In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Brent Garrett, the founder of Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning and a veteran business consultant known as The Skilled Trades Coach.

Brent shares his profound journey from working at the end of a shovel to building, scaling, and successfully selling a multimillion-dollar residential services enterprise.

The conversation focuses heavily on navigating the "messy middle"—that precarious growth phase where founders hit a sudden ceiling of complexity and experience unsustainable operational friction. Brent breaks down why working harder isn't a viable long-term solution, how to effectively shift from tactical execution to strategic delegation, and the psychology required to step back into your true zone of genius.

He also unpacks his two non-negotiable business commandments that every leader must protect to maintain cultural alignment and financial resilience. Plus, he shares what future founders need on Day 1 to ensure they survive their first year and beyond.

Connect with Brent:

Website: The Skilled Trades Coach

LinkedIn: Brent Garrett

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: John Hill

Website: Adapted Growth

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Free Workshops: Revenue Evolution Workshops

Why do so many rapid-scaling startups struggle to sustain their revenue after an influx of new clients? Because they mistake reactive customer support for a proactive growth strategy.

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Small Mountain sits down with Noah Hallett, a startup consultant and fractional Chief Customer Officer (CCO).

Operating from Lisbon, Portugal, Noah shares his raw perspective on transitioning a business internationally and details why long-term company value is determined entirely by what happens after a sales contract is finalized. The conversation delivers a masterclass in separating reactive customer service from revenue-generating customer success frameworks.

Noah breaks down how early-stage founders can:

• navigate user experience (UX) friction,
• handle the operational handoff between sales and customer success managers (CSMs),
• leverage radical transparency in marketing to build brand trust,
• and reframe high-friction "Struggle Bus" accounts into a blueprint for product development.

Whether you're trying to fix a leaky pipeline, realign your client retention strategy, or understand the deep human element behind scaling an organizational structure, Noah's grounded approach offers immediate clarity for founders looking to build a resilient business.

Connect with Noah Hallett:

LinkedIn: Noah Hallett 🦦

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

What is the true difference between building a scalable business and simply monetizing a personal skill set? In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John SmallMtn sits down with Michael R. Hunter, the co-founder of Spiffy Checkouts and PersonalBrand.com, to unpack the hidden mechanisms behind sustainable business growth and leadership alignment.

Michael shares his evolutionary journey from running a growth marketing agency to bootstrapping a fintech software company to an eight-figure valuation. Together, they pull back the curtain on how to identify true product-market fit, why a defined brand reduces friction in your sales pipeline, and the necessity of managing team capacity at 85% to protect against burnout. Michael also drops a powerful reframe on operational patience, relationship communication with co-founders, including one who is also his spouse, and navigating a macroeconomic "trust recession" by building a resilient operational foundation. If you want to stop forcing hollow milestones and design a personal definition of success, this episode offers an essential roadmap.

Notable Topics Discussed:

• Distinguishing between starting an enterprise and monetizing expertise.

• Redefining brand as consumer consensus rather than content marketing distribution.

• The 4 Fs framework (Fame, Freedom, Fortune, and Fun) for high-ticket client alignment.

• Blending vision work and abstract brand alignment to elevate sales team conversions.

• Embracing imperfect action, active patience, and setting strict constraints under modern AI environments.

Connect with Michael R. Hunter:

Is AI a threat to your livelihood, or the ultimate tool to scale your next venture?

In this episode, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with tech pioneer, former NASDAQ company CEO, and international bestselling author Jay Samit to dissect how seasoned professionals can claim their "Second Act Advantage."

Jay pulls back the curtain on his newest book, sharing insights gained from raising nearly a billion dollars in Silicon Valley, launching foundational internet systems with the White House, and advising global brands like McDonald's and Coca-Cola.

We dive deep into actionable founder-centric topics, including:

• The "Zombie Idea" stress-test framework,
• How to deploy zero-cost AI toolsets to rapidly prototype businesses,
• The psychological mechanics of the Pygmalion effect on team performance,
• And strategic alternatives to toxic credit card debt when funding a startup.

Jay also lays out a practical framework for the historic multi-trillion-dollar boomer wealth transfer, explaining how everyday entrepreneurs can acquire cash-flowing brick-and-mortar operations using government-backed SBA structures.

Whether you are a corporate executive looking to exit the matrix or a young founder seeking sustainable business frameworks, this episode delivers the hard-earned wisdom required to future-proof your trajectory.

Connect with Jay Samit:

Website: https://jaysamit.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysamit

Newest Book: The Second Act Advantage

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

What happens when the world's foremost startup accelerator rejects your business idea—not once, but twice? For most founders, it's where the dream stalls out. For Edward Haryono, it was the exact friction required to build a resilient, high-growth enterprise.

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Edward Haryono, co-founder of Saudara (an AI-native international sourcing broker), to explore the raw reality of entrepreneurial perseverance.

Edward opens up about the grueling journey behind his acceptance into the Spring 2026 Y Combinator cohort, detailing how his team handled back-to-back rejections, stripping away ego to find genuine founder-market fit, and the pivotal decision to quit their stable corporate careers months before funding was ever guaranteed.

We dive deep into the immersive, fast-paced environment of a 200-company YC batch in San Francisco and unpack what it truly looks like to bring your whole self to a mission. Edward shares vital leadership insights on building an absolute ownership culture, balancing coachability with heavy conviction, and the psychological necessity of "burning your boats" to give your vision the commitment it deserves to succeed.

We also break down the complexities of scaling international manufacturing across multiple factories, the logistical vulnerabilities of chasing the cheapest production costs, and why founders "observe" their potential clients rather than seeking empty validation.

Edward shares a masterclass on how operators should filter startup advice, the necessity of absolute commitment over halfway execution, and how to deeply felt passion can push yourself further, even through rejection.

Connect with Edward Haryono:

Website: Saudara.ai

LinkedIn: Edward Haryono

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Dr. Corey Wilks, a Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Creator Alchemy, to bridge the gap between deep psychological insights and practical business growth. Corey shares his journey from clinical addiction treatment in rural Appalachia to executive coaching for high-level creators like Ali Abdaal.

We discuss:

• The Craftsman Mentality: How to labor your way to excellence even without "innate" talent.

• Liminal Tension: Reframing Imposter Syndrome as a necessary signal for growth.

• Permissionless Action: A tactical breakdown of how to land major opportunities by solving problems before you're even asked.

• The AI Trap: Why founders risk losing their competitive edge by outsourcing their core thinking.

• Founder Resilience: Using the reality of mortality to cut through business friction and fear.

Whether you're a newer founder struggling with the "professional veneer" or a seasoned entrepreneur looking to rediscover your authentic voice, this conversation offers a grounded guide to building a business that lasts.

Connect with Corey Wilks, PsyD:

Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/

LinkedIn: Corey Wilks, PsyD

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Transitioning from a top-tier individual producer to a resilient organizational leader requires a radical shift in mindset, clarity, and execution. In this episode, John sits down with Leslie Venetz, a 3-time Head of Sales, award-winning sales expert, USA Today Bestselling Author, SKO Speaker, and the Founder of the Sales-Led GTM Agency.

Bypassing standard corporate jargon, Leslie shares her grounded journey from scaling a bootstrap startup as employee number one to turning down a massive multi-six-figure corporate offer to build her own sustainable consulting practice.

John and Leslie pull back the curtain on the functional mechanics of founder-led growth and sustainable leadership. They dive into deeply tactical topics, including:

• Knowing what content and IP to share freely on social media, gatekeep behind a form, or sell to clients,
• Navigating the personal identity shift required when managing teams,
• And avoiding the trap of overvaluing shortcuts and undervaluing your SDRs and salespeople.

Additionally, they explore the realities of the modern B2B SaaS landscape, why full-cycle sales proficiency remains a foundational requirement for newer founders, and the critical importance of building communities to sustain professional resilience.

If you're a founder confused about what to share without "giving it all away for free," or still haven't unlocked the right leadership balance for your team, this interview is a must!

Connect with Leslie Venetz:

Company: The Sales-Led GTM Agency

LinkedIn: Leslie Venetz

Buy Her Book: Profit Generating Pipeline: A Proven Formula to Earn Trust and Drive Revenue

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: John Blane Hill

Website: Adapted Growth

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Buy His Book: Selling From Scratch

In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Mohamed, Co-Founder of QuantumBloom, to discuss the systemic "leaky bucket" in STEM industries. Andrea shares how her organization is moving the needle on retention by treating culture as a business outcome rather than a moral initiative.

Topics Discussed:

• The STEM Exit: Why 70% of women leave technical paths by age 30 and how to stop the bleed.

• Founder-Led Sales: Andrea's transition from marketer to "relational" salesperson and the reality of a 425-day sales cycle.

• Bootstrapping vs. VC: Why QuantumBloom chose an unsecured line of credit over venture capital to maintain creative control.

• Unconscious Bias in Real-Time: How subtle meeting dynamics marginalize high-performers and what managers can do to intervene.

• The "Human-First" Model: Building a performance-based culture that respects life stages and parenthood.

Connect with Andrea:

Website: QuantumBloom

LinkedIn: Andrea Mohamed

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: John Blane Hill

Website: Adapted Growth

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch