#021: 500 Remote Employees, Zero Office Space: The Anti-Traditional Playbook
#021: 500 Remote Employees, Zero Office Space: The Anti-Traditional Playbook

Real Talk. Real Growth.
Real Results In The Mid-market.

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In this powerful episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Brad Stevens, founder and CEO of Outsource Access, to explore his remarkable journey from serial entrepreneur to building a 500-person remote workforce in the Philippines—all while navigating a global pandemic.

What You’ll Learn

  • The Remote Leadership Framework – How to build culture, maintain communication, and drive performance with 500 employees in another country
  • Scaling Without Implosion – The systems, frameworks, and leadership principles that enabled 4.5 years of hypergrowth
  • The Onboarding Advantage – Why most companies fail at onboarding and Brad’s 90-day playbook that actually works
  • Level 5 Leadership in Action – Practical applications of Jim Collins’ principles for mid-market CEOs

Key Takeaways for Mid-Market CEOs

  • ✅ The EOS framework combined with the Four Disciplines of Execution creates accountability and clarity
  • ✅ Recognition matters more than you think—Brad spends 10–15 hours each month writing personal welcome messages
  • ✅ A simple 2-question exercise reveals your biggest business constraints in a single survey
  • ✅ Why onboarding takes 90 days (not 2 weeks) and how to structure it for success
  • ✅ Ferrari intensity doesn’t work with cargo ship reality—how to manage expectations during hypergrowth

Whether you’re managing remote teams, scaling rapidly, or struggling with onboarding, this episode delivers battle-tested frameworks from a CEO who grew 500 employees across the world during a pandemic.

Key Timestamps

  • 00:00 – Introduction: Brad Stevens & Outsource Access
  • 02:15 – The Entrepreneurial Origin Story: Third Grade Micro Machines Business
  • 05:30 – Wharton to Unemployment: The $20K Signing Bonus Plot Twist
  • 08:45 – First Company: Patient Assistance Programs for Seniors
  • 11:20 – The Nutritional Supplements Journey
  • 13:40 – Teeth Whitening Product Fiasco: 10,000 Units, 18 Countries
  • 16:25 – Discovering Outsourcing & Launching Outsource Access (2019)
  • 19:10 – Growing to 500 Employees in 4.5 Years Across 85 Industries
  • 22:30 – Launching Right Before COVID: Building Remote Culture from Day One
  • 25:45 – EOS Framework: The System That Prevented Implosion
  • 28:20 – Jim Collins’ Level 5 Leadership in Practice
  • 30:50 – Writing Personal Welcome Messages to Every New Hire
  • 33:15 – Virtual Leadership: Intentional Communication & Cadence
  • 36:40 – The Five Chronological Steps Framework
  • 39:20 – Building Culture Remotely: Virtual Success Magazine & UN Goals
  • 42:10 – Employee Engagement: Recognition, Purpose, and Autonomy
  • 44:50 – “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”: Scaling Challenges
  • 47:30 – Ferrari Intensity vs. Cargo Ship Reality
  • 50:15 – The 2-Question Exercise That Reveals Business Constraints
  • 52:40 – The 90-Day Onboarding Process & Playbook Creation
  • 55:20 – Rapid Fire: Reading List, Early Lessons & Advice
  • 57:30 – Closing Thoughts

Resources Mentioned

Books & Frameworks

  • Good to Great – Jim Collins
  • Built to Last – Jim Collins
  • The Four Disciplines of Execution – Stephen R. Covey
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John C. Maxwell
  • Who Not How – Dan Sullivan
  • The Four-Hour Workweek – Tim Ferriss
  • Predictable Success – Les McKeown

Content & Programs

  • Alex Hormozi – Content and Programs
ABOUT THE GUEST:

Brad Stevens is the founder and CEO of Outsource Access, a company that helps small to medium-sized businesses integrate talented offshore staff from the Philippines to drive scale and profitability. Since launching in 2019, Brad has grown the company to 500 employees across 85 different industries, building a distributed workforce model before the pandemic made it necessary.

A Wharton graduate and serial entrepreneur for 25 years, Brad has built and sold companies in pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, teeth whitening products, and now outsourcing. He’s a 14-year member of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) and served as President of EO Atlanta. Brad is passionate about level 5 leadership, systematic onboarding, and proving that remote teams can build exceptional culture and deliver outstanding results.

About Jane Gentry

Jane Gentry has had a successful 30-year career as a CEO, Business Consultant, Executive Coach, and Keynoter. Jane formed her practice in 1999 and since then has partnered with her clients to improve growth, profitability, client retention, employee retention, leadership capabilities and business value.

Jane leverages strategies including the proprietary Value Blueprint to enable business owners and leaders to successfully create healthy organizations, plan for succession or sell their businesses for the highest possible market value. Jane is considered one of the top voices in leadership and sales.

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CEOs Unscripted

Where Real Talk Drives Real Growth And Delivers Real Results For Mid-market Leaders.

Welcome to CEOs Unscripted, the podcast where real talk drives real growth and delivers real results for mid-market leaders. Each episode offers an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at the wins, the losses, and the playbooks shared by CEOs, founders, and executives. Grab a seat and join us for unscripted, honest conversations about what it takes to lead, grow, and scale in today’s business landscape. 

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