Jordan Solender has been navigating the founder-led business landscape for years. His journey is built on scaling companies out of the trenches, from snow-blower hustles as a teen to steering a tech advisory firm through a tripled headcount and an eight-figure exit, all without a traditional pedigree. Now, as owner and angel investor behind IT Select's AI-powered model, Jordan is focused on transforming how leaders buy technology and how they escape daily firefighting to actually build resilient teams. He's passionate about moving beyond the pitch deck and tackling the hidden human challenges that break companies.

Jordan has been recognized by Forbes, FinTech TV, and International Business Times for this unique, hands-on approach. He's also speaking directly to over 6,000 entrepreneurs eager for authentic stories of navigating rapid growth and creating scalable systems.

We dig into his 10/80/10 framework for delegation, why calendars are "your real values in spreadsheet form," and why the biggest shift for high-performing executives is moving from "I need to do everything" to "I need to build people who can do things without me."

Jordan also shares why he hires for attitude over skills, the parallel between recruiting humans and deploying AI agents, and why AI adoption in a company is mostly a leadership problem.

Key topics discussed

• Staying grounded as a young dad in "grind season" and why kids are the greatest anti-ego mechanism on earth
• The 10/80/10 delegation framework and where most leaders break it
• Why context gaps, not effort gaps, are usually what's wrong with your team
• Shortening feedback loops by reviewing work in phases instead of at the final product
• Hiring for hunger, coachability, and accountability over a perfect resume
• "Culture grenades" and why talented people without the right attitude cost you more than they bring in
• AI adoption as a leadership and culture issue, not a technical one
• The truth behind retention: people leave managers and professional stagnation
• Leading with purpose vs. barking orders, and why charisma is about making people feel valued
• Using personality and aptitude assessments to protect culture during hiring

Connect with Jordan

• Coaching: jordansolendercoaching.com
• Personal site (all companies, podcast episodes, media): jordansolender.com
• Jordan's blog: jordansolender.com/blog
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordansolender
• Instagram: instagram.com/jordan.solender