Many companies hit a growth ceiling—not because of a lack of ideas, talent, or market opportunity, but because they lack operational rigor. In this episode, we sit down with Anna Talerico, CEO of Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), to unpack how she tackled this challenge head-on.

Anna shares her journey of stepping into a successful yet “execution-challenged” organization and the hard lessons she learned in implementing structure, accountability, and speed. She reveals why traditional operating systems weren’t enough, how she introduced company-wide sprints to drive alignment, and the key frameworks that finally got her team rowing in the same direction.

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Key chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to CFI and Anna Talerico

(02:58) - Anna's Journey: From Bootstrapper to CEO

(05:52) - Operational Rigor: The Need for Structure

(09:02) - Establishing an Operating System

(11:56) - The Pillars of an Effective Operating System

(14:59) - Implementing Sprints for Alignment and Focus

(18:05) - Maintaining Momentum and Accountability

(20:53) - Final Thoughts and Recommendations