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193: Billion-Dollar Founder Shares His Secret Weapon From the Swiss Army – 8FE

Beyond A Million

Release Date: 09/11/2025

208: Bootstrapping a $50M/Year Business (And Exiting Twice) with John Arrow show art 208: Bootstrapping a $50M/Year Business (And Exiting Twice) with John Arrow

Beyond A Million

Most founders dream of selling their company once. John Arrow sold the same company twice. He bootstrapped a mobile product development firm (Mutual Mobile) in college, scaled it to 300 people, and pushed nearly $50M a year in revenue. But the real unlock came from one bold decision: moving upstream into enterprise clients. Prior to that, his model was unsustainable. He and his co-founders made the decision to fire all of their customers and only work with companies with a spend of at least $1M/year. That’s when their company took off.  In this episode, John breaks down the decisions...

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Beyond A Million

Robin Alex is the co-founder of HighLevel, a marketing automation and CRM platform that has grown to more than two million users since launching in 2018. The company scaled rapidly—doubling and tripling year after year—largely through a white-label model that allows agencies and implementation partners to resell the platform under their own brand. HighLevel now operates with roughly 2,000 employees worldwide and continues to ship new features, including AI-driven tools, at an unusually fast pace. In this conversation, Robin talks through the real reason HighLevel gained traction, how...

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Beyond A Million

For nearly two decades, Pat Flynn has been creating content. What’s interesting is how that work has fueled multiple 7-figure businesses. Over the years, he’s launched and scaled companies across education, media, software, community, and physical products—from  and to niche websites, podcasting tools, and more recently, a that pulls in 10 million views a day. What ties all of these ventures together is the way Pat builds them. Through his philosophy, he’s able to use content to test ideas, reduce risk, and explore a wide range of opportunities while still staying super...

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Too many business owners are trying to use AI as a shortcut to fire people instead of using it to multiply the output of their best people. And that mindset is killing their growth. Matt Leitz has been building automation systems for 7- and 8-figure companies long before AI went mainstream. He’s seen inside the machines powering 9-figure brands… and the truth is simple: automation isn’t optional anymore. If you want to scale, you need a business that compounds output without requiring more of your time. Matt breaks down how to use AI as leverage — not as a crutch. He shares where...

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Beyond A Million

This is a clip from the Beyond A Million podcast where I talked to Steve Sims – entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and bestselling author, best known as the creator of the world’s first luxury concierge service. Here Steve shares a killer strategy for getting the attention of high-level people (like billionaires or big-time investors). His approach is simple, but a bit unexpected… and it definitely doesn’t involve pitching or pretending to be someone you’re not. He also tells a wild story about how this exact move led to a long-term consulting deal with a serious player in Silicon Valley....

info_outline 204: Scaling a $100M+ Beverage Brand in an Industry Few Survive with Aaron Hinde show art 204: Scaling a $100M+ Beverage Brand in an Industry Few Survive with Aaron Hinde

Beyond A Million

Starting a business is hard. Starting a beverage company is almost impossible. With a 95% failure rate in year one and 99% by year five, most founders never make it out alive. That’s what makes Aaron Hinde’s story so compelling. As the Co-Founder of FITAID, a clean-ingredient beverage brand now valued north of $100M, he’s navigated a landscape that destroys nearly everyone who steps into it. In our conversation, Aaron breaks down the truth behind building in one of the harshest categories in consumer goods, from the retail relationships that quietly drain millions to the dozens of...

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Beyond A Million

“If Apple CEO Tim Cook needs a board of directors to help him make decisions, what makes you think you can do it all by yourself?”  That’s the question Brian Will – serial entrepreneur with multiple exits under his belt – poses in this clip from Beyond A Million.  Brian explains why letting go of ego makes it easier to grow your business. He talks about how financial stability helps you become less reactive, more collaborative, and why failing without learning is just wasting time. If you’ve been stuck in perfectionism, control, or thinking you need (or worse – have)...

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Beyond A Million

Collin Ship built his YouTube channel for one purpose: drive qualified leads into his business. He wasn’t trying to grow an audience or chase viral moments. He wanted a predictable system that pointed people toward his offer. And it proved how effective a small channel can be when it’s built the right way. Collin took an “unsexy” niche (blogging) and paired it with a search-driven YouTube strategy built entirely around keywords, intent, and simple videos that matched what people were actually looking for. That combination led to a multi-7-figure business powered by steady, targeted...

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Beyond A Million

In this clip, Brad Sumrok talks about why apartments have turned out to be one of the most dependable ways to invest in real estate. Some properties look good at first, but fall apart when the market shifts. Apartments tend to stick it out. Brad’s not hyping anything. He’s just explaining what’s worked over 20 years of doing deals – and why more investors are starting to take notice. If you’ve ever wondered where real estate actually holds up long-term, this is a good place to start. Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with Brad: 

info_outline 202: How 8-Figure Founders Break the 7-Figure Ceiling (Tactics from Past Guests) show art 202: How 8-Figure Founders Break the 7-Figure Ceiling (Tactics from Past Guests)

Beyond A Million

As an entrepreneur, once you hit 7-figures, the game changes. Scaling isn’t just about more revenue, it’s about smarter systems, better people, and the mindset required to lead at the next level. In this special compilation episode of Beyond a Million, I’ve pulled together powerful clips from past guests — 8- and 9-figure founders who share the unfiltered lessons behind building and scaling successful companies. Whether you’re a founder, CEO, or investor scaling your business beyond 7-figures, these are proven tactics that actually move the needle.   Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro...

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What could a Swiss Army officer possibly teach you about building and selling companies worth hundreds of millions? Turns out – everything.

Today’s guest, Sam Goodner, took the discipline and precision he learned in the Swiss Army and applied it to entrepreneurship. 

He founded Catapult Systems, scaled it through two major recessions, and eventually sold it after 20 years. Later, he helped take Flash Parking from a stuck $3M startup to $100M in revenue and a billion-dollar valuation.

Now a mentor at Capital Factory and author of Like Clockwork: Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision, Sam distills 30 years of lessons into practical principles that help entrepreneurs scale businesses that thrive without them.

In this episode, Sam shares why scaling always begins with a sales playbook, how “cloud conversion therapy” won over 100% of skeptical customers, and why annual contingency planning can make your company recession-proof. He also breaks down what it really takes to prepare for a sale years in advance and how unforgettable first-day employee experiences can shape culture for decades.

If you’re ready to scale with Swiss Army precision and build a company that runs without you, tune in now.

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This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

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Key Takeaways:

  • 00:00 Intro

  • 00:02:03 Running a business like clockwork in practice

  • 00:17:00 Curated client experiences turned skeptics into loyal customers

  • 00:25:33 Starting Catapult Systems

  • 00:28:54 Recession-proofing strategies

  • 00:33:49 Separate teams allow multiple ventures under one umbrella

  • 00:38:54 Selling businesses: Define your number and prepare years before exit

  • 00:43:07 Strong EBITDA and audited records maximize company valuation

  • 00:48:17 Choosing investment bankers

  • 00:53:45 “Like Clockwork: Run Your Business With Swiss Army Precision”

  • 00:59:54 First-day experiences build culture and long-term loyalty

  • 01:01:35 Advice to young entrepreneurs

  • 01:05:09 Wrapup

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Additional Resources:

🔹 Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samgoodner

🔹 Sam on X: https://x.com/goodner 

🔹 Sam’s book: https://samgoodner.com/

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Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work. 

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building.

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