RITAM POSLA Alan Žepec

Guest Alan ŽepecHosted by Lidija KiselyakMay 3, 2026

Alan Žepec

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Many entrepreneurs feel trapped by the very businesses they built, convinced that letting go of control means risking everything. Alan Žepec, an entrepreneur who started his first company at 21 and scaled it to over a hundred people, understands this paradox intimately. He describes the company as 'your child,' a creation so personal that relinquishing direct oversight feels like a betrayal. Yet, he argues, that very grip is often what chokes growth and exhausts the founder. Žepec spent five years refining a practical framework he calls BOOM—Business Organizational Operational Model—a system designed for small and medium-sized companies. It’s a 'system of play,' much like a sports team needs a strategy beyond just talented players, enabling owners to delegate autonomy and responsibility. His book, 'BOOM: The Path to Freedom for Every Entrepreneur,' is a manual born from two decades of his own experience and the direct application of this model in over twenty companies. This conversation explores the quiet courage it takes to step back from the daily grind and trust a well-designed system, even when it feels counter-intuitive. You’ll hear why the moment an entrepreneur feels 'the water has reached their throat' often becomes the catalyst for their greatest growth, and how a structured approach can lead to both higher profits and more satisfied teams.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Alan Žepec's book, 'BOOM: The Path to Freedom for Every Entrepreneur,' isn't a theoretical text. It's a field manual, refined over five years through direct application in over twenty companies, demonstrating that a proven system is built from what actually works, not just what sounds good on paper.

Žepec compares a company's success not just to having good 'players' (employees), but to a sports team needing a 'system of play.' Small and medium businesses often run on an intuitive, owner-driven 'everyone does everything' model, but scale requires a deliberate framework that defines roles and processes, moving beyond gut feeling to a repeatable strategy.

The core challenge for owners implementing the BOOM system is 'releasing control,' a struggle Žepec likens to parents letting go of their adult children. This innate fear stems from viewing the company as 'your child,' but true growth—for both the company and the founder—demands treating it as an adult entity capable of independent function, guided by a robust system.

Žepec notes that owners are most willing to give up control when 'the water has reached their throat'—when they are overwhelmed, sick, or losing family. Resistance to change often collapses under extreme pressure, revealing that the true catalyst for adopting a new operational model isn't proactive vision, but often the desperate need to survive.

Companies that implemented the BOOM system saw an average 30% increase in revenue and 56% growth in EBITDA. These financial gains were not achieved by 'squeezing' employees, but by enabling 'better play'—a clear system allows teams to perform more effectively, leading to both higher profits and greater employee satisfaction.

Alan Žepec started his first company, Parting (in construction), at 21, growing it to 130 people over 15 years, before transitioning to coaching. His path from construction to business systemization illustrates that deep operational experience, even in a seemingly unrelated field, often provides the bedrock for later expertise in organizational design.

The BOOM system empowers 'players' (employees) with autonomy and responsibility on the field, similar to how a star athlete has freedom within a team's strategy. Giving employees the space to make decisions within a defined system not only builds trust but also makes them more engaged and effective, as they understand their role in the larger game.

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ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution