The $100M “Built to Run” System That Turns Chaos Into Scalable Growth - Stewart Ervin — Hacks and Hobbies with Junaid Ahmed

Most founders are trapped in firefighting, not building a business that can run without them.

In this episode, Junaid sits down with Stewart Ervin, the creator of the trademarked Built to Run $100M System, to dissect exactly how he turns chaotic, plateaued companies into disciplined, highly profitable machines. Stuart shares the six core plays that bring communication, financial clarity, operations, and growth into alignment—so the business can finally scale without the founder doing everything.

From taking a company from 50% on-time delivery to 99% in just 90 days, to growing revenue from $60M to $82M while increasing EBITDA year over year, Stuart reveals the frameworks, meeting rhythms, and leadership shifts that separate businesses that merely “survive” from those that are truly built to run. If you feel stuck on a plateau, constantly putting out fires, or scared to step away from the day-to-day, this conversation will feel like a mirror—and a roadmap.

5 Key Takeaways

The 6 core plays every founder needs: communication, annual planning, sales funnel, monthly business review, employee plan, and value drivers (pricing, profitable new business, cost reduction).
Why most businesses neglect the annual plan first—and how that silently kills growth and discipline.
How Stuart turned a company around in 90 days, from chaos and blame to trust, clarity, and reliable execution.
The people playbook: job descriptions without names, KPIs, pay ranges, and coaching so employees act like owners.
Why you must build like you’ll sell one day, even if you’re not planning an exit—and how focusing on three value drivers transforms valuation.

Timestamps

[00:00] The Built to Run philosophy (Part 2)
How Stuart’s $100M system moves founders from endless planning into real execution.
[00:49] Play #1: Communication and the power of “why”
Mission, vision, values—and why most employees and customers don’t actually know them.
[02:20] Play #2 & #3: Annual plan and the 2–3x sales funnel
Setting a true North Star and building a sales funnel that matches your growth ambitions.
[04:59] Play #4: Monthly Business Review and alignment
Stopping the war between sales and operations by syncing plans, forecasts, and delivery.
[05:59] Play #5 & #6: The employee plan and the 3 value drivers
Job descriptions without names, owner mindset, and focusing on price, cost, and new business.
[09:17] Case study: From 50% on-time delivery to 99%
The turnaround story that took a business from $60M back to $72M and beyond.
[16:41] Exit readiness & valuation mistakes founders always make
Why you should build like you’ll sell, and how to stop chasing “rabbits” outside the real value drivers.

Guest Links – Stewart Ervin

www.bracketmgmt.com

🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies

📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com

🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.