What if the reason you're stuck isn't a strategy problem, but a structure one?

In this episode, Jonathan shares Helder’s powerful transformation, from overwhelmed founder to hands-off CEO of a wildly profitable, self-managing business.

You’ll learn the 5 practical shifts that helped Helder get out of daily firefighting, scale his team, and take real holidays (without things falling apart). Plus, Jonathan breaks down how to turn cash from a stressor into a strategic weapon so you can scale without fear.

If you’re wanting more freedom without sacrificing growth, this episode lays out the roadmap for you.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• The CEO bottleneck trap and how to escape it (00:24)
• 5 powerful shifts to rebuild your role and empower your team (01:02)
• How Helder’s profit, time off, and leadership soared within 12 months (02:34)
• The 3 cash flow fixes that turned financial fear into strategic power (03:04)
• Why a “boring” business is the real flex (04:06)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• You can’t scale if you’re still the fixer. Build the team that solves problems without you.
• Profit grows when systems run the day-to-day and you stay focused on strategy.
• Cash gives you options. Make it predictable, not panic-inducing.

FREE RESOURCE

Email Jonathan at jonathan@scaleupgrowth.co for the 10x Business Growth blueprint

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

You don’t need more hustle. You need fewer distractions, deeper focus, and the courage to back yourself before the path is clear.

In this episode, you’ll hear how one founder broke through the chaos, built momentum from zero, and learned to lead with clarity, even when the cash was tight, the team was growing fast, and the pressure was on.

Jonathan Herps sits down with Daniel McDuall, the founder and CEO of Squizify, a food safety platform that’s quietly shaking up global QSR operations. From humble beginnings in New Zealand to landing multimillion-dollar contracts with global brands, Daniel shares the gritty truth about scaling without losing your mind (or your people).

This one’s a real-world look at what it takes to move from founder to focused CEO and why thinking bigger starts with narrowing your focus.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Validating your business idea before building (01:55)
• How staying narrowly focused can lead to global expansion (07:15)
• How to align and scale your team using rhythm, culture, and trust (10:51)
• The habits, routines, and boundaries that keep CEOs healthy, clear-headed, and able to lead under pressure (12:44)
• Planning for growth without risking everything and avoiding hiring mistakes that silently kill momentum (19:45)
• How to build a high-performance leadership team and the two behaviours that matter more than resumes (26:57)
• How to think big, push past fear, and stay focused on what actually moves your business forward (30:24)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Great culture doesn’t just happen. It’s modelled, reinforced, and lived at the top.
• You don’t need to do more to grow. You need to go deeper on what actually matters.
• If your calendar has no time for you, your business is already paying the price.
• There’s no such thing as a perfect hire — only faster decisions after the wrong ones.
• Fundraising never really ends. Be ready before you need it.

Daniel doesn’t sugarcoat the journey but he shows us how the right mindset and structure can turn the chaos of scaling into something sustainable, powerful, and even joyful.

Ready to build smarter, lead stronger, and scale with sanity? Tune in.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

If you’re still making decisions based on monthly reports, you’re already too late.

In this episode, Jonathan reveals how leading CEOs get ahead by focusing on the right metrics that shape the future, not just report the past.

You’ll discover the power of leading KPIs, why setting bare ass minimums (BAMs) creates unstoppable business momentum, and how to leverage content consumption to build trust and accelerate your sales pipeline. Plus, you’ll learn how identifying your A-players boosts team performance and culture.

Whether you're chasing revenue, growing your team, or building a stronger leadership strategy, this episode shows you how to lead with the data that actually drives growth, not just the numbers that tell you what has already happened.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Why lagging KPIs keep you stuck reacting to the past instead of shaping the future (00:54)
• What “bare ass minimums” (BAMs) are, and how they build business momentum (01:44)
• How content consumption accelerates your sales cycle and builds brand trust (03:28)
• Why every leader needs both leading and lagging KPIs (06:47)
• How defining your A-players will improve your team’s productivity and culture (07:48)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• If you’re only measuring results, you’re already behind.
• Leading KPIs create influence; lagging KPIs only confirm outcomes.
• Setting clear bare ass minimums keeps your team focused on the right daily actions.
• People are your #1 asset - track how many A-players you have on your leadership team.
• AI tools like ChatGPT can speed up KPI definition and team alignment.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Scaling a business isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter — by focusing your time on what actually drives growth.

In this episode, Jonathan Herps reveals the overlooked leadership habit that’s holding most founders back: doing work they shouldn’t be doing.

You’ll learn how to identify the highest-value activities only you should own as a founder or CEO, and what to delegate, automate, or stop entirely.

Jonathan shares how a simple framework, inspired by a fellow coach and refined through years of mentoring business leaders, helps CEOs shift from firefighting to future-proofing their business. He also gets personal, sharing how designing his own lifestyle business has allowed him to lead with clarity while still making it home every afternoon for school pick-up.

Whether you’re stuck in low-impact tasks or struggling to empower your leadership team, this episode will show you how to focus on what moves the needle, and let go of everything else.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Designing KPIs that actually drive business growth (01:32)
• Why CEOs need to build businesses that serve their life, not the other way around (02:44)
• Focusing on high-impact work and not wasting time on low-value tasks (04:36)
• How delegation unlocks real scale (05:59)
• How consistently sharing value builds trust over time (06:59)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Focus beats busyness. You’re not paid to do everything. You’re paid to drive the outcomes that matter most.
• Delegate the drain. Free up your time by handing off tasks that aren’t in your zone of genius.
• Clarity scales teams. Clear KPIs and role definitions unlock accountability and performance.
• Design for life, not just business. Build a company that supports your personal priorities, not one that steals them.
• Consistency compounds. Play the long game by showing up, adding value, and letting your expertise do the marketing for you.

If you’re ready to stop drowning in low-impact work and start scaling like a real CEO, this episode is for you.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Most frustrated founders are chasing the wrong numbers. They're buried in dashboards, juggling KPIs, and wondering why growth still feels like a grind.

In this episode, you’ll learn how seasoned CEOs scale faster by simplifying what they measure, and how choosing the right North Star metric creates the focus, alignment, and momentum your business has been missing.

If growth feels scattered, this is the clarity you didn’t know you needed.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• The role of a single guiding metric and why it beats tracking X different KPIs (01:04)
• CEOs reveal what they actually track to drive sales, profit, and operational control (02:58)
• Why client longevity is Jonathan’s most powerful metric (04:37)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• The wrong metrics can create noise; the right one creates clarity
• Strategy is choosing what not to track
• Aligning your team starts with aligning your definition of “winning”
• Longevity is the most underused signal of leadership effectiveness

Running a company without a clear, unifying metric is like sailing without a compass. You might move, but never in the right direction.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Most business owners don’t hit a ceiling because they lack drive, they hit it because the old playbook no longer works.

In this episode, Renee Francis, founder of The Bubble Co. and Take3, shares her brutally honest journey from a dining table startup to running two agencies across different time zones. We break down how to get rid of rigid old systems, build a team that actually wants to be there, and why your biggest mistakes are your best business mentors if you let them be. Plus, Renee drops some truth bombs about leadership, resilience, hiring disasters (and how to fix them), and the real reason your business needs a network that's smarter than you are.

You’ll learn how to lead without micromanaging, hire without regret, and grow without clinging to outdated systems. Renee shares hard-won lessons CEOs often learn too late, including the one mindset shift that could change how you lead forever..

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Turning corporate frustration into a flexible business that scales without the 9-5 trap (01:22)
• Managing time, energy, and two businesses without losing your edge (06:40)
• CEO mindset mantras to survive the chaos and lead with calm (16:37)
• The hidden leadership trap that destroys team trust (20:13)
• Tools and resources that actually move the needle (23:17)
• The value of staying in the game even when business gets hard (26:44)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Your business model should fit your life, not the other way around. You can design flexible, scalable systems that support your real lifestyle goals.
• The best growth lessons come from your worst mistakes — if you let them. Failures aren't signs to quit. They're crash courses in what your business truly needs.
• Leadership isn't about stepping back. It's about stepping up with your team. True leaders don’t abdicate responsibility. They communicate clearly, lead visibly, and take ownership whether things go right or wrong.
• Progress over perfection. The CEOs who win are the ones who keep moving, adjusting, and staying in the game when others tap out.

This episode will challenge how you think about leadership, growth, and success, and leave you with real strategies you can start using right now.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

If your company is hitting a growth ceiling, it’s probably not your strategy. It’s more than likely your team.

Maybe you’ve outgrown certain players. Maybe your systems aren’t giving you the clarity to lead decisively. Either way, it’s costing you.

In this episode, Jonathan Herps reveals the same framework he’s used to coach CEOs across six countries helping them turn underperformance into momentum, and chaos into clarity.

Whether you're leading 10 or 900 people, this is the structure smart leaders rely on to scale without the stress.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Designing performance systems that motivate the right activity and bridge the gap between effort and results (01:20)
• How to assess team performance with clarity and spot hidden engagement issues before they cost you (02:48)
• Seven powerful questions every CEO should ask before deciding whether to coach, redeploy, or let someone go (06:29)
• How a simple quarterly rhythm can transform company culture and unlock award-winning performance (10:33)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Structure beats guessing. You don’t have to rely on gut feel to evaluate your team. Use objective tools to lead with clarity, not confusion.
• Leadership is about rhythm. Quarterly check-ins, not annual reviews, drive momentum, accountability, and real connection.
• A-players crave clarity. They want to know how they’re doing and what success looks like. Give them a scoreboard they can win at.
• The right person, the wrong seat. Not every team issue is a firing problem. Sometimes it’s a redeployment opportunity.
• No drama, no doubt. The best leaders don’t tolerate internal drama. They assess, act and move on because the cost of indecision is too high.

This episode is a must-listen for any founder, CEO, or business owner who wants to lead with purpose, scale with confidence, and build a team that drives results.

Listen in now. Your next leadership breakthrough could be just one framework away.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here

Most leaders don’t realise they’re holding onto the wrong people until it’s costing them growth.

In this episode, Jonathan breaks down a simple, no-fluff method for figuring out whether your team is built to scale, or if they’re actually stalling your potential.

Forget annual reviews and bloated org charts. This is about making sharp, data-informed decisions that protect your people and your profitability. You’ll learn how to separate high-performers from dead weight, develop the right players, and lead with metrics that actually move the needle.

You’ll hear about what bare ass minimums really mean for leadership and execution, how to design KPIs that predict success instead of just tracking it, and the quiet difference between strategy on paper and results in reality.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Why annual appraisals are a waste of time and what to do instead (01:05)
• How to use scorecards to define role clarity, boost leadership performance, and build a team that drives profit (03:00)
• Why defining your team’s bare asked minimums (BAMs) is the KPI shift that unlocks consistent, predictable growth (06:06)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Stop relying on annual performance reviews. Quarterly talent reviews give you real-time clarity on who’s helping the business grow and who’s holding it back.
• Assess your team like a strategic asset. Regularly evaluate every team member using objective criteria, not just loyalty or tenure.
• Topgrade with intention. Aim for 80% A-players and accept a short-term 20% B-player allowance, as long as they’re developing fast.
• Get serious about mission-driven KPIs. Tie every role’s key metrics to the company’s mission and profitability, not just generic job duties.
• Set Bare Ass Minimums (BAMs) to define non-negotiables. Clarify the absolute minimum effort required to move the needle in each role, especially in sales and leadership.
• Lead with both compassion and conviction. Caring about people doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. Protect the business and the person.
• Leadership development isn’t optional. Every leadership team member needs a growth plan. Without it, you’re flying blind on future performance.

If you're serious about building a business that scale

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: admin@scaleupgrowth.co

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
Get actionable strategies to run a more efficient business from someone who built & exited 3 multi-million $ companies.
Click Here to listen & subscribe now!

2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
Build a step-by-step business plan for consistent growth.
Click Here to download.

3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
Map out a growth plan for your business and identify your biggest bottleneck & leave with a clear action plan. — Click Here