The Scaling CEO Podcast

Most CEOs chase growth by focusing on clients and revenue. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Jennifer Barnes, has proven that scaling fast requires putting people first. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of Optima Office, a fractional CFO, controller, and HR firm. She previously built one of the largest companies in her sector, then … Read more

Founders often celebrate fundraising as if it were the ultimate milestone. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Jon Nordmark, sees it differently. Jon co-founded eBags.com, scaling it through the dot-com crash and post-9/11 era to $1.65 billion in sales before Samsonite acquired the company. In 2015, he pivoted to AI, launching Iterate.ai, a low-code AI … Read more

Most CEOs live in proving mode. They grind to show investors, boards, and employees that they’re worthy of the seat. My guest on The Scaling CEO, John Volturo, argues that mindset drains leaders and prevents them from scaling effectively. John is an executive coach who’s generated over $1.5 billion in revenue as a former CMO … Read more

Andrew Pudalov walked away from Wall Street to start a smoothie bowl shop in Boulder. That leap turned into Rush Bowls, a national franchise with 50+ locations and products in Whole Foods and Costco. He went from managing global derivative trades to scaling a mission-driven food company. Along the way, he developed a sharp perspective … Read more

Some CEOs sprint after growth. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Elias Berlinger, reminds us that scaling is more like a marathon. Elias is the CEO and co-founder of My Music Workshop, a subscription-based platform teaching music to kids. For over 16 years, he has built the business almost entirely through organic growth: thousands of … Read more

Some industries resist change. Auto repair is one of them. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Brett Carlson, set out to rebuild it from the ground up. Brett is the co-founder and CEO of ServiceUp, a company digitizing the entire vehicle repair process. Backed by a recent $55 million Series B, ServiceUp connects fleets and … Read more

Some CEOs chase growth by focusing only on customers and revenue. The best CEOs know their employees are just as critical. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Lindsay Johnson, proves that building a company means investing in people. Lindsay is the founder and CEO of FitPros, a workplace wellness company she bootstrapped into a global … Read more

Most CEOs obsess over product, operations, or fundraising. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Neema Mahdavian, insists the most important skill is sales. Neema is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor who thrives in high-risk industries, cannabis, crypto, AI, and beyond. He’s built and exited more than seven companies in the past six years. Today, … Read more

Most people travel. Few truly explore. Zach Smith built his company to solve that problem. As the founder and CEO of anywhere.com, Zach has created a travel brand rooted in something most companies only talk about — real human connection. He didn’t start with funding or flash. He started on the ground in Costa Rica, … Read more

CEOs come from many backgrounds, but few journeys are as unconventional as Peter Malick’s. Before founding Inbound AV, a HubSpot solutions partner, Peter built a career as an award-winning music producer, guitarist, and songwriter. That experience taught him how to manage big personalities, extract the best from talent, and thrive in unpredictable environments. When he … Read more