Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast

The Playbook for Scaling, Leadership & Business Growth

Scale Smart, Grow Fast is the podcast for executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to scale smarter—without the burnout. Each episode delivers proven strategies for leveraging your team, optimizing processes, and driving growth without getting stuck in the weeds. Hit play and start scaling today.

🎧 Where to Listen:

✅ Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast – Apple Podcasts
✅ Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast – Spotify
✅ Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast – YouTube

How to Avoid Hiring Mistakes When Scaling Your Business (with Lynn Talbott)

December 10, 2025

How to Avoid Hiring Mistakes When Scaling Your Business (with Lynn Talbott) Hiring during a growth phase can feel like a scramble. You’re stretched thin, juggling sales, operations, and your team — and suddenly you need someone yesterday. But rushing the hiring process can quietly sabotage your company’s momentum. In a recent episode of the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, host Harley Green sat down with Lynn Talbott, founder of The Bookkeeper’s Coach, to break down how to avoid the most common hiring pitfalls that hurt growing businesses. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Here are the top takeaways every founder needs to hear: 1. Your First 5 Hires Are Make-or-Break Lynn compares early hires to “cornerstones” of your company. They shape your culture, pace, and scalability. Hiring someone who can’t grow with your business — even if they solve an immediate pain point — will cost you more in the long run. ✅ Tip: Think 3–5 years ahead when hiring. Choose people who can evolve with the company, not just fill a gap today. 2. Don’t Just Delegate—Lead Founders often struggle with delegation — or worse, fall into abdication (handing something off and walking away). Lynn emphasizes the need to develop leadership in your team. Your hires should lighten your load, not add to it. ✅ Tip: Hire with leadership potential in mind. Can they take ownership, or will you be babysitting? 3. Culture Fit > Technical Fit Many entrepreneurs rush into hiring someone with the right skills — but overlook cultural alignment. That’s a fast track to team dysfunction. ✅ Tip: Define your mission, values, and team vibe. Then hire people who live them, not just talk the talk. 4. Watch Out for the “Halo Effect” One of the biggest mistakes? Letting

How to Scale Your Business Without Burning Out: Lessons from the Executive Edge Live Panel

December 3, 2025

How to Scale Your Business Without Burning Out: Lessons from the Executive Edge Live Panel Fast growth is exciting—until it starts to cost you your health, your team, or your culture.If you’re a founder or executive scaling quickly, this blog is your wake-up call and roadmap rolled into one. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Harley Green hosted a powerhouse session on the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast:🎙️ Executive Edge Live Panel, featuring: 🔥 The Core Takeaways for High-Growth Leaders 1. Growth Without Alignment = Guaranteed Burnout Bethany LaFlam emphasizes that scaling without clearly defined goals, values, and personal alignment results in setbacks, misdirection, and emotional drain. “If it feels misaligned, it probably is.” 2. Your Energy Is Your Biggest Asset Saima Geelani explains how invisible drains like unclear boundaries and internal “gremlins” (self-limiting beliefs) lead to burnout. She recommends core energy leadership and micro-recovery practices to maintain momentum. 3. Letting Go Is a Leadership Superpower Alyshia Kisor-Madlem shares real-life experience from scaling agency teams. The difference between heroic contributors and sustainable systems? Documentation, delegation, and trusting your team before you hit crisis mode. 4. Sales Starts with the CEO—But Shouldn’t End There Christopher Filipiak reframes sales as a leadership responsibility rooted in mindset, not just tactics. When CEOs align with sales emotionally and operationally, they stop being bottlenecks—and start leading scalable systems. 5. Protect Team Morale with Transparency Your team isn’t just watching what you say—they’re filling in the blanks when you don’t say anything. Clear, consistent communication protects morale and builds buy-in. 💡 Real Growth Feels Energizing—Not Exhausting Whether you’re a solopreneur adding your first team member or a CEO managing multiple departments, these insights are a must-know. This isn’t just about growth—it’s about building something that lasts without losing yourself or

How to Turn Your Team into a High-Performing Asset (Without Burnout)

November 26, 2025

How to Turn Your Team into a High-Performing Asset (Without Burnout) If your team is your biggest investment, why aren’t they delivering your biggest return? In a recent episode of the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, host Harley Green sat down with Katie Close, transformational leadership coach and founder of Self Mastery, Entrepreneur Evolution. Katie shared a powerful 6-part framework that helps leaders transform their teams into aligned, efficient, and high-ROI assets—without burnout or bloated headcounts. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Here’s what growth-minded founders and executives need to know: 1. Strategic Clarity Drives Everything Vision isn’t just a poster on the wall. According to Katie, strategic clarity must be embedded into daily operations and decisions. Without it, you risk hiring misaligned team members and wasting energy on low-ROI activities. 2. People Need Defined Roles and Accountability Too many leaders expect new hires to “figure it out.” Katie emphasizes clear role definitions, consistent processes, and aligned expectations as key drivers of performance and satisfaction. 3. Process Before People Before hiring, first fix your systems. Throwing more people at unclear workflows only creates expensive inefficiencies. Align structure and operations before expanding the team. 4. Hire Support for the Visionary Visionary leaders often live on the edge of growth and chaos. Hiring an executive assistant or integrator helps bring structure to vision, translating ideas into execution and freeing the visionary to focus on innovation. 5. Emotional Intelligence is Non-Negotiable Leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s psychology. Katie highlights how subconscious beliefs and unprocessed emotions can sabotage leadership. Emotional intelligence helps leaders stay grounded, navigate setbacks, and maintain the energy needed to inspire others. 6. Start With Honest Conversations Want to improve your team’s performance? Start by asking: “What’s working, what’s not, and what should we change?” Katie

Marketing Without Strategy Is Costing You More Than You Think

November 19, 2025

Marketing Without Strategy Is Costing You More Than You Think If you’re a small business leader juggling roles and drowning in “random acts of marketing,” this one’s for you. In our latest episode of Scale Smart, Grow Fast, Harley Green sat down with Sara Nay, CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, to talk about why marketing strategy must come before tactics and technology—especially AI. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 🎯 Why Most Marketing Fails Small Business Owners Many founders approach marketing with a to-do list: “We need a new website, some paid ads, maybe some SEO.” But as Sara shares, without a clear strategy, you risk spending thousands with little return—and a lot of frustration. Her team often steps into companies spending $10K+ monthly on marketing with no idea what’s working. Sound familiar? 🧭 What Strategic Marketing Actually Looks Like Sara breaks down a proven process that includes: This foundational work brings clarity, confidence, and control—and often helps businesses do less with better results. 🤖 Don’t Just “Do AI” — Train It on Strategy With AI tools like ChatGPT trending, Sara warns against adopting them without intention. Instead: Smart AI integration enhances your marketing—it doesn’t replace strategy. 🧠 From Doers to Managers: Elevating Your Marketing Team Sara also emphasizes helping teams evolve by: Bringing in a fractional CMO (like Duct Tape Marketing offers) can help founders stay in their zone of genius while giving their team the guidance and structure to succeed. 🚀 Take Action: Start with Strategy If you’re scaling a business and overwhelmed with marketing decisions, here’s Sara’s advice: “Don’t rush into AI or shiny tools. Start with your business goals, then build a marketing strategy that supports them. Everything else should flow from there.” 🔗 Resources from Sara Nay: • Duct

Surviving the Scale-Up: Leadership & Culture Lessons from Vidya Murali

November 12, 2025

Surviving the Scale-Up: Leadership & Culture Lessons from Vidya Murali Scaling a business isn’t just about growth metrics — it’s about surviving the emotional, cultural, and leadership chaos that comes with it. In a recent episode of Scale Smart Grow Fast, host Harley Green sat down with Vidya Murali, executive coach, former Amazon leader, and author of How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business, to unpack the real skills needed to thrive in high-growth environments. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Why Most Scale-Ups Struggle According to Vidya, many startups fail to survive their scale-up phase because: Her insight? “What got you here won’t get you there. Scale-ups need a different kind of leadership mindset.” The Emotional Skills That Matter Vidya emphasizes that logic and strategy alone don’t cut it in the chaos of scale-ups. Leaders need: Creating Resilient, High-Performance Teams Vidya urges leaders to: A strong culture doesn’t happen by accident — it’s shaped by intentional behavior, communication, and trust at the top. Practical Leadership Habits If you’re scaling fast, Vidya recommends two weekly rituals: And always pause before reacting: “The space between a trigger and your response is where leadership lives.” 💡 Final Thought Scale-ups aren’t for the faint of heart. But with the right mindset, emotional tools, and cultural focus, you can grow without burning out. 📘 Get her book at 40% off using code HSSB40: Buy the Book 🌐 Learn more at vidyamurali.com 🚀 Feeling the pressure of fast growth? At Workergenix, we help founders and execs streamline operations, empower leadership teams, and build sustainable, high-performance cultures — without the burnout. 👉 Book a free discovery call to see how our executive support solutions can help you scale smarter. Like what you read? Get weekly insights on scaling, efficiency, and

How to Build a Self-Managing Team That Scales With You

November 5, 2025

How to Build a Self-Managing Team That Scales With You If you’re still the one making every key decision, giving every approval, or tracking every task—you’re not leading, you’re bottlenecking. In our latest Executive Edge Live panel, Harley Green (CEO of Workergenix) brings together four powerhouse leaders to tackle a challenge nearly every business owner faces: how to build a self-managing team that thinks, acts, and leads like owners. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Why Self-Managing Teams Matter A self-managing team isn’t just about delegation. It’s about creating a culture of trust, clarity, and ownership. These teams drive results without waiting for direction, making them essential for sustainable business growth. Meet the Experts This episode features real-world wisdom from: Key Insights From the Panel 1. Shift from Control to Clarity Great teams don’t wait—they move. But they only move confidently when roles, goals, and boundaries are clear. Joanna stressed the power of decision rights embedded in job descriptions, which empower people to act without constant supervision. 2. Use the Right Frameworks Alex recommended combining OKRs with systems like RACI or DACI to establish role clarity and project ownership. These tools support accountability without bottlenecking workflows. 3. Model Emotional Intelligence Dr. Lori emphasized the value of psychological safety. When team members feel seen, heard, and valued, they naturally lead from within. Tools like personality assessments and empathy-building exercises deepen self-awareness and trust. 4. Design With Intent Kristina highlighted the importance of org design. Without a well-structured foundation, you’ll always be reactive. Your team can’t self-manage if the strategy, structure, and expectations are fuzzy. 5. Failing Forward Builds Ownership Failure is a feature, not a flaw. As Alex and Lori pointed out, innovation often comes from the courage to try, misstep, and learn. Teams need

Succession Isn’t Just Strategy—It’s Human: How Visionary Leaders Can Transition with Intention

October 29, 2025

Succession Isn’t Just Strategy—It’s Human: How Visionary Leaders Can Transition with Intention For many founders, succession planning feels like a legal checklist or a financial transaction. But as Andrea Carpenter, President of The Transition Strategists, explains in our latest episode of the Scale Smart ,Grow Fast podcast—it’s so much more than that. Succession is personal. It’s emotional. It’s about legacy, identity, and preparing the next generation to lead. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Why Succession Planning Starts with Self-Awareness Andrea, a next-gen successor herself, is walking the same roadmap she guides her clients through. Her transition into leadership within Elizabeth Ledoux’s company shows firsthand how complex and meaningful internal business transitions can be. From leadership development to defining fair equity deals, the process is never as straightforward—or as quick—as many founders expect. “The biggest surprise? Timelines. What you think will take a year can easily stretch into three or more,” Andrea shares. Mindset Shifts Every Founder Needs Many visionary leaders delay succession planning due to fear: fear of letting go, fear of family conflict, or simply not knowing what comes next. Andrea emphasizes that successful transitions require a clear vision of your “next adventure” as much as a plan for who will lead the business. Common mindset shifts include: Don’t Wait Until It’s Urgent Andrea recommends starting the process 3–5 years before your desired exit. Whether it’s an internal succession, employee buyout, or third-party sale, you need time to develop leaders, align your values, and structure a deal that’s fair, strategic, and tax-efficient. “The sooner you start, the more options you’ll have—and the more intentional your legacy can be.” Tools for Intentional Transition Andrea shares two powerful tools they use at The Transition Strategists: These tools help families and leadership teams move from

Why Sales Is Misunderstood—and How to Turn It into Your Competitive Advantage

October 15, 2025

Why Sales Is Misunderstood—and How to Turn It into Your Competitive Advantage Sales isn’t a dirty word—it’s your business’s lifeline. In a recent episode of the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, Harley Green sat down with Beth McClary-Wolford, a Fractional Sales Leader and founder of Superpower Strategies, who debunked common sales myths and offered real-world strategies to transform your sales team into confident, high-performing professionals. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. From Fortune 500 to Small Biz Impact Beth’s background spans 30+ years in Fortune 100 and 500 companies. But her passion lies in helping small and mid-sized businesses—where she says the sales needle can have the biggest impact on local economies. Everyone Sells—Even If They Deny It One of Beth’s core messages? Everyone is in sales, whether they realize it or not. Yet, the profession has suffered from a decline in authenticity and professionalism, largely due to over-reliance on digital, transactional methods. Sales, at its core, is about solving problems and building trust. “People don’t buy on price—they buy on emotion and value,” Beth emphasized. Shift the Focus: It’s Not What You Do—It’s What You Do FOR Them Sales teams often struggle to communicate value. Beth encourages leaders to reframe conversations around the client’s “so what.” What’s in it for them? That’s where the magic happens. Know Your Metrics, Know Your Impact Beth breaks down why understanding your lead conversion metrics—and nurturing those leads over time—is crucial. She recommends at least 18 meaningful touchpoints to stay top-of-mind. This isn’t about spamming; it’s about strategic, value-based persistence. When Should Founders Let Go of Sales? Beth advises founders to stay involved in sales early on because it’s the fastest way to validate your value prop. But eventually, a structured process, accountability, and consistent coaching are

How to Build Marketing Systems That Run Themselves (Without Burning Out)

October 8, 2025

How to Build Marketing Systems That Run Themselves (Without Burning Out) Running a business shouldn’t mean running yourself into the ground. In the latest episode of Executive Edge Live, Harley Green, Founder of Workergenix, sat down with four powerhouse leaders to explore one transformational idea: marketing that runs itself. If you’re a founder, executive, or growth-minded leader tired of wearing all the hats, this conversation is your blueprint for reclaiming your time while driving predictable, recurring revenue. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. What Does “Marketing That Runs Itself” Actually Mean? Frank Jones of OptSus Marketing broke it down early: it’s not about magic or passive income myths. It’s about separating effort from results by building systems that generate leads and nurture prospects without requiring your daily input. Melanie Asher of Omicle emphasized the difference between timely and timeless marketing. You automate the timeless—the foundational brand and lead systems that work today, tomorrow, and a year from now. Start With the Basics Before You Automate Before automation, you need infrastructure. Frank highlighted key essentials: Why? Because automation only scales what already works. Eric Carrell of DoFollow.com added the importance of audience alignment: your site, your messaging, and your brand should reflect the expectations of your ideal customer—especially if you’re charging premium prices. Know Your Data, But Focus on What Matters Alex Hammerschmied of AutomateThis made it clear: “Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity.” He and Melanie both warned against obsessing over vanity metrics (likes, impressions) and instead urged founders to track metrics that directly tie to profit: leads, conversions, and actual sales. Automation Is Not a Shortcut, It’s a Strategy Automation works after you’ve done the hard work of: Then, use email funnels, paid ads, and AI-powered repurposing tools to scale those systems. Frank

Your Website Is Speaking—Here’s How to Finally Listen (And Scale Smarter)

October 1, 2025

Your Website Is Speaking—Here’s How to Finally Listen (And Scale Smarter) Your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s a goldmine of insights that most business leaders overlook. On the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, host Harley Green sits down with digital strategy expert Philippa Gamse, author of Website Wealth and founder of Websites That Win, to discuss how smart leaders can turn web analytics into strategic growth tools. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 🔍 Why Web Analytics Matter More Than Ever Philippa, a digital veteran with 25+ years of experience, explains that modern web analytics goes far beyond bounce rates and page views. Today, you can: And it’s not about tracking every metric—it’s about tracking what matters. 💡 Turn Insights into Revenue Here’s the gold: your website search bar is a marketing research tool in disguise. Philippa shares real-world examples where analyzing what users searched for (but didn’t find) led to new product ideas and service offerings. She also stresses the importance of understanding user intent and mapping your site’s outcomes (like email signups or content engagement) to clear business goals. 🚫 Mistakes to Avoid 🤖 How AI Is Changing Analytics From traffic source labeling (AI bots now show up!) to predictive analytics, tools like Google Analytics 4 are evolving fast. But AI still can’t replace human strategy and creative decision-making. Think of it as a powerful intern—not your marketing director. ✅ Start Here: One Smart Move Philippa’s challenge to leaders:👉 If you’re not using analytics, start today. 👉 If you are, use it to answer good questions—not just to stare at traffic numbers. Tracking a few meaningful metrics tied to real business outcomes can unlock faster, smarter growth. 📚 Resources from Philippa Gamse 🔹 Your business can only grow as fast as

How to Build a Personal Brand That Converts with Erik Cabral

September 24, 2025

How to Build a Personal Brand That Converts with Erik Cabral Your personal brand is more than just a logo or a tagline — it’s the foundation of your business growth. In a recent episode of Scale Smart, Grow Fast podcast, Harley Green sat down with Erik Cabral, founder of OnAir Brands, to talk about how entrepreneurs can harness clarity, podcasting, and mission-driven branding to create lasting impact. Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Why Clarity is Non-Negotiable Erik’s first lesson is simple but powerful: clarity creates momentum. Many entrepreneurs suffer from shiny object syndrome — chasing too many ideas at once and burning out. Instead, Erik advises narrowing your focus: define who you are, who you serve, and what problem you solve. Without clarity, your message won’t connect, and your brand won’t convert. Personal Brand as the Umbrella If you run multiple businesses or projects, your personal brand becomes the umbrella. Erik points to leaders like Elon Musk and Tony Robbins, whose personal brands open doors for all their ventures. By building your brand DNA around your values and mission, you allow your audience to connect with you first, making it easier to introduce new offers, services, or businesses later. Podcasting: The Ultimate Growth Tool According to Erik, podcasting is more than content — it’s a networking and growth engine. Instead of “picking someone’s brain over coffee,” podcasting allows you to lead with value by giving guests a platform to share their message. It’s also a long-term play: success comes not from three episodes, but from consistent creation and commitment. To stay sustainable, Erik emphasizes systems and delegation. Entrepreneurs should focus on their strengths and eventually outsource editing, design, and promotion — freeing time to run the business while the podcast works as

Why Your Team is the Key to Scaling — Not Your Tech

September 17, 2025

Why Your Team is the Key to Scaling — Not Your Tech When we think about scaling a business, most of us instinctively reach for tools—new systems, faster software, smarter automation. But what if the real bottleneck isn’t your tech… it’s your team? Preferred listening on the go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In a powerful conversation on the Scale Smart Grow Fast podcast, international speaker and human behavior strategist Carly Pepin shared a wake-up call for growth-stage leaders: “Your company can only scale as fast as your people are aligned to it.” 🚨 The Problem: Systems Are Outpacing People Carly sees it all the time—startups and scaling companies with optimized systems but disjointed teams. What’s the result? The biggest red flag? When your employees are clocking in and out with zero enthusiasm—and you’re constantly frustrated with the pace or quality of execution. 🔑 The Solution: People First, Systems Second Tech doesn’t run your business—your people do. Carly explains that true scale happens when leaders focus on: Even with limited resources, there are countless ways to elevate your team. Whether it’s leveraging low-cost platforms like Lynda.com or bringing in guest speakers, continuous education fuels engagement. 🧠 Use Behavior Insights to Drive Performance Tools like DISC assessments and Carly’s Values Determination process help leaders understand not just how people work—but why. When employees see how their daily tasks connect to what matters most to them, their engagement shifts dramatically. Carly’s team workshops even help people see how something as mundane as data entry contributes to personal goals like health or travel. ⏰ When to Start Delegating? Sooner Than You Think Burnout doesn’t mean your business is broken—it means you’re doing too much. Carly advises leaders to: 🎯 Leadership Isn’t Just Strategy — It’s Psychology At the core of Carly’s