Eric Feng

Top Voice | I help trainers, coaches & entrepreneurs get paid to speak

For a long time, I did everything “right.”

Built a personal brand. Spoke on global stages. Hit milestone after milestone.

But somewhere along the way, I lost myself behind the image.

The pressure to perform. The constant proving. The silent burnout.

After a health scare in 2025, I made a quiet decision.

I still want to scale my business and influence but not at the expense of my soul.

I haven’t figured it all out yet.
But I’m building differently now.
And I’m using this space to document the journey.

If you’re a high achiever who’s starting to question the old definition of success…

If you’re ambitious but tired of hustling on empty…

If you're craving more peace, purpose, and meaning in how you build your businesses...

You’re not alone.
Let's walk this out together.

Content Creator

With 200K+ following on Facebook and 51K on Instagram, I have been using these platforms to share my knowledge on sales, marketing and branding. Target audience are service professionals who market directly to consumers (B2C).

Eric Feng (CSP) - Global Speaker

I didn’t have childhood trauma.
I had childhood invisibility.

I was the shy, scrawny, self-conscious kid sitting quietly at the back.
Never picked for leadership roles.
Never invited to birthday parties.
Often forgotten.

Even my best friend once joked:
“Eric, even if you were in the room… we probably wouldn’t notice.”
We laughed but deep down, it stung.

I thought it was just a phase.
But it followed me into adulthood.
And it hurt my speaking career.

No matter how hard I hustled, I was rarely chosen.
And on the rare occasion I was… I had to speak for free.

So when I met Ron Kaufman - one of the top speakers in the world - I thought this would be my big break.

He taught me everything: how to find my niche, how to craft my message, how to grow my brand.
But still, nothing shifted.

Then one Saturday morning, I walked into our usual mentoring session.
The table was empty.
And I had this sinking thought:
“Maybe he’s dropping me.”
And if that was true, this would be the end of my speaking career. 

But instead, Ron looked at me and asked:
“Eric, do you even see yourself as a somebody?”

Silence. 
I didn’t answer.
He saw the answer on my face.

Then he said something I’ll never forget:
“Until you see yourself as a somebody, people will always treat you like a nobody.”

That hit me like a truck.

Because for the first time, I realised…
The real battle wasn’t out there.
It was in here - in my mind.

For a long time, I had been living from the old scripts:

“You’re not special.”
“No one wants to hear you speak.”
“You are a nobody.”

And the world simply mirrored that back to me.

So I began rewriting those scripts, one by one.
Not with affirmations but with inner work.

I began dismantling the old scripts that shaped me, the ones written by family, by society, and by the frightened boy I used to be. 

Scripts that taught me to shrink, to hide, to stay small. 

And as those scripts fell away, something new emerged. 
I started seeing myself as someone who deserved to be heard. 
Someone who deserved to be paid. 
Someone whose stories and lived experiences could change lives. 

And when the scripts changed, everything else shifted.

I started getting invited.
Getting paid.
Getting seen.

Not because I became someone new.
But because I finally believed I mattered.

What about you? 

Have you ever felt invisible too?

If you do, what story about yourself are you still believing that you’re finally ready to let go of?

Drop it in the comments.
Let’s rewrite the script together.

#InnerWork #ScaleWithSoul #SelfWorth

Documenting my journey of scaling without losing my soul

This video wasn’t supposed to be controversial…

I was just sharing a moment of joy and remembering how far I’ve come. 

But three days later, this video (see below) went viral and we got 3000+ shares and over 100K+ views. 

And I got a lot of positive comments too, mainly thanking me for reminding them to be grateful.

But for some strange reason, I had some negative comments too. 

“So the point is… I am rich.”
“What’s the big deal with biz class or first class”
“Ok we get it. U rich.”

Just to be clear, these comments were from TikTok not Instagram but it still got me thinking…

How can the exact same story with the exact same message get such different reactions?

And then suddenly I remembered what I learnt at a recent inner work retreat. 

“We don’t see things as they are –
We see things as WE ARE.”

If you are wired for joy, everything around you will inspire you. 
If you are wired for fear, everything around you will threaten you. 

In the case of the commenter who thought I was flexing when I mentioned flying business class, he probably had an inner script that says “All rich people love to show off” which led him to get triggered.

I used to have the same script too because growing up, I had rich classmates who would flaunt their wealth at me just to make me feel lousy about myself. Or at least that’s what I think.

And so I secretly hate rich people. 

But what I didn’t realise is that because I hate rich people, I have in effect cursed myself from being rich. because we will never become who we secretly dislike.

So the next time you feel triggered, you should be happy. 

It’s free therapy session!

You get a chance to look inwards and find out what still hurts, what still scares you and what still needs healing. 

And the beautiful part?

If we’re willing to sit with the discomfort – not judge it, not run from it – we can rewrite the script.

We can release the old beliefs that no longer serve us.
And we can finally allow ourselves to receive what we once pushed away.

So if the next time you are triggered by a video, a person or a situation, get curious. 

It might just be a doorway back to yourself!

#scalewithsoul #stevenbartlett #awakeningachiever #innerwork

Two weekends ago, I did something a little crazy.

I fed an entire year of my journals into ChatGPT and asked it to identify the lessons that kept repeating for me, just to make sure I don't make the same mistakes in 2026. 

What came back was scarily revealing. 

It made the year feel less random. It also helped me understand why certain paths closed, why slowing down was unavoidable and why some endings had to happen. 

After reading the lessons, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t falling behind. I was being guided.

So here are the ten lessons of 2025. 

May they prepare you for 2026! 

1. Slow down to course-correct. Speed hides the truth.
2. Joy is a compass. If it feels heavy, pay attention.
3. Don’t try to be clever. Try to be helpful. Pure intention wins.
4. The body never lies. Fatigue is feedback, not weakness.
5. No one can fill your loneliness except you. 
6. Endings are not failures. They are completions.
7. Leadership starts with self-regulation. 
8. Work matters, but it is not life. Life makes work better.
9. Do your part, then let God handle the rest. Less force, more faith.
10. Inner work doesn’t delay success. It prepares you to receive success.

Your turn.

What is one lesson 2025 kept repeating for you? Share with me below! 

Also if you want an elaboration of the above lessons, see comments below. Hit a like for the lessons that resonated the most with you. 

#2025recap

10 lessons 2025 forced me to learn

“What would you say to your younger self in 10 words or less?”

I was asked this question on stage, in front of 300 people.

Before I could even answer, I broke down because I didn't realise how much of me still needed to hear it.

Watch the video below.

What about you? What would you say to your younger self?
Share with me in the comments!

#ScaleWithSoul #InnerWork #AwakeningAchiever

After five seasons, I realised Stranger Things was never just about the Upside Down. It was about...

... the monsters we all face in real life.

Not the ones with claws.

But the invisible ones that show up when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or quietly burning out.

That’s why I made this carousel below.

Each slide breaks down one of these “monsters” through the lens of a character and what their journey teaches us about the human mind.

If any of these hit a little too close, don’t judge yourself.

Most achievers including me learned to look strong, even while battling something deep underneath.

Swipe through and spot the monster you’ve been wrestling with.

Better yet, let me know what’s the monster that shows up most in your life right now? 

In my next post, I’ll share some tools and ideas that have helped me face these monsters too. We can walk this out together!

Picture credits: @strangerthingstv

#StrangerThings #InnerWork #AwakeningAchiever #ScaleWithSoul

Stranger Things mental health carousel cover with red Upside Down sky and Hawkins kids on bicycles, titled “Stranger Things taught us how to beat these monsters in real life,” about inner work, emotional healing, therapy concepts, and self-growth.

Stranger Things self-reflection slide showing a lone character facing a dark storm, text says “After five seasons I realised this… the real monsters were never in the Upside Down, they were inside us,” about shadow work, emotional triggers, mental resilience, and healing from insecurity.

Stranger Things emotional healing carousel showing Monster 1 Shame, with characters hugging and crying, about overcoming shame through honesty, vulnerability, and self-compassion.

Stranger Things therapy-inspired slide about Monster 2 Grief, showing a tearful hug, teaching that grief feels heavier when isolated and becomes easier when supported by loved ones.

Stranger Things psychology carousel slide about Monster 3 Anger, featuring an intense character expression, explaining anger as a secondary emotion covering grief, fear, hurt, and helplessness.

Stranger Things self-growth slide about Monster 4 Ego, featuring Steve in uniform, explaining ego as chasing approval and status, and healing through caring, humility, and protecting others.

Stranger Things motivational therapy carousel about Monster 5 Self-Doubt, featuring Nancy aiming a gun, showing how purpose and love quiet self-doubt and build courage to take action.

Stranger Things self-worth slide about Monster 6 Unworthiness, featuring Dustin in a cap and headset, teaching self-acceptance, confidence, belonging, and leaning into strengths instead of flaws.

Stranger Things trauma healing slide about Monster 7 Trauma, featuring Eleven using her power, explaining trauma memory, avoidance, and recovery through processing painful experiences and reclaiming power.

Stranger Things therapy carousel cover explaining how therapy helps defeat inner monsters by naming emotions, understanding them, and getting support instead of ignoring pain or suppressing feelings.

Stranger Things inspirational slide with a character in front of fire saying “That’s how you take your power back,” about emotional resilience, healing, and reclaiming control over your mindset.

Stranger Things reflection prompt slide asking “What monster shows up in your life the most?” listing shame, grief, anger, ego, self-doubt, unworthiness, trauma, encouraging inner work and healing.

If you feel undervalued at work… this will explain everything.
(and maybe even break your heart a little)

You give your best.
You stay late.
You go the extra mile.

But somehow… you're still overlooked, underpaid, or under-appreciated.

Ever wonder why?

This short video I shared tells the story of a father, a son, and an old watch.

And I promise you, the lesson will stay with you long after it ends.

Here are some of the comments I woke up to the morning after I posted. 

“I teared up when I got to the message,” 
“This is so powerful, I got goosebumps hearing the five words” 
"Eric, I really needed this, thank you.” 

If you’ve been feeling like your work or worth isn’t being recognised…

Watch the video below (just 1 min+). 

It might be the perspective shift you didn’t know you needed.

#scalingwithsoul #awakeningachiever #innerwork #selfworth

Why can one simple comment ruin your whole day??

Have you ever been triggered by a simple comment like:

“There’s a mistake here.”
“You overlooked this.”
“This doesn’t look right.”

On the surface, it looks like normal feedback…
but somehow it stings deeply.

A few nights ago, I asked my teacher why this happens.

Her answer felt like cool water on a burning day:

We get hurt not because people are mean…
but because deep down, we believe they’re right.

You might want to read that again. 

We believe them because we lack confidence in ourselves.

And when our confidence is shaky, we rely on others to tell us we’re “good enough.”

So when someone says, “You messed up,”
it doesn’t feel like feedback.
It feels like confirmation of our worst fear.

So how do we stop taking everything so personally?

It starts with building a stronger relationship with yourself:

- Know your values, truth, and purpose.
- Talk to yourself with love and kindness.
- Notice your real needs through your emotions.
- Learn to fulfill your own needs and not rely on others to do it.

Because the more you know and trust yourself,
the less you’ll need others to validate you.

And feedback?
It becomes just that -- feedback.

Not a weapon to hurt you.
Just data to inform you.

I am curious. What’s one piece of feedback that used to hit you hard but now lands differently?

Comment below, I would love to hear your experience!

#scalewithsoul #awakeningachiever #innerwork

What if your birthday could unlock your entire life story?

I recently gave ChatGPT my birthdate and what it revealed blew my mind.

See the exact prompt I used below and try it for yourself. 

By the way, I shared it on IG recently and the post went viral with 169K views  and 2000+ shares because of the accuracy of the output. 

Here's the prompt: 

Use my zodiac sign, numerology and Chinese animal sign to construct an archetypal identity blueprint. Then, relate back to my patterns, my strengths, my blindspots and recurring life patterns.

Zodiac: [Your Sign]
Numerology: [Your Birthdate]
Chinese sign: [Your Animal Sign]

After you get the output, you can even go further and ask:

1.⁠ ⁠How does someone with this blueprint become successful (rich in money, energy, contribution & fulfillment)?

2.⁠ ⁠What can you predict about my 20s/30s/40s/50s (pick one) based on the information and patterns so far?

3.⁠ ⁠Please forecast my 20s/30s/40s/50s (pick one). But before that, what questions do you need to ask me to give me an accurate response?

Reply to the questions and then you will get a forecast of your next decade.

If you're in a season of rediscovery, this prompt is God-sent. 

Try it and let me know your thoughts on the output. 

#chatgptprompt #lifepath #archetype #spiritualtech

Helping Founders Break the $10M Ceiling | Strategy, Cash Flow & Leadership Systems | Scaling CFO

I help founders simplify scaling.

You started your business. You pushed past $1M. Now you're stuck somewhere between $3M and $10M, working harder than ever but not moving faster.

The problem isn't effort. It's complexity.

Too many priorities competing for attention. Financials that don't tell you what to do next. A team that still needs you for everything. Growth that feels like grinding instead of building.
I fix that.

I'm Cruz Gamboa, founder of Ascend Growth Ventures. I combine Scaling Up methodology with CFO-level financial clarity to help founders cut through the noise and scale with confidence.

Before this, I spent 25 years in corporate finance - including Regional CFO at GE and strategic finance leadership at GE Capital. I've seen what works at scale. Now I bring that to founders building something that matters.

I work best with CEOs in professional services, coaching, SaaS, and service-based businesses who are ready to scale profitably without burning out.

One conversation can change your trajectory: calendly.com/cruzagamboa/call-with-cruz-ascend-30min

Cruz Gamboa

Scaling isn’t about being nice.
It’s about being clean.

Clean with roles.
Clean with standards.
Clean with truth.

You don’t fire people.
You outgrow misalignment.

As the Netflix CEO puts it:

“If I wouldn’t fight to keep you, I owe you honesty—and a generous exit.”

Not because someone failed.
But because one of three things is true:
•	The role evolved faster than the person
•	The seat was wrong from the start
•	The bar moved—and the company didn’t move it back

High-performing companies don’t drag this out.
They decide early and act with dignity.

No drama.
No ego.
No moral stories.

Just:
•	Radical clarity
•	Respectful exits
•	Fair severance
•	Clean energy left behind

Dragging misalignment is the real cruelty.
Clarity is the kindness.

Scaling isn’t loyalty to individuals.
It’s loyalty to the mission, the team, and the future.

Right people.
Right seats.
Right standards.

And when someone no longer fits?
You don’t shame them.
You set them free.

If you want to scale, stop managing discomfort.
Start architecting teams.

Managers hesitate.
Leaders make room.

#scalingup #founders #growth #ceo

Most businesses don’t fail because they’re bad.

They fail because they’re trying to be someone else.

Burger King copied McDonald’s for 30 years.
Same audience.
Same positioning.
Same “family-friendly” nonsense.

And they kept losing.

Because you can’t beat the market leader
by playing their game better than them.

By 2004, Burger King was dying.
So they asked the only question that actually matters:

“Who is already buying from us?”

Not who they *wanted*.
Not who looked good in presentations.

The truth.

The answer?
Men aged 18–34.
Heavy fast-food users.
People who came back again and again.

And those customers didn’t want:

➡️ Safe
➡️ Cute
➡️ Corporate

They wanted:

➡️ Flame-grilled food
➡️ Control
➡️ Edge
➡️ Personality

So Burger King stopped pretending.

They brought back “Have It Your Way.”
Not as a slogan.
As a strategy.

They built everything around that one customer.

Marketing got bold.
Messaging got raw.
Campaigns got polarizing.

Subservient Chicken.
Whopper Freakout.

Not for everyone.
Exactly the point.

What happened next?

Same-store sales jumped.
Franchises grew.
And net income increased 2860% in three years.

That’s not a pivot.
That’s a resurrection.

Burger King didn’t beat McDonald’s.

They sidestepped them.

McDonald’s owned families.
Burger King owned young men who wanted control.

Different customer.
Different lane.
No direct competition.

Here’s the real lesson:

If you try to serve everyone,
you get ignored by everyone.

The fastest way to grow isn’t copying the leader.

It’s finding the customer they don’t care about
and building obsessively for them.

Specific beats broad.
Always.

#ceo #founder #growth

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Most businesses don’t fail from lack of effort.

They fail from listening to themselves instead of the market.

Dunkin didn’t pivot loudly.

They pivoted quietly by watching what people kept paying for. 

Then they let the data rewrite their identity.

That’s the real upgrade:
✅ Feelings → Facts
✅ Ego → Evidence
✅ deas → Income that repeats

The market is always talking.

Your sales are the language.

So here’s the uncomfortable check:
What do people come back for again and again?

And are you building more of that… or still pitching what you’re emotionally attached to?
#scalingup #CEO #founder #growth

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patagonia-solar-llc

Your First Product Is Not Your Last

The first $5M? Brutal.
The next $5M? Still hard.
After $10M? Growth accelerates.

Here’s the scaling truth Kevin O’Leary calls out:

The first $5M is about survival. You’re learning how to deploy capital, take smart risks, and build systems that work. 

Most entrepreneurs quit here.

The next $5M? 

Execution matters. You’ve survived the grind, learned what works, and can now scale with confidence. Decisions compound. Efficiency improves. Strategy becomes your edge.

Beyond $10M? You’re playing a different game. Capital works for you, not the other way around. Systems, processes, and disciplined execution create leverage.

Lesson: 

Wealth and business scales the same way. 

Master the first phase. 
Build discipline. 
Then scale.
#scalingup #founder #growth #ceo

Bill Gates could have flown First Class every day or flown on his own plane, even as a billionaire, 

But he chose to fly Economy until around 1997.

Why?

Because it wasn’t worth the money.

Same plane.
Same arrival time.
5× the cost for a tiny upgrade.

That’s how smart people think about scale.

Most people make money and immediately upgrade their lifestyle.

Smart operators upgrade what makes money.

More spending doesn’t equal more growth.
It usually equals more noise.

When you’re scaling, ask one question:
👉 Does this change the outcome?

If it doesn’t:
Cut it.

A fancy office doesn’t increase revenue.
A luxury car doesn’t improve execution.
Premium tools don’t fix broken systems.

Wealth has one real job:
Buy back your time.

Once you have enough, the goal isn’t more stuff.
It’s fewer constraints.

Less distraction.
More focus.
More leverage.

Scale isn’t about looking successful.
It’s about building something that works without you.

That’s real wealth.
#scalingup #ceo #growth #founder

He was 78 years old
…when he launched a vodka brand
…with no distillery
…in an industry that laughed at him

Sidney Frank.
The man behind Grey Goose.

No product breakthrough.
No secret formula.
No startup hype.

Just one insight most people missed:
People don’t buy vodka. They buy status.

Sidney didn’t make better vodka.
He made a better story.

France on the label.
Luxury in the bottle design.
A price so high it forced belief.

While others chased volume,
he chased perception.

He didn’t market to the masses.
He placed Grey Goose in elite bars first.
When bartenders poured it,
the world followed.

He moved slowly.
Protected exclusivity.
Ignored trends.

8 years later:
➡ Grey Goose became the default “premium vodka”
➡ Competitors copied the look
➡ Bacardi paid $2.3 BILLION

No overnight success.
Just disciplined positioning.

Lesson most builders miss:
Innovation gets attention.
Positioning creates power.

Experience didn’t slow him down.
It sharpened him.

Long vision.
Clear narrative.
Unshakeable belief.

#founders #scalingup #businessstrategy #longtermthinking

Most people think Starbucks’ rewards program is about free coffee.

It isn’t.

It’s about cash flow.

Starbucks Rewards is not a loyalty perk.
It’s a prepaid deposit system.

When a customer loads money into the app, Starbucks gets paid before any coffee is made.
Accounting-wise, that money sits as deferred revenue.

But operationally?
It’s usable cash.

That’s the move.

Instead of waiting for daily transactions, Starbucks created a system where millions of customers fund operations in advance.

No interest.
No bank fees.
No dilution.
No debt.

Every preload improves:
✅ Working capital
✅ Liquidity
✅ Balance sheet strength

And Starbucks holds that cash until the customer redeems it.

Some never do.

Unused balances.
Forgotten cards.
Abandoned apps.

That “breakage” flows straight to profit.

Multiply this behavior across ~29 million users and you don’t have a rewards program anymore.

You have a deposit base.

This is why Starbucks scales so efficiently:
▶ Stores expand faster
▶ Cash flow stays predictable
▶ Capital stress stays low

They didn’t out-market competitors.
They re-engineered when money moves.

The lesson:-

Growth isn’t always about selling more.
Sometimes it’s about getting paid earlier.

Starbucks didn’t build loyalty.
They built a financial engine and wrapped it in a green apron.#ceo #scalingup #growth #ceo #founder

Most companies scale faster by cutting people.
Publix scaled stronger by owning the opposite.

95 years. Zero layoffs.
Not luck. Not culture posters.
A Scaling Up system done right.

➡ Promote from within
➡ Clear succession planning
➡ Everyone thinks like an owner
➡ Leaders built, not bought
➡ Long-term value over short-term savings

When people own the outcome, execution compounds.
When leadership is grown internally, trust scales.

This isn’t a feel-good story.
This strategy may not be your strategy. 
For Publix, It’s a people strategy that beat Walmart.

You have to find what it's true for your company. 

Scale isn’t about size.
It’s about who owns the results.

#scalingup #growth #CEO

No Layoffs?

ADIDAS LOST €1.5 BILLION.
NOT TO NIKE.
NOT TO THE MARKET.
BUT TO ITS OWN BUREAUCRACY.

January 2023:
Dead Yeezy stock.
First loss since 1992.
Slow teams. Scared decisions. Broken speed.

9 months later?
Profitable. Faster. Sharper. Beating Nike.

The turnaround wasn’t magic.
It was leadership.

One CEO did 3 things most companies avoid:
→ Cut layers
→ Killed approvals
→ Simplified what already worked

No hype.
No noise.
Just speed, clarity, and conviction.

Big lesson:
You don’t lose because you’re small.
You lose because you’re slow.

Sometimes the fix isn’t more strategy.
It’s less nonsense.

#scalingup #CEO #founders #growth

ADIDAS Story

He didn’t fail for 10 years.
The market just wasn’t ready yet.

Hwang Dong-Hyuk sold his $675 laptop to buy food.
Lived with his grandmother.
Got rejected for a decade.

Studios said:

➡️ Too weird
➡️ Too violent
➡️ Not commercial
➡️ Too complex

Same script.
Same idea.
Same “no”.

Here’s the part most people miss 👇

This wasn’t a talent problem.
It was a timing + distribution problem.

He had the product early.
The market came late.

In 2018, Netflix expands globally.
Needs bold, non-safe content.
Needs local stories with global emotion.

One exec reads the script and says:
“This is exactly what we need.”

$21.4M invested.
Zero marketing push.
No homepage love.

Result?

✓ #1 in 94 countries
✓ 1.65B viewing hours
✓ $900M+ value created
✓ Best ROI in Netflix history

Scaling lesson most founders ignore:

Great ideas don’t die.
They wait.

If you’re early:
Don’t dilute the vision to get small yeses.
Build proof elsewhere.
Survive long enough to meet the right platform.

Scaling isn’t about changing your idea.

It’s about finding the right leverage.

One right distributor > 1,000 wrong pitches.

Ten years of “weird”
became a global empire.

Sometimes the world just isn’t ready yet.

Stay in the game long enough… and it will be.
#scalingup #founderstories #growth #CEO

The World Isnt Ready

Growth without cash flow is just noise. 📉
Dives deeper into why founders who master cash strategy scale faster, stay resilient, and win long term.

Full Cash Is King podcast episode premiering Friday 🚀

🔔 Turn on notifications so you don’t miss the next clips—and the full conversation.

👉 Set your reminder & watch the premiere here:
https://lnkd.in/eBnXhnie

#CashIsKing #DevinSizemore #PodcastShorts #BusinessPodcast
#CashFlowManagement #ScalingBusiness #FounderMindset
#SustainableGrowth #WealthStrategy #EntrepreneurLife
#YouTubePremiere #PodcastReels

GIANTS don’t fall overnight.
They fall one comfortable decision at a time.

They built the category.
Owned the market.
Had money, talent, and trust.

Then they did one thing wrong 👇
They stopped adapting.

Motorola. 
Intel. 
Netscape. 
Borders.

Not stupid.
Not unlucky.
Just late.

The market doesn’t punish failure.
It punishes complacency.

Scroll through this carousel if you want a reminder of one brutal truth:
➡️ Past success is not future security.
➡️ Comfort is more dangerous than competition.
➡️ If you’re not improving, someone else is preparing to replace you.

Stay hungry.
Or become a case study.
#SCALINGUP #CEO #FOUNDER #GROWTH

CRITICAL MISTAKES

Most people don’t need a new year.

They need a new operating system.

2026 won’t reward louder marketing, more hustle, or more tools.
It will reward founders who build clarity early and compound it fast.

What I’m seeing with founders between $3M–$10M is consistent:
• When financial visibility improves, decisions slow down in the right way
• Leadership shifts from reactive to intentional
• Teams stop guessing and start executing
• Growth becomes calmer, not heavier

Breakthroughs rarely come from doing more.
They come from removing noise and tightening the system.
That’s the mindset I’m taking into 2026.

Less chaos. More leverage. Fewer moves. Better ones.

If you’re also thinking about how you want to operate differently next year, I wrote a short piece on what actually creates momentum at this stage.

DM me or write "2026", and I will share the memo I wrote for my clients and friends with you.

#ceo #founder #scalingup

He refused to touch a $1.50 hot dog, and it helped build a ~$250B business.

Jim Sinegal.
Costco co-founder.

Inflation hit.
Costs rose.
Wall Street pushed the obvious move:

“Raise prices.”

Jim’s response was blunt:

“If you raise the price of the hot dog, you’re done.”

No slides.
No consultants.
No narrative gymnastics.

Just a rule.

So Costco did what most companies won’t:

They redesigned the system.
* Built their own production capacity
* Reduced supplier dependency
* Ruthlessly simplified SKUs
* Absorbed costs where trust mattered most

Instead of passing pain to customers, they owned it.

While others:
→ Blamed inflation
→ Shrunk products
→ Optimized short-term margins

Costco:
→ Held the line on iconic prices
→ Added ~5M new member households
→ Sustained ~92% renewal rates
→ Scaled to ~$250B in annual revenue

Here’s the part most founders miss:

They weren’t protecting a hot dog.

They were protecting trust.

And trust compounds faster than margins ever will.

Most companies raise prices to survive.
Strong companies redesign economics so prices don’t have to.

Boring moves.
Brutal discipline.
Unfair long-term advantage.

So what’s the one price, promise, or principle in your business that you refuse to break, no matter the pressure?

#scalingup #founders #leadership #pricing #ceo

A Sony engineer watched his daughter play Nintendo in 1984 and thought “the sound on this thing is garbage.”

Ken Kutaragi secretly built a better chip and gave it to Nintendo. Sony almost fired him for it.

Then he convinced Sony to partner with Nintendo on a CD-ROM console called the “Play Station.”

June 1991. Sony announces the partnership at CES.

Next morning? Nintendo takes the same stage and dumps Sony for Philips.

Sony’s board wanted to quit gaming entirely. Called it a “toy business.”

Kutaragi stormed into the president’s office. “Are you going to be a laughing stock to Nintendo for the rest of your life?”

The president’s response: “Just do it.”

They had to exile Kutaragi’s team to Sony Music because headquarters refused to house the project.

Then Kutaragi pitched Sega on a joint console. Their board laughed: “That’s a stupid idea. Sony doesn’t know how to make hardware.”

Betrayed by Nintendo. Rejected by Sega. Nearly killed by his own company.

December 1994. PlayStation launches. 100,000 units sold day one.
At E3, Sega announced the Saturn at $399. Sony’s Steve Race walked to the mic, said “$299,” and walked off. Standing ovation.

By 1998, PlayStation was 40% of Sony’s total profit. 563 million PlayStations sold across all generations. The PS2 is still the best-selling console ever.
The prototype’s codename? “PS-X.” Everyone knew the X was a reminder of who crossed them.

Most founders think this is a story about revenge. It’s not.
Kutaragi’s biggest fight wasn’t Nintendo or Sega. It was his own organization that thought the vision was beneath them.

That’s usually the real constraint. Not your competition. The blind spots inside your own company that nobody’s willing to name.

#scalingup #founder #ceo #growth

In 1997, Jeff Bezos was stressed for all the right reasons.

Amazon was losing money.
Online retail wasn’t proven.
Most investors thought he was wrong.

Here’s the part people miss:

Stress doesn’t come from working hard.
It comes from knowing what to do and not doing it.

So Bezos acted.
Packed boxes himself.
Made the calls.
Shipped anyway.

No fancy office.
A door for a desk.
A Honda Accord in the parking lot.

Fast forward to amazon have $2.6 TRILLION market cap.

Lessons for founders:

▶️ Action kills anxiety
▶️ Clarity is earned through execution
▶️ Fancy setups don’t build big companies
▶️ Ignore opinions, obey the math
▶️ The long game compounds quietly

If something is stressing you out right now,
it’s probably your to-do list calling you out.

#scalingup #founder #ceo #growth

If everything is a priority, nothing scales.

That’s why most companies don’t stall from lack of ideas.
They stall from lack of focus.

The Power of One fixes that brutally fast.

Here’s the rule:

At every level of the business, there is ONE thing that matters more than everything else.

Not a vision board.
Not 12 KPIs.
One outcome that moves the needle now.

Company:
→ One #1 priority for the quarter that makes growth unavoidable.

Leaders:
→ One measurable result they own. No hiding. No excuses.

Teams:
→ One clear objective that directly supports the company's priority.

Individuals:
→ One commitment that, if done daily, makes execution inevitable.

Why this works (and why most won’t do it):

➡️ Focus beats intelligence
➡️ Clarity beats motivation
➡️ Ownership beats meetings
➡️ Execution beats strategy decks

Scaling isn’t about adding more people, more tools, or more plans.

It’s about removing everything that doesn’t matter
until what’s left cannot fail.

That’s the Power of One.

What is the one thing in your business that is calling for your full dedicated attention?

What are the things you are willing to pause so that you can fix it and remove the constraint?

#scaling #founders #growth #ceo

This is Why Companies Fail

Most founders do not have a growth problem.

They have a strategy stacking problem.

That is what the 7 Strata of Strategy solves.

It is a framework created by Verne Harnish to force clarity on the 7 layers that actually drive scale, profitability, and differentiation.

Not vision statements.
 Not buzzwords.
 Real strategic leverage.

What is the 7 Strata?

A practical checklist for building a strategy that compounds.

It answers one question:

“Why should the right customer choose you, pay you more, and stay longer?”

When to use it

Use the 7 Strata when:
• Revenue has stalled between $3M to $10M
 • Sales feels harder than it should
 • Margins are thin
 • Marketing sounds generic
 • The team cannot clearly explain why you win
 • You are scaling but complexity is rising faster than profit

It is especially powerful during:
• Annual planning
 • Strategy resets
 • Go-to-market changes
 • Repositioning
 • Pre-scale phase

What each Stratum means

Words You Own
 The category in the customer’s mind.
 If you do not define it, the market will.

Sandbox
 Who you serve and where you win.
 Focus creates power.

Brand Promise
 The measurable result customers can expect.

Brand Promise Guarantee
 How you reduce risk and increase trust.

Differentiating Activities (3 to 5)
 What you do differently that competitors cannot easily copy.

X-Factor
 Your 10x to 100x structural advantage.
 Process, data, network, cost, or ecosystem.

Profit per X + BHAG
 Your economic engine and long-term target.

This is where strategy meets money.

Why 7 Strata?

Because advantage is layered.

Most companies operate with 2 or 3 layers.

Strong companies stack all 7.

Each layer multiplies the others:

Positioning
 → Focus
 → Trust
 → Differentiation
 → Structural advantage
 → Profit engine
 → Long-term dominance

Miss one, and growth leaks.

The founder truth

If your strategy cannot be explained on one page, it cannot scale.

Clarity is not a branding exercise.
 It is a profit lever.

If you are operating between $3M to $10M and growth feels heavier every year, your next breakthrough is probably not more hustle.

It is a sharper stack.

If you want, I can share the worksheet I use with founders to map this in under 60 minutes.

Just DM SEVEN

#scaling #growth #CEO #founder

Cash flow isn’t optional—it’s the #1 rule behind sustainable business growth 💸
In this episode, Devin Sizemore breaks down how smart cash strategy fuels scale, stability, and long-term success.

Full podcast episode premiering 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝟳𝗔𝗠 𝗘𝗦𝗧 🚀

🔔 Turn on notifications so you don’t miss the next reels and the full episode.

👉 Set your reminder & watch the premiere here:
https://lnkd.in/eBnXhnie

#CashIsKing #DevinSizemore #BusinessPodcast #PodcastReels
#CashFlow #EntrepreneurMindset #ScalingBusiness #FounderTalk
#SustainableGrowth #WealthStrategy #StartupGrowth

Most founders brag about revenue.

That’s a mistake.

I’ve seen companies doing millions a year…
and the owner is still stressed, still stuck, still one bad month away from panic.

Why?

Because revenue doesn’t buy freedom.
Profit does.

More revenue without profit just gives you:

• More people
• More complexity
• More risk
• Same lifestyle

That’s not growth.
That’s leverage working against you.

Here’s the truth:

Growth does not start with selling more.
It starts with a profitable system.

There are only 3 levers that matter:

1. Price – Are you charging what it’s worth?

2. Volume – Are these the right customers?

3. Cost – Are you efficient without breaking delivery?

Everything else is noise.

Fix those three, and profit shows up.

Profit gives you:

➡️ Margin for mistakes
➡️ Proof the model works
➡️ Room to breathe

Profit turns into cash.

Cash pays the team.
Cash pays you.
Cash funds growth without stress.

Then you reinvest:
Better people.
Better systems.
Better clients.

That feeds the engine.

The engine creates more profit.

And now growth funds itself.

Stop asking:
❌ “How do we get more revenue?”

Start asking:
✅ “How do we make this system more profitable?”

Revenue is movement.
Profit is power.

If your business feels fragile, it’s because it is.

Fix the system.
The money follows.

Are you focused on more revenues or more profit in your business?  What would your business look like if you had more profit with the same amount of revenue?

#scalingup #growth #Ceo #founder

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