Growth is exciting until it starts costing you more than it is making you. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Ben Hansen, five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and founder of Profit Doctor, about why scaling too fast without fixing your profit problems is a recipe for burnout.

After building an eight figure company with more than 100 employees, Ben learned firsthand that more revenue does not always mean more success. Through his Profit Doctor programs, he now helps CEOs and business owners cure what he calls “Profititis,” when your top line keeps growing but your bottom line stays flat.

In this conversation, Ben shares practical ways to increase margins, cash, and distributions in just 90 days, often without adding more workload or pressure. He also explains why most companies are following the wrong playbook, chasing growth like tech startups instead of optimizing for profitability like sustainable businesses.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why growing faster is not always growing smarter

☑️ How to diagnose and fix Profititis before it burns you out

☑️ The 50 20 Rule, a simple shortcut to higher profits

☑️ Why cutting the worst 20 percent of your work can unlock growth

☑️ How to think like private equity and make more by doing less

This episode is for:

▶️ Business owners scaling between 2 million and 50 million in revenue

▶️ Leaders who feel stuck despite record sales

▶️ Founders chasing growth but losing energy or focus

▶️ Anyone ready to run a healthier and more profitable business

About the Guest

Ben Hansen is a five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and the founder of Profit Doctor, where he helps companies boost profitability without working harder. A former CEO of a fast growing marketing analytics firm, Ben now coaches leaders across North America to fix hidden leaks in their business models and achieve measurable profit gains within 12 weeks.

Learn more: profitdoctor.com

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benhansen

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can organizations embrace AI to transform marketing without losing the human connection that drives trust and brand loyalty? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, as well as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management.

Under Matt’s marketing leadership, JL Smith achieved 40% average annual growth from 2020 to 2024, C2P launched one of the industry’s first in-house marketing agencies for advisors, and Prosperity Capital Advisors now supports over 130 independent financial advisors nationwide. Recognized as a ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES 2025 CMO of the Year finalist, Matt has led standout campaigns like the OBBB initiative and The Rainmaker Multiplier, which earned national attention for creativity and results.

In this conversation, Matt shares how AI is reshaping marketing strategy, why the traditional funnel is being replaced by continuous loops of engagement, and how leaders can use AI as a thought partner to challenge ideas, build culture, and enhance storytelling.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ How AI is transforming modern marketing and sales integration

☑️ Ways to humanize digital strategy without losing efficiency

☑️ Why culture and storytelling are the strongest brand differentiators

☑️ How to use AI as a creative and strategic thought partner

☑️ What marketing leaders can do to stay ahead of disruption

This episode is for:

▶️ CMOs and marketing leaders navigating AI-driven transformation

▶️ Executives aligning sales, marketing, and culture under one strategy

▶️ Business owners seeking to build trust in the digital era

▶️ Advisors and professionals using marketing to scale their impact

About the Guest

Matt Seitz is the Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, and also serves as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management. With more than 15 years of experience in financial services marketing, Matt is known for his strategic leadership, data-driven storytelling, and ability to build scalable marketing systems that drive growth. He is a finalist for both the WealthManagement.com CMO of the Year and ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Executive Leadership awards.

Learn more: https://prosperitycapitaladvisors.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattseitz

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can leaders inspire innovation, engagement, and performance without relying on having all the answers? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. Debra Clary, author of The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions, and former executive at Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana.

Across more than three decades in Fortune 50 organizations, Dr. Clary has helped leaders shift from transactional to transformational cultures by building curiosity into the core of how teams think and perform. Her research reveals a direct correlation between curiosity and leadership effectiveness and shows how leaders who ask bold questions create more engaged, innovative, and high performing teams.

In this conversation, Dr. Clary shares how leaders can turn curiosity into a strategic advantage, foster cultures of openness, and drive long term growth by asking better questions.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ Why curiosity is a leadership advantage and not a luxury

☑️ How asking better questions creates more engaged teams

☑️ Ways to balance direction with curiosity as a leader

☑️ The four factors of the Curiosity Curve framework

☑️ How to build a culture where innovation thrives

This episode is for:

▶️ Executives and managers seeking to unlock team potential

▶️ Leaders driving organizational change or transformation

▶️ HR and L&D professionals focused on engagement and performance

▶️ Anyone ready to lead with questions instead of just answers

About the Guest

Dr. Debra Clary is an author, researcher, and leadership expert who spent over 30 years in Fortune 50 organizations including Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. As the founder of Clary Consulting, she helps leaders and organizations build cultures of curiosity that drive growth and transformation. Her book, The Curiosity Curve, was published by Fast Company Press.

Learn more: https://debraclary.com/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebraclary/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions