Growing Your Own Leaders | Rich Ashton on Small Business Success

Growing Your Own Leaders | Rich Ashton on Small Business Success

Author: Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino - Profiling the Finest Folks from Everywhere April 10, 2026 Duration: 32:16
Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with small business owner, serial entrepreneur, and author Rich Ashton. Over a 45-year career in business, Rich faced a major challenge that many entrepreneurs know all too well—choosing between hiring outside leadership that doesn’t fit the company culture or promoting internal employees who aren’t fully prepared. Determined to solve this, he created a powerful in-house leadership development program that transformed his companies. The results were so successful that he was eventually able to step away from daily operations and entrust his businesses to a strong, capable leadership team. His book, Growing Your Own: Common Sense Advice for Developing Leaders in Small Business, lays out the principles behind that success and provides a practical roadmap for building leaders from within. Based in Texas, Rich shares a story full of real-world insight, inspiration, and actionable advice for business owners looking to grow sustainably. In this interview, we cover: Developing leaders from within your organization Building a strong and lasting company culture Why traditional hiring often fails small businesses Creating systems that allow you to scale and step away Lessons from decades of entrepreneurship Enjoy this insightful and inspiring conversation. 🔗 Learn more:https://www.growingyourown.net/ For More Famous Interviews: Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgi6GpDDDrc_PgOzaERGbLQ Subscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-with-joe-dimino/id1660256991Subscribe via Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7j92QDS13LXgajPt80X2dh The Home of Famous Interviews: http://famousinterviewswithjoedimino.blogspot.com/ Contribute to Famous Interviews via PayPal:                    https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino is a companion series to host Joe Dimino's long-running Neon Jazz radio show, expanding the conversation far beyond a single genre. Here, the focus shifts to profiling fascinating people from every corner of the globe and every walk of life. Each episode is a deep dive into the stories, ideas, and passions that drive artists, thinkers, creators, and everyday experts. You'll hear conversations that roam freely across a vast landscape of topics, from the creative processes behind art and music to the practical insights of business and podcasting, and into the more personal realms of therapy, coaching, spirituality, love, and human relations. This podcast thrives on diversity, seeking out voices and perspectives that might not normally share the same platform. The result is a collection of interviews that feels both intimate and expansive, where the connection between host and guest leads to authentic, meandering, and often surprising discussions. When you listen, you're joining a global dialogue that celebrates curiosity and the shared threads of the human experience, all guided by Joe's engaged and conversational style. It's a space where no topic is off limits, and the only agenda is a genuine interest in the people who shape our world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 102

Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino
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Chief Learning Officer Ana Smith on Leadership & Personal Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Chief Learning Officer, leadership strategist, and human potential expert Ana Smith. Ana sees what many leaders miss…