Building A Global Company By Pivoting Fast To Grow, Scale & Sell
What does it really take to build a company that scales across borders, industries, and even global crises?
Welcome back to ep145 of Inspired To Invest with Joshua Gould.
Joshua is the CEO of The Big Word, a global language services and technology company that has grown to over $100 million in revenue while serving governments, healthcare systems, and legal institutions worldwide.
From launching a translation business in New York just before the financial crisis… to pivoting into government contracts during wartime… to navigating AI disruption and selling a majority stake of his company, Josh shares what it really looks like to build and scale an international business.
This conversation goes far beyond surface-level entrepreneurship advice. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and making high-stakes decisions when the future is anything but certain.
🚀 In this episode, we dive into:
• How Josh built and scaled a global company to over $100M in revenue
• Why having a Plan B (and Plan C) is non-negotiable in business
• The real impact of AI on service-based industries — and where humans still win
• What happens when you sell 75% of your company but remain CEO
• How to pivot your business model when your industry changes overnight
• Lessons from operating in high-pressure environments like healthcare, courts, and government
• The truth about entrepreneurship: uncertainty, risk, and long-term thinking
💡 Key Takeaways:
Building a global business isn’t about getting it right the first time.
It’s about adapting faster than the market shifts around you.
Josh’s journey is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t come from avoiding challenges — it comes from navigating them with clarity, discipline, and the ability to pivot when everything changes.
🌐 Connect with Josh Gould:
• YouTube: ExecCraft
• Learn more about his work in global business and AI-driven communication
🎙️ About Inspired To Invest:
Hosted by Serena Holmes, Inspirehttps://instagram.com/inspiredtoinvestpodcastd To Invest brings you real conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders who are building wealth, scaling businesses, and creating impact across industries.
Inspired To Invest proudly supports the Beyond Success Program, a not-for-profit financial literacy initiative for students, launched by More To Give & MAK Investments. Learn more at @more2give.ca.
➕ Follow Serena Holmes for expert insights on personal branding, business, real estate, investing, and wealth creation. Let’s build wealth together because “when you invest in yourself, the sky’s the limit” 🚀
