In this episode, Paul and Jennifer Houle explore why the hiring process continues to feel broken for both candidates and organizations—and what a better system could look like. They discuss the shift toward human-centred HR, the growing need for cross-functional integration, and the hidden signals embedded inside job postings. They also dissect a real job description line-by-line, surfacing mismatches, unrealistic expectations, structural tensions, and cultural tells. The conversation closes with practical guidance for candidates trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive, ATS-dominated market.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-jennifer-houle Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Is LinkedIn quietly suppressing posts with links, especially Substack links? This episode breaks down a two-week, apples-to-apples experiment comparing impressions across posts with no links, posts linking to LinkedIn Newsletter articles, and posts linking to Substack. The findings challenge assumptions about “algorithm penalties,” highlight when and how audiences actually engage, and reveal why even on-site links may be treated unfavourably by the feed.We explore what drives LinkedIn’s incentives, what the data actually showed, and how creators can make smarter strategic decisions about when to include links—and when to avoid them entirely.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/does-linkedin-hate-substack Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
What does it take to build a marketing agency in a post-COVID, AI-accelerated world? For Reed Hansen, it started with childhood lessons in grit and ownership... and it grew into MarketSurge, an agency focused on building lead machines for small business clients. In this episode, Reed unpacks what it means to niche with intent, use automation without losing humanity, and adapt SEO strategy in an era of no-click AI search results.They talk about early missteps, sales rejection, pivoting to deeper client engagements, and how building authority—not just delivering services—is the key to long-term growth.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-reed-hansen Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
What happens when you stop hiring like a Silicon Valley VC and start hiring like someone who actually wants their company to survive?In this episode, we break down the mythology of “hire fast, fire fast” and uncover how incentive structures, investor expectations, and startup hero worship push founders into rapid-fire decisions that weaken culture, waste capital, and sabotage long-term resilience.Then we flip the script.We explore what it looks like to build a camel—a business designed for durability and stability rather than hype cycles. That means hiring slow, evaluating soft skills seriously, compensating candidates fairly for real-world tests, building multiparty hiring processes, and treating firing as a last resort instead of a reflex.You’ll walk away with a clearer sense of how to hire for humans, build teams that adapt under pressure, and create organizations that endure instead of evaporate.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/hiring-for-humans-building-the-team Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Most teams think “collecting feedback” means sending a survey and glancing at the results. That’s not innovation. That’s housekeeping.In this episode, we go way deeper.We walk through the Scalable Feedback Engine: a repeatable system for fuelling innovation with real customer insight.Here’s what you’ll learn :* Why enshittification is an opportunity for you to differentiate.* How to build a culture of innovation that’s impossible to copy.* The four layers of the engine : Champion, Surveying, Insights, Communication.* The difference between baseline feedback (“How satisfied were you?”) and actionable feedback (“What would make this easier for you next time?”).* Why you should NOT build every feature customers ask for, and what to do instead.* How to run this system when you’re a 5-person team versus a 250-person org.* How to keep momentum without burning your team out.The goal isn’t to collect feedback. The goal is to turn feedback into strategic advantage.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Page : https://6catalysts.ca/the-journey-blog/media-appearances/thought-leader-unleashed/ Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Ever wonder when to stop DIY’ing and start paying for help? In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, Paul dives into the tricky psychology behind spending decisions for founders and scrappy builders.From fear-driven frugality to opportunity cost, he breaks down how to treat your time as an investment portfolio. You’ll learn a practical framework for evaluating whether to “buy or DIY,” complete with a tool to calculate the real cost of your choices—including risk, learning value, and strategic leverage.Paul also explores the paradox of control, showing why holding onto everything can quietly strangle growth. The lesson? Maturing as an entrepreneur means knowing when to deploy resources, not hoard them.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archiveCompanion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-open-your-chequebook Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Hana in Kyoto blends VR tech with ancient Japanese forest bathing... and wonders how to get investors to see the potential. In this AMA episode, Paul breaks down how to align vision, valuation, and vibe to attract the right kind of funding for your idea.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/ama-selling-serenity-convincing-investors Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Are these marketing models really in competition—or are they undercover lovers?In this episode, Paul explores the long-running debate between the primacy of the marketing funnel and the flywheel, showing how both can coexist and even reinforce each other. From focusing your campaigns to sustaining customer momentum, learn how to build a “funwheel” that powers growth long after the sale.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/marketing-the-flywheel-and-the-funnel Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, Paul breaks down the builder’s approach to marketing analytics. Learn how to focus on what truly matters, design a measurement program that drives growth, and even create your own custom metrics to uncover insights unique to your business.Explore the coexistence of the funnel and flywheel models, understand key metrics like Conversion Rate, MER, CAC, and LTV, and hear why sometimes the most valuable data point is the one you define yourself.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measmeasuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics-p2 Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Marketing analytics aren’t about numbers for numbers’ sake—they’re about unlocking insights you can act on. In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, we explore how segmentation, data integration, and simple tools can help builders like you stand out in competitive markets. From coffee shops to startups, the lesson is the same : track what matters, not just what’s easy.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Remarketing isn’t just a digital ghost story—it’s one of the sharpest tools in your paid ads toolbox. In this episode, we break down how remarketing works, why it matters, and how to use it strategically without creeping out your audience or wasting your budget. Learn how to amplify your best content, re-engage warm leads, and make every ad dollar go further.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/stoking-the-fire-with-remarketing Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Paid ads are like fire : powerful when controlled, destructive when mismanaged. In this episode, we explore how to balance paid advertising in your marketing mix. Learn the good, the bad, and the downright ugly—and how to capture residual value by building your own audience alongside campaigns.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/feeding-the-fire-with-paid-advertising Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
When you’re strapped for cash and trying to grow, affiliate marketing offers a low-risk way to spark the fire. But is it sustainable? In this episode, Paul breaks down the affiliate model, shares his own experiences, and offers a playbook for integrating affiliates into your broader marketing mix. If you’re building from scratch and want smarter ways to scale, this one’s for you.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/sparking-the-fire-with-affiliate Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
What happens when a chef-turned-logistics-pro follows a creative itch across continents? You get Phil Bean : a dad, a blogger, and now, a self-published children’s book author. In this episode, Phil shares the highs, lows, and accidental wisdom earned from writing about restaurants, blogging from China, and figuring out how to get a rhyming book into readers’ hands (spoiler : it’s harder than it looks).In this episode, we talk about :Why blogging for strangers can build creative momentum >> The lessons hidden in failure (and failed uploads) >> Navigating AI as a writer who values craft and voice >> Why he stuck with his illustrator, even when publishers said no >> And how writing—even when imperfect—is its own reward.If you’ve ever wondered whether your creative idea is “good enough” to start, Phil has an answer : just begin.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-phil-beanConnect with Phil Bean at https://philbean.ca. Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
How can sustainable startups avoid greenwashing and build real loyalty? This AMA tackles the challenge of authentic storytelling—covering certifications, crossing the adoption chasm, and avoiding the trap of discount-driven branding. Learn how to back up claims with proof, keep promises, and build trust that lasts.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/ama-being-green-without-greenwashing Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
What if your marketing system worked like a campfire—warm, continuous, and self-sustaining?In this episode, we break down the five core domains of marketing (Product, Price, Placement, Promotion, and People), explore how to build a self-reinforcing system, and unpack the power of respecting your customers’ attention. Plus : metrics that matter, the danger of doing too much at once, and an offbeat Friday-afternoon riff on marketing acronyms.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/building-the-fire-with-a-self-reinforcing Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode of The Journey : Podcast Edition, we dig into the paradox of success—why fast-growing brands lose touch with customers and how that leads to decline. More importantly, we explore the antidote : building a Scalable Feedback Engine that preserves the voice of the customer at every stage of growth.Learn about the Scalable Feedback Engine here.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/the-paradox-of-success-why-customers Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Innovation doesn’t just happen at billion-dollar companies. In this episode of The Journey: Podcast Edition, we unpack The Innovation Heartbeat, a simple framework to keep ideas alive as your business scales.You’ll discover :* Why organizations stop innovating as they grow * The three phases of the Innovation Heartbeat * The critical role of the Internal Champion * How to grade and prioritize feedback effectively * Metrics to measure the strength of your innovation cultureThe Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/the-innovation-heartbeat Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
What happens when a founder who “hates sales” builds a business around helping other founders learn how to sell? This conversation with John Kennelly is essential for anyone trying to get their first dollar in the door. From his Silicon Valley background to the failures that shaped him, John opens up about what it takes to keep going—especially when you’re unsure if you’re any good at what you’re doing.Topics include :> Why cold outreach is unavoidable—and how to get better at it> The impostor syndrome trap, and how to break out of it> Why naming your offer clearly is half the battle> Validating (or invalidating!) your idea as fast as possible> How to use helping others as fuel for motivation> The power of asking better questions—in business and in lifeThe Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-john-kennellyThe Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick : https://www.momtestbook.com/ Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe
Sales forecasting doesn’t have to be scary—or a wild guess. In this episode of The Journey, we break down four practical, time-series-based methods that any builder of tangible goods can start using right away. From smoothing out volatility with a moving average to modelling demand spikes for new product launches, we cover how to pick the right approach, refine your process, and manage risk when you don’t have historical data.The Journey is your builder’s reference library. Crack open the full archive here → https://6catalysts.substack.com/archive | Companion Post : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/holy-bleep-a-guide-to-sales-forecasting Get full access to The Journey by Six Catalysts at 6catalysts.substack.com/subscribe