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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

4o

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.

💡 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4o

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

In this episode, we dive deep into Pete’s strategic approach to overcoming the challenge of building trust and standing out in a crowded marketplace, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.

Pete shares personal anecdotes, including how the sale of his consulting firm to KPMG shaped his entrepreneurial journey and his perspective on team building and leadership.

Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring content. Connect with Pete Martin via LinkedIn at Pete G. Martin and learn more about his journey at scaleupfaster.com.

In this episode of the Seven Figure Journey podcast, we sit down with Dave Conelias, founder of Milestone C, to explore his entrepreneurial journey from aerospace engineer to building a successful education technology company. Dave shares how he turned a passion for teaching kids about drones into a seven-figure business that equips schools with cutting-edge technology. He dives into the challenges he faced, including long sales cycles and competition from tech giants like Google, and offers valuable strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Tune in to learn Dave’s insights on market adaptation, team building, and staying resilient in a fast-evolving industry.

In this episode, we dive deep into Marie Greene’s strategic approach to overcoming business process inefficiencies, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.

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.

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.

In this episode, we dive deep into Yash Chavan’s strategic approach to overcoming delegation challenges, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode, we dive deep into Marina’s strategic approach to overcoming barriers in digital marketing, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies.

In this episode, we dive deep into Marcus Fauth’s strategic approach to overcoming workforce challenges, highlighting innovative solutions and key business strategies. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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

What the podcast will teach you:

●       The definition and importance of company culture

●       Benefits of a strong company culture

●       Building a strong company culture

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

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

What the podcast will teach you:

-         What Branding is and how it differs from branding.

-         What happens when the brand promise is broken.

-         The four thing the most valuable brands in the world do.

Resources:

https://growwithelite.com/

https://8hourbrand.com/

https://debgabor.com/

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

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

What the podcast will teach you:

-         How clarity about your purpose, values, and mission helps accelerate business growth.

-         The benefit of having clear, measurable responsibilities for every role in the business.

-         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/

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

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

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/ 

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/

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

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.

> 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/

What the podcast will teach you:

• How strategic hiring helps with the transition from integrator to visionary.
• Using the Predictive Index to make great hires.
• Hiring for a good culture fit.
• Getting your team set up culturally.
• Why the hustler has to die for the CEO to live.

Resources:

• https://residentialassistedlivingacademy.com/
• https://theyoungbosspodcast.com/

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/

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/

> 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/

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/

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.

●       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!

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/

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 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/

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/

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:

o   www.insightslab.ai/

o   https://beyond8figures.com/

·        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/

·        Facebook:

o   https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/

o   https://www.facebook.com/beyond8figures/

·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyond8figures/

Additional Resources:

·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com

·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

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

·        In 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

·        In what ways can you use automation to manage your sales team

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/

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:

Resources:

Additional Resources:

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 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:

Resources:

Additional Resources:

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/

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/

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/

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: linkedin.com/in/joshphegan
• Facebook: facebook.com/joshphegancoach
• Twitter: @joshphegan

Additional Resources:

• Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
• Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
• Website: https://growwithelite.com

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 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/

What You Will Learn:

v Why the global pandemic has created stress, exhaustion, and overwhelm for business owners of all kinds.

v Why it’s crucial to put your oxygen mask on before you assist anyone else, and why taking care of yourself is a crucial part of being an effective leader.

v What to do when feeling overwhelmed at work, and how the “Five Ds” (Dump, Delete, Delegate, Defer, Do) can help

v Why the abstract, information-overload nature of our modern life can add to our feelings of overwhelm

v How the abstract problems we must deal with begin to stack up and fill our subconscious, causing energy drain and overwhelm

v Why dumping everything in your head out and writing it down can help reduce your stress and overwhelm

v Why deleting unnecessary tasks that aren’t critical to the success of your business can free bandwidth for the things that do matter

v Why delegating things to other people can help relieve your burden and allow you to refocus

v Why deferring the things that can put off safely and that aren’t significant priorities can help shorten your to-do list

v Why the last step is to deal with the things you need to do that will further your progress.

About Brett Gilliland:

Brett Gilliland is the Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company specializing 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 ten 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 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 developing Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and serving as the VP of Leadership Development when deciding 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 eight children.

Resources:

Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health

Email: info@GrowWithElite.com

Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:

v 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

v How raising $10 million in capital allowed Jared and the Parqa Marketing team to fund the growth of the business to $25 million and beyond

v How Setting the Vision, Building the Team, and Securing Fuel for Growth has been instrumental in overcoming the common seven-figure challenges Parqa has faced?

v 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

v Why do Jared and his leadership team have quarterly offsite meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page?

v Why eliminating staff turnover has been instrumental in allowing Parqa Marketing to continue to scale, and why Culture is crucial for growth

v 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/

"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 did well on those in-person consults. Other times, I was off my game. Maybe there was traffic 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 with lives, time, and money freedom) is this secret: ONLY systems grant you the ability to successfully sell on your life's worst day! You cannot rely on your emotion or whether the stars aligned during the conversation. You cannot guess 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 to lead a client conversation from when they contact you until they write the check. DELIVERING THAT SYSTEM IS WHAT YES EXPRESS IS ALL ABOUT."

What You Will Learn:

v What common growth problems do entrepreneurs Joshua works with typically run into, and how growing your leadership skills and mindset is the key to overcoming those challenges

v Why Joshua believes sales is about communicating from your client's perspective, and why he focuses his work exclusively on the outdoor living and landscaping industries

v 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

v 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

v Why transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability can be a superpower that can unleash your potential as a leader

v 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

v Why does letting your team make big swings, even if they sometimes miss, crucial for giving them the space to solve problems and grow in their roles?

v 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?"

v 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/

What You Will Learn:

·        Why do 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 should you 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 that 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 “leader” 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 the Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company specializing in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett, an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy, spent ten 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 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 developing Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and serving as the VP of Leadership Development when deciding to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else 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 eight 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/

·        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 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 in 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 time, you may find her in Corpus Christi, TX, with her grandchildren or in Arizona camping, hiking, and being outdoors just about anywhere, and with her husband, Ken, and their beloved four-legged companions, Sherlock and Watson, by her side.

Resources:

·        Websites:

o  https://lyndabishop.com/

o  https://nawbo.org/

o  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/

●     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/

●     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/

What You Will Learn:

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:

Additional Resources:

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:

Building The Team episodes:

Secure Fuel For Growth episodes:

Amazing Quotes From Guests episodes:

Four Key Insights episodes:

Awesome Entrepreneurs episodes:

Elite Business Growth Episode Miniseries episodes:

Additional Resources:

●     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 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/

• 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/

·        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/

·        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/

·        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/

·        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/

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:

Additional Resources:

·        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

·        Lisa’s 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.

·        Lisa’s important growth lessons learned during their rapid expansion and how she 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 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 has changed its 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’s commercial cleaning business.

Today, I’m the CEO of Australia’s fastest-growing commercial cleaning business, leading 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 aligns with that. We have a company culture that most other companies can only dream about, and we do many cool things with technology for our clients.

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 about giving our clients

Along the way, there have been some amazing, WOW moments:

First woman (and first company outside the US) to win the Ultimate Marketer/Small Business ICON Award in the US

She won the Australian Super/BSCAA Winner of Innovation Through People Award.

Then named one of America’s Premier Experts and appeared on the Brian Tracy Show on CBS, NBC & FOX Affiliates in the US, 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 the US, Australia, and NZ as a sales and marketing, and cleaning industry expert

Featured in the media by (almost) every major Australian news outlet as a 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 managed for 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 did they experience at the seven-figure mark, and how D2DInc make 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 does Molly have 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). It is 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 through 2017. D2DInc was ranked #32 on the Women Presidents Organization’s list of Fastest Growing Women-Owned Companies in 2016. Molly has been a National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) member 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 serves on the Board of the Women in Business Initiative for George Mason University. Molly was named 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 Master of Science in Contract & Acquisition Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Bachelor 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/

·        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 the Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company specializing in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $ 10M and beyond. Brett, an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy, spent ten 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 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 developing Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and serving as the VP of Leadership Development when deciding 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 eight children.

Additional Resources:

·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health

·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com

·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

●     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/

●     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/

●     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/

• 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/

·        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/

·        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/

·        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/

About CaseWhat 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/

y 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:

Additional Resources:

v 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

v 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

v 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

v What key lessons Tim learned about leaving behind the entrepreneurial mindset and what makes an effective CEO

v 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

v How Tim dealt with his imposter syndrome and learned why coaching his team members was vital for the growth of the organization

v How Tim helps other members of his team make the same important realizations about delegation and leading that he learned

v What strategies does Tim employ to keep growing in his role as a leader, and how does he identify areas he wants to focus on in his growth

v 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 increase their website rankings, traffic, and profit. Tim has worked 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 private seminars and workshops.

When he’s not Ninja-ing, Tim tries 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/

●     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 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 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/

·        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/

v Why process is crucial for helping business owners train others to take responsibility and strengthen the business

v Why it is important to learn how to “lead leaders” and distance yourself from the work that needs to be done

v Why the first step is taking stock of all the roles and responsibilities in your business and then determining what you want to delegate

v 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

v 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

v Why a task that begins to feel tedious or monotonous is the perfect task to turn into an automated process

v Why automation isn’t about removing personal connections or dehumanizing your business but is about freeing up time and ensuring consistency

v How to avoid “freak out moments” by ensuring that every responsibility in your business has an owner and a backup owner

v Why implementing processes takes time and is in itself an ongoing process, and why you should set aside time to document your knowledge

v 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 helping businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in a simple system. Chris is a 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 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/

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:

Additional Resources:

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:

Additional Resources:

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:

Resources:

Additional Resources:

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:

Resources:

Additional Resources:

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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

• Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health
• Email: info@GrowWithElite.com
• Website: https://growwithelite.com/

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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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®.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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:

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What the podcast will teach you:

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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!

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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.

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One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum 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 eight 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 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

SEO Meta Desc:

Ed Molitor, the CEO of the Molitor Group, stresses the importance of honesty, integrity, and vulnerability in helping leaders navigate crises effectively.

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 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/

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/

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

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/

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/

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

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:

Resources:

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