In this episode of Innovative Entrepreneurs, Erica Bailey sits down with Courtney De Ronde, CPA, CEO of Forge Financial, and creator of the Simple Scale-Up System. With over 20 years in finance and leadership, Courtney shares the frameworks that help businesses escape the chaos of startup life and transition into sustainable, scalable growth.
Discover how the R3D (Roles, Responsibilities, Results) framework, the Right Fit Assessment, and her signature Scaling Leader program help entrepreneurs make strategic decisions rooted in dataânot just instinct. This episode is packed with actionable insights on leadership, human behavior, productivity rhythms, financial intelligence, and how to build a business that runs on clarity and purpose.
â± Timestamps:
08:25 â Courtneyâs journey from CPA firm to co-founding Forge
13:21 â Why great technical talent doesn't always equal leadership
20:10 â How to assess âright fitâ for leadership roles using CliftonStrengths, Enneagram, and Kolbe
33:00 â Instincts vs insights: the map and guide you need to scale
43:33 â Why financials are not the storyâthey tell the story
55:44 â How to prepare leaders (not just promote them)
1:07:16 â First step to scale: Build your 3-year business vision
1:15:37 â Courtneyâs best elevator advice: Donât give up.
â
Key Takeaways:
đ What got you here wonât get you thereâscaling requires systems, not just hustle.
đ§ Great performers arenât always great leadersâuse tools like Kolbe and Enneagram to make the right leadership hires.
đ Business intelligence beats guessworkâgut instinct needs data to evolve.
đ Financials tell a storyâbut the root issues are often leadership, productivity, or culture.
đ
Start with a 3-year visionâclarity now prevents chaos later.
đĄ Leadership is shared load, not solo strainâdonât try to scale alone.
Letâs Stay Connected!
Thank you for tuning in to the Innovative Entrepreneurs Podcast! If this episode inspired you to rethink innovation, share it with someone in your network who needs to hear it.
đ„ Subscribe & Leave a Review â Donât miss out on future episodes!
đĄ Want to be a guest on the show? Apply today and share your story!
đ Follow Me Online:
LinkedIn: @ericalbaileyÂ
Instagram: @businessbybailey
Facebook: @businessbybailey
We Are IconiQ (former CWG Digital) Website: https://weareiconiq.com/
Podcast Facebook: @innovativeentrepreneurspodcast
Podcast Instagram: @innovativeentrepreneurspodcast
đ Links & Resources:
đ Take the free Business Intelligence Grader: assessments.forgeahead.com
đ Learn more about Courtneyâs work: forgeahead.com
đŹ Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn: Courtney De Ronde
đ Final Thoughts:
Courtney reminds us that scaling a business isnât just about revenueâitâs about responsibility. Growth without clarity will crush you. But with the right frameworks, the right people, and the right mindset, you can build something sustainable, sellable, and deeply fulfilling. Donât just level upâlead up.
To Your Success,
Erica Bailey