The Think Small Podcast

The Think Small Podcast
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

Hypergrowth for Small Businesses. Join us as we interview small business owners and executives to dive in the the unique challenges and opportunities that they face. Visit our other Think Small Podcast Channels: The Think Small Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast/ Think Small Podcast Live: https://rss.com/podcasts/think-small-podcast-live/ The Think Small Podcast Live: San Diego: https://rss.com/podcasts/tsp-live-san-diego/ The Think Small Podcast Live: Washington DC: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-live-washington-dc/ The Think Small Podcast: Health and Wellness: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-medical-alley/ The Think Small Podcast: Legal: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-legal/ Women Who Lead: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-women-who-lead/ The Offshore Diaries: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-offshore-diaries/

  1. 13h ago

    How Thinking 3 Years Ahead Built a $300M Company (Eugene Holtzman, Founder & CEO, Mitchell Martin Inc.)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Gene Holtzman, Founder and CEO of Mitchell Martin, shares the remarkable journey from working in social services to building one of the nation's largest privately held staffing firms. After beginning his career helping unemployed individuals through government-funded workforce programs, Gene found himself at a crossroads when federal funding disappeared in the early 1980s. Rather than abandon his passion for helping people, he transitioned into the staffing industry, eventually launching Mitchell Martin in 1984. Over the next four decades, the company grew into a $300 million business serving many of the world's largest financial institutions while navigating economic downturns, the dot-com crash, 9/11, the financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene explains why he never measured success solely by revenue, choosing instead to build a company centered on long-term relationships, employee loyalty, and a culture that encourages experimentation, innovation, and calculated risk-taking. The conversation also explores Gene's unconventional approach to succession planning and leadership. Instead of selling the business to private equity or a large staffing competitor, he chose to transition 40% ownership to employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), creating long-term wealth opportunities while preserving the company's independence and culture. Gene discusses why he believes business leaders should constantly think several years ahead, embrace failure as part of innovation, and use emerging technologies like AI to empower employees rather than replace them. He also reflects on the importance of differentiating a business in crowded markets, maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset even at scale, and building organizations designed to outlast their founders. For entrepreneurs considering their own growth strategy or eventual exit, Gene offers valuable insights into leadership, employee ownership, and creating a business that thrives for generations. Connect: Website: https://www.mitchellmartin.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geneholtzman/

    How Thinking 3 Years Ahead Built a $300M Company (Eugene Holtzman, Founder & CEO, Mitchell Martin Inc.)

  2. 2d ago

    Don't Wait for a Lawsuit: The Legal Strategy Every Growing Business Needs (Damien H. Weinstein, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Weinstein + Klein)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Damien Weinstein, co-founder of Weinstein + Klein, shares how a conversation between two college friends evolved into one of New Jersey's fastest-growing boutique law firms serving entrepreneurs and small businesses. What began in 2019 as a two-person practice has grown into a 25-person firm by intentionally focusing on the legal challenges that matter most to growing companies—from employment law and corporate transactions to mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and commercial real estate. Damien reflects on the leap of leaving a stable legal career just as he and his wife were expecting their first child, the transition from being a practicing attorney to becoming a business owner, and why every entrepreneur eventually has to decide whether they're building themselves a job or building a company. He also explains how Weinstein + Klein positions itself as a fractional general counsel for clients, providing accessible, practical legal guidance that helps businesses make better decisions before small issues become expensive problems. The conversation explores what it really takes to scale a professional services business without sacrificing culture or responsiveness. Damien discusses the importance of hiring talented people earlier than feels comfortable, documenting systems and standard operating procedures before growth exposes operational weaknesses, and surrounding yourself with advisors who challenge your thinking rather than simply validate it. He also shares why the firm's ideal clients view legal counsel as a strategic investment instead of a last-resort expense, allowing the firm to build long-term partnerships that evolve alongside each client's business. For founders looking to professionalize their operations, Damien offers a practical reminder that sustainable growth isn't driven solely by expertise—it's built through intentional leadership, repeatable processes, and the willingness to invest in the people and systems that allow a business to thrive beyond its founders. Connect: Website: https://www.weinsteinklein.com/ LinkednIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damien-h-weinstein/

    Don't Wait for a Lawsuit: The Legal Strategy Every Growing Business Needs (Damien H. Weinstein, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Weinstein + Klein)

  3. 5d ago

    Private Equity, Global Delivery, and Healthcare Reinvented: How Greg Cathcart Is Scaling Innovation Across Borders (Greg Cathcart, SVP NNIT Inc - CEO, Excellis Health Solutions)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Greg Cathcart, Senior Vice President at NNIT, Inc. and CEO of Excellis Health Solutions, shares how decades of experience in healthcare technology, consulting, and international business have shaped his approach to building organizations that can adapt to constant change. Greg discusses the evolution of Excellis Health Solutions, its integration into NNIT, and how combining specialized healthcare expertise with global delivery capabilities has created new opportunities for healthcare providers, life sciences companies, and technology partners. He reflects on leading organizations through acquisitions, maintaining entrepreneurial agility inside a larger enterprise, and balancing innovation with the operational discipline required to deliver long-term value for clients. The conversation explores the realities of growing a healthcare technology business in an increasingly global market, where digital transformation, AI, and evolving regulatory requirements continue to reshape the industry. Greg explains how successful leaders must think beyond individual projects to build scalable systems, cultivate strong partnerships, and develop teams capable of solving complex healthcare challenges across international markets. He also shares why cultural alignment, continuous learning, and investing in people remain just as important as investing in technology, offering valuable insights for business leaders navigating growth, acquisitions, and the future of healthcare innovation. Connect: Website: https://www.nnit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-cathcart-b310596/

    Private Equity, Global Delivery, and Healthcare Reinvented: How Greg Cathcart Is Scaling Innovation Across Borders (Greg Cathcart, SVP NNIT Inc - CEO, Excellis Health Solutions)

  4. 6d ago

    Leading Global Healthcare Innovation Through People, Purpose, and Transformation (Anamaria Roxana Simion, Senior Director, Eli Lilly and Company)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Anamaria Roxana Simion, Senior Director at Eli Lilly and Company, shares how global healthcare organizations can create meaningful innovation by putting patients, partnerships, and long-term thinking at the center of business strategy. Drawing from her leadership experience across international pharmaceutical markets, Anamaria discusses the importance of building strong cross-functional teams, navigating complex healthcare ecosystems, and balancing commercial objectives with patient outcomes. She reflects on the evolving role of leadership in a rapidly changing industry, emphasizing that sustainable success comes from empowering people, fostering collaboration across cultures, and remaining adaptable in the face of constant transformation. Throughout the conversation, she highlights how organizations can create lasting impact by aligning innovation with real-world healthcare needs rather than simply responding to short-term market pressures. The discussion also explores the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and data-driven decision-making within the healthcare sector. Anamaria explains how technology is enhancing patient engagement, improving operational efficiency, and enabling more personalized approaches to care while reinforcing that human expertise, empathy, and ethical leadership remain irreplaceable. She also shares valuable insights on leading through uncertainty, developing resilient teams, embracing continuous learning, and cultivating partnerships that drive innovation across industries. Whether you're leading a healthcare organization, managing organizational change, or growing a business in a highly regulated environment, this episode offers practical leadership lessons on navigating complexity, embracing innovation responsibly, and building organizations that create value for both customers and society. Connect: Website: https://www.lilly.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-simion-07263157/

    Leading Global Healthcare Innovation Through People, Purpose, and Transformation (Anamaria Roxana Simion, Senior Director, Eli Lilly and Company)

  5. Aug 12

    Built to Be Investable: How a Medical Device CEO Made PE Happen by Changing First (Chris Becker, CEO, Bionix)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Chris Becker, CEO of Bionix, shares the remarkable journey of rising from an intern to leading a 42-year-old medical device company through one of its most transformative chapters. Built on a culture of clinician-driven innovation, Bionix has spent decades developing practical solutions for pediatricians, primary care providers, and other frontline healthcare professionals by turning everyday clinical challenges into purpose-built medical devices. Chris reflects on the company's early years, how founder-led innovation shaped its identity, and the deliberate effort to professionalize every aspect of the business—from manufacturing processes and quality systems to company culture and commercial strategy—in preparation for a successful private equity partnership with Argosy Capital. He also explains why creating a unified company culture, rather than operating as separate business divisions, became one of the most important decisions in Bionix's evolution. The conversation explores what sustainable growth really looks like inside a mature manufacturing company, from building advisory boards and embracing outside expertise to creating an innovation pipeline fueled by physicians, engineers, inventors, and healthcare systems. Chris shares how customer feedback inspired the development of the OneLight platform, transforming a single successful product into an expanding ecosystem of illuminated medical devices that simplify procedures and improve patient care. He also offers valuable leadership lessons for founders navigating succession, organizational change, and private equity, emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people, empowering them to lead, and choosing investment partners that strengthen—not replace—the culture that made the business successful in the first place. Connect: Website: https://bionix.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-becker-bionix/

    Built to Be Investable: How a Medical Device CEO Made PE Happen by Changing First (Chris Becker, CEO, Bionix)

  6. Aug 11

    Say No to Everything: How the Woman Who Built D.C.'s Health Insurance Marketplace from Scratch Made the Deadline that Nearly Every Other State Missed (Mila Kofman, Executive Director, DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority & DC Health Link))

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Mila Kofman, Executive Director of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority and DC Health Link, shares one of the most extraordinary startup stories the show has featured, and it did not happen in Silicon Valley. Appointed as the first and only employee of a government agency that did not yet exist, handed a federal deadline that was legally immovable, and given 10 months to build a technology platform, a team, a policy framework, and a functioning health insurance marketplace for the entire District of Columbia, Mila delivered. The federal government's version crashed on the same day DC Health Link opened. Only four states in the country made that deadline. Hers was one of them. Today, DC Health Link serves more than 100,000 DC residents and over 5,300 small businesses, employs 160 people, operates on a $50 million annual budget, and has cut DC's uninsured rate by more than half. The conversation covers what it actually takes to build something that has never existed before, including why saying no to everything that is not your minimum viable product is the most important leadership decision you can make under a hard deadline, and why bringing the community you are building for into the design process from day one is the only way to build something that actually works. Mila also offers some of the most practical and specific advice on small business health benefits the show has produced, including the little-known fact that employers can offer group coverage through DC Health Link without contributing a single dollar to premiums, giving even the earliest stage startups access to a powerful recruiting and retention tool at essentially no cost. Her closing insight on the transition from startup to ongoing enterprise is one every founder should hear: the people who get you to the finish line are not always the people who carry you to the next phase, and recognizing that early is not a failure, it is leadership. Connect: Website: https://www.dchealthlink.com

    Say No to Everything: How the Woman Who Built D.C.'s Health Insurance Marketplace from Scratch Made the Deadline that Nearly Every Other State Missed (Mila Kofman, Executive Director, DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority & DC Health Link))

  7. Aug 10

    Shadow AI, Smarter Workflows, and Better Outcomes: Why Technology Needs a Job Description (Anthony Buonaspina, CEO and Founder, LiTech Advisors)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Anthony Buonaspina, CEO and Founder of LiTech Advisors, explains why successful AI adoption has very little to do with technology itself and everything to do with business outcomes. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience in technology strategy and decades of work helping organizations across healthcare, education, manufacturing, professional services, and nonprofits, Anthony shares how his firm evolved from a traditional managed service provider into an AI advisory company focused on workflow automation, operational intelligence, and measurable business results. Rather than chasing the latest tools, he encourages leaders to first identify where they want their business to go, then use AI and automation to eliminate bottlenecks, improve decision-making, increase profitability, and build processes that scale. The conversation also dives into one of the biggest hidden risks businesses face today: Shadow AI. Anthony explains how employees are already using platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools without leadership realizing it, potentially exposing confidential customer information, financial data, contracts, and intellectual property. He outlines why AI governance is becoming an urgent priority, why businesses should establish secure AI policies before widespread adoption, and how leaders can safely integrate AI into daily operations without sacrificing security or compliance. His message is clear: technology should always have a defined purpose, measurable outcomes, and a "job description"—otherwise it's simply another expense instead of a competitive advantage. Connect: Website: https://www.litechadvisors.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonybuonaspina/

    Shadow AI, Smarter Workflows, and Better Outcomes: Why Technology Needs a Job Description (Anthony Buonaspina, CEO and Founder, LiTech Advisors)

  8. Aug 7

    The Female Rock of Medical Billing: How Petria McKelvey Built a 31-Year Revenue Cycle Powerhouse (Petria McKelvey, Founder and CEO, Precision Medical Billing)

    In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Petria McKelvey, founder and CEO of Precision Medical Billing, shares how an unexpected career in medical billing grew into a nationwide revenue cycle management company serving home health, hospice, physician practices, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. What began as a talent for numbers evolved into a mission to help medical professionals navigate the complexities of insurance reimbursement, recover denied claims, and ensure they are paid for the care they provide. Petria explains why persistence, critical thinking, and deep industry expertise are essential in an increasingly complicated healthcare reimbursement landscape, and how expanding beyond traditional billing into full revenue cycle management has helped clients improve financial performance. The conversation also explores the entrepreneurial side of building a service business over three decades. Petria discusses growing primarily through referrals, speaking engagements, and education, while investing heavily in automation and AI to streamline operations. She also shares her vision of helping aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own medical billing businesses through training, technology, and mentorship. Her message is one of resilience: find work you're passionate about, stay committed through the challenges, and never stop learning or helping others along the way. Connect: Website: https://precisionmedicalbilling.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmbtria

    The Female Rock of Medical Billing: How Petria McKelvey Built a 31-Year Revenue Cycle Powerhouse (Petria McKelvey, Founder and CEO, Precision Medical Billing)
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Hypergrowth for Small Businesses. Join us as we interview small business owners and executives to dive in the the unique challenges and opportunities that they face. Visit our other Think Small Podcast Channels: The Think Small Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast/ Think Small Podcast Live: https://rss.com/podcasts/think-small-podcast-live/ The Think Small Podcast Live: San Diego: https://rss.com/podcasts/tsp-live-san-diego/ The Think Small Podcast Live: Washington DC: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-live-washington-dc/ The Think Small Podcast: Health and Wellness: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-medical-alley/ The Think Small Podcast: Legal: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-legal/ Women Who Lead: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-think-small-podcast-women-who-lead/ The Offshore Diaries: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-offshore-diaries/

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