030: We Grew 5X in 5 Years, Then Everything Broke |…

About this episode

Leading a founder-led business means stepping into someone else's vision, culture, and team, and finding a way to move all of it forward without breaking what made it work in the first place. If you have ever taken over a team, a department, or an entire company you did not build, you already know how delicate that balance is. Rhiannon Hoeweler knows it better than most. She became the first ever non-founder CEO of MadTree Brewing in Cincinnati, stepping in while the two original founders stayed on, and has since led the company from one location and 80 employees to four locations and more than 400.Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence and a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, talks with Rhiannon about what actually breaks when a company grows that fast, why three different service models across MadTree's locations turned into a payroll nightmare, and how MadTree became a B Corp and a 1% for the Planet member along the way, work recently recognized at Climate Week in New York City. Rhiannon also opens up about the workaholism her body keeps forcing her to confront, and the two career accomplishments, Zoo Access for All and MadTree's ReLeaf tree planting program, she is proudest of. If you are leading a team, a company, or a culture you did not build, this conversation will change how you think about trust.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why leading a founder-led business means earning trust from a team, and from the founders themselves, before you have built any of it yourself.What actually breaks inside a company when headcount jumps from eighty to over four hundred employees in just five years.Why three different service models across MadTree's four locations created hidden payroll and HR headaches nobody saw coming until the company had already scaled.How leaning on her two core strengths, relationship building and trust, lets Rhiannon lead well without knowing every detail of the business.Why MadTree became a B Corp and a 1% for the Planet member, and what that commitment looks like in daily operations.What Rhiannon is doing to break a workaholism pattern her body kept forcing her to confront, including a daily walk and gratitude writing.Why Zoo Access for All and MadTree ReLeaf are the two accomplishments Rhiannon is proudest of, and what they say about who gets invited to the table. We talk about:00:00 What happens when a company gets the growth it dreamed of01:00 When Rhiannon first realized she was a leader03:00 Stepping into a founder-led business she did not build05:00 What makes MadTree Brewing different in a saturated market07:00 How MadTree grew from just beer into food and hospitality09:00 When the founders' vision shifted beyond beer alone11:00 Building toward zero waste and earning B Corp certification13:00 What actually broke as MadTree scaled from 80 to 400 employees15:00 The service model differences that complicated payroll behind the scenes18:00 Why leaders should lean into their own strengths instead of everything27:00 The career accomplishments Rhiannon is proudest of34:00 Lightning round: DISC profile, favorite podcast, best advice, and walk-on songResources:Acquired Podcast: https://www.acquired.fm/ Connect with Rhiannon: Website: https://madtree.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadTree/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madtreebrewing/ X: https://x.com/madtreebrewing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-hoeweler-4bb29a44/ Connect with meInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #FounderLedBusiness #NonFounderCEO #LeadershipDevelopment #CompanyCulture #ScalingABusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #WomenInLeadership #CraftBreweryLife #BCorpBusiness #SustainableBusiness #WorkLifeBalance #BusinessGrowth #TeamCulture #TrustInLeadership #EntrepreneurMindset #ExecutiveLeadership #CincinnatiBusiness #MadTreeBrewing #ThinkOutsideTheBoss