Risk, Resilience, and Building Winning Teams with Steve Gelley

Founder Mindset vs. Entrepreneur Mindset: "If you have that founder mindset that you could make that step from entrepreneur to founder, you are. You are now taking that mindset that you're betting on yourself and you have the ability to do it."- Steve Gelly We sit down with Steve Gelley—entrepreneur, CEO of Blueprint Ventures, managing partner of multiple ventures, and host of the Next Exit podcast. Steve shares his journey from a rebellious student on Long Island to a business leader known for building, scaling, and successfully exiting companies. Listen in as Steve opens up about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, including the lessons learned from getting fired and even being kicked out of school, the importance of embracing risk, and the value of building the right team. He offers a candid look at the challenges founders face as they transition from doers to leaders and reveals what it really takes to scale a business in today's market. Steve’s passion for empowering other entrepreneurs comes through as he discusses his approach to investing in startups, fostering resourcefulness, and building a culture that helps both businesses and people thrive. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established founder looking to take your business to the next level, you’ll find plenty of wisdom and actionable insights in this conversation with Steve Gelley. Key Moments 00:00 Serial Entrepreneur and Growth Strategist 05:40 Unfair School Enrollment Practices 07:49 College Choice with Average GPA 09:42 First Job Lessons at Hardee's 15:23 Momentum's Critical Role in Business 16:33 Learning from Business Mistakes 21:02 "Turning Founders into CEOs" 23:04 "Assessing Risk-Taking in Business" 26:25 "Ensuring Cultural Fit in Hiring" 29:52 Funding and Resource Allocation Model 35:13 Effective Team Building for Entrepreneurs 38:41 Age vs. Experience in Leadership 40:55 Branding's Role in Successful Hiring 45:11 Unmasking Startup Myths 48:27 Team-Building as Superpower 51:02 Elevating Others Through Opportunity This episode is brought to you by PureTax, LLC. Tax preparation services without the pressure. When all you need is to get your tax return done, take the stress out of tax season by working with a firm that has simplified the process and the pricing. Find out more about how we started. Here are 3 key takeaways for fellow entrepreneurs: 1. Embrace calculated risk and take decisive action. Steve stressed that making decisions—fast and fearlessly—is what separates the successful founders from those who stay stuck. "We’d rather you make five wrong decisions than not make any at all!” 2. Build a team that balances your weaknesses. The magic happens when you stop hiring people just because you “like” them and start hiring for complementary strengths—especially detail-orientation and operational excellence if you’re a high-vision founder. 3. Fractional resources can accelerate growth (without breaking the bank). You don’t need to hire every expert full-time. Steve’s model leverages fractionalizing high-level talent, which gives startups access to top-tier strategy and execution while maintaining lean operations. Running a business doesn’t have to run your life. Without a business partner who holds you accountable, it’s easy to be so busy ‘doing’ business that you don’t have the right strategy to grow your...