Jeremy Shapiro interviews Jon Morris, founder of Rise Interactive and Fiscal Advocate, about surviving a sudden loss of a top client that cost 40% of revenue. Jon shares the financial decisions, leadership mindset shifts, and growth strategies he used to stabilize cash flow, diversify clients, and rebuild for long-term growth. Key takeaways: practical steps to recover after client loss, how to prioritize short-term liquidity vs. strategic investments, and leadership actions to guide teams through crisis.

What would you do if your biggest client disappeared overnight and took 40% of your revenue with them?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Jon Morris, founder of Rise Interactive and Fiscal Advocate, about the financial decisions, leadership mindset, and growth strategy that transformed a major business crisis into the foundation for building one of the world's largest independent digital marketing agencies.

Jon shares how disciplined decision-making, investing in sales, and focusing on the right business metrics allowed his company to recover stronger than ever.

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Losing 40% of revenue during the 2008 financial crisis

✔️ Why salary reductions saved the company from layoffs

✔️ Building one of the earliest digital marketing agencies

✔️ The power of incremental business growth

✔️ Hiring a salesperson who transformed company growth

✔️ Why customer retention is every CEO's top priority

✔️ The three KPIs every founder should monitor

✔️ Building predictable sales systems and partnerships

✔️ Scaling professional service businesses sustainably

✔️ Preparing a business for long-term success and exit

Jon also shares lessons on:

✔️ Leadership during economic uncertainty

✔️ Cash flow management and financial discipline

✔️ Sales hiring and performance management

✔️ Agency growth strategies

✔️ Long-term thinking for entrepreneurs

👉 Learn more about Jon Morris:

• Fiscal Advocate: https://fiscaladvocate.com/

📘 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook (https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/)

Chapters

00:00 Pay Cut Gamble

01:12 Origin Story Prize Money

02:08 Pivot to Done For You

03:44 Early Digital Marketing Days

07:04 Incrementalist Mindset

08:30 Losing the Biggest Client

10:24 Salary Cuts Not Layoffs

12:38 All Hands Comeback Plan

15:43 Hiring for Hustle Culture

21:36 Big Sales Hire Howard

26:16 Diversifying Revenue Streams

29:07 Scaling Sales and Marketing

32:25 From Twelve to Forty Million

35:53 KPI Framework for Exit

40:37 Rapid Fire Lessons

45:25 Wrap Up and Where to Find Jon

Keywords: Jon Morris, John Morris, Jeremy Shapiro, Rise Interactive, Fiscal Advocate, digital marketing, agency growth, entrepreneurship, leadership, customer retention, sales strategy, financial management, business growth, CEO, marketing agency, business podcast

#businessgrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #DigitalMarketing #BusinessStrategy #Podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop! @YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook

Additional Resources:

• Full Episode Details with Jon Morris: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s2e30-growth-isnt-accident-jon-morris/
• ⁠Your Business Growth Podcast⁠: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/
• ⁠Your Business Growth Podcast on YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook?sub_confirmation=1
• ⁠Watch this episode with Jon Morris on YouTube⁠: https://youtu.be/4b5Jp5LEGsE
• ⁠Get the Book, Your Business Growth Playbook today: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/#signup

Jeremy Shapiro interviews Steve Barton, former owner of a third‑generation family floral business, about how mindset — not just operations — can block growth. Steve shares unconventional decisions and leadership shifts founders can use to improve profit and scale. Ideal for established small‑business owners and entrepreneurs seeking tactical mindset changes to break growth plateaus.

What if the biggest obstacle to growing your business isn't your operations—but your mindset?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Steve Barton, former owner of a third-generation family floral business, about the unconventional decisions that transformed a stagnant company into a highly profitable business that ultimately sold successfully.

Steve explains how he unexpectedly took over the business at age 22, overcame years of growth plateaus, dramatically improved profit margins by moving up the supply chain, and built a company that attracted buyers.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Taking over a family business after an unexpected crisis
✔️ Growing from six figures to more than $2 million in revenue
✔️ Why revenue without profit creates unnecessary stress
✔️ Becoming your own wholesaler to increase margins
✔️ Using acquisitions to expand market share
✔️ Creative marketing strategies that dominated a local market
✔️ Simplifying customer buying decisions through packaging
✔️ Why entrepreneurs should create their own opportunities instead of competing for existing ones
✔️ The financial metrics every business owner should monitor
✔️ Building a business with a successful exit in mind

Steve also shares lessons on:
✔️ Leadership inside family businesses
✔️ Marketing psychology and branding
✔️ Profit-first thinking
✔️ Business exits and succession planning
✔️ Awareness, mindset, and entrepreneurial growth

👉 Connect with Steve Barton:
• SteveBartonCoaching.com/

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook ( https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/ )

Chapters:
00:00 Vow To Sell Big
01:49 Family Flower Shop Roots
02:51 FTD And Early Expansion
04:40 Direct Mail Growth Playbook
05:46 Family Business Boundaries
06:49 Taking Over After Stroke
09:28 Leading At Twenty Two
10:30 Marketing Mindset No Box
12:07 Becoming Your Own Wholesaler
15:58 Competing With Supermarkets
18:09 Mural Not Billboard Branding
25:01 Yellow Pages Packaging Wins
28:09 Yellow Pages Dominance
28:37 Brand Awareness Proof
30:10 Selling With Visuals
30:34 Plateaus And Breakthroughs
31:34 Exit Plan And Rollups
33:41 Wedding Business Scale
35:06 Premium Pricing Tactics
38:44 Tracking Key Metrics
40:29 Coaching And Harvard Pitch
42:42 Game Of 10 Explained
46:02 Books And Mentors
51:15 Wrap Up And Next Steps

Keywords: Steve Barton, Jeremy Shapiro, family business, business growth, business exit, entrepreneurship, acquisitions, wholesale business, profitability, marketing strategy, leadership, mindset, business coaching, scaling a business, business podcast

#BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #BusinessExit #podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

Additional Resources:

• Your Business Growth Podcast: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/
• Your Business Growth Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook?sub_confirmation=1
• Watch this episode with Steve Barton on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YVt7G_IMRuU
• Get the Book, Your Business Growth Playbook today!: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/#signup

Learn the pricing strategy Joel Miller (co-founder, The Sky Floor) used to sustain 18 years of growth without employees or outside investment. Jeremy Shapiro and Joel unpack practical pricing choices and business trade-offs you can apply today: setting profitable price points, pricing to reduce operational complexity, and pricing as a growth lever. Ideal for solo founders and bootstrapped businesses seeking repeatable, low-overhead scale.

What if you could grow your business for 18 straight years—without employees, outside investment, or working around the clock?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Joel Miller, co-founder of The Sky Floor, about the pricing strategy that transformed his agency from exhausting 80-hour workweeks into a sustainable, profitable business built around value instead of time.

Joel explains why hourly billing keeps agencies trapped, how asking better questions creates better clients, and why success doesn't have to mean building a massive team.

After years of defending invoices and tracking every hour worked, Joel and his twin brother Alan completely changed their approach by focusing on client outcomes rather than billable time.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Why hourly billing creates conflict with clients
✔️ How value-based pricing changes the sales conversation
✔️ Asking strategic questions that uncover real business problems
✔️ Building six-year average client relationships through trust
✔️ Why publishing pricing can improve lead quality
✔️ Overcoming the fear of charging premium prices
✔️ Growing revenue without hiring employees
✔️ Why proactive problem-solving creates loyal clients
✔️ Setting healthy business boundaries without hurting customer service
✔️ Rejecting the "scale or die" mindset

Joel also shares lessons on:
✔️ Pricing psychology
✔️ Long-term client retention
✔️ Premium positioning for service businesses
✔️ Entrepreneurship and lifestyle design
✔️ Building a business around your own definition of success

👉 Learn more about Joel Miller and The Sky Floor:
• https://TheSkyFloor.com/
• Joel Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelelliottmiller/
• Joel Miller on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelemiller/

📘
📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook ( https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/ )

Chapters:
00:00 Scale or Die Myth
01:10 Meet Joel Miller
01:44 Twin Founders Origin
03:11 Leaning Into Twins
04:22 Early Agency Hustle
05:46 Hourly Billing Hell
06:59 Switch to Value Pricing
08:51 Probing Questions Win
11:38 Transitioning Old Clients
13:08 Pricing by Outcomes
16:22 Raising Prices Mindset
22:01 Publishing Prices Debate
23:31 Subscribe Break
24:35 Silence Reveals Truth
25:49 Ask Better Questions
27:51 Trust Through Honesty
29:17 Challenge Sacred Cows
29:50 Long Term Upside
31:16 Clients Leave Return
32:22 No Hostage Assets
34:30 Proactive CRM Rescue
37:38 Turn Off At Five
41:35 Reject Scale Or Die
43:23 Define Success Together
44:47 Shift To Value Pricing
46:52 Rapid Fire Wrap Up
49:45 Final Recap And Links

Keywords: Joel Miller, Jeremy Shapiro, value based pricing, hourly billing, agency business, pricing strategy, marketing agency, consulting business, entrepreneurship, business growth, premium pricing, client retention, service business, agency owner, business podcast

#podcast #businessgrowth #Entrepreneurship #ValueBasedPricing #AgencyGrowth #PricingStrategy #Podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

In this Season 1 recap of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro breaks down the biggest lessons from 27+ business owners who got stuck at a plateau and found their way back to growth.

If you’re looking for practical strategies to scale a business, improve profit, build systems, and create entrepreneurial freedom, this episode is packed with proven insights you can apply right away.

Across the season, Jeremy explores what really drives growth at every stage of business — from early validation to seven-, eight-, and nine-figure scale. You’ll hear the recurring themes that showed up again and again: radical niching, automation, recurring revenue, vertical integration, value-based pricing, education-based selling, and using fewer people with better systems.

Jeremy also shares the top books, lead sources, and strategic moves that helped these founders get unstuck and back on track.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or service business owner, this recap gives you a clear framework for getting out of the hustle trap, making smarter decisions, and building a business that grows with more intention.

Subscribe for Season 2 as Jeremy continues interviewing high-growth business owners and sharing the lessons behind their breakthroughs.

🔔 Subscribe Today!

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook ( https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/ )

Guests and Episodes Mentioned:

• Ryan Crownholm: https://youtu.be/JfjnHTTPBG8
• Wes Schaeffer: https://youtu.be/N8Oc4a7lC5o
• David Hilton: https://youtu.be/224Ao_OGwO0
• Dom Cassone: https://youtu.be/ucfP5VfsRKc
• Ted Miller III: https://youtu.be/ocVe05g3vos
• Emily Crookston: https://youtu.be/-FXCHGzyF8g
• David Schomer: https://youtu.be/GUJQ1xLWuk4
• Damien Zamora: https://youtu.be/lwbFdDejy0A
• Andrew Ackerman: https://youtu.be/-23HpYm1_UA
• Nick Bonitatibus: https://youtu.be/6yQEl7VY1JU
• Simone Little: https://youtu.be/SH78QjUQbns
• Lance Cayko: https://youtu.be/13wMP56ru9w
• William Holsten: https://youtu.be/labofo2Z56A
• Marc Walton: https://youtu.be/KIQUJ7Ivc_I
• Eric Lowe: https://youtu.be/1nhK1StaZ5s
• Virginia Elder: https://youtu.be/shw_w2IpYEk
• Leo Young: https://youtu.be/mq3r0vEqwWY
• Ari Rastegar: https://youtu.be/14kWmPTK4Ys
• Shawn Boehme: https://youtu.be/EuZTZT5Bg4M
• Albert Butler: https://youtu.be/j1Fga45SuKg
• Wes Towers: https://youtu.be/IAF4EgA5flg
• Sam Berman: https://youtu.be/Uh2k4DFFiq0
• Jon Chintanaroad : https://youtu.be/UdqNDXZV0f8
• Len May: https://youtu.be/LCOy49bF4G4
• Michael Ritsema: https://youtu.be/1k4PqPU4tU8
• Rachel Allen: https://youtu.be/m1Oe2LzHTro
• Stephan Bajaio: https://youtu.be/8h3LUb8MpHI

Keywords: business growth, how to scale a business, business plateau, entrepreneurship, systems and automation, recurring revenue, value-based pricing, education-based selling, business strategy, niche marketing, founder mindset, business growth podcast, scaling a business, leadership, entrepreneurship podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

More about this episode: https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s1-season-1-wrapup/

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders sharing real lessons on growth, leadership, and building sustainable companies.

Stephan Bajaio overcame a major growth plateau by shifting from selling software to driving measurable customer outcomes. Hear SaaS growth strategies for customer success, product adoption, reducing churn, and scaling revenue.

What happens when your software is excellent, but your customers still fail?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Stephan Bajaio, former Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist at Conductor, about how the company overcame a major growth plateau by shifting from simply selling software to helping customers achieve measurable results.

Conductor had already become a leader in enterprise SEO software and reached roughly $20 million in revenue.

But growth stalled.

Customers had access to powerful tools, yet many struggled with implementation, adoption, and execution.

Stephan shares how:
✔️ Enterprise customers struggled to use the platform effectively
✔️ Growth flattened despite strong demand
✔️ Customer satisfaction suffered due to poor adoption
✔️ Teams lacked the internal expertise needed for success
✔️ Traditional onboarding wasn't producing results

Then came the breakthrough.

Instead of simply providing software, Conductor built managed services, enablement programs, and customer success systems that helped clients implement recommendations and achieve outcomes.

That shift unlocked significant new growth and helped drive millions in additional revenue.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Building one of the first enterprise SEO platforms
✔️ Educating a market that didn't understand SEO
✔️ Why SaaS companies often hit adoption ceilings
✔️ The difference between product success and customer success
✔️ How managed services created a new growth engine
✔️ Using customer feedback to drive innovation
✔️ Why implementation is often the real bottleneck
✔️ Improving NPS through accountability and guidance
✔️ Building company culture during rapid growth
✔️ Creating ownership mindsets across teams
✔️ Hiring people who genuinely care about the mission
✔️ Why founders must think beyond the product

Stephan also shares lessons on:
✔️ Leadership and culture at scale
✔️ Founder identity after success
✔️ Documenting organizational knowledge
✔️ Enterprise sales and customer education
✔️ Building communities around products
✔️ The future of search and digital visibility

👉 Learn more about Stephan Bajaio:
• https://vibelogic.com/
• Stephan Bajaio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanbajaio/

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook ( https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/ )

Chapters:
00:00 Growth Stalls at 20M
01:30 Origin Story Link Experts
03:44 Building Enterprise SEO SaaS
06:12 Selling Search Before Software
10:01 Evangelism and Competitive Wakeup
13:27 Scaling Culture and Ownership
17:33 Hiring for Passion
19:26 Founder Identity and Town Halls
23:30 Escaping the Founder Trap
27:22 Visionary vs Operator Balance
28:26 Fast Forward to Plateau
28:45 Implementation Plateau
29:41 Acceleration Onboarding
31:51 Managed Services Shift
35:06 Culture Not Role
37:07 Enablement Training Wheels
41:01 Speedboat vs Cruise Ship
43:55 Founder Identity Passion
46:03 Memorialize Your Playbook
50:44 Reflection Kilimanjaro
53:57 Rapid Fire Wrap

Keywords: Stephan Bajaio, Jeremy Shapiro, SEO software, SaaS growth, customer success, managed services, enterprise software, business growth, company culture, leadership, customer retention, NPS, startup growth, scaling a business, recurring revenue, search marketing, digital marketing, software adoption
#BusinessGrowth #SaaS #CustomerSuccess #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders sharing real lessons on growth, leadership, and building sustainable companies.

Jeremy Shapiro interviews Rachel Allen on the Price Multiplier breakthrough: how she dismantled a successful agency, survived a six‑month drought with zero new leads, and moved past burnout. For agency owners and entrepreneurs facing outward success but internal stress, this episode delivers real lessons on pricing, recovery, and rethinking operations to restore momentum and profits.

What happens when your business looks successful on the outside—but leaves you exhausted, stressed, and stuck?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Rachel Allen about how she dismantled a successful agency, survived a six-month drought with zero new leads, and completely transformed her business into a multi-seven figure business by making one bold pricing decision.

Rachel shares how:
✔️ She started freelancing during the 2008 recession with only $200
✔️ A copywriting side hustle became a successful business
✔️ Building an agency created more stress than freedom
✔️ Six years at the same revenue level left her feeling stuck
✔️ A six-month dry spell nearly pushed her out of entrepreneurship
✔️ One unconventional pricing decision changed everything

Then came the breakthrough.

Instead of competing as a copywriter, Rachel repositioned herself as a high-level marketing strategist and quintupled her prices.

Within weeks, she landed the largest client of her career and began building the business she actually wanted.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Why scaling isn't always the right growth strategy
✔️ The hidden downside of agency ownership
✔️ How pricing influences client perception
✔️ Moving from service provider to strategic advisor
✔️ Why premium positioning attracts different buyers
✔️ The psychology behind charging more
✔️ Building referral-driven businesses
✔️ Networking strategies that create long-term growth
✔️ Working with larger organizations and enterprise clients
✔️ Creating a business designed around freedom and lifestyle

Rachel also shares lessons on:
✔️ Business reinvention and repositioning
✔️ Overcoming pricing fears
✔️ Qualitative and quantitative business metrics
✔️ Building meaningful professional relationships
✔️ Creating sustainable growth without a large team
✔️ Making difficult decisions as an entrepreneur

👉 Connect with Rachel Allen:
• Bolt From The Blue Copywriting: https://boltfromthebluecopywriting.com/
• Rachel Allen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelallenwrites/

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/

Chapters:
00:00 Dry Spell Breakthrough
01:29 From Journalism to Hong Kong
03:02 Early Freelance Hustle
03:50 Boutique to Agency Shift
07:17 Six Figure Plateau Lessons
09:24 Shutting Down the Agency
12:33 Cabin Retreat Price Leap
15:35 Repositioning as Strategist
17:47 Pricing Transparency Strategy
20:04 Landing Fractional CMO Client
21:45 Scaling Through Client Teams
24:36 Multi Revenue Streams Freedom
27:21 Referrals and Social Capital
31:48 Metrics and Weekly Tracking
35:04 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

Keywords: Rachel Allen, Jeremy Shapiro, pricing strategy, premium pricing, marketing strategy, entrepreneurship, copywriting, consulting business, business growth, scaling a business, agency owner, referrals, marketing consultant, business pivot, personal branding, entrepreneur mindset, high ticket services, business transformation

#BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #MarketingStrategy #Consulting #BusinessOwner #Podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on ⁠PodMatch⁠, here: ⁠https://podmatch.com/hostdetail/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe right now for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders sharing real lessons on growth, leadership, and building companies.

Subscribe on YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook?sub_confirmation=1

⁠Watch this episode with Rachel Allen: https://youtu.be/m1Oe2LzHTro

Mike Ritsema, CEO of i3 Business Solutions, explains how he transformed a struggling IT services firm into a $10M+ recurring-revenue business using targeted acquisitions, niche specialization, and repeatable operational systems. Hear practical steps to simplify scale, reduce founder stress, and build predictable revenue—examples, pitfalls, and systems you can apply to established service businesses.

What if growing your business actually made life LESS stressful?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews Mike Ritsema, CEO of i3 Business Solutions, about how he scaled a struggling IT services company into a $10M+ recurring revenue business through acquisitions, specialization, and operational systems.

Mike shares the difficult realities behind entrepreneurship:
✔️ Maxing out personal credit lines
✔️ Going months without taking a paycheck
✔️ Surviving the 2001 tech recession
✔️ Watching 9/11 unfold while fearing the business would collapse
✔️ Navigating the Great Recession and COVID
✔️ Managing complicated business partner buyouts

Instead of slowing down, Mike leaned into growth and built a stronger company through recurring revenue, acquisitions, and organizational focus.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Why buying a business can outperform starting one from scratch
✔️ The hidden operational cost of employees wearing multiple hats
✔️ How specialization improves service quality and execution
✔️ Why recurring revenue transformed the company
✔️ The operational benefits of scaling beyond 50 employees
✔️ How acquisitions simplified leadership responsibilities
✔️ EOS, Traction, and operational accountability systems
✔️ Why referrals remain the highest-quality lead source
✔️ Building premium service businesses with stronger margins
✔️ The value of peer groups, masterminds, and mentorship

Mike also shares lessons on:
✔️ Leadership during economic uncertainty
✔️ Scaling service-based businesses
✔️ Delegation and operational clarity
✔️ Managing company culture after acquisitions
✔️ Why lifelong learning matters for entrepreneurs

👉 Connect with Michael Ritsema and learn more about i3 Business Solutions:
* i3 Business Solutions: https://i3bus.com/
* Michael Ritsema on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljritsema

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook ( https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/ )

Chapters:
00:00 On the Brink
01:11 From IBM to Ownership
02:32 Buying Not Starting
05:37 Early Struggles and 9 11
09:16 Recession Pivot and Plateau
11:41 Too Many Hats
13:43 Partner Buyouts and Recurring Revenue
16:58 Bored Then Bought a Rival
20:46 Scale With Less Stress
24:30 Systems and Priorities
26:02 Weekly Priority Discipline
26:47 Client Value Over Noise
27:23 Networking for Acquisitions
28:25 Merging Company Cultures
30:56 One Role One Rock
34:27 Specialization at Scale
36:20 Pricing Power and Saying No
38:07 Scaling Advice and Mentors
41:50 Peer Groups and Benchmarks
43:56 Owner KPIs for Growth
45:36 Rapid Fire Takeaways
47:37 Unlikely Mentor Story
49:34 Wrap Up and Where to Connect

Keywords: Mike Ritsema, Jeremy Shapiro, recurring revenue, IT business, managed services, EOS, Traction, business acquisitions, entrepreneurship, business systems, MSP growth, leadership, scaling a business, service business growth, business strategy

#businessgrowth #Entrepreneurship #RecurringRevenue #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

What happens when a company hits $10M revenue but profits barely move? Jeremy Shapiro interviews EndoDNA founder Len May about the exact shift that transformed a struggling direct-to-consumer (DTC) business into a scalable B2B healthcare company. Len explains how rising advertising costs drove the pivot and the strategic decisions behind 4x revenue growth. Actionable takeaways for founders facing business growth plateaus and planning a DTC-to-B2B transition.

What happens when your company hits $10 million in revenue… but profits barely move?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro interviews entrepreneur and EndoDNA founder Len May about the exact shift that transformed his business from a struggling direct-to-consumer model into a scalable B2B healthcare company.

Len shares how:
✔️ Rising advertising costs nearly stalled growth
✔️ Social media platforms repeatedly shut down campaigns
✔️ Customer acquisition became increasingly expensive
✔️ COVID disrupted events and distribution channels
✔️ Revenue continued growing while profitability stayed flat

Then came the breakthrough: Instead of selling directly to consumers, Len shifted the business scaling the company from $10 million to $40 million in annual revenue.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Why some high-revenue businesses struggle financially
✔️ The hidden downside of direct-to-consumer models
✔️ The power of B2B partnerships and white-labeling
✔️ How recurring revenue transformed the company
✔️ Why customer lifetime value matters more than single sales
✔️ Using AI and machine learning in healthcare
✔️ Personalized medicine and genomic testing
✔️ How doctors became an extension of the sales team
✔️ The role of customer feedback in product innovation
✔️ ADHD, entrepreneurship, and unconventional thinking

Len also shares lessons on:
✔️ Scaling healthcare technology companies
✔️ Building onboarding systems for clinics
✔️ Leveraging affiliate products for additional revenue
✔️ Creating feedback loops with customers
✔️ Why entrepreneurs should stop waiting for perfect execution

👉 Learn more about Len May and EndoDNA:
* EndoDNA's website: https://endodna.com/
* Len May on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenmay/

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro, Author of Your Business Growth Playbook
https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/

Chapters
00:00 Profit Stuck at 10M
01:12 Len May Origins
02:29 Cannabis as Medicine
03:54 Early Hustles to Real Estate
05:36 Dispensary Opportunity
07:15 Genetics Lightbulb
09:21 Launching EndoDNA
10:30 Building the DNA Test
12:51 Patents and Global Growth
14:25 Marketing Shutdowns and COVID
15:46 Stuck Phase Breakdown
17:09 Doctor Call New Pivot
19:56 Practitioner Distribution Model
22:28 White Label Intel Inside
23:28 AI Platform for Doctors
26:01 Guardrails and Compliance
27:45 Getting Doctors to Commit
28:42 Charging For Utilization
29:36 Skin In The Game
30:24 Genomics To Shopping Cart
32:19 Affiliate Catalog And Feedback
33:59 B2B Pivot To Scale
36:06 Epigenetics Recurring Testing
39:25 Clinical Trials Data Flywheel
42:30 Neurodivergence As Advantage
46:43 KPIs Sales And Satisfaction
49:06 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up

Keywords: Len May, EndoDNA, Jeremy Shapiro, personalized medicine, genomics, healthcare AI, B2B growth, business strategy, direct to consumer, white label business, entrepreneurship, epigenetics, recurring revenue, functional medicine, startup growth

#entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Healthcare #AI #Genomics #podcast

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/your_business_growth_podcast

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Jon Chintanaroad reveals how a business hitting six-figure months was secretly collapsing — and the recovery steps that worked. Hear a candid breakdown of scaling too fast, chasing vanity metrics, taking on massive business debt, and rebuilding toward profit. Practical takeaways for established entrepreneurs: spot dangerous business growth signals, prioritize profit over ego, manage debt, and rebuild sustainable cash flow and margins.

What happens when a business doing six-figure months is secretly collapsing behind the scenes?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with entrepreneur Jon Chintanaroad for a brutally honest conversation about scaling too fast, chasing vanity metrics, taking on massive debt, and rebuilding a business from the ground up.

Jon shares how he:
✔️ Left recruiting to start his own business
✔️ Scaled through coaching programs and paid ads
✔️ Joined high-level masterminds chasing “million-dollar months”
✔️ Took out a $350,000 SBA loan to keep the business alive
✔️ Ended up buried under nearly $800,000 in debt
✔️ Faced bankruptcy and devastating personal consequences

But this episode is also about recovery and rebuilding.

After the collapse, Jon completely changed his approach to business:
✔️ Lean operations
✔️ Profit-first financial systems
✔️ Organic LinkedIn marketing
✔️ Smaller, higher-quality client relationships
✔️ Lifestyle-focused entrepreneurship
✔️ Systems built around freedom and peace of mind

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ Why revenue means nothing without profit
✔️ The dangers of copying “successful” business models blindly
✔️ How mastermind culture can create unhealthy pressure
✔️ The emotional toll of debt and entrepreneurship
✔️ Why many founders are secretly struggling financially
✔️ How organic content became his most reliable lead source
✔️ The power of simplicity and sustainable growth
✔️ Why boring businesses are often the healthiest businesses
✔️ The mindset shift from “more” to finding your sweet spot

This is one of the most transparent entrepreneurial conversations you’ll hear — packed with practical lessons for founders, agency owners, coaches, consultants, and anyone trying to build a sustainable business.

👉 Connect with Jon Chintanaroad :
• Recruiting Launch: https://recruitinglaunch.com/

📘 Hosted by Jeremy B. Shapiro
Author of Your Business Growth Playbook https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/

Chapters:
00:00 Debt-Fueled Cold Open
01:00 From Recruiter to Agency Owner
01:50 Internet Money and Group Coaching
05:03 Six-Figure Months and Smoke Mirrors
06:49 The Numbers Reveal the Cliff
07:49 SBA Loan Spiral to Bankruptcy
14:03 Living With Debt Anxiety
15:22 Family Reckoning and Therapy
19:30 Finding Your Sweet Spot
21:23 Guardrails Accountability and Profit First
24:43 Subscribe Break and Extra Life
25:21 Why Lean Beats Big Overhead
28:55 Cash Ads and Boring Business
30:41 Boredom Means Stability
32:00 Prove the Model First
32:43 Organic LinkedIn Engine
34:09 DIY Before Delegation
38:55 Authentic Brand Voice
42:36 Profit First Lifestyle Design
44:35 Sweet Spot Sales Calls
47:44 Hybrid Done For You Offer
53:41 Scorecards and KPIs
57:31 Rapid Fire Wrap Up

Keywords: Jon Chintanaroad , business bankruptcy, entrepreneurship lessons, SBA loan failure, business debt, Profit First, Jeremy Shapiro, recruiting business, organic marketing, LinkedIn outreach, coaching business, startup burnout, business turnaround, Your Business Growth Podcast

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Startup #ProfitFirst #Podcast #BusinessLessons

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/your_business_growth_podcast

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders sharing real lessons on growth, leadership, and building sustainable companies.

Jeremy Shapiro interviews Sam Berman, founder of LARC, on building a zero-cost sales strategy and how a restaurant napkin sketch evolved into global logistics. Hear practical tactics for creating a low-cost sales engine, early customer acquisition, and operational scaling — actionable takeaways for founders and growth-stage entrepreneurs.

What happens when you realize a billion-dollar industry is still operating with outdated systems and nobody is willing to fix it?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Sam Berman, founder of LARC, to break down how a restaurant napkin sketch evolved into a global logistics and engineering company trusted by some of the world’s largest technology and data center operators.

After years working in Silicon Valley, Sam saw major problems in industrial packaging and logistics:
✔️ Expensive wood crating systems
✔️ Slow deployment times
✔️ Massive sustainability waste
✔️ Product damage during shipping
✔️ A complete lack of innovation

Instead of accepting the status quo, Sam and his team spent years iterating, engineering, and refining a completely new approach.

That shift led to:
✔️ Strategic partnerships with global logistics giants
✔️ Massive growth in the data center industry
✔️ Packaging-as-a-service innovation
✔️ Better protection for high-value technology
✔️ Reduced shipping and operational costs
✔️ A brand so recognizable customers now say “Lark it”

In this episode, we break down:
✔️ How the original idea came from a restaurant napkin
✔️ Why disrupting old industries takes patience
✔️ The reality of long product development cycles
✔️ How partnerships accelerated growth
✔️ Why founders need resilience during isolation and uncertainty
✔️ How LARC became a trusted engineering solutions provider
✔️ The importance of first-mover advantage and IP protection
✔️ Why solving real customer problems creates loyalty and scale

If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, startup operator, or business owner building something difficult and long-term, this episode offers real lessons on resilience, partnerships, and category innovation.

👉 Connect with Sam Berman:
• LARC: https://larc.co/
• Sam Berman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelberman/

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook

Chapters:
00:00 Build It Promise
00:49 Podcast Welcome
01:06 Napkin Sketch Origin
03:28 Reinventing Crating
05:37 Packaging As Service
08:03 Early Validation Wins
09:35 Funding And Iteration
11:16 Surviving The Long Road
15:56 First Major Data Center Deal
18:32 Secure Tech Breakthrough
19:21 Solutions Drive Loyalty
21:11 Partner Led Growth
26:25 Landing Logistics Giants
27:54 Defending the IP
28:26 First Mover Moat
29:48 Verbified Brand
32:26 Partners Drive Growth
35:59 Deal Backstops
38:02 Empire Not Exit
39:38 Founder Survival Mindset
42:45 Fail Faster Lessons
46:36 Rapid Fire Wrap
47:53 History as Mentors
50:52 Recap and Where Next

Keywords: Sam Berman, LARC, logistics innovation, startup founder, supply chain, packaging solutions, data centers, logistics partnerships, engineering startup, hardware startup, entrepreneurship, packaging as a service, business growth, Jeremy Shapiro, Your Business Growth Podcast

#podcast #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Logistics #BusinessGrowth #SupplyChain

Want to be a guest on Your Business Growth Podcast? Send Jeremy Shapiro a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/your_business_growth_podcast

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