Growing Your Own with Rich Ashton

Rich Ashton

You don't need an MBA to build killer managers. You need a roadmap. After 40 years of growing a thriving HVAC and plumbing company, Rich Ashton cracked the code on turning technicians and salespeople into confident, accountable leaders. This show is for small business owners who are tired of: Promoting the wrong peopleBabysitting managersPutting out leadership firesHoping "they'll figure it out"This podcast delivers real-world leadership psychology without the corporate jargon, just practical tools, real stories, and takeaways you can put to work right away. If you want to grow your own managers instead of hiring headaches, you're in the right place. New episodes help small business owners develop strong managers, build accountable teams, and lead without the corporate jargon. Management entrepreneurship careers

Episodes

  1. May 27

    Why Your Team Keeps Quitting — And How to Fix It

    Most small businesses don't have a strategy problem — they have a culture problem. And it's costing them their best people. Lisa Urbanski sits down with Rich Ashton, founder of Growing Your Own, to show you how to build a workplace culture that retains talent, develops leaders, and sets you free. You'll learn: 🔥 What a healthy culture actually looks like in a small business 🏗️ The hiring turnaround story that went from 20% to 80% 🧠 How to instill culture before someone's first day ⚠️ The AI threat most leaders aren't talking about 🚀 The shortcut to developing your next layer of leaders CONNECT WITH RICH ASHTON 🌐 Website: https://www.growingyourown.net/ 📘 Book — Growing Your Own: • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Your-Own-developing-business/dp/B0F7MVN4F9 • Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/growing-your-own-rich-ashton/1147387991 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-ashton-397a2b10/ — Enjoyed this episode? Follow for free and turn on notifications so you never miss a new one. Share it with a business owner who's tired of hiring headaches, then rate and review — it takes 10 seconds and helps more people find the show. 📌 Want to partner, sponsor, or be a guest? Check the contact link in the description.  Disclaimer: Educational content only. Not medical, legal, or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Powered by The Advisor Network.

  2. Mar 25

    Breaking Invisible Ceilings: How to Overcome Hidden Barriers to Leadership

    What if the biggest thing holding you back in your career or leadership isn’t external at all? In this episode, Lisa Urbanski talks with leadership expert Rich Ashton, author of Growing Your Own, about the hidden beliefs, internal patterns, and “invisible ceilings” that can quietly limit confidence, growth, and leadership potential. In this conversation, you’ll learn: ✨ What invisible ceilings are and why they’re so hard to recognize ✨ How the environment shapes confidence, leadership, and self-belief ✨ What it looks like to break through a leadership ceiling in real life ✨ Why leadership growth happens in small, practical steps ✨ How organizations can better support emerging leaders CONNECT WITH RICH ASHTON 🌐 Website: https://www.growingyourown.net/ 📘 Book — Growing Your Own: • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Your-Own-developing-business/dp/B0F7MVN4F9 • Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/growing-your-own-rich-ashton/1147387991 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-ashton-397a2b10/ — Enjoyed this episode? Follow for free and turn on notifications so you never miss a new one. Share it with a business owner who's tired of hiring headaches, then rate and review — it takes 10 seconds and helps more people find the show. 📌 Want to partner, sponsor, or be a guest? Check the contact link in the description.  Disclaimer: Educational content only. Not medical, legal, or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Powered by The Advisor Network.

  3. Feb 23

    Can’t Step Away From Your Business? Build Leaders Using the “Grow Your Own” Method

    If your business only works when you’re there, you don’t have a “work ethic” problem; you have a dependency problem. And it’s fixable. Host Stacey Chillemi talks with Rich Ashton about building leaders from within so your company can run smoothly, even when you’re not in the building. In this episode, you’ll learn: 🎧 Why hiring “corporate” managers often fails in small businesses 🎧 How to spot leadership potential (even without a title) 🎧 The communication loop that prevents dropped balls 🎧 How to delegate decisions, not just tasks 🎧 A simple training approach that works in the real world 🎧 The culture shift that reduces turnover and grows leaders CONNECT WITH RICH ASHTON 🌐 Website: https://www.growingyourown.net/ 📘 Book — Growing Your Own: • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Your-Own-developing-business/dp/B0F7MVN4F9 • Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/growing-your-own-rich-ashton/1147387991 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-ashton-397a2b10/ — Enjoyed this episode? Follow for free and turn on notifications so you never miss a new one. Share it with a business owner who's tired of hiring headaches, then rate and review — it takes 10 seconds and helps more people find the show. 📌 Want to partner, sponsor, or be a guest? Check the contact link in the description.  Disclaimer: Educational content only. Not medical, legal, or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Powered by The Advisor Network.

About

You don't need an MBA to build killer managers. You need a roadmap. After 40 years of growing a thriving HVAC and plumbing company, Rich Ashton cracked the code on turning technicians and salespeople into confident, accountable leaders. This show is for small business owners who are tired of: Promoting the wrong peopleBabysitting managersPutting out leadership firesHoping "they'll figure it out"This podcast delivers real-world leadership psychology without the corporate jargon, just practical tools, real stories, and takeaways you can put to work right away. If you want to grow your own managers instead of hiring headaches, you're in the right place. New episodes help small business owners develop strong managers, build accountable teams, and lead without the corporate jargon. Management entrepreneurship careers