"We Can't Do This" Almost Sank a 25-Year-Old Manufacturing Business

"We Can't Do This" Almost Sank a 25-Year-Old Manufacturing Business

Episode: 144 A manufacturing leadership team hits a wall during a sudden demand surge, convinced that hitting new production targets simply isn't possible. Bringing in outside expertise exposes a deeper divide: one group treats it as a lifeline, the other as a threat to their competence. The conversation digs into why pride and trust, not capability, are usually what keep teams stuck.   ABOUT THE HOST: Jamie Shanks founded Get Levrg after building and scaling three separate agencies, learning firsthand what breaks when growing companies try to do everything in-house. He now hosts Outsource to Profits to unpack how founders and executives build leverage instead of bottlenecks. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/]   ABOUT THE GUEST: Ron Harper spent 18 years as President and CEO of JFE Shoji Power Canada Inc., supplying the electrical steel and components critical to motors and transformers, before recently stepping into semi-retirement. His career spans navigating major demand shifts in the electrical equipment supply chain, including the surge tied to grid expansion and EV growth coming out of the pandemic. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjharper4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjharper4/]   EPISODE SUMMARY: Ron Harper shares how a post-pandemic demand spike pushed his team past what they believed was possible and how his own frustration at not solving it alone led him to bring in outside help. He breaks down why two internal teams responded to that help in completely opposite ways, what that revealed about trust and ego in leadership, and how clear goals and proactive communication closed the gap.   WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: * The real reason founders resist outside help, and it's rarely about cost * What separates a team that leans into change from one that braces against it * A 25-year CEO's honest take on where his own pride actually cost his business * How to tell the difference between bringing in judgment versus bringing in improvement * The low-risk way one consultant structured their engagement so trust could build first * What changes when leaders explain "why" before they explain "what" TOP HASHTAGS: #OutsourceToProfits #ElectricalSteel #ManufacturingLeadership #ScalingOperations #OutsourcingStrategy #FounderMindset #SupplyChainGrowth #BusinessConsulting #LeadershipLessons

Most Founders Are Too Busy to See the Change That's Coming for Them

Episode: 144 Change is inevitable, but most founders are too deep in the day-to-day to see it coming until it's already disrupting everything. This episode unpacks why leaders have to transform themselves before they can transform their teams, and what it actually takes to build a business that sustains growth through constant uncertainty.   ABOUT THE HOST:  Jamie Shanks is the founder of Get Levrg and host of Outsource to Profits. A three-time agency builder who has navigated the shift from social selling to AI, Jamie brings a hard-won perspective on what it means to embrace change at every stage of a business and why the founder always has to go first.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/] ABOUT THE GUEST:  Anne Bloom is a Business Advisor, leadership coach, strategist, and author at Your Aspire Coach. A CPHR-certified professional and certified Ikigai practitioner, Anne works with executives and leadership teams who are done fighting the same fires year after year, helping them transform how their businesses operate, grow, and sustain success in a world that won't slow down.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebloomcphr/https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebloomcphr/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebloomcphr/]   EPISODE SUMMARY:  Anne Bloom joins Outsource to Profits to tackle the leadership challenge most founders avoid — change. She explains why growth is optional, but change is not, why self-awareness must come before organizational transformation, and how tools like Ikigai help leaders understand their own purpose before expecting their teams to follow. She also shares how her book, No Going Back, frames technology adoption and sustainable growth as leadership responsibilities rather than IT problems.   WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: * Why change resistance is a leadership problem and not a people problem * How to lead transformation when your team didn't sign up for it * What Ikigai reveals about your leadership style in under two hours * Why technology adoption needs a policy before it needs a platform * How to think about sustaining growth, not just achieving it * The mindset shift every founder needs before asking their team to change *   #LeadershipDevelopment #ChangeManagement #FounderMindset #BusinessTransformation #Ikigai #NoGoingBack #FutureProofBusiness #OutsourceToProfits #SustainableGrowth

Every Founder Should Run Their Business Like They're About to Sell It

Episode: 143 Handing a business from one generation to the next sounds messy, but it doesn't have to be. This episode breaks down how a son spent 16 years earning the right to lead, what made the transition nearly seamless, and the financial and cultural moves every founder should be making long before succession ever becomes a conversation. ABOUT THE HOST:  Jamie Shanks is the founder of Get Levrg and host of Outsource to Profits. Having built and scaled three agencies, Jamie helps business leaders leverage offshore talent, smart systems, and operational structure to grow beyond themselves and build something worth handing off.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/] ABOUT THE GUEST:  Mike Libbey is a Partner and COO at YBL, a virtual accounting and advisory firm serving growth-focused businesses across Canada. A co-founder of EdgeFlow, a workflow automation platform for financial advisors, Mike joined his father's accounting firm 16 years ago and has spent the last six years quietly running the business before formally taking over, proving that the best successions are built long before they're announced.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-libbey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-libbey/] EPISODE SUMMARY:  Mike Libbey joins Outsource to Profits to share one of the most quietly successful family business transitions you'll hear. He walks through how 16 years of side-by-side growth, earned trust, and a pick-your-battles philosophy made handing over the keys almost painless. The conversation covers how to handle concerns about nepotism, when to have the uncomfortable succession conversations, and why running your business as if you're about to sell it is always the right move. WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: * Why succession planning should start much earlier than feels necessary * How to earn authority without relying on the family name * The pick-your-battles approach that keeps family businesses functional * What structures and specialists you need before a transition happens * Why rebranding and going virtual changed everything internally and externally * How to future-proof a business when AI is moving faster than your roadmap #FamilyBusiness #BusinessSuccession #VirtualCFO #FounderGrowth #AccountingForFounders #YBL #BusinessTransition #OutsourceToProfits #ScalingWithClarity

The One-Meeting Close Strategy That's Working in Every Industry

Episode: 142 Getting airdropped into an existing team is one of the hardest leadership challenges a founder or executive will ever face. This episode breaks down how to earn trust before asserting authority, how to surface what's really going on beneath the surface, and how a single sales principle from another industry closed a $1.3 million deal in one meeting.   ABOUT THE HOST:  Jamie Shanks is the founder of Get Levrg and host of Outsource to Profits. Having scaled three agencies from the ground up, Jamie knows the difference between building a team from scratch and inheriting one — and why the playbook for each looks nothing alike.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/]   ABOUT THE GUEST:  Tina Jesso is a Branch Manager at Royal LePage Integrity Realty and a sales leader with over 30 years of experience building high-performing teams in financial services and beyond. Certified in Success Coaching and Core Genius Training, Tina brings a people-first leadership philosophy to real estate — one built on clarity, recognition, and helping agents grow on their own terms.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessotina/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessotina/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessotina/]   EPISODE SUMMARY:  Tina Jesso joins Outsource to Profits to share what happens when a seasoned sales leader gets airdropped into an established team. She walks through her listening tour approach, how she evaluated culture before ever accepting the role, and the weekly recognition systems she built to make agents feel seen and heard. She also shares how a cross-industry closing principle helped one of her agents sign a $1.3 million client in a single meeting.   WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: * Why your credentials can wait — and when to finally use them * How to run a listening tour that actually surfaces the real issues * The three things every inherited team needs to feel before they'll follow you * Why flying under the radar is a strategy, not a weakness * How one-and-done closing applies far beyond real estate * What cross-industry sales principles can unlock in your own team   #LeadershipDevelopment #SalesLeadership #TeamInheritance #RealEstateLeadership #FounderGrowth #TalentDevelopment #ClosingStrategies #OutsourceToProfits #PeopleFirst

The Growth Sequencing Problem Nobody Talks About

Episode: 141 Most founders aren't losing because they lack effort; they're losing because they're doing things in the wrong order. This episode unpacks why credibility has to come before trust, trust before loyalty, and why, without that sequence, every marketing dollar you spend is just expensive noise. ABOUT THE HOST:  Jamie Shanks is the founder of Get Levrg and host of Outsource to Profits. A three-time agency builder who's systematized everything from internal communication to revenue operations, Jamie is a firm believer that 80% of business problems trace back to a communication breakdown, and this episode proves it.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/] ABOUT THE GUEST:  Angela McKenna is the Founder of OMERA Press and a publishing and marketing strategist with two decades of experience across publishing, sales, and marketing. A Certified Sales Professional and award-winning author of four children's books, Angela built OMERA Press to give serious independent authors the structured presence and strategic platform their work deserves.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaemckenna/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaemckenna/] EPISODE SUMMARY:  Angela McKenna joins Outsource to Profits to reframe what growth actually requires. She breaks down why most founders stall not from lack of effort, but from skipping steps — selling before building belief, amplifying before anchoring, and posting before positioning. Drawing on her publishing and sales background, Angela walks through her three-pillar presence framework and explains why structured visibility always outperforms raw activity. WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: * Why sequencing matters more than effort in your growth strategy * The difference between activity and infrastructure * How to build credibility before you've earned trust * What structured visibility actually looks like in practice * Why inconsistent messaging doesn't stall growth, it resets it * How to align your online, organic, and in-person presence simultaneously #BrandingStrategy #FounderGrowth #ContentMarketing #StructuredVisibility #OMERAPress #ThoughtLeadership #MarketingForFounders #OutsourceToProfits #CredibilityFirst