Lean Marketing

Can your company grow bigger and stay true to what matters most?In this episode, I sit down with Robert Glazer — serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and a true expert in values-driven leadership. We dive into the uncomfortable question: can you scale a business without diluting your culture or losing your way? Robert shares hard-earned wisdom on defining your personal and organizational core values, how to hire and lead with alignment, and why getting this right isn’t fluffy — it’s foundational. He also opens up about his new book The Compass Within, revealing how values aren’t just good for business — they’re key to living a life that feels right. Whether you're hiring, scaling, or leading, this episode will challenge you to think bigger by getting clearer on what actually matters.Key Takeaways:Leading with Core Values from the Start: Robert shares how being values-led helped him build Acceleration Partners into a global performance marketing agency — without selling out.Scaling Without Losing Your Culture: We discuss the growing pains of expansion, and how to protect what makes your company great while still growing fast.Aligning Personal Growth with Professional Success: Robert explains why leaders need to understand their own core values — and how The Compass Within helps them do just that.Hiring, Retention, and Culture Fit: Get Robert’s framework for attracting and keeping top talent who don’t just perform, but align with your mission.Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch: We explore how leaders can leverage AI for productivity — while doubling down on the uniquely human parts of leadership.Tune in to this values-first conversation — only on the Lean Marketing Podcast.Shareable Quotes:"You can’t scale what you can’t define — and that includes your core values." — Robert Glazer"Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall. It’s what happens when no one’s watching." — Robert Glazer"I’ve always believed that how you grow matters just as much as how big you grow." — Robert Glazer"Scaling a business without breaking your culture is one of the hardest things to do — and the most worth doing." — Allan Dib"AI will never replace real leadership. But it will expose the leaders who relied on busywork." — Allan DibConnect with Robert Glazer:Website: https://robertglazer.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertglazer_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobertSGlazerFree Resource: robertglazer.com/sixBooks: https://geni.us/valuesFree Course with Book Purchase: https://robertglazer.com/compass-allan/Connect with Lean Marketing:Website: https://leanmarketing.com/ Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn

What if your copywriter became your CEO… and crushed it?In this episode, I sit down with Claire Marshall, who started with us as a copywriter and eventually became the first CEO of Lean Marketing (back when we were still called Successwise). We reflect on the wild ride of building a global team, leading without micromanaging, and growing a business by growing people. Claire also shares the deeply personal journey she’s been on since stepping away from chasing external success to redefining what fulfillment actually looks like. If you've ever wondered what kind of person can run your business like it's their own — or whether it’s possible to shift gears after years of hustle — this one will hit home.Key Takeaways:Meet Claire Marshall: The Digital Nomad: I introduce Claire — our very first CEO — and we talk about how her global lifestyle shaped the way she leads and works.The Journey from Copywriter to CEO: Claire didn’t start in leadership — she started writing copy, and we walk through how she rose to lead the entire company.Hiring for Attitude and Growth: We unpack my philosophy on hiring, and why I’d choose someone with curiosity and grit over experience any day.Challenges and Lessons in Leadership: Claire and I get real about the growing pains, missteps, and what we both learned navigating leadership in a fast-scaling business.Transitioning and Personal Growth: After stepping away, Claire shares how she redefined success and found a new path that goes far beyond business.Listen in for the laughs, lessons, and everything in between — only on the Lean Marketing Podcast.Shareable Quotes:"Marketing is the sexy part, but it’s the systems that make the sexy stuff actually work." — Claire Marshall"You’re not just running a company — you’re growing people." — Claire Marshall"Somebody who thinks it's very exciting that the world is their oyster, and somebody who is terrified that the world is their oyster." — Claire Marshall"I often hire for attitude rather than skills, which is great — but there is definitely a cost to it." — Allan Dib"A-players are contextual. Someone who’s great in one company might not be great in yours." — Allan Dib

What if repeat customers and referrals could grow your business faster than chasing new leads?In this episode, Alana Nicholls shares how she and her husband bootstrapped an electrical company from two vans to a $65 million national brand with 100+ staff—then stepped back and installed a CEO to run it without them. We dig into the early door-knocking hustle, the mindset shift from “doing it all” to delegating, and why culture beats skill when you’re building a management team.  Discover the exact playbook that made it possible: the 21-step "Experience the WOW" system that generates repeat business, the franchise-thinking approach that forced better systems, and the "one van, one child" purpose that became a movement. If you want a company that runs without you and matters beyond you, this is your blueprint.Key Takeaways:From Two Vans to Momentum: Door-Knocking and First Hires: One-on-one outreach created the first wave of customers, while early hires were selected for attitude over aptitude and trained to deliver consistently.Building Managers, Not Dependents: Promote doers into leaders with clear KPIs, simple SOPs, and weekly rhythms—then get out of their way so ownership (not permission) drives results.Systemizing “Experience the WOW”: Turn the 21-step service journey into checklists, role training, and feedback loops so every job feels the same—reliable, fast, and memorable.Brand Before Marketing: Lead with a sharp website and local SEO, then let branded vans act as rolling billboards—clear offers, clear visuals, and the same message everywhere.Purpose That Scales: Tie growth to impact so every new van equals a life changed; purpose rallies team, wins customers’ hearts, and makes referrals part of your mission.🎧 Listen or watch the episode to learn how to turn service into systems, systems into scale, and scale into lasting impact.Shareable Quotes:“The quickest, and I think the only way really to grow a business is the two R's: repeat business and referrals.” — Alana Nicholls“Generosity fuels growth. We know specifically that it fueled our growth from a startup to a $65 million brand.” — Alana Nicholls“It's one thing to have the extra van that's kind of supply, but businesses grow on demand.” — Allan Dib“Money just amplifies who you are, right? So if you're generous at a small scale, you'll be generous at a larger scale.” — Allan DibConnect with Alana Nicholls:Website: https://www.platinumelectricians.com.au/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-nicholls-95b14920b/?originalSubdomain=auInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/propurpose_/Connect with Lean Marketing:Website: https://leanmarketing.com/ Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn

What if your biggest growth lever isn’t capital or creatives—but kindness, creativity, and simply showing up? In this episode, I talk with Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802, about how a small goat farm became a national skincare brand. We cover the real stuff: starting with hand-wrapped soaps, cold-calling big stores, landing a 52,000-bar order with tiny margins, and getting the whole town to help pack. We dig into the TV retail break (QVC/HSN), launching in Ulta right as COVID hit, and simple, clever partnerships—like Jiffy Lube “spa” promos and a Schitt’s Creek collab—that got huge attention without huge spend. The big lesson: lead with kindness, help first, keep telling your story, and keep showing up.Key Takeaways:1. How We Started: From a country detour and goat milk to the first bar of soap.2. The First Big Wins (and Hard Lessons): Cold calls, Fifth Avenue interest, a 52,000-bar order—and tight margins.3. TV Retail That Moved the Needle: QVC/HSN storytelling (yes, baby goats) and what actually scaled.4. Low-Cost, High-Creativity Partnerships: $0 ideas, Jiffy Lube “facials,” and a Schitt’s Creek tie-in that helped the town.5. Kindness as a Business Strategy: Help first, negotiate by giving, and make values part of the product.🎧 Listen or watch the episode to see how simple actions—done consistently—can build a brand that lasts.Connect with Brent Ridge:Website: https://beekman1802.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-ridge-md-0641791/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beekman1802skincareBook: https://www.amazon.com/G-T-Wisdom-Business-Founders/dp/1647829771Connect with Lean Marketing:Website: https://leanmarketing.com/ Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn

What if the smartest move for your business right now isn’t to push harder—but to pull back with intent? In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur and author Chris Ducker to unpack what it takes to lead for decades, without burning out.. We talk about the season of life that inspired his latest book, The Long Haul Leader, why “more” isn’t always better, and how defining enough can unlock better decisions everywhere else. Chris shares his burnout story, the health habits that rebuilt his energy, and why doubling down on your zone of genius (while delegating the rest) raises the standard across your entire company. We also get real about legacy, family, and creative recovery—because a business that consumes you can’t be the one that sustains you. If you want results that last, this conversation will reset how you build, lead, and live.Key Takeaways:1. From Hustle to the Long Haul: Why it’s okay to take your foot off the gas—and the life season that inspired The Long Haul Leader.2. Redefining “Enough” and Setting Ambitious Guardrails: A frank discussion about targets, guilt, and setting a number that serves your life, not your ego.3. Health Before Scale: Chris’s burnout story, clinical recovery, and the biohacking habits that restored focus and drive.4. Zone of Genius & Delegation That Elevates the Standard: Doing what only you can do, hiring specialists, and making “acquire talent” a founder’s job.5. Legacy, Family, and Creative Recovery for Leaders: What legacy really means—and how nature, art, and hobbies make you a better leader.Listen or watch now to learn how I’m rethinking leadership with Chris Ducker—and how you can build a business (and life) that truly lasts.Connect with Chris Ducker:Website: https://chrisducker.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisducker/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisduckerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker/Books: longhaulleader.com/bookFree Business Burnout Guide: chrisducker.com/burnoutConnect with Lean Marketing:Website: https://leanmarketing.com/ Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn