Scale from Here | Business Growth & Scaling Strategies for Small Business Owners

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/  

Take the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

Trade shows can be one of the biggest line items in a small business marketing budget. They can also be one of the most frustrating investments when they fail to deliver real results. 

In this episode of The KeyHire Small Business Podcast, Corey Harlock tackles a challenge many manufacturing and wholesale business owners face: “We went to the trade show, but we didn’t get any real leads.” Is it the wrong show? The wrong people? Or the wrong strategy? 

Corey sits down with Anca Trifan, founder and CEO of Tree-Fan Events Production, award-winning speaker, and AI strategist. With more than 20 years in the event industry, from AV production and mixing for major entertainers to producing large-scale corporate conferences, Anca brings both behind-the-scenes experience and front-of-stage strategy to the conversation. 

This discussion moves far beyond fishbowls and badge scans into what actually drives revenue from trade shows. 

Anca challenges business owners to stop measuring success by volume alone. Scanning badges is not a strategy. Booth size is not a strategy. Hoping the sales team “figures it out later” is not a strategy. Instead, leadership must define clear objectives before booking the booth. Are you expanding into a new vertical? Accelerating pipeline opportunities? Shortening your sales cycle? What is the target number of qualified opportunities? What deal size are you pursuing? What revenue should this show influence within 90 days? 

From there, Corey and Anca break down execution. 

They discuss why sending junior staff to “cover the booth” is a costly mistake. Trade show attendees want to meet decision-makers, not placeholders. Your best people, those who can qualify prospects, answer technical questions, and potentially close on site, need to be present. 

The conversation also dives into lead classification. Anca outlines a simple tier system. Tier 1 prospects have confirmed budget, authority, and timeline. Tier 2 prospects have influence and mid-term potential. Tier 3 leads are exploratory and early stage. When these tiers are clearly defined, AI tools can help score conversations, route follow-ups appropriately, and protect your sales team from chasing unqualified leads. 

One of the most practical takeaways centers on post-show follow-up. Anca recommends recording conversations using AI transcription tools, summarizing discussions daily, syncing information into your CRM within 12 hours, and sending personalized follow-ups within 48 hours. Automation can support the process, but blindly automated emails that lack quality control can cost real deals. 

For business owners in the $5 to $25 million range, this episode provides a structured framework to maximize trade show ROI without unnecessary complexity. Pre-book strategic meetings. Define qualification criteria. Bring the right people. Capture conversations. Execute disciplined follow-up. 

If you have ever questioned whether trade shows are worth the investment, this conversation will help you shift from hoping for results to engineering them. 

Connect with the Experts 
Learn More about Anca: https://treefanevents.com

Connect with Corey Harlock on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/ 

Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/ 

Take the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make when hiring is this: they hire for today’s revenue instead of tomorrow’s growth.

It’s an easy trap to fall into. You’re stretched thin. The team is overwhelmed. Deadlines are slipping. So you look for someone who can step in, manage the current workload, and provide immediate relief. The pressure feels urgent, and filling the seat quickly seems like the responsible move. But hiring for convenience instead of capacity often keeps your business stuck right where it is.

In this episode, Corey Harlock breaks down what it really means to hire for growth. If you’ve ever felt like your company has outgrown the people who helped you build it—or if you’re working longer hours just to keep everything from falling apart—this conversation will challenge the way you think about your next hire.

As businesses grow, revenue often “hockey sticks” upward. But while sales increase, systems, processes, and leadership capability don’t always keep pace. Eventually, the business outgrows the structure supporting it. When that happens, many owners make a critical mistake: they hire someone who can manage their current $10 million operation instead of someone capable of building the $50 million version of that business.

That’s the shift.

Instead of hiring for today’s demands, Corey explains why leaders must hire for excess capacity. That means bringing in high-horsepower, high-impact individuals who walk in with room to build, improve, and scale. These are leaders who bring process discipline, operational expertise, and experience from larger or more complex environments. They don’t just maintain the status quo—they create leverage.

Throughout the episode, Corey shares real-world examples that illustrate the difference between hiring for potential and hiring for proven experience. Hiring for potential may feel safer and less expensive upfront, but the return is often delayed. Hiring for experience may come with sticker shock, but the impact is frequently immediate—improving systems, strengthening accountability, and driving measurable results faster than most owners expect.

If your growth strategy depends on working longer and harder each year, you don’t have a scaling plan—you have a capacity problem. Building a business that doesn’t require you to redline your engine every day starts with hiring leaders who can carry more weight than your current revenue demands.

Because strong companies don’t hire for relief. They hire for capacity.

Connect with the Experts
Connect with Corey Harlock on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/ 
Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/  

Take the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

In this episode of The KeyHire Podcast, Corey Harlock sits down with mindset expert Curtis McCullom to explore a topic we have not spent nearly enough time on: what it takes mentally to drive your business forward. We have covered communication. We have covered leadership. But what is happening inside your head may be the most important lever of all.

Curtis works with CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs to eliminate hidden blind spots and unlock income, confidence, and freedom. Using his Legit Mindset framework, along with NLP and Mental and Emotional Release techniques, he helps leaders identify the root causes behind behaviors that are holding them back.

The conversation begins with a foundational question: what is mindset? Curtis defines it as your thoughts, beliefs, and values that shape how you see the world. He explains that the subconscious mind does not joke. It takes what you tell it as truth. If you repeatedly tell yourself that today is going to be a bad day, your mind will seek evidence to prove you right. The same principle applies in business.

Corey and Curtis dig into the idea of the negative spiral. When leaders believe that bad things happen in threes or assume the worst after one setback, they often subconsciously look for confirmation. Curtis shares powerful examples of how dominant thoughts influence outcomes, including real-life stories about mindset affecting health and longevity.

A major theme of the episode is responsibility. Wherever you are in your journey, you must take ownership. Curtis explains that while you may not have caused every event in your life, you are responsible for how you respond. That shift from effect to cause is where real power lives.

The discussion then turns practical for business owners. Curtis outlines red flags that indicate deeper issues, such as overreacting to small problems, operating in a constant state of frustration, or identifying with negative emotions. There is a difference between saying “I am angry” and “I am feeling anger.” That subtle language shift matters. When negative emotions become your identity, your subconscious works to reinforce them.

They also explore workaholism, self-sabotage, and the concept of homeostasis. Many entrepreneurs unknowingly manage their businesses back down to a level of comfort because growth feels unfamiliar or unsafe. Curtis explains how unresolved baggage, sometimes from early childhood, can shape behavior in ways leaders do not even recognize.

The episode closes with practical steps. Acknowledge what you are feeling. Say it out loud. Separate the emotion from your identity. Protect your mind from negativity. Develop daily mental hygiene through simple visualization and intentional thought.

If you are a business owner carrying stress, reacting more than responding, or wondering why you keep hitting the same ceiling, this conversation will challenge you to look inward.

Stop grinding. Start growing. And it starts with your mindset.

Connect with the Experts 
Learn More About Curtis: https://www.bespokehumanpotentialcoaching.com
Connect with Corey Harlock on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/ 
Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/

Explore the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

When is your business truly ready to hire a high-powered executive?

In this solo episode of The KeyHire Small Business Podcast, Corey Harlock breaks down one of the most expensive mistakes growing companies make: bringing in a big-ticket executive before the business is structurally ready to support them.

Drawing from real client case studies, Corey walks through what happens when companies hire a VP or C-level leader without the infrastructure underneath them to execute. From the “inbox manager” executive who waits for problems to come to their desk, to the sales leader who increases revenue while operations are already redlining, this episode unpacks why strategy without support can stall momentum.

Corey also outlines the three biggest DIY hiring mistakes small business owners make:

Failing to clearly define the role

Hiring for today’s revenue instead of tomorrow’s

Lacking a consistent, structured hiring process

You will learn how to assess whether your business needs a Director, VP, or C-level executive and how your current growth stage determines the right move. Corey explains the five Key Owner stages, from the overwhelmed business owner to the strategic operator, and how each stage impacts your hiring strategy.

If you are scaling toward $40 million, $50 million, or beyond and wondering whether it is time to invest in executive talent, this episode will help you make the decision with clarity and confidence.

Connect with the Experts 

Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/

Explore the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

Everyone wants to give advice, but is that advice actually helping your business or quietly holding it back?

In this milestone 100th episode of The KeyHire Podcast, Corey Harlock is joined by Shannon Minifie, CEO of Box of Crayons, for a powerful conversation on leadership, curiosity, and the hidden cost of advice-giving. Together, they unpack the concept of the “Advice Monster” and why even well-intentioned leaders often disempower their teams by rushing to answers instead of slowing down to ask better questions.

Shannon shares practical, real-world tools for becoming more coach-like as a leader without turning every conversation into a formal coaching session. From understanding the three types of advice monsters, Tell It, Save It, and Control It, to learning simple questions that unlock clarity, ownership, and stronger performance, this episode is packed with insights small business owners can apply immediately.

If you are feeling stretched thin, stuck in the weeds, or like your team depends on you for everything, this conversation will help you reclaim your time, build stronger leaders around you, and create a culture that truly scales.

Key topics include:

• Why advice often demotivates instead of helps
• How curiosity drives better decisions and stronger culture
• The vicious cycle of over-dependence in small businesses
• Simple questions that create clarity, ownership, and growth
• How leaders can step back without losing control

This episode is a must-listen for business owners who want to stop grinding, start growing, and lead in a way that builds capability, not dependency.

Connect with the Experts 

Learn More About Shannon:https://boxofcrayons.com/

Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/

Explore the KeyHire Capacity Calculator: www.keyhire.solutions/capacity

Small business owners carry a relentless load. The workday does not end when the doors close, and the pressure to keep pushing can quietly pull leaders away from what matters most: real relationships, good judgment, and the ability to lead with clarity. 

In this episode, host Corey Harlock sits down with Jeff Burningham, an entrepreneur and investor who has started, run, or invested in more than 15 companies in tech and real estate, and the author of The Last Book Written by a Human. Jeff shares why being present and aware is not a nice-to-have habit. He frames it as a practical leadership discipline, especially in a world where intelligent tools are everywhere.

What you’ll learn

- Why presence is a leadership practice, not a personality trait, and how small business owners can build it through simple daily habits.

- How “human being” leadership differs from “human doing” leadership, and why wisdom and embodied experience matter as intelligence becomes more commoditized.

- How to balance results with relationships, and why the quality of connection with employees, vendors, and customers becomes the ultimate long-term advantage.

Jeff and Corey dig into the real tension every owner feels: the need to deliver results without letting the pace become unsustainable. Jeff explains how easy it is to lose the basics when the business demands everything, and why the basics are still the basics for a reason. 

From sitting in silence for a few minutes a day, to moving the body, to getting back into nature, Jeff argues that these simple practices help leaders hear themselves, regulate stress, and make better decisions. The conversation also touches on what Jeff learned from his run for governor in Utah during COVID, and how pressure can push leaders toward choices they later regret. The takeaway is clear: presence protects people, culture, and judgment, and it keeps business owners from sacrificing what they actually built the business for.

Connect with the Experts
Get The Last Book Written By a Human: https://a.co/d/cz4BsHH
Learn More About Jeff: jeffburningham.com
Connect with Jeff: @JeffBurningham (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook)
Connect with Corey Harlock on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/
Learn more about KeyHire Solutions: https://www.keyhire.solutions

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/  

Take the Key Owner Stage Assessment: www.keyhire.solutions/assessment 

If you are a small business owner who feels like you are working harder than ever but still not getting the results you want, this episode is for you. In Episode 98 of The KeyHire Small Business Podcast, host Corey Harlock sits down with leadership expert and author Paul Thornton to discuss the core skills that make leaders more confident, capable, and effective.

Paul Thornton has spent more than 20 years teaching leadership and management. He has written over 30 books, including his most recent title, Leadership Skills: Boost Your Effectiveness. Paul’s goal is to simplify leadership so that anyone can apply it. In this conversation, he and Corey talk about how small business owners can grow their leadership skills and build stronger, more resilient teams .

Many entrepreneurs get caught up in the day-to-day work of running their business. They focus on getting products out the door, solving problems, and keeping operations moving. Paul points out that leaders who never make time to develop their own skills or invest in their people often hit a wall. They burn out or stall their company’s growth because they are trying to do everything themselves.

Throughout the episode, Paul shares three essential skills that every small business owner needs to master:

Coaching – A great leader helps their people improve through feedback, encouragement, and curiosity. Coaching is not about telling people what to do. It is about asking the right questions and helping them find their own solutions.

Delegating – Many leaders struggle to let go. They believe that no one else can do things as well as they can. Paul explains how learning to delegate properly allows owners to create more time, develop their team’s confidence, and prevent burnout.

Communicating – Clarity and consistency are at the heart of great leadership. Paul and Corey talk about how small miscommunications can lead to frustration, confusion, and unnecessary drama inside a company .

Corey adds perspective from years of working with small business owners. He explains that people do not leave companies. They leave poor leaders. Employees want to be heard, understood, and supported. A leader who listens, asks questions, and provides context can transform culture and performance.

Both Corey and Paul highlight that these skills are not one-time lessons. Leadership growth is a lifelong process. It requires intention, patience, and honest self-assessment. Paul encourages listeners to take small, specific actions. Start by identifying a few tasks that can be delegated. Schedule regular check-ins with your team. Ask your people, “What is one thing I can do to be a better listener?” These small steps compound over time and create measurable results .

The conversation closes with an important reminder. Leadership is not about control. It is about creating the space for others to succeed. When you invest in coaching, communication, and delegation, you create a team that performs better and a business that can grow without you doing it all.

Connect with the Experts   
Read Leadership Skills: https://a.co/d/0rjjLl7

Be KeyHire's Next Success Story: https://bit.ly/KHSuccess      

Follow us on YouTube @keyhiresolutions, Facebook @keyhiresolutions, and Instagram

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/  

Take the Key Owner Stage Assessment: www.keyhire.solutions/assessment  

Every business owner measures success differently. Some focus on profit, others on cash flow or growth. But few truly understand the three numbers that determine whether a company can scale or survive. In this episode, Corey Harlock talks with Dave Saunders, early internet pioneer and founder of Base Reality Group, about the three essential numbers every small business owner must know: revenue, cost, and runway.

Before the conversation begins, Corey shares some exciting news. The KeyHire Podcast was named Best Business Consultant by the Best of Small Business Awards, and the show was recently featured in Forbes after economist Bill Connerly referenced one of their past episodes. It has been a rewarding start to the year, and Corey credits the KeyHire community for helping the podcast grow and reach new milestones.

Dave’s career began at Lucent Bell Labs, where he helped create the first commercial Wi-Fi hotspot in partnership with Apple. From there, he co-founded Galen Robotics, raised $25 million in funding, and built a reputation for helping founders grow profitable, process-driven businesses. His book, Founders Who Finish, captures much of what he has learned along the way, but today he focuses on the three financial metrics that matter most.

Dave explains that many business owners rely on endless dashboards filled with metrics and acronyms that often confuse more than they clarify. He believes success can be simplified into three numbers.

1. Revenue: The total of what is coming in, including both cash on hand and incoming payments.
2. Cost: Every expense required to keep the business operating, both fixed and variable.
3. Runway: The amount of time the company could continue operating if income stopped today.

Corey and Dave discuss why understanding these numbers is essential for making smart, timely decisions. They outline what it means when a business has less than three months of runway, how to identify waste in operations, and how to reduce costs without cutting too deep. Dave shares examples of companies that failed to monitor their financial health and the consequences that followed, as well as stories of those that corrected course and grew stronger.

The conversation also explores what happens when a company’s growth outpaces the leadership team’s ability to manage it. Corey and Dave talk about the challenges that appear when a business hits the 50-employee mark and the importance of learning to lead through process rather than constant effort. They discuss the self-awareness required for a founder to know when to delegate, bring in new leadership, or evolve their own role.

Dave’s insights are practical, clear, and grounded in experience. His approach helps business owners simplify the way they think about performance and make better decisions about growth, stability, and sustainability.

This episode offers real-world advice for anyone trying to understand their numbers, build a stronger foundation, and create a business that can grow with confidence.

Listen now to learn how to simplify your numbers, make smarter decisions, and build a business that lasts.

Connect with the Experts   

Learn More about Dave: davesaunders.net

Be KeyHire's Next Success Story: https://bit.ly/KHSuccess      

Follow us on YouTube @keyhiresolutions, Facebook @keyhiresolutions, and Instagram

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/ 

Take the Key Owner Stage Assessment: www.keyhire.solutions/assessment  

What if every customer call was answered instantly, every lead was qualified accurately, and your sales team spent 100% of their time closing instead of chasing?

 In this episode of The KeyHire Small Business Podcast, host Corey Harlock sits down with Shawn Boehme, Director of Sales at PanTerra Networks, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the world of inbound sales and customer communication.

Shawn shares his insider experience helping small and mid-sized businesses integrate AI-driven sales agents that not only answer calls around the clock but also think like seasoned sales reps. These agents qualify leads, analyze tone and intent, and even match regional accents to ensure every caller feels understood. From there, human salespeople can jump in with complete context, ready to have meaningful conversations and close more deals. As Shawn puts it, “AI doesn’t replace your sales team—it makes them better.”

Throughout the conversation, Corey and Shawn dig into what it takes to get AI working effectively in real-world sales environments. Shawn explains how tools like conversational AI and CRM integration enable a seamless handoff between bots and humans, giving sales reps access to detailed customer histories without wasting time on repetitive questions. The result? Happier customers, faster conversions, and fewer missed opportunities.

Shawn also breaks down the technical and strategic side of implementation—from tuning AI agents through hours of test calls to ensuring they ask the right qualifying questions 100% of the time. He explains how modern AI can detect emotion and context, improving response accuracy and reducing handle time in customer support situations. And as businesses move away from offshoring and back toward “onshoring,” AI is playing a major role in reducing costs while elevating the customer experience.

For business owners, this episode offers a practical roadmap for starting small with AI—whether that means deploying a virtual receptionist, experimenting with Agent Assist, or automating parts of your inbound call process. Corey and Shawn also discuss common mistakes companies make when trying to build AI tools themselves, including underestimating the time it takes to properly train and fine-tune an agent.

If you’ve ever wondered how to use AI to qualify leads, improve customer satisfaction, and boost sales performance, this conversation will give you the clarity and confidence to take the first step. As Corey reminds us, it’s not about replacing people—it’s about helping small business owners stop grinding and start growing.

Tune in to learn how AI can help your business capture more leads, improve efficiency, and deliver a better experience for every customer who calls.

Connect with the Experts   
Learn More about PanTerra Networks: www.panterranetworks.com/
Connect with Shawn: www.linkedin.com
Be KeyHire's Next Success Story: bit.ly/KHSuccess      

Follow us on YouTube @keyhiresolutions, Facebook @keyhiresolutions, and Instagram

Text us your comments or topic ideas for future shows.

Connect with Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyharlock/  

Take the Key Owner Stage Assessment: www.keyhire.solutions/assessment  

Welcome to 2026 and the first episode of the year for The KeyHire Small Business Podcast. Host Corey Harlock starts the year by tackling a challenge that never seems to go away for small business owners: how to build a steady flow of talent when you do not have the budget for a recruiter.

Even though the job market is softening, more than 30 percent of small business owners are still struggling to fill open positions. Corey explains why this happens and shares practical, realistic strategies to help owners prepare before a role opens up instead of reacting when it is too late.

He begins by defining what a talent pipeline really is and why small businesses should treat it as an investment in stability. Corey focuses on two of the most effective and affordable tools available to any business: employee referral programsand partnerships with trade schools or community colleges.

Employee referrals, he explains, provide an incredible return on investment. Referral hires tend to stay longer, perform better, and fit the culture more naturally. The key is to make referral programs meaningful and well funded. Corey describes how small businesses can transform a simple referral bonus into a culture-building event that rewards and recognizes employees who help bring in great people.

Next, Corey discusses how to partner with local trade schools and community colleges to create internship or apprenticeship opportunities. These programs provide early access to skilled entry-level talent while giving students real-world experience. The benefits take time to develop, but once established, these relationships create a long-term stream of qualified, loyal employees.

Throughout the episode, Corey reminds listeners that every hiring decision should begin and end with respect. Whether it is an employee leaving, an intern starting, or a candidate being interviewed, the way people are treated shapes your company’s reputation. He also warns about a common mistake called “warm body syndrome,” which is hiring out of desperation rather than fit. The result is usually short-term relief followed by long-term pain.

Listeners will hear why underfunded or underpromoted referral programs rarely work, how to keep a list of “almost perfect” candidates for future roles, and why your hiring process can be your strongest recruiting tool if done correctly. Corey also offers tips on creating internal pipelines by cross-training and developing existing staff, ensuring that key roles can be filled quickly when turnover happens.

By the end of the episode, small business owners will have a clear roadmap for building entry-level and mid-level pipelines, reducing hiring stress, and strengthening their internal culture.

If you are ready to make 2026 the year your business grows stronger, smarter, and more prepared, this episode will help you get there.

Connect with the Experts   

Be KeyHire's Next Success Story: https://bit.ly/KHSuccess      

Follow us on YouTube @keyhiresolutions, Facebook @keyhiresolutions, and Instagram