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229 | How to Build Teams That Stay and Loyal Clients with David Steele

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

Release Date: 07/29/2025

255 | The Hidden Cost of Growth and How Smart Leaders Fix It with Megan Crabtree show art 255 | The Hidden Cost of Growth and How Smart Leaders Fix It with Megan Crabtree

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

Behind every growth problem is a lack of structure. Many businesses scale fast, only to realize they've outgrown their systems, their teams, and sometimes even themselves. The result? Burnout, chaos, and missed opportunities are hiding in plain sight. In this episode of The Business of You, we explore what it really takes to grow a business with intention — learning from someone who survived the burnout and chaos caused by the hidden traps of growth for growth’s sake. This conversation is about leadership that balances people and performance, and why data without heart (or heart without...

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254 | How Accountability Creates Freedom in Business and Life with Robert Hunt show art 254 | How Accountability Creates Freedom in Business and Life with Robert Hunt

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

What if the thing you’re avoiding is the very thing holding you back? Accountability often gets a bad reputation — as pressure, control, or punishment. But what if accountability is actually the key to freedom, clarity, and sustainable success? In this episode, we explore why so many leaders feel stuck even though they “know what to do,” and how ownership — not excuses — is what creates real momentum. Robert Hunt is the founder of REF Dallas, a CEO peer group and leadership platform he’s grown since 2013. Known as “The Accountability Guy,” Robert helps leaders reclaim...

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253 | How AI Is Changing the Way Companies Scale with Casey Woo show art 253 | How AI Is Changing the Way Companies Scale with Casey Woo

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

What if the most important people in a company are the ones no one talks about? They’re the builders behind the scenes. The operators who organize chaos, fix what’s broken, and quietly turn vision into reality. Scaling isn’t glamorous — but it’s essential. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to grow companies fast and smart, and how AI is accelerating the shift toward adaptable, cross-functional leadership. Casey Woo is a public market investor turned high-growth technology COO and CFO with more than two decades of experience helping companies scale. He’s served as a...

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252 | What Founders Need to Know About Bringing a Product to Market with Kerim Kfuri show art 252 | What Founders Need to Know About Bringing a Product to Market with Kerim Kfuri

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

If you’ve ever dreamed of launching a physical product—turning an idea into something tangible—you’ve probably noticed how overwhelming the process can feel. Manufacturing, sourcing, quality control, logistics, global suppliers…every step has layers most founders never see until they’re already in trouble. In a world where disruptions happen daily and the global economy shifts without warning, the founders who succeed aren’t just innovative—they’re prepared. Today’s guest, Kerim Kfuri, brings more than two decades of global supply chain expertise spanning technology,...

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251 | What It Really Takes to Succeed on Amazon with Pasha Knish show art 251 | What It Really Takes to Succeed on Amazon with Pasha Knish

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

If you’ve ever looked at Amazon and wondered how some brands scale effortlessly while others disappear into a sea of competitors, you’re not alone. Amazon can feel like an unpredictable giant—full of opportunity, but also packed with complexity. And as more entrepreneurs jump in, the brands that win aren’t the ones chasing trends…they’re the ones building with intention. Today’s guest, Pasha Knish, has lived through every era of Amazon—from the Wild West days of early e-commerce to today’s data-driven, hyper-competitive marketplace. With more than 13 years of hands-on selling...

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250 | The New Rules of Paid Advertising and What's Working Now with John Horn show art 250 | The New Rules of Paid Advertising and What's Working Now with John Horn

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

Have you ever wondered why some brands seem to crack the code with paid ads while others burn through budget with nothing to show for it?  If you’ve ever dabbled in Google Ads—or avoided them out of fear of expensive mistakes—this conversation will open your eyes to what’s possible when strategy and execution align.  John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, has helped hundreds of companies transform underperforming campaigns into profitable acquisition machines.  His team is ranked in the top 1% of Google Partners worldwide for performance and customer care—and their reputation is...

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249 | The Hidden Skills That Make Great Leaders With Vicky Brown show art 249 | The Hidden Skills That Make Great Leaders With Vicky Brown

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

You know that moment when someone sees something in you long before you’re ready to claim it? For many leaders, that moment becomes the spark that changes everything. For Vicky Brown, it was the gentle (yet persistent) nudge that pushed her from devoted “number two” to founder of a thriving HR firm that’s been supporting high-performance companies for more than two decades. Too often, business owners think of HR as paperwork, policies, or “the stuff you deal with when something goes wrong.” But Vicky’s story—and her expertise—reveal a very different truth: HR is leadership....

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248 | The Most Powerful Leadership Skill No One’s Talking About with Keri Ford show art 248 | The Most Powerful Leadership Skill No One’s Talking About with Keri Ford

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

When success starts to feel like stress, what if your body could tell you why? For high-achievers, it’s easy to push harder, hustle faster, and ignore the quiet signals of exhaustion. But for Keri Ford, those signals became her greatest teachers. A former Creative Director turned award-winning CEO, Keri discovered that the real key to high performance isn’t found in strategy or mindset — it’s found in the nervous system. Through her groundbreaking Somatic Success® method, Keri has helped elite women — from celebrity clients like Alison Sweeney and Kaley Cuoco to powerhouse founders...

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247 | Turning Your Story into Sales With Dr. Danny Brassell show art 247 | Turning Your Story into Sales With Dr. Danny Brassell

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

What if the fastest way to grow your business isn’t marketing harder, but speaking smarter? In this episode, Dr. Danny Brassell shares how to make storytelling and public speaking your most powerful tools for attracting clients, building authority, and confidently closing deals.  Known as the “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” Danny has spoken to over 3,500 audiences worldwide and co-founded The WellCrafted Story Workshop™, where he teaches entrepreneurs how to transform their stories into client-generating presentations. The Power Of Clarity And Connection If you’ve ever struggled to...

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246 | Don’t Scale Your Business Without Hearing This Franchise Model with Bennett Maxwell show art 246 | Don’t Scale Your Business Without Hearing This Franchise Model with Bennett Maxwell

The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

What happens when business growth outpaces the guardrails that keep it sustainable? This week, I sit down with Bennett Maxwell, serial entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Franchise KI—best known for scaling Dirty Dough Cookies from one store to over 450 franchises sold in just two years.  After experiencing both the highs and the chaos of hypergrowth, Bennett now helps entrepreneurs build wealth through franchising the right way: with systems, structure, and staying power. How To Grow Fast Without Burning Out Bennett reveals the critical mistakes founders make when scaling too...

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More Episodes

What if the real key to scaling your business isn’t strategy or capital, but empathy?

That’s the belief driving today’s guest, David Steele. With a career spanning finance, hospitality, and the arts, David is the Founder and CEO of One Wealth Advisors, Executive Chairman of Flour + Water Hospitality Group, and Managing Partner at Great Gold Hospitality Group. He’s also a playwright, visual artist, and advocate for the power of people in business.

People Over Profit: How to Build a Team That Grows With You

If you want to build a business that lasts, start by investing in your people. David shares how he’s created a culture where turnover is almost nonexistent by treating every team member like a future owner. Whether you’re leading a small team or scaling fast, you’ll take away practical ideas like profit-sharing instead of bonuses, transparent P&L reviews, and a long-term goal of shared equity. Because when people feel valued and have a real stake in the outcome, they’re far more likely to stick around and help you grow.

Think Restaurants Are Risky? Here’s What Actually Causes Failure

You’ve heard it before: “Restaurants are too risky.” But David challenges that assumption with a powerful reframing: it’s not the industry that’s the problem, it’s the lack of business planning. 

Whether you’re in hospitality or any creative venture, his method applies. Start with a story. Build a 10-year model. Make sure the capital pays back in 3 years or less. If the numbers don’t work, don’t move forward. This approach has helped him grow eight successful restaurants and it might just change the way you assess risk in your own ideas.

Enjoy this episode with David Steele…

Soundbytes

11:17 - 11:56
“I figured one thing out, and all polymaths in business have probably figured one thing out. That is, they know how to activate a coalition of people around a singular idea… Everything that has ever been created in the history of humankind that's been great has been because people symbiotically came together to do it.”

14:08 - 14:22
“I just think the most important variable in any partnership is the most important variable in any real, sustainable relationship, which is always seeking to find empathy for the person you have a relationship with.”

Quotes

“Treat people well. People just want to feel valuable. That's all they want.”

“I have a goal with any business I start, which is to never lose a single employee for the life of the company. Now, it's a ridiculous goal. It's absurd.”

“I still have some of those clients that I started with in 1991.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

From Our Guest

Website: https://davidsteele.xyz/ 

Connect with David Steele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-steele-76088a/ 

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