Frank Growth

Episode #206: Steve Dennis — How to Write Like a Human in the Age of AIAI can generate endless copy. The new bar is making someone feel something.This episode is for founders, marketers, and anyone who writes for a living and wants their work to connect.Steve Dennis is a writer and ghostwriter who has shaped voices the world knows—including Andy Puddicombe at Headspace. Jason and Steve go back to the Headspace days, where Steve helped define the brand voice and coached writers (including Jason) on how to sound human on the page. In this conversation, they cover how to capture someone else's voice authentically, why vulnerability makes writing believable, and what AI still can't replicate.What you'll hearWhy your spoken word is where authenticity lives—stop "writing" and start speaking your story firstThe ghostwriter's test: can your closest friends read it and think it's your voice?What AI gets wrong: it engineers patterns, not meaning—it has no conscience, memory, or imaginationThe "remembering room" technique for evoking sensory detail and emotional truthChapters00:00 — Cold open: Writing about mistakes is writing about being human00:33 — Opening riff: Three traps of AI-era writing02:33 — Steve's background and working with Andy Puddicombe05:16 — How to disappear as a ghostwriter07:27 — The biggest authenticity mistake: putting a dinner jacket on language10:06 — The irreplaceable role of human writers13:13 — Why AI can't access your memory bank15:03 — Book recommendations: Stephen King and Robert McKee17:38 — Where to find Steve and closingLinks & resourcesGuestSteve Dennis — WriterTwitter/XInstagramAgency: Curtis Brown (London)Mentioned"On Writing" by Stephen King"Story" by Robert McKeeAbout Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional linksWork with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

Episode #205: Jordan DiPietro — How to Turn an Audience Into a Community That Compounds GrowthMost companies stop at audience. This episode shows you how to build community that creates its own pipeline.For founders and operators who want retention, not just reach.Jordan DiPietro has built audience-to-community flywheels at The Motley Fool, The Hustle (inside HubSpot), and as CEO of Hampton. In this conversation, he breaks down the specific systems Hampton used to vet members—including raising the revenue threshold from $1M to $3M and personally reviewing every applicant video. He explains why trust compounds through radical transparency (like publishing every stock pick, good and bad, at Motley Fool) and how to pick a content medium you won't burn out on.What you'll hearThe difference between audience and community: if the party stops when you leave, you don't have a communityHow Hampton's vetting process filtered for members who give more than they takeWhy founder-as-creator is really about distribution, not personal brandingThe SVB crisis moment when Hampton's community self-organized faster than the company could respondChapters00:00 — Cold open: Audience vs. community defined00:27 — Introduction and Jordan's background01:13 — The through-line: audience → trust → community03:33 — Hampton's depth-over-breadth systems05:15 — Founder's arbitrage: attention, trust, and taste06:27 — SVB crisis: community self-organizing in real time07:49 — Why founder as creator is no longer optional09:32 — Minimum viable cadence for content creation10:48 — Start with community from day one11:55 — One operating principle for durable growth13:11 — Where to find Jordan13:52 — Closing takeawaysLinks & resourcesGuestJordan DiPietro — ex-CEO of Hampton, former leader at The Hustle (HubSpot) and The Motley FoolWebsite / Newsletter (Signal Noise)MentionedHamptonThe HustleThe Motley FoolAbout Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional linksWork with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

Episode #204: John Kennelly — Founders who hate sales still have to sellIf sales feels intrusive, this episode reframes it as problem-solving.Built for founders avoiding sales calls, decks, and outreach.John Kennelly, Founder of I Hate Sales, works with founders who have never had a sales job and actively avoid selling. In this episode, he explains why sales fear is usually a mindset problem, not a skill gap, and why curiosity matters more than persuasion. The conversation covers running discovery without pitching, qualifying people out quickly, and why early founders slow themselves down by building systems instead of talking to customers. Kennelly shares concrete examples from his cohort work, including starting with interviews instead of sales calls and what to track before using a CRM.What you’ll hearReframing sales from “intrusion” to helping through discoveryHow to run interviews instead of sales callsWhy broad ICPs, decks, and CRMs backfire earlyThe only two metrics to track before you have customersChaptersChapters with timestamps00:00 — Why founders dread sales02:17 — Sales as helping, not intruding03:39 — Curiosity and discovery before pitching05:17 — Qualifying hard and knowing your ICP08:16 — Interviews instead of sales calls13:48 — What to track before using a CRMLinks & resourcesGuestJohn Kennelly — Founder, I Hate SalesWebsiteLinkedInAbout Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional linksWork with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

Episode #203: Trevor Houghton — How to buy growth without risking cashHow founders use acquisitions to grow without betting the company.For operators considering their first inorganic deal.Trevor Houghton is CEO of Pass Galleries and a former private equity and corporate development operator. He breaks down how founders can use acquisitions to increase enterprise value without overextending capital. The conversation covers how deals actually get sourced, why most failed acquisitions start with the wrong premise, and how Trevor structures transactions using debt, seller notes, and earn-outs to reduce downside. He walks through a concrete example of acquiring $5M in EBITDA with no net cash outlay and explains why integration planning must start before the deal closes.What you’ll hear Why the best acquisitions start as partnerships, not cold offers The customers vs. capabilities rule and why you must only extend one How no-money-down deals work using debt and deferred payments Why day-one integration and early culture alignment determine outcomesChaptersTimestamps derived from the episode transcript. 00:00 — Structuring acquisitions with minimal cash risk 00:30 — Introduction to inorganic growth and Trevor’s background 01:44 — Building acquisition paths through partnerships 03:13 — The customer vs. capability decision framework 04:07 — Identifying targets through existing customer usage 05:03 — Growing earnings and valuation through acquisitions 06:04 — Integration planning before close 06:29 — Culture integration and no-money-down deal mechanics 08:05 — Building an acquisition engineLinks & resourcesGuestTrevor Houghton — CEO, Pass Gallerieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-houghton-th/About Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional links Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcast Subscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

John Connolly - Make your growth story hold up in investor diligenceHow to present growth so it is defensible, measurable, and scalable.For founders raising and operators building board-ready growth reporting.John Connolly is a Managing Director at Spectrum Equity, and he explains what he expects to see when a company tells a growth story at the growth equity stage. He covers why founders often stop at simplified metrics instead of going deep on channels, cohorts, and what is actually repeatable. John breaks down two common issues he sees in diligence: when each incremental dollar stops working, and when teams blend organic and paid in a way that hides what is driving performance. He also shares Spectrum’s framing for evaluation: identify what makes the company special, then isolate the few growth drivers that truly move the business.What you’ll hear​How Spectrum pressure-tests whether growth is durable, not just up and to the right​How to separate organic and paid so you can explain what is really working​What breaks when incremental spend hits diminishing returns, and why teams miss it​A practical way to focus your story: the “special thing” plus a short list of real growth driversChapters​00:35 - Intro: what investors diligence in a growth story​02:48 - The common miss: not going deep enough on growth​03:43 - Diligence issues: incremental dollars stop working, blending organic and paid​05:08 - Compounding advantages and creator-led organic loops​06:36 - Evaluation framework: what is special, then what actually drives growth​08:29 - Why pace of execution matters in fast-moving AI marketsLinks & resourcesGuestJohn Connolly — Managing Director, Spectrum Equityspectrumequity.comLinkedInMentionedOtterKajabiTeachers Pay TeachersAbout Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow - real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional links​Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcast​Subscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

Episode #201: Cait Anderson — Building trust into a repeatable growth systemTrust breaks faster than funnels.This episode is for operators trying to make growth predictable without killing speed.Cait Anderson is Chief Marketing Officer at Winston Francois. In this conversation, she and Jason unpack what actually makes a growth system sustainable: predictable returns, clear operating rhythm, and trust that compounds instead of resets. They walk through concrete examples, including a B2B SaaS company spending $1M/month in paid media, how experimentation budgets are set at different stages, and why breaking a product promise can wipe out downstream revenue faster than any channel issue.What you’ll hearHow Cait defines a growth operating system across acquisition, nurture, and conversionWhy early-stage teams need wide flexibility, while later-stage teams cap experimentation at ~10–20%A real example of reallocating spend that moved ROAS from 2:1 to 20:1—and why that was still not the end goalHow broken trust (not missing features) kills retention, referrals, and revenueChaptersTimestamps from episode transcript00:00 — Aspirational vs. functional promises and why trust breaks fast01:14 — What a growth operating system actually is02:50 — Compounding metrics, referrals, and overlooked revenue04:16 — Early-stage vs. late-stage operating rhythm and spend mix06:49 — $1M/month paid media example: foundation vs. experimentation10:27 — Activation, funnels, and building demand before conversion15:23 — Turning around a struggling ad program and rethinking ROAS17:13 — North Star metrics, buyer intent, and what to track firstLinks & resourcesGuestCait Anderson — Chief Marketing Officer, Winston Francoishttps://winstonfrancois.comAbout Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton.Promotional linksWork with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcastSubscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this episode, they interview Hank and Carly Schlissberg. Hank is the CEO of Evio Pharmacy Solutions, and Carly is a stay-at-home mom to their three daughters. Hank and Carly discuss their experiences as parents and entrepreneurs, sharing insights on managing time, setting priorities, and finding balance. They emphasize the importance of hiring exceptional people and prioritizing what truly makes a difference. Hank discusses how aligning incentives in the healthcare industry is key to growing and creating a sustainable, member-focused company.  Follow ⁠Winston Francois⁠ https://winstonfrancois.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/  X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth  Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth  TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth  Follow Jason Shafton:  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton  X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/  TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton  YouTube - www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton  Follow Alyssa Fox: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afox19/ Evio:  https://www.evio.com/ X: https://x.com/EvioTeam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eviopharmacysolutions/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-schlissberg-17843/

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this episode, they interview Brian and Sam Rose, husband and wife duo and partners in Mvnifest, a single platform to manage your commerce operations, from concept to customer. Brian and Sam met in college and have been growing businesses and people together for nearly 20 years. They share their approach to parenting, business, and creating an environment of fun and generosity of spirit. They are no strangers to a late night and have created their own luck and success. Their mutual admiration, respect, and trust have fostered many successful businesses and three thriving kids.   Follow ⁠Winston Francois⁠ https://winstonfrancois.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/  X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth  Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth  TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth  Follow Jason Shafton:  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton  X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/  TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton  Follow Alyssa Fox: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afox19/ Mvnifest:  https://mvnifest.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvnifest/ X: https://x.com/sorryrobots LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-rose-endless https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthatrose/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/mvnifest/

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this episode, they interview Jessica and Marshall Morris, husband and wife duo and partners in HomeLife brands. They discuss the importance of relationships in business and parenting and the need to understand and support individuality. They also share their approach to parenting, which involves following their children's passions and providing guidance without stifling their creativity and independence. Jessica and Marshall Morris also share their resilience journey and how they have built businesses with impact that focus on saving animals and helping veterans.  Follow ⁠Winston Francois⁠ https://winstonfrancois.com/  LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/  X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth  Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth  TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth  Follow Jason Shafton:  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton  X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/  TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton  YouTube - www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton  Follow Alyssa Fox: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afox19/ HomeLife Brands:  https://homelifemedia.com/ Instagram: @marshallsmorris @Jessicamariemorris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshallsmorris/

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this special Father’s Day episode, Jason flies solo and interviews Nick Aubin, the co-founder and CEO of Commons Clinic, about his experience as a dad and an entrepreneur. They discuss the challenges of balancing work and family life, the importance of being present and proactive as a parent, and the joy of watching their children grow and succeed. Nick shares his insights on the healthcare industry and the mission of Commons Clinic to provide accessible and affordable care. The conversation is filled with humor, honesty, and valuable advice for dads navigating the complexities of fatherhood and entrepreneurship. Mentions and recommendations:  Ikigai Yoto Tonies Nanit Follow Winston Francois: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/ Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth Follow Jason Shafton: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton YouTube - www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton Commons Clinic: https://commonsclinic.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-aubin-56883647/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commons-clinic/

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this episode, they engage in a fascinating conversation with Robbie and Emily Bent, the visionary co-founders of Othership. Othership is not just a platform, it's a transformative concept that combines a physical space and a mobile app. It's a solution to the pervasive issue of loneliness, offering a path to improved individual and collective health. Othership's unique approach fosters a sense of awe, belonging, and interconnectivity, enriching the human experience and leading to a more fulfilling life. The conversation covers entrepreneurship, parenting, work-life balance, and personal growth. It delves into the challenges and rewards of building a business, the journey of becoming a parent, and the evolving definition of success. Follow Winston Francois: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/ Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth Follow Jason Shafton: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton YouTube - www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton Follow Alyssa Fox: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afox19/ Follow Othership: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othership/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othership.app/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@othership LinkedIn: Emily Bent - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-bent-2504082a/ LinkedIn: Robbie Bent - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiebent/ X - https://twitter.com/robbiebent1

Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox delve deep into the complexities of business and personal growth. In episode one, Jason and Alyssa open up about the intricacies of balancing work, life, and parenthood. They talk about some of the advice they have gotten that was “total bullshit,” and share the unique and creative way they decided to celebrate the birth of their second child. It may have involved a 20-person shoot, and burgers being thrown in people’s faces. Watch Motherhood is Hot! Youtube @WinstonFrancois.