In this episode, Troy sits down with Alyona Medelyan, the founder of Thematic, a thriving business with $5 million in revenue. Alyona shares her entrepreneurial journey and offers invaluable advice for small business owners aiming to scale their ventures. Tune in for actionable insights and inspiration from Alyona's remarkable success story. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let’s get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: 1 .What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Alyona Medelyan, the hardest thing in growing a small business is prioritisation. She emphasises the importance of working on the right things and saying no to the wrong things, as there are many distractions that can divert focus from revenue and growth. 2. What's your favourite business book that has helped you the most? Alyona Medelyan's favourite business book that has helped her the most is "Challenger Sale." This book emphasises the importance of creating value for customers during the sales process and highlights the significance of teaching customers something new rather than just selling to them. 3. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Alyona Medelyan recommends several podcasts and online resources to help grow a small business. She suggests listening to "Y Combinator Podcasts," particularly "How to Start a Startup," which emphasises customer-centric approaches. Additionally, "Startups for the Rest of Us" offers insights into bootstrapping. For broader entrepreneurial journeys, she enjoys "How I Built This" with Guy Raz. 4. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Alyona Medelyan recommends using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to grow a small business. Specifically, she suggests Pipedrive for its simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness in managing sales processes and customer relationships. 5. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? On day one of starting out in business, Alyona Medelyan would advise herself to hire the best people for the job - the smartest and most knowledgeable individuals available. This emphasises the importance of assembling a talented team to drive the business forward from the outset. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Listen to your customers, build, and everything else is a distraction – Alyona Medelyan   Building a kickass culture starts with spending time together, fostering empathy – Alyona Medelyan Learn by doing, test things out, and double down on what works – Alyona Medelyan