Scaling a Company Past $100M
Readers will find founder and investor accounts of the choices behind growth: changing leadership roles, adding skills, building operating systems, finding partners, and reaching customers. Tony Robbins says his turning point came when he moved from operator to owner and began asking who could do a task. Bobby Castro says the people who helped early may not be the people who can take a company to its next stage. He says bringing in the right people helped the company take off.
Don Wenner says his company built a disciplined operating system called the elite execution system, and that culture and leadership drive growth. Kevin Harrington says he moved marketing toward digital channels, using social media, influencers, and customer videos while tracking customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value. Fran Tarkenton said his technology business lacked marketing and a way to reach customers. He said IBM invested $10 million and sold the product through its worldwide sales force. Sales reached about $20 million.
Start with the interviews
Lessons from Richard C. Wilson's one-on-one interviews, as published on each interview page.
- Bobby Castro: Change the strategy to scale. Bobby says that to scale a business, everything has to change. He suggests asking whether the business is scalable, whether it offers a solution and whether it is disruptive.
- Tony Robbins: Think like an owner. His biggest turning point was moving from operator to owner. An operator tries to supervise everything and cannot scale.
- Don Wenner: Commit to scale. Don's major turning point came when he decided to build a great company that makes an impact. Making money and being successful was not enough for him.
Videos
- How Founders Can Operate at a Family Office Level: Richard shares ways founders can use proximity, AI and strategic thinking to build a larger business platform.
- Growth Strategies for Founders and Family Offices | Richard C. Wilson: A practical framework for choosing priorities and building momentum around a clear business thesis.
- Richard C. Wilson on Positioning a Business to Attract Leads: Learn how Richard defines a market position, builds authority and focuses effort to attract better-fit leads.
- Kevin Harrington on Digital Marketing Trends: See how Kevin Harrington connects digital media, customer videos and influencers with product marketing and company growth.
- How Investors and Family Offices Find and Scale Businesses: Hear how investors assess founder led companies, source deals, and build the teams and systems to support growth.
- Jeff Hoffman on Leadership, Customers and Company Growth: Jeff shares practical ways to lead teams, test ideas with customers and keep company work tied to clear outcomes.
- Fran Tarkenton on Initiative, Partnerships and Customer Fit: Fran Tarkenton connects his Georgia playing days to the choices he made in business.
- Todd on Scaling a T-Mobile Retail Business: A fireside chat about Todd's choices in building a T-Mobile retail business and running a family office.
- Richard C. Wilson on Force Multipliers for Founders: A practical look at how founders and investors can improve deal access, focus and distribution.
- Larry Namer on Building E. And Choosing What to Scale: Larry Namer on financing E., programming, evaluating ventures, and reaching new audiences.
- How John Paul DeJoria Built Consumer Brands Through Product Fit and Sales: John Paul DeJoria describes how repeat orders, useful product differences and hands-on partnerships shaped his businesses.
- Larry Namer on Building E. Entertainment Television: Larry Namer shares how he hires, drops projects and responds to changes in media and technology.
Questions answered
- How did Todd scale a T-Mobile retail business to 150 stores?: Todd entered when T-Mobile was the fourth national wireless company, giving his team room to grow distribution as the carrier gained traction.
- How did Tony Robbins shift from operator to owner to scale his businesses?: Tony Robbins says asking who could do each task changed his role from operator to owner. With two companies below $5 million in business, he saw his attention a
- How did Kevin Harrington adapt his businesses when TV sales slipped?: He built a new advisory team, moved products to social media, and raised their profiles with content and influencers.
- How did Kevin Harrington shift his business from TV to digital marketing?: A 50 percent drop in television viewership put pressure on Kevin Harrington's business, which was doing $500 million a year. Richard Branson asked where the vie
- How did Fran Tarkenton use an IBM partnership to grow his technology business?: Fran Tarkenton said his software company lacked marketing and access to customers. He asked IBM to review the product, and IBM offered investment and worldwide
- Why did Craig acquire a business while financially independent?: Craig puts the acquisition alongside his athletic and family goals as another part of the life he wants to build.
- How did Larry Namer start E. With limited funding?: Larry took $2.5 million, started with 11 employees and 31 interns, and bought TV equipment from a sales-training tape company. (11:33, 12:02, 12:30)
- How can an entrepreneur build momentum in a business?: For a smaller player, speed can be an edge. Richard C. Wilson says an established niche leader may struggle to refocus and innovate as readily.