The Cort Brady Podcast

In this episode, I break down the exact 7-point scorecard I use with founders who want the option to fully step out of the day-to-day—without sacrificing growth or profitability.

These are the seven metrics I track monthly with my clients to know if they’re on track for a self-managing company within 3 years.

We’re talking:

• How much time the CEO spends not CEOing

• What percentage of your team are true A-players

• Executive team trust, conflict, and buy-in

• The most overlooked meeting that drives execution

• And why shiny object syndrome kills scale

This is the same framework I used to grow my company 44% last year—while only spending 2 hours a week inside it.

If you want freedom and growth, this scorecard will show you the path.

If you’ve ever wanted to quit—this one’s for you.

Entrepreneurship isn’t all freedom and flexibility.

Sometimes, it feels like a prison you built yourself.

I’ve lived that reality.

In this episode, I open up about the darkest moments of building something that almost broke me—and what helped me get back up. You’ll hear the words that carried me through: from Rocky Balboa to Teddy Roosevelt, from mindset shifts to morning visualization.

This is a message for the founders in the fight.

The ones who keep going—not because it’s easy, but because the mission is worth it.

If today feels heavy, press play.

And remember—you’re not alone. And you’re not done.

Today’s episode is a bit more personal.

I’ve been reflecting on a conversation I had a few years ago, when someone asked me, “Are you happy?” And I realized—no, I’m not always happy. But that’s not what I’m solving for.

Inspired by Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, I share a reframe that’s changed how I think about life, business, and leadership.

Frankl survived the Holocaust as a psychiatrist, and through that lens, he discovered something deeper than happiness: meaning.

In this episode, I talk about the three paths he identified for finding meaning in life:

1. Creating something

2. Experiencing something meaningful

3. Suffering well through unavoidable pain

If you’ve ever felt like chasing happiness isn’t working—or if you’re in a hard season—this one’s for you.

After wrapping up my 3-part series on Team, Strategy, and System, something hit me.

I thought this framework only applied to business.

But then I started noticing it everywhere—in my health, my relationships, my habits.

In this short episode, I’m sharing how that same lens has helped me stop treating symptoms and start solving real root problems—not just in my company, but in my life.

If you’ve been feeling off or stuck in any area…

This might be the simplest way to get back on track.

When you exit a company, you think it’s gonna be this massive celebration and sunshine and rainbows. That is rarely the case. It’s emotionally taxing and highly complex. Here’s how I went through the process and what to look for as you think about exiting your company without selling it

Part 3 of:

TEAM

STRATEGY

SYSTEM

Enjoy :)

Every single time I get called into a business that’s stuck, it always comes down to one of three things:

Team. Strategy. Or System.

Today, we’re tackling strategy—

But not in the fluffy “let’s be better than the competition” kind of way.

In this episode, I walk you through how to diagnose your strategy like a doctor:

We’ll cover the symptoms, uncover the root causes, and I’ll give you the exact fix.

If you’re scaling but still feel stuck…

If your team has whiplash from constant pivots…

If profit is flat and no one knows what winning looks like…

This is the episode that breaks it all down.

Cut the complexity. Clarify the path. Scale on purpose.

Let’s get after it.

Pat Lencioni book: 4 Disciplines of an extraordinary executive

Today’s episode wasn’t the plan. I promised you a deep dive on strategy—but something happened this morning that was too important to ignore.

I worked with a CEO and his executive team to assess their entire company—rating every employee as an A, B, or C player. What came next blew me away…

They had a clear C player—and instead of removing him, they defended him.

If you’ve ever found yourself justifying why someone gets to stay… even though they’re not pulling their weight… this episode is for you. I’ll show you why tolerating poor performance is the most expensive decision you’re making—and why cutting your C players is the fastest way to increase A-player percentage, protect your culture, and finally scale.

This is the hidden lever most founders are too afraid to pull. But it’s the one that changes everything.

If your business feels like three steps forward, two steps back…

If delegation turns into rework and frustration…

If strategic conversations never happen because you’re always solving people problems…

Then you don’t have a system issue. You have a team issue.

In this episode, I walk you through the same framework a physical therapist used with me—symptoms, causes, discovery, diagnosis, and treatment—but applied to your business.

You’ll learn:

• The 4 common symptoms of team dysfunction

• The 5 root causes behind every people problem

• How to run a full diagnostic using just two tools

• The only three solutions that ever work (coach, hire, fire)

• Why your A-players are leaving (and how to stop it)

This is part one of a three-part series.

Today we fix team.

Tomorrow we tackle strategy.

Then we’ll finish with systems.

You don’t have a commitment problem.

You have a follow-through problem.

In today’s episode, I break down the 4-part follow-through system I’ve used (and taught) to help founders build consistent habits, lead their teams with integrity, and stop breaking promises to themselves.

Motivation fades. But structure sticks.

You’ll learn how to:

• Make public commitments that raise your standards

• Tie your goals to identity shifts (not outcomes)

• Create “forcing functions” that make failure painful

• Remove friction so follow-through becomes automatic

Whether it’s 1:1s, workouts, or getting home for dinner—this system works.