Growth Think Tank

In this episode of Grow Think Tank, I unpack the critical shifts CEOs must anticipate as we approach 2026, with a sharp focus on clarity in leadership and organizational expectations. I share five key predictions shaping the business landscape: sustained recession-like consumer behavior, the necessity of intentional pricing strategies amid shrinkflation, a growing premium on predictability over aggressive growth, the importance of empowering leaders to eliminate decision bottlenecks, and the need to cultivate a culture rooted in trust and accountability. I also offer a pragmatic perspective on AI adoption, encouraging leaders to integrate it strategically in the service of clear business objectives rather than chasing hype. The episode concludes with practical reflection points to help leaders recalibrate their approach and drive sustainable growth in an increasingly complex environment. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 2:14 Recession-like Behavior Persists 4:33 Pricing Increases and Shrinkflation 7:01 Predictability Over Aggressive Growth 9:13 CEO Bottleneck as a Growth Killer 14:18 Culture as a Performance System 17:56 The Good, Bad, and Ugly of AI Leadership Clarity in a Shifting Business Landscape As we approach 2026, clarity in leadership and organizational expectations will become a defining advantage for CEOs. Drawing from years of conversations with founders and executives of high-growth companies, this episode explores how even minor misalignments in leadership expectations can create outsized organizational challenges. Leaders who take ownership of clearly articulating expectations—and ensuring those expectations truly land with their teams gain leverage, alignment, and momentum. This section sets the foundation for why clarity is no longer optional, but essential for navigating increasing complexity. Five Predictions Every CEO Must Prepare For The core of the episode centers on five predictions shaping the future of business: Persistent Recession-Like Behavior: Regardless of economic labels, consumer caution is here to stay. Buying decisions are more deliberate, value-driven, and less impulsive. CEOs are encouraged to simplify offerings, build predictability, and reflect on how their organizations respond to shifting customer behavior. Intentional Pricing in the Age of Shrinkflation: As prices rise and value perceptions tighten, leaders must price with clarity and intention. Communicating value effectively builds trust and reduces friction in increasingly price-sensitive markets. Predictability Over Aggressive Growth: Stability, consistency, and dependable revenue streams will outperform volatility. CEOs are prompted to examine scalability, operational design, and whether their structures support sustainable performance. Eliminating the CEO Bottleneck: Over-centralized decision-making slows organizations down. This segment challenges leaders to identify where delegation, empowerment, and shared leadership can accelerate growth. Redefining Culture Beyond Perks: High-performing cultures are built on trust, accountability, and clear expectations not superficial benefits. Leaders are guided to redesign roles around outcomes and uphold performance standards that drive engagement. AI, Alignment, and Leading Into 2026 The episode concludes with a pragmatic look at artificial intelligence as both an opportunity and a risk. While AI can unlock efficiency and scale, rushed adoption without strategic intent often fails to deliver ROI. AI, when approached thoughtfully, becomes a leadership discipline—not just a technology initiative. Throughout this final section, CEOs are given reflection prompts to assess alignment, leadership leverage, and focus. The central takeaway is clear: leading successfully in 2026 will not require more effort, but a sharper focus. By prioritizing clarity, alignment, and empowered leadership, CEOs can drive sustainable growth and confidently navigate an evolving business environment. Key Takeaways Leading in 2026 will not require more effort it will require a shift in focus. By prioritizing clarity, alignment, predictability, and leadership leverage, CEOs can position their organizations for sustainable growth and confidently navigate what lies ahead. Ideal For: Founders, CEOs, executives, managers, and anyone committed to elevating their leadership capacity. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. Explore More: training.coreelevation.com Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

In this episode, John Bradford, CEO of Pet Screening, ranked No. 879 on the Inc. 5000 in 2025. Joins Gene Hammett to talk about what it really takes to build a "category of one" business. Bradford shares how visionary leadership and relentless execution go hand in hand, why founders must be honest about the size of their total addressable market, and how underestimating demand can limit growth. He draws on Pet Screening's success in helping landlords manage pet policy compliance amid America's growing pet population, while also unpacking the importance of strong core values, genuine team engagement, and empowering individuals to contribute to sales in a collaborative culture. Along the way, Bradford reflects on learning from mistakes, taking full responsibility as a leader, and using real market feedback to sharpen strategy, offering practical, experience-driven insights for entrepreneurs focused on long-term growth and leadership. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 3:01 The Birth of Pet Screening 6:18 Creating a Category of One 8:10 Common Mistakes in Creating a Category 10:49 The Essence of Relentless Execution 12:27 Core Values That Drive Success 14:36 Living Your Values in Practice 16:27 Lessons from Leadership Mistakes 19:18 Conclusion and Call to Action Building a Category of One Starts with the Market John Bradford, CEO of Pet Screening, joins Gene Hammett to discuss what it takes to build a true category-of-one business, starting with the importance of market size. Bradford stresses that even the best ideas fall flat if they do not address a meaningful total addressable market (TAM). He cautions entrepreneurs against underestimating market potential, noting that ideas aimed at small audiences often remain side projects rather than scalable companies. A strong vision must be matched with a market large enough to support long-term growth. Solving a Real Problem at Scale Bradford explains how Pet Screening emerged from his background in property management and technology, identifying a widespread problem landlords face in managing pet policies. With roughly 160 million pets in America and a growing number of pet-owning households, the demand is substantial. Pet Screening's software helps landlords ensure pet policy compliance while reducing fraudulent emotional support animal claims, positioning the platform as a trusted, nationwide solution in the housing industry. Visionary Leadership, Core Values, and Execution The conversation turns to leadership, where Bradford shares how strong core values and daily execution shape company culture. He emphasizes that values must be lived, not just stated, and highlights Pet Screening's focus on equal opportunity, making an impact, and keeping work enjoyable. Bradford also underscores relentless execution, encouraging every team member to understand and support the product, including participating in sales. This shared ownership drives efficiency, creativity, and alignment across the organization. Learning from Mistakes and Listening to the Market Bradford openly discusses the role of mistakes in entrepreneurship, advocating for accountability at the leadership level rather than blame within the team. This approach builds trust and encourages innovation. He also highlights the importance of market feedback, urging founders to seek honest input beyond friends and family to refine ideas and validate demand. The episode concludes with practical insights on how visionary leadership, execution, feedback, and ownership intersect to drive sustainable growth, reinforcing that leadership and scaling are inseparable. Key Takeaways Vision alone is not enough successful category-of-one companies pair bold leadership with disciplined execution. Market size matters; even strong ideas struggle without a sufficiently large total addressable market (TAM). Solving a real, widespread problem creates momentum and positions a business for scalable growth. Core values must be demonstrated through daily actions to foster trust, engagement, and accountability. Involving the entire team in understanding and supporting sales strengthens alignment and execution. Effective leaders own mistakes, creating a culture where learning and innovation thrive. Market feedback is a strategic asset and should come from diverse, unbiased sources. Long-term growth is driven by the integration of leadership, culture, and continuous refinement of strategy. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. Explore More: training.coreelevation.com Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

In this episode, we're diving into something every organization talks about but few truly master urgency. I share what I've learned coaching CEOs about why urgency matters so much and how clarity, energy, and ownership all work together to create real momentum. We'll talk about setting clear goals, getting people emotionally connected to the work, and helping teams feel genuinely invested in the outcomes. You'll also get a chance to gauge your own urgency score and pick up a few simple ways to boost it. And along the way, I'll touch on how coaching can help leaders and teams move faster, stay focused, and keep growing. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:07 Introduction to Urgency 2:21 Creating Clarity for Urgency 5:51 Energizing Your Team 8:05 Fostering Ownership and Accountability 10:11 The Urgency Formula for Growth Why Urgency Matters More Than Ever In this episode, I dig into the idea of urgency, why it's such a powerful driver of growth and momentum, and why so many organizations quietly lose it over time. Drawing from my work as a CEO coach, I talk about a common issue I see: urgency fading at the executive level and slowly rippling through the entire company. I also introduce the three interconnected elements that shape a culture of urgency clarity, energy, and ownership, and how they set the tone for everything that follows. The Three Ingredients of a High-Urgency Culture Urgency isn't just about moving fast—it's about creating an environment where people feel motivated and empowered to act. I break down the three elements that fuel this: Clarity: Without clear priorities, standards, and success metrics, teams struggle to know where to focus. I talk about the importance of transparent conversations around goals, milestones, and expectations so everyone understands the path forward. Energy: This isn't a buzzword; it's the emotional charge that moves teams into action. When employees feel connected to their work and understand its purpose, engagement skyrockets. I share ways organizations can build energy—like communicating meaning and celebrating small wins to keep momentum alive. Ownership: Beyond responsibility, ownership is about personal investment and proactive accountability. I discuss how leaders can create a culture where team members genuinely feel the work belongs to them—and why that shift changes everything. Assessing Your Urgency and Raising It I challenge listeners to calculate their own urgency score using a simple formula built around clarity, energy, and ownership. This diagnostic helps leaders pinpoint where urgency is thriving and where it needs immediate attention. From there, I offer guidance on turning those insights into real, actionable improvements. I wrap up by inviting leaders who want deeper support to consider coaching as a tool for unlocking their team's full potential—because building urgency isn't a one-time task; it's an ongoing journey. Key Takeaways Urgency drives growth and momentum—but it often weakens at the top and spreads throughout the organization. Clarity is the foundation of urgency; teams need clear priorities, expectations, and definitions of success. Energy fuels action by connecting people emotionally to their work and reinforcing purpose through communication and small wins. Ownership creates accountability, encouraging team members to take proactive responsibility rather than simply completing tasks. The three elements—clarity, energy, and ownership—work together to form a high-urgency culture. Leaders can assess their team's urgency using a simple score based on these three components. Improving urgency is an ongoing process, and coaching can accelerate progress and unlock organizational potential. Ideal For: Founders, CEOs, executives, managers, and anyone committed to elevating their leadership capacity. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. Explore More: training.coreelevation.com Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

2025 list of fastest-growing companies. Jeff shares how values-driven leadership shapes every aspect of his organization, from strategic decisions to daily client interactions. He breaks down the core values that guide his team's growth, reliability, communication, and respect, and explains how embedding them into company culture fuels consistent, high-quality performance. Jeff also dives into the evolving role of AI in streamlining operations and elevating service, while underscoring the importance of empowering employees through critical thinking and autonomy. The conversation wraps with a powerful reminder: clearly defined values aren't just ideals, they're essential tools for sustainable growth and effective leadership. 3:42 Meet Jeff Soha 4:02 Soha Capital and Its Mission 4:29 The Impact of AI on Services 6:08 Success Through Values 6:50 Evolving Company Values 9:44 The Importance of Core Values 12:23 Defining Core Values 14:06 Practical Applications of Values 17:05 Commitment to Reliability 18:54 Weekly Review Process 23:46 Decision-Making with Values 26:23 Empowering Decision-Making in Leadership 27:30 Conclusion and Takeaways Building a Business on Values In this episode, Gene sits down with Jeff Socha, founder of Socha Capital, to talk about what values-driven leadership really looks like in practice. Jeff explains how Socha Capital helps successful entrepreneurs through family office services, from tax reduction and legal planning to investment and risk management. Gene highlights the importance of having values that actually live inside an organization, not just words written on a wall, and Jeff shares how this philosophy drives everything they do. How AI Supercharges Their Client Experience The conversation shifts into technology, where Jeff breaks down how artificial intelligence has changed the game at Socha Capital. Instead of replacing people, AI helps the team work smarter, speeding up research, boosting problem-solving, and allowing them to craft customized solutions faster than ever. For a company dealing with complex financial and legal strategy, that efficiency makes a real difference. Values That Drive Growth (Literally) Jeff has a remarkable track record: three different companies have landed on fastest-growing company lists, including the Inc. 5000. Gene digs into how values played a part in that success. Jeff shares Socha Capital's four core values: growth, reliability, communication, and respect, and explains how they show up in real decisions like hiring, firing, and internal operations. These aren't slogans; they are the compass for everything the team does, reinforced through weekly reviews, reporting systems, and clear expectations around accountability. Teaching Leaders to Think for Themselves One of the most compelling parts of the conversation is Jeff's philosophy on developing leadership within his team. Instead of giving answers right away, he encourages employees to think through decisions using the company's values as their guide, especially when he's not in the room. This approach builds autonomy, confidence, and critical thinking. Jeff also talks about how he shaped these values over years of personal reflection and mentoring, grounded in the belief that "everything will grow at the rate that you do." The episode closes with Gene and Jeff agreeing on one big idea: values aren't abstract concepts, they're practical tools. When leaders live by them, they create alignment, resilience, and long-term growth for everyone involved. Key Takeaways Values must be lived, not laminated. Jeff emphasizes that core values only matter when they're actively practiced and used in decision-making not just written down. AI boosts productivity without replacing people. Socha Capital uses AI to accelerate research and problem-solving, allowing the team to spend more time on high-value client work. Growth starts with the leader. Jeff's philosophy "everything will grow at the rate that you do" highlights the importance of personal development for organizational success. Accountability drives reliability. Weekly reviews, clear reporting systems, and action-tracking help maintain consistent performance across the company. Empowered teams make better decisions. Jeff encourages employees to use the company's values as a framework for independent decision-making, building confidence and critical thinking. Values guide people decisions. Hiring, firing, and everyday leadership all tie back to Socha Capital's four core values: growth, reliability, communication, and respect. Sustainable success is values-driven. Gene and Jeff agree that long-term growth depends on leaders who embody and operationalize their values daily. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

Today's guest, Houri Tamizifar, Co-Founder and CEO of Cynuria Inc. and Inc. 5000 honoree (Rank No. 2502), joins the show to discuss the growing importance of Leadership Adaptability and the evolving role of AI in education. Houri shares why college students must proactively build AI skills and collaborate with faculty to stay ahead of rapid technological changes shaping the workforce. She highlights how clear communication and a culture of trust are critical for navigating organizational change and driving innovation. Houri also urges CEOs to lead with empathy, prioritize employee well-being, and create environments where teams feel empowered to adapt, grow, and thrive in a shifting job market. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 2:34 Introducing Huri Tami Zafar 6:03 AI and Learning Solutions 10:14 Understanding Learning Agility 12:01 Advice for Students on Learning 14:52 Leadership Principles for Growth 19:18 The Role of Core Values 21:16 Defining Business Adaptability 26:12 Empathy in Leadership Leadership Adaptability & the Future of AI in Education In this episode, we sit down with Houri Tamizifar, co-founder and CEO of Sinuria, for a candid conversation about Leadership Adaptability and the fast-growing influence of AI in education and training. Houri opens by stressing why college students can't wait for AI to simply "show up" in their curriculum, because in most cases, it won't. She encourages students to take initiative, seek out AI learning opportunities, and collaborate with their professors so they're prepared for the technology-driven workforce they'll be entering. Host Gene Hammett adds a leadership lens, pointing out that adaptability isn't just about being flexible; it's about communicating clearly and guiding teams with confidence when technology and industry trends change rapidly. Both he and Houri shine a light on how organizations that embrace innovation and curiosity will be the ones that stay competitive. Building Learning Agility & the Role of AI in the Job Market Houri shares her long journey in the education sector and how it inspired her to launch Sinuria, a company grounded in neuroscience-based training and human capital solutions. She also introduces her new startup focused on using AI to support instructional designers—making learning design faster, sharper, and more impactful. It's a reflection of her belief that the learning industry is evolving quickly, and organizations must evolve right along with it. The conversation then shifts to AI's growing impact on the job market. Houri explains that companies are already leaning toward hiring people who not only understand AI but are also willing to work alongside it. She highlights learning agility, a core value at Cynuria, as a must-have skill for employees who want to grow, stay relevant, and help their organizations maintain a competitive edge in a constantly shifting landscape. Trust, Culture, and Leading With Empathy Houri dives into one of her strongest beliefs: that a culture rooted in trust fuels innovation. She describes Sinuria's intentional hiring process designed to find people whose values align with the company and explains why giving employees room to think creatively and operate from their strengths leads to stronger results. She also addresses the very real human side of change. Adaptability doesn't always come naturally, and employees often feel anxious as new technologies emerge. Houri emphasizes the importance of leaders communicating openly, offering support, and creating environments where change feels less intimidating. As the conversation wraps, Houri offers heartfelt advice to CEOs: lead with empathy. Understand what your people are facing, prioritize their well-being, and give them the time and space they need to adjust as the world of work transforms. In her view, adaptability isn't just a leadership skill; it's an act of empowerment that helps teams not only navigate change but thrive because of it. Key Takeaways Leadership Adaptability is Non-Negotiable: Effective leaders must communicate clearly, guide teams through constant change, and foster a culture that embraces innovation. AI Skills Are Becoming Essential: Students can no longer rely solely on traditional education—proactively learning AI tools and engaging with faculty is critical for future career readiness. Learning Agility Drives Success: Organizations increasingly prioritize employees who are curious, flexible, and willing to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. Trust Fuels Innovation: Building a culture grounded in trust empowers employees to think creatively, collaborate deeply, and perform at their best. AI Is Reshaping the Job Market: Companies are leaning toward hires who can work effectively with AI and understand how to integrate it into their roles. Empathy Is a Leadership Advantage: CEOs and leaders who prioritize employee well-being create more resilient and adaptable teams. Change Requires Communication: A transparent, supportive approach makes it easier for employees to navigate new technologies and shifting workplace expectations. Empowered Teams Thrive: When leaders give people space to use their strengths, creativity, and voice, organizations become more agile and competitive. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast