The Scaling CEO

In this episode, I sit down with Joseph Antoun to explore how to build a company in a completely new category while still attracting top talent. We discuss his journey from medicine to leading a global nutrition company, the concept of food as medicine, and the challenges of scaling without clear market benchmarks. Joseph explains why great people are drawn to vision and purpose, not just compensation, and how storytelling becomes a CEO’s most powerful hiring tool. We also dive into leadership growth, building mission-driven teams, and how AI is being used to drive smarter decisions across the company.

In this episode, I talk with Jim Dukhovny about what it really feels like to build something at an extreme scale, including leading a company developing a flying car. We discuss how passion removes the line between work and life, how to manage overwhelming demand with limited resources, and why leadership can look more like partnership than hierarchy. Jim also shares his thinking on decision-making, building from vision to reality, and where AI should, and should not, be used, especially in high-stakes environments where safety is critical.

In this episode, I sit down with Bernardo Hernández to break down what really changes as you scale a company, from doing everything yourself to building a team that can outperform you. We talk about why execution is the real challenge in business, how to hire the right people for each stage of growth, and why transparency through metrics is critical, especially in areas like engineering. We also explore how CEOs should think about boards, leadership evolution, and how AI is reshaping companies faster than most organizations are ready to adapt.

In this episode, I speak with Tom Ragen about one of the biggest bottlenecks for CEOs, which is waiting for perfect information before making decisions. We explore how this mindset slows down execution, how Tom learned to operate with just enough data, and why speed and adaptability matter more than certainty when scaling a company. We also discuss leadership growth, building teams that can solve problems without you, navigating acquisitions, and how to start using AI inside operations even if you’re not fully ready yet.

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Mullahy, CEO of Montgomery Place Chicago, to explore why culture is the foundation of any successful turnaround. We discuss how organizations fail when employees disconnect from the mission, why silos and lack of clarity break performance, and how leaders can rebuild alignment and trust. Mark also shares how to lead across multiple locations, adapt your leadership style, and maintain strong culture while scaling operations.

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Cherney, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Logistics, to talk about what it really takes to scale as a leader. We discuss the mistake of trying to do everything alone, why asking for help is a turning point for growth, and how building a team that challenges and supports you unlocks scale. Michael also shares insights on balancing process and flexibility, maintaining culture while growing, and using AI to improve efficiency without losing the human element.

In this episode, I sit down with John Karsant, founder of LevelUp Leads, to break down a common mistake CEOs make when scaling sales. We talk about why increasing volume without clarity leads to poor results, how most companies misunderstand their ideal customer profile, and why traction should come before scale. John also shares how to refine messaging, delegate effectively, and free up your time so you can focus on growth instead of getting stuck in operations.

In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Jane, CEO of Proper Good, to talk about what really drives scale beyond strategy and execution. We unpack why business is fundamentally about people and how many teams become too transactional through Slack and email. Christopher shares how to build culture intentionally in a remote environment, why small teams can outperform when there is real connection, and how constraints like COVID forced sharper focus and better decisions while scaling a consumer brand.

In this episode, I speak with Ryan Baird, CEO of Baird Augustine, about why resource allocation is one of the biggest challenges CEOs face. We break down how founders should think about capital, time, and people to drive growth. Ryan shares why spreading your team too thin can slow everything down. We also talk about risk, global expansion, and thinking like an investor as a CEO. We close with how AI is helping automate operations and improve efficiency.

In this episode, I sit down with Sean Hurwitz, CEO of PIXO VR, to talk about why timing is everything when it comes to scaling. We discuss the risks of raising too much capital too early and why that can hurt long term growth. Sean explains what real product market fit looks like and why many founders get it wrong. We also talk about understanding market signals and evolving as a leader over time. We wrap up with how AI is changing the way companies build and scale products.