Dean Svarc Podcast
Unmasking Business Blind Spots
Join Dean Svarc, business turnaround expert, entrepreneur, and author of Trojan Horse, for raw, real-world insights on turning business threats into triumphs. Each episode dives into hidden "Trojan Horses"—toxic cultures, technical debt, burnout—and delivers actionable strategies to fix them. From gritty startup stories to award-winning turnarounds, Dean and his co-hosts share no-BS lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders. Subscribe on your favorite platform and visit DeanSvarc.com for more.
Dean Svarc Podcast
Is Your Company Ready for Change? Assessing Systems, Culture, and Leadership
We move to the second foundational question of Trojan Horse: Is your company ready for change?.
Dean warns that external consultants often fail because they skip the mindset shift, leaving leaders unable to implement tactical changes. You cannot succeed if your foundation is built on a lie (e.g., fooling yourself about reality). A critical indicator of failure is nepotism—being unwilling to fire a family member who undermines the business or telling lies to employees.
We address why many founders are emotionally immature in business interactions. This is often because they were never taught EQ or security, and they lead erratically, creating an "us and them" attitude where one set of rules applies to the owner and another to employees. Dean outlines the necessary approach: be inquisitive, not accusatory, when addressing employee issues. By patiently asking why an employee is late, you might discover a simple, fixable reason (like changing their start time) rather than firing a good person.
A company cannot succeed if the leader hasn't communicated the 12-month goal and how to get there. Employees' brains must be engaged toward a common destination; otherwise, every subsequent functional action fails.
Next time, we kick off the tactical BASICS framework with Brute Force.
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Your company deserves to move from chaos to clarity.
• Pick up your guide to transformation: Trojan Horse: The Unseen Solution to Critical Business Problems.
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