Scaling the Gap

About Scaling the Gap

A podcast for bold, bright, ambitious leaders who want to think more honestly about success. In each episode, Madeleine MacRae explores what success really costs, how leaders define it for themselves, and how that definition evolves over time.

Publisher

Madeleine MacRae

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Feb 2024

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

140 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   From Dental Assistant to Paint Store Pioneer

   What does it take to build a business around the life you actually want? On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeline McCrae sits down with Ashley Peterson, co-owner of Blue Mist Paint and Supply, to talk about entrepreneurship, time freedom, taking bold risks, and finding success in unexpected places. Ashley and her husband, Heath, started their business just three years ago. What began as a renovation company with a showroom evolved through several pivots, including flooring, cabinetry, and installation, before becoming the full-service paint and supply store it is today. Ashley openly shares what she thought business ownership would look like versus what she actually discovered. While she expected the money and financial success, one of the greatest benefits has been something far more valuable to her: time freedom. Today, entrepreneurship gives Ashley the flexibility to spend more time with her son, homeschool him, support other local businesses, and use her own business as a real-world learning environment for him. Ashley also talks about the challenge of introducing Dunn-Edwards paint to South Carolina, where the brand was unfamiliar to many local painters. Rather than seeing that lack of awareness as a reason to stop, she saw an opportunity to help establish the brand in her market and build something that could have a much bigger impact over time. Along the way, Ashley has experienced some unexpected wins, including appearing on the cover of a trade magazine and winning a Best of South Carolina award for her independently owned paint and hardware store. In this conversation, Ashley and Madeline explore: Why time freedom can be more valuable than financial success How Ashley and Heath continually evolved their business until they found the right fit What it takes to introduce an unfamiliar brand to a new market Why creating your own category can help you stand out How entrepreneurship has allowed Ashley to spend more time with her son Why success can mean having more mountains left to climb How building a business can become an opportunity to teach and empower the next generation At the heart of Ashley's story is a powerful idea: you don't always have to compete in an existing category. Sometimes, you can create your own. Bold Enough explores the pressure, pivots, clarity, and courage behind building businesses and lives on your own terms.

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Turning Life's Hard Knocks into a Coaching Legacy

   What does it take to build a business that can succeed without you? On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeline McCrae sits down with Bill McDevitt, small business and leadership coach and founder of Top of the World Coaching, to explore leadership, personal growth, succession, and the deeper meaning of building a lasting legacy. Bill spent nearly three decades with McDonald’s before making the transition from corporate America into entrepreneurship. Along the way, he discovered a leadership principle that would shape much of his work: teach people what you know, then have them teach someone else. That philosophy helped Bill understand the importance of developing people rather than making yourself indispensable. As he explains, if an owner is the business, it becomes difficult to build transferable value or eventually step away from it. Bill also shares his “Three Ps” philosophy: people, performance, and profit. His approach starts with getting the right people, training and coaching them well, and creating an environment where strong performance can naturally lead to stronger results. The conversation takes a personal turn as Bill shares the story of losing his wife to breast cancer and how honoring a promise they made together ultimately influenced his decision to leave corporate America and launch his coaching business. He also reflects on a lesson he learned as a 12-year-old paperboy, when taking responsibility for a broken window taught him about honesty, accountability, collaboration, and the lasting impact of doing the right thing. Bill and Madeline explore: Why being indispensable can actually hold a leader back How training your replacement creates stronger organizations Why business owners need to build systems beyond themselves The connection between people, performance, and profit How honesty and accountability shape lasting relationships Why empathy, flexibility, and self-awareness matter in leadership How difficult experiences can influence the direction of your life What it really means to build a meaningful legacy At the heart of this conversation is a powerful question: What will people say about you when you're not in the room, and what will they say when you're no longer around? This is a conversation about building something that lasts, empowering others to grow, and creating a legacy that extends far beyond the business itself. Bill McDevitt Top of the World Coaching - https://totwcoaching.com/ (https://totcoaching.com/) Email - bmcdevitt@totwcoaching.com (mailto:bmcdevitt@totwcoaching.com) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmcdevitt-top-of-the-world-coaching (https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmcdevitt-top-of-the-world-coaching) Madeleine MacRae Website - https://mmmacrae.com/making-changes-training-motivating/ (https://mmmacrae.com/making-changes-training-motivating/) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine (https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/ (https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/) Book – The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough (https://www.amazon.com/Tenacious-Pursuit-Peace-Success-Enough/dp/B0CQVLWLBG)

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Building a Business That Serves People First: Lessons from Surv’s Founder

   How does a simple idea become a business that changes the way people think about work, community, and growth? On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeline McRae speaks with Patrick Brown, founder of Surv, about entrepreneurship, franchising, personal growth, and building a company around service. Patrick’s entrepreneurial journey started in college when he began knocking on doors in his community and offering his help to homeowners. His goal was simple: earn money for school while learning practical skills. But what he discovered was something much bigger — the power of building relationships and becoming part of people’s lives. That early experience became the foundation for Surv, a company designed to help homeowners with everyday tasks while creating opportunities for people to learn, grow, and contribute to their communities. After expanding across Rhode Island, Patrick began franchising the business and building a model that could be replicated in new markets. In this conversation, Patrick shares what he learned while transitioning from being the person doing the work to the person building the system. He discusses the challenges of creating a repeatable franchise model, empowering franchise owners, and developing a business that can scale without losing its original mission. Patrick also opens up about one of the biggest lessons of his entrepreneurial journey: the importance of feedback. From having his first website completely critiqued by professional designers to learning how to separate valuable feedback from noise, he explains how growth comes from being willing to listen, reflect, and improve. At the heart of this episode is a powerful idea: Success is not just about reaching a finish line. It is about becoming who you want to become, creating meaningful impact, and embracing the journey along the way. A thoughtful conversation for entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone looking to turn everyday opportunities into something meaningful. Pat Brown Website: https://www.wesurv.com/ (https://www.wesurv.com/) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pat-brown-surv (http://linkedin.com/in/pat-brown-surv) Madeleine MacRae Website - https://mmmacrae.com/making-changes-training-motivating/ (https://mmmacrae.com/making-changes-training-motivating/) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine (https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/ (https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/) Book – The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough (https://www.amazon.com/Tenacious-Pursuit-Peace-Success-Enough/dp/B0CQVLWLBG)

Who has been a guest on Scaling the Gap

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Rob White
• Klay Hafeez
• Jeremy Owens
• Bruce Kozak
• Thomas Scott

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Scaling the Gap

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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