Most founders don't have a growth problem. They have a sales avoidance problem. If your business feels stalled, heavy, or harder than it should be, this episode is going to be uncomfortable in the right way. Because once you hear this conversation, you don't get to pretend anymore. Check the time stamps below if a certain topic drives curiosity more than others! Timestamps: 00:00 – Why founders think they're stuck when they're not 03:20 – The founder-as-the-problem conversation no one wants 07:50 – Leadership, vision, and why alignment changes everything 11:55 – The lie of "build it first" 14:45 – Why sales feels uncomfortable for good founders 18:50 – Selling as responsibility, not persuasion 22:00 – Why most teams can't explain what they sell 27:00 – Alignment, culture, and scaling past the founder 33:00 – Sports teams, hard decisions, and real growth 41:00 – Integrity, transparency, and sustainable leadership 46:10 – Where to find Mark and what to do next In this episode, Kayvon sits down with Mark Gordon for a blunt, no-theory conversation about why businesses plateau and why the answer is rarely marketing, strategy, or talent. They unpack what actually happens inside companies stuck between $1M and $30M in revenue. Founder blind spots. Misaligned teams. Messaging no one inside the company can clearly explain. Sales being treated like a dirty word while everything else gets overbuilt. Mark breaks down what he sees after working with hundreds of founders across B2B, services, and SaaS. The pattern is always the same. Leaders hide behind operations, fulfillment, and complexity to avoid the one thing that creates momentum. Selling. This is not about hype or tactics. It's about alignment. Clear language. Clear ownership. Clear responsibility for revenue. When sales, marketing, and leadership stop speaking the same language, trust breaks. Growth stalls. Teams drift. This conversation cuts straight through the excuses founders use to stay comfortable while telling themselves they're "doing the work." Topics covered in this episode include: Why most businesses aren't stuck, they're avoiding sales Founder blind spots that cap revenue without warning "Build it and they'll come" as a growth-killing lie Why sales feels uncomfortable for high-integrity founders How misalignment destroys trust before the first sales call The difference between busy companies and profitable ones Why clarity beats complexity at every growth stage This episode is for founders, operators, and CEOs who already have traction but feel the ceiling closing in. It's for leaders running real companies, managing real teams, and carrying real payroll. If you're still looking for hacks, this isn't for you. If you're ready to face what's actually holding the business back, stay. This episode explores the real mechanics of business growth, including how sales leadership, messaging clarity, and founder mindset directly affect revenue. Kayvon and Mark discuss why scalable systems fail without alignment, how sales avoidance quietly kills momentum, and why influence, money, and power inside a company always trace back to who owns the front end of the business. They also examine how strong leadership creates trust in the market, why predictable revenue requires uncomfortable decisions, and how founders lose leverage when sales and marketing operate in silos. This conversation naturally touches on scaling businesses, building sales systems, leadership psychology, and what it actually takes to grow without burning out the team or the founder. Looking to dive deeper into these conversations and connect with our host and guest? Follow Mark Gordon: Instagram Website Follow Kayvon: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Want to go deeper with Kayvon? Subscribe to the newsletter Book a discovery call
