Beyond 8 Figures

At Beyond 8 Figures, we believe in DELIBERATE entrepreneurship. It means creating a solid foundational framework for your entrepreneurial journey, building from a place of passion, and intentionally aligning your actions with your goals so that you can create success on your terms.Join A.J. Lawrence, the journeyman entrepreneur with several 7 figure exits, as he shares honest conversations with successful entrepreneurs about their experiences starting and scaling businesses to $10M and beyond, the realities of being a modern-day entrepreneur, advice for practicing deliberate entrepreneurship, and more!

Beyond 8 Figures is a business podcast hosted by A.J. Lawrence, with 314 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

A.J. Lawrence hosts Beyond 8 Figures, a business show with 314 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #243

  How to Build Exit-Ready Companies with Niraj Shah, DKZ Equity

  Sep 17, 202538 minS4

  Thinking about selling your company someday? Most founders wait until it’s too late to prepare their business for a clean, valuable exit. In this episode, I chat with Niraj Shah, M&A Advisor and 5x Founder, about what really makes a company exit-ready. We dig into mindset traps, deal-killers, and the simple actions you can take right now to set up your business for maximum value, whether you sell this year or ten years from now. 🔍 What we cover: Why “exit readiness” starts years before you sell The biggest founder blind spots during M&A How to identify red flags buyers will uncover The emotional side of letting go 📣 Want to turn your business into a valuable asset—on your terms? Let’s talk . 🔗 Resources & Guest Links: Niraj Shah: Website , LinkedIn , Newsletter The Messy Marketplace by Brent Beshore Exit Strategy by Sherry Walling & Rob Walling

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  Episode #242

  How to Reset Your Business After Burnout with Jason Long, Ascendance

  Sep 3, 202555 minS4

  Success isn’t just about hustle—it’s about surviving the chaos of growth. Jason Long knows this better than most. After building a 30-person agency, he lost it all in the 2008 crash, nearly died in a horrific car accident, and spent years rebuilding both his businesses and himself. In this episode, Jason and I get real about what scaling actually takes—the mistakes most entrepreneurs make, and the systems that separate struggling founders from professional CEOs. Here’s what you’ll hear: Why 80-hour work weeks are a badge of failure, not success The accident that forced Jason to rebuild his brain—and his businesses How private equity taught him the power of financial literacy The frameworks he blends (EOS, OKRs, forecasting) to actually scale companies The mindset shift that frees entrepreneurs from burnout This one’s raw, practical, and packed with lessons you can apply today. 👉 Looking for a roadmap to scale with less stress? Let's talk. 🔗 Resources & Guest Links: Jason Long: Website , Ascendance , Tangent Solutions , JH Media Group

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  Episode #241

  How To Build A Resilient Business Without Burning Out with Margo Crawford

  Aug 20, 202540 minS4

  What if stepping back from your business didn’t mean losing control—but gaining clarity? In this episode, I talk with Margo Crawford, founder of Business Sherpa Group, about the five-year succession plan that helped her shift from CEO to Chair—and the deep mental work it took to let go without giving up. You’ll learn: When to start planning your exit (spoiler: not when you're ready to leave) How to prepare your team to lead without you Why most founder burnout is rooted in back-office friction How to measure success in more than revenue If you're overwhelmed by complexity or craving more freedom, this one’s worth a listen. 🎯 Listen now + explore what's next for your business. 👉 Chat with A.J. 🔗 Resources & Guest Links: Margo Crawford: LinkedIn Business Sherpa Group Resources

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  Episode #240

  How to Think Like a Strategic CEO with Bruce Eckfeldt

  Aug 6, 202536 minS4

  Success doesn’t come from working harder, it comes from thinking differently . In this episode, I talk with Bruce Eckfeldt, strategic coach and 5x Inc. 500 founder, about how to shift from founder mode to CEO-level thinking. If you’re feeling the strain of growth and wondering why your business feels harder at $7M than it did at $1M, Bruce breaks down how to restructure your team, planning, and priorities to build something sustainable. What we cover: What separates founders from strategic CEOs The building blocks of scalable, sellable businesses Why a 3-day strategy sprint can reveal your biggest blind spots How to start thinking—and acting—for your business’s long game 🎯 Want to lead like a real CEO, not just the person putting out fires? Let’s talk. 👉 Work with A.J. 🔗 Resources & Guest Links: Bruce Eckfeldt: Website , LinkedIn , Instagram

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  Episode #239

  How to Think Strategically in an AI World with Hamza Mudassir, Strategize

  Jul 30, 202552 minS4

  When your business is growing fast and AI is changing the game every week… how do you keep your head clear and your strategy sharp? In this episode, I sit down with Hamza Mudassir —lecturer at Cambridge and founder of Strategize —to talk about mental clarity, digital twins, and how to make smarter decisions in an age of overload. Here’s what we dig into: How strategic thinking is evolving in real time What digital twins really are (and how they work) The mental toll of reactive leadership—and how to fix it 🎧 Listen to the full episode and let’s talk about what comes next. 👉 Work with A.J. 🔗 Resources & Guest Links: Hamza Mudassir: LinkedIn , Strategize Harvard Business Review article: "AI Can (Mostly) Outperform Human CEOs

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