Today, we’re diving into a conversation about one of the most overlooked truths in entrepreneurship: scaling isn’t about working harder; it’s about building systems that work without you. And today’s guest is someone who has mastered exactly that at the highest level.

Our guest is Sam Goodner, a former Swiss Army officer turned entrepreneur and operator who has helped build and scale companies into industry leaders. Sam is the founder of Catapult Systems, which became Microsoft’s largest software partner, and the former president of Flash Parking, where he helped grow the company from just 12 employees to over 800 across 30 states and six countries, ultimately reaching a $1B valuation in 2022.

But what makes Sam different isn’t just the scale; it’s how he thinks.

Drawing from his Swiss Army background, Sam brings a disciplined, systems-first approach to leadership. He shares why decentralized decision-making is critical to growth, why many entrepreneurs celebrate outcomes more than execution, and how real scale comes from codifying best practices into repeatable playbooks. He breaks down the exact phases of growth at Flash from early startup days to cloud adoption, marketplace expansion, dynamic pricing, and the future of smart-city mobility.

His journey is a masterclass in leadership, clarity, and building organizations that can operate at a high level without constant founder involvement. From hiring based on core values to simplifying operations with the 80/20 rule, to embracing AI as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Sam shares the frameworks that allowed him to scale efficiently and sustainably.

In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led chaos to system-driven growth and why the future belongs to leaders who can build teams, structure decisions, and get out of their own way.

It’s a powerful conversation on discipline, scale, and building something that lasts.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 AI Edge Intro 00:24 Meet Sam Goodner 01:36 Swiss Army Lessons 04:12 Decentralized Decisions 04:58 Swiss vs US Execution 07:39 Billion Dollar Pillars 09:53 Breaking Seven Figures 11:12 Codify Playbooks 14:50 Best In World Advantage 16:45 Flash Growth Chapters 20:00 Smart Cities Future 21:43 Core Values In Chaos 23:49 Hiring For Core Values 24:52 Scaling Leadership Transitions 28:41 People First Billion Scale 29:44 Simplify And Focus 32:32 Building Aligned Teams 36:23 Topgrading Interview Method 38:06 Grit And Work Ethic 39:26 Focus Beats Shiny Objects 41:21 Mentors And Peer Groups 42:53 AI Native Advantage 44:09 Book Like Clockwork 45:37 Final Advice Find Mentors Connect with Sam Website: https://samgoodner.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samgoodner X (Twitter): https://x.com/goodner Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/ Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod Follow Chris Reynolds: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn — @chrisreynoldslive https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive

In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with entrepreneur and CEO Angelica, who shares the remarkable story of stepping into leadership when her family’s company was on the verge of collapse and turning it into a billion-dollar turnaround. Angelica opens up about saying yes to the scariest opportunity of her career: becoming CEO of OmniLife and Chivas at a time when the company was nearing bankruptcy. Faced with enormous pressure, she restructured leadership, rebuilt operations and supply chains, unified branding across international markets, and made difficult decisions including layoffs while implementing a bold people-first culture. Throughout the conversation, Angelica reveals how fear can actually be a powerful signal for growth and why she encourages entrepreneurs, especially women to take action even when they feel afraid. She also shares her early experiences working in her family’s energy business, the discrimination she faced as a woman in leadership, and the inner work that helped her build resilience, confidence, and clarity. Beyond business, Angelica introduces NOWFUL, her wellness system designed to help people reconnect with themselves through simple daily rituals. The system includes AI-powered affirmation cards, a mushroom complex, anchoring oils, magnesium sleep cream, and a 30-day challenge focused on breathing, gratitude, and positive habits. This episode is a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, fear, wellness, and the mindset required to rebuild companies and transform lives.

🎧 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Fear Fuels Action 03:11 Meet Angelica’s Resume 04:15 The Scariest Yes 04:57 Turning Bankruptcy Around 06:06 Fear vs Failure Mindset 06:49 OmniLife and Chivas Explained 07:38 Chapter One Restructure Leadership 08:45 Chapter Two Fix Operations 10:56 People First Policies 12:41 Hard Layoffs and Backlash 15:30 Public Scrutiny as a Woman 17:08 The Inner Void and Self Worth 18:02 Early Work and Discrimination 19:19 Earning the CEO Seat 22:35 Women Leaders Build Differently 24:46 Inner Confidence Built 25:28 Leading in Male Spaces 26:40 Cooperation Beats Ego 27:33 Advice to Women Founders 28:09 Real Power Within 28:38 Why Mouthful Exists 29:12 Wellness as Superpower 30:31 Mouthful System Overview 31:04 AI Affirmation Cards 32:22 Mushrooms Oil Magnesium 34:31 Daily Wellness Habits 35:55 Workout and Lemon Water 37:02 Rapid Fire Questions 37:46 Rest and Burnout Lessons 39:52 30 Day Reconnect Challenge 41:03 B2B Partnerships and Culture 42:20 Core Values in Cards 43:39 Final Message and Farewell

Connect with Angelica

Website: https://angelicafuentes.com/ NOWFUL: https://nowful.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelicafuentes63/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-fuentes X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/angelicafuentes

Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/ Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

Follow Chris Reynolds: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn — @chrisreynoldslive https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive

In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with Kenneth “Hap” Klopp, the legendary former CEO who transformed The North Face from a small outdoor brand into a globally recognized powerhouse.

From his early days growing up in Spokane, Washington, to leading one of the most iconic outdoor apparel companies in the world, Hap shares the leadership philosophy that drove his success, one rooted in understanding people, building authentic culture, and balancing commercial growth with environmental responsibility.

Hap opens up about how The North Face built demand rather than simply following it, the innovative branding strategies that helped define the company, and the importance of storytelling in creating lasting brand value. He also reflects on sustainability, employee engagement, and how true innovation often comes from staying focused on long-term purpose rather than short-term wins.

Today, Hap continues to inspire future entrepreneurs through teaching and mentorship, sharing decades of hard-earned lessons about leadership, resilience, and building meaningful businesses.

This episode is packed with insights on brand-building, sustainability, leadership, and innovation straight from one of the outdoor industry’s most influential pioneers.

00:00 Introduction to Hap Klopp and The North Face 01:27 Hap Klopp's Early Inspirations and Philosophy 03:49 Challenges and Lessons in Business 07:19 Building The North Face Brand 12:18 Environmental Commitment and Innovations 16:10 The Impact and Legacy of The North Face 19:06 Company Culture and Employee Development 23:37 Branding and Storytelling 29:54 Chapters of Growth and Survival 32:13 Maintaining Employee Engagement 35:19 Creating Demand vs. Following Demand 37:40 The Importance of Focus and Survival 43:10 Influencer Marketing Before It Was Cool 46:28 The Myth of Overnight Success 48:35 Lessons from Bucky Fuller 51:29 Connecting with Nature 01:00:05 Final Thoughts and Resources

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hapklopp/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hap-klopp-b3b976/

Twitter (X): https://x.com/HapKlopp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALMOSTbyHap/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/ Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

Follow Chris Reynolds: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn — @chrisreynoldslive https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive