Andy Mewborn

Distribute.so

I use to be young & cool. Now I do b2b SaaS. 

Husband. Dad. Ironman. Pilot. Taco lover. 

Founder of Distribute // Co-founder of Taplio (acq. by Lemlist) // Early @ Outreach.io.

Creator

A community of over 4,000+ B2B professionals growing together on Linkedin.

• "Brand30 absolutely did wonders for my business." -Maritha Koortzen

• "Brand30 changed the trajectory of my life...To say it’s opening doors for me is an understatement" - Amanda Stern

• "Brand30 provided the group accountability and expert advice I needed to more than double my LinkedIn engagement in just one month" 

🚀 Start Building An Audience Of Potential Buyers On LinkedIn In 30 Days👇

• https://www.brand30.io/

most sales reps kill deals with their follow-ups (here’s how to fix it)

so i’ve been in sales for a while, and the one thing that still blows my mind? how many reps completely tank their chances with shitty follow-ups. not because they’re spamming people, because they’re sending nothing.

"just checking in"
"wanted to circle back"
"following up on my last email"

like, checking in on what? you never gave them anything to actually respond to. prospects aren’t mind readers. if you don’t say something useful, they’re gonna ignore you.

so what actually works? here’s what i’ve seen:

instead of "just following up," try:

"i recorded a 2-min video showing how [similar company] cut their onboarding time by 40%. thought of you because you mentioned this was a bottleneck last time we talked."

instead of "wanted to circle back," try:

"saw this article about [industry trend] and immediately thought of our convo. the part about [specific insight] lines up with what you said about [their challenge]."

instead of "any updates?" try:
"quick question, are you still focused on [goal they mentioned], or have priorities shifted? context changed, so i don’t want to waste your time."

the pattern here is simple:

• give value first
• show you actually listened
• make it about them, not your quota
• make it easy to respond (ask a specific question)

i built a tool that does this automatically. it pulls call recordings, videos, and docs into one link so you’re not just sending another empty "checking in" email. not because reps are lazy, because prospects are busy, and they don’t have time to guess what you want.

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Hey there!

Here’s the link to get early access to my free course, Effortless Lead Gen Mastery:

https://www.distribute.so/lead-gen-mini-course

We spent the last month working non-stop on this - so I really hope you find it helpful.

-Andy

Bio.link

👋 Thanks for reading :)

Want to build a personal brand, grow your audience, and scale yourself online? Head to my website for free resources 👉🏻 https://bio.link/andymewborn

Enjoy! 

WriteBetter.

🐬 Want to master business writing for the internet? 

👉 https://www.brand30.io/writebetter

🧡 Enjoy!

NBPB

🚀 Want to 10x your personal branding content? 

🔥 Join 3,456 Digital Brand Builders who are receiving templates, workflows, and systems to turn their expertise into viral content.

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🧡 Enjoy!

next cohort starts...

👉 Want to build with 4,000 other b2b creators? 

🌮 I'm opening my LinkedIn b2b creator community tomorrow. 

🔥 Secure your spot: www.brand30.io

🍻 cheers

AndysNewsletter

🙏 Thanks so much for reading 

👋 I also run a site called AndysNewsletter.com: Your daily dose of GTM (go-to-market) playbooks. In 5 minutes or less, with a touch of humor. Read by over 12,000 others from Snowflake, Outreach, Twilio, Gong, Zoom, and more.

🥳 Enjoy!

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🙏 Thanks so much for watching

👋 Need your own kick-a$$ videos that’ll make ‘em holler YEE-HAW? Check out: https://www.cowboycuts.co/

🥳 Later!

Cowboy 🎥

🎥: https://www.cowboycuts.co/ 🤠✂️

Distribute

📌 𝗣𝗦: In the next few weeks, I’m rolling out my free new mini-course, Effortless Lead Gen Mastery.

It’s a 5-step blueprint designed to help you create AND launch money-making lead magnets 10x faster (with the help of AI). 👉 https://distribute.ck.page/232f8952d2

Brand30 (D page)

📌 𝗣𝗦: I created a 5-week social selling program to help you SELL LIKE CRAZY. 

We have a community of over 4,000 people and spent 2 years optimizing the curriculum.

We'll teach you everything you need to know:

• Idea Generation
• Boosting engagement
• Generating inbound leads
• Getting over the fear of posting on LinkedIn
• Building a LinkedIn machine that grows itself 

Join us on Jan 1st: https://dantethedonkey.distribute.so/brand30

Brand30 - #1 Private Community

📌 𝗣𝗦: Steal the EXACT LinkedIn strategy that 5X'd my inbound leads in 9 months: https://www.brand30.io/free-linkedin-training

Min-course leads

📌 𝗣𝗦: Join 1600+ learning how to create a money-making lead magnet in 5 days or less using AI: https://www.distribute.so/lead-gen-mini-course

13 Email Sequences

I created 13 EMAIL SEQUENCES you can use to supercharge sales.

And I spent 5 months to find the best 13 to share.

I'll give you the breakdown of every sequence:

• Nurture sequence 
• Referral sequence
• First touch sequence 
• Job change sequence
• Closed-lost opp sequence
• The social selling sequence
...
...
...
...

Grab the full list here: https://bit.ly/13emailsequences

brand30

limeliteapp

digital-sales-collective

Founder @ Distribute.so

Sellers

What's more valuable: relationship selling or solution selling?

A) Relationships first – People buy from people they trust
B) Solutions first – Buyers want problems solved, not friends
C) Value selling – ROI conversations close deals faster
D) Consultative approach – Be an advisor, not a vendor

P.S. - Still writing follow-ups manually? This 60-second quiz builds you an AI system that does it for you: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Andrew Mewborn

What's more valuable: relationship selling or solution selling?

Sellers 

You're in a slump. First thing you fix?

A) Activity levels
B) Mindset
C) Messaging
D) Target accounts

P.S. - Still writing follow-ups manually? This 60-second quiz builds you an AI system that does it for you: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Sellers

Should you ask about budget in the first call?

A) Always - It qualifies prospects immediately and saves time
B) Sometimes - Only after establishing clear interest and need
C) Rarely - Money talk too early creates resistance
D) Never - Discussing budget before value cheapens your solution

P.S. - If your follow-ups take longer than 60 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Take the quiz: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Should you ask about budget in the first call?

Sellers

What’s the worst sales advice you’ve received?

A) “Always be closing” – Aggressive pressure turns prospects off
B) “Fake it till you make it” – Authenticity matters more than acting
C) “Price isn’t a problem” – Dismissing budget concerns backfires
D) “Never take no for an answer” – Respect boundaries to build rapport

P.S. - Still writing follow-ups manually? This 60-second quiz builds you an AI system that does it for you: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

What’s the worst sales advice you’ve received?

Sellers

Commission vs. salary: What motivates salespeople best?

A) Pure commission – High risk, high reward drives peak performance
B) Base + commission – Security with upside creates optimal motivation
C) Straight salary – Removes pressure, focuses on customer success
D) Team bonuses – Shared success eliminates internal competition

P.S. - Steal my 1-pager email follow-ups: https://lnkd.in/eQr9JQhq

Commission vs. salary: What motivates salespeople best?

Sellers

Should sales managers still carry a quota?

A) Full quota – Can't coach what you don't practice 
B) Half quota – Need skin in the game 
C) Token quota – Just enough to stay sharp 
D) Zero quota – Let leaders lead, sellers sell

P.S. - Took me 2 min to find out I was wasting 11 hrs/week on follow-ups. Take the quiz, get your number: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Should sales managers still carry a quota?

Sellers

How much does luck contribute to success in sales?

A) Significantly – Being at the right place at the right time often makes all the difference.
B) Moderately – Luck plays a role, but skill and effort are more important.
C) Minimally – Success is mostly the result of hard work, strategy, and persistence.
D) Not at all – It's all about skills, planning, and execution. Luck doesn't come into it.

P.S. - Still writing follow-ups manually? This 60-second quiz builds you an AI system that does it for you: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

How much does luck contribute to success in sales?

Sellers

Which comp structure would you rather live on?

A) 70 % base / 30 % commission – stability rules
B) 50 / 50 – balanced risk-reward
C) 30 / 70 – big swings, big wins
D) 0 / 100 – eat what you kill, baby

P.S. - Steal my 1-pager email follow-ups: https://lnkd.in/eQr9JQhq

Sellers

Is AI replacing salespeople or empowering them?

A) Replacing – Only top 20% of reps will survive automation
B) Empowering – AI handles admin, humans handle relationships
C) Overhyped – Human psychology can't be automated
D) Transforming – The role evolves but never disappears

P.S. - 15,000 sellers stopped writing follow-ups. Take the 2-min quiz to see what they switched to: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Is AI replacing salespeople or empowering them?

Sellers

Remote selling vs. in-person: Which closes more deals?

A) Remote wins – Efficiency and scale beat face-to-face
B) In-person dominates – Trust requires physical presence
C) Hybrid approach – Use both strategically based on deal size
D) Industry dependent – Complex B2B needs in-person relationships

P.S. - If your follow-ups take longer than 60 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Take the quiz: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Remote selling vs. in-person: Which closes more deals?

Sellers 

How far would you go to close a high-value deal?

A) Bend policies – Adjust terms slightly to meet client demands
B) Offer extras – Throw in freebies or extended support
C) Escalate internally – Loop in execs to approve exceptions
D) Never compromise – Stick to standard offerings to maintain integrity

P.S. - Took me 2 min to find out I was wasting 11 hrs/week on follow-ups. Take the quiz, get your number: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

How far would you go to close a high-value deal?

Sellers

Do sales reps really need to use the CRM?

A) Every detail – Data is the new oil 
B) Key stuff only – Quality over quantity 
C) Bare minimum – Just enough to not get fired 
D) CRMs kill deals – I track my pipeline in my head

P.S. - 15,000 sellers stopped writing follow-ups. Take the 2-min quiz to see what they switched to: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Do sales reps really need to use the CRM?

Sellers

Do good looks matter in sales?

A) 100 % – Beauty opens doors before product does
B) A bit – Looks earn attention, skill seals the deal
C) Barely – Confidence > cheekbones
D) Zero – Quota is blind to pretty faces

P.S. - Still writing follow-ups manually? This 60-second quiz builds you an AI system that does it for you: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Sellers

Worst thing a manager can say?

A) "Just trust the process"
B) "What's your plan to hit quota?"
C) "Let me join your next call"
D) "Top reps aren't struggling"

P.S. - If your follow-ups take longer than 60 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Take the quiz: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Sellers

Which role do you think is the hardest in sales?

A) SDR 
B) Account Executive 
C) Account Manager 
D) Sales Manager 

P.S. - Steal my 1-pager email follow-ups: https://lnkd.in/eQr9JQhq

Which role do you think is the hardest in sales?

Sellers

What's the biggest lie in B2B sales?

A) "I'll circle back next quarter" (They won't) 
B) "Budget isn't an issue" (It always is) 
C) "We're the decision maker" (Committee of 12 enters chat) 
D) "Your product is perfect" (Here comes the ghosting)

P.S. - Steal my 1-pager email follow-ups: https://lnkd.in/eQr9JQhq

Sellers

Is "fake it till you make it" acceptable in enterprise sales?

A) Essential – Confidence sells more than competence 
B) Sometimes – Strategic bluffing is part of the game 
C) Risky – One Google search can tank your credibility
D) Never – Authenticity beats artifice every time

P.S. - Took me 2 min to find out I was wasting 11 hrs/week on follow-ups. Take the quiz, get your number: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Is "fake it till you make it" acceptable in enterprise sales?

Sellers

Who's harder to sell to?

A) CFOs – Every penny is their first-born child 
B) CTOs – They'd rather build than buy 
C) CEOs – Good luck getting past their gatekeepers
D) Procurement – Where deals go to die slowly

P.S. - Took me 2 min to find out I was wasting 11 hrs/week on follow-ups. Take the quiz, get your number: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Sellers

How do you respond when a prospect ghosts you late in the deal?

A) Persistence: Keep following up until you get a response, showing your commitment to helping them.
B) Pause and Reflect: Give them space for a while, then reach out with a new angle or valuable insight.
C) Closure Attempt: Send a "break-up" email to prompt a final decision, making it clear you're moving on.
D) Seek Feedback: Reach out for feedback to understand what went wrong and learn for the future.

P.S. - If your follow-ups take longer than 60 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Take the quiz: https://lnkd.in/eNYQ3DeQ

Over the past two decades I’ve led 3 multi-million dollar companies. Including Quest Nutrition which sold for a billion dollars. 

In 2010, I hit rock bottom. 

I was the Chief Marketing Officer at a tech company just named the 42nd fastest-growing in North America.

We were making money and winning awards, but I hadn’t taken a day off — except for Christmas — in six and a half years. I was miserable.

So, I walked away from my high-paying job. Gave back my equity.

I went to my partners and quit. But it turned out that they were miserable too. 

We started Quest Nutrition fueled by a desire to solve meaningful problems. Not just make money. We asked ourselves a different question:

“What would we do and love every day, even if we were failing?”

That question changed everything. 

In just a few years, Quest grew from zero to a billion-dollar valuation. Inc. Magazine named us the 2nd fastest growing company in North America.

With the sale of Quest, I could have retired to my own private island. But I’d be bored by that in a week. 

So, I started Impact Theory, a media company using storytelling to empower people to realize their full potential.

As CEO, my mission is to help people across the globe adopt the mindset they need to achieve all their goals.

My results:

→ $1B sale of Quest Nutrition
→ 4M+ YouTube subscribers
→ 500M+ content views
→ 17,932+ Impact Theory University students
→ 100K+ email subscribers

Want to learn how I did all of this? Check out my website: tombilyeu.com

Tom Bilyeu

I spent 6 months perfecting this one AI prompt for market research. It'll save you $10K in research fees and weeks of wasted time.

[BEGIN PROMPT]

I'm building [product] for [audience] to solve [problem].

Please analyze:

MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH
- Assess current market size and potential for growth
- Evaluate key trends indicating increasing or declining demand
- Provide evidence from search volumes, surveys, industry data
- Include supporting evidence from Reddit, Amazon, and forums

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
- Identify primary competitors with strengths and weaknesses
- Highlight clear opportunities to differentiate meaningfully
- Assess how sustainable my competitive advantage will be
- Show what makes my solution truly different and better

PRICING AND MARGINS
- Suggest realistic pricing strategies and benchmarks
- Analyze customer willingness to pay based on real data
- Evaluate potential for recurring or expanded revenue
- Find opportunities for complimentary products or upsells

OPERATIONAL FEASIBILITY
- Outline key resources needed to launch successfully
- Evaluate unique operational challenges for this business
- Identify opportunities or limitations in scaling efficiently
- Assess talent, technology, and supplier requirements

MARKETING STRATEGY
- Identify most effective channels for my target market
- Evaluate typical customer acquisition costs vs. lifetime value
- Highlight tactics that will resonate with this audience
- Provide specific marketing approaches with proof they work

RISKS AND REGULATIONS
- Outline significant market, operational, and regulatory risks
- Identify potential barriers to entry or execution
- Assess competitive threats and potential market shifts
- Highlight any intellectual property or legal concerns

LONG-TERM POTENTIAL
- Analyze whether this idea has longevity beyond trends
- Suggest realistic growth paths and potential expansions
- Identify possible pivot options if needed
- Evaluate long-term competitive landscape

VALIDATION APPROACH
- Recommend concrete next steps for testing this idea
- Identify early warning signs that would indicate problems
- Suggest minimum viable test approach before full investment
- Outline key metrics that would indicate success
- Provide a clear conclusion on overall viability with specific next steps.

[END PROMPT]

The secret isn't the prompt itself.

It's how you use it:

1. NEVER one-shot this. I upload documents with detailed context first.

2. NEVER settle for the first draft.

3. ALWAYS update my documentation rather than trust AI memory.

The only difference between exceptional results and mediocre ones is how well you direct it.

But you need to know which questions to ask and how to interpret the answers.

Come to my free AI masterclass and I'll show you how to leverage AI to start your business FAST - even if you're not a "techie": https://lnkd.in/g38q_WpV

CEO at Impact Theory | Co-Founded & Sold Quest Nutrition For $1B | Helping 7-figure founders scale to 8-figures & beyond

If I had to start over tomorrow with nothing but a laptop and ChatGPT, here’s how I would build a multi-million dollar business in 90 days.

I'd create a 5-person AI department that works 24/7.

Let me introduce you to the team…

THE RESEARCHER

Upload a 50-75 page document explaining my vision and business model.

Ask:
"What problems are people complaining about in [industry] forums where existing solutions are failing them? Show me Reddit threads, Amazon reviews, and Google Trends data."

Follow Up:
"Find the top 5 urgent problems in growing industries with supporting evidence."

THE STRATEGIST

Ask detailed questions with clear metrics: 
"What specific actions will change which KPIs, by how much, in what timeframe?"

Then demand a specific evaluation of my competitive advantages.

Have it identify operational challenges unique to my business model.

Run every idea through "No BS What Would It Take?" analysis.

Ask it to outline critical risks and early validation red flags.

THE COPYWRITER

Never ask for "good copy", too vague.

Build step by step: outline → headlines → structure → full draft.

Make it create a lead magnet that delivers instant value.

Have it design a complete landing page that anyone can understand in 5 seconds.

THE BUILDER

Make it outline exactly what resources I need to launch.

Have it create detailed SOPs for scaling.

Ask for a complete operational risk analysis.

Make it identify regulatory concerns specific to my industry.

Demand concrete, practical next steps at the end of every prompt.

THE MARKETER

Have it create 10-15 high-value social posts per week.

Make it analyze my audience and identify the best platforms.

Force it to create content that stops people from scrolling.

Have it iterate on posts until they hit the right emotional triggers.

Make it test 10 ideas in the time it used to take to test one.

But here's the catch.

These tools amplify execution speed, not thinking quality.

Most founders I meet obsess over which AI tools to use BEFORE validating if their business idea is actually worth building.

They create perfect websites for products no one wants.
They write flawless email sequences for non-existent customers.
They design beautiful pitch decks for businesses with fatal flaws.

The tools aren't the bottleneck.
Your business hypothesis is.

AI without direction is worthless.
AI with mediocre direction gets mediocre results.
AI with elite direction builds empires.

The difference between the entrepreneur who fails and the one who builds an empire isn't access to AI.

It's how they direct it.

Tuesday, 3:47pm. My Director of Marketing asked if she could spend $300 on Facebook ads.
That's when I knew we were screwed.

I see this with almost every $5M-$15M founder I work with: 

CFOs who can't read a P&L.
VPs who mistake activity for results.
Directors who need you to make every hard decision.

The reality is your team didn't get worse. It’s just that the game got harder.

But instead of upgrading, you became their safety net.

Here's how to fix it. 

Step 1: Log Every Decision 

For one week, write down every decision that requires your input. Time stamp it. Note who brought it to you.

Step 2: The Three Categories 

Sort each decision into:

Strategic (only you should decide)
Operational (your team should decide)
Trivial (shouldn't reach you at all)

Step 3: The Painful Truth 

If more than 30% are operational or trivial, your team can't scale.

Quest grew 57,000% in three years because I learned this early:
You can't solve your way to scale.

Most operational decisions should never reach you.

If they do, it means:
Your team lacks decision-making frameworks
They're scared to be wrong
You've trained them to ask instead of act

The fix isn't more training.
It's better systems.

Give your team decision-making authority with clear boundaries.

"You can spend up to $10K without approval."
"You can hire anyone who scores 8+ on our assessment."
"You can kill any project that doesn't hit 70% of target by month 2."

Decisions get made faster.
Your team gets stronger.
You get your life back.

Every decision you make that someone else could make is stealing time from the decisions only you can make.

Those are the million-dollar decisions.
The strategic moves that actually scale companies.

But you'll never get to them if you're stuck approving $300 in Facebook ads.

Your team either becomes your competitive advantage or your biggest bottleneck.

Start the decision audit today. You might be shocked by what you find.

How do you upgrade from founder-dependent to truly scalable?

The companies that break $25M don't figure this out by trial and error. They have proven frameworks for building leadership teams that actually lead.

I'm walking through this exact system in my upcoming workshop.

The same approach that took Quest from founder-dependent to $1B without me solving every problem.

Sign up for the workshop here: https://lnkd.in/gD27XhmF

I have extreme concerns about the US economy in 2026.

As a PSA for founders:

I would advise you all to be looking very closely at what a protective strategy is going to look like.

No one sees the future clearly, not me, not anybody. 

However, there are macroeconomic forces that I think it would be unwise to ignore.

I think 2026 is going to be rocky. 

I encourage you guys to plan accordingly, in terms of how much money you set aside for the unknown and the things that could go wrong.

I would also look at your treasury strategy. 

What does that look like? 
What things are you going to be responsive to?

I would pay extreme attention to inflation. 

I think inflation is going to potentially get way out of control this year.

Ironically, I think the government is both going to be forced to lower interest rates, which is wild, as the Yield curve is going insane and going up. 

I think that the government is actually going to lower rates. 

So brace yourselves for some fiscal madness in 26.

Just be thoughtful. 

I'm happy to talk more about it if anybody has questions along those lines. 

I try not to tell people what to do with their money. (this is not financial advice)

There's just way too much uncertainty. 

But I will sound the alarm and say:

I grow increasingly concerned about the macroeconomic forces that are at play right now.

Bad leaders give answers. Good leaders ask questions. Great leaders refuse to solve problems their team can solve.

Early on, my team would come to me with every decision.

"Should we do A or B?" 
"What do you think about this approach?" 
"How should I handle this situation?"

I'd answer. Every time.
I thought I was being helpful.

I was actually creating dependent minions..

Then I implemented The Socratic Redirection…

When someone asks you a question they should be able to solve, straight up don't answer it.

Instead, ask yourself: "Why am I the right person to answer this?"

If the answer is "I'm not," redirect them:

Step 1: Make them state the goal "What are we trying to accomplish here?"

Step 2: Identify the obstacle "What's blocking you from getting there?"

Step 3: Force them to propose a solution "What do you think we should do?"

This does two things:
First, it trains them to think before they ask.
Second, it shows them they already know the answer.

Most of the time, they do.

They just wanted permission or validation.

When I started doing this I got my time back. The team started making decisions faster. They stopped waiting for me to solve problems.

If you’ve got an org full of people who just want to be told what to do, stop giving answers and start asking questions.

Your team will thank you by thinking like owners instead of acting like minions.

Want the complete system for building a team that thinks and executes at championship level? I'm hosting a live workshop for founders who are done micromanaging.

Register here: https://buff.ly/Q3AqgcQ

Your A-players are updating their LinkedIn profiles. It’s not about the money. I see this destroy companies every week.

High performers join excited. They see potential. They're ready to grind.

Then they meet the team.

The sales rep who hasn't hit quota in 8 months but has great "potential."

The marketing manager who runs campaigns with no measurable results but works "really hard."

The operations director who creates busywork instead of solving problems but has been there "since the beginning."

Your A-players look around and think: "If this is what excellence looks like here, I'm in the wrong place."

So they leave. And you're left wondering why you can't retain top talent.

The answer is simple: You don't have a meritocracy. You have a participation trophy culture.

Here's how to build a true meritocracy: a system where outcomes matter more than effort, seniority, or intentions:

1. Make Performance Impossible to Hide

Every role gets 3-5 KPIs that everyone can see. No ambiguity. No interpretation.

The scoreboard tells the truth when feelings lie.

2. Reward Results, Not Effort

Hard work without results isn't good enough. Period.

Stop promoting people because they "try really hard." Start promoting people because they deliver outcomes.

3. Make Feedback Your Weapon

Real-time, honest evaluations. No surprises at review time.

Great performers crave feedback. Mediocre performers fear it.

4. Celebrate Winners Publicly

When someone crushes their numbers, make it visible. Promotions and bonuses tied directly to measurable outcomes.

Show your team exactly what success earns.

5. Let Consequences Have Teeth

A meritocracy only works if there are consequences for failure.

Enforce performance standards. No exceptions. No excuses.

Mediocrity tolerated is meritocracy destroyed.

6. Design Culture That Repels the Wrong People

Be clear: "This isn't a family. It's a championship team."

Your culture should make underperformers uncomfortable and high performers excited.

Your job is fairness, not comfort.

Stop protecting feelings and start protecting standards.

Every day you tolerate mediocrity, you're telling your best people their excellence doesn't matter.

Ready to build a team where performance actually matters? Learn how to create the meritocracy that attracts and keeps elite talent: https://buff.ly/rKA2MWy

After 1,000+ interviews, I stopped rejecting candidates.


Now I design tests that make them reject themselves.

Most $5M-$15M founders hire for who people could become.

I hire for who they already are.

99% of people don't change.

If you bet your company on potential, you'll lose.

Here's what my ‘Disqualify to Hire’ process looks like in practice.

We've had our Social Community Manager role open for over a year.

After the initial interview, candidates get a technical assessment.

They must pull clips and write copy from one of my most controversial livestreams.

Half drop out immediately.

"This isn't aligned with my values."
"I can't put my name on this content."
"This could hurt my personal brand."

Perfect. Those responses tell me everything I need to know.

They can't handle the actual job we need done.

Most founders hire the person who interviews well.

Then spend 6 months trying to "develop" them into the role.

The result? Mediocre performance and wasted time.

I make the wrong people fire themselves.

Before they waste our time.
Before they damage our culture.
Before they become an $80K mistake.

The candidates who stay? They prove they can do the real work. Not some sanitized version of it.

The actual, messy, controversial work that drives results.

One wrong hire at $10M revenue costs you 6 months of momentum.

Six months of training someone who will never perform.
Six months of their teammates compensating for weak performance.
Six months of opportunity cost while your competition moves ahead.

Your hiring standards determine your revenue ceiling.

Most founders know they need better people.

They just don't know how to systematically identify who to keep, who to develop, and who to replace.

They don't have a framework for making these decisions before it's too late.

The companies that break $25M don't wing it.

They have systems for auditing their entire team.
For identifying the bottlenecks before they kill growth.
For upgrading talent while there's still time to scale.

I'm walking through this exact system in my upcoming workshop. It’s the same approach that helped Quest reach $1B and keeps Impact Theory growing.

You’ll learn how to audit your current team, identify the gaps, and build the leadership structure that actually scales.

Because hiring one person better, is good… but upgrading your entire leadership approach? That's how you break through to 8 figures. 

Register here: https://buff.ly/1WrCZAJ

The fastest way to scale your business? 
Stop investing in it. 

Kill everything that doesn't 3x your money.

Most $3M companies stay $3M forever because they fund mediocrity.

They keep life support on failed experiments because "we've already spent so much."
They bankroll pet projects that feel productive but generate zero revenue.
They avoid killing initiatives because stopping feels like admitting failure.

Scaling Quest to $1B taught me that money has exactly one job… multiply itself.

Every dollar you spend must return $3, $5, or $10.

If it can't prove that path, kill it today.

The 4-Step Framework That Saved Me Millions:

1: The 90-Day Death Sentence 

Every initiative gets 90 days to hit its target metric. No extensions. No "we're so close" excuses. No second chances. Miss the number? Funding dies immediately.

2: The 3x Filter 

Before spending one dollar, ask: "Will this generate 3x returns within 12 months?" If you can't draw a clear path to 3x, don't spend the money. This single question eliminates 80% of stupid decisions.

3: Monday Money Autopsies 

Every Monday, audit last week's spending. Ask: "Did each dollar move us closer to revenue goals?" If no, redirect that budget immediately. Speed kills waste.

4: Zero-Based Quarterly Purge 

Start every quarter with $0 allocated. Force every department to re-justify funding from scratch. Last quarter's budget means nothing if this quarter's results don't justify it.

I’m willing to bet half your current spending is pure waste.

You know it. 
Your team knows it. 
Your dying bank account screams it.

But you keep funding mediocrity because cutting feels like failure.

Your budget isn't an investment strategy.
It's a charity fund for failed experiments.

Time to get ruthless.

The companies that break $10M don't just allocate money well.
They allocate talent ruthlessly.

That's why I'm hosting "The 5 Leadership Mistakes Costing You Millions." 

In this workshop, I'll show you how to stop funding underperformance and start building teams that multiply your investment. Register here: https://buff.ly/b2Y24pH

Most founders stall at $1M. The ones who force their way to $5M without fixing the foundation? They collapse back down.

Every business has predictable revenue ceilings.
And at each ceiling, something breaks.

Here are the 5 revenue ceilings every founder eventually hits:

Ceiling 1: $100K

What breaks: You.

At $100K, you're doing everything. Sales, ops, customer service, product.

You're the bottleneck.

The business can't grow because you can't clone yourself.

What you need to fix: Start documenting processes. Build basic systems. Hire your first contractor or part-time help.

Ceiling 2: $500K

What breaks: Your processes.

At $500K, you have a few people helping. But nothing is documented.

Knowledge lives in people's heads. When someone is out sick, things fall apart.

You're constantly putting out fires because nothing runs without you.

What you need to fix: Build repeatable systems. Create SOPs. Make the business less dependent on any single person, including you.

Ceiling 3: $1M

What breaks: Your team.

At $1M, you need real employees. Not just helpers.

You need people who can manage others. Make decisions. Own outcomes.

But most founders at $1M are still hiring for skills, not judgment.

They hire doers when they need thinkers.

What you need to fix: Hire people who can lead. Delegate outcomes, not tasks. Build a team that can function without you in every meeting.

Ceiling 4: $5M

What breaks: Your leadership.

At $5M, you can't manage everyone anymore.

You need leaders who build leaders. Systems that scale without your involvement.

Most founders at $5M are still operating like they did at $1M.

They're in the weeds. Micromanaging. Redoing work.

What you need to fix: Step out of operations. Focus on vision, culture, and capital allocation. 

Build leaders who don't need you to function.

Ceiling 5: $10M

What breaks: Your business model.

At $10M, what got you here won't get you to $50M.

Your unit economics might not support the next stage of growth.

Your product might need to evolve. Your customer base might need to expand.

What you need to fix: Reevaluate your entire business model. Is it scalable? Defensible? Profitable at scale?

Most founders force their way through these ceilings without fixing what's broken.

They hire more people to cover for bad processes.
They work longer hours to make up for weak leadership.
They raise more capital to mask a broken business model.

And eventually, it all collapses.

Revenue without infrastructure is just expensive chaos.

The people who helped me build a $10M company nearly destroyed my $1B exit because I didn't evolve as a leader fast enough to see when the cracks were forming.

If you're doing $1M+ and you're stuck at one of these ceilings, I'm hosting a free workshop on the leadership gaps that keep you from breaking through. 

Register here: https://lnkd.in/g3xVunch

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