Ep 125: How One CEO Got Out of the Day-to-Day and Scaled a Smarter Business with Antony Dutton

If you’re tired of doing everything yourself, stuck in decision loops, and feel like real growth is always just out of reach, this conversation will hit home. 

Antony Dutton took over a business he knew nothing about, built rock-solid leadership rhythms, empowered his team, and scaled a system that now runs without him. No hustle, no magic bullet. Just clear, repeatable growth, built with intention.

When Antony bought Provender, he knew next to nothing about vending. Today, it’s a thriving national brand redefining workplace food and beverage. This episode is a front-row seat to the mindset, decisions, and hard-won wisdom of a CEO who’s scaled a legacy business into something modern, lean, and growth-ready.

You’ll hear honest stories about failure, innovation, and what it really takes to step back from the day-to-day without the wheels falling off.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Redefining a traditional business into a modern, scalable growth machine (01:50)
• Systems and tech that give franchise partners real-time visibility and accountability and how centralised data fuels smarter decisions without bottlenecking the CEO (06:01)
• Why innovation only works when it solves real pain (09:02)
• Why structured team rhythms are the CEO’s secret weapon to escaping day-to-day chaos (11:11)
• A wake-up call about control, supply chains, and the price of procrastination, plus why acting fast on people problems is essential (15:04)
• Empowering people while aligning business growth with their personal goals (21:09)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Invest in rhythm and structure. Regular leadership rhythms free up mental space to think long-term and lead strategically.
• Act fast on people decisions. Delaying tough calls around team fit or performance only drags growth down.
• Build trust before scale. A team that trusts each other (and you) will thrive even when you’re not in the room.
• Leverage tech to empower, not control. Smart use of data and systems gives your people autonomy while keeping the business on track.
• Your team is your growth engine. Success isn’t about doing more yourself; it’s about building a team that can grow the business even without you.

If you’re feeling stuck, stretched thin, or unsure how to scale without losing control, this one’s for you.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: [email protected]

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
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3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
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