Achieving Authentic Business Growth During the Pandemic What is the strategy to successfully growing a privately owned and funded business, especially during COVID? Hiring the right people as part of your team and striving for authenticity make all the difference in growing a business.  In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Jeff Thiessen on massive business growth and hiring right during the pandemic. Jeff is the President and International Sales Manager for Dansons Inc. He has held various positions within a hearth distribution company and spent several years learning all aspects of the hearth and BBQ industry, including sales, transportation, and distribution. Listen in to learn the importance of acquiring and retaining highly valuable people to drive the growth of your company. You will also learn how to approach effective and authentic marketing strategies. Key Takeaways: How COVID taught businesses to plan ahead to be prepared for any possible crisis. The importance of having the right team to help manage things when planning ahead. How to strategically grow a family-owned and funded business. The value of hiring leaders and teams for their teachable attitude and skillsets and not their academic achievements. Episode Timeline: [2:53] Jeff explains how things worked out for Dansons months after COVID started. [4:51] How advance planning with suppliers worked out for Dansons during the pandemic. [7:59] How to expand your bandwidth to handle a business’s demand and supply. [9:44] He explains how they have been able to strategically manage the business as a family business without any outside funding. [13:24] How Dansons have grown on socials with influencers and association with other brands over the last year. [16:09] He explains how they approach in-house marketing to maintain the business’s authenticity. [18:54] How they strategically market their products not to compete with their retailers. [21:46] How they highly depend on great leaders and teams to run things smoothly plus prayer. [24:52] Jeff explains their growth goals, offering the best without focusing on the competitors. [29:40] The key strategic hires that Dansons has done over the last year as they continue to expand. [37:11] The importance of hiring people according to their skillsets and the right attitude, not their academic qualifications. [40:03] Jeff describes how COVID has changed his perspective both professionally and personally. Quotes: “Other companies look at their businesses as financial instruments to just make money, we just like making great products so people can interact with.”- Jeff [12:29] “There’s no fancy software that’s going to help you overcome not having great people.”- Jeff [23:03]