As organizations scale, complexity increases. Systems break, communication slows, and leaders often lose sight of how the business actually works. In this episode, we explore why structure, sales discipline, and clear strategy are essential for sustainable growth in global organizations.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor sits down with Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive. Pete previously led global business development and global partnerships at Intuit and spent over a decade at Deloitte, where he worked closely with hundreds of organizations across industries. Today, he leads value creation strategy at Pipedrive, supporting more than 100,000 customers across 180 countries.

Anthony and Pete discuss how an auditor’s mindset helps leaders truly understand their business, why strong systems create predictability without limiting adaptability, and how sales processes mirror leadership execution. Pete shares lessons from scaling a global SaaS platform, navigating private equity ownership, and balancing short-term performance with long-term strategic bets.

You will also hear how Pete approaches partnerships differently from traditional sales, why assumptions often derail negotiations, and how experimentation has become a core part of modern strategy. Pete introduces Pipedrive’s Artist and Scientist framework, which encourages leaders to combine data-driven discipline with creative problem-solving to adapt in uncertain environments.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit⁠

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. ⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

Why understanding structure and process is critical before scaling

How sales systems and leadership execution are closely connected

What differentiates partnerships from transactional sales relationships

How to balance short-term results with long-term strategic priorities

Why adaptability and experimentation are essential to modern strategy

Connect with Pete Harris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-harris-a166665/

Website: https://www.pipedrive.com/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In markets that feel more crowded and noisy every quarter, many organizations quietly slide into commodity status and do not even realize it. In this episode, we explore how to uncover the hidden magic in your business before you price and simplify your way out of what makes you great.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Barry LaBov, founder of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training, long-time agency leader, former rock musician, and author of The Power of Differentiation. Together they dig into what real differentiation looks like in practice, why it usually already exists inside your organization, and how to communicate it in a way that energizes customers and employees alike.

Barry shares stories from premium brands and industrial firms, from whisky and trucks to copper and rail, that all discovered unique value in places they had been taking for granted. He explains why leaders often erase their own competitive advantage in the name of efficiency, and offers practical questions you can use to avoid the commodity trap and keep the features and experiences your customers truly love.

You will also hear Barry and Anthony talk about the human side of differentiation. They explore how to involve employees early, why listening to customers reveals more than any internal workshop, and how leaders can use vulnerability and clear communication to avoid the void of misinformation inside their organizations.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why almost every organization has real differentiation, but it is not fully using it
  

• How to find the invisible strengths in your products, services, and customer experience
  

• The risks of decontenting and cost-cutting that quietly erode brand love
  

• Questions to ask customers and employees to reveal what you should never change
  

• How to connect differentiation, culture, and leadership transparency
  

Connect with Barry LaBov

Website: https://www.barrylabov.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-labov-6965241/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.
Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

When companies begin to scale, founders often become the bottleneck without realizing it. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Sam Goodner, serial entrepreneur, former Swiss Army officer, and author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision.

Sam has spent more than 25 years scaling technology and consulting companies, leading teams through rapid multi-year growth, and building systems that create clarity, repeatability, and disciplined execution. His Swiss Army background brings a practical lens to leadership, communication, and operational structure.

In this conversation, Sam explains why many founders plateau at three to four million in revenue, how to decentralize decision-making, and why sales must be the first part of the business to become repeatable. He shares the simple daily huddle that transformed alignment inside his organizations, how to build an executive team that actually owns decisions, and the question every leader must answer to uncover their unfair advantage.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why founders become the bottleneck during early scale

☑️ How to create systems that are repeatable and trainable

☑️ Why sales must be operationalized before anything else

☑️ How daily huddles strengthen communication and accountability

☑️ How to build executive swim lanes that drive ownership

☑️ How to identify what you are best at in the world

This episode is for:

▶️ Founders scaling beyond the early stage

▶️ CEOs managing complex or fast-growing operations

▶️ Leaders who want stronger execution and alignment

▶️ Teams developing systems, structure, and clarity

About the Guest

Sam Goodner is a serial entrepreneur, executive leader, and former officer in the Swiss Mountain Grenadiers. He has spent decades scaling organizations, developing executive teams, and designing operational systems that support sustained growth. Sam is the author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision, a practical guide for leaders who want their company to function with discipline and alignment.

Learn more: samgoodner.com

Connect with Sam: linkedin.com/in/samgoodner

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

In every industry, there are strategies that quietly outperform the conventional wisdom. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Andy Weiner, Founder and President of RockStep Capital, one of the most innovative retail real estate investment firms in the United States.

Andy’s career spans more than 40 years across retail operations, commercial real estate, and shopping center redevelopment. Before launching RockStep Capital, he served as Vice President of Operations for Weiner’s Stores, a regional chain that grew to 159 locations across Texas and Louisiana. Today, RockStep Capital owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of shopping centers across 11 states, specializing in the revitalization of enclosed malls and open air retail in secondary and tertiary markets.

In this conversation, Andy explains why RockStep invests in “hometowns” under a million people, how local partnerships reduce risk and unlock value, and why big institutional players routinely overlook the most resilient markets. He shares the strategic pillars behind RockStep’s long term success, including his 25 RockSteps culture system, a set of behavioral principles used by all 100 employees to build trust, accountability, and high performance. Andy also outlines how retail has evolved in the age of Amazon, why strong operators continue to grow, and why the best opportunities exist where most investors never think to look.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why local partnerships give investors and leaders a strategic advantage

☑️ How secondary and tertiary markets outperform expectations

☑️ Why retail is far from dead, despite the Amazon narrative

☑️ How the 25 RockSteps culture system builds high performing teams

☑️ Why most deals fail and what separates elite operators

☑️ How community based strategy reduces risk and increases long term value

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives leading growth and transformation

▶️ Investors and operators seeking overlooked opportunities

▶️ Leaders building culture, accountability, and alignment

▶️ Teams navigating disruption in retail, real estate, and local markets

About the Guest

Andy Weiner is the Founder and President of RockStep Capital, a national retail real estate investment company specializing in acquiring and revitalizing shopping centers in high potential secondary and tertiary markets. With more than four decades of experience across retail operations and real estate, he is recognized for pioneering a community based investment model driven by strong local partnerships. Andy is the creator of the 25 RockSteps, a behavioral culture framework used across RockStep’s 100 employee team to build trust, resolve conflict, and create a high performance environment.

Learn more: rockstep.com

Connect with Andy: linkedin.com/in/andy-weiner

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Most leaders can handle the easy 92 percent of their day. It is the remaining 8 percent that defines them. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, one of the world’s leading authorities on pressure, performance, and the neuroscience of leadership.

JP is the New York Times bestselling author of Performing Under Pressure and co-founder of the Institute for Health and Human Potential. For more than 25 years, he has coached and trained elite performers and teams across NASA, the CIA, the US Army and Navy, the Olympics, the NBA, the NFL, and global Fortune 100 companies, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola, BMW, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson. His research on leadership behavior and culture has appeared in Harvard Business Review and media outlets worldwide.

In this conversation, JP explains the Last 8 Percent, the small but critical set of difficult moments that disproportionately shape organizational culture, execution, and long-term success. He shares insights from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and his upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, outlining why leaders know what they should do but often avoid doing it. JP describes how his Last 8 Percent Culture System has helped organizations transform performance, including an example where Blue Cross Idaho saved tens of millions of dollars in the first six months of implementation.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:

https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator► Learn more about our courses:

⁠ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why the toughest conversations have the biggest impact on results

☑️ The neuroscience behind pressure and avoidance

☑️ How leaders use the Last 8 Percent to close the gap between intent and action

☑️ Why high-performing cultures require both courage and connection

☑️ Tools to improve accountability and decision-making under stress

☑️ What elite athletes, special forces, and executives all have in common

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives navigating complex decisions

▶️ Leaders working to build healthier, more courageous cultures

▶️ Teams striving for better performance under pressure

▶️ Anyone looking to strengthen resilience, clarity, and emotional intelligence

About the Guest

Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry is a thought leader, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author known for helping organizations turn pressure into a competitive advantage. He is the co-founder and President of the Institute for Health and Human Potential, one of Profit Magazine’s fastest growing companies, and a highly rated lecturer for Kellogg School of Management’s Executive Education Program. His Last 8 Percent framework is used by elite performers and major organizations worldwide to create measurable performance and financial gains. His upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, explores how leaders can build cultures of courage, accountability, and connection.

Learn more: jppawliw-fry.com

Connect with JP: linkedin.com/in/jppawliwfry

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Growth is exciting until it starts costing you more than it is making you. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Ben Hansen, five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and founder of Profit Doctor, about why scaling too fast without fixing your profit problems is a recipe for burnout.

After building an eight figure company with more than 100 employees, Ben learned firsthand that more revenue does not always mean more success. Through his Profit Doctor programs, he now helps CEOs and business owners cure what he calls “Profititis,” when your top line keeps growing but your bottom line stays flat.

In this conversation, Ben shares practical ways to increase margins, cash, and distributions in just 90 days, often without adding more workload or pressure. He also explains why most companies are following the wrong playbook, chasing growth like tech startups instead of optimizing for profitability like sustainable businesses.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our training program for managers: ⁠ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why growing faster is not always growing smarter

☑️ How to diagnose and fix Profititis before it burns you out

☑️ The 50 20 Rule, a simple shortcut to higher profits

☑️ Why cutting the worst 20 percent of your work can unlock growth

☑️ How to think like private equity and make more by doing less

This episode is for:

▶️ Business owners scaling between 2 million and 50 million in revenue

▶️ Leaders who feel stuck despite record sales

▶️ Founders chasing growth but losing energy or focus

▶️ Anyone ready to run a healthier and more profitable business

About the Guest

Ben Hansen is a five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and the founder of Profit Doctor, where he helps companies boost profitability without working harder. A former CEO of a fast growing marketing analytics firm, Ben now coaches leaders across North America to fix hidden leaks in their business models and achieve measurable profit gains within 12 weeks.

Learn more: profitdoctor.com

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benhansen

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can organizations embrace AI to transform marketing without losing the human connection that drives trust and brand loyalty? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, as well as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management.

Under Matt’s marketing leadership, JL Smith achieved 40% average annual growth from 2020 to 2024, C2P launched one of the industry’s first in-house marketing agencies for advisors, and Prosperity Capital Advisors now supports over 130 independent financial advisors nationwide. Recognized as a ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES 2025 CMO of the Year finalist, Matt has led standout campaigns like the OBBB initiative and The Rainmaker Multiplier, which earned national attention for creativity and results.

In this conversation, Matt shares how AI is reshaping marketing strategy, why the traditional funnel is being replaced by continuous loops of engagement, and how leaders can use AI as a thought partner to challenge ideas, build culture, and enhance storytelling.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ How AI is transforming modern marketing and sales integration

☑️ Ways to humanize digital strategy without losing efficiency

☑️ Why culture and storytelling are the strongest brand differentiators

☑️ How to use AI as a creative and strategic thought partner

☑️ What marketing leaders can do to stay ahead of disruption

This episode is for:

▶️ CMOs and marketing leaders navigating AI-driven transformation

▶️ Executives aligning sales, marketing, and culture under one strategy

▶️ Business owners seeking to build trust in the digital era

▶️ Advisors and professionals using marketing to scale their impact

About the Guest

Matt Seitz is the Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, and also serves as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management. With more than 15 years of experience in financial services marketing, Matt is known for his strategic leadership, data-driven storytelling, and ability to build scalable marketing systems that drive growth. He is a finalist for both the WealthManagement.com CMO of the Year and ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Executive Leadership awards.

Learn more: https://prosperitycapitaladvisors.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattseitz

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can leaders inspire innovation, engagement, and performance without relying on having all the answers? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. Debra Clary, author of The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions, and former executive at Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana.

Across more than three decades in Fortune 50 organizations, Dr. Clary has helped leaders shift from transactional to transformational cultures by building curiosity into the core of how teams think and perform. Her research reveals a direct correlation between curiosity and leadership effectiveness and shows how leaders who ask bold questions create more engaged, innovative, and high performing teams.

In this conversation, Dr. Clary shares how leaders can turn curiosity into a strategic advantage, foster cultures of openness, and drive long term growth by asking better questions.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ Why curiosity is a leadership advantage and not a luxury

☑️ How asking better questions creates more engaged teams

☑️ Ways to balance direction with curiosity as a leader

☑️ The four factors of the Curiosity Curve framework

☑️ How to build a culture where innovation thrives

This episode is for:

▶️ Executives and managers seeking to unlock team potential

▶️ Leaders driving organizational change or transformation

▶️ HR and L&D professionals focused on engagement and performance

▶️ Anyone ready to lead with questions instead of just answers

About the Guest

Dr. Debra Clary is an author, researcher, and leadership expert who spent over 30 years in Fortune 50 organizations including Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. As the founder of Clary Consulting, she helps leaders and organizations build cultures of curiosity that drive growth and transformation. Her book, The Curiosity Curve, was published by Fast Company Press.

Learn more: https://debraclary.com/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebraclary/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions