The secret to fast growth? Focus! | Issue #226
Why focus is the secret to fast business growth
There’s no denying it. It’s tough out there. Many business leaders who come to us asking for help feel exhausted and burnt out. They feel like they’re swimming against a tsunami of demands with no hope of moving forward. As the economic conditions worsen, they take on any business that comes their way. It gets harder to see the wood from the trees.
Yet even in this tough environment, some businesses are thriving. Look in from the outside, and it seems effortless. They’re growing exponentially. What’s their secret weapon? One word. Focus.
Here’s a great example. I was talking to a sales rep from MarTech last week and said I’d be interested in trying their product. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he replied, ‘You don’t qualify’. ‘Really?’ I exclaimed. ‘But I’ve got the money!’ He told me that they only sell to businesses of a specific size that spend a given amount on marketing. My business would also need a decent-sized sales team to follow up on the higher volume of leads generated by their product. I didn’t have these resources, so he wasn’t willing to sell their product to me.
This is focus in action. And the irony is the faster you want to scale a business, the more you need to focus. It seems counter-intuitive, but this is how you achieve the growth trajectory you crave.

Bringing Transparency And Honesty Into The Recruitment Process with Ross Lauder
Hiring top talent –the right talent– is crucial to growing a business. Yet, so many companies get their recruitment process wrong. Clarity on what an A-Player looks like, and transparency with candidates in the process are just some of the missing elements that our guest this week noticed in many companies after falling into the world of recruitment.
This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Ross Lauder, founder and CEO at Single Focus Talent. Before becoming the talented headhunter he is today, Ross was a tech sales manager, working for big firms like Dell and Hubspot. Today, he recruits salespeople across Europe and North America.
In this episode, we wanted to learn more from him about sales, and how the role of a salesperson has changed over time. Ross also shared his approach to recruitment and how he’s helping candidates in their careers. Also, what are people thinking about returning to the office, remote and hybrid work, and what’s happening in the labour market. Is the tech world awash with talented people after the big tech layoffs?
Download and listen to this great conversation today!
Recommended Podcasts

In each episode, Scott Barry Kaufman talks with inspiring scientists, thinkers, and other self-actualized individuals who will give you a greater understanding of yourself, others, and the world we live in. Scott Barry Kaufman explores the depths of human potential and tries to get a glimpse into human possibility in every episode.
Recommended Articles

How Amazon put Ukraine’s ‘government in a box’ — and saved its economy from Russia
Since the day Russia launched its invasion Feb. 24, Amazon has been working closely with the Ukrainian government to download essential data and ferry it out of the country in suitcase-sized solid-state computer storage units called Snowball Edge, then funneling the data into Amazon’s cloud computing system.

Three ways to prevent hybrid work from breaking your company culture
Many employees love hybrid work models. But this new approach to work can have a profound impact on employees’ sense of community and connection.

Remote Work Offerings: Where Did They Go?
Fascinating how much back to normal – the OLD normal – we have gone in a short space of time. Only one in seven job postings now offers remote work. Is a new era in post-pandemic work emerging?
Recommended Reads

Resilience is the buzzword of the moment. We’re told that if we have it, our lives will be happy and successful ones. If we don’t, we need to acquire it. But what if the version of resilience we’ve been peddled is a myth? Here, Sunday Times bestselling author Bruce Daisley demolishes a concept that has spawned a multi-million pound resilience industry of books, workshops and courses, exposing the highly questionable science it rests on. In its place he outlines a very different approach to good mental health that embraces the latest science and research. Offering empirically tested advice, Fortitude sets out a practical path to greater self-confidence and courage for us all.
News From The Farm

Mind Your F**king Business
Pre-order Now!
Is there any evidence to show that annual appraisal increase engagement or productivity? Perhaps you also feel you always need to pay salespeople commissions? You don’t!
Dominic Monkhouse has written a new book to help you challenge your assumptions and demystify the barriers to business growth. In this no-nonse guide, Dominic will unveil the most commonly widespread myths and beliefs that hold businesses back. Discover how to:
- Turn your existing leaders into A-Players and become ten times more productive.
- Ditch pointless meetings and sales commissions – and thrive without them.
- Attract the top talent in your industry by making them an offer they can’t refuse.
- Double your turnover every twelve months without throwing money at marketing.
Pre-order today and get the Kindle for 99p/99c!
Quote of the week
“Focus and simplicity…once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Steve Jobs
Dominic Monkhouse
Dominic offers business coaching and management development, strategy planning and organisational change, using tried and tested methods to launch your organisation onto an unparalleled growth trajectory. His programme is a function of his broad experience, his deep expertise and a proven process used by over 2,700 firms worldwide.