Jean Moncrieff

Emerge Studio - Business Value Creation Experts

CEO + Leadership Team coach to growth-oriented companies.

Business Team Coach

Virtual marketing services for business owners who want a marketing strategy that actually works. We'll figure out exactly what to say so that people will know who you are, how you can help them, and want to do business with you.

Marketing Strategist

We help business owners create more valuable companies that come time to sell attract outlandish offers. We help you free up the time to work on your business. Develop clarity on the future of your business. Implement systems - yes, including lead generation - that make your business more valuable. And when the time comes, attract substantial offers from potential acquirers.

Business Exit Advisory

The Marketing Centre

The Marketing Centre is a UK market leader in offering part-time CMOs and Marketing Directors for SMEs. The portfolio businesses we work with are often early-stage high-growth ventures and much of our work involves close co-operation with private equity firms and venture capitalists to ensure rapid growth while creating value and optimum returns. With us, entrepreneurs can access a wealth of experienced and commercially minded marketing leaders who know how to make businesses grow, but who operate on a part-time basis and therefore more cost-effectively.

Typically I work with businesses who recognise themselves in at least two of the following: 

- have ambitious growth plans and want to capitalise on this growth
- may have stalled and need a fresh review of the business
- have a business owner is running out of hours in the day to do everything
- have sales pipeline needs more and better quality leads to achieve your growth plans
- need their online strategy reinvigorating
- need to re-evaluate and develop their proposition 
- are building towards an exit and want to maximise return
- has a turnover between £3m and £50m

If you are interested to know more, please contact me on 0792 638 1370 or email me at jean.moncrieff@themarketingcentre.com, and we can talk about your business.

Part-Time Marketing Director

ORTHENE CHEMICALS LTD

Crafted an in-depth go-to-market strategy for launching high-performance brake fluid in the US racing and motorsport sectors, complemented by guidance on implementing a comprehensive business operating system.

Capacitas

Capacitas thrives on solving the complex technology challenges preventing Private Equity firms from unlocking value in their investments. We engage directly with portfolio companies—aligning ourselves with high-performing teams to remove the technological barriers to value creation.

Enable

Enable's SaaS rebate management software helps distributors, manufacturers and retailers drive mutually profitable growth.

Marketing Director (Part-Time)

Jibestream, an Inpixon Company

Jibestream is the premier indoor mapping and location platform provider for enterprise organizations. They provide a geospatial platform that allows you to solve mission-critical problems by integrating business data with indoor maps.

Head Of Marketing

Data Connect Corporation

Data Connect specialised in deal management software for trade shows. Their Show Expert Systems trade show software is now the leading solution for order, registration, and marketing program management for the food distribution industry.

Interim Chief Technology Officer

Emerge Group

Emerge offered business process and information management services to customers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from my responsibilities as CEO, I was responsible for developing Global 360's (now OpenText) partner network in Africa, identifying and negotiating strategic partnerships and overall business development for the group of companies.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Siemens Business Services

Siemens Business Services contracted me in as an interim CTO responsible for a significant technology refresh at the South African Department of Labour.

<​eye2eye> Digital Distillers

<eye2eye> was start-up pioneering Web Content Management (WCM). As Co-Founder and Managing Director I was responsible for business development and operations. Our Digital Distiller platform powered websites for Investec Bank, Anglo American, Old Mutual and others. The role also brought me to London where I worked with Burston Marstellar’s PR division, providing expert advice on web-based and online communications.

Co-Founder & Managing Director

I am a seasoned entrepreneur and scale-up strategist dedicated to guiding businesses through transformative growth and towards successful exits. With a track record of founding, scaling, and executing high-value exits in the 7 and 8-figure range, I bring firsthand experience and strategic insight to the table.

Over my career, I've navigated the complexities of scaling businesses in diverse sectors, always with an eye towards preparing them for lucrative exit events. My journey has equipped me with an expansive toolkit—from business operating systems to innovative custom frameworks—that ensures businesses not only grow but become prime candidates for acquisition.

To the CEOs, owners, and entrepreneurs feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of growth and the dream of a successful exit: I understand. Growing a business is hard, but you don't have to do it alone. My method combines the strategic oversight of a seasoned CEO with actionable tools and processes that clear the path to scale and exit.

🔎 Clarify Your Vision: Shape a compelling future for your company that attracts buyers and sets you apart.

🎯 Build Accountability: Ensure each critical metric and goal has a clear owner, driving your business forward with precision.

🗓️ Strategic Prioritization: Focus your efforts with a 90-day plan that targets your most important goals, making tangible progress towards scaling and exit readiness.

⚡️ Energize and Empower: Create a culture of engagement and confidence where your team is aligned with the growth and exit strategy.

The Outcome:

Under my guidance, clients achieve not only higher profitability and more cohesive teams but also prepare their businesses to be attractive to acquirers, ensuring that their legacy thrives beyond their tenure. Together, we ensure that your business serves you, your family, and your community in even greater ways.

If your business is poised for growth but needs a strategic plan to scale and prepare for an exit, let's talk. My commitment is to transform your business from being run by the day-to-day into one that runs efficiently towards your exit goal.

Certifications: Certified Metronomics Coach + Certified Value Builder Coach

Specialities: Business Scaling, Exit Preparation, Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Financial Oversight, Change Management.

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼.
A handful of Small Giants around a table, sharing a meal, stories, and the kind of honest conversation that only happens when values-driven leaders get together.
 
One of the questions we explored was: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺?"

We all shared our experiences — the value of having a network to lean on in challenging times, the connection with like-hearted people who truly get it — and my personal favourite, 𝗥&𝗗: 𝗥𝗼𝗯 & 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆.
 
In this community, people open their businesses, share their wins (and mistakes), and invite you into the lessons that shaped them. And every time you visit someone’s company or sit down for a conversation, you walk away with something you can immediately try in your own business.
 
That openness and generosity is what makes this community special.
 
Grateful for everyone who joined us in Chicago last night. 🧡
Angela Pitzo Jean Pitzo Furkan Amil Gur Tom Walter Kathy Steele Nick Sarillo Nirel Inman Ben Jagim Brianna Drevlow-Jagim JOHN J COSTELLO Eric Rieger 

Looking forward to many more tables like this one.
  
– Jean 🧡
   
𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗬𝗜 — if you’re in LA on Dec 3, we’re hosting an intimate dinner and have about 10 spots available. DM me if you’re interested.

CEO Small Giants Community | Host Growing with Purpose Podcast | Speaker | Author Finding Freedom (due April 2026) | Connecting and Developing Purpose-Driven Business Leaders

🛍️ Well-deserved end to a hard day of shopping!

Pretty sure I tried on more outfits than when Joey went commando in all of Chandler’s clothes 😅

Thankfully, I had my very own personal stylist — Sinem Dorter  — keeping me on track (and saving me from the questionable wardrobe choices when left to my own devices).

We found a great Italian German fusion place on the Konstanz Harbour… no, no wurst on pizza! Just great food. 

Unfortunately sometimes the love of good food sometimes shows up in the new pants size 😂

Now I’d better dress the part. 😉

— Jean

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Talks about #exitstrategy, #businessgrowth, #entrepreneurship, #marketingstrategy, and #strategicexecution

🚆 Working from the rails today.

Suspended between Zurich and Konstanz — fields rolling by, slides open for next week’s Forbes Small Giants keynote in Lima, and a rare pocket of stillness.

There’s something I love about train travel in Europe.
It invites a slower rhythm.
You can think, read, reflect — without rushing to the next thing.

This morning, I’ve been finalizing my presentation, Sinem Dorter reading a few pages, as the countryside drifts past.

Movement outside.
Calm inside.

Sometimes the best ideas don’t happen at the destination — they happen between them.

— Jean 🧡

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to a few hundred business owners in Lima, Peru, at the 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 event.

I shared what makes a Small Giant — 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 — through stories from our incredible Small Giants Community.

Two things stood out for me:

1) How many 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 filled the room. It’s inspiring to see so many phenomenal women leading purpose-driven businesses — both here in Peru and across the Small Giants Community — and the incredible growth and creativity they bring to their companies and communities.

2) That all around the world, business owners are proving that business can be a force for good.

One of the speakers who followed me gave a powerful talk about something we rarely think about — 𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗵. Once it leaves our homes, we tend to forget it exists. But like many cities, Lima faces huge challenges with waste management. His talk was a reminder that purpose-driven businesses have a crucial role to play in tackling issues like this and solving real problems that affect our communities and our planet.

A huge thank you to the Forbes Perú (Oficial) team for putting on such a phenomenal event. The energy, ideas, and stories shared today were truly inspiring.

Thank you Eduardo Garcia, my translator.

FYI – If you’re a values-driven business owner who believes business should be a force for good, check out the Small Giants Community.

#ForbesSmallGiantsSummit

Forbes Perú (Oficial)

I’ve come to the conclusion that the fastest way to connect with people is through good food, good stories, and great conversation.

This evening I was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Davin Salvagno and his beautiful family. 

When you’re travelling and far from home, being welcomed in like that is something special. There’s nothing quite like being “adopted” for an evening — fed well, included fully, and treated like one of the family (including by the family dog).

I left feeling full (in every sense), grateful, and reminded that connection often shows up in the simplest moments — like being handed a seat at the table.

Deeply grateful to the Salvango family for making this traveller feel right at home.

– Jean 🧡

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I had a “Small Giants mojo moment” in Lima this week.

After the Forbes Perú (Oficial) Small Giants Summit, I visited NEIRA CAFÉ LAB flagship store - one of seven coffee shops — founded by Harry Neira, whose love for coffee came from his grandmother’s small farm in rural Peru.

He grew up helping her dry coffee cherries in the sun and grind them by hand using the old two-stone method. Those early rituals shaped not only his love for coffee but his approach to entrepreneurship.

When I walked into the store, I immediately felt the purpose in the space:

👉 𝘈 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 featuring coffees from Peruvian farmers across all three regions of the country.
👉 𝘈 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 showing the colour and character coffee takes on at each roasting stage.
👉 The warm orange accents representing the fire his mother roasted coffee over.
👉 And a team that treats coffee like craft — and customers like family.

Andrea greeted me with a hug and took me on a “coffee journey,” even explaining the shock reaction of serving hot coffee in a cold cup (surprisingly incredible).

What struck me most was how deeply Harry’s grandmother’s values live in the business — the care, the community, the intention.

This is what a Small Giants business looks like in the wild.
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁. 
𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘷𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦.
𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹. 
Rooted in the culture. 
𝗠𝗼𝗷𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗽.

If you ever visit Lima, put NEIRA CAFÉ LAB top of your list.

– Jean 🧡

✍🏼 Encountered a Small Giant Business, we'd love to hear about them!
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#SmallGiants #MojoMoments #Coffee

NEIRA CAFÉ LAB

CEO & Founder @ Neira Café Lab

"𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴." 

On a flight to Lima, I picked up 𝘈 𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 by Simon Boas — a recommendation from Scott Jeffrey Miller. 

So many of the words, phrases and paragraphs in Simon's book have stuck with me this trip.

But those four words: "𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴." most of all.

They found their way into breakfast conversations about how we're constantly comparing outward and upward.

How TikTok, influencers, and polished career stories — are all feeding the idea that we should always be moving up fast.

One example someone shared: a young person who had been in a role for eight months and said, “Well, I’ve done that three times now. It’s time to move up.”

It’s the belief that if someone your age — a peer, a classmate, someone in your feed — is already ahead, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰.
But we forget the journey in between.
We forget how much growth actually happens in the middle — the messy, unglamorous part no one posts about.

I saw a real-life example on a recent trip.

A couple boarded the plane and took their seats across from me in United Premium Economy. Their flight had been cancelled and they'd clearly been bumped down from business class. The gentleman was visibly upset — so much so that on a phone call he referred to premium economy as being stuck in the “Barney seats.” (United has purple premium economy seats.)

Meanwhile, I glanced behind me at the rows of coach passengers… and felt grateful.
And then I thought of the millions of people who will never step onto a plane… and felt even more grateful.

Upward comparison fuels frustration.
Downward comparison fuels perspective.

Wherever you find yourself sitting today — in your career or on your next flight — 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥.
You might find more gratitude than you expect.
(And read A Beginner's Guide to Dying - it's a great read)

For me, that means heading home much grateful for the time I've spent in Lima and with a new perspective.

– Jean 🧡

✍🏼 What you reading this weekend?
🔔 Follow me Jean Moncrieff for more content like this

8X Bestselling Author | Former Host of the World’s Largest Weekly Leadership Podcast | Former CMO and EVP of FranklinCovey | Keynoter | Principal at the Gray + Miller Agency | Visit graymilleragency.com

Patagonia recently released their 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. It’s a document that’s as honest as it is beautifully crafted.

What struck me wasn’t just the design or the clarity of writing.
It was the courage. 

Within it’s first few pages, Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard writes:  
“We do not have all the answers, but the fear of getting things wrong in the process cannot stop us from trying to get things right in the end.”

This statement sets the stage for a fresh take on a progress report. 

Not far behind, in bold type, Patagonia declares:
“Nothing We Do Is Sustainable.”

Most companies wouldn’t dare put that in print. 
But Patagonia did. Not as a gimmick, not as a marketing hook, but as a statement of responsibility.

CEO Ryan Gellert puts it plainly: this isn’t a pat-on-the-back report. 
It isn’t 150 pages of brand polish. 
Yes, it is highlighting credit where credit is due towards their amazing team and partners.
But it’s also a look under the hood: the wins, the worries, the contradictions, the gaps.

It acknowledges the fear. 
The uncertainty. 
And the resolve to keep moving anyway.

And in doing so, they model something every business — especially values-driven ones — needs to embrace:

𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.
𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.
𝗔𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

Patagonia’s report isn’t just about the environment. 
It’s about leadership.

About accepting that we’re part of an ecosystem — and that our duty isn’t to appear perfect, but to take responsibility for the space we occupy.

That’s a lesson every purpose-driven leader can stand to revisit.

Leading with purpose isn’t always easy. It’s often met with resistance, and temptations to take the easy way out. But we owe it to ourselves, our communities, and our planet to lead boldly. 
Because our actions and our voice have ripples of impact that go beyond our immediate reach.

And if you’re committed to doing business with that kind of intention and integrity, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱: https://lnkd.in/ebcUdBtr

💡 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆!

I’m thrilled to announce that the Small Giants Community has partnered with Maison Vero to launch our very own publishing imprint — 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.

This partnership has personal meaning for me.

When I started writing 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮, I had no idea how hard it would be to bring a book to life. The writing, the editing, the publishing process — it all felt overwhelming at times.

But then I met Davin Salvagno and Scott Jeffrey Miller from Maison Vero. 

Their wisdom, encouragement, and belief in the power of storytelling gave me the clarity and momentum I needed to evolve my manuscript into something powerful for the world.

That experience planted a seed. 
Because within our community, there are 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 of founders, CEOs, and next-gen leaders whose stories deserve to be told — stories of courage, values, and building businesses that choose to be great instead of big.

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 is how we’ll bring those stories to life. It’s the next step in amplifying the voices of purpose-driven leaders everywhere.

–––

📘 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺? Next week, we’re hosting our 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 with Scott and Davin — a behind-the-scenes walkthrough of the entire publishing lifecycle: From writing and refining your idea, to publishing and bringing your book into the world.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book, this is your chance to take the first step.
👉 https://lnkd.in/ek5sQVME

— 𝘑𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘧 🧡

P.S. -> A big thanks to Andrei Stoica and the STOICA.CO team for helping us bring the new identity to life in time for launch 🙏

Small Giants Community

Maison Vero

2X Bestselling Author | Inspirational Speaker | Cofounder of The Purpose Summit | Founding Partner at Maison Vero

CEO, STOICA.CO — B2B marketing for growth

STOICA.CO

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺. 
But somewhere along the way, we end up trapped in the center of everything.

Every decision. Every problem. Every win. It all comes through us.
The truth is, you don’t scale freedom by working harder. You scale it by growing leaders.

When you surround yourself with 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 — people who think deeply, act with purpose, and lead with heart — you create the kind of company people never want to leave.

That’s what the 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is all about. Helping you grow the kind of leaders your business and the world needs.

🎥 This short video captures the essence of that journey — through the voices of this year’s graduates, the CEOs who’ve invested in their people, and the incredible faculty who make it all possible.

A big thanks to everyone who shared their time, stories, and hearts to bring this to life: Kathryn Sowa, Hai Nguyen, Dante Reesman, Jane Johnston, PMP®, Brian Gardner, Tessa Wensel, Dan Culic, Sabrina White, Thomas Gunn, and Lea Abbott!

----

We’re entering the 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 of applications for the next Leadership Academy cohort.

If you’ve been on the fence, this is your moment. Invest in your people. Grow your future leaders. And take the first step toward the freedom you started this journey for.

👉 https://lnkd.in/gdHZihB9

#SmallGiants #Leadership

Building communities and entrepreneurial leaders.

Head of Product, Co-Founder at Text-Em-All

Director Of Food And Beverage at Emagine Entertainment

Project Operations Director Knight Agency

Technologist | Problem Solver | SoftwareGR Board Member

Grow, always.

Managing Director at Resonance

Head of People & Great Work at Text-Em-All

Sparking joy, spreading hope, and rallying enthusiasm— mostly through vibes, occasionally through Salesforce.

𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲.

I came across a picture today — an old caravan with one clear message underneath it:
  
“𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲.”
 
And it hit me at the perfect moment.
 
We’re deep in planning for next year.
And the hardest part isn’t deciding 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 to do…
It’s deciding what to 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲.
 
Elon Musk once said that the most common mistake engineers make is adding complexity that isn’t needed.
 
Business leaders do the same.
 
So as you map out 2026, try asking:

• 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵?
• 𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵?
• 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵?
 
Because clarity isn’t found by adding more.
It’s found by stripping things back to what truly matters.
 
What’s one thing you’re removing from next year’s plan?
 
— Jean

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝘁𝘇 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 
    
We spent the morning with Jay Goltz — one of the originals from Bo Burlingham's 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 book — at his Chicago retail store, and he shared a perspective that’s stayed with me all day.
 
“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽:
 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽.
 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽.
 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽.”
        
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽 is the rush.
Everything is new, exciting, full of possibility.

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 is the messy middle where most owners get stuck.
You’re growing, juggling people issues, navigating operational chaos… and stuck in a command-and-control mode. You react. You fly off the handle. You assume the chaos is everyone else’s fault.

But the third stage — the 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 stage — is where the shift happens.
 
To “grow up” a business, you have to grow up as a leader. 
You move from doing everything yourself to building depth.
To developing leaders who can think, act, and decide without you in the room.
To recognising that 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 shapes the entire organisation.
 
And as we talked, the conversation naturally drifted to something deeper: 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.

How easy it is, as entrepreneurs, to pour everything into purpose, people, and profit… and unintentionally neglect the very people we started this journey for.

It’s a reminder that staying stuck in the 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 stage doesn’t just limit the business — 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. And the only way out is to grow up 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 leadership and grow up the team around you.

Thanks for the wisdom and conversation Jay Goltz and Kathryn Sowa 🙏

- Jean

✍️ Where do you see yourself on the journey?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽.
 
On my first morning here, I met Davin Salvagno to discuss my book at Bitty & Beau's Coffee.
 
I knew the place was different the moment I walked in.  
The young man at the counter greeted me with a smile, took my order, and handed me the 5 of Diamonds. No names — just a playing card. (Honestly, a relief. People rarely get my name right anyway.)

Then I learned the real story: Bitty & Beau’s employs more than 450 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — people who are so often overlooked, underestimated, or excluded from meaningful work... 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆.

Finding a place where you’re valued, where you belong, and where your contribution matters is hard enough for many of us — but painfully rare for people like Jenny.

After our conversation, Davin and I snapped a photo in front of the big world map, each pointing to where we’d travelled from. I was blown away by how many pins marked visitors from around the globe.
 
And that first visit opened my eyes to something far more meaningful: 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥.
 
So I kept going back.  
Day after day.  
Same table. 
Same manuscript.  
Same extraordinary sense of what business can be when it puts people and purpose first.
 
A business that doesn’t just include people with disabilities – 
𝗜𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
𝗜𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

As I sat scribbling in my manuscript, a woman leant over and asked about my 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙂𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 cap.
 
That small moment — a simple question — made me look up and really see the place.
 
The familiar greetings.  
The “I haven’t seen you in ages!” reunions.  
The warmth between staff and customers.  
The way people lingered, swapped stories, and laughed like they genuinely belonged there.
 
It struck me: this wasn’t just a business serving a community.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
 
I told her that’s exactly what it means to be a Small Giant — purpose at the centre, humanity in every interaction, and a culture loved into existence by the people who show up each day.

- Jean 🧡

#FindingFreedom #SmallGiants

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆.  
          
I spent the morning with Davin Salvagno working through the next steps in the publishing process and it reminded me how much easier big goals become when you have both a roadmap 𝘢𝘯𝘥 someone walking it with you.
 
I just received the copy edited manuscript, and I’ll be spending Thanksgiving weekend tucked away in an Airbnb in Charlotte, diving into the next round of edits. 

It’s a big milestone, but what makes it manageable is having clarity:

➡️ What stage I’m in
➡️ What comes next
➡️ Who I need to involve
➡️ How to prepare for the launch

We stepped through each stage until book launch on Tuesday the 21st of April 2026 — from shaping the pre-launch plan, to identifying early readers, to mapping out the broader journey toward release.

And as we head into Thanksgiving, I’m deeply grateful.
Grateful for the guidance.
Grateful for the partnership.
And grateful to everyone supporting me in making this book a reality.
 
The journey to publishing a book can feel overwhelming.
But with the right guide, it becomes an exhilarating experience... knowing that you're bringing your story to the world.

- Jean
 
#FindingFreedom

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬.
 
This week, driving to dinner with my buddy Eric Rieger, our conversation turned to ITR Economics’ long-range forecast of a 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬 and lasting roughly six years.
 
They’ve been predicting this cycle for years.
And their 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝟵𝟰.𝟳% has been unsettlingly strong.
 
Now, I’m not an economist.
But there’s no downside to preparing for what may be on the horizon.
 
Especially when the next few years are expected to be relatively strong before the downturn hits.
 
So the question is:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲?
 
From the work I’ve done with purpose-driven CEOs — and the themes in my upcoming book — the answer comes down to three fundamentals:
 
𝟭. 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱.
You can’t be at the center of everything during turbulent times.
Surround yourself with leaders who are aligned with your purpose, grounded in your values, and capable of carrying real responsibility.
A resilient company is ultimately a resilient team.

𝟮. 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲.
If a downturn is coming, discipline wins.
Strengthen systems, tighten operating rhythms, pay down debt, and build a cash reserve.
Cash buys optionality — and in a depression, optionality is survival.

𝟯. 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱. 
Leaders like Eric are already thinking beyond their four walls.
Studying the landscape.
Positioning strategically.
Asking: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴? A𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?
 
No one can predict the future perfectly.
 
But preparedness is a choice.
 
And one of the smartest investments you can make right now is in 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 — the leaders who will help you navigate uncertainty, steady the culture, and find opportunity in the midst of challenge.
 
✍️ What’s one thing you’re doing to prepare your business for the next cycle?
 
— Jean
          
𝗙𝗬𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀:
We’re in the final stretch for applications to 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺.
If you want to develop the leaders who’ll help you navigate what’s coming, make sure to get your application in:

Open article: Leadership Academy | Small Giants Community by smallgiants.org

Leadership Academy | Small Giants Community

𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
 
It’s been a few weeks since I last picked up my manuscript — it just came back from copy edits — and it’s amazing how quickly things evolve when you step away.

In that time, conversations with entrepreneurs, the work we’re doing at Small Giants, and even my own reflections have shifted. Part of me wants to keep adding more… because the ideas keep getting better.
 
But there comes a point where you have to cut, refine, and finish.
 
Today I focused on Part One — the section on mindset — and it struck me again just how true this is:

Real change in a business starts with the mindset of the owner.
Not with strategy. 
Not with systems. 
Not with the team.
With you.

As founders, CEOs, and business owners, we have to be willing to evolve — to expand our self-awareness and widen our perspective.
          
After 18 months of writing, interviewing leaders, and coaching business owners, I’ve seen how my own mindset keeps deepening and evolving. 

And the surest sign you’re growing is when your perspective widens and you realise there’s always another layer to uncover.

Back to editing tomorrow. 
But feeling grateful for the clarity today brought.

- Jean

#FindingFreedom #SmallGiants

“𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀.”

We don’t say that enough in business.

Somewhere along the way, growth became the universal scoreboard: revenue, headcount, locations, followers. Sure, it's a mathematically simple indicator of success, but chasing those growing numbers can be dangerous.

⛓️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 

It burns out teams. 
It dilutes culture. 
It pulls the company further and further from its purpose.

The leaders I admire most — the ones building resilient, values-driven companies — think differently.

They start with alignment.

✨ Alignment of values. 
✨ Alignment of people. 
✨ Alignment of purpose.

Because when a team is aligned, growth becomes a byproduct, not a benchmark. It flows naturally from clarity, trust, and shared intent.

But when growth is the target? You can hit the number and still lose your soul.

If you’re building a business where purpose and people matter just as much as profit, 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

✈️ En route to Lima for the Forbes Small Giants Conference.

I’ll be taking the stage as keynote speaker to talk about what truly makes a Small Giant — and why, in uncertain times, it matters more than ever.

Because when political, economic, and social challenges stack up…
The easy thing is to pull back.
Cut costs. Tighten control.

But the companies that endure — the ones that come out stronger — do the opposite. They double down on people, values, and purpose.

Small Giants Leaders, anchor their businesses around those three things.

-> A clear purpose that guides why you exist.

-> Values that shape everyday decisions.

-> And people who bring it all to life.

I’ll be sharing stories of remarkable Small Giants who’ve navigated hard times and found strength, not just survival, on the other side.

Looking forward to connecting with purpose-driven leaders in Lima this week. 🇵🇪

What’s one value your business refuses to compromise on?

— Jean 🧡

#Forbes #SmallGiants #Lima #Peru

We just wrapped our very first 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 workshop — 𝗔 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 — in partnership with Maison Vero .

Scott Jeffrey Miller and Davin Salvagno took a group of future authors through the real journey of writing a book… from finding their 𝘸𝘩𝘺 to answering the two most important questions every author must tackle before they ever type a word.

One thing that really struck me was revisiting those same two questions from my own writing journey, was just how important they are... they shape everything.

And the best part?
𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄.

If you’re thinking about writing a book — or finally ready to start — you don’t want to miss it.

- Jean 🧡

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𝗙𝗬𝗜 – here's the link to register for tomorrow's session: https://lnkd.in/ek5sQVME
Don’t miss it!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀

Most leaders think their job is to talk.
The best leaders I’ve met?
They do the opposite.

They listen.

Not the “uh-huh, uh-huh” kind of listening.
I’m talking about the kind of listening that changes the direction of a business.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.
We jump in.
We talk over.
We fill the silence so no one sees the cracks.

But the leaders who scale?
The ones who build the businesses everyone admires?

They walk into a room and immediately elevate the intelligence of the group — not by speaking… but by 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦.

You can spot them instantly.

They ask sharp questions.
They invite everyone in.
They move around the table, not dominating it.
And you can literally feel the team rise.

They’re not trying to be the smartest person in the room.
They’re curating a room 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 of smart people — and then unlocking their brilliance.

Listening isn’t soft.
It’s not passive.
It’s a superpower.

And it might just be the hardest — and most transformative — leadership skill you’ll ever develop.

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𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀-𝘂𝗽:
Leadership Academy applications close in a couple of weeks.

One of the big things we work on with emerging leaders is 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 — not just hearing, but understanding, navigating tough conversations, and showing up with presence and confidence.

If you’re developing the next generation of leaders in your business, this is the work that changes everything.

👉 Click here to read more about Leadership Academy: https://lnkd.in/gdHZihB9

Strategy & Finance Executive | Scaling Impact-Driven Companies Beyond $10M | Strategic CFO | Certified Scaling Up Advisor

Scaling Founders Beyond $10M with Strategy, Financial Clarity, and Leadership Expansion

Most companies stall not because of lack of effort—
but because the founder has outgrown the systems, strategies, and financial models that once worked.

At Ascend Growth Ventures, we partner with CEOs of $3M–$10M companies to implement Scaling Up, strengthen financial infrastructure, and elevate leadership teams—building businesses that scale profitably and predictably, without burning out the founder.

By integrating Scaling Up, Exponential Organizations, and CFO-level financial insights, we deliver a complete, battle-tested system for sustainable, high-performance growth.

🔹 We Work With CEOs Who Want To:
✔️ Scale revenue and profits without chaos
✔️ Build self-managing leadership teams
✔️ Unlock hidden cash flow and improve financial decision-making
✔️ Sharpen their strategy for exponential growth
✔️ Prepare for capital raises, acquisitions, or exits

🔹 Our Core Focus Areas:
  * Strategic Scaling Up Implementation

  * Financial Strategy & Cash Optimization

  * Leadership Team Development

  * Systems for Predictable Growth

  * Valuation Prep and Exit Strategy

✅ Why Work With Me?
25+ years of experience scaling businesses from the inside out:
➡️ Regional CFO, GE Gas Power (LATAM, +1.5GW record year)
➡️ Strategic finance and underwriting leadership at GE Capital
➡️ Business/project development for 8-figure ventures
➡️ Trusted advisor to founders scaling past $10M and beyond

✅ Industries We Specialize In:
✔️ Clean Energy & Decarbonization
✔️ Industrial Goods & B2B Services
✔️ Impact-Driven Companies
✔️ Scaling Coaching & Consulting Firms

🧠 If You're Ready to Scale Intelligently and Sustainably

Let's have a strategic conversation about where you are—and where you can go.

Easiest way to work with me?

Book a private power hour call and let's create your vision.
https://calendly.com/cruzagamboa/90-min-power-hour

Cruz Gamboa

Some companies don’t stall because of strategy.
They stall because of perception.

You can have the right model, metrics, and playbook—
and still struggle to scale
because trust isn’t in the culture.

We think scaling is about systems, KPIs, and offers.
But it’s really about energy, alignment, and belief.

Teams don’t reject initiatives.
They reject inconsistency.
They sense when the leader says one thing
and embodies another.

Every interaction in a growing company is a mirror—
it reflects the culture that’s actually being built.

Before you refine your next OKR,
refine your presence.

Because the best strategy in the world can’t fix a trust gap.

➡️ People follow clarity before they follow goals.
➡️ Integrity scales faster than intensity.


#leadership #scalingup #growth #trust #mindset

The market tells stories. Your financials & metrics tell truth.

In 2001, Amazon's stock cratered from $113 to $6.

Wall Street declared it dead.

Let's be clear: that had to be terrifying. Even for Bezos.

Watching 95% of your valuation evaporate. Hearing the whispers. Feeling the pressure from every direction.

But here's what separated him from founders who fold in those moments, he kept coming back to his dashboard:

Customer acquisition costs...improving. 

Fulfillment efficiency...improving. 

Contribution margin per unit...improving. 

Defect rates...declining.

The stock price reflected fear. 

The operating metrics reflected reality.

Confidence isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing to trust what you can measure over what you can't control.

This is Financial Intelligence: knowing which numbers actually predict your future, especially when everything around you is screaming that you're losing.

Watch the video. Bezos is calm. 

Not because he wasn't scared, but because he had clarity.

He knew exactly what was true inside his business.

That's how you survive what looks like a reversal, and come out the other side stronger.

That's how $6 becomes $1.7 trillion.

So here's my question for you:

What would it be worth to have that kind of clarity the next time everything feels like it's falling apart?

To know—not hope, not guess—that you're on the right track?

That's the game worth playing.

Check out comments for details

#founder #growth #ceo #scalingup

Helping Founders Break the $10M Ceiling | Strategy, Cash Flow & Leadership Systems | Scaling CFO

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Hamdi Ulukaya didn’t just build a yogurt brand, he redefined an industry.

No investors. No marketing budget. Just purpose, grit, and belief.

In 2005, he saw an ad.
An abandoned Kraft yogurt factory.

Everyone saw a money pit.
He saw possibility.

He didn’t have the money.
So he took a loan.

Bought the factory.
Kept 5 employees who believed when no one else did.

No income.
No sales.
No marketing.
Just faith, and a recipe from home.

Two years later, in 2007, Chobani was born.

No ads. Just bold packaging and pure taste.

Retailers hesitated.
But the people loved it.

Within 5 years, #1 yogurt in America.

Over $1B in sales.
The giants, Dannon, Yoplait, couldn’t catch up.

He stayed private.
Gave 10% of the company to his employees.

Hired refugees.
Put people before profit.

When asked why, he said:

👉 “Business is the strongest force for good, if it puts people first.”

From a shepherd in Turkey…
To a billionaire who still walks the factory floors.

Lesson?
You don’t need investors.
You need integrity.
You don’t need luck.
You need courage.

Because the dream still works, if you do.

Loved this story. Let me know your comments. 

What problem in your business keeps calling for your most creative energy?

#CEO  #FOUNDER #GROWTH #SCALINGUP

Two friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.

One dropped out.
One got rejected from med school.
But both wanted to build something.

First idea: bagels.
Too expensive.
So they pivot to ice cream.

No experience. No investors.
Just a $5 correspondence course from Penn State.
$2.50 each.

They find an abandoned gas station in Vermont.
Borrow $12,000.
Do the renovation themselves.

Ben can’t even taste properly, a condition called anosmia.
So he focuses on texture.
Big chunks. Wild swirls. Bold flavours.

What others saw as a weakness became their edge.

Within months, lines formed outside the door.
Free Cone Day became a tradition.
Word spread fast.

Few years later, they launched Cherry Garcia.
The brand took off across the country.
Soon, Ben & Jerry’s was making over $500M a year.

All from $12,000 and a $5 course.

Lesson?
You don’t need the perfect start.
You need creativity, courage, and the guts to turn constraints into leverage.

#scalingup #ceo #founder #growth

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁.

Steve Jobs said it best, the greatest people are self-managing.

They don’t need direction. They are the direction.

When you’re scaling, this is the difference between speed and stagnation.

You can’t build a $10M company micromanaging every move.
You build it by surrounding yourself with people who:

➡️ See the problem before you do.
➡️ Fix it without asking.
➡️ Then tell you how they made it better.

That’s who scales companies.
Not followers.
Not “yes” people.
Builders.

If you have to keep pushing your team to move, 
you don’t have a scaling problem,
you have a people problem.

The truth?
The best teams don’t need managing.
They need mission.

Hire those who act like owners.
Give them the target.
Then get the hell out of their way.

That’s how you scale.
That’s how you win.

#scalingup #ceo #founder #growth

They emailed eBay 200 times.
eBay ignored every single one.
Most people would’ve given up.

But Marc, Oliver, and Alexander Samwer weren’t “most people.”

They cloned eBay.
Launched it in Germany.
Executed with speed and perfection.
Within months… eBay bought it back for $43 MILLION.

Then the brothers doubled down.
They built Rocket Internet, the company that turned cloning into a billion-dollar machine.

They copied.
They improved.
They scaled.
And they sold again, and again, and again.

Here’s the truth:

👉 They weren’t chasing approval, they were chasing execution at scale.
👉 They didn’t wait to be discovered, they created their own leverage.
👉 They mastered the one principle most founders overlook:
Doing it better beats doing it first.

Critics called them “copycats.”
But behind the noise, the Samwer brothers built an empire worth billions.

Most people stop when they hear “no.”
The one who succeed?
They push when it’s uncomfortable.
They build when others hesitate.
They turn rejection into momentum.

If you want outsized results, do what most won’t:
Step past comfort.
Step past doubt.
Step past fear.

Because the biggest payoffs live right beyond the point where almost everyone quits.

#scalingup #growth #ceo #bostonfounders

He built a dating site that generated exactly zero activity.
No users. No traction. No revenue.

Most leaders call that a failed model.
I call it an early audit.

Three ex-PayPal employees launched “Tune In Hook Up,” expecting market fit.
What they got was silence.
Operational cost? Rising.
User acquisition? Non-existent.
ROI? Negative from day one.

But here’s what mattered:
They reviewed the data instead of reacting to the emotion.

They noticed users trying to upload videos
Not for dating, but for everyday moments.
Unintended behaviour, but real demand.

So they executed the smartest financial move any early-stage team can make:
A low-cost pivot.

Same infrastructure.
Same upload system.
Zero additional burn.
Just a shift in positioning:
Share any video.

And that decision changed their entire valuation trajectory.

Users scaled exponentially.
Cost per acquisition plummeted.
Engagement skyrocketed.
Suddenly, they weren’t running a dating site…
They were running the internet’s first true video platform.

By 2006, their risk profile had flipped
High growth. High virality.
And high legal exposure.

Enter Google.
They offered $1.65B in stock for a business that still had no established monetisation engine.
From a financial lens?
That’s called derisking the future.

Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim accepted.
Smart move.
They transferred operational liability…
And secured generational wealth.

Today, YouTube contributes over $40B in yearly ad revenue
and sits at a valuation north of $500B.

All from a product that started as a complete miss 
until the data told a different story.

Lesson:
You don’t scale perfection.
You scale what the market proves it wants.
Listen to the numbers, not the narratives.
And never underestimate the ROI of a well-timed pivot.

#CFOInsights #Leadership #Strategy #Scalingup

She sold her engagement ring for $10,000.
Ten years later, Vicky Tsai built a $500M skincare empire.

Most people call that crazy.
I call it commitment.

She walked away from a six-figure job…
Moved back into her childhood bedroom at 30…
Got rejected for 18 months straight…
And kept going anyway.

1,000 units.
Her last $5,000.
No safety net. No backup plan.

Month one? $2,000 in sales.
Most people quit here.
Vicky didn’t.

She packed every order by hand.
Wrote thank-you notes to strangers.
Built trust one customer at a time.

Then the internet found her.
Demand exploded.
Sephora called.
And the bedroom startup became one of the fastest-growing skincare brands in America.

In 2019, Unilever bought Tatcha for $500 million.
The $10,000 ring she sold?
It turned into 50,000x.

Lesson?
You don’t need permission.
You need conviction.
And the courage to burn Plan B. 

#ceo #founder #growth #scalingup

She was 20. A housewife. No experience. No degree.

Just a dream, and a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Everyone said it would fail.
“Cookies? That’s not a business.”

Banks said no.Experts laughed.

The market was ruled by Oreos and Chips Ahoy.

But Debbi Fields didn’t care.
She took a $50,000 loan with her husband.

Rented a small store in Palo Alto.

Rent: $800/month.
Failure wasn’t an option.

Opening day:
By noon, not a single sale.
She panicked. Grabbed a tray.
Walked outside.
“Try one. They’re free.”

That one line changed everything.
Crowds formed.

They sold out by evening.

She baked fresh every 2 hours.
Never sold day-old cookies.
If they sat too long, she gave them away.

Advisors hated it.
Customers LOVED it.

Year one: $200,000 in sales.
Then store #2.
Then San Francisco.
Then malls.
Then the world.

By the 1990s:

➡ 600+ stores
➡ $500M in annual sales
➡ And a new category: premium cookies

All from one woman who ignored logic and trusted her gut.

The takeaway:
If everyone says your idea is crazy,
you might just be onto something.

#scalingup #founder #growth #ceo

He got fired.
The company he built said, “We don’t need you anymore.”
Everyone forgot him.

But Steve Jobs didn’t stop.

He poured tens of millions into a failing company called Pixar.
Everyone thought he was crazy.
Most would have quit.

12 years later… that gamble sold for $7.4 BILLION.

Here’s the thing:

👉 He wasn’t chasing money. He was chasing vision.
👉 He embraced risk when others ran from it.
👉 He bet on what he believed in, even when the world said no.

Most people quit right before the payoff.
The real winners? They push through when it’s hardest.
They see opportunity where others see failure.

If you want massive results, you need to do what most won’t.
Step past comfort. Step past doubt. Step past fear.

Because the biggest payoffs live just beyond the point where almost everyone quits.

#scalingup  #growth #ceo

Steve Jobs

He built pole barns to pay for college.

Decades later, John Menard Jr. built Menards, an $18B home improvement empire.

Most people call that luck.

I call it financial discipline.

He opened a small lumber yard in 1964…

Kept prices rock-bottom by building his own factories…

And built every store with cash, not debt.

No investors. No loans. No noise.

While others chased speed and Wall Street, John chose control.

He knew his margins by product line. He tracked cash flow like a pilot tracks altitude. He made the numbers his single source of truth.

Store by store. State by state. Slow, steady, unstoppable.

When 2008 hit, he didn't scramble; he expanded.

Today?

340+ Menards stores. $13B+ revenue. 3rd third-largest home-improvement chain in America. Still 100% private.

The lesson?

You don't need to grow fast. You need to grow right.

That means: 
→ Knowing your profit margins by service line 
→ Tracking cash flow weekly, not just at tax time 
→ Building systems so the business works, not just you

Financial clarity isn't about being a "numbers person."
It's about building simple, repeatable habits that let you scale with confidence.

Have the courage to own every decision, starting with your numbers.
#founder #growth #businessmindset #financialclarity #scalingup

Most people think success comes from working harder, dreaming bigger, or thinking smarter.

Here's the truth: none of that matters if you don't act.

In one simple test, a $50 bill was up for grabs. 

Everyone wanted it. 
Everyone talked about it. 
Everyone wished they had it…

Except Debbie.

She stood up. She walked forward. She took it.

That's it. 

That's the difference between winners and everyone else.

While everyone else burns time and money chasing online strategies that become less effective every day…

The smartest entrepreneurs thriving in 2025 are walking away from their screens and adding an extra 7-figures through live events.

Real humans. In-person communities. High-profit partnerships.

The ultimate advantage in the age of AI isn't replacing humanity with efficiency; it's experiences that are deep, connective, transformative, and profitable.

Getting face-to-face with your ideal clients AND peers is the most consistent solution to the Trust Recession.

I'll be at Event Profit Engine in Austin (December 10-12)...and I still have 4 discounted tickets.

If you're ready to get clarity on the financial blind spots keeping you from scaling, this is your moment.

Don't sit in the room wishing. 

Be Debbie.

P.S. Stop waiting for perfect timing. The money, the deal, the break… it's waiting for the first person who moves. Will it be you? DM me AUSTIN for ticket details.
#scalingup #CEO #founder #growth

Most founders don't fail because of competition.
 They fail because of the blind spots they never see coming.

Cash looks fine… until it doesn't. Revenue grows… but profit disappears. You hire fast… and spend months fixing mistakes. You work harder… but scale refuses to unlock.

I spent 20+ years at GE Capital navigating these exact challenges at a corporate level.

Closing an $800M+ power plant deal? That taught me cash flow precision. Managing international transactions? That revealed the profit leaks most miss. Building high-performance teams? That showed me the cost of hiring fast vs. hiring right.

Those frameworks didn't just help me lead deals—they gave me the blueprint for scalable growth.

Now I help founders apply these same battle-tested systems to their businesses.

The 7 blind spots in this carousel? They're the ones holding 90% of founders back from predictable, profitable scale.

If you want to go deeper… Download my free ebook in the comments. 

Fix the blind spots. Scale with clarity. Build a business that runs like a pro—because you learned from one.
#scalingup #founder #ceo #growth

7 Blind Spots

𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿.

Most founders know Pinterest.

Almost no one knows Paul Sciarra, the guy who paid early salaries out of his own pocket, skipped taking income, and carried the company when no one else believed.

He wasn’t a “supporter.”
He was the architecture.

And then the quiet part of startup life happened.
Not a blow-up.
Not a fight.
Just… inches.

One meeting he wasn’t invited to.
One decision he didn’t have visibility into.
One board conversation that happened without him.

By the time Pinterest crossed millions of users and raised over $100M…
Paul was out.

He walked away with ~$15M.
Not nothing.
But painful when your original idea becomes a $25B enterprise.

This isn’t a story about betrayal.
It’s a story about leadership, governance, and identity.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆.
They lose it when:
 • they stop owning the financial strategy
 • they delegate governance without understanding it
 • they avoid hard conversations
 • they let investors define the path
 • they disconnect from the role of architect

You can build something extraordinary…
and still get written out of your own success if you don’t stay in the seat you were meant to own.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 $𝟯𝗠–$𝟭𝟬𝗠 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻.
The product works.
The company has traction.
Teams are growing.

 But governance, capital strategy, and leadership identity aren’t keeping pace.
That’s the real risk.

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻:
Your idea can change the world,  but only if you stay in the role of architect as it scales.

Own your equity.
Protect your seat.
Upgrade your thinking.
Build with intention.
The threat isn’t being pushed out.
The threat is drifting out of your power.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
 Are you building like the founder…
 or leading like the architect?

#ceo #founder #scalingup #growth

He was dropped at an orphanage at seven.
No food. No money. No choice.

By 14, he was on a factory floor, making metal frames.
One wrong move crushed part of his finger. Permanent injury.

Most people would quit. Most people would settle.
He didn’t.

He watched. He learned.
Every machine. Every process. Every decision.
Night classes. Every penny saved. Knowledge accumulation.

At 26, he opened a tiny eyewear shop in the Italian Alps.
Nothing fancy. No connections. Just him, a few employees, and an obsession with understanding the craft end-to-end.

Most competitors sold parts. He had a different idea: make complete frames. Control the product. Own the market.

By the 1980s, he was making designer frames for fashion houses.
By 1995, he bought LensCrafters—suddenly he controlled both the product and the retail.

Then came Ray-Ban.
Everyone said he overpaid $640 million for a dying brand.
He didn’t see risk. He saw opportunity.

Ray-Ban wasn’t just glasses anymore.
Movies. Celebrities. Fashion statements.
Value multiplied. Brand exploded.

He kept buying. Oakley. Sunglass Hut. Prada. Versace. Chanel. Pearle Vision.
Vertical integration? Check. Market dominance? Check. Monopoly? Almost.

When he died in 2022, Leonardo Del Vecchio had $25.8 billion.
One orphan. One factory worker. One relentless learner.

Lesson:
You don’t need luck. You need mastery, observation, and relentless execution.
Start small. Learn everything. Then own the ecosystem.

#ceo #scalingup #growth #founder

Mastermind Scaling Dinner 

This past Wednesday night in Boston, twelve leaders got uncomfortably honest about their real constraints.

No pitch decks. No surface-level networking. 

Just the Hero's Journey framework and one question: 

"What's actually stopping you from scaling?"

Three principles guided the conversation:

🪞 Your Business is a Mirror 

The bottleneck in your business is a reflection of a constraint in your leadership. 

Stop fixing symptoms. Fix the leader, and the business scales.

🐉 Constraints are Your Greatest Leverage

 Your biggest constraint is not a problem—it's the dragon guarding your next treasure. 

The right constraint, once identified and solved, unlocks massive, non-linear growth.

⚖️ Not All Success Has the Same Price

 You can build a company that breaks you, or one that fulfills you. 

Alignment + Clarity = Sustainable Success.

🎯 What showed up:

Estate planning. Cybersecurity. Medical devices. Food distribution. Banking. Fractional sales leadership. IT services. M&A law. Green infrastructure. Urban revitalization. Job search acceleration.

Different industries. Same truth: Every business grows until it hits a constraint, then grows no further.

The magic wasn't in solving everything in one night. 

It was in naming the real constraint out loud - not the sanitized version we tell at networking events, but the 2am version that keeps us up.

Some constraints were about capital. Others about people, partnerships, or positioning. A few were about letting go of what got them here to embrace what gets them there.

🤝 The vulnerability created immediate value: Real partnerships forming. 

Actual introductions being made. Problems being reframed. Resources being shared.

Thank you to Adrian Mendoza and the Mendoza Ventures team for hosting us.

And to everyone who showed up: Marco A. Schiavo , Geoffry Gilton, Joshua Sigsworth, PT, DPT, Dominic Endicott, Jacques Cohen, Maud Dentico, Vasant Narayan, Raffi Yardemian, CSL, Paul Smith, Alex Khalarian, and Sam "Butch" Nigro.

This is what happens when you build community around truth instead of transactions.

The Mastermind dinner happens monthly ( but we are taking a break in December). If you're a founder or executive in Boston or Greater Boston working on something real and willing to get honest about your constraints, let's talk.

We are going to start hosting Metro West dinners as well. More to come.

P.S. - Curious about finding the constraint for your business? Drop a comment or DM.

Most founders don’t fail because they’re lazy.
They fail because their goals are small.

Small goals keep you grinding.
Big goals force you to rebuild the system.

When you raise the target to 10x, everything changes:
your strategy, your thinking, your standards, your circle.

You stop playing in the crowded middle
and start operating where very few people dare to go.

10x isn’t harder.

It’s cleaner. 
It’s clearer. 
It’s smarter.

Stop playing safe. Start playing big.

I learned this lesson the hard way.

I wanted to grow my LinkedIn presence to 100K in a year.
I had 2k followers. 

A few people said that it would take years and that I was unrealistic.

Maybe they would have been right - if I'd believed them

I tried anyway. 
I took a course to learn from others who were ahead of me.
I showed up here every day.
Continuously improved my content (and my mindset)
Hired people to help me.

Did I accomplish my goal?
NO. 

I am still at 72k followers today, a year into that challenge.
But I am still grateful for the results. 

Can you imagine what would have happened if I had played small?
I may be at 15K followers at best. 

And that's the whole point. 

Even if you miss the 10X mark, it beats linear thinking. 

This same principle is why I help founders identify the 7 financial blind spots killing their scale - because small thinking about money keeps you grinding, while 10x financial clarity forces you to rebuild the system.

Want to apply 10x thinking to your finances? 

I've identified the 7 blind spots most founders miss. 

Download the guide; link is in the comments. 

#founder #ceo #growth #scalingup

10X Thinking = 10 X Results

Passion isn’t happiness.
It’s pain.
It’s grinding when no one is watching.
It’s suffering through every mistake, every rejection, every late night, just to build something nobody thought was possible.

Jensen Huang didn’t follow the market.
He didn’t wait for AI to be big.
He invested 10,000 engineer-years ahead of demand.
He pivoted Nvidia from graphics chips to AI dominance.
That’s vision. That’s first-principles thinking. That’s suffering smarter than everyone else.

Breakthroughs aren’t born in comfort zones.
They’re born when you refuse to quit, when you embrace the grind, and when you’re willing to suffer today for what the world will celebrate tomorrow.

Extraordinary isn’t given.
It’s earned.
Through struggle.
Through relentless work.
Through being willing to do what everyone else won’t.

If you want to be great, get comfortable being uncomfortable.

#scalingup #growth #ceo #founder

He bought a bankrupt textile factory for $15 million.
Forty years later, Bernard Arnault built a $500B luxury empire.

Most people call that impossible.
I call it vision.

He didn’t invent anything.
He didn’t design a product.
He didn’t chase trends.
He just saw what others couldn’t.

Buried inside that dying company was a forgotten gem: Christian Dior.
Everyone overlooked it.
Arnault didn’t.

He sold everything except Dior.
Bet the house on one iconic brand.
And rebuilt from zero.

Then he made an even crazier move
He went after LVMH.
Louis Vuitton. Moët. Hennessy.
The crown jewels of French luxury.

The elite hated it.
The media mocked it.
It was the most hostile takeover France had ever seen.
Arnault didn’t blink.

He bought the shares quietly.
Took control boldly.
And turned LVMH into a global machine.

One acquisition at a time.
Fendi. Tiffany. Givenchy. Sephora.
Dozens of brands reborn under one ruthless strategy:

Let creators dream.
But keep the business razor sharp.

While tech giants chased disruption…
Arnault chased timelessness.

While others discounted…
He raised value.

In 2023, he became the richest man on Earth.
Quiet. Precise. Unshakeable.
He outplayed every tech titan without writing a single line of code.

Lesson?
You don’t need to invent.
You need to see the hidden gem
And have the courage to bet everything on it.

#entrepreneur #growth #businessstrategy #founder #scalingup

𝗛𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀.
𝗛𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Back in the early 2000s, Jon Oringer wasn’t building empires, he was just trying to find affordable stock photos for his tiny online business.

But what he found instead… was an opportunity.

Stock images back then cost $300+ per photo, a luxury small creators couldn’t afford.

So Jon did something different:

▶ Bought a camera
▶ Took 100 photos a day
▶ Built his own website
▶ Uploaded 30,000 photos
▶ Charged $49/month for unlimited downloads

That’s how Shutterstock was born.

No fancy investors. No marketing team.

Just a subscription model, executed brilliantly.

He wasn’t selling images,
he was selling convenience, freedom, and access.

And the best part?

Every sale cost him nothing to reproduce.Pure passive income.

By the time Shutterstock went public in 2012,
Jon still owned 55% of it.

His net worth crossed $1 billion,
built from a camera, a simple website, and consistency.

That’s not luck.
That’s vision meeting execution.

Because the smartest entrepreneurs don’t wait for an opportunity,
they create it by solving a problem once
and selling the solution over and over again.

𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧:

Stop chasing “new.”
Find one problem.

Solve it better than anyone else.
Then systemize, scale, and sleep while your solution works for you.

#Entrepreneurship #ceo #BusinessModel #founder #scalingup

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