From Corporate Boardrooms to Small Business Breakthroughs: Ingredients for Success with James Orsini

Stay On Course Podcast | Host: Julie Riga | Guest: James Orsini

What does it really take to build a thriving small business and how do the lessons of the Fortune 500 world translate to the entrepreneurial journey? In this candid and inspiring conversation, Julie Riga sits down with seasoned executive James Orsini to unpack the mindset shifts, operational disciplines, and leadership principles that separate businesses that scale from those that stall. Whether you are a founder, a corporate executive ready to pivot, or a small business owner in the thick of the grind, this episode is packed with transformative insights to help you stay on course.

From Corporate Boardrooms to Small Business Breakthroughs: Ingredients for Success with James Orsini

About James Orsini

James Orsini is a seasoned executive leader with more than 35 years of experience as President, CEO, COO, and CFO across high-growth organizations. After an 11-year run at VaynerX alongside Gary Vaynerchuk, where he helped grow the company from $42M to $350M and 2,000 people across 15 offices, James now advises founders and small business leaders through Vyve, Factotum, and J & J Consulting Services, co-founded with his wife Joanne.

Fun Fact: James is a proud Italian-American whose ultimate comfort food is his wife's Sunday pasta sauce, slow-cooked for hours every single week.

Ingredients for Success

Focus and Strategic Prioritization Entrepreneurs rarely run out of ideas; they run out of focus. James advocates for working backwards from your endgame and using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize what truly moves the needle each quarter.

Knowing When to Hire and Delegate Founders who hold on too tight risk choking their own growth. Tracking yellow hustle time versus green paid time on your calendar reveals exactly when it is time to bring in your first hire and step fully into your leadership role.

Integrity Above All Doing the right thing with your employees, vendors, and partners, even when nobody is watching, creates a reputation that outlives any single business venture. James calls this the most enduring ingredient for success.

Community and Accountability Leadership can be lonely. Investing in a mastermind, coaching program, or peer group compresses your learning curve and gives you the sounding board every leader needs. Iron sharpens iron.

Culture as Your Competitive Advantage VaynerMedia maintained a 17% voluntary turnover rate in an industry averaging over 35%. Hire for kindness and empathy first, then teach the skills. Culture is your most sustainable edge.

Memorable Quotes

"Doing the right thing is always the right thing, even when people are not looking."

"Some founders squeeze the baby so tight, they choke it. Know when to let go and move to the work only you can do."

"Work backwards from the legacy you want to leave. That clarity drives every decision."

Key Takeaways

1. Transition from operator to leader. Work on the business, not in it. This mindset shift is the turning point for every founder ready to scale.
2. Build your network with gratitude and empathy. Relationships cultivated with care become your greatest long-term asset.
3. Stay open to pivoting. The business you build two years from now will look nothing like what you imagined today, and that is a strength.

Connect with James Orsini

• LinkedIn: James Orsini
• Vyve: @Revive (social handles)
• Factotum: factotum.com
• J & J Consulting Services (LinkedIn)

Connect with Julie Riga

• Stay On Course Podcast
• Before I Lead Program
• julieriga.com/lead

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