From Stuck to Scaled: Growth Strategies for SMBs

Julio Gonzalez

Running a business is hard. Scaling one is harder. This podcast makes it less so. Julio Gonzalez spent over 35 years growing businesses. Every week, he sits down with entrepreneurs and leaders to unpack what actually works when you're trying to move from scrappy to sustainable. Operations. Leadership. Sales systems. Technology. The real stuff nobody teaches you when you start a business and the things that hold you back from scaling! From Stuck to Scaled — because your business should work for you, not the other way around.

  1. Helping business owners prepare for a sale

    5d ago

    Helping business owners prepare for a sale

    In this episode of the From Stuck to Scaled podcast, host Julio Gonzalez speaks with Alexander Brown, the VP of Business Development at Exit Stage Left Advisors. Alex specializes in guiding founder-led, blue-collar, trades, and manufacturing businesses through the intricate process of selling. With extensive experience in M&A, he shares invaluable insights on how business owners can proactively prepare for a sale to maximize their company's enterprise value.Alex sheds light on why many business owners wait too long to consider selling, often leaving significant value on the table. Through this discussion, he provides actionable strategies for creating optionality, ensuring a smooth transition, and ultimately achieving a premium valuation. Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of understanding your business's current worth, the benefits of early planning with industry professionals, and the critical role of financial cleanliness and systematic operations in enhancing your business's appeal to potential buyers.Tune in to gain the knowledge you need to navigate the path toward a successful exit!Connect with Alexander Brown:Website: https://www.esladvisors.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbrown805/Follow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution- Webpage www.opticution.com. Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions!

    46 min

  2. Jun 23

    1031 Exchanges, DSTs, and the Decision to Go Passive

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled, host Julio Gonzalez welcomes wealth advisor Ken Kladouris, who brings over a decade of experience helping investors navigate significant financial decisions with confidence and clarity. We delve into the complexities of 1031 exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs)—specialized areas in real estate investing where timely and well-informed choices can distinguish between a successful outcome and a costly misstep.Ken shares insights on why so many business owners and entrepreneurs make hasty decisions under pressure, often leading to transactions that fail to align with their long-term goals. You'll learn the importance of clarity in decision-making, the need for thoughtful preparation, and the art of asking the right questions. This episode is packed with practical tips, including the significance of defining your success, establishing advisory relationships early, and understanding what you're sacrificing in each deal.Tune in for a transformative discussion that promises to equip you with the strategies you need to approach high-stakes decisions with intention and foresight!Connect with Ken Kladouris:Website: www.kenkladouris.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kenkladourisFollow host Julio Gonzalez on:- LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution- Webpage www.opticution.com Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions, or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    41 min

  3. Jun 16

    Rebuilding the Story of Work

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled, host Julio Gonzalez welcomes Jonathan David Lewis, the owner and president of McKee Wallwork, a renowned brand strategy firm. Together, they explore the essential transformations required in today's workforce. As organizations grapple with crumbling institutions and a disconnect between work and life, Jonathan sheds light on the challenges leaders face in fostering trust, ownership, and long-term commitment.Drawing from his extensive research and insights shared in his latest book, The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need, Jonathan provides a practical framework for reinvigorating the culture of work. He articulates a pressing need to rebuild connections within organizations, emphasizing how leaders can navigate significant disruptions and renew their commitment to creating impactful, cohesive workplaces.Tune in to discover:- How to use clearer language to address tensions within your organization- What today's workforce is genuinely seeking- A robust framework for cultivating a thriving workforce culture from the inside outConnect with Jonathan Lewis:Website: www.mckeewallwork.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathandaniellewisFollow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/- Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.comEmail Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    41 min

  4. Jun 9

    Why Growth Stalls When the Owner Stays Too Involved

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled, host Julio Gonzalez sits down with Jens Nielsen, a seasoned real estate investor and business coach from Santa Fe, NM. Jens shares his insights into a common issue many business owners face: growth stalls when the owner is too involved in day-to-day operations. Drawing from his extensive background in IT and telecom, Jens has mastered the art of helping business owners identify and eliminate themselves as the constraints to scaling. During the conversation, they delve into the nuances of owner dependency and how it manifests in daily operations. Jens emphasizes that hiring additional staff won’t solve the problem if the owner still holds the reins too tightly. Listeners will gain valuable strategies to build a business that can operate independently, including how to track decision-making, clarify ownership, and install effective execution rhythms. This episode provides actionable insights to help you pinpoint where you might be the bottleneck and what steps you can take to foster sustainable growth. Connect with Jens Nielsen: Website: www.jensnielsen.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensnielsen Follow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.com Email Julio at ⁠⁠julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    37 min

  5. Jun 2

    It's time to expect more from your accounting.

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled, host Julio Gonzalez sits down with Rhett Molitor, CPA, CEO & Cofounder of Basis 365 Accounting. Rhett is on a mission to help business owners expecting more from their accounting. With his P-R-O-F-I-T approach™, he guides companies in transforming their accounting from merely reporting past numbers to focusing on future growth and performance. Join us as we delve into how to redefine the role accounting plays in your business and discover tactical strategies that can help elevate your financial operations. Rhett shares actionable insights, including tips on improving cash flow visibility, upgrading your accounting systems as your company grows, and how to navigate the complexities of financial performance effectively. Don’t miss out on Rhett’s practical frameworks and stories that empower founders to think differently about their finances. Tune in to learn how to take pressure off yourself and start making your accounting a strategic asset! Connect with Rhett Molitor: Website: https://www.basis365.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhettmolitor Twitter: @RhettMolitor Financial Operations Assessment (free): https://www.basis365.com/foa Tactical Accounting Newsletter: https://www.basis365.com/newsletter Follow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.com. Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    41 min

  6. May 26

    How a Heart Survivor Rebuilt the Pulse of Leadership

    In this episode of the From Stuck to Scaled podcast, host Julio Gonzalez interviews Hanna Bauer, the Founder & CEO of HEARTnomics™. With her unique blend of personal and professional experience, Hanna shares her remarkable journey as a childhood heart-disease survivor and how it shaped her approach to leadership. As a Maxwell Leadership Faculty Member and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she emphasizes the importance of resilience and operational excellence, drawing parallels between an organization's "pulse" and its capacity to thrive. Listeners will discover actionable insights on leading with vulnerability to rebuild trust in teams, how to thoughtfully implement processes that genuinely simplify work, and techniques to keep everyone aligned with the organization’s primary goals. Join us as Hanna illustrates how regaining the rhythm of leadership can transform not just teams but entire organizations. Connect with Hanna Bauer: Website: www.heartnomics.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannabauer/ Follow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.com Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    43 min

  7. May 19

    The Operational Pattern Every Winning Startup Shares

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled host Julio Gonzalez sits down with Adam Spector, a 4x founder and angel investor with over 200 investments, including 14 unicorns. As the Founder & CEO of Chore and a former product/ops leader at Twitter and Symantec, Adam brings invaluable insights into the operational patterns that successful startups share. Join us as Adam reveals the #1 operational mistake founders often make, costing them hundreds of hours, and how to identify and eliminate "ops debt" before it hampers growth. Discover the common systems unicorn-stage startups utilize, and learn a practical framework for scaling operations efficiently without the need for over-hiring. Adam also shares actionable tips, including conducting an "Ops Audit," canceling low-value meetings, and automating repetitive tasks to streamline your workflow. Plus, he emphasizes the importance of protecting time to work ON the business, rather than just IN it. Get ready to gain the strategies you need to transition your business from stuck to scaled!Connect with Adam Spector:Website: https://www.hirechore.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamspector2/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkQuKWdbp_3iKIHwzb6kM-AFollow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/ - Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.com. Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions, or suggestions! Check out Opticution's Skool community for small business founders! https://www.skool.com/opticution-6849

    42 min

  8. May 12

    What Most Founders Get Wrong About Raising Capital

    In this episode of From Stuck to Scaled, host Julio Gonzalez sits down with Jason Fishman, CEO of Digital Niche Agency. With over a decade of experience in helping more than 500 companies raise nine figures in capital through strategic digital marketing, Jason provides valuable insights into the often-misunderstood world of equity crowdfunding. Join us as we dive into the crucial aspects of the fundraising process, discussing what causes many campaigns to stall before gaining traction and what distinguishes successful companies from those that struggle to meet their capital goals. For small business owners who have never considered equity crowdfunding as a viable path to growth, this episode opens an essential dialogue about opportunities they may have overlooked.Jason shares key tips for founders, including the importance of building an investor audience before launching, treating fundraising as an ongoing marketing effort, and crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with investors. He emphasizes the significance of showcasing real traction and community engagement, as well as the power of documenting successes and tracking what works throughout the fundraising journey.Connect with Jason Fishman: Website: https://digitalnicheagency.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfishmanFollow host Julio Gonzalez on: - LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/opticution/- Facebook/Instagram/YouTube at @opticution - Webpage www.opticution.com Email Julio at julio@opticution.com with any comments, questions or suggestions!

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Running a business is hard. Scaling one is harder. This podcast makes it less so. Julio Gonzalez spent over 35 years growing businesses. Every week, he sits down with entrepreneurs and leaders to unpack what actually works when you're trying to move from scrappy to sustainable. Operations. Leadership. Sales systems. Technology. The real stuff nobody teaches you when you start a business and the things that hold you back from scaling! From Stuck to Scaled — because your business should work for you, not the other way around.

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