{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Growth Without Referrals","title":"Episode 55 - How Remote Teams, AI & Global Talent Are Changing Business Growth | Mike Swigunski","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1401,"description":"What does it take to build and scale a business when your team, customers, and opportunities are no longer limited by geography?\nIn this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with entrepreneur, author, and remote work advocate Mike Swigunski to explore how remote-first companies are changing the way businesses hire, operate, and grow.\nMike shares how his own journey from studying abroad to working internationally eventually led him into startups, entrepreneurship, and helping build globally distributed teams. He explains why remote companies have access to a much larger talent pool—and why simply hiring remote employees isn't enough to build a successful remote organization.\nMike and Mark also explore how AI is reshaping hiring, productivity, entrepreneurship, and competition. Mike makes the case that AI itself may not replace most people—but people who know how to use AI effectively will have a major advantage over those who don't.\nThe conversation also dives into one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today: building trust and generating opportunities without relying entirely on referrals. Mike shares how content, video, virtual events, and intentional follow-up can turn audiences into leads, advocates, and customers.\nIn this episode, you'll discover:\nWhy global hiring can dramatically expand your talent pool\nWhat separates successful remote companies from struggling ones\nWhy every remote role needs clearly defined KPIs\nThe skills that make employees especially valuable in remote organizations\nHow AI is likely to change hiring and entrepreneurship\nWhy AI users may have a major advantage over non-users\nHow content and video can establish trust before a sales conversation\nHow Mike turned a virtual summit into a significant growth opportunity\nWhy hiring, training, and retaining talent eventually becomes a major scaling challenge\nThe importance of aligning employee incentives with company goals\nWhy entrepreneurs shouldn't try to...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/NYwb67S6-1TluJIm7IWT5DNldCEIlXpN2yNDR9nHiiE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zODM2/ZWZlYjNmZjljYjZk/MTZhNzE0ZWFjY2Ri/MDkxOC5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}