INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with Tim Ferris, founder of Leadership Genius and author of Deal With Your Crap. Tim has spent more than 20 years as a leadership strategist and executive coach, with over 10,000 individual coaching conversations and thousands more hours in group facilitation, working with leaders from frontline managers through to CEOs and boards. He also burnt out twice before he turned 25, and that experience is the reason the book exists.

We talk about what Tim calls the work behind the work: the internal operating system that drives how a leader hires, delegates, and handles conflict. We break down why burnout is a symptom and not the problem, the 2 patterns he sees most often in leaders who cannot stop (the overdriver and parental inversion), how bias shows up in hiring when the same type of hire keeps failing at the 6-month mark, and how culture can be measured against a benchmark using the Human Synergistics model instead of a homemade survey. Tim also explains the difference between constructive, aggressive defensive, and passive defensive cultures, and why the aggressive ones win short term and crash later.

If you are a founder who feels like the only one working, keeps hiring people who do not last, or has a team that nods in meetings and changes nothing afterward, this conversation gives you a place to start looking that does not require a new hire or a new strategy.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why your behavior as a leader is never random, and where the patterns come from
• How to spot when your own bias is driving a hire that keeps failing on repeat
• Why burnout has more to do with what stopping means to you than with how many hours you work
• The difference between the overdriver pattern and parental inversion, and how each leads to burnout
• How a burnt-out leader disempowers the team long before they hit the wall
• Why a homemade culture survey is a waste of time without benchmark data
• The difference between constructive, aggressive defensive, and passive defensive cultures
• Why asking for feedback and doing nothing with it leaves people more cynical than not asking
• How to find the 1 problem that is yours to fix when the same issue keeps showing up on your team

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Deal With Your Crap – Tim's book, an end-to-end blueprint for identifying, dismantling, and replacing the protective patterns that hold leaders back
• Crap-O-Meter – Tim's free self-assessment covering the 6 most common protective patterns
• Human Synergistics – The benchmarked culture and leadership assessment tool Tim has used for 25 years, built on 40+ years of research and 12 behavioral styles
• Leadership Genius – Tim's coaching and culture transformation firm

CONNECT WITH TIM

Website: https://www.dealwithyourcrap.com.au 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferris

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpferris/

Get the book and take the free Crap-O-Meter.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business Start here → METEOR (https://www.trymeteor.com/)

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here: METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook (https://trymeteor.notion.site/The-METEOR-VA-Hiring-Playbook-204d0a7c8414809d9d7ed58850a1bc88?pvs=74)

Connect with JP: 

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpforno/)

 Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jp.forno/)

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
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Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

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INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Mader, founder of MTA Consultancy, executive coach, EOS implementer, and author of Make the Adjustment. Chris spent 4 years chasing pro baseball after being drafted by the White Sox in the 49th round, then built a 25-year career in staffing, where he ran talent acquisition and training for North America at the world's largest HR services firm. Today he works with founder-led companies in the 5 to 30 million dollar range to help them grow and scale.

We break down what EOS actually looks like when you apply it to people instead of just process. Chris explains the difference between an accountability chart and an org chart, how the right people right seat exercise really works, and what to do when the exercise tells you somebody on your team isn't going to make it. He also shares his framework for giving hard feedback without damaging the relationship, and his take on the question every founder wrestles with: do I invest in training this person, or do I replace them?

If you have someone on your team who isn't performing and you can't tell whether it's a them problem or a you problem, this conversation will give you a way to find out.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• A beginner's explanation of EOS and why any company with 2 or more employees can run it
• The difference between an accountability chart and an org chart, and why one person has to own every number
• How to run the right people, right seat exercise, and what GWC (get it, want it, capable of doing it) really tests for
• Why 84% of your team will resist change, and how to manage a rollout so it actually sticks
• The change checklist, and why most companies start a new change before finishing the last one
• Feedback on the Fly, Chris's algorithm for correcting performance without judging the person
• How to tell a skill issue from a will issue, and when investing in training stops making sense
• Hire for character, train for skill: competency-based behavioral interviewing explained
• Why founders should let their team set their own goals and rocks
• The 10-80-10 rule for delegating something for the first time
• How to build a scorecard that avoids vanity metrics, and why your team should enter their numbers by hand
• Why the first week of onboarding should be designed as an experience, not a data dump
• Where intuition still beats automation when you're evaluating people

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System): The framework Chris implements, created by Gino Wickman, covering vision, traction, people, issues, and metrics
• The Accountability Chart: EOS tool that assigns one owner to every function so issues can be traced to a seat, not a person
• GWC (Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It): The 3-part filter for evaluating whether someone is in the right seat
• Feedback on the Fly: Chris's coaching model. Timing is everything, facts before judgments, collaborate don't compete
• Skill vs. Will: A quick diagnostic for whether a performance gap is a training problem or a character problem
• The 10-80-10 Rule: Start the task with them, let them own the middle 80%, review the final 10% together
• Change Readiness Assessment: Chris's tool, built on Boston University diffusion theory research, for scoring how ready you actually are to change. Ask him for it directly
• Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing: Interviewing for how a candidate thinks and behaves instead of what's on the resume
• The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman: The book that shaped Chris's view on where work can get done
• Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet: On moving authority to where the information is
• Drive: What Motivates Us by Dan Pink: The RSA Animate video on autonomy, mastery, and purpose

CONNECT WITH CHRIS

• Website: https://www.mtaconsultancy.com/
• Instagram:   / chrismadermta  
• LinkedIn:   / chrismadermta  
• Make the Adjustment Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dAAXTN...
• Make the Adjustment Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
• Make the Adjustment (book): https://a.co/d/9CutByI
• Manager to Maverick, his coaching cohort for managers: https://www.mtaconsultancy.com/manage...
• Coach Mader AI, executive coaching on demand: https://www.mtaconsultancy.com/chris-...
• Work with Chris: https://www.mtaconsultancy.com/contact
  
  

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• Start here: https://www.trymeteor.com/
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CONNECT WITH JP

• Instagram:   / jp.forno  
• LinkedIn:   / jpforno 
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing t

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INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with JP Rinylo, founder of Starting Point Associates and the host of The Starting Point, a live coaching room for founders who want to suck less at sales. He spent 15 years in enterprise B2B sales and closed over $75 million personally across 5 companies as their first sales hire, and 3 of those companies went on to be acquired. We met through a business community a little under a year ago, and he hired his first executive assistant through METEOR, so he has been on both sides of the conversation we have here.

We break down why the first sales hire fails so often and what has to be true before you make it. JP explains the difference between the burden of sales and the burden of demand, why he opens every coaching session by calling sales a burden of leadership before it is a burden of the business, and where sales sits on the Martel Replacement Ladder as the last function you hand off. He also walks through the plan he built for a client with 12 years in business and revenue just south of $20 million who is hiring a salesperson for the first time, including who to hire, what the first 3 months look like, and which part of the offer to break off first.

If you are the only person in your company who can close a deal and you are hoping a sales hire will fix that, this conversation gives you the audit to run before you post the role.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to tell whether your business is ready for a sales hire or just tired of selling
• Why a commission-only offer sinks a first sales hire inside 3 months
• The difference between the burden of sales and the burden of demand, and which one you can actually outsource
• How to get clear on what you sell, who buys it, and what a rep is allowed to offer before you write the job description
• Why a customer success person from your own industry can outperform a seasoned closer as your first hire
• How to structure a 3-month shadow period so a new rep learns why your clients buy, not just what you sell
• Why the clarity you owe a new hire is the clarity you have not given yourself yet
• The difference between mastering a function and making it operational enough to delegate
• How to decide which stage of your sales cycle to hand off first

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Starting Point – JP Rinylo's live coaching room for founders and owner-operators, running every Tuesday at 1:30 Eastern
• The Martel Replacement Ladder – the delegation order JP references in the episode: administrative first, delivery and operations second, then marketing, with sales last
• Good to Great by Jim Collins – the source of the right people on the boat idea they use to talk about when a team should specialize

CONNECT WITH JP RINYLO

Website: https://www.startingpointassociates.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jprinylo

Follow him on Instagram and DM me the word ROOM and I'll send you details on The Starting Point.

----------

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business Start here → METEOR (https://www.trymeteor.com/)

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here: METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook (https://trymeteor.notion.site/The-METEOR-VA-Hiring-Playbook-204d0a7c8414809d9d7ed58850a1bc88?pvs=74)

Connect with JP: 

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpforno/)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jp.forno/)

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
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INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Smith, co-founder and CEO of New Vision Projects, an award-winning custom home builder and renovation company in Delta, BC, and the founder of Trade Up Coaching. Brandon barely finished high school, got fired from McDonald's, and started in construction pushing a broom on a job site. By 23 he owned 2 houses. Sixteen years later he runs a construction company and coaches renovation contractors trying to get from 1 or 2 million to 5 million and beyond.

We talk about the trap almost every founder falls into. You're working 70 or 80 hour weeks, the revenue is there but the profit isn't, and every decision still runs through you. Brandon walks through the mindset shift that broke him out of it, why hiring people who are better than you is the whole game, and how to decide which tasks to hand off first. He also gets into how you keep culture consistent across a core team and a rotating group of contractors, why core values fail when they're just words on a wall, and where AI actually fits into a trades business.

If you're a founder who's become the bottleneck in your own company and you're not sure what to let go of first, this conversation gives you a place to start.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to decide which tasks to delegate first, and why the fastest to onboard usually beats the most important
• Why hiring below your own skill level keeps you stuck, and how Brandon flipped that mindset
• The question Brandon asks every contractor who thinks nobody can do the job like they can
• Why an early, lower-cost hire is asymmetric risk, and what you actually learn from making it
• How to build an onboarding experience instead of just handing someone a job description
• Why core values only work if the owner is visibly making decisions through them
• How to keep culture consistent when half your team is subcontractors who come and go
• How to run the buyback rate exercise on your own calendar to find what to outsource
• Why the skills that made you great at your craft become your ceiling as an owner
• Where AI is already changing trades businesses, and which work stays human for a long time
• How to spot drive and potential in someone whose resume or report card doesn't show it

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell – Brandon's recommendation for auditing your calendar, and the source of the buyback rate framework he walks through
• The Buyback Rate – Find the tasks in your week worth a quarter of your hourly rate or less, and outsource those first
• Brandon's 30-Day Onboarding Checklist – What he uses internally and with every coaching client. DM him "hire" on Instagram to get it
• Trade Up – The idea behind Brandon's coaching practice: trade the skills you have for the skills you need
• YELL (Youth Entrepreneurship Leadership Launchpad) – The high school entrepreneurship program Brandon has volunteered with for close to a decade
• Dr. Ken Keis – Personality and leadership assessment work Brandon is certified in and runs his whole team through. He was a guest on The Open Concept
• Red Seal Certification – The Canadian apprenticeship credential that started Brandon's career in the trades

CONNECT WITH BRANDON

Website: https://tradeupcoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildwithbsmith/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-smith-nvp/

New Vision Projects: https://newvisionprojects.com/

The Open Concept Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPo3hHrreDSuz6v4MhikA

DM Brandon "hire" on Instagram for his 30-day onboarding checklist, or "Trade Up" to talk about coaching.

GET MORE TIME BACK TO SCALE YOUR BUSINESS

Start here → https://www.trymeteor.com/

Download the VA Hiring Playbook: https://trymeteor.notion.site/The-METEOR-VA-Hiring-Playbook-204d0a7c8414809d9d7ed58850a1bc68?pvs=74

Connect with JP:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jp.forno/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpforno/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
LinkedIn
Instagram

INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with Jordin McEntire, Executive Coach and Fractional COO at the DEO (Dentist Entrepreneur Organization) and CEO of Entire Management. Jordin has spent 18 years in operations and management, running multi-location practices with some of the largest dental organizations in the country before building her own company helping businesses across industries scale through better systems, leadership, and talent development.

Most conversations about talent stop at hiring. This one starts where they end. We talk about what happens after you get people through the door: how to diagnose the health of your team and culture, how to build pay bands and career pathways so your people know exactly what growth looks like, and how to decide whether someone needs to be coached up or coached out.

Jordin also walks through her five performance levels for evaluating talent, how to have hard conversations (including letting people go) in a human way, her Heal-Deal-Do approach to change management, and why AI should be treated as an enhancement to your people, not a replacement.

If you have ever lost a great team member and didn't know why, or held on to a bad fit longer than you should have, this conversation gives you the frameworks to fix both.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to diagnose your company's talent and culture health beyond just the data
• How to build pay bands and pathways with clear entry, mid, and expert tiers
• Why seniority is not the same as competence, and how to break that trap
• The "skill vs. will" framework for putting the right person in the right seat
• Jordin's five performance levels for evaluating talent objectively
• When to coach someone up versus coach them out (and why you can't do both)
• How to fire someone in a human way so it never comes as a surprise
• The Heal-Deal-Do method for leading your team through change
• How to position AI as an enhancement for your team, not a replacement

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Talent Bank — Jordin's assessment framework for evaluating the health of your culture, retention, and compensation
• Pay Bands & Pathways — A tiered structure (entry, mid, expert) that gives every role clear KPIs, skills, and growth milestones
• Skill vs. Will Framework — A diagnostic for whether performance issues come from ability, motivation, or the environment
• The Five Performance Levels — New Enroll, Needs Improvement, Strong Contributor, Strong Contributor Well-Placed, and Strong Contributor Do More
• Heal, Deal, Do — Jordin's approach for working through the internal blockers that stop leaders from taking action
• "People don't quit hard, they quit unclear" — The retention principle behind clear roles, frequent check-ins, and honest conversations
• Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman — A book on designing customer experiences that create loyalty
• The DEO (Dentist Entrepreneur Organization) — Community, coaching, and resources for dental entrepreneurs
• Free Leadership Self-Assessment — Reach out to Jordin for the self-analysis tool she shares with new leaders

CONNECT WITH JORDIN

Website: https://www.entiremanagement.org/
LinkedIn (Jordin): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordin-mcentire/
LinkedIn (Entire Management): https://www.linkedin.com/company/entire-management/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordin.mcentire/
Dentists: Find Jordin at the DEO — https://deodentalgroup.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business Start here → METEOR (https://www.trymeteor.com/)

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here: METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook (https://trymeteor.notion.site/The-METEOR-VA-Hiring-Playbook-204d0a7c8414809d9d7ed58850a1bc88?pvs=74)

Connect with JP:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpforno/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jp.forno/

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
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In this episode, I sit down with Frank Lofaro, founder of Tank Recruiting and one of the sharpest talent partners I know for founders. Frank has helped companies hire hundreds of A-players, led recruiting for high-growth teams, and was part of a record-breaking $105M weekend launch built on the back of strong people and process.

We break down why most founders treat hiring like a last‑minute emergency instead of a core growth lever, and how to use Frank’s 7-step recruiting system to make your first five (and next fifty) hires without guessing. Frank walks through his talent / time / money audit, his driver–vehicle–fuel framework, and simple ways to treat recruiting like sales and marketing so you consistently attract better people.

If you’re a founder who’s out of time, drowning in work, and not sure who to hire next, this conversation will help you prioritize the right role, design a clear job, and move fast enough to close top talent before you lose them.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to decide if your next move is a hire, a contractor, or just a process fix
• Frank’s 7-step recruiting roadmap: prioritize, define, referrals, launch, fishermen, evaluate, close
• How to run talent, time, and money audits so you design the right role instead of throwing bodies at problems
• How to write job descriptions that actually attract A-players (and why you should model bigger companies first)
• How to use 30-60-90 day plans to interview, onboard, and hold new hires accountable
• How to turn your network into a referral engine with simple scripts and smart bonus structures
• Why hiring velocity matters, and how to shrink your offer process from weeks to days with BAMFAM
• How to use gut instinct in hiring without letting bias wreck your decisions

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Talent / Time / Money Audit Framework
• Identify–Prioritize–Resolve problem funnel
• Driver–Vehicle–Fuel model for evaluating roles and leaders
• 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan
• BAMFAM (Book-A-Meeting-From-A-Meeting) principle for hiring speed
• Tank Recruiting – Frank’s recruiting firm for founders

CONNECT WITH FRANK

Instagram (personal): 
https://www.instagram.com/franklofaro/

Instagram (Tank Recruiting): 
https://www.instagram.com/tankrecruiting/

LinkedIn (Frank): 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-lofaro/

LinkedIn (Tank Recruiting): 
linkedin.com/company/tank-recruit/about/

GET MORE TIME BACK TO SCALE YOUR BUSINESS

Start here → 
https://www.trymeteor.com/

Download the VA Hiring Playbook:
https://trymeteor.notion.site/The-METEOR-VA-Hiring-Playbook-204d0a7c8414809d9d7ed58850a1bc88?pvs=74

Connect with JP:

Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/jp.forno/

LinkedIn: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpforno/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
LinkedIn
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INTRO

Hiring is one of the most important decisions a founder makes because the wrong person slows the business down and the right person unlocks the next level of growth. The problem is that most hiring processes are built on assumptions, first impressions, and gut feelings, which makes the entire thing feel like a coin toss instead of a system.

In this episode I break down why hiring feels unpredictable and what actually makes it predictable. I explain the difference between assumption based hiring and deduction based hiring, how to define exactly what you are looking for before you ever open a job post, and how to test for the behaviors that matter most. I also walk you through the two pillars that make up a reliable recruiting system so you can stop gambling on talent and start hiring with intention.

If you want a clear and practical way to think about recruiting, this episode gives you the foundation to build a process you can trust.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Why most founders make hiring decisions with almost no real evidence.
• The difference between assumption based hiring and deduction based hiring and why it matters.
• How to define what “winning” looks like for a role before you begin recruiting.
• How to identify the biggest constraint in your business and use it to shape the role.
• How to design assessments that reveal real behavior instead of surface level signals.
• How to evaluate technical competence, culture fit, and job fit with clarity.
• A simple three step framework you can use to improve your next hire immediately.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Mads Faurholt Jorgensen TED Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxjgL64czRY
  
  

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
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Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

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INTRO

In this episode, I sit down with Michelle Braden, one of the most decorated learning and talent development leaders in the world. Michelle is a certified executive coach and former Chief Learning Officer with over 25 years of experience transforming how organizations grow their people. She has led global learning functions that supported tens of thousands of employees worldwide and earned industry-leading recognition, including 2023 CLO of the Year and multiple Brandon Hall Gold Awards for innovation in leadership development, blended learning, and onboarding impact.

We talk about how to design training that people actually remember, how to coach so your team can solve problems on their own, and how to use AI as a helper instead of a crutch. Michelle also shares her Why-What-How framework for developing any skill, her thoughts on the shortening of attention spans at work, and how leaders can empower their teams without losing accountability.

If you want to build a team that thinks critically, takes ownership, and grows without you having to hold their hand, this conversation will show you how.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• The Why-What-How framework for designing effective training
• How to create a learning culture in companies without formal L&D departments
• Why empowerment and accountability go hand in hand
• How to coach your team to think through problems, not wait for instructions
• The difference between delegation and true empowerment
• How to build confidence and ownership in new hires fast
• The impact of AI on learning and why critical thinking is still your superpower

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Situational Leadership Model – Helps leaders tailor their management style based on competence and commitment levels
• The Why-What-How Framework – Michelle’s practical method for structuring training so it is understandable, memorable, and applicable
• The Learning Imperative Podcast – Michelle’s show exploring how continuous learning fuels organizational innovation
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – A book Michelle credits with shaping her leadership and coaching philosophy

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbraden/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yciplZSoX3QIa3xo9ISUL

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
LinkedIn
Instagram

INTRO

Training is one of the most critical parts of building a high-performing team, yet one of the most underdeveloped skills for founders. In this episode, I sit down with Shelly Ballew, a SaaS leader with over a decade of experience building high-performing revenue and enablement teams and facilitating more than 500 trainings.

Shelly’s programs have helped thousands of professionals improve performance, accelerate ramp time, and drive measurable business results. Together, we talk about how founders and leaders can move beyond compliance-based onboarding and build training that actually drives performance, retention, and culture.

We explore how to create onboarding experiences that foster belonging, design training that mirrors real-world job performance, and measure learning outcomes that tie directly to company KPIs. Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, this conversation will help you design training that truly works.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to build onboarding that creates belonging and reinforces company culture
• The difference between academic learning and real-world adult learning
• How to design training that mirrors job performance and real outcomes
• Ways to make shadowing and reverse-shadowing meaningful learning tools
• How to coach effectively and diagnose “skill vs will” performance gaps
• Why ongoing training and manager development are essential for growth
• The most common mistakes founders make when designing training programs

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• JD Dillon’s “Results-First” Framework – A practical approach to align training design with business outcomes by starting with the measurable result and working backward to define required skills and behaviors.
• Skill vs Will vs Conditions Model – A diagnostic tool that helps leaders identify whether performance issues stem from missing skills, lack of motivation or confidence, or environmental factors.
• Conscious Competence Ladder – A four-stage model that explains the journey from “unconscious incompetence” (not knowing what you don’t know) to “unconscious competence” (mastery through repetition).
• The 30-60-90 Framework for Onboarding – A milestone-based plan that helps new hires build clarity, confidence, and contribution in structured stages.
• “Fix the Roof While the Sun Is Shining” Mindset – A leadership principle Shelly references, reminding founders to build systems before growth exposes weaknesses.

CONNECT WITH SHELLY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellyballew/

Get More Time Back to Scale Your Business
Start here → METEOR

Download the VA Hiring Playbook here:
METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

Connect with JP:
LinkedIn
Instagram

Guest: Peter Swenson, CEO & Co-Founder of The HIRE Advantage

INTRO

When I first started this podcast, I knew exactly who I wanted as my first guest. Peter Swenson is not just a close friend, he is the person who gave me my first job in sales back in college. Over the last 20 years, he has hired and trained more than 4,000 sales professionals across educational products, home automation, and solar generating hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.

Today, Peter is the CEO and Co-Founder of The HIRE Advantage, where he helps companies build and scale high-performing sales teams through proven systems for recruiting, onboarding, and training. I have seen firsthand how his methods work, and in this episode we break down how to build a high-performing team from the ground up without losing your culture or burning yourself out in the process.

We talk about how to design recruiting systems that actually filter for the right people, how to create onboarding experiences that build trust and buy-in, and how to develop a culture of training that keeps people improving long after their first week. If you are a founder or leader trying to build a reliable, scalable team, this conversation gives you a clear roadmap.

Peter's Quick Tips

• Highest-leverage habit: going to bed on time
• Book that shaped his leadership: Traction by Gino Wickman

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to build a strong recruiting system that removes personal bias
• Ways to scale hiring volume without losing team culture
• The difference between onboarding and integration
• How to identify coachability during the recruiting process
• Training systems that help new hires ramp up faster
• How to build trust and buy-in during the first 90 days
• Why culture and performance must be built together

CONNECT WITH PETER

Website: https://www.thehireadvantage.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pvswenson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pvswenson/

-----

If you enjoyed this episode, follow HIRE TO SCALE for weekly conversations about how to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams so you can build a business that actually scales.

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METEOR VA/EA Hiring Playbook

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