Most founders don’t have a hiring strategy. They have a hiring reaction.

Someone quits? Panic post the job. Pipeline slows? Panic hire a “growth expert.” But the biggest hiring mistake isn't who you hire, it's how and when you start the process.

We’re finally releasing our no-BS recording from LinkedIn Live on this topic through the Strategy Ladders Podcast. Join Brian, Kas, Josh and Austin as they expose the difference between hiring with intention... and hiring out of desperation. From choosing agencies that ghost you after the proposal, to consultants who solve one problem and quietly create three more. We even look at the in-house hires who drown under onboarding. This episode breaks down why most founders hire late, hire wrong, and stall growth as a result.

And yes, we’re calling out the myth that proactive recruitment is just for fancy corporates. Spoiler alert: if you’re waiting until the seat’s cold to post the job, you’re already two months behind.

In This Episode:

✅ The real cost of bad hiring decisions (hint: it’s not just money)

✅ Why your “gut feel” is screwing up your hiring strategy

✅ Proactive recruitment frameworks for scaling smarter

✅ Consultant illusions that trap early-stage businesses

✅ Why treating agencies like employees (and vice versa) kills results

If you’ve been burned by agencies, ghosted by consultants, or hired a salesperson that couldn’t sell a pen, this episode is your roadmap out.

👉 Subscribe and watch now! Your future self (and your next hire) will thank you.

Authenticity or attention—do you actually need to choose?

Personal branding is the golden ticket for founders, creators, and business leaders—because let's be real, shouting into the void isn’t a growth strategy. But the hot debate sweeping LinkedIn and Twitter rants: Is content authenticity still a thing, or does playing the algorithm always win?

In our latest Strategy Ladders Podcast, Kas brings in our content lead, Gabriel, to tackle the debate no one talks about honestly (but everyone secretly judges). How much of your brand should be raw, unfiltered personality, and how much should be “I swear this isn’t just engagement bait” strategy?

Because despite people rolling their eyes at marketing psychology hacks and neatly packaged carousels, most still aren’t growing—because they’re just posting and praying instead of posting with purpose.

🚀 In This Episode:

✅ Personal Branding vs. Content Strategy: Which one actually builds influence?

✅ The biggest mistakes creators make when trying to grow on LinkedIn (besides posting inspirational gym selfies).

✅ Why "Content Authenticity" isn’t enough (but pretending to be a guru is worse).

✅ How to scale content while staying true to your voice (without sounding like ChatGPT wrote it).

✅ What founders get wrong about positioning themselves online (spoiler: it’s not just about "value” posts).

If you’re stuck between posting ‘whatever feels right’ or becoming a walking content calendar, this episode might be your wake-up call.

👉 Watch now and subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about scaling, content, and branding that actually works.

Businesses always scale fast in its early stages, but as they mature, most founders hit a growth plateau. The uncomfortable reality these business owners face? When a business is hovering around 20 employees, they are the reason it's stuck.

You think you're driving growth, but in reality, you’re the bottleneck. This is the Rule of 20—the invisible ceiling that keeps small agencies and service businesses from reaching their potential.

In this episode of the Strategy Ladders podcast, our full team of advisors meet up to tear apart the common hiring mistakes that keep founders stuck. You’ll learn the difference between growth hires vs. clone hires and how the habit of hiring people who "do what you do," sets your business up for guaranteed stagnation. Real scale comes from hiring beyond yourself - with teams that outperform and kick you out of operations — not replicating yourself.

The boys also tackle the biggest mindset shift you must make without excuse: transitioning from a hands-on operator to a real CEO. You can’t keep plugging gaps with quick fixes. Your team, your offer, and your leadership style all need to evolve.

Inside This Episode:

✅ What the Rule of 20 is and why it happens to so many businesses

✅ Growth Hires vs. Clone Hires—which one actually scales your company?

✅ The Founder Bottleneck—how YOU are holding your business back

If your agency or service business is stalling, this episode might be the wake-up call you finally needed.

👉 Subscribe & drop a comment below: Are you stuck at 20? What’s holding you back? Let’s talk.

Is relocating the ultimate founder growth hack? Or just another distraction?

When Kas packed up and moved to Mexico City, it was more than just a change in location—it was a catalyst for personal growth, sharper decision-making, and business expansion. In this episode of Strategy Ladders, Kas joins Brian in their first-ever in-person episode to take dive deep into how your environment shapes your mindset, and why moving (physically or mentally) is often the fastest way to level up.

But growth isn’t just about geography—it’s also about hiring the right people. They break down the clone hires vs growth hires debate:

Clone hires: Reliable, predictable, but often create stagnation.Growth hires: High-impact, challenge the status quo, but require trust.

Which do you need more of? (Spoiler: If you want to scale, you better choose wisely.)

- Why most founders struggle to hire ‘growth hires’—and how to fix it

- The real reason relocating forces entrepreneurs to think bigger- Personal growth vs business growth—do you really need both?- Mexico City: The next startup hub, or just another remote work trend?

If you’ve been feeling stuck—whether it’s in your city, your team, or your business strategy—this episode will challenge you to think bigger, hire smarter, and scale faster.

Hit play to rethink how you build your life and business. Don’t forget to subscribe for more no-BS convos on scaling a real company.

You’re not addicted to work. You’re just committed, right?

Wrong.

Entrepreneurs love to glorify the grind. They convince themselves that 80-hour weeks, constant stress, and sacrificing everything is just the price of success. But many founders are addicts to the dopamine hit of working non-stop. And worse? They don’t even realize it.

In this episode of the Strategy Ladders podcast, Kas and Josh step into an unexpected founder’s therapy to discuss this trap of workaholism:

- The addiction founders don’t admit and why it’s killing businesses

- Self-awareness as a survival skill: How to tell if you’re running on fumes

- Founders burnout: Why even the smartest entrepreneurs crash and burn

- The myth of toxic productivity culture (and why it’s a lie we all buy into)

- Why escaping the grind doesn’t mean you’re failing (but staying in it might)

Get ready to question everything about the working habits you think brings success. If you’re pressured to overwork through culture, escapism, or personal beliefs, then your business is probably running you instead of the other way around.

Think you’re not addicted, watch until the end. You might be wrong.

This conversation is meant to help you stop your excessive hustle long enough to recognize the value of today rather than deferring happiness to an elusive tomorrow.

👉 Subscribe now for more unfiltered convos on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

Cold email is dead? No. But your approach probably is.

In this episode of the Strategy Ladders Podcast, Kas invites Vovik Tsybulskyi to rip apart the biggest myths about B2B business growth, discuss why cold email is still a game-changer in 2025, and why most B2B agencies set themself up to fail before they've even properly started.

The #1 reason B2B agencies struggle to scale? It’s not competition. It’s not pricing. It’s a weak offer. If your pitch is “We do cold email” or “We run ads,” you’re just another name in the crowd. Kas and Vovik break down how agencies can shift from “service providers” to “problem solvers” who attract high-ticket clients.

🔥 What You’ll Learn (and Probably Need to Hear):

✅ Cold email in 2025: What’s changed and how to stop sending cringy templates from 2019.

If you're tired of low-quality clients, ignored emails, and selling like an amateur, this episode will be a slap in the face you didn’t know you needed.

🚀 Hit play and get ready to take your B2B agency from "just another agency" to an actual business that thrives. Subscribe for more brutally honest insights from Strategy Ladders.

How do you build loyal and high-performing teams that thrive and scale with you? In this episode of the Strategy Ladders Podcast, Kas and Austin dig into the business models, leadership styles, and entrepreneurial mindsets that create strong, aligned teams for the long haul.

Too many businesses focus on hiring the right people, but then fail to keep them engaged. Austin shares how his past experiences with toxic, cutthroat team cultures taught him what not to do when building a company. Meanwhile, Kas explores how non-monetary measures of success are the real key to aligning a team’s personal priorities with the company’s growth.

Play now to uncover:

✅ Why team motivation and alignment are more valuable than individual talent.

This isn’t another “how to be a leader” discussion—it’s a raw, unfiltered look at the entrepreneurial mindsets and business models that make people stay, thrive, and build something worth showing up for.

👉 Watch now and learn how to lead a scalable team with impact and build something that lasts.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more no-BS insights from Strategy Ladders!

Are New Year's resolutions worth all the hype? Or are they setting you up to fail? In our first episode from Season 2 of the Strategy Ladders Podcast, we tackle why most resolutions fall apart and uncover how aligning with your personal priorities and values can drive true personal growth and business development that sticks.

Join our host (Brian) and our strategic advisors (Josh, Austin & Kas) as they break down why momentum, not perfection, is the key to sustainable success. Drawing parallels between fitness goals and business strategies, they explain why waiting for the “right time” or setting arbitrary milestones often leads to disappointment. Instead, they encourage you to focus on intrinsic motivation and the power of an integrated life—balancing personal and professional ambitions.

What you can expect to learn:

✅ Why most New Year resolutions fail and how to avoid the pitfalls.

This start-of-year jam is loaded with actionable takeaways, relatable stories from business owners who’ve been in your shoes, and the no-BS advice you need to turn 2025 into a year of clarity, purpose, and exponential growth.

What got you to 2025 won't take you to the end of it….

👉 Ready to ditch excuses and align your business for success? Watch now, give us a like, and subscribe for more transformational content from Strategy Ladders!

Ready to transform your business in 2025? Buckle-up. It won't be easy, but we promise it will be worth your while! In our New Year’s episode for the Strategy Ladders Podcast, our founder Brian Smith steps up to speak to you directly by diving into the 10 powerful truths that every entrepreneur must embrace to unlock sustainable business growth...instead of avoiding it.

These aren’t just feel-good principles — they’re actionable strategies designed to break free from founder dependency and help you build a high-growth and high-performance business. From mastering a growth mindset to avoiding common pitfalls like bad fit clients and clone hires vs growth hires, this episode is curated with all the insights to help you scale smarter this year.

Key Highlights:

This episode is your first guide of 2025 in cutting through the noise and focusing on what truly matters: building clarity, systems, and momentum. Whether you’re struggling with operational challenges or stuck in founder dependency, these business cornerstones will provide the perspective and tools you need to scale on your terms.

👉 Watch now and discover how to reframe your approach, embrace a growth mindset, and position your business for a breakthrough year in 2025!

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more no-BS insights from Strategy Ladders.

In this episode of the Strategy Ladders Podcast, Brian Smith and Rachel Hamlin dive deep into the transformative power of shifting your perception of obstacles. Real resilience draws it’s impact from embracing challenges, discomfort, and fear to become the foundation for true personal development and professional success. And in this installment, they show us why…

With her background in high performance coaching, Rachel helps us explore how aligning your business with a non-monetary measure of success can help founders break free from traditional definitions of achievement. She shares practical insights on moving from external validation to intrinsic motivation, allowing leaders to find clarity and purpose in their work. Brian builds on this by revealing why staying comfortable can be the greatest threat to growth, emphasizing that your capacity for discomfort is directly tied to your capacity for success. But it takes a dose of honesty.

This thought-provoking conversation covers fascinating angles like:

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain, or too focused on external outcomes, this episode will help you reframe your mindset and take actionable steps toward becoming the leader your business needs most.

Ready to embrace a growth mindset and redefine success? Watch now and subscribe for more transformational insights from your favorite outsourced co-founders!