Jean Moncrieff

I’m an entrepreneur, community builder, and trusted advisor dedicated to helping leaders build exceptional, purpose-driven businesses that choose to be great — not just big.

As the leader of the Small Giants Community, I steward a network of values-driven CEOs and founders who believe business can be a force for good. Together, we navigate the challenges of growth while staying anchored in what matters most: our people, our purpose, and our communities.

My journey includes founding, scaling, and successfully exiting multiple companies in the 7 and 8-figure range. But what I’ve learned — and what Small Giants has taught me — is that true success isn’t just about revenue or an exit event; it’s about building organizations where people thrive, cultures are strong, and legacies last far beyond the founder.

Through my work, I bring a blend of hard-won strategic insight, practical operating frameworks, and a deep commitment to human-centered leadership. Whether I’m coaching CEOs, convening Small Giants gatherings, or creating spaces for authentic connection, my goal is to help leaders clarify their vision, lead with intention, and grow businesses that serve their families, employees, and communities for generations to come.

If you’re a purpose-driven leader who wants to join a community of peers on the same path, or you’re exploring how to grow and steward your business with intention, let’s connect.

Zurich is home for me and my partner Sinem, while most of my professional work takes me to the US. Cape Town is where I go to slow down and recharge.

Part-Time Marketing Director

The Marketing Centre is a UK market leader in offering part-time CMOs and Marketing Directors for SMEs. The portfolio businesses we work with are often early-stage high-growth ventures and much of our work involves close co-operation with private equity firms and venture capitalists to ensure rapid growth while creating value and optimum returns. With us, entrepreneurs can access a wealth of experienced and commercially minded marketing leaders who know how to make businesses grow, but who operate on a part-time basis and therefore more cost-effectively.

Typically I work with businesses who recognise themselves in at least two of the following: 

- have ambitious growth plans and want to capitalise on this growth
- may have stalled and need a fresh review of the business
- have a business owner is running out of hours in the day to do everything
- have sales pipeline needs more and better quality leads to achieve your growth plans
- need their online strategy reinvigorating
- need to re-evaluate and develop their proposition 
- are building towards an exit and want to maximise return
- has a turnover between £3m and £50m

If you are interested to know more, please contact me on 0792 638 1370 or email me at jean.moncrieff@themarketingcentre.com, and we can talk about your business.

A former National Commander and CEO of the Civil Air Patrol & USAF Auxiliary, Amy S. Courter, MBA has had highs and lows along her leadership journey. ✈️

In 2024 she took to the Small Giants Summit stage to share her story of her "career scavenger hunt", and being forced to make difficult decisions that challenged her integrity as a purpose-driven leader.

One part of Amy's story that has stuck with me was this, when she received a special token and words of encouragement from a former Tuskegee Airman. When she was feeling burdened with loneliness in leadership, this man, who had clearly gone through his own great challenges, took the time to offer her recognition and a sense of connection. 

Amy's story was a reminder that we all need community to support us along our journeys. Tokens and words of affirmation can keep us buoyed, but what really keeps us going is the knowledge that we're seen.

Find your sense of connection with other purpose-driven leaders within the Small Giants Community, and join us at the 2026 Summit, happening April 28-30 in Detroit.

🎟️ https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

CEO Small Giants Community | Host Growing with Purpose Podcast | Speaker | Author Finding Freedom (due April 2026) | Connecting and Developing Purpose-Driven Business Leaders

The first speaker announcement for the 2026 Small Giants Summit!

Richard J. Bryan, CSP is an amazing business leader, speaker, and all around guy. I can't wait to witness his magic on the Summit stage.

📢 More speaker announcements to come soon. And in the meantime, secure your spot at this unmatched event: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

We’re excited to welcome Richard J. Bryan, CSP, as a keynote speaker at the Small Giants Summit 2026.

Richard knows what it means to navigate leadership when the stakes are real.

At just 28, he stepped into a fourth-generation, 100-year-old family business doing $120M in revenue and losing $3.5M a year. With the help of a trusted mentor, he led a turnaround, scaled the company, and eventually navigated a successful exit.

That lived experience shapes everything Richard teaches today.

He’s the author of Handing Over the Reins, a must-read for leaders thinking about succession and legacy. He’s also written Being Frank, which blends real leadership lessons with practical, human insight from four generations of business.

Today, through The Bryan Group, Richard coaches CEOs and leadership teams around the world on building companies worth leading. And worth leaving.

If you already have your ticket, this is one of those sessions you’ll be glad you’re in the room for.
If you don’t, consider this your sign.

🧭 Detroit. 2026.
🎟️ Tickets are on sale.

I can run a business.
Fly a plane.
Surf a wave.
Ride a horse.

But don’t ask me to do anything involving electrics.

I once changed a fuse and blew the transformer on the electricity pole outside the house. True story.

So when I decided to fix my father’s turntable and amp, I went to Turntable Guy.

The woman who helped me was phenomenal.

She gave me a quote on the spot.
Fixed my speaker wires.
Checked whether my entire 1980s setup was even… survivable.
And when I told her I’m leaving in a couple of weeks, she said, “No problem — we’ll have it ready before you go.”

This place is one of those oversubscribed Small Giants.

Not flashy.
Not trying to scale to the moon.
Just quietly excellent — run by people who know their craft and take pride in doing things properly.

The best businesses don’t always feel “big.”

They feel like someone actually cares.

#SmallGiants #Travel #CapeTown

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Metronomics Certified Coach

Certified Value Builder

Freelance Travel Writing

Hubspot Certified

Copywriting for Online Marketing

Inbound Certification

Email Marketing

Co-Active Coaching Fundamentals

Working with Messageware executive team to create and execute a marketing and business development strategy. Implement HubSpot marketing automation, integrate HubSpot and Salesforce.com, manage PPC campaigns.

Messageware Marketing & Business Development

Responsible for creating and executing Jibestream's online and offline marketing strategy. Working with the VP of Sales to increase lead generation through content marketing. Implemented Hubspot Inbound Marketing Platform.

Jibestream - Marketing Lead

In order to take the digital marketing of this initially small company to the next level, some key issues needed to be addressed. Firstly, I knew that we needed a platform where our website could be interactive,dynamic, easily edited by marketing professionals rather than designers, allow us to build a database, gather leads and most importantly effectively be able to measure campaign results. Hubspot was the obvious choice.

Our first aim was to design and develop a Mobile Schools Health website and brand as Mobile Schools Health (MSH) was one of our fastest growing subsidiaries. Shortly after creating the first basic MSH website design we simultaneously ported and redesigned our MSTSV website onto Hubspot.

Now came the fun part, to start using Hubspot for its Inbound properties. For both websites I set up our Inbound goals in terms of lead generation, blog subscribers, social media engagement and website click through rates. In order to understand our potential clients and the way they think we created Buyer Persona's based on the behaviours of our current clients. All content was focused around these persona's.

Armed with these aims and persona's I focused heavily on blogs, keywords, interesting and relevant content across the websites and social media platforms and email marketing. Within 3 months, after continuous evaluation of the campaigns' statistic and with minimal paid for advertising we had exceeded our Lead generation targets, had a substantial number of ranked keywords and in turn grown our database. Within 4 to 5 months we had tripled our social media engagement and grown our number of followers.

I was integrally involved with the entire process by means of building the brands, creating the entire marketing strategy beyond only Inbound, writing and approving copy, creating buyer persona's, email publications, SEO, setting targets, approving website designs and sitemaps, analysing results and improving campaigns.



MSTSV and Mobile Schools Health websites and Inbound Marketing

Leading a team building a patient records system for mobile clinics in Africa. Mobile clinics travel to rural areas to bring medical care to children who typically don't have access to these services.

Mobile Schools Health

Commonplace Digital Marketing

CompassDocs is a cloud based application on the Amazon AWS platform providing customers with a simple solution for managing electronic documents. Developed to specifically address challenges in Proof of Delivery Management, Contract Management and Hybrid Document Management.

CompassDocs

FastSell is a cloud-based B2B platform that helps companies in the food services industry increase revenues through the reduction of wastage associated with overstocked and distressed items.

FastSell / Tradehubz

Leader of the Small Giants Community | Coach and Mentor to Values-Driven Companies | Host of The Freedom Experience® | Helping Founders Scale with Purpose

This masterclass is for CEOs and leaders looking to get a head start on your 2025 business plan. Learn how to refine your planning process and align your team for growth and success.

Foundation for Growth Masterclass

Business owner with 5M-50M in revenue? Struggling for traction or worried about your company's future? Let's tackle it. Book a call with me. We'll review your current business position, and I'll show you a framework 1,000+ owners use to achieve 30% growth, maximizing company value. Reach me here: jean@jeanmoncrieff.com

Unlocking Business Momentum: A Personal Invitation

No backing out now! 😂
 
We just released a press release announcing 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this vision becoming real.
 
I’m especially excited for our partnership with 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗼.  
Their support, expertise, and genuine enthusiasm for creating meaningful books is infectious. They’re the perfect parent company for our little press — aligned in values, committed to craft, and passionate about bringing important stories to life. 

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴, Davin Salvagno & Scott Jeffrey Miller 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵!)
 
And that’s exactly why Small Giants Press exists.
 
So many leaders in our Community are sitting on 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 — stories about building companies with purpose, leading with humanity, overcoming adversity, shaping culture, and redefining what success looks like.
 
Stories that deserve readers.  
Stories that deserve space on bookshelves.  
Stories that deserve to be told.
 
If you’ve ever felt that spark — that sense that you 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 a book in you — maybe this is your moment.
 
And we’d be honored to help you bring it to life.
 
📰 Press release here for anyone who wants the full story: https://lnkd.in/gC_AXzxS 
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘂𝘀 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻.

Open article: Small Giants Press to be first imprint of Maison Vero by einpresswire.com

Small Giants Press to be first imprint of Maison Vero

🤝 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Last week, we kicked off our latest cohort of the Small Giants Leadership Academy. This group is full of bright, driven, like-heated leaders, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all.

Facilitating those first sessions made me reflective of all the work the Small Giants team has put into creating a top-tier program (massive shoutout to Kathryn Sowa and Bridget (Bateman) Larson !).

We do all of that heavy lifting so that businesses within the Small Giants Community can focus on what they do best. We simply act as an extension of their team in support of leadership development.

We do this because building a leadership development program from scratch is a massive undertaking:
Curriculum design. 
Facilitator vetting. 
Endless logistics.

But what you really need isn’t another project; it’s a partner.

And that’s where we come in.

The 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is a proven, cohort-based virtual program built for purpose-driven organizations. Dozens of companies have trusted us to take their leaders from good to great, and we can do the same for you.

We’ve spent years curating the best facilitator roster and developing a curriculum that helps leaders grow in 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Your emerging leaders walk away ready to lead with purpose — and you get the peace of mind knowing it’s done right.

👉 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. h͟t͟t͟p͟s͟:͟/͟/͟s͟m͟a͟l͟l͟g͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟.͟o͟r͟g͟/͟l͟e͟a͟d͟e͟r͟s͟h͟i͟p͟-͟a͟c͟a͟d͟e͟m͟y͟

This month, I’ve had the honour of leading a session with our Leadership Academy on something deeply personal:
personal vision, purpose, and a one-page personal plan.

Every year, at the end of December, I create mine.
I carry it with me. I revisit it. I evolve it.

It brings clarity — but it’s never perfect.
And how could it be?
As leaders, more than anything, we are constantly navigating change.

What I didn’t fully expect this month was how much I would learn in the process as well.

As I work with leaders, listen to their questions, and watch them wrestle with their future, I’m reminded that this work is never one-way.

Guiding others through the process has a way of holding a mirror up to your own thinking.

One thing I’ve noticed is how hard it is for people to think ten years out.
Not because they lack ambition.
But because in a world obsessed with the now, we’ve forgotten how to dream about the future.
And let’s be honest — naming the future feels vulnerable.

And yet, the power isn’t in getting the ten-year view “right.”
It’s in returning to it.
Again and again.
Letting it evolve as life, leadership, and priorities shift.

Yesterday afternoon, as the light spilled across my desk, I found myself reflecting on how often we chase clarity like it’s a finish line.

But clarity doesn’t arrive all at once.
It reveals itself through repetition.
Through reflection.
Through staying in relationship with what matters most.

The leaders I admire don’t have everything mapped out.
But they stay oriented.
They keep asking better questions — even as the answers change.

So this morning, I’m sitting with that.
Grateful for a process that teaches me as much as it serves others.

Because over time, I’ve come to believe this:
when a leader’s personal vision is clear, it quietly shapes the organisation’s direction.
And when those two are aligned — especially for owner-founders — everything moves with more intent.

It’s something I explore in much more depth in my upcoming book, Finding Freedom.
Not as a theory, but as lived experience.

Still learning.
Still refining.
Still becoming.

— Jean

✍️ If this resonated with you, like, comment, or share to spark more conversations about purpose and leadership.
🔔 Follow me for more insights on purposeful growth and evolving leadership.

#FindingFreedom #Leadership #SmallGiants #LeadershipAcademy #Purpose

Borrowed a move from the Scott Jeffrey Miller playbook this morning.

Up at 5am.
Swam at 5:30.
Walked a couple of kilometres.
Back in the ocean at 6:30.
Coffee at 6:58 — and then writing.

Only problem?
My ‘donut 🍩 shop’ isn’t open at 4:58am.

But there’s something addictive about starting the day before the world wakes up.

8X Bestselling Author | Former Host of the World’s Largest Weekly Leadership Podcast | Former CMO and EVP of FranklinCovey | Keynoter | Principal at the Gray + Miller Agency | Visit graymilleragency.com

I’ve been thinking back to a powerful moment from the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 — a talk given by Davin Salvagno that has stayed with me, and has had ripple effects in my own life.
 
What strikes me now is how beautifully his message aligns with this year’s Summit theme: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲.
 
Davin spoke about confronting uncertainty — the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴 that quietly shape our decisions.  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴?  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱?  
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺?
 
We all carry these questions. And too often, they freeze us in place.
 
But Davin challenged us to reframe them.
 
What if the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧𝘴 aren’t containers for fear…  but containers for 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆?
 
That’s the essence of navigating uncertainty:
 
Not avoiding fear, but walking with it.  
Not waiting for perfect confidence, but choosing intentional movement.  
Not asking “What if it goes wrong?” but “What if this is the start of something meaningful?”

And Davin's presence at the Small Giants Summit evolved into some wonderful connections that have led to us working together on my book, as well as the Small Giants Press.
 
As we head into a new year — and a new Summit — I’m carrying Davin’s lesson with me:
 
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆.  
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
If you want to explore your own possibilities and potential ripple effects, then join us at this year's summit: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp 

📖 BTW - if Davin's message resonates with you, I encourage you to check out his book, 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦.

When I’m not working or writing, you’ll usually find me in a bookstore—half lost, half hiding—sipping something strong and honest enough to qualify as a personality trait.

This morning I had noble plans.

A swim. A reset. Salt water therapy.

But I left it too late. The tidal pool was already a people soup—a warm, wriggling stew of elbows and enthusiasm. 

Not my scene.

So I did the next best thing: grabbed a coffee and disappeared into the quiet calm of a local bookshop. 

No noise. 
No agenda. 
Just stories, spines, and the small luxury of time.
Sometimes that’s the whole point of a day off.

What’s your favorite way to spend one?

Today was eye test day 👀

Nothing like sitting in a chair with a medieval-looking contraption strapped to your face to remind you of one simple truth:

👉 Clarity matters.

As the optometrist kept asking,
“Is this clearer… or this?” I couldn’t help but think about how many leaders are walking into a new year without real clarity on:
	•	Where they’re heading
	•	What actually matters to them
	•	And whether their personal values and their company’s direction are truly aligned

When your vision isn’t clear, everything feels harder than it needs to be.
You get tired faster.
You second-guess yourself.
You drift.

The same is true in leadership.

If you’re not clear on your vision and plan for the year, you end up reacting instead of leading — and burnout isn’t far behind.

So here’s your gentle reminder (from someone who literally had their eyes tested today 😄):

👉 Get clear on where you’re going.
👉 Make sure your plan actually fits you.
👉 And don’t ignore the signs when things feel blurry.

Now… apparently I need slightly stronger lenses.
Onwards, with clearer vision.

#findingfreedom

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Here are a few things I'm most looking forward to in 2026:
 
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁: a gathering that never fails to recharge me. There’s nothing quite like being in a room full of leaders who believe business can be a force for good.
 
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢: a project years in the making, shaped by countless conversations, late nights, and lessons I didn’t know I needed to learn.
 
• 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: the kind of people who aren’t just chasing growth, but meaning… and who are building companies that reflect that.
 
The new year always brings a sense of possibility — a mental reset, a fresh page, a clean horizon.
 
But there's another truth we can't ignore:
 
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
The goals we set for 2026 won’t carry themselves.  
The cultures we want to build won’t grow on autopilot.  
The leaders we aspire to become won’t emerge simply because the calendar turned.
 
Showing up — with clarity, curiosity, and purpose — is still the work.  
It’s what turns resolutions into habits and aspirations into outcomes.
 
So as I look toward 2026 with excitement, I’m grounding myself in that reminder:  
The year ahead holds incredible potential, but it’s the 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 that make it real.
 
Here’s to a year of intention, connection, and purpose-filled progress. I hope you'll join me on the journey.

One thing I love about the Small Giants Community Summit? The 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 in the room.

This isn't a conference where you sit in a windowless room, silently watching speaker after speaker go onstage, gulping down bad coffee to keep your eyes open.

It's bright. Both visually, and energetically.

✨ Speakers invite discussion.
✨ Facilitators give you time to problem-solve in real time with your table.
✨ Meals and evening events are an intentional time to connect with other participants, and build lasting relationships.
✨ Mindfulness Moments are peppered throughout the schedule to allow you a moment to pause, breathe deeply, digest what you've just learned, and reset for the next presenter.

Plus, the coffee and food is pretty darn good, too.

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗶𝘁, 𝗠𝗜 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟴 - 𝟯𝟬, and experience a different kind of business conference. https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

Small Giants Community

Values and purpose can’t be manufactured at the top.

They don’t “roll out” in a deck.
They don’t live on a poster in the kitchen.

As JOHN J COSTELLO says: they have to be embraced by the owner… and created by the entire company.

In the latest episode of Growing With Purpose, John names a tension I see all the time:

You know the leader you want to be.
You know the kind of company you want to build.

But translating that belief into something a whole team can actually live?
That’s the work.

This conversation is about moving from “running the organization” to building something grounded in shared values, trust, and purpose.

Not because it’s easy.
Because it’s what matters.

🎧 Watch the full episode with John Costello: https://lnkd.in/gnRhxTxK

#SmallGiants #GrowingWithPurpose #ValuesDrivenLeadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #Leadership #CompanyCulture

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸?
 
For me, these next few days are all about developing the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 for the Small Giants Community.

That means:  
🎯 Minimal external calls  
🎯 Dedicated time with the team  
🎯 Clarity around our priorities  
🎯 And space to think deeply rather than react quickly
 
I’ve learned over the years that if I’m not intentional with my time during weeks like this, the work simply doesn’t get done.  

Strategies remain half-formed.  
Priorities stay fuzzy.  
And we end up starting the year feeling frazzled instead of focused.
 
Intentionality isn’t just a mindset — it’s a discipline. A choice to create the conditions for meaningful work, rather than hoping clarity arrives on its own.
 
So that’s where my energy is going this week.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂?  𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁?

Exciting news over at Small Giants Press - Nenuca Syquia joins the imprint as its latest author signed! 

I'm so excited to see how the author journey takes shape for Nenuca. Maison Vero is the professional publishing house supporting the Small Giants imprint, and they've been fantastic to work with.

Welcome, Nenuca!

📚 BTW, did you know that Small Giants Press now has its own LinkedIn page? Give them a follow for more updates and useful author/ publishing insights!

We’re excited to share that Nenuca Syquia has joined Small Giants Press as our newest author, publishing with Maison Vero.

Nenuca’s work centers on helping organizations redesign how they work, so business becomes a force for good for people, communities, and the planet. While her book is still taking shape, her voice aligns deeply with the values behind this imprint.

She also becomes the second author to publish under the Small Giants Press imprint, marking an exciting next chapter for Small Giants Press.

Welcome, Nenuca. We’re honored to walk alongside you.

I just wrapped up my Leadership Academy calls for the week: the very first sessions with our 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.
 
Both cohorts are filled with intelligent, caring leaders who showed an incredible amount of grace as I found my footing during my first round of Leadership Academy facilitations. (Teachers are lifelong learners, too!)
 
What struck me most during these conversations was this:
 
𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
Some are founders looking to bring new energy into their businesses.  
Some are stepping into larger roles and learning how to lead at a new altitude.  
Some are brand new to their companies — and see this program as a way to be primed for leadership in a purpose-driven organization.
 
Different stories, different contexts… but a shared desire to 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
That’s the heart of the Leadership Academy: creating a space where leaders can reflect, learn, challenge old patterns, and build the muscles required for people-first leadership.
 
I’m genuinely looking forward to getting to know each of them over the course of this program — to watch their confidence grow, their clarity sharpen, and their leadership deepen.
 
And I’m excited to see how the Academy shapes their journeys, their companies, and the cultures they’re building.
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.

👉 Interested in joining the fun? We'll have enrollment for future cohorts open later this year... go to https://lnkd.in/gdHZihB9 to learn more.

The Small Giants Community is just that: a 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
 
Last year, 25% of our Summit attendees had already been to 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 Summits.  

To me, that says something powerful.
 
It speaks to the depth of the relationships formed here.  
The trust.  
The sense of belonging.  
The feeling of, “These are my people.”
 
But let me be clear:
 
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯.
 
In fact, this Community is 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 by newcomers.  
The leaders who’ve been with us for years open their arms — and their playbooks — to new faces and new perspectives. They know our movement in the business world grows stronger only when more leaders join the conversation.
 
And every year, first-time attendees tell us the same thing:
 
“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺.”
 
So if you’re a leader who prioritizes purpose and people over profit and growth…  
If you’re building with intention, heart, and a belief that business can be a force for good…
 
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀.
 
There’s a place for you here.

Experience the Community firsthand at the 2026 Small Giants Summit: https://lnkd.in/gcee7Tzp

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜.

Every day, 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 in the U.S. alone.

For years, we’ve talked about succession planning in theory.
Now it’s happening in real time.

Entire organizations are about to lose decades of hard-won wisdom.
And many Gen X and Millennial leaders are stepping up…without the guidance, grounding, or confidence they need to lead with purpose.

That’s the challenge. But here’s the opportunity:

We can 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 the next generation — not just to manage, but to lead intentionally.

At Small Giants, we see this moment as a 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗳𝗳:
A chance to 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 who know who they are, what they stand for, and how to bring people with them.

We can help you and your team weather the silver tsunami through our resources and programming:
✅ The Small Giants 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 is a high-impact, in-person event that fosters connection, knowledge-sharing, and collective greatness.
✅ The Small Giants 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is a cohort-based leadership development program for leaders looking to level up their skills and confidence.
✅ Our free virtual events, articles, and podcast episodes keep you informed on how to be a leader making positive impact in today's world.

The silver tsunami isn’t something to fear.
It’s an invitation — to equip your next generation to lead with heart, not hierarchy.

Davin Salvagno excited to have you back at #SGCSummit26 and working with our authors in Small Giants Press

Founding Partner at Maison Vero | 2X Bestselling Author | Inspirational Speaker | Cofounder of The Purpose Summit

Many authors write and speak from the depths of their own struggles. 

Two years ago, I was done. 

Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. 

Or so I thought…

I needed to hear this talk perhaps more than the audience.

It’s no mistake that the theme at the Small Giants Summit that year was “enduring.”

Without this moment right here, I would not have finished writing the Thieves of Purpose, which has gone on to impact thousands of lives whom I may never meet. 

Whatever you are struggling with, I want to encourage you today to keep stepping in, to keep moving forward, and to share your story with others. 

Your story of enduring may be the inspiration someone else needs to endure their own struggle, even if you never meet them.

And if you plan on attending the Small Giants Summit this year, I look forward to meeting you there!

The world may feel heavy right now — for many of us, in many different ways.
 
Which is why it feels like the perfect moment to lean into a word I’ve been thinking about lately:
 
𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘂.
 
It’s a distinctly Finnish concept that doesn’t translate neatly into English, but its essence is powerful:
 
A quiet strength.  
A steady courage.  
A determination that persists 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 in the face of extreme challenges.
 
Not bravado.  
Not optimism for optimism’s sake.  
But a deep, grounded resilience — the kind that carries you forward when the path is unclear.
 
We’ll be exploring similar concepts at the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 under this year’s theme: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲.
 
Because leadership today isn’t about avoiding uncertainty or waiting for calm conditions — it’s about learning to move with intention through whatever comes.
 
❄️ I hope you’ll join us as we dig into what it means to lead with clarity, courage, and yes… a bit of sisu.

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

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

cruzgamboadrive

patagonia-solar-llc

Your First Product Is Not Your Last

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

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

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

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

The Real Reason Teams Don’t Execute!

Most businesses don’t have a strategy problem.
They have a focus problem.

Everyone is busy.
Everyone is “working hard.”
And somehow… nothing meaningful gets finished.

That’s exactly what Rocks fix.

Rocks are the 3–5 outcomes that MUST get done in the next 90 days for the business to move forward.

Not tasks.
Not habits.
Not “stay consistent.”

Outcomes.

If you complete these Rocks, the quarter is a win.
If you don’t, the quarter failed, no matter how busy everyone was.

Why Rocks are non-negotiable:

Most teams run on to-do lists.
To-do lists reward activity, not progress.

Rocks:

➡️ Force leadership to choose what actually matters
➡️ Eliminate distraction disguised as “work”
➡️ Create alignment across teams
➡️ Make execution visible and measurable

If a company has more than 5 priorities, it has zero priorities.

How to implement Rocks the right way (no shortcuts):

1️⃣ Limit them aggressively
3–5 Rocks per quarter.
More than that means you’re avoiding hard decisions.

2️⃣ One Rock = One Owner
If two people own it, no one owns it.
Ownership creates accountability.

3️⃣ Write Rocks as finish lines
Bad Rock: “Improve marketing”
Good Rock: “Generate 500 qualified leads by March 31”

If it’s not measurable, it’s not a Rock.

4️⃣ Review weekly, not quarterly
Rocks die in companies that “set and forget.”
Weekly check-ins expose excuses early.

5️⃣ Protect Rocks from urgency
If a task doesn’t move a Rock forward,
it’s noise, no matter how loud it sounds.

Execution doesn’t fail because people are lazy.
It fails because leaders refuse to choose.

Scaling starts when focus becomes a discipline.

Are you ready to implement the same operating system Fortune 500 companies have used for decades, and today’s fastest-scaling founders rely on to grow?

DM CLARITY, lets talk about what's going on in your company.

#scalingup #CEO #growth #founder

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