Most founders build something that works. Very few build something that works without them.

In this episode of Built to Sell Built to Buy, Sam Penny speaks with Hadri Jaffal, founder of Iron Body Fit, about how he scaled from one EMS fitness studio to around 250 locations across multiple countries, while keeping ownership of the business and avoiding the typical venture capital path.

But this conversation is not really about fitness.

It is about business architecture.

Hadri shares how Iron Body Fit was built around a simple but powerful insight: many people want to take care of their body, but they are either too busy, too inconsistent, or too uncomfortable in traditional gyms. His answer was a fitness model designed for “lazy and busy people”, using EMS technology, trial sessions, word of mouth, franchise systems and a culture of continual improvement.

Sam and Hadri unpack what really happens when a business scales quickly: the cash flow pressure, the hiring pressure, the importance of franchisee results, the challenge of protecting culture, and the moment a founder must stop being the centre of every decision.

Hadri also explains why he gives executives full responsibility, why he hires for empathy over expertise, why some franchisees need to be removed to protect the wider community, and why simple systems like checklists and to-do lists can create enormous leverage.

If you are a founder, franchise owner, business buyer, investor or operator, this episode will make you think differently about scale.

Because growth is not just about opening more doors.

It is about protecting what happens inside them.

In This Episode

You’ll learn:

• Why Iron Body Fit was built for “lazy and busy” people
• How Hadri copied, adapted and executed a model from Germany
• Why trial sessions became the growth engine
• How he scaled through franchisees without giving away equity
• What breaks first when a business grows past 50 locations
• Why cash flow and hiring are constant tensions in fast growth
• How to document culture without creating a 500-page manual
• Why Hadri gives executives 100% trust and responsibility
• The five KPIs Iron Body Fit tracks every day
• Why removing a successful but toxic franchisee can protect the whole network
• How to build systems that reduce dependence on the founder
• Why simple to-do lists still matter in a scaling company

Guest

Hadri Jaffal
Founder, Iron Body Fit
Email: jh@ironbodyfit.com

Call to Action

Learn more and connect with Sam:
https://sampenny.com/hadri-jaffal

What actually breaks growth in a business?

It is rarely just the ads.

In this episode of Built to Sell | Built to Buy, Sam Penny sits down with Ivan Janku, founder of Digital Rocket Ads, to unpack what really sits behind profitable growth in 2026. Ivan has helped generate more than $250 million in client revenue, building his agency from a solo freelance operation in Serbia into a global growth business with a reputation for no-nonsense execution.

This conversation goes deep into the hidden leaks most founders never see. Ivan explains why so many businesses blame traffic when the real issue is the website, the customer journey, broken tracking, weak offers, or systems that do not work together. He shares how his team audits businesses, prioritises fixes, and builds what he calls a more cohesive growth engine rather than just running platform-based marketing.

Sam and Ivan also explore what has changed in digital marketing, including Meta’s Andromeda, AI-assisted creative production, attribution challenges in a post-iOS world, and why so many founders are still making decisions from inside the business rather than through the eyes of the buyer. Ivan’s central message is clear: stop guessing, stop hiding behind vanity metrics, and start fixing the leaky bucket.

You will hear real examples from the trenches, including a fashion brand whose growth was being crushed by a cart bug, enterprise clients wasting huge ad budgets with poor reporting, and the dangerous habit of founders relying on agencies without understanding the full system behind performance.

This episode is for business owners, marketers, and operators who want to scale without chaos and build something more valuable, more saleable, and far more robust.

In this episode:

• How Ivan built Digital Rocket Ads from Serbia into a global agency
• Why most businesses have a “leaky bucket” long before ads are the issue
• The biggest blind spots founders have in their customer journey
• Why audits should come before ad spend
• The website and mobile performance mistakes crushing conversions
• What Andromeda changes inside Meta advertising
• Why attribution is harder than ever and what to track instead
• The role of AI in creative, copy, and campaign production
• Why systems beat rock stars when building a scalable agency
• The mindset shifts required as a founder grows from solo operator to leader

Key takeaway

If your growth feels stuck, the answer is probably not “more ads”. It is more likely better systems, better buyer understanding, cleaner tracking, stronger offers, and the discipline to fix what is broken before pouring fuel on it.

Connect with Ivan Janku

Digital Rocket Ads
LinkedIn: Ivan Janku / eCommerce Megalomania

Read the companion article:
sampenny.com/ivan-janku

What happens after you sell the business that defined you?

In this episode of Built to Sell | Built to Buy, Sam Penny sits down with Gabby Montagnese — the founder behind New Age Caravans — to unpack one of the most compelling comeback stories in Australian manufacturing.

Gabby scaled New Age into one of the country’s top RV brands before bringing in Walkinshaw and ultimately exiting. But what followed wasn’t the typical “ride off into the sunset” moment.

Instead, she stepped back into the arena.

This time, acquiring Bruder — a premium, highly innovative caravan brand that, depending on who you ask, was either under pressure… or massively misunderstood.

This is a raw, honest conversation about:

• what really happens when you lose control of your business
• the emotional and strategic reality of exiting
• and what it takes to come back and buy again

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• Why Gabby brought in Walkinshaw — and what didn’t go to plan
• The moment she realised: “This doesn’t feel like mine anymore”
• The biggest mistakes she made during her exit (and what she’d do differently)
• What really happens to your identity after you sell
• Why most founders underestimate partnerships
• What was actually going on inside Bruder before the acquisition
• How she structured and executed the deal in just a few months
• The difference between building vs buying a business
• Why her definition of success has completely changed

🚐 The Bruder Acquisition — What’s Really Going On

From the outside, Bruder looked like it was under pressure.

Gabby addresses it directly:

• High-cost products ($300K–$500K range)
• Cash flow strain
• Overextension across multiple priorities

Her perspective?

👉 The product was world-class
👉 The business needed operational and financial support

This wasn’t just an acquisition.
It was a strategic intervention.

🧠 Founder Insight

One of the most powerful moments in the episode:

And this:

This episode is as much about self-awareness as it is about business.

🔥 Key Takeaway

Before you bring in capital…
Before you sell…
Before you buy…

👉 Get clear on your “why”

Because if that’s unclear, everything that follows will be too.

🌍 Links & Resources

• Full blog breakdown:
  👉 https://sampenny.com/gabby-montagnese
• Bruder RV:
  👉 https://bruderrv.com
• Destination Unknown Group:
  👉 https://destinationunknowngroup.com
• Frank Montagnese Foundation:
  👉 https://frankmontagnesefoundation.com

🎧 About the Show

Built to Sell | Built to Buy is for founders who want to scale with purpose, maximise valuation, and make smarter decisions — whether they’re building, exiting, or acquiring.

Hosted by Sam Penny.