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A conversation with Pat Alacqua, of Blue Magnet Partners.
What happens when a blue-collar kid from South Jersey transforms into a business-scaling expert? In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with her longtime mentor and business partner Pat Alacqua to uncover the raw truth about entrepreneurial growth, leadership transformation, and the psychological barriers that keep founders stuck.
Pat shares his remarkable journey from working at his grandfather’s grocery store to co-founding and scaling a trade show services company (The Nth Degree) into an international operation before successfully exiting in 2001. But this isn’t just a success story—it’s a masterclass in the messy, challenging reality of business growth.
You’ll learn:
– The critical psychological shift from “doer” to leader and why most entrepreneurs struggle with it
– How to manage your business by assumptions instead of budgets or checklists
– The five distinct phases every company must navigate from startup to enterprise
– Why spawning competitor companies from your best employees isn’t always bad
– The importance of having “one foot in the present and one foot in the future”
– Practical strategies for identifying and addressing blind spots in your leadership.
Key Insights:
✓ The three psychological barriers preventing delegation: identity, control, and validation
✓ Why “what got you here won’t get you there” applies to every growth stage
✓ How to earn the right to keep things simple by first understanding complexity
✓ The power of assumption-based planning in uncertain markets
✓ Why asking the right questions matters more than having all the answers
If you’re a mid-market CEO or operator, this is a playbook for durable growth—no fluff, just what works.
Whether you’re a mid-market CEO navigating growth challenges, an entrepreneur struggling to scale, or a business leader looking to avoid common pitfalls, this conversation delivers actionable frameworks you can implement immediately.
Books mentioned:
Obstacles to Opportunity: Transforming Business Challenges into Triumphs
Episode Guest
About the Guest: Pat Alacqua is a business growth strategist with over 40 years of experience building, scaling, and exiting companies. After co-founding and growing a trade show services company from startup to international operation, Pat now partners with CEOs to help them navigate the complex transitions from entrepreneur to enterprise leader.
About the Host: Jane Gentry brings 20+ years of enterprise consulting experience and firsthand CEO leadership to CEOs Unscripted, creating a space where mid-market leaders share unfiltered stories, practical playbooks, and hard-won wisdom.
