In this episode of The Founder's Growth Podcast, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with close friend Quentin "Q" Allums, Business Coach for Creators and Content-Driven Founders at QuentinAllums.com.

After closing his highly successful personal branding and video agency in 2020 following personal loss and pandemic shifts, Quentin went offline for several years to examine how public perception was quietly ruining his business and health.

Together, John and Quentin unpack what happens when founder mindset gets trapped by vanity metrics, and how to shift from anger-fueled growth to sustainable devotion.

They also explore:

• Practical strategies for B2B selling,
• Sales hiring and professional leadership,
• And scaling a business by making intentional choices "upstream."

Whether you're navigating a startup pivot, drowning in a business you resent (even if it looks good on paper), or stepping back to analyze what you really should be doing, this honest conversation offers actionable clarity on building a resilient enterprise focused on real progress rather than optics.

Connect with Quentin:

Website: quentinallums.com

LinkedIn: Quentin Michael Allums

Instagram: Justq.mp4

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Workshops: Revenue Evolution Workshops

When business growth plateaus, many founders succumb to the temptation to tear it all down: overhauling software, changing brand names, or pivoting their business model entirely.

But that's a huge mistake that lands you right back at zero.

On this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Makena Finger Zannini, Founder and Fractional COO at The Boutique COO, to break down why drastic resets are often emotional escapes from hard work, and how iterative, feedback-driven tweaks lead to long-term operational resilience.

Makena discusses the key difference between high-level advisory consultants and embedded fractional COOs, how to separate true market signals from noisy customer feedback, and why the 80/20 rule is essential for process implementation.

They also explore scenario-based financial forecasting, managing change across growing teams, and how to build a mental board of directors to keep your leadership grounded.

If you know something needs to change and think starting over is the only choice, this interview will help you reframe your options.

Connect with Makena:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/makena-finger-zannini-7291981b0/

Website: https://www.theboutiquecoo.com/

Connect with me:

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

What does it take to turn an in-person events company with $0 in revenue into a $3.7M virtual powerhouse?

In this episode, host John "Small Mountain" Hill sits down with James Bennett, Co-Founder of Firefly Team Events, to discuss crisis adaptation, sales vs. HR budget dynamics, and scaling operations under pressure.

James breaks down how Firefly navigated the COVID-19 pandemic by putting client needs first, shifting focus to marketing and sales touchpoints, and replacing spreadsheets with streamlined SOPs and custom database tracking.

He also shares practical frameworks for genuine workplace engagement, why culture starts with what leaders tolerate, and how unconventional hiring filters help build high-performing teams.

James's experience is not only a masterclass in building culture and strengthening teams but also a clear guide to what leadership should look like before booking the events.

Connect with James:

Website: https://fireflyteamevents.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bennett-ff/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyeventsjames/

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Shire Lyon, founder of Shire Lyon Ads and Marketing Mind Share, to unpack what it takes to build an intentional marketing strategy without burning capital on shiny object distractions.

Shire shares lessons from her transition out of white-label agency work, highlighting how to set firm service boundaries, diagnose real client goals during discovery calls, and resist the trap of vanity marketing.

They also cover:

• The dangers of inconsistent "turn-it-off" marketing,
• When a growing business is genuinely ready to run paid ad campaigns,
• How to delegate subjective creative work using video SOPs,
• And the critical role human connection plays when managing international teams.

If your marketing feels more like a roller coaster than a straight-to-the-top elevator, this interview will give you the clarity you need.

• Guest: Shire Lyon, Founder & Marketing Strategist

• Topics Covered: Agency positioning, boundary setting, founder discovery frameworks, foundational marketing vs paid ads, creative delegation & SOPs, cross-cultural team management.

Connect with Shire:

Websites: ShireLyon.com; Marketing Mindshare;

LinkedIn: Shire Lyon

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Workshops: Revenue Evolution Workshops

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Dwayne Ernest, Founder of Nagata.ai and former fractional CRO, to dissect the realities of go-to-market execution, software procurement, and early-stage scaling.

Dwayne shares insights from his 15-year career across SaaS sales leadership and advisory roles. We discuss:

• Why so many early-stage companies fail by defining their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) too broadly,
• How to distinguish real product-market fit from temporary beta noise,
• And why the shift toward AI in procurement is changing how software is bought.

We also dive into the trade-offs between venture capital and bootstrapping, managing internal tech debt, and why founder resilience is the ultimate edge in uncertain markets.

Connect with Dwayne Ernest:

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, Nathan Tyler—Founder of Blinkpages and BlinkMetrics and former SaaS Founder of StagingPilot—breaks down the operational realities of scaling and exiting a business.

Nathan shares his journey from running a web agency for a decade to building a WordPress update automation platform, recognizing when a complex problem calls for a strategic acquirer over debt, and navigating corporate life after an acquisition.

We explore the transition from craftsperson to business owner, how to eliminate silent friction in your sales pipeline, and why modern AI-native static web architecture is replacing clunky CMS page builders to make marketing updates effortless.

Topics Discussed:

• Transitioning from agency services to scalable SaaS.

• Knowing when to acquire vs. scale team overhead.

• Founder mindset and generalist vs. specialist roles.

• Overcoming messaging drag in B2B sales cycles.

• The evolution of AI-driven web architectures and data clarity.

Connect with Nathan Tyler:

In this episode of The Founders Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Will Aitken, Sales Trainer, Consultant, and Author, to discuss the realities of transitioning from a high-performing sales role to running your own business.

Will breaks down the dangerous trap of "bad revenue," explaining how saying yes to every client opportunity leads to fulfillment friction, burnout, and unsustainable operations.

This enlightening conversation explores:

• Founder mindset,
• Managing ADHD and focus without relying on crutches,
• And why traditional quick-fix sales workshops fail to produce real behavioral change in B2B selling teams.

Will also shares practical frameworks for maintaining mental resilience, including his daily check-in routine for high-stress founders.

If you feel like you're drowning in work that doesn't light you up, Will's founder journey is the compass you need to find your way into a more fulfilling life and business.

Connect with Will Aitken:

Website: https://www.willaitken.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justwillaitken

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justwillaitken/

Book: Gap Prospecting

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Workshops: Revenue Evolution Workshops

Are you driving long-term alignment, or are you hiding behind short-term vanity metrics?

In this re-released episode of Founder's Growth, host John Hill (aka Small Mountain) sits down with Jesan Sorrells—author of 12 Rules for Leaders, Podcast Host, and Principal Consultant at Leadership Toolbox—to explore the operational differences between basic task management and intentional leadership.

Together, they unpack:

• Why accidental promotions create hidden friction,
• How mediocre leadership erodes company culture,
• How founders can audit their own blind spots,

And so much more.

Jesan shares practical frameworks for moving past quick-fix tactics, front-loading culture during sales hiring and onboarding, and systematically removing performance roadblocks to help your entire team achieve sustainable growth.

If you're ready to step up into true leadership, not just task management, this interview will help you start that climb to success.

Website: https://leadershiptoolbox.us/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leadershiplessonsgreatbooks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch

Workshops: Revenue Evolution Workshops

• Differentiating process management from intentional business leadership

• Uncovering organizational blind spots and personal biases

• Why mediocre leadership is more toxic to scaling startups than bad leadership

• Best practices for sales hiring, onboarding, and team accountability

• Removing performance roadblocks to build a resilient company culture