{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Ep 307 Outgrowing Your Team: The Loyal \u201cMike\u201d Problem Every Business Owner Faces with Kurt Wilkin","description":"Outgrowing Your Team: The Loyal \u201cMike\u201d Problem Every Business Owner Faces with Kurt Wilkin   Find Rocky Lalvani @ www.ProfitComesFirst.com or email him at rocky@profitcomesfirst.com   \u201cEvery growing business has a \u2018Mike\u2019\u2014the loyal early employee who quietly becomes your biggest bottleneck.\u201d   Most entrepreneurs don\u2019t fail because they lack hustle. They get stuck because the team that got them here\u2026 can\u2019t get them there.   In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani talks with Kurt Wilkin\u2014entrepreneur, former founder of HireBetter (a recruiting firm that partnered heavily with EOS companies), and author of Who\u2019s Your Mic?\u2014about the moment every growing business eventually faces: you outgrow a \u201ckey person,\u201d and your loyalty delays the decision that growth requires.  Kurt breaks down the \u201cMike\u201d problem (the early employee who handled the finance\/ops\/integrator work), why founders wait too long, and what to do before the bottleneck starts costing you profit, time, and momentum.    In This Episode, You\u2019ll Learn: What \u201cWho\u2019s Your Mike?\u201d really means\u2014and why every entrepreneur either has, had, or will have a \u201cMike\u201d if they keep growing.  The classic growth pattern: how \u201cMike\u201d goes from bookkeeper \u2192 accountant \u2192 controller \u2192 \u201cCFO\u201d\u2026 until the business hits a level where he\u2019s in over his head (banks, credit lines, bigger deals).  Why business owners delay the hard conversation\u2014and why it feels like firing a lifelong friend.  Why you don\u2019t always have to fire Mike (reassignment can work)\u2014but keeping a struggling leader creates a ceiling on the whole team.  A key hiring truth: you can\u2019t attract A-players to join a team when a C-player is running the department.  The \u201cPipeline Paul\u201d warning for sales hiring\u2014and the red flag Kurt calls out (repeated ~18-month stints).  Why founders struggle to hire salespeople: the owner can sell because they are the business, but a salesperson can\u2019t replicate that without a real sales system.  The difference between traditional sales and business development (solving the customer\u2019s problem vs. forcing a fit).  The integrator affordability question (\u201cNext Level Natalie\u201d)\u2014and Kurt\u2019s view that many businesses have \u201cmoney in the couch cushions\u201d through waste and inefficiency.  Rocky\u2019s take on the \u201ceveryone is busy\u201d trap\u2014and how sometimes one person is effectively creating fires the team constantly fights.  Why peer communities matter: Kurt\u2019s perspective on EOS as a business operating system, and YPO as a broader peer group that includes family and personal balance.    The Big Takeaway: Growth doesn\u2019t just demand better strategy\u2014it demands better people alignment. If you\u2019re scaling and your leadership team hasn\u2019t scaled with you, you may be running a \u201clifestyle business\u201d for everyone except the owner: the team hits goals, stays busy, and the founder is left holding the stress (and sometimes the lack of profit\/cash flow).  The question isn\u2019t whether you\u2019ll face a \u201cMike.\u201d The question is whether you\u2019ll address it early\u2014before it becomes the reason growth stalls.    Bio: Kurt Wilkin is an entrepreneur and former founder of HireBetter, a recruiting firm that helped entrepreneurs build next-level teams and partnered with EOS companies. He previously built and sold a finance and accounting consulting firm (growing to ~120 employees), and he hosts the podcast Unlocking Moves. Kurt\u2019s work focuses on helping entrepreneurs build strong teams and healthy businesses\u2014what he calls \u201ccapitalism for good.\u201d    Links: Instagram: @Kurt.Wilkin and @UnlockingMoves Facebook: @KurtWilkin Twitter: @KurtWilkin LinkedIn: Kurt-Wilkin   Conclusion: If you want to grow, you can\u2019t avoid hard people decisions forever. Start by identifying your \u201cMike,\u201d getting clear on where the business is going next, and mapping the real gaps on your leadership team. Then have the honest conversations early\u2014because once you see misalignment clearly, waiting only makes it more expensive (in profit, time, and momentum).    Listen to the full episode to learn how to spot your \u201cMike,\u201d make the hard people decisions sooner, and build a team that scales profitably.   #ProfitAnswerMan #ProfitFirst #ProfitComesFirst #CashFlow #BusinessOwners #Leadership #TeamBuilding #Hiring #Recruiting #PeopleOps #CompanyCulture #LegacyEmployees #EOS #Traction #Integrator #Operations #ScaleUp #Entrepreneurship #SalesHiring #BusinessDevelopment #SalesProcess #SmallBusinessGrowth   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Free Copy of the Profit Blueprint Book: : https:\/\/lp.profitcomesfirst.com\/landing-page-page  Monthly Newsletter signup: https:\/\/lp.profitcomesfirst.com\/newsletter-signup Relay Bank (affiliate link): https:\/\/relayfi.com\/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/profitanswerman\/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http:\/\/richersoul.com\/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. ","author_name":"Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond","author_url":"http:\/\/profitanswerman.libsyn.com\/website","html":"