Jenny Stillwell is a renowned business strategist, former CEO, and author of The 7% Club. She has decades of experience guiding businesses through the ups and downs of growth. In this episode of Flying Solo, she dives deep into why the $2 million mark is such a crucial tipping point for scaling up.
Cec and Jenny explore everything from mindset shifts and delegation challenges to the power of intentional leadership and building your “A team.”
Whether you’re itching to take your business to the next level or just want to run things smarter, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you think like a true CEO—even if you’re still wearing all the hats.
Get ready to discover what it takes to break into that elusive 7% of businesses that crack the $2 million ceiling and scale with confidence.
Key topics
1. Jenny Stillwell’s Background and the 7% Club Concept
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Experience as a CEO, adviser, and author focused on business growth
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The formation and reasoning behind “The 7% Club”: only 7% of Australian businesses exceed $2 million revenue
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The $2 million mark as a turning point requiring new strategies and structure
2. Mindset and Role Shift for Scaling Businesses
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Importance of moving from “doing it all” to a CEO mindset
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The major mindset shift and the “dance of trust” needed for delegation
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Need to build processes and empower the team, not just hand off tasks
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Recognising when founders are bottlenecks to growth
3. Building a Foundation to Scale
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Intentionally putting the right people in the right roles (“A team”)
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Documenting and sharing core processes and knowledge
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Gaining a strong grip on business financials and key metrics
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Adapting structure to support future–focused growth
4. Challenges, Motivation, and Leadership Insights
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Avoiding chasing revenue at the cost of profit, margin, or wellbeing
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Staying motivated during plateaus and being honest about personal goals
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Navigating difficult leadership moments: tough conversations and confident decision–making
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The value and impact of mentorship and having visible role models
5. Myths and Realities of Scaling and Growth
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Distinction between growth (steady increase) and scaling (leveraging systems/tech for rapid expansion)
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Hiring shifts: from generalists to specialists as the business matures
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Common misconceptions—reaching revenue targets doesn’t solve all challenges
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Creative exercises (like envisioning 10x growth) for long–term planning
Time-stamped overview
00:00 “From Corporate to Serial Entrepreneur”
05:46 Growth Challenges in Business Transition
07:33 Intentional Growth and Strategic Shifts
12:43 Strategic Leadership and Team Building
14:08 “Essential Keys for Business Success”
19:30 Strategic Growth and Happiness Alignment
23:27 Navigating Difficult Conversations
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26:58 “Scaling vs. Growth Explained”
30:18 Specialized Hiring for Business Growth
32:25 “Jenny’s Insights & 7 Per Cent Club”
Listen now:
Presenter: Cec Busby
Producer: Matt Jackson
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