
Chief Endurance Officer Building Endurance in Business and Life - Katrina Purcell with Greg McDonough - Episode # 135
What can endurance training teach us about scaling a business, and how do you know when it’s time to build structure into your chaos? Professional speaker, fractional operations leader, and Ironman finisher Katrina Purcell joins Greg to share how endurance training has shaped her mindset as an entrepreneur and operations strategist. From running her first half-marathon to founding her own company, Katrina’s story shows how structure, discipline, and resilience translate into business growth. She reveals how she helps founders turn chaos into clarity when it’s time to start building SOPs, and why ruthless prioritization, not doing more, is the key to scaling sustainably.
Takeaways:
- Structure fuels freedom. The discipline learned in endurance sports mirrors what’s required in business; building systems allows you to eventually step away.
- Start operational planning when you can’t take a week off. That’s your cue that your business depends too much on you and needs process support.
- Ruthless prioritization drives growth. 10x growth requires cutting more than adding; create a “not doing” list before a to-do list.
- Find your coach. Just like in Ironman training, every founder needs a guide, someone who can see what you can’t and keep you accountable.
- Celebrate progress, not just performance. High-performing teams thrive when leaders intentionally pause to recognize small wins.
- Failure breeds connection. Sharing setbacks builds authenticity, resilience, and stronger communities than sharing only successes.
- Journal the journey. Reflecting on your daily wins, losses, and learnings creates perspective and a roadmap for future challenges.
Quote of the Show:
- "Growing 10x is easier than 2x because you have to not do a lot of things. People want to be different, but they don't wanna stop anything. " - Katrina Purcell
This Episode is Sponsored by TRIHARD! Use Code TCEO for 20% off their Website: https://www.trihard.co/?utm_source=tceo&utm_campaign=podcast
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/
- Company website: https://www.katrinapurcell.com/
- Managed Chaos Podcast: https://www.themanagedchaospodcast.com/
- TRIHARD's Website: https://www.trihard.co/?utm_source=tceo&utm_campaign=podcast
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/580aLDKac1ld031W4nWDtp
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- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NoaWVmLWVuZHVyYW5jZS1vZmZpY2Vy
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- Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4340732
- Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/5897357
- Player FM: https://player.fm/series/series-3462719
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- Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-ringmaster-KMdv2I8XwkN/
Keep up to date on our social accounts:
- Check out our Website: http://enduranceofficer.com/
- Community Discount Link: https://ceopodcast.myezrewards.com/signup/chief-endurance-officer-podcast
- Join my Endurance Leadership Community: https://endurance-leadership-community.mn.co/share/_C3ZDRz7OX2vbCme?utm_source=manual
Chief Endurance Officer is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
