The Big Table

What if the fastest way to scale your business isn’t opening every new location yourself, but building a model that other entrepreneurs can help you grow?

In this episode of The Big Table, I sit down with entrepreneur Alex Smereczniak to break down how franchising can become a powerful vehicle for explosive business growth.

We break down what it actually takes to franchise a business, why you need a proven concept before you start, how franchise disclosure documents work, the role of franchise brokers and franchise sales organizations, and why having repeatable systems is critical if you want to scale.

Alex also explains why he generally wants to see a business prove itself across multiple locations before attempting to franchise. Franchising isn’t a magic solution, it’s a business model that can help a proven concept expand faster when the systems and infrastructure are there to support it.

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Events: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/events
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Check Out My Books: https://books.coachburt.com/books

What happens when you come face-to-face with death and get a second chance at life?

In this episode of The Big Table Podcast, I sit down with Rudy Montejo, a human development expert who experienced a life changing crossroads after an accident left him in the hospital, handcuffed to a bed, and fighting for his life. He stopped breathing, was intubated, and had to be brought back to life. That experience became the catalyst for a completely different path.

Rudy went on to study personal development, addiction sciences, clinical therapy, emotional intelligence, and human behavior. Today, he helps people navigate the crossroads of their lives and, more importantly, avoid self-destructing when life gets difficult.

In this conversation, we dive into why people repeat destructive patterns, how childhood experiences can influence adult behavior, the power of radical accountability, and what it takes to make a different decision when you're at a crossroads.

Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
01:02 The Crossroads That Changed Everything
03:17 Why People Hit Rock Bottom
05:12 Breaking Self-Destructive Cycles
07:02 Rudy's Personal Development Journey
09:39 Inside High Performers' Minds
12:09 The Power of Radical Accountability
14:09 Stop Being Your Past's Victim
16:20 Why Radical Honesty Matters
18:14 Building Your Mental Legacy
20:52 How We Build Emotional Toughness
22:15 Coaching High Performers Through Crossroads
23:29 Why Emotional Intelligence Matters
26:04 Making Better Decisions
27:24 When High Performers Self-Destruct
29:41 What Makes People Great?
30:16 What Legacy Will You Leave?
31:10 Traits of Top Performers
32:27 Navigating Life's Biggest Crossroads
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How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

What separates entrepreneurs who constantly create new opportunities from those who struggle to gain traction? More often than not, it isn't talent, intelligence, or even marketing, it's influence.

In this video, I break down the timeless principles from Dale Carnegie's classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and show you how I've applied them over the past 30 years of coaching entrepreneurs, executives, sales professionals, and business owners. This isn't a book summary, it's a practical look at how these principles create trust, strengthen relationships, and open doors that money alone can't buy.

In this video, you'll learn:
- Why genuine curiosity is one of the most powerful influence skills in     business
- How to build stronger relationships with entrepreneurs, executives, and decision-makers
- Why asking better questions creates better business opportunities
- The leadership principle that helps people reach their full potential
- How great listeners uncover opportunities everyone else misses
- Why trust—not talent—is the foundation of long-term business success
- How strategic partnerships are built through influence, not persuasion

Throughout my career, I've found that the biggest breakthroughs didn't come from being the smartest person in the room. They came from learning how to build authentic relationships, create value for others, and consistently earn trust. These are the same principles Dale Carnegie taught nearly a century ago, and they're just as relevant in today's business world.

Chapters:
00:00 - Why Dale Carnegie's Principles Still Matter
01:19 - #1: Become Genuinely Interested
02:50 - #2: Talk in Terms of Their Interests
03:59 - #-3: Make People Feel Important
04:55 - #4: Become a Great Listener
05:55 - #5: Build Belief Instead of Criticism
06:39 - #6: Give People a Reputation
07:33 - #7: Why Influence Creates Opportunity
08:36 - Relationships Are Your Greatest Asset
09:38 - Final Thoughts
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Why do some people achieve extraordinary goals while others stay stuck chasing one opportunity after another?

After spending decades coaching entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, professional athletes, and high performers, I've discovered that the people who achieve the biggest results don't work harder—they think differently. They start with an ambitious vision, reverse engineer the outcome they want, and focus only on the few actions that create exponential results.

In this video, I break down the exact framework I've developed by combining lessons from world-class entrepreneurs, elite psychologists, billionaires, and my own experience building businesses and coaching thousands of people. We'll cover the A-to-B Exercise, Power Law Strategy, Quantum Leaps, and my Blue Marlin Strategy, showing you how these concepts work together to eliminate opportunity confusion and create a clear path toward your biggest goals.


Chapters:
00:00 - Complete Methodology
00:23 - A to B
01:06 - Find The Steps
01:15 - Power Law Strategy
02:22 - Dr. Benjamin Hardy Example
03:11 - My Example
04:12 - Quantum Leaps and Finding Them 
05:33 - Execute 
06:40 - Like and Subscribe!
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Want to know how to become a person of interest and influence?

In this coaching session, Dr. Benjamin Hardy shares a completely different approach to becoming a person of interest. Instead of trying to be everywhere, he explains why the most influential people focus on mastering one thing, solving a specific problem, and becoming impossible to ignore because of the value they create.

We dive deep into the psychology of influence, strategic positioning, specialization, and why most people dilute their impact by trying to appeal to everyone. Dr. Hardy shares the exact strategy he used to go from an unknown PhD student to attracting major publishers, building a massive email list, landing a six-figure book deal, and forming partnerships with world-class organizations and leaders.

Chapters:
00:00 - Becoming Influential
00:20 - Power Law Strategy 
03:00 - Go All In
05:00 - Be A Master
08:20 - Intuit Example
09:30 - Be Specific
10:45 - Becoming The Buyer
13:30 - Divergence and Convergence
15:00 - Specialization and Mastery
15:55 - Like and Subscribe
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Get connected with Coach Burt:
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In this special session at The Greatness Factory, I sit down with Dr. Benjamin Hardy to discuss one of the most misunderstood topics in business: scaling. 

Most entrepreneurs believe scaling is about better tactics, more marketing, or working harder. Dr. Hardy explains why real scaling starts with identity, psychology, and becoming the person capable of operating at a completely different level.

We dive deep into the concepts behind 10X thinking, future self psychology, goal setting, leadership, business growth, and why your current identity may be the biggest thing holding your business back. Dr. Hardy breaks down how successful entrepreneurs use their future vision to shape present decisions, eliminate distractions, focus on what truly matters, and create exponential growth instead of incremental progress.

We also discuss the principles behind The Science of Scaling and 10X Is Easier Than 2X, including how to identify the right opportunities, raise your standards, remove what no longer serves your growth, build strategic partnerships, develop the skills required for your next level, and focus on signal over noise in today's crowded marketplace.


Chapters:
00:00 - What You're About To See
00:45 - Identity
10:22 - Psychological Flexibility
13:10 - The Vehicle
20:45 - Mastery
23:20 - Future Self 
25:45 - Signal vs Noise
29:28 - Example of Scaling
33:40 - Like and Subscribe!
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In this episode of The Big Table, I sit down with bestselling author and entrepreneur Dr. Benjamin Hardy to break down the principles behind The Science of Scaling and what it really takes to 10X a business in 3 years or less.

Most entrepreneurs focus on growth. Benjamin explains why growth and scaling are not the same thing, and why so many businesses get stuck between $1M and $5M in revenue. We dive into the strategies, mindset shifts, and decision making frameworks that help founders move from incremental progress to exponential results.

Benjamin shares his proven 10X framework, the power of setting impossible goals, how to identify the few actions that create the majority of results, and why scaling requires a completely different way of thinking about business, leadership, strategy, and opportunity.

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, CEO, sales leader, or growth-minded professional looking to scale your company, increase revenue, build a stronger team, and create a bigger future, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately.

Dr. Benjamin Hardy: https://www.benjaminhardy.com/

Scaling.com: https://scaling.com/getstarted1

In this episode:

The difference between business growth and business scaling
Benjamin Hardy's 10X Framework
How to scale a business in 2026
Why most businesses never reach their true potential
The science behind exponential growth
How to think from the future instead of the past
The power law principle and finding your highest-leverage activities
Building a scalable business model
Strategic partnerships and accelerated growth
Why accountability is critical for scaling
How successful entrepreneurs create quantum leaps in business

Chapters:
00:00 - Power Laws
00:47 - Dr. Benjamin Hardy
02:25 - The Problem With Scaling
06:25 -Opportunity Confusion
09:25 - Quantum Leaps
14:20 - Studying Scale
22:54 - The Big Table
23:38 - Choosing Strategy 
29:30 - Hardy's Personal Skills 
33:36 - Getting In A System
36:05 - Learning To Learn
41:00 - Locating Purpose
43:50 - Closing Remarks
45:32 - Like and Subscribe!
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Get connected with Coach Burt:
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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michealburt

Dive deeper with Coach and his concepts:
Free PreyDrive Planner: https://planner.coachburt.com/planner
Events: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/events
Join Our Group Coaching: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/membership
Hire Me To Speak: https://www.coachburt.com/bookcoach
Check Out My Books: https://books.coachburt.com/books

#BenjaminHardy #BusinessScaling #10XGrowth #TheScienceOfScaling #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #ScalingBusiness #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #CoachBurt #TheBigTablePodcast #BusinessSuccess #RevenueGrowth #CEO #Founder #ScalingFramework #GrowthMindset #QuantumLeap #FutureSelf #HighPerformance

In this episode of The Big Table Podcast I sit down with Colby Jubenville: a human performance expert, professor, trusted advisor, and co-author of Zebras and Cheetahs for one of the deepest conversations we’ve had on leadership, identity, burnout, culture, and what really causes people and teams to fail.

Colby breaks down the psychology behind bad leadership, why high performers sometimes become toxic, and how unresolved tension destroys organizations from the inside out. We discuss accountability, trust, questions-based leadership, emotional exhaustion, team dysfunction, and why most leaders avoid the hard conversations that actually create growth.

We also revisit lessons from our book Zebras and Cheetahs and reflect on over a decade of working together in the business world — from staying in cheap hotels and building consulting businesses to helping leaders scale teams, develop culture, and navigate adversity under pressure.

If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, coach, executive, athlete, or someone trying to unlock higher performance in life and business, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership and human behavior.


Chapters:
00:00 - Dr. Jubenville
02:30 - Zebras and Cheetahs
03:50 - How To Stop Workplace Drama
06:50 -Toxic High Performers
08:31 - The Dysfunction and The Dance
13:45 - Asking Questions
18:38 - The Big Table
19:22 - The Low Hanging Fruit
23:30 - Trusted Advisor
30:30 - Battle Testing
36:45 - People Focus On The Negative
40:30 - Zebras and Cheetahs Revisited
41:10 - How Did We Get Here
43:40 - Like and Subscribe!
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Get connected with Coach Burt:
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Dive deeper with Coach and his concepts:
Free PreyDrive Planner: https://planner.coachburt.com/planner
Events: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/events
Join Our Group Coaching: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/membership
Hire Me To Speak: https://www.coachburt.com/bookcoach
Check Out My Books: https://books.coachburt.com/books

Proximity to Power is one of the most overlooked skills in business, leadership, and personal growth. 

In this coaching session, I break down why talent alone is not enough and how getting close to the right people can completely change your trajectory.
Most highly talented people stay underpaid, overlooked, and undercapitalized because decision-makers never truly see their value. This video reveals how powerful people think, what they look for, and how to position yourself to gain influence, opportunity, and momentum.

If you want to increase your influence, attract high-level opportunities, and become impossible to ignore, this lesson is for you.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, salesperson, coach, or ambitious professional, these principles can help you elevate your position and unlock new levels of success.

Chapters:
00:00 - Highly Talented Yet Under Capitalized 
00:56 - Proximity to Power
04:05 - The Power of One Person
05:05 - Generalist vs. Specialist
05:48 - Luck Is A Person
07:45 - Seeing Prey Drive
09:50 - Like and Subscribe!
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Get connected with Coach Burt:
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Dive deeper with Coach and his concepts:
Free PreyDrive Planner: https://planner.coachburt.com/planner
Events: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/events
Join Our Group Coaching: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/membership
Hire Me To Speak: https://www.coachburt.com/bookcoach
Check Out My Books: https://books.coachburt.com/books

#ProximityToPower #CoachBurt #Leadership #SuccessMindset #BusinessGrowth

Why do you start strong… but lose motivation halfway through?

In this session, I break down the real reason why you can’t stay motivated and it’s not what you think. If you’ve ever felt stuck, distracted, or inconsistent, this video will show you what’s actually holding you back.

The truth is, motivation isn’t something you wait for… it’s something you activate.

I speak on the concept of prey drive: your internal instinct to pursue, capture, and achieve goals at a high level. When your prey drive is activated, you don’t rely on feelings. You operate with purpose, urgency, and discipline.

In this video, you’ll learn:
Why you keep losing motivation
The hidden factors that kill your drive
How to activate your prey drive on command
How high performers stay consistent every day
Why action—not feelings—is the key to momentum

If you’re tired of starting and stopping… this is the mindset shift you’ve been missing.

Chapters:
00:00 - Prey Drive
02:29 - Why Do People Lose Motivation?
03:35 - Phase 1 Activation
04:40 - Phase 2 Persistence
04:58 - Phase 3 Intensity
05:30 - 5 Factors That Activate Drive
08:08 - Offense Wins
10:54 - Like and Subscribe!
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Get connected with Coach Burt:
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Dive deeper with Coach and his concepts:
Free PreyDrive Planner: https://planner.coachburt.com/planner
Events: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/events
Join Our Group Coaching: https://www.thegreatnessfactory.com/membership
Hire Me To Speak: https://www.coachburt.com/bookcoach
Check Out My Books: https://books.coachburt.com/books