Inter:views | Cracking The Entrepreneur Bottleneck

In this episode, Kristian Hauge Solheim shares profound insights he has garnered throughout his entrepreneurial journey. As the Founder and former CEO of Cutters, a flourishing beauty concept in the Nordics, Kristian offers a firsthand account of the strategies that propelled his business's rapid growth and international expansion across multiple countries.     According to Kristian, the key to creating a niche within an existing market lies in narrowing your focus to a singular aspect and dedicating efforts towards scaling and expanding within that space without directly competing with others.     You don't have to invent a wheel with every new venture. By observing successful businesses, identifying what works, and incorporating those proven strategies, you can navigate the existing market dynamics more efficiently.     This approach acknowledges the wisdom of learning from the experiences of others, surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you want to achieve, streamlining your operations, building a team, and capitalizing on unique opportunities.     With a background in economics and business administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), coupled with experience as a Consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Kristian's expertise shines through. After eight years at the helm of Cutters, he discusses the motivations behind his transition from the CEO position, providing a unique perspective on leadership and succession planning.      Tune in!    Key Highlights from The Show  [01:26] Introduction to the show with Kristian Hauge Solheim  [04:12] Why Kristian stepped out of the CEO position in his company after 8 years  [05:44] When Kristian realized it was time to step out and the process he leveraged   [09:22] Why your role as an entrepreneur has to evolve as your company grows  [12:05] How Kristian built a successful hairdressing brand from scratch in a short time  [14:40] Blue Ocean Strategy: Creating your own market within an existing market   [16:11] Lessons Kristian has learned leading and building his own business   [21:30]  Business Ideas: how to share, talk, and implement your ideas  [22:30] How Kristian managed his business during the COVID-19 period  [28:18] How entrepreneurship has transformed Kristian  [31:00] Practical tips to help you set limits and take care of yourself   [35:00] About Kristan’s bottleneck score on strategic thinking   [37:50] Kristian’s practical recommendation for entrepreneurs and start-up founders  [39:24] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        As the company grows, your role as an entrepreneur should evolve.  ·        It’s not easy to let go, but it’s the only way to grow; you can’t do everything by yourself if you want to grow.   ·        You don’t have to invent a wheel every time you start a new company; look at other businesses, see what is working, and try it out.   ·        Entrepreneurship is not just about ideas; it’s also about how you implement and execute them.  ·        Set goals, do everything possible to achieve those goals, know what you can’t do on your own, and bring team players to help you.   ·        The people you decide to spend time with will affect you in a very big way whether you like it or not.   ·         If you want to succeed in something, it will be so much easier if you surround yourself with people who are doing exactly what you want to achieve.    Connect With Kristian Hauge Solheim  Website: https://karriere.cutters.no/people/60120-kristian-hauge-solheim  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristian-hauge-solheim-b5881881/?originalSubdomain  Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/kristian.haugesolheim/?_rdc=1&_rdr    ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Unlock the secrets to business success with strategic thinking! Imagine it as the rock-solid foundation for your venture—it's the key to wise decisions, resourceful use of assets, and long-term planning. When strategically building with a vision, you craft a shield that protects and propels growth.    It goes beyond gaining customers; it's about creating a tribe of devoted supporters. Understand where your audience is, tailor your offerings to meet their needs, and ensure easy access. Success isn't just about ads—it's about nurturing your audience.    Join Ben Camara as he shares his journey from football pro to London entrepreneur. Gain insights into reaching your audience, fortifying your business, and why strategic thinking is a founder's playbook essential. Ben, the founder of The No1 Fitness Group, faced pandemic challenges, strategically selling and then launching KLIQ—an empowering platform for creators.    Discover what it takes to succeed, the strategic thinking crucial for entrepreneurs, and how it can elevate your entrepreneurial journey.      Tune in now!    Key Highlights from The Show  [02:26] Introduction to the show with Ben Camara  [03:00] Ben’s bottleneck score on strategic thinking and letting go   [05:19] Why it’s so difficult for entrepreneurs to let go and delegate   [06:01] What Ben is doing to get better as an entrepreneur in strategic thinking  [07:10] What is strategic thinking, and why it’s so important   [08:20] Ben’s big dream and vision for his business   [10:18] Tips on how to create content and speak to the right audience   [12:29] How to gauge if you are giving too much on social media   [14:16] How Ben transitioned from professional sport to entrepreneurship  [16:24] Problem-solving: Key lessons Ben learned at a young age in entrepreneurship [18:40] Ben’s Fitness business and his experience selling it after 11 years due to COVID [21:55] What Ben would have done differently for his previous business   [25:34] Lessons Ben took with him to bulletproof his current business   [27:40] Bottlenecks that Ben is facing in his business today  [29:47] Ben’s practical recommendation for entrepreneurs and start-up founders  [34:20] How to reach out and connect with Ben  [34:50] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        Strategic thinking is the baseline of what you go out and execute as a founder.  ·        The big tech platforms, YouTube, Instagram, etc., are not platforms to build your business on; they are platforms to build your audience on.  ·        Your customer base will grow if they know where to find more of your product.  ·        Putting systems and processes in place can help make everything efficient and avoid bottlenecks.  ·        Focus on your self-awareness, know your strengths, and be open, curious, and ask questions.  ·        Letting go and delegating is about getting people in specific roles, nurturing them on your vision, mission, and what you’ve found out on your way, and letting them grow.  ·        The way to learn is to take action anyway.     Connect With Ben Camara  Website: https://www.joinkliq.io/  LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/joinkliq  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bencamara/?hl=en  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenCamara    ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!   

Orrin Klopper, business growth expert, shares powerful ways to propel your business to massive growth including: breaking the bottleneck through delegation, being purpose-driven & people-centric, and leveraging mergers and acquisitions for rapid growth. Klopper emphasizes the importance of hiring the right team, creating a purpose-driven culture, and assessing if M&A is right for your business. He shares his own experience of growing his company through 3 acquisitions in the last year and 2 in preparation.

Selling and storytelling in sales is a dynamic combination that transforms a mere transaction into a captivating and meaningful experience.      Effective salesmanship is not just about pushing a product; it's about understanding the customer's needs and desires, uncovering their pain points, and presenting a solution that resonates with their emotions and aspirations.      Storytelling plays a pivotal role in this process, as it weaves a narrative that engages, empathizes, and connects with the customer personally. A well-crafted story humanizes the brand and fosters trust, building a bridge of understanding that paves the way for a genuine, long-lasting relationship between the seller and the buyer.      In this episode, Tom Jackobs shares tips and strategies for effective selling, how to craft and use personal stories, the role of public speaking in sales, and how he revitalized his business through effective selling and storytelling but also transitioned to coaching other professionals.       Tom is an entrepreneur whose journey began as a 16-year-old mobile DJ, and he unknowingly delved into Direct Response Marketing before the internet era.      He dabbled in various businesses, including fitness, where he dramatically increased annual revenue from $100,000 to $500,000 in one year through effective selling techniques. After simplifying his fitness business, he transitioned to coaching other professionals and traveling worldwide, selling approximately $4 million worth of his coaching program.      Today, he teaches service providers the art of storytelling to enhance their sales efforts, demonstrating the transformative power of persistence, adaptability, and storytelling in business.      Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show  [01:06] Introduction to the show  [03:23] The place for selling in today's digital era  [04:46] “Selling”: Problem finding and problem-solving   [05:35] Developing your sales skills and how Tom learned the skills   [08:53] Heart-centered selling and how to create your product and pitch effectively  [10:15] The importance of using personal stories and how to get started  [13:55] How to use the “Heroes Journey” framework to bring prospects into your story [17:40] Selling on stage: The relationship between public speaking and sales   [20:33] Tom’s recommendation for sales and public speaking sales self-development   [23:10] When and why Tom became an entrepreneur   [24:26] The hardest lessons Tom has learned in his entrepreneurship journey   [26:08] Tom’s bottleneck score and his struggle with delegation   [28:06] Practical actions that Tom has taken to become better at delegation  [31:13] Tom’s biggest dream for his business   [33:52] Tom’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs   [34:44] How to reach out and connect with Tom  [35:12] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        Selling is problem-solving, and to become a problem-solver, you have to be a problem-finder.   ·        The biggest part of the sales conversation is the questioning or the discovery of what the problem is.  ·        Sales is the number one skill every entrepreneur needs   ·        Create your product and pitch so well that the prospect is going to be, “How can I buy this?”   ·        Don’t do it alone, the entrepreneurship journey is so lonely.  ·        Allow employees to fail and make it your company culture; that is how we learn.  ·        Learn how to sell and value it.    Resources Mentioned:  Personal Story Workbook: https://tomjackobs.com/storybook    Connect With Tom Jackobs   Website: https://tomjackobs.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trainertom/       How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Leveraging your knowledge and detaching yourself from your business are essential to building a successful business.     It's okay at the beginning to gravitate towards the product or the technology decisions when searching for a product-market fit, but you have to learn when and how to detach yourself to evolve and grow.     By detaching, you free yourself from personal biases and emotional attachments that can cloud your judgment. This clarity allows you to make strategic decisions and harness your team's expertise and experience to solve problems and seize opportunities.     Your team's unique insights and skills are valuable assets that can set your business apart from the competition. By combining detachment and knowledge, you can avoid being a bottleneck to your business, navigate challenges, adapt to changing market dynamics, and, ultimately, build a resilient and thriving business.    Join the conversation with Ori Keren as he shares his entrepreneurship journey and how he brought his product to life, from concept to a successful product and business.     His insights into product development and the strategies he employed are invaluable lessons for anyone looking to build a thriving product and business.     Ori Keren is a Co-founder & CEO at LinearB. As an ex-VP of Engineering at Cloudlock ($293M exit), Keren discovered there's no better feeling as an engineering leader than enabling your team to be happy with their work and deliver efficiently with the highest quality. That's why he co-founded LinearB and serves as its CEO. His goal is to give organizations the ability to measure the right metrics and improve dev workflow with automation to increase developers' productivity and happiness all the time.    Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show    [01:27] Introduction to the show  [03:40] About Keren’s ETA formula and how he came up with it    [06:50] Why it’s an advantage to have a background in development as a founder  [08:24] Common mistakes engineers make when launching their own company   [10:37] What it took Keren to realize he needed to detach himself from his product  [13:03] The moment Keren decided it was time to release his product to consumers  [15:02] Talking to customers and where to start to make it happen  [16:51] Evolving your role as your company grows  [19:48] Keren bottleneck and how he is working to eliminate it and grow  [24:10] Lessons Keren has learned about himself in his entrepreneurship journey  [27:57] Changes Keren has seen in the product development entrepreneurship space  [29:33] Keren’s big dream and vision for his business   [31:43] Keren’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs from his experience  [31:13] How to reach out and connect with Keren  [32:37] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        Having a background in development as a founder is an advantage only if you know how to capitalize on your knowledge.  ·        Engineering is not a critical condition for success; it’s only the beginning.  ·        It’s okay to gravitate towards the product and the technology decisions at the beginning when searching for a product market fit, but you have to learn to detach yourself to grow.    ·        Start talking to your customers; don’t wait for a perfect time.  ·        Sometimes, as a business owner, the best move you can make is to detach yourself and not be there.  ·        Prepare for a journey, be resilient, hire great people, and listen to them.    Connect With Ori Keren   Website: https://linearb.io/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-keren-8254965/   How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

A true innovator seeks to understand the market deeply from a customer's perspective. They are unafraid of failure, recognizing that it is often a stepping stone towards innovation. Innovation is not a solitary endeavor. Collaboration and effective communication are vital, as innovative ideas often emerge from diverse perspectives.     Above all, a true innovator puts customers first. When you put the customer at the centre of your technical solutions, you will create a great product that solves problems, creates value, and makes a lasting impact on the world.    In this episode, we are joined by Barbara Salopek, the Founder and CEO of VINCO Innovation Consulting, a company dedicated to helping companies become true innovators. Born and raised in Zagreb, Barbara brings a wealth of experience in innovation and commercialization, having served as a team leader, business developer, and board member for various startups.     Barbara has led numerous high-value projects, with the top five she was involved in boasting a combined value of approximately 3 million €. As a licensed technology transfer professional, she excels in project management and specializes in business development, mainly designing strategies that integrate innovation into business plans.     In the conversation, Barbara shares her fascinating entrepreneurship journey, offering insights into her experiences and the valuable lessons she's learned. Her remarkable achievements in innovation and business development and extensive experience in leading significant projects make her a valuable resource for entrepreneurs aspiring to be true innovators.    Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show  [03:00] Introduction to the show  [03:15] Lesson’s Barbara has learned from the podcast    [05:00] What it means to be a “True Innovator.”   [06:47] Innovation and why need both incremental and disruptive innovation  [08:32] Where to start innovating and adding value to your product  [09:30] How to know if you have innovation and have added value  [11:18] Getting out of the technical solutions and putting yourself in the customer's shoes  [12:59] Putting the customers at the center and providing value to them  [14:04] Barbara's passion and why she is an entrepreneur  [15:10] Lessons Barbara learned and how she founded her company, VINCO   [19:24] What the bottleneck index revealed to Barbara on delegation and letting go   [23:15] Barbara's biggest issue and block with a delegation   [25:06] Setting your expectations and clearly communicating them to your employees  [26:30] Barbara's dream and where she wants to take her business   [28:57] The biggest lesson Barbara has learned from her entrepreneurship experience  [30:58] Skills Barbara feels she is lacking in growing her business   [32:08] Barbara’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs   [33:51] How to reach out and connect with Barbara  [34:40] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        We need both incremental and disruptive innovation; incremental helps us to be more effective, and disruptive brings us new technology and markets.  ·        When you put the customer at the center of your technical solutions, you create a great product.  ·        In order to be creative, you have to have a deep knowledge of something.   ·        It’s important to know the people before you let go and let them capitalize on things.   ·        Business can be a complex endeavor; you need to build it and sell it at the same time.    Connect With Barbara Salopek  Website: https://vinco.no/project/barbara-salopek/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-salopek/    How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Being able to sell is a fundamental skill that requires constant conditioning. It doesn't matter if you possess the most innovative technology or a revolutionary product; without the ability to put it in the hands of people who need it, your potential remains untapped.     The founder's ability to sell is pivotal, no matter how talented your sales team may be. Convincing others can become an uphill battle if the founder can't sell their product. Sales is the foundation of any successful business, the driving force that propels growth and success. Even with ample funding, a venture can only go so far without a solid foundation in sales.     As a business owner, sales is the most persuasive tool to add to your arsenal to get your passion and vision out there truly. Your knack for selling is often what sets the tone for the entire organization.    In this episode, we are joined by Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, Co-Founder & CSO at Ledn Inc., a reinventing financial service focusing on crypto assets for the Canadian market.     Ledn's flagship offering, Bitcoin-backed loans, offers Canadians the best rates and a remarkably straightforward application process while empowering investors to hold their crypto assets. Applying for a Ledn loan is easy, with zero impact on your credit score, and requires only Bitcoin as collateral. Bitcoin is held securely in institutional-grade cold storage, and borrowers retain all benefits. What sets Ledn apart is its unique position as the first company to introduce Bitcoin-backed loans denominated in Canadian dollars.    In the conversation, Mauricio candidly shares his entrepreneurial journey and a remarkable economic experience that saw him leave his native Venezuela, marred by financial corruption and economic turmoil, for the promising shores of Canada. Here, he embraced new opportunities and regulations, leading him on a path to Bitcoin and the eventual co-founding of Ledn in 2017.    Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show  [00:58] Introduction to the show  [03:20] Why Mauricio left Venezuela and how that led him to co-found Ledn in 2017   [09:22] Why Mauricio knew from a young age he would be an entrepreneur   [10:47] Lessons Mauricio learned from his business failures  [14:30] Why you need to be the chief salesman officer of your product as a founder  [16:10] Mauricio’s bottleneck neck on strategic thinking in his business  [19:24] The importance of cultivating your ability to step aside as a founder  [23:38] Learning to let go to evolve your business without stifling it  [24:13] How difficult it was for Mauricio to let go of responsibilities in his business   [25:52] What Mauricio diligently does for himself to enhance his well-being  [28:28] How to get outside your entrepreneurship bubble and reach out to people  [32:02] Mauricio's one practical recommendation to entrepreneurs from his experience  [35:49] How to reach out and connect with Mauricio   [36:13] Ending the show   Notable Quotes  ·        Being able to sell is something that you have to condition yourself to do.  ·        You can have the best tech or product in the world, but if you don’t put it in the hands of people, it's dead.  ·        If the founder can't sell it, no one can; it doesn’t matter the salesperson you hire; if the founder can't sell it, you can't sell it to the salesperson.  ·        Sales drive everything else; it's the blood that makes the heart pump. Without sales, your funding can only take you so far.  ·        You have to learn to let go to evolve your business.  ·        The secret to passion is focus; if you are looking for opportunities because you have to, you will always be late.  ·        You are not going to get the best outcome by trying to catch someone else wave; the best things come from your wave.    Connect With Mauricio Di Bartolomeo   Website: https://ledn.io/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricio-di-bartolomeo-780284101/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptonomista?lang=en      ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Entrepreneurship needs a lot of awareness. Being the founder of a company does not mean you can become anything you would want. You can be good at operations but not at product engineering. You can be the founder and choose not to become the CEO so that you can focus on other roles that resonate with your passion for the business.     It means eliminating business bottlenecks by becoming aware of your strengths through a strategic approach to leverage your skills and resources effectively.    Alex Uspenskyi, who joins us in this episode, learned this with his first business when he tried to sell it but could not find a buyer. He decided to scale himself out of the business by hiring a CEO and became just a partner.     Alex went ahead to create a new company, Elai, but based on the lessons from the previous business, he scaled up earlier by recruiting a CEO while he became the CTO. Failing to realize your entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses will make you a bottleneck in your business and challenging to grow.     Elai.io, a Generative AI startup, grew to 30 employees and reached over 1000 active customers and hundreds of thousands in revenue in a year. Tune in to learn more about avoiding hindering your business growth.    Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show  [01:30] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Alex Uspenskyi  [03:48] Why Alex chose to be a CTO and not the CEO of his company  [05:51] The need for entrepreneurial awareness in a business  [07:34] Alex’s hardest parts in his previous business  [10:33] What Alex finds thrilling in entrepreneurship  [12:00] Entrepreneurship as a journey of learning and discovery  [14:25] How his current company, Elai, has been progressing  [15:35] Alex’s position and thoughts on the AI technology  [20:00] Where Alex visualizes to take his company, Elai  [22:30] What Alex's 47% bottleneck index means to his business [23:10] Roles Alex would wish to let go of the business  [27:00] How entrepreneurship has transformed him personally  [28:55] Alex’s golden recommendation to other founders from his years of experience  [33:56] Ending the show    Notable Quotes  ·        Entrepreneurship is a journey of things you need to go through to realize yourself and get some experience.    ·        Entrepreneurship is a calling.  ·        Entrepreneurship needs awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, you can become the bottleneck to the business growth.  ·        Letting go of some business roles is good but not always easy. You can only let go if you have enough financial resources to hire people who will take over the roles.  ·        You will always learn great things about yourself by running a business.   ·        Your customer’s needs and voice matter more than yours. You cannot succeed in business by selling what you need, neglecting what the customers need.     Connect With Alex Uspenskyi  Website: https://elai.io/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uspenskyi/      ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

Becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business is always a high-risk endeavor, but success often lies in taking calculated risks and mitigating potential pitfalls.     One critical skill that every entrepreneur must master on this journey is effective delegation. Delegating is not an inherent trait; it's a skill that can be learned, but recognizing its importance is the first step to success.     The most successful entrepreneurs understand that they can't do it all alone without becoming the bottleneck in their business and have mastered the art of delegation. As an entrepreneur and vision carrier, learning and getting comfortable with entrusting tasks to capable individuals will allow you to focus on the strategic aspects of your business.     By breaking the bottleneck code through effective leadership, delegation, empowerment, and clear communication, you can navigate the complexities of business with greater efficiency and innovation.    Join the conversation with Rory Galvin as he shares his entrepreneurship journey, the art of delegating, communication, and effective leadership, and how he broke the entrepreneur bottleneck to grow his business.     Rory started his career in the corporate world and spent over 15 years working in various roles at Accenture, Bank of America, and Salesforce. In 2018, Rory founded Navirum, a high-growth Salesforce consulting company serving clients across the globe for which he is the CEO. Rory enjoys helping businesses reach their potential using digital technology. Outside of work, Rory is a dad and husband. He enjoys cooking, travel, reading, and all types of music. He vows to play the guitar properly one day!    Tune in!    Key Highlights From The Show  [01:04] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Rory Galvin  [03:17] Why Rory left his company, Galvin Consulting Services, after two years  [08:30] The difference between Roy in 2010, 2018, and today   [10:08] Bettering yourself through skills, experience, and confidence building  [11:33] Rory's entrepreneurial itch and his experience following the leadership path  [13:12] Wearing so many hats and how they can make you a bottleneck in your business  [16:34] Why it’s so difficult for entrepreneurs to relinquish control   [20:30] Effective leadership, taking ownership of your vision, and empowering your team  [25:23] Getting comfortable and learning how to delegate decision-making   [26:25] Navirum's big dream and their biggest challenge [31:18] What Rory has learned about himself from his entrepreneurship journey  [33:50] Rory’s recommendations to entrepreneurs on “focusing on customer success.”  [37:24] How to reach out, connect, or learn more about Rory  [37:51] Ending the show    Notable Quote  ·        Starting a business is always high risk, and it’s all about taking calculated risks and mitigating those risks.    ·        Every entrepreneur needs to know how to delegate effectively to grow.  ·        Delegating is a skill that can be learned, but you need to be aware of it before you can address it.  ·        The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who delegate.  ·        The hardest mistakes and things that happen in business are what we learn most from.     Connect With Rory Galvin  Website: https://navirum.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorygalvin/?originalSubdomain=ca      ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

In this episode, I have the pleasure of hosting Brad Eisenhuth, the founder and CEO of The OutPerformer, hailing from the vibrant entrepreneurial landscape of Australia. Brad's business advisory service is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs evaluate, develop, and strategically attain their goals.     Since 2016, Brad and his team have masterfully orchestrated projects in digital transformation, leadership, performances, change management, and culture enhancement across various industries. Notable collaborations include esteemed institutions like the University of Sydney, Sanofi BDI, Journey Learning, Novo Nordisk, and Pera. Brad is also the engaging host of "Real Talk with OutPerformers."    Today, we delve into entrepreneurial bottlenecks and the necessity of embracing them for business growth and evolution. Brad eloquently explains the nuances of leadership, management, and aligning strengths with organizational needs.     We also touch on the significance of self-awareness and the power of reflection in steering business journeys. Brad further shares his strategies for a better understanding of oneself and emphasizes the necessity of scheduling specific time blocks in one's calendar for self-investment.    Tune in for a deep dive into entrepreneurial insights and discover how acknowledging bottlenecks can propel you on your business path.    Key Highlights:  [01:30] Brad’s background  [03:18] The necessity and inevitability of bottlenecks in business growth  [07:15] Bottleneck disparities between large corporations and SMEs  [10:00] Benefits of self-awareness in addressing  personal bottlenecks and biases in entrepreneurship [12:08] The advantages of authentic leadership, leveraging innate strengths for effective leadership  [15:08] Benefits of understanding oneself and embracing diverse skill sets for effective management and growth  [19:00] Embracing discomfort in entrepreneurship, delegating, and appreciating the journey  [22:56] Embracing forward-focused reflection for growth, leveraging past experiences and self-awareness to navigate effectively  [25:55] Tools entrepreneurs can use to enhance self-reflection and emotional management  [30:45] The importance of identity and the fulfillment of creating one's path  [34:41] The inception and evolution of "The Outperformer"  [40:14] Brad’s practical recommendation for all the entrepreneurs  [42:57] How to connect with Brad    Notable Quotes  ·        Bottlenecks aren't nice to have in some cases. They are very painful in your business, but they're necessary because we need a sense of order and structure as our businesses change and evolve.  ·        Leadership is about generating motivation and inspiration in our environment in our people to move towards a future state destination.  ·        Acknowledging that I'm not good at something doesn't feel good, but it's really important. On top of it, acknowledging then that I'm not good at it, I must keep doing it while deciding to outsource, delegate, or redesign it. That process is another effort. And that's necessary.  ·        It's okay just to be okay with it and see it as a necessary part of the journey.  ·        Prioritize leaning into the thing that is most painful and fix that first.    Connect With Brad  Email: brad@theoutperformer.co  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradeisenhuth  Podcast: Real Talk with Outperformer    ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!