By: Jeffrey Hayzlett
The common thought is that
I’ve sat across the table from a lot of leaders who think they’re ready to go global. They’ve had success in the U.S., they’ve built a strong team, and now they want to plant their flag overseas.
And that’s exactly where things start to go sideways.
On a recent episode of All Business, I sat down with Dr. Janet Walsh, CEO and President of Birchtree Global and President of the Irish Business Organization of New York (IBO). She has operated in 87 countries and all 50 states. Translation? She’s seen the good, the bad, and the “what the hell were they thinking?”
And she didn’t sugarcoat it.
Your Network Is Your First Expansion Strategy
Before we even got into global expansion, we talked about the IBO and there’s a lesson there for every CEO.
Janet has rebuilt and fully staffed the leadership team post-COVID, and the result is simple: better service, stronger connections, and faster opportunities. What she did goes beyond theoretical networking. This is “I need a venue, a partner, or a job filled today” kind of network.
That’s what a real business community does.
More importantly, she’s focused on the next generation, bringing in young talent, helping them sharpen real-world skills like interviewing, and connecting them directly with decision-makers. That’s how you build a pipeline, not just a membership list.
Experience Beats Advice Every Time
There’s a big difference between advice and counsel. Advice is cheap. Usually from people who’ve never done it.
Counsel? That comes from people who’ve been there, made the mistakes, fixed them, and can help you avoid stepping on the same landmines.
Janet looks for people with proven, peer-backed experience. Not just opinions. Not just one-off wins. Real pattern recognition across markets.
If you’re expanding globally, you don’t need theory, you need reps.
The Biggest Mistake Companies Make Going Global
You want the truth? Most companies screw up HR.
Not marketing. Not sales. HR.
Why is that? Because they underestimate it.
In the U.S., you can get away with generalists early on. Try that in Europe, and you’ll run headfirst into regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), labor laws that actually protect employees, and tax implications you didn’t even know existed.
Hire one person in the wrong country the wrong way, and suddenly you’ve created a taxable presence. Congratulations, you’re now playing a game you didn’t even know you entered.
That’s not a small mistake. That’s a business-altering one.
The “Four-Legged Stool” of Global Success
Janet broke it down in a way every CEO should write on their whiteboard: Legal. Financial. Tax. HR.
Miss one leg, and the whole thing collapses.
Every country plays by different rules. If you don’t build your strategy around that reality, you’re not scaling, you’re gambling.
And let me be clear: a basic SWOT analysis isn’t going to save you here. You need a structured approach, a real framework, and most importantly, you need to know the right questions to ask.
Because if you don’t know the questions, you’re definitely not getting the right answers.
Stop Copy-Pasting Your U.S. Playbook
I’ve seen this too many times.
A company succeeds in the U.S. and says, “Let’s just replicate this in another country.”
That’s a fast track to failure.
Different markets require different leadership, different cultural understanding, and different execution. You don’t send your U.S. CMO to run China because they “like Chinese food.” You build local expertise, or you train someone properly over time.
Global isn’t a copy-paste job. It’s a rebuild.
Adaptability Is the Real Competitive Advantage
If there was one word Janet kept coming back to, it was this: adaptability.
Your strategy might be right, but your path will change.
Markets shift. Regulations change. Economies fluctuate. What worked last year might not work next year.
The companies that win aren’t the ones with the perfect plan. They’re the ones that can adjust without losing momentum.
Bespoke Strategy = Better Performance
What I respect most about Janet’s approach is that it’s not about what’s easiest; it’s about what’s right.
At Birchtree Global, they don’t push you into a market because it’s convenient. They look at your strategy and build the infrastructure around it, sometimes even telling you not to go where you originally planned.
That kind of objectivity is rare and it’s valuable.
Because the wrong location, the wrong structure, or the wrong partners can cost you millions.
What I Took Away
At the end of every show, I like to boil it down to what really matters.
This one was simple: Experience. Talent. Judgment.
You need experienced people to guide you. You need the right talent to execute. And you need the judgment to ask the right questions before you make big moves.
Global expansion isn’t about ambition; it’s about preparation.
Get that wrong, and it’ll cost you. Get it right, and it can transform your business.
Watch the full episode of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett, live from the New York Stock Exchange.
