In this episode of Growth Think Tank, Gene Hammett sits down with Arad Levertov, CEO and Co-Founder of Sunbit, an Inc. 5000 company ranked No. 1,374 in 2025, to discuss how leaders can stay true to their mission while scaling a fast-growing organization. Arad shares how Sunbit was founded with a mission to reduce financial waste and friction by providing personalized financial solutions that benefit both consumers and merchants. He reflects on the frustrating credit card application experience that inspired the company’s creation and explains how Sunbit has expanded across industries, including auto repair, dental care, and eyewear, while facilitating millions of customer financing transactions. The conversation also explores how mission-driven leadership is reinforced through communication, company values, and performance evaluations, as well as the important lessons learned from hiring too quickly during rapid growth. This episode offers valuable insights for leaders seeking to scale their companies without losing sight of their purpose.
Episode Highlights & Time Stamps
1:22 Staying True While Scaling
4:15 Sunbit’s Customer Promise
5:10 The Costco Moment
8:12 Who Sunbit Serves
11:45 Growth Pressure And Fees
14:35 Spreading The Mission
16:32 Living The Core Values
18:06 Leading By Customer Feel
20:10 Hiring Mistakes And Focus
In this episode, Gene Hammett sits down with Arad Levertov, CEO and Co-Founder of Sunbit, to explore how leaders can stay true to their mission while navigating rapid growth. Arad shares the personal experience that inspired Sunbit’s creation and explains how the company has built financial solutions designed to eliminate waste, reduce friction, and help consumers access the services they need without unnecessary fees.
The conversation dives into the challenges of maintaining a mission-driven culture while scaling to more than 750 employees and serving millions of customers. Arad discusses the importance of communication, living company values, putting customers first, and making difficult decisions that prioritize long-term trust over short-term revenue. He also reflects on leadership lessons learned during periods of hypergrowth and shares why staying focused often means saying “no” to opportunities that don’t align with the company’s purpose.
Building a Mission-Driven Fintech Company
Sunbit’s mission is simple but powerful:
Eliminate financial waste and friction so people can spend and save with confidence.
By partnering directly with merchants, Sunbit helps customers access flexible payment options while enabling businesses to grow.
The Challenge of Staying Mission-Focused During Growth
As companies scale, leaders face constant pressure to increase revenue and accelerate growth.
Arad explains why Sunbit refuses to generate revenue through late fees or hidden charges even when investors push for faster monetization.
Instead, the company focuses on operational excellence, efficiency, and better customer outcomes.
Communication Is Everything
According to Arad, mission alignment requires relentless communication.
Leaders must consistently reinforce the mission through:
- Company meetings
- Performance evaluations
- Project prioritization
- Hiring decisions
- Internal communications
- Daily conversations
Mission and values should become the organization’s “North Star.”
Serve Others Before Self
Sunbit’s first core value is: Serve others before self.
This mindset encourages employees to:
- Share knowledge openly
- Support team members
- Put customers first
- Remove internal competition
- Prioritize collective success over individual recognition
The goal is simple: when everyone focuses on helping others succeed, the entire organization wins.
Notable Quote
“Don’t focus on your ego. Our goal together is to serve others. We can serve more customers, eliminate more financial waste, and help more people.” — Arad Levertov
Lessons Learned About Hiring
Reflecting on the rapid-growth environment of 2021, Arad shares one of his biggest leadership lessons:
Growing quickly can lead to hiring the wrong people for the wrong roles.
His advice:
- Hire deliberately
- Focus on role fit
- Leverage technology wisely
- Stay disciplined as you scale
Key Takeaways
- Why mission-driven companies outperform when growth creates pressure.
- The personal Costco experience that inspired Sunbit’s founding.
- How eliminating financial waste became Sunbit’s core mission.
- Why Sunbit refuses to charge late fees or origination fees.
- The importance of consistent communication as companies scale.
- How company values are reinforced through hiring, performance reviews, and daily decisions.
- Why “Serve Others Before Self” is Sunbit’s foundational value.
- How leaders can avoid becoming disconnected from customers as organizations grow.
- Lessons learned from hiring too quickly during periods of rapid expansion.
- Why maintaining focus requires saying “no” more often than saying “yes.”
This episode is a must-listen for CEOs and executives looking to lead innovation with purpose, scale responsibly with AI, and build cultures where people feel empowered to think boldly and grow.
Connect With Today’s Guest
Arad Levertov is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sunbit, a financial technology company focused on eliminating financial waste and helping consumers spend and save with confidence through personalized financial solutions. Under his leadership, Sunbit has expanded to more than 40,000 merchant locations and served millions of customers across the United States.
How to Connect with Arad Levertov:
LinkedIn: Arad Levertov (LinkedIn)
Company Website: Sunbit – to learn more about his work and platform
Get In Touch with Arad: Contact
Resources & Next Steps
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