David Asarnow
David Asarnow on Big Growth Bets, Franchise Scaling, and Operationalizing AI Across Your Team
A practical conversation on leadership conviction, building divisions that scale, and using AI frameworks to eliminate bottlenecks and accelerate execution.
David Asarnow joins Henry Harrison to break down what it really takes to scale inside a company, build new divisions from scratch, and turn strategy into measurable revenue. They also dig into how leaders can train entire teams to use AI intelligently—not as a gimmick, but as a repeatable operating advantage.
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About This Episode
David Asarnow has lived multiple versions of the growth story: scaling a corporate division from zero to $45M+, stepping into the President/CEO seat to build and franchise a business, and now training leadership teams to apply AI as a company-wide capability—not a point solution.
In this episode, Henry Harrison and David unpack what it looks like to earn trust inside an organization by thinking like an owner, making bold commitments, and following through with disciplined execution. David shares how a “big, hairy, audacious goal” became more than a slogan—it became a forcing function for planning, focus, and accountability.
They also explore how the AI shift changes the standard for business growth. David explains why tools will come and go, but the real advantage comes from learning the psychology of communicating with AI and training teams—from engineers to first-time users—to work smarter with it.
The conversation moves from founder lessons and leadership habits to modern strategy: how to build an AI plan that connects directly to revenue, operational bottlenecks, and execution speed. If you’re building a company, leading a team, or investing in scalable systems, this episode offers a grounded, real-world perspective on entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategy.
Key Insights
Treat the company you work for like you own it—especially when deciding how to spend money, time, and attention.
Big growth commitments create clarity, but only if paired with a real plan (SWOT, positioning, execution cadence, and accountability).
Relationships still close deals—even at the enterprise level—because people buy from people.
AI value isn’t “using ChatGPT.” It’s building repeatable frameworks that remove bottlenecks across departments.
Train the whole organization, not just a few power users, so execution improves everywhere—not in isolated pockets.
Learn the transferable skill: how to communicate with AI effectively. Tools change; strong prompts and thinking patterns persist.
Confidence can be built deliberately through consistent practice and mindset training, not personality.
Intrapreneurship is a real path: you can build like a founder inside a company and earn outsized opportunity.
Episode Transcript
This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow. Filler words, repetitions, and minor grammatical inconsistencies have been removed, and formatting has been adjusted for easier reading. The substance, intent, and meaning of the original conversation have been preserved.
Henry Harrison:
Welcome to the next episode of the Henry Harrison Podcast—Entrepreneurs and Finance.
We’re fortunate to have David Asarnow on the show today. We have mutual friends we don’t even know about because we’re both members of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and we both spend time in Atlanta, where David lives.
David has an incredible background—speaking, coaching, building an AI company, leading a major division of a company to growth beyond expectations, and starting his own franchise business about 15 years ago.
There’s a lot to cover. This isn’t Joe Rogan—we normally keep these around 30 to 40 minutes—but I have a feeling we could easily go three hours with David.
David, thanks for coming on.
David Asarnow:
Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
Current Focus: Business Nitrogen & AI
Henry Harrison:
Let’s start with where you are right now.
David Asarnow:
Right now, I have two companies:
Business Nitrogen
Business Nitrogen AI
I’m excited about helping companies leverage artificial intelligence to build, grow, and scale.
From my years of training, I realized I’m really good at helping people uplevel their teams and talent. I started by training my own team, and now I do it for other companies and speak at conferences.
AI Strategy vs Tools
Henry Harrison:
You’re taking a more holistic approach to AI—not just tools, but across the whole organization.
David Asarnow:
Exactly.
It’s about understanding bottlenecks in a business and asking:
How do we release those through:
Human intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Automation
When you align an entire organization—not just “how to use ChatGPT,” but how to use AI strategically—everything changes.
You essentially gain a collaboration partner that challenges your thinking and helps you become better.
AI Adoption Advice
David Asarnow:
People ask what they should do. My answer is simple:
AI is not going away
It will replace jobs (it already is)
The most valuable people will be those who know how to use it
Companies should train their teams—and individuals should invest in learning it, even if their company doesn’t.
Corporate Growth Story (BHAG)
Henry Harrison:
You’ve done both corporate growth and entrepreneurship. Tell us about building that division.
David Asarnow:
Early in my career, I treated the company like it was my own—that was advice from my grandfather.
I created a full business plan inspired by Built to Last and introduced a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal):
Build a $40–$45M division
Make it the most profitable
At the time, the company was $68M total revenue.
Six months in, I landed early traction.
Year one: $2.2M
Year two: $22M
Year five: over $45M
We delivered over $9M to the bottom line in one year.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
Henry Harrison:
Then you moved into franchising.
David Asarnow:
Yes. I joined a private equity-backed company as President/CEO.
I proposed:
Raising $1.4M externally
Restructuring ownership
Building a franchise model
I raised $750K in under two months, left my job, and executed the plan.
Within a year:
We turned profitability around (~$350K swing)
Rebranded to Clix Portrait Studios
Built the foundation for franchising
Personal Turning Point
Henry Harrison:
You mentioned earlier you weren’t always this confident.
David Asarnow:
Not at all.
As a teenager, I struggled with depression after my parents’ divorce.
At 16, I bought a cassette tape called Increasing Self-Confidence. I listened to it every night for 30 days.
That experience taught me the power of mindset:
What you believe, you can achieve
But you must take massive action
Speaking & Tony Robbins Connection
Henry Harrison:
You also became a speaker.
David Asarnow:
Yes. After a poor early speaking experience, I invested heavily in training.
Eventually, I connected with Chet Holmes and Business Breakthroughs International (Tony Robbins’ company).
At first, I struggled to adapt—but within 90 days:
I was outperforming other speakers
Generating ~63% more enrollments
That experience forced me to solve real business problems live, in front of audiences.
TEDx Experience
Henry Harrison:
What about your TED Talk?
David Asarnow:
That was the hardest talk I’ve ever given.
I had:
45 days to prepare
No script initially
A coach to help structure it
I practiced constantly.
On stage, I shared personal stories for the first time—so the emotion would be real.
TED Talks live forever, so I treated it differently than any other talk.
AI Philosophy
David Asarnow:
Today, my focus is on teaching AI fundamentals:
Not tools (they change constantly)
But how to communicate with AI
If you master communication, you can use any platform:
ChatGPT
Gemini
Grok
Perplexity
The fundamentals transfer.
Entrepreneurship vs Intrapreneurship
Henry Harrison:
We’ve talked about entrepreneurship being difficult.
David Asarnow:
It is.
You have to:
Make payroll
Solve every problem
Work long hours
Often, you make less money per hour for years.
Only do it if you truly want it.
But intrapreneurship is powerful too:
Treat the company like it’s yours
You’ll stand out
You’ll get opportunities
Closing Thoughts
Henry Harrison:
Those awards behind you—what are they?
David Asarnow:
ClickFunnels awards. Each represents funnels that generated over $10M.
Henry Harrison:
Big, hairy, audacious goals—that’s a great theme to end on.
David, thank you for coming on. This was terrific.
David Asarnow:
My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
Henry Harrison:
Thanks for joining us on the Henry Harrison Podcast—Entrepreneurs, Business, and Finance. Talk to you soon.
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