Bradley Jacobs welcomes Scott Ritzheimer, founder of Scale Architects who has helped start nearly 20,000 new businesses and nonprofits. Scott shares his expertise on helping founders identify the essential strategy they need to succeed in their current stage of business. He breaks down the seven stages every entrepreneur goes through and reveals the three primary places where even successful founders get stuck: not prioritizing sales, becoming a reluctant manager, and experiencing disillusionment as a leader. Scott emphasizes the importance of having a structured process, understanding your vision, and knowing whether to scale up or down based on your goals. For fractional executives struggling with client acquisition, Scott advises never stopping sales activities, developing a structured process for delivery, and focusing on relationship-building through consistent outreach.
Featured in this Episode:
Scott Ritzheimer, Founder of Scale Architects
Book: "The Founder's Evolution" by Scott Ritzheimer
Book: "Built to Sell" by John WarrillowLearn More:
Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co
Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/
Connect with Scott:
Website: scalearchitects.com/founders (free digital copy of his book)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottritzheimer/
00:00 Introduction to Scott Ritzheimer and Scale Architects
00:58 How Scott has helped start nearly 20,000 businesses
01:25 The seven stages every founder goes through
02:19 Finding the essential strategy for your current stage
02:46 Addressing the biggest challenge for fractional executives: finding clients
03:39 The "artisan trap" and why it's harder for fractional professionals
05:06 Why you can never stop selling, even when busy
06:05 Creating time for sales when you're swamped with client work
07:29 The key difference between high-demand and average professionals
08:45 The importance of having a structured process
09:42 Discussion of the book "Built to Sell" and clear offers
10:41 Three places successful founders get stuck: not prioritizing sales
11:38 The second challenge: becoming a reluctant manager
13:02 The third challenge: being a disillusioned leader
16:38 What to do when you become a disillusioned leader
18:11 The importance of reconnecting with your vision
19:07 When scaling back might be the right decision
20:55 How to decide whether to move up or down the ladder
23:10 Aligning your business stage with your vision
24:32 From broad vision to narrow focus in building a business
28:51 Marketing strategies for fractional executives
30:16 Finding sustainable marketing methods you enjoy
31:36 Why local networking can be more effective than online presence
33:03 The efficiency of podcasting as a content channel
34:22 How to repurpose podcast content across multiple platforms
35:19 Why perfectionism holds people back from starting
36:16 Website advice: no website vs. bad website
38:35 Why new businesses should focus on outreach over branding
40:25 The one thing every founder must do: understand their stage
42:19 Where to find Scott's book "The Founder's Evolution"
43:08 Closing and contact information
