In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, John and Tyler Richards are joined by Phil Kirkeiner, the CEO of Baton ( https://www.batonleads.com/ ), a rapidly growing referral platform for the home services industry. Phil, a former student of John's, shares his incredible journey from being a music major and accountant to a successful entrepreneur. We dive deep into the origin story of Baton, born from a problem Phil discovered while working at a pest control company. Phil discusses the tough decisions he's made, including going with an offshore sales team and how it led to more sales. He also reveals his unique strategy for scaling by building a 50-person remote team in the Philippines, sharing actionable tips for hiring and management. This episode is packed with insights on founder-market fit, the power of being teachable, and the mindset required to grow a company from $150k to a projected $7 million in revenue. Join other startup founders on our online community: https://startupignition.com/academy (00:00:00) Going with an Offshore Sales Team & Getting More Sales (00:01:16) Welcome to the Startup Ignition Podcast (00:02:21) From John's Student to CEO of Baton (00:03:05) Phil's Journey: From Drummer to Accountant to Entrepreneur (00:05:45) Icebreaker: This or That with Phil (00:08:38) How John Knew Phil Would Be a Success (00:11:07) The Superpower of Being Teachable (00:13:59) Phil's First Business: EveryBankBonus.com (00:19:34) The Problem: Dead Leads in Pest Control (00:24:29) Validating the Idea for Baton at Pest World (00:28:37) The Best Way to Dispel Fear is Action (00:30:28) How the Startup Ignition Boot Camp Provided a Clear Roadmap (00:33:11) Finding the Right Co-Founder in Cody (00:37:09) From $150k Revenue to Raising the First Round (00:39:00) How Baton's Referral Platform Works (00:43:38) The Mindset Behind Explosive Revenue Growth (00:47:42) The Hardest Challenge: Overcoming Being a People Pleaser (00:51:24) Why They Went With an Offshore Sales Team (00:54:18) The "Founder Problem": Why Startups Prematurely Hire Sales Teams (00:56:08) Building a 50-Person Remote Team in the Philippines (00:59:31) How to Successfully Hire and Manage a Remote Workforce (01:03:36) The Impact: Changing Lives in the Philippines (01:05:45) Phil's Final Advice: Just Start and Talk to Customers Learn more about us: https://startupignition.com/links Apply to be a guest on the pod: https://startup-ignition-podcast.paperform.co/ Follow John & Tyler: https://x.com/trich_ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrichards/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StartupIgnition Follow on X: https://x.com/startupignition Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupignition/ Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startupignition Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/6458758/admin/dashboard/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupignition/ #Startup #Entrepreneurship #Baton #PestControl #SaaS #Bootstrapping #VentureCapital #FounderStory #StartupIgnition #CEO #RemoteWork #GlobalTeam #Philippines #Sales #Scaling #BusinessGrowth #FounderMarketFit #Mentorship #LeanStartup #StartupAdvice
