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If your business can't run without you in the middle of it, the problem isn't your team; it's the seat that's still empty.

In this episode, I sit down with Alec Broadfoot, founder and CEO of VisionSpark, a premium executive search firm in Worthington, Ohio, with a 99% placement rate and a spot on the 2023 Inc 5000. Alec has spent 14 years helping entrepreneurial companies make the one hire that changes everything: the right number-two leader.

We break down why gut-based hiring keeps brilliant founders stuck, how one assessment tool flipped Alec's own team from 70% turnover to 70% retention, and the eight indispensable traits every second-in-command must have. This is the conversation that makes you realize you don't have a growth problem; you have a people-in-seats problem.

⏱ Chapter Breakdown

00:00 — Welcome & Intro: Meet Alec Broadfoot and VisionSpark

01:27 — From Banking to Entrepreneur: Alec's First Business at 25

03:01 — The Hiring Crisis: Firing 7 Out of 10 Employees

04:00 — How One Assessment Changed Everything (Talent Impact Profile)

05:52 — The Origin of VisionSpark: Solving the #2 Hire for Entrepreneurs

07:01 — Why 78% of Resumes Have Lies (And What to Use Instead)

08:52 — The Book: Hiring the Right Number Two Leader

10:17 — The 8 Indispensable Traits of a Great Number Two

12:40 — Culture Fit: The Harvard-Backed Ingredient Most Founders Ignore

14:08 — Success Story: The Couple Traveling the World After Hiring Their #2

15:31 — How Alec Stays Sharp: Strategic Coach, AI, and Pulse Meetings

18:03 — Books, Resources & What Alec Would Tell His 25-Year-Old Self

📚 Books Mentioned

• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
• The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni
• Hiring the Right Number Two Leader by Alec Broadfoot

Connect with Alec and explore VisionSpark's hiring process at visionsparksearch.com. You can also find his book, Hiring the Right Number Two Leader, on Amazon, and if you reach out to him on LinkedIn, mention the show and he'll make sure to connect with you personally.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

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If you’re building new offers, investing time, and still questioning whether it will actually convert, you don’t have a scaling problem. You have a validation problem.

In this episode, I sit down with Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered menswear rental platform backed by early investors in companies like Nvidia, TikTok, Facebook, Lyft, and Spotify, to unpack how to validate your business idea before you build.

Anya didn’t start with a polished product. She started with a hypothesis, a landing page, and one customer she almost ignored. What followed was a repeatable way to test demand, get first customers without a finished product, and build traction before scaling.

We walk through real examples of MVP validation, how to avoid building offers no one buys, and the exact thinking shift that turns uncertainty into clarity.

If you’re refining an offer, launching something new, or looking to scale without wasted effort, this conversation will recalibrate how you build.

Books Mentioned
- Get to AHA by Andy Cunningham

If you want to experience what Anya is building, visit taelor.style and use code podcast25 for 25% off your first month. You can also reach out directly at Anya@taelor.ai to explore partnerships, insights, or opportunities to connect.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
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If your team is performing, but not owning outcomes… if turnover keeps showing up right when you need stability… the issue usually isn’t effort. It’s design.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Dyer, Inc Magazine’s #1 leadership speaker, former CEO of People G2, and current CEO of Hopetape USA, to unpack the real driver behind employee retention strategies that actually work.

What he built wasn’t accidental. It was engineered, through intentional systems, onboarding design, and what he calls “moments that matter.”

We talk about how to reduce employee turnover, why culture doesn’t scale without structure, and how to create a company your team doesn’t want to leave, even after promotions elsewhere.

If you’re scaling a digital agency and want stronger team performance, better handoffs, and a culture that holds under pressure, this gives you a clear, practical framework to implement immediately.

Books Mentioned

• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
• The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack
• Good to Great by Jim Collins

Chris’s new book Moments That Matter releases March 24, 2026. Search it on Amazon, or visit chrisdyer.com/moments for direct links. You can also connect with him across social platforms or explore bringing him in as a speaker for your organization.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
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At a certain point in your agency’s growth, visibility becomes the constraint. You’ve built the systems, the team, the client results. But the question becomes: how do you scale influence without scaling your time?

In this episode, I sit down with Chandler Bolt, CEO of SelfPublishing.com, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and author of seven bestselling books, who has helped more than 7,000 people publish books that grow their income, impact, and business.

We unpack the strategy behind authority marketing and why a book can become far more than a credibility asset. Done well, it becomes a lead generator, a revenue driver, and a scalable authority engine. Chandler shares how he calls his book a “$7 million business card,” the launch frameworks that convert readers into clients, and the systems that transform expertise into leverage.

If you're building thought leadership, refining your marketing systems, and looking for a smarter way to multiply your impact, this conversation will change how you think about authority marketing.

Books Mentioned
- Published by Chandler Bolt

If you’d like to learn more from Chandler, you can explore his work at SelfPublishing.com or grab a free audiobook version of his book Published at publishedbook.com/audio. You can also find him sharing insights on his YouTube channels and Instagram.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
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If you’re still the one closing every deal, reviewing every proposal, and carrying the weight of revenue growth, the issue isn’t effort; it’s structure. Without a clear sales system, growth eventually stalls.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Cocca, President of Strategic Sales in Frederick, Maryland. Chris serves clients across the U.S. and brings more than 25 years of sales leadership experience, including 17 years at PepsiCo. He’s also a Sales Acceleration Advisor and a five-time President’s Club winner who has helped B2B and professional services firms create record-breaking sales growth.

We explore what it takes to build a scalable sales system that moves a company beyond founder-led selling. Chris shares practical strategies around CRM-driven sales operations, aligning sales and marketing KPIs, improving pipeline consistency, and developing a repeatable sales process that strengthens accountability across the team.

If you’re scaling a digital agency or service business and want a predictable pipeline, stronger team performance, and a sales process that doesn’t depend on you, this conversation will give you the clarity to move forward with confidence.

- Traction by Gino Wickman
- Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

If you’d like to continue the conversation with Chris or learn more about building a stronger sales system for your company, connect with him on LinkedIn by searching Chris Cocca. You can also reach him directly at ccocca@salesxceleration.com or by phone at 918-409-9559.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
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If scaling your agency feels heavier than it should… if every fix creates two new problems… you may be facing a Founder Bottleneck.

In this episode, I sit down with Simon Severino, the CEO of Strategy Sprints, author of Strategy Sprints, and advisor responsible for $2 billion in additional sales for his clients over 21 years.

We unpack the shift from advisor to CEO, why scaling gets lonely at the top, and the weekly planning system Simon uses to eliminate chaos without adding more effort. He breaks down his Focus Card framework, input vs. output metrics, communal sales strategy, and how a consistent planning process beats chasing the perfect plan.

If you’re building systems, refining team performance, and scaling past 7 figures without burnout, this conversation will sharpen how you operate, Monday to Friday.

Books Mentioned
- Strategy Sprints by Simon Severino

To connect with Simon and explore the Focus Card, sales tools, and Sprint Club community he mentioned, visit strategysprints.com. You can access their tools and even enter their community free for seven days.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
  Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference.
  
  

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If you’re stuck working in the business while trying to scale it, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Reynolds, founder of Element 502, a creative agency helping businesses find their authentic voice and connect meaningfully with their audiences. Bill has led through acquisition, financial pressure, operational chaos, and the daily reality of the Agency Owner Grind.

We unpack the tension between working in vs on your business, real-time team feedback, agency positioning strategy, and why constant grind culture is a warning sign, not a badge of honor. Bill shares the story behind buying a struggling marketing company, rebuilding it, and redefining value vs price in a crowded market.

If you’re scaling past seven figures and navigating systems, team handoffs, margin pressure, and strategic clarity, this episode will sharpen how you lead, decide, and position your agency for sustainable growth.

Books Mentioned
- The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard
- The Grind by Michael McFall

If you want to learn more about Bill and his team, visit element502.com. You can also explore his positioning framework at 599haircut.com, where you can download the free worksheet and even book time directly on his calendar to talk through your marketing strategy.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
  Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference.
  
  

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Scaling has a way of exposing pressure points. Revenue grows, but so does decision fatigue, team friction, and the feeling that you’re still the bottleneck.

In this episode, I sit down with Rajesh Nagjee, CEO mentor and business physicist, creator of CEO Freedom OS, to unpack what he calls the “velocity crisis”: the widening gap between your company’s systems and your capacity to run them at speed.

We explore Scaling Leadership through a different lens: aligning your inner game with your outer game, improving decision quality across strategy, execution, people, and cash, and shifting from delegating tasks to delegating ownership.

If you’re scaling past 7 figures and want sustainable growth without burnout, better team performance without micromanagement, and systems that don’t collapse under pressure, this conversation will sharpen how you think and how you lead.

Books Mentioned

• The Inner Game of Golf by Timothy Galloway
• The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
• What Customers Want (Outcome-Driven Innovation) by Anthony Ulwick

If you want to connect with Rajesh, reach out to him on LinkedIn where he posts consistently each week, or visit his website. You can also email him directly; he’s very open to hearing from leaders who are serious about learning and growing.

Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.

• Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:
  Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.
  
  
• Special Offer:
  Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference.
  
  

Connect with Dr. William Attaway:

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