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The Real Reason Your Sales Aren't Growing with Francis Rodino
What if the secret to scaling your business isn't working harder — but building a marketing system so predictable that leads flow in consistently, your sales team converts efficiently, and you finally stop being the bottleneck?
In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Francis Rodino — founder and CEO of Lead Hero, author of the number one bestselling book Lead Machine: The Nine Step System to Generate Consistent, Predictable Sales and Scale Your Service Business, and Go High Level Gold Award winner. Francis has generated over £120 million in tracked sales opportunities for clients and saved them more than 54,000 hours through automated, AI-driven sales systems.
Together, Paul and Francis unpack why most founders stay stuck in firefighting mode, how to stop burning money on ads that don't convert, and why your biggest problem isn't lead generation — it's what happens after the lead comes in. Francis reveals the exact nine-step RED Method (Roadmap, Engine, Drive) that takes businesses from confusion to clarity, the five stages of buyer awareness that most entrepreneurs get completely wrong, and how to turn your CRM into a conversion machine using AI and automation.
This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to build a grown-up business that scales sustainably, generates predictable revenue, and runs without them being the bottleneck in every sale.
Key TakeawaysWhy most businesses don't have a lead problem — they have a follow-up problem
The five stages of buyer awareness — and why most entrepreneurs market to the wrong stage
How to identify the real bottleneck in your sales process (and how to fix it)
Why speed is the ultimate competitive advantage — and how AI gives you that edge
The RED Method: Roadmap, Engine, Drive — a nine-step system to predictable revenue
Why most agencies fail small businesses — and what to do instead
How to use AI to turn a five-day quote process into a two-hour conversion machine
Why your CRM is probably a mess — and how to fix it to unlock hidden revenue
How to reactivate dormant leads and turn your database into a revenue goldmine
Why you need two funnels: one for customers and one for talent
How to apply marketing principles to solve your recruitment problem
Francis Rodino is the founder and CEO of Lead Hero, a performance-driven agency specializing in automated, AI-powered sales systems. He is the author of Lead Machine: The Nine Step System to Generate Consistent, Predictable Sales and Scale Your Service Business, a number one bestseller. Francis is a Go High Level Gold Award winner, SaaS Entrepreneur of the Year, and certified Go High Level admin. With over 20 years of experience in digital media, including roles at the BBC, Razorfish, and Omnicom Media Group, Francis has worked with global brands like Disney, Virgin, and Top Gear. He has generated over £120 million in tracked sales opportunities for clients and saved them more than 54,000 hours through automation and AI.
Next StepsApply it now
Audit your sales process. Identify one bottleneck where leads are falling through the cracks — and commit to fixing it in the next 30 days.
Learn more from Francis Rodino
Get your copy of Lead Machine on Amazon and discover the nine-step system to predictable revenue. Visit https://www.francisrodino.com to learn more about Lead Hero and how AI-driven systems can transform your business.
Join Francis at Scale-Up Summit 2026
Francis will be speaking at Scale-Up Summit on April 29-30, 2026. Secure your ticket now at https://www.scaleupsummit.co.uk
Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.
Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulavins/
Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call
Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in
About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.
Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.
View all episodes
By Paul AvinsWhat if the secret to scaling your business isn't working harder — but building a marketing system so predictable that leads flow in consistently, your sales team converts efficiently, and you finally stop being the bottleneck?
In this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined by Francis Rodino — founder and CEO of Lead Hero, author of the number one bestselling book Lead Machine: The Nine Step System to Generate Consistent, Predictable Sales and Scale Your Service Business, and Go High Level Gold Award winner. Francis has generated over £120 million in tracked sales opportunities for clients and saved them more than 54,000 hours through automated, AI-driven sales systems.
Together, Paul and Francis unpack why most founders stay stuck in firefighting mode, how to stop burning money on ads that don't convert, and why your biggest problem isn't lead generation — it's what happens after the lead comes in. Francis reveals the exact nine-step RED Method (Roadmap, Engine, Drive) that takes businesses from confusion to clarity, the five stages of buyer awareness that most entrepreneurs get completely wrong, and how to turn your CRM into a conversion machine using AI and automation.
This episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to build a grown-up business that scales sustainably, generates predictable revenue, and runs without them being the bottleneck in every sale.
Key TakeawaysWhy most businesses don't have a lead problem — they have a follow-up problem
The five stages of buyer awareness — and why most entrepreneurs market to the wrong stage
How to identify the real bottleneck in your sales process (and how to fix it)
Why speed is the ultimate competitive advantage — and how AI gives you that edge
The RED Method: Roadmap, Engine, Drive — a nine-step system to predictable revenue
Why most agencies fail small businesses — and what to do instead
How to use AI to turn a five-day quote process into a two-hour conversion machine
Why your CRM is probably a mess — and how to fix it to unlock hidden revenue
How to reactivate dormant leads and turn your database into a revenue goldmine
Why you need two funnels: one for customers and one for talent
How to apply marketing principles to solve your recruitment problem
Francis Rodino is the founder and CEO of Lead Hero, a performance-driven agency specializing in automated, AI-powered sales systems. He is the author of Lead Machine: The Nine Step System to Generate Consistent, Predictable Sales and Scale Your Service Business, a number one bestseller. Francis is a Go High Level Gold Award winner, SaaS Entrepreneur of the Year, and certified Go High Level admin. With over 20 years of experience in digital media, including roles at the BBC, Razorfish, and Omnicom Media Group, Francis has worked with global brands like Disney, Virgin, and Top Gear. He has generated over £120 million in tracked sales opportunities for clients and saved them more than 54,000 hours through automation and AI.
Next StepsApply it now
Audit your sales process. Identify one bottleneck where leads are falling through the cracks — and commit to fixing it in the next 30 days.
Learn more from Francis Rodino
Get your copy of Lead Machine on Amazon and discover the nine-step system to predictable revenue. Visit https://www.francisrodino.com to learn more about Lead Hero and how AI-driven systems can transform your business.
Join Francis at Scale-Up Summit 2026
Francis will be speaking at Scale-Up Summit on April 29-30, 2026. Secure your ticket now at https://www.scaleupsummit.co.uk
Scale with Paul
If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and confidence.
Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulavins/
Book a call with Paul: https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call
Subscribe to the Scale-Up Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in
About Paul Avins
Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos with clarity.
Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.