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

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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 business.

Stop letting your business run you. At Harper & Co CPA Plus, we know that you want to be empowered to build the lifestyle you envision. In order to do that you need a clear path to follow for success

Our clients enjoy a proactive partnership with us. Schedule a consultation with us today.

Download our free guide - Entrepreneurial Success Formula: How to Avoid Managing Your Business From Your Bank Account.

Julie Smith, MBA, is a serial entrepreneur in the public accounting space. She is the Founder of EmpowerCPA™, Founder of PureTax, LLC, COO for Harper & Company CPAs Plus, and Co-host of the Empowering Entrepreneurs podcast. 

Named CPA.com's 2021 Innovative Practitioner of Year, Julie led Harper & Company's transition to an advisory-focused firm, doubling revenue and profit in two years. She now empowers other CPA firm owners nationwide through consulting and speaking, teaching them how to run their businesses like entrepreneurs. Julie lives in Columbus, OH with her family and enjoys travel, coaching basketball, sporting events, and the occasional shopping spree.

Glenn Harper, CPA, is the Owner and Managing Partner of Harper & Company CPAs Plus, a top 10 Managing Partner in the country (Accounting Today's 2022 MP Elite). His firm won the 2021 Luca Award for Firm of the Year. 

An entrepreneur and speaker, Glenn transformed his firm into an advisory-focused practice, doubling revenue and profit in two years. He teaches entrepreneurs to build financial and operational excellence, speaks nationwide to CPA firm owners about running their businesses like entrepreneurs, and consults with firms across the country. Glenn enjoys golfing, fishing, hiking, cooking, and spending time with his family.

Copyright 2025 Glenn Harper