In episode two of The McFarland Method, Alex and Byron unpack the story of a single construction employee who created roughly $15 million in enterprise value without owning a single share of the business. They explore how this key player took a company from $40 to $90 million in revenue by cracking complex, committee-based B2B sales, upgrading project management, and quietly transforming the firm’s entire operating system – all while being tied to the company by nothing more than a W2 and an annual bonus.
You’ll learn Byron’s five-part Ownership Mindset / OCB framework (altruism, conscientiousness, and other ownership-style behaviors), and how to run a quick diagnostic this week: identify the people already acting like owners, then ask whether you’re treating them like employees or like partners. The episode breaks down non‑financial “ownership treatment” (agency, autonomy, and time freedom), why post‑COVID talent expects a compelling “why” instead of a purely transactional deal, and how retention of these standout contributors directly affects valuation multiples and exit outcomes.
For coaches, Alex and Byron preview the members-only segment where they dig into the messy realities: what to do when the owner is the problem, how well‑intended compensation and bonus plans actually drive ownership behavior out of the building, and practical ways to coach founders through blind spots around equity, profit sharing, and long-term incentives. Tune in to learn how to spot your 15‑million‑dollar employees, protect them from “free agency” every bonus cycle, and design relationships that build durable value for both the owner and the people already thinking like partners.
00:00 - Introduction: The $15 Million Employee
01:01 - Acting Like Owners vs. Being Treated Like Owners
03:19 - How One Employee Transformed the Business
05:40 - Breaking Into B2B Committee-Based Sales
07:27 - Compensation, Bonus Risks, and “Free Agency”
09:00 - The Search for Long-Term Retention and Wealth-Building
12:01 - Ownership Mindset: Five Key Behaviors (OCB Framework)
16:49 - When Owners Aren’t Aware of Risks
18:17 - What Standout Contributors Want: Equity, Autonomy, and Agency
22:33 - How to Diagnose and Treat Employees Like Partners
24:05 - The Post-COVID Shift: Why “Why” Matters
26:03 - Calculating Individual Contribution to Enterprise Value
27:45 - Invitation vs. Recognition—Building Ownership Culture
29:45 - Members-Only Segment Preview: When the Owner Is the Problem
30:23 - Live Q&A, Office Hours, and Community Closing
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.