My name is Brendan McGurgan and I am immersed in the world of scaleup businesses. In 2020, myself and business partner Claire Colvin co-founded Simple Scaling with the sole purpose of inspiring and enabling millions of ambitious leaders to scale with purpose. Over the past two years we have researched and examined our success and the success of those who have 'been there and done it' to create the 10 Principles of Scaling which is enshrined in our ScaleX™ Framework. As an extension of this we have created the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast.
Every week I will be having fascinating conversations with authors, change makers and business leaders on one or more of the ScaleX™ Principles to support you on your journey to success. I believe passionately in business scaleup and most importantly the wellbeing of you - the aspirational scaleup leader. New episodes on Wednesdays. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts, and please rate, review and share the podcast if you enjoy it. For more information go to: www.simplescaling.com.
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Scaling stories: From Family Business to Global Health Movement with Patrick Woods
Season 13 · Episode 14
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 • Duration 01:05:27
In today's episode of ScaleX Insider, I'm thrilled to welcome Patrick Woods, the Managing Director of Linwoods Health Foods. We explore his journey from a family-owned store to a global health movement and discuss his transformative experience with the ScaleX Accelerator. Patrick shares insights on balancing family and business priorities, navigating family business succession, and the impact of transformational leadership. He also reveals how Linwoods Health Foods is inspiring millions through their health movement, the power of purpose in scaling for impact, and the importance of resilience during tough times. We delve into why community remains at the heart of Patrick's approach and the significance of shareholding in family businesses. Join us for an enlightening discussion on leading a family business while driving global change and making an impact.
About Patrick Woods:
Our guest, Patrick Woods, is the Managing Director of Linwoods Health Foods, a third-generation family business that has transformed the health food industry. With over 50 years of history, Linwoods began as a small local store in rural Ireland, owned by the Woods family. After his father, John Woods, experienced a health setback in 1994, he became deeply interested in the health benefits of food, leading to the creation of Linwoods Health Foods. Today, their range of nutritional products, especially flax-based foods, is sold in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Patrick, based in Armagh, continues his family's legacy of innovation and growth, steering Linwoods to new heights. A graduate of Cafre Loughry Campus, where he studied Food, Nutrition, and Health, Patrick combines his expertise in operations management, sales, and business analysis with a passion for health and wellness. His leadership has solidified Linwoods as a global leader in the health food sector.
Join us as Patrick shares his insights on leading a family business, innovating in the health food industry, and maintaining a commitment to wellness on a global scale. Welcome, Patrick.
[REPLAY - from the archive] Dr. Jim Loehr - Why Mental Toughness Alone Won't Save You
Season 13 · Episode 13
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 • Duration 01:25:42
In today's conversation we sit down with Dr. Jim Loehr and we discuss why mental toughness wont save you as well as the Power of Noble Purpose, the High Performance Pyramid, Mental Toughness, The Story of Dan Jansen, The Role of Journaling, Leading Self Before Others, Creating New Stories, Navigating Life with Purpose and Developing a Growth Mindset.
About Jim Loehr
Dr. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, whose ground-breaking, science-based energy management training system has achieved worldwide recognition.
From his more than 30 years of experience and applied research, Dr. Loehr believes the single most important factor in successful achievement, personal fulfilment and life satisfaction is the strength of one's character. He strongly contends that character strength can be built in the same way that muscle strength is built through energy investment and has brought this topic to life in his latest book, Leading with Character: 10 Minutes a Day to a Brilliant Legacy.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.
Chip Conley - Midlife crisis is bullsh*t: Reinvent yourself or die trying
Season 13 · Episode 4
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 • Duration 01:09:11
In today's episode of ScaleX Insider, we're honoured to welcome Chip Conley, a trailblazing hospitality entrepreneur, bestselling author, and business rebel. In this episode, Chip explains why a midlife crisis is bullsh*t and explores how defining limits define success in business. He shares strategies on thriving after retirement, emphasises the importance of letting go and moving forward, and offers insights into overcoming scaling challenges. Chip also reveals the art of simplifying life after 50, the transformative power of intense curiosity, and reflects on turning pain into purpose, showcasing why life gets better after 50. Through captivating stories and practical wisdom, Chip Conley illuminates pathways to success and fulfilment in every stage of life and business.
About Chip:
Chip Conley is a hospitality entrepreneur, bestselling author, and business rebel who has reshaped the industry. He founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality, transforming an inner-city motel into the world's second-largest boutique hotel brand. Conley's pivotal role at Airbnb contributed significantly to its growth into a global hospitality leader. Through books such as "PEAK," "Emotional Equations," and "Wisdom at Work," Chip shares profound insights into business strategy, psychology, and the pursuit of meaning in life.
Recognised with numerous accolades, Chip serves on the boards of the Burning Man Project and the Esalen Institute, influencing both business and cultural landscapes globally.
Don't miss this enlightening conversation with Chip Conley on ScaleX Insider, where every chapter of his journey—from redefining success to turning pain into purpose—is a testament to the enduring power of innovation and personal growth.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible.
Alice Thompson – Founder of Social Bite shares her personal scaling journey and life beyond
Season 6 · Episode 8
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 • Duration 01:15:10
In 2011 Alice co-founded Scotland's leading social enterprise, Social Bite, a cafe chain famous for feeding and employing the homeless community, and bringing the likes of George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry & Meghan and many more to Scotland.
In 2020, with Social Bite fully established as a respected organisation employing over 100 people, Alice decided to leave. She found herself burnt out, and ironically, unfulfilled from a decade of high-pressure business expansion and professional growth. She flew the nest to begin a new chapter, curious to understand professional well-being, integrity and what having a purpose really means. Alice retrained as a Coach. She discovered that purpose and motivation are inextricably linked (neurobiologically) and that understanding ourselves on a deeper level and approaching life with authenticity can liberate us and the way we work. She prides herself on a science-based approach combining neurochemistry, cognitive behavioural coaching, the enneagram of personality and breath work. She offers 'Find Your Why' workshops for people and organisations on a purpose journey of their own and a 9-Month Purpose Coaching Programme for people looking for more meaning from their work. She uses her expertise to listen, guide, and challenge her client's limiting beliefs, facilitating a structured process that unlocks their true potential. She holds 3 Honorary Degrees for her contribution to social impact and social enterprise in Scotland, a Higher Diploma in Coaching, a Higher Diploma in People Management & a certificate in Neurochemistry and The Enneagram of Personality.
Alice continues to give back by supporting 3 selected social enterprises pro bono.
In today's conversation we will explore:
A personal account of how to cultivate a great partnership and some of the pitfalls to avoid for co-founders.
Being aware of Founder's Syndrome and knowing when to step off the bus
How do you scale your brand by leveraging celebrity and how this is much easier when you're leading a business for good.
Alice also shares a very personal story of her mental health challenges whilst scaling social bite.
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Ron Lovett – How to create a scaling culture and build performance into your values
Season 6 · Episode 7
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 • Duration 01:04:54
Ron Lovett is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of Outrageous Empowerment and Scaling Culture. He also has a podcast called Scaling Culture.
Ron builds brands that challenge and disrupt their industries and loves nothing more than going back to the drawing board by creating companies with a purpose.
Always in pursuit of a smarter, better way, he relentlessly researches best and simple processes and is quick to execute. Using his new-found best practices, he leverages them to provide consulting services to other businesses.
His private security company, Source Security & Investigations, which was sold in 2017 changed the security industry. Passionate in his mission to develop the culture in his organization, Ron's hands-on approach was key, and the rock star culture is what set Source Security apart in an otherwise tired, boring industry. Not only did this help the company attract the best talent, but they have also accomplished three times the industry average profits and grew from a local Halifax-based company to over 3,000 employees across Canada.
Today, Ron is the Founder & Chief Community Officer of Vida which does workforce housing providing affordable living for Canadians.
In today's conversation we will explore:
Building performance into your values
The power of deep coaching
The two critical elements missing in almost every coaching conversation
Some of the challenges of coaching internally
Community contests within your business and among your customers to cultivate passionate stakeholders
Building systems to manage your team effectively rather than people managing people
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"None of us build great companies, we'll lead people who will build great companies."
Cyriel Kortleven: How to lead in complex, changing environments and stimulate creativity in a scaling business
Season 6 · Episode 6
Wednesday, October 5, 2022 • Duration 01:04:06
Cyriel Kortleven is a man who practises what he preaches – a veteran in the world of creativity and innovation, he has developed his impressive skills as a teacher and inspirational speaker by dreaming big and starting with tiny steps.
In 2004, Cyriel started his own company and his mission in life became clear: to boost the creative & entrepreneurial mindset of professionals who are faced with change….which is pretty much everyone in business today.
Cyriel stimulates people to break their fixed-thinking patterns and inspires them to unleash their full potential. For more than 20 years, he has been inspiring organisations like IKEA, NASA and Unilever to approach Change with courage, confidence and enthusiasm. His pragmatic advice has earned him the nickname The Simplifier and he believes that in an increasingly complex world, we need new simple perspectives to enable us to navigate uncertainty and to turn problems into opportunities.
Cyriel has authored a number of books including The Change Mindset, which was launched last week, Yes and…Your Mental Agility, Yes and…Your Business, Yes and…Your Customer Service, Timespiration: a different look at time, less is More.
In today's conversation we will explore:
The importance of Yes And… instead of Yes But…
Four steps to changing your state aligned with your purpose and vision
The importance of reconnecting with your vision at an emotional level
Creating space to be creative
The critical importance of nano steps and the three minute rule
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"You are not your emotions, you are not your fear."
James Kerr – Building a culture of leadership and driving high performance when scaling a business
Season 6 · Episode 5
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 • Duration 01:23:45
James Kerr is a best-selling author and an expert in leadership, teamwork, and high performance. He is the author of 'Legacy', the international bestseller, which analyses the unique culture of the world's most successful sporting team, the All Blacks. The book has been described as 'unputdownable' by Bloomberg and The Daily Telegraph called it the 'modern version of Vince Lombardi's guides to coaching' and says, 'for those searching for genuine keys to team culture, it is manna from heaven.'
In his work, James addresses the transferable principles that drive exceptional outperformance. Using examples from his work with sport, the military and business, he argues that winning teams employ the same basic ideas; a relentless focus on excellence, a commitment to a collective cause, individual autonomy, trust initiative and accountability, candid communication, underpinned by a culture in which 'leaders create leaders'.
As an advisory, he helps organisations 'lift their game': galvanising and inspiring their teams through standards and expectations, identity, belief and belonging, mindset and mental skills. As well as small, elite teams, Kerr addresses the specific challenges faced by larger, more diverse organisations. He has advised US and UK Special Forces, Formula 1 teams, America's Cup crews, Premier League football managers, Olympic Performance Directors – as well as corporations ranging from Google to PayPal, McKinsey to Dyson, HSBC to Roche, Red Bull to Unilever, Shell to Boeing. His next book, Spearhead, explores 'the principles of war for the business of leadership', providing a fresh framework for leaders looking to turn culture into a 'force multiplier' for competitive advantage.
He is the co-founder of Fable Partners, the Leadership and Change Consultancy.
In today's conversation we will explore:
The importance of story to inspire engagement
Three aspects of culture
The importance of celebrating failure
Knowing what you stand for
The importance of leading from within
Listen out for the WIN acronym and the Blue Head concept for performing effectively under pressure.
Jodie Cook – The four-phase framework to scaling and exiting your business
Season 6 · Episode 4
Wednesday, September 21, 2022 • Duration 54:15
Jodie Cook – The four-phase framework to scaling and exiting your business and the importance of systemisation.
Jodie is an entrepreneur, athlete, and writer.
In 2011, Jodie founded a digital agency called JC Social Media which was acquired in 2021. It was this foray into the business world which ignited Jodie's fascination with the influences that create entrepreneurs. Alongside running a business, she authors books and articles about entrepreneurship and competes in powerlifting.
Jodie contributes articles to Forbes and Thought Catalog and authored a book called Stop Acting Like You're Going To Live Forever, on the topics of happiness, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle design. She co-wrote a series of children's storybooks, Clever Tykes, which develop positive, resourceful, and creative behaviour in 6–9-year-olds which are now read in every primary school in the United Kingdom.
Jodie was included in Forbes' 30 under 30 social entrepreneurs in Europe 2017 and gave a TEDx talk with the title 'creating useful people'. She loves travel, lifestyle design and helping people access the freedom that modern entrepreneurship should bring.
Her latest book 'Ten Year Career' Reimagine Business, Design Your Life, Fast Track Your Freedom focuses on how to define success your way, how to achieve far more in a shorter space of time and how to run your business without it running you.
In today's conversation we will explore:
The pitfalls of the comfort zone
The four-phase framework to scaling and exiting your business
The importance of systemising your business
How we should think of our business as a game and how businesses can move levels within that game beyond where 96% of business owners never pass
Practices which support a scaling mindset
Listen out for the one thing for you to develop that becomes a multiplier to everything else you do.
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"I think if selling is on your agenda in anyway, or if exiting your business in some way is something that you want to do in the future, you have to systemise otherwise you won't be able to sell it or if you do sell it, you have to do an earn out where you have to go with the company and you have to babysit it while the new buyer makes sure that you're doing your job. No entrepreneur wants that. So, the systemising phase has to have the endgame in mind. And it's always the vision you have to have in mind while you're doing it, because it will get hard, it will feel like a lot of effort, but it is worth it, I promise.
Brian Keane – The Four Quadrants of Living a Full Life and How to Manage Fear
Season 6 · Episode 3
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 • Duration 01:09:04
Brian Keane, known as Brian Keane Fitness online is a Reps qualified Level 3 Personal Trainer, certified Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sports Nutritionist.
Over the past seven years, he has gone from working full time as primary school teacher to one of Ireland's leading thought leaders on all thing's health, fitness, and nutrition.
He has had mainstream features everywhere from the UK and Irish Daily Mail, Star and Mirror to Men's and Women's Health Magazine.
On top of his ever-growing social media platforms which have a combined total of well over a quarter of a million followers, he also hosts one of Ireland and the UK's top health podcast which is regularly featured #1 on the iTunes Health Charts.
Brian's online fitness programs have over a thousand graduates every single year. In his programs, he helps people reach their weight loss, fitness, or body composition goal by giving them sustainable fitness programs alongside changing their entire mindset when it comes to food. Brian isn't a calorie in, calorie out nutritional coach, nor is he a low carb, vegan or paleo advocate. His philosophy is all about finding a nutritional plan that works for you as an individual and showing that your mindset around nutrition is more important than the actual diet plan you are on.
Brian has authored four books, three of which were Amazon best-sellers including, The Fitness Mindset, Rewire your Mindset, The Keane Edge and Leaner, Stronger, Faster.
Over the past seven years, Brian has become one of the most recognised faces in the Irish health and fitness industry. He has spoken at major wellness events such as Wellfest and was a Keynote speaker at Google HQ in Dublin for their 2018 wellness event.
In today's conversation we will explore:
The Importance of knowing where you want to go but ensuring that it aligns with your values.
Knowing when you should quit
How fear shows up and some great questions we should ask ourselves to overcome it
The importance of not trading your time for money but using leverage to scale
Chris Voss – How to successfully negotiate when scaling a business
Season 6 · Episode 2
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • Duration 01:01:18
Chris Voss is widely known for being a kidnapping and hostage negotiator, spending 24 years at the forefront of prominent FBI cases. As a member of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, Chris played a pivotal role in 150 hostage negotiations where he persuaded terrorists, bank robbers, and kidnappers to see things his way. Some of Chris' most prominent cases include monitoring the landmark bomb plot in New York City and investigating into the World Trade Centre bombing in 1993.
Other prominent cases include negotiations to free Jill Carroll in Iraq and Steve Centanni in the Gaza Strip. His work has taken him all over the globe, having also performed hostage negotiation in places such as Haiti, Columbia, and the Philippines. During his time in service, Chris received top-tier training from the FBI and was also educated by Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School.
Upon his retirement from the FBI back in 2007, Chris began dedicating his time as a lecturer at the USC Marshall School of Business and as an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.
Collating his expertise of negotiation, Chris has authored the book Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. He has also been sought to speak regularly on a variety of television channels including the likes of Fox News, CNN, and CNBC. Today, Chris runs a master class titled The Art of Negotiation and uses his skills of negotiation to help teach business negotiation to his budding students.
Chris Founded the Black Swan Group, channelling his expertise into his business helping others to solve business communication problems and brings to bear his years of experience in international crisis and negotiation.
Now he's teaching you his field-tested strategies to help you in everyday negotiations, whether you're aiming to improve your salary, the service you receive, or your relationships. Get stronger communication skills, game-changing insights into human nature, and more of what you want out of life.
In today's conversation we will explore:
Practising tactical empathy to cultivate relationships
Watch Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America is a 2010 documentary film directed and produced by Gayle Ferraro about the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner's ongoing campaign against poverty around the world.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader, delivering almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your Business.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business. Brendan also acts as a Non-Executive Director to CDE Asia (part of CDE Group). In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors, UK Young Director of the Year and Overall, Director of the Year. Brendan is also a regular keynote speaker, the host of the popular ScaleX™ Insider Podcast and is also a Wim Hof Instructor.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business. Brendan also acts as a Non-Executive Director to CDE Asia (part of CDE Group). In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors, UK Young Director of the Year and Overall, Director of the Year. Brendan is also a regular keynote speaker, the host of the popular ScaleX™ Insider Podcast and is also a Wim Hof Instructor.
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business. Brendan also acts as a Non-Executive Director to CDE Asia (part of CDE Group). In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors, UK Young Director of the Year and Overall, Director of the Year. Brendan is also a regular keynote speaker, the host of the popular ScaleX™ Insider Podcast and is also a Wim Hof Instructor.
The importance of your mental hygiene to develop happier and more profitable negotiations.
The four steps of effective negotiation
How to successfully negotiate your target price
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"I'm genuinely curious about what you have to say and where you coming from. I'm going to have a positive state of mind. It's impossible to be angry and curious simultaneously. If you are curious, you are smarter, you see patterns more quickly, you find out where the other side is coming from. Now, when you are curious about the person you're talking to, they love it. They want to talk to you. You are developing rapport that they feel very engaged with. They then open up to you. You do two things at the same time. You develop a rapport where you are gathering information instead of one or the other which then become an accelerator in your business relationship."
Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than 90 countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business. Brendan also acts as a Non-Executive Director to CDE Asia (part of CDE Group). In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors, UK Young Director of the Year and Overall, Director of the Year. Brendan is also a regular keynote speaker, the host of the popular ScaleX™ Insider Podcast and is also a Wim Hof Instructor.
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