Episode 32 - How I Turned Chaos into a $10 Million Success Story with Carl Saunders

In this episode of The Freedom Experience, I sit down with Carl Saunders, the founder of VORUM, a pioneer in prosthetic and orthotic technology. Carl shares his journey from bootstrapping his business to scaling it into a global impact player. We discuss the lessons he learned from navigating growth plateaus, the importance of purpose-driven leadership, and how adopting systems like Metronomics transformed his business. Our conversation also touches on the decision to sell the company, the impact of distraction on business, and the necessity of building a strong sales team. Ultimately, Carl emphasizes the importance of growth and the willingness to adapt and seek coaching to achieve success.

Whether you're an entrepreneur 'riding the tiger' or seeking clarity on your next growth phase, Carl's story offers valuable insights on leveraging purpose, building empowered teams, and making the leap from chaos to intentional growth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Ride the Tiger Strategy: Early in his journey, Carl and his partner embraced a reactive, opportunistic strategy, which brought energy and profitability but eventually led to a plateau and burnout. Transitioning to intentional growth through structured systems was a game-changer.

2. The Power of Purpose: Defining VORUM’s purpose—to improve the quality of care for prosthetic and orthotic patients globally—became a rallying point for the team and a driver for their big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG).

3. Scaling with Systems: Adopting Metronomics helped Carl empower his team, reduce decision-making bottlenecks, and build a culture of accountability. The introduction of daily huddles and one-on-ones enabled better alignment and faster problem-solving.

4. Learning from Failure: An attempted sale of the company highlighted the importance of having the right exit strategy and a leadership team capable of maintaining business momentum.

5. Growth Requires Growth: A key insight from Carl’s story is that companies must grow to provide opportunities for their people. Stagnation risks losing top talent and ultimately jeopardizes the business.

Quote of the Episode: "Our purpose wasn’t about revenue—it was about how often we could improve patients' lives globally. That’s what motivated us." – Carl Saunders

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Metronomics and business team coaching
• 🤯 VORUM’s impact story: From 120 seconds to a patient fitted every 62 seconds
• Connect with Carl Saunders on LinkedIn

Connect with Us:

• Subscribe to The Freedom Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.
• Watch this episode on YouTube.
• Follow Jean Moncrieff on LinkedIn and Instagram.