119 — 3 Lessons Golf is Teaching Me About Building a Winning Business
This week, I’m sharing three surprising lessons from the golf course that reveal new ways to approach scaling your business. How can patience, smarter decisions, and the right support change your 2025 strategy? Tune in to find out!
Welcome back to the ScaleHQ podcast. I’m kicking 2025 off by sharing three unexpected yet powerful lessons I’ve learned from playing golf that apply directly to scaling a business. One important takeaway that I’ve learnt is that scaling a business is humbling, and just like golf, the parallels are undeniable.
As you listen, these lessons will help you rethink your approach to growth in 2025. Whether you’re feeling the pressure to chase short-term wins, trying to decide if you should take a big risk or play it safe, or wondering how to implement systems that actually work, I’ve got you covered.
What you’ll learn in today’s episode:
- Lesson 1: The long game:
- Why patience is critical for sustainable growth
- How small, deliberate steps compound into significant long-term success
- Lesson 2: Course management over golf bombs:
- The risks of chasing "hero shots" in business
- Why playing it smart often delivers better outcomes than going all-in without evidence
- Lesson 3: Frameworks and support:
- How the right frameworks and guidance can accelerate your results
- Why learning from proven strategies beats trial-and-error every time
Remember, scaling a business isn’t about swinging for the fences but about making smart, consistent moves that compound over time. The lessons I’ve shared today are ones I wish someone had told me earlier in my journey. I hope they help you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made and set you up for success in 2025. Let’s scale smarter, together!
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Sean's not a startup guy. He is an expert in buying, building, and scaling businesses.
With his teams, he developed growth strategies and execution plans that led to the creation of over $100 million in new revenue for 4 companies over 8 years.
These companies included both large and small businesses, so Sean is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges Founders face at different stages of their scaling journey.
Sean now shares his methodology and frameworks for preparing for investment, installing management and full exits for 1m-30m businesses through his advisory services, podcasts and education programs.
The Founders Sean mentors personally grow revenue by an average of $3.1m and EBITDA by $488k over the first two years.
He brings over 15 years of experience in growing businesses to the table. He’s integrated 7 brands into larger structures, scrutinised over 200 acquisitions, and consulted with ASX-listed companies on their acquisition strategies.
Sean is also the host of the ScaleHQ Podcast where he shares his methods, interviews successful entrepreneurs, experts on scaling, and Founders striving to scale.
About Sean Steele
Sean has led several education businesses through various growth stages including 0-3m, 1-6m, 3-50m and 80m-120m. He's evaluated over 200 M&A deals and integrated or started 7 brands within larger structures since 2012. Sean's experience in building the foundations of organisations to enable scale uniquely positions him to host the ScaleUps podcast.
