Jul 1, 2026
In this episode, Kelly Costello and Bernd Geropp discuss effective leadership, hiring strategies, and the importance of attitude over skills in building a motivated team. They explore practical approaches to testing potential employees and the costs associated with training, offering valuable insights for entrepreneurs and managers.
Key Topics
Promoting employees based on potential and attitude
Using project assignments to test leadership skills
The cost and emotional toll of training employees
Hiring B players and training them into A players
The importance of clear, black-and-white job roles
Challenges of hiring in niche markets like e-commerce
Deciding whether to grow or maintain a lean operation
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Puppy Cake and Kelly's Journey
00:33 Navigating Growth and Team Dynamics
04:33 Training and Developing Employees
10:57 Deciding on Business Growth and Employee Models
15:31 FI023 Outro.mp3
Links Mentioned in the Show:
AI and Leadership Course: https://fipodcast.vip/ai
Checklists for Leaders: https://berndgeropp.com/check
Leadership Crash Course: https://fipodcast.vip/crashcourse
Weekly Actionable Leadership Tips: https://fipodcast.vip/xbzv
Kelly Costello - Puppy Cake - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellycostello
Puppy Cake - https://www.puppycake.com
Credits:
Host: Bernd Geropp
Moderator: Brian Creager
Producer: Brian Creager
Editor: Brian Creager
Executive Producer: Bernd Geropp
To catch the great episodes coming up on Founder Independence, please follow us on Bernd’s YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
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