From $3.5K to $28M: Jeremy Ames of Guidant Financial on Helping 35,000+ Retirees Use Retirement Funds to Launch Businesses — A Journey of Grit, Smart Growth & Changing Lives Through Entrepreneurship. (Episode 701 - Jeremy Ames)

In this episode of Grow a Small Business, host Troy Trewin interviews Jeremy Ames, co-founder of Guidant Financial, who turned a $3.5K startup into a $28 million powerhouse helping over 35,000 retirees use their retirement funds to start businesses. Jeremy shares his journey of building a 250-person team across five countries, the challenges of scaling, and the importance of customer insight and culture. With over two decades of experience, he reflects on key mindset shifts, lessons from failure, and how clarity, grit, and adaptability shaped his success in business.

Other Resources:

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Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice.

And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions:

1. What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business?
   
   According to Jeremy Ames, the hardest part of growing a small business is managing the emotional rollercoaster while continuing to move forward. There are moments of doubt, tough decisions, and setbacks — but staying focused through it all is key.
   
   

2. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most?
   
   Jeremy Ames shared that The High-Velocity Edge is the business book that helped him the most. It transformed how he thinks about scaling, continuous improvement, and building systems that allow a business to grow sustainably.
   
   

3. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business?
   
   Jeremy Ames recommends resources like Audible, Blinkist, and listening to diverse podcasts. He credits his creativity to constantly consuming ideas from various sources and combining them in unique ways to solve business challenges.
   
   

4. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business?
   
   Jeremy emphasized the importance of building a solid financial projection model. He believes it’s the most powerful planning tool for any entrepreneur—it helps clarify assumptions, prepare for roadblocks, and guide decision-making.
   
   

5. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business?
   
   According to Jeremy Ames, if he could go back to day one, he would tell himself to talk to customers early and often. Deep customer understanding would’ve helped shape a better product, stronger marketing, and faster success.

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Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest:

If you can’t see the problem, you can’t solve it—visibility is where all growth begins — Jeremy Ames

Success isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters most with clarity and intention — Jeremy Ames

You don’t need more money to start a business—you need a problem worth solving — Jeremy Ames

 

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