Beyond Quick Wins: Repeatable Processes That Scale (with Aaron Tellier)

Send us Fan MailA new CRM can organize your contacts. It still needs a clear sales process to support. I sat down with Brad Griffith, founder and president of Buckeye Innovation, to talk about business process improvement before the next technology investment. Brad shares how value stream mapping exposes bottlenecks, including steps that depend on the founder. He explains the simple, lovable, complete approach to building products, and why he had to take ownership of culture after handing core values to a subcommittee. We also explore how to help team members think through their own decisions. If you're evaluating new tools while building a business that can operate without you at every handoff, this episode gives you a practical place to begin.Books mentionedThe Lean Startup by Eric RiesThink Again by Adam GrantAtlas of the Heart by Brené BrownConnect with Brad through the Buckeye Innovation website or on LinkedIn. He welcomes conversations about technology, organizational processes, and growing a service business.Buckeye InnovationBrad Griffith on LinkedInChapters00:00 Sponsor message and episode introduction02:16 An entrepreneurial family and the path to Buckeye06:54 Technology that expands an organization's impact10:16 Diagnose the process before buying software12:59 Value stream mapping and founder dependencies16:43 Clarify the outcome before replacing the website20:22 Validated learning and simple, lovable, complete products26:37 Taking ownership of company culture32:40 Reinforcing core values in team meetings34:46 Becoming a strategic growth partner37:30 Peer support and empowering emerging leaders41:35 Books and ways to connectJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailA new platform or a new agency can feel like the fastest route to better results. The work of making that change pay off still takes time.I sat down with Aaron Tellier, managing partner and chief revenue officer at The Volute Group, to explore how repeatable processes create an advantage that lasts. A former Navy officer and serial entrepreneur, Aaron brings lessons from marketing consultancies, climbing gyms and a brewery.We discuss the pressure on CMOs to deliver short-term results, what the Navy taught him about testing a process, and how smaller businesses can gain structure while keeping their ability to adapt. Aaron also explains why AI makes hands-on experience more important, and why your team still needs opportunities to learn through the work.Connect with Aaron TellierConnect with Aaron on LinkedIn or email him at [email protected]. He welcomes a message, a connection request or a conversation to trade experiences.Aaron on LinkedIn · [email protected]:00 William's High Capacity Leaders invitation 01:00 Introducing Aaron Tellier 02:58 The first job that revealed his strengths 06:48 Why CMOs need creative and analytical range 08:59 Short-term pressure and long-term customer experience 12:06 Why new software and agency changes take time 13:55 The Navy's lesson in repeatable processes 18:06 Adapting across climbing gyms, brewing and agencies 24:09 Business is personal: mentors and team autonomy 27:12 AI, experience and developing future leaders 30:32 A forthcoming book on financial customer experience 32:47 Connect with Aaron TellierJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailJon Harmeling is a West Point graduate, former West Point instructor in the Department of Systems Engineering, Army veteran, and the Chick-fil-A Operator in Miami Shores, Florida, where he leads a team of about 100. He runs ten AI systems inside his own restaurant and speaks to leaders about using AI without losing the soul of the business.In this conversation with Dr. William Attaway, Jon shares how a two-week Army assignment, a cancer diagnosis, and the loss of his father moved him from chasing success toward a life of significance. He explains how he uses AI in your business the practical way, to take admin work off his plate so he has more time for people, including the schedule analysis across 89 team members that led him to take a hit on profit rather than cut anyone's hours. He also talks about busyness as a distraction, leading side by side with his wife Carrie, and the eulogy question that keeps his priorities clear.Get your copy of Jon's new book here.Connect with Jon Harmeling: Website: jonharmeling.com Free operator notes: jonharmeling.com/notes LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonharmelingChapters 00:00 Introducing Jon Harmeling 01:30 From West Point to Chick-fil-A 03:42 A cancer diagnosis and a clear calling 05:14 Moving from success to significance 08:22 Losing his dad and the busyness trap 10:09 Leading at a sustainable pace 11:36 Intentionality and the 15-minute welcome conversation 13:48 Using AI to free up time for people 16:26 The 89-person schedule analysis 18:49 Faith, family, and leading alongside his wife 21:38 The eulogy question: relationships over metrics 22:48 How Jon keeps leveling up 28:03 Book recommendations: the Bible and Buy Back Your Time 30:28 How to connect with JonJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailJamie Munoz is the founder and CEO of Catalyst Integrators, an award-winning fractional integrator firm named to the Inc. 5000 list two years in a row. A longtime EOS integrator turned visionary, she helps entrepreneurs scale healthy, self-managing companies while empowering her own team to live their ideal lives.In this conversation with Dr. William Attaway, Jamie explains what an integrator does, where a fractional integrator fits for a growing business, and the simple math that shows whether you can afford one. She shares the public recognition moment that taught her to meet people where they are, what it took to step into the visionary seat, and how her Nourish to Flourish theme built a team culture that resists burnout.Connect with Jamie Munoz: Website: catalystintegrators.com Talk with Catalyst: catalystintegrators.com/contact LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamie-munozChapters 00:00 Introducing Jamie Munoz 02:00 Learning to meet people where they are 05:48 When public recognition went wrong 08:03 Jamie's journey with EOS 12:05 Stepping into the visionary seat 13:47 Letting go and trusting your integrator 15:34 What an integrator actually does 17:18 Where a fractional integrator fits 20:37 Back-of-the-napkin math: can you afford it? 22:28 Nourish to Flourish: a team culture without burnout 31:23 How Jamie keeps leveling up 35:41 Book recommendation: The EOS LifeJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailBradley Rapier is an Emmy-nominated choreographer, keynote speaker, author, and founder of Groove Theory. He has choreographed for the director of Hamilton, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance, and performed in La La Land and multiple Super Bowl halftime shows. From the dance floor to the boardroom, he teaches leaders how to build community at work by stepping in the circle.In this conversation with Dr. William Attaway, Bradley shares the hard conversation that took him off the path to medical school, why his preference is "first in person, second in person, third in person," and why AI will never replace human connection. He explains freestyle leadership, the foundation that makes real freedom possible, and how leaders create an atmosphere where people can take risks, make mistakes, and still belong.Connect with Bradley Rapier: Book and newsletter: bradleyrapier.com Step In the Circle: You Can't Lead from the Outside is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.Chapters 00:00 Introducing Bradley Rapier 01:21 From the medical school track to street dance 04:07 Step in the circle: what dance taught him about community 07:10 First in person, second in person, third in person 08:55 Why AI can't replace human connection 11:05 The hard conversation with his father 16:06 Bringing out what is already inside people 18:14 Foundations of freestyle leadership 20:01 Why he wrote Step In the Circle 23:40 Hovering at the edge of the circle 26:18 How to keep leveling up as a leader 28:57 Creating a culture where people are free to failJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailDr. Scott Geller, Alumni Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech and founder of the Actively Caring for People (AC4P) Foundation, has spent 56 years studying what moves people to act. His answer for leaders is research-based and practical. To motivate your team without micromanaging, build the 3 Cs of self-motivation: choice, competence, and community.In this conversation with Dr. William Attaway, Dr. Geller explains humanistic behaviorism, the difference between leading people and managing behavior, and how supportive and corrective feedback can both land as positive when they are done well. He shares his campus crosswalk research on gratitude, the story behind behavior-based safety, and his favorite acronym, COACH: care, observe, analyze, communicate, help.Connect with Dr. Scott Geller: Actively Caring for People Foundation: ac4p.orgChapters 00:00 Introducing Dr. Scott Geller 01:01 From cognitive psychology to making a difference 02:10 Humanistic behaviorism and the role of empathy 04:06 Leaders motivate by promoting self-motivation 05:06 The 3 Cs: choice, competence, and community 08:33 Every person matters 09:13 Actively caring for people 10:09 Leading people and managing behavior 11:30 Supportive and corrective feedback 14:11 Lessons from 56 years at Virginia Tech 16:54 The crosswalk gratitude study 18:48 Appreciation in the workplace 20:16 Behavior-based safety and the COACH acronym 25:33 The hunger for connection 28:46 Wins journals and small winsJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailBeth Jones spent more than 30 years as a forensic accountant and fraud investigator before a hypnotherapy session became the turning point of her own healing journey. She is a Leadership Performance Strategist, creator of The HEAL Framework™ (Hope, Evolve, Love), and author of "Becoming an Empowered Survivor: You, Too, Can Heal From Trauma and Abuse." In this conversation with Dr. William Attaway, Beth explains why unresolved pain accumulates gradually and silently for years until it starts shaping decisions, relationships, and leadership without anyone noticing. She breaks down The HEAL Framework, the role of community in healing, and why leaders have to lead from a place of healing instead of managing from an unhealed one. Connect with Beth Jones: Substack & LinkedIn: @bethjoneshealingmentor YouTube: @BethJonesHEALingMentor Book: Becoming an Empowered SurvivorJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan Mail Vinnie Fisher, Founder and CEO of SiteTrust, returns to the Catalytic Leadership Podcast to unpack the AI negligence insurance gap costing business owners thousands of dollars they didn't know they were exposed to. Vinnie explains why most website consent trackers don't work, why wiretapping-statute lawsuits are climbing into the thousands, and why standard insurance won't cover AI mistakes made without human oversight. He connects it back to the deepfake problem that led him to build SiteTrust in the first place: proving the origin of content instead of being stuck proving a negative. What we unpacked: Why ninety percent of website consent trackers don't actually work The specific legal requirements most professional websites are missing Why agencies are exposed right alongside the clients whose sites they manage How watermarking and proof of origin close the deepfake liability gap Connect with Vinnie Fisher: Free site scan and report: sitetrust.com/gifts Website: sitetrust.com YouTube: youtube.com/@sitetrust Facebook: facebook.com/SiteTrust LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sitetrust Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Catalytic Leadership Podcast, Dr. William Attaway sits down with John Briggs, CPA, founder and CEO of Incite Tax & Accounting and author of Take Breaks, Work Better. John shares the 2 a.m. moment that forced him to confront hustle culture head-on, the research behind human focus cycles, and the framework he now calls the 3.3 rule: work up to three hours, then take a 30 percent recovery break. Since implementing it, his firm has grown 492 percent while holding a 42-hour work week during tax season, the industry's busiest and most burnout-prone stretch.John and William unpack why founders who centralize every decision cannot sell what they've built, how the 3.3 rule protects both output and family life, and what it actually takes to build a leadership team that runs without you.Connect with John Briggs: therealjohnbriggs.com linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs Book & free tools: takebreaksworkbetter.comChapters 00:00 Welcome John Briggs 00:47 From accountant to firm leader: John's journey 02:51 Why hoarding decisions kills your business 06:09 The hustle culture wake up call behind the book 08:31 The 2am moment that changed everything 11:31 The science behind a 492% growth story 14:41 The hidden cost of the 8 hour workday 16:41 Your brain's natural focus and distraction cycle 17:56 Inside the 3.3 rule 20:38 What changed personally: presence, health, freedom 24:49 Redefining success beyond hustle culture 26:00 Where to find John and his bookJoin Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Send us Fan MailChad T. Jenkins launched more than fifty businesses before he decided to stop launching companies altogether. What he found was that the fastest growth never came from building alone. Chad, owner and CEO of SEEDSPARK and founder of SEEDSPARK CoLAB, joins William to make the case for collaboration over competition, and to show how the assets already sitting in your business become leverage the moment you combine them with someone else's. He walks through the VCR formula he learned from Dean Jackson, vision plus capability times reach, and unpacks how Kylie Jenner's lip kits and a single Nike and Tiffany collaboration prove the math. Along the way he explains the "exploded parts view" of an entrepreneur, the I AMs that make each leader unique, and why his task list has two columns instead of one. If you have been solving growth problems by hiring more or spending more on ads, this conversation offers a shorter road.Chapters00:00 Meet Chad T. Jenkins and the exploded parts view02:06 Growing up on a South Carolina farm with a bigger vision03:36 Turning the search inward: what do I already have05:45 What fifty-plus businesses taught him06:22 Value creation is everything, and everything is a recombination08:05 From operator to leverage partner for founders worldwide09:27 Building the CQ assessment for a collaborative mindset11:51 The I AMs: insights, abilities, and multipliers15:14 A go-giver community where no one is allowed to sell17:41 The VCR formula: vision plus capability times reach23:23 Nothing new without a who25:25 The Daily GRACE routine that keeps him sharpBooks mentionedThe Code to Collaboration by Chad T. JenkinsFriction Fuel by Chad T. JenkinsJust Add a Zero by Chad T. JenkinsThe Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David MannWho Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin HardyConnect with Chad on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/chadtjenkins, explore the CoLAB at seedspark.com, browse his books at chadtjenkins.com, and pick up his new bestseller at codetocollaboration.com.Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube