Scaling From Scratch: Recent Episodes
Bluefield Media, LLC
The Scaling From Scratch Podcast is a show where we discuss all the things we've learned the hard way while growing a business. Hosted by Michael Smith, the Founder and CEO of Bluefield, a two-time Inc 5000 company based in Greenville, South Carolina that provided real estate, property management, and insurance services.
This week's episode is the second half of Michael's conversation with Laurie Hughes, who has been the #1 top-producing agent at Bluefield Realty Group for the last several years.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Have you ever met an incredibly talented salesperson and wished that you had been born with that same natural ability? While some people may be more predisposed to sales than others, the truth is that becoming a highly skilled and successful salesperson is possible for anyone. In this episode Michael sits down with Laurie Hughes, who has been the #1 top-producing agent at Bluefield Realty Group for the last several years in a row, to discuss how the philosophies and techniques that have shaped her award-winning sales career.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Why do most small businesses struggle to grow? Oftentimes, it's because they aren't consistently focused on implementing a specific marketing or prospecting strategy. Many entrepreneurs suffer from "shiny object syndrome" and bounce around from idea to idea without getting really good at executing any one strategy or giving anything enough time to produce results. In this episode, Michael sits down with Lamont Abercrombie to discuss how to grow a business by investing either time or money.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
We've all experienced a meeting that was a complete waste of time... Maybe it didn't start or end when it was supposed to, maybe there wasn't a clear agenda or purpose for the meeting, or maybe there were no actual decisions made or "next steps" outlined. In this episode, Michael and Kelley discuss the four main types of meetings and how to run them more effectively.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
If you're setting big enough goals, then inevitably you're going to fall short from time to time. Whenever you don't reach a goal, it's important to reflect on why. In this episode, Michael and Travis discuss the importance of conducting an "autopsy," and dig into a real-world example of the factors that led to Bluefield falling short of its goal for 2022, and how the company is going to pivot in 2023 to compensate for market conditions.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Does your business have systems in place to ensure that potential customers are moved through the sales funnel in an intentional and consistent way? In this episode, Michael and Jake discuss how to systematize your sales process, the importance of using a CRM, making sure all of your leads have a "stage" and "source," and how frequently you should be following up with prospects based on their motivation and timeframe to transact.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
What type of experience do your new team members have when they're being onboarded into your organization? Is it disorganized chaos, or do you have a consistent and systematic approach?
In this episode, Michael and Travis discuss how the onboarding and training systems at Bluefield have evolved over the years, and share some tips for getting new people up and running quicker.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Do you have a consistent, systematic approach to hiring new team members? In this week's episode, Michael and Kelley discuss how to streamline and systematize your recruiting efforts in order to get the best results.
Topics include creating a great job post, the importance of resumes and personality assessments, conducting phone interviews, holding multiple rounds of in-person interviews, and ultimately making your selection from a list of finalists.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Hiring your first employee can be an incredibly overwhelming and intimidating step to take, but there's only so much you can do on your own - In order to truly begin to scale, you need to start building an organization. In this episode, Michael sat down with Charlie Harrison, the first employee to join Bluefield in 2017. They discuss overcoming fears, how to know when it's time to hire, and some things to think through when deciding which role to fill first.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
Are you making the most of the products and services that your business offers? In this week's episode, Michael and Kelley discuss how to grow revenue by taking an intentional approach to optimizing the "menu" of items available to your customers.
Topics covered include launching a "minimum viable product," clarifying your value proposition, positioning your product or service as the solution to a particular problem, allowing your customers to choose between multiple options, the power of subscriptions and recurring monthly revenue, offering complimentary products and services that your existing customers will find valuable, and creating up-sell opportunities with stepping-stone products.
Visit our website at www.ScalingFromScratch.comFollow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Scaling From Scratch is hosted by Michael Smith, CEO of Bluefield, LLC.
ⓒ Copyright 2023 Bluefield Media, LLC
In this episode, Michael and Jake discuss how to set SMART goals, some common mistakes that people make when goal-setting, and how to implement a framework for putting your goals into action.
In this episode, Michael and Travis discuss working smarter AND harder in order to take your business to the next level, the importance of accountability, and adjusting your "internal thermostat."
To kick off the Scaling From Scratch Podcast, Michael and Kelley discuss why it's so important to know your WHY when starting and growing a business.