The Scaling Podcast With Aaron Harper

Aaron gets real about by doing what others wouldn't. He faced the challenges, made the mistakes, and figured out what actually works. Now, he's giving it all away. No theories, no recycled advice, just real strategies from the trenches. If you're serious about growing and scaling, this is the podcast you can't afford to miss.

The Scaling Podcast With Aaron Harper is a business podcast hosted by Aaron Harper, with 29 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.

Aaron Harper hosts The Scaling Podcast With Aaron Harper, a business show with 29 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.

• 

  Episode #34

  Conscious Wealth: Why Money Is More Than Numbers | The Scaling Podcast Ep 34

  Dec 17, 20251h 15mS0

  <p>Most conversations about wealth stop at numbers.</p> <p>This one does not.</p> <p>In this episode of The Scaling Podcast, Aaron sits down with Christopher Mackin to explore how wealth, energy, identity, and decision-making intersect over a long career.</p> <p>They unpack what happens when financial success outpaces personal alignment, how over-optimization can quietly erode health and relationships, and why many high performers eventually realize that money alone is not the finish line.</p> <p>This is a grounded conversation about building wealth with intention, navigating major life transitions, and redefining success beyond hustle culture.</p> <...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #32

  How Horsepower Built 9 Franchise Brands in 5 Years (w/ Tony Hilbert) | The Scaling Podcast Ep 32

  Dec 3, 20251h 51mS0

  <p >In this episode of The Scaling Podcast, Aaron Harper sits down with Tony Hilbert — CEO of Horsepower Brands — to break down how they grew from a single roofing brand to 9 franchise brands and 400+ owners in under five years.</p> <p >Tony shares his journey from CPA → CFO → franchise multi-unit operator, the collapse of a 68-location chain, the resilience lessons that shaped him, and the blueprint Horsepower uses to launch & scale home-service franchises at record speed.</p>

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #31

  The Hardest Job in Franchising: Brooke Budke on Leadership, Identity & Growth | Scaling Podcast Ep31

  Nov 26, 20251h 49mS0

  <p>Brooke Budke opens up about the real challenges of leading a franchise brand. She explains the pressure, the criticism, the emotional weight, and the constant responsibility that comes with supporting owners and their families.</p> <p>This episode explores leadership at a deeper level. Brooke shares what she learned through rapid growth, identity shifts, becoming brand president during the most difficult season of her career, and rebuilding her life as a founder and parent.</p> <p>You will hear her perspective on communication, culture, clarity, personal reinvention, and the internal noise that leaders face when everyone has an opinion...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #31

  From Napkin Ideas to National Scale: Franchising, Exits & Reinvention | The Scaling Podcast EP 31

  Nov 19, 20251h 11mS0

  <p> In this episode, Aaron sits down with entrepreneur and operator Adam House to break down the real journey behind scaling multiple companies — from early exits to navigating Series A/B fundraising, rebuilding identity after stepping away as CEO, and the power of authentic content in franchising.Adam shares stories from his earliest ventures, including selling his first company right before the financial crisis, launching a mobile tech company acquired in just 18 months, and building a health-care analytics platform from a literal napkin sketch.They also dive deep into the seasons of entrepreneurship, the realities of capital raising, and how pe...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #28

  Inside Empower's $1.5B Franchising Strategy: Building Brands That Scale | The Scaling Podcast EP 28

  Nov 5, 20251h 23mS0

  <p>Aaron Harper sits down with Empower CEO Scott Zide to explore how the company scaled from its early roots to over $1.5 billion in systemwide franchise sales.</p> <p>Scott shares his journey from being a 23-year-old franchisee to leading one of the largest multi-brand platforms in the industry. They break down Empower's approach to incubating vs. acquiring, what makes great franchisees, and why staying true to entrepreneurial values matters at scale.</p> <p>This is a deep look at the future of franchising platforms, brand building, and unit economics done right.</p> <p>00:00 – Intro: From Franchisee to CEO<br /> 03:13 – Foun...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Scaling Podcast With Aaron Harper. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.