How to Lead with Purpose, Not Just Profit with Sri Kaza

They said you’re too small to matter.

But your customers? They need you to exist.

In this episode, George sits down with author, strategist, and small business champion Sri Kaza to challenge the myth that size determines success. From leading corporate giants to helping underdog entrepreneurs thrive, Sri shares powerful stories and frameworks to help you rethink growth, resilience, and what really makes your business irreplaceable.

This is not just another strategy episode. It’s a call to purpose, proximity, and positioning. Whether you’re just starting or scaling, this conversation will reignite your belief in the power of playing your own game.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why being “too small to scale” is a lie—and how to embrace your uniqueness
• The three Underdog Principles every entrepreneur needs to survive any storm
• Why trying to copy corporate strategy might be holding you back
• How to build meaningful customer proximity—even in a digital world
• Real-world stories of resilience and impact from Main Street entrepreneurs
   

Key Takeaways:
✔️Positioning matters more than polish: You don’t need to be big, you need to be meaningful to the people who matter most.
✔️Your proximity is your power: Real relationships with your customers will always outperform clever marketing.
✔️Purpose fuels resilience: When you’re rooted in why you’re doing the work, your business becomes unshakeable.
✔️Structure and soul both matter: The most successful businesses blend solid frameworks with gut-led values.
✔️Never outsource connection: Building authentic relationships with your audience is your job. Don’t hand that away.
 

Timestamps & Highlights:
[00:00] – The underdog mindset: why small businesses matter
[04:11] – Meet Sri Kaza: from corporate exec to champion of small businesses
[06:39] – Too small to scale? Why differentiation > size
[11:45] – Differentiating a landfill: a lesson in unique value
[13:40] – Japanese ramen and the pursuit of mastery
[17:57] – Proximity and customer experience: lessons from Viking Cruises
[22:22] – The 3 Underdog Principles: Positioning, Proximity, Purpose
[29:26] – Proximity in the digital age: how to listen, learn, and connect
[35:43] – Why Sri shifted from big corporations to small business service
[42:22] – Resilience during COVID: stories of survival and adaptation
[45:33] – The underdog mindset: how to own it without falling into victimhood
[52:21] – Sri’s top 3 entrepreneurial lessons (and they’re gold)
 

Connect with Sri Kaza:
Get the Book: Unconvention on Amazon
Website: sri-kaza.com
Free Resource: Download the Underdog Principles Primer at sri-kaza.com

Your Challenge This Week
What part of this episode hit home for you?

Tag @itsgeorgebryant and @kazasri on social and share your biggest insight.

Join the conversation and let us know:

• Would your customers miss you if you disappeared? If not… It's time to change that.

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