Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps

In this episode of Stories of Scale, host Jonathan Herps sits down with Zaki Ameer, Founder of DDP Property, to unpack the real story behind his 15-year journey building one of Australia’s most successful buyer’s agencies.

Zaki reveals the truth behind scaling a business sustainably — from navigating compliance and hiring misalignment, to rebuilding culture, and creating a business that can run without him.
You’ll learn:

 🔹 Why your values matter more than your strategy
 🔹 How to build an A-player team that actually delivers
 🔹 Why compliance can make or break your business
 🔹 What founders get wrong when scaling
 🔹 How personal identity, burnout and self-reflection shape your CEO evolution

Whether you're a business owner, founder, or CEO — this episode is packed with real-world lessons on leadership, execution, and building a life that works beyond the business.

Connect with Zaki Ameer:
DDP Website - http://www.ddpproperty.com.au/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiameer/

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Are you still doing everything yourself — sales, delivery, and strategy — and can’t take a holiday without things falling apart? You’re not alone. Most founders hit the same growth ceilings — the “ones and threes” — where your leadership, systems, and team hit capacity.  

In this episode of the **Scale Up OS Podcast**, we unpack the **6 key triggers** to help you move from *firefighter* to *builder* — so your business can grow beyond you.  

You’ll also learn why only 4% of businesses ever reach $1M revenue (and how to make sure you do), the mindset shift every CEO must make, and how AI can now help you scale faster than ever.  

📍 **Timestamps**

00:00 Introduction: Overcoming Business Challenges
00:38 Personal Experience and Credibility
02:00 Understanding the Valleys of Death
03:19 Global Business Statistics
04:14 CEO Mind Shift: From Firefighter to Builder
04:48 Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency
05:43 Interactive AI Exercise
06:17 Conclusion and Podcast Subscription

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

In this episode of the Scale Up OS Podcast, Jonathan Herps dives deep into why building and keeping A-players is the ultimate growth advantage for CEOs. Discover how leading founders are creating workplaces that attract talent, boost performance, and scale sustainably — even in competitive markets.

💡 You’ll Learn:

1.  Use People & Culture KPIs that actually drive results

2.  Benchmark your eNPS and measure team health effectively

3.  Build a culture that makes your business a “great place to work”

4.  Hire A-players (and move out the toxic ones fast)

5.  Avoid burnout and build a team that leads with you

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Perfection slows growth. Momentum scales it.

In this episode of the Scale Up OS Podcast, Jonathan Herps breaks down how growth-stage founders can take control of their business using leading vs. lagging KPIs, “Bare Ass Minimums” (BAMs), and a flywheel system that drives consistent performance.

You’ll also hear real-world examples of businesses scaling from $3M to $17M — and what it really takes to keep profit, people, and progress aligned.

💡 You’ll Learn:

1. The difference between leading and lagging KPIs — and why it matters
2. What “Bare Ass Minimums” (BAMs) are and how to set them for your team
3. How A-Players outperform and transform company growth
4. Why momentum beats perfection in scaling
5. How to adjust KPIs as your business evolves

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

In this episode of the Scale Up OS Podcast, Jonathan Herps explores how CEOs can harness AI, dashboards, and the power of a North Star metric to lead with more clarity and alignment. From using multiple AI tools for research and decision-making, to understanding why defining and tracking the right metrics drives real momentum, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. AI is a force multiplier when used with the right mix of tools—not just ChatGPT.
2. Great prompts drive great outcomes; AI is only as good as the questions you ask.
3. Keep sensitive data secure by separating personal and enterprise AI use.
4. A North Star Metric aligns your entire company around one guiding measure of success.
5. Momentum beats perfection—start with workable metrics, then refine as you scale.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Most CEOs are drowning in numbers but starving for clarity. Without the right dashboard, you’re flying blind—reacting instead of leading.

In this session,  Jonathan shared AI prompts to design your Leaders KPIs, company Evergreen KPIs & an AI prompt to help you identify your North Star metric.

Whether you’re at $1M, $10M, or $100M in revenue, the principles are the same. If you can’t measure it, you can’t optimise it—and if you can’t optimise it, you can’t scale.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Every founder dreams big, but too many stop at “vision” without turning it into an actionable plan. In this episode, Jonathan Herps breaks down how to take a 3-year vivid vision and transform it into a practical execution system that drives growth, profit, and freedom.

Jonathan reveals the planning rhythms used by top CEOs to scale past the plateaus, align leadership teams, and free themselves from being the bottleneck in their business.

Whether you’re aiming to break through $3M, $10M, or beyond, this episode gives you the clarity and tools to lead with intent.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why 3 years is the ideal time horizon for strategy and scaling
  
  
  
• The “leader’s intent” framework for aligning your executive team
  
  
  
• How to cascade a vivid vision into quarterly sprints and weekly check-ins
  
  
  
• The 4 essential jobs of every CEO in growth mode
  
  
  
• Tools to keep execution disciplined and results predictable

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

00:00 Introduction: Why Three Years?

00:32 Real-Life Example: Achieving Market Leadership

02:55 Communicating the Three-Year Plan

04:06 The Role of a CEO

05:53 Executing the Vision: Quarterly and 12-Quarter Plans

08:53 Case Study: Making Sales Predictable

11:32 Tracking Success: The CEO Dashboard 

14:17 Q&A and Final Thoughts

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: https://www.scaleupos.com/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps/

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast | Looking to grow your business? Our weekly podcast is packed with the latest tips, tricks and strategies. Learn how to run a more efficient business and scale successfully – no fluff, just actionable and practical advice from someone who grew 3 multi-million $ businesses and exited successfully - Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template that will help you build out your Business Plan & grow your business in a consistent and step by step manner – Click Here to download now.

3. Book a 20-minute Business Growth Call | Map out a growth plan for your business, uncover the #1 bottleneck that's holding you back right now and leave this call with a clear and actionable plan for what to do next in your business — Click Here

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Scaling isn't about more tactics, it's about more clarity. It’s about giving your team a vision so clear they can act without waiting for your permission.

In this episode of Stories of Scale, Jonathan Herps shares why your team doesn’t need more direction and why they need a crystal clear destination. You’ll learn how to build a 3 Year vision that aligns your people, removes daily chaos, and puts you back in the role of strategic leader.

If you're a founder who’s still wearing all the hats, stuck in day-to-day chaos, and unsure how to move beyond the plateau, you need to hear this. Jonathan’s personal stories, client case studies, and frameworks will help you reclaim clarity, momentum, and your role as the true leader of your business.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Defining success beyond revenue (01:20)
• Why scaling requires more than strategy (02:49)
• Translating vision into a “leader’s intent” your team can act on (03:45)
• The military lesson every CEO can use to keep teams aligned (05:17)
• The power of a three-year vision (06:40)
• How one company leapt from #3 to market leader by rallying around a clear intent (07:23)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Why “vision” isn’t enough if your team doesn’t know how to act on it.
• A three-year horizon is long enough to be transformational and short enough for your team to believe it’s possible.
• A clear “leader’s intent” keeps everyone aligned and empowered to act, even when plans change.
• Scaling a business isn’t just about strategy; it’s about clarity, leadership, and getting every person rowing in the same direction.

Scaling isn’t about chasing endless tactics but about clarity, intent, and leading your people with purpose. When your team knows exactly where they’re going, growth stops being chaotic and starts becoming unstoppable.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

This episode is a masterclass in visionary leadership and practical execution.

Jonathan Herps walks you through how to craft a 3-Year Vivid Vision - a clear and compelling blueprint for both your business and your life. He doesn’t just talk strategy. He shows you how to map your future and reverse engineer winning moves that will scale your company while freeing you from the weeds.

If you're a founder who’s still wearing all the hats, stuck in day-to-day chaos, and unsure how to move beyond the plateau, you need to hear this. Jonathan’s personal stories, client case studies, and frameworks will help you reclaim clarity, momentum, and your role as the true leader of your business.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• How to use the Vivid Vision Method to map out the business and life you want (00:00)
• The 3 Horizons Framework to balance short-term operations with long-term growth bets (04:18)
• The Winning Move strategy and how to identify 3–5 high-leverage initiatives that will move the needle over the next 3 years (07:25)
• Finding the “who” to accelerate growth and stop getting stuck in the weeds (13:58)
• Assessing whether you have the right team to scale with or whether it's time to make some changes (18:18)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Your business will never outgrow your vision. If it’s vague, you’ll drift. If it’s clear, you’ll build with confidence.
• A 3-year horizon is the sweet spot. Long enough to matter. Short enough to believe in.
• Every scalable business needs 3–5 bold, winning moves - not a bloated to-do list.
• Execution accelerates with the right “who.” You don’t need to be the expert. Just find them.
• If your leadership team can’t think at the level you need, you have a leadership problem, not a strategy one.

You didn’t start your business to stay stuck in the weeds.

If you’re ready to lead, not just manage, it starts with a vision bold enough to pull you forward (and a few winning moves to get you there). Let this be the episode that helps you finally step into the role your business needs you to play.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Most CEOs work their whole lives to build freedom, then wake up trapped in a business that can’t survive without them.

Here’s how to break that cycle and finally build a company that creates freedom, not just more struggle.

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Richard Palmer, co-founder of Qurate Advisory. With decades of experience as a CEO, investor, and advisor, Richard shares raw insights about the struggle of scaling, why too many entrepreneurs fail to capture the value of their hard work, and how CEOs can shift their mindset to become true capital stewards.

Richard dives deep into the leadership lessons he’s learned from building, selling, and advising businesses, and why creating an exitable company isn’t about selling, but about building freedom. 

If you’re a founder or CEO who feels stuck in the grind and wants to build a business that runs without you, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Why most businesses aren’t worth what founders think they are (00:33)
• What “the struggle” really looks like and why success is never guaranteed (03:52)
• How to use AI to reclaim your team’s time and grow faster (08:02)
• Why people and culture will make or break your business (12:54)
• How discipline and relentless focus outperform occasional brilliance, and why fixing just one thing each week compounds into transformational growth (16:52)
• How CEOs can protect their energy and relationships while scaling (29:35)
• The most important mental shift founders must make to build a sellable company(37:47)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Success comes from consistency, not heroics. World-class results are built by showing up and doing the right things over time.
• Always build like you’ll sell. Even if you don’t plan to, it’s the only way to protect your freedom and future options.
• AI and automation are game-changing tools that free up teams to focus on growth, strategy, and customers.
• You’re not just a CEO, you’re a capital allocator. Shift your identity or you’ll stay stuck in the weeds forever.

If you’re serious about building a business that scales without breaking you, Richard’s story is a reminder that leadership is less about chasing the next big thing and more about consistency, people, and stewarding the value you’ve worked so hard to create.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupos.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jonathanherps

Email: [email protected] 

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now: 

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now! 

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template 
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth. 
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here