Alisa Cohn - You're Not Ready—Start Anyway

In this energising episode of the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome Alisa Cohn — executive coach, former CFO, and author of the highly acclaimed book From Start-Up to Grown-Up.

Named the #1 Startup Coach in the world by Thinkers50 and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, Alisa has coached the leadership teams of companies like Venmo, Etsy, and Dell — and countless first-time founders navigating the scale-up journey.

In this episode, we go deep on the inner game of scaling. Alisa shares personal stories, proven techniques, and hard-won wisdom to help founders stop getting in their own way and start growing into the leaders their companies need.

We explore:

✅ Why Clarity of Vision Beats Clarity of Path ✅ The Shift from Founder to CEO ✅ How to Build Confidence Using a "Highlight Reel" ✅ Why So Many Founders Struggle to Let Go ✅ How to Motivate Without Burning Out ✅ The #1 Trap Holding Scale-Up Leaders Back

Whether you're leading a 5-person start-up or a 500-person team, this episode is a powerful reminder: your business can't scale until you do.

🎧 Tune in now and find out how to move forward — even if the path isn't clear.

Connect with Alisa Cohn:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ 🌐 Website: https://www.alisacohn.com 📘 Download scripts for difficult conversations: https://www.alisacohn.com/scripts

About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast:

ScaleX™ is a platform designed to help SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast brings insights from world-class entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

📌 Learn more about Simple Scaling: 🌐 Website: https://www.simplescaling.com 🎙 Podcast Episodes: https://www.simplescaling.com/podcast 📩 Newsletter Signup: https://www.simplescaling.com/newsletter 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling

🚀 Ready to Scale with Purpose?

If you're an SME leader who wants help to scale with purpose and a proven plan and framework to follow to get there, here are two ways you can work with us:

1. Join our Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme in 2026 (For SME leaders generating £2m–£30m annually)

Since 2020, we've run a 12-month group coaching programme designed for CEOs, founders, and MDs who want to scale their business, their leadership, and their teams. 📌 Join the waitlist: https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com

2. Join ScaleX Elevate (For SME leaders generating £750k–£2m)

A fully digital learning community for scaling leaders — featuring weekly training, support sessions, and guest speakers to give you a roadmap for success. 📌 Register interest here: https://scalexinsights.simplescaling.com/elevate