5 Mistakes Killing Your Company's Growth
For Founders, CEOs, Presidents, COOs, and Operators
Growth stalls inside the company before it stalls in the market. I made all five of these mistakes on the way from one sandwich shop to where we are today. In one live session, I'll show you which one is costing you the most.
Sound familiar?
- "I know who isn't working out. I just haven't dealt with it."
- "We meet all the time, and the same problems keep coming back."
- "I find out how the month went after the month is over."
- "The plan is in my head. My team is guessing."
- "Every decision still comes back to me."
Five mistakes. I made every one.
These five show up in a three-person shop and in a company with hundreds of locations. I know, because I made every one of them on the way from one store to where we are today.
You ignore people problems.
What it costsEveryone already knows who isn't working out, and they're watching what you do about it. Your best people carry the extra weight until they leave, and the decisions that person should own come back to you.
Your meetings suck.
What it costsHours of talk and no decisions. The same problems come back every month, the real ones never get said out loud, and whatever you started last quarter fades the first busy week.
You aren't measuring what matters.
What it costsThe balance shows a problem weeks late. By the time it dips, the slide is bigger and harder to fix, and you're the one lying awake doing the math.
Your plan isn't clear.
What it costsYour team can't make your call, so it comes back to you. Everyone works hard, in different directions, and the big goal never turns into what gets done this quarter.
You don't have a business operating system.
What it costsEvery new hire, customer, or location adds work only you can explain. The company runs on what's in your head, so growing it makes your week harder, not easier.
Each one has a fix. I teach all five live.
Thursday, Dec 3, 2026, 10:00 AM PT, on Zoom. You'll score your own company on each one as we go.
The thread through all five
"I fixed it once and it slid back."
I tried fixing these on my own. The plan, the offsite, the software. It held for a few weeks, then the first bad week hit and it slid back. It cost me credibility with my team, and the people who felt it most were at home. Knowing what to do wasn't the problem. Nobody was holding us to it. What finally made it stick is what I'll walk you through in the masterclass.
What you leave with
Live on Zoom, about 90 minutes, no replay. What we work toward: fewer decisions waiting on you, new customers that don't wait on your push, and more of you left for home.
- Your biggest leakWhich of the five mistakes is costing you the most right now.
- Your Tempo ScoreWhere your company stands on each of the five, scored live as we go.
- The five fixesWhat to put in place for each mistake, and where AI speeds it up.
- Your Monday movesOne thing to do next Monday for each of the five.
This is for you if
- You're a founder, CEO, president, COO, or operator, and too many decisions still wait on you.
- You have a team, and growth stalls the weeks you can't push it.
- You know there's a people problem, and you've been putting it off.
- You own more than one company or location, and each one runs a different way.
- You already started a system and it slid back. I'll show you how to fix what stalled without starting over.
Probably not for you if
- You want an app, an agency, or someone to do it for you.
- You want a hack. This isn't it.
- You want a list of AI tools or prompts. There are no tool demos.
- You're thinking about owning a Capriotti's. That's a different room: learn about franchising at Capriotti's.
- You just want more ideas to think about. This is not the room.
Jason Smylie
I started as a software engineer, became a Capriotti's franchisee, and worked the counter in our restaurants. In 2008 we bought the company. As an owner I served as CIO and CMO, and today I'm President and Owner of Capriotti's Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone, and a co-founder of Fantasy Claw Arcade. Together that's 200+ locations in 30 states and 5 countries.
Capriotti's is past $130M in systemwide revenue, and the systems that helped grow it inspired what I coach.
Because I started as a software engineer, I use AI all over my companies. I'm just picky about where it goes.
Former CIO and CMO of Capriotti's
Forbes #2 Most Social CIO
For years, every big decision went through me. Our meetings went in circles, and our first try at fixing it on our own slid back. What I teach is my approach. I call it the Tempo Way.
More about JasonMore of what I'm building
The Tempo Way
My approach, inspired by the systems that helped grow Capriotti's. Score your company in a minute with the Tempo Score.
thetempoway.comCapriotti's
I was a franchisee before I was ever a franchisor. Thinking about owning a Capriotti's? Start here.
ownacapriottis.comOur House
A weekly podcast with my wife, Malia, about faith, marriage, and family rhythms for people who run hard at work.
ListenFantasy Claw Arcade
A claw arcade brand based in Las Vegas. I'm a co-founder.
fantasyclawarcade.comSpeaking
Running a company so fewer decisions wait on you, building a franchise brand from both sides of the table, and using technology and marketing to get time back.
Ask about speakingStraight answers
Is this restaurant coaching?
No. It's built for any industry, from a team of a few to a full leadership team. Franchising is my story. The same problems show up in a clinic, a contractor, an agency, a nonprofit, and a restaurant.
Is this software?
No. The masterclass is a live session, and what you learn you can build with your team using tools you already have.
How much time is the masterclass?
About 90 minutes, live on Zoom. Live only, no replay, so block the time.
I already started a system.
We fix what stalled. You don't start over.
My company is small. Is it for me?
Yes. From a startup team of two to a full leadership team. In a small company one person often holds several seats, and that's fine.
Fewer decisionswaiting on you.
Start with the live masterclass for founders, CEOs, presidents, COOs, and operators. One session, about 90 minutes, no replay. You'll leave with your biggest leak, your Tempo Score, the five fixes, and a Monday move for each.
Stay to the end. Everyone who stays gets a 50-minute one-on-one strategy call with me, a $1,000 value.