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Most business owners spend decades building their companies—but far too many wait until the last minute to plan what happens when it's time to step away.
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, host Mark Ferguson sits down with Bill Stoddart of McInnes Group, an experienced executive benefits and financial services advisor who has spent decades helping business owners navigate succession planning, leadership transitions, business continuity, and long-term financial strategies.
Bill shares why succession planning is a lot like landing an airplane: if you wait until you're approaching the airport to start thinking about your landing, your options become limited.
Drawing on his experience working with business owners and executives, Bill explores the importance of planning ahead, developing future leaders, retaining key employees, and building organizations that can continue thriving beyond their founders.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Bill also shares lessons from his career, including working alongside his father, his years with Pacific Life, and his experience helping business owners through McInnes Group.
One of the biggest takeaways: Building a successful business is only part of the journey. Preparing the business—and yourself—for what comes next is just as important.
Whether you're a founder considering an eventual exit, an executive planning leadership succession, or a business owner looking to create sustainable growth, this conversation offers practical insights from someone who has spent decades advising business leaders.
Connect with Bill Stoddart
McInnes Group: https://mcinnesgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamstoddart/
Email: [email protected]
About Growth Without Referrals
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group, Growth Without Referrals features conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders about building sustainable businesses, creating predictable growth, and developing strategies that reduce dependence on referrals alone.
Learn more about Prestige Services Group: https://www.prestige-services-group.com
Subscribe to Growth Without Referrals for more conversations about business growth, leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship.
As AI transforms sales, marketing, and business development, are some of the oldest growth strategies becoming more valuable?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Francisco Barrio Olivas, Founder and Managing Partner of Northern Pass Capital, to explore what happens when investing, entrepreneurship, acquisitions, and human relationships intersect.
Francisco shares his journey from growing up around family-owned businesses to investment banking, private equity, entrepreneurship, and ultimately launching Northern Pass Capital—where he is focused on acquiring and operating a business for the long term.
The conversation explores why reputation may be the most important asset in private equity and M&A, why relationship-driven opportunities often move faster than cold outreach, and why AI saturation may actually be increasing the value of phone calls, conferences, handwritten notes, and authentic human interaction.
Francisco also explains how he thinks about business scalability, culture, delegation, process, and the balance between using AI for efficiency while preserving the human touch required for high-value transactions.
In this episode, you'll learn:
About Francisco Barrio Olivas
Francisco Barrio Olivas is the Founder and Managing Partner of Northern Pass Capital, an investment firm focused on acquiring and growing a business for the long term.
His experience spans investment banking, private equity, entrepreneurship, business operations, and growth strategy. Northern Pass Capital's investment focus includes businesses adjacent to water infrastructure, treatment, distribution, plumbing, filtration, and other essential services.
Connect With Francisco
Website: https://www.northernpasscapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisco-barrio/
Email: [email protected]
Learn more about Northern Pass Capital through the company website and connect directly with Francisco on LinkedIn.
Growth Without Referrals explores how business leaders create predictable growth without depending exclusively on referrals. Host Mark Ferguson speaks with entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and growth leaders about the strategies, systems, and lessons behind sustainable business growth.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ferguson-1451991
Email: [email protected]
What if the biggest problem with entrepreneurship isn't failure—but the unrealistic definition of success we've been taught to chase?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Stephen Letourneau, COO / CBO of Better For You Wellness, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, wellness, consumer brands, authentic storytelling, and sustainable growth.
Stephen challenges the mythology of overnight success and the constant celebration of companies reaching massive revenue milestones. He shares why entrepreneurs building profitable million-dollar businesses should be proud of what they've accomplished—and why comparing their journey to founders who started with significant advantages can be both misleading and damaging.
The conversation also explores what authenticity really means when you're building a consumer brand, why founders need to understand and believe in the products they're selling, and why sometimes the right decision is knowing when it's time to hand the business to someone else.
Stephen also shares the thinking that led his team into premium coffee, why customer acquisition has become increasingly expensive, and why sustainable growth starts with something surprisingly simple: stability, focus, and following the plan.
Later, Mark and Stephen discuss something increasingly missing in today's digitally connected world—real human connection—and why the next wave of wellness and consumer businesses may be less about selling another product and more about creating meaningful experiences.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
About Stephen Letourneau
Stephen Letourneau is the COO / CBO of Better For You Wellness, with experience spanning consumer packaged goods, wellness, branding, storytelling, and product development.
His perspective on entrepreneurship emphasizes transparency, authenticity, disciplined planning, and building products and experiences that genuinely improve people's lives.
Stephen is also an advocate for telling the full story of entrepreneurship—not simply celebrating headline growth numbers, but recognizing the work, sacrifice, resources, failures, and persistence that exist behind successful businesses.
Connect With Stephen
Better For You Wellness: BFYW.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenletourneau/
About Growth Without Referrals
Growth Without Referrals explores how business owners and leaders create predictable, sustainable growth beyond relying solely on word-of-mouth and referrals.
Hosted by Mark Ferguson, the show features candid conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders about growth, customer acquisition, leadership, technology, and what it really takes to build a successful organization.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ferguson-1451991
If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Growth Without Referrals so you don't miss future episodes.
What does it take to walk away from a successful corporate career, start your own business, and then rebuild it all over again at age 49?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, host Mark Ferguson sits down with Gary Newton Cooper, founder and owner of Cooper CPA Group in Houston, Texas, for an engaging conversation about entrepreneurship, business growth, leadership, succession planning, and the future of accounting.
Gary's journey is anything but ordinary. From becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree to serving as a CFO, taking a company public, earning eight patents, and building successful accounting practices, Gary has experienced the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship firsthand.
When he relocated from Dallas to Houston at age 49, Gary had to rebuild his CPA practice from scratch. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional referrals, he created his own networking organization and embraced digital marketing and SEO to generate new business.
Today, Gary shares the lessons he's learned and why he's passionate about helping the next generation of entrepreneurs succeed.
In this episode, you'll discover:
A key takeaway: Successful entrepreneurship isn't about avoiding failure. It's about learning from experience, staying focused, taking calculated risks, and building systems that allow a business to grow beyond its founder.
Whether you're launching your first business, scaling an established company, or preparing for an eventual exit, Gary's experiences offer valuable lessons you can apply to your own entrepreneurial journey.
Connect with Gary Cooper
Founder & Owner, Cooper CPA Group
Website: https://coopercpagroup.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 713-243-8590
About Growth Without Referrals
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group, Growth Without Referrals features authentic conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders about building predictable growth, overcoming challenges, and creating sustainable businesses that don't depend exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals.
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to Growth Without Referrals for more conversations about entrepreneurship, business strategy, leadership, technology, and scalable growth.
What separates great leaders from those who simply hold leadership titles? And how can organizations grow without sacrificing trust, communication, and culture?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, host Mark Ferguson sits down with Trish Higgins, founder of Mountain Leadership Advisory & Consulting, to explore what it really takes to develop effective leaders, build stronger organizations, and navigate change in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Drawing on her extensive corporate leadership experience, including serving as both a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Trish shares lessons from her career and why she transitioned into leadership advisory and executive coaching.
In this episode, you'll discover:
A key takeaway: Technology can help us work faster, but trust, communication, and genuine human relationships remain essential to effective leadership.
Whether you're a CEO, business owner, executive, consultant, or emerging leader, this conversation offers practical insights into becoming a more effective leader while adapting to a changing business environment.
About Trish Higgins
Trish Higgins is the founder of Mountain Leadership Advisory & Consulting. With extensive experience in corporate leadership, operations, human resources, and organizational transformation, she helps executives and emerging leaders develop the skills, confidence, and communication capabilities needed to advance their careers and lead effectively.
Her work includes executive coaching, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and helping leaders navigate change.
Connect with Trish Higgins
Website: https://mtnlac.com
Email: [email protected]
About Growth Without Referrals
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group, Growth Without Referrals features conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders about building sustainable businesses, creating predictable growth, leveraging technology, and developing strategies that reduce dependence on traditional referral-driven business development.
Connect with Mark Ferguson
Prestige Services Group
Website: https://www.prestige-services-group.com
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to Growth Without Referrals for more conversations about leadership, AI, business growth, and entrepreneurship.
What happens when referrals slow down—and what should business owners and advisors be doing before that happens?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Andrew Cremé of Creme Wealth to discuss business valuation, preparing for an eventual business transition, building multiple channels for growth, earning trust in a digital world, and how AI may reshape wealth management.
Full Episode Description / Show Notes
Andrew Cremé didn’t take the traditional path into wealth management.
His journey has included theater, work in a psychiatric facility, healthcare, and eventually a career helping clients think differently about wealth, business value, and long-term financial decisions. Those early experiences also shaped how Andrew approaches client conversations today—by looking beyond the numbers and trying to understand what money actually represents in someone’s life.
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson talks with Andrew about what business owners often misunderstand about the value of their companies, why preparing for a transition should begin years before a sale, and why sustainable growth requires more than one source of new business.
Andrew shares his philosophy of keeping “multiple lines in the water” rather than depending entirely on referrals. He discusses seminars, networking, online marketing, reviews, social media, and other ways businesses can build a more predictable pipeline.
Mark and Andrew also explore how trust is changing. Buyers increasingly research professionals online before ever making contact, and Andrew has already seen prospective clients discover his firm through tools such as ChatGPT and Claude.
They also discuss what AI could mean for wealth management, why the human element will continue to matter, and why tomorrow’s strongest advisors will be the ones who continue learning, adapting, and finding new ways to create value for their clients.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Andrew emphasizes that great financial conversations often go deeper than money itself—because the real issue is frequently what that money represents: security, family, freedom, or peace of mind.
Connect with Andrew Cremé:
Creme Wealth
Website: https://www.cremewealth.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcreme/
Andrew specifically invited listeners to connect through his website or LinkedIn.
Important Disclosure
Andrew Cremé is an Investment Advisor Representative with Victory Financial Group, LLC a Registered Investment Adviser. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Victory Financial Group, LLC. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.
Victory Financial Group, LLC does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.
What does it take to build and scale a business when your team, customers, and opportunities are no longer limited by geography?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with entrepreneur, author, and remote work advocate Mike Swigunski to explore how remote-first companies are changing the way businesses hire, operate, and grow.
Mike shares how his own journey from studying abroad to working internationally eventually led him into startups, entrepreneurship, and helping build globally distributed teams. He explains why remote companies have access to a much larger talent pool—and why simply hiring remote employees isn't enough to build a successful remote organization.
Mike and Mark also explore how AI is reshaping hiring, productivity, entrepreneurship, and competition. Mike makes the case that AI itself may not replace most people—but people who know how to use AI effectively will have a major advantage over those who don't.
The conversation also dives into one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today: building trust and generating opportunities without relying entirely on referrals. Mike shares how content, video, virtual events, and intentional follow-up can turn audiences into leads, advocates, and customers.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Mike also shares his perspective on the future of lifestyle businesses and why AI may simultaneously create enormous opportunity while making entrepreneurship more competitive.
About Mike Swigunski
Mike Swigunski is an entrepreneur, author, and remote work advocate who has spent years building businesses and working across international markets. His experience includes helping scale remote organizations, including his work with Empire Flippers, and building businesses around global talent, entrepreneurship, and online opportunities.
Mike is also the author of Global Career and is currently building Dividends, an investment platform designed to provide investors with access to cash flow from profitable online businesses.
Connect with Mike
Get Mike's audiobook:
globalcareerbook.com
Learn more about Dividends:
wefunder.com/dividends
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeswigunski/
About Growth Without Referrals
Growth Without Referrals explores how business owners and leaders can build predictable growth systems that don't depend entirely on word-of-mouth and referrals.
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group, the show features entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders sharing practical lessons about growth, marketing, sales, AI, leadership, and building scalable businesses.
Email: [email protected]
What happens when a longtime college football coach leaves the sidelines and jumps into an industry he knows almost nothing about?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Mark Elder, owner of All Side Roofing & Restoration, to talk about his unconventional transition from college football coaching to entrepreneurship.
After more than 20 years in coaching—including stops at Michigan, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and four years as a head coach at Eastern Kentucky—Mark found himself at a crossroads. Rather than uproot his family again and continue the coaching cycle, he chose a completely different path: buying a roofing and exterior-services company.
Mark shares what leadership lessons transferred from football into business, what didn't, and what he has learned by entering an established industry as an outsider.
The conversation also explores the realities of business ownership that often don't make it onto social media—the mistakes, sleepless nights, emotional highs and lows, and constant learning that come with building something new.
Mark also explains why he believes great leaders should strive to surround themselves with people who know more than they do, why referrals alone aren't enough to create predictable growth, and how the way customers find businesses is rapidly changing.
If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or leader navigating a new chapter, this conversation offers a refreshingly candid look at what it really takes to learn, adapt, and lead through uncertainty.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
About Mark Elder
Mark Elder is the owner of All Side Roofing & Restoration, a Southwest Ohio company specializing in roofing, siding, gutters, and exterior home services.
Before entering the home-services industry, Mark spent more than 20 years coaching college football, including experience at Michigan, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Eastern Kentucky, where he served as head football coach.
Today, he applies many of the leadership principles he learned in athletics to building a growing business, developing people, and creating a strong team culture.
Connect with Mark Elder
Website: www.allsideroof.com
Email: [email protected]
About Growth Without Referrals
Growth Without Referrals explores how business owners and leaders build predictable, scalable growth without depending exclusively on word of mouth and referrals.
Host Mark Ferguson sits down with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders to discuss growth, leadership, sales, marketing, technology, and the lessons learned along the way.
Email: [email protected]
What happens when financial planning stops being theoretical and becomes deeply personal?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Rebecca Irey, Founder of Blue Skye Financial, for a candid conversation about financial education, trust, retirement planning, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world.
Rebecca's perspective was shaped early. Growing up on a South Dakota ranch, she watched her family's financial trajectory change when circumstances turned against them. Years later, when her husband became critically ill, finance became personal again—this time as a mother, business owner, and financial professional responsible for protecting her own family. Those experiences ultimately helped shape the mission behind Blue Skye Financial.
Rebecca explains why she believes financial planning should be about far more than products or account balances. It's about education, proactive communication, understanding risk, and helping people—especially women—develop the confidence to make informed decisions about their financial futures.
Mark and Rebecca discuss how she has built a boutique financial practice where relationships and service remain central, why she uses education rather than traditional selling to attract clients, and why she believes expertise still matters in an age when Google, AI, and ChatGPT can make everyone feel like an expert.
They also explore Rebecca's philosophy around retirement risk, the importance of finding an independent fiduciary, and why choosing a financial advisor ultimately comes down to something surprisingly human: trusting yourself and finding someone you genuinely trust.
In This Episode, You'll Hear About
Memorable Takeaway
“We can get there from here. We got this. Together we can get there.” — Rebecca Irey Pasted textConnect With Rebecca
Blue Skye Financial
Website: blueskyefinancial.com
Email: [email protected]
Rebecca also mentioned that Blue Skye Financial can be found on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Growth Without Referrals
Growth Without Referrals explores how business leaders build predictable growth beyond traditional referral networks. Host Mark Ferguson talks with founders, executives, and entrepreneurs about the strategies, systems, experiences, and lessons shaping how they grow.
Email: [email protected]
What if better leadership isn’t about having more answers—but asking better questions?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Salisa Roberts, founder of Coaching by Salisa, to explore what it means to lead with a coach approach.
After 35 years in financial services and a long leadership career that concluded at J.P. Morgan, Salisa made a purposeful pivot into coaching and leadership development. Her experience in corporate leadership, applied behavioral science, psychology, and coaching gives her a unique perspective on what today’s leaders need most.
Salisa believes many organizations are over-managed and under-led. The opportunity, she says, is to help leaders understand when to manage, when to coach, and how to create the space people need to think, grow, and perform at their best.
Mark and Salisa discuss burnout, self-awareness, trust, feedback, servant leadership, and why the most effective leaders see coaching not as a tool for fixing problems, but as a strategic lever for developing people.
They also explore how artificial intelligence may make human-centered leadership even more important—and why tomorrow’s leaders will need a deeper understanding of themselves and the people they lead.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT:
• Why Salisa believes organizations are over-managed and under-led
• The difference between managing and coaching
• Why effective leaders need to know when to use each approach
• How coaching can strengthen trust, engagement, and sustainable performance
• Why burnout can sometimes be an invitation to reassess values and direction
• The role of self-awareness in becoming a stronger leader
• Why challenge must be balanced with support and recognition
• The importance of treating people as individuals rather than interchangeable resources
• Why coaching should be viewed as a strategic leadership tool—not just a way to fix problems
• How AI could make leadership more human, not less
• Why people navigating transition don’t have to figure everything out alone
ABOUT SALISA ROBERTS
Salisa Roberts is the founder of Coaching by Salisa.
She spent 35 years in financial services and held leadership roles for two decades, including roles at J.P. Morgan. Along the way, her interest in the human side of leadership led her to study applied behavioral science and psychology.
Today, Salisa works with leaders and professionals as a thinking partner, helping them develop greater self-awareness, navigate complexity, and approach leadership with a balance of challenge, support, curiosity, and humanity.
CONNECT WITH SALISA
Website:
www.coachingbysalisa.com
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/salisa-roberts/
ABOUT GROWTH WITHOUT REFERRALS
Growth Without Referrals explores how business owners, consultants, and professional service leaders can build sustainable growth without depending solely on referrals.
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group.
Email: [email protected]
From the publisher's feed
Growth Without Referrals is a podcast where leaders talk honestly about what’s actually working to win new clients today – beyond referrals. Hosted by Mark Ferguson, each episode breaks down real…