About Podcast
In the world of entrepreneurship, resilience and adaptability are key to building and scaling a successful business. Jake Smolarek, a serial entrepreneur with a passion for marketing and coaching, shares his journey from humble beginnings to running four thriving businesses simultaneously.
In this scale tale, Jake opens up about his transition from a construction business to a multi-million-pound digital marketing agency, the lessons he learned along the way, and the bold decisions that fueled his growth. He reflects on how his early experiences with mentorship, particularly with a man named Patrick, helped him shape his entrepreneurial mindset. Jake dives into the challenges of scaling businesses and how creating systems and delegating effectively were critical to his success.
Jake also shares insights into his coaching business, explaining how his natural ability to inspire others led him to start coaching entrepreneurs. He highlights how measuring progress is essential for long-term success and discusses the importance of emotional intelligence when communicating with clients.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How creating systems, not jobs, is the key to scaling your business.
- The power of mentorship to fuel growth and provide direction in your business and projects.
- The importance of emotional appeal and communication in sales and business.
- Why measuring progress and understanding your value can propel you to new heights.
Discover the story of Jake’s entrepreneurial journey and the invaluable lessons he learned about scaling businesses, leading teams, and building lasting success.
- Building Scalable Systems : Success in business relies on creating systems that allow growth without heavy personal involvement, ensuring smooth operations and effective scaling.
- Taking Action Despite Uncertainty : Overcoming fear and uncertainty by taking action, even with limited knowledge or resources, is key to growth and success. Learning as you go is valuable.
- The Power of Delegation : Delegating tasks and trusting others is vital for business growth. This frees you to focus on strategy and expansion, while others handle day-to-day operations.
- Viewing Failure as Feedback : Failure should be seen as valuable feedback that offers insights for improvement. Persistence and resilience turn setbacks into learning opportunities.
- Commitment to Continuous Improvement : Continuously improving processes, products, and strategies is essential for staying competitive and ensuring long-term success.
Special Guest: Jake Smolarek
Location: North London, Islington ENGLAND
Air Date: April 13, 2025
Websites:
- JakeSmolarek.com: learn more about Jake Smolarek’s coaching business by visiting his website.
Books:
- Purple Cow – Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable: a book by Seth Godin. This cult classic revolutionized marketing by teaching businesses that they are either remarkable or invisible.
- Atomic Habits – An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: a book by James Clear. This book is packed with evidence-based strategies that will teach you how to make small changes that will transform your habits and deliver amazing results.
Producer & Host: Alicia Butler Pierre
Audio Editor: Olanrewaju Adeyemo
Sound Design: Sabor! Music Enterprises
Video Editor: Gladys Jimenez
Show Notes: Hashim Tale
Sponsor: Equilibria, Inc.More About Guest, Jake Smolarek:
Jake Smolarek is a life and business coach, entrepreneur, and Google Ads expert, known for his ability to help individuals and businesses achieve lasting success. Since 2008, Jake has been on a mission to guide people through transformative change by leveraging his personal experience of overcoming adversity. His journey from bankruptcy, battling bulimia, and recovering from depression to building thriving businesses has shaped his unique coaching approach. He specializes in empowering entrepreneurs, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals to achieve their dreams by mastering time management, leadership, and business strategy.
With over 17 years of experience in coaching and business, Jake has founded multiple successful companies, including a flourishing construction business and a marketing agency. He also built a non-profit organization from 2 volunteers to 600, and his Vision GPS coaching method has helped hundreds of clients unlock their potential. Jake’s work in Google Ads has also helped numerous businesses grow by turning paid search into a powerful tool for customer acquisition.
Jake’s coaching philosophy centers on guiding people step by step to overcome personal and professional obstacles, drawing from his own experiences of rebuilding his life after hitting rock bottom. His clients appreciate his results-driven approach and his ability to push them past their limits to achieve remarkable success.
A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Jake frequently shares his insights on time management, personal growth, and business strategy at industry events. He has been featured in major media outlets, including the BBC, Metro, and Eurosport.
Jake’s work is driven by a deep passion for helping others live happy, prosperous lives. When he’s not coaching or running his businesses, Jake enjoys exploring new ways to inspire others to live up to their full potential.
More About Host, Alicia Butler Pierre:
Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc.. Her career in operations began over 25 years ago while working in various chemical plants and oil refineries. She invented the Kasennu™ framework for business infrastructure and authored, Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. She is the producer of the weekly top 2% Business Infrastructure podcast with a global audience across 70+ countries.Alicia is also an adjunct instructor of Lean Principles at Purdue University and serves as the USA Chair of the G100’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The Process Excellence Network recognized her as a Top 50 Thought Leader in Operational Excellence. A chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, she’s designed and optimized processes for small businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations alike.
More About Sponsor, Equilibria:
Equilibria, Inc. is a 20-year-old boutique operations management firm. We build the business infrastructure necessary for fast-growing businesses to scale with less pain. With a range of services and products, entrepreneurs can get the operational support and resources they need on demand. 