Beyond A Million

In this clip, David Hassell, co-founder of 15Five, breaks down why hiring someone who's not aligned with your culture – even if they check every box on the skills side – is a ticking time bomb.

He shares how culture shapes behavior more than we think, why execs especially need to embody company values, and how even small misalignments can kill trust inside a team.

He also talks about the mistakes they made scaling from 70 to 200 people in a year and how those lessons led to a values-first hiring system every founder should be thinking about.

Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with David: https://youtu.be/pcZg3i1o3PI

Tons of entrepreneurs claim to be "scaling" their business, but when you look under the hood, they're actually just growing fast.

And there's a big difference. Growth can be exciting, but without structure, systems, and the right leadership in place, it's not sustainable.

That's where Allison Maslan comes in. She's built and scaled 10 companies across multiple industries, and as the CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, she's helped more than 150,000 founders and leadership teams do the same—earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies list four years running.

In this episode, we dig into why so many founders fail to scale, unpack Allison's 5 Pillars of Scale framework, and explore how to turn big vision into an operational reality your team can rally behind.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Intro

01:35 Why Scaling is an Overused Word

03:10 Early-Stage vs. Late-Stage Scalability

04:40 Why So Many Founders Fail to Scale

07:13 The SCALEit Framework Explained

10:27 The 5 Pillars of Scale (S.C.A.L.E.)

11:04 Can SCALEit & EOS Work Together?

13:30 Creating a Strategic Vision That Drives Growth

19:49 Balancing Big Vision with Tactical Reality

23:36 Case Study: Vision Turned Into $100M+ Growth

25:40 Balancing Long-Term Vision with Rapid Change

31:39 Delegation vs. Abdication

40:51 Defining Hiring Metrics for Scalable Success

47:32 Mental Shifts That Enable Massive Growth

52:45 Advice for New Entrepreneurs Getting Started

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/LFABrEvlf0Q

Let's Connect:

Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

What if you could close high-value clients... without pitching, posturing, or even talking about what you sell?

This week's guest, Corey Lilburn, is a senior consultant and shareholder at Acrisure, a $35B global insurance and fintech firm. From selling Cutco knives to advising enterprise clients, Corey's success comes from mastering the timing, psychology, and nuance of complex sales.

Corey shares the real sales skills that matter in today's market, the habits that create consistent closers, how to make renewals a non-event, and why self-funding might make sense sooner than you think. He also shares what Mark Cuban is getting right about pharma... and how a Sinatra impersonator helped him close a major deal.

Plus, we dig into the evolution of Bay Area Advisors and how their Martinis for Moffitt event has raised over $4 million for cancer research.

If you're selling high-ticket services or navigating long sales cycles, this one's packed with real strategies that actually work.

Tune in and learn how to sell anything to anyone.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:01:37 Essential skills for mastering sales

• 00:05:03 How AI will impact insurance in the next 5 years

• 00:07:08 The challenges of risk assessment

• 00:09:17 Sales cycles and client relationships in insurance

• 00:22:18 Can you make insurance less boring?

• 00:23:41 Renewal vs. assumptive close

• 00:28:23 Keeping healthcare costs down

• 00:40:45 Self-insurance and level funding

• 00:53:38 Selling insurance companies to bigger insurance companies

• 01:06:26 Bay Area Advisors and Martinis for Moffitt

• 01:20:42 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 01:24:35 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Patrick's website: https://patrickriddle.com/

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

What if you could create a marketing funnel that works for you while you sleep?

Today's guest, Patrick Riddle, is here to show you how to turn cold traffic into cash with a high-converting funnel. Patrick is a seasoned entrepreneur and the CEO of a multi-million-dollar educational publishing company. After getting his start in real estate, he shifted to the info product space, where he's helped thousands of students grow their businesses using smart marketing strategies.

But Patrick's strategy isn't just about driving traffic or having a good offer. It's about owning the customer journey from start to finish. He explains how to create front-end offers that bring in the right leads and then maximize profit with smart back-end partnerships, allowing you to scale without risk. We're talking recurring revenue, software upsells, and affiliate partnerships that pay you long after the first sale.

Plus, he reveals why email marketing is still king and how you can take advantage of the most underutilized tool in your marketing arsenal to grow your business.

Tune in to learn how to turn your funnels into money-making machines and stop leaving cash on the table.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:22 The impact of AI on the info product space

• 03:32 Building a marketing funnel that actually works

• 05:25 Patrick's winning business model

• 18:17 Building an all-star team

• 21:58 Order bumps and upsells

• 28:10 Scam reviews, reputation management, and compliance

• 38:46 Becoming a CEO

• 53:08 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 56:56 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Patrick's website: https://patrickriddle.com/

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

He lost $40 million in 2008... and built a real estate empire from the rubble.

Today's guest, Levi Benkert, went from running coffee shops to flipping houses, losing $40 million in the 2008 crash, relocating his family to Ethiopia to run an orphanage and start businesses, and then returning to the US to build a thriving Class B industrial real estate empire in Texas. He breaks down the mindset shifts, lessons from failures, and disciplined strategies that turned what looked like a disaster into the comeback story of the century.

If you've ever wondered how to recover from a huge setback, this episode gives you the playbook straight from someone who's done it.

Tune in to hear Levi's journey from collapse to empire... and why the lessons he learned can help anyone in business or life.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:01:55 Understanding interest rates and market cycles

• 00:04:08 The Chatham forward curve

• 00:11:36 Levi's early business ventures

• 00:16:42 Fear and feelings in business

• 00:19:09 Transitioning to property development

• 00:27:05 Institutional lending

• 00:32:12 Losing $40M during the 2008 crash

• 00:41:49 Building an orphanage in Ethiopia

• 00:49:22 Building a beef farm in Ethiopia

• 00:57:51 Moving back to the US and starting Harbor Capital

• 01:03:15 Industrial real estate and fundraising

• 01:11:16 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 01:13:53 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Levi's Website: https://harborcap.com/

🔹 Levi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levi-benkert-81a18895

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

What happens when you've built multiple companies, lost control, got burned by partners, and then finally get it right?

Patrick Dillon has done it all. He's built several digital agencies, and even a janitorial company. He's taken on investors, lost equity, made painful pivots, and come out the other side with a lean, wildly profitable agency. Today, his company, WISE Digital, is scaling steadily without the risk of it all collapsing from one bad client, partner, or decision.

In this episode, we break down how Pat used AI to scale without bloat, what really went wrong with his first three ventures, and why he'll never niche down again. We also get into the recruiting system that saved him thousands of hours, the legal dispute ChatGPT helped him settle, and how to avoid toxic positivity while building something that actually lasts.

If you're in agency life, you'll feel this one.

Listen in and find out what it really takes to build a growth engine you actually want to run.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:01:53 Undervalued marketing tactics

• 00:04:24 Unusual AI use cases

• 00:08:03 Patrick's entrepreneurial journey

• 00:18:38 Interacting with investors

• 00:21:29 When to pull the plug

• 00:27:57 Transition to WISE Digital

• 00:37:43 Focusing on SMB

• 00:40:02 Growing the business through AI

• 00:51:57 SEO strategies and the impact of AI

• 00:58:58 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 01:01:21 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Website: https://www.wisedigitalpartners.com/

🔹 Meet with Pat: https://meetwithpat.com/

🔹 Patrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickjamesdillon/?hl=en

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

How do you make an offer so irresistible that you don't even need a sales team to sell it?

Jake Setterlun is 29, runs four different companies, and somehow manages to make offer-building look easy. He started out doing Facebook ads for real estate agents, but everything changed when he figured out what makes an offer irresistible. That insight led to The Offer Code, his "Purple Ocean" framework, and multiple agencies doing seven and eight figures.

In this episode, we get into how Jake thinks about creating offers that do the selling for you, why most agency owners are still stuck in 2018, and what it really takes to use AI in a way that actually boosts conversions. He also breaks down how he tests new offers, the biggest mistake he made while scaling, and how he rebuilt after stepping away too soon.

If you're an agency owner, or honestly, anyone selling something online… this one's going to hurt a little. But it's worth it.

Tune in to learn how to make your offer the only one your customer wants to buy.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:47 From concept to money

• 02:33 Biggest business mistakes in the agency space

• 06:48 How to get into the agency space

• 08:47 Jake's offer code

• 15:24 Creating the offer

• 20:12 Changing the game with AI

• 34:25 Biggest mistakes when implementing AI

• 37:08 Testing offers

• 38:54 Traffic sources and marketing strategies

• 49:36 LinkedIn's role in the ad ecosystem

• 53:09 Biggest mistake in the last 5 years

• 57:02 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 58:03 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Jake's Website: https://jakesetterlun.com/

🔹 Jake on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimizedjake/

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

Is SEO really dead… or are you just doing it wrong?

Andy Kolodgie has already built a multi–eight-figure business by mastering SEO in a space most people think is too competitive: real estate. And he's only 29!

Andy started out wholesaling but quickly realized it wasn't his game. With a background as a Navy software developer, he shifted gears and leaned into his strength – building systems that drive motivated seller leads online. That shift led to Property Leads, which now helps real estate investors scale through SEO.

In this episode, Andy explains why SEO for real estate is far less crowded than people think, how Google treats housing searches differently than other industries, why he refuses to scale anything that isn't sustainable, how he measures lead quality, and what are the red flags he's learned to spot in partnerships.

Have you written off SEO as too crowded… or maybe too old-school? Andy's story will definitely make you rethink that.

Tune in and see why SEO might just be the biggest untapped growth channel left.

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:01:44 Why real estate SEO isn't as saturated as you think

• 00:06:24 Real estate keywords confuse Google's local vs national intent

• 00:11:50 The three SEO pillars

• 00:16:29 AI is killing click volume, but SEO still drives deals

• 00:21:26 Moving from deals to data

• 00:34:27 Warm transfers increase close rates and trust with clients

• 00:42:11 How to allocate time and resources

• 00:45:20 Ignoring early red flags leads to poor business outcomes

• 00:54:01 The role of ego in business

• 01:03:36 When people show you who they are, believe them

• 01:07:13 Advice for first-time entrepreneurs

• 01:09:29 How to connect with Andy

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 Property Leads: https://www.propertyleads.com/andy-kolodgie/

🔹 Andy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewkolodgie/?hl=en

🔹 Andy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andykolodgie/

🔹 Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-kolodgie/

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!

Ryan Pineda talks about the system behind his daily million-view content engine.

He shares a framework that drives his content strategy: get recognized, deliver value, and make timely CTAs. He explains how he integrates subtle calls to action without turning his content into ads, and why value has to come first if you want attention to convert into revenue.

He spends $40K a month on his team that handles everything from filming to repurposing across platforms. That approach allows him to reach millions daily.

Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with Ryan: https://youtu.be/CnyC_t22OvI

She didn't have a plan. No investors. Not even a laptop.

At 25, Sava Lelcaj had 60 days to figure out her next move after losing the lease on her 10-table café. Most people would've played it safe. She didn't. Instead, she convinced investors, who'd just lost money on the space, to hand her the keys to a 300-seat restaurant. And somehow, it worked.

Today, Sava runs a $25M hospitality group with multiple restaurants, guest houses, and a farm. In this episode, she talks us through what it actually looked like to scale with no roadmap, why being underestimated helped her win, and what she's learned about leadership, mostly the hard way.

Sava didn't have capital, experience, or a plan. She succeeded through sheer grit and determination alone. Wanna do the same?

Tune in and learn from the best of the best!

—

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

—

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:51 The intersection of AI and hospitality

• 07:17 Sava's experience with being a female entrepreneur

• 12:41 There are no bad decisions

• 19:30 Sava's sheer will and determination

• 26:48 From a tiny cafe to a huge restaurant

• 32:04 Holding on or letting go?

• 37:43 Leasing vs. buying real estate

• 41:02 Becoming a good leader

• 47:38 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 53:47 Outro

—

Additional Resources:

🔹 The Pulpo Group: https://www.thepulpogroup.com/

—

➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/

➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8

➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1

—

Let's Connect:

🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert

🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil

🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert

🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787

--

Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!