Strategy at Scale

Outthinker
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Brought to you by Outthinker, Scaling Up, and Growth Institute  In a sea of contradictory business advice, Strategy at Scale breaks through the noise to deliver practical, proven strategies to predictably scale the value of your business. Each week, we interview successful entrepreneurs and business builders across industries to extract simple, high-impact strategic concepts that work. From avoiding costly missteps to executing systematic processes that fuel growth, you’ll gain lessons from the masters to scale your enterprise more effectively. 

  1. DEC 9

    How Bill George Uses Authentic Leadership: Building Companies That Outlast Markets

    Bill George is the former CEO and Chairman of Medtronic and a longtime professor at Harvard Business School. Starting from an early conviction that leadership had to mean more than chasing titles, he helped transform Medtronic from a 4,000-person medical device maker into a 30,000-person, purpose-driven global leader. Along the way he codified a playbook for “True North” leadership that combines clear purpose, distinctive strategy, and uncompromising values. In this conversation, Bill unpacks what authentic leadership really is (and isn’t), why purpose has to precede strategy, and how leaders actually grow as their organizations scale. If you’re a founder, executive, or intrapreneur trying to build something durable—not just profitable—this is a masterclass in aligning who you are with how you lead. 👉 Bill’s latest book, True North: Emerging Leader Edition: https://billgeorge.org/book/true-north-emerging-leader-edition 👉 Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamwgeorge In this episode, you’ll learn: •How to use crucible moments to find your True North, deepen self-awareness, and stop “faking it to make it.” •Why purpose and uniqueness—not “being the best”—should anchor your strategy and define how you win in the market. •What it really takes to scale from thousands to tens of thousands of people, including upgrading your leadership bench and shifting from managing to coaching. •How to build leadership circles and feedback systems that create psychologically safe spaces, grow authentic leaders, and keep values alive at scale. •How to design metrics that actually matter, resist short-term gaming of the numbers, and hold your values under pressure from boards, investors, and the market. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Self-Leadership 01:16 Welcome to the Strategy at Scale Podcast 01:39 Meet Bill George: Leadership Luminary 04:05 Bill George’s Leadership Journey 06:04 Defining Strategy and Purpose 11:38 Authentic Leadership Explained 23:01 The Importance of Crucibles in Leadership 29:23 Introduction to the Men’s Group 29:45 Weekly Meetings and Topics 30:11 Dealing with Illness in the Group 31:14 Personal Reflections and Values 34:56 The Importance of Metrics 42:16 Leadership and Growth 44:42 Challenges and Solutions in Leadership 49:12 The Role of Values in Leadership 53:07 Final Thoughts and Reflections Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    55 min

  2. NOV 25

    From Booking.com To WeRoad: How Andrea D’Amico Built A €100M Community

    Andrea D’Amico is the CEO of WeRoad, one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel companies, and former regional VP at Booking.com. After nearly two decades helping scale Booking.com from a 100-person startup to a 20,000-person global giant, he stepped back post-COVID to rethink what he actually wanted to build next. That reflection led him to WeRoad, now a €100M-revenue, pan-European community that has brought 300,000+ young professionals to 125+ destinations through nearly 1,000 itineraries and more than 3,000 trip coordinators. This conversation matters because Andrea bridges corporate scale and scrappy early-stage execution, showing how to design a business that doesn’t just grow, but compounds through community. For founders, operators, and intrapreneurs, his story offers a repeatable playbook for turning local, human experiences into a scalable, tech-enabled platform—without losing cultural integrity or financial discipline. Inside this conversation: Why stepping out of your corporate comfort zone can clarify the kind of company you’re wired to build—and how that self-awareness shapes every scaling decision.How WeRoad turned post-COVID loneliness and the old stigma around “group travel” into a differentiated position for solo travelers who don’t want to travel alone.The WeRoad flywheel: travelers → coordinators → travel producers → long-tail itineraries—and the tech, processes, and metrics that keep the machine scalable.The four guiding principles Andrea uses (ambition, agility, ownership, community) to hire, organize local teams, and keep six offices rowing in the same direction.A pragmatic view on fundraising: when to raise, what “smart money” really looks like, and how to choose investors who match your strategy—not just your valuation. Andrea’s journey is a reminder that durable scale comes from aligning model, community, and capital around a clear purpose—and there’s at least one flywheel decision from this episode you can apply to your own business this week. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    43 min

  3. NOV 11

    Scaling With Purpose, Not Capital: How Brad Stevens Built Outsource Access

    When growth gets real, strategy has to scale with it. In this conversation, we unpack a practical playbook with Brad Stevens—founder of Outsource Access—on turning constraints into capacity, and values into velocity, using a global-talent model anchored in culture, systems, and smart economics. From bootstrapping through a prior business crunch to building a Philippines-based team of full-time, benefits-backed “teammates,” Brad shares how he identified a durable opportunity, designed for retention and quality, and aligned giving and culture with the UN Sustainable Development Goals—without outside capital. In this episode, you’ll learn:  • A four-part strategy lens—Promise, Power, Process, Profit—to test opportunities and scale decisions.  • How to create real advantage (preferential inputs, scalable capabilities, and customer “captivity”) that drives pricing power.  • The two-question audit that surfaces hidden bottlenecks and converts them into high-ROI roles and workflows.  • Building “Process” the right way: org design, incentives, operating cadence, and managed offshore teams that improve retention.  • Profit discipline without external funding: pricing, unit economics, FX sensitivity—and why investing in people and tools comes first. Ultimately, this is a story about reframing work: pairing AI with global talent to free your best people for their highest and best use—and to build a company that scales on purpose. Let’s dive in with Brad Stevens. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    36 min

  4. OCT 21

    From Gas Station to CEO: How Shirin Behzadi Scaled a Multi-Brand Empire

    What does it take to build—and sell—a thriving business born from resilience and clarity of purpose? Few stories capture it as powerfully as Shirin Behzadi’s. At 17, Shirin fled Iran alone during the revolution, arriving in the U.S. with little money and no family. She started as a gas station cashier—and eventually rose to become CEO of Home Franchise Concepts, the parent company behind Budget Blinds and several other national home-service brands. Under her leadership, the company more than doubled in size, expanded into multiple industries, and achieved a successful private-equity sale—all while staying true to its core values and people-first culture. In this episode, you'll learn: Why adversity can become your greatest strategic advantageHow to identify your company’s true core competencyThe power of a “listening tour” to realign culture and accelerate growthHow to navigate private-equity partnerships without losing your missionWhy clarity of purpose drives both leadership and negotiation successShirin’s journey proves that grit and gratitude can scale just as powerfully as capital. Let’s dive in with Shirin Behzadi, author of The Unexpected CEO. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    53 min

  5. OCT 14

    Spotting a Billion-Dollar Opportunity: Radek Sali on Turning Swisse into a Global Brand

    What does it take to transform a small supplement company into a global wellness powerhouse valued at over $1 billion? Radek Sali has the answer. As CEO of Swisse Wellness, Radek led the company through one of Australia’s most remarkable growth stories—turning a niche vitamin brand into a household name through intuition, bold marketing, and a people-first culture. Where others focused on health claims, he reimagined the category through aspiration, storytelling, and purpose. Today, Radek is an investor, advisor, and advocate for conscious leadership. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use intuition as a strategic edge in identifying real opportunitiesThe flywheel model that fueled Swisse’s explosive global growthWhy culture is the only competitive advantage that can’t be copiedHow to balance purpose, performance, and profit at scaleThe lessons every entrepreneur can apply from wellness to any industryRadek’s story is a testament to scaling with heart, clarity, and conviction. Let’s dive in with Radek Sali. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    35 min

  6. SEP 23

    After the Idea: Julia Austin on Building Startups That Last

    Most founders obsess over the spark of an idea—but the real test begins after the idea. Julia Austin knows this better than most. As an operator at Akamai, VMware, and DigitalOcean, an advisor to hundreds of startups, a faculty member at Harvard Business School, and now the author of After the Idea, she’s seen what truly drives sustainable growth. In this episode of Strategy at Scale, Julia challenges the “move fast and break things” mindset and offers a grounded, evidence-driven playbook for building enduring companies. She shares how to spot real product-market fit, create a culture that fuels execution, and design systems that make scaling possible. You’ll learn: Why the hardest part of entrepreneurship starts after the ideaHow to test product-market fit with scrappy, real-world experimentsThe link between clarity, culture, and long-term resilienceWhat big companies often get wrong about innovationWhy “slow down to move fast” might be the smartest strategy of allWhether you’re leading a startup or driving innovation inside a large organization, Julia’s insights will help you scale with clarity, discipline, and purpose. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    38 min

  7. SEP 9

    From Startup to Significance: Brian Brault on Building Businesses That Matter

    What does it take to build not just a successful business, but one that leaves a lasting impact? Brian Brault has done it multiple times—scaling, exiting, and reinventing ventures while staying anchored in purpose. A seasoned entrepreneur, former Global Chair of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), and founder of Legacy of Significance, Brian has guided leaders across industries to align vision, culture, and values for meaningful growth. From transforming Advanced Facilities Services International into a national leader to pioneering wellness-focused spaces with PURE Wellness, his track record speaks for itself. In this episode, Brian joins Kaihan Krippendorff to share hard-earned lessons on: Why most founders struggle when shifting from building to managing a businessHow to recognize when you’re in your “zone of genius” versus just doing work with excellenceWhy culture starts with the leader—and how to foster accountability without micromanagementWhat to do when your head says “go” but your heart isn’t in itThis is a conversation about more than scaling—it’s about building companies, careers, and legacies that truly matter. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    47 min

  8. JUL 8

    From $0 to $130B: How Kurt Miscinski Scaled Cerity Partners with Purpose

    What does it take to build a firm that grows without losing its identity? Kurt Miscinski, co-founder and CEO of Cerity Partners, believes the answer lies in clarity of purpose, disciplined reinvestment, and redefining what partnership truly means. What began as a bold vision—to bring McKinsey-style professionalism and global scale to the wealth advisory space—has evolved into one of the industry’s fastest-growing firms, now managing over $130 billion in client assets. In this episode, Kurt shares how Cerity Partners was architected from the ground up to align ownership, culture, and long-term strategy. Drawing from his background as a CPA and former Deutsche Bank executive, he explains why Cerity avoids the traditional consolidation mindset in favor of true partnerships—and how the right language can shape everything from team dynamics to M&A success. Tune in to hear: Why Cerity chose to reinvest 100% of profits—and how it changed the gameThe power of redefining mergers as partnershipsHow reframing words like “employee” can reinforce a culture of ownershipLessons on modeling vision into reality for aspiring foundersAnd the blueprint for building a professional services firm that enduresIf you’re scaling a service business, shaping culture, or designing for longevity, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in with Kurt Miscinski. Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.

    48 min
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About

Brought to you by Outthinker, Scaling Up, and Growth Institute  In a sea of contradictory business advice, Strategy at Scale breaks through the noise to deliver practical, proven strategies to predictably scale the value of your business. Each week, we interview successful entrepreneurs and business builders across industries to extract simple, high-impact strategic concepts that work. From avoiding costly missteps to executing systematic processes that fuel growth, you’ll gain lessons from the masters to scale your enterprise more effectively. 

Information

  • Creator
    Outthinker
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Outthinker
  • Show Website
    Strategy at Scale