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On this episode of Marketing School, Neil and Eric break down how to hire A players while scaling, why downturns are the best time to weed out poor performers, and how founder mindset drives culture, acquisitions, and growth. They share real stories from NP Digital, top-grading their team, fixing broken agency cultures, and personally jumping into big sales deals to set the standard for hustle. Hosted by Neil and Eric, this one is all about talent, leadership, and what it really takes to grow a company that actually performs.

Chapters:

(00:00) Scaling, turnover, and growth milestones

(00:37) Hard times reveal true performers

(01:02) Vinod Khosla’s hardest-work question

(01:30) Why Neil turned down CMO role

(03:56) Entrepreneur vs hired gun mindset

(05:45) Keeping or exiting founders after acquisitions

(07:59) Fixing misaligned agency cultures

(11:00) Hiring standards and A-player focus

(14:53) Top grading and raising the talent bar

(17:39) How Neil allocates founder time

(19:34) Founder-led enterprise and franchise sales

(23:45) Leading by example and final thoughts

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟 Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer. 🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel 📩 Free Resources Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/ Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/ ✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!