The Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast: Recent Episodes
Brett Gilliland
If you’re one of the 3-5% of entrepreneurs that’s grown their business to seven figures in revenue, congratulations! You are an ELITE entrepreneur. Few people can say they’ve accomplished what you have. I’m sure that success hasn’t stopped you from wondering: What’s the next step?
Getting from six to seven figures is a commendable and extremely difficult feat, but it’s not smooth sailing after you clear the $1 million mark. If you’re like a lot of entrepreneurs, you’re probably encountering a host of new problems you’ve never fought through before. Leadership changes, vision changes, and you might find yourself wearing ten hats in a given day. That climb up to $10 million seems insurmountable, right?
Welcome Brett Gilliland, your host of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast. Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, veteran business owner and media expert Cynthia Kay shares invaluable lessons from her 37+ years running a media production and communications consulting company. From leading multi-generational teams to the art of storytelling in business, Cynthia dives deep into what it truly takes to scale leadership and communication as your business grows.
In this inspiring episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast, we sit down with Thomas Heers, a seasoned entrepreneur with decades of experience building businesses, including Utah’s iconic Cliffside Restaurant. Tom shares the timeless business principles that guided him through both spectacular successes and failures. His heartfelt lessons on leadership, guest experience, and legacy building are a must-listen for any entrepreneur.
In this episode of Seven Figure Journey, Matt Curtis from Smart City Policy Group shares his journey from public service to helping cities navigate rapid technological changes. Discover the surprising challenges cities face with short-term rental compliance, how emerging technologies reshape city policy, and why purpose-driven leadership is the key to growth.
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, John Mizzi, CEO of Vero Technologies, dives deep into the challenges of scaling a SaaS business while protecting team culture, avoiding burnout, and making strategic hires. Discover the frameworks Vero uses to manage rapid growth, maintain customer excellence, and empower internal leaders without losing sight of their startup values.
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, Connor Pera of The Print Authority shares his experience buying a 7-figure print business and his bold plan to scale it. From strategic leadership shifts to learning that revenue means nothing without cash, Connor reveals what it really takes to double your business—and build a 9-figure mindset.
What does it take to grow a business beyond seven figures? In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, we sit down with Jason Smith, founder of Spotlight Social, who went from being a police officer in LA to running a successful social media agency.
Embracing AI isn’t an option—it’s a necessity. In this episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast, host David Gilliland sits down with Vadim Peskov, founder of Diffco and a leading AI expert, to discuss how businesses can leverage artificial intelligence to stay competitive.
How do you scale a business from scratch and disrupt an industry?
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, we sit down with Ashlyn Hadden, founder of Ashlyn Hadden Insurance, to uncover how she went from banking to leading a multimillion-dollar insurance agency.
How do you scale your business without losing its culture? In this episode, Veronica Shelton, co-founder of Oak Theory, shares how she went from freelancing to building a multi-million-dollar design studio. She reveals key lessons on delegation, hiring smarter, and leading leaders—all while staying true to the company’s mission.
How do you build a successful company with trust and transparency at its core?
In this episode, Dena Prastus, founder of Indigo River, shares her journey from growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, to leading a 20-person architecture and engineering firm specializing in waterfront infrastructure and climate resilience.
From a college care package to a multimillion-dollar business, Alessandro Gerbini shares how he transformed his mom’s granola recipe into Gather’s Granola, one of the top contract manufacturers in the industry. In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, Alessandro reveals the critical lessons of delegation, mentorship, and innovative marketing that helped him scale.
In this episode of Elite Entrepreneur’s 7-Figure Journey, we sit down with Michael Boaz, CEO of Boaz Construction, to uncover his journey from overeducated trim carpenter to leading a multi-industry construction firm.
In this episode of Elite Entrepreneur’s 7-Figure Journey, we sit down with Brett Tatum, CEO of Tatco Construction, to discuss how he scaled his construction company from a one-man operation to a 50-employee powerhouse across multiple states.
In this episode of Elite Entrepreneur’s 7-Figure Journey, we sit down with Victoria from Downtown Financial Group to uncover the real strategies behind scaling a successful mortgage business. Victoria went from being a solo loan officer to running a multi-million-dollar company, all while building financial freedom for her clients and herself.
In this episode, Shannon Oelkers shares how she transformed her company by building an elite leadership team that operates independently, freeing her from daily decision-making. She reveals her biggest leadership challenges, how she overcame ego struggles, and the unique hiring process that filters out the best talent. Plus, she dives into her vision for scaling beyond Alaska into the Pacific Northwest.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring AJ & Mike, the visionary founders of Agency Coach. Discover how they transformed their agency from a feast-or-famine model to a thriving recurring revenue machine.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring DJ Moore, the visionary founder of Erosion and Construction Solutions, Inc. Discover how he transformed a struggling home-building business into a thriving seven-figure company by solving one of construction’s biggest headaches: stormwater pollution prevention.
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, we sit down with Vasilios Sinagridis, founder and CEO of Orama Digital Design, to explore his entrepreneurial journey. From navigating the challenges of the pandemic to scaling his business to seven figures, Vasilios shares his strategies for building a resilient team, leveraging market trends, and creating exceptional customer experiences. Learn how he integrates digital and print solutions to empower small businesses and his vision for the future of his company. Tune in for actionable insights and inspiration to transform your own business!
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, we sit down with Wade Millward, CEO and Founder of rikor.io and Protect My Franchise, to explore how he’s revolutionizing the franchising industry. Wade shares his journey of identifying systemic challenges in franchise insurance compliance and turning them into opportunities for innovation and growth.
Discover Wade’s strategies for scaling a business, creating operational efficiencies, and driving team alignment, as well as his philosophy of “question everything.” Whether you’re an emerging franchise owner or an established entrepreneur, this episode is packed with actionable insights to take your business to the next level.
Tune in now and learn how to overcome franchise challenges and build for sustainable success!
Welcome to this week’s episode featuring Jason Langkammerer, the founder of AT6, a leader in residential remodeling. Discover how Jason overcame the challenges of navigating a feast-or-famine industry to scale his business while maintaining quality and client satisfaction. Learn about his strategies for controlling growth and aligning his team to meet both high demand and market fluctuations.
In this episode of Seven Figure Journey, we dive deep with Lun, co-founder and CTO of MetaNovas Biotech, a trailblazing AI-driven startup transforming industries. Lun shares his journey from tackling complex drug repurposing challenges to pivoting into consumer health and beauty, working with global giants like L’Oréal and P&G. Learn how adaptability, innovation, and a passion for problem-solving propelled MetaNovas to seven-figure success, and gain actionable strategies for overcoming business challenges. Tune in for inspiration and insights from one of the brightest minds in biotech innovation!
Welcome to this week’s episode, featuring Russell Toynes, the visionary founder of Studio Dzo. Discover how he turned the challenge of scaling a creative business without compromising quality into a remarkable success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Russell’s strategic approach to overcoming key business challenges, including maintaining differentiation in a competitive market and fostering team leadership while growing sustainably. Learn about the innovative solutions and business coaching strategies that played a pivotal role in his journey.
Russell shares personal anecdotes, including how his commitment to "doing good work for good people" shaped Studio Dzo’s culture and how firing difficult clients reinforced his core values. Gain insights into the importance of finding your niche, building trust, and embracing business coaching to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, we sit down with Alicia Collins, the visionary behind K9 Activity Club, a thriving dog daycare, boarding, and training facility in Northern California. Alicia shares her entrepreneurial journey, from purchasing a struggling business to turning it into one of the top-rated pet care facilities in the region. With over a decade of experience in scaling businesses, she offers valuable insights on business growth strategies, adaptability, and the importance of innovation. Tune in for actionable tips and inspiration from a successful entrepreneur who's passionate about both business and animals. Whether you're starting your own dog business or looking to grow your current one, this episode is packed with advice to help you on your journey.
Join us on this episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast as we dive into the entrepreneurial story of Marshall Singer, co-founder of Ruvna, a cutting-edge school safety and operations platform. Marshall shares how he and his team transformed early rejections and challenges into a thriving business serving over 700 schools across 43 states.
Discover insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, bootstrapping success, and building scalable processes. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and lessons for navigating challenges and achieving sustainable growth.
Tune in for inspiration, practical advice, and a behind-the-scenes look at Marshall’s journey from a dorm-room idea to an industry leader!
In this episode of The Seven Figure Journey, we dive into the world of performance marketing with Ron Browning, founder of IntelliBrate. Ron shares how his innovative pay-for-performance model helps businesses achieve measurable growth, optimize ad spend, and convert leads into loyal customers. From overcoming challenges in data integration to scaling multi-location businesses, this episode is packed with actionable insights for entrepreneurs looking to master their marketing strategies. Don’t miss Ron’s expert tips on building ROI-driven campaigns and navigating the complexities of business growth!
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How does a startup founder transform into a visionary executive? In this episode, meet Sean Chaudhary, the founder of Alchemy Leads, as he shares the business coaching secrets behind scaling a seven-figure agency with purpose and precision.
In this episode of The Seven Figure Journey, we sit down with Nicole Bankhead, founder of Serenity Wellness and Counseling Center. Nicole shares her inspiring journey from educator to entrepreneur, building a seven-figure holistic mental health practice. Discover how she overcame a challenging business partnership split, leveraged mentorship, and created a family-run business that prioritizes healing and results. Learn actionable strategies for engaging employees, competing with industry giants, and scaling a values-driven organization. Tune in for invaluable insights and inspiration for your own entrepreneurial journey!
Welcome to this week’s episode, featuring Mitch McDermott, the visionary founder of Talent Ascension Group. Discover how Mitch transformed the challenges of unsustainable growth and over-hiring into a success story for his seven-figure business.
In this episode, we dive deep into Mitch McDermott’s strategic approach to overcoming business setbacks, focusing on operational efficiency, referral-based growth, and innovative business strategies. Mitch shares personal anecdotes, including how starting a shoe-shining business at age 11 shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and inspired his journey to founding Talent Ascension Group.
In this episode of the Seven-Figure Journey Podcast, we sit down with Rachael Seda, founder of Mixshine Marketing, to explore her incredible entrepreneurial journey. From selling fruit snacks as a child to building a thriving marketing agency, Rachael shares how she overcame burnout, took bold risks, and scaled her business into a legacy brand.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
- How Rachael transitioned from burnout to running a scalable business.
- The pivotal moments that shaped her entrepreneurial mindset.
- Leadership insights on building a team and defining core values.
- Strategies for integrating in-house and virtual teams during growth.
Rachael’s story is filled with actionable takeaways for entrepreneurs looking to overcome challenges, scale their businesses, and build a meaningful legacy.
📢 Tune in now for inspiration, practical advice, and insights from a seasoned entrepreneur.
🔗 Connect with Rachael Seda:
- Website: Mixshine Marketing
- LinkedIn: Rachael Seda
👉 Learn more about Elite Entrepreneurs Coaching: GrowWithElite.com
🎧 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with your network!
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Allan Young, the visionary founder of Art of Drawers. Learn how Allan transformed the challenge of scalability into a thriving success story, building a business model that operates without relying solely on him.
In this episode, we dive deep into Allan’s strategic approach to overcoming the pitfalls of being a business’s central figure. Discover his innovative solutions, including the importance of scalable systems, team culture, and failing forward as a path to growth.
Allan shares personal anecdotes, such as how a military lesson about resilience and resourcefulness shaped his entrepreneurial journey. He also reveals key business strategies for creating a sustainable and scalable enterprise.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Allan Young via LinkedIn or visit artofdrawers.com to learn more about his entrepreneurial success.
Welcome to this week’s episode, featuring Bryan Goltzman, the visionary co-founder of Liquid Screen Design. Discover how he transformed a side hustle into a seven-figure business, overcoming challenges like supply chain disruptions, scaling his team, and maintaining a strong company culture.
In this episode, we dive deep into Bryan’s strategic approach to business growth, including how he pivoted during the pandemic by introducing custom swag boxes, turning adversity into an opportunity for record-breaking success. Bryan shares personal anecdotes, such as how a pivotal experience at Disney World inspired his commitment to empowering team autonomy and delivering exceptional customer service.
From his transition out of the nonprofit world to leading a thriving industry leader, Bryan’s entrepreneurial journey is packed with actionable insights for those looking to scale their businesses intentionally.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Bryan Goltzman via Liquid Screen Design and follow his incredible journey to continued success.
Curious how business coaching can drive meaningful growth in cybersecurity? Join us as Tom Kirkham, founder of Kirkham Iron Tech, shares his journey of scaling a purpose-driven business through strategic coaching and leadership.
Curious about how business coaching can transform nonprofit success? Join us as we dive into this episode with Doug Porter, co-founder of Radiant Hub, and discover how he scaled his purpose-driven business using strategic coaching techniques!
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey, featuring Celia Cortes, the visionary founder of Draco Group and co-founder of Global Action Institute. Discover how she turned the challenge of building a unique security firm with a social impact focus into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Celia’s strategic approach to overcoming talent recruitment and retention challenges, highlighting innovative solutions and key business growth strategies for entrepreneurs.
Celia shares personal anecdotes, including how a pivotal moment in security consulting shaped her journey and her perspective on giving back through nonprofit work.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Celia Cortes via and learn more about her incredible journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Samantha Curry, the visionary founder of New Scotland Development. Discover how she turned the complex challenges of the real estate market into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey, featuring Lucas Gould, the visionary founder of Spendr. Discover how he turned the challenge of limited payment options in the legal cannabis industry into a successful platform for seamless transactions.
In this episode, we dive deep into Lucas Gould’s strategic approach to overcoming payment challenges in a regulated industry, highlighting innovative solutions and key business growth strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Zach Freeman, the visionary founder of Veterans Moving America. Discover how he turned his passion for helping veterans into a thriving business.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Daniel Krikorian, the visionary founder of B.Remembered. Discover how he turned the complex challenges of wedding planning into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey, featuring Kumar Ujwal, the visionary founder of DwellFi. Discover how Kumar turned the challenge of scaling real estate investment into a success story by leveraging blockchain technology.
In this episode, we dive deep into Kumar’s strategic approach to overcoming hiring challenges and building a cohesive team. We also highlight innovative solutions like fractional real estate ownership and key business growth strategies that led to his 7-figure success.
Kumar shares personal anecdotes, including how his early exposure to AI and data analytics shaped his entrepreneurial journey and influenced his perspective on timing in business.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Kumar Ujwal via LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter at @kumarujwal to learn more about his journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Cory Nemoto, the visionary founder of Keiko Capital. Discover how he turned the uncertainties of post-college life into a successful real estate investment story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Rania Ajami, the visionary founder of Metropolis. Discover how she turned the closure of a beloved children's entertainment venue into a thriving virtual ecosystem.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Lynx Hawthorne, the visionary co-founder of Best Craft and Grimm Brothers. Discover how Lynx turned struggling craft beer brands into an award-winning success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Rachel Foy, the visionary founder of Hillman Homes. Discover how she turned the challenge of navigating Boston’s tough real estate market into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Rachel’s strategic approach to overcoming team motivation hurdles in a remote work environment, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Rachel shares personal anecdotes, including how her difficult experience as a first-time homebuyer shaped her entrepreneurial journey and her perspective on maintaining a boutique firm culture.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Rachel Foy via hillmanfoy.com and learn more about her journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey, featuring Doug Meadows, the visionary founder of David Douglas Diamonds. Discover how he turned a family legacy and business challenges into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Doug’s strategic approach to overcoming setbacks, including how he recovered from bankruptcy and refined his business processes to thrive in the jewelry industry. He highlights innovative solutions such as leveraging mentorship and hiring a virtual assistant to scale his business effectively.
Doug shares personal anecdotes, including how a fire nearly destroyed his family’s business and how a mentorship with a Chick-fil-A business coach shaped his approach to entrepreneurship.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Doug Meadows via DavidDouglas.com and learn more about his journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Wes Hackett, the visionary founder of Cloud5 Accounting. Discover how he turned multiple business failures into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Wes Hackett’s strategic approach to overcoming entrepreneurial setbacks, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies that helped him scale his company.
Wes shares personal anecdotes, including how a failed retail venture shaped his entrepreneurial journey and his perspective on financial clarity for small businesses.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Wes Hackett via LinkedIn and learn more about his journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Kristen Graham Brown, the visionary founder of Hoop Design Company. In this episode, Kristen shares how she turned the challenge of managing maternity leave in a small team into a success story by implementing innovative solutions and business strategies. We also explore her journey, including a pivotal moment when she transitioned from retail to branding, and how that decision shaped her perspective on building a culture-driven business. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring content. Connect with Kristen via hootdesigncompany.com to learn more about her journey.
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Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey, featuring Kirsten Maitland, the visionary founder of Rebel Cheese. Discover how she turned the unexpected challenge of scaling her business during COVID-19 into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Kirsten’s strategic approach to overcoming operational bottlenecks and explosive e-commerce growth, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Kirsten shares personal anecdotes, including how her appearance on Shark Tank shaped her entrepreneurial journey and her perspective on pivoting in the face of uncertainty.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Kirsten via kirsten@rebelcheese.com and learn more about her journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Bryan Driscoll, the visionary co-founder of Motivated Leads, LLC. Discover how Bryan turned early failures in real estate into a thriving lead-generation business for investors.
In this episode, we dive deep into Bryan’s strategic approach to overcoming business challenges, highlighting his innovative solutions and key strategies for success.
Bryan shares personal anecdotes, including how his experience with digital marketing and real estate shaped his entrepreneurial journey and his unique perspective on scaling a business through bootstrapping.
Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and subscribe to our podcast for more inspiring content. Connect with Bryan via LinkedIn or visit Motivated Leads to learn more about his journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Marc Sampogna, the visionary founder of Canopy Brand Group. Discover how he turned the challenges of launching a business during a recession into a remarkable success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Ozzy Garner and Zachary Conover, the visionary founders of Advertis. Discover how they turned the complexity of marketing agency partnerships into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Michael Dusing, the visionary founder of Design Like You Mean It. Discover how he turned the shifting demands of the UX design market into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Ray McKenzie, the visionary founder of Red Beach Advisors and StartingPoint.ai. Discover how Ray turned the challenge of managing professional services workflows into a success story through innovative software solutions.
In this episode, we dive deep into Ray’s strategic approach to overcoming the lack of transparency in service delivery teams, highlighting how StartingPoint.ai streamlines communication and data management.
Ray shares personal anecdotes, including how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped his entrepreneurial journey and his perspective on adapting to rapid technological changes in the professional services industry.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Ray McKenzie via LinkedIn at Ray McKenzie on LinkedIn and learn more about his journey and solutions at StartingPoint.ai.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Albert, the visionary founder of Bitcoin Startup Lab. Discover how he turned the challenges of scaling early-stage startups into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Albert’s strategic approach to overcoming the hurdles of running a pre-accelerator, highlighting innovative solutions like cohort-based learning and decentralization technologies.
Albert shares personal anecdotes, including how the 2000 dot-com crash and his move to China shaped his entrepreneurial journey and his perspective on building an ecosystem for freedom-enabling technologies.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Albert via btcstartuplab.com and learn more about his journey.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Kelly Rice, the visionary founder of Tree Frog Marketing. Discover how she turned the challenge of balancing business growth with maintaining client relationships into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Kelly’s strategic approach to overcoming leadership transitions and empowering her team, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies for small businesses.
Kelly shares personal anecdotes, including how her early career experiences shaped her entrepreneurial journey and her perspective on leading with intention while maintaining work-life balance.
Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Kelly Rice via [LinkedIn or website: treefrogmarketing.com] and learn more about her journey.
Welcome to this week's episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Janak Mehta, the visionary founder of Clients Online. Discover how he turned the challenge of scaling a business from a two-person operation into a success story spanning multiple countries.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Mark Nolte, the visionary founder of Start Talking IO. Discover how he turned the challenge of mental health stigma and the limitations of traditional therapy settings into a groundbreaking teletherapy success story.
In this episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast, Brett Gilliland sits down with Brad Martineau to uncover the secrets behind creating a successful client journey. Whether you're scaling your business to seven figures or looking to streamline operations, Brad shares practical insights on transforming your client interactions into a ‘happy client factory’. Learn how to implement systems that drive growth while keeping clients happy and engaged. This episode will teach you how to optimize your business by focusing on the core of client fulfillment.
What the podcast will teach you:
● How to build a seamless Client Journey
● Tips for scaling your business with clarity
● The importance of systems and structure in client management
● How to use technology to enhance, not replace, human work
Resources:
● Learn more about Brad Martineau and his work at Six Division:sixdivision.com
● Sign up for Brad’s Smooth Scaling newsletter:smoothscaling.co
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Alex Gore, the visionary founder of F9 Productions. Discover how he turned the challenges of integrating architectural design and construction into a booming business success.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Chris Pizzurro, the visionary co-founder of Leap Media Group. Discover how he turned the complexities of media production and distribution into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Scott Wentworth, the visionary founder of Wentworth Financial Communications. Discover how he turned the complex challenge of maintaining high-quality content creation in the financial sector into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Norbert Sygdziak, the visionary founder of Ride Along. Discover how he turned a frightening incident involving his child's school bus into a thriving safety-focused transportation company.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Jesse Jones, the visionary founder of Fourscore Business Law. Discover how he turned the complexities of legal entrepreneurship into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Nate Berger, the visionary founder of Knock Media. Discover how he turned the challenges of pioneering user experience into a digital success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Susan Riley, the visionary founder of the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. Discover how she turned the underappreciation of arts in education into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Ellie Perlman, the visionary founder of Blue Lake Capital. Discover how she turned her humble beginnings into a towering success story in the real estate investment arena.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Jason Sharon, the visionary founder of HomeLoans Inc.. Discover how he turned the complex challenge of navigating the volatile home loan market into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Brian Franco, the visionary founder of Meritage Partners. Discover how he turned the challenge of navigating complex capital events into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Zachary Mannheimer, the visionary founder of Alquist 3D. Discover how he turned the challenge of affordable housing into a groundbreaking success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring John Chaimanis, the visionary co-founder and Managing Director of Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure (KSI). Discover how John turned the challenge of scaling a private equity firm in the renewable energy sector into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Jim Boccarossa, the visionary founder of ProvenAir. Discover how he turned the chaotic world of aviation parts documentation into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Sergio Altomari, the visionary founder of Hearthfire Holdings. Discover how he turned a modest tech job at the Federal Reserve into a real estate empire managing over $100 million in assets.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Laura Ramos James, the visionary founder of Ramos James Law. Discover how she turned her personal trauma into a thriving legal practice.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Mike Harvey, the visionary founder of The Roof Resource. Discover how he turned the traditional roofing industry on its head to create a transparent and customer-focused business.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Sean Bingham, the visionary founder of Trippio. Discover how he turned the frustration with inadequate travel resources into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Kyle Mao, the visionary founder of Higher UA. Discover how he turned the challenge of sourcing competent, self-directed talent during a global crisis into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Ankit Agarwal, the visionary founder of K2S. Discover how he turned complex supply chain issues into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Lisa Gregory, the visionary founder of Gregory Event Services. Discover how she turned the complex challenges of global event management into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Bret Brummitt, the visionary founder of Generous Benefits. Discover how he turned the challenge of outdated employee benefits into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring August Radbill, the visionary founder of Far Out Ice Cream. Discover how he turned his career dissatisfaction and passion for travel into a unique and thriving ice cream business.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Eddie Castillo, the visionary founder of Altered State Productions. Discover how he turned the challenge of integrating cutting-edge technology into creative processes into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Maya Weinreb, the visionary founder of Solvency Now Bookkeeping. Discover how she turned her passion for numbers and bookkeeping into a flourishing entrepreneurial success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Brian Schmitt, the visionary founder of Surefoot. Discover how he turned the challenge of navigating digital marketing’s complex landscape into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Logan Schinholser, the visionary founder of Contractor Growth Network. Discover how he turned his initial lack of marketing expertise into a thriving enterprise.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Marie Greene, the visionary founder of Connected Accounting. Discover how she turned the challenge of integrating human connection into accounting into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Marie Greene’s strategic approach to overcoming business process inefficiencies, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Dirk Doebler, the visionary founder of Parento. Discover how he turned the challenge of providing effective parental leave into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Dirk Doebler’s strategic approach to overcoming hurdles in the parental leave sector, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Alexandra Schreckengost, the visionary founder of Culture With Us. Discover how she turned the challenges of creating a unified corporate culture in a virtual environment into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Art Bejarano, the visionary co-founder and president of Integrity Engineering and Design Solutions. Discover how he turned the economic recession of 2008 into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Art’s strategic approach to overcoming economic challenges, highlighting innovative solutions like the Flex Interface Project Fulfillment system and key business strategies.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast as we dive into the story of Jeremy Maher and Phoenix Home Remodeling. Discover how Jeremy's company is transforming homes in Phoenix and setting new benchmarks in the remodeling industry. Learn about their unique business strategies, challenges, and the keys to their success. Don't miss out on valuable insights for budding entrepreneurs and homeowners alike. Watch now and subscribe for more episodes!
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Dr. Tracy Gapin, the visionary founder of the Gapin Institute. Discover how he turned his personal health crisis into a pioneering success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Josh Schuminsky, the visionary founder of Solutions Afoot. Discover how he turned communication challenges in software development into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Amber Nelms, the visionary founder of Triangle ABA. Discover how she turned the challenge of finding quality autism therapy services into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring John Nicholls, the visionary founder of Nichols Auction Marketing Group. Discover how he transformed the traditional auction process into a niche success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Rob Murphy, the visionary founder of Affinity Recruiting. Discover how he turned the challenge of maintaining a unique company culture while scaling a business into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Patrick Israel, the visionary founder of STEM Media. Discover how he turned the complex challenges of the creator economy into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Brett Snyder, the visionary founder of KnucklePuck. Discover how he turned his early challenges as a less-than-ideal employee into a digital marketing success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Ellie Perlman, the visionary founder of Blue Lake Capital. Discover how she turned the complexities of scaling a multifamily investment firm into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Jacob Mueller, the visionary founder of Renjoy. Discover how he turned the challenge of finding trustworthy property management into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Carl Cleanthes, the visionary founder of Epic Made. Discover how he turned the complex world of digital art into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Bobby Dutton, the visionary founder of GBM Six. Discover how he turned his passion for technology and events into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Christopher Habig, the visionary founder of Freedom Healthworks. Discover how he turned the complex challenges of traditional healthcare into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Annie Dickerson, the visionary founder of Good Egg Investments. Discover how she turned the complexities of real estate investment into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Jay van Zyl, the visionary founder of Ecosystem AI. Discover how he turned the complex challenge of predictive modeling in AI into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Heath Miller, the visionary founder of Coral View Beach Resort. Discover how he transformed a dilapidated hotel on the tranquil shores of Utila into a thriving hospitality success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Monique Zinn, the visionary founder of Zinn Insurance. Discover how she transformed the complex world of employee benefits into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Lauren Petrullo, the visionary founder of Mongoose Media. Discover how she turned the complexities of blending high creativity with performance marketing into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Colin Slattery, the visionary founder of Tycoon Digital. Discover how he turned the challenges of scaling a digital advertising agency into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Elias Wehbe, the visionary founder of Big Little Robots. Discover how he turned the challenge of inefficient data management in major tech companies into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Amber Cohen, the visionary founder of the Cohen Clinic. Discover how she turned the challenge of transitioning from a clinical psychologist to a business owner into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Ian Hoppe, the visionary founder of Conduit. Discover how he turned the challenge of outdated and inaccurate electrical system records into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring John Fay, the visionary founder of LataCube. Discover how he turned a divine inspiration into a groundbreaking success story in the construction industry.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Marcos Rivera, the visionary founder of Pricing IO. Discover how he turned the complex challenge of software pricing into a multimillion-dollar success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Adam Albrecht, the visionary founder of The Weaponry. Discover how he turned the complexity of managing multiple agency relationships into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Jared Black, the visionary founder of In the Black Marketing and Consulting. Discover how he turned the complexities of scaling a marketing firm into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Maria Boustead, the visionary founder of PoCampo. Discover how she turned the unique challenge of integrating style, functionality, and sustainability into bike bags into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Rocco Coza, the visionary founder of Coza Law Group. Discover how he turned the challenge of transitioning from a corporate counsel to establishing a thriving law practice into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Kyle Geers, the visionary co-founder of Zeroed In Consulting. Discover how he transformed the complex world of specialized accounting into a thriving success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of The Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Yash Chavan, the visionary founder of Saral. Discover how he turned the challenge of effective delegation into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Yash Chavan’s strategic approach to overcoming delegation challenges, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Brian Confer, the visionary founder of Capture. Discover how they turned the challenge of adapting to a pandemic-hit market into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Jeff Huckaby, the visionary founder of Versalytics. Discover how he turned the complexities of data analytics into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Jeff Huckaby’s strategic approach to overcoming challenges in harnessing "dark data," highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey, featuring Stefan Hankin, the visionary founder of Tendency. Discover how he turned the complex world of market research into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Stefan’s strategic approach to overcoming challenges like maintaining relevancy in a rapidly evolving industry, and highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Erin Fabio, the visionary founder of Grit Studio. Discover how she turned the challenge of breaking away from traditional agency roles to establish her unique path in the marketing world into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Erin Fabio’s strategic approach to overcoming industry norms, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies. Erin shares personal anecdotes, including how her realization that “it’s either now or never” shaped her entrepreneurial journey and her perspective on building a specialized team and maintaining a high retention rate.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Marina Barushkina, the visionary founder of Growth Channel. Discover how she turned the challenge of accessing premium advertising platforms without a hefty budget into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Marina’s strategic approach to overcoming barriers in digital marketing, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Marcus Fauth, the visionary founder of Great Guys Colorado. Discover how he turned the challenges of employee retention and business expansion into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Marcus Fauth’s strategic approach to overcoming workforce challenges, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Shaina Denny, the visionary founder of Dog Drop. Discover how she turned the challenges of finding a suitable dog daycare into a flourishing success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Shaina Denny’s strategic approach to overcoming the lack of convenient and trustworthy dog care options, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Mary Krekorian, the visionary founder of Vibrant Occasions Catering. Discover how she turned an unexpected request into a thriving catering empire.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Daniel Meyer, the visionary founder of Meyer Land Surveying. Discover how he turned the challenges of establishing a tech-forward surveying business into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Daniel Meyer’s strategic approach to overcoming the hurdles of modernizing traditional land surveying practices, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Tom Butts, the visionary founder of NorCal Equipment Rentals. Discover how he turned unexpected challenges into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Tom Butts’s strategic approach to overcoming regulatory and theft challenges in California, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Devin Radfar, the visionary founder of Next Level Tutors. Discover how he turned the traditional tutoring model on its head to create a thriving educational service.
In this episode, we dive deep into Devin’s strategic approach to overcoming the challenges of adapting to a changing educational landscape, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Dave Erickson, the visionary founder of Screaming Box. Discover how he turned the challenge of operating a virtual company into a thriving success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Dave Erickson’s strategic approach to overcoming the complexities of managing remote teams, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Mitchell Hora, the visionary founder of Continuum Ag. Discover how he turned the challenges of modernizing a 151-year-old family farming operation into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Stephen Keith, the visionary founder of CX Pilots. Discover how he turned the challenge of leadership transition into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, featuring Amanda Proscia, the visionary founder of Lightspeed PR and Marketing. Discover how she turned the challenge of assembling a competent remote team into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Autumn Fleck, the visionary founder of Precision Signing Agency. Discover how she turned a midnight encounter with a cockroach into a thriving national business.
In this episode, we dive deep into Autumn Fleck’s strategic approach to overcoming challenges in the loan signing industry, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast, featuring Paul Herchman, the visionary founder of Get Hair MD. Discover how he turned the challenges of the aesthetic healthcare industry into a success story.
In this episode, we dive deep into Paul Herchman’s strategic approach to overcoming obstacles in hair restoration, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Welcome to this week’s episode of "Seven Figure Journey," featuring Jason Locke, the visionary founder of Remote Growth Partners. Discover how he turned the complex challenges of offshore hiring into a thriving success story. In this episode, we dive deep into Jason Locke’s strategic approach to overcoming recruitment inefficiencies, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.
Join us on the Seven Figure Journey podcast as we dive into the inspiring entrepreneurial journey of Marc Brookland, founder of SEO Locale. Discover how Marc turned challenges into opportunities, growing his business beyond the million-dollar mark through strategic innovations and a commitment to transparency.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Josh Fitzwater, the visionary founder of Holden Ellis. Discover how he turned his dissatisfaction with toxic work environments into a creative agency success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring James Golden, the visionary founder of Pavement Management Group. Discover how he turned roadway management challenges into a success story.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Amanda Villarreal, the visionary founder of Plex Capital. Discover how she turned the challenge of bridging cash flow gaps in B2B sectors into a success story. In this episode, we dive deep into Amanda’s strategic approach to overcoming financial barriers, highlighting innovative solutions like invoice factoring and key business strategies that empower businesses to thrive.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast, featuring Dr. Kara Hartl, the visionary founder of Troy Medical. In this episode, we dive deep into Dr. Kara Hartl’s strategic approach to overcoming the severe lack of specialized medical care in remote locations. We highlight her innovative solutions, including integrating telehealth with traditional medical practices, and her expansion strategies to scale this model across the United States.
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Lloyd Major, the visionary founder of Halo. Discover how he turned the complex challenge of public safety at large events into a success story by integrating ten different systems into one cohesive technology.
Welcome to this week’s episode of Seven Figure Journey, featuring Lori Werner, the visionary founder of Medical Marketing Wiz. Discover how she turned the complex challenge of marketing specialized medical services into a flourishing success story.
Join us on a transformative journey with Chris May, the innovative founder of Quadrant Advisory, as he shares the secrets to scaling growth businesses through outsourced accounting and fractional CFO services. From his modest start amidst the 2008 financial crisis to leading a thriving remote team, discover the pivotal strategies and personal stories behind Quadrant Advisory's success.
Dive into the explosive world of visual effects with Nick Seavert, founder of JangaFX, on the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast. Discover how Nick transformed his frustration with inadequate tools into a thriving business that digitally enhances films and games with spectacular explosions, smoke, and more. Join host David Gilliland as they explore Nick’s journey from a solo visual effects artist to a pioneering entrepreneur.
Join us in this insightful episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast where David Gilliland talks with Dan Salganik, the visionary behind Visual Fizz, a Chicago-based marketing agency that's making waves through strategic specialization. Dive deep into the transformative strategies that helped Visual Fizz thrive in a competitive market by focusing on niche sectors like manufacturing and industrial construction.
Join us as we dive into the remarkable journey of Alex Zemianek, the innovative entrepreneur behind JZ Vacation Rentals. From heartfelt personal challenges to pioneering the vacation rental industry, Alex's story is not just inspiring—it's transformative.
Dive into the world of Hurley Fox, founder of Fox and Partners, on this episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast. Learn how Hurley’s team is transforming the landscape of financial services by treating their clients as partners in both business and life.
In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Gino Donati, the founder of SDR Ready, as he shares his transformative journey from a seasoned Sales Development Representative to a pioneering entrepreneur. Witness how Gino's unique approach to sales development and leadership has propelled his company to success and has profoundly impacted the lives of those around him.
Join us as Tom Stadum, founder of Fielle, shares his remarkable journey from inheriting a family business to transforming it into a thriving national enterprise in the wealth management sector. In this episode, Tom delves into the challenges of starting a business during a global pandemic, strategies for managing significant assets, and the nuances of scaling a business across state lines.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast as our host, Brett Gilliland sits down with Rado Kotorov, co-founder and CEO of Story Data. Dive into Rado's unique journey from studying law and economics to leading a pioneering company that transforms how data is utilized in decision-making processes.
Join us in this enlightening episode as Mark McCormack, a distinguished entrepreneur and investor at Tandem Investment Partners, shares his transition from a gritty entrepreneur to a strategic CEO. Discover the critical lessons Mark learned along the way and how these insights helped him nurture startups into successful enterprises.
Join us in this inspiring episode of "Entrepreneurial Insights," where we sit down with Jeffrey Velker, the visionary leader behind Retro 51. Dive into a fascinating journey of strategic pivots and innovative leadership that transformed a simple pen company into a thriving enterprise.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast as we dive into the transformative world of business scaling with Peter Foller, founder and CEO of Catapult AI. Discover the secrets of navigating the largest wealth transfer in history and learn how to maximize your business's value.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast as we dive deep with Ruben Cortez, the visionary CEO of DeliverCold.com. Starting his career in the video game industry, Ruben brings a tech-driven approach to the frozen food sector, showcasing how innovative solutions can transform traditional industries.
Join us as Jeff Badu, founder of Badu Tax Services, shares his incredible journey from a solo entrepreneur to the head of a multi-service firm. Discover the strategies that helped him scale his business, the challenges he faced along the way, and the lessons learned from transitioning to a purpose-driven leader. Jeff dives deep into the importance of networking, effective delegation, and the transformative power of finding one's purpose. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your business, Jeff's insights are invaluable. Don't miss out on this inspiring story!
Dive into the inspiring journey of Jason Yormark, founder of Socialistics, in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast. Discover how Jason transformed his career setbacks into a leading full-service social media agency that prioritizes meaningful results over vanity metrics.
Join us on this inspiring episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast as we sit down with Dr. Angela Tran, founder, and CEO of Med-Fit Medical Weight Loss, who shares her remarkable journey from experiencing physician burnout to pioneering preventative healthcare.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast as we sit down with Ubaldo Ciminieri, the innovative founder of Interview IA and a strategic force at Cislunar Industries. Dive into Ubaldo's remarkable journey from a tech enthusiast to a pioneer in the space industry, where he revolutionizes talent strategy and hiring processes.
Join us on this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast where host David Gilliland chats with Brett Morris, the innovative founder of WhoHire. Dive deep into the transformative strategies that have helped numerous businesses optimize their hiring processes and significantly reduce employee turnover.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, where Ian Loew, founder and CEO of L-Form Design, shares his remarkable transition from a struggling freelancer to an industry pioneer in B2B manufacturing design. Discover the strategic choices and personal motivations behind his success in the niche market of manufacturing web design.
Join us on a transformative journey with Ify Walker, founder of Offor, as she unveils the secrets to effective leadership and executive placement in today’s competitive landscape. Dive into this insightful episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, where Ify shares her unique approach to building successful teams and leading a thriving business.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast as we dive into the remarkable journey of Angela Damiani, founder and visionary behind Newaukee. Discover how she transformed a simple social initiative into a national engagement powerhouse.
Join us in this inspiring episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast as we explore the entrepreneurial spirit of Alexey Mustafin, the mastermind behind the innovative platform buildtheteam.io. From his early days in Silicon Valley to becoming a serial entrepreneur, Alexey shares invaluable insights into building successful businesses with minimal oversight.
In this enlightening episode, we're joined by Eric Weynand, the founder of Plot Path, a revolutionary service providing fractional CFO solutions to small businesses across the United States. From his unique base in Uruguay, Eric brings a fresh perspective to financial management and business growth. Don't miss his inspiring journey and the strategic insights he shares!
Join us on this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, where host David Gilliland sits down with Jeff Ernst, the innovative founder of SlapFive. Discover the "Jeff Ernst Method" of harnessing customer voices to propel business growth and outpace competitors. This episode is a treasure trove for entrepreneurs and startups eager to learn about sustainable scaling strategies through genuine customer engagement.
Join us as Stephanie and Sheri share their revolutionary approach to public relations in the health and wellness sector. Discover how their expertise as dietitians has set Fresh Communications apart, making it a leader in promoting brands that truly benefit consumer health.
Welcome to our channel, where we dive into the inspiring journeys of successful entrepreneurs! In this episode, we sit down with Alejandro Russo, the dynamic founder of Candela Mama Juana, as he shares his incredible journey from a vacation discovery to dominating the rum industry.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Nellie Garten, the innovative leader behind Tablecloth, a trailblazer in integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into private equity. Streaming from sunny San Diego, Nellie shares her expert insights and personal journey to revolutionizing investment strategies with host David Gilliland.
Welcome to the Seven Figure Journey Podcast! In this episode, we’re thrilled to have Jay Veal, the founder of INC Education, share his incredible journey from the tech industry to becoming a leading educational entrepreneur.
Dive into discussions on Carbon Design's unique staffing model, their focus on meaningful, flexible work for freelancers, and how they manage to maintain high client satisfaction with minimal overhead. Join us to hear Scott share valuable insights and strategies that could transform how you think about work and entrepreneurship. Don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories and innovative business strategies!
Join host Brett Gilliland as he welcomes Jeremiah Broz, CEO of Energy Advantage, to the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast. Discover how Jeremiah's entrepreneurial spirit and unique business strategies helped transform the roofing and solar industries.
Join us in this inspiring episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast, where we explore the remarkable story of Scott Snellings, founder of Snellings Law. Discover how Scott transformed personal adversity into professional success, establishing a thriving personal injury law firm known for its community service and innovative business strategies. Learn about the pivotal role of strategic frameworks like EOS in scaling operations and how a culture of continuous improvement and humility can significantly impact business growth. Don’t miss these invaluable insights—perfect for entrepreneurs and business professionals looking to enhance their strategies and foster a community-focused business model. Like, subscribe, and comment to stay updated with more stories like Scott’s that inspire and educate. Connect with Scott and his team through Snellings Law's website and social media platforms to learn more about their impactful work.
Welcome to the Seven Figure Journey Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Corey Gottlieb to uncover the secrets of scaling your business from seven figures to even greater heights.
Explore the entrepreneurial journey of Chase Harmer in this detailed interview where he shares the secrets behind his success in the fintech industry. From his first company at 19 to his revolutionary work with Wish, Chase discusses overcoming challenges, strategic problem-solving, and the importance of building a resilient team. This video is a must-watch for anyone aiming to understand the intricacies of scaling a business and innovating in competitive sectors. Don’t forget to subscribe for more expert advice, and hit the bell icon to keep updated!
Join us in an enlightening conversation with Paras Chaudhary, co-founder and CTO of Care As One, as we delve into the transformative strategies behind their success in the caregiving industry. This episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast reveals how niche targeting and innovative tech solutions can redefine the hiring landscape for caregiving agencies.
Discover the innovative journey of Data Squared, a company founded by veterans John Brewton and Eric Costantini, who are revolutionizing AI transparency and security. Learn about their unique approach to solving some of the biggest challenges facing AI integration today. From their military roots to groundbreaking technology solutions, get insights into their strategy, company culture, and the impact they are making in the business and government sectors.
Join us as John Taylor Garner, founder of Odin, delves into his entrepreneurial journey from a global traveler and financial trader to a pioneer in the loyalty program space. Learn about the strategic shifts and innovations that have marked his path to success and how Odin is transforming the loyalty landscape for businesses worldwide. Discover how your business can benefit from Odin's cutting-edge solutions and Garner's unique insights into customer retention and value maximization.
Join us as Nancy Kowalik, a titan in the real estate industry, shares her journey from marketing maven to real estate mogul. Discover how she brought professionalism and top-tier service to South Jersey’s real estate scene, transforming her business into a powerhouse that handles nearly 400 transactions a year. Nancy delves into the lessons learned from scaling her business, the importance of support systems, and how trusting her intuition helped her navigate the challenges of leadership.
Join us in this inspiring video as we delve into the journey of RetroLux, spearheaded by the visionary Leif Elgathan. Discover how RetroLux is revolutionizing the lighting industry for commercial buildings with its innovative software, making significant strides towards energy efficiency and sustainability.
Join us in this inspiring episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast as we sit down with Erik Van Horn, a franchise expert and co-founder of Front Street Equity Partners. Discover Erik's unique journey from a budding franchisee to a renowned franchisor and strategic advisor. In this episode, Erik shares his strategic insights on scaling franchises, overcoming operational challenges, and mastering the art of leadership in high-stakes environments.
Join us in this inspiring episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast as we dive into the innovative world of Stinger, founded by Alex Turand. Discover how Alex's background in gaming and technology led him to explore the untapped potential of music in gaming. Learn about the pivotal moments and strategic decisions that helped scale Stinger from a startup to a key player in the industry.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, where host Miranda Daigneault sits down with Alex Sunshine, the visionary founder of the Rising Sun Agency. Dive into Alex's inspiring story—from his initial foray into the world of influencer marketing to building a thriving agency that redefines success in the digital age. Learn about the strategies that propelled his business forward, the challenges he overcame, and his insights on the future of influencer marketing.
Join us on this episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast where we dive deep into the entrepreneurial spirit of Mike Seidel, co-founder of Pivot CX. Discover the transformative journey of a business initially hit hard by the pandemic but rebounded through innovation and a keen sense of listening to customer needs.
Welcome to the Seven Figure Journey Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Corey Gottlieb to uncover the secrets of scaling your business from seven figures to even greater heights.
Join us in this insightful episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast as Brannon Poe, renowned CPA and founder of Poe Group Advisors, shares his expert strategies for scaling your business from $1 million to $10 million. Discover how strategic delegation, selective client interaction, and efficient business operations can transform your growth trajectory.
In our latest episode, we explore the remarkable journey of a business owner who expertly navigated the challenges of building and scaling a remote team. Our guest, Rob Rawson, a co-author of the book Running Remote, shares invaluable insights into the transitions and transformations required to grow a business from seven to eight figures. Tune in to hear how they managed the intricacies of remote work long before it became the norm during the pandemic. Discover the strategies they employed to hire and structure a high-performing leadership team, the lessons learned from trial and error, and the importance of clarity and intentional communication in a remote setting. This episode is packed with practical advice for any business owner looking to scale efficiently and effectively while maintaining a cohesive and motivated team.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Defining success metrics and desired qualities for roles before hiring
- Hiring to replace yourself and free up your time for strategic tasks
- Delegating tasks and relinquishing control to empower your team
- Reinforcing company vision, values, and goals regularly to maintain a sense of purpose and connection
- Over-communicating, especially in a remote setting, to avoid feelings of disconnection
Resources:
https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/
https://www.timedoctor.com/
https://growwithelite.com/
Join us in an enlightening conversation with Rob Tilley, a retired physician, and co-founder of Brigger Care, as we explore the innovative integration of artificial intelligence in behavioral therapy. In this episode of the "Summer Figure Journey" podcast, Rob shares his unique journey from medicine to entrepreneurship and how AI is revolutionizing care for individuals with intellectual and developmental delays.
Explore the entrepreneurial journey of Ashley Kirchner, CEO of Visionary Vessel, in our latest video. Discover how Ashley’s passion for business and innovative mindset led her from starting a local print shop to creating a multi-faceted enterprise. Learn about her strategic expansions into e-commerce, her leadership style that fosters an empowering company culture, and her smart financial decisions that fuel business growth. Dive into personal anecdotes and strategic insights that every aspiring entrepreneur can learn from.
Dive into the fascinating world of Luke McCormack, the innovative founder of McCormack Partners, in this episode of the Seven Figure Nurture Podcast. Learn how Luke turned a gap in the roofing recruitment sector into a thriving, international enterprise. From his early experiences in the Scottish market to dominating the UK, Europe, and the US, Luke shares key strategies, personal stories, and the ethical principles that have guided his remarkable journey.
Join us in this must-watch episode as Hemant Varshney, a renowned digital marketing strategist and founder of Digicom, reveals the secrets to scaling your business from $1M to multi-million dollar revenues. Dive deep into the strategies that have made Hemant a leader in digital transformation and business growth.
In this enlightening episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, Stuart unveils how strategically created books are not just for reading but are pivotal in generating leads and expanding your business reach.
From his unique journey starting the company while coordinating a team across continents, to the insightful strategies on remote team management and book production, Stuart covers it all.
Join us in this enlightening episode of the "7 Figure Journey Podcast" as we sit down with crisis management expert Kate Gardiner, CEO and founder of Grey horse Communications. Dive deep into the world of crisis communications as Kate shares her invaluable strategies and personal experiences in navigating high-stakes situations for businesses and public figures.
Welcome to the latest episode of the "Seven Figure Journey" podcast, where today’s guest, Jacob Cass, founder of Just Creative, shares his inspiring journey from a student designer to a global entrepreneur. Dive into our in-depth conversation where Jacob reveals the secrets behind his successful scaling strategies, the challenges of adapting to change, and the powerful role of building a resilient team.
Join us this week on the Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast as Brett Gilliland sits down with Jason Wojo, the dynamic founder of Wojo Media. Starting his business journey right out of high school, Jason has rapidly scaled his digital marketing company from seven to eight figures, guiding service-oriented businesses to monumental growth through expertly crafted paid traffic strategies and sales systems.
Join Amber Lee, co-founder of Select Date Society, as she shares invaluable insights on scaling businesses while maintaining a personal touch. This episode delves into how Amber successfully transitions from in-depth individual client relationships to a broader yet impactful client engagement model.
Join us in this compelling episode of the Seven Figure Journey Podcast, featuring Kristin Barbato, co-founder of Dynamo Energy Hub. Dive into the discussion as Kristin shares her invaluable insights on scaling businesses and networking within the rapidly evolving energy sector.
From overcoming challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic to the critical role of flexible processes and empowering teams, this episode is packed with actionable strategies for business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Join us in this enlightening episode as Anmol Singh, renowned trading consultant and founder of LiveTraders, delves into the essence of transforming theoretical knowledge into effective business execution. Anmol, recognized for his expertise in trading psychology, shares groundbreaking strategies for transcending the typical "learning loop" that many entrepreneurs find themselves stuck in.
Join host Brett Gilliland on the 7-Figure Journey podcast as he delves into the world of business growth and leadership. In this episode, Brett sits down with Jeffrey Boyle, CEO of Bimoto, a dynamic marketing company revolutionizing revenue generation for businesses. Based in Boise, Idaho, Jeffrey shares his entrepreneurial journey, from starting out in Costa Rica to building and selling businesses. Together, they explore the art of scaling a business, the power of disciplined messaging, and the importance of empowering your team to innovate. Discover invaluable insights on leadership, self-awareness, and the pursuit of ambitious laziness in this enlightening conversation. Tune in and embark on your own journey to seven-figure success!
Welcome to the 7-Figure Journey Podcast, where we delve into the journeys of remarkable leaders navigating the complexities of business growth. In today's episode, join host Miranda Daigneault as she sits down with Damian Gilchrist, President of the DG Insurance Agency. Damian shares his inspiring journey from starting out as a one-man band to building a thriving team in the heart of Cincinnati. Discover Damian's insights into overcoming challenges, cultivating the right team, and setting a clear vision for success. Gain valuable lessons on leadership, team building, and navigating growth in the insurance industry. Tune in for actionable strategies and empowering stories that will elevate your leadership game.
Welcome everyone to this week's episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast. I'm thrilled to introduce our special guest today, Diana Wilhere, the co-founder of Mighty Tidy, a commercial and residential cleaning company based in Lexington, Kentucky. Diana and her husband Jordan have been on an incredible journey of growth and success over the past few years, and today, she's here to share their inspiring story.
In this episode, Diana opens up about the origins of Mighty Tidy, which trace back to her grandmother's journey from the Soviet Union to pursue the American dream. She shares the challenges they faced as they took over the business and their ambitious goals for the future, including reaching eight figures in revenue.
Diana dives deep into the mindset shifts necessary for rapid growth, emphasizing the importance of setting clear goals, continuous learning, and building a strong team culture. She also shares valuable insights on overcoming people challenges and creating scalable systems to drive sustainable growth.
Join us as we explore the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and learn from Diana's invaluable lessons on leadership, growth, and resilience.
Listen to the full episode on YouTube.
Join hosts David Gilliland and Jeff Badu as they dive into the world of entrepreneurship, growth, and purpose. In this podcast, you'll hear the captivating journey of Jeff Badu, founder of Badu Tax Services LLC, as he shares his transition from a solo entrepreneur to leading a dynamic team across seven countries. Discover how a clear sense of purpose transformed Jeff's approach to business, driving him to inspire and support the "super hungry" to create abundant lifestyles. From the trenches of tax preparation to scaling a thriving business, Jeff's insights on delegation, team building, and staying true to your purpose will inspire and empower entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Tune in to gain practical strategies, actionable advice, and profound wisdom for achieving success while staying aligned with your purpose
Join us as we dive into the growth journey of entrepreneurs with Nick McLean, owner of Four Pillars Investors. Discover valuable insights on managing business challenges, building company culture, and prioritizing personal values while growing a successful business. Tune in for actionable tips and real-world experiences from a seasoned entrepreneur.
Dreams of global entrepreneurial success can feel vast and distant. Fear not, aspiring moguls! In this episode, Brett Gilliland interviews Jeff Badu, founder and CEO of Badu Enterprises, LLC, about his journey from burnout to global entrepreneurial success. From humble beginnings in Ghana to establishing thriving ventures in the US, Jeff’s narrative is one of resilience, determination, and strategic growth. Reflecting on his experiences at PWC and the pivotal moment when he decided to pursue entrepreneurship full-time, Jeff emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision, effective systems, and a supportive team. Ready to take control of your financial future? Tune in!
What the podcast will teach you:
- Overcoming burnout and prioritizing well-being.
- Learning the critical role of systems and teams in scaling a business.
- Identifying the core values.
- Seeking guidance from mentors and coaches.
- Utilizing agencies for talent acquisition.
Resources:
- https://www.jeffbadu.com
- https://growwithelite.com
- https://www.baduenterprises.com
In today's competitive business landscape, having a great product or service is no longer enough. The secret weapon of successful companies lies within their walls: a thriving company culture. But what exactly is it, and why does it matter so much? In this episode,Bill Harney, the esteemed Owner and Executive Advisor ofKeeping Current Matters, explores the critical role of a company culture in driving business success. He delves into the experiences of KCM in achieving remarkable growth by prioritizing a positive work environment. Discover the key ingredients of a strong company culture and its benefits, from boosting employee morale to attracting top talent. Learn how to unlock your team's potential and watch your organization flourish!
What the podcast will teach you:
● The definition and importance of company culture
● Benefits of a strong company culture
● Building a strong company culture
Ever dream of taking your seven-figure business to eight figures and beyond? This episode features Jason Wojo, founder of Wojo Media, a company that helps service businesses, coaches, consultants, brick and mortar and e-commerce stores scale their revenue with paid traffic. Jason shares his inspiring journey of transforming his business from a one-man operation making a million dollars a year to an eight-figure business with over 50 team members. He dives deep into the secrets of finding product-market fit, building a dream team, and the crucial shift from technician to leader. This episode is packed with actionable advice for any business owner who wants to scale their business beyond the seven-figure mark.
What the podcast will teach you:
- The importance of finding product-market fit
- The value of building a strong personal brand
- How to leverage networking to attract the right clients and team members
- The importance of delegation
- Why you should play to your zone of genius and surround yourself with people who can fill in your skill gaps.
Resources:
- https://www.officialjasonwojo.com
- https://jasonrunsads.com/scale57653111?el=instagrambio
- https://growwithelite.com
Grant and Erin Stahla co-own Stela Services, a company that provides upscale portable restroom facilities across multiple U.S. states. Their business, which originated from Grant's entrepreneurial spirit during college, has grown significantly, now boasting a fleet of 60 specialty trailers for events, disaster relief, and corporate remodels. The couple emphasizes strategic growth, team management, and maintaining a clear vision, underpinned by their priorities of faith, marriage, and business.
Imagine growing your business from a small contract to exceeding $10 million in revenue within a few short years. That's the incredible journey of Katalyst Space Technologies, and in this episode, you'll learn how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth from Mark Reed, the company’s former COO.
If you’re a CEO, founder, or business owner experiencing rapid growth and facing the challenges of scaling your business, this episode is for you.
What the podcast will teach you:
● Identifying tipping points
● Aligning around a common objective
● Embracing diverse perspectives
● Implementing feedback loops
● Creating safe spaces for concerns
● Prioritizing self-care
Resources:
https://growwithelite.com/podcast/
Katalyst Space Technologies
Mark Reed
Do you know what sets the world’s most valuable brands apart? It’s this little thing called irrational loyalty. It’s when people are so invested in your brand that it becomes a core part of their personality and a crucial aspect of their path to self-actualization. No entrepreneur in their right mind would not want such a thing for their brand. But is it even achievable? Branding guru Deb Gabor believes it is, and she has a proven process that will help you throughout the process. Join this conversation to hear what she has to say!
What the podcast will teach you:
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What Branding is and how it differs from branding.
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What happens when the brand promise is broken.
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The four thing the most valuable brands in the world do.
Resources:
https://growwithelite.com/
https://8hourbrand.com/
https://debgabor.com/
Scaling to seven figures isn’t just a matter of doing things bigger and throwing money into problems. More than anything else, it requires certain mindset shifts, and for a lot of people, therein lies the snags. In this episode, we are joined by yet another elite entrepreneur to share how he continued to grow his consulting business in the face of the challenges that hit once any business hits the million-dollar mark. Michael Zipursky, founder of Consulting Success, has had an impressive record in growing his business and helping other consulting businesses grow. Tune in to learn from his experience!
What the podcast will teach you:
- The growth pains business owners face when they hit seven figures
- Why business owners often get in the way of business growth
- Why building a team doesn’t necessarily mean adding complexity
- The importance of clarity when scaling your business
Resources:
- https://growwithelite.com
- https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/podcast
- https://www.consultingsuccess.com
Too many business owners ride that initial wave of enthusiasm for a few years, only to plateau later in terms of growth. Is there any way to prevent this from happening to you in the first place? Today’s elite entrepreneur, Michael Morrison, believes that it’s all about having a sustainable approach, and he teaches us how to master the “go slow to go fast” approach in business. Tune in for some incredible actionable tips and strategies!
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why going slow allows you to go fast in business.
- The importance of hiring the right people and getting out of their way.
- The real purpose of business.
- What culture is really about.
Resources:
- https://growwithelite.com
- https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/podcast
- https://www.businessownershipsimplified.com
You might be the best at what you do, but that is not what's going to grow your business to its greatest potential. For two decades, Mark Breyer and his wife and partner, Alexis, established The Husband & Wife Law Team as successful firm in Arizona. But in many ways, they could have taken it to greater heights. In this conversation, Mark shares how they found the missing piece that would accelerate their growth and give everybody in the firm a purposeful career as opposed to just a job. Tune in and learn powerful entrepreneurial lessons 20 years in the making!
What the podcast will teach you:
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How clarity about your purpose, values, and mission helps accelerate business growth.
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The benefit of having clear, measurable responsibilities for every role in the business.
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The art of getting the right leaders in place and becoming less of a bottleneck in your business.
Resources:
https://growwithelite.com/
https://www.breyerlaw.com/
It’s a goal for many businesses to reach the one million mark, but when they do get to that journey, they realize that a lot goes into scaling this stuff. What does it take to build a million-dollar empire? Joining us in this conversation is the founder of one of Australia’s fastest growing tech companies, Goose McGrath.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Goose went from nothing to building one of Australia’s fastest-growing companies
- The relationship between the leader’s growth and business growth
- What to focus on as the business grows larger
- Why conquering fear and doubt is essential to business success.
Resources:
- https://growwithelite.com
- https://goosemcgrath.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-goose-mcgrath
- https://dashdot.com.au
The right-hand person is a great asset for business owners in this fast-paced and often demanding business world. Because this asset will serve as the pillar of support and a key to unlock the doors of success. In this episode, Miranda Daigneault, a Business Coach for Elite Entrepreneurs, shares her point of view as to what it’s like to be the right-hand person to a business owner. She also shares the pros and cons on working with a visionary leader. Her insights gave light into the value of the right-hand person brings to business owners. There are so much to unpack in this episode. So, before you miss the window of opportunity, tune in to this episode with Miranda today.
What the podcast will teach you:
- What it’s like to be the right-hand person
- The challenging part around working with a visionary leader
- The importance of the right-hand person in your business
- What a business owner could do to decrease the right-hand person’s anxiety
Resources:
- Reach out to Miranda Daigneault
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miranda.helfrich
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandadaigneault
You did not read that title wrong. There is another Brett Gilliland out there and he is every bit as amazing as our host, you guessed it, Brett Gilliland. And Brett Gilliland, our guest, is also a podcaster! What are the odds? Brett Gilliland, our guest, is the host of Circuit of Success, a podcast that give listeners a portal into the lives of success-driven people and help them achieve a future greater than their past. Off-mic, Brett, our guest, is the CEO of Visionary Wealth Advisors, based off of St. Louis. This conversation is more than just a meeting of two people who share the same name; it’s also a meeting of minds driven by the same passion for bringing out the best in people and showing them the way to success. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and tune in!
Why do couples choose to go into business together? What could be the benefits of working together as a couple? In this episode, the power couple of Keepers Commercial Cleaning, Marci and Carlos Hernandez, shows the power of partnerships in business and marriage. They show how collaboration unlocks the path to growing their business and share the lessons they learned along the path. They provide insights into the separation of roles as husband and wife in business and marriage. Marci and Carlos provide so much wisdom in today’s conversation. So, tune in to this insightful episode today and learn to move forward in business with your husband or wife.
Growth is not only about increasing numbers, but also about inspiring a team to strive for progress and giving them the confidence to move from being caught up in small details to leading with vision. In this episode, we have Tim Maxwell reveal the strategies for transforming a seven-figure venture into an eight-figure powerhouse. Tune in now and learn the secrets behind Bunney’s Inc.
What the podcast will teach you:
● Strategies to scale a business from seven to eight figures
● Managing seasonal fluctuations and scaling teams during peak periods
● Transitioning from hands-on work to visionary leadership
● The importance of strategic hires and fostering a growth-oriented culture
● Building robust processes and leadership bench strength for sustainable growth
Resources:
Website: https://www.bunneysinc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-maxwell-67435937/
There’s no shortcut to success; like most successful individuals, one must traverse the long journey, full of blocks and hurdles. And it’s what makes the destination taste sweet. In this episode, Gregg Scoresby, the Founder and Managing Partner of PHX Ventures, brings the lessons he learned and the mistakes he embraced as the stepping stones to growth. He also talks about the role of culture in one’s ambition. Gregg’s wisdom brings so much value in this insightful episode. So, join us in this conversation, and today, we’ll turn these stumbles into success.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Embracing mistakes as stepping stones to growth
- Key lessons Gregg learned from the mistakes
- Entrepreneur’s ambition is dynamic
Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggscoresby/
Twitter: @GreggScoresby
PHX Ventures: https://www.phxventures.com/
For a business to achieve its set goals, it requires the right talents to run the operations and provide sensible advice to its leaders. Mac Lackey took this to heart and became his critical factor in achieving success. In this conversation with Brett Gilliland, he shares how he started his business with his friends, got through numerous challenges, and learned the importance of hiring people who are way smarter and more skilled than him. He explains how surrounding yourself with excellence allows you to perform better in leading, inspiring, and coaching your team. Mac also discusses how to bring genuine value to your business in the simplest way, which results in a more profitable exit strategy.
Entrepreneurs often overwork themselves to the point of burnout, thinking that it is the only path toward career and financial success. Alan Underwood learned this the hard way, but the fruits of adapting inside out entrepreneurship are indeed worthwhile. He joins Brett Gilliland to talk about the power of building success from within and the most important lessons he gained from creating several startups.
What the podcast will teach you:
- The nonprofit efforts of Angel Flight West
- The for-profit efforts of Momentum Capital Group
- What the transition from owner-operator to team builder looks like
- The hardship of losing three parents in two years
- The importance of letting kids experience mistakes
- The benefits of work delegation
Resources:
- https://www.angelflightwest.org/
- https://growwithelite.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/alan.underwood.54
- www.linkedin.com/in/the-alan-underwood
Success in serial entrepreneurship isn't just about building companies, it's about building the right culture and hiring the right people for exceptional results. In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Halasnik, a serial entrepreneur who has built not one, not two, but seven successful companies, with revenues ranging from $5 million to a whopping $25 million.
What the podcast will teach you:
● How picking the right industry can make all the difference in your entrepreneurial journey.
● Why hiring the right people is one of the most crucial aspects of building a thriving business.
● Creating a company culture that thrives on excellence and exceptional results.
● The importance of delegating effectively and creating space for strategic thinking.
Resources:
● Elite Funeral Funding: https://elitefuneralfunding.com/
● Healthcare Seeker: https://healthcareseeker.com/
● Financial Solution: www.financingsolutionsnow.com
● Grow With Elite: www.financingsolutionsnow.com
● Email: Steveh@FinancingSolutionsNow.com
Join us on this episode as we dive deep into the entrepreneurial mindset and the keys to building thriving businesses. Tune in now.
Events with booming music typically attract complaints from your neighbors and nearby establishments because of the loud noise. If you still want to push through your event but without having to get rid of music, opting for a silent disco is a good idea. Brett Gilliland sits down with Robert Kowal to share the story behind HUSHconcerts, as well as his strategies for building efficient and deeply connected business teams.
What the podcast will teach you:
· What does a silent concert look like and how it is possible
· How to apply the same model to corporate events
· The challenges of business partnerships
· How to keep a team loyal, inspired, and connected
· How to create the sense of “we”
· The difference between personal growth and performance
Resources:
· https://www.facebook.com/HUSHconcerts/
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbie-kowal-658296237/
· https://growwithelite.com/
That transition from entrepreneur to CEO is where most seven-figure businesses get stuck. When you’ve been boots on the ground for too long, you start to believe that nobody is better than you in doing the things you ought to let go of. But when you really make a great hire, you might be surprised at what they’re capable of. We discuss this key inflection point from integrator to visionary with Isabelle Guarino, CEO of a company called Residential Assisted Living Academy and host of Young Boss Podcast.
What the podcast will teach you:
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How strategic hiring helps with the transition from integrator to visionary.
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Using the Predictive Index to make great hires.
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Hiring for good culture fit.
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Getting your team set up culturally.
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Why the hustler has to die for the CEO to live.
Resources:
https://residentialassistedlivingacademy.com/
https://theyoungbosspodcast.com/
In a competitive industry with a customer base that already holds loyalty to established businesses, how do you insert yourself and stand out? For Evan Ritchey, the co-founder and CEO of Coconut Cleaning, the way in is through outside-the-box thinking: creative business models. In this episode, he sits down with Bret Gilliland to share how they navigated the challenges of starting a business in the cleaning industry through their unique cleaning process and subscription model. Going from two to 15 trucks, Evan then talks about how they built the team they have now and dealing with the effects of growth both financially and emotionally. The challenges of being an entrepreneur never end when you find success; it grows instead along with its rewards. Join Evan in this conversation and discover how being creative can help you face what’s coming your way and continue to thrive!
What the podcast will teach you:
· Doubling down on the subscription model could help grow your business.
· The art of letting go and trusting your people
· Balancing the successes of growing but also dealing with what that growth means
· The value of taking people’s ideas to the business’ culture
Resources:
· Evan Ritchey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-ritchey-4398b610b/
· Coconut Cleaning Co Website: www.coconutcleaningco.com
· Coconut Cleaning Co Instagram: @coconutcleaning
· Elite Entrepreneurs: https://growwithelite.com/
Putting in 16 hours a day on a job is far from being fulfilling, especially when you begin to lose time for yourself and your family. This is the wake-up call that drove Karl Bickmore to start shifting his mindset from working on “a job” to working with “a business mindset,” eventually transforming his life and those around him. In this episode, Karl joins Brett Gilliland to share his learning journey toward becoming a business owner. Now, he is one of the founders of Snap Tech IT, which has grown from a desk in his bedroom, then a room in his house, and to an organization with 50 employees across three locations. Tune in to this conversation and discover the lessons Karl gained from his rise to the top. Find out how he became an accidental entrepreneur, growing a business and not just a job he has created for himself.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Going from a job to a business mindset.
- Why do owners operate out of anxiety?
- The biggest thing you have to work on your business is alignment.
- The business cannot outgrow the collective capability of the leadership team.
- How to deal with an individual that is not the right fit.
Resources:
- Karl Bickmore’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlbickmore/
- Snap Tech IT Resource Center: https://www.snaptechit.com/resources/
- Snap Tech IT’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snaptechit/
- Elite Entrepreneurs: https://growwithelite.com/
A successful entrepreneurship career is not only about having a unique business idea or amassing a huge capital. Above anything else, it relies on genuine human connection. Brett Gilliland sits down with Shawn Finnegan, a Partner at Tax Hive, to share how building lasting relationships saved their business after losing a huge chunk of their funds. Shawn emphasizes why entrepreneurs should spend a lot of time and effort on creating deep connections with the people around them, which could save them from many troubles in the long run.
What the podcast will teach you:
· The importance of building genuine relationships with good salespeople
· The impact of creating joint ventures and affiliate deals
· How to prioritize human connection in your business tasks and goals
· How to find new partnerships from your existing contacts
· The best way to maximize business referrals
· The right approach to developing relationships during live events
Resources:
· Website: https://taxhive.com/
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-finnegan-03b254a/
It's time to build a business that excels both financially and in creating an extraordinary workplace. In this episode, we have Dan Ralphs, a 7-figure business growth guru who found Dream Leadership Consulting. Today, Dan shares his journey and how he transformed chaos into clarity, guiding entrepreneurs toward profitability and creating exceptional workplace cultures. Dan shares powerful strategies in leadership, strategy, and culture. Don't miss out on what a true business growth guru has to say about business growth.
What the podcast will teach you:
● Proven methods to move from chaos and confusion to clarity and confidence.
● Strategies for building wildly profitable businesses that are also great places to work.
● The power of intentional thinking and pausing for reflection.
● How to involve your team as co-creators and foster a sense of ownership.
● Demanding excellent thinking and the value of disciplined decision-making.
● Maintaining the right level of conversation and avoiding getting stuck in the day-to-day.
● The value of fresh perspectives and external facilitators.
● Dan’s strategy for elevating your business planning process.
Resources:
● Dan Ralphs' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ralphs/
● Dan Ralphs’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedreamleader
● The Elite Entrepreneurs’ Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Entrepreneurship is fueled by the unwavering commitment to turning dreams into reality. It's the relentless pursuit of innovation, the strategic planning of every move, and the fearless execution of bold ideas that sets true entrepreneurs apart. In this episode, Sean Gagnon, CEO of the Abs company, introduces the TPE mindset (Think, Plan, and Execute) and its profound impact on achieving entrepreneurial success. Sean takes us on a journey through his own experiences, sharing how he transformed his vision into a thriving business. He shares how he built a culture of excellence within his organization, where employees are not just valued but truly believed in. Sean explains why creating a workplace that aligns with personal values and fosters a sense of pride can lead to extraordinary results. His discussion extends beyond business as he reveals the power of believing in others and the profound impact it can have on their growth and development.
What This Episode Will Teach You:
● The TPE (Think, Plan, Execute) mindset and how it can propel your entrepreneurial journey to new heights.
● The importance of meticulous planning and how it can shape the trajectory of your business.
● How to execute your plans with discipline, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
● How to create a workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent by aligning with personal values.
● The transformative power of expressing pride in your team members' accomplishments and believing in their potential.
● Techniques for building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and maximizing the collective energy within your organization.
Resources:
● Book Recommendation: "The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drives of Optimal Performance" by Rick Diviney - Explore a Navy SEAL’s perspective on leadership and the attributes that drive success. [Not sure if link is correct]
● The Abs Company - Visit the official website of Sean Gagnon's company and learn more about their innovative fitness equipment and entrepreneurial journey.
● Connect with Sean Gagnon on LinkedIn - Stay connected with Sean on LinkedIn for more inspiration and insights on entrepreneurship.
● Elite Entrepreneurs - Discover a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and access resources to support your entrepreneurial journey.
Don’t miss Sean Gagnon revealing the secrets of the TPE mindset. With this framework, you can equip yourself with the tools and mindset needed to achieve entrepreneurial triumph. Get ready to think bigger, plan smarter, and execute with purpose as you embark on your own entrepreneurial journey. Tune in now!
Typically, business owners generating revenue in the millions may face several growing pains along their journey. The specific challenges can vary depending on the industry, market conditions, and individual circumstances. In this episode, Jeremy Harrison, the Founder & Lead Marketing Strategist at Spire, walks through the scaling journey and the growing pains of a 7-figure business owner. He emphasizes the importance of defining clear roles and bringing in key individuals to facilitate a smooth scaling journey for your business. Jeremy shares his insights on overcoming the challenge of letting go and effectively organizing work as a 7-figure business owner. He highlights the significance of surrounding yourself with the right people to foster growth and increase profitability. Tune in to this episode to gain further insights from Jeremy!
What the podcast will teach you:
· The scaling journey and the growing pains it entails
· The personal adjustments leaders from being a founder to CEO
· Overcoming the challenges of letting go and organizing work
· Defining key roles
· Getting key people in place.
· How to scale your business
Resources:
Email: jeremy@spiread.com
Spire Website: https://www.spiread.com
Podcast: https://www.spiread.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyrharrison/
Elite Entrepreneurs’ Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Letting go is one of the hardest things that entrepreneurs have to do when they’re ready to scale their business. But if you’re to create a better business, you need to be able to take your hand off of the steering wheel and bring in people who will take your business to the next level. However, our collective experience as entrepreneurs has taught us that this is something that’s easier said than done. There is something about being in the middle of action. We crave for that dopamine hit of getting things done and getting results. What if we could keep that reward system going on without necessarily being in the weeds all the time? In this episode, JourneyTEAM CEO Brian Tenney tells us how to do that by re-shifting and refocusing where we’re getting that reward. Join this conversation and learn the way toward a better business without headaches!
You’ll never know what lies ahead on the path you’re walking. The journey transforms us into something or someone we do not expect. In this episode, Katie Harris, the Co-Owner of Get Found First and Spot On Solutions, takes us through her journey to becoming an accidental entrepreneur. She shares many insights on how she thrives and provides wisdom to help the business grow. Katie illuminates success by elevating the people around her and simultaneously scaling the business. Tune in to this insightful talk with an accidental entrepreneur, Katie Harris!
It is quite easy for an entrepreneur to be too involved in their day-to-day operations. However, there is immense power to be harnessed in embracing hands-off leadership. Brett Gilliland is here with David Wachs, Founder and CEO of Handwrytten, who talks about growing a team by putting a healthy space between you and your people. He explains how getting away from a huge chunk of your business encourages employees to become more resourceful, innovative, and accountable. David also discusses how to shut down unnecessary external noise, mostly caused by digital communication, and give more time for meditative thinking.
Servant leaders are great. In a lot of ways, they make the world go ‘round. But servant leaders are also human beings. As we mature in our leadership journeys, there comes a time when we need to take steps toward being intentional about how we spend our time. Diana White, the Executive Director of Moonshot at NACET Flagstaff Campus, approaches this with 3 buckets: feed my soul, fill my bag, and build my brand. It may sound very simple, but that’s precisely what makes it so effective. Diana uses these three buckets to guide her every time she is faced with a decision to spend her time on something or someone. Any one of us can apply this 3-bucket concept. Join in and learn how you can possibly create yours!
Every entrepreneur would want to see their businesses grow and expand. But alongside the exciting endeavor of scaling your business is your duty to master the art of delegation. Sitting down with Brett Gilliland is the Founder of Milkhouse Candles Company, Eric Sparrow. He shares how he realized the importance of work delegation as their business grows from a simple hobby to a full-fledged company with several employees. Eric explains how learning to let go of his responsibilities brought his business to the next level. He also talks about the importance of hiring efficient people and keeping them satisfied at all times, which ultimately leads to top-notch customer experience.
Every entrepreneur would want to see their businesses grow and expand. But alongside the exciting endeavor of scaling your business is your duty to master the art of delegation. Sitting down with Brett Gilliland is the Founder of Milkhouse Candles Company, Eric Sparrow. He shares how he realized the importance of work delegation as their business grows from a simple hobby to a full-fledged company with several employees. Eric explains how learning to let go of his responsibilities brought his business to the next level. He also talks about the importance of hiring efficient people and keeping them satisfied at all times, which ultimately leads to top-notch customer experience.
Have you done many things for your business to grow, but you are still stuck? What are the struggles these 7-figure business owners face? How can you move forward? In this episode, Brett Gilliland welcomes his brother, David Gilliland, the co-owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, to dive into the common struggles most 7-figure business owners face and how to move past them. You can’t keep being the bottleneck of your business. To move forward from that is to be clear on what you are trying to achieve and prioritize. If you want to get unstuck, tune in to this episode because David Gilliland shares some key things to move forward and succeed.
Great leaders don't just teach lessons; they inspire legacies. Today's episode is being released on March 16th, 2023, which is Brett's 50th birthday. But surprise! In this episode, Brett's assistant, Kallie Simons, and some other members of the Elite Team, have come to the show to celebrate their friend and mentor. In this episode, Kallie and the elite team join us to share the 50 lessons they’ve learned from Brett. We'll hear personal stories and insights from those who have worked with him and gain valuable lessons from his leadership style and character. Join us as we celebrate Brett's life and legacy through the eyes of those who know him best. Happy 50th birthday, Brett!
The only problem with achieving stellar business growth is eventually outgrowing it. To keep the momentum going, you must go beyond your usual strategies and start implementing a flexible support system. Brett Gilliland sits down with Damien Sanchez of Sterling Lighting who shares how he stopped being the bottleneck to success by delegating work to his team. Damien explains how letting go inspires others to be accountable and transforms adversity into a powerful asset. He also talks about embracing an ROI-driven mindset to secure consistent growth instead of operating out of scarcity.
Behind every great leader and entrepreneur is a great assistant. As you continue to grow, having the right people supporting you becomes even more crucial. Tim Francis, the Founder and CEO of Great Assistant, has helped over 500 entrepreneurs get great assistants as their business grows in revenue and as they further scale their teams. In this episode, Tim joins Brett Gilliland to tell us more about the people behind the scenes of success. He equips us with the right questions and answers when searching for a great assistant of your own. What should be your criteria? How should they support you as an entrepreneur to optimize your genius and productivity? Plus, Tim uncovers the six reasons why entrepreneurs delay getting some help and how you can get to the other side of it.
Every problem has a solution, especially in business. When we don’t overcome those problems, we will suffer the consequences. Our guest today is a serial entrepreneur who started his first company in college and was soon making more than his professors. Preston Brown, a multiple eight-figure business owner, shares the formula to solve all your business problems. Through his expertise in finance, business, and real estate, he dives into the seven stages of entrepreneurship that business owners tend to face when scaling. See the beauty of this formula to solve your problems and achieve business success. Tune in now!
Humans tend to spend money thinking they will never run out of it. Without becoming money smart, you are only trapping yourself to live paycheck to paycheck. This lifestyle gives you little to no chance of achieving a financially secure future. Brett Gilliland sits down with Tony Bradshaw, Author of The Millionaire Choice, to discuss how to reprogram your brain when it comes to managing, saving, and spending cash. He breaks down his Millionaire Plan, which teaches people to prepare for rainy days and look at life through a lens of preparation. Tony also explains why he thinks a person’s minimum net worth is at least $100 million, how to widen your financial knowledge just by going online, and why building wealth is key to doing good in the world.
Transitioning from hobby to startup may be fun, but it’s not always as breezy as it sounds. At the end of the day, you still have to build and run a business, and that comes with the usual side of obstacles and challenges. Paul Wakim has had his share of challenges as the co-founder of TwnSqr, a real estate software company. Before TwnSqr, Paul was exposed to the real estate world through real estate photography. His talent at photographing properties turned into a full-scale business that launched him to full-time entrepreneurship. In this episode, he shares some of the most important lessons he learned over the years as an entrepreneur. He shares how compartmentalization is important, especially when it comes to balancing equally important executive tasks like fundraising and managing business operations. He also explains how he learned the importance of relinquishing control and empowering people to run the business so he can step out as the CEO. All these and more in this short but packed episode. Tune in!
Business can reproduce chaos, but what happens when you get caught up? What is the telltale sign that chaos is winning? In today’s episode, Kim Troy, CEO of Civilis Consulting, how you can move your business forward and growing through controlled chaos. Kim also identifies the foundational piece that founders need to rein chaos and bring it to order. Culture is one of the critical pieces organizations tip, so Kim suggests that it is where founders should start to solve. This episode is packed with more insights from Kim Troy, so tune in now!
We only have one life. How do you want to live it? In this episode, Brett Gilliland sits down with Raman Sehgal as he shares his growth journey as an ambitious entrepreneur and examines the role of design in shaping the life we choose for ourselves. Raman is the founder of Ramarketing, the host of the Molecule to Market Podcast, and an international best-selling author. Tune in as Raman talks about how he created a life that he loves and reveals how you can do just that as well with your own life!
Women entrepreneurs need to start taking charge if they want to lead their businesses into the 7-figure mark. Instead of thinking that they can’t do it, they need to have the mindset to start taking action. You can get to 400 or 500K a year by yourself. But in order to reach your next goal, you cannot be the sole provider of what you’re delivering. Join Brett Gilliland as he talks to business growth strategist and coach, Megan Huber about how you can take your business to the next level. Stop being the business and start leading the business to greater heights today!
How do you earn $10 million plus in just two years? You can’t do that by going from zero to one in a business, but it’s certainly possible through acquisition. This kind of growth through acquisition model is what Jeff Homer used in building Ensemble Music Schools. Coming straight out of private equity, Jeff married that expertise with his love of music as an amateur musician to build a business that means something to him. In this episode, he shares the challenges of opening 22 branches and building the whole of his business mainly through acquisition. If you have the money to spare and you think this can be a wise strategy for you, tune in and take notes!
Part of growing a business is knowing when to hand over the reins, especially when letting go of a leadership position. You have to know how to transition out of your business and to do it properly. This episode’s guest is an expert in this, having done it multiple times as he moves from one business to another. Award-winning entrepreneur and speaker Dan McGaw joins Brett Gilliland to share with us the lessons that stood out to him in his career on growing a business beyond the expertise and experience of a founder. He dives deep into the importance of consistency, properly delegating roles to your people, and having observable indicators to measure someone on, especially when hiring. What is more, Dan also shares with us how he further helps companies with McGaw.io, an analytics and marketing technology consultancy, and SaaS platform, UTM.io.
Leading remotely requires more intentionality in everything we do. When the world started to see remote work go into the mainstream, many leaders were at a loss for ideas on how to make it work for their teams. Some are even worried if they’d ever know if their people are really working or not. Remote leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry argues that this is only because they focus too much on activity rather than on accomplishment. To lead a remote team effectively, Kevin stresses, leaders must set clear expectations of what success looks like for the team. For people to be accountable, they need to know what accountability looks like, and it’s up to you, the leader, to make that happen. In this conversation, Kevin shares with us his best practices in engaging a remote workforce, fostering genuine interaction in the workplace, conducting effective and equitable hybrid meetings, and more. Join in and learn how you can be an effective long-distance leader.
Mike Simmons successfully grew his business to a million in revenue then got stuck. Profits suffered as employee churn increased. Then he and his partner had a breakthrough. They immediately pivoted and found the success they were seeking. He has now grown several successful businesses using some of the key lessons learned at that time. Join Mike Simmons and Brett Gilliland on this interview to learn some of the secrets to growth past the million dollar ceiling.
For more insights from Mike Simmons visit https://www.mikesimmons.com/
To implement what you learned here with Elite visit https://growwithelite.com/elite_ignition/
Anita Grantham is a mission-driven culture champion that is passionate about building teams that inspire people to do the best work of their life. As a people- and culture-focused executive with experience in a variety of industries including technology, cloud-based marketing, construction/real estate, education, and customer experience, Anita has developed talent from multiple angles and has helped business leaders thrive in competitive environments.
Anita spent the last five years as Chief People Officer of Pluralsight, Inc, the leading technology workforce development company that helps companies and people around the world transform with technology. In her time there, Anita and team helped Pluralsight be recognized for awards such as 2020 Fortune Best Companies to Work For, Ranked number 10 on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Technology 2020 list, 2020 Best Workplaces for Millennials by Great Place to Work and Fortune, ranking number 11 in 2020 for Utah’s fastest-growing companies for the seventh consecutive year. Anita was also honored with the For All Leadership Award by Great Place to Work.
When Anita is not working on Pluralsight’s culture or advising others on talent management, she is focused on building a winning culture at home with her husband, daughters, and dog.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why entrepreneurs forget why they started after hiring a team * How to stop the breakdown of clarity in your business * How to get clarity on your measurable outcomes for you and your employees * What are the benefits of fractional executives * How often should you check in and adjust your focus * How many goals or tasks should you intend on accomplishing each day
Resources: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitakgran/
Additional Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
After a horrific car accident in 2005, Tyler was motivated to forge his own path in life and find a way to create wealth. Years later, Tyler owns two online lead generation companies generating eight figures in revenue annually.
Tyler has been in the industry for over 15 years and has a wide range of experience. From sending millions of emails a day to running ads on Google, Facebook, and other display placements to owning/managing offers.
Even though Tyler has admittedly an extremely limited technical skill set, he excels by developing strategy, creating relationships, uncovering opportunities, and building/managing teams that execute on his vision.
Tyler also co-hosts a podcast called 7 Figure Entrepreneur. Between his own experience and that of other industry leaders that get interviewed, he takes his listeners behind the scenes of how to successfully build and grow a million-dollar online business.
What You Will Learn in this episode: * How Tyler has built a business that generated nearly 30 million * Why you need to change your business operations every time your business doubles * Why you shouldn’t hire people that you like * What is the skill vs will matrix * What you should hire B type employees * What is the downside of having a fully remote company * How to foster a great work culture with a fully remote team * When should you outsource work or bring in external talent
Resources: * Website: https://www.7figureentp.com/ * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSnW91tSrc5sB_krEUFQqg * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7figureentp/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7figureentp/
Additional Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
A.J. Lawrence has more than 25 years of professional experience across business strategy development, sales and marketing, recruitment, remote company development, and operations efficiency. He’s spent most of his career working across industries like CPG, tech/SaaS, health & wellness, financial, travel & hospitality as an investor, founder, and consultant.
His professional time is divided between his own projects and investing in other businesses. So far, he’s invested in many different startups and is involved with several investment funds including TinySeed. A.J. is also an advisor to Private Equity and VC firms, runs a strategy company, Insights Lab, and hosts the Beyond 8 Figures podcast.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What did A.J. realize after exiting companies that he wish he would have done differently * How A.J. built a million-dollar business within 6 months and exited shortly after * Where to put more emphasis in your business to have sustainable growth * How to be more intentional as your company is growing * Why A.J. decided to get rid of a lot of the smart people when restructuring his company * How to become better at handling the stress of your work
Resources: * Website: + www.insightslab.ai/ + https://beyond8figures.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/ * Facebook: + https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/ + https://www.facebook.com/beyond8figures/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyond8figures/
Additional Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Paul Sokol started selling dime store candy for 25 cents in middle school. After a gauntlet of college combined with direct sales & founding his first company, he dove headfirst into entrepreneurial business automation with Keap. This was in the summer of 2008. Since then, he has helped thousands of business owners & people leaders, written an authoritative book on sales & marketing automation, and personally sold nearly half a million dollars in services.
What You Will Learn: * What are some of the easiest and most common areas that business owners can automate * How to nurture your customer relationships through email * What ways can you automate your internal business processes and systems * How to determine where you should begin implementing automation in your business * Why is automation a good filter for growing your team * What ways can you use automation to manage your sales team
Resources: * Website: www.bepro.events * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bepronow/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeProNow/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/beprotweets
Additional Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
When your business is growing at a rapid pace, you may feel like you’re barely hanging on. Although you’re on the path to taking your company to the next level, you question if you have what it takes to get it there. In this solo episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, you’ll learn strategies to help you reduce your self-doubt and become a better leader.
Trying to find the time to develop your leadership skills can be frustrating when you’re also trying to run a successful business, but the payoff is worth the effort. Learn how even a few minutes of leadership development work each day can make a dramatic difference in your relationships and your success as a business leader.
What You Will Learn: * What to do if you have self-doubt about your ability to lead * How to remove any negative labels you’ve placed on yourself * What statements help you rewrite the script in your head * What 3 strategies can you implement to become a better leader * Why you shouldn’t expect to be the leader your business needs next year
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Eric Berman is currently founder/CEO of Brandetize, a full service, performance-based marketing agency that partners with esteemed thought leaders such as Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Phil Town, as well as consumer brands such as Heartmath, Terasana, Aptera, DaviSkin, The Good Feet Stores and more.
Additionally, Eric has consulted for venture capitalists and successful companies at all levels including Club Med, Fenix Space, and Click For Lessons.
Lastly, Eric Berman was one of the co-founders of CollegeClub.com, Inc., the largest and most visited college site on the Internet in the year 2000 (the first Facebook), wherefrom September 1993 until June 2000, Eric Berman helped the company raise $75 million, oversaw several acquisitions and helped manage the growth of employees from 3 to 400. Berman had served in a variety of positions there including Chief Operating Officer, VP Corporate Development, VP Business Development, and Director of Sales.
Eric Berman received a B.A. in Quantitative Economics from the University of California San Diego in 1993.
What You Will Learn: * Practical ways to work yourself out of a job so you can grow your business. * How to get the insights and ideas needed from your team to grow your business * How to build and protect the culture to ensure success in the long run
Resources: * Website: https://www.brandetize.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandetize * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandetize
Additional Resources: * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
During his 23 years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron Alvesteffer has helped the company leverage double-digit revenue growth year over year, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. Ron is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its company Vision of “helping employees achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.” This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success.
As a result of its dedication to people, Service Express has been recognized in Inc.’s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies twelve years in a row. Service Express has also been recognized as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for ten consecutive years.
Ron is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact.
In his free time, you will find Ron cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Pittsburgh Steelers with his family by his side
What You Will Learn: * Do you have too many people to keep coordinated focused effort? What do fast-growth company leaders do to make it all work? * How to not get sucked in the day-to-day whirlwind and take time to work ON the business while still helping your company succeed today. * Learn the discipline that creates the freedom to grow your business…learn how Ron does it and how Elite teaches it.
Resources: * Website: https://serviceexpress.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/service-express-inc/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareserviceexpress/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronalvesteffer * Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronalvesteffer * Twitter: https://twitter.com/ServiceExpress
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Pete is a veteran in the education industry. Over the past 20 years, he has opened over 120 schools and acquired more than 25 others. His experience in education spans president and CEO roles of organizations in the private school, charter school, and early education industries. He also served as a public school board member in his local community for 5 years.
Pete is currently the founder and CEO of Fusion Education Group. Launched in 2007, the company made five acquisitions in its first two years. The last acquisition in December 2008 was the original Fusion Academy campus. Within a few years, the company determined that Fusion’s unique model and high growth potential made it a significant growth opportunity. Thus, the company sold off its non-Fusion schools to focus entirely on the national expansion of the Fusion Academy model. Today, there are more than 60 Fusion campuses in operation around the nation.
In 2019, the company acquired Futures Academy, another one-to-one school model with 16 locations in the state of California.
In 2020, the company launched Fusion Global Academy (FGA), a one-to-one virtual school that provides 100% live instruction in every class. FGA serves online students throughout the United States and internationally.
Today, Fusion Education Group, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operates nearly 80 Fusion and Futures Academies across 16 states and the District of Columbia. All Fusion Academies, Futures Academies, and FGA provide completely individualized programs based on the needs of each student. Virtually all classes are taught in a one-to-one environment: one student, one teacher. All schools offer programs for 6-12 grade students.
Ruppert started his career with Procter and Gamble. He entered the education industry when he was hired as president of National Heritage Academies (NHA) in May 1997. During his eight years as president of NHA, Ruppert led the expansion of the company from four schools to 51 schools across five states.
In addition to his work, Pete is the author of “Limitless: Nive Steps to Launch Your One Extraordinary Life.” He also co-founded “Armed Forces Thanksgiving,” an annual celebration and education event that raises money for military veterans throughout West Michigan.
Pete holds a BA in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children; three sons and a daughter and reside in East Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What You Will Learn: * How Pete’s career path led to the education field, and why education became a 25-year passion that led to the creation of Fusion Education Group * How Pete and his team achieved a careful balance between the educational aspect of their organization and the business side * Why the current system of grouping students by age rather than ability isn’t the best approach to meet students’ needs, and how Pete is doing things differently * Why finding and surrounding yourself with the right people and empowering them to do their best work is crucial for your success * Why having access to extra capital through outside funding is an important leg up in growing your business, and why bootstrapping isn’t always the best solution * Why scaling your business requires “giving up” authority, responsibility, and control over the day to day operations so that you can focus on long term strategy * What strategies and processes Pete uses to hire, develop and nurture key leaders within his organization * How to learn to avoid micromanaging your team and instead trust them to do the job the right way while still offering support, communication, and feedback * Why a regular meeting cadence is key to ensuring that everyone on the team is moving in the same direction * How studying other successful people helped Pete determine the nine “traits of a champion”, and how that list became the backbone of his book “Limitless”
Resources: * Website: https://peteruppert.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ruppert-986744a * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-education-group * Facebook: www.facebook.com/fusionacademy/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/petergruppert * Twitter: https://twitter.com/fusionacademy
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Loren Feldman is editor-in-chief and founder of 21 Hats, a platform for business owners, where he edits a daily newsletter for entrepreneurs and hosts the 21 Hats podcast. He has also co-hosted a call-in show for business owners, Mind Your Business, on Sirius XM.
Previously, he was a senior editor at Forbes, where he created the Forbes Small Giants franchise and was responsible for entrepreneurial coverage in print and online. Before that, he was small-business editor of The New York Times, where he started the You’re the Boss small-business blog. He has also been editor of the Web sites at both Inc. and FastCompany.
Before going digital, he was a top editor and writer for print magazines such as Inc., Philadelphia, Manhattan, inc., the American Lawyer, Money, and George. He has also written for GQ, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Sunday Business section. And he has spoken and moderated discussions at numerous conferences and seminars on entrepreneurship.
What you will learn in this episode:
- How covering entrepreneurship for Inc. Magazine left Loren bitten by the entrepreneur bug and sparked his interest in creating a community for business owners
- How Loren and 21 Hats have been communicating with seven business owners through the pandemic to get insights into the challenges and opportunities they've faced
- How the 21 Hats podcast has shined a light on the many unexpected struggles businesses have had to navigate throughout the global pandemic
- Loren shares the story of one of the business owners that has appeared regularly on the 21 Hats podcast and the journey he has gone through surviving the pandemic
- Why advice is much easier to give than to take, and why it can be challenging for business owners to listen to others and implement the wisdom they're given
- Why it can be difficult for business owners to prioritize doing work that will result in long-term gains for the business and, why instead they focus too much on the day-to-day
- Why it is important to find your "tribe," people who you share values with, who you trust, and who you can discuss your wins and challenges with
- How being transparent and honest with other like-minded business owners can help transform your business and give you a powerful source of support and encouragement
Resources: * Website: https://21hats.com/ * The 21 Hats Podcast, with Loren Feldman: https://21hats.com/podcasts/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/feldmanloren/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/21-hats/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/21HatsMedia * Twitter: https://twitter.com/lfeldman
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Trying to find the time to develop your leadership skills can be frustrating when you’re also trying to run a successful business, but the payoff is worth the effort. Learn how even a few minutes of leadership development work each day can make a dramatic difference in your relationships and your success as a business leader.
What You Will Learn: * Everything you learn to become a better leader will pay dividends for as long as you live. * How to leverage what you are already doing to improve your leadership skills. * Why slow consistency beats perfection when becoming a great leader in all aspects of your life.
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Charles Gaudet is the author of “The Predictable Profits Playbook: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Dominating Any Market and Staying on Top“ (voted #1 Book on Sales & Marketing by Indie Excellence) and host of The Beyond 7-Figures Podcast.
The International Business Times called him “The Go-To Business Coach for 7 and 8 Figure Businesses” and perhaps the “busiest sales coach in the US.“
GritDaily said Gaudet is: “regarded in entrepreneurial circles as one of the top coaches for helping entrepreneurs surpass the seven and eight-figure mark.”
And Yahoo Finance referred to him as: “The CEO Whisperer.”
He’s been an entrepreneur since the age of 4, created his first multi-million dollar business at 24, and has helped others generate millions with his strategies.
He’s received numerous awards and recognition (including founding a company named as “One of the Best Seed Stage Companies” by Ernst & Young), received his Certificate of Leadership Development from The US Army War College and has his business advice featured around in the world – including Inc., Forbes, Salesforce, Success, Entrepreneur, and Fox Business – as well as on podcasts and radio.
He was named one of American Geniuses’ Top 50 Industry Influencers.
He trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (two gold medal finishes) and is a 3-time wrestling state champion. He lives in New Hampshire with his beautiful wife, three adorable kid-preneurs, and one badass dog.
What You Will Learn: * How Charles learned that everything changes in your business once you reach seven figures, and why leveraging your resources is crucial for moving to the next level * Why getting more sales is only effective when you have the systems and team in place to deliver on those sales * Why strategically simplifying your business at the seven-figure revenue plateau is the key to resuming growth * How creating an overarching system specifically designed for creating systems in your business can be a powerful strategy for accelerating your growth * Why, like a train, it takes four key parts to operate and scale a business (cogs, engine, engineer, and visionary) * Why building out an effective leadership team can help you move from being the engine driving your business to being the engineer navigating * Why when you’re just starting, you have to hustle and do everything, and why scaling means doing less or even none of what you’re doing now * Why it’s important to remember that hiring great people is only the first step and that you must then support them and set them up for success * Why hiring someone with all your same skills results in one of you becoming redundant, and why hiring for key specialties and skills is more effective in the long run * Why a three-pronged strategy of optimization, systemization, and innovation is the key to getting to eight figures and beyond
Resources: * Beyond 7 Figures podcast: https://predictableprofits.com/beyond-7-figures/ * Website: https://predictableprofits.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/predictable-profits * Facebook: www.facebook.com/PredictableProfits/ * Twitter: @charlesgaudet
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Josh Phegan is the internationally renowned go-to speaker, trainer, and coach for high-performance real estate agents and agencies. He is the number one preferred trainer for Australia’s top 100 agents and top 50 women in real estate.
He personally coaches some of the who’s who in the real estate industry, both new, emerging, and high-performance agents, with his number 1 sales agent writing $707m in sales, $14m in fees, and 200+ transactions per annum.
In 2021, he is the drawcard speaker at over 200 events in the UK, UAE, New Zealand, and Australia. He works with leading real estate agencies at both training and boardroom levels.
He hosts industry-leading events such as the Real Estate BluePrint and is the producer behind the High-Performance podcast with Alexander Phillips, and the Fast Pace podcast with Dean Mackie and Josh Phegan Digital.
What You Will Learn: * How Josh had an eye-opening experience with an employee that taught him the critical importance of setting the Vision and getting clarity on the company’s Mission * How Josh’s real estate coaching business has grown over 15 years through intentionality, and what early challenges Josh had to face after crossing seven figures * Why Josh needed to get clarity around his business and his future plans before he could move his business beyond the “one-person team” period * How Josh used his own early experiences as a real estate agent to identify how he and his team could best help other agents * Why planning, discipline, and clarity helped Josh and his team achieve 21% growth year-over-year for nearly a decade * Why implementing systems was key to creating predictable success and the ability to adapt to changes swiftly * How a scene in the movie “The Godfather” hides a valuable lesson when a character says “I don’t need a lot of clients, I need a few clients with a lot of problems” * What key challenges Josh and his team faced, and what important lessons they were able to learn from them about how to run a business effectively * How being willing to learn and adapt meant the second business model they created took three weeks when the first had taken six years * Why it is important to develop your skills as a leader so that your team picks up those skills from you
Resources: * Website: https://joshphegan.com.au/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshphegan/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/joshphegancoach/ * Twitter: @joshphegan
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Dynamic results-oriented Strategic Implementation Consultant, Trainer and Executive Coach, Joel P. Martin, Ph.D., (she, her) is the Founder and President of Positively Powerful-Triad West, Inc. Dr. Martin has a demonstrated ability to create visionary transformational leaders; diverse, inclusive, and high performing teams; empowered women, people of color, new managers and other professionals who, after working with Dr. Martin, are less-stressed more creative, inspired, happier, and Positively Powerful™ in their lives and careers.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Martin has trained, coached, consulted, and spoken before hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world. With her insightful expertise, unconditionally committed, heartfelt New York City style (her hometown), she provides clients with services that address their business development and DEI needs and provides innovative solutions that close the gap from where they are now and where they want to be. She is dedicated to changing lives and businesses for the better globally.
Dr. Martin practices life-long learning and giving back to communities. She’s earned numerous awards as well as a MA in Psychology, PhD in Communications and admission into the Society of Fellows, Wharton Business School. Previously she owned and operated a full-service New York City advertising agency.
What You Will Learn: * How Dr. Martin’s career path led to becoming a globally respected speaker, thriving entrepreneur and business leader * Why Dr. Martin chose to go back to school later in life and pursue her Ph.D., and why she believes strongly in lifelong learning * Why a diverse and inclusive work environment inspired Dr. Martin to begin speaking and making a difference in people’s lives * Why sharing your truthful and personal story can be a powerful way to create authentic, deep connections with others * What steps you can take to improve your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) skills, and why these skills are valuable business assets * Why optics matter even more as more activities move to a digital space, and how to evaluate your company’s DEI optics * Why you should consider becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, and what benefits you can receive from that partnership * Why stereotypes can lead to undervaluing and disrespecting people and can even impact your ability to hire the best people
Resources: * 30-Minute Complimentary Consultation: https://calendly.com/jpmartin * Website: www.positivelypowerful.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drjpmartin/ * Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/COLeadership/ * Twitter: @Drjpmartin
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Veronique James founded The James Agency (TJA) in 2005 with the goal of creating an agency focused on open communication and transparency with clients and employees. Today, the award-winning, integrated agency specializes in consumer advertising, public relations and digital and continues to exemplify Veroniques original vision.
Veronique and her team collaborate to produce creatively-fueled, results-driven campaigns that help clients achieve their goals and positively impact their bottom line. TJA has worked with notable brands such as Hotel Valley Ho, Mountain Shadows, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Spinato’s Pizzeria, Marriott International, Epoch Residential, Fox Restaurant Concepts, among others. Under Veroniques direction, TJA has been honored with numerous industry and culture awards, including being named to the Inc. 5000 and Entrepreneur Top Company Cultures lists.
Actively involved in the community, Veronique is currently a member of Entrepreneurs Organization, Arizona Chapter. She served as the organization’s third female president in 2017/2018. She has received numerous accolades for her leadership, entrepreneurship and community involvement.
Veronique is originally from Southern California and graduated with a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Arizona.
What You Will Learn: * Why The James Agency (TJA) being 16 years old helps to uniquely position them in their field of expertise, and what kinds of “business-to-human” work they do * What key challenges and lessons learned helped Veronique and her team continue to grow beyond seven figures * How going through a difficult period of financial hardship and divorce served as motivation for Veronique to push harder for business growth and success * Why avoiding taking on debt and bootstrapping the business proved instrumental in teaching Veronique valuable leadership lessons * How the journey to $1 million showed Veronique and her team that they were operating in the right niche in their industry and had something unique to share * How Veronique and her team get intentional about their company’s Culture and maintain their identity even as they grow * Why putting on blinders to block out distractions was crucial for Veronique to be able to grow her organization’s brand and build a reputation * Why building the business in an authentic way was crucial for maintaining the TJA identity through periods of rapid growth
Resources: * Website: https://thejamesagency.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/veroniquejames/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-james-agency/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJamesAgency * Twitter: @TheJamesAgency
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
If you want to stop being a doer and start being a leader, you need to stop wearing all the hats. Learn how with these deceptively simple techniques.
What You Will Learn: * Why the global pandemic has created stress, exhaustion and overwhelm for business owners of all kinds * Why it’s crucial to put your own oxygen mask on before you assist anyone else, and why taking care of yourself is a crucial part of being an effective leader * What to do when feeling overwhelmed at work, and how the “Five Ds” (Dump, Delete, Delegate, Defer, Do) can help * Why the abstract, information-overload nature of our modern life can add to our feelings of overwhelm * How the abstract problems we must deal with begins to stack up and fill our subconscious, causing energy drain and overwhelm * Why dumping everything in your head out and writing it down can help reduce your stress and overwhelm * Why deleting unnecessary tasks that aren’t critical to the success of your business can free bandwidth for the things that do matter * Why delegating things to other people can help relieve your burden and allow you to refocus * Why deferring the things that can safely be put off and that aren’t significant priorities can help shorten your to-do list * Why the last step is to deal with the things you need to do now that will further your progress
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Jared Hummel is an experienced business leader with a history of building start-up organizations into streamlined, revenue-generating companies. As the President of Parqa, he leads with a strong financial background and is motivated by enhancing growth and finding solutions to complex operating and execution-based challenges. He enjoys working with company leaders to integrate digital strategies into overall business decisions with an emphasis on nurturing clients and candidates through automation to drive revenue. At Parqa, he combines his finance, operations, and marketing background to help fuel growth for the company as well as its partners across the country.
Jared is a knowledgeable and versatile speaker, always excited to talk about how his passion for sports informs his approach to team building. He has actionable and unique advice for staffing agencies, team leaders, marketers and technology buffs looking to understand complex and niche strategies in action.
What You Will Learn: * Jared describes the work he and his team do at Parqa Marketing and shares how he stepped into a leadership role and evolved the business * How raising $10 million in capital early allowed Jared and the Parqa Marketing team to fund the growth of the business to $25 million and beyond * How Setting the Vision, Building the Team, and Securing Fuel for Growth have been instrumental in overcoming the common seven-figure challenges Parqa has faced * Why Jared’s background as a hockey player has served him in his role at Parqa Marketing and taught him the importance of a team working in synergy together * Why Jared and his leadership team have quarterly offsite meetings to ensure that everyone is on the same page * Why eliminating staff turnover has been instrumental in allowing Parqa Marketing to continue to scale, and why Culture is crucial for growth * Why growing his leadership skills has been an important focus as Jared has stepped into a leadership role
Resources: * Website: https://parqamarketing.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/parqa/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jared-hummel/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ParqaMarketing * Twitter: @ParqaMarketing
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
About Joshua Gillow, in his own words:
“Hello. I am Joshua Gillow, founder of YES Express! I have operated my own outdoor living & landscaping design/build company for 24 years. I loved the work and the satisfaction my team and I brought to clients’ lives.
But for many years, I struggled.
Like practically all of us in this business, I jumped at every lead. Someone called, and I’d make an appointment for an in-person consultation. Getting them to sign up was hit or miss. Sometimes, I felt “in the zone” and really did well on those in-person consults. Other times, I was off my game. Maybe there was traffic on the way there, or I had too many things to think about. Some clients threw me off track and the conversation just got lost. But that’s just the nature of the beast, right?
Guess what? That’s EXACTLY WRONG.
What ALL successful business owners know (at least those who have lives, and time and money freedom) is this secret: ONLY systems grant you the ability to successfully sell on the worst day of your life! You cannot rely on how you feel or whether the stars are aligned during the conversation. You cannot guess at what to say. That is a loser’s game. It’s the game ALL of us are playing. Stop.
Winners have the tools, systems, and resources they need to lead a client conversation from the first moment they contact you until they write the check. DELIVERING THAT SYSTEM IS WHAT YES EXPRESS IS ALL ABOUT.”
What You Will Learn: * What common growth problems entrepreneurs Joshua works with typically run into, and how growing your leadership skills and mindset is the key to overcoming those challenges * Why Joshua believes sales is about communicating from your clients’ perspective, and why he focuses his work exclusively on the outdoor living and landscaping industries * Why understanding “why” you want to grow beyond seven figures is crucial, and why adaptability and intuition are key traits that will help you move the needle * How the book “The Big Five For Life” by John Strelecky transformed Joshua’s mindset and outlook, and why having fulfillment in your life is vital * Why transparency, authenticity and vulnerability can be a superpower that can unleash your potential as a leader * Why leveling up your leadership inspires loyalty and helps your team do their best work, and why it can create real, tangible returns on investment * Why letting your team make big swings, even if they sometimes miss, is crucial for giving them the space to solve problems and grow in their roles * Why Joshua draws motivation and passion for what he does from making the world better for his sons, and why everyone’s core question is “what’s in it for me?” * Why you shouldn’t accept every client that comes through the door, and why falling in love with your ideal clients rather than your offerings is crucial
Resources: * The Outerspaces Podcast with Joshua Gillow: www.outerspacespodcast.com * Website: www.yes.express * Website: www.mymasterplan.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-gillow-04ba89a7/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/yes-express-sales/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/masterplan-outdoor-living * Facebook: www.facebook.com/YesExpressSales * Facebook: www.facebook.com/MasterPLANdesign * Twitter: @MasterPLAN_LLC
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
If you want to stop being a doer and start being a leader, you need to stop wearing all the hats. Learn how with these deceptively simple techniques.
What You Will Learn: * Why business owners so often end up stuck in the business, “wearing too many hats” and covering too many roles, and why it’s important to transition to leading * Which three hats you should keep when transitioning from entrepreneur to leader, and why these hats are your primary responsibility * Why learning to lead is like learning a new language, and why setting your company’s Vision and creating an action plan to get there is a vital, ongoing task * What steps to take to build a team that fits your Vision and can help you achieve your Mission, and why delivering results is the third key hat you should wear * Why a meeting rhythm is crucial for keeping everyone moving in the same direction, and why it can help you balance the short-term and long-term in your business * Why moving from “doer” to “leaders” is the only path for the continued growth of your business, and what steps to take to develop yourself and get rid of your extra hats * Why small, iterative cycles are the key to becoming a stronger leader, and why a short out-of-office vacation can help you identify hats you can give to others on your team
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * “Too Many Hats” cartoon on Office Guy Cartoons: www.officeguycartoons.com/product/too-many-hats/
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How to juggle all your projects at once * What kinds of things should be handed off * Effective communication strategies * How treating your team members like they can solve problems can solve any problems that may arise * Why leaving room for your team to interpret and grow is good for your business * How to get a lot done in the same amount of time everyone else has * How unplugging from your business and from notifications can help you
About Lynda Bishop: Lynda Bishop, MPC, CEC, is a certified executive and empowerment coach, a master’s-level mental health therapist, relationship advisor, and international women’s leadership development facilitator with specialty certificates in Emotional Intelligence and the 360 assessment with the Center for Creative Leadership. She is also the founder of Relationship Insurance coaching services and author of Great Love, No Regrets; Building Relationships that Last.
In her role as the Vice President of National Programs for the National Association of Women Business Owners Institute for Entrepreneurial Development, she creates, staffs and delivers the menu of programs offered to business owners and organizations of all sizes and facilitates professional mastermind groups across the country with women business owners to support them in their personal, family and business lives.
She is also the founder of Summit Alliance Solutions, LLC, providing mentoring, training, coaching, and custom-designed programs to organizations across the nation. Her offices are located in both Arizona and Texas.
As the Executive Director for the Aspiring Youth Academy, Lynda leads a team focused on five distinct programs serving entrepreneurial youth across Arizona from underserved communities and foster care.
She is partnered with the Girl Scouts of the USA as a content curator to tell the stories of real women on their media platform, www.CircleAround.com.
In her personal time, you may find her in Corpus Christi, TX with her grandchildren, or in Arizona camping, hiking, being outdoors just about anywhere, and with her husband, Ken, and their beloved four-legged companions, Sherlock and Watson, by her side.
Resources: * Websites: + https://lyndabishop.com/ + https://nawbo.org/ + https://aspiringyouth.org/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lyndabishop/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachlynda * Facebook: www.facebook.com/aspiringaz
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Ron recognized the need for repeatable, consistent processes and a business scaling strategy that would help Service Express grow * Why relying too heavily on your “superstar” employees can be a dangerous pitfall that creates a bottleneck in your growth * How Service Express found a growth goal and then worked backward from that goal to determine how to get there * Why Ron considers himself a “personal growth and professional development junkie”, and why continuous learning is a vital part of the Service Express culture * Why Service Express is hyper-intentional about bringing in the right people with the right amount of personal drive and passion * How Service Express has created a goal-setting program that helps employees develop their careers in the way they want to grow * Why Service Express has always been a growth-oriented company across the 24 years that Ron has been with the organization * Why it’s important to know why you want your business to grow and then hire around the answer, and why Service Express hires for alignment rather than just skills * Why your organization’s Vision and Values should be central to how you hire, promote and fire team members * Why Ron believes in “R&D”: rip off and duplicate, and why the answers to all your problems and challenges are out there if you’re willing to look
About Ron Alvesteffer: During his 23 years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron Alvesteffer has helped the company leverage double-digit revenue growth year over year, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. Ron is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its company Vision of “helping employees achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.” This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success.
As a result of its dedication to people, Service Express has been recognized in Inc.’s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies twelve years in a row. Service Express has also been recognized as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for ten consecutive years.
Ron is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact.
In his free time, you will find Ron cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Pittsburgh Steelers with his family by his side.
Resources: * Website: https://serviceexpress.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/service-express-inc/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareserviceexpress/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronalvesteffer * Twitter: @RonAlvesteffer * Twitter: @ServiceExpress
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Why Brett and his team created resources, educational opportunities and strategies for business owners struggling to navigate this hot job market * How Elite created an advisory group of ten key Elite Momentum members to help Brett’s team determine how to best meet their needs throughout the pandemic * Brett recaps some of the key points from his recent solocast in episode #99 of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, “The Great Resignation: Stopping the Bleeding” * Why creating loyalty with your team takes more than a transactional relationship and requires Purpose, Growth and Connection * Why too many business owners believe “more people means more headaches”, and why reframing your relationships with your team is key * What advice Brett would offer to business owners wanting to speed up their hiring and onboarding process * Why a great onboarding process can make a huge difference in how a new hire views your team and organization, and why it is important to take your time and put in the effort * Brett shares the stages of business growth and the challenges these stages bring at the “ones and threes” of revenue * Why pedaling faster isn’t the secret to speeding the growth of your business, and why it’s crucial to shift into a higher gear by improving your processes, systems and team
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * Revisit Brett’s Aug. 11, 2021 solocast episode #99, “The Great Resignation: Stopping the Bleeding”: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/the-great-resignation/ * Learn about the Elite Ignition program: https://growwithelite.com/elite-ignition/
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Small Business Finance What You Will Learn: * Why many entrepreneurs struggle with small business finance complexities, and how Lorne’s firm helps owners build a solid financial foundation * How Simple Startup helps new entrepreneurs build up their financial education, and how the firm gives a fresh perspective even to more experienced entrepreneurs * Why putting a solid foundation in place for your business is the key to ensuring smooth, consistent future growth * What key considerations Lorne recommends you keep in mind before seeking outside funding for your business * Under what circumstances it might be worth looking for outside capital, and why fear often holds entrepreneurs back from taking opportunities presented to them * Why it takes a tremendous amount of self-awareness to drive a business forward and take the right risks and opportunities * Lorne shares advice and best practices for getting debt for your business, and why you might consider exchanging equity for financing rather than taking on debt * Why it is crucial that any party you partner with in exchange for equity be aligned to your Vision and be positioned to help you grow * Why your financial decisions should be based on how they help you reach your long-term goals and what impact they will have on your business today * Why there are two kinds of investors, ones focused primarily on profit and others focused on growth potential
About Lorne Noble: A serial entrepreneur, Lorne Noble combined his favorite aspects of the corporate world and prior businesses (the analytics and helping young companies) when he founded Simple Startup, his fourth company, in a location fit for a former professional ski racer, Boulder. Simple Startup was born from observation, experience and necessity. Having worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, he often saw the same pattern repeated where incredible startups with mind-blowing vision and drive lacked a handle on their finances and suffered because of it. Entrepreneurs were making decisions based on gut feel rather than hard data leaving them open to risk when raising money and implementing strategy. They were unable to translate their vision into a sustainable, profitable business model.
As principal and co-founder of Simple Startup, Noble dives into the analytics of the companies he advises while helping them simplify their finances, understand their numbers and make smart, informed decisions at every stage of business. He leads a talented group of financial analysts who are experts in investment-ready accounting, fractional finance support, business taxes and more, helping companies from idea to IPO and beyond.
Noble began his career as an investment analyst where he led the due diligence process for over $2.5 billion in investment transactions. During the 2009 financial collapse, Noble became disenchanted with his corporate career and began the pursuit of his MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain where he became hooked on entrepreneurship. His passion for entrepreneurship led him to launch three different technology platforms: Career Mentor Me, Help More and My Healthier Body. His certificate in Advanced Financial Modelling from the London School of Business and Finance enabled him to further entrench himself into one of his favorite pastimes tinkering with Excel spreadsheets.
After moving to Boulder, Colorado for a new adventure, Noble acted as the finance mentor to high-impact companies at the Unreasonable Institute, Girl Effect Accelerator and Singularity University. He also served as the founding member of the inaugural Financial Architect Program at the Unreasonable Institute. In pursuit of the latter, Noble has worked with numerous accelerators and organizations including Techstars, Cartier Women’s Initiative, Unreasonable Group, Next Wave Fund, Uncharted, Singularity University, the Nike Sponsored Girl Effect Accelerator, YPO+ Accelerator and Galvanize. He is always looking for new partnerships to help entrepreneurs change the world.
Noble lives with his family in Boulder and has been fortunate to live in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain, France and the Dominican Republic. Noble absolutely loves finance, even going so far as to play with Excel on vacation, but he adores his girls Amber and Lyla even more. They enjoy going on adventures as a family including skiing, kite surfing, mountain biking and traveling.
Resources: * Website: https://simplestartup.com/ * Email: hello@simplestartup.com * Courses: https://simplestartup.com/academy/ * Blog: https://simplestartup.com/blog/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lornenoble/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/simple-startup/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplestartupfinance * Twitter: @SimpleStartup
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Brett shares gratitude for the leaders and guest experts, podcast production team and listeners that have made 100 episodes of business growth strategies possible * Why episodes 43, 71, 60 and 84 are worth listening to if you’d like to learn more about the importance of setting your company’s Vision * Why you should revisit episodes 44, 92, and 97 for greater insights into the concept of building your team the right way * Why it’s a leader’s job to secure fuel (money) for the growth of your business, and how episodes 48, 77 and 28 can help you do that * Brett shares three quotes from some of his remarkable guest experts that had profound wisdom and insights to share * Which four key guests offered unexpected and valuable insights to Brett even as an expert in the business growth space himself * Brett shares two episodes with inspiring and remarkable entrepreneurs who surprised him with their tenacity, grit, strength, discipline and physical endurance * Brett highlights the “Elite Business Growth Method” miniseries of episodes and the valuable business growth strategies they contain * Why the transition from starting and growing a business to leading a business requires intentionality and effort and a passion for learning
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Setting The Vision episodes: * Episode 43: The Power of a Unifying Purpose, with Grant Botma * Episode 71: Growing a Team and Learning to Let Go, with Erika Flora * Episode 60: Setting New Goals and Always Moving Forward, with EK Navan * Episode 84: Business Lessons Learned, with Misty Lown
Building The Team episodes: * Episode 44: Growth Lessons From a Franchisor’s Perspective, with Angela Olea * Episode 92: Learning Leadership Skills, with Lamar Tyler * Episode 97: Leadership Growth, with Bryan Clayton
Secure Fuel For Growth episodes: * Episode 48: Understanding Your Cash Flow, with JD Graffam * Episode 77: Developing a Sales Mindset, with Rick Barerra * Episode 28: What to Do When Cash is Tight, with Clate Mask
Amazing Quotes From Guests episodes: * Episode 88: Get Your Priorities Straight, with Tommy Breedlove * Episode 86: Discipline Creates Freedom, with Ed Rush * Episode 65: Intentionality, Planning and Culture, with Jessica Stellwagen
Four Key Insights episodes: * Episode 21: Scaling Mountains and Growing Businesses, with Mary Crafts * Episode 80: What Makes an Effective CEO, with Tim Cameron-Kitchen * Episode 81: Put Employees First, with Casey Graham * Episode 96: People Focused Leadership, with Noah Gottlieb
Awesome Entrepreneurs episodes: * Episode 21: Scaling Mountains and Growing Businesses, with Mary Crafts * Episode 20: Repeatable Systems and Consistency in Your Processes, with Scott Sambucci
Elite Business Growth Episode Miniseries episodes: * Episode 39: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode One, with Brett Gilliland * Episode 40: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Two, with Brett Gilliland * Episode 41: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Three, with Brett Gilliland * Episode 42: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Four, with Brett Gilliland
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How The Great Resignation is creating challenges for business owners at all levels as employees leave at unprecedented rates * Why turnover is a huge business expense both directly and indirectly, and how millions of people have left or are considering leaving their jobs just since April 2021 * Why many pandemic-related issues and other factors are contributing to The Great Resignation, and why pay isn’t a major contributing factor * Why fair, adequate pay is important, but it cannot be the primary solution to the talent drain you’re experiencing * Why shared Purpose and Values can be a powerful resource for retaining your employees, and why emotional investment is a better motivator than financial investment * Why we all have an innate desire to learn and develop, and how Zappos demonstrates that caring about employee growth and betterment can engender loyalty * Why progress needs to be steady and incremental so that employees can feel their progress and add new responsibility * Why communicating and demonstrating your care for your employees is a crucial leadership skill, and what steps you can take to strengthen your bond * Why helping your team members through the challenges they’re facing can cost little and pay dividends in loyalty * How doing the work to build loyalty and trust with your employees can often bring leaving employees back later, when their situation has changed again
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * What sets MKG Marketing apart, why they take a people-first approach, and how relationships are the cornerstone of their success * Kerry explains MKG Marketing’s people-first approach and shares how the company has grown and scaled over time * How relationships have helped the team grow as the organization has increased in scale, and what important Values lessons Kerry has learned on the journey * Why intentionality has been an important component of evolving MKG Marketing’s Values * How Kerry and her partner developed their benefits package, and why they switched from unlimited vacation time to 20 “use it or lose it” days * How MKG Marketing assesses culture and Values fit when interviewing and hiring new candidates * Why the MKG Marketing hiring process includes a 90-day trial period that serves as a two-way street for the organization and candidates to assess each other * How Kerry ensures that her team is focused and moving toward the same destination, and why “overcommunication” is crucial * Why a regular meeting cadence is instrumental in keeping everyone on the team aligned and informed about the organization’s work and priorities
About Kerry Guard: Kerry Guard is the COO of MKG Marketing, a digital marketing agency of experts specializing in SEO, Digital Advertising, and Analytics. It’s Kerry’s mission to find the most elite experts in the industry who have 5+ years of experience. MKG Marketing is a flat organization by design. The clients work directly with the experts who develop the strategy and execute it. This minimizes miscommunication and work duplication.
Because MKG Marketing only hires experts, they are very selective. It takes a great deal of time and effort to find the best and keep the best. They provide flexible hours and work environments. They believe in 3 months of Maternity/Paternity leave. If a parent needs to drop everything to pick up a sick child from daycare, the team doesn’t think twice. Kerry is very proud of the team she has, and looks forward to continuing to grow and provide this life/work balance to more digital marketers.
Resources: * Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders podcast with Kerry Guard: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/blog/podcasts/ * Website: https://mkgmarketinginc.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kerryguard/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mkg-marketing * Facebook: www.facebook.com/mkgmarketinginc/ * Twitter: @MKGMarketingInc
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Greenpal has since scaled to include every major city in the United States, with over $20 million in annual revenue and more than 300,000 customers * How Bryan got into the lawn care industry by starting a landscaping company while he was in high school, and how he grew that company into a multimillion dollar business * What challenges Bryan faced and key lessons he learned on his journey to grow his first business into a massive success, and why his own leadership growth was key * How starting Greenpal was a different experience for Bryan that required him to “reinvent the wheel” by creating a unique business model * Why it is vital for seven figure business owners to find time to work on the parts of their business that are “important but not urgent” in order to grow * Bryan shares a helpful hack that can allow you to bring in “fractional” high level leaders to help you move the needle for your organization more quickly * How Bryan grew out his leadership team while also working on his own leadership growth, and why learning to level up his leadership was crucial for scaling Greenpal * Why Bryan felt the need to work on developing his own skills and leadership growth for a year before he began filling in his leadership team * How Bryan realized the business wasn’t about himself but about the team he leads, and how that opened up a new level of fun and empowerment * Why the highs and lows of running a business are all invaluable experiences that “force you to level up” your leadership growth, especially the lows and difficult experiences
About Bryan Clayton: Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal, an online marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the Uber for lawn care by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 200,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day.
Before starting GreenPal Bryan Clayton founded Peachtree Inc., one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee, growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013.
Bryan’s interests and expertise are related to entrepreneurialism, small business growth, marketing and bootstrapping businesses from zero revenue to profitability and exit.
Resources: * Website: www.yourgreenpal.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenpallawncare * Twitter: @bryanMclayton * Instagram: @bryanmclayton
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How The X Company’s business model works, and how they create residential “lifestyle experience” communities in the best urban locations at affordable prices * How Noah built his organization’s Culture with intentionality, and why he practices a very people focused leadership style dedicated to his employees’ success * How Noah is focused on differentiation from The X Company’s competitors and on ensuring that employees feel fulfilled by their work * Why clear communication around employees’ long term goals is crucial for giving them the career opportunities they are looking for * Why surrounding yourself with the right team frees you up to work ON the business rather than grinding IN the business * Why career growth in an organization begins with its leadership stepping away from tasks and allowing others to grow into them * How, as businesses mature, the team goes from being jacks-of-all-trades to specializing, and how a leader’s job is to adapt to this transition * Why it is important to ensure that your specialized teams aren’t operating in silos and that everyone understands the effect their work has on the organization as a whole * What growth challenges Noah and The X Company have faced, and what key lessons the team has learned through tackling those challenges * Why practicing people focused leadership by prioritizing your employees and dedicating resources to their success is a powerful way to build a highly effective team
About Noah Gottlieb: As CEO, Noah is responsible for overseeing the growth and culture of The X Company, whose development pipeline currently spans seven markets, over $1B of construction activity, and some 10,000 beds.
Resources: * Website: www.thexlife.co * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/noahgottlieb * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-x-company/ * Instagram: www.instagram.com/thexlife.co
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Danny became a business owner and entrepreneur unexpectedly by helping grow a business from seven employees to $275 million a year * Why an important piece of Danny’s success was found in always seeking to improve and strengthen the business with intentionality and purpose * Why creating a business that is highly transferable comes down to building an organization that can stand on its own without being too dependent upon you * What critical mistakes business owners often make that can hurt their ability to sell or transfer the business when they’re ready to exit * Why your financial statements need to be highly accurate, and why you need to reconcile every account on your balance sheet every single month * Danny shares an example of a business owner who failed to reconcile his balance sheet and how it created a cascading series of problems that caused the business to close * What advice Danny has to share for business owners who hope to eventually exit their business, and what steps you can take today to prepare * How Danny and his team help dramatically increase the value of businesses by teaching owners what changes to make
About Danny Wheeler: Danny Wheeler is a Partner at FAZ Business Advisors and has over 30 years of experience as a business operator in a variety of industries and as an advisor to closely held businesses.
He has owned and been a member of the management team of Health Solutions, CFO for Hire, Ultradian Diagnostics and ATSCO Products. While Danny served as the Chief Financial Officer of Health Solutions, the company’s revenues grew from $29 million to $275 million and was ultimately sold to a publicly traded competitor. More recently, as the CEO of ATSCO Products he successfully grew the business over seven years and sold it to WB Mason.
Danny has assisted numerous other entrepreneurs in making their businesses bigger, better, easier to operate and more profitable. His clients have included businesses in healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, banking, hospitality, retail, legal and real estate. These businesses have fixed their profitability problems, purchased other businesses, sold all or part of their business and created long term plans that met the needs of the business owners. He has worked in a variety of markets including Boston, Hartford, Providence, New York, Detroit, Orlando, Miami, the Caribbean and throughout Upstate New York.
Danny is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration with a degree in Finance and Real Estate. He is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor.
He currently serves or has served in leadership & board roles for numerous not-for-profits, professional organizations, and community groups, including Albany Medical College, Cornell Hotel Society, Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Danny is a huge fan of football on Sundays and any kind of live sporting event or rock concert. He and his wife enjoy trips to Cape Cod and spending time with their three sons who are building their own successful careers.
Resources: * Website: https://fazcpas.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danny-j-wheeler/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ferraro-amodio-&-zarecki-cpas/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/fazcpas/
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Why more sales and more customers isn’t how you grow the business, but rather how you finance your future growth * Why only 3-5% of businesses make it to seven figures in revenue, and why your strategy has to change once you reach the $1 million revenue plateau * Why you must make a transition from entrepreneur to CEO, and why seven figure businesses grow one person at a time rather than one sale at a time * How hiring the right new team members and cultivating the team members you already have is the secret to continued growth after you hit a revenue plateau * Why you must push yourself as a leader to learn and grow so that you avoid becoming the bottleneck in your company’s growth * What steps to follow to help you determine when to grow your team and which key roles you need to fill, by envisioning your “org chart of the future” * How to determine a “healthy revenue per employee” metric to help you determine when to bring in new employees * Why you should meet with your direct reports for 30 minutes each week to check their performance and develop their growth, and why you should have a quarterly review and planning team meeting * Why you should listen to the future interview with Noah Gottlieb in episode 96 of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Gretchen’s experiences working with PR firms all around gave her a clear client-side perspective that has informed how she runs Prim + Co * How Gretchen spent six years building her organization toward seven figures, and how the toughest transition was focusing on working on, not in, the business * Why Gretchen grew her team with intentionality, and why she chose to focus on bringing in high-level talent by paying them more than she was paying herself * What important roles Gretchen needed to fill with talented employees to further the growth of Prim + Co * How Gretchen created an intentional hiring process that puts the right people in the right roles and gives them a sense of ownership * Why gratitude is a core leadership skill for Gretchen, and why she runs the business as a “coach” to a team rather than as a typical business * How work-from-home during the pandemic has impacted Prim + Co, and why Gretchen lays down her expectations up front in the hiring process * How Prim + Co creates organic media coverage for their clients that raises their profile and increases public awareness and credibility * Why PR is a fantastic companion for digital marketing but doesn’t replace marketing campaigns * How Prim + Co helps their clients get into thought leadership and create relationships and “newsworthy opportunities” that can help further the growth of their business
About Gretchen TeBockhorst: Gretchen TeBockhorst is an award-winning public relations and marketing communications expert. A recognized and respected leader in the hospitality and lifestyle industries, Gretchen’s previous experience includes managing the in-house public relations and marketing for Adams Golf, 7-Up Group and Richard Sandoval Hospitality.
During her time at Richard Sandoval Hospitality, she took the 45-unit international restaurant group to new heights by formulating brand strategies, launching a retail line, releasing the New Latin Flavors cookbook, and securing Chef Richard Sandoval as the face of Nestles Abuelita Chocolate.
Her media relations efforts secured national attention from a variety of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine Magazine, Foodnetwork.com, TODAY, CBS This Morning, and Travel + Leisure, among others.
Since launching Prim + Co, Gretchen has catapulted it into an award-winning PR firm with renowned clients such as SoulCycle, Floyd’s 99 Barbershops, Kimpton Hotels, Visit Anaheim, and Sweetgreen. Over the past few years, Prim has been recognized as one of the Best PR Firms in Denver by Expertise.com and was included in ColoradoBiz Magazine’s “Best of Colorado” issue for three years running. In 2020, Gretchen was awarded Public Relations Society of America’s “PR Person of the Year.”
Most impressively, Gretchen continually makes it a priority to give back. Her agency provides pro-bono work for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Rocky Mountain Region, and Gretchen personally serves as the communications manager for nonprofit Les Dames de Escoffier Colorado.
PR aside, Gretchen’s true talent lies in the recruitment and establishment of a team that genuinely matches the caliber and service standards of her clientele. She feels incredibly fortunate to work beside such impressive women.
Resources: * Website: https://primtheagency.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-tebockhorst/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/prim-communications * Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrimTheAgency * Twitter: @PrimTheAgency
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Lamar and his wife Ronnie went into business and created the Black and Married with Kids blog, learning leadership skills and growing it into a powerhouse brand * How, after achieving their first million in revenue, Lamar realized that the next necessary step was to focus on further education and finding the right mentors * Why being a successful entrepreneur isn’t the same as being a great leader, and why the growth of your business depends on learning leadership skills * How Lamar was able to utilize his strong marketing skills to attract talented new team members * What unique considerations Lamar and Ronnie have had to make as first-generation entrepreneurs looking to create generational wealth for their kids * Why Lamar has made what a prospective employee does in their personal time a key consideration in the hiring process * Why building a great team so that your business doesn’t depend entirely on you is crucial for growth * How a strong meeting cadence of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings has been a big component in the success of Lamar’s company * Why a successful business needs both team members with big, bold ideas and with careful planning skills * Why one of the biggest things Lamar sees that slows down entrepreneurs is allowing their focus to be spread too thin
About Lamar Tyler: Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the husband-and-wife power pair behind Black and Married with Kids, the largest independent African American marriage and parenting site on the web.
Lamar and Ronnie were so fed up with the pervasive, negative and distorted images of black marriage that they channeled their frustration into a passion for curating online media properties that celebrated and honored black families.
Armed with this vision and expertise in social media, Lamar and Ronnie have taken Black and Married with Kids from a small personal blog to an international brand under their own Tyler New Media, they now have 7 independently produced films and over 540,000 Facebook fans.
Black and Married with Kids has been recognized and honored by some of America’s most established and respected media outlets. In 2010, Black and Married with Kids was named by Parenting Magazine as one of 2010’s Must-Read Blogs. In the same year, Lamar and Ronnie were inducted into Babble’s Top 100 Bloggers Hall of Fame. In 2012—for the second year in a row—they were included as two of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100, a list of country’s top 100 African-American movers and shakers, keeping company with President Barack Obama, Beyoncé Knowles, and Jay-Z. In 2014, the Tylers were finalists for the Black Enterprise Family Business of the Year Award. And in 2015, the Tylers were also named finalists for Infusionsoft’s Small Business ICON award.
Along with writing for and managing Black and Married With Kids, which now employs more than 40 staff writers, Lamar and Ronnie stay busy running Tyler New Media—producing, directing, and traveling across the country screening Tyler New Media films and speaking on marriage and business-related topics for a variety of churches, organizations and media outlets including ESSENCE Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Sirius/XM, TV One, HLN, NPR, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Washington Post.
Lamar and Ronnie are the happy parents of four children and call Atlanta home.
Resources: * Website: https://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/ * Website: www.trafficsalesandprofit.com * Website: https://tylernewmedia.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lamartyler/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tyler-new-media/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/happilyeverafterthemovie * Facebook: www.facebook.com/TylerNewMedia/ * Twitter: @LamarTyler * Twitter: @blackandmarried
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Hiring for Culture Fit What You Will Learn: * How Lisa’s husband Hamish started Cleancorp and convinced her to get involved in the business once he realized he couldn’t get to seven figures doing everything himself * Why Lisa joining the company created a new opportunity to scale and implement processes and systems, growing the business from $700,000 to $3.2 million in two years * What important growth lessons Lisa learned during their period of rapid expansion, and how Lisa navigated the increased risk of joining the family business * Why hiring someone as General Manager who did not fit their Vision was a costly mistake, and how Lisa quickly learned the lesson that hiring for culture fit is crucial * How Lisa grew out the team with a dedication to fitting new hires to the organization’s Culture and growing leaders within the team * Why hiring someone whose only role was to go out and meet with customers became a key team addition that had many positive effects throughout the business * How the team have changed their hiring and onboarding processes to ensure that new team members are a great fit with the Culture, and how Lisa regularly checks in with new hires * How the Cleancorp hiring process works now, and how Lisa consults with a recruitment specialist who is aligned with the company’s Culture to save time and headaches * What other key lessons Lisa learned during her company’s growth journey, and why continual learning has been transformative for Lisa’s leadership * Why Lisa believes it is critical to get rid of any toxic members of your team immediately and without hesitation
About Lisa Macqueen, in her own words: My husband asked me to come and join the family commercial cleaning business. “𝙄𝙩’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣,” he said. Before that, the first 20 years of my career were spent working in sales and marketing for some of the most beautiful hotels and resorts & travelling the world for my job. Not to put too fine a point on it. It was a s-w-e-e-t gig…. So understandably, kicking and screaming, I left my job and joined Cleancorp. That was 14 years ago, and I’ve been thanking him ever since.
Today, I’m the CEO of the fastest growing commercial cleaning business in Australia where I lead a team of the most dedicated professionals I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.
Cleancorp is a Purpose, Mission and Values driven company, and everything we do is in alignment with that. We have a company culture that most other companies can only dream about, and we do a lot of cool things with technology for our clients.
So just to be super clear: we are NOT your average commercial cleaning company in any way.
Which is why we’re Australia’s fastest growing cleaning company. We’re super deliberate and intentional about giving our clients 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭. And all of our KPI’s line up with KPI’s for our clients (Kept Promise Indicators).
Along the way there have been some amazing WOW moments:
- First woman (and first company outside US) to win Ultimate Marketer/Small Business ICON Award in the U.S.
- Won the Australian Super/BSCAA Winner of Innovation Through People Award.
- Then named as one of America’s Premier Experts and appeared on the Brian Tracy Show on CBS, NBC & FOX Affiliates in the US, and also co-authored a book with the legendary Brian Tracy, “Power Principles for Success” which reached best-seller status on Amazon
- Spoke on stages in US, Australia and NZ as sales and marketing and cleaning industry expert
- Featured in the media by (almost) every major Australian news outlet as COVID19 cleaning expert, and did countless interviews on TV, Radio, online news, magazines and podcasts in Australia and around the world
Today, I’m privileged to work with an amazing team of dedicated cleaning professionals across Australia and New Zealand, that I’m proud to work alongside. And our mission is simple. We provide cleaning services that are managed for you, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪.
Email me anytime at lisa@cleancorp.com.
Resources: * Website: https://cleancorp.com/ * Email: lisa@cleancorp.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisamacqueen/ * Facebook: www.linkedin.com/company/cleancorp * Twitter: @CleancorpAU
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Molly started D2DInc and became involved with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) shortly after to seek support and education * What pain points D2DInc experienced at the seven-figure mark, and how they made a wildly successful business pivot out of consulting and into government contracts * How the business pivot from consulting to contracts took time to implement but made a dramatic difference in the company’s growth * How the organization prioritized roles when they needed to recruit and hire new team members, and how they have worked to unify their team and its diverse roles * What suggestions Molly has for any organization interested in making a business pivot into government purchasing contracts * How Molly learned to delegate and begin working on the business rather than in it as the team grew from 8-10 people to over 80 * How D2DInc’s period of rapid growth caused the company’s leadership to be stuck in a reactive mode, and how stabilizing the team allowed them to become more strategic * How Molly and her team have developed a strategic meeting cadence that has helped them look ahead and be more intentional * How NAWBO has launched a group called the NAWBO Circle specifically for the 3% of women-owned businesses that make more than $1 million in revenue
About Molly Gimmel Molly K. Gimmel is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Design To Delivery Inc (D2DInc), an award-winning firm that provides program and acquisition management support services to Federal government agencies. Molly has been working in the field of government contract and acquisition management since 1991. Before co-founding D2DInc in 2001, she spent eight years working in the government practices of three of the “Big Five” accounting/consulting firms.
D2DInc appeared four times on the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the US, from 2014 thru 2017. D2DInc was ranked #32 on the Women Presidents Organization’s list of Fastest Growing Women Owned Companies in 2016.
Molly has been a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) since 2002. She served on the NAWBO National Board of Directors for six years, including one year as Chair (2018-2019), is a past president of the NAWBO Greater DC Chapter, and has served in several other leadership roles within the organization.
She currently serves as a delegate on the US delegation to the W20 – the G20 working group focused on women’s issues. She also currently serves on the Board of the Women in Business Initiative for George Mason University.
Molly was named an Enterprising Woman of the Year in 2014 by Enterprising Women magazine and serves on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board. She received a Brava Award from Smart CEO magazine in 2015 recognizing outstanding female CEOs in the DC Metropolitan Area.
In addition to NAWBO, she is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy, Women in Defense, the National Defense Industrial Association, and the National Contract Management Association.
Molly holds a Masters of Science in Contract & Acquisition Management from Florida Institute of Technology, and a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing from the College of William & Mary. She has a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
Resources: * Website: https://d2dinc.com/ * National Association of Women Business Owners website: www.NAWBO.org * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mollygimmel/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/d2dinc * Facebook: www.facebook.com/D2DInc/
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Loving What You Do: Turning the J-O-B of Running a Business Into J-O-Y What You Will Learn: * Why many business owners feel like they’re stuck in a J-O-B and aren’t finding J-O-Y in owning a business * Brett shares powerful quotes from historical figures, authors, celebrities, and business luminaries about loving what you do and drawing satisfaction from your work * Why you should first ask yourself how you got to this place in which you no longer enjoy your work, and why the health of your business is reflected in your mindset * Brett shares the experiences of Bill Harney, CEO of Keeping Current Matters, about what his life and business were like prior to working with Elite * How to bring the J-O-Y back to your role as leader of your business by reigniting your Purpose and setting your Vision, clarifying your Values, and growing your leadership * Why hiring, leading, and firing to your Values will make your team more productive, effective, and collaborative, and why the wrong people will drag your whole team down * Why growing yourself as a leader can free you to work ON your business rather than grinding IN your business and burning yourself out * Which three key ingredients people need to be happy in their work as proven by scientific research into happiness * How Bill Harney transformed his business through working with Elite, and what has changed for Bill and his company since * Why putting in the effort and making the right changes will help you find your way back to loving what you do, and how Elite can help you get there
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Get Your Priorities Straight What You Will Learn: * Tommy shares his background, and he shares how at age 36 he experienced a career crisis that taught him how important it is to get your priorities straight * How Tommy got started resetting his mindset and making big changes and improvements in his life and attitude as a business owner * Why Tommy believes that too many business owners focus on the business and don’t spend enough time focusing on and improving themselves and their relationships * How to cultivate your confidence, self-esteem, and mental and emotional strength, and what benefits you can see in your business by doing the work * What Tommy’s daily routine looks like, and how he has cultivated daily habits that help him achieve his goals for personal development * Why it is crucial to minimize the constant stream of negativity from social media and the 24-hour news cycle and instead find activities that can help center and balance you * How working with a key mentor helped Tommy break free of “the story that was told to him” and begin truly living his life * What impact Tommy’s efforts to improve himself has had on the important people around him, and what doors it has opened for him in his career and personal life * Why living to the right Culture, Purpose and Values can make a tremendous difference in your success and how you interact with others * Why Tommy titled his book “Legendary”, and what valuable information the book highlights about growing your confidence, courage, and capacity for love
About Tommy Breedlove Tommy Breedlove is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of the book, Legendary, and business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regular featured keynote speaker at global events.
Tommy started his 20-year corporate career at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world, and eventually became a shareholder, the International Practice Leader, and a member of the board of directors for one of the largest public accounting and financial firms in the southeast U.S.
At the top of his career, Tommy experienced a transformational moment inspiring him to walk away from the corporate world to change his life and follow his true calling.
Tommy now serves clients and audiences everywhere by empowering them to build and live Legendary Lives. He guides people to discover a life of significance while building a lasting legacy. The simple tools he shares shows them how to work in their zone of brilliance, obtain financial confidence, and live with meaning and balance. The goal is to help everybody to become the person they’ve always wanted to be.
When Tommy isn’t speaking or serving his clients, he enjoys traveling the world, hiking, and spending quality time with his wife and two dogs.
Resources: * Website: www.tommybreedlove.com/gifts * Book: https://tommybreedlove.com/get-inspired/book-legendary * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/legendarybook/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tommy-breedlove/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommybreedlovelegendary * Twitter: @TommyBreedlove
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Cody’s career led him to become a financial advisor and co-founding a business, and what early challenges he faced, and lessons he learned as an entrepreneur * How Cody and his teamwork to help small business owners who “happen to be financial advisors” * Why the biggest challenge Cody faced as an entrepreneur was learning to let go of responsibility and develop his delegation skills * How the process of learning to delegate worked for Cody, and why it’s crucial to make sure that the person you’re delegating to is able to do the job the way you want it done * Why delegating responsibility also means offering accountability, and why Cody had to learn to clearly define expectations * How Cody learned to work in the business less and to work on the business through strategic planning and looking to the future * Why Cody attributes the growth and success of Advisors Excel to hiring great people and investing in their growth * How the leader that manages all of Advisors Excel’s digital marketing efforts started with the company as an intern, and why promoting from within has proven a winning strategy * Why overhiring for a position is an unexpected pitfall, and why it’s crucial that your new hires fit with your company’s Culture * Why it’s usually obvious within a short time if someone isn’t a great Culture fit for your organization, and why you need to address it quickly
About Cody Foster Cody Foster is one of the co-founders of Advisors Excel. In 2004, after leaving a corporate job to partner with David Callanan to be independent financial advisors, he realized the support system for independent advisors was dramatically insufficient. So, in 2005, along with third partner Derek Thompson, they formed Advisors Excel with a goal of building a world-class support structure for independent financial advisors across the country.
Today they have over 650 employees and are responsible for generating over $7 billion in annual sales. Their success in achieving this has led to their story being featured in Success Magazine, Darren Hardy’s book “The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” and Tony Robbins’ #1 New York Times bestselling book, “Money, Master the Game.”
Cody graduated from Washburn University in 1999 and has made Topeka his home ever since. He is a big believer in the future of the capital city of Kansas – having served as the Chairman of the Greater Topeka Partnership and a leading investor and developer in quality of life initiatives including The Cyrus Hotel, The Pennant, and Iron Rail Brewing.
As much as he enjoys business, his real love is family. Cody, and his wife Jennifer, a Topeka native and fellow Washburn graduate, have been married since 2001 and have two children, Dylan and Ella.
Resources: * Website: www.advisorsexcel.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cody-foster-9013637 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/advisors-excel/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/advisorsexcel/ * Twitter: @AdvisorsExcel1
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Ed discusses being a cocky F-18 pilot in the Marine Corps who learned he wasn’t as good as he thought, and the key self-improvement lesson the experience taught him * Why business comes down to a few fundamental concepts, and why Ed feels most business owners have a disconnect between “being busy” and “productivity” * Why growth, whether in nature or in business, relies on a “sprint and rest” cycle and requires both to be most effective * How Ed structures his week, and why he sets Fridays aside as time away from work for “incubative days” to come up with new ideas * Why the discipline Ed learned during his time in the Marines has been vital for his career success outside of military service * Why too much freedom and too little discipline can be detrimental for your team, and why discipline creates freedom to innovate and create * Why the way you communicate makes a huge difference in how the people around you take action and how successful they are in their outcome * Why telling yourself “I’m such a failure” actually rewires your brain and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy * Ed shares his three-question technique he teaches people from all spiritual walks of life about asking God for business answers * Why forgiveness for others and forgiveness for yourself can be a powerful resource to help you improve your mindset and grow your business
About Ed Rush 950 miles an hour. Now that’s fast. But it’s not nearly as fast as Ed Rush flew in his combat career as a decorated F-18 pilot which included over 50 combat missions and 2 tours to Iraq. While in the Marines, Ed served as one of the country’s leading instructors on aerial dogfighting and recently worked as a key player in the development of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
After 2 combat tours to Iraq, Ed left full-time active duty to speak, write, and share a message that will change the world. Ed’s clients range from small startups to multi-million dollar – multi-national organizations and include CEOs, founders, political leaders, sports teams, national universities, Hollywood stars, and one of the contestants on Season #1 of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice.
He has achieved all of this despite possessing a below-average intelligence (case in point: Ed failed Kindergarten).
Ed’s books and expertise have been featured on CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC. To follow or connect with Ed, head over to: www.EdRush.com.
Resources: * Website: www.EdRush.com * The 21 Day Miracle by Ed Rush: www.EdRushBook.com * Email Ed: coaching@edrush.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/edrush2/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/EdRush/ * Twitter: @edrushpilot
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Innovative Solutions, Justin’s 31-year old business, is today’s fastest-growing Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner * How the rapid advancement in technologies and the work environment rework caused by the global pandemic has created a meteoric growth boom for Innovative Solutions * How the company’s former CEO served as a mentor to Justin, and how Justin’s focus on company culture and stepping outside of his own comfort have been growth catalysts * Why the terrible, crushing moments are the ones where you can achieve real clarity and renewed purpose by finding silver linings they offer * Why the right leadership team can help you keep things calm even when there is so much chaos going on around you and can take some of the burden off your decision making * Why businesses often struggle to grow even if owners know what they should be doing, just because learning and implementing the processes can be incredibly challenging * What key lessons and surprising moments Justin has experienced during the transition of ownership at Innovative Solutions and its period of remarkable growth * Why Justin sees being a business owner as both a great honor and as an enormous responsibility to the people he’s leading * Why pushing yourself to grow and develop as a business owner and leader is crucial for moving the needle for your organization as well * Why great company culture is the key to bringing in new team members who truly believe in your Mission
About Justin Copie As CEO of Innovative Solutions, Justin Copie is leading the bold move forward: instilling growth in employees and inspiring change well beyond the four walls of Innovative. Yet the 65 people working at Innovative don’t work for him. He works for them.
As CEO and leader, Justin provides safety and direction: safety in voicing opinions, trying new things, and failing, and direction in where to go on the path to success. He serves others in cultivating a culture where people can come to work every day feeling safe and free to do what they love to do, and in turn help Innovative reach its vision.
Resources: * Website: www.innovativesol.com * Website: www.justincopie.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jcopie/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovative-solutions/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InnovativeSolutionsIT * Twitter: @InnovativeSol
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Misty created More Than Just Great Dancing’s affiliate licensing program which now has 265+ affiliate studios serving more than 100,000 students per week * Misty shares key business lessons learned while growing her affiliate business, and why your business needs a higher Purpose * Why Misty’s focus is on teaching skills and mindset that people can take with them long after they stop taking dance lessons, and why making a lifelong impact is key * How getting clear on the hiring and training process and baking in the organization’s Values was crucial in growing More Than Just Great Dancing * Misty shares a story of how targeting the right change and lifting everyone on your team up can be truly transformative * Misty shares another story of a student who took a summer job selling knives during the pandemic and explains how the company’s higher Purpose made a lasting impression * How Misty made the jump from running a dance studio to building a company focused on licensing her methods to others, and what building that team looked like * Why Misty’s team spends 80% of their time on “whirlwinds” and the other 20% of the time on “initiative” tasks, and how they use KPIs to measure their progress * How Misty uses internal dashboards and coaching to help ensure that everyone is moving the needle forward in their business * Why collaboration across the team and working toward a shared Vision for the company is the key to getting buy-in * Why a vital business lesson learned by Misty during the growth of her business is that a leader’s job isn’t to be responsible for and capable in everything
About Misty Lown Misty Lown is the founder, president, and energized force behind More Than Just Great Dancing® – A licensed dance studio affiliation program that has a positive impact on over 100,000 dance students around the globe each week. She is also the owner of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance – an educational company.
Her dance studio, Misty’s Dance Unlimited, founded in 1998 and named a “Top 50 Studios in the Nation” by Dance Spirit Magazine has provided $500,000 in scholarship for dancers. Misty has been a speaker for every major dance industry event and has authored over 100 industry articles.
She is a sought-after speaker and business leader. She has been recognized as “Teacher of the Year” by Eclipse, “Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year” by the YWCA and awarded the “Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service” by Viterbo University, the “Philanthropy Award” from the local Red Cross, the “President’s Award” from the La Crosse Area Development Corporation and the “President’s Award” from the Association of Professional Fundraisers.
Misty is an entrepreneur and builder at heart. In addition to her dance studio and licensing program, she owns a dancewear store, self-storage business and is a managing partner in a family real estate business. She is the author of One Small Yes an Amazon #1 Bestseller that has been translated to Korean and Indonesian. Misty’s favorite part of the day is spending time with her husband and five beautiful children.
Resources: * Website: https://mistylown.com/ * More Than Just Great Dancing!® Website: https://morethanjustgreatdancing.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mistylown/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/mistylownmentor * Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoreThanJustGreatDancing
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Why one of the most important lessons you can learn about money is that where you keep it makes it do different things * How Mark helps seven-figure business owners reframe the way they think about money, and how that can help you create certainty for yourself and your business * How Mark teaches business owners to “be your own bank” and stop paying high interest and fees to financial institutions * How particular types of whole life insurance policies can become a financial vehicle that you can borrow against with no penalties, with examples from Mark of how it works * Why writing a contract with yourself can be a powerful motivator to push you to keep working toward your own success * Why a whole life insurance policy is a superior way to store your money over a 401K, an IRA or a bank account * Why Mark is passionate about working with business owners, and why too often business owners don’t diversify their portfolio outside their business * Why it is important to balance your investments in a high-risk asset with investments in a safe, predictable, liquid account like a whole life insurance policy * Why thinking differently about your money and learning to be your own bank is crucial, and why much of the financial advice you can get is often wrong or shortsighted * Why surrounding yourself with the right people, the right coaches and advisors, and the right peers is crucial for empowering yourself and getting the support you need
About Mark Willis “We’re all in the banking business, just on the wrong side of the desk.” – Mark Willis is a man on a mission to help you think differently about your money, your economy and your future. After graduating with six figures of student loan debt and discovering a way to turn his debt into real wealth as he watched everybody lose their retirement savings and home equity in 2008, he knew that he needed to find a more predictable way to meet his financial objectives and those of his clients.
Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a THREE TIME #1 Best Selling Author and the Owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. Over the years, he has helped hundreds of his clients take back control of their financial future and build their businesses with proven, tax-efficient financial solutions. He specializes in building custom-tailored financial strategies that are unknown to typical stock-jockeys, attorneys, or other financial gurus.
As co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you won’t outlive. Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, to become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement.
Resources: * Website: www.growmorewealth.com * Website: http://lakegrowth.com/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/lakegrowth/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lakegrowth/ * Twitter: @LakeGrowth
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Rob’s team at Ignite 360 strategically helps their clients of all sizes and sectors find the “one big idea” that can move their business forward * How Rob learned how to manage rapid business growth after his organization reached seven figures in just six months, and what unique challenges he had to overcome * How Rob had to learn the difficult lesson that “it’s finances, not feelings,” after becoming emotionally attached to his company’s monthly, quarterly and yearly results * How Rob “hired for his weaknesses” by bringing in an operating COO, and how that served as a major transformation for Ignite 360 * How early, rapid growth created challenges for Rob and his team around taking on too much work, and how Rob addressed the problem * Why it is important to have a plan but be ready to adapt and pivot if you aren’t going to be able to achieve your plan * How Ignite 360’s scope has changed since crossing the seven-figure revenue mark, and how bigger numbers mean greater opportunity to make mistakes * How growing Ignite 360 has enhanced Rob’s leadership skills and given him a different perspective on business leadership * Why Rob named his company Ignite 360 with the goal of building something that would be bigger than himself * Why it’s important to realize that clients and customers don’t think about you as much as you think about them, and why your marketing needs to reflect that fact
About Rob Volpe An astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience, Rob Volpe founded Ignite 360 to deliver actionable strategy, grounded in meaningful consumer insights, presented through story and creative ways that drive results. As CEO, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world’s leading brands across a range of industries.
Rob is recognized as a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace. He frequently talks on the topic, is cited in media and writes about building and applying empathy. He’s finishing his first book which explores his own journey to empathetic understanding of Americans through his ethnographic work. The book will be published in February 2022 through Page Two Publishing. Rob lives in San Francisco with his husband and three cats.
Resources: * Website: www.ignite-360.com * Email: hello@ignite-360.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ignite-360/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/i360sparks/
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Casey explains how Gravy’s payment recovery solutions work, and why he chose to put employees first as a core part of his organization’s culture * How Casey and his team set the lofty goal of recovering $1 billion in failed payments by the end of 2023, and how they built their company and strategy around that goal * What obstacles and opportunities Casey experienced while quickly scaling beyond $1 million in revenue, and why “Vision as a discipline” has become a core part of his company * How Casey learned the importance of having a set and non-negotiable meeting rhythm for his nine-person leadership team * Why Gravy’s leadership meetings are divided so that half the time is spent on strategy and the other half of the time is spent on team building and trust * Why learning to have conversations across the organization was one of the primary skills Casey needed to develop post $1 million * Why Gravy’s strong culture enables the organization to attract great talent when they put employees first, even before clients or shareholders * Why the return on investing in the company’s culture is powerful, and why strong culture helps Gravy navigate any challenge they face * Why investing in team members and company culture takes intentionality and hard work, and why the rewards make it all worthwhile * How Gravy spends a full 7% of their operational budget on developing their culture and people, and why “culture at scale” is a key strategy they are focusing on
About Casey Graham Casey Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravy, the leading failed payment recovery and customer retention solution for recurring revenue companies.
Prior to launching Gravy, Casey is known for founding The Rocket Company, an organization that helped church leaders scale their financial leadership and fundraising. The company grew quickly from 2008 – 2015 and was on the Inc 5000 list three years in a row.
When faced with a customer churn problem in late 2015, Casey and his team created what would go on to become Gravy. And in 2016, The Rocket Company successfully exited to a venture capital group.
Caseys passion for entrepreneurship and bold vision for leadership are the driving force behind his energetic and engaging presence.
When he’s not actively driving Gravy forward, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, a good cigar, Alabama football, and riding around on a rented tractor.
Resources: * Website: www.gravysolutions.io * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caseygraham1/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gravysolutions/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/gravysolutions/
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * How Tim initially got involved in web design and built out his marketing and SEO business, Exposure Ninja, specializing in small and medium-sized businesses * How Tim’s past as a professional drummer taught him that monetizing your passion can cause you to feel overwhelmed by the thing you used to love * How Tim scaled Exposure Ninja beyond doing everything himself, first by hiring people to shore up his weaknesses and then by hiring even for the things he is strong in * What key lessons Tim learned about leaving behind the entrepreneurial mindset and what makes an effective CEO * How Tim manages a team of over one hundred people and keeps everyone focused, aligned to the company’s Vision, and coordinated to make progress * How Tim dealt with his imposter syndrome and learned why coaching his team members was vital for the growth of the organization * How Tim helps other members of his team make the same important realizations about delegation and leading that he himself learned * What strategies Tim employs to keep growing in his role as a leader, and how he identifies areas he wants to focus on in his growth * How Exposure Ninja’s shared Values are essential to their success, and how Tim and his leadership team have consciously built a large, effective team
About Tim Cameron-Kitchen Tim Cameron-Kitchen is a Digital Marketing expert and Head Ninja at Exposure Ninja. Exposure Ninja works and consults with businesses in every imaginable market around the world, helping them to increase their website rankings, traffic, and profit. Tim has been working in Digital Marketing since 2005, setting up Exposure Ninja in 2012.
Tim’s five bestselling digital marketing books, online courses, seminars, and the Exposure Ninja podcast, teach tens of thousands of businesses each year. Tim is a regular speaker at the B2B Marketing Expo at London’s Excel and at private seminars and workshops.
When he’s not Ninja-ing, Tim’s trying to persuade his son Luca to come to the cricket with him, going to the gym with his wife, or fixing the destruction caused by three cat children, Ninja, Samurai, and Shinobi.
Resources: * Website: https://exposureninja.com/ * YouTube: www.youtube.com/exposureninja * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timcameronkitchen/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/exposure-ninja/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ExposureNinja * Twitter: @timninjakitchen * Twitter: @ExposureNinja
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What Makes a Business Sustainable and Profitable What You Will Learn: * How organizational behavior is the study of how parts of an organization unify to create an outcome, and why all organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get * Why defining your Values is only the first step, and why developing a Leadership Model is the key to sustainable, profitable growth in your business * How a Leadership Model and Leadership Brand help further define how your organization’s Values apply to your business leaders * Why rapid growth can cause you to risk bringing the wrong people into your company who don’t fit with your Values, and why developing your leaders internally is crucial * Why developing a Leadership Model can be a powerful growth catalyst for businesses in the $1-3 million range * What work to do to fulfill the four elements of the Elite Leadership Model: Set the Vision, build the team, deliver results, and developing leaders with the right attributes * Why, to be a truly great and effective leader, you must care about the well-being and success of the people you lead * Why great leaders should learn how to enroll, inspire and engage the people they lead in a collaborative, participatory way, and why the old ways of “command and control” don’t work * Why your business can only grow as far as the collective leadership capabilities of your leadership team
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * What considerations seven-figure business owners should make toward their marketing efforts, and what commonalities Nancie sees in businesses in this bracket * Why a consistent message is key especially for anyone in a sales role, and why spreading your marketing efforts too thin is a common pain point * Why “brand purpose” is the first and most important thing an organization needs to identify and clarify, and why having a clear brand purpose can help both internally and externally * Why understanding your value offering and defining the “who, when, what, and how” come after you’ve defined your brand purpose or your “why” * Why partnering with a market research expert or conducting your own market research can help you best identify your target audience and what they’re looking for * Why building out your internal marketing team and expanding your research can help you identify thought leadership opportunities to expand within your space * Why difficult times like these should be exactly when you dial up your research, sales and marketing, even as you cut back in other areas * How studies have shown that 70% of US consumers want and expect to hear from the brands they care about during the global pandemic, and why nailing your messaging is crucial * What common denominators Nancie has seen in businesses that successfully made the jump from small entrepreneurial efforts to well-marketed organizations * Why Culture and Brand are two incredibly important sides of the same coin, and why it is important to recognize and address your company’s cultural challenges
About Nancie McDonnell Ruder Nancie McDonnell Ruder’s 25-year career began at the Leo Burnett Company where she worked in account management and strategy for Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, The Gap, Lexmark Computers and Hoerchst Marion Rousseau. Nancie founded Noetic Consultants in 2002 with the goal of becoming an effective extension of their clients’ teams. The word “noetic” is related to one’s intellect and thinking, and Nancie chose this name for the company because it reflects the team’s commitment to helping clients strategically think through their challenges so that, together, Noetic and their clients can take the actions necessary to get to the best possible outcomes. Noetic’s clients have included Samsung, PepsiCo, Nike, Marriott, Mayo Clinic and Discovery, Inc. Nancie is also the author of Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill: How Senior Marketers Scale the Heights Through Art and Science, and the creator of the Noetic Art & Science Assessment™. Nancie is actively involved in many industry, education and community endeavors.
Resources: * Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill by Nancie McDonnell Ruder: https://amzn.to/3qX1HPU * Website: www.noeticconsultants.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nancieatnoetic/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/noetic-consultants * Facebook: www.facebook.com/noeticconsultants/ * Twitter: @nancieruder * Twitter: @NoeticConsults
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * What revenue acceleration is, and how a “radical redesign” of your business can dramatically increase your revenue * What a sales mindset is, and what common roadblocks and obstacles entrepreneurs often face that Rick can help them overcome through the power of mindset * Why Rick pushes his sales team to track by hand the work they’re doing, the calls they are making, and how many responses they get * Why consistency is the key to overcoming the lag time between building the relationship and making the sale * How manually tracking their progress helps the sales team see and experience the correlation between the work they do and the results * Why communications like text messages and emails lack the richness and depth of face-to-face communication * Why Rick suggests your sales team record every single sales call and then listen back to them, reviewing the conversations to find ways to improve * How Rick is involved with Partner Here, a website that helps business owners find business partners to start or grow a business without cash * How Partner Here allows experts to leverage their specialized skills and allows businesses to offer alternative compensation for help getting things off the ground * Why the right mindset will help you think outside the box and find innovative solutions that are within your abilities and resources
About Rick Barerra Rick Barrera is known as the Revenue Accelerator for the work he does with entrepreneurs and small businesses to smooth the on-ramp and make them easier to do business with. He believes you can generate any level of revenue you choose, whenever you choose to generate it.
He is the author of the best-seller, Overpromise and Overdeliver: How to Design and Deliver Extraordinary Customer Experiences. His other books include Non-Manipulative Selling, Collaborative Selling, Alignment: The Shortcut to Marketplace Dominance, and We Before Me: How to End Workplace Selfishness and Accomplish More Than You Ever Thought Possible.
Rick is also the Head of Faculty for the Center for Heart Led Leadership in Denver, Colorado where he works with SEAL Team leaders, world class mountain climbers, Fortune 500 CEOs, journalists and astronauts to teach We Before Me leadership to the next generation of leaders. His Heart of Leaders podcast can be found on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to get your podcasts.
Rick speaks worldwide on Innovation in Leadership, Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience.
Resources: * Website: www.partnerhere.com and use code PartnerHereVIP2020 * Website: https://www.barrera.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickbarrera/ * Twitter: @rickjbarrera
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * Which key three leadership responsibilities are crucial for getting you past the $3 million revenue plateau, and why each helps in making the transition from entrepreneur to CEO * Why sharing your Vision with your team isn’t a one-and-done box to check but an ongoing responsibility in every interaction the leader has * How the book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip and Dan Heath can be a powerful resource for improving communication effectiveness * Why the Curse of Knowledge means we often make incorrect assumptions that people understand what we’re trying to communicate to them * How the Heath brothers outlined six key principles that can help you communicate clearly and effectively, and what those principles are * How communicating effectively and in a “sticky” way is vital for setting the Vision and leading others toward that Vision * How Gamestop’s stock battle between the short-selling hedge funds and retail investors illustrates an important lesson on power, control, and coordination * How setting the Vision is about taking coordinated action as one team and ensuring that everyone is clear on the objective and aligned in execution * Why developing your leadership skills is instrumental in your journey from entrepreneur to CEO, and how the best leaders build the best businesses
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources:
- Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath: https://amzn.to/3tWQcKz
- Kaihan Krippendorff’s Gamestop blog post: https://kaihan.net/gamestop-3-hidden-strategic-lessons/
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Taking the Right Business Process Development Steps What You Will Learn: * Why process is crucial for helping business owners train others to take responsibility and strengthen the business * Why it is important to learn how to “lead leaders” and distance yourself from the work that needs to be done * Why the first step is taking stock of all the roles and responsibilities in your business and then determining what you want to delegate * What actions to take to build a great, effective new employee onboarding and orientation process, and why that process should be one of the first you create * How to set a new hire up for success and then automate the process so that new employees are quickly acquainted with your company, leadership, and processes * Why a task that begins to feel tedious or monotonous is the perfect task to turn into an automated process * Why automation isn’t about removing personal connections or dehumanizing your business but is about freeing up time and ensuring consistency * How to avoid “freak out moments” by ensuring that every responsibility in your business has an owner and a backup owner * Why implementing processes takes time and is in itself an ongoing process, and why you should set aside time to document your knowledge * What best practices to follow to create and structure a process or standard operating procedure in your business
About Chris Ronzio Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS company that helps businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in one simple system. Chris is also the host of the Process Makes Perfect podcast, author of 100 Hacks To Improve Your Business, and an Inc. Magazine contributor with a column called The Process Playbook. With Trainual, Chris is on a mission to make small business easier by helping business leaders find the time to do more of what they love and providing a way to document and delegate what they do.
Resources * Website: https://trainual.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisronzio/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/trainual/ * Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrisronzio/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/trainual/ * Twitter: @chrisronzio
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Kristin Carpenter founded Verde Brand Communications after a decade-long journalism career, working on staff for major consumer lifestyle magazines, business and trade titles. Now 19 years later, she continues to serve as Verde’s CEO and directs strategy for the agency.
Kristin is also host of the Channel Mastery podcast, voted best Outdoor Podcast by SNEWS in 2019. Channel Mastery launched in 2017 and delivers solutions in every weekly episode tailored for specialty business and brand leaders navigating the continual transformation of multi-channel business. Specialty’s competitive set now includes behemoth marketplaces like Amazon, billion-dollar retailers like Target and Walmart, armed with troves of data, Channel Mastery shows specialty business leaders what’s working today to best engage today’s consumer.
In her free time, you can find Kristin chasing her kids around the mountains and desert around her home in Durango, Colo.
In addition to her duties of founder/CEO and Mom, Kristin hosts town halls and keynote speaking engagements.
What You Will Learn: * How Kristin initially founded Verde Brand Communications with the goal and began specializing in the outdoor recreation market * How the outbreak of the global pandemic forced everyone to “throw out the playbook” and encouraged them to innovate new solutions * How Kristin learned to stop over-servicing her clients and recognize the real value of her time and effort as her firm grew * Why Kristin would tell her younger self to not stress so much over the challenges ahead of her and to know that she will overcome them * Why learning to delegate responsibility was one of the significant skills Kristin had to develop as a leader to keep her organization growing * How the global pandemic has impacted online research engagement and conversion and created change in both businesses and in the consumers they serve * How Kristin and her team are continuously working to update their Mission, Vision, and Values and to implement and streamline their processes * Why constant outgoing communication between brands and consumers is more important than ever before in the age of pandemic * Why Kristin believes it is key for a brand to not be too tied to its founder and to stand on its own legs * How Kristin is focusing on building out her leadership team’s structure to better reflect who Verde is and what they want to be
Resources: * McKinsey & Company’s “The Quickening” study: https://mck.co/3iM0GHf * Website: www.verdepr.com * Website: www.channelmastery.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kcarpediem/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/verde-pr-&-consulting/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinthecarpenter * Twitter: @VerdeBrandComm
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Good Succession Planning and the Science of Change What You Will Learn: * How Bradley developed his Succession Solution process to help business owners increase the value of their company and ensure that it continues after they leave * How 70% of all businesses fail to make it through a transition successfully, and why 85% of those failures are within the owner’s control to change * Why succession planning is crucial for the survival of your business after you decide to exit, and why allowing time to get everything into place is key * Why good succession planning requires a team effort and needs to consider all aspects of the organization * Why starting early gives you more options and helps protect your business, especially if an unexpected disaster happens * Why the first step is to speak to your financial and legal advisors and ask if they have experience with succession planning * How to reach out to Bradley to discuss your own succession planning, and why meeting with a succession planning expert every 90 days is the key to a smooth process * How Bradley’s business landed on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing businesses due in large part to keeping a regular quarterly planning cadence * How solid planning and committing to a process helped Bradley turn his first business from a total failure into a consistent and profitable organization
About Bradley Franc Bradley Franc is the creator of The Succession Solution. He is an accomplished entrepreneur, business coach, strategist, business lawyer, and CPA (inactive). As an entrepreneur, he has formed 4 separate companies which have been named 9 separate times in INC Magazine list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
Have been named by Worth Magazine as one of the top 100 attorneys in the United States. Over his 30 years in the field of transition planning, he counseled hundreds of closely-held business owners on their succession plan.
In 2019, he published the book entitled “The Succession Solution, The Strategic Guide to Business Transition,” which was an Amazon bestseller.
Resources: * Website: www.thesuccessionsolution.com * Website: www.hh-law.com/attorney/bradley-franc/ * The Succession Solution Worksheet: www.thesuccessionsolution.com/worksheet * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyjfranc/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-succession-solution/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesuccessionsolution * Twitter: @successionsol
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Successful Habits and the Science of Change What You Will Learn: * Why we shouldn’t wait until the calendar rolls over from one year to the next to make needed and positive changes in our lives * Why the challenge with New Year’s resolutions isn’t found in setting goals, but in making the necessary behavior change needed to achieve those goals * How our thoughts influence our words, our words lead to our beliefs, our beliefs result in behaviors, our behaviors repeat into habits, and our habits become our outcomes * What books Brett recommends you read to help you make real changes in your life, and what steps you can take to increase your chances of success when changing behaviors * Why identifying “vital behaviors” are the key to making lasting change, and why you must understand and conquer your limiting beliefs to change your vital behaviors * How to apply the six sources of influence: personal motivation and personal ability, social motivation and social ability, and structural motivation and structural ability * Why “propinquity”, or physical proximity, can be an advantageous tool to help you achieve your goals * Why employing four or more of the sources of influence to your advantage will increase your likelihood of achieving your goals my 10x * Brett shares how he was able to employ the six sources of influence to lose undesired weight gained during the pandemic lockdown
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * Influencer by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan & Al Switzler: https://amzn.to/3sa9VVS * Change Anything by Joseph Grenny et al.: https://amzn.to/38p2thZ * Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: https://amzn.to/3nyULGw * Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://amzn.to/3hSiFLO
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Erika Flora started her career as a Microbiologist turned Program Manager and discovered a passion for improving how organizations manage the flow of work, deliver great products and services, and better serve their customers. In 2006, she founded Beyond20, a Digital Transformation consulting and training firm based on ITIL, DevOps, Agile, Lean, and other best practice frameworks.
Erika works with leaders in global organizations as a Digital Strategy facilitator and coach. Over the years, she has led several successful technology implementation initiatives and has helped organizations find more success with their Digital Transformation efforts.
Erika is an avid blogger, speaker, and advocate of expanding opportunities for women and minorities in technology. Erika calls Washington, DC home. When not at work, you may find her reading, sailing, or performing improv comedy.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Erika founded her firm, Beyond20, along with her husband, and how the business organically grew over time
- What important lessons Erika learned on the journey to seven figures around scaling and implementing systems
- How Erika learned to begin delegating responsibility in her company, and why she struggled to learn to let go
- Why Erika realized that it’s never a good idea to hire someone just because you desperately need to fill a position
- What steps Erika’s organization took to improve their hiring and onboarding processes that have empowered employees to grow within the company
- How Erika built out a leadership team beyond just herself and her husband, and how listening to everyone in the business influenced how their leadership team developed
- Why Erika believes listening to your customers and understanding their experiences can help you discover new opportunities for products or services you hadn’t considered
- What tools, systems, and resources have been implemented at Beyond20 that allow for an extensive level of cross-team collaboration
- How the team’s periodic two-day offsite meetings helped everyone brainstorm new ideas, get aligned, and find a shared focus
Resources:
- Website: www.beyond20.com
- Blog: www.beyond20.com/blog/
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/Beyond20LLC
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eflora/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beyond20/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/gobeyond20/
- Twitter: @Beyond20
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
“What if there was a garden and fruit tree in every yard?” This is a question that Greg ponders every day. For over 30 years he has been working on one of Phoenix’s first environmental showcase homes for urban farming. This 1/3-acre yard features a primarily edible landscape with over 70 fruit trees, rainwater and greywater harvesting, solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials.
Greg is a longtime permaculture advocate who flunked out of university in 1981 because he was bored, then went back 20 years later to earn a bachelor’s degree followed directly by a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning in 2006. He is a lifelong continual learner.
Greg started his first business at the age of 15 cleaning and servicing fish ponds in Phoenix. From 1979 to 1984 he also owned 11 gift wrap centers in Phoenix malls. Then in 1984, he discovered the Macintosh computer and that sent him on a 20-year journey in technology that included the first laser typesetting business and Apple Authorized Training center in Phoenix plus he ran a software App company for 20 years. Since 1999 he has transitioned to urban farming education.
Greg is the creator of the Urban Farm Fruit Tree Education program in Phoenix Arizona which he began in 1999 when he discovered you could go into most nurseries and they would sell you a fruit tree that would never make fruit. Since then the program hosts thousands of people yearly in free online and in-person classes where they get to preorder fruit trees for planting in the low desert. Each year the program delivers thousands of fruit trees into the local Phoenix market.
Greg is also the host of the UrbanFarmPodcast.com that in just 5 years has released over 600 episodes amassing over 2.5 million listens to date. On his days off he hangs out in his garden with Heidi, his sweetheart, Kismet, his pooch, and their chickens, creating new projects and catching some rays.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why Greg sees himself as a “visionary” archetype rather than an “implementer”, and what kinds of hits and misses he has seen over the course of his career
- How Greg turned his home into an “environmental showcase home” he calls The Urban Farm, where he teaches others how to grow their own food and create edible landscapes
- Why Greg feels passionate about urban farming, understanding and mastering our food supply chain, and making an impact on others
- How Greg is guided by a strong, clear Vision that keeps him motivated to make an impact, and how his Vision is helping his business grow
- What key skills, knowledge, and structure Greg gained from joining the Elite Entrepreneurs community that have created a pathway to help him fulfill his vision
- Why learning to hire, train, and fire based on the organization’s core beliefs was a transformative realization for Greg
- How “having fun” became one of the core beliefs at Urban Farm, and why it has made a difference to the passion and energy at the organization
- How Greg built a team that shares his passion, and what challenges he has faced throughout his career as a seven-figure business owner
- Why learning to let go of some of the responsibility and trusting his team to manage things was a critical skill for Greg
- What advice Greg would offer to any seven-figure business owner who is feeling pressured or uncertain about the future
Resources:
- Website: www.urbanfarm.org
- The Urban Farm Podcast: www.urbanfarm.org/blog/podcast/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theurbanfarm/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-urban-farm/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheUrbanFarm/
- Twitter: @TheUrbanFarm
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
New Employee Onboarding and Business Planning Strategies What You Will Learn: * Rock’s top strategies for more effective new employee onboarding and quarterly business planning * Why Rock plans and sets his life in 90-day increments rather than waiting until the end of the year to plan for the next year * Why Rock suggests dividing your business into four key planning areas: traffic (leads), nurture (funnel), sales, and fulfillment * What important practices Rock recommends to keep moving forward and stay prepared and on plan for each quarter * Why you should continually be reviewing what is and isn’t working and making minor adjustments to improve your systems * What important lessons and growing pains Rock experienced in his own real estate business during its growth * Why hiring the right people for the right roles is the key to growth, and why new employee onboarding requires understanding both the position and candidate * How Rock’s “Me-We-They” hiring and training system helps new employees get a high-level understanding of their role and develop confidence * Rock shares the details of a series of mistakes he made hiring personal assistants, and he discusses the important lessons he learned * Why business leaders need to transition their mindset from trying to save money hiring talent to seeing the value new hires add to the organization * Why Rock measures results and doesn’t micromanage how employees spend their time or when they choose to do their work
New Employee Onboarding and Business Planning Strategies As your business scales up, so must your processes and practices. New employee onboarding and business planning are two key areas you need to master to continue growing your business beyond the seven-figure mark. This week’s guest, Rock Thomas, understands how important these strategies are. As a bestselling author, respected speaker, thought leader, and real estate entrepreneur, Rock has mastered these key skills. In this episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, Rock shares invaluable insights and lessons he learned on his own entrepreneurial journey that can help you get the right employees into the right roles and strategize for your business year-round.
Planning Every 90 Days In his efforts to master new employee onboarding and business planning, Rock Thomas realized that looking forward to the future only at the end of the year wasn’t enough. Instead, he plans everything in 90-day increments. He then periodically tracks his progress throughout that 90-day period so that he can adjust his strategies to lean into what is working for his business and correct for what isn’t working. By paying close attention to his business all year long, Rock is able to pivot when needed and ensure that he meets his goals. If the only time you’re setting aside time for planning for your business is at the end of the year, you miss opportunities to refine your systems and strategies for the other eleven months. Instead, do periodic check-ins on your progress and allow yourself the time and room to maneuver around unexpected challenges. As Rock said, take ownership of both your big wins and your mistakes.
More Effective New Employee Onboarding Rock uses what he calls a “Me-We-They” strategy for new employee onboarding and training. First, he has the employee spend time observing someone else doing the job at a high level, to set their expectations for the role. Then, the employee and the person training them work together so that the employee gains the skills, experience, and confidence to work independently before they are asked to do so. Then and only then, the employee is fully integrated into their role. As Rock said during the interview, “first we date before we get married”. In other words, the employee is given a probationary period to get familiar with the role and to ensure that it’s the right fit, both from the employee’s perspective and for the needs of the business. This careful and proven new employee onboarding process empowers the new team member to take ownership of their role and of their productivity. Throwing an employee into the deep end of the pool right away can cause them to struggle to meet expectations, but giving them time to learn and grow confident helps ensure that they can do the job to the best of their ability.
About Rock Thomas From humble beginnings on a small Canadian farm near Montréal, Rock Thomas became a self-made millionaire, running several successful businesses and six award-winning RE/MAX franchises.
While the financial success was a huge accomplishment, Rock felt like there was something missing and knew there was more to life, so he embarked on a quest for personal growth, traveling the world and studying with acclaimed teachers like Tony Robbins, T. Harv Eker, Deepak Chopra, John Gray, David Deida, David Wolfe, Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Stephen Covey.
He absorbed success systems, life and business strategies, and countless life-changing experiences. After assimilating all he’d learned and talking with people from all walks of life who were seeking more, too, he founded Rock Thomas International to bring the best-of-the-best to the world. His programs blend his extensive knowledge about personal development with cutting-edge success formulas designed to produce whole-life wealth.
Striving to be an inspiration for others by living an authentic and healthy life, Rock is always seeking new ways to learn and to teach, impacting people wherever he goes with supercharged tools, motivation, and zest for life. Founder of the #IAMMovement, he is known as “the man who “redefines lives.”
Through targeted keynote speeches and seminars, best-selling books, and life-changing programs Rock helps people turn ideas into action and action into success. His personal and executive coaching sessions help individuals break down barriers and make massive, focused changes in their lives. His Goalcast video touched over 100 million lives!
Dedicated to helping businesses and individuals maximize their full potential, Rock is committed to bringing the absolute best to the M1 Mastermind Community, his #IAmMovement Podcast, and the live events he hosts around the world.
How to Connect with Rock Thomas: * Website: https://rockthomas.com/ * Free gift from Rock: https://rockthomas.com/freebook * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rockthomas/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/RockThomasOfficial/ * Twitter: @rockthomas
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Business Leadership Lessons Learned from Tony Hsieh What You Will Learn: * What key business leadership lessons Brett learned from Zappos founder Tony Hsieh that helped Brett and his colleagues grow Infusionsoft (now Keap) * How, in October 2010, Brett and Infusionsoft CEO Clate Mask traveled to Zappos HQ in Henderson NV, and how meeting Tony Hsieh became a highlight of Brett’s career * How the Zappos Culture Tour made a lasting impression on Brett and Clate, and how Infusionsoft borrowed from Zappos the idea of offering new hires money to quit * Why offering new hires $5000 to quit from Infusionsoft helped Brett and Clate avoid the huge cost and innumerable headaches caused by retaining wrong-fit employees * How Zappos replaced standard office and cubicle nameplates with custom automobile license plates that showed the month and year the employee joined the company * How Infusionsoft learned from Zappos that single-word Values leave too much room for interpretation and don’t offer the clarity of longer Values * How Zappos’s in-house life coach impressed Brett with the company’s dedication to its employees’ wellbeing * Why allowing every employee to contribute to the annual Zappos Culture Book became a powerful way to cement their commitment to their company Values * How implementing the business leadership lessons learned from Tony Hsieh allowed Infusionsoft to grow into one of the best places to work in America * Why it is more important than ever to learn the business leadership lessons Tony Hsieh shared as we move into 2021
Business Leadership Lessons Learned from Tony Hsieh of Zappos Tony Hsieh created a legendary workplace at online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos, and since his passing in November of 2020, it is important to take time to remember the contribution Tony made to our understanding of the impact of shared Values and a great company Culture, and to review the many business leadership lessons Tony taught us through his humility and his passion for his employees. In this episode of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett Gilliland shares personal stories of how meeting Tony Hsieh impacted the Culture and growth of Brett’s company Infusionsoft (now Keap).
Invaluable Business Leadership Lessons Tony Hsieh touched countless lives through the examples he shared and the powerful Culture he built at Zappos. Importantly, the business leadership lessons he shared work for companies of any size and industry, and they can serve as a powerful growth catalyst and a magnet for attracting top talent. From offering new hires money to quit at the end of their training period, to building clear, memorable, and impactful shared Values, to asking every employee to contribute their thoughts to Zappos’s annual Culture Book, Tony worked hard to build a workplace Culture that his employees could be truly proud of.
Adapting Tony Hsieh’s Business Leadership Lessons to Your Own Workplace The important business leadership lessons Tony Hsieh taught us can be adapted to your own company, regardless of where you are in your growth journey. Zappos offered an in-house life coach to help support and motivate employees. While your business may not be of a scale where you can do the same, the important lesson here is that you can find other ways to demonstrate your support and dedication to your team members. You can move beyond a transactional employer-employee relationship and create a Culture that supports a Vision everyone on your team can work toward, with shared Values that resonate and help align everyone to the same goals for the company. Tony Hsieh’s legendary leadership serves as an example that we can all follow as we grow and scale our companies beyond seven figures.
About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
Resources: * The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly: https://amzn.to/3p7DXHQ
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Mastering Money as a Business Leader What You Will Learn: * How Adam realized early on that he wanted to study money, and why part of his goal in mastering money is to truly understand every aspect of it * How Adam used real money in a game of Monopoly to teach his kids key money lessons, and how that became the foundation for his viral TEDx Talk * What advice Adam has to offer for seven-figure business owners about challenging conventional wisdom around money * Why Adam believes there are four legacies you can leave to future generations, and why the first is financial freedom * Why your income should do four things at all times: pay your expenses, eliminate debt, build wealth, and do good and have fun with it * How entrepreneurs can use Adam’s money methods to “become their own bank”, and why the process is easier than most people imagine * Why Adam is motivated to teach his kids the right way to handle money by his goal to create true generational wealth for his family * Adam gives an example of his “Shred Method” to look at money differently by utilizing a home equity line of credit * Why it is important to identify and understand your relationship to money before you can begin to change your behaviors * What methods Adam recommends for better understanding your money and where your existing beliefs originated from
Mastering Money as a Business Leader Many if not most of us have a complicated relationship with our money. Understanding where our core beliefs about money came from is the key to changing how we relate to it… and can serve as a powerful catalyst for building wealth. In this episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, respected speaker and author Adam Carroll offers valuable insights on why many of the things we know to be true about money are completely wrong, and he provides strategies for creating a healthier relationship with money and how we see our income.
The Key to Mastering Money Adam Carroll has dedicated his life to “mastering money” by understanding everything he can about how we relate to and interact with money. Adam says that many of us don’t fully understand money, in part because we’ve been taught certain “rules” by financial institutions that were designed to serve the banks, not us. Adam believes that our income should be doing four things at all times: paying our expenses, eliminating our debt, building wealth, and allowing us to do good and have fun. Adam says most people focus on the first and last points but miss the two important points in the middle. However, by thinking about our income and debt in a different way, we can completely change our fortunes. Adam says most people could be completely out of debt and financially independent in 3-7 years just by adjusting their money habits and behaviors.
Why Early Money Lessons Matter Adam believes that the lessons we learn about money as children have a lifelong impact on our financial lives, and so he resolved himself to teach his kids about money in a way he himself hadn’t been taught. Adam played a game of Monopoly with his kids using real money to see if it made a difference in how they played, and that became the foundation for a viral TEDx Talk where Adam explained why we need to change our money mindset. As Adam explained during his visit with Elite Entrepreneurs, by equipping his kids with an early understanding of how money works, he believes that his kids will have a much stronger foundation for wealth building and mastering money, creating a generational change in his family. As entrepreneurs, many of us are motivated by the hope of securing our family’s financial future, and one of the most important actions we can take to do so is to have frank, clear discussions about money with our kids so that they are better equipped to manage their money as adults.
About Adam Carroll Adam Carroll is a sought after speaker, author, and seminar leader in the areas of personal development and personal finance. Adam’s TED talk at the London Business School has been viewed over 5 million times!
How to Connect with Adam Carroll: * Learn more about Adam’s “Shred Method” and mastering money at his website * Website: www.adamspeaks.com * Watch Adam’s TEDx Talk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VB39Jo8mAQ * Website: www.masteryofmoney.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adamcarrollspeaks/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdamSpeaks/ * Twitter: @AdamCarroll
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
What You Will Learn: * What lessons Gregg learned through the growth of his business, and why working with the right business mentors was an important ingredient of his success * What painful challenges Gregg faced and important business lessons he learned over the course of 15 years of company growth * How Gregg and his three business partners at JWB Real Estate Companies navigated the challenges of making decisions together and reaching consensus * How Gregg and his business partners spend one full day together each week away from the office to focus on key business decisions and opportunities * How Gregg connected with his mentor by taking a chance and reaching out, and what benefits he received from learning the lessons his mentor taught him * Why Gregg feels the cost of working with business mentors is more than justified by the skills you can learn to help you grow your business * How Gregg and his partners realized the importance of adding to the team with talented people, and what standards they set in their hiring processes * How the JWB team has maintained its focus on strong working relationships and doing charitable work even as their team size has grown * How Gregg and his partners involved the whole team in defining JWB’s Core Values over a period of months, and why they teach, train, coach, and hire to those Values
Business Mentors and the Value of Learning Business mentors can be powerful allies for helping you scale your business, and the cost of studying with a great mentor is more than made up for by the value of the information they have to share. In this episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, JWB Real Estate Companies founding partner Gregg Cohen shares the impact the right mentor made on his business, helping Gregg and his partners scale JWB to over 1,200 clients and more than $450 million in total assets under management. He talks about the important role the company’s Core Values have played in its success, and he explains why he and his three business partners spend one full day of each week working on the long-term planning of the business.
Why Business Mentors are Worth the Cost When you are trying to grow and scale your business beyond the seven-figure plateau, you have to learn many new skills and implement new processes to replace the ones that got you where you are. Good business mentors have already been where you want to go, and they can help teach you to navigate the new challenges you face on your growth journey. Early on in Gregg’s career in real estate, he took a chance and approached an experienced business leader to ask if he would be willing to mentor Gregg, and even though his friends and family questioned the wisdom of spending money to study under a mentor when Gregg still hadn’t done his first deal, Gregg says the money he spent on the mentoring made a tremendous impact on his business and its success, helping him grow the business faster than he would have otherwise and helping him avoid costly mistakes and pitfalls. A great mentor can help you chart a path to where you want your business to go because they know the right path to travel.
A Four-Way Partnership and a Focus on Values Gregg Cohen started JWB with three other partners, and all four are active in leading the business. One of the challenges of having multiple, equal partners is finding consensus on how you want to build the company and what you want the results to look like. Gregg and his partners leave the office for one full day each week and make themselves unavailable to the team so that they can focus on planning and on the long-term direction they want to take the business. This helps them set shared goals and agree on key decisions. Additionally, Gregg’s entire team was involved in setting the Core Values of the organization, giving everyone a personal connection to those Values and ensuring that the entire team has a shared Vision for the business. That alignment to a shared Vision has been a major key to JWB’s success.
About Gregg Cohen As a founding partner of JWB Real Estate Companies, Gregg Cohen has seen the company grow from humble beginnings to serving over 1,200 clients worldwide with total assets under management of over $450 million. JWB helps clients diversify out of the stock market by building a fully managed rental property portfolio for the client. Cohen and his team have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, The Jacksonville Business Journal, and The Florida Times-Union multiple times.
How to Connect with Gregg Cohen: * Website: www.jwbrealestate.com * Facebook Group: www.jwbfacebookgroup.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gcohen31/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jacksonville-wealth-builders/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/CashFlowProperties * Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreggCohen @GreggCohen * Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwbcompanies @jwbcompanies
Additional Resources: * Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health * Email: info@GrowWithElite.com * Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Jessica has had the opportunity to work in many industries where customer service, results and client experiences were of paramount importance. She is thrilled to bring this knowledge into Bodify and provide a memorable experience and transformational results to clients.
After her advanced training at CoolSculpting University and the elite CoolSculpting Masters course in Pleasanton, CA, Jessica has facilitated thousands of CoolSculpting procedures to a 95% client approval rating. She is committed to ongoing advanced CoolSculpting training, serving as a National Preceptor, and honing her craft to get wow results for Bodify’s clients.
People skills and visionary leadership through collaboration are natural gifts but her passion involves a strong humanitarian contribution. Through Bodify, Jessica has the opportunity to uplift others and support their dreams, which will make a difference in their lives.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How CoolSculpting served as the ideal vehicle for Jessica and her sister to finally be able to go into business together, and how they built and grew Bodify
- How Jessica realized the importance of moving to more of a hands-off approach and giving her team the space and opportunity to grow and learn
- Why the new employees you bring into your business need to be the right fit for your company’s culture and values
- Why Jessica is always recruiting and looking for great candidates to join her team, and why hiring the wrong person is much more costly than taking the time to find the right fit
- How Jessica’s small, tightly knit team are the key to the company’s culture and help Jessica avoid hiring wrong-fit candidates
- Why Jessica and her sister were very intentional in deciding who they wanted to be as a business and as a culture before they ever opened their doors
- Why the pillars of Bodify’s success were focusing on a niche, differentiating themselves, offering a satisfaction guarantee, and serving the right demographics
- What key business lessons Jessica has learned as an entrepreneur that have helped her business on its growth journey
Resources:
- Email: jessica@thebodify.com
- Website: www.thebodify.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaleejohnson/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theBodify
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebodify @thebodify
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
David Ferree is the co-founder and CEO of Anson Belt & Buckle. Over 10 years ago, David and his father created the brand Anson Belt & Buckle, introducing micro-adjustable, hole-less belts to the U.S. market. Today Anson Belt has been named to the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private’s U.S. companies, going on 3 years in a row, cementing themselves as a leader in the surprisingly competitive hole-less belt industry.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How David, along with his father, built and scaled Anson Belt & Buckle, and how their innovative micro-adjustable belt design stands out from competitors
- How an unexpected layoff encouraged David to dive into Anson Belt & Buckle full-time, just in time for a major marketing campaign push that helped the company truly take off
- Why a lucky breakthrough with a viral marketing video gave David’s company an exponential return on investment and a major push in their scaling efforts
- Why suddenly increased demand also requires the ability to rapidly scale up the team, infrastructure and systems to meet that demand
- How David structured his team to best fit the needs of the company, and why keeping a small team of internal employees helped the company navigate the pandemic
- How working for a rapidly growing family business has differed from being employed by others, and why David says he will never work for anyone else again
- What key sticking points and challenges David and his team have faced after four years of rapid growth, and how the global pandemic has impacted their growth
- How David assesses and evaluates risks, and why he made the decision to spend money on YouTube influencer marketing
- What major impact Anson Belt & Buckle has made on how men view fashion and accessorizing, and why the company has an incredibly high number of repeat customers
- How Anson Belt & Buckle is continuing to grow by introducing a brand new line of women’s fashion belts
Resources:
- Website: https://ansonbelt.com/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ansonbelt/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ansonbelt/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ansonbelt @AnsonBelt
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why the subject of relevance matters to any business of any size and growth stage, and how fly fishing can teach us key lessons about the importance of relevance
- How the outbreak of the global pandemic created uncertainty for buyers who became much more cautious around their spending
- Why the first lesson fly fishing can teach us is to “go to where the fish are” by understanding and adapting to their patterns
- Why the second key lesson to be learned from fly fishing is that you must choose the right fly to lure your fish
- Why the third lesson is that presentation matters and that your offer needs to be presented in an irresistible way
- Why “going where the fish are” means understanding your potential customers and where they hang out through research
- Why “choosing the right lure” means turning up the relevance by understand the pain points customers are trying to solve for or the benefits they are looking for
- Why “presenting an irresistible offer” means stacking value, increasing urgency and scarcity, make it easy to buy, and reduce or eliminate risk for your customers
- Why the global pandemic has presented an opportunity for small business owners to make pivots and swiftly adapt to the needs of their customers
- How the Elite Business Growth Method can help you get unstuck and adjust to the challenges of growing a seven-figure business
Resources:
- Elite Business Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Karen Briscoe is the creator of the transformative “5 Minute Success” concept. Her books Real Estate Success in 5 Minutes a Day: Secrets of a Top Agent Revealed and Commit to Get Leads: 66 Day Challenge® offer a combination of information and inspiration delivered through memorable stories. The daily format with takeaways propels one to achieve success at a higher level in business and life. Topics include: Commit to Get Leads; Consult to Sell; Connect to Build and Grow; Success Thinking, Activities and Vision; which all lead to the Sweet Spot of Success. Her most recent book, Flip Time / Love Life is a Heroine’s Journey tale about loving the life you have while you create and co-create the life of your dreams.
Her first book was featured in INMAN as must read for your best year in real estate in 2017. The book ranks on Amazon in the top 1% in its category. It has been endorsed by industry leaders Hal Elrod, Pat Hiban and Michael J. Maher. She is a contributing author to INMAN and Real Trends real estate media outlets.
Karen is the host of the 5 Minute Success podcast which has ranked #1 on Overcast most recommended in the business category. The show has an amazing array of guests who achieve success at a high level. Karen also is a frequent guest on other podcasts that focus on entrepreneurial, success and motivation, as well as real estate related topics. She speaks on a national and local level on the Best of 5 Minute Success. Further, she has completed the John Maxwell Team Certification Program for Coaching, Speaking, and Training.
Karen is the principal owner of the Huckaby Briscoe Conroy Group (HBC) with Keller Williams. The HBC Group has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 250 Top Realtor® teams in the United States. Since 1977, HBC Group has sold over 1,500 homes valued at over $1.5 billion. The team consistently sells over 100 residential properties annually ranging from multi-million dollar luxury estates to condominiums and townhomes. Primary markets areas include Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland, and Washington, DC. As a real estate professional, Karen is a member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, Senior Real Estate Specialist, FIABCI International Real Estate Federation and Women’s Council of Realtors®.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Karen found her calling as an entrepreneur and business leader, and how her real estate business navigated the challenges of the 2008 real estate crash
- How her experiences through tough times led to working as a business coach and to the writing of her first book
- How Karen overcame her own limiting beliefs and committed to writing a book, and what key time hack helped Karen find the time to do so
- How Karen’s “5 Minute Success” concept works, and how it shows that you can achieve your goals with minimal time investment
- How Karen’s most recent book “Flip Time / Love Life” was written to share key lessons she learned during her “time journey”
- How the global pandemic and its effects have mirrored Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, starting with physical and safety needs and ending with self-actualization
- Why energy, not time, is the key to high performance, and why changing your perspective can transform your life
- How at the age of 59, Karen decided to participate in her first sprint triathlon, and why self-actualization was a key component of the decision
- What key lessons Karen learned running a seven-figure business through hardship, and why learning how to build and scale your business is crucial
Resources:
- Flip Time / Love Life by Karen Briscoe: https://amzn.to/3517SKz
- Website: www.5minutesuccess.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/karenbriscoe/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/5-minute-press/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/5minutesuccess/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/5_minute_success
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenBriscoe @KarenBriscoe
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/5MinuteSuccess @5MinuteSuccess
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhcRljOELROCwKKmIsEttQ
Additional Resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Neil Trickett, PT has been a practice owner and now serves other PT practices, helping them implement powerful online and print marketing tools. Neil co-founded Practice Promotions and PT Performance Websites with his wife, Amy. His passion for helping PT practice owners has led him to build a multi-million dollar PT marketing agency that now services practice owners all across the U.S. and Canada.
Amy Trickett graduated from Northeastern University as a Physical Therapist working in a multitude of settings before opening up her practice with her husband Neil. Together they worked on building the practice and developing different marketing strategies and promotional tools to bring in more new patients. She now enjoys building Practice Promotions to serve a growing number of PT practices throughout the U.S. and Canada.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Neil and Amy started their physical therapy practice in 2001, and how Practice Promotions came about through Neil and Amy’s experiences marketing their own practice
- Why dividing up responsibility and strong communication are the keys to working with a spouse in a family business, and how Neil and Amy each bring unique strengths
- How they find a healthy balance between managing their business and their home life with their family
- Why it is important to ensure that the members of your team understand roles and responsibilities (their “hats”) and give them room to maneuver
- Why Neil believes that building out the right team is one of the most critical things you can do to grow your company
- What steps Neil and Amy take to build their team, encourage a safe environment where members feel free to voice opinions, and align everyone to a shared goal
- What key thresholds of growth Neil and Amy experienced as they grew their business to seven figures and beyond
- How the global pandemic impacted the business, and how collaboration and focusing on their mission and purpose helped them get through the challenge
- How devising a new pay structure based on bonuses for performance has helped motivate the team and ensure that everyone is rewarded for their efforts
- What efforts Neil and Amy have taken to build out and develop their leadership team and future leaders
Resources:
- Website: https://practicepromotions.net/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amy-trickett-pt-9202953b/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/neil-trickett-392b1b18/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/practice-promotions/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/practicepromotionsptmarketing/
- Twitter: @PracticePromos
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Capitalizing on nearly two decades in the health and fitness industry, Edward “EK” Navan is REGYMEN’s co-founder and the heart of the company’s progressive, engaging platform. His extensive experience as a club owner and operator, personal trainer, sales representative, and consultant have afforded him a deep bank of knowledge related to studio design, lease negotiations, and personal recruitment and training. In the series of ups and downs that come with growing an idea into a true concept, EK has become an advocate of fostering company culture, especially one that places great value on employees, members, and feedback. He is fortunate to have learned that attention to the smallest of details allows for delivering an unparalleled customer experience. In addition to broad real-world experience, he earned his degree in exercise physiology and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and anything that involves food.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How REGYMEN Fitness started less than three years ago and has already achieved enough growth to power an international expansion into Canada
- Why passion, a unique business model, and a sense of community have been critical components of REGYMEN’s growth
- Why EK believes that you have to hire the right people and build your team first, then trust your team to build your vision for your business
- Why EK’s best advice to business owners is to listen to others and be prepared to pivot to improve your business
- Why, each time EK hits a goal, he sets a new goal for himself and his business, and why it is important to not rest on your laurels
- Why EK finds it helpful to take a step back and look outside the fitness industry to other, unrelated industries to get perspective
- What steps EK has taken to get clear on his responsibilities as a leader, and why evolving the team’s vision is crucial
- How your company’s culture is like an internal version of your brand, and why you shouldn’t be focused solely on what your competitors are doing
- How the current business environment is creating a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to lean into new ideas and create new opportunities
Resources:
- Website: https://regymenfitness.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/edward-navan-2171bb3b/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/regymen-fitness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/REGYMENFitness/
- Twitter: @Regymen_Fitness
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why it is important to begin preparing for and planning for the new year, and why the two most powerful words a leader can speak are “I’m clear”
- Why we too often fall into a reactive stance as business owners, getting caught up in the day-to-day operation of our businesses instead of moving the business forward
- What being clear actually means, and why being clear about your longer-term plans, priorities and goals is vital for moving forward
- Why the most important goal of a business leader is to “Set the Vision” and define the Purpose, Values and Mission for the organization
- Why being clear on your Purpose, Values and Mission leads to the next important step, defining your Mission Strategies for how to achieve your Mission Goals
- How the next step in clarity after you have set your Mission Goals and Mission Strategies is to set your Annual Priorities for the coming year and then your Quarterly Priorities
- Why you should set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timebound) objectives within your Quarterly Priorities
- Why 80% of your collective resources and attention should be going to day-to-day operation and the other 20% going to advancing your longer-term goals
- Why getting clear as a business leader is the cornerstone for exponential growth in the coming year, and why you need to start now
- How to get access to free resources from Elite Entrepreneurs and learn more about the Elite Ignition program
Resources:
- Elite Business Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Rob Pasquesi wanted to design an accounting firm around the unique needs of entrepreneurs. From his own experience launching ventures NextIntro and FounderPrep, he realized that many of the best tools were often out of reach for growth-stage businesses. By using emerging technology and combining that with years of accounting experience, Rob found that every-sized business could unlock significant growth insights without needing to hire an in-house analytics team.
Rob started his career at Deloitte and later worked at Grant Thornton, where he spent 14 years working closely with business owners, CFOs, and controllers addressing their accounting, tax, and financial needs.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Boston College and a Masters of Business Administration from DePaul University’s Kellstadt School of Business. Rob is a licensed CPA in Illinois and he is also a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Rob lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, and dog and is an avid marathoner who loves training along Lake Michigan during the summer and playing tennis and golf.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Rob founded Pasquesi Partners with a focus on helping entrepreneurs both in the Chicago area and nationwide better manage their accounting and tax needs
- Why understanding your financial numbers and key performance indicators (KPIs) is the key to recognizing where your growth is and how your company is performing
- What best practices Rob recommends for entrepreneurs looking to get a better view of their business and make better decisions
- Why time-tracking tools or even manual tracking can be an invaluable way to better understand where you and your employees are spending your time
- How to track monthly net customer activity such as increases or decreases in customers, new customers coming in and customers leaving, and other cohort analytics
- Why finding the right financial partners who can help guide you can be a powerful growth resource for your business
- How project management tools can help you keep your team organized and focused and give a better overview of in-progress projects
- Why planning ahead and setting near-term, mid-term and long-term goals is vital for continuing to grow
- Why taking a line of credit and borrowing against it isn’t always a bad thing and can help create new opportunities, and why forming a good banking relationship is key
- Why difficult times such as today’s environment brought about by the global pandemic encourage innovative thinking
Resources:
- Website: https://pasquesipartners.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robpasquesi/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pasquesi-company-llc/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/PasquesiPartners
- Twitter: @RobPasquesi
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
For 27 years, Tammy Weiler has dedicated her life to encouraging singles over 50 to “hit the road” and make traveling the world an opportunity to have life-changing experiences, build self-esteem and enjoy the opportunity to make meaningful and life-long friendships.
Traveling started at an early age for Tammy, taking her first cruise at age 15 and falling in love with the excitement of the unknown. After graduating from Northern Illinois University, she was accepted to the highly sought-after position of flight attendant with the international carrier, Pan American World Airways, then led a travel department for a sales promotion agency in New York, where she created incentive travel programs for Fortune 100 companies.
By age 30, Tammy was faced with a problem…her friends were married, having children and no longer available to travel with her. After years of traveling with a passport in her back pocket, Tammy was not ready to let being single stand in her way: she began traveling solo, was inspired with the idea to “bring singles together for vacation” and founded Singles Travel International in 1993.
Tammy has successfully navigated the travel industry for 27 years, and, under her leadership at Singles Travel International, has built the largest online community of single Baby Boomer travelers in the world, with more than 49,000 members. Her expertise in helping singles “get out there” and rewrite their personal stories and her strategic approach to using technology to reach thousands of singles has attracted media attention. She has been featured in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Sun Sentinel, Kiplinger, USA Today, Forbes.com, American Airlines’ Nexos magazine, the Los Angeles Times, among others. She has also been invited for numerous live TV appearances for interview segments with Forbes, CNN, Fox News and ABC.
While facing COVID-19, Tammy and her team faced extinction. But rather than die on the vine like many other travel companies, they launched a new site offering live events and a social network for singles over 50 to carry out their mission.
Tammy graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Language from Northern Illinois University, she is fluent in Spanish and French and has traveled to more than 55 countries. Tammy lives in Florida, where sailing and learning to play ukulele and trumpet fill her free time.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Tammy built Singles Travel International serves its over 25,000 members with a dedicated concierge team and a full, premade travel itinerary
- How the outbreak of the global pandemic has had a staggering impact on the entire travel industry, and how Tammy’s business has gotten creative with their offerings to survive
- How Tammy and her team have overcome significant challenges through the pandemic, including losing the ability to bill credit cards
- How SingleLife.Today came about as a response to the pandemic and the need for social distancing, and how this new offering is rapidly growing
- Why growing out the team was a major challenge Tammy faced after achieving the seven-figure revenue mark, and what key lessons she learned about hiring the right people
- Why frequent meetings, checking in with the team regularly, and sharing praise for big wins is crucial for the success of Tammy’s business
- How Tammy learned to strengthen her communication with her team and repeat the same messages over and over
- How having a regular meeting cadence has helped free Tammy’s time up and allow her to disengage from the day-to-day to focus on long-term strategy
- How Tammy learned to trust in her own leadership skills, and how that confidence helped set her up for success
Resources:
- Website: www.singlestravelintl.com
- Website: https://singlelife.today/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/singlestravelinternational/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/singles-travel-international/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinglesTravelInternational
- Twitter: @STISingles
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Zak Omar is a career entrepreneur and he can tell you about his journey as owner and CEO of Atomic Wings, a NYC-based Buffalo wing chain, and his plans for both international and domestic growth. But Zak’s story is so much more than Buffalo wings. He gets his business chops from his father, an Afghani refugee who started a Wall Street mobile food business before food trucks were popular. Inspired by his dad’s hustle and success, Zak became a multi-unit Dunkin franchisee alongside his brother, Ray. The pair then chose to invest in Atomic Wings in 2013. The company’s founder was so impressed by Zak that he turned the company over to him. That same year, Zak’s father passed away and Zak was diagnosed with leukemia. Rather than slow down, Zak used his diagnosis as inspiration to grow his business. Today, the brand has 11 locations open for business in New York and Maryland. There are an additional 16 locations set to open in the near future, including abroad in Abu Dhabi and Southeast Asia and in the U.S. in Nevada and Arizona.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How being in the right place at the right time led to Zak becoming the CEO of the Atomic Wings restaurant brand
- What challenges Zak experienced growing to and beyond the million-dollar growth plateau, and how attracting the right people to his company was one of the key challenges
- Why having a clear, strong vision and core values for the franchise were critical steps to help power Atomic Wings’s growth
- How Zak finds and brings in the right people, what qualities he looks for in new team members, and why he still sometimes struggles with bad hires
- Why Zak appreciates honest feedback and pushback from his team, and why he appreciates competitive, driven team members
- How Zak is dealing with the challenge of expanding into multiple states, and why systems, processes and partnerships are crucial for continuing to grow
- How Zak’s leukemia diagnosis became a source of inner strength and drive, and why having a positive mindset helped Zak achieve remission
- What key lessons Zak learned from his cancer diagnosis that he was able to bring into his business leadership
- What current challenges Atomic Wings is facing, and what steps Zak is taking to break through and achieve the company’s future goals
- Why creating a consistent experience for diners across all restaurants in the franchise is vital for the business and its success
Resources:
- Website: www.atomicwings.com
- Email: info@atomicwings.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zack-omar-4b672a15/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/atomicwings/
- Twitter: @AtomicWings
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/atomicwings/
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Lane is an SEO veteran with 15 years of experience and has managed over one thousand marketing campaigns. His company (SEO Outsourcing) currently provides white label SEO services to a variety of marketing agencies in the United States. They specialize in onsite SEO, link building, content creation, SEO sales, and reporting for their trusted agency customers. On average, they manage over one hundred and fifty SEO campaigns per month and have ranked thousands of keywords to a top ten position at Google across many industries.
Agency clients trust his team members to provide SEO services directly to their customers as their branded team members. Engine-ius Marketing also works directly with it’s agency customers if they do not want to manage the SEO relationship in-house. Lastly, Brett and his team have helped agency clients generate over two million dollars worth of sales in the last year!
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Brett initially got started working in search engine optimization consulting in 2006, during the early days of SEO
- Why learning to scale the business, let go of control, and delegate to a team were critical steps Brett had to make to resume his business growth
- How testing and experimentation, completing microtasks, and taking calculated risks can help your business grow and can help you identify new opportunities
- Why finding, hiring, and retaining the right people has been a crucial cornerstone for Brett’s success
- Why Brett struggled to master his mindset and see himself as successful, and how he learned to be thankful now for things he doesn’t even have yet
- How Brett discovered the value of participating in mastermind groups and surrounding himself with high-achieving people
- What qualities to look for (and watch out for) when looking for a good SEO consultant, and how to identify the right consultant for your business
- Why SEO ranking trends are moving toward favoring long-form content that is engaging, topical, and focused
- How Google’s ranking algorithm frequently changes and it is important to stay current with the changes
- What three key components should be a part of your SEO strategy, and why each component matters to your SEO ranking
Resources:
- Website: https://seooutsourcing.com/
- Email: strategy@seooutsourcing.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brettslane/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/USASEOOutsourcing/
- Twitter: @SEOOutSourceUSA
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- The mental impact this economic contraction has made on business owners across the globe
- How to manage your mindset so you can navigate the challenges posed by COVID-19
- Practical ways to achieve a positive mindset during times where it is especially difficult
- The importance of affirmations and “I am” statements in shaping your mindset
- How to cut the negativity at its source and replace it with positive energy
- Why you should be seeking out other businesses that are thriving and learn from them
- Why relevance is the key to understanding what your customers need and adapting your product or service to meet the new standard of value
Resources:
- Elite Business Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
In 2008, Marci Hernandez’s husband, Carlos, was working as an insurance agent primarily for construction companies. Due to the recession, most of his clients were going out of business, which meant there was no income for their young family. Carlos had lots of ideas, but he finally convinced Marci they could start a cleaning business. This was mostly due to the low entry cost: a mop and a vacuum. Carlos would go out and knock on doors to obtain new clients during the day, and then go at night and clean the handful of customers they had by himself. In the meantime, Marci handled the admin work with the proposals, marketing, and bookkeeping while still working part time for another company and caring for their three kids at the same time. Little by little, Marci and Carlos worked to figure out better systems and processes. Year after year, they added more and more customers and team members. Today, they service hundreds of business all over Arizona and in 2019 were listed at #17 by the Phoenix Business Journal’s Top Janitorial Firms.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Marci and her husband Carlos started and grew their cleaning business, Arizona-based Office Keepers LLC
- How Marci and Carlos were able to achieve significant growth, from just 10 monthly customers in 2008 to more than 500 by 2020
- How Marci and Carlos learned to hire employees and delegate the work to further the growth of their company
- What challenges Marci and Carlos experienced on their growth journey to seven figures, including having to let go of longtime team members and building a leadership team
- How Marci came to the tough but necessary realization that when things weren’t going right, it was often because of something she was or wasn’t doing
- What growth plateaus Office Keepers hit that required new strategies, systems, and operational changes to overcome
- How experiencing their entrepreneurial journey and starting and growing their own business has made a significant impact on Marci and Carlos
- How Marci continues to grow as a business leader, and what strategies and habits she has developed to continue learning
- Why Marci sees every day as a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and why she loves the work she does and the excitement of the experience
Resources:
- Website: www.officekeepersaz.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marci-hernandez-1aa676140/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/office-keepers-llc/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/officekeepersaz/
- Twitter: @officekeepersaz
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/officekeepersaz/
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Founded in 2014 by psychologists and prior college counselors Dr. Keith Higginbotham and Dr. Brett Donnelly, Acacia Counseling and Wellness began in response to a great need for long-term outpatient mental health services in university communities. Brett and Keith saw firsthand that the student demand for mental health services was increasing rapidly and how difficult it was to find long-term treatment options accessible, affordable, and specialized to students. Acacia was formed to tear down these barriers and advocate for students searching for better outpatient mental health care.
Today, Acacia is the leading outpatient provider, college student mental health in both California and Minnesota. They serve thousands of students each week and continue to grow to support the demand. Their mission never waivers, continually searching for better ways to help students and dedicating their life’s work supporting students in need!
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Dr. Keith and Dr. Brett recognized the dire need for counseling and wellness services for college students, and how their Values align with each other
- How Dr. Keith and Dr. Brett scaled their business from a single, newly founded practice to multiple locations, and how their team and locations grew over time
- How they began building up a tele-health brand, and how the global pandemic has accelerated that aspect of their business
- What unanticipated growth challenges Dr. Keith and Dr. Brett had to overcome, and how they had to transition from practitioners to managers
- How key early hires made a big difference in the team’s growth and success, and how they were able to prune their mis-hires
- Why hiring and promoting a diverse workforce has been a key step but also a difficult challenge to overcome, and what steps they have taken to achieve their hiring goals
- How one of the challenges the company is facing is identifying and anticipating future growth needs
- How meeting the physical office space growth needs for the company’s practice locations has been a major challenge
- What plans Dr. Keith and Dr. Brett have for the future growth of their company, and what important lessons they have learned on their journey
Resources:
- Website: https://acaciacw.com/
- Dr. Keith’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/keith-higginbotham-psy-d-006a0373/
- Dr. Brett’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brett-donnelly-psy-d-38704737/
- Acacia Counseling and Wellness LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/acacia-counseling-and-wellness/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/acaciacw
- Twitter: @Acacia_CW
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Ramon Ray is not a Law Enforcement Officer – but did graduate from the FBI Citizens Academy. Ramon was never on Sesame Street – but has done puppet shows in developing countries. Ramon is not a preacher – but is a small business evangelist. Ramon is a four-time entrepreneur, author, and speaker who loves burnt pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He’s the founder and producer of Smart Hustle Media, and he’s started four companies and sold two. Ramon has authored four books, and his latest book is Celebrity CEO – How Entrepreneurs Can Thrive By Building a Strong Personal Brand.
Ramon has been invited as an expert witness to the United States Congress, invited by the Office of the President of the United States to speak at the White House on personal branding. He’s produced many events, including the “Smart Hustle Small Business Conference,” “Small Business Summit,” “Small Business Technology Tour,” “Small Biz Big Things,” and more.
Ramon has shared the stage with Seth Godin, Daymond John, Guy Kawasaki, Simon Sinek, and Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s interviewed many of the sharks and contestants on Shark Tank, and other celebrity entrepreneurs. Ramon has also interviewed President Obama in the President’s first live Google Hangout, and was part of the US Delegation to India, led by Ivanka Trump for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Although Ramon has interviewed and shared the stage with many celebrity entrepreneurs, his passion and biggest professional accomplishment is interviewing “main street” small business owners and entrepreneurs and sharing their stories.
Ramon is not just an ivory tower geek or a former technology consultant; he has hands-on experience in various technologies, including social media, mobile computing, computer networks, online software, and more. Ramon’s expertise ranges from technology, marketing, sales, business startup, and growth, and his favorite is personal branding. Over his extensive career, Ramon has written thousands of articles, spoken to thousands of business owners and impacted hundreds of thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs to help their businesses thrive.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Ramon began his serial entrepreneurship, building and then selling his small businesses while growing his thought leadership
- How Ramon’s career took an unexpected early turn when the United Nations hired him at the young age of 19
- What key lessons Ramon learned over the arc of his career, and why serving others and mentorship have been key pillars of his success
- How Ramon turned his experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader into an opportunity to teach others and share his knowledge
- How serving others and mentoring can strengthen your own leadership and can create new opportunities without “selling”
- Why too many of us are focused on selling and end up rushing the relationship, and how to more effectively form relationships over time
- Why serving causes your prospects to remember you and your company positively and can become the cornerstone of your sales process
- What advice Ramon would offer for business leaders looking to move away from a transactional mentality to more of a service-focused style
- How a simple Thank You card or a short Thank You video can become a transformative tool for your business and its culture
- Why building and nurturing a strong social and professional network is critical, and what steps Ramon takes to network effectively
Resources:
- Weekly Thursday Email from Ramon: https://ramonemail.com/
- Website: www.ramonray.com
- Website: www.smarthustle.com
- The Celebrity CEO by Ramon Ray: www.celebrityceo.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ramonraysmallbiz/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ramonray
- Twitter: @ramonray
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramonraysmarthustle/
Additional resources:
- Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
In this finale of a four-part special series, Brett discusses the importance of establishing a clear, defined and purpose-driven meeting cadence to help balance your efforts between meeting your short-term Operational Excellence needs while still making progress toward your long-term Strategy goals.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How the quote by organizational expert Arthur W. Jones, “All organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get”, applies to pain in your business
- Why you must change your business systems to get different results, and why assessing the health of your business is the key to identifying problems and opportunities
- How the nine questions in the “Elite Business Health Assessment” can give you clarity on the health of your business
- Why we often take actions that we believe will help our business that ultimately end up creating problems instead
- Brett shares the nine key questions in the Elite Business Health Assessment and explains why they matter
- Why having clarity and building the right team are two vitally important steps you can take to strengthen your business
- Why sticking to a set meeting rhythm can help you both in the short term and long term, and why a strong and healthy culture matters for productivity
- Why growth is dependent upon the amount of capital you have access to, and why growing the right leadership team can keep you from becoming your own bottleneck
- Why it is important to develop future leaders for your organization, and why weekly one-on-one check-ins with your team can build connections, improve performance, and help you make progress toward your goals
- Why setting the team’s Big 3 can help inform their choices and help them focus their efforts on actions that will move the needle for your business
Resources:
- Elite Business Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
In the last 26 years, Ed has developed his leadership skills in both athletics and business. From working as an NCAA Basketball coach at Texas A&M to becoming the Vice President of a national recruiting firm, Ed has taught countless athletes, coaches, and business leaders how to THINK, ACT, and EXECUTE at an elite level. Ed has a unique set of skills to deliver leaders across the country a purposeful, positive, energetic, and refreshing experience to unlock their true potential.
In 2016, Ed launched his company, The Molitor Group, in order to reach and add value to a larger sphere of ambitious individuals and help them achieve their goals every day. Through The Molitor Group, Ed has guided all types of leaders to achieve success. From entrepreneurs and executives to teams and companies, The Molitor Group specializes in empowering individuals and groups to achieve at the next level. Through Leadership Performance training, coaching, and speaking, Ed’s goal is to supply people and organizations with the necessary tools to move forward from where they are now to where they want to be.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Ed transitioned his career from basketball coaching to business, and how he identified the parallels between high-performing athletes and business leaders
- How Ed has helped business leaders through the challenges brought about by the global pandemic, and what patterns he has identified in the mindset of leaders who are winning
- How high-performing leaders are developing a sense of community through this crisis, sharing information and best practices with others even within their same industry
- How honesty, integrity, and vulnerability are key traits that can help leaders navigate crisis effectively
- Why Ed asks all of his clients the same powerful question: “Am I doing the best I can with what I have to become the best we’re capable of becoming?”
- Why making a true emotional connection through vulnerability is instrumental in getting employees’ emotional buy-in to your business and its vision
- How to effectively adapt your business to the current realities by being a leader, not a follower
- Why developing strong relationships built on trust is critical for strengthening your team and preparing them for adversity
- Why a key skill for a great coach or leader is the ability to identify skills and abilities in people that they may not even see themselves
- Why celebrating wins and having team huddles can help your team develop a sense of positivity, and what other positive habits Ed recommends for teams to follow
Resources:
- Website: www.themolitorgroup.com
- The Athletics of Business podcast: https://theathleticsofbusiness.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ed-molitor-578a7734/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-molitor-group/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/themolitorgroup/
- Twitter: @TheMolitorGroup
JD Graffam founded Simple Focus, a user experience digital agency based in Memphis, Tenn. in 2009. A few years into business, like many fast-growing company owners he experienced an acute need to forecast cash flow. Graffam discovered Pulse Cash Flow Software in 2012 and found it so helpful he decided to reinvest Simple Focus profits into buying the SaaS tool.
The Simple Focus Software portfolio was born. He continues to operate both Simple Focus and Simple Focus Software (now seven B2B SaaS companies), providing business owners with a variety of growth-centric solutions.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How JD initially got started in the agency world and technology in college, and how he always had entrepreneurial goals even as a child
- Why working in the agency world taught JD how to manage many, many different things at once, and how that has served him as an entrepreneur and business leader
- Why building the right team and then learning the important skill of delegation was a critical transition that frees JD’s time and helps him multiply his efforts
- How JD and his team have developed an important office-wide shorthand that helps them during the hiring process
- How cash flow management challenges led JD to discover a cash flow app called Pulse, and why he chose to buy the rights to the app
- Why JD believes that tracking his cash flow has been one of the cornerstones of his success in business
- How using the Pulse application has helped JD’s business become more nimble, and how the app helped keep the business alive during the toughest times
- Why being able to move fast and make key decisions about your cash flow is the secret to saving money on costly mistakes
- Why it’s important to get into good habits before something challenging happens that puts you in crisis mode
- Why understanding your numbers and your cash flow can also be beneficial when opportunities present themselves
Resources:
- Website: https://pulseapp.com/elitepodcast
- Website: https://simplefocus.com/
- Text JD Graffam: (901) 605-9192
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/jdgraffam
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jdgraffam/
Heather Branscombe is a physical therapist with over 20 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors. Heather’s professional passion continues to be the integration of rehabilitation technology into practice. She has consulted as a clinical specialist to a rehabilitation technology company and has taught therapists, orthotists, and physicians across Canada. Not afraid to be an innovator and pioneer, she has brought many emerging technologies and therapy practices to Canada through Abilities.
Heather and Abilities are now seen within the industry as a community partner in emerging therapies. Often asked to collaborate on research initiatives, she has been involved in University research projects and has been asked to be the provider of many emerging therapy practices. Professionally, Heather volunteers her time on the Professional Advisory Committee of the Stroke Recovery Association of B.C., The Abbotsford Special Needs Advisory Committee, and is a past-chair of the Neurosciences Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. She’s the author of Stroke of Hope. Heather enjoys spending time with her husband and three children in the beautiful outdoors.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Heather discusses her company, Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation, and explains how Abilities was built to work with an underserved community and fill a need
- How Abilities grew over the course of the thirteen years of its existence, expanding to five locations
- How Heather and the team have worked to better align with their values and mission, and how being out of alignment with values caused them to struggle for a time
- How the team at Abilities worked to cut out chaos and achieve alignment, and why Heather considers the work to have been hard but also fulfilling
- How Abilities has identified key pivots and changes that have helped them navigate the challenges brought about by the pandemic
- How Abilities is opening a fifth “virtual location” to prepare for potential shutdowns due to the pandemic and to maintain a high level of care for their patients
- How Heather learned the importance of being a good coach for her team, turning individual stats into a more granular level of storytelling as a team
- Why Heather believes that one of the critical factors in the growth of her organization is her own personal growth and development
Resources:
- Website: www.abilitiesrehabilitation.com
- Instagram: @abilitiesrehab
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/heather-branscombe-04ab863/
Jeff Koser has over 30 years of sales leadership and is a demonstrated thought leader in the space. Jeff is the author of the award-winning book, Selling to Zebras: How to Close 90% of the Business You Pursue Faster, More Easily, and More Profitably.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Jeff and his team took a company initially starting out in the US with no sales and “minus two customers” and built it up to an “overnight success” after 20 years
- How Zebrafi came about and how the company targets customers between $5-20 million who want to improve their sales
- How Jeff and the team at Zebrafi navigated some of their challenges while scaling, including bringing in new team members during the period of growth
- Why one of the key skills Jeff had to learn to develop as a leader was his patience, and how his company’s culture was a critical ingredient in this effort
- Why it was important for Zebrafi to find talented employees who could both function in the company at the stage it was in and was prepared for its eventual growth
- How not all employees can or are willing to grow into a new stage with your business, and how to retain those people in new roles they’re still suited for
- How Jeff made the transition from running his company to bringing in the right expertise and leading his team instead
- How Zebrafi came to the idea of offering their Zebra Salesbot offering for free, allowing users to find five similar companies to their ideal customer through Salesforce
- How a quarterly letter informing stakeholders of goals, successes, failures and strategy changes has helped Zebrafi maintain focus and accountability
Special Promotion from Jeff Koser:
Sign up for our free beta program for Zebra™ Salesbot for Salesforce: https://zebrafi.com/salesbot/
The Zebra Salesbot gives you a button in Salesforce to identify 5 similar companies. The Salesbot uses AI to create a similarity score between your selected opportunity and thousands of potential prospects. The only requirement for your free 6-month Zebra Salesbot for Salesforce to continue is weekly feedback by responding to this Survey Monkey Survey; Zebrafi Salesbot Feedback
Now more than ever, only compelling solutions are going to be purchased. Which of your existing customers view your solution as compelling? Choose that customer, click on a button we put inside Salesforce, and our Zebra Salesbot will deliver up to 5 companies that look just like that customer.
This saves hours of time and provides better results because the companies will match your best customers.
Resources:
- Selling to Zebras by Jeff Koser and Chad Koser: https://amzn.to/2B4OPmc
- Website: https://zebrafi.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-koser-4a3911a0/
Rajeev Gupta is Founder and CTO of Avankia LLC, which he led to rank among the “Inc. 500” Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2008. As CEO of DBSync, Rajeev has led the strategic emphasis on the integration space, while also ensuring alignment between customer needs and product development. He has extensive experience with application architecture and on-demand computing. He earned his MBA from Owen School of Management, Vanderbilt University.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How working at and growing a startup business taught Rajeev more than obtaining his MBA degree
- How Rajeev’s company DBSync started as a successful product before spinning out of Salesforce into its own thriving organization
- What important lessons Rajeev learned about growing a business, and what key challenges he faced on the way
- Why, at the seven-figure mark, problems were popping up faster than Rajeev and his team could knock them back down
- Why Rajeev and his team decided to “go deep and win” with their strategy rather than targeting everyone and “go broad”
- How the DBSync team isolated three top Key Performance Indicators and then divided everything down into those metrics
- Why your team must always be evolving, learning and growing to keep pace with the growth of the company as a whole
- How establishing and living by a Values system became a cornerstone of DBSync’s success, and what their Values are and why they chose them
- What advice Rajeev would offer to business owners struggling to navigate the crisis of the global pandemic
Resources:
- Website: www.mydbsync.com
- Email: rajeev.gupta@mydbsync.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rajeevgupta2/
Angela Olea is a highly passionate, innovative, and accomplished business leader in the senior care industry. She is a respected authority on senior housing and care options, serving as a guest speaker at state and national aging conferences. Angela is also a visionary, founding the nation’s first senior placement franchise business.
A registered nurse, Angela initially launched Assisted Living Locators in response to seeing patients have unnecessary readmissions and a lack of community support. In an effort to evoke positive change and ease of care transition for patients, she created a National Readmissions Prevention Specialized Program for community care providers to reduce hospital readmissions.
Today, as Chief Executive Officer of Assisted Living Locators, she has built the company into a nationally acclaimed premier placement and referral agency, matchmaking seniors with caring providers for over a decade. Under her stewardship, Assisted Living Locators is setting the standard for care transition and has received top rankings in Entrepreneur’s 2020 Franchise 500®, Franchise Business Review’s 2020 Top Franchises Report, and Franchise Dictionary’s Top 100 Game Changer Franchises. With 130 franchise office locations in 36 states and the District of Columbia, Assisted Living Locators is one of the largest, non-acquired senior placement and referral businesses in the U.S.
Angela has also played an integral role in the formation of a new unified resource and advocacy organization for the senior care industry – the National Placement and Referral Alliance (NPRA). She has been actively involved as a founding member of the Board of Directors to build this strategic industry alliance with other professional placement and referral businesses.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Angela is a natural entrepreneur with a background as a Registered Nurse, and how these two elements converged when she recognized a need for senior support services
- How Angela established Assisted Living Locators to fill the need for an assisted living locator service franchise
- What challenges, opportunities, and experiences Angela faced as her business crossed the million-dollar mark and continued to grow
- Why Angela had to continually reinvent her role as a leader to adapt to the changing scope and scale of her business
- Why identifying and surrounding yourself with other successful people can help you continue to learn and become a stronger business leader
- How finding a good coach and carving out time for personal development and research was instrumental in Angela’s success
- Why careful planning, benchmarks and an abundance of data can help you grow and adapt your plan
- What specific qualities and traits Angela has looked for in professionals when building out her leadership team, and why they have extremely low turnover
- Why every company needs a “Switzerland” who can take and share ideas, both good and bad, and offer you a different perspective
Resources:
- Website: https://assistedlivinglocators.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angelaolea/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/assistedlivinglocatorsCorp/
Grant Botma is the founder of Stewardship and the leader of its nationally-ranked team of top producers. Thanks to thriving company culture, Grant’s team has won numerous awards, including national performance rankings like “Top 1%” and “Top 100.” In 2019, Stewardship was named an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company nominee. Grant’s team continues to break records even when he takes a month off of work to watch spring training baseball with his wife and three kids in Arizona.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why Grant attributes his incredible success and the success of Stewardship to the remarkable team he has to support the business
- What challenges Grant and his team faced and overcame during their period of accelerated growth, and what important lessons they learned
- Why developing a sense of trust in his team was key to Grant, and why he believes that trust requires a real process before bringing in new people
- Why Grant believes that his biggest and most important response to the global pandemic has been to let his team know that he cares and is there for them
- Why the strength of the team at Stewardship has helped the company break sales records, even during the economic crisis
- How a feeling of purpose and of making an impact drives employee engagement and can help team members choose to give their best every day
- Why the unifying purpose at Stewardship is to “love people through finances”, and how doing so makes a dramatic impact on the world
- How Grant was able to achieve broad employee buy-in toward Stewardship’s unifying purpose, and why a mission statement isn’t enough
- Why transparency, humility, and innovation are the pillars that support the team’s unifying purpose, and how Grant hires for a culture fit
- Why money isn’t the most important driver for hiring the right people, and why Grant believes in modeling his culture for his employees
Resources:
- Website: https://stewardship.pro/
- Website: www.culturecourse.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/grantbotma/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
In this finale of a four-part special series, Brett discusses the importance of establishing a clear, defined and purpose-driven meeting cadence to help balance your efforts between meeting your short-term Operational Excellence needs while still making progress toward your long-term Strategy goals.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Brett reviews the important information he shared in the previous three episodes in the Elite Business Growth Method miniseries
- Why ensuring you take targeted, coordinated action as a team and balancing your attention between the short term Operational Excellence and long term Strategic sides of your business is key
- Why a strong meeting rhythm or meeting cadence is vital for helping you and your team focus on the correct priorities
- Why your annual planning meeting should be a two-day offsite with the right group of people focused on the strategic side of your business
- Why determining your Annual Priorities with assigned priority owners and evidences of success with those priorities should be the main deliverables from your annual meeting
- Why your quarterly planning meetings play and important role in the strategic progress as well, typically as a single day in the last two weeks of the prior quarter
- Why your monthly team meetings should focus on both the strategic and operational sides of your business
- How a monthly company-wide meeting with your entire team can help ensure that everyone is on the same page
- How weekly meetings and daily huddles focused on operational issues will help you make adjustments and course corrections based on your business metrics as needed
- How weekly one-on-one meetings allow your team to self-report their progress toward their Big 3 and can help keep your employees better informed
- Why quick daily huddles every morning, either in person or remotely using software like Zoom, can create positivity and focus
Resources:
- Part One of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-1/
- Part Two of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-2/
- Part Three of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-3/
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
In this third part of a four-part special series, Brett discusses ways that you can define and measure the daily tasks that will help you and your team attain Operational Excellence.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Brett reviews information from the previous two episodes in the miniseries, then covers common questions you may be asking
- Why spending 80% of your time with day-to-day operations and 20% working on the future of the business is the ideal mix but any future-enabling work is worthwhile
- How the Elite Business Growth Method can help you accelerate all the metrics you use to measure your success in your business
- Why it is important for your Operational Excellence to create an annual plan with annual, quarterly, monthly, and even weekly goals
- What responsibilities you have as a business leader, including Setting the Vision, building the team, and securing fuel (money) for growth
- How to effectively build your team, including Hiring, Leading and Firing to your Purpose, Values, and Mission
- How to determine what future roles you will need to fill to better organize your work and intentionally build the short-term Operational Excellence side of your business
- How to clarify and define the “Big 3” responsibilities of each position within your current team starting with yourself, to help you better track your company’s progress
- Why visibility in your key numbers is vital for making good decisions for your business, and why developing a company-wide dashboard is powerful for visibility
- Why having your team self-report every week on their Big 3 is an important part of ownership with accountability
Resources:
- Part One of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-1/
- Part Two of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-2/
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
In this second part of a four-part special series, Brett discusses strategies for clarifying your long term mission and goals, setting your annual priorities, and steering your business toward a future of powerful growth.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Brett reviews the topics he covered in part one of the special Elite Business Growth Method miniseries of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast
- What topics Brett will be covering over the next two episodes of the miniseries: the longer term and short term sides of the business
- Why it is crucial to set your vision for your business before you begin making long term plans that will align with your mission
- What sort of mission goals you may set for your company, and why setting these goals can help your business grow
- How Brett defines “strategy” as your current strengths to leverage and your future strengths you should develop, and how to identify these strengths
- Why strategy cannot be set within a vacuum and should consider external forces that may impact your business
- Why you should choose between 1-3 annual priorities and no more so that you can devote the right amount of attention and resources toward your annual priority
- Why annual and quarterly priorities can help guide your business, and how setting an owner for those priorities, looking for evidence of success, and “SMARTs” is key
- How Brett defines the acronym SMART as: (S)pecific, (M)easurable, (A)chievable, (R)elevant, and (T)imebound
- Why working ON your business and not just grinding IN your business is the key to sustaining growth
Resources:
- Part One of the Elite Business Growth Method Miniseries: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/elite-business-growth-method-1/
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
In this first part of a four-part special series, Brett shares proven strategies to help entrepreneurs already at the $1 million mark break through the plateau and overcome common seven-figure challenges.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Brett discusses some of the common challenges and feelings that business owners often experience at the seven-figure revenue plateau
- Why the things that successfully got you to seven figures aren’t enough to keep you growing beyond that point anymore
- Why there are different, distinct stages of growth in the lifespan of a business, and why each stage presents its own unique challenges
- How the stages of business growth change on the “ones and threes”, such as $100,000 to $300,000, and $300,000 to $1 million
- How only 3-5% of all businesses in the United States ever reach the million-dollar revenue mark, marking those businesses as genuinely elite
- Why business-building at and beyond the seven-figure mark involves little to do with either sales or marketing but instead involves people, processes and systems
- Brett outlines the Elite Business Growth Method, which he and the team at Infusionsoft learned through trial and error
- Why a clear Purpose, Core Values and a defined Mission are the secret ingredients for making the transition from entrepreneur to business leader
- How taking these steps can help you resume growth, have more fun, do less grinding, and better engage your team
- What you’ll learn in the next three episodes in this special Elite Business Growth Method series
Resources:
- Elite Entrepreneurs episode featuring Keap CEO Clate Mask: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/clate-mask/
- Infographic on the stages of business growth: Text stages to 72000
- Beyond Entrepreneurship by James C. Collins and William C. Lazier: https://amzn.to/3howeSA
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Tim Furman, president of men’s health-focused online pharmacy MediSuite, has a long and proven history of working in the C-suite within the healthcare industry, serving as Chief Operating Officer at Physicians’ Own Pharmacy for a decade prior to his current role. Tim is skilled in Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy Operations, Business Development, Account Management, Product Marketing, and Start-ups. Tim obtained his BBA from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and his MBA from Campbell University.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Tim shares details about his company, MediSuite, a national mail order pharmacy specializing in men’s health issues such as erectile dysfunction and prostate cancer
- How MediSuite took advantage of the fact that larger competitors were working to educate the market on mail-order pharmacies
- What challenges and struggles, both internally and externally, MediSuite has experienced after reaching the seven-figure revenue plateau
- How Tim realized the importance of tight employee agreements and legal protection after a former employee struck out on his own to attempt to replicate MediSuite’s success
- How MediSuite has scaled up its hiring, onboarding and retention process, and why this effort has helped create accountability and attract the right talent
- Why shoring up the hiring process and avoiding “bad hires” has helped Tim and his team save time, money and effort
- How Tim learned the importance of truly investing in culture and values as pillars to support a strong, effective team
- How the MediSuite team has worked to regularly reinforce their culture, values and company mottos
- Why scaling is a slow, deliberate process, and why Tim wishes they had implemented scaling work earlier in the process to help accelerate their growth
Resources:
- Website: https://medisuite.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tim-furman-4150ba37/
Daniel Ramsey is the founder and CEO of MyOutDesk, the highest-rated Virtual Assistant company in the marketplace with over 400 hundred 5-star reviews, and over 13 years of experience serving more than 5000 clients.
Daniel founded MyOutDesk during the last global financial crisis of 2008 to help businesses leverage the remote workplace and scale businesses with virtual assistants.
In his 13 years with MyOutDesk, Daniel has helped thousands of clients scale their businesses and grow profitability. He has worked with some of the largest companies in some of the fastest-growing industries.
Daniel has had the opportunity to work with many of the largest sales organizations, technology startups, insurance, real estate, and healthcare companies, and he is willing to share those lessons with you.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why finding himself working on his honeymoon gave Daniel the realization that he needed to change how he did business and create free time for himself
- How the idea for MyOutDesk was sparked by Daniel’s desire to help other business owners free themselves from the time consumption of running a business
- How MyOutDesk’s blended model incorporates Virtual Assistants into in-house business teams to reduce administrating, marketing and sales work strain
- Why Virtual Assistants can be invaluable support to help you take better control of your calendar and your communications
- How the team at MyOutDesk helps clients in many ways including helping them develop training and roadmaps for success
- How the process of engaging MyOutDesk works starting with a step-by-step consultation to help clients prepare for bringing in Virtual Assistants
- Why MyOutDesk helps guide clients through the process of designing a clear, effective onboarding strategy and process
- Why integrating Virtual Assistants takes time, just like adding any other team member, but can pay dividends
- How the formation of MyOutDesk started with Daniel helping solve a problem for a friend, and how the company grew from there
- How to get a free digital copy of Daniel’s book, Scaling Your Business with MOD Virtual Professionals: How to Drive Revenue, Save Time, and Create Your Dream Company
Resources:
- Get a free digital copy of Daniel’s book Scaling Your Business with MOD Virtual Professionals: Text “SVP” to 31996
- Website: https://www.myoutdesk.com/
- Website: https://www.myoutdesk.com/remote/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dramseyinc/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MyOutDesk.LLC/
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/MyOutDeskVideos
After over 20 years in the lawn care and snow removal industry, Mike Callahan created a turnkey solution that revolutionized his business and is now teaching the lessons he learned while growing his company. You do not have to reinvent the wheel with this proven system, which will save you time and money while allowing you to have a life outside your business.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How learning to automate his lawn care and landscaping business taught Mike key lessons that he adapted into a turnkey business solution
- What new and unexpected challenges Mike’s business faced once it reached seven figures in revenue, and how they realized the importance of business culture
- What changes the team made to create a powerful company culture that supported employees and the lifestyle they were looking for
- How Mike integrated important knowledge he gained from being a part of the Elite Forum into a defining purpose and vision for the company’s culture
- How “helping people create the lifestyle they want” became the central focus of the organization and became a driving force behind employee engagement
- Why standardizing processes across the organization was instrumental in creating new business and scaling the company
- Why understanding the company’s numbers and going over finances daily or weekly were the keys to scaling beyond $1 million
- Why systematizing an intentional style of leadership into the company freed Mike up to be able to step away from his role as needed
- Why the business-building and scaling work you must do is universal across all types of businesses and industries
Resources:
- Website: www.simplegrowthsystems.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/simeplegrowth/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SimpleGrowthSystems
From Elite Entrepreneurs host Brett Gilliland: “Valuable insights are being offered to you. Are you receiving them? Let me explain what I mean. I recently spoke with Clate Mask, CEO of Keap, and he asked a question that changed me, ‘What is COVID trying to teach you about your business model?’ We then spent a few minutes discovering and exploring the valuable lessons COVID has been trying to teach me about the Elite Entrepreneurs business. The insights were invaluable. It wasn’t until after I hung up the phone with Clate that I realized that I needed to share the ideas from this exchange with as many business owners as possible. Join me and Clate for this interview-style call where we will discuss how the best leaders will gain valuable insights from the lessons COVID is trying to teach them about their business.”
Clate’s Bio:
Clate Mask loves building small businesses. He went to law school and business school, but he couldn’t get excited about going to work for a big consulting or law firm. Small business growth is what he loves. He gets to do that every day at Keap, helping his business grow by helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs grow their businesses using their small business CRM and sales software.
Brett’s Bio:
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why the question “what is the COVID outbreak trying to teach you about your business model” can have profound answers
- Why crises like COVID-19 present opportunities for leaders to grow and overcome their fears, and why fear can prevent you from being a good steward of your business
- How Clate navigated his own fear to put him into a better mindset to lead his team through these challenges
- Why Clate implemented “disciplined optimism” throughout his company, helping his team get into a better mindset to think creatively and innovate
- How the calm before the pandemic caused us to forget the many other times we have been tested, such as after 9/11 and after the 2008 economic recession
- How disaster events like this one can teach us important lessons about adapting and reprioritizing
- Why Clate believes in “conscientious capitalism” and sees challenges like the pandemic as opportunities to create new solutions and better serve people
- What key insights asking the question “what is COVID trying to teach you about your business model” gave to Brett and the team at Elite Entrepreneurs
- Why adding new value for your business clients or customers can be a powerful way to adapt to today’s challenges
Resources:
- Website: www.GrowWithElite.com/covid/
- Website: https://keap.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keap/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/infusionsoft
Having built and sold a significant real estate developing company in Romania, Adrian Ghila has continued with his successful business interests in the U.S., as CEO of Los Angeles based Luxe RV, and founder of Earth Car Wash & Loop VAN, and Proiect 3 Holdings (an investment company). Adrian’s entrepreneurial spirit, ethical business background, and corporate expertise continue to drive Luxe RV, as well as his other businesses, successfully forward.
Adrian is an astute and savvy businessman and pushes himself to not only excel in all he does but especially to deliver the finest product possible to his customers. He now lives and breathes for this industry, every day thinking of new ways to improve the quality of service his company provides.
Adrian Ghila is now looking into investing in small smart companies. Providing not only the investment itself but his knowledge and potentially relocating your company into one of his offices.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Adrian initially became an entrepreneur in Romania before relocating to the United States at the age of 23, and how he continued his entrepreneurial journey in the US
- How Adrian realized that he needed to change his business, add a team, and implement systems after he reached the $1 million in revenue plateau
- What efforts Adrian made to scale his leadership education and abilities, in an effort to keep pace with the scaling of his businesses
- Why your team needs to scale, grow and evolve with your business, such as moving from an accountant to a CPA
- What challenges Adrian ran into when searching for effective business leaders who he could delegate responsibility to
- Why it is important to allow your leaders the room to make their own decisions and take responsibility without micro-managing them
- Why hiring the right people will save you more money than you spend and will help prevent you from making costly mistakes
- Why too many business leaders don’t fully understand their company and their numbers, and why leaders have a responsibility to their teams to learn and understand
- Why ethical businesses have a responsibility to be good stewards in their communities, and why having strong, lasting values is critical
- Why Adrian believes that the COVID-19 pandemic represents not just a crisis but an opportunity to create a new vision for your business
Resources:
- Website: www.adrianGHILA.com
- Website: https://luxervrental.com/
- Website: https://loopvan.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adrianghila/
Vance spent 10 years working for the mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. He started his career at Disney on the Opening Team of the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and progressed through the management ranks as a Nightclub Manager at Pleasure Island, Service Trainer aboard Empress Lily, and on the revitalization team of the Contemporary Resort in the mid-90s. It was at the Contemporary that Vance got his crowning achievement, Designing, Opening, and Operating Chef Mickeys, Disney’s flagship Character Dining Experience.
After leaving Disney, (yes people do leave) he utilized his skills to rescue or improve many of America’s companies and government agencies. His clients included Legal Seafoods, Tyson, NASA, Rainforest Café, Compass Group, The Executive Office of the President of the United States, The Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Tiring of corporate life, Vance opened his own brick-and-mortar business in 2007. After the meteoric growth of his service business, other entrepreneurs began to seek him out for advice and counsel. This spawned his next business, Deliver Service Now!, consulting and coaching other companies on how to create and implement Disney style service and then apply Direct Response Marketing to profit from it.
Vance Morris has shared the stage with many of the premier marketers and service professionals in the world including Dan Kennedy, Joe Polish, Bob Brown, Lou Ferrigno, Dean Jackson, Charles Henning, Lee Cockerell, and Meg Crofton.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Vance shares his background at Disney and discusses the key service experience he gained at his various roles within the company
- How Vance recognized the need for a high-end, premium-level floor cleaning service after he left Disney, and how he built his company to be a step above competitors
- How Vance implemented the customer experience training he picked up at Disney in his floor service, and how he now teaches other business leaders these same skills
- How excellent customer service has created many referrals for Vance’s business, and how Vance and his team work hard to generate and express appreciation for new client referrals
- How Vance defines the “perfect client experience”, and he shares how telling your story the Disney way can create a fantastic experience
- Why the “why” of what your employees are doing is the key to getting your employees engaged in creating the perfect client experience
- How Vance uses a “what, how, why” process to create a consistent experience for clients that the employees can easily learn and use
- Vance shares his “seven magic keys” to Disnify your business and provides real-world examples of each
- How Vance teaches coaching clients to use direct-response marketing, and why he recommends you use the news of the day in your marketing
- Why not every contact with your clients should be focused on overt sales, and why engaging with your clients on a personal level can be powerful
Resources:
- Website: www.deliverservicenow.com
- Disney boot camp: www.deliverservicenow.com/disney-boot-camp/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris/
Jeff Quintin is one of the most successful real estate agents in the United States, consistently selling over 250+ homes per year, equivalent to over $150+ million in sales. He has reached this pinnacle in his career because he is 100% dedicated to each and every customer having a positive experience – regardless of the size of the buy or sell range. He is constantly working with his team to improve on their knowledge of the market, responsiveness, professionalism, and overall efficiency. Jeff is most concerned with what your vision of success for your home is, whether buying or selling. He is eager to hear your ideas about your dream home at the shore and what you love about the beach, bay, or boardwalk.
As the leader of The Quintin Group, he embodies the spirit of commitment to your goals through hard work and passion. Jeff understands that when it comes to your home, he is holding one of your most important investments in his capable hands. When you meet Jeff, you feel at ease right away because you can sense how much he cares about you, the customer. Jeff’s passion for his customers has only grown over the years as he continues to set the standard for real estate agents nationwide.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Jeff got started in real estate and began growing, and how he has turned his small team into an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing business
- What challenges Jeff and his team faced when they reached the seven-figure growth mark, and what key lessons they learned while growing
- How Jeff learned to work ON his business rather than working IN his business on the day-to-day aspects of running it, and what steps he took to pull himself out
- Why pulling yourself out of the day-to-day aspects of your business creates opportunities for your team to grow and develop
- Why it takes time and intentionality for business owners to replace themselves in their companies, and why it is important to bring the right people on board to support you
- How expanding into new markets has presented unique challenges that Jeff has had to learn to navigate
- Why having a big, clear Vision can help you attract talented team members who can help you continue to grow your business
- Why hiring the wrong person can be a costly mistake, and why the right team members allow you to take a 30,000-foot view of your business, opportunities, and challenges
- Why avoiding allowing yourself to be pulled back into daily operations is the key to growing your business
Resources:
- Website: www.thequintingroup.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffquintinsuperteam/
Melinda Wittstock is a serial entrepreneur who has built 4 businesses in media and tech to 7 and 8 figures. She’s now building her 5th business as CEO and founder of Wings Media, the first interactive, social and “gamified” podcast network and audience engagement platform. Launching in Q2 2020 with an initial 50 podcasts with more than 100 million downloads, Melinda’s innovative mobile platform shares revenue with podcasters.
An acknowledged visionary in tech, media, mobile platforms, and social content, Melinda also hosts the fast-growing “Wings Of…Inspired Business” podcast named by Entrepreneur Magazine as #8 of 20 of the top business podcasts for 2020. Melinda also helps business owners and entrepreneurs launch magnetic and profitable podcasts. A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, Melinda also hosts the transformational luxury retreat and peer-to-peer mastermind “Wings of The Empowered Women” for successful women entrepreneurs committed to #liftasweclimb.
Formerly an award-winning journalist and TV anchor for the BBC, ABC News, CNBC/Financial Times Television and MSNBC, Melinda created and grew a BBC show to a 20 million audience and also innovated one of the first crowd-sourcing mobile apps, growing unique users to 3 million in 8 months. Steve Jobs told her she “asked the best questions” when she interviewed him as a 24-year-old correspondent of the Times of London.
She was also the CEO and Founder of Verifeed, the social intelligence platform assuring a Return on Authenticity™ from social media engagement. A practitioner of meditation, yoga, visualization, gratitude, and intention-setting, Melinda is passionate about encouraging conscious leadership and evolved entrepreneurship using business as a canvas to solve global challenges. Her travels have taken her to many exotic places including Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island and the Amazon Rainforest.
She’s a loving mom to two teenagers and a golden retriever. She has spoken at Voice 2018, SXSW, Google, Fidelity Investments, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Georgetown University, Relentless MV, Columbia University, Underground Online Seminar, Pinnacle Global Network and many more.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why only 15% of podcasters earn money from their podcast, despite podcasts being the fastest-growing content medium
- Why knowing your audience is vital to monetization but most tools today are insufficient, and how Melinda has built a “gamified” platform to help engage with listeners
- How Melinda’s broad experience in media has given her a unique perspective on podcasting and the ability to recognize and address pain points for podcasters
- How Podopolo™ was designed to be the best-in-class podcast platform and is the first and only podcast platform to share revenue with podcasters
- Why the biggest challenge Melinda faced after reaching seven-figures in revenue was learning to get out of her own way, and why she views mistakes as learning experiences
- Why maintaining the right level of control without micromanaging and filling the team with the right people has been the secret to Melinda’s business growth
- How relinquishing control and giving your team room to grow and develop new solutions can motivate them, while micromanaging your team is incredibly demotivating
- How Melinda struggled to adjust to “being the boss” when her team got large enough that she didn’t know everyone, and how she overcame her concerns of not being liked
- Why fear of the unknown and clinging to the familiar during periods of growth is a real problem, and how activities like meditation can help you conquer them
- Why a growing company needs a visionary who is free from day-to-day operations and who can be proactive rather than reactive
Resources:
- Website: www.podopolo.com
- Website: www.melindawittstock.com/
- Wings of the Empowered Woman Retreat: https://wingsexperiences.com/optin-2672225535211777
- Profit From Podcasting 7-step guide: www.wingspodcast.com/liftoff
- Work with Melinda: www.melindawittstock.com/work-with-me/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melindawittstock/
Blair Nicole Housley is the CEO & Founder of Media Moguls PR, a ten-year-old 7-figure Whitelabel PR agency. She’s also a member of the Forbes Agency Council, host of the #KickassPR podcast, and columnist at Forbes and Business.com. Her agency has become the secret weapon behind hundreds of other marketing and PR agencies, and she’s trained over 1200 PR pros around the globe.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why seven-figure businesses have very different PR needs from six-figure businesses, and why it requires a different perspective and strategy
- Why you should be looking at your PR efforts as a long-term investment and go into the process with specific goals and a plan
- How Blair and her team use engagement tracking and conversion rates to demonstrate the value and return on investment of a PR campaign
- Why the time frame of your PR campaign should be determined by your business’s needs and goals, and why seven-figure businesses tend to use PR as a brand engagement tool
- How Media Moguls PR often coordinates their efforts and works with a small marketing team within an organization
- How Blair and her team help their clients with thought leadership efforts, and why timeliness and responsiveness from their clients is critical
- Why it typically only takes an hour or two a week to pull off a successful PR campaign that shows results
- What kind of time commitment you should expect to get started with a PR campaign, and what steps Blair and her team take to get a client started
- Why clients often need help clarifying their messaging before they are able to launch a successful media campaign
Resources:
- Website: www.mediamogulspr.com
- Blair Nicole’s Forbes Archive: https://bit.ly/2Rem1MW
- Email: blair@blair-nicole.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/blair-nicole-housley-65406b2a/
Abigail Olaya knows what it’s like to start a business from the ground up since she started Venue at the Grove in 2009 with a $15,000 loan and has grown it into an award-winning, multi-million dollar business.
She was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 leaders by the Phoenix Business Journal. Aside from managing the business, Abigail is mother to triplet 6-year-old girls who keep her quite active. She is most passionate about helping people achieve more than they imagined possible.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Abigail’s venue and catering businesses primarily focus on weddings and other social events, and how the organization started with Venue At The Grove before expanding
- What challenges Abigail’s business experienced after reaching the $1 million in revenue mark, and how the team overcame those challenges
- How Abigail realized the importance of culture after a key team member who wasn’t aligned to the culture left the business
- What changes Abigail and her team have made to support their focus on their Core Values, Mission, and Vision on a daily basis
- How the company learned to always be searching for and developing relationships with a pool of talented candidates before they were needed
- What steps Abigail’s team takes to surface problems and coordinate on-brand solutions to those problems
- How Abigail manages the complexity of hiring seasonal, part-time employees and keeping everyone aligned to the company’s vision and values
- Why creating repeatable systems and documentation was critical for the growth of Abigail’s event business
- Why the particular tools you choose to use aren’t as important as putting something in place, and why the tools can always be adjusted later
Resources:
- Website: www.olayaevents.com
- Email: abigail@olayaevents.com
- Website: www.venueatthegrove.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/abigailolaya/
Clate Mask loves building small businesses. He went to law school and business school, but he couldn’t get excited about going to work for a big consulting or law firm. Small business growth is what he loves. He gets to do that every day at Keap, helping his business grow by helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs grow their businesses using their small business CRM and sales software.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Clate ran Infusionsoft through two different recessions, and how he learned firsthand to manage cash when resources become scarce
- Why mindset is critical, especially during challenging times, and why you must conquer your own fears to be creative with your ideas
- Clate offers ideas for generating new cash including promotions and sales, and he explains why building a strong relationship with clients now can open new doors later
- Why you should be focused on creating value for your clients, and why you should avoid “jumping straight to the sale” and build trust and a relationship first
- Why many clients may be looking to make adjustments to their payment terms, and why Clate recommends offering a combination of additional services and credit
- What advice Clate would offer to pre-revenue businesses who are seeking private equity funding, and why these businesses should be focused on monetizing themselves now
- Why not all debt is bad debt, and why lines of credit and loans at historically low-interest rates can free you to focus on your business
- Why being creative and negotiating new agreements can help you preserve the cash you do have, and why finding ways to manage payroll expenses is vital
- Why leadership during tough times requires collaboration and close communication with the members of your team
- Why pursuing a Small Business Association (SBA) loan may be worthwhile, and how to get assistance with the application process
Resources:
- Website: www.rescuesmallbusiness.com
- Website: www.multifunding.com
- Website: https://keap.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keap/
- Email: brett@GrowWithElite.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/infusionsoft
In this special episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, Predictive ROI CEO, author and Onward Nation podcast host Stephen Woessner turns the tables on Brett Gilliland as they discuss key leadership strategies, processes, and systems business owners and entrepreneurs can implement to prepare their organizations for the global coronavirus pandemic and the tough financial times ahead.
Stephen’s Bio:
Stephen Woessner is the founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, a digital marketing agency, and the host of Onward Nation—a top-rated daily podcast for learning how today’s top business owners think, act, and achieve. Onward Nation is listened to in 120 countries around the world.
Stephen is the author of four books, including the newly released Sell with Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency’s Authority Position with co-author Drew McLellan, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and Inc. Magazine.
Brett’s Bio:
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- What shared responsibilities every business owner has during trying economic times, and why scarcity thinking can cause us to make short-sighted decisions
- Why a leader’s role is to fight against FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), and why there is a real danger of freezing in place during a crisis
- Why you must first deal with your own fear, uncertainty, and doubt before you can lead others, and why intentionality of mental and emotional health is vital
- What qualities you should look for in the ideal mentor who can help you navigate the complexities of challenging times
- Why fear cannot be countered with logic and facts, and why as a leader you must make your team feel safe first before they can hear logic
- Why members of your team need to feel acknowledged and need to be reassured that their fears and concerns are valid and normal
- How to use your team’s track record of surviving challenges as a source of motivation and evidence that you will survive this current danger
- Which three activities you can turn to that will help you and your team dispel negative thoughts and feelings
- Why now is the time to increase your communication with your team, and what steps you can take to help your team maintain focus and optimism
- What “positive focus” is and how it can help your team recenter themselves and ward off negative thoughts
Resources:
- Onward Nation podcast with host Stephen Woessner: https://predictiveroi.com/onward-nation-podcast/
- Email: brett@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- What sorts of issues in the workplace can result in difficult conversations with your team members
- Why you might feel hesitant to have difficult conversations and how to get past these fears and concerns
- How to prepare yourself to have a difficult conversation, and why it is important to remember that people behave logically to the world as it appears to them
- Why “bad apples” are few and far between, and why most people want to do well and succeed in their roles
- Why it can be easy for a business leader to become an “accomplice” to poor performance or inappropriate business behavior
- Why the time you spend on employees who aren’t meeting expectations is being taken from the time you could be better spending elsewhere
- Why it is important to remember that your perspective may differ from the perspective of the person you’re speaking with
- How to know when it is appropriate to have a difficult conversation, and why performance numbers are key
- Why avoiding tough conversations impacts not just you but the entire team and everyone else around you
Resources:
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Most of everything in your life today is based on your FICO credit score, but no one teaches or educates how to have a great credit score or most importantly how to restore your credit after life has thrown you a few curveballs.
That is where Rondi Lambeth’s company, Fortress Credit Pro, comes in. Rondi educates people on how to have a better life with good credit. He helps people get inaccurate, obsolete, erroneous and unverifiable items like late pays, collections, repos, short sales, charge offs, foreclosures, even bankruptcies permanently and legally remove from credit reports.
Rondi helps people get a 2nd chance.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Rondi discusses his fifteen-year career as a firefighter prior to his work in credit repair, and why Rondi is motivated to help others after his brother’s suicide
- What growth challenges Rondi’s business had after reaching the seven-figure revenue plateau, and what steps Rondi took to overcome those challenges
- Why Rondi recognized the need to build and implement systems to sustain the growth of his business once things started breaking at the $3 million mark
- Why Fortress Credit’s rapid growth created significant growing pains and forced Rondi to learn the value of a company culture
- Why Rondi would prefer to delay hiring and stunt his business growth over hiring the wrong person and having to fix the problem after the fact
- Why solely focusing on growth can be harmful to your business, and why building up and cultivating your leadership team is a necessary step
- Why Rondi believes that building a strong family connection in the workplace has been beneficial to his business
- What strategies Rondi employes at Fortress Credit to build a strong, motivating company culture, and why Rondi believes in cross-training everyone to do each other’s jobs
Resources:
- Website: www.fortresscreditpro.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/RondiLambeth
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rondilambeth
- Twitter: @rondilambeth
- Instagram: @rondilambeth
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCXFF74-JupsiYop5L0je9hQ
Shaun Buck has been a successful serial entrepreneur for almost two decades. He currently owns and operates The Newsletter Pro, based out of Boise, Idaho. The Newsletter Pro has only been operating since 2011, but it has rapidly grown into the nation’s largest custom newsletter company, mailing millions of newsletters annually.
The Newsletter Pro has been recognized for its tremendous growth by Inc. Magazine, making the Inc. 500 list twice and the Inc. 5000 list once. The Newsletter Pro has also been named one of the best places to work in Idaho for the past four years. Shaun was named “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and is a successful business coach to owners of million-dollar businesses.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Newsletter Pro helps customers through their online and offline newsletter, sending millions of newsletters per month
- Why offline, physical newsletters are still highly relevant even in the digital era, and how physical newsletters have high penetration and conversion rates
- How Newsletter Pro has grown to a 25,000 square foot building with 75 employees in just nine years in business
- Shaun shares insights from his book Stop Losing Customers!: Transform Your Business, Life, and Profits by Getting Customers to Stay Longer, Spend More, and Cheerfully Refer!
- Why relationship-building was the key to Newsletter Pro’s growth and is the cornerstone of Shaun’s book, and what strategies Shaun uses to build strong relationships
- How Shaun made the transition from day-to-day operations to taking the time to build strategic relationships, and why properly nurturing prospects is vital
- How long term nurturing of relationships for more than a year helped Newsletter Pro generate more than 1.2 million dollars in revenue
- What steps business owners can take to improve and smooth out their marketing strategy as they grow their business
- How to get a free copy of Shaun’s book Stop Losing Customers! and other free resources through the Newsletter Pro website
Resources:
- Complimentary copy of Stop Losing Customers! by Shaun Buck: Text “EEP” to (208) 269-9111
- Website: www.NewsletterPro.com
- Website: www.newsletterPro.com/freebook
Marco Santarelli is an investor, author, Inc. 5000 entrepreneur, and the founder of Norada Real Estate Investments, a nationwide provider of turnkey cash-flow investment property. His mission is to help one million people create wealth and passive income and put them on the path to financial freedom with real estate. He is also the host of the top-rated podcast Passive Real Estate Investing.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why bringing more people into your business to delegate work to is the key to growth once your concept is proven and your business is established
- Why putting the right people into the right roles and implementing systems to support your business is the key to growth
- What services Marco’s business, Norada Real Estate Investments, offers to their real estate investor clients
- What challenges and obstacles Marco faced during the process of establishing and growing his business and how he overcame those growth challenges
- Why your time as a business owner is best spent doing work that is the “highest and best use” of your time, delegating less valuable business drivers to staff
- How Marco recognized the need to hire employees and delegate work and responsibility to free him to focus on other aspects of his business
- Why bringing in someone and handing off the sales process can result in a temporary decline in sales, and why it is necessary to take the leap anyway
- How hiring an employee to handle the business’s sales allowed Marco to focus on marketing and business development
- Why you have to “get out of your own way” and learn to automate and delegate to be able to scale your business effectively
- What current challenges and opportunities Marco is working on to further grow Norada Real Estate Investments
Resources:
- Website: www.NoradaRealEstate.com
- Podcast: www.passiverealestateinvesting.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoradaRealEstateInvestments
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcosantarelli
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarcoSantarelli
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why it is important to focus your daily activities toward your long term goals for your company, and why aligning everyone to the company’s Vision is key
- Why getting your team organized and aligned early is important to avoid deeper problems as you progress toward $10 million in revenue
- Brett explains the Big 3 concept as the three most essential responsibilities of a given role within your company
- Why the Big 3 are daily operational tasks and responsibilities that are vital to the continued success and operation of the business
- How to measure the Big 3 through results-based and activity-based metrics, and why each role’s measurements should vary
- Why you should set your own Big 3 for the quarter, then set your team members’ Big 3 based on what will further your own progress
- Why the Big 3 cascades down throughout the company, and why the Big 3 can help align everyone to your goals for the business
- Why it is important to pick clear, easily tracked numbers to set as your measurement, and why weekly self-reporting creates accountability and ownership
- How using the Big 3 approach to organizing work and giving ownership with accountability can help you both in the short term with which day-to-day tasks to focus on, but also in the long term as it helps you achieve your goals
Resources:
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Mary Crafts has a 100%, all-in zest for life. As the founder of Culinary Crafts, Utah’s largest off-premise catering company and 20-time winner of Best Of State, Mary has created thousands of impressive events throughout the state for over 35 years. Mary is a masterful caterer and a resourceful businesswoman who has served thousands of clients including many A-list celebrities (Oprah Winfrey and Sir Elton John for example), two presidents of the United States, and hundreds of Fortune 500 companies. During the 1980’s and 90’s Mary hosted a cooking show on KBYU TV that established her reputation as a food celebrity in Utah. Mary has been called a trendsetter in her industry and an ambassador for all things related to food and events.
Mary’s involvement in community non-profits, business networks, and education has put her in the spotlight as one of Utah’s most influential women. Recently Mary received The Hero Award from Silicon Slopes Magazine, and the Pathfinder Award from the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce. She has also been named “One of Utah’s Coolest Entrepreneurs”, is a recipient of Utah Valley University’s Kirk Englehardt Ethics Award, and is one of Utah’s businesswomen who received the “30 Women to Watch” award.
Mary’s current endeavors include hosting her weekly podcast, “Crafting a Meaningful Life,” as well as offering her expertise as a keynote speaker, business and marketing consultant, and team builder. Mary is thrilled to share her hard-won life lessons with others as only she can, with her insatiable zest for life, and heartfelt badass attitude. To stay in touch tune in to her podcasts or visit her website at www.MaryCraftsInc.com.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why Mary’s current mission in life is to help people overcome their fears and achieve success through her podcast “Crafting A Meaningful Life”
- Why Mary achieved a dramatic health and fitness journey at 50 years old, and why she decided to challenge herself and her fears by hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro at 65
- Mary shares her experiences climbing the mountain and the steps she took to prepare herself for the physical and mental challenge of making it to the summit
- What challenges and obstacles Mary faced as a business owner at around the $1 million in revenue mark
- How Mary’s role evolved over time as she ran and grew her business, and how she leaned into her strengths during that evolution
- How Mary learned to take risks and bring in more employees despite her reservations that her company couldn’t afford it, and why delegation was the secret to her success
- Why designing and implementing repeatable systems was a difficult but necessary step for Culinary Crafts
- Why planning your business’s finances is a key step for growth, and why it is important to maintain control at all times
- How Mary lost 40% of her business in just two months after the 2008 economic crash, and how she weathered the downturn through good credit and honest business dealing
- Why integrity is the most powerful asset and important resource you have at your disposal as a business owner
Resources:
- Website: www.MaryCraftsInc.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mary.craftshomer
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/marycrafts/
Scott has spent the last 20 years building and selling technology products, leading three Silicon Valley startups each to their first millions in revenue.
Now with SalesQualia, Scott works with startups across the world, helping them grow their sales faster. His clients include enterprise SaaS, analytics, consulting, and food product companies across the higher education, FinTech, retail and food services industries.
He is a top writer on Quora and the author of three books – Startup Selling: How to sell if you really, really have to and don’t know how, 52 Sales Questions Answered, and recently published, Stop Hustling, Start Scaling: Ramp Up Your B2B Startup’s Repeatable Revenue with The Q Framework.
Outside of work, Scott is an accomplished endurance athlete as a three-time Ironman, ultra-marathon runner and marathon swimmer.
He lives in Davis, California with his wife and son.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why the first $1 million in revenue is the most difficult milestone to achieve, and how Scott’s Q framework’s seven questions help business owners reach that point
- Why repeatable systems are the key to reaching $1 million, and why hustling and hard work can only take you so far
- How to get a PDF version of Scott’s book Stop Hustling, Start Scaling: Ramp Up Your B2B Startup’s Repeatable Revenue with The Q Framework from his website
- How repeatability can be built into all aspects of a sales funnel, and why many business owners struggle at the top of the funnel with lead generation
- Why drilling down to the 2-4 lead generation activities that are most effective for your business is better than trying everything or relying on a single method
- Why consistency in your systems and processes is vital, and why it is important to explain to your employees why a process is structured the way it is
- How to create an implementation plan for your sales to ensure that the process is smooth and consistent for your customers
- Why you should systemize the first minute, hour, day, week, month, quarter and year after you close a deal to guarantee the value of the sale to your customers
Resources:
- Website: https://salesqualia.com/
- Stop Hustling, Start Scaling by Scott Sambucci
- Startup Selling by Scott Sambucci
- 52 Sales Questions Answered by Scott Sambucci
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scottsambucci/
- Twitter: @scottsambucci
Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as chief brand strategist for the Chicago-based firm.
No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging public relations, social media, marketing, advertising, digital, and a lot of creativity to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for more than a hundred global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow.
Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts, and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories.
Powills also founded 1851 Franchise and estatenvy, two content marketing publications and platforms.
Prior to starting No Limit at the age of twenty-seven, Nick spent three years working at a PR agency, where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why Nick’s book, Sticks & Stones, took five years of challenge to write, and what benefit Nick has received from completing his effort
- How Nick’s book demonstrates that being told you aren’t good enough or can’t do something can serve as a powerful motivation to help you achieve your goals
- How Nick’s company, No Limit Agency, has managed the impressive feat of being on the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies six times
- Why not investing in human resources, recruitment and company culture was a mistake Nick made and learned a valuable lesson from
- What challenges Nick and his team faced as a company after crossing the $1 million in revenue mark, and how they worked to overcome those challenges
- Why the business leadership is often at the core of the problems the company is facing, and why it falls to the business leader to make the necessary changes
- Why it is important to understand that the level of employee commitment will vary throughout your company
- How looking for small wins every day can help you overcome mindset obstacles that are holding your company back
- What steps No Limit Agency has taken to help employees feel more engaged, fulfilled and appreciated for their work
Resources:
- Website: www.stickstonesoar.com
- Website: www.nolimitagency.com
- Website: https://1851franchise.com/
- Sticks & Stones by Nick Powills
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/powills/
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How a recent encounter with an old acquaintance prompted Brett to wonder why we are so desensitized to living our dreams that “living the dream” has become a sarcastic reply
- Why the 3-5% of entrepreneurs and business owners that have achieved the $1 million in revenue mark are often worn down, exhausted, and deflated
- Why a business owner’s job is to cut through the chaos and lead themselves and their team to a place of less stress
- Brett relates a story of taking his wife and eight kids fishing at a mountain lake and the frustration of no fish biting, and he shares how this parallels running a business
- How to turn a chaotic and disorganized company into a well-organized, coordinated and efficient business
- Why setting a clear vision through purpose, values, and mission is the first step to turning chaos into order
- Why it is necessary to establish the right team in your company to turn your vision into reality
- Why a consistent and regular meeting rhythm can help you more effectively plan your business strategy and execute on your plan
- Why dedicated business leaders can double or triple their revenue in just 18-24 months as long as they take the right steps to get their organizations focused
Resources:
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Eric Sprague and his business partner, Larry Wilberton, were college roommates. For 13 years they successfully ran and later sold a seven-figure per year water damage restoration business. Upon the sale of that business, Eric and Larry went to work on their passion project: MorningTechMeeting.com. The website is a monthly membership of daily video training devoted to teaching blue-collar service technicians the soft skills to create better client experiences. Eric is known as the “Tech Whisperer” for his down to earth style which helps him connect with service technicians in a way that they are comfortable with. Eric also coaches blue-collar service business owners and managers to help them build better systems and process flows.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Eric and Larry went into business together, and how they grew the business they founded in 2008 to seven figures
- How following a marketing plan to the letter without deviating from the plan was the key to Eric and Larry’s explosive growth
- Why finding the right coaches to teach Eric and Larry the skills they needed was vital for their success
- Why hiring and staffing with the right people was one of the major obstacles Eric and Larry ran into on their journey to seven figures
- What important time-saving improvements, cultural changes, and processes Eric and Larry implemented that made a huge difference in their business
- How canceling their daily morning meeting for three weeks caused morale to plummet and caused the employees to mutiny
- Why soft skills are the best way to build a powerful company reputation, and why Eric and Larry moved into teaching those skills to their employees
- Why training their employees in soft skills and how to effectively communicate with customers was the key to scaling the business
- Why relationship-building with their team helped Eric and Larry become better, more effective leaders
- How Eric and Larry’s current business, Morning Tech Meeting, helps business owners outsource their morning meetings
- How to find Eric and Larry’s podcast, Blue Collar Nation, and what topics the podcast series covers
Resources:
- Website: www.morningtechmeeting.com
- Email: larry@morningtechmeeting.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/morningtechmeeting/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/eric.sprague.50
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/larry.wilberton
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/morning-tech-meeting/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eric-sprague-55b16522/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/larry-wilberton-42b13116/
As the CEO (Chief Excitement Officer) of Sparks of Hope & Certified Fearless Living Coach, Sha Sparks empowers women to peel away the layers of their own negative inner dialogue, limiting beliefs, and fear that stems from verbal abuse and loss, which prevents them from living the life they want.
As a Fearless Communicator, she is passionately impacting audiences across the country in a positive manner that empowers a spark of excitement for them to take action out of their comfort zone towards their goals.
When working with Sha, you will experience a higher level of confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love giving you permission to step out of your comfort zone and fully participate in life.
Her motto is when we share our own lessons learned of overcoming obstacles, we ignite a tiny spark of hope, love, connection, and community in other people. And when we ignite that spark, the whole world lights up.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why Sha was destined to become an entrepreneur after being raised in a family of entrepreneurs
- Why communication skills are the cornerstone of Sha’s work, and how Sha learned to turn trauma into treasure
- How Sha defines stress versus trauma, and why it is important to recognize trauma and the fear it causes
- How holding on to traumas, even old traumas from childhood, can have a negative impact on business success
- Why communicating around trauma is important to overcoming it, and how mindset can have a dramatic part to play in working through trauma
- What first steps Sha believes people can take to recognize, communicate, and work through their past trauma
- Why journaling can be a powerful tool to help you move forward through trauma and help you organize your thoughts and recognize your patterns
- How to reach out to Sha and see if she is the right coach for you, and what qualities Sha recommends you look for in a coach
- Why it is important to have connections to others who are going through similar challenges as business leaders
- Why transparency and vulnerability are important qualities to have as a leader, and how they help to instill trust from your staff and even your customers
Resources:
- Website: www.shasparks.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sha-sparks-8a120b50/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamshasparks
Fear is a forgotten and overlooked Superpower, the gatekeeper of everything we want is on
the other side of this feeling. Meet Brian Muka, the Fear Sherpa himself, former US Navy
Special Operations Officer, Bomb Technician, published author of Your Secret Superpower,
Tame Fear to Thrive. He has written the book on how to harness fear and make it work for them, instead of against them.
Having to face his fears on a daily basis when he was a Navy special operations officer, Muka says, “Overcoming fear is a tremendous waste of a potent fuel.” In his new role as a performance coach and speaker, he doesn’t teach or recommend simply overcoming fear. “I inspire others to harness fear by commanding it and its minions: stress, worry, doubt, shame, guilt, procrastination, regret, workaholism and perfectionism.”
Muka teaches his clients how to dance with courage. “It’s what’s on the other side of what
feels difficult where our next breakthrough lives, and it is where our best life is waiting for us to leap towards it,” he explains. Brian employs nutrition, mindfulness when it matters most, and teaches his clients: 1. breathe, 2. smile and 3. gratitude as a powerful reminder of how to be at our best when it matters most.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Brian began thinking about how to transform fear during his time in the Navy, and how he got his unique title of the Fear Sherpa
- How Brian’s unusual background helped him learn to reframe fear or anger and replace them with gratitude
- Why Brian takes a systematic approach to his work and helping his clients overcome their fears
- What common fears many seven-figure business owners have to face, and why “imposter syndrome” is a major hurdle many must cross
- Why fear of the unknown isn’t the problem, and why the problem is the fear of leaving the known
- How the lessons in fear Brian learned in his military career translate to the kinds of fear entrepreneurs face
- Why the longer you procrastinate and avoid facing the thing you fear, the more the fear grows exponentially
- Brian shares a profound quote from American author Marianne Williamson that addresses our fear in our own power
- How to connect with and work with Brian or to learn more about his coaching work, his book, or his teaching
Quote:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
–Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Resources:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brianmuka/
- Website: www.fearsherpa.com
- Your Secret Superpower by Brian Muka: https://amzn.to/2sIp8U8
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/brian.muka
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Brett ran a full-day event for six entrepreneurs to help them get clarity in their personal lives, their businesses, and their leadership teams before their annual planning
- Why you should conduct personal offsites on a quarterly basis at minimum, just as you should be doing for your leadership team
- Why it is easy to get stuck in a “treading water” mode and in a habit of responding to everything, and why a personal offsite with minimal distractions and technology is the key to breaking out
- Why the first, most important step in a successful personal offsite is dumping all the mental clutter from your brain by spending time writing it all down
- Why you should journal positive thoughts and gratitude after you have dumped your mental clutter, and how it helps you get into the right mindset
- What steps to take to create a “wheel of life” to grade yourself in each of the areas of your life that matter to you, and how it helps you identify areas where your life is out of balance
- What other activities you can do to help you better achieve personal clarity and identify the things that are important to you
- How to get clarity in your company, whether your team is fully engaged in the company’s vision and values, and what adjustments can be made to improve the company’s overall health
- How to evaluate the health of your leadership team and identify the steps you can take to strengthen your leadership team, both individually and as a team
- What Brett’s “fire and rehire” tool is and how it can help you identify whether you have the right people in the right seats on your leadership team
Resources:
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Craig Cody is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Tax Coach™, business owner and the host of The Progressive Dentist Podcast. Prior to his current work, Craig spent seventeen years with the NYPD, where he retired as a Lieutenant in September 2000. Craig is an expert in helping his clients legally reduce their tax liabilities and keep more of their money. Through his podcast, Craig helps dentists grow their practices through smart financial decisions and through financial education of the kind that isn’t offered in dental school.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why it is crucial to take the time to think about ways your business can save money, and why monthly check-ins with your CPA can help you identify opportunities
- What low-hanging fruit business owners can pursue to get back more of what they make, and why the type of business entity your company falls under matters
- What tax breaks, write offs and opportunities business owners should speak with their CPAs about taking advantage of
- Why planning for your taxes should be a year-round process and not something you start thinking about when it’s time to file
- How to connect with Craig Cody and get a free copy of his book The 10 Biggest Tax Mistakes that Cost Business Owners Thousands
- Why using the home athletic facility deduction to write off a swimming pool and having the owners hire their kids are two of Craig’s favorite ways to save money for his clients
- Why hiring a great CPA should be viewed as an income source rather than as a financial expense due to the return on investment
- Why having the right retirement plan for exiting from your business is a critical step you should be thinking about now
- How a few tweaks to one of Craig’s client’s taxes saved the client more than $450,000 in one year
Resources:
- Website: www.theprogressivedentist.com
- Website: https://craigcodyandcompany.com/eliteentrepreneurs/
- Email: craig@ccodycpa.com
- Twitter: @CraigC2742
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcodycpa
- Secrets of a Tax Free Life co-authored by Craig Cody: https://amzn.to/2DU1eYd
- The 12 Biggest Tax Mistakes that Cost Dentists Thousands by Craig Cody: https://amzn.to/2DIjnYL
Melanie Churella Johnson is a distinguished twelve-time bestselling author and recognized publishing and marketing expert. She is also a single mom of two, a previous Miss Michigan and first runner-up to Miss America.
Before founding Elite Online Publishing, Melanie owned and operated two independent TV stations in Houston and Dallas. She’s also been a News Anchor, Producer, and Financial Strategist and worked in Public Relations, Promotions, TV Ad Sales and Programming Negotiations. Melanie is the mother of two wonderful boys, loves gardening, and of course, reading a good book.
For more information and to find Melanie’s books, visit her page on Amazon.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Melanie initially got started in media through owning television stations, and why she decided to begin Elite Online Publishing
- How Elite Online Publishing has published over 2500 books under their imprint, working with more than 85 authors and holding a 100% track record of Amazon bestsellers
- Why writing a book is a powerful way to market yourself and your business, and how doing it correctly puts Amazon’s tools to work for you
- How Elite Online Publishing helps authors repurpose existing content to make writing a book quicker and easier
- What steps Melanie recommends for anyone who wants to get started in online publishing but isn’t sure how
- Why the Amazon Author Page is an incredible, flexible and underutilized self-marketing tool
- What tips, tricks, and tools Melanie recommends for people who are better at verbal skills than at writing, or for people who think they don’t have time to write a book
- Why putting a call-to-action in both the beginning and end of your book is a smart and effective tactic
- Who can make the best use of ghostwriters, and why it is important to find a ghostwriter who can mirror your unique voice
- Why the right publisher can make the process of writing and publishing a book easy and effective
Resources:
- Website: https://eliteonlinepublishing.com
- Melanie Johnson’s Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/35AEW9z
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melaniejohnson-eop/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/eliteonlinepublishing/
Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator and dealmaker with more than 30 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience as a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author and professional speaker. He is the founder and principal of Kupfer & Associates, PLLC, a leading corporate and deal law firm; the founder and CEO of Authentic Enterprises, LLC, a speaking, training and consulting company committed to inspiring authenticity in business; the author of the Amazon best-selling book Authentic Negotiating: Clarity, Detachment & Equilibrium – The Three Keys To True Negotiating Success & How To Achieve Them. He is also the creator and host of the Fueling Deals Podcast.
You can learn more about Corey, his companies and current projects at www.coreykupfer.com.
What the podcast will teach you:
- What businesses Corey owns, specializing in helping businesses grow through inorganic growth through deals
- Why Corey considers himself an entrepreneur first and an attorney second, and how his career journey led him to own several businesses and help other entrepreneurs
- What struggles Corey experienced when trying to grow his own businesses and how he overcame those struggles, and what advice he has around beginning a partnership
- How Corey makes difficult growth decisions in his business, and how he determines his priorities
- Why Corey believes that sometimes it is necessary to take risks in your business, and why having faith in what you do is important
- How economic struggles after the September 11th terrorist attacks created significant hardship for Corey’s business, and how he survived the challenge
- How Corey defines “organic growth” and “inorganic growth”, and why people often have the misconception that deals are only for big corporations
- Corey offers examples of the unexpected types of deals that can benefit businesses of any size and market
- What strategies Corey has to offer for $1 million+ business owners who are considering doing deals
- Why clarity on your objectives, detachment from emotional baggage, and equilibrium in the negotiations are the keys to a successful deal
Resources:
- Website: www.coreykupfer.com
- Fueling Deals podcast: www.FuelingDeals.com
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why the planning process often causes business owners to feel “frazzled”, causes them to “shoot from the hip”, makes them feel like the “blind leading the blind” or that they’re “winging it” or “hanging on by a thread”
- Why you should read Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, and what insights the book offers
- How Greg McKeown defines an “essentialist” versus a “non-essentialist”, and why the difference matters
- Why many business owners who have hit $1 million in revenue and reached new growth challenges struggle to focus more on the strategic progress side of their business and focus too heavily on the operational excellence side
- Why focusing on too many tasks and goals at once can divide your resources too thinly, while focusing on the essentials can allow you to achieve more with your resources
- How to determine whether the goals and tasks you think are a priority for yourself really are, and how breaking your time habits can help further your goals
- How to avoid disconnects between what you say are priorities for your business and where you invest your money
- Why it is important to surround yourself with the right people on your team who share your focus and priorities
- Why now is the time to begin planning for 2020, starting with a strategy session with key members of your team
- Why clarity and intentionality are the keys to leading your team and managing your business effectively
Resources:
- Website: www.gregmckeown.com
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown: https://amzn.to/2OrTW2s
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Lee Caraher is the founder and CEO of highly sought after communications firm Double Forte, known for producing great results with its innovative approach to traditional, digital and experiential programs. She has a long history of leading high-performing, multi-generational teams that enjoy working together. Lee is a champion for creating a positive workplace culture that fully supports its talent, even when they choose to move on. She takes the long view to support employees building their own personal brands that balance loyalties to themselves and their employers. Lee believes that companies able to inspire lifetime loyalty from employees — currently or formerly employed — are the companies that are best suited to thrive. She has long recognized that people will leave employers and understands the real problems this causes for companies.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Lee’s career journey led to founding and leading coast-to-coast communications firm Double Forte, now 17 years old and thriving
- How and why Lee made the challenging transition from working for a major company to founding her own business
- What challenges Lee faced when she reached seven-figure revenue, and how she navigated those common challenges
- Why Lee’s business deeply cut into their expenses, slimmed down, and altered their business model to survive the 2008 recession and a loss of talent
- How Lee dealt with difficult staffing situations and a long period of losing new hires and being understaffed
- Why Lee struggled to understand her new Millennial team members, and how she learned to adapt her hiring and communication strategies as a result
- Why the ongoing staffing issues were exacting a high cost on the business despite ongoing growth
- Why Lee focuses on personal growth and on building and nurturing the right culture for her business
- Why investing in the people within your company can help propel your organization’s growth and success
Resources:
- Website: www.leecaraher.com
- Website: www.double-forte.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leecaraher/
- Millennials & Management by Lee Caraher: https://amzn.to/2pKUzvZ
- The Boomerang Principle by Lee Caraher: https://amzn.to/2WUvlHB
Meny Hoffman is the CEO of Ptex Group, an award-winning branding, marketing and business services agency headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. As a lifelong entrepreneur passionate about creating winning strategies that help growing businesses flourish, Meny has been successfully helping private label product brands grow and thrive since 2001, some of which have reached over 8 figures in sales. He is the founder of the Let’s Talk Business (LTB) platform, a movement to provide entrepreneurs with powerful tools needed to learn, grow and lead. Meny is a popular speaker who shares his strategies at regional corporations and conferences. He is a proud husband and lucky father of seven. To learn more, visit www.menyhoffman.com.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why it is important to transition from an entrepreneur to a business leader to further the growth of your business
- Why Meny found it particularly challenging to relinquish control of aspects of his business through delegating work to others
- Why even growing businesses need to be prepared to scale their strategies with their growth or risk failure
- What activities and practices Meny follows that allow him and his team to continue to grow with their business
- How Meny coaches and helps develop leaders within his organization, and how he structures his weekly activities
- Why Meny considers himself to be the Chief Culture Officer at Ptex Group, and why culture is such a key focus of his work
- How Meny defines a great culture, and how he brings the members of his team into alignment on their core values
- What practical benefits a company can expect from dedicating time and energy to culture work
Resources:
- Website: www.ptexgroup.com
- Website: www.ptexgroup.com/podcast
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/menyhoffman/
Chris Prefontaine is the best-selling author of Real Estate on Your Terms: Create Continuous Cash Flow Now, Without Using Your Cash or Credit. He’s also the founder of SmartRealEstateCoach.com and the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast.
Chris has been in real estate for over 25 years. His experience includes the construction of over 100 single-family and duplex homes (mostly in the 1990s and selectively to date), has owned a Realty Executives Franchise (Massachusetts 1994-2000) as broker/owner which maintained high per-agent standards and eventually sold to Coldwell Banker in 2000. The 2000s included coaching ½ million and higher REALTORs® in order to scale & automate their business throughout the US and Canada. He also participated (and still does selectively) in doing condo conversions (multi-family homes to condos) and “raise the roof” projects (converting single-family ranches to colonials in growth neighborhoods).
Chris has been a big advocate of constant education and participates regularly in high-end mastermind groups, as well as consults with private mentors. He runs his own buying and selling businesses with his family team, which buys 2-5 properties monthly, so they’re in the trenches every single week. They also help clients do the same thing around the country.
Chris and his family team have done over 80 million in real estate transactions. They mentor, coach, consult, and actually partner with students around the country (by application only) to do exactly what they do.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How the 2008 real estate market crash impacted Chris and his family real estate business, and how he moved into coaching after the crash
- What challenges Chris had to address once his business hit the million-dollar revenue mark, and how he made the transition from solo entrepreneur to CEO
- What practical steps Chris took to stop micromanaging his business, and why establishing a great meeting rhythm was a key change
- Why involving the entire team in establishing the company’s Purpose, Values and Mission was a transformative experience
- How establishing a Values system for the Smart Real Estate Coach business positively impacted not just the internal team but Chris’s real estate students as well
- Why having shared Values has helped Chris and his team make positive decisions for the business in alignment with their goals
- Why a regular meeting rhythm helped to create clarity, establish priorities, and eliminate micromanagement
- How Chris was previously the majority of his businesses’ value, and how both businesses increased in value after Chris worked to make them stand on their own
- Why creating systems and processes for hiring and onboarding new employees was a vital step to scaling the business
- What books Chris recommends and found the most helpful when learning to scale his business
Resources:
- Website: www.SmartRealEstateCoach.com
- Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute: https://amzn.to/35TpBSx
- The Outward Mindset by the Arbinger Institute: https://amzn.to/2pLx19I
- Multipliers by Liz Wiseman: https://amzn.to/31GevwX
Bill Harney is the CEO at Keeping Current Matters, a fast-growing educational content provider that’s changing the way real estate advisors educate and serve their clients. After taking over for his father in 2014, he’s led the team at KCM as it scaled from a small 5-person firm in a garage, to a 22-person team of aligned rock stars, all while growing revenue 600% in 5 years. Under his watch, KCM has been on the Inc. 5000 list the last two years, recognized as a 3-time Top 30 Great Small Workplace in America, and one of the Best and Brightest workplaces in the country. Today, Bill leads the strategic direction at KCM and works with his senior leaders to not only scale the business at KCM, but more importantly scale the talent-magnet-culture as well.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Keeping Current Matters has experienced 600% growth over the period of five and a half years that Bill has been in charge
- Why Bill’s father founded the company in 2006 in anticipation of a likely real estate market collapse (which did take place in 2008)
- How Bill and the early team at Keeping Current Matters established their strong Purpose, Values and Mission, and why consistency and intentionality were key
- What Keeping Current Matters’s six Core Values are, why those particular Values were chosen, and how they help to steer the company towards its success
- What culture awards and recognitions Keeping Current Matters has received in honor of their stellar culture and great work environment
- Why Bill believes every business should apply for a Great Place to Work certification, and what companies can learn about themselves from the process
- How the organization’s Purpose, Values and Mission have changed the way they conduct their hiring and onboarding processes
- How applicants are interviewed by multiple team members who are hiring for a Values fit, and what strong onboarding tools the team uses to bring new employees in
- How the onboarding process at Keeping Current Matters allows new team members the tools, resources and relationships they need to succeed from day one
- Why Bill’s team has developed a unique process of offering a month’s pay as a “bribe to quit” at the end of a new employee’s two-week evaluation period
Resources:
- Website: www.keepingcurrentmatters.com
- Website: www.greatplacetowork.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/billharney/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/keepingcurrentmatters/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kcmcrew/
Morty Hodge is the Founder and CEO of Atlanta Compressor, a company that sells, installs and services industrial-sized compressed-air systems. Morty started his business in 2010 in Atlanta and has since become a true expert in growing his business to the next level, opening new locations in Nashville (Nashville Compressor), Charlotte (Charlotte Compressor), and, most recently in Detroit (Detroit Compressor). Morty’s company consists of nearly thirty team members across all four locations, and by the end of the year, Morty anticipates that his business will do more than $6 million in revenue.
What the podcast will teach you:
- How Morty moved beyond the early “caveman-era” of his business after reaching the multi-year plateau of $1 million in revenue
- Why Morty himself became the bottleneck of his business, and why he realized that having everything filter through him was holding the company back
- Why his brother-in-law’s suggestion that Morty read “The E-Myth” by Michael E. Gerber changed his outlook on leadership
- What steps Morty took to stop micromanaging the business, hire the right team members, and grow his revenue beyond the $1 million plateau
- Why setting and adhering to a company Vision was a critical step, and how Morty brought in the entire team to develop that Vision
- Why “providing peace of mind” has been a unifying purpose for Morty and his team, and how they reflect that Purpose every day
- Why defining their Purpose, Values, and Mission, setting clear goals, and hiring “talent rockstars” helped the company break through the $1 million revenue ceiling
- Why the company’s Vision and culture allowed Morty and his team to attract top industry talent
- Why leadership development was a key component allowing the company to grow to the next level
- Why the business created a company Audible account to give everyone in the company an opportunity to access personal growth resources
Resources:
- Website: www.atlantaaircompressor.com
- Website: www.nashvillecompressor.com
- Website: www.charlottecompressor.com
- Website: www.detroitcompressor.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mortyhodge
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber: https://amzn.to/2pn1rin
- Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://amzn.to/2IPC3bN
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why six-figure strategies won’t work for seven-figure companies
- The need for a Vision for your business, especially once you make your first million
- Delegating tasks so you aren’t wearing a hundred hats as you try to grow your business
- What other business owners and thought leaders have done to grow their companies from $1 million to $10 million or more
- The path to navigate the challenges that come with expanding your business beyond the seven-figure mark
Resources:
- Jim Collins author page on Amazon – https://amzn.to/2ne0DeX
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek on Amazon – https://amzn.to/2njn0Qk
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/
Stephen Woessner is the Founder and CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast, a top-rated podcast for learning how business owners think, act, and achieve success. Onward Nation is listened to in more than 120 countries around the world. He is the author of three bestselling books including the Amazon #1 Bestseller Profitable Podcasting. He is also a speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Stephen shares his background, history and experience that led him to be an entrepreneur and to his current role as the CEO of Predictive ROI
- How the Onward Nation podcast grew over the course of more than four years and almost 1000 episodes, and how it is now listened to in more than 120 countries
- How, at the age of 8, Stephen’s grandfather was forced to become the man of the house, and how that sparked his family’s tradition of entrepreneurship
- How Predictive ROI recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and how Predictive overcame the challenges of reaching plateaus at $100k, $300k, and $1M+ in revenue
- How having a roadmap for future growth challenges helps Stephen plan ahead to navigate those challenges and identify resources to overcome them
- Stephen shares one of the true low points he and his partner encountered when they lost one of their largest clients, and why it led to a change in their business model
- What advice Stephen would offer business leaders whose businesses rely too much on a few big clients or who have reached a revenue plateau
- What more recent challenges Stephen’s business has faced now that they’ve crossed $1M in revenue, and why growing a business is never painless
- Why hiring more people often creates short-term pain points for the business and increased complexity
Resources:
- Website: www.PredictiveROI.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
- Onward Nation Podcast: https://predictiveroi.com/onward-nation-podcast/
Clate Mask loves building small businesses. He went to law school and business school, but he couldn’t get excited about going to work for a big consulting or law firm. Small business growth is what he loves. He gets to do that every day at Keap, helping his business grow by helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs grow their businesses using their small business CRM and sales software.
What the podcast will teach you:
- The Infusionsoft/Keap origin story
- The long, difficult journey of becoming an entrepreneur and Clate’s “keep going” story
- Why there are observable growth patterns in various small businesses across industries
- The definition of “small business” and the different stages of their growth
- The biggest hurdle/key success factor to grow to the next stage
Resources:
- If you want a pdf copy of the Stages of Small Business Growth, you can get it here: https://growwithelite.com/stages-of-small-business-growth/
- Website: https://keap.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keap/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/infusionsoft
Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.
One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.
What the podcast will teach you:
- Why six-figure strategies won’t work for seven-figure companies
- The need for a vision for your business, especially once you make your first million
- Delegating tasks so you aren’t wearing a hundred hats as you try to grow your business
- What other business owners and thought leaders have done to grow their companies from $1 million to $10 million or more
- The path to navigate the challenges that come with expanding your business beyond the seven-figure mark
Resources:
- Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
- Website: https://growwithelite.com/