Humans of Growth: Stories & Strategies Behind Business Growth & Business Development

Company culture and marketing have both been rewritten, and the businesses growing in 2026 are the ones adapting fastest.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, we unpack how culture, AI, and shifting buyer behavior are reshaping the way companies scale. From remote teams to broken attribution models, we explore why old playbooks no longer work, and what today’s top leaders are doing instead.
You’ll learn:
• Why culture is now a core growth lever• How buyer behavior has changed (and why funnels are breaking)• Why Gen Z has killed brand loyalty, and how to rebuild it• How to activate your existing community for organic growth• What agencies must retool to survive the next 24 months• How AI is transforming creative work and marketing strategy
Growth today isn’t about doing more... it’s about doing it differently.This conversation will help you rethink your culture, your marketing, and your strategy for the new era of business.
 
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RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about the work Spinutech does here.

Most CEOs don’t have a marketing strategy problem. They have a decision-making problem.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, Aly Hathcock sits down with Darren Magarro — CEO of The DSM Group — to break down why so many leaders still “throw spaghetti at the wall,” why intuition alone isn’t enough, and how data, trust, and transparency transform the way companies grow.
If you’re a CEO, founder, agency leader, or anyone responsible for making marketing decisions, this conversation will give you a clearer lens for diagnosing what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.
In this episode, we unpack…
• The biggest misconception CEOs have about marketing strategy• Why most teams rely on guesswork instead of data• How to diagnose a company’s marketing before proposing solutions• The difference between vanity metrics and profit-driving KPIs• How buyer psychology has shifted from information scarcity to trust scarcity• Why great agency relationships require pushback, transparency, and patience• What CEOs should understand before hiring their first agency
The future of marketing isn’t more tactics.
It’s better diagnosis, cleaner data, and deeper trust.______________________
RESOURCES:
Get help finding the right marketing partner.
Learn more about the work The DSM Group does.

The biggest threat to home service businesses in 2026 isn’t competition. It’s communication.
Consumers have evolved. Technology has evolved. But most service-based businesses are stuck in outdated communication patterns that are silently killing revenue, trust, and customer retention.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, Aly Hathcock sits down with Lucas Wilson — CEO of Signpost, a customer communication platform serving thousands of contractors, trades, and home service professionals. Together, they unpack the widening gap between what business owners think customers want… and what customers are actually demanding in a world of AI, instant expectations, and omnichannel communication.
If you’re a marketing leader, home services operator, SMB owner, or anyone navigating the shift to AI-powered customer experience, this episode will hit you straight in the strategy.
In this episode, we unpack…• Why speed-to-lead is now the #1 growth lever in home services• How shifting consumer expectations are reshaping customer communication• The silent revenue leak caused by missed calls, slow responses, and outdated systems• Where AI belongs in the customer journey—and where humans must stay involved• How to build trust in industries battling poor reputation and high demand• Why staying top-of-mind with past customers is more valuable than chasing new leads
The future of growth isn’t just marketing. It’s customer communication and retention.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about Signpost.Get connected to Lucas here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukewilsonsignpostceo/

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Jeff Parnell, founder and CEO of JHP Advisors, to talk about what it really takes to build a business that lasts — and to eventually step away from it.
Jeff’s career spans from pioneering one of the internet’s first e-commerce businesses in the 1990s to guiding today’s CEOs through growth, succession, and exit planning. After surviving a heart transplant in 2018, Jeff brings a rare blend of hard-won business wisdom and deep life perspective to the conversation.
Together, Aly and Jeff explore:
✔ How to scale your company by making yourself replaceable
✔ Why most entrepreneurs fail to plan their exit — and how it costs them millions
✔ The coming “silver tsunami” of aging business owners and what it means for small business
✔ How consolidation and private equity are reshaping local industries
✔ The difference between owning a business and being in the business
✔ Why patience, gratitude, and in-person connection still drive long-term growth
This isn’t just a story about business strategy — it’s a masterclass in leadership, legacy, and what it means to build something worth handing off.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about JHP Advisors.

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock talks with serial founder and futurist Alan Smithson, creator of Unlimited Awesome - a new kind of education platform that uses AI and gamification to teach life and business skills.
Alan shares his journey from inventing touchscreen DJ technology and launching one of the world’s first metaverse companies to building next-generation learning systems. Along the way, he breaks down how emerging tech like AI, VR, and XR are transforming not just education, but marketing, training, and global business growth.
You’ll hear:
✔ How VR and 3D tech revolutionized brand experiences for companies like Samsung, Siemens, and Mastercard
✔ Why AI-driven automation and 3D generation mark the next leap for marketing and retail
✔ The philosophy behind creating tools that empower- not replace- human creativity
✔ How consistency, creation, and curiosity outperform any algorithm or SEO trick
✔ Why business leaders need to think critically about data, decentralization, and digital ethics
This episode dives deep into the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and human potential - and what it really means to grow a business in the age of AI.______________________RESOURCES:
Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about Unlimited Awesome.
 

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Sam Miller, CEO and co-founder of Kasheesh, a fintech app that lets users split purchases across multiple credit, debit, and gift cards.What started with a real-life pain point and a single Reddit thread has grown into a seamless digital solution reshaping how Americans manage liquidity. But it didn’t come easy. From navigating skeptical investors and battling financial institutions to building SOC 2–compliant infrastructure and earning organic user trust, Sam shares how Kasheesh scaled... without spending a dime on ads.You’ll learn:✔ Why Kasheesh grew fast with zero paid marketing✔ How Reddit and Quora fueled product-led growth✔ What VCs and banks misunderstood about their customer base✔ How SmartSplit (AI) helps users protect their credit score✔ The role of internal culture, hiring, and sprint cycles in fast-moving product innovation✔ Why financial literacy is core to Kasheesh growth strategyWhether you're building a fintech product or trying to scale without performance marketing, this episode is a masterclass in customer-centric growth, scrappy GTM, and building trust through product.
______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about Kasheesh here.

What if launching a lending business was as easy as launching an online store?In this episode of Humans of Growth, we sit down with Deji, CEO of Lendsqr, to explore how his platform is making it possible to build scalable lending businesses... without coding, massive overhead, or big-bank bureaucracy. From funding underserved communities to streamlining compliance in 190+ countries, Lendsqr is reimagining what’s possible in the credit space.You’ll learn:
Why “Shopify for lending” isn’t just a metaphor—it’s a movement
What most founders get wrong when launching loan products
How to scale into 190+ countries without physical infrastructure
How SEO, programmatic content, and ChatGPT are fueling their growth
The mistakes Deji wouldn’t avoid if he could start over
How to combine values, vision, and smart systems to build globally
This episode is a must-listen for SaaS founders, fintech operators, or anyone obsessed with scalable systems and underserved markets.______________________
RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Get help acquiring business funding.

What happens when you build a business so good… you don’t need to market it?
In this episode of Humans of Growth, we sit down with Terry Kerr and Liz Nowlin to unpack how Mid South Home Buyers became one of the most trusted turnkey real estate companies in the country—without relying on traditional marketing channels.
We explore how they grew from managing their first few properties to thousands under management, using trust, referrals, and operational excellence to create a growth flywheel that runs on reputation.
What we cover:
How a Memphis-based operation became a go-to for passive real estate investors
The systems that turn first-time buyers into repeat investors
Why education and transparency outperform traditional sales
The power of investing in people—for both residents and clients
How Liz and Terry approach brand trust, lead nurturing, and high-stakes financial decisions
What most turnkey real estate firms get wrong about long-term growth
This episode is a masterclass in scaling through integrity, clarity, and consistency—without dumping dollars into paid ads.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Get help acquiring business funding.

If you’ve ever Googled “business loan” and ended up confused or denied—this episode is for you.
We sit down with Ray Smith, CEO of Trycera, to unpack why most founders are denied funding (and don’t know why), how to build real business credit that doesn’t touch your personal score, and what lenders are actually looking for in 2025.
You’ll learn:
Why most business loan applications fail—and how to fix it
How to build business credit tied to your EIN, not your SSN
What lenders check before you even apply (and how to prep for it)
Why founders need a “dream team” more than a better pitch deck
How to get fast wins and long-term capital through smart planning
The one thing every SaaS startup should do before hiring developers
Whether you’re a startup, service business, or brick-and-mortar founder, this episode will give you the tools (and roadmap) to unlock funding without the fear, fluff, or frustration.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.
Get help acquiring business funding.

Smart companies are scaling faster than ever through AI with leaner teams and better margins.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, we unpack how automation, AI, and strategic operations are transforming growth for service-based businesses. From financial advisory firms to fast-moving startups, we explore how leaders are using systems—not headcount—to unlock scale.
You’ll learn:
How to identify automation opportunities that actually save money
Why AI fails without human-first systems
The right time to invest in operations vs. marketing
How to turn messy data into growth fuel
What most founders get wrong about “scaling”
Why reverse mentorship is the future of leadership
The companies winning right now aren’t the ones working harder—they’re the ones working smarter.
This conversation will help you future‑proof your business, your systems, and your team for the next era of intelligent growth.
 
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RESOURCES:
Need help finding a marketing agency to scale your business? Check out PerissonNetwork.com
 
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