Grappling Growth

Joe Testouri

We’re all grappling with something. Each and every entrepreneur, business owner and leader experiences growing pains no matter where they’re at on their business journey. On Grappling Growth, we discuss the challenges we consistently face in searching for better. Sharing strategies, ideas and thoughts on how to grapple with growth. We’re building a platform where entrepreneurs and business owners can come together, sharing their challenges while growing. Join us on this journey.

  1. 1d ago

    From Nuclear Submarines to Financial Services: Lessons in Leadership & Growth | Michael Van Slyke I #136

    What do you get when you mix a Navy submarine sailor, a Harley, and a few years in Hawaii? You get Michael Van Slyke, Managing Director of NPA Financial, and one of the most human-first approaches to sales we've heard. Most people in insurance and financial services think they need to know the most to win. Michael says that's exactly why they stay "really smart and really broke." In this episode, he breaks down how he builds relationships first and lets expertise follow, and why that works. 🔥 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN → Why culture and development beat net annual premium, headcount and every other industry buzzword → What a submarine taught him about trust, teams and the camaraderie most corporate offices never build → The client question that gets people to tell you what they're really trying to protect → How to get inside your prospect's head by asking open-ended questions, then staying quiet → Why a Harley led to 45 minutes in a client's barn and a deeper connection than any pitch could → Why the old pink mailer cards failed (and how responding in minutes, not weeks, changes everything) → How AI can handle prospecting, and why it can fake empathy but can't have the real thing → Why risk tolerance, lifestyle and history can't be captured by a generic AI outline If you work in insurance, financial services or any relationship-driven sales role, this one is a tactical playbook. And if you're just here for a sprinkle of real life, stay for the Navy stories. 🎙 GUEST Michael Van Slyke, Managing Director, NPA Financial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-vanslyke/ 🎙 HOST Joe Testouri LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joetestouri/

  2. Oct 23

    You Don’t Live in Years. You Live in Moments I Adam Mayhew I #135

    What if the happiness you're searching for isn't something you need to achieve, but something you can experience right now? In this episode, I sit down with Adam Mayhew to explore personal growth, meditation, Stoic philosophy, and the pursuit of genuine happiness. We discuss why so many people feel unfulfilled despite making progress in their careers and personal lives, and how constantly chasing the next goal can keep us from appreciating the present. Adam shares how over eight years of daily meditation have transformed his relationship with anxiety, overthinking, frustration, and stress. Together, we explore how to stop getting caught up in your thoughts, become more comfortable with solitude, and find inner peace regardless of what's happening around you. We also dive into practical ways to build a consistent meditation habit, manage your emotions, accept life's challenges, and make choices that align with the person you want to become.

  3. Oct 16

    Raising $45 Million Doesn’t Make Business Any Easier I Dan Beck I #134

    Most people think raising millions is the goal. Dan Beck raised $45 million and said this was the easy part. Dan Beck is the founder and CEO of 401Go, a venture backed fintech that has raised over $45 million to solve retirement planning for small businesses across the United States. Before that he spent over a decade bootstrapping 16 businesses from scratch with his brother Nate. In this episode we cover: → How six months without a paycheck changed the way Dan thinks about money forever → Why he maxed out a credit card to place his first ever production order from China → How he built 16 businesses before raising a single dollar from investors → Why security is not a paycheck and what it actually is → Why curiosity is the real engine behind every business he has ever built → How he raised $45 million from a position of strength not desperation → Why the best thing you can tell an investor is that you do not need their money → Why startup is not a stage it is a mindset → What FOMO driven investors actually look for before writing a cheque → Why the thing holding most entrepreneurs back is themselves → Why painful moments are the ones that write your future If you are still in the nitty gritty tactical phase of your business wondering if it is all worth it. It is.

  4. Oct 9

    95% of Your Prospects Aren’t Buying. Stop Marketing Like They Are I Terry Seitz I #133 |

    Most B2B funnels are built for the 5% of buyers who are ready to buy today. So what happens to the other 95%?In this episode, I sit down with Terry, partner and COO of The Nuance Collective, an AI-anchored ad agency startup about a year in. They get into why growth has no magic bullet, and why staying top of mind compounds in a way short-term campaigns never will.In this episode:Why growth is "elusive" and what an agency starting from zero actually does about itMental availability and the 95/5 theory, explained without the academic jargonEcosystems vs funnels, and why the deals you lost last year aren't deadWhy warm leads often come from the third outreach, not the firstHow LinkedIn content wakes up contacts who went quiet 18 months agoWhat McDonald's and a London steakhouse teach B2B about brand memory and delighting customersWhy discounting early is a trap you can't undoHow three partners with different remits stay fast without stepping on each otherConnect with Terry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-seitz-57aa654/If you got something from this episode, subscribe for more conversations with founders and operators.

  5. Oct 2

    The Wrong Hire Can Set Your Business Back 6 Years I Tyrone Squires I EP #132

    The wrong hire does not just cost you money.It costs you time. Momentum. And years of progress you can never get back.Tyrone Squires is a former US Navy veteran and founder of TransparentRx. 12 years into building his business he looked back and realised one thing. If he had identified the right people from day one his revenue would be double what it is today.In this episode we cover:→ Why bad hiring decisions set his business back by 6 years→ Why you need to take the emotion out of hiring completely→ How to build a system that leads you to the right decision→ Why once you know it is not a fit you need to make the call immediately→ What the US Navy taught him about accountability in business→ Why merit based systems outperform everything else→ How he fixed his revenue per employee problem with independent contractors→ Why a bigger team does not mean a bigger business→ Why desperate hiring is the most dangerous kind of hiring→ Why you have to be a little crazy to be an entrepreneurThis one is for every entrepreneur who has ever made a hiring mistake and wondered what could have been.

  6. Sep 25

    Why We Stop Reaching Our Potential as We Get Older | Glynne Steele I #131

    Are you unlocking your full potential?Most people think they are. Most people are not.Glynn Steele is the founder of Do Think Do, a coaching business that helps people unlock their potential through the lens of acting. His previous life was in film and TV as an actor and director. And his take on growth, creativity and human potential is unlike anything I have heard before.In this episode we cover:→ Why growth and change are not the same thing→ Why we stop being curious as we get older and what that costs us→ The psychology behind why we close down our own potential→ What actors know about connection that the rest of us are missing→ How Gareth Southgate unlocked the England team and what we can all learn from it→ Why creativity is not a big thing and how to practise it daily→ What the zone of proximal development means for how we grow→ Why we have to decide to decideThis conversation will make you look at your own potential very differently.

  7. Sep 18

    Why Coffee Could Be the Secret to Keeping Kids Off the Streets I Leo Coates I #130

    What if your morning coffee could change a kid's life?Leo Coates is the founder of Clinch Coffee, a specialty coffee brand built around one simple idea. Every cup should do good on your doorstep.In this episode Leo and I talk about:→ How he is using coffee to create employment pathways for young people in the UK→ Why he believes martial arts should be accessible to every child regardless of income→ The five year vision behind Clinch Coffee and what it could become→ How he is building a pipeline for youngsters in under affluent communities through coffee pop ups at martial arts gyms across the UK→ Why local impact matters more than greenwashing→ His journey from catering in Canary Wharf to founding his own coffee brand→ How judo, rugby and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu shaped the way he thinks about business and lifeLeo is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a father of two and someone who genuinely believes a cup of coffee can open a door for a child who needs it most.This episode will change the way you think about your morning coffee.Guest: Leo CoatesLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-coates-60908057/

  8. Sep 11

    “Why Was It Not My Day to Die?” | Chuck Garcia’s 9/11 Story I Chuck Garcia I EP #129

    On September 11th, 2001, Chuck Garcia was scheduled to speak on the 107th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. His speaking slot was originally 9:20am. Two months earlier, another speaker, Scott, asked Chuck if they could switch times. Chuck agreed. Scott took the 9:20 slot. Chuck moved to 3:20pm. Scott lost his life that morning. Chuck survived. For several hours, Chuck's wife believed her husband was dead. When Chuck eventually returned to Bloomberg's offices, he discovered four colleagues had been listed as unaccounted for and presumed dead. He was the only one who came back. Chuck was then given an unimaginable responsibility: calling the parents of three young Bloomberg colleagues who had lost their lives that morning. What followed wasn't simply a story of survival. It became a 25-year search for meaning. In this deeply personal episode of the Grappling Growth Podcast, Chuck shares how the events of September 11 changed the way he viewed life, eventually leading him towards mountaineering, Stoic philosophy, teaching and what he describes as moving from the "mountain of self" to the "mountain of service."We recorded this conversation with enormous respect for the thousands of people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and for the families, friends, colleagues and communities whose lives were changed forever. We chose to release this episode on September 11 as a moment to remember those who were lost, while sharing one man's deeply personal account of surviving that day and the responsibility he has carried with him since. This episode is about grief, survival, purpose and what we choose to do with the time we're fortunate enough to have.In memory of all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Connect with Chuck Garcia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-garcia-015128 Website: https://chuckgarcia.com/contact/

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About

We’re all grappling with something. Each and every entrepreneur, business owner and leader experiences growing pains no matter where they’re at on their business journey. On Grappling Growth, we discuss the challenges we consistently face in searching for better. Sharing strategies, ideas and thoughts on how to grapple with growth. We’re building a platform where entrepreneurs and business owners can come together, sharing their challenges while growing. Join us on this journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Joe Testouri
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joe Testouri
  • Show Website
    Grappling Growth