EP309: Building Capacity & Using Positive Stress to Drive Business Growth with Steve Perry

Building Capacity & Using Positive Stress to Drive Business Growth

Podcast: Profit With A Plan - Episode 309 Release date: July 1, 2025

Guest: Steve Perry, Founder of The Well Recruiting Solutions & Author of The Capacity Model Host: Marcia Riner, Business Growth Strategist at Infinite Profit®

Episode Summary

Is stress holding you back—or pushing you forward? In this game-changing episode, Steve Perry breaks down how positive stress can expand your leadership capacity, grow your business, and create teams that thrive. Discover how to shift from breakdown to breakthrough, empower your team, and build a business that scales without burning out.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or leading a large organization, this episode is packed with insights on capacity-building, mindset, team empowerment, and stress as a growth signal.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How stress can be a gift and a trigger for growth

• The 3 stages of breakdown—and how to avoid them

• Steve's Capacity Model pillars: Education, Habits, Relationships

• Leading through change without losing your team

• Why you must "fire yourself from the day-to-day" to scale

🕒 Timestamps for Key Points

• 00:00:08 – Can stress actually supercharge your business growth?

• 00:02:19 – Guest intro: Steve Perry’s journey from teen entrepreneur to Fortune 100 exec

• 00:05:50 – Building a business from necessity and grit: Steve’s entrepreneurial start

• 00:07:00 – “Begin with the end in mind”: Goal-setting as a stress reframer

• 00:09:00 – The Capacity Model: Stress is a gift

• 00:10:00 – The 3 stages of breakdown: disappointment → disillusionment → greener pastures

• 00:12:27 – The breakthrough alternative: how to actually grow your capacity

• 00:13:15 – 3 pillars of capacity: education, habits, and relationships

• 00:14:13 – How to shift your mindset in the middle of disappointment

• 00:15:12 – External inputs: mentors, coaches, and capacity lifters

• 00:17:00 – Applying this model across marriage, parenting, and personal life

• 00:18:30 – Frequency of hitting capacity ceilings—daily or monthly?

• 00:20:04 – Leading through a business pivot: Steve’s firsthand experience

• 00:22:41 – Why team alignment and transparency are key to embracing change

• 00:23:18 – Using stress to spark skill development and new opportunities

• 00:25:07 – The 4 truths of capacity-building

  1. Personal and professional stress are intertwined

  2. “Whether you think you can or can’t—you’re right”

  3. Life is hard—or life is hard

  4. Doing more ≠ working more hours

• 00:30:11 – Maximizing impact with the same 168 hours: the 1% that creates 50% of your results

• 00:32:12 – Where to find Steve and his free resource: HireTheWell.com

• 00:34:06 – Marcia’s takeaway: using stress to break through growth ceilings

🔗 Resources & Mentions

• 🎯 Download Steve’s 10 Must-Ask Interview Questions: HireTheWell.com

• 📘 The Capacity Model by Steve Perry

• 📲 Follow Steve Perry on LinkedIn: Steve Perry

 

 

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👤 About Marcia Riner

Marcia Riner is a business growth strategist who helps entrepreneurs scale smarter, increase profitability, and maximize business value. As CEO of Infinite Profit® and creator of the Profit Booster® strategies, she goes beyond advice—working alongside business owners to implement proven strategies that strengthen financial stability, optimize operations, and drive long-term success.

Whether you’re looking to boost profits, expand, or prepare for a high-value exi