks all the way to the largest strategic growth implementation company.

What we talked about:

Setting a vision and creating culture based on strategy
The need to rely on data & how to use it
The difference between accounting and bookkeeping
Keeping “why growth is important” at the forefront of your business

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

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To learn more about Robin:

LinkedIn

Robin Stalanad, Master Chair at Vistage International, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s been a Vistage Chair for more than 15 years, and is a six-time award winner, putting her in the top 20 Vistage Chairs out of over 700 in the United States.

In this episode, Robin sits down with our host Stephen King to discuss how companies view their metrics, what impact that makes on their business, and how tracking their KPIs allows them to make data-driven decisions.

What we talked about:

The success stories she’s seen in her 15+ years as a Vistage Chair
The mindset of a CEO when they start looking at their scorecards.
The trailing 12 months report and why it’s so crucial
Why raising your prices might just save your business
How companies view their metrics
How tracking KPIs allows companies to make better data drive decisions

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Sid Trivedi, Partner at Foundation Capital, has a superpower. It’s his vast customer network matched with his high levels of cybersecurity. In this episode he shares his insight on how he uses his superpower to help B2B businesses navigate their path to profits.

What we talked about:

The importance of your first 10 customers
Pattern mapping
Stages and levels of sales hires
Protecting your business against cybersecurity attacks
Smart money vs. dumb money
Focus on valuation
Lessons learned

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Sid Trivedi is Partner at Foundation Capital
Find Sid on Twitter

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Stephen King, President & CEO at GrowthForce, breaks down pricing metrics and the importance of “keeping score” by measuring the top line, the gross profit line, and the bottom line.

What we talked about the 5 most important metrics of every business:

Total revenue dollars
Gross profit dollars
Gross profit percent
Net income dollars
Net income presented

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

GrowthForce website

For more episodes like this one, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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Today’s guest started a staffing business out of his dorm room in medical school and didn’t see any profit for seven years. He thought it was his hobby that paid for med school bills, but then he made Inc. 500 and drew in $15 million in revenue.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Matt Kolinski, Founder & CEO at USA Staffing Services and author of Work-Passion-Life Balance, about his entrepreneurial journey.

What we talked about:

Matt’s early business mistakes & how he learned from them
The maturing of a company as compared to life stages
How to know if your company is healthy
Crafting an outstanding employee experience

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Work-Passion-Life Balance: Finding Fulfillment Through Zones Of Efficiency

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

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I'm joined by Matthew Polega: Cofounder, Head of Communications & Public Policy at Mark43, a company bringing cloud-first data-driven technology to public safety use.

Matt and I discussed:

His experience in Engineering Science
Lateral thinking in public safety models
Public safety technology
Using customer voices to further develop a business
Software multi-tenancy
Investor relations at Mark43
The significance of making certain mistakes
Culture by design (how they use core values)
Unit economics
Spending money to make money
That you can’t ‘save’ your way to profits
Investing in people

We mentioned these resources, which you can check out at any time:

Matthew Polega’s LinkedIn profile
Mark43’s website
GrowthForce’s website
Matthew Polega on Twitter

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at: growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: facebook.com/GrowthForce

Your core values should dictate all of your hiring, coaching, and firing decisions. And all of your payment decisions should be based on cost of replacement.

Intrigued? Listen to a headhunter about how to keep your people.

In this episode, I speak with Jeremy Jenson, CEO at Encore Search Partners, about EOS, PEO, and how to treat your employees so that leaving never crosses their minds.

What we talked about:

Viewing your people as an asset, not as an expense
Developing your core values based on your last 10 fires
Hyper niching out & narrowing focus
How not getting a raise spurred Jeremy to entrepreneurship

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at www.growthforce.com/podcast.

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every business. Let’s dive into the impact of pricing on cash flow.

In this episode, your host Stephen King, President & CEO at GrowthForce, walks you through why and how to price your jobs to raise your cash flow:

What you’ll learn:

Understanding the fully loaded labor cost
Establishing a gross profit per team field in your accounting system
Identifying which clients are most profitable (probably not your biggest client)
Why discounts are so damaging to cash flow

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Path to Profit in your favorite podcast player.

Visit this show online at https://www.growthforce.com/podcast...

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

A lot of people think that a software or service is done once it’s developed.

But innovation is never done.

If you want to be a strategic ongoing partner for your customers, you have to continuously meet their expectations. You have to continuously execute ideas. You have to continuously deliver.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King talks with Micah Brandenburg, Founder of Micah Brandenburg Consulting, to discuss the EOS business framework, and how this subscription-based delivery model built around the concept of traction can help your business grow.

Micah also explains:

How to reverse-engineer your strategy starting with business outcomes
Three important aspects of exit planning
The 6 areas of the EOS framework broken down
How to move from being a project oriented company to a company that goes to recurring revenue

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Writing down goals increases the likelihood of success by 82%.

It lets everyone on your team know what you’re aiming for, and helps you increase alignment.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King talks with Emily Hak, District Manager at Insperity, about how leaders can set their teams up for success through the simple act of writing down and cascading written goals in their business.

Emily also explains:

How to motivate disengaged employees.
How to translate a company goal into individual goals.
A simple formula for creating goals that challenge employees.

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Moshe Vaknin increases the profitability of his clients by helping them get the most valuable users for their apps.

By narrowing down his service to its unique selling proposition and concentrating the focus of employee’s energy around a single simple unifying effort — in this case, customer retargeting — he’s made his own unique path to profit.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King talks with Moshe Vaknin, Founder & CEO at YouAppi, about the decisions he made in his business that helped him increase profitability and growth.

Moshe also explains:

How YouAppi’s services help brands grow their business.
What drives growth for YouAppi’s profitability.
What remarketing is and the role AI plays in retargeting.
How to narrow focus to differentiate your product.
The value of a returning customer.

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

What could company culture look like if leaders were really great meeting facilitators?

What could businesses look like if their people really loved meetings?

You might be thinking, “Nobody loves meetings...”

But there is a way to infuse meetings with more joy to create a more connected culture and efficient workflow.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King talks with Douglas Ferguson, President at Voltage Control, about how leaders can use meetings to increase the productivity of their people and the profitability of their business.

Douglas also explains:

What leaders are doing wrong when it comes to meetings
How to create psychological safety for your employees
How to make meeting environments more joyous
How joyous meetings increase productivity

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social! Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook: @GrowthForce

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every business.

So if you have billing, collections, or pricing problems, your business will suffer.

Cash flow issues can be difficult, even annoying to manage, but at the end of the day it’s a lot easier to maintain than repair.

In this episode of Path To Profit, host Stephen King makes the cash flow process easier with tips on managing the money coming in and going out of your business.

He also shares:

Advice on automating and sending out invoices.
Tools and resources to use for billing and managing your cash.
The three “F’s” of collections.
Tips for understanding your margins and pricing your jobs right.

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

It’s hard to think about selling your business in the middle of a pandemic.

But it’s a very real possibility.

Business owners need to start thinking now about their exit strategy, whether they plan to exit or not, and increasing their business value to prepare for what may come in 2021.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King talks with Brett Dearing, Founder of Business Owners Exchange (BXO) and Head of Business Owner Advisory at Cerity Partners, about his experience working with business owners on growth and succession planning.

Brett talks about his experience developing and executing action plans for transferring business. He also talks about:

How to assess your profitability impact and prioritize risks and opportunity.
How to establish a platform for growth before you sell your business.
The three legs of the ‘business preparedness for exit’ stool.

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

Small businesses and nonprofits are more vulnerable to fraud than larger organizations, and the effects can be far more damaging.

Considering potential losses, small-business owners need to make the prevention of fraud a priority in their businesses.

Mitigating fraud starts with being able to prevent and identify it in your company. In this episode of Path to Profit, host Stephen King, CEO of Growthforce, shares real stories of internal fraud and what to do in preventing it.

Specifically, he covers:

An example of bill payment fraud from a nonprofit that outsourced its CFO.
Common forms of expense reimbursement fraud.
A story of an ingenious bookkeeper that committed payroll fraud.

No system of internal controls will eliminate all fraud, but GrowthForce has some tips to help you minimize that risk. Visit our website and sign up for our webinar, where we’ll show you what you can do to reduce your risk of fraud.

Detecting, Preventing and Reducing Fraud in Your Business Webinar Sign Up! >>> http://bit.ly/P2P_Fraud

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

COVID-19 necessitated a shift from offices and resulted in an impressive spur of remote work. If remote work is going to be sustainable, it needs to become more than just work: it needs to be a conduit of culture.

In this episode of Path To Profit, Stephen King speaks with Andrew Jackson, founder and president of BravoTech, about how to maintain and encourage a healthy company culture in a remote environment.

Andrew talks about how being open to hiring more remote employees increases a company’s reach and drives growth. He also discusses:

How to maintain culture in a remote environment, and how to make it fun (including examples of interactive virtual games!).
How managers can use KPIs to track remote employees.
How to pivot to results-based management.

Visit this show online: https://www.growthforce.com/podcast

Follow us on social!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrowthForce

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/growthforce

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrowthForce

At a young age, Stephen King’s eyes were opened to how technology can be used to reduce manual labor and help small businesses succeed. That revelation sparked an eagerness to “learn the language of business” and acquire accounting and technology skills that would allow him to help small businesses and nonprofits grow.

In this introductory episode of Path To Profit, Martha DeFeo, Director of Marketing at Growthforce, interviews Path To Profit host and Growthforce President/CEO Stephen King about his professional journey.

Stephen talks about his time working at Ernst & Young, Amnesty International partnering with Insperity, his side hustles that led him to his passion, and the time he met Peter Gabriel and Bono. He also talks about:

His experiences from being an EY intern, the founder of a start-up and a President/CEO.
Lessons learned on managing people and the importance of a financial management strategy.
How he overcame the fear he felt starting Growthforce for the third time!