ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Miranda Lievers, Co-Founder of Thinkific. We talked about a range of topics including, what you know about balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, Miranda's autism journey, three tips for business success, why you need to enjoy the journey in business, why you need to be cautious about innovation, Miranda's journey from lemonade stand to billion dollar Unicorn, why you need a vision, purpose and plan to be successful, the true meaning of success, the differences between a start-up and scale up. why autism is the unsung superpower and so much more…

About Miranda

Joining us today is Miranda Lievers, the dynamic Co-Founder of Thinkific who led the company to a remarkable milestone in 2021 by taking it public with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. With a passion for empowering entrepreneurs, Miranda has played a pivotal role in helping over 50,000 businesses and educating more than 100 million students worldwide through Thinkific. Beyond her tech endeavours, she's a devoted angel investor and mentor for women in business, advocating for the growth of small enterprises while fostering a sense of community. Miranda's diverse journey has seen her not only in the world of business leadership but also in pursuits like beekeeping and even indie film production. As a mom to two remarkable kids, she brings a wealth of experiences and insights to our podcast.

Contact Miranda:

Website: www.mirandalievers.com

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

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In today's episode, I chat with Dr. Geoff Smart, Chairman and Founder of ghSMART about how to hire the best talent and build high-performance teams. In today's conversation we talk about the four behaviours of successful CEOs, controversial compensation strategies, hiring mistakes you need to avoid and the one thing you need to do to scale your business. We also cover, the secrets of high performing teams, the four steps you need to know for successful hiring, the five things you need to do to attract talent, the last step you need to take to get the best talent, why aggressive interviews don't work, the one skill you need to know to be a successful CEO, the questions you need to ask at a screening interview and so much more…

About Dr. Geoff Smart,

Dr. Geoff Smart, Chairman and Founder of ghSMART, established the firm in 1995 to assist leaders—from Fortune 500 CEOs and billionaire entrepreneurs to heads of state—in achieving their objectives by building and managing high-performing teams. Operating globally from 12 offices across North America and Europe, ghSMART has been recognised by Forbes as the best management consulting firm in its sector for three years and is featured in two Harvard Business School cases for its pioneering services.

The firm's contributions include three bestselling books on leadership and hiring, with "Who: The A Method for Hiring" receiving significant acclaim and top rankings across various platforms and publications. Additionally, Dr. Smart authored "Leadocracy," a New York Times bestseller and winner of notable business book awards. His early work includes co-creating the Topgrading approach to talent management. Dr. Smart holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Claremont Graduate University, where he studied under management expert Peter F. Drucker.

Contact Geoff:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeoffreySmart

Email: https://ghsmart.com/

Buy the Books

Leadocracy

Who: The A Method for Hiring

Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success

Book Recommendations

Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life

The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors that Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this special episode, I had the unique opportunity to switch roles from being the host to becoming the guest on the "Best of Belfast" podcast, wonderfully hosted by Matthew Thompson. We discussed the nuances of Scaling, the journey of Personal Transformation, and the importance of Keeping Score of the Things That Matter. We also talked about why you are the reason that your business isn't scaling, why you need to explore the full potential of your people, what you need to know to unlock the potential of your children, the importance of a growth mindset when scaling a business, why you need a vision for your personal life and to scale your business successfully and why you need to listen to your children and overcome self limiting beliefs.

About Brendan

Throughout his career, Brendan has been at the forefront of scaling businesses, notably leading CDE Group for 17 years, 12 as CEO, to achieve 25x revenue growth and establish it as an industry leader. Under his leadership, CDE Group hit nearly £500m in cumulative revenue and £50m in profit, expanding from 15 to 700 employees across six continents and exporting to over 100 countries. In 2020, Brendan co-founded Simple Scaling, co-authoring the Amazon Best-Seller, "Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business," praised for its solid advice for business leaders.

Brendan received the UK Young Director and the overall UK Director of the Year awards from the Institute of Directors in 2016. Beyond work, he's passionate about sports and became a Wim Hof Method Instructor in 2021, a practice he enjoys daily.

About Best of Belfast

The "Best of Belfast" podcast is hosted by Matthew Thompson is a celebrated platform that shines a light on Northern Ireland's remarkable landscape and its extraordinary people narrating both the well-known and hidden stories of our community's heroes.

From Oscar-winning directors and innovative Silicon Valley CEOs to local heroes and artisanal craftsmen, the podcast prides itself on sharing both renowned and untold stories. Broadcasting every Monday morning, it offers listeners insights and experiences, highlighting the extraordinary within the ordinary. With over 100 episodes to its name, "Best of Belfast" continues to captivate and inspire its audience, proving itself a seminal voice in celebrating Northern Irish culture and achievement.

Contact Brendan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-mcgurgan-11854a13/

Contact Simple Scaling: https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

Check out Best of Belfast podcast: https://bestofbelfast.org/northern-ireland-podcast

Contact Matthew Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-thompson-4a7982232/

In today's episode I'm delighted to re-introduce my business partner Claire Colvin. Claire and I recap our favourite moments from Season 11 and discuss what you need to do to increase luck, how to do to change negative thinking, how to create compensation strategies that work, why you need due diligence when engaging private equity, what you need to do to overcome self-limiting beliefs, what you need to know about the things that hold you back and so much more...

About Claire

Claire has worked as a partner to business leaders and entrepreneurs of high growth businesses helping them to scale through their people. As the former Talent Director on the Board of a rapidly growing global organisation, Claire built the optimum people centred structures and systems to enable the company to significantly scale across six continents.

In 2019, Claire became my business partner and we set out on a journey of discovery to extensively research exemplars of scaling to identify the key attributes that made them successful.

Contact Claire

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-colvin-586a162b/

Simple Scaling Book

Check out our book, an Amazon Best-Seller: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10X Your Business

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan, Simple Scaling and Access Our Resources:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with James Watt, Co-Founder & CEO of Brewdog. We talked about a range of topics including, how to prioritise your most valuable asset…your time, how to hire people who have passion, ambition, tenacity and attitude. Why you need to be a self styled punk in business, what you need to do to overcome challenges in business, why you need to be revolutionary as a small business, how James chooses the people to invest in, what you need to do to unleash radical thinking, why you need to lead with purpose for business success, the 3 Tips you need to know to build a purposeful brand, how to change a toxic work culture, why you need to be consistent in business and life how to unlock your neurodivergent superpowers why you need to be provocative in a crowded marketplace, why you need to focus on the power of brand why you need to smash assumption to be successful in business and so much more…

About James James Watt BrewDog is an Aberdeenshire entrepreneur who co-founded one of the world's most popular craft breweries, BrewDog. With a clear vision BrewDog wants to become one of the world's five most valuable beer brands over the next five. With a brand value of £1.68bn, last year it announced an employee ownership programme that will see 5% of the company distributed among 750 staff over the next four years.

Before embarking on a hop-fuelled journey that would change the face of the beer industry forever, James completed an honours degree in Law and Economics. It didn't take long for him to discover that the corporate suit-and-tie world of litigation and libel was not for him, so he packed in his career in law after a few weeks, opting to return to the bitter cold shores of Northeast Scotland to join his father as a fully-qualified Deepsea Captain.

James also authored the book "Business for Punks: Break All the Rules - the BrewDog Way". Although this conversation focuses around the Brew Dog journey the application of the 'Punk' ethos is applicable far beyond the Brewery industry.

Contact James: Website: https://www.brewdog.com/uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-watt-21a5a912b/

Buy the book: Business for Punks: Break All the Rules - the BrewDog Way

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling: Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling: https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Elliot Roe, a leading expert in Mindset Optimization for High Performers and the go-to mindset coach for poker champions. In this conversation we discuss why you need feeling to make your visualisation of success, what you need to do to visualise successfully, why you need to prioritise self-care, what you need to do for a high-performing mindset, why you need to develop a community when growing a business how to visualise for success on your own, what you need to do to overcome self-limiting beliefs, what you need to know about choosing the right mentor, what you need to know to be self-aware and what you need to do when you visualise and so much more.

About Elliot

Elliot Roe is a leading expert in Mindset Optimization for High Performers and the go-to mindset coach for poker champions. Elliot's expertise has propelled poker clients to over $100 million in winnings and major titles, including the World Series of Poker Main Event. With a graduate degree in Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, Elliot's coaching extends to Olympic medalists, UFC Champions, Hollywood actors, and Wall Street traders. He's also the co-founder of the mindset app Primed Mind and has a personal testimony to the transformative power of mindset coaching, having overcome his own fear of flying with the help of a hypnotherapist. Today, he's here to share how mindset coaching can elevate your business and personal performance to the next level.

Contact Elliot:

Website: https://elliotroe.com/

Visualisation app: www.primedmind.com

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Eric Jorgenson, the CEO of Scribe Media, investor, General Partner at Rolling Fun, and host of the successful podcast, Smart Friends. We discussed a range of topics including, how you can achieve wealth and happiness in your life, what it's like to be a newbie CEO, why you need to always work towards the moral good, the one thing you need to do every week, why you need empathy in the workplace, why you need to scale your business, the fastest path you need to know to succeed in your business, what you need to do to achieve happiness and success, what you need to do to scale your business, the relationship between the media and the truth and so much more…

About Eric

Eric Jorgenson is a multifaceted individual with a diverse professional background. As a product strategist, he has been integral to the founding team of Zaarly, a service connecting homeowners with reliable service providers. He's also well-known in the blogging sphere with his business blog, Evergreen, reaching over a million readers. Apart from being an author, Jorgenson is the CEO of Scribe Media, invests in tech startups as a General Partner at Rolling Fun, and hosts a podcast named Smart Friends. Based in Kansas City, he's also on a playful quest for the perfect sandwich.

Contact Eric:

Website: https://www.ejorgenson.com/

Podcast: Smart Friends (available on all major podcasting platforms)

Buy the book

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Jon Rhodes, Co-founder of Imagery Coaching, Psychology Consultant in Sports Performance and Lecturer & Supervisor, Uni of Plymouth. We talked about a range of topics including, what you need to know about self-limiting beliefs, three things you need to know from the psychology expert, the six ways to imagine your future, the seven senses you need to know for your vision board, what you need to do to shape your internal narrative, how to change negative thinking, how to guarantee your success for the future, why you need to have a vision of your future, how to bring your dreams to life with vision boards, why you need to have attitude to succeed, what you need to do to overcome self-limiting beliefs, why you need to lead with positive thinking, and so much more…

About Jon

Jonathan Rhodes, PhD, is a chartered British psychologist, researcher, lecturer, and performance consultant specialising in cognitive psychology. He helped develop Functional Imagery Training by raising performance levels of Olympic athletes, Premiership footballers and teams, business executives, and hundreds of others. A co-founder of Imagery Coaching and Lecturer at the University of Plymouth, Dr. Rhodes partnered with the British Army to develop the Pre-Commando Resilience Programme and currently supports the military and corporate organisations with culture change programs. He is the co-author of The Choice Point book available now.

Throughout his professional journey, Jonathan has delved deep into the science of goal-setting and has developed a scientifically proven method for achieving personal and professional objectives. His innovative approach combines rigorous research with practical strategies to help individuals unlock their full potential and reach their desired goals.

Contact Jon:

Website: www.imagerycoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-rhodes-phd/

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

Buy the book:

The Choice Point: The Scientifically Proven Method for Achieving Your Goals

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Nancy Duarte, Principal at Duarte, Inc. We talked about a range of topics including, how to get your people emotionally engaged in your vision, how I broke free from narcissistic influence for success, what you need to do to enhance your presentation skills, how to boost your motivation as an entrepreneur, how to turn your dream into a vision and a reality, how to craft a compelling story with contrast, what you need to do to create your perfect vision, why you need to create a vision for success in business and so much more…

About Nancy

Nancy Duarte, the renowned communication expert, featured in Fortune, Forbes, and more, heads Duarte, Inc., a firm responsible for crafting over a quarter of a million presentations for influential businesses, institutions, and authors worldwide. She's a persuasion specialist known for her unique methodology, applying storytelling and visual thinking principles to reshape audience beliefs and behaviours.

Her latest book, 'The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations,' is currently an HBR bestseller. Duarte, Inc., not only ranks as Silicon Valley's largest design firm but is also the fifth largest female employer in the region. Nancy's accolades include being named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the University of Southern Mississippi

With 20+ years of experience, Nancy's firm has influenced global giants like Apple, Cisco, Facebook, and Google. She's authored three award-winning books, including 'Resonate' and 'Slide:ology,' both achieving significant success.

Contact Nancy:

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

Website and resources: https://www.duarte.com/resources/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyduarte

TEDx Talks:

· Nancy Duarte uncovers common structure of greatest communicators https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nYFpuc2Umk

· The secret structure of Steve Job's speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujYHR9kKA10

Buy the books

Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Presentation Design

DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling

In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Morné Smit, Speaker, Champion of Sales Excellence, Founder at Emerse and Certified Leverage Sales Coach. We talked about a range of topics including, why you need to test your sales techniques, the secrets behind successful sales process, what you need to have in your sales playbook, what you need to look for in a salesperson, where you need to focus your sales manager, why you need to be clear on the rules of salespeople, the 3 sales success steps you need to know, how to overcome self-limiting beliefs in your sales team, what you need to do now to grow your sales team successfully, why you need to stop selling today, how to build a winning sales culture, and so much more…

About Morné

Today, we have a distinguished guest, Morné Smit, one of the most sought-after Sales Experts in the U.S. Known for his over 70 speaking events scheduled for 2024 and accolades from EO and Vistage, Morné is the chosen successor to Jack Daly.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Morne excelled as an honor student and athlete. After earning a degree in Marketing & Economics, he moved to London in 2001. Over two decades, Morné transitioned from a salesperson to a leader, achieving remarkable growth in various industries. In 2017, he founded Emerse, a sales consultancy serving businesses across 20+ industries on three continents.

Morné 's mission is simple: Master Sales, Guarantee Growth, and Predict Success. In 2022, he succeeded Jack Daly, an internationally renowned speaker and author, and now travels the world sharing insights on sales culture and excellence.

Contact Morné:

Website: https://mornesmit.com/

Website: https://emersesales.com/

Email: [email protected]

About the Host, Brendan McGurgan

Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.

Contact Brendan McGurgan or Simple Scaling:

Buy the Simple Scaling Book: Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business

Contact Simple Scaling:

https://linktr.ee/simplescaling