In this episode, Bradley sits down with Brad Poulos, part-time professor, small business consultant, and former operator who helped grow a startup from four people to 200 employees and $30 million in sales. Brad shares his path from a 15-year career in satellite technology into co-running a public company, and what those experiences taught him about leading a small business.

They discuss what it takes to build a culture worth protecting, including Brad's approach to core values, pay philosophy, and financial transparency. Brad walks through how his team survived the tech bust and the 2007 financial crisis without losing their people, and breaks down the philosophy behind his book, Most Problems Solve Themselves. He also explains why many owners hit a ceiling around $8 million in revenue when they refuse to let go of decisions, and how a concept called satisficing can free owners from the trap of optimizing every choice.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into how a business actually operates day to day. What does it look like to run a high performance culture with a heart? When does optimizing every decision start working against the business? And what has to change inside the owner for the business to grow past the ceiling they have built around themselves?

If you care about building a culture that holds up under pressure and a team that can make decisions without you, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Resources

Pick up Brad's book, Most Problems Solve Themselves, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/03UjCFxX

Learn more about Brad Poulos and access his blog, books, and free small business resources: bradpoulos.com

Connect with Brad Poulos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradpoulos/

Check out Jay Wilkinson's TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/WDFqEGI4QJ4?si=UhADPE8OrMSg0Mgm

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Coach P Consulting

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

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Autopilot Recruiting

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

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About Above The Business

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.