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Episode Description: When you go further than you thought you could go, you learn lessons you never knew you could learn. In this episode, Alex shares seven of the biggest lessons he’s learned from endurance racing that are also applicable for any business owner or leader. Whether you’re feeling burnt out and aren’t sure if you can keep moving forward, or you’re struggling to see the results you want in your business and don’t know why, this conversation has something for you!  Episode Recap: When you go further than you thought you could go, you learn lessons you never knew you could learn (0:50) There’s no substitute for experiential learning (4:15) Endurance is an exercise in expectation setting (6:14)  Those who endure plan for their plan to fail (11:01) Effort never sustainably exceeds belief (17:07) The results everyone wants come from the routine nobody sees (21:53) Coaching makes effort efficient (25:44) Detachment is a difference maker (29:23) Resources: Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email “Awareness” by Anthony DeMello Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Good leaders respond to a crisis, but great leaders prepare for it. In this episode, we continue our conversation about preparing for a recession by talking through 5 more actions you can take to prepare yourself and your business for periods of recession. We also discuss three things to avoid in order to stay agile, and then close out the conversation with a reminder of what it means to renew your mind and fill yourself up with truth.  In today’s episode we’ll discuss the final five actions leaders can take to prepare for recession (0:51) 6. Position yourself and your business to be agile (3:22) Bureaucracy is an enemy of agility (4:32) Improper expectations within your team will slow you down in times of turbulence (6:54) Fear is not inherently bad, as long as it doesn’t lead to paranoia or rage (12:30) 7. Test assumptions quickly, aggressively, and often (19:05) 8. Remember what matters and double down on that (26:37) 9. Prepare to get on offense (32:08) 10. Renew your mind daily (35:16) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Listen to “Preparing for a Recession Part 1” Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Any time we choose to pay attention to something, there’s naturally a cost. And if we’re not intentional about where we’re placing our focus, we’re probably wasting time. In this episode, Thatcher Wine shares some of the key principles from his book, “The 12 Monotasks.” Thatcher explains why multitasking is not worthwhile and shares practical steps for leaders and entrepreneurs about improving your sleep, listening better, appreciating the value of silence, and creating a work culture that prioritizes monotasking.  Why are you so passionate about the topic of monotasks? (2:10) Why is monotasking especially important when you think you don’t have time? (6:34) What are the key principles about attention that you wish everyone knew? (12:49)  How can monotasking uniquely benefit entrepreneurs? (15:45) Why are you focused on sleep right now, and what does that look like for you? (21:12) Can you share some tips for parents about creating a great evening routine? (27:40) How do you “close the loop” when you’re tempted to shift your attention? (30:59) How do you track your sleep? (35:34) Why is treating listening as a monotask so valuable for leaders? (40:47) How have you built a culture that incentivizes and promotes monotasking? (46:49) What does thinking look like as a monotask, and why is that so important? (51:09) How have you found a form of structure that works for you? (57:47) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email The 12 Monotasks Thatcher Wine’s Website Juniper Books Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Since recessions are a natural part of the economy’s ups and downs, the question isn’t if we’ll go into a recession; it’s when. And while there’s no way to fully “recession-proof” your business, there are plenty of things you can do to prepare as a business and as a leader. In part one of this conversation, we begin to talk through three principles and ten actions that will help you better prepare your team and yourself for periods of recession.  It’s not always possible to “recession-proof your business,” but you can prepare (0:43) Good leaders respond to crisis, great leaders prepare for it (4:46) Luck is when preparation meets opportunity (7:29) You can’t be strategic if you’re just trying to survive (9:05) There are ten actions that you can focus on to prepare for recession (13:27) 1. Get your house in order (13:58) 2. Reinforce, amplify, and publicize culture (20:42) 3. Understand and minimize risk (26:35) 4. Consistently assess the landscape of reality (31:37) 5. Play the role of narrator (36:14) Check back for part 2 where we’ll discuss the final five actions (41:41) Lead from a spirit of love, power, and self-control, not fear (42:25) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

One of the most important decisions a leader can make is finding the next right person to join their leadership team. In this episode, Alex talks with Path for Growth Coaching Manager Olivia Graham about the lessons she’s learned in the first 6 months of her role. Olivia shares several principles she’s discovered while working to operationalize Path for Growth’s coaching program to better develop and support effective coaches. She and Alex also discuss the lessons they’ve learned about setting expectations around the overlap of friendship and business.  Get to know Path for Growth Coaching Manager Olivia Graham (2:55) Can you tell us about your transition from contractor to coaching manager? (10:06) What did you learn from interviewing with people you already knew? (16:20) What are some principles you’ve learned in your time at Path for Growth? (22:30) 1. Leaders should balance creating systems with paying attention to individuals (23:01)  Why is it so important to catalog best practices? (32:40) 2. Context and trust are the most important thing in your first 30 days (34:10) What tactics have you learned for becoming a better listener? (38:18) How have we learned to set expectations around business and friendship? (41:48) 3. Start with the end in mind. Have a clear idea of what winning looks like (54:06) What do you say to leaders who think they can’t communicate their vision (1:01:40) 4. Set your standard for the season you’re in (1:07:25) 5. Freedom is not something you earn, it’s something you experience (1:18:09) What are you most excited about right now? (1:21:24) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

The strategies that help an organization grow to 300 people will not be effective in getting it to 1,000 people. In this episode, we continue our conversation about the four biggest things leaders of 300+ person teams should focus on: communication rhythms, leadership development, executive reinvention, and a culture of decentralized improvement. We also discuss the traits a leadership team needs in order to pursue reinvention, and the different relationship buckets every leader should try to fill. When any team hits 300 people, the same things tend to happen (0:44) There are four things that leaders of 300+ person teams should focus on (3:27) Leaders of large organizations need to commit to executive reinvention (6:31) If you’re unwilling to look like a fool, you’ll never become a master (10:10)  Teams leading large organizations need four things to pursue reinvention (12:54) 1. Stability: While pursuing reinvention, you need a level of stability elsewhere (13:25) 2. Humility: When you see yourself accurately, you can grow (16:36) 3. Courage: Reinvention requires you to wade into the unknown (18:26) 4. Relationships: There are several relationship buckets leaders should try to fill (20:17) Find people who will challenge you (21:06) Seek out people who can encourage you (22:47) Look for people who model leadership for you (24:12) Spend time with people who inspire you (25:35) Build relationships that develop you (27:07) Find people who will just be with you (28:50) 3 questions you can ask yourself to spur the reinvention process (31:18) Large organizations need a culture of decentralized improvement (35:44) Operationalization is the key (41:31) "4 Responsibilities for Leading 300+ Person Teams" Part 1 Episode “It’s Time to Operationalize Your Business” Episode Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Uncertainty is not something we can avoid, but there are steps we can take to better prepare ourselves and our businesses for the unknown. In this episode, Mike Valiton shares his insight into leading a business during seasons of uncertainty, as well as preparing for and navigating storms in our personal lives. Mike unpacks the routine that helps him stay grounded no matter what’s going on in the world around him, and he offers advice to leaders on managing finance, communicating honestly with team members, hiring in periods of growth, and much more.  How do you maintain a strong foundation when things around you feel uncertain? (5:23) What are the routines and habits that help you stay centered? (9:22) Why is it so important to define success based on the season you’re in? (18:14) Can you explain how you pay attention to the news without being immersed in it? (21:40) How do you hold your plans with a loose grip? (24:31) What should people do now to make sure they’re financially healthy and secure? (34:15) What advice do you have for leaders at large organizations? (39:59) How can leaders best communicate with their teams in uncertain times? (46:49) What does it practically look like for leaders to plan instead of worrying? (56:28)  Where have you seen constraints lead to creativity? (1:06:02)  How can leaders live their testimonies during this time? (1:14:23) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

As businesses grow, the things that once worked well for them will inevitably stop working — especially once an organization grows to 300 people or more. For our 100th episode of the Path for Growth podcast, we talk through the most common mistakes leaders make when they hit the 300-person mark. We also discuss 7 communication rhythms that can help your business navigate growth more smoothly and explain why it’s so important to develop leaders who lead leaders instead of followers.  Reflecting on 100 episodes of Path for Growth (0:27) Anytime your team hits a multiple of 3 or 10, everything breaks (6:38) Leaders with 300 or more people tend to make the same 3 mistakes (11:15) 1. They’re still operating the same way they did with 100 people (11:23) 2. They aren’t aware that the change they’re seeing is normal (11:54) 3. They don’t have what it takes to make it to 1,000 (13:10) Our brains respond differently when we engage with struggle voluntarily (14:34) Not preparing for the shift leads to burnout, division, disorganization, and waste (16:02) There are 7 important communication rhythms for large organizations (23:22) 1. One-on-one relationship communication (26:07) 2. One-on-one accountability (28:39) 3. Team unity (30:33) 4. Departmental work-related communication (37:05) 5. Strategic planning (38:20) 6. Strategic accountability (39:32) 7. Development (40:22) Focus on developing leaders who lead leaders (42:45) Sargent: On-Track Podcast Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

No matter how strong your business’ processes and systems seem, there is always room for refinement. In this episode, Ron Pereira unpacks the 10 Commandments of Continuous Improvement that can help leaders increase productivity while also caring for their people. Ron has extensive experience in manufacturing, supply chain, and process engineering, and he’s also committed to training other leaders and organizations as a co-founder of Gemba Academy. He explains why lean engineering is so important and shares some valuable real-world examples of how he’s seen companies transformed by these principles.  How can continuous improvement transform a business? (2:15) Why are you so passionate about processes and systems? (5:05) How do these concepts help leaders increase both productivity and humanity? (7:20)  Why are lean processes important even if your business is going well? (9:19) What is the problem that you help customers solve, and what does that look like in a large organization? (17:24) Can you tell us about the 10 commandments of never-ending improvement? (25:03)  1. Open your mind to change (26:29) 2. Think “yes we can if _” (34:19) 3. Always attack processes, not people (42:37) 4. Seek simple solutions (50:57) 5. If it’s broken, stop and fix it (54:49) 6. Use creativity, not capital (1:03:07) 7. Problems are opportunities in disguise (1:05:56) 8. Fix the root cause (1:11:03) 9. The wisdom of many is better than the knowledge of one (1:13:33) 10. There is no final destination on the improvement journey (1:15:27) Gemba Academy Website Connect with Ron Pereira on LinkedIn Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

One of the best ways to grow as a leader is to surround yourself with other great leaders and pay attention to what they’re doing differently. In this episode, we talk through five fundamental lessons I’ve learned from the strongest leaders in my life. We also discuss the importance of taking time to evaluate and reflect in order to get the most out of our experiences. To get value from an experience, we have to evaluate and reflect (0:47) Today we’ll talk through 5 lessons about what it means to be an effective leader (3:01) 1. Don’t let your mood dictate your effort (4:39) 2. Be yourself. People can smell a fake from a mile away (7:21) 3. It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing (15:15) 4. Take the risk of truly caring (24:17) 5. Good leaders hold people accountable to the standard of others; great leaders hold people accountable to the standard of their potential (28:11) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Many people assume that starting a business will require them to hustle relentlessly for 3-5 years, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Through operationalization, leaders can delegate and continue to grow without sacrificing quality or increasing their stress levels. In this episode, we walk through the 4 foundational things you need to have in place in order to start operationalizing, as well as the four-step process for operationalization.  Operationalizing helps impact-driven leaders grow without burning out (0:47) What are the highest return responsibilities of a leader? (6:17) How do you simultaneously increase productivity and humanity? (7:04) There are 4 prerequisites you need to have before you start operationalizing (11:01) 1. An aspirational mission (11:31) 2. Immoveable core values (13:27) 3. A compelling, documented vision (14:02) 4. A predictable revenue model (15:25) Stress will increase at the rate your business grows, unless you operationalize (18:20) Operationalizing helps you delegate, practice healthy growth, and make a sustainable impact (19:29) Operationalized processes are measurable, accessible, repeatable, and iterable (22:13) There are four key elements of operationalizing (23:14) 1. Standardize: Clarify what success looks like (25:18)  2. Document: Outline benchmarks for success and the process to achieve them (30:19) 3. Evaluate: Establish a system for ongoing evaluation (33:57) 4. Improve: Create a culture where the best practice can always be made better (38:40) Start with one specific area of your business (41:50) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Listen to “Building in Public #2: Alex Judd (CEO) and Zack Estes (COO)” Trainual Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

One of the keys to practicing healthy growth is the ability to focus on and prioritize the things that matter most. The Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York exemplifies this, and in this episode, we talk through seven lessons that Alex has learned while working with members of that community. Alex also shares some practical ways that we can all add more community, ritual, and generosity to our daily lives.  When something resonates with people, take time to think about why it’s working (3:28) There are 7 key lessons we can take away from the Orthodox Jewish Community (6:18) 1. Rest requires discipline (7:27) 2. Generosity can be cultural (13:13) 3. Connection is crucial (17:12) 4. Don’t avoid differences, embrace them (19:40) 5. Humility is a prerequisite for growth (22:52) 6. Community is king (26:08) 7. Ritual is essential (31:10) Alex’s LinkedIn Post Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

The best leaders aren’t always the people who excel from the start, but rather those who stay committed to always growing. Clay Steves, owner and CEO of Habakkuk Health, is someone who exemplifies this as a leader and communicator. In this episode, Clay describes how he built a successful business without prior leadership experience, including some of the challenges he faced and the steps he took to build a healthier culture. Clay also talks about the importance of rest for leaders and their families, and he discusses the ways he’s worked to ensure that feedback and healthy conflict are welcome at his company.  Get to know Clay with rapid-fire questions (2:46) Why do you take issue with the term “servant leadership?” (6:18) What motivated you to start Habakkuk Health? (7:55) What was the tipping point that turned your idea into action? (11:40) How do you view failure as a business owner? (13:45) What podcasts, books, and leaders had the biggest impact on your business? (17:56) How did you develop your vision and commit to growth as a first-time leader? (20:56) What were the symptoms and the source of your early leadership challenges? (25:06) Why is a healthy home life vital for leaders? (31:17) How do you set boundaries to prioritize family rest and Sabbath? (39:49) How have you learned to stay present? (49:03) What do you do when you find your mind racing? (51:04) How can leaders create an environment where feedback is encouraged? (53:42) Why is it a leader’s job to mine for conflict, and how do you create a culture where people care deeply? (59:47) What are you most excited about? (1:04:32) How to connect with Clay (1:06:14) How can leaders stay excited about their businesses and keep moving forward? (1:06:54) “Convos with Clay” Podcast Habakkuk Health Website “Managing Leadership Anxiety” by Steve Cuss Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Effective leaders don’t just help others grow, they’re also committed to continual growth in their own lives. In this episode, we unpack five practices that help leaders grow, as well as three principles that explain why personal growth is a vital part of leadership. We also discuss the importance of consistency for growth-minded leaders and provide practical examples of what each practice can look like. There’s a difference between self-improvement and selfish improvement (1:10) If you aren’t personally growing, you’re not effectively leading (4:08) If you want to put your business in order, start by putting yourself in order (9:11) These five daily practices will help you experience growth (11:27) 1. Identification: Get specific about what successful growth looks like (14:28) 2. Information: Learn the principles and tactics for achieving your goal (19:58) 3. Representation: Find someone who embodies the quality you want to cultivate (22:46) 4. Application: The greatest learning is experiential (29:54) 5. Evaluation: Identify the principles you learned (33:33) Our job as leaders is to grow stronger so we can serve better (36:44) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth It Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

When running a creative business, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day operations and lose the opportunity to spend time creating. While expanding the BibleProject, Jon Collins realized he didn’t want to make this mistake, so he intentionally set out to delegate leadership and operations. In this episode, Jon shares some of the lessons he’s learned while building a successful non-profit platform, including the importance of delegation, how to define your business narrative, and what it’s like to work with a business partner. He also shares insight into the process of crafting and revising effective messages that distill complex information into digestible content.  What were you doing before you started BibleProject? (3:02) Where did you get the skillset of distilling the complex into the simple? (7:21)  How do you preserve curiosity and humility after doing this job for years? (12:23) Why is writing an important skill for becoming a better thinker? (15:21) How do you evaluate the effectiveness of a message? (19:40) Do you have trouble accepting feedback on something you care deeply about?? (22:34) How do you balance listening to feedback with trusting your intuition? (25:25) Why did you decide to create BibleProject with a non-profit model? (28:18) What made you want to work with Tim, and what have you learned about having a business partner? (29:57) What was your business narrative, and why was that so important to you? (33:39) How do you explain your early success with BibleProject? (37:10) How have you relinquished control of operations so you could focus on the creative? (41:50) Why is explaining so powerful, and how does that show up in the Bible? (47:24) How to connect with Jon (52:32) BibleProject Website Connect with Jon on Twitter Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

People often say that perfectionism is unproductive, but it’s also toxic, dangerous, and prideful. In this episode, we explore how perfectionism gets in the way of pursuing excellence and leading well, and we walk through three scenarios where perfectionism often shows up for leaders. We also talk about the importance of vulnerability and explain how you can start to shift your focus from being perfect to being committed.  If you struggle with perfectionism, know that there’s a better path (0:46) Perfectionism is toxic, dangerous, and prideful (2:59) If you don’t set a standard, someone else will (8:15) Perfectionism in decision making: It hurts to sit on a fence (10:51) When setting your standard, act as though grace is real and you need it (17:15) Perfectionism in work relationships: Avoid “Superman Syndrome” (19:14) Admit when you don’t know, aren’t good at something, feel afraid, or need help (25:33) Vulnerability is not a manipulation tactic or a therapy session (32:42) Perfectionism in meetings: Let great people do what great people do (35:54) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Most leaders know how to delegate, but they often struggle to do it effectively. In this episode, we break down six internal enemies that keep the impact-driven leader from becoming a great delegator. We also discuss some key strategies and mindset shifts that will help you name, own, and conquer the enemies of delegation that you struggle with the most.  Your ability to create opportunity exceeds your ability to delegate it (0:41) Without delegation, impact-driven leaders will keep taking on more and more (4:27) A leader practicing healthy growth is keenly aware of their finite capacity (5:36)  A leader practicing healthy growth is keenly aware of others’ remarkable ability (7:02) A leader practicing healthy growth is keenly aware of delegation as a developmental opportunity (8:36) There are 6 internal enemies that keep you from becoming an effective delegator (11:00) 1. The insecurity of a leader (14:44) 2. The pride of a leader (18:01) 3. The aimlessness of a leader (23:51) 4. The distrust of a leader (28:24) 5. The impatience of a leader (32:05) 6. The perfectionism of a leader (39:07) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

Operationalization helps you create clarity about what success looks like and properly equip each person on your team to reach it. In this episode, Alex talks with Path for Growth’s COO, Zack Estes about the four-step process they’ve used to operationalize the business. They also discuss the importance of finding partners who agree with your definition of excellence and explain how responsibility can lead to greater freedom in work and life.  What is operationalization, and why are you passionate about it? (2:42) Why was operationalization the logical next step for Path for Growth? (6:27)  How do you define excellence? (11:42)  By operationalizing, you can succeed at the details without stressing over them (22:11)  Operationalization is a four-step process (25:19) 1. Standardize your processes and outcomes (25:58) 2. Document your standards (31:22) 3. Evaluate work by consistently comparing it to the standards (38:28) When does it make sense to abandon standards? (43:37) 4. Improve the standards over time (48:25) How can someone get started with operationalization? (49:20) What does maintenance mean to you in this phase of life? (52:45) Why is responsibility a vital part of freedom? (1:03:20) What are you most excited about? (1:11:23) Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

If you want your organization to exhibit healthy growth, you as a leader must first get clear about why the business exists, what you stand for, and where you’re going. In this episode, we walk through the process of answering each of those three vital questions. We also talk about the importance of communicating your mission and values over and over and letting them guide you as you build your vision.  There are 3 key questions that leaders must answer (0:41) Language creates culture (2:48) Leaders have a responsibility to create a life-giving culture for their businesses (6:03) You and your team should consistently be able to answer these questions (7:55) 1. Why do we exist? That’s your mission statement (9:20) Mission statements connect the mundane to the meaningful (13:06) Mission statements lift people’s eyes above the horizon (19:28) Mission statements provide inarguable common ground (21:42) Once you have your mission statement, communicate it over and over (24:02) 2. What do we stand for? Those are your core values (25:00) Core values create boundaries within which people can feel free to act (27:24) How to evaluate a potential core value (34:16) To build an organization that stands for something, become a leader who stands for something (40:07)  3. Where are we going? That’s your vision. (42:06) It’s reckless to chase an audacious vision without a mission and core values (45:23) Resources: Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook

How do you define success for yourself, and how does that definition impact your life and work? For Tim Schurrer, success is less about being in the spotlight and more about building a humble confidence. Tim is the former COO for StoryBrand and the author of “The Secret Society of Success,” a new book that highlights stories of people who made a major impact whether or not the spotlight was on them. In this episode, Tim shares some of the biggest lessons he’s learned about pursuing healthy growth, rejecting the spotlight mindset, and right-sizing your impact as a leader.  What did the moon landing teach you about success? (2:17) Why did you write “The Secret Society of Success?” (5:30) What is the spotlight mindset, and how does it harm us? (8:34) How do you find contentment without sacrificing ambition? (14:20)  What does it mean to right size your impact? (20:56) What is your process for intentionally choosing people to learn from? (24:53) How can leaders create a culture of healthy growth? (34:22)  Why does building an abundance mindset lead to helping others win? (38:18)  How does our definition of success shape our lives? (40:50) Pre-Order “The Secret Society of Success” Path for Growth Membership Path for Growth One-on-One Coaching Sign up for the Worth it Wednesday Email Join Path for Growth on Instagram and Facebook