Summary

In this episode of the Growth Focus Podcast, host Gary Lafferty speaks with Will Mazola, COO of Graytitude, about the importance of strategic partnerships in business growth, the nuances of mainframe modernization, and the launch of a new AI product. Will shares his journey from staffing and consulting to leading tech businesses, emphasizing the significance of relationships and the lessons learned from growth mistakes. The conversation also touches on the importance of founder-led visibility and the future goals of the company.

Takeaways

Strategic partnerships are essential for business growth.
Mainframe modernization is a niche but necessary service.
AI can help small businesses manage missed opportunities.
Building strong relationships is crucial in the tech industry.
You can't rely solely on one strategic partner.
Maintaining relationships requires effort and consistency.
Staying lean is important for cash flow management.
Founder-led visibility can enhance brand recognition.
Learning from mistakes is key to sustainable growth.
Entrepreneurs should act on their ideas without hesitation.

Titles

Unlocking Growth Through Strategic Partnerships
The Journey of Will Mazola in Tech Leadership

Sound Bites

"Missed calls are truly missed opportunities."
"If you're thinking of it, get in it."
"Stay the course, if you're thinking of it."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Growth Focus Podcast
01:21 Will Mazzola's Entrepreneurial Journey
06:04 Understanding Mainframe Modernization
07:32 Innovating with AI Solutions
11:39 Growth Strategies and Sales Systems
16:13 The Importance of Relationships
19:48 Learning from Growth Mistakes
21:43 Founder-Led Visibility and Brand Growth
24:28 Future Goals and Priorities
26:46 Final Insights for Tech Founders
30:03 Growth Focus YouTube Video Intro (1).mp4

What happens when a former Uber engineering leader takes on real estate? You get Radius Agent - an AI-powered platform transforming how agents grow, close, and scale.

In this episode of The Growth Focus Podcast, I sit down with Biju Ashokan, Co-Founder and CEO of Radius Agent, to talk about building a tech-driven real estate platform, leading through uncertainty, and why his team is betting big on community-powered growth.

Biju previously led mobile engineering at Uber and has now raised over $19 million to reshape real estate for the modern agent.

This is a candid, insight-rich conversation for tech founders, agency leaders, and startup execs looking to scale fast, without losing their soul.

In this episode, Gary Lafferty talks with Biju Ashokan, CEO of Radius Agent about scaling a platform business, leading in chaos, and building a mission that matters.

Radius Agent is on a mission to empower real estate professionals by giving them the tools, support, and AI-driven systems they need to grow, without sacrificing independence.

This episode is for any founder serious about team leadership, platform thinking, and tech-powered growth.

Inside this episode:

• Lessons for startup founders

• Why building trust is harder than building features

• How Radius Agent blends SaaS, services, and community

• The psychology of early-stage scaling

• What startup CEOs really need to focus on

• Why time is the most overlooked startup asset

Links:

• Gary Lafferty: growthfocus.io | LinkedIn

• Biju Ashokan: radiusagent.com | LinkedIn

Referrals aren’t magic. They’re a system.

On this episode of The Growth Focus Podcast, host Gary Lafferty sits down with Jeff Ernst, CEO and Founder of SlapFive, to explore the mechanics of building a predictable, referral-powered growth system for tech-based consultancies.

If you’re a founder or CEO still relying on “word of mouth” without a clear ask, this episode could unlock thousands in hidden revenue.

You’ll Learn

• Why most referral programs flop

• How to make the ask without sounding desperate

• What tech consultants must do differently

• How delivery → trust → pipeline

• Where to start if you’re a solo founder

Links
Gary Lafferty – growthfocus.io
Jeff Ernst – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffernst/

referral engine, tech consulting podcast, B2B growth, client referrals, consultancy marketing, founder marketing, B2B referrals, service business growth, how to grow tech business, referral sales tips

Churn is the silent killer in SaaS. In this episode, Gary Lafferty speaks with Nick Fogle, co-founder of Churnkey, about why most subscription-based businesses lose customers faster than they grow—and how to fix it.

You’ll learn:

• The psychology behind why users cancel

• How to stop involuntary churn (failed payments)

• Why personalized retention flows work better than generic ones

• What most founders miss about real LTV

For founders and CEOs of tech consultancies and SaaS companies looking to grow sustainably, this episode breaks down how to stop the revenue leak.

Links:
growthfocus.io
linkedin.com/in/growthfocus
churnkey.co
linkedin.com/in/nickfogle

SaaS growth, customer churn, churnkey, subscription retention, B2B podcast, tech CEO advice, reduce churn, tech founder strategies, cancel flow optimization, LTV growth

In this episode, Gary Lafferty talks with Will Mazola, COO of Graytitude, about building a bootstrapped tech business that thrives on relationships, not just revenue.

If you’re a founder or tech executive trying to figure out:

• How to build channel partnerships that actually convert

• How to grow without overspending

• What it really takes to launch an AI product

• And how to scale while staying lean...

...this episode gives you straight answers.

Will shares lessons from starting three tech businesses, the trap of chasing booths and paid ads, and why showing up as a founder is still the best visibility strategy out there.

Why listen:
→ Learn how Graytitude is modernizing mainframes and building a new AI platform
→ Hear practical tactics for forming channel partnerships
→ Get honest insights on founder mistakes and growth lessons

Links:

• Gary Lafferty: growthfocus.io | LinkedIn

• Will Mazola: graytitude.com | LinkedIn

Gary Lafferty sits down with David Slavich, co-founder of iCustomer, to explore how tech founders can break early-stage revenue ceilings by combining data-driven decision-making with creative go-to-market strategies.

If you’re a founder or CEO of a tech consultancy, SaaS company, or enterprise IT firm, this episode will give you actionable insights into:

• Pivoting products to unlock new markets

• Leveraging LinkedIn content that actually generates interest

• Scaling smarter with decision intelligence platforms

• Overcoming founder bottlenecks and avoiding the “Field of Dreams” trap

Why Listen:
Discover how real-world experience across finance, global infrastructure, and tech startups led David to create a composable decision intelligence platform that transforms complex data into actionable growth strategies.

Key Links:

• Gary Lafferty: growthfocus.io | LinkedIn

• David Slavich & iCustomer: iCustomer.ai | Email: [email protected]

Listen, learn, and turn conversations into clients with The Growth Focus Podcast.

Want to grow your tech consultancy to multi-7 figures without hiring a huge team? Isaac Hicks shares how he uses AI workflow automation, smart networking, and small speaking gigs to drive real growth.

Summary:
In this episode of The Growth Focus Podcast, Gary Lafferty speaks with Isaac Hicks, CEO of Autonomy, about how tech founders can:

• Streamline operations with AI to free up 30–40% of wasted time

• Build meaningful LinkedIn relationships that generate warm leads

• Avoid the $2M to $5M growth plateau caused by operational chaos

• Turn conversations and small networking events into high-value clients

If you’re a founder or CEO of a tech consultancy aiming to scale with fewer headaches and higher profits, this episode will show you the roadmap.

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on automating proven, working processes only

• Relationship-first outreach outperforms cold selling

• Smaller, paid networking events deliver higher ROI than vanity stages

• Payroll inefficiencies are often the hidden growth killer

Links & Resources:

• Guest: Isaac Hicks – LinkedIn | Autonomy

• Host: Gary Lafferty – GrowthFocus.io | LinkedIn

This week on The Growth Focus Podcast, I talk with Jeremy Boudinet, VP of Growth at Textla - the fastest-growing SMS platform in North America.

We dive into how Jeremy helped Textla scale from zero to thousands of users using Reddit, YouTube listicles, and some of the scrappiest growth moves I’ve seen. You’ll hear how they ranked on Google without waiting years, used PR stunts to get backlinks and press, and why outbound completely flopped.

If you're a founder or CEO of a tech-based consultancy or SaaS firm and you're serious about growing through insight - not just hustle - this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• Guerrilla marketing defined (and how you can use it right now)
  

• SEO tactics that work even without a big domain
  

• Why outbound failed - and how to know when it’s time to pivot
  

• The power of reviews, case studies, and customer language
  

• Jeremy’s go-to content strategy for B2B tech in 2025
  

Guest: Jeremy Boudinet, VP Growth @ Textla → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyboudinet → https://www.textla.com

Host: Gary Lafferty → https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthfocus/ → https://growthfocus.io

Listen now if you want real strategies - not recycled fluff.

#growthfocus #techfounders #consultancygrowth #smsmarketing #seo #b2bmarketing #garylafferty #jeremyboudinet #authoritymarketing #clientacquisition #scaleyourconsultancy #ibmchampions