How to Scale a Business Without Burning Out | Business Coach Cullen Talley

How do you keep growing a business without building a prison for yourself? Business coach Cullen Talley, founder of EXM, shares the frameworks he uses with mid-sized companies, and the morning he realized he wasn't following them himself. Cullen and host Gavin Filasek cover why he launched a coaching company nine months before the pandemic and chose to step on the accelerator when it hit, and how 12 years of Ironman racing taught him to build and maintain momentum. He explains why fast-growing owners get bad advice from their peers, and how far ahead each level of leader should be looking. He also walks through three fundamentals every owner can start with: a trusted outside voice, steady operating rhythms, and an honest assessment of the talent on the team. Plus: why "work-life balance" is the wrong goal, and why most owners expect results faster than they'll come. Chapters 0:00 Meet Cullen Talley 3:02 Why he started a coaching company for mid-sized businesses 6:06 The fear of starting with zero income 6:59 The first client who said "I'm in" before the pitch existed 9:03 Launched June 2019, then the world shut down 10:44 His superpower: building and maintaining momentum 11:57 The black line at the bottom of the pool 12:37 Why core principles beat new ideas 14:16 How to think through an owner's hardest decisions 18:14 Protecting your capacity when you are the product 19:03 The 2022 bathroom-mirror moment 20:36 Big doors swing on small hinges 21:28 Going deeper with fewer clients 23:24 Why "work-life balance" is the wrong goal 27:28 Where business coaching is headed 28:42 The 3D momentum model: direction, design, dynamic 32:12 You don't realize how fast you're growing 33:04 Line of sight: how far each leader should look 34:26 Tip 1: Get a trusted third party 36:15 Tip 2: Operating rhythms and "flavor of the month" 37:29 Tip 3: Assess your talent like a pro sports team 40:08 Final advice: commit to less and give it time About the guest Cullen Talley is the founder of EXM, a Baton Rouge–based business coaching firm he started in June 2019. EXM works with mid-sized companies on business coaching, strategic planning and leadership development. Before founding EXM, he spent more than 20 years helping lead and grow companies, and he raced Ironman triathlons for 12 years. Hosted by Gavin Filasek, co-founder of Highland Wealth. Better Outcomes Podcast by Highland Wealth: conversations with business owners about building something that lasts. #businessowner #leadership #businesscoaching #entrepreneur #smallbusiness Cullen Talley is a third-party business coach engaged by Highland Wealth. Cullen Talley is a third-party business coach and is not affiliated with Northwestern Mutual. The views expressed by Cullen Talley do not necessarily represent those of Northwestern Mutual or its subsidiaries.