After the First Million Matt Tait

What happens when a nuclear engineer decides to redefine the finance world?

This is the story of Michael King, a former Nuclear Engineer who became a visionary Fractional CFO. Michael's career has been marked by resilience and determination, transitioning from the disciplined world of the U.S. Navy to the dynamic field of finance. He founded KFE Solutions, a growing fractional CFO shop, and didn't stop there. He also established The CFO Accelerator, a thriving business supporting other fractional CFOs, turning his professional network into a flourishing community and leveraging that into a successful business venture. 

Tune in to learn how courage, consistency, and clear values can transform challenges into opportunities and make running a business a rewarding adventure.

Key takeaways:
Align with Your Values: Self-reflection is essential for realigning business models with personal values, often leading to significant adjustments that enhance focus and satisfaction.Cultivating Valuable Connections: The shift from transactional to meaningful client relationships transforms service interactions into trusted advisory roles, significantly boosting client satisfaction and business success.Encouraging Collective Development: Creating a specialized community fills gaps in professional support, fostering shared growth and enhancing engagement and progress within the community.
Timestamps: 
00:00 Meet Michael King
01:50 When did you know you were one of the crazy ones?
06:21 Michael’s journey to entrepreneurship
12:51 Career swings lead to diverse business skills
17:06 Self-improvement and serving others through faith.
19:26 Emphasizing growth mindset in hiring and relationships
21:14 Growing the business
27:39 Building trust and relationships with clients
29:14 Hiring for team, trust, and deeper conversations
32:23 Prioritizing personal values over money
40:50 Fatherhood journey
43:34 Clarifying values led to business success and alignment
45:28 Michael’s best pieces of advice

What does it take to lead a company to success through turbulent times?

In this episode, join Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element Three and a 2018 40 Under 40 honoree, shares her journey of steering her company through two significant economic downturns and earning multiple spots on the Inc. 5000 list. Tiffany provides a candid exploration of her entrepreneurial path, discussing the challenges of expanding her agency during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting leadership roles for company growth, and balancing family life.
Tune in to discover how Tiffany successfully navigated the "messy middle" of her journey and emerged stronger.

Key takeaways:
Adaptability and Decisive Leadership: Tiffany emphasized the importance of quick decision-making during the COVID-19 crisis. It was through immediate action and clear communication that they managed to navigate those uncharted waters. 
Embracing Team Collaboration: Tiffany’s shift from an "I" to a "we" mentality highlights her move towards a collaborative, team-based approach. By delegating day-to-day tasks and concentrating on key areas, leaders can enhance efficiency and effectiveness.Aligning Values with Financial Goals: The episode explores the challenge of balancing personal values with financial ambitions. Tiffany stresses maintaining health, sleep, and relationships while pursuing professional goals, advocating for a balanced approach to success that incorporates passion, financial savvy, and a strong company culture.
Timestamps:
00:00 Control, planning, and risk-taking.
05:33 Seeking influence, authority; upbringing shapes perspective.
07:59 Taking risks in your 20s
09:36 Finance background transitioned into marketing
15:40 Founders need passion, energy, and magnetism
17:41 Offering resources and investing in employees' growth
21:45 Bigger campaigns, risk, accountability, testing, client partnership
23:06 Mindset: turning "never" and "always" into opportunities
28:29 Business coach lessons
31:20 Adversity made me stronger
34:39 Founders need individual moxie and obsession.
39:22 Operational help for business to grow.
41:52 Shifting leadership roles
46:00 Balancing career, family, and personal fulfillment purposefully
47:14 Balancing financial success and family life effectively.

How do you come to terms with the possibility that you might not be the ideal person to lead your company long-term?
This is the story of Nick Smarrelli, a 10x Inc. 5000 winner and former CEO of GadellNet. During his time there, he helped them expand from 10 to over 200 employees. To say he successfully navigated the complex challenges of entrepreneurship would be an understatement. In this episode, Nick shares the emotional journey of leadership through a pandemic, the shift from corporate comfort to entrepreneurial risk, and embracing vulnerability and imperfection as a leader.

Join Matt and Nick as they explore the pressures of leadership and Nick’s transformative decision to pass on the torch. 

Key takeaways:
Leadership Vulnerability: Vulnerability has a profound impact on leadership. For Nick, this altered his approach from maintaining a facade of perfection to embracing imperfections and hiring smarter talents to complement his skills.Process and Structure: Discipline, structured processes, and hiring the right people are pivotal in ensuring scalability and addressing a company's emotional and operational challenges.Shift in Purpose: Realizing your purpose has changed is okay. It’s not a weakness but rather a strength that it is time to make a change. 
Time stamps: 
00:00 Meet Nick Smarrelli
06:14 Learning from mistakes, embracing challenges, and growth
09:39 Curiosity is essential for entrepreneurship and unity
11:59 Early career challenges led to eventual success
19:25 Struggling with control
23:20 Acknowledging skill, vulnerability, and hiring smarter people
25:21 Struggling to find right hires 
28:44 Creating efficient structure
31:07 Rewarding employees with benefits
36:40 Juggling family, work, and emotional challenges
38:54 Suppressing personal struggles while leading amidst adversity
42:58 Recognizing the need for others to lead a company
44:57 Transition from doer to teacher
48:58 Share imperfectly

Imagine starting your career thinking you want to be an engineer and becoming a CEO instead.
This is Mark Caswell’s story. And in this episode, he shares how, during his time as CEO, Resultant acquired four companies, more than doubled its revenue, and expanded its team from 60 to nearly 500 employees nationwide. He walks us through his "messy middle" of scaling a business through multiple areas. His honest and raw answers offer a rare glimpse into the complex realities of managing a growing business and the personal growth that comes with it. 

Tune in as we hear the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned while leading the company to new heights. 

Key takeaways:
Self-Care Equals Strong Leadership: Leaders often neglect their well-being in the service of their vision. Self-care and management are crucial for leaders to effectively take care of their team and organization.Adaptation is Critical for Growth: Whether it's personal development or managing a company through acquisitions, adapting to the changing landscape is crucial. Embrace the Rollercoaster: Career paths are non-linear, and sometimes, letting go can lead to greater achievements. Being open to learning from mistakes and being accountable are essential components of leadership growth.
Time stamps: 
00:00 Meet Mark Caswell
03:26 The complexity of business and human dynamics
07:52 Entrepreneurship requires figuring things out with grit
10:09 Growth, challenges, and learning opportunities
16:15 Initial anger, immediate challenges, 100-hour weeks
19:42 Feel what you feel; no wrong feelings.
22:41 Relying on your talented team
24:52 Creating an organization requires delegation and self-care
29:11 How finding great partners transformed our small business
32:50 When you need to chart a new path forward
34:42 Considering an exit
39:11 Life spans a longer period than perceived
40:13 Private equity demands progress, not perfection

This is your destination for feeling empowered in building your business. 
These are the real, raw stories of entrepreneurs and business owners who have built their businesses through the messy middle of $1-50 Million, hosted by serial entrepreneur Matt Tait.
Matt knows what it’s like to scale past the first million, and on this show he’ll be bringing on other entrepreneurs and business owners who have been there, done that (or, are currently in it) to share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what’s next.