Scaling Smarter: Building Better Businesses with 5L Performance

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, host Joe Sampson sits down with Jesse DePriest and Rick Faber, co-founders of 5L Performance, to discuss what it really takes to scale a business beyond its sticking points. Grounded in decades of leadership, sales, and operational experience, the 5L framework—Love, Listen, Learn, Lead, and Lean—guides organizations from chaos to clarity.

Rick and Jesse share the powerful origin story of 5L Performance, how their shared philosophies collided serendipitously (even down to Jesse’s license plate!), and why most businesses struggle not from a lack of effort, but from a lack of systems thinking. The episode dives into topics like trust-based leadership, process improvement, standard work, and what truly sets high-performing teams apart.

Whether you're leading a startup or a phase-two company hitting a ceiling, this conversation will inspire you to rethink how your business operates and what it really means to scale with intention.

Key Takeaways:

• The 5L Framework: A unique leadership and operational model built on Love, Listen, Learn, Lead, and Lean.

• Why Businesses Stall: Often it’s not a broken strategy but a lack of organizational capability to change and execute.

• From Firefighting to Process Thinking: Many businesses operate in reactive mode. True transformation begins with a structured approach to solving problems.

• Elevate Diagnostic Tool: A 5-pillar assessment that identifies maturity across leadership, strategy, daily management, improvement systems, and enabling elements.

• Real Growth Requires Real Systems: You can’t scale chaos. Companies must have standard work, aligned leadership, and the discipline to improve incrementally.