Why Some Service Businesses Scale While Others Stagnate

After witnessing a marketing agency's feedback system publicly destroy an employee's career, Austin Church completely reimagined how successful leaders build accountability and drive growth. From the specific implementation strategy that turns company values into powerful business systems, to the 5-minute daily habit that outperforms most strategic planning sessions, Austin reveals why good intentions often sabotage results—and shares the counterintuitive "levers" framework that separates scaling service businesses from those stuck in revenue stagnation. This conversation exposes the hidden systems that transform well-meaning leadership into business-transforming leadership. The Feedback System That Destroys Careers (And What Smart Leaders Do Instead) Austin witnessed a marketing agency's feedback culture that publicly humiliated employees—and it completely changed how he thinks about accountability. Discover why traditional performance management systems backfire in small service businesses and the empathy-driven approach that actually drives results. Why Documenting Your Values Isn't Enough (The Missing Piece Most Executives Ignore) You've spent time crafting your company values, but are they actually shaping your business culture? Austin reveals how core values like "kindness" and "improvement" become powerful business systems that attract the right people and repel the wrong ones. The secret isn't in writing them down—it's in this specific implementation strategy. The 5-Minute CEO Habit That Outperforms Most Strategic Planning Sessions While most executives default to checking their phones between meetings, Austin uses these micro-moments differently. His 5-minute "thinking bursts" throughout the day have become his secret weapon for solving complex problems and driving business progress. This isn't meditation—it's strategic thinking on steroids. The "Levers" Framework: Why Some Service Businesses Scale While Others Stagnate Austin breaks down what he calls business "levers"—the key drivers that separate growing service companies from those stuck in the same revenue range year after year. These aren't the obvious metrics everyone tracks, but the hidden growth multipliers that transform how your business operates. From Parenting Wisdom to Business Strategy: The Surprising Leadership Lessons How does reflecting on "these are the good old days" change the way you lead your team? Austin and Karl explore the unexpected parallels between parenting challenges and executive decision-making, revealing insights about presence, future planning, and creating environments where people thrive. Ready to discover the systems and strategies that separate successful service business leaders from the rest? This conversation reveals the counterintuitive approaches that actually work. Learn more about Austin Church over at Freelance Cake. You can also connect with him on Linkedin. You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.