The Founder Is the Bottleneck - and the Breakthrough - Andrew Poles

Founder success isn't just about scaling a business -it's about scaling the person leading it.

In this episode of Behind The Numbers, host Dave Bookbinder sits down with founder coach Andrew Poles to explore the often-overlooked connection between personal growth and business growth. Drawing from his experience coaching entrepreneurs, Andrew shares the common blind spots that hold founders back, including assuming others think the way they do, hiring generalists when specialists are needed, and failing to build systems that support sustainable growth.

The conversation dives into practical strategies for managing time, energy, and constant interruptions, as well as how to make better hiring decisions in the early stages of a company. Andrew also discusses the importance of addressing the founder's inner world -helping leaders move beyond fear-based decision-making and develop the clarity needed to lead effectively.

Andrew also offers a preview of his forthcoming memoir, Over the Gate, sharing the personal experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy and the lessons he's learned about resilience, transformation, and growth.

Listeners will gain actionable insights on preventing burnout, making difficult trade-offs with confidence, and reducing overwhelm by shifting from emotional reactivity to intentional prioritization.

Whether you're launching a startup, leading a growing company, or simply looking to become a more effective leader, this conversation offers valuable lessons on building both a better business and a better version of yourself.

About Our Guest:

Andrew Poles is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and ultra-endurance athlete dedicated to helping visionary founders scale their businesses without burning out.  With 20+ years of experience, Andrew has coached over 10,000 leaders from companies like NASA, Dell, Schwab, Epic Games, and Netflix. After leading and turning around multi-million-dollar businesses, he left the corporate world to launch his coaching practice—hitting six figures in six weeks and doubling year over year since.

Andrew’s approach blends neuroscience, leadership psychology, and storytelling, helping first-time founders navigate the leap from individual contributor to visionary CEO.  As an ultra-endurance athlete, Andrew also understands high performance on a whole different level—training for and completing the grueling Telluride 100 Mountain Bike Race at 10,000 feet elevation. His upcoming book explores what endurance sports teach about leadership, mindset, and breaking past self-imposed limits.

About the Host:

Dave Bookbinder is known as a trusted provider for independent business valuations, corporate asset appraisals, and exit planning advisory and he is the person that business owners and their advisors reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.

Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.