After the First Million

How do you come to terms with the possibility that you might not be the ideal person to lead your company long-term?This is the story of Nick Smarrelli, a 10x Inc. 5000 winner and former CEO of GadellNet. During his time there, he helped them expand from 10 to over 200 employees. To say he successfully navigated the complex challenges of entrepreneurship would be an understatement. In this episode, Nick shares the emotional journey of leadership through a pandemic, the shift from corporate comfort to entrepreneurial risk, and embracing vulnerability and imperfection as a leader.Join Matt and Nick as they explore the pressures of leadership and Nick’s transformative decision to pass on the torch. Key takeaways:Leadership Vulnerability: Vulnerability has a profound impact on leadership. For Nick, this altered his approach from maintaining a facade of perfection to embracing imperfections and hiring smarter talents to complement his skills.Process and Structure: Discipline, structured processes, and hiring the right people are pivotal in ensuring scalability and addressing a company's emotional and operational challenges.Shift in Purpose: Realizing your purpose has changed is okay. It’s not a weakness but rather a strength that it is time to make a change. Time stamps: 00:00 Meet Nick Smarrelli06:14 Learning from mistakes, embracing challenges, and growth09:39 Curiosity is essential for entrepreneurship and unity11:59 Early career challenges led to eventual success19:25 Struggling with control23:20 Acknowledging skill, vulnerability, and hiring smarter people25:21 Struggling to find right hires 28:44 Creating efficient structure31:07 Rewarding employees with benefits36:40 Juggling family, work, and emotional challenges38:54 Suppressing personal struggles while leading amidst adversity42:58 Recognizing the need for others to lead a company44:57 Transition from doer to teacher48:58 Share imperfectly

Imagine starting your career thinking you want to be an engineer and becoming a CEO instead. This is Mark Caswell’s story. And in this episode, he shares how, during his time as CEO, Resultant acquired four companies, more than doubled its revenue, and expanded its team from 60 to nearly 500 employees nationwide. He walks us through his "messy middle" of scaling a business through multiple areas. His honest and raw answers offer a rare glimpse into the complex realities of managing a growing business and the personal growth that comes with it. Tune in as we hear the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned while leading the company to new heights. Key takeaways:Self-Care Equals Strong Leadership: Leaders often neglect their well-being in the service of their vision. Self-care and management are crucial for leaders to effectively take care of their team and organization.Adaptation is Critical for Growth: Whether it's personal development or managing a company through acquisitions, adapting to the changing landscape is crucial. Embrace the Rollercoaster: Career paths are non-linear, and sometimes, letting go can lead to greater achievements. Being open to learning from mistakes and being accountable are essential components of leadership growth.Time stamps: 00:00 Meet Mark Caswell03:26 The complexity of business and human dynamics07:52 Entrepreneurship requires figuring things out with grit10:09 Growth, challenges, and learning opportunities16:15 Initial anger, immediate challenges, 100-hour weeks19:42 Feel what you feel; no wrong feelings.22:41 Relying on your talented team24:52 Creating an organization requires delegation and self-care29:11 How finding great partners transformed our small business32:50 When you need to chart a new path forward34:42 Considering an exit39:11 Life spans a longer period than perceived40:13 Private equity demands progress, not perfection

This is your destination for feeling empowered in building your business. These are the real, raw stories of entrepreneurs and business owners who have built their businesses through the messy middle of $1-50 Million, hosted by serial entrepreneur Matt Tait.Matt knows what it’s like to scale past the first million, and on this show he’ll be bringing on other entrepreneurs and business owners who have been there, done that (or, are currently in it) to share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what’s next.