Hands-Off CEO: Recent Episodes
Mandi Ellefson
They said getting started was the hardest part, but no one told you how hard it is to scale a custom service business. It’s time for your team to step up, but your clients want YOU. Discover how to scale to 7 figures and beyond by freeing up time and getting your team to run whole parts of the company so you can focus on scaling profits. That means more income, more time with your family, and more ability to make impact in the community and beyond. This is the Hands OFF CEO Podcast with Mandi Ellefson.
In this episode, Mandi Ellefson talks with Eli Rubel, founder of Profit Labs, about how agency owners can scale profitably without adding unnecessary headcount, chaos, or complexity.
Eli shares how he’s helped agencies increase net profit, position themselves as the “chosen path” for premium clients, and build lean, profit-first operations that run smoothly without the founder at the center. Instead of growing through brute force or overstaffing, Eli reveals how top-performing agencies grow by focusing on pricing, positioning, and structured systems that work predictably.
When your agency is structured around profit and outcomes, your business scales more easily, your team performs better, and your revenue grows, all while freeing up the founder’s time.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✅ How to use pricing as a lever to drive outsized profit
✅ How to position your agency as results-driven to command higher fees
✅ Building a profit-first model to anticipate growth, team needs, and investments
✅ Structuring teams in profit-driven pods for scalable operations
✅ Avoiding the 7–15 employee growth plateau that stalls many agencies
✅ How to simplify operations while increasing revenue and client outcomes
✅ The mindset shift from doing everything yourself to architecting a business that runs itself
The best agencies don’t grow by doing more, they grow by building the right systems, focusing on profitable outcomes, and empowering their teams to deliver results. With clarity, structure, and profit-first planning, your agency stops depending on you and starts scaling predictably.
🔗 Connect with Eli Rubel:
Website: https://profit-labs.co
🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:
1️⃣ FREE – Stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients. Join our next Executive Briefing → https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast
2️⃣ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: Unlock $10K–$50K Hidden in Your Business Right Now → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
3️⃣ Read The Hands-Off CEO Book (4.7★ on Amazon)
Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out. Grab your copy → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
4️⃣ Apply for The Invisible Advantage™ Growth Program
We’ll help you uncover your Invisible Advantage, package it into a premium offer, and scale profitably without adding to your workload. Learn more → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast
In this episode, Mandi Ellefson talks with Gray MacKenzie, co-founder of ZenPilot, about how agency owners can build scalable, self-managing operations that run smoothly, without adding more people, tools, or chaos.
Gray shares how he’s helped hundreds of agencies streamline their systems, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and build clarity into every level of their business. Instead of growing through brute force and burnout, Gray reveals how top-performing agencies grow through structure, simplicity, and systems that work without the founder at the center.
When your operations run like clockwork, your business becomes easier to scale, your team performs better, and your profit margins rise, all while you get your time back.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✅ How to design scalable systems that eliminate chaos and confusion
✅ The 3 pillars of operational clarity that drive predictable results
✅ Why “doing less” often leads to faster and more profitable growth
✅ How to use ClickUp to streamline delivery and increase accountability
✅ The most common scaling mistakes agencies make and how to avoid them
✅ How to empower your team to own results and make decisions
✅ The mindset shift from managing everything to leading through systems
The best agencies don’t grow by doing more, they grow by doing what matters, better. When you build clarity into your operations, your agency stops depending on you and starts scaling on its own.
🔗 Connect with Gray MacKenzie:
Website: https://www.zenpilot.com
🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:
1️⃣ FREE – Stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients. Join our next Executive Briefing → https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast
2️⃣ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: Unlock $10K–$50K Hidden in Your Business Right Now → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
3️⃣ Read The Hands-Off CEO Book (4.7★ on Amazon)
Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out. Grab your copy → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
4️⃣ Apply for The Invisible Advantage™ Growth Program
We’ll help you uncover your Invisible Advantage, package it into a premium offer, and scale profitably without adding to your workload. Learn more → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast
In this episode, Mandi talks with Jeremy Weisz, co-founder of Rise 25, about how service firm owners can use podcasting as a powerful tool to build authority, deepen relationships, and consistently attract high-value clients without spending a cent on ads.
Jeremy shares how he’s helped hundreds of agencies and consultants create “relationship engines” through podcasting systems that generate partnerships, referrals, and long-term opportunities that most firms completely overlook.
Instead of chasing leads, Jeremy reveals how to build genuine authority by leading meaningful conversations and why your network, not your audience size, determines your growth.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How to turn a podcast into a lead-generation and authority-building system
- The Rise25 framework for turning guest conversations into client opportunities
- Why the best podcasts focus on relationships, not downloads
- How to position your show so dream clients are excited to join
- The mindset shift from “creating content” to creating connection
- How to stay consistent without adding more to your workload
- Why generosity and curiosity are your biggest growth levers
The best agencies don’t chase clients, they attract them by becoming the trusted authority in their space. When you use podcasting to connect, elevate, and lead with insight, your business grows on the strength of relationships that last.
🔗 Connect with Jeremy Weisz:
Website: https://rise25.com
🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:
1️⃣ FREE – Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing → https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast
2️⃣ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: Unlock $10K–$50K Hidden in Your Business → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
3️⃣ BOOK – The Hands-OFF CEO: Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast
4️⃣ 1-on-1 Coaching – Find your next growth breakthrough → https://handsoffceo.com/scale?utm_source=podcast
In this episode, Mandi shares how one firm went from charging a few hundred dollars an hour to closing million-dollar contracts, simply by redefining the category they played in. Instead of selling services like engineering or surveying, they positioned themselves around solving the high-stakes problems that keep executives up at night, saving companies hundreds of thousands in lost profits and delays.
By reframing their offer around measurable client outcomes, they didn’t just raise prices, they multiplied their value. Within months, they replaced low-margin clients with top-tier ones willing to pay six and seven figures for results that truly mattered.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How to reposition your services around transformational outcomes, not deliverables
- The strategy that helped one firm 5x its fees and land million-dollar contracts
- Why solving C-suite problems creates instant demand and loyalty
- The difference between tactical selling and strategic category ownership
- How to attract higher-value clients who see your work as indispensable
- Why clarity of value is the foundation for premium pricing
The top 5% of firms aren’t competing on rates, they’re competing on results. When you position your business around outcomes your clients can’t ignore, you stop chasing opportunities… and start commanding them.
🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:
1/ FREE - Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing: https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast
2/ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: How to Unlock $10K-$50K Hidden in Your Business Right Now → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
3/ Get My Book: The Hands-OFF CEO – Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out. Yours for just $4.99 → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast
4/ Work With Us 1-on-1: Let’s find the breakthrough that takes your agency to the next level → https://handsoffceo.com/scale?utm_source=podcast
In this solo episode, Mandireveals the single biggest advantage that sets the top 5% of consulting and agency firms apart and how you can start building it in your business in just 30 days.
While most agencies are busy optimizing operations, chasing leads, or cutting costs, the best firms are doing something entirely different: they’re optimizing for client profit and proof of results. Mandi shares real client examples, case studies, and frameworks that show how to reposition your firm from being a vendor to becoming a strategic advisor your clients can’t live without.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why the top 5% of firms are widening the gap and how to catch up fast
- How to package your client results into case studies that land $100K+ deals
- The biggest mistake most agencies make (and what to focus on instead)
- Why optimizing for client profit leads to far higher margins, even with clunky ops
- How to use the “Bridge Framework” to lead clients to bigger outcomes
- The mindset shift from “people-pleasing” to powerful leadership
- What success conditions you must require for clients to achieve transformational results
- How to double your prices and profits by focusing on outcomes, not deliverables
- Why proof is the most powerful growth engine in uncertain markets
The top 5% of firms aren’t waiting for the market to stabilize, they’re creating stability through proof, outcomes, and bold leadership. You can do the same. Build the systems that make your results undeniable, and watch the right clients start chasing you.
🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:
1/ FREE - Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing: https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast
2/ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: How to Unlock $10K-$50K Hidden in Your Business Right Now → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast
3/ Get My Book: The Hands-OFF CEO – Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out. Yours for just $4.99 → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast
4/ Work With Us 1-on-1: Let’s find the breakthrough that takes your agency to the next level → https://handsoffceo.com/scale?utm_source=podcast
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson talks with Logan Lyles, founder of Demand Shift. Logan helps B2B agencies and brands turn simple marketing into predictable growth using webinars that actually convert and authentic outreach that builds trust.
Together, they unpack how Logan went from launching his agency to booking dozens of sales calls in just weeks, all without complicated funnels or big ad budgets. He shares exactly how he used LinkedIn, a short survey, and value-first webinars to build relationships and win clients fast.
You’ll learn why most agencies overcomplicate their marketing, and how a back-to-basics approach can help you grow faster, reach better-fit clients, and stop wasting time on tactics that don’t move the needle.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Logan built a full client pipeline in his first month using LinkedIn
- Why a simple 4-minute survey can generate dozens of quality leads
- How to avoid “dead ends” in your marketing funnel and move prospects forward
- The 3T’s of high-converting webinars: Topic, Title, and Thumbnail
- How to promote webinars effectively, even with a small audience
- Why the best webinars educate instead of pitch and how that builds trust
- What to focus on first if you want marketing that’s simple and scalable
If you’ve been stuck in overcomplicated marketing systems that don’t deliver, this episode will show you how to simplify your strategy, attract better clients, and turn conversations into real growth.
Connect with Logan Lyles: https://demandshift.co/webinar-fast-track
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson unpacks one of the biggest fears firm owners face, raising prices. For many, it feels risky, even dangerous, because losing a single client can feel like a step backward. But as Mandi reveals, the real danger isn’t in raising your rates, it’s in how you position the increase.
You’ll discover why most firms trigger pushback the moment they justify price hikes with “rising costs” or extra deliverables, and how to avoid falling into that trap. Instead, Mandi shows you how to reframe your offers around the bigger outcomes. Clients truly want growth, profit, and transformation so that higher fees land as a declaration of leadership, not bad news.
She also shares a simple four-part script you can use to confidently present new fees in a way that builds trust, authority, and excitement with your best clients. And you’ll see why the top firms in every industry are charging 2x–3x more without working harder by anchoring their services to results that matter most.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why raising your prices isn’t the real risk and what is
- The mistake that makes price increases feel like bad news to clients
- A four-step script to present higher fees with confidence and clarity
- How to shift from “vendor” to “growth partner” by leading clients to bigger outcomes
- Why the most profitable firms don’t add more work and make results more certain
🕒 Chapters
00:00 – Why raising your prices feels risky
00:35 – The real danger isn’t the price increase
01:10 – The wrong way firms explain higher fees
01:55 – What clients actually care about (outcomes)
02:40 – Reframing your value around revenue impact
03:25 – Thinking like a growth partner, not a vendor
04:15 – How to anchor fees to client results
05:05 – The 4-part script for raising your prices
06:10 – Avoiding the “more deliverables” trap
06:50 – Spot, quantify, and prove the value gaps
07:40 – Turning price increases into trust and authority
08:25 – Your challenge: lead with outcomes, not tasks
09:10 – Case studies: firms doubling and tripling profits
09:55 – Why premium fees unlock scalable growth
If you’ve been holding back on raising your rates out of fear of pushback, this episode will give you the tools and mindset shift to increase profits, strengthen client trust, and position yourself as the leader clients can’t afford to lose.
👉 Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing: https://handsoffceo.com/briefing
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson talks with Kristie Plantinga, founder of Place Digital. Kristie helps agencies and service providers simplify their marketing and attract clients with content that actually converts.
Together, they dig into why so many agencies struggle with marketing that feels scattered and how to build a simple, repeatable system that brings in the right leads without burning you out. From choosing the right channels to creating content that speaks directly to your ideal clients, Kristie shares practical steps you can start using right away.
You’ll discover why trying to be everywhere online leaves you exhausted, and how focusing on the basics can grow your authority and your pipeline.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why most agencies overcomplicate their marketing (and how to fix it)
- How to choose the right marketing channel for your business
- The difference between creating content just to put something out there versus creating content that’s tied to real business outcomes
- Why consistency beats chasing the latest trend every time
- How to make marketing simple enough to stick with long term
- What agencies should focus on first if they want predictable inbound leads
If you’ve ever felt like your marketing is all over the place or you’re creating content that doesn’t get results, this episode will show you how to simplify, focus, and finally make marketing work for your agency.
Connect with Kristie: https://www.therapieseo.com/
If you’ve tried EOS but growth still feels flat, exhausting, or like you’re just spinning your wheels, this podcast explains why.
EOS is a powerful framework, but it’s not designed to fix weak positioning, underpriced offers, or a sales process that drags. And until those pieces are solved, no amount of L10s or accountability charts will create real scale.
In this episode, you’ll see why firms plateau when they “systematize struggle” and the smarter path to building a scalable, premium offer first.
Once your offer is dialed in, EOS becomes rocket fuel. But without it, you’re just making inefficiency more efficient.
🔍 You’ll Learn:
- Why EOS doesn’t solve demand, pricing, or positioning gaps
- The “illusion of progress” most agencies get stuck in
- How to reposition around your invisible advantage
- The key to premium pricing that clients happily pay
- Why EOS works best after you’ve nailed a high-fee scalable offer
🚀 Want Help Repackaging Your Offer to Scale Without a Bigger Team?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
Watch the episode on YouTube here:
YOUTUBE PODCAST
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson talks with Jody Sutter, founder of The Sutter Company. Jody has helped agencies of all sizes simplify their business development and win clients without burning out or chasing the wrong opportunities.
Together, they dig into why most agencies overcomplicate growth and how to make business development simple, repeatable, and effective. From positioning that actually attracts the right clients to turning your sales process into a system, Jody shares practical steps to help agency owners escape the feast-or-famine cycle.
You’ll hear why trying to be everything to everyone keeps agencies stuck, and how a clear niche and client-focused messaging can unlock real growth.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why AI is changing how agencies need to position themselves
- The difference between “we’re awesome” messaging and client-focused messaging that wins deals
- How to niche without closing doors (and why it helps you grow faster)
- Why many agencies fail to measure results and what to track instead
- How shifting from vendor to growth partner gives you access to client KPIs
- How to turn your sales process into a repeatable system that doesn’t depend on you
If you’ve ever felt stuck chasing proposals, competing on price, or struggling to win the right clients, this episode will show you how to simplify your growth strategy and finally build a business development system that works.
👉 Connect with Jody: https://www.thesuttercompany.com/
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson talks with Sharon Toerek, founder of Toerek Law and host of The Innovative Agency. Sharon is an attorney who’s spent years helping agencies protect their businesses, get paid faster, and turn their ideas into valuable assets.
Together, they dive into the hidden risks that hold agencies back and the simple legal moves that can unlock more profit, protection, and long-term value. From contracts that actually get you paid to new rules around using AI in client work, Sharon shares practical steps every agency owner needs to hear.
You’ll discover why treating your ideas and systems like real assets is a game-changer, and how the right protections can increase what your business is worth if you ever want to sell it.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why your intellectual property is your agency’s most valuable asset (after your people)
- How to turn your ideas and systems into new revenue streams beyond client work
- The contract mistakes that cost agencies thousands and how to fix them
- A simple clause that protects you when clients stall or refuse to pay
- Why every agency needs clear rules for AI use before it backfires
- What’s really happening with agency sales and acquisitions right now
If you’ve ever worried about not getting paid, losing ownership of your ideas, or building something that’s not secure, this episode will give you the tools and clarity you need to grow a stronger, more valuable agency.
👉 Connect with Sharon: legalandcreative.com
In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson welcomes back Michael Zipursky, CEO of Consulting Success. Michael has worked with thousands of consultants worldwide, helping them build more profitable, scalable, and freedom-filled businesses.
Together, they dive into the radical shifts happening in the consulting space. From AI disruption to global uncertainty and how these changes are creating a clear divide between firms that adapt and those that fall behind.
You’ll discover why consultants who only sell “deliverables” risk being commoditized, and why the real winners are repositioning around must-have offers that solve urgent, strategic problems. Michael also shares how consultants can use AI, not as a threat, but as a multiplier, both in their own operations and in creating value for clients.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why AI is both the biggest disruptor and biggest opportunity for consultants today
- How uncertainty in the market is changing buyer behavior (and slowing sales cycles)
- The difference between “nice-to-have” services and “must-have” solutions clients pay for
- How to reposition your offers around ROI and business-critical outcomes
- Why defining your personal vision of success matters more than following someone else’s
If you’ve been feeling stuck selling deliverables or competing on price, this episode will show you how to adapt, differentiate, and thrive in a changing market.
👉 Michael’s Consulting Website: consultingsuccess.com
👉 Take Michael’s Consulting Superpower Quiz: consultingsuccess.com/superpower
If you're stuck at capacity, pricing too low, and feel like growth means burnout — this video shows you a smarter path to scale.
In this episode, Mandi Ellefson shares how two consulting firms 2X’d their prices and 6X’d their profits without hiring or hustling harder.
They didn’t need a bigger team — they needed a better offer.
This strategy helped them reposition around outcomes, simplify delivery, and close premium deals with confidence.
If you’re delivering great results but not getting paid what you’re worth — you’ll want to see how they did it.
🔍 You’ll Learn:
- How one shift helped a firm raise pricing from $5K to $10K/month — without resistance
- The framework that drove a 600% profit increase (with the same team)
- Why simplifying delivery actually boosted results and freed up capacity
- How to lead sales conversations with confidence — even at higher fees
- What makes clients say “yes” faster when your value is clear
🚀 Want Help Repackaging Your Offer to Scale Without a Bigger Team?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
Watch the episode on YouTube here:
YOUTUBE PODCAST
Are you the one holding your agency together — and holding it back?
If you’ve hired a team, built some systems, and delegated tasks… but you still can’t step away without things stalling — you're not scaling, you're surviving.
In this video, Mandi Ellefson breaks down why founders become the bottleneck in their agency’s growth — even when it looks like they’re doing everything right — and how to fix it.
You’ll learn:
✅ The real reason your team still leans on you for everything
✅ Why systems alone don’t create scale
✅ How to shift from managing work to leading a high-performance team
✅ A case study of a founder who stepped away during a launch — and came back to everything running better without her
✅ What has to change if you want to scale profitably without sacrificing quality or growth
Whether you're stuck in meetings, reviewing work, or constantly catching problems before they hit the client, this is your invitation to finally step out — and level up.
🎯 Ready to stop being the bottleneck and start scaling forward?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – You’ve Hired and Delegated — But It’s Still on You
00:27 – What Being the Bottleneck Really Looks Like
01:20 – Real Story: Sharon’s Team Handles It Without Her
01:55 – Why Most Agencies Stay Stuck
02:18 – The Shift: From Delegating Tasks to Owning Outcomes
02:45 – How to Rebuild a Business That Runs Without You
03:10 – Next Steps to Scale Without Sacrificing Growth
Watch the episode on YouTube here:
YOUTUBE PODCAST
Your $20K proposal isn’t failing because of the price — it’s failing because your consulting firm’s value proposition isn’t landing. And ironically? The same clients who ghost your $20K pitch might eagerly say “yes” to $100K — if you position it the right way.
In this video, Mandi Ellefson shares the agency positioning strategy that helped one firm move from stalled $30K deals to consistently closing $100K+ engagements — with the same clients.
🎯 You’ll learn:
-
Why smaller offers feel riskier than premium ones
-
The #1 reason your “reasonable” price is still getting rejected
-
How to reframe your services into strategic growth outcomes
-
A client-tested approach to selling $100K+ projects with confidence
-
What premium buyers actually look for before they say yes
🚀 Want to Work With Hands-Off CEO?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
📍 Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: From $20K Grind to $100K+ Deals
00:38 - Shift #1: Own the Sales Process (Without Overexplaining)
01:27 - Shift #2: Reposition Around Results — Not Scope
02:18 - Shift #3: Speak to Bigger Problems
03:14 - Shift #4: Make Your Offer Obvious (and Premium)
04:30 - What Happens When You Shift All 4
05:02 - Want Help? Here’s Where to Start
Still stuck trying to sell $20K projects… while your competitors are landing $100K+ deals?
In this video, Mandi Ellefson breaks down the 4 strategic shifts consulting agency CEOs are using to close premium, high-trust engagements — without chasing leads, discounting your fees, or getting stuck in the weeds of delivery.
If you’re delivering great results but getting ghosted, undercut, or passed over for bigger firms… this will change how you sell forever.
⏱️ What You’ll Learn:
- The mindset shift that flips you from vendor to strategic advisor
- Why your current offer may be sabotaging sales
- How to reposition without changing your entire business
- What buyers actually need to hear to say yes to $100K+
🚀 Want to Work With Hands-Off CEO?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
📍 Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: From $20K Grind to $100K+ Deals
00:38 - Shift #1: Own the Sales Process (Without Overexplaining)
01:27 - Shift #2: Reposition Around Results — Not Scope
02:18 - Shift #3: Speak to Bigger Problems
03:14 - Shift #4: Make Your Offer Obvious (and Premium)
04:30 - What Happens When You Shift All 4
05:02 - Want Help? Here’s Where to Start
Youtube Podcast Episode:
👉 youtube.com/watch
Trying to sell $20K projects — but clients keep ghosting, lowballing, or dragging their feet?
This video breaks down 4 powerful shifts that will help you close $100K+ consulting deals with confidence — without chasing leads, discounting your fees, or working more hours.
Mandi Ellefson (founder of Hands-Off CEO) shares the exact mindset, offer, and positioning strategies top consulting and agency owners are using to consistently close high-ticket clients — even in a tight market.
💥 If you’ve been stuck in $10K–$30K projects that drain your time and don’t reflect your value — this is your wake-up call.
⏱️ What You’ll Learn:
- Why high-ticket is easier to sell in a down market
- How to get paid for your sales process and shift the power dynamic
- The #1 mindset mistake keeping your fees low
- How to package and name a “sexy” offer that sells itself
- A trust-based sales process that closes faster and more profitably
🚀 Want to Work With Hands-Off CEO?
1/ Book a Free Strategy Call
If you’re ready to reposition your firm and start closing premium deals, let’s talk.
👉 handsoffceo.com/scale
2/ Read the Book – *The Hands-Off CEO
Learn the framework behind scaling premium consulting engagements — without doing it all yourself.
📘 handsoffceo.com/book
3/ Download the Free Revenue Recovery Map
Unlock hidden revenue in your firm and learn how to command premium fees without more complexity.
📄 handsoffceo.com/map
📍 Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: Why Bigger Deals Aren’t About Doing More
00:32 - Who This Is For: From $10K Projects to Premium Pricing
01:00 - Meet Mandi Ellefson & Hands-Off CEO
01:23 - Why High-Ticket Is Easier in a Tough Market
01:58 - Get Paid to Sell: The Power of Discovery
02:45 - Make Your Offer Sexy (Without Adding More Stuff)
03:42 - Sell Outcomes, Not Deliverables
04:09 - Engineer a Sales Process for Trust and Control
04:50 - Want Help? Build Your High-Ticket Sales Process
Are your prospects not seeing your worth? This video highlights the importance of value perception and how it impacts your business growth. Learn how to communicate value effectively and understand consumer behavior to make sure you're not being overlooked.
Youtube Podcast Episode:
👉 youtube.com/watch
In this episode, Mandi Ellefson reveals why you don’t need to search for "clients with bigger budgets" - they’re already right in front of you! Discover how to inspire existing clients to unlock budgets they didn’t even know they had.
Mandi shows exactly how to transform your business from charging $5K per month on 3-month engagements to commanding $90K for a 90-day ROI builder offer. This is how our clients are building breathtaking case studies that naturally justify premium pricing.
0:00 - Why clients resist higher fees (and what to do about it)
1:29 - The myth of "finding clients with bigger budgets"
3:08 - How to unlock hidden client budgets
4:14 - The ROI Builder Offer explained
6:54 - From $60K/year to $90K/90 days: A real client story
9:10 - The key to selling premium services with confidence
10:27 - What you’ll learn in the Quantum Leap Workshop
In this insightful solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson shares critical insights from her extensive experience working with thousands of consulting companies over the past 12 years. She reveals the four key strategies that distinguish thriving consulting firms from those struggling to scale.
Drawing from real-world examples and case studies, Mandi breaks down how successful consultancies are adapting to market changes and positioning themselves for sustainable growth. She emphasizes that 2024 has been a challenging year for many companies, making these strategies even more crucial for success in 2025.
The episode deep dives into four fundamental areas:
- Niching down to solve million-dollar problems
- Becoming truly results-driven with clients
- Building and maintaining a results-driven team culture
- Developing proactive "hunters and farmers" approach to business development
Mandi shares several compelling case studies, including how one agency increased their fees by 367% by shifting their focus to long-term client transformations. She explains how Jamie Birch's company positioned themselves to add $10 million in new sales for DTC brands over three years, demonstrating the power of clear, focused value propositions.
A particularly valuable section discusses the common profit delusion in consulting agencies, where owners often underestimate their true profitability by not accounting for market-rate compensation for their own roles. Mandi provides practical guidance on how to evaluate and improve real profit margins.
The episode also tackles the critical distinction between growth and scale, explaining why simply working harder or hiring more people often leads to diminishing returns. Instead, Mandi advocates for creating "unfair advantages" that compound over time, allowing firms to command premium fees while delivering superior results.
Throughout the discussion, Mandi emphasizes that scaling doesn't have to mean sacrificing quality or becoming "mediocre." She presents a compelling vision for how consulting firms can maintain their excellence while becoming more profitable and less dependent on the owner's direct involvement.
Want to implement these strategies in your consulting firm? Book a complementary Scalable Growth Session at handsoffceo.com/scale to have Mandi's team analyze your business and identify your biggest opportunities for sustainable growth.
Ready to transform your consulting agency into a valuable asset that grows without you? Get your copy of "The Hands-Off CEO" at handsoffceo.com/book and access the proven framework that's helped countless agency owners triple their fees while working less. Don't miss out on the audiobook, PDF version, and valuable bonus materials – all for just $4.99.
In this episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson interviews Liz Elting, author of “Dream Big and Win” and founder of TransPerfect, which she built into the world’s largest language solutions company. Starting from an NYU dorm room at age 26, Liz shares her journey of scaling a business while maintaining exceptional service quality.
Liz discusses how she transformed her company by implementing innovative strategies to empower employees to think and act like owners. She emphasizes the importance of building world-class sales and production teams early, with compensation structures that align employee incentives with company goals. Rather than traditional fixed salaries, she advocates for arrangements that offer lower base pay but significant upside potential tied to performance.
A key insight from the conversation is Liz’s approach to fostering innovation within her organization.She regularly asked employees: “What would you do differently if you owned the company?” and, importantly, gave them the authority to implement their ideas. This created a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
The discussion also tackles the challenges of stepping back as a CEO. Liz candidly shares her early mistakes, including working through maternity leave due to lack of proper delegation systems. She stresses the importance of establishing succession plans early, noting that it becomes more difficult to step away as the company grows larger.
Throughout the interview, both Liz and Mandi emphasize that scaling actually makes business easier when done right, challenging the common assumption that bigger means more complicated. Liz’s parting advice: “Don’t think small – it can be easy to run a small or big company. It actually got easier over time because we had more options.”
The episode provides practical insights for business owners looking to scale while maintaining quality and creating a sustainable organization that doesn’t depend solely on the founder’s involvement.
Listeners can find Liz’s book “Dream Big and Win” on Amazon and major retailers, and connect with her on various social media platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (Twitter).
Want to transform your agency from a resource-heavy operation to a streamlined, profitable machine? This episode provides the blueprint for making that transition while actually increasing client satisfaction and results.
Ready to become a true Hands-Off CEO?
Grab your copy of “The Hands-Off CEO” at handsoffceo.com/book and unlock the proven framework that’s helped countless agency owners triple their fees while working less. Get the audiobook, PDF version, and valuable bonus materials – all for just $4.99.
Don’t wait to start your journey to freedom and scalable growth!
Resources:
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Instagram | Executive Briefing
Liz Elting on LinkedIn | Instagram | Website
Elizabeth Elting Foundation – Website | LinkedIn
TransPerfect – Website
How Digital Agency Increased Profits by Doing Less - with Ralph Burns and Ryan Hodges of Tier 11 - E112How Digital Agency Increased Profits by Doing Less - with Ralph Burns and Ryan Hodges of Tier 11 - E112In this strategic conversation, Mandi interviews Ralph Burns and Ryan Hodges of Tier 11, a digital marketing agency managing over $105M in annual ad spend. They discuss their journey of transforming from a chaotic 70-person agency to a streamlined, more profitable operation with 40 team members.
Key Topics Discussed:
[00:00-03:45] Introduction
- Overview of Tier 11's business model
- Introduction to Ralph Burns (CEO) and Ryan Hodges (COO)
- Discussion of their podcast "Perpetual Traffic" with 12M+ downloads
[03:46-09:30] Growth Stages & Breaking Points
- Every time you 2-3x your size, everything breaks
- First milestone: $100K/month revenue
- Second milestone: $300K/month revenue
- The importance of finding complementary talent
[09:31-15:45] Acquisition Strategy
- Using acquisitions to gain talent
- Converting contractors to full-time employees
- Building strategic partnerships within the industry
- Importance of relationships with competitors
[15:46-24:15] Operational Transformation
- Reducing headcount from 70 to 40 while maintaining output
- Implementing standardized systems and processes
- Focus on the 80% fundamentals of business operations
- Discussion of operational efficiency improvements
[24:16-32:30] Client-Centric Model
- Transition from accepting any client to selective partnerships
- Doubling revenue per customer
- Improving client retention dramatically
- Creating strategic partnerships for referrals
[32:31-39:45] Profitability & Team Optimization
- Increase in gross margins from 50-55% to 65%
- 15-20% productivity increase through aligned purpose
- Discussion of team motivation and culture
- Implementation of standardized processes
[39:46-44:15] Vision & Leadership
- Importance of clear vision communication
- How to handle team members who don't align
- Creating a legendary brand in the agency space
- Building operational excellence
[44:16-50:02] Key Insights & Closing
- Finding complementary leadership
- The importance of saying no to wrong-fit revenue
- Focus on metrics that matter to clients
- Discussion of ideal client profile
Notable Achievements:
- Doubled revenue per customer
- Increased gross margins by ~10%
- Improved team productivity by 15-20%
- Successfully transitioned from 70 to 40 team members while increasing efficiency
Key Business Insights:
- Focus on running the business properly (80%) versus just delivering services (20%)
- Importance of clear vision and purpose alignment
- Value of complementary leadership skills
- Need for operational excellence and standardization
Actionable Takeaways:
- Systematize vision communication
- Focus on operational excellence
- Create strategic partnerships
- Implement proper management systems
- Align team with company vision
Resources Mentioned:
- The "Hodge Wheel" - Vision, Journey, Culture, Results framework
- Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
- Client Experience Engine methodology
Perfect For: Agency owners generating $1M-$5M+ in revenue who want to transition from chaos to operational excellence while increasing profitability and reducing personal involvement.
Want to transform your agency from a resource-heavy operation to a streamlined, profitable machine? This episode provides the blueprint for making that transition while actually increasing client satisfaction and results.
Ready to become a true Hands-Off CEO?
Grab your copy of "The Hands-Off CEO" at handsoffceo.com/book and unlock the proven framework that's helped countless agency owners triple their fees while working less. Get the audiobook, PDF version, and valuable bonus materials - all for just $4.99.
Don't wait to start your journey to freedom and scalable growth!
Have you ever thought about looking at agencies from a new perspective? Get ready to discover the concept of the "Alt Agencies" - where specialization and specific outcomes for niche clients are favored over the traditional agency model. Our Guest Greg Hickman shares his journey on how to deliver a repeatable sales and onboarding process.
The conversation touched insightful topics like:
- Power of productizing services [04:56]
Understanding the concept of "productizing" services, which involves packaging a repeatable service with fixed problem-solving, turnaround time, and price. Discover the benefits of standardizing packages and systemizing processes to scale a business effectively.
- Importance of specializing and finding a niche [06:50]
Find out the challenges and benefits of specializing in a specific area, what realization can working nights and weekends bring you and ultimately understanding how to divorce your time from your income.
- Role of webinar funnels in scaling a business [08:26]
How focusing on webinar funnels and becoming experts in that area changed the game for Greg’s agency and what are some common plateaus experienced by many service providers.
- Evolving agency model and additional revenue streams [15:58]
Exploring the term of “Alt Agency” and discussing the changing landscape of agency models, such as tech-enabled, strategy-focused, or platform discipline-focused agencies.
Key Quotes:
- Unique Skills: “If you can position yourself as the engine builder, you can charge a premium. You're more valued because you know how to do this unique thing. And that is kind of how I see how we were able to make the shift to only working on the stuff that we enjoyed. And that was, I think, the true value to the client.” [12:53]
- Understanding Nuances:: ”Nobody understands that a person who's at 3K a month and a million a year could actually be experiencing the exact same thing and need almost the exact same solution. But there's still these little nuanced differences. It's fascinating to me. We're a unique breed.” [34:15]
Greg Hickman on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Alt Agency - Free Training
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing
Did you ever think about the importance of effective account management on scaling your business? If not, prepare for these gems! In this episode Taylor McMaster, founder of Dot and Company, tells her story and how she helps digital marketing agencies with achieving full-service client account management.
Here are the essential insights from our riveting conversation with Taylor- feel free to have a powerful read through these most impactful lessons.
- Important Correlation between Sales and Account Management [07:22]
Find out why sales and handovers are essential to successful account management, and when to introduce your account manager to the client during the sales process. The imperative of changing the narrative from “I” to “my team”.
- Powerful Communication [12:35]
Establishing a clear communication cadence and a thorough onboarding process for successful account management. Know who on the team is responsible for what. Different things which you can learn from each new client or a sales call.
- Using Questions in Training [17:33]
How far you can go in allowing your team to ask you questions, until they start thinking like you. Being in control of the training process and what needs to happen without your involvement.
- Key Characteristics of an Account Manager [26:34]
Know if someone is generally a good fit for this role. The list of red flags and the required skills to make sure someone grows in this position and becomes amazing in it.
Key Quotes:
- The Power of Questions: “I think the best thing that we can do as CEOs is prepare our team as much as possible, but give them the space to ask questions, not letting them get scared to ask questions.” [16:02]
- Constant Optimization: “People forget that business is a game of optimization. We need to continuously be optimizing something that works, just because we did a great job. Well, can we optimize this so that next time it's easier and better and more efficient? Training your team to think like that, I think, is super important.” [22:14]
Taylor McMaster on LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Dot & Co. - Onboarding Checklist
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing
What defining moments or milestones have happened to you along the way towards your current level of success? Mandi Ellefson shares her story as she discusses milestones that people typically experience in their business journey, and how to identify and address common challenges.
Key Ideas:
Very few business women ever reach 7 figures in their company.
“Whenever there's a certain goal that we are shooting for, the gap [between it and us] personifies itself as something external, but the biggest reason we don’t have it is because we are not being the person who can actually have that yet.” Mandi talks about how she used to allow the limiting belief that she couldn’t be successful professionally and have a happy marriage affect her personal life, and how she overcame it.
The build-up and breakthrough cycle in business shows up as recurring patterns of frustration or challenges you can’t seem to beat, but they’re actually lessons in disguise. As soon as you find the lesson and learn it, you shift into a different leader and gain access to doors that were previously closed to you.
How does the leader who works 30 to 40 hours a week show up? Mandi encourages listeners to reflect on their breakthroughs and figure out the patterns that will elevate them to becoming a hands-off CEO.
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
How can you succeed while doing less? Focusing on the present may allow you to create more value. Mandi Ellefson describes her Wim Hoff ice bath meditation experience as she shares tips on overcoming fear.
Key Ideas:
Taking deep breaths to center yourself grounds you in the present and helps you see past your fear. Mandi describes how she was able to shift from fight-or-flight to a place of calm. “I went from suffering to surrender,” she explains. This shift changed her perception of the experience, not the experience itself. [5:09]
As you scale, the challenges don’t become easier; they become larger. What changes is our ability to cope. We become so adept at managing them that they seem small as we continue to grow. [6:23]
People tend to react to fear in three ways: resistance, avoidance, or owning it. [7:35]
The word ‘responsible’ actually refers to the ability to respond. Being responsible allows us to create anything that we want and do it on our own terms, proactively. [10:19]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
How can you succeed while doing less? Focusing on the present may allow you to create more value. Mandi Ellefson describes her Wim Hoff ice bath meditation experience as she shares tips on overcoming fear.
Key Ideas:
Taking deep breaths to center yourself grounds you in the present and helps you see past your fear. Mandi describes how she was able to shift from fight-or-flight to a place of calm. “I went from suffering to surrender,” she explains. This shift changed her perception of the experience, not the experience itself. [5:09]
As you scale, the challenges don’t become easier; they become larger. What changes is our ability to cope. We become so adept at managing them that they seem small as we continue to grow. [6:23]
People tend to react to fear in three ways: resistance, avoidance, or owning it. [7:35]
The word ‘responsible’ actually refers to the ability to respond. Being responsible allows us to create anything that we want and do it on our own terms, proactively. [10:19]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
This week we have a replay of one of Hands Off CEO's most popular episodes.
Mandi Ellefson is discussing why popular scaling advice is terrible for consulting agencies. She shares insights about marketing, systems, and what you should actually do to scale.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“Do you really want to systematize and accelerate a process that's just getting okay and mediocre results?” Mandi shares a story about a company that grew from referrals, but was challenged when they attempted proactive marketing. [1:25]
“Your marketing could be telling stories to support the promises you make to clients,” Mandi says. “With a clear and compelling message, you can then build a solid go-to marketing strategy that can work even with the coldest of traffic.” [6:14]
“If you don’t have the cash flow and profit to pay people to replace yourself, that's what keeps you, as a CEO, stuck in your business.” In order to be sustainable, you have to have enough of the right systems. [8:57]
“Do you really want to go out and sell something if you're not sure it's going to work?” Mandi discusses the integrity of scaling when you’re not sure of your product. [11:30]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson shares how leaders can drive rapid growth in their company beyond themselves in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Convincing someone to do something: they have to want to do it, and money isn’t the most reliable incentive. [1:32]
The food chain of passion. “If you don’t have a lot of passion, then neither will your team.” [3:43]
The secret to growing your company beyond you. “What is the bigger reason for why you're scaling? What is the impact that you could potentially be making in the world?” [5:27]
How an inspired team affects performance and engagement. “I am here because I love [the company], I'm inspired by it, I'm excited, and I don't feel like I'm working.” [7:29]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
What do you need to put in place to generate cash flow? Are you ready to hire the right people to support your growth? Mandi Ellefson discusses how to take advantage of the buying season to increase business growth. She advises CEOs to get out from under day-to-day operations, freeing up time for more strategic planning.
Key Ideas:
Quarter 4 is when your clients and prospects are pulling out their budgets, Mandi says, and thinking about what they can do differently in the upcoming year. “Most consulting agencies are too busy to take full advantage of this buying season,” she claims. “They’re very reactive during this time… meanwhile your proactive competitors are reaching out to all [your] prospects.” [1:07]
Your job as the CEO is to proactively look ahead for ways to grow the business. If you’re too busy running it, you won’t have time to grow it. [2:39]
Hands-Off CEO helped a client create an irresistible offer for the most profitable clients in their business within 90 days. Their sales conversions went through the roof, allowing them to tap into their existing network and even some of their existing clients. Now, they’re able to bring in clients at $20,000 a month. All this came from the CEO having the time and focus to go after business, knowing and trusting that his team could follow through. [3:23]
According to Mandi, getting out of account and project management frees up about 20 hours per week, depending on the size of the company and how involved the CEO already is in the day-to-day of them. [6:29]
You need to ensure that you actually have the financial foundation in your company so that your profitability increases as you scale. [8:26]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
What do you need to put in place to generate cash flow? Are you ready to hire the right people to support your growth? Mandi Ellefson discusses how to take advantage of the buying season to increase business growth. She advises CEOs to get out from under day-to-day operations, freeing up time for more strategic planning.
Key Ideas:
Quarter 4 is when your clients and prospects are pulling out their budgets, Mandi says, and thinking about what they can do differently in the upcoming year. “Most consulting agencies are too busy to take full advantage of this buying season,” she claims. “They’re very reactive during this time… meanwhile your proactive competitors are reaching out to all [your] prospects.” [1:07]
Your job as the CEO is to proactively look ahead for ways to grow the business. If you’re too busy running it, you won’t have time to grow it. [2:39]
Hands-Off CEO helped a client create an irresistible offer for the most profitable clients in their business within 90 days. Their sales conversions went through the roof, allowing them to tap into their existing network and even some of their existing clients. Now, they’re able to bring in clients at $20,000 a month. All this came from the CEO having the time and focus to go after business, knowing and trusting that his team could follow through. [3:23]
According to Mandi, getting out of account and project management frees up about 20 hours per week, depending on the size of the company and how involved the CEO already is in the day-to-day of them. [6:29]
You need to ensure that you actually have the financial foundation in your company so that your profitability increases as you scale. [8:26]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
The right executive assistant is the Chief Bottleneck Breaker of your company. This role should NOT be ignored. Mandi Ellefson discusses how an executive assistant can free up 20 hours per week, and why this role is especially relevant for CEOs.
Key Ideas:
Mandi’s own experience can attest to the benefits of an executive assistant, as hers was able to free up no less than 20 hours per week by doing a lot of the soul-sucking tasks that Mandi hated doing. CEOs should keep in mind, however, that it should be a long term position. An EA isn’t there to only get the little things off their plate [2:18]
One of the roles of a CEO is sourcing good talent. This doesn’t mean you have to be hypervigilant; it means your team can run a hiring process completely without you, and you can just show up in the last stages. [5:00]
A good EA should be able to protect you, your schedule, and your energy from all the outside influences trying to get at you, Mandi shares. [10:39]
If hiring a remote EA, consider hiring someone in the same timezone as you. Think about the longevity of the position; this is someone you’re going to want staying for 3+ years in the company. Would they stick around if your waking and working hours are bedtime in their timezone? [21:31]
Mandi recommends having candidates perform a Kolbe A assessment, which measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive. Look for someone with a high Fact Finder score, especially one whose score is six or above. Ideally, you want someone whose score is at least a couple points higher than the CEO’s. [27:55]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Kolbe A Index
The right executive assistant is the Chief Bottleneck Breaker of your company. This role should NOT be ignored. Mandi Ellefson discusses how an executive assistant can free up 20 hours per week, and why this role is especially relevant for CEOs.
Key Ideas:
Mandi’s own experience can attest to the benefits of an executive assistant, as hers was able to free up no less than 20 hours per week by doing a lot of the soul-sucking tasks that Mandi hated doing. CEOs should keep in mind, however, that it should be a long term position. An EA isn’t there to only get the little things off their plate [2:18]
One of the roles of a CEO is sourcing good talent. This doesn’t mean you have to be hypervigilant; it means your team can run a hiring process completely without you, and you can just show up in the last stages. [5:00]
A good EA should be able to protect you, your schedule, and your energy from all the outside influences trying to get at you, Mandi shares. [10:39]
If hiring a remote EA, consider hiring someone in the same timezone as you. Think about the longevity of the position; this is someone you’re going to want staying for 3+ years in the company. Would they stick around if your waking and working hours are bedtime in their timezone? [21:31]
Mandi recommends having candidates perform a Kolbe A assessment, which measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive. Look for someone with a high Fact Finder score, especially one whose score is six or above. Ideally, you want someone whose score is at least a couple points higher than the CEO’s. [27:55]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Kolbe A Index
Increase your productivity without the strain? Yes, please! Executive assistants can make it happen. Mandi Ellefson shares how she cut 20 hours off her work week by hiring an executive assistant, and why every CEO should have one.
Key Ideas:
Trends are changing in the staffing industry, Mandi claims. Recently, it hasn’t been as competitive as it has in the past. Through paid advertising, you’re likely to find some really good candidates on LinkedIn. [4:06]
If you could spend ten extra hours a week generating more sales, how much business could you bring in? Hint: it might be in the millions. Hiring an executive assistant to take care of the busy work frees up your energy and mental bandwidth so you can focus on tasks that are going to grow your company. [5:50]
As a CEO, you should have an experienced EA. This doesn’t necessarily mean someone with 2 decades under their belt, as they may not be up to speed with a lot of software or not excited to learn new things. You also need someone who fits your culture and values. [9:39]
Avoid hiring people who are fractional resources. “I encourage you to have this role be 30-40 hours per week, [more of a] full-time job,” Mandi advises. It’s not that they can’t have other side hustles, but as EA is a role that requires you to have 100% access to them when you need to, your hours should match. [14:45]
When screening EA candidates, you should ask specific questions and pay attention to the responses. Those that go into detail are usually more suitable; those that give vague answers are typically bluffing. [21:28]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy Topgrading by Bradford Smart
Increase your productivity without the strain? Yes, please! Executive assistants can make it happen. Mandi Ellefson shares how she cut 20 hours off her work week by hiring an executive assistant, and why every CEO should have one.
Key Ideas:
Trends are changing in the staffing industry, Mandi claims. Recently, it hasn’t been as competitive as it has in the past. Through paid advertising, you’re likely to find some really good candidates on LinkedIn. [4:06]
If you could spend ten extra hours a week generating more sales, how much business could you bring in? Hint: it might be in the millions. Hiring an executive assistant to take care of the busy work frees up your energy and mental bandwidth so you can focus on tasks that are going to grow your company. [5:50]
As a CEO, you should have an experienced EA. This doesn’t necessarily mean someone with 2 decades under their belt, as they may not be up to speed with a lot of software or not excited to learn new things. You also need someone who fits your culture and values. [9:39]
Avoid hiring people who are fractional resources. “I encourage you to have this role be 30-40 hours per week, [more of a] full-time job,” Mandi advises. It’s not that they can’t have other side hustles, but as EA is a role that requires you to have 100% access to them when you need to, your hours should match. [14:45]
When screening EA candidates, you should ask specific questions and pay attention to the responses. Those that go into detail are usually more suitable; those that give vague answers are typically bluffing. [21:28]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy Topgrading by Bradford Smart
Reach your ideal prospects wherever they hang out - via LinkedIn or cold email or any other channel - and scale your consulting agency. Mandi Ellefson shares the five variables that make cold outreach work in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
Key Ideas:
Use direct outreach to make money quickly if you’re in a bind and need to bring in more clients. It’s a good strategy to use as you build up your company, when you need to test new offers, or when you’re pivoting your company. [3:04]
“We want to move away from reliance on referrals.” Mandi says. Referrals are great, but they bring challenges that make it very difficult for your company to be sustainable if they are the only lead source that you have. “I would look at referrals as being a way to… target the right prospects and get them further up the funnel.” [4:40]
The five variables you need to make cold outreach work are targeting, an attention grabbing hook, a compelling, nurturing process to educate and build desire, an irresistible offer, and a qualification process that paints an expansive vision. [6:45]
Managing cold traffic goes through three phases: attracting, nurturing, and closing. [9:37]
Mandi describes the ideal executive briefing. “[It’s] an opportunity for you to help your prospects understand their problem at a deeper level than they could on their own and show them an alternative way to… generate much better results.” [14:26]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
What does your job look like when you start working on the business instead of working in it? Mandi Ellefson describes the three main roles that CEOs assume to maximize both their time in the business and the earning potential of the whole company in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
Key Ideas:
A CEO is responsible for providing vision, accountability, and support. Vision encompasses growth strategy, mission, and culture; accountability involves setting and managing agreements, and support refers to the training and material support that employees need to be successful. [4:17]
Most CEOs struggle when it comes to accountability and what it means to hold their people and themselves accountable. “People are not really manageable, but agreements are,” Mandi shares. “You can have agreements between two parties and manage those agreements - that's how you drive accountability.” [11:27]
CEO productivity is not defined by what the CEO can do with their time but by getting work done to other people. [12:47]
The entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) is the foundation for operating your business based on agreements, as described by the book Traction. Though it’s a useful and practical guide, companies below $3-5M shouldn’t put all of their time and energy into implementing all the tools in EOS. At that stage, they should expand their vision and install accountability pieces. [13:15]
The integrator role in the EOS assigns too much responsibility to one person in a growth stage company. Instead, having an operations manager who works with a CFO is much more suitable. [15:18]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Can you imagine going from 3,000 to 30,000 visits a month? BroadVision Marketing takes clients from local to national levels, adding millions of dollars in as little as 6 months. Mandi’s guests Jaco Grobbelaar and Jon Sooy of BroadVision Marketing share how they scale their clients further than they could have ever imagined.
You’ll hear Mandi, Jaco and Jon talk about:
BroadVision Marketing positions themselves as their clients’ concierge, but they’re not sitting across the table from you - they’re walking by your side towards your goals. It’s apparent to them early on whether a business owner is truly engaged in their business or whether they just started it to have a job. [4:56]
Whenever you put a guarantee behind something, it differentiates you from the competition. [8:38]
Jon and Jaco discuss the importance of teamwork in their operations. “What we’re finding is that if you enter an entire account around one person, they’re only getting one exaggerated talent,” Jon shares, “whereas if we approach the client as a team, the clients benefit from multiple different talents.” [18:34]
Humans and companies tend to take for granted what's special about themselves. Because they’re so used to their talents, they don’t realize they’re bringing something other people recognize as valuable. [29:36]
Jaco talks about advice from the Hands-Off CEO program that changed his way of thinking. “[Mandi] made the statement, ‘just be aware it may be your third or fourth candidate before you’re successful.’ … “It’s a totally different mindset.” [37:31]
Having peers to bounce ideas off of is invaluable. [41:22]
Resources Jaco Grobbelaar on LinkedIn | Twitter
Jon Sooy on the Web | LinkedIn | Twitter BroadVision Marketing
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Businesses are great sources of income, but you shouldn’t have to keep working forever to build your wealth - and especially not after retirement. Mandi Ellefson explores how business owners can avoid this in this week’s show.
Key Ideas:
Mandi shares how she first started seeing business as a vehicle for building wealth. [2:12]
“We had seen all the advice about buying into the stock market in your 20’s… and we made a conscious decision to wait and invest in our earning potential,” Mandi says. She and her husband were able to uniquely build their wealth even before her business went big. [5:47]
Only 1% of businesses are actually sellable, Mandi claims. Even when business owners do sell, they often don’t get the value they want when exiting their companies. Hands-Off CEO has helped their clients sell their businesses for more than they could’ve ever imagined by growing profits. It’s not just about generating more sales - you need to first expand your gross profit margins and use that to generate the cash to scale. [8:08]
Changing your client’s perception of you from a cost center to a profit center is the key to quadrupling your fees, eliminating price resistance, and attracting the highest-paying clients in any market climate. [10:03]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Committing to a bigger purpose than profit is a surefire way to build a strong company; one that can withstand even a pandemic. Mandi’s guest in this episode of Hands-Off CEO is Karen Hite, Director of Operations at Digital Agency Hacker and co-founder of Hite Digital. Karen will explore why having a grand vision, passion and purpose leads to long-term success.
You’ll hear Mandi and Karen talk about:
Karen had a big vision of supporting people in her home country and generating over 1000 jobs through her agency. This is one reason why her company has been so successful. “We focus everything back to what our infinite purpose is… [generating] these little islands of happiness, and [creating] the best possible job to have and a culture that empowers people.” [1:42]
You will always have an obstacle to face, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, anything can throw you off. Having a clear vision paves the path forward for your business. [5:44]
The pandemic brought lots of companies to their knees, forcing them to cut salaries and layoff employees. Hite Digital’s exceptional foundation allowed them to escape this fate. It was a hectic time, but they all stayed sane because they understood and trusted in the commitment of the leaders. [10:08]
Your legacy isn’t found in your wealth, but in the impact you make. What you do with the opportunities you are given will outlast you and leave your footprint behind. [18:25]
Learn from other people’s failures and share yours; this is one of the best ways to grow. Take lessons from the proven processes that other people have developed over decades of trial and error. [23:40]
Resources Karen Hite on LinkedIn Master Hackers
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
There are CEOs who are adding millions of dollars to their annual revenue - the ultimate Hands Off CEOs. There are leaders who are able to scale their business profitably, and they have five traits in common. If you want to see the kinds of productivity and profitability that these top-performing CEOs are getting out of their teams and businesses, this episode is for you. Mandi Ellefson is sharing what you need to know in this week’s show.
Key Ideas:
“The next level of growth [doesn’t] come from the amount of work you’re individually doing, but from the influence that you have over others and their ability to get work done through you,” Mandi shares. The essence of leadership is generating unlimited productivity through other people. [1:54]
Top leaders are decisive. They don’t procrastinate making decisions and are able to objectively assess and evaluate all the necessary factors before making those decisions. They may grapple with fear and uncertainty, but feel the fear and do it anyway.. [6:16]
If you want to mobilize people, you need to rally them around your vision. A Top CEO’s expansive vision is what sets the trailblazers that are creating the products and services that change ives apart from businesses that will stay small. [10:32]
No one likes to be taken for granted. Be grateful for and celebrate those who help you grow from your colleagues to your team members. Giving praise where and when it is due motivates your employees, and they become more committed to doing their best. [14:40]
We’re moving into a recession, and that is scary, but we can take our companies and teams to amazing places if we’re working from a place of abundance. [19:10]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
The temptation to get back into client work can be overwhelming for a CEO scaling their team - especially when it feels like your reputation is on the line. This means that too many CEOs are stuck overseeing project management that really should be delegated to other team members, leaving them with less time to actually run their business. In this episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi’s guest Gray Mackenzie, co-founder of ZenPilot, shares what CEOs need to do to get out of day-to-day project management once and for all.
Key Ideas:
Entrepreneurs are always the people who get left for better, easier or more lucrative opportunities - they never get to leave and that can be disheartening. Don’t get discouraged when key people leave your agency: you were part of their journey, and they were part of yours. For as long as they are a great fit and they stay with you, get as much value from them as you can. [9:20]
If you want to attract the best clients, and make the highest profits, you need to minimize risk and increase quality as much as possible as you scale. Gray talks about the 5 key elements you need to understand and be using them in all areas of your business. A trap to avoid is too much customization - custom doesn’t scale. [16:38]
If you take anything away from this episode, it's this: To continuously make your service better and more profitable, you need to look at it like a scientist would. Solve the same problem again and again by constantly imagining: what would make this better? How do we turn our standard service into all-star service, and then how do we level up from that?. [23:31]
When you know it’s time to make a change, it’s time to make a change, and the smartest move is often to hire experts to implement a new system, like ClickUp. It’s often not worth eating up your team's bandwidth when there are experts who can get you exactly where you need to be. That’s the foundation Graw has built his business on: breaking through “it’s how we’ve always done it” and into systems that are truly gold standard. [30:15]
When you’re starting a new initiative, you need to think about the costs of implementation - and also the cost of NOT implementing. You need to know your vision, and how different projects are going to impact it. When you take on projects internally that you aren’t equipped for, the opportunity costs can be extraordinary. Take the long view when considering your investments in your company. [34:30]
Resources Gray MacKenzie on LinkedIn | Twitter ZenPilot
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Clickup
In this week’s solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson explains how selling the wrong offer traps you in the company as CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Mandi shares an example of selling the wrong package at the wrong time. [1:16]
Hands-Off CEO takes their clients through an intensive and thorough process to generate growth. “It used to take us 6 to 9 months to actually help our clients implement this in their business, now we can do it in about 3 or 4 weeks.” [3:03]
“What you should be doing is looking at what you can sell that will maximize the commitment from your clients,” Mandi advises. She describes why going for the easiest sale may not do you any favors. [5:17]
You need clients who are willing to stick around for the long haul - if you don't have that commitment level, you're going to be selling them every month, over and over. [6:35]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guests are Nikole Mackenzie and Ashley Carroll, founder and COO of Momentum Accounting. Momentum Accounting helps creative agencies and other professional service companies scale from $1 million to $10 million in annual recurring revenue. They are a 100% US-based, remote team of business-savvy accountants and technology experts who provide actionable insights and vision into the future so your business can grow faster, and more confidently.
You’ll hear Mandi, Nikole and Ashley talk about:
Typically, businesses reach a point where their CEO is asking questions like: How much money can I take out of the business? How much can I pay myself? When can I hire the next employee? When can I offer benefits? Nikole shares how Momentum Accounting helps leaders answer these questions. [2:55]
Pricing is the easiest low-hanging fruit you can change, Nikole says. Raising your prices and providing more value to your clients is going to significantly impact your business. “If you’re [not] continually trying to add more value and more services, you’re not going to grow.” [11:39]
Ashley explores what to look for when bringing in a financial professional. “You definitely want [to work with] someone you’re comfortable with,” she suggests. There are a lot of complex emotions around money that may cause some insecurity, and the right fit will make you feel comfortable to share what's actually going on in your business. [21:18]
Mandi and Ashley discuss what CEOs need to consider before exiting the financial side of the business and the importance of invoicing. [33:47]
You should be spending 2-4% of your revenue on your accounting and finance function, according to Nikole. Additionally, there’s a diverse array of service providers in the accounting space, and everyone does things differently, so you should shop around when hiring a financial professional. “Don’t just go with the first person that raises their hand or [the first person] you get referred to.” [43:20]
Resources Momentum Accounting
Ashley Carroll on LinkedIn
Nikole Mackenzie on LinkedIn
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
There are plenty of mistakes you can make while scaling your service business, and if you’re having trouble scaling to the next level, chances are you’re making the biggest one. This is content that Mandi has been working on for years, and that has been used to help businesses vastly increase their profitability. Listen in to find out what the biggest mistake in scaling is - and how to avoid making it in your own business.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
What is happening in the global marketplace that is impacting how services are sold, and what people are willing to pay for them. [01:50]
How you can increase market share and your prices by leading with quantifiable results. [04:05]
Thinking through your business failure points and what might prevent you from hitting it out of the park with a client. These are your screening points for who you work with. Turn away work that you can’t guarantee success for. [7:55]
The questions you need to ask yourself to make sure you’re working with the right people, and able to provide the right results. [9:05]
The value of certainty. We’re all willing to pay more for what we’re sure is going to work. [11:30]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing 7 Biggest Mistakes in Scaling your Service Buisness
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Kristen Gallagher, founder and CEO of Edify, the frictionless way to onboard software engineers. Edify functionally tailors onboarding to each client’s teams, which works to attract, keep, and grow great employees while helping them get back the time they need.
You’ll hear Mandi and Kristen talk about:
One of the top reasons for team dysfunction is that context isn’t being shared properly, Kristen says. In their desire to be transparent, a lot of business owners and executives are sharing a lot of information, but not everybody in the organization has the context they need to properly interpret it. This ends up causing more conflict in the team than you might expect. [3:27]
Kristen shares what a new hire’s experience should be like on their first day. [13:29]
“The high failure rate for hiring could be prevented if people took the time to outline their expectations,” Kristen advises. In the onboarding process, you should have a checklist of what you require a new hire to do and what success looks like. [23:06]
Kristen gives insights into an effective hiring process. “Hiring for a small business is going to look different than for a large business.” Employees going into large businesses with prolific track records have had large support systems at other large businesses, and there is no guarantee that they can achieve the same results doing it all by themselves. [27:39]
Mandi and Kristen discuss the importance of a cool-off period. When circumstances occur that trigger your emotions, you shouldn’t react immediately. Take time to get out of the emotional high and reflect on the situation - you don’t want to burn your bridges. [37:54]
Resources Kristen Gallagher on LinkedIn | Twitter Edify
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
In this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson discusses the changes that the business climate has undergone over the last 2 years, and how you can use it to your advantage. She shares tips on ways to strengthen your business, increase your fees, and get a higher commitment from your very best clients.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
The challenges that arose in the spring of 2020, and how she helped her clients navigate it using the Power of One formula. “We went right back to the foundations - one client, one painful problem, one outcome.” [2:24]
Maintaining your footing within a shifting market. Mandi shares an example of how changing your client type can lead to better outcomes. [3:11]
How she helped a client raise their fees and retain the interest of investors. [5:53]
Creating your ‘abundance bubble’ and scaling to freedom. It’s now more important than ever to be very intentional about where you’re putting your energy, Mandi says. You should surround yourself with other successful CEOs who are focused on constant growth and improvement. [8:07]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Michael Zipursky, CEO and co-founder of Consulting Success and bestselling author. Consulting Success is the most comprehensive learning platform for serious consultants and skilled professionals who want to grow a stable and reliable consulting practice that attracts high-value clients. Michael has advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, and RBC, and helped Panasonic launch new products into global markets. He has helped over 500 consultants in over 75 industries significantly increase their annual revenues.
You’ll hear Mandi and Micheal talk about:
Every consultant could use some advice on keeping the pipeline full in a consulting agency, Mandi claims. Michael gives insights about how your mindset affects your outcomes. [2:05]
Being dependent on referrals may not always be wise. “You can get referrals, but they’re not always the kind of referrals you want, and you can’t really predict when they’re going to come in,” Mandi says. She and Michael explore the dangers of over-reliance on referrals. [5:48]
Most of the common marketing practices seen online are geared towards individuals and very small companies, not organizations. The tactics and strategies used to reach buyers of consulting and advisory services are markedly different, Michael points out. [15:03]
Michael discusses how communicating effectively and providing value to your clients drastically affects your relationships with them. “When you start off the relationship delivering a lot of value by sharing [your] unique perspectives with your ideal client, they start to see you as different. And when you do that through the frame of ‘everything you're delivering is specifically for them,’ that’s the game-changer.” [19:53]
Consultants tend to be more conservative and risk-averse, according to Michael. “They come from backgrounds in the corporate world or in organizations where they weren't always rewarded for taking big risks,” he comments. [25:09]
Resources Michael Zipursky on LinkedIn | Twitter Consulting Success - Podcast
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
In this week’s solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson describes what to look for when hiring an operations manager, and the three ways you can fail.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Before you even hire an operations manager, your company has to be ready for it, Mandi says. “Your company has to be at a place where you know what you're selling, who you're selling it to, and the foundations of the business.” [2:15]
Mandi shares the importance of attracting a top performer. [3:43]
“One of the best ways you can attract better talent is by becoming a better leader.” If you’re a level six CEO, you’re only going to be able to attract a level five operations manager - no one beyond that will want to come into your company. [5:33]
If you’re not clear on the what and the why that drive your company, you’ll face difficulty getting the who you want. When you gain clarity on those things, including how you service your clients, you can use it as a screening process in finding the perfect candidate. [8:11]
The challenge with having an experienced operations manager is that they will be used to working in larger companies with more resources, which may actually make them useless in your company. [10:49]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Zac Stucki, founder of Homeric Consulting Services and a team member at Hands-Off CEO. Zac’s specialization is scaling service-based companies and dealing with the operational constraints and challenges of fast-growing organizations. His education and training are an asset to Hands-Off CEO, bringing their operations advising to a whole new level.
You’ll hear Mandi and Zac talk about:
“If you aren’t doing the right things in the right order, it can screw things up… The thing that makes businesses work is working together toward a common end.” Zac and Mandi underline the importance of building a business in sequential order. [3:54]
In delegating to an operations manager, you are giving them ownership and ability to run your company and oversee all of the service delivery. [5:30]
The mantra at Hands-Off CEO is bring solutions, not problems. “[We bring solutions to] the problems surrounding the implementation of the vision,” Zac clarifies, “so they’re not actively out there looking for every potential problem that you could have, because that's an exhausting job that will demoralize anyone.” [11:03]
Effective operations managers are the ones championing the creation and innovation that frees up the CEO. Zac shares the biggest difference between operation managers with the ability to run the business and ones who never move upward. [15:49]
High performing teams readily share tasks and responsibilities among themselves, Zac says. “If [someone] gets a task outside [their] strength but [inside their teammate’s], they can go to [them] and say ‘Hey, what do you recommend?’” [26:07]
Resources Zac Stucki on LinkedIn
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Zac Stucki, founder of Homeric Consulting Services and a team member at Hands-Off CEO. Zac’s specialization is scaling service-based companies and dealing with the operational constraints and challenges of fast-growing organizations. His education and training are an asset to Hands-Off CEO, bringing their operations advising to a whole new level.
You’ll hear Mandi and Zac talk about:
“A lot of times, businesses misunderstand what operations is all about,” Zac claims. He describes the connection between sales and operations. [3:14]
One challenge in the hiring process is aptly determining if you’re going to get the quality of employees you need to bring your company to the standard and performance you envision. “Oftentimes, what you’re going to [do] is bring in someone you can elevate to that level,” Zac shares. [5:13]
Being more assertive and articulate about your vision helps your team gain clarity on how to execute it. [10:26]
The biggest resistance is not showing up, Mandi finds. She and Zac explore how this affects the company. “When you have an ops manager or any leader on your team resisting development, you should be concerned,” she advises. “If they’re not eating it up with a big spoon… it’s a sign of their inability to look at themselves.” [16:37]
The Great Resignation is inspired by people who are tired of showing up to work every day just to make someone richer. Mandi explains why it’s important to ensure your workplace is one that is driven by a higher purpose than just money. [23:25]
Resources Zac Stucki on LinkedIn
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Last week, Mandi Ellefson discussed the foundations of what it takes to beat inflation and scale profitably. In this week's episode of Hands-Off CEO, she describes the five exits she shares with her clients to help them safely remove themselves from different parts of their companies.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Mandi shares the idea behind exiting. “The whole point of removing yourself… is so you can be working on the business and not in it. That’s where you can be generating these million-dollar ideas, rather than being the one mired down in the minutiae.” [1:45]
“Consultancy agencies are very difficult to scale because it’s very much dependent on you,” Mandi claims. She explains why. “You created the company, so everybody sees the company as you.” [4:52]
Mandi describes one of the programs that her Scale to Freedom clients go through. “We work with the CEOs… on how to build an offer that will scale more profitably and generate the cash to hire the people to actually move through these exits.” [13:20]
Exit 3 allows you to accelerate lead flow and sales, Mandi says. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you as the CEO will completely let go of sales - I wouldn’t recommend it until your process is really tight,” she adds. “I've seen consulting agency companies do that - I've seen a lot of them try to jump right to exit three without getting the foundations in place, and it’s a disaster.” [18:57]
When you can remove yourself from client strategy, your company becomes infinitely more valuable. “At this point, your company becomes more of an asset that’s a whole lot less driven by you.” [24:43]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
In this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson discusses how to fight profit erosion in a time of rapid inflation, and what factors are necessary to scale profitably.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
A lot of consulting agency CEOs find themselves stuck in a cycle of company productivity that’s driven by their productivity, Mandi shares. This makes it difficult for them to successfully exit. “We start the company because we are the company.” [2:17]
To safely let go of your company, you must have the right foundations. “You have to have the right things in place; particularly in this market, where we have significant profit erosion from all of this rapid inflation.” Mandi explains why your operations team should be able to deliver bigger promises without you getting into the minutiae. [5:40]
“Is what you're selling actually the results that your clients desire or is it just deliverables that everybody else in the market actually sells?” Do you have a clear marketing message founded on the core results your ideal clients desire that you leverage across all of your marketing vehicles? [10:51]
Mandi shares a story of a client who was able to drastically increase their profitability and fees by focusing on providing packages that delivered outcomes and not deliverables. “It’s much easier to scale when you know you have contracts in place that will consistently bring in cash flow.” [15:43]
“It’s really important to have clarity on what you're selling, what you're delivering,” Mandi says. This is what will allow your operations team to pull out all the stops and put very clear systems in place to actually manage those outcomes. They'll be able to do it way better than you as a CEO can do it. [21:08]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to improve employee engagement in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“[When] we hear staff say ‘I’m not getting paid enough,’ what they’re really saying is ‘I’m unhappy here; I’m not getting paid enough for the crap that I'm dealing with right now.’” A lack of employee engagement is a common problem for some businesses. Many leaders think that an increased wage would motivate their staff, but Mandi shares why this doesn’t work. [1:20]
There are three drivers behind people’s actions that have nothing to do with money. “One of them is mastery, one is autonomy, and the other is significance.” Mandi briefly describes each. [4:13]
“What you need to be doing is constantly looking at your vision and expanding.” You cannot grow if you don’t first have the vision for it, Mandi says. Furthermore, failing to expand your vision will cause your business to get sluggish. [7:37]
“When you can provide [mastery, autonomy and significance, as well as a big vision] to your team… you will be able to attract levels of talent way before you might have otherwise had the budget to,” Mandi advises. People will see what you’re doing and want to be a part of it. [8:29]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guests are Josh LaMar and Marcelo Chinellato, co-founders of Amplinate, formerly known as Authentique UX. Amplinate is committed to promoting cross-cultural understanding and deepening human connection through ethical product design. With almost two decades of cumulative experience across 18 countries, they help tech companies fast track domestic and international product growth without wasting money on designing and developing products that people won't use.
You’ll hear Mandi, Josh, and Marcelo talk about:
“The whole pandemic situation was scary; we didn’t have clients for a month because they were figuring out what to do.” Marcelo shares some of the challenges Amplinate went through due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3:46]
“Commit to the good people that you find, and the rest will work itself out,” Josh says. He explains how Amplinate earns its employees’ trust and loyalty by committing to them wholeheartedly and fast-tracking their career growth. [12:04]
Josh discloses how he and Marcelo were able to combat fear. “A big part of [that] was learning how to be there to support each other in the ways [each of us needed], because working together, on top of being confined together, on top of being partners, is a lot to put on any one person.” [22:47]
One of the best testimonials Amplinate got from a client was that they were that client’s favorite agency to work with because it felt like Amplinate genuinely cared, Marcelo remarks. “It’s really worth it investing in people who are passionate like we are, [and] who care.” [36:16]
Mandi praises Marcelo and Josh’s level of trust, division of labor, and cooperation. “Because you’re very clear on where one job ends and the other one's begins, you have this multiplier effect.” [46:22]
Resources Amplinate.com
Josh LaMar on LinkedIn | Twitter About Me
Marcelo Chinellato on LinkedIn | Twitter Email: mchinelato@gmail.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to get out of the entrapment cycle in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
The entrapment cycle seizes many CEOs. “There's this dynamic where you need to hire more experts to help you deliver the growth, but then you need more cash flow to be able to hire them. So you need more sales to generate more cash, but then you need more capacity to make sales without fear of quality slipping.” [2:41]
“This cycle is just so challenging, and the impact of this is that it turns your business into a time-for-money model.” Mandi shares the effects of the entrapment cycle on a CEO and their business. [4:48]
“You need to have the cash to scale; that’s going to get you from push starting your car.” Mandi describes the four things you need to get out of the entrapment cycle and successfully scale. [6:05]
Bringing in a manager to take over the minutiae lets you focus on working on the business instead of in it. “That team led by your manager is going to streamline increased profits and help you meet those staff demands as you're continuing to increase quality.” [7:11]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson discusses the characteristics of rapid growth companies in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Two things rapid growth businesses have in common. “[Rapid growth businesses] usually have an offer that’s really valuable in the market, and are willing to position themselves in such a way that it’s a lot easier to sell.” [1:19]
“Our top-level clients who are able to add $1-2 million+ in their first year with us have this certainty that allows them to show up 100% committed, and because they're committed, it drives decisive action.” Many CEOs approach their business as a seed that needs to grow before they water it. Mandi shares why this fails. [3:52]
“What you need is a delusional level of certainty,” Mandi explains how to create that certainty. [5:57]
By creating a bigger vision for your own company, you can then help clients create a bigger vision for themselves. “When you [do this], they’re willing to pay you more. When you create much bigger outcomes, your team is more excited to be a part of what you’re building.” [8:44]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Jamie Birch, CEO and Chief Incremental Officer at JEBCommerce, an organization that helps retainers maximize their affiliate sales. He has extensive experience in all facets of online marketing. This has enabled Jamie to thrive and become a market leader in these unprecedented times. Jamie and his team help clients grow their revenue and gain an additional $10M in sales in 3 years. He is the host of The Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast, where he talks to industry experts and shares insights to assist listeners.
You’ll hear Mandi and Jamie talk about:
“Stepping back and allowing my team to solve the problems was one of the biggest steps in my leadership evolution.” Jamie sometimes takes weeks off of the business, which allows his executive team to step up and strengthen their skills as they take over whole parts of the business. [4:26]
Mandi and Jamie discuss staying true to vision. [10:35]
“You have this problem; there’s going to be seven more tomorrow and there are two more waiting for you right now. Work this problem, then work the next, and remove the emotions of ‘This shouldn’t be happening.’” Jamie shares the three client reactions to the pandemic that he observed. [20:50]
“Young people are getting their first and second jobs using Spotify as a search engine.” Jamie explains how. [35:02]
Mandi shares why Jamie is the perfect embodiment of a Hands-Off CEO. “You get your business sustainable, and you look at how to scale, how to keep that consistent cash flow, how to create these amazing careers where people want to be, how to build this culture so that you have people that are fighting for your vision.” [44:37]
Resources Jamie Birch on LinkedIn | Twitter JEBCommerce.com | JamieBirch.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Aaron Krall, founder of SaaS Visionaries and the SaaS Accelerator, a proven system that adds $500,000 of revenue to SaaS companies in just 12 months. He is also one of Hands-Off CEO’s Scale to Freedom clients.
You’ll hear Mandi and Tim talk about:
“It’s a really specific program we’ve designed,” Aaron says. “We come in, and we rehaul everything.” He briefly lists the four major levels of SaaS growth that his company ensures, which are market positioning, automating the sales process, increasing customer value, and filling the funnel. [2:12]
“I originally positioned myself as an onboarding expert… when I went in to do these onboarding projects with clients, what I found was that we would do the onboarding and it would look amazing, but it wouldn't have an impact on their growth.” Aaron discovered it was due to internal problems he hadn’t solved. He shares how he changed his approach, and the results that followed. [5:30]
“When I changed my beliefs around [me doing] everything and [hiring] people who deliver a better result than I could deliver, [I realized] that means I could charge more.” Aaron talks about delegating tasks. “The director of a movie only has one role, and that’s to direct.” [14:59]
“And now, because of the mindset shifts and the experiences that I've had in the program and other things, I realized that I'm probably not charging enough.” Aaron’s self-confidence suffered from working with the wrong clients, which influenced his views towards the value of his service. “Now, I feel like it's not only worth it, but it's a bargain for these guys.” He talks about increasing the price of his “world-class services.” [18:56]
“There are certain processes I went through that broke a lot of the false beliefs I had.” Writing and visualizing his future helped Aaron expand his mind and change his life. He explains how. [25:13]
Resources Aaron Krall on LinkedIn AaronKrall.io
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Tim Francis, founder of ProfitFactory.com and Great Assistant, two organizations dedicated to making the entrepreneurial journey easier. After noticing that entrepreneurs desperately needed support in running a business, Tim started Great Assistant to help them hire an assistant, retain them for years, and make them really profitable.
You’ll hear Mandi and Tim talk about:
Tim shares three strategies for more effective delegation. “Do not use email when it comes to delegating to anybody in your internal team, including your assistant; email’s a wasteland of distraction. Use Loom, a free tool you can use in your browser, to screen record and narrate what you want done. And finally, hire an assistant that fits you properly. ” [1:16]
Tim and Mandi explore how teams can work effectively in different time zones. [9:29]
“There’s such a thing as being too early, the timing being wrong, and a lack of a path to profitability. Once those three things are in place, you should be going forward with getting an assistant.” Tim explains why you can’t afford to not have an assistant, and when the right time is to hire one. [21:52]
“It creates this open space for me to create, and that’s when these amazing ideas come; you can’t do that if you’re so busy in the minutia.” Hiring an assistant not only saves you time, but it also saves you energy. Tim describes how. [32:17]
“We’re helping coach you and prepare your work, while finding assistance candidates and bringing you three finalists.” Tim talks about the services Great Assistance provides for its clients. [47:23]
Resources Tim Francis on LinkedIn | Twitter
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Jason “Wally” Waldron, CEO of Exitology, the agency that can create 33% annual growth and guarantee to add at least $1M of new growth using existing resources for logistics, supply chain and industrial companies. Wally’s unique profit acceleration strategies have helped companies grow faster and maximize the value of their business, as well as buy back their freedom when they feel trapped in their businesses.
You’ll hear Mandi and Wally Waldron talk about:
“If you’re looking to move onto the next phase of your business life, create a legacy in the world, or even sell over the next five years, you [can] come to us; we’ll get your business ready, and you get a hell of a payday.” Wally talks about Exitology’s target market and how they serve their clients. [4:58]
“The really cool thing is that [we helped nurture] a business owner who lives what he teaches.” Wally talks about one of his proudest case studies, an inherited business from father to son, and how they helped him. [9:42]
“The mark of a winning, momentum-filled business leader is that they’re always looking to expand their boundaries and find the next level up, so they can do a better job for their tribe.” Mandi and Wally discuss Wally’s variety of clients. [13:54]
Wally explores the ‘someday I will’ mentality and why it never works. “If you choose the best version of your potential future and introduce it into your being right now, [you will be] planting a seed of growth.” [21:25]
Mandi asks Wally to describe how his internal work has impacted his personal and organizational growth. “It feels like I’m playing in my zone of genius more than I ever have.” [29:20]
Resources Jason “Wally” Waldron on LinkedIn | Twitter MasterKeyProfits.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Tom Shapiro, the founder and CEO of Stratabeat, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses grow via branding, design, and strategic thinking. He is a marketer who understands what businesses need and crafts strategies to fill those needs. .
You’ll hear Mandi and Tom talk about:
"What we're seeing is that a lot of businesses are struggling with lead generation and struggling to increase the number of leads that they're generating," Tom explains. Businesses cannot hold on to the approaches and best practices of the past in the new sophisticated market. They have to adapt. Tom explains how. [4:30]
Refine your focus as you teach. "The more that you focus...the easier it becomes to help your clients be successful," Tom says. He and Mandi explore this, as well as a few more requirements for success. [9:40]
Work with companies that are profitable. "You don't want to work with companies with low profit - especially agencies - because they're doing the exact opposite of what you're doing in your company," Tom remarks. Replacing clients because they aren't profitable is costly, and it's better to remove that risk altogether by not working with them at all. [13:22]
Driving traffic is not all marketing is about. "It's an actual human being who's coming to your site, and they are making judgments on your business from every interaction, from every touchpoint, from every experience," Tom states. [21:11]
Rethinking your lead generation involves many different facets of your business but your audience has to be top priority. Make sure you are completely customer and audience-obsessed. [26:17]
Treat your clients like your friends. "If you're gonna be working really closely with these people and they're really good people, you know it just makes sense to care that much about them," Tom adds. Connecting with the human aspect equals success for your business. [34:45]
To generate more leads, ask yourself what would blow your clients' minds. [40:30]
Stratabeat has the perfect tools to capture more clients. "We use behavioral analysis software, so we can marry that up with exactly what they were doing on the page, how far down they were scrolling, what they were clicking on… and then we know exactly what they're interested in," Tom says. [46:00]
Resources Tom Shapiro on LinkedIn | Twitter Stratabeat
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
James Schramko, bestselling author and host of the SuperfastBusiness podcast, invited Mandi Ellefson on his show recently. This is a cross-post of their enlightening conversation about scaling a service business.
You’ll hear Mandi and James talk about:
How soon to start building a team and becoming a Hands Off CEO. “Please don’t build a solopreneur business if you can avoid it!” James cautions listeners. Melissa comments, “It gets to a point where you're able to really take advantage of all the years that you have been building up your company, and it's this point where this quantum leap that happens in your growth, when you're able to let go…” [2:23]
Much of the popular advice on scaling a business does not apply for service companies. They are usually based on creating systems and hiring people. “Here's the problem,” Melissa tells James, “if you just go in and build systems, first of all it's gonna take an enormous amount of your time… And then you hope that people you hire are then going to follow those systems and take on ownership for them, which is not really the way it works.” [7:30]
Melissa’s tool rules:
“If we're going to have a tool we should absolutely have to have it.”
“It should be the best tool for what we need… And that's certainly the team's decision to research and discover that tool.”
“We have to know how to use the tools.”
The tools are constantly revised and updated. [8:40]
Scaling a service business means making a bigger promise and getting more expansive outcomes for clients, Melissa says. This means you can charge higher prices and have the margin and profit to create the systems to scale your company. [11:28]
The Power of One framework: one prospect, one painful problem, one promise. Get this framework right and you will attract high quality clients. [13:25]
“What are those factors you need to have in place to be able to deliver your very best results and then eliminate every other prospect that doesn't have those,” Melissa advises business leaders looking to scale. She and James discuss vision-based selling to clients. [19:23]
James says, “The greatest goldmine is probably an existing database, and I even created a whole campaign around winning back old clients because your systems will change over time, there's a good chance that your promise will change over time, and your serviceability will change over time, and the clients you work with will change over time..” [26:55]
“One thing I do with anyone who's got an agency is I discourage them from doing proposals; and we renamed that one to an action plan or strategy guide,” James tells Melissa. “It’s small semantics with big outcomes.” Melissa’s growth plan is a similar concept. It’s about focusing on the promise and what the customer really wants. [32:48]
Melissa talks about the 5 exits a business owner must make in order to scale. These include exiting client management, marketing and sales, client strategy and high ticket sales. The final exit is when you can hire a CEO. [41:43]
Resources James Schramko on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook SuperfastBusiness
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to make growing your consulting agency simpler in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“It’s not that something is wrong with your business; it’s that you’re working way too hard.” Mandi shares why CEOs sometimes struggle with growth. [0:23]
Mandi shares an example of a client who struggled to find a reason to scale. “It can’t just be about money, it has to be something bigger than that.” [1:08]
Sometimes working with half the number of clients but at an increased (or doubled) price is the best way to go. “[You] can make more money working half the time.” [4:36]
“You have to stop scaling activities, because activities don’t necessarily generate results.” Mandi advises listeners on how to scale without diminishing the results. [7:11]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Ron Friedman, the founder of ignite80, an organization dedicated to teaching leaders practical, evidence-based techniques for working smarter and elevating their team's performance through keynotes, workshops, and consulting. He is also CEO at Friedman Strategy Group, where he fuses psychological insight with cutting-edge research to deliver actionable marketing recommendations.
You’ll hear Mandi and Ron Friedman talk about:
“Throughout our lives, we’ve only been taught two major stories of how people achieve greatness,” Ron claims. “Greatness comes from talent, or greatness comes from hard work.” He talks about the less famous third path to greatness: reverse engineering. [3:16]
Successful entrepreneurs aren’t harder workers, more creative, or more intelligent; what they excel at is pattern recognition. They observe the market, see what’s working, and identify where it’s going to go next. Mandi and Ron explore this. [5:10]
Many of the stories we love are simply the same story with different characters. Similarly, people who have achieved greatness share commonalities that we can adapt to our own lives and use to our benefit if we take the time to observe them and find the patterns. Ron shares how. [13:07]
“The key is to take a few samples to reverse engineer and templatize, and combine the different elements that you find powerful; now you’re not just copying someone else’s formula, you’re making your own creative approach,” Ron explains. [20:42]
“Sell first, build later.” Ron shares the story of Zappos, founded by Nick Swinmurn, who took the ‘sell first, build later’ approach when he created the company. He started off just posting pictures of shoes from his local shoe store online, buying them when someone placed an order and reselling them to the customer. Zappos scaled significantly before being bought by Amazon for $1.2 billion. [26:40]
Resources Ron Friedman on LinkedIn | Twitter FriedmanStrategy.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Mark Arnold, President of On the Mark Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in branding and strategic planning. Mark has written several books, and is an acclaimed speaker who specializes in personal growth, leadership, marketing, and strategy.
You’ll hear Mandi and Mark Arnold talk about:
“When I started, I couldn’t see everything that others could see,” Mark admits. “When the vision expands, the business expands, and sometimes there are self limiting beliefs that hold you back. It really helps to gain that outsider perspective to see a vision you may not be able to.” [2:29]
Mark shares how he continues to make profits with less public input. “While companies are still looking for you, they’re hiring results. They want the results you deliver, so if you can make it more about the process than the person, that’s what helps.” He talks about the importance of having the right team. [5:39]
“Are you a Superman leader or are you a Yoda leader?” The ideal is to be a Yoda leader; you should be a guide, not a superhero, Mark says. He explains why. [11:07]
Mandi and Mark discuss profit margins. “People don’t understand that they’re stuck in the business because they [don’t have] the profit margins to hire it out without losing more and more money,” Mandi claims. [18:38]
“You should have a few different ways that you can exit as part of your exit strategy,” Mark advises. “I still want to be involved in the company as much as possible [when I exit]... I want to put my energy into everything but less on the delivery so the delivery can be done without me. That’s where you want to go.” [23:07]
Resources Mark Arnold on LinkedIn | Twitter MarkArnold.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson’s guest this week is Nathan Kievman, a world-renowned demand generation expert and business growth strategist. He is the CEO of Linked Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in measurable client and talent acquisition campaigns. Nathan is an entrepreneur, executive engagement specialist, and a digital marketing strategist.
You’ll hear Mandi and Nathan Kievman talk about:
“I’ve always had a passion for interacting with the leaders of leaders,” Nathan says. He talks about how he started his company. [2:16]
“Executives are decision makers. They’re comfortable with making fast decisions, or they wouldn’t be in their role.” Nathan shares how an understanding of philosophy and psychology helps you have better conversations with executives. [6:31]
Mandi and Nathan discuss when the right time is to outsource your lead generation. “I don’t think it makes sense to have it in-house, ever…It’s way more expensive to build it internally. To build a really powerful lead generation engine for your company, you need a great copywriter, great data scientists, a great project manager, data entry people, etc.” [16:12]
“You need a partner whose expertise you believe in,” Nathan remarks. “You believe in their content capability and their ability to test and pivot, because marketing is a game of testing and pivoting.” He shares insights on what to avoid when looking for lead gen experts for your company. [23:21]
The difficult thing about marketing is that you’re planting and watering a seed that you’re unsure will spread out, Mandi claims. However, it will if you continue to nurture your message, look at the feedback, and keep on refining that with a solid strategy. [29:29]
According to Nathan, being conscious is good for business. “When you're conscious and when you're clearly aligned to doing good, people want to do good with you,” he explains. “They want to feel that and be a part of that.” [33:15]
Resources Nathan Kievman on LinkedIn | Twitter
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson is discussing mindset shifts with Laura Cook, who is Director and CEO at Teal Vision Ltd, an organization dedicated to unlocking profits, accelerating growth, and helping CEOs get their lives back. Laura is passionate about supporting 7 and 8 figure businesses to predictably grow with less stress, more money, and secure a bigger exit.
You’ll hear Mandi and Laura Cook talk about:
“My monthly rates have tripled since the beginning of the year, and my average length of contract has increased from around 3 months up to at least a year,” Laura shares. She talks about the big shifts that she’s been able to make with less resources than you would typically expect. [4:00]
“Taking action has been the main differentiator of how far you can get and how much progress you’re going to make,” Laura claims. She shares insights about the few pieces that she needs to take action. [6:48]
Laura explores her next steps as a leader. “It's about expanding the team and bringing on support to create more systems in the business and more structure around the offer I’m building, and how that’s going to be delivered to clients.” [15:20]
“One of the first things we're able to do is identify about £65,000 worth of profit that we could instantly add to the business.” Mandi asks Laura to discuss the results that Teal Vision has achieved for clients over the years. [19:26]
“There's something about getting someone out of a crisis.” Laura explains why, despite the fact that companies in crisis mode don’t typically have much money to pay her, she spends time doing it anyway. [23:34]
Resources Laura Cook on LinkedIn Teal-Vision.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson shares how leaders can drive rapid growth in their company beyond themselves in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Convincing someone to do something: they have to want to do it, and money isn’t the most reliable incentive. [1:32]
The food chain of passion. “If you don’t have a lot of passion, then neither will your team.” [3:43]
The secret to growing your company beyond you. “What is the bigger reason for why you're scaling? What is the impact that you could potentially be making in the world?” [5:27]
How an inspired team affects performance and engagement. “I am here because I love [the company], I'm inspired by it, I'm excited, and I don't feel like I'm working.” [7:29]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson discusses global shifts in marketing with John Jantsch, the founder and President of Duct Tape Marketing. John has been featured in multiple publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, and USA Today. In addition to training and licensing independent consultants and agencies using the Duct Tape method, John is also the author of several books focused on marketing and professional development.
You’ll hear Mandi and John Jantsch talk about:
“Every author loves to hear [that their book] meant something to people and had an impact.” John shares insights about his most recent book, The Ultimate Marketing Engine: 5 Steps to Ridiculously Consistent Growth. [2:27]
“People don’t recognize that you should be selling all the way through your process.” You don’t just promote your product: you also promote your team. Mandi discusses why. [9:26]
“Secret number one to raising your prices to where they should be is having confidence.” When that confidence is translated to your performance, it shows in your results, and attracts customers to you. [16:16]
“What if we began to think of our customers more like members?” John talks about developing deeper, more personalized relationships with customers. [18:57]
“I think there’s never been a better time for businesses to innovate and try new things,” John remarks. He and Mandi briefly explore the global shift in the approach to marketing caused by the remote world. [22:13]
Resources John Jantsch on LinkedIn | Twitter DuctTapeMarketing.com
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Mandi Ellefson is discussing why popular scaling advice is terrible for consulting agencies. She shares insights about marketing, systems, and what you should actually do to scale.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“Do you really want to systematize and accelerate a process that's just getting okay and mediocre results?” Mandi shares a story about a company that grew from referrals, but was challenged when they attempted proactive marketing. [1:25]
“Your marketing could be telling stories to support the promises you make to clients,” Mandi says. “With a clear and compelling message, you can then build a solid go-to marketing strategy that can work even with the coldest of traffic.” [6:14]
“If you don’t have the cash flow and profit to pay people to replace yourself, that's what keeps you, as a CEO, stuck in your business.” In order to be sustainable, you have to have enough of the right systems. [8:57]
“Do you really want to go out and sell something if you're not sure it's going to work?” Mandi discusses the integrity of scaling when you’re not sure of your product. [11:30]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
Now may be the best time for your business! Mandi Ellefson returns in this exciting new season of Hands-Off CEO to tell us why. In this week’s episode, she discusses the changes that the business climate has undergone over the last 18 months, and how you can use it to your advantage. She shares tips on ways to strengthen your business, increase your fees, and get a higher commitment from your very best clients. You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
The challenges that arose in the spring of 2020, and how she helped her clients navigate it using the ‘Power of 1’s’ formula. [1:54]
Maintaining your footing within a shifting market. [2:49]
How she helped a client raise their fees and retain the interest of investors. [6:35]
Creating the ‘abundance bubble’ and scaling to freedom. [9:31]
Resources Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED January, 2020.
Next to hiring salespeople, hiring an Operations Manager is the most difficult position to hire for. I'm going to share with you the three ways that we see CEO’s fail when hiring a Second in Command. And then how to get them right.
Even if you find a great candidate, you won’t be able to retain them for long if you haven’t considered what we share in this episode.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED November 2018.
How much could you grow if you could guarantee results for your clients? Because many custom service providers only market their clients’ successes and aren’t honest about the rest, there are a lot of burned clients. And ethical providers tend to be less forward because they’re nervous about over-promising and under-delivering. You can stand out in the crowd by embracing integrity. Then you don’t have to SAY you’re better; you ARE better.
Do you rely on persuasion to make sales? Yes, it works and that is why people continue to rely on it to grow their businesses. But what if you could move beyond these old school tips and tricks? And honestly discuss with your clients their challenges and help them see what is possible.
On this week’s episode, I talk about the five steps that will help you to update the way you sell to clients. Use these steps to not only grow your business, but also retain clients for longer.
What got entrepreneurs to a certain point in their business may now work against them and it now holds them back from achieving more - Paradox Resistance.
True to their company name, Authentique UX is really authentic and unique. Being committed to your vision and to the people who build your workforce helps you grow as a company and you as a leader of the pack. And true enough, mindset is everything. In the middle of everything the world throws at you, as long as you’ve got the perfect mindset, your business will not just survive, nor thrive - it will grow more than you expected!
Ramp up client acquisition in your consulting business without making it complex.
You can grow your company without having to slow yourself down with all of the tactics that you see all over the web. Many online gurus promote complex funnels, but these funnels actually add a level of complexity.
Instead, you can make sure that you are doing the steps of scaling your marketing and your sales at the time that's actually appropriate in your business.
What did it take to thrive as a business during a global pandemic?
Jamie Birch is the founder and CEO of JEB Commerce, an award winning full service, online marketing agency specializing in performance marketing.
In Mandi’s interview with Jamie, you’ll gain insight into what it took to “not only survive but thrive” during COVID-19.
Jamie was able to take three full weeks out of the office to spend time with his family
How you’re motivating people is probably wrong.
At different stages of an agency growth, there's some different challenges with team enrollment and motivation and generally engagement.
One of the things that I have seen from different consulting agencies is that they are trying to motivate people with the wrong things.
Transitioning from working in the business to working on the business can be hard, but there are three simple steps you can follow to get unstuck.
In today’s episode, we’re going to look at Tom. Tom was a marketing agency owner who had a relatively successful business, but became stagnated for years because it was just too stressful for him to keep scaling. He ended up scaling up and then scaling back so he could retain some sanity and hopefully retain some family balance.
A lot of agencies love having retainers - they are the Holy Grail. Having clients on long-term retainers, consistently paying you month-after-month gives you a strong, consistent cash flow so you can scale your business from that.
It can be very challenging to get to the point where clients are going to commit at this level, and it can take months or even years of testing with small projects to be able to build that trust with them.
Buying patterns have been changing for hundreds of years, but what has changed recently is how quickly those buying patterns have changed. The trend happens any time there’s a recession or downturn in the market. Only the toughest and strongest businesses are going to rise to the top.
But the $1,000,000 question is:
How are you able to position your consulting agency so that you not only survive, but actually thrive?
Madeleine and I talk about how she's scaled her business, how she's been able to 10 X her income in and create that 10 X the amount of growth since the beginning of the year - during COVID - and how she's innovated her business model to really thrive during this market. You’ll also see what has been working for her to create such a fast, rapid growth in her business, and really being able to go from a capacity of 3 clients to now having a capacity of 20 clients (and increase her fees considerably).
Brian Regienczuk, CEO and Founder of Agency Spotter, shares tips to grow your business by landing BIG clients, even when you’re up against other, bigger agencies for the job.
Lorne Greenfield, who has helped small to midsize businesses experience the growth they desire by understanding the role of finance in their companies for the past 20 years, shares his insights on how consulting agencies can scale faster by strategically funding their growth.
Steve Gordon was my guest on the podcast today. He’s a 2-time entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Unstoppable Referrals: 10x Referrals, Half the Effort and The Exponential Network Strategy. He’s the host of The Unstoppable CEO™ podcast, and has published over 400 articles on marketing and sales for professional service firms. His firm, The Unstoppable Agency helps consultants and digital agencies land great clients by hosting their own podcast and using his proprietary Podcast Prospecting
Mandi shares the top 5 reasons consulting agencies fail at scaling, and discusses the roadmap she uses for Hands-Off CEO™ clients to help them scale their businesses successfully.
Timothy Francis from Great Assistant was Mandi’s guest on the podcast today. Through his work as a private consultant, Tim noticed that entrepreneurs desperately needed help with the minutiae involved with running a business - they needed to get those administrative and operational tasks off their plate. Tim started Great Assistant to help entrepreneurs hire an assistant, retain them for years, and make them really profitable.
How do we get such great results for our clients? And how can you model what we're doing so that you can generate bigger results for YOUR clients?
You become the very best in your industry by delivering better results. You’re able to charge fees that are at the top in your industry, and even create your own category - just by delivering incredible outcomes every single time.
Want bigger profits... Better results from your team... Higher paying clients... ? YOU must be better. On the podcast, I'll share with you 4 ways how you can innovate your service to make it more profitable, and easier to sell too. Being a Hands-Off CEO is about 100% responsibility as the leader. Letting go, and delegating ownership is the key to making more, as you work less.
But it comes at a cost: your willingness to BE BETTER!
Next to hiring salespeople, hiring an Operations Manager is the most difficult position to hire for. I'm going to share with you the three ways that we see CEO’s fail when hiring a Second in Command. And then how to get them right.
Even if you find a great candidate, you won’t be able to retain them for long if you haven’t considered what we share in this episode.
Shaun Buck owns The Newsletter Pro, based out of Boise, Idaho. It's now a 60+ member team and the nation’s largest custom print newsletter company. His $10MM marketing services company maintain aggressive growth because it can run without him for months. Shaun and The Newsletter Pro landed at No. 120 on the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies list. And has collaborated with marketing guru Dan Kennedy to co-write the No B.S Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention.
To have the level of success and freedom you want, you have to be willing to rock the boat.
Often these breakdowns are such great gifts because it leads to powerfully choosing what we do want.
“Pretty good” and “OK” are the biggest obstacles we have working with agency owners. They’re afraid to rock the boat to be able to actually have what they want.
Are you willing to rock the boat to create the business and life you love?
Tanya Korpi McLeod got her company to run completely without her in five months, found $88k of profit in the first month. Then she took over her husband’s businesses and did the same for them.
I had to beg to be hired at McDonalds.
Newly married, my husband was in a demanding program at school, and I had to get a job. I was willing to do whatever it took to bring an income for my family. This McDonalds wasn’t hiring at the time, but even with an associates degree and 2 years experience at another McDonalds I had to convince them to hire me.
In this podcast, I talk about the lessons I learned. And how it applies to helping our clients dramatically increase fees and double profit (or more).
In today’s podcast, Kyle Racki, founder of Proposify.com shares how he spends his time optimizing and innovating systems while his team runs the business. Listen in as Kyle shares about the Four Hour Work Week, creating repeatable systems, Gary V. and Free Trials (and Tribulations).
Are your clients so confident that you’re going to be able to get them the outcome that they want, that they don’t feel hardly any risk at all moving forward with you?
When your clients feel you’re risky, you are likely leaving an enormous amount of money on the table. Follow what I share in this podcast to project solid confidence to your clients.
And you can increase sales conversions and command higher fees.
Mike has a lot of great knowledge and expertise to share and does it in a very down to earth entertaining, engaging kind of way. He helps us really isolate the most important pieces in our business so that it can run without you.
JEB Commerce helps retailers in the beauty, skincare, travel outdoor and gear and fitness categories generate 10 million dollars within 3 years through their affiliate channel. They use affiliate marketing to augment their customer acquisition model beyond their traditional retail sales.
Mandi and CEO Tom Shapiro highlight the journey of Stratabeat, Tom’s digital marketing agency. There’s so much to learn from Tom and the way he’s been able to grow his company; doubling in size in just 18 months.
All while Tom was able to work less and depend on the incredible team he’s building. He used the “spare” time to write two books and develop leaders who continue to provide incredible results for their clients.
The Power Hour Planner Strategy What would you do if I could give you an extra hour every day? How would you use that time to bring in new business or grow revenue? If that one hour, which equates to 20 hours a month, was dedicated to bringing in new business how much would that equate to? What is one new client each month worth to your business? 12 New clients a year? How would that impact your bottom line?
One of the most valuable people on your team is your operations manager. They get you out of the day to day, so you can focus on growing your company. So where can you find one? Today on the show, we have Jeremy Pope, the founder of The Closing Engine, who is interviewing Mandi on how to hire an operations manager, even if you don’t have the budget for one yet.
How much could you grow if you could guarantee results for your clients? Because many custom service providers only market their clients’ successes and aren’t honest about the rest, there are a lot of burned clients. And ethical providers tend to be less forward because they’re nervous about over-promising and under-delivering. You can stand out in the crowd by embracing integrity. Then you don’t have to SAY you’re better; you ARE better.
Your hands are full managing your clients, managing the team, running the business, doing the strategy — where are you going to find room to grow? If you’re feeling stuck on the hamster wheel, this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast is for you. Today, we’re talking about letting go so you can scale up.
Is your business enriching your life and the lives of those around you? Or has it commandeered your time and hijacked your passion? If you find yourself saying 'yes' to the latter, then Mandi and her guest have a freedom-based solution for you. Joining us today is the founder of Suitcase Entrepreneur and the author of "The Freedom Plan," Natalie Sisson. Natalie describes her journey from Marketing Executive to successful entrepreneur and tells us what it takes to build a freedom-based business.
Picture this: Amazing leaders discussing business strategies at a beautiful beach and having fun. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, that's exactly how last week's Hands Off CEO retreat went! Mandi and her 'Scale to Freedom' tribe talked about what matters most and what they should do to achieve it - let go of the 'how' virus to focus on what and why. Today, Mandi shares what it's like to be a hands-off CEO and how you can be one, too.
What’s the easiest way to grow your business? How can you scale your company without grinding through all those extra hours? Today, Mandi chats with Michael Zipursky, CEO of Consulting Success and one of the world’s top authorities on growing a consulting business. Mandi and Michael discuss how to price your services to dramatically increase your profits. You’ll learn how to develop consistent client attraction and choose the right marketing channel for your business.
Is your business earning to grow or to get by? It’s time to draw the line between scaling and settling. Today’s episode is for high performers who are struggling to keep up and increase their revenue. Mandi shares how you can find confidence when making the right business decisions and why the limit to your success is often rooted in how many hours you have.
In a perfect world, growth would happen in a linear fashion. But growing your business is a little more complicated than that. So how do you scale your business and move past the inevitable growth hurdles and sales plateaus? This week, Mandi shares her wealth of experience helping custom service businesses scale so you can step away from your team without worrying that it will crash and burn without you.
If you are relying on referrals to take your business to 7 figures and beyond, you might be making a huge mistake. Referrals are great, but they aren’t enough to break the glass ceiling, and outbound sales is something you need to consider. Feeling some resistance? Don’t worry. Today’s guest is Mark Firth, a master of outbound sales on LinkedIn, and he’ll be the first to tell you that you don’t succeed on LinkedIn by trying to sell.
If you’re a successful entrepreneur, you’ve dealt with burnout to varying degrees. But how do you overcome the type of crippling burnout that makes you question why you bother owning a business in the first place? In today’s show, Mandi shares her own story of epic burnout, and what she learned can help you identify and deal with burnout before it takes you out of commission. In fact, you can take the problems that lead to burnout and turn them into profit for your business.
There are plenty of mistakes you can make while scaling your service business to your first million and beyond. But what’s the single biggest mistake that threatens to stall your growth? If you’re having stagnant growth, you’re making it. Mandi reveals what the problem is, and how to solve it in today’s episode of Hands-OFF CEO.
As you know, this podcast is about scaling a custom service business, one of the more challenging things to do. You’ve probably put blood, sweat, and tears into building your company, and now that it’s time to grow, there are obstacles you never saw coming. Today, Mandi talks about the 4 stages of growth you’re likely to experience as you scale. More importantly, she reveals how to move from one stage to the next.
When you’re trying to scale, one of the biggest challenges you face is bringing on new team members. Chances are you’ll face a high turnover rate as you figure out what roles you need to fill and the type of person who should fill it. But what if it’s YOUR fault that a new hire isn’t living up to your expectations? Today, Mandi and Kristen talk about the real cost of bad onboarding and how to do it better.
They said getting started was the hardest part, but no one told you how hard it is to scale a custom service business. It’s time for your team to step up, but your clients want YOU. Discover how to scale to 7 figures and beyond by freeing up time and getting your team to run whole parts of the company so you can focus on scaling profits. That means more income, more time with your family, and more ability to make impact in the community and beyond. This is the Hands OFF CEO Podcast with Mandi Ellefson.