Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher

If you’ve gone through any number of rounds of funding you probably have a board of directors that you have to and get to interact with. How can you make those interactions more effective?   Katy Trost is a coach and advisor to CEOs and founders at Series B and beyond. She aids CEOs in becoming more effective leaders and navigating the challenges of scaling people and operations. Her clients include some of the fastest-growing companies in both the U.S. and UK tech ecosystem backed by leading investors including SoftBank, First Round, Felix, Octopus, Inflexion, and more.   A board can be a blessing or a curse. Different objectives, political or otherwise, and different expectations can create boards that are offering poor advice to CEOs, who often feel they have no choice but to follow that advice blindly.   A board is meant to be a strategic tool for the CEO. Creating a board that is an invaluable asset starts with setting the expectation for the potential of the board to help the business. Katy highlights several experiences she has had advising CEOs and boards. Under her coaching with a UK fintech, the entire structure of the reporting process transitioned from a grueling two-day firing off of questions to an effective strategic discussion.   Taking charge of the agenda is key to more effective interaction with the board. Key issues, focus areas, and upcoming priorities should all be addressed by the CEO before the board meeting. Katy recommends giving the board a job to do before they have the chance to make up a job for themselves.   Setting expectations, asking strategic questions, and recognizing the importance of mutual trust, along with developing personal relationships and soliciting feedback as needed, will all make a critical difference in the effectiveness and impact of any board.   Interview Links: Katy Trost   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup)   Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail.   Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.   We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits.   Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.  

Do you ever wish leadership came more naturally to you? Or maybe you are a great natural leader, but you recognize that effective leadership still takes work and effort. On this Tuesday Tip Bill is sharing four secrets that create effortless leadership. These four skills, when you do them again and again, can make a profound difference in your life as a leader.   First, inspire and encourage excitement and emotion in your team. Next, engage others and commit people to take action. Then, plan and coordinate. Consider not only what could go right but what could go wrong. And finally, coach and retain to keep people in the game and keep them leveling up. Bill shares his experience with taking each of these actions and how it has changed his impact as a leader. If you do these four actions, in that order, you will build a great team. Developing these actions will result in being a more natural, effortless leader who is leading others toward the bigger and better. Ultimately, leaders pass the baton, take time off, and practice these four actions again and again. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Sustainability may be the greatest challenge of our generation. At its heart, sustainability is designed to improve life for everyone involved. It is also a great wealth creation opportunity that implies profitability. But how much time and effort are you investing in mastering sustainability?   Using the experience he has obtained as a corporate lawyer, an investment banker, and a team leader, today’s guest, Chris Caldwell, has spent the last decade acting as CEO of United Renewables and its sister companies, leading all aspects of the businesses including providing strategic direction, fundraising and day-to-day management of operations.   In his sustainability-focused efforts, Chris is working not only to build renewables but also to increase the logical momentum necessary to make real change. He describes sustainability as the long-term strategies that will allow humans to survive and thrive well into the future.   Chris highlights the importance of stopping the showstoppers that lack any focus on sustainability. He also examines the relationships that sustainability enhances, from employees and suppliers to investors, regulators, and customers. There might have been a time that businesses didn’t know any better regarding practices surrounding sustainability, but those days are long gone. Today, there are few excuses for not focusing on enhanced sustainable practices.   Forty-two percent of the incoming generation of employees value purpose over profit. They are looking for companies that align with their values and offer more than just a place to earn a paycheck for the next 30 years. Do your company offerings address this?   Chris highlights the story of Dick’s Sporting Goods changing their approach to guns in order to increase customer loyalty with sustainability. In any competitive market, companies have to strategically pick their customers and work to serve them, because there is very little chance that they can effectively serve everyone. From BP to Tesla, electric vans and wind manufacturers, and the jewelry market to Patagonia, there are examples of increased sustainability in every sector of every market. The companies that are going to benefit from the profits of sustainability are the ones that are willing to dedicate their time and resources to increasing sustainability now.   Interview Links: United Renewables   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Do you ever feel like you’re working too hard? Working too hard makes us feel stressed and tired, impacts our personal relationships, and even results in weak teams and weak companies. And oftentimes, the harder you work, the more you are keeping your team from leveling up.   Bill once coached a large company with a Superman CEO that was setting a horrible example for his team with long working hours, midnight emails, micromanaging, and constant chaos mode. Another team he coached was led by a very intense CEO who worked out constantly, worked long hours every day, and set the example of intense focus on work at all hours of the day and night. That might produce some results, but it comes at a cost to your personal well-being and the well-being of your team. People get micromanaged when you work too hard, but great leaders know how to build strong teams of capable leaders without pushing everyone to the brink of burnout. If you’re working too hard, that might mean it’s time for a vacation. Step away from the office, take time away from your team, and challenge yourself to pass the baton. Make sure you know when it’s time to lean in and work harder, and when it’s time to step back so someone else can step up.   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Are you a know-it-all, a learn-it-all, or a little bit of both? Whichever way you tend to lean reveals plenty about the kind of leader you are and the level of success you can achieve.   Damon Lembi is the CEO of Learnit, a global leader in corporate training solutions that has upskilled more than 1.8 million professionals in the past twenty-seven years. After dedicating the initial 22 years of his life to the pursuit of becoming a Major League Baseball player, Damon pivoted in 1995 to help his father, Walt Lembi (Founder of Learnit), by investing his heart and soul in Learnit. His aim was to help individuals gain the knowledge and confidence they needed to attain their professional goals through the value of education. Long before his brush with fame in a hotel room party with Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses, Damon was drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of high school. A series of events eventually led him back to the family business, where he found himself unsure of the skills he was bringing to the table. He recognized that while business was in his blood, he had a lot to learn about every aspect of the work. After years of incredible success, Damon’s key life takeaway is that there is immense value in being your true, authentic self. Whether you work for a billion-dollar business or a startup, the way you treat people matters. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you expected it to, but when it’s time to pivot — whether it’s from baseball or business — the more you are willing to learn from people who are smarter than you, the more successful you will be. Damon recognizes that he is a know-it-all when it comes to sales, but he is also very open to learning more when it comes to scaling up. He shares the lessons he learned from the pandemic, where he turns when he is ready to learn something new, and the value of approaching leadership in curious and humble ways. Interview Links: The Learn-it-all Leader: Mindset, Traits and Tools   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

What would it look like if you brought your effective leader ideas into your life? Flow state is the way to make it happen.   Years ago, Bill was focused solely on work and had a premium membership at the gym that he only occasionally used. When he admitted that he was not paying attention to his health, he knew that change needed to happen. A triathlon sounded like a good BHAG, so he went for it. By implementing an effective flow state, he became a shining example of a healthy and active lifestyle. If you can apply the flow state principles to all areas of your life, you can get inspired, create a plan, find coaching, and meet your goals. It worked for Bill, and it can have a massive impact not only on you but on the people you work with as well. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Robert Volpe, CEO of Ignite 360 and author of the award-winning book on empathy, dives into the importance of this essential leadership skill. He highlights the modern empathy crisis and the vital role of active listening in fostering understanding. With entertaining anecdotes about cats, chips, and travel, Rob emphasizes that changing our perspective starts with curiosity. His insights delve into the power of empathy in personal and professional relationships, showcasing how meaningful conversations can transform connections.

The Leadership Flywheel is designed to level up your leadership, and within it, one thing leads to another. First by inspiring others and engaging them and then by taking action; the key is to help them see the opportunities that are available to them.   The third piece of the flywheel is all about planning. What is the end goal and what are you doing now to get there? The final piece addresses ways to keep people in the game through coaching. By helping people deal with setbacks, you’re inspiring them to get back in the game, and the flywheel starts over again. If you can set this flywheel in motion for leaders of leaders, you can become a leader who scales infinitely. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Too many companies struggle to scale because they are stuck reinventing things that just don’t need to be reinvented.  The companies that succeed are the ones that focus and refine systems in a disciplined way that makes them better than they have ever been before.    JC Hite is the visionary Founder and CEO of Hite Digital, the fastest growing digital agency in the US. With a deep-rooted passion for empowering small businesses, JC is dedicated to driving their growth through the realm of digital marketing. There are times when building any business is just really difficult. Within six months of launching Hite Digital in Nicaragua, the company found itself in the middle of a civil war. As they have scaled, they have had to learn how to survive physically, financially, and mentally during the harder seasons of growth.  JC highlights some of the hurdles Hite Digital has faced, including political insecurity, addressing limited education in Nicaragua, the pandemic, and the recession. They have fine-tuned hiring the right fit for their agency, the range of services they provide, and the key to a successful franchising model.  This conversation is filled with insights into the lessons learned from JC’s mistakes, his luckiest breaks, and what happens when entrepreneurs and business builders are willing to position themselves in the right places and focus on the right things at the right time.  Interview Links: The Hites   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

Are you creating followers or leaders? If you have a huge following, you’re probably still working too hard as a leader. If you’re creating leaders (who create leaders who create leaders), then your leadership skills can transform the planet.   Bill considered himself an effective leader, but he still struggled to leave the office for even a week. He wanted to create more leaders, but that wasn’t a quick or simple task. He started passing the baton to his followers by asking them, “What are you going to do when I’m not here?” Little by little, he coached his team into becoming leaders and was able to empower his team to take action on their own. If you can become a leader who creates leaders, you will be able to transform your efforts, and possibly take a great trip to Italy as Bill did as well. You’ll be able to create better people, a better organization, and a better life for yourself. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.