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Let's look at the mid-market from a Fortune 100 perspective.
Are you a mid-market CEO struggling with cash flow, talent retention, or decision-making speed? Fortune 100 veteran turned growth company CEO Stacey Tank reveals the exact strategies that transformed her leadership from managing billion-dollar enterprises at GE, Home Depot, and Heineken to scaling a high-growth beauty brand.
Here are some key points of the conversation:
- 05:30 – Why “Cash is Queen” in Growth Companies
- 12:45 – The “Aces in Their Places” Talent Strategy
- 18:20 – Decision Speed: 51-49 vs 95-5 Choices
- 25:10 – Overcoming the “Know-It-All” Leadership Trap
- 32:40 – When to Add Process vs Stay Agile
- 38:15 – 3-Dimensional Innovation Strategy
Jane and Stacey get candid about:
Cash Management for Growth: Why Stacey checks cash daily instead of P&L statements. Get specific frameworks for managing cash flow during scaling without debt or investors.
Revolutionary Talent Strategy: Real example of hiring an office manager who now runs warehouse, HR, and marketing. Learn why attitude beats credentials and how to create cross-functional collaboration.
Decision-Making Mastery: When to make lightning-fast decisions vs. letting situations “ripen.” How enterprise complexity (51-49 decisions) differs from growth company clarity (95-5 decisions).
Authentic Leadership: Breaking the “Hermione Granger effect” – the need to know everything. How vulnerability and asking for help creates stronger leadership.
Smart Process Implementation: Stacey’s criteria for when to add structure: when confusion slows teams down and meaningful value is at stake.
Innovation Strategy: Product, business model, and supply chain innovation during uncertainty (including China decoupling strategies).
Books mentioned:
Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
This episode is perfect for: Mid-market CEOs ($10M-$500M revenue), founders scaling startups, enterprise executives considering growth company leadership, business owners struggling with talent retention.
Quote of the Day
“You cannot herd cats, but you can move their food.”
Episode Guest
About Stacey Tank, CEO of Bespoke Beauty Brands
Stacey Tank is the CEO of Bespoke Beauty Brands, which owns high-growth brands like Jason Wu Beauty and KimChiChic. PIn her previous role as Chief Transformation Officer at Heineken, Tank shepherded the global “EverGreen” growth strategy. She also held senior roles at The Home Depot, overseeing multi-billion-dollar service businesses, and began her career at General Electric. Tank is known for combining business with social impact, having led major initiatives in veteran housing, skilled trades education, and sustainability. She is the founder of the mental wellness nonprofit Our Happy Place and serves on several corporate boards.
