In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I'm joined by Lilia Stoyanov, the CEO and cofounder of TFY (Transformify Ltd), a bootstrapped, AI-powered global workforce management platform.

TFY enables businesses to hire, onboard and pay contractors in 184+ countries – all from one platform. And it's not just another HR tool — it's a human-centred, AI-powered engine that automates compliance and payments, so finance and HR teams can focus on strategic growth.

In this episode, we cover:

• How TFY achieved 90% profit growth in 2024 with zero external investment
• The three-phase scaling strategy that took them from niche to global player
• Why they require a full business case for every new hire – and how that drives a near-zero attrition culture
• The systems behind managing 350,000 contractors with just 25 people
• Lilia's leadership approach – and why TFY avoids inflated job titles in favour of responsibility and results

We also explore how Lilia and her team avoided the "fake stability" of VC funding, and how they built a high-trust, global network by partnering with local legal and financial experts.

The one key thing? Scaling globally doesn't require massive headcount or funding — it demands laser focus, financial discipline, and relentless clarity on ROI.

Quick heads-up — we're also looking for a handful of founders to test our new AI-powered Smart90 Lite app. It's designed to help you stay accountable and actually deliver on your goals in just a few minutes a day. It's free while we're in testing, and your feedback will help shape the final version. Interested? Just email me at [email protected].

Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts — and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Lilia.

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin & Granger here:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

Lilia can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilia-stoyanov-tfy/

https://www.transformify.org/

https://www.instagram.com/ls_transformify/

Resources:

Blitzscaling by Chris Yeh - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/blitzscaling-the-lightning-fast-path-to-building-massively-valuable-companies-reid-hoffman/3593117?ean=9780008303631&next=t