The Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast

Mike Simmons successfully grew his business to a million in revenue then got stuck. Profits suffered as employee churn increased. Then he and his partner had a breakthrough. They immediately pivoted and found the success they were seeking. He has now grown several successful businesses using some of the key lessons learned at that time.  Join Mike Simmons and Brett Gilliland on this interview to learn some of the secrets to growth past the million dollar ceiling.  For more insights from Mike Simmons visit https://www.mikesimmons.com/ To implement what you learned here with Elite visit https://growwithelite.com/elite_ignition/

Anita Grantham is a mission-driven culture champion that is passionate about building teams that inspire people to do the best work of their life. As a ​people- and culture-focused executive with experience in a variety of industries including technology, cloud-based marketing, construction/real estate, education, and customer experience, Anita has developed talent from multiple angles and has helped business leaders thrive in competitive environments. Anita spent the last five years as Chief People Officer of Pluralsight, Inc, the leading technology workforce development company that helps companies and people around the world transform with technology. In her time there, Anita and team helped Pluralsight be recognized for awards such as 2020 Fortune Best Companies to Work For, Ranked number 10 on Fortune's Best Workplaces in Technology 2020 list, 2020 Best Workplaces for Millennials by Great Place to Work and Fortune, ranking number 11 in 2020 for Utah's fastest-growing companies for the seventh consecutive year. Anita was also honored with the For All Leadership Award by Great Place to Work. When Anita is not working on Pluralsight's culture or advising others on talent management, she is focused on building a winning culture at home with her husband, daughters, and dog. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why entrepreneurs forget why they started after hiring a team How to stop the breakdown of clarity in your business How to get clarity on your measurable outcomes for you and your employees What are the benefits of fractional executives How often should you check in and adjust your focus How many goals or tasks should you intend on accomplishing each day Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitakgran/ Additional Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

After a horrific car accident in 2005, Tyler was motivated to forge his own path in life and find a way to create wealth. Years later, Tyler owns two online lead generation companies generating eight figures in revenue annually. Tyler has been in the industry for over 15 years and has a wide range of experience. From sending millions of emails a day to running ads on Google, Facebook, and other display placements to owning/managing offers. Even though Tyler has admittedly an extremely limited technical skill set, he excels by developing strategy, creating relationships, uncovering opportunities, and building/managing teams that execute on his vision. Tyler also co-hosts a podcast called 7 Figure Entrepreneur. Between his own experience and that of other industry leaders that get interviewed, he takes his listeners behind the scenes of how to successfully build and grow a million-dollar online business. What You Will Learn in this episode: How Tyler has built a business that generated nearly 30 million Why you need to change your business operations every time your business doubles Why you shouldn't hire people that you like What is the skill vs will matrix What you should hire B type employees What is the downside of having a fully remote company How to foster a great work culture with a fully remote team When should you outsource work or bring in external talent Resources: Website: https://www.7figureentp.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSnW91tSrc5sB_krEUFQqg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7figureentp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7figureentp/ Additional Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

A.J. Lawrence has more than 25 years of professional experience across business strategy development, sales and marketing, recruitment, remote company development, and operations efficiency. He's spent most of his career working across industries like CPG, tech/SaaS, health & wellness, financial, travel & hospitality as an investor, founder, and consultant. His professional time is divided between his own projects and investing in other businesses. So far, he's invested in many different startups and is involved with several investment funds including TinySeed. A.J. is also an advisor to Private Equity and VC firms, runs a strategy company, Insights Lab, and hosts the Beyond 8 Figures podcast. What You Will Learn in this Episode: What did A.J. realize after exiting companies that he wish he would have done differently How A.J. built a million-dollar business within 6 months and exited shortly after Where to put more emphasis in your business to have sustainable growth How to be more intentional as your company is growing Why A.J. decided to get rid of a lot of the smart people when restructuring his company How to become better at handling the stress of your work Resources: Website: www.insightslab.ai/ https://beyond8figures.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/ https://www.facebook.com/beyond8figures/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyond8figures/ Additional Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Paul Sokol started selling dime store candy for 25 cents in middle school. After a gauntlet of college combined with direct sales & founding his first company, he dove headfirst into entrepreneurial business automation with Keap. This was in the summer of 2008. Since then, he has helped thousands of business owners & people leaders, written an authoritative book on sales & marketing automation, and personally sold nearly half a million dollars in services. What You Will Learn: What are some of the easiest and most common areas that business owners can automate How to nurture your customer relationships through email What ways can you automate your internal business processes and systems How to determine where you should begin implementing automation in your business Why is automation a good filter for growing your team What ways can you use automation to manage your sales team Resources: Website: www.bepro.events LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bepronow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeProNow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/beprotweets Additional Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

When your business is growing at a rapid pace, you may feel like you're barely hanging on. Although you're on the path to taking your company to the next level, you question if you have what it takes to get it there. In this solo episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, you'll learn strategies to help you reduce your self-doubt and become a better leader. Trying to find the time to develop your leadership skills can be frustrating when you're also trying to run a successful business, but the payoff is worth the effort. Learn how even a few minutes of leadership development work each day can make a dramatic difference in your relationships and your success as a business leader. What You Will Learn: What to do if you have self-doubt about your ability to lead How to remove any negative labels you've placed on yourself What statements help you rewrite the script in your head What 3 strategies can you implement to become a better leader Why you shouldn't expect to be the leader your business needs next year About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Eric Berman is currently founder/CEO of Brandetize, a full service, performance-based marketing agency that partners with esteemed thought leaders such as Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Phil Town, as well as consumer brands such as Heartmath, Terasana, Aptera, DaviSkin, The Good Feet Stores and more. Additionally, Eric has consulted for venture capitalists and successful companies at all levels including Club Med, Fenix Space, and Click For Lessons. Lastly, Eric Berman was one of the co-founders of CollegeClub.com, Inc., the largest and most visited college site on the Internet in the year 2000 (the first Facebook), wherefrom September 1993 until June 2000, Eric Berman helped the company raise $75 million, oversaw several acquisitions and helped manage the growth of employees from 3 to 400. Berman had served in a variety of positions there including Chief Operating Officer, VP Corporate Development, VP Business Development, and Director of Sales. Eric Berman received a B.A. in Quantitative Economics from the University of California San Diego in 1993. What You Will Learn: Practical ways to work yourself out of a job so you can grow your business. How to get the insights and ideas needed from your team to grow your business How to build and protect the culture to ensure success in the long run Resources: Website: https://www.brandetize.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandetize Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandetize Additional Resources: Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

During his 23 years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron Alvesteffer has helped the company leverage double-digit revenue growth year over year, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. Ron is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its company Vision of “helping employees achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.” This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success. As a result of its dedication to people, Service Express has been recognized in Inc.'s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies twelve years in a row. Service Express has also been recognized as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for ten consecutive years. Ron is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact. In his free time, you will find Ron cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Pittsburgh Steelers with his family by his side What You Will Learn: Do you have too many people to keep coordinated focused effort? What do fast-growth company leaders do to make it all work? How to not get sucked in the day-to-day whirlwind and take time to work ON the business while still helping your company succeed today. Learn the discipline that creates the freedom to grow your business…learn how Ron does it and how Elite teaches it. Resources: Website: https://serviceexpress.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/service-express-inc/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareserviceexpress/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronalvesteffer Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronalvesteffer Twitter: https://twitter.com/ServiceExpress Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Pete is a veteran in the education industry. Over the past 20 years, he has opened over 120 schools and acquired more than 25 others. His experience in education spans president and CEO roles of organizations in the private school, charter school, and early education industries. He also served as a public school board member in his local community for 5 years. Pete is currently the founder and CEO of Fusion Education Group. Launched in 2007, the company made five acquisitions in its first two years. The last acquisition in December 2008 was the original Fusion Academy campus. Within a few years, the company determined that Fusion's unique model and high growth potential made it a significant growth opportunity. Thus, the company sold off its non-Fusion schools to focus entirely on the national expansion of the Fusion Academy model. Today, there are more than 60 Fusion campuses in operation around the nation. In 2019, the company acquired Futures Academy, another one-to-one school model with 16 locations in the state of California. In 2020, the company launched Fusion Global Academy (FGA), a one-to-one virtual school that provides 100% live instruction in every class. FGA serves online students throughout the United States and internationally. Today, Fusion Education Group, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operates nearly 80 Fusion and Futures Academies across 16 states and the District of Columbia. All Fusion Academies, Futures Academies, and FGA provide completely individualized programs based on the needs of each student. Virtually all classes are taught in a one-to-one environment: one student, one teacher. All schools offer programs for 6-12 grade students. Ruppert started his career with Procter and Gamble. He entered the education industry when he was hired as president of National Heritage Academies (NHA) in May 1997. During his eight years as president of NHA, Ruppert led the expansion of the company from four schools to 51 schools across five states. In addition to his work, Pete is the author of “Limitless: Nive Steps to Launch Your One Extraordinary Life.” He also co-founded “Armed Forces Thanksgiving,” an annual celebration and education event that raises money for military veterans throughout West Michigan. Pete holds a BA in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children; three sons and a daughter and reside in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. What You Will Learn: How Pete's career path led to the education field, and why education became a 25-year passion that led to the creation of Fusion Education Group How Pete and his team achieved a careful balance between the educational aspect of their organization and the business side Why the current system of grouping students by age rather than ability isn't the best approach to meet students' needs, and how Pete is doing things differently Why finding and surrounding yourself with the right people and empowering them to do their best work is crucial for your success Why having access to extra capital through outside funding is an important leg up in growing your business, and why bootstrapping isn't always the best solution Why scaling your business requires “giving up” authority, responsibility, and control over the day to day operations so that you can focus on long term strategy What strategies and processes Pete uses to hire, develop and nurture key leaders within his organization How to learn to avoid micromanaging your team and instead trust them to do the job the right way while still offering support, communication, and feedback Why a regular meeting cadence is key to ensuring that everyone on the team is moving in the same direction How studying other successful people helped Pete determine the nine “traits of a champion”, and how that list became the backbone of his book “Limitless” Resources: Website: https://peteruppert.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ruppert-986744a LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-education-group Facebook: www.facebook.com/fusionacademy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/petergruppert Twitter: https://twitter.com/fusionacademy Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Loren Feldman is editor-in-chief and founder of 21 Hats, a platform for business owners, where he edits a daily newsletter for entrepreneurs and hosts the 21 Hats podcast. He has also co-hosted a call-in show for business owners, Mind Your Business, on Sirius XM. Previously, he was a senior editor at Forbes, where he created the Forbes Small Giants franchise and was responsible for entrepreneurial coverage in print and online. Before that, he was small-business editor of The New York Times, where he started the You're the Boss small-business blog. He has also been editor of the Web sites at both Inc. and FastCompany. Before going digital, he was a top editor and writer for print magazines such as Inc., Philadelphia, Manhattan, inc., the American Lawyer, Money, and George. He has also written for GQ, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Sunday Business section. And he has spoken and moderated discussions at numerous conferences and seminars on entrepreneurship. What you will learn in this episode: How covering entrepreneurship for Inc. Magazine left Loren bitten by the entrepreneur bug and sparked his interest in creating a community for business owners How Loren and 21 Hats have been communicating with seven business owners through the pandemic to get insights into the challenges and opportunities they've faced How the 21 Hats podcast has shined a light on the many unexpected struggles businesses have had to navigate throughout the global pandemic Loren shares the story of one of the business owners that has appeared regularly on the 21 Hats podcast and the journey he has gone through surviving the pandemic Why advice is much easier to give than to take, and why it can be challenging for business owners to listen to others and implement the wisdom they're given Why it can be difficult for business owners to prioritize doing work that will result in long-term gains for the business and, why instead they focus too much on the day-to-day Why it is important to find your "tribe," people who you share values with, who you trust, and who you can discuss your wins and challenges with How being transparent and honest with other like-minded business owners can help transform your business and give you a powerful source of support and encouragement Resources: Website: https://21hats.com/  The 21 Hats Podcast, with Loren Feldman: https://21hats.com/podcasts/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/feldmanloren/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/21-hats/  Facebook: www.facebook.com/21HatsMedia  Twitter: https://twitter.com/lfeldman Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health  Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Trying to find the time to develop your leadership skills can be frustrating when you're also trying to run a successful business, but the payoff is worth the effort. Learn how even a few minutes of leadership development work each day can make a dramatic difference in your relationships and your success as a business leader. What You Will Learn: Everything you learn to become a better leader will pay dividends for as long as you live. How to leverage what you are already doing to improve your leadership skills. Why slow consistency beats perfection when becoming a great leader in all aspects of your life. About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Charles Gaudet is the author of “The Predictable Profits Playbook: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Dominating Any Market and Staying on Top“ (voted #1 Book on Sales & Marketing by Indie Excellence) and host of The Beyond 7-Figures Podcast. The International Business Times called him “The Go-To Business Coach for 7 and 8 Figure Businesses” and perhaps the “busiest sales coach in the US.“ GritDaily said Gaudet is: “regarded in entrepreneurial circles as one of the top coaches for helping entrepreneurs surpass the seven and eight-figure mark.” And Yahoo Finance referred to him as: “The CEO Whisperer.” He's been an entrepreneur since the age of 4, created his first multi-million dollar business at 24, and has helped others generate millions with his strategies. He's received numerous awards and recognition (including founding a company named as “One of the Best Seed Stage Companies” by Ernst & Young), received his Certificate of Leadership Development from The US Army War College and has his business advice featured around in the world – including Inc., Forbes, Salesforce, Success, Entrepreneur, and Fox Business – as well as on podcasts and radio. He was named one of American Geniuses' Top 50 Industry Influencers. He trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (two gold medal finishes) and is a 3-time wrestling state champion. He lives in New Hampshire with his beautiful wife, three adorable kid-preneurs, and one badass dog. What You Will Learn: How Charles learned that everything changes in your business once you reach seven figures, and why leveraging your resources is crucial for moving to the next level Why getting more sales is only effective when you have the systems and team in place to deliver on those sales Why strategically simplifying your business at the seven-figure revenue plateau is the key to resuming growth How creating an overarching system specifically designed for creating systems in your business can be a powerful strategy for accelerating your growth Why, like a train, it takes four key parts to operate and scale a business (cogs, engine, engineer, and visionary) Why building out an effective leadership team can help you move from being the engine driving your business to being the engineer navigating Why when you're just starting, you have to hustle and do everything, and why scaling means doing less or even none of what you're doing now Why it's important to remember that hiring great people is only the first step and that you must then support them and set them up for success Why hiring someone with all your same skills results in one of you becoming redundant, and why hiring for key specialties and skills is more effective in the long run Why a three-pronged strategy of optimization, systemization, and innovation is the key to getting to eight figures and beyond Resources: Beyond 7 Figures podcast: https://predictableprofits.com/beyond-7-figures/ Website: https://predictableprofits.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/predictable-profits Facebook: www.facebook.com/PredictableProfits/ Twitter: @charlesgaudet Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Josh Phegan is the internationally renowned go-to speaker, trainer, and coach for high-performance real estate agents and agencies. He is the number one preferred trainer for Australia's top 100 agents and top 50 women in real estate. He personally coaches some of the who's who in the real estate industry, both new, emerging, and high-performance agents, with his number 1 sales agent writing $707m in sales, $14m in fees, and 200+ transactions per annum. In 2021, he is the drawcard speaker at over 200 events in the UK, UAE, New Zealand, and Australia. He works with leading real estate agencies at both training and boardroom levels. He hosts industry-leading events such as the Real Estate BluePrint and is the producer behind the High-Performance podcast with Alexander Phillips, and the Fast Pace podcast with Dean Mackie and Josh Phegan Digital. What You Will Learn: How Josh had an eye-opening experience with an employee that taught him the critical importance of setting the Vision and getting clarity on the company's Mission How Josh's real estate coaching business has grown over 15 years through intentionality, and what early challenges Josh had to face after crossing seven figures Why Josh needed to get clarity around his business and his future plans before he could move his business beyond the “one-person team” period How Josh used his own early experiences as a real estate agent to identify how he and his team could best help other agents Why planning, discipline, and clarity helped Josh and his team achieve 21% growth year-over-year for nearly a decade Why implementing systems was key to creating predictable success and the ability to adapt to changes swiftly How a scene in the movie “The Godfather” hides a valuable lesson when a character says “I don't need a lot of clients, I need a few clients with a lot of problems” What key challenges Josh and his team faced, and what important lessons they were able to learn from them about how to run a business effectively How being willing to learn and adapt meant the second business model they created took three weeks when the first had taken six years Why it is important to develop your skills as a leader so that your team picks up those skills from you Resources: Website: https://joshphegan.com.au/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshphegan/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/joshphegancoach/ Twitter: @joshphegan Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Dynamic results-oriented Strategic Implementation Consultant, Trainer and Executive Coach, Joel P. Martin, Ph.D., (she, her) is the Founder and President of Positively Powerful-Triad West, Inc. Dr. Martin has a demonstrated ability to create visionary transformational leaders; diverse, inclusive, and high performing teams; empowered women, people of color, new managers and other professionals who, after working with Dr. Martin, are less-stressed more creative, inspired, happier, and Positively Powerful™ in their lives and careers. For more than 20 years, Dr. Martin has trained, coached, consulted, and spoken before hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world. With her insightful expertise, unconditionally committed, heartfelt New York City style (her hometown), she provides clients with services that address their business development and DEI needs and provides innovative solutions that close the gap from where they are now and where they want to be. She is dedicated to changing lives and businesses for the better globally. Dr. Martin practices life-long learning and giving back to communities. She's earned numerous awards as well as a MA in Psychology, PhD in Communications and admission into the Society of Fellows, Wharton Business School. Previously she owned and operated a full-service New York City advertising agency. What You Will Learn: How Dr. Martin's career path led to becoming a globally respected speaker, thriving entrepreneur and business leader Why Dr. Martin chose to go back to school later in life and pursue her Ph.D., and why she believes strongly in lifelong learning Why a diverse and inclusive work environment inspired Dr. Martin to begin speaking and making a difference in people's lives Why sharing your truthful and personal story can be a powerful way to create authentic, deep connections with others What steps you can take to improve your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) skills, and why these skills are valuable business assets Why optics matter even more as more activities move to a digital space, and how to evaluate your company's DEI optics Why you should consider becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, and what benefits you can receive from that partnership Why stereotypes can lead to undervaluing and disrespecting people and can even impact your ability to hire the best people Resources: 30-Minute Complimentary Consultation: https://calendly.com/jpmartin Website: www.positivelypowerful.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drjpmartin/ Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/COLeadership/ Twitter: @Drjpmartin Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Veronique James founded The James Agency (TJA) in 2005 with the goal of creating an agency focused on open communication and transparency with clients and employees. Today, the award-winning, integrated agency specializes in consumer advertising, public relations and digital and continues to exemplify Veroniques original vision. Veronique and her team collaborate to produce creatively-fueled, results-driven campaigns that help clients achieve their goals and positively impact their bottom line. TJA has worked with notable brands such as Hotel Valley Ho, Mountain Shadows, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Spinato's Pizzeria, Marriott International, Epoch Residential, Fox Restaurant Concepts, among others. Under Veroniques direction, TJA has been honored with numerous industry and culture awards, including being named to the Inc. 5000 and Entrepreneur Top Company Cultures lists. Actively involved in the community, Veronique is currently a member of Entrepreneurs Organization, Arizona Chapter. She served as the organization's third female president in 2017/2018. She has received numerous accolades for her leadership, entrepreneurship and community involvement. Veronique is originally from Southern California and graduated with a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Arizona. What You Will Learn: Why The James Agency (TJA) being 16 years old helps to uniquely position them in their field of expertise, and what kinds of “business-to-human” work they do What key challenges and lessons learned helped Veronique and her team continue to grow beyond seven figures How going through a difficult period of financial hardship and divorce served as motivation for Veronique to push harder for business growth and success Why avoiding taking on debt and bootstrapping the business proved instrumental in teaching Veronique valuable leadership lessons How the journey to $1 million showed Veronique and her team that they were operating in the right niche in their industry and had something unique to share How Veronique and her team get intentional about their company's Culture and maintain their identity even as they grow Why putting on blinders to block out distractions was crucial for Veronique to be able to grow her organization's brand and build a reputation Why building the business in an authentic way was crucial for maintaining the TJA identity through periods of rapid growth Resources: Website: https://thejamesagency.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/veroniquejames/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-james-agency/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJamesAgency Twitter: @TheJamesAgency Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

If you want to stop being a doer and start being a leader, you need to stop wearing all the hats. Learn how with these deceptively simple techniques. What You Will Learn: Why the global pandemic has created stress, exhaustion and overwhelm for business owners of all kinds Why it's crucial to put your own oxygen mask on before you assist anyone else, and why taking care of yourself is a crucial part of being an effective leader What to do when feeling overwhelmed at work, and how the “Five Ds” (Dump, Delete, Delegate, Defer, Do) can help Why the abstract, information-overload nature of our modern life can add to our feelings of overwhelm How the abstract problems we must deal with begins to stack up and fill our subconscious, causing energy drain and overwhelm Why dumping everything in your head out and writing it down can help reduce your stress and overwhelm Why deleting unnecessary tasks that aren't critical to the success of your business can free bandwidth for the things that do matter Why delegating things to other people can help relieve your burden and allow you to refocus Why deferring the things that can safely be put off and that aren't significant priorities can help shorten your to-do list Why the last step is to deal with the things you need to do now that will further your progress About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Jared Hummel is an experienced business leader with a history of building start-up organizations into streamlined, revenue-generating companies. As the President of Parqa, he leads with a strong financial background and is motivated by enhancing growth and finding solutions to complex operating and execution-based challenges. He enjoys working with company leaders to integrate digital strategies into overall business decisions with an emphasis on nurturing clients and candidates through automation to drive revenue. At Parqa, he combines his finance, operations, and marketing background to help fuel growth for the company as well as its partners across the country. Jared is a knowledgeable and versatile speaker, always excited to talk about how his passion for sports informs his approach to team building. He has actionable and unique advice for staffing agencies, team leaders, marketers and technology buffs looking to understand complex and niche strategies in action. What You Will Learn: Jared describes the work he and his team do at Parqa Marketing and shares how he stepped into a leadership role and evolved the business How raising $10 million in capital early allowed Jared and the Parqa Marketing team to fund the growth of the business to $25 million and beyond How Setting the Vision, Building the Team, and Securing Fuel for Growth have been instrumental in overcoming the common seven-figure challenges Parqa has faced Why Jared's background as a hockey player has served him in his role at Parqa Marketing and taught him the importance of a team working in synergy together Why Jared and his leadership team have quarterly offsite meetings to ensure that everyone is on the same page Why eliminating staff turnover has been instrumental in allowing Parqa Marketing to continue to scale, and why Culture is crucial for growth Why growing his leadership skills has been an important focus as Jared has stepped into a leadership role Resources: Website: https://parqamarketing.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/parqa/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jared-hummel/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ParqaMarketing Twitter: @ParqaMarketing Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

About Joshua Gillow, in his own words: “Hello. I am Joshua Gillow, founder of YES Express! I have operated my own outdoor living & landscaping design/build company for 24 years. I loved the work and the satisfaction my team and I brought to clients' lives. But for many years, I struggled. Like practically all of us in this business, I jumped at every lead. Someone called, and I'd make an appointment for an in-person consultation. Getting them to sign up was hit or miss. Sometimes, I felt “in the zone” and really did well on those in-person consults. Other times, I was off my game. Maybe there was traffic on the way there, or I had too many things to think about. Some clients threw me off track and the conversation just got lost. But that's just the nature of the beast, right? Guess what? That's EXACTLY WRONG. What ALL successful business owners know (at least those who have lives, and time and money freedom) is this secret: ONLY systems grant you the ability to successfully sell on the worst day of your life! You cannot rely on how you feel or whether the stars are aligned during the conversation. You cannot guess at what to say. That is a loser's game. It's the game ALL of us are playing. Stop. Winners have the tools, systems, and resources they need to lead a client conversation from the first moment they contact you until they write the check. DELIVERING THAT SYSTEM IS WHAT YES EXPRESS IS ALL ABOUT.” What You Will Learn: What common growth problems entrepreneurs Joshua works with typically run into, and how growing your leadership skills and mindset is the key to overcoming those challenges Why Joshua believes sales is about communicating from your clients' perspective, and why he focuses his work exclusively on the outdoor living and landscaping industries Why understanding “why” you want to grow beyond seven figures is crucial, and why adaptability and intuition are key traits that will help you move the needle How the book “The Big Five For Life” by John Strelecky transformed Joshua's mindset and outlook, and why having fulfillment in your life is vital Why transparency, authenticity and vulnerability can be a superpower that can unleash your potential as a leader Why leveling up your leadership inspires loyalty and helps your team do their best work, and why it can create real, tangible returns on investment Why letting your team make big swings, even if they sometimes miss, is crucial for giving them the space to solve problems and grow in their roles Why Joshua draws motivation and passion for what he does from making the world better for his sons, and why everyone's core question is “what's in it for me?” Why you shouldn't accept every client that comes through the door, and why falling in love with your ideal clients rather than your offerings is crucial Resources: The Outerspaces Podcast with Joshua Gillow: www.outerspacespodcast.com Website: www.yes.express Website: www.mymasterplan.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-gillow-04ba89a7/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/yes-express-sales/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/masterplan-outdoor-living Facebook: www.facebook.com/YesExpressSales Facebook: www.facebook.com/MasterPLANdesign Twitter: @MasterPLAN_LLC Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

If you want to stop being a doer and start being a leader, you need to stop wearing all the hats. Learn how with these deceptively simple techniques. What You Will Learn: Why business owners so often end up stuck in the business, “wearing too many hats” and covering too many roles, and why it's important to transition to leading Which three hats you should keep when transitioning from entrepreneur to leader, and why these hats are your primary responsibility Why learning to lead is like learning a new language, and why setting your company's Vision and creating an action plan to get there is a vital, ongoing task What steps to take to build a team that fits your Vision and can help you achieve your Mission, and why delivering results is the third key hat you should wear Why a meeting rhythm is crucial for keeping everyone moving in the same direction, and why it can help you balance the short-term and long-term in your business Why moving from “doer” to “leaders” is the only path for the continued growth of your business, and what steps to take to develop yourself and get rid of your extra hats Why small, iterative cycles are the key to becoming a stronger leader, and why a short out-of-office vacation can help you identify hats you can give to others on your team About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: “Too Many Hats” cartoon on Office Guy Cartoons: www.officeguycartoons.com/product/too-many-hats/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How to juggle all your projects at once What kinds of things should be handed off Effective communication strategies How treating your team members like they can solve problems can solve any problems that may arise Why leaving room for your team to interpret and grow is good for your business How to get a lot done in the same amount of time everyone else has How unplugging from your business and from notifications can help you About Lynda Bishop: Lynda Bishop, MPC, CEC, is a certified executive and empowerment coach, a master's-level mental health therapist, relationship advisor, and international women's leadership development facilitator with specialty certificates in Emotional Intelligence and the 360 assessment with the Center for Creative Leadership. She is also the founder of Relationship Insurance coaching services and author of Great Love, No Regrets; Building Relationships that Last. In her role as the Vice President of National Programs for the National Association of Women Business Owners Institute for Entrepreneurial Development, she creates, staffs and delivers the menu of programs offered to business owners and organizations of all sizes and facilitates professional mastermind groups across the country with women business owners to support them in their personal, family and business lives. She is also the founder of Summit Alliance Solutions, LLC, providing mentoring, training, coaching, and custom-designed programs to organizations across the nation. Her offices are located in both Arizona and Texas. As the Executive Director for the Aspiring Youth Academy, Lynda leads a team focused on five distinct programs serving entrepreneurial youth across Arizona from underserved communities and foster care. She is partnered with the Girl Scouts of the USA as a content curator to tell the stories of real women on their media platform, www.CircleAround.com. In her personal time, you may find her in Corpus Christi, TX with her grandchildren, or in Arizona camping, hiking, being outdoors just about anywhere, and with her husband, Ken, and their beloved four-legged companions, Sherlock and Watson, by her side. Resources: Websites: https://lyndabishop.com/ https://nawbo.org/ https://aspiringyouth.org/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lyndabishop/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachlynda Facebook: www.facebook.com/aspiringaz Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Ron recognized the need for repeatable, consistent processes and a business scaling strategy that would help Service Express grow Why relying too heavily on your “superstar” employees can be a dangerous pitfall that creates a bottleneck in your growth How Service Express found a growth goal and then worked backward from that goal to determine how to get there Why Ron considers himself a “personal growth and professional development junkie”, and why continuous learning is a vital part of the Service Express culture Why Service Express is hyper-intentional about bringing in the right people with the right amount of personal drive and passion How Service Express has created a goal-setting program that helps employees develop their careers in the way they want to grow Why Service Express has always been a growth-oriented company across the 24 years that Ron has been with the organization Why it's important to know why you want your business to grow and then hire around the answer, and why Service Express hires for alignment rather than just skills Why your organization's Vision and Values should be central to how you hire, promote and fire team members Why Ron believes in “R&D”: rip off and duplicate, and why the answers to all your problems and challenges are out there if you're willing to look About Ron Alvesteffer: During his 23 years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron Alvesteffer has helped the company leverage double-digit revenue growth year over year, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. Ron is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its company Vision of “helping employees achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.” This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success. As a result of its dedication to people, Service Express has been recognized in Inc.'s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies twelve years in a row. Service Express has also been recognized as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for ten consecutive years. Ron is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact. In his free time, you will find Ron cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Pittsburgh Steelers with his family by his side. Resources: Website: https://serviceexpress.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/service-express-inc/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareserviceexpress/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronalvesteffer Twitter: @RonAlvesteffer Twitter: @ServiceExpress Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Why Brett and his team created resources, educational opportunities and strategies for business owners struggling to navigate this hot job market How Elite created an advisory group of ten key Elite Momentum members to help Brett's team determine how to best meet their needs throughout the pandemic Brett recaps some of the key points from his recent solocast in episode #99 of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, “The Great Resignation: Stopping the Bleeding” Why creating loyalty with your team takes more than a transactional relationship and requires Purpose, Growth and Connection Why too many business owners believe “more people means more headaches”, and why reframing your relationships with your team is key What advice Brett would offer to business owners wanting to speed up their hiring and onboarding process Why a great onboarding process can make a huge difference in how a new hire views your team and organization, and why it is important to take your time and put in the effort Brett shares the stages of business growth and the challenges these stages bring at the “ones and threes” of revenue Why pedaling faster isn't the secret to speeding the growth of your business, and why it's crucial to shift into a higher gear by improving your processes, systems and team About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: Revisit Brett's Aug. 11, 2021 solocast episode #99, “The Great Resignation: Stopping the Bleeding”: https://growwithelite.com/podcasts/the-great-resignation/ Learn about the Elite Ignition program: https://growwithelite.com/elite-ignition/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Small Business Finance   What You Will Learn: Why many entrepreneurs struggle with small business finance complexities, and how Lorne's firm helps owners build a solid financial foundation How Simple Startup helps new entrepreneurs build up their financial education, and how the firm gives a fresh perspective even to more experienced entrepreneurs Why putting a solid foundation in place for your business is the key to ensuring smooth, consistent future growth What key considerations Lorne recommends you keep in mind before seeking outside funding for your business Under what circumstances it might be worth looking for outside capital, and why fear often holds entrepreneurs back from taking opportunities presented to them Why it takes a tremendous amount of self-awareness to drive a business forward and take the right risks and opportunities Lorne shares advice and best practices for getting debt for your business, and why you might consider exchanging equity for financing rather than taking on debt Why it is crucial that any party you partner with in exchange for equity be aligned to your Vision and be positioned to help you grow Why your financial decisions should be based on how they help you reach your long-term goals and what impact they will have on your business today Why there are two kinds of investors, ones focused primarily on profit and others focused on growth potential About Lorne Noble: A serial entrepreneur, Lorne Noble combined his favorite aspects of the corporate world and prior businesses (the analytics and helping young companies) when he founded Simple Startup, his fourth company, in a location fit for a former professional ski racer, Boulder. Simple Startup was born from observation, experience and necessity. Having worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, he often saw the same pattern repeated where incredible startups with mind-blowing vision and drive lacked a handle on their finances and suffered because of it. Entrepreneurs were making decisions based on gut feel rather than hard data leaving them open to risk when raising money and implementing strategy. They were unable to translate their vision into a sustainable, profitable business model. As principal and co-founder of Simple Startup, Noble dives into the analytics of the companies he advises while helping them simplify their finances, understand their numbers and make smart, informed decisions at every stage of business. He leads a talented group of financial analysts who are experts in investment-ready accounting, fractional finance support, business taxes and more, helping companies from idea to IPO and beyond. Noble began his career as an investment analyst where he led the due diligence process for over $2.5 billion in investment transactions. During the 2009 financial collapse, Noble became disenchanted with his corporate career and began the pursuit of his MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain where he became hooked on entrepreneurship. His passion for entrepreneurship led him to launch three different technology platforms: Career Mentor Me, Help More and My Healthier Body. His certificate in Advanced Financial Modelling from the London School of Business and Finance enabled him to further entrench himself into one of his favorite pastimes tinkering with Excel spreadsheets. After moving to Boulder, Colorado for a new adventure, Noble acted as the finance mentor to high-impact companies at the Unreasonable Institute, Girl Effect Accelerator and Singularity University. He also served as the founding member of the inaugural Financial Architect Program at the Unreasonable Institute. In pursuit of the latter, Noble has worked with numerous accelerators and organizations including Techstars, Cartier Women's Initiative, Unreasonable Group, Next Wave Fund, Uncharted, Singularity University, the Nike Sponsored Girl Effect Accelerator, YPO+ Accelerator and Galvanize. He is always looking for new partnerships to help entrepreneurs change the world. Noble lives with his family in Boulder and has been fortunate to live in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain, France and the Dominican Republic. Noble absolutely loves finance, even going so far as to play with Excel on vacation, but he adores his girls Amber and Lyla even more. They enjoy going on adventures as a family including skiing, kite surfing, mountain biking and traveling. Resources: Website: https://simplestartup.com/ Email: hello@simplestartup.com Courses: https://simplestartup.com/academy/ Blog: https://simplestartup.com/blog/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lornenoble/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/simple-startup/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplestartupfinance Twitter: @SimpleStartup Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Brett shares gratitude for the leaders and guest experts, podcast production team and listeners that have made 100 episodes of business growth strategies possible Why episodes 43, 71, 60 and 84 are worth listening to if you'd like to learn more about the importance of setting your company's Vision Why you should revisit episodes 44, 92, and 97 for greater insights into the concept of building your team the right way Why it's a leader's job to secure fuel (money) for the growth of your business, and how episodes 48, 77 and 28 can help you do that Brett shares three quotes from some of his remarkable guest experts that had profound wisdom and insights to share Which four key guests offered unexpected and valuable insights to Brett even as an expert in the business growth space himself Brett shares two episodes with inspiring and remarkable entrepreneurs who surprised him with their tenacity, grit, strength, discipline and physical endurance Brett highlights the “Elite Business Growth Method” miniseries of episodes and the valuable business growth strategies they contain Why the transition from starting and growing a business to leading a business requires intentionality and effort and a passion for learning About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Setting The Vision episodes: Episode 43: The Power of a Unifying Purpose, with Grant Botma Episode 71: Growing a Team and Learning to Let Go, with Erika Flora Episode 60: Setting New Goals and Always Moving Forward, with EK Navan Episode 84: Business Lessons Learned, with Misty Lown Building The Team episodes: Episode 44: Growth Lessons From a Franchisor's Perspective, with Angela Olea Episode 92: Learning Leadership Skills, with Lamar Tyler Episode 97: Leadership Growth, with Bryan Clayton Secure Fuel For Growth episodes: Episode 48: Understanding Your Cash Flow, with JD Graffam Episode 77: Developing a Sales Mindset, with Rick Barerra Episode 28: What to Do When Cash is Tight, with Clate Mask Amazing Quotes From Guests episodes: Episode 88: Get Your Priorities Straight, with Tommy Breedlove Episode 86: Discipline Creates Freedom, with Ed Rush Episode 65: Intentionality, Planning and Culture, with Jessica Stellwagen Four Key Insights episodes: Episode 21: Scaling Mountains and Growing Businesses, with Mary Crafts Episode 80: What Makes an Effective CEO, with Tim Cameron-Kitchen Episode 81: Put Employees First, with Casey Graham Episode 96: People Focused Leadership, with Noah Gottlieb Awesome Entrepreneurs episodes: Episode 21: Scaling Mountains and Growing Businesses, with Mary Crafts Episode 20: Repeatable Systems and Consistency in Your Processes, with Scott Sambucci Elite Business Growth Episode Miniseries episodes: Episode 39: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode One, with Brett Gilliland Episode 40: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Two, with Brett Gilliland Episode 41: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Three, with Brett Gilliland Episode 42: The Elite Business Growth Method: Episode Four, with Brett Gilliland Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How The Great Resignation is creating challenges for business owners at all levels as employees leave at unprecedented rates Why turnover is a huge business expense both directly and indirectly, and how millions of people have left or are considering leaving their jobs just since April 2021 Why many pandemic-related issues and other factors are contributing to The Great Resignation, and why pay isn't a major contributing factor Why fair, adequate pay is important, but it cannot be the primary solution to the talent drain you're experiencing Why shared Purpose and Values can be a powerful resource for retaining your employees, and why emotional investment is a better motivator than financial investment Why we all have an innate desire to learn and develop, and how Zappos demonstrates that caring about employee growth and betterment can engender loyalty Why progress needs to be steady and incremental so that employees can feel their progress and add new responsibility Why communicating and demonstrating your care for your employees is a crucial leadership skill, and what steps you can take to strengthen your bond Why helping your team members through the challenges they're facing can cost little and pay dividends in loyalty How doing the work to build loyalty and trust with your employees can often bring leaving employees back later, when their situation has changed again About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: What sets MKG Marketing apart, why they take a people-first approach, and how relationships are the cornerstone of their success Kerry explains MKG Marketing's people-first approach and shares how the company has grown and scaled over time How relationships have helped the team grow as the organization has increased in scale, and what important Values lessons Kerry has learned on the journey Why intentionality has been an important component of evolving MKG Marketing's Values How Kerry and her partner developed their benefits package, and why they switched from unlimited vacation time to 20 “use it or lose it” days How MKG Marketing assesses culture and Values fit when interviewing and hiring new candidates Why the MKG Marketing hiring process includes a 90-day trial period that serves as a two-way street for the organization and candidates to assess each other How Kerry ensures that her team is focused and moving toward the same destination, and why “overcommunication” is crucial Why a regular meeting cadence is instrumental in keeping everyone on the team aligned and informed about the organization's work and priorities About Kerry Guard: Kerry Guard is the COO of MKG Marketing, a digital marketing agency of experts specializing in SEO, Digital Advertising, and Analytics. It's Kerry's mission to find the most elite experts in the industry who have 5+ years of experience. MKG Marketing is a flat organization by design. The clients work directly with the experts who develop the strategy and execute it. This minimizes miscommunication and work duplication. Because MKG Marketing only hires experts, they are very selective. It takes a great deal of time and effort to find the best and keep the best. They provide flexible hours and work environments. They believe in 3 months of Maternity/Paternity leave. If a parent needs to drop everything to pick up a sick child from daycare, the team doesn't think twice. Kerry is very proud of the team she has, and looks forward to continuing to grow and provide this life/work balance to more digital marketers. Resources: Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders podcast with Kerry Guard: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/blog/podcasts/ Website: https://mkgmarketinginc.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kerryguard/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mkg-marketing Facebook: www.facebook.com/mkgmarketinginc/ Twitter: @MKGMarketingInc Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Greenpal has since scaled to include every major city in the United States, with over $20 million in annual revenue and more than 300,000 customers How Bryan got into the lawn care industry by starting a landscaping company while he was in high school, and how he grew that company into a multimillion dollar business What challenges Bryan faced and key lessons he learned on his journey to grow his first business into a massive success, and why his own leadership growth was key How starting Greenpal was a different experience for Bryan that required him to “reinvent the wheel” by creating a unique business model Why it is vital for seven figure business owners to find time to work on the parts of their business that are “important but not urgent” in order to grow Bryan shares a helpful hack that can allow you to bring in “fractional” high level leaders to help you move the needle for your organization more quickly How Bryan grew out his leadership team while also working on his own leadership growth, and why learning to level up his leadership was crucial for scaling Greenpal Why Bryan felt the need to work on developing his own skills and leadership growth for a year before he began filling in his leadership team How Bryan realized the business wasn't about himself but about the team he leads, and how that opened up a new level of fun and empowerment Why the highs and lows of running a business are all invaluable experiences that “force you to level up” your leadership growth, especially the lows and difficult experiences About Bryan Clayton: Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal, an online marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the Uber for lawn care by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 200,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day. Before starting GreenPal Bryan Clayton founded Peachtree Inc., one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee, growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013. Bryan's interests and expertise are related to entrepreneurialism, small business growth, marketing and bootstrapping businesses from zero revenue to profitability and exit. Resources: Website: www.yourgreenpal.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenpallawncare Twitter: @bryanMclayton Instagram: @bryanmclayton Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How The X Company's business model works, and how they create residential “lifestyle experience” communities in the best urban locations at affordable prices How Noah built his organization's Culture with intentionality, and why he practices a very people focused leadership style dedicated to his employees' success How Noah is focused on differentiation from The X Company's competitors and on ensuring that employees feel fulfilled by their work Why clear communication around employees' long term goals is crucial for giving them the career opportunities they are looking for Why surrounding yourself with the right team frees you up to work ON the business rather than grinding IN the business Why career growth in an organization begins with its leadership stepping away from tasks and allowing others to grow into them How, as businesses mature, the team goes from being jacks-of-all-trades to specializing, and how a leader's job is to adapt to this transition Why it is important to ensure that your specialized teams aren't operating in silos and that everyone understands the effect their work has on the organization as a whole What growth challenges Noah and The X Company have faced, and what key lessons the team has learned through tackling those challenges Why practicing people focused leadership by prioritizing your employees and dedicating resources to their success is a powerful way to build a highly effective team About Noah Gottlieb: As CEO, Noah is responsible for overseeing the growth and culture of The X Company, whose development pipeline currently spans seven markets, over $1B of construction activity, and some 10,000 beds. Resources: Website: www.thexlife.co LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/noahgottlieb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-x-company/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/thexlife.co Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Danny became a business owner and entrepreneur unexpectedly by helping grow a business from seven employees to $275 million a year Why an important piece of Danny's success was found in always seeking to improve and strengthen the business with intentionality and purpose Why creating a business that is highly transferable comes down to building an organization that can stand on its own without being too dependent upon you What critical mistakes business owners often make that can hurt their ability to sell or transfer the business when they're ready to exit Why your financial statements need to be highly accurate, and why you need to reconcile every account on your balance sheet every single month Danny shares an example of a business owner who failed to reconcile his balance sheet and how it created a cascading series of problems that caused the business to close What advice Danny has to share for business owners who hope to eventually exit their business, and what steps you can take today to prepare How Danny and his team help dramatically increase the value of businesses by teaching owners what changes to make About Danny Wheeler: Danny Wheeler is a Partner at FAZ Business Advisors and has over 30 years of experience as a business operator in a variety of industries and as an advisor to closely held businesses. He has owned and been a member of the management team of Health Solutions, CFO for Hire, Ultradian Diagnostics and ATSCO Products. While Danny served as the Chief Financial Officer of Health Solutions, the company's revenues grew from $29 million to $275 million and was ultimately sold to a publicly traded competitor. More recently, as the CEO of ATSCO Products he successfully grew the business over seven years and sold it to WB Mason. Danny has assisted numerous other entrepreneurs in making their businesses bigger, better, easier to operate and more profitable. His clients have included businesses in healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, banking, hospitality, retail, legal and real estate. These businesses have fixed their profitability problems, purchased other businesses, sold all or part of their business and created long term plans that met the needs of the business owners. He has worked in a variety of markets including Boston, Hartford, Providence, New York, Detroit, Orlando, Miami, the Caribbean and throughout Upstate New York. Danny is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration with a degree in Finance and Real Estate. He is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor. He currently serves or has served in leadership & board roles for numerous not-for-profits, professional organizations, and community groups, including Albany Medical College, Cornell Hotel Society, Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants. Danny is a huge fan of football on Sundays and any kind of live sporting event or rock concert. He and his wife enjoy trips to Cape Cod and spending time with their three sons who are building their own successful careers. Resources: Website: https://fazcpas.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danny-j-wheeler/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ferraro-amodio-&-zarecki-cpas/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/fazcpas/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Why more sales and more customers isn't how you grow the business, but rather how you finance your future growth Why only 3-5% of businesses make it to seven figures in revenue, and why your strategy has to change once you reach the $1 million revenue plateau Why you must make a transition from entrepreneur to CEO, and why seven figure businesses grow one person at a time rather than one sale at a time How hiring the right new team members and cultivating the team members you already have is the secret to continued growth after you hit a revenue plateau Why you must push yourself as a leader to learn and grow so that you avoid becoming the bottleneck in your company's growth What steps to follow to help you determine when to grow your team and which key roles you need to fill, by envisioning your “org chart of the future” How to determine a “healthy revenue per employee” metric to help you determine when to bring in new employees Why you should meet with your direct reports for 30 minutes each week to check their performance and develop their growth, and why you should have a quarterly review and planning team meeting Why you should listen to the future interview with Noah Gottlieb in episode 96 of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Gretchen's experiences working with PR firms all around gave her a clear client-side perspective that has informed how she runs Prim + Co How Gretchen spent six years building her organization toward seven figures, and how the toughest transition was focusing on working on, not in, the business Why Gretchen grew her team with intentionality, and why she chose to focus on bringing in high-level talent by paying them more than she was paying herself What important roles Gretchen needed to fill with talented employees to further the growth of Prim + Co How Gretchen created an intentional hiring process that puts the right people in the right roles and gives them a sense of ownership Why gratitude is a core leadership skill for Gretchen, and why she runs the business as a “coach” to a team rather than as a typical business How work-from-home during the pandemic has impacted Prim + Co, and why Gretchen lays down her expectations up front in the hiring process How Prim + Co creates organic media coverage for their clients that raises their profile and increases public awareness and credibility Why PR is a fantastic companion for digital marketing but doesn't replace marketing campaigns How Prim + Co helps their clients get into thought leadership and create relationships and “newsworthy opportunities” that can help further the growth of their business About Gretchen TeBockhorst: Gretchen TeBockhorst is an award-winning public relations and marketing communications expert. A recognized and respected leader in the hospitality and lifestyle industries, Gretchen's previous experience includes managing the in-house public relations and marketing for Adams Golf, 7-Up Group and Richard Sandoval Hospitality. During her time at Richard Sandoval Hospitality, she took the 45-unit international restaurant group to new heights by formulating brand strategies, launching a retail line, releasing the New Latin Flavors cookbook, and securing Chef Richard Sandoval as the face of Nestles Abuelita Chocolate. Her media relations efforts secured national attention from a variety of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine Magazine, Foodnetwork.com, TODAY, CBS This Morning, and Travel + Leisure, among others. Since launching Prim + Co, Gretchen has catapulted it into an award-winning PR firm with renowned clients such as SoulCycle, Floyd's 99 Barbershops, Kimpton Hotels, Visit Anaheim, and Sweetgreen. Over the past few years, Prim has been recognized as one of the Best PR Firms in Denver by Expertise.com and was included in ColoradoBiz Magazine's “Best of Colorado” issue for three years running. In 2020, Gretchen was awarded Public Relations Society of America's “PR Person of the Year.” Most impressively, Gretchen continually makes it a priority to give back. Her agency provides pro-bono work for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital – Rocky Mountain Region, and Gretchen personally serves as the communications manager for nonprofit Les Dames de Escoffier Colorado. PR aside, Gretchen's true talent lies in the recruitment and establishment of a team that genuinely matches the caliber and service standards of her clientele. She feels incredibly fortunate to work beside such impressive women. Resources: Website: https://primtheagency.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-tebockhorst/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/prim-communications Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrimTheAgency Twitter: @PrimTheAgency Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Lamar and his wife Ronnie went into business and created the Black and Married with Kids blog, learning leadership skills and growing it into a powerhouse brand How, after achieving their first million in revenue, Lamar realized that the next necessary step was to focus on further education and finding the right mentors Why being a successful entrepreneur isn't the same as being a great leader, and why the growth of your business depends on learning leadership skills How Lamar was able to utilize his strong marketing skills to attract talented new team members What unique considerations Lamar and Ronnie have had to make as first-generation entrepreneurs looking to create generational wealth for their kids Why Lamar has made what a prospective employee does in their personal time a key consideration in the hiring process Why building a great team so that your business doesn't depend entirely on you is crucial for growth How a strong meeting cadence of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings has been a big component in the success of Lamar's company Why a successful business needs both team members with big, bold ideas and with careful planning skills Why one of the biggest things Lamar sees that slows down entrepreneurs is allowing their focus to be spread too thin About Lamar Tyler: Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the husband-and-wife power pair behind Black and Married with Kids, the largest independent African American marriage and parenting site on the web. Lamar and Ronnie were so fed up with the pervasive, negative and distorted images of black marriage that they channeled their frustration into a passion for curating online media properties that celebrated and honored black families. Armed with this vision and expertise in social media, Lamar and Ronnie have taken Black and Married with Kids from a small personal blog to an international brand under their own Tyler New Media, they now have 7 independently produced films and over 540,000 Facebook fans. Black and Married with Kids has been recognized and honored by some of America's most established and respected media outlets. In 2010, Black and Married with Kids was named by Parenting Magazine as one of 2010's Must-Read Blogs. In the same year, Lamar and Ronnie were inducted into Babble's Top 100 Bloggers Hall of Fame. In 2012—for the second year in a row—they were included as two of Ebony Magazine's Power 100, a list of country's top 100 African-American movers and shakers, keeping company with President Barack Obama, Beyoncé Knowles, and Jay-Z. In 2014, the Tylers were finalists for the Black Enterprise Family Business of the Year Award. And in 2015, the Tylers were also named finalists for Infusionsoft's Small Business ICON award. Along with writing for and managing Black and Married With Kids, which now employs more than 40 staff writers, Lamar and Ronnie stay busy running Tyler New Media—producing, directing, and traveling across the country screening Tyler New Media films and speaking on marriage and business-related topics for a variety of churches, organizations and media outlets including ESSENCE Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Sirius/XM, TV One, HLN, NPR, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Washington Post. Lamar and Ronnie are the happy parents of four children and call Atlanta home. Resources: Website: https://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/ Website: www.trafficsalesandprofit.com Website: https://tylernewmedia.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lamartyler/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tyler-new-media/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/happilyeverafterthemovie Facebook: www.facebook.com/TylerNewMedia/ Twitter: @LamarTyler Twitter: @blackandmarried Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Hiring for Culture Fit   What You Will Learn: How Lisa's husband Hamish started Cleancorp and convinced her to get involved in the business once he realized he couldn't get to seven figures doing everything himself Why Lisa joining the company created a new opportunity to scale and implement processes and systems, growing the business from $700,000 to $3.2 million in two years What important growth lessons Lisa learned during their period of rapid expansion, and how Lisa navigated the increased risk of joining the family business Why hiring someone as General Manager who did not fit their Vision was a costly mistake, and how Lisa quickly learned the lesson that hiring for culture fit is crucial How Lisa grew out the team with a dedication to fitting new hires to the organization's Culture and growing leaders within the team Why hiring someone whose only role was to go out and meet with customers became a key team addition that had many positive effects throughout the business How the team have changed their hiring and onboarding processes to ensure that new team members are a great fit with the Culture, and how Lisa regularly checks in with new hires How the Cleancorp hiring process works now, and how Lisa consults with a recruitment specialist who is aligned with the company's Culture to save time and headaches What other key lessons Lisa learned during her company's growth journey, and why continual learning has been transformative for Lisa's leadership Why Lisa believes it is critical to get rid of any toxic members of your team immediately and without hesitation About Lisa Macqueen, in her own words: My husband asked me to come and join the family commercial cleaning business. “

What You Will Learn: How Molly started D2DInc and became involved with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) shortly after to seek support and education What pain points D2DInc experienced at the seven-figure mark, and how they made a wildly successful business pivot out of consulting and into government contracts How the business pivot from consulting to contracts took time to implement but made a dramatic difference in the company's growth How the organization prioritized roles when they needed to recruit and hire new team members, and how they have worked to unify their team and its diverse roles What suggestions Molly has for any organization interested in making a business pivot into government purchasing contracts How Molly learned to delegate and begin working on the business rather than in it as the team grew from 8-10 people to over 80 How D2DInc's period of rapid growth caused the company's leadership to be stuck in a reactive mode, and how stabilizing the team allowed them to become more strategic How Molly and her team have developed a strategic meeting cadence that has helped them look ahead and be more intentional How NAWBO has launched a group called the NAWBO Circle specifically for the 3% of women-owned businesses that make more than $1 million in revenue About Molly Gimmel Molly K. Gimmel is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Design To Delivery Inc (D2DInc), an award-winning firm that provides program and acquisition management support services to Federal government agencies. Molly has been working in the field of government contract and acquisition management since 1991. Before co-founding D2DInc in 2001, she spent eight years working in the government practices of three of the “Big Five” accounting/consulting firms. D2DInc appeared four times on the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the US, from 2014 thru 2017. D2DInc was ranked #32 on the Women Presidents Organization's list of Fastest Growing Women Owned Companies in 2016. Molly has been a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) since 2002. She served on the NAWBO National Board of Directors for six years, including one year as Chair (2018-2019), is a past president of the NAWBO Greater DC Chapter, and has served in several other leadership roles within the organization. She currently serves as a delegate on the US delegation to the W20 – the G20 working group focused on women's issues. She also currently serves on the Board of the Women in Business Initiative for George Mason University. Molly was named an Enterprising Woman of the Year in 2014 by Enterprising Women magazine and serves on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board. She received a Brava Award from Smart CEO magazine in 2015 recognizing outstanding female CEOs in the DC Metropolitan Area. In addition to NAWBO, she is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy, Women in Defense, the National Defense Industrial Association, and the National Contract Management Association. Molly holds a Masters of Science in Contract & Acquisition Management from Florida Institute of Technology, and a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing from the College of William & Mary. She has a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Resources: Website: https://d2dinc.com/ National Association of Women Business Owners website: www.NAWBO.org LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mollygimmel/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/d2dinc Facebook: www.facebook.com/D2DInc/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Loving What You Do: Turning the J-O-B of Running a Business Into J-O-Y   What You Will Learn: Why many business owners feel like they're stuck in a J-O-B and aren't finding J-O-Y in owning a business Brett shares powerful quotes from historical figures, authors, celebrities, and business luminaries about loving what you do and drawing satisfaction from your work Why you should first ask yourself how you got to this place in which you no longer enjoy your work, and why the health of your business is reflected in your mindset Brett shares the experiences of Bill Harney, CEO of Keeping Current Matters, about what his life and business were like prior to working with Elite How to bring the J-O-Y back to your role as leader of your business by reigniting your Purpose and setting your Vision, clarifying your Values, and growing your leadership Why hiring, leading, and firing to your Values will make your team more productive, effective, and collaborative, and why the wrong people will drag your whole team down Why growing yourself as a leader can free you to work ON your business rather than grinding IN your business and burning yourself out Which three key ingredients people need to be happy in their work as proven by scientific research into happiness How Bill Harney transformed his business through working with Elite, and what has changed for Bill and his company since Why putting in the effort and making the right changes will help you find your way back to loving what you do, and how Elite can help you get there About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Get Your Priorities Straight   What You Will Learn: Tommy shares his background, and he shares how at age 36 he experienced a career crisis that taught him how important it is to get your priorities straight How Tommy got started resetting his mindset and making big changes and improvements in his life and attitude as a business owner Why Tommy believes that too many business owners focus on the business and don't spend enough time focusing on and improving themselves and their relationships How to cultivate your confidence, self-esteem, and mental and emotional strength, and what benefits you can see in your business by doing the work What Tommy's daily routine looks like, and how he has cultivated daily habits that help him achieve his goals for personal development Why it is crucial to minimize the constant stream of negativity from social media and the 24-hour news cycle and instead find activities that can help center and balance you How working with a key mentor helped Tommy break free of “the story that was told to him” and begin truly living his life What impact Tommy's efforts to improve himself has had on the important people around him, and what doors it has opened for him in his career and personal life Why living to the right Culture, Purpose and Values can make a tremendous difference in your success and how you interact with others Why Tommy titled his book “Legendary”, and what valuable information the book highlights about growing your confidence, courage, and capacity for love About Tommy Breedlove Tommy Breedlove is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of the book, Legendary, and business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regular featured keynote speaker at global events. Tommy started his 20-year corporate career at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world, and eventually became a shareholder, the International Practice Leader, and a member of the board of directors for one of the largest public accounting and financial firms in the southeast U.S. At the top of his career, Tommy experienced a transformational moment inspiring him to walk away from the corporate world to change his life and follow his true calling. Tommy now serves clients and audiences everywhere by empowering them to build and live Legendary Lives. He guides people to discover a life of significance while building a lasting legacy. The simple tools he shares shows them how to work in their zone of brilliance, obtain financial confidence, and live with meaning and balance. The goal is to help everybody to become the person they've always wanted to be. When Tommy isn't speaking or serving his clients, he enjoys traveling the world, hiking, and spending quality time with his wife and two dogs. Resources: Website: www.tommybreedlove.com/gifts Book: https://tommybreedlove.com/get-inspired/book-legendary LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/legendarybook/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tommy-breedlove/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommybreedlovelegendary Twitter: @TommyBreedlove Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Cody's career led him to become a financial advisor and co-founding a business, and what early challenges he faced, and lessons he learned as an entrepreneur How Cody and his teamwork to help small business owners who “happen to be financial advisors” Why the biggest challenge Cody faced as an entrepreneur was learning to let go of responsibility and develop his delegation skills How the process of learning to delegate worked for Cody, and why it's crucial to make sure that the person you're delegating to is able to do the job the way you want it done Why delegating responsibility also means offering accountability, and why Cody had to learn to clearly define expectations How Cody learned to work in the business less and to work on the business through strategic planning and looking to the future Why Cody attributes the growth and success of Advisors Excel to hiring great people and investing in their growth How the leader that manages all of Advisors Excel's digital marketing efforts started with the company as an intern, and why promoting from within has proven a winning strategy Why overhiring for a position is an unexpected pitfall, and why it's crucial that your new hires fit with your company's Culture Why it's usually obvious within a short time if someone isn't a great Culture fit for your organization, and why you need to address it quickly About Cody Foster Cody Foster is one of the co-founders of Advisors Excel. In 2004, after leaving a corporate job to partner with David Callanan to be independent financial advisors, he realized the support system for independent advisors was dramatically insufficient. So, in 2005, along with third partner Derek Thompson, they formed Advisors Excel with a goal of building a world-class support structure for independent financial advisors across the country. Today they have over 650 employees and are responsible for generating over $7 billion in annual sales. Their success in achieving this has led to their story being featured in Success Magazine, Darren Hardy's book “The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” and Tony Robbins' #1 New York Times bestselling book, “Money, Master the Game.” Cody graduated from Washburn University in 1999 and has made Topeka his home ever since. He is a big believer in the future of the capital city of Kansas – having served as the Chairman of the Greater Topeka Partnership and a leading investor and developer in quality of life initiatives including The Cyrus Hotel, The Pennant, and Iron Rail Brewing. As much as he enjoys business, his real love is family. Cody, and his wife Jennifer, a Topeka native and fellow Washburn graduate, have been married since 2001 and have two children, Dylan and Ella. Resources: Website: www.advisorsexcel.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cody-foster-9013637 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/advisors-excel/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/advisorsexcel/ Twitter: @AdvisorsExcel1 Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Ed discusses being a cocky F-18 pilot in the Marine Corps who learned he wasn't as good as he thought, and the key self-improvement lesson the experience taught him Why business comes down to a few fundamental concepts, and why Ed feels most business owners have a disconnect between “being busy” and “productivity” Why growth, whether in nature or in business, relies on a “sprint and rest” cycle and requires both to be most effective How Ed structures his week, and why he sets Fridays aside as time away from work for “incubative days” to come up with new ideas Why the discipline Ed learned during his time in the Marines has been vital for his career success outside of military service Why too much freedom and too little discipline can be detrimental for your team, and why discipline creates freedom to innovate and create Why the way you communicate makes a huge difference in how the people around you take action and how successful they are in their outcome Why telling yourself “I'm such a failure” actually rewires your brain and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy Ed shares his three-question technique he teaches people from all spiritual walks of life about asking God for business answers Why forgiveness for others and forgiveness for yourself can be a powerful resource to help you improve your mindset and grow your business About Ed Rush 950 miles an hour. Now that's fast. But it's not nearly as fast as Ed Rush flew in his combat career as a decorated F-18 pilot which included over 50 combat missions and 2 tours to Iraq. While in the Marines, Ed served as one of the country's leading instructors on aerial dogfighting and recently worked as a key player in the development of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. After 2 combat tours to Iraq, Ed left full-time active duty to speak, write, and share a message that will change the world. Ed's clients range from small startups to multi-million dollar – multi-national organizations and include CEOs, founders, political leaders, sports teams, national universities, Hollywood stars, and one of the contestants on Season #1 of Donald Trump's The Apprentice. He has achieved all of this despite possessing a below-average intelligence (case in point: Ed failed Kindergarten). Ed's books and expertise have been featured on CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC. To follow or connect with Ed, head over to: www.EdRush.com. Resources: Website: www.EdRush.com The 21 Day Miracle by Ed Rush: www.EdRushBook.com Email Ed: coaching@edrush.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/edrush2/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/EdRush/ Twitter: @edrushpilot Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Innovative Solutions, Justin's 31-year old business, is today's fastest-growing Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner How the rapid advancement in technologies and the work environment rework caused by the global pandemic has created a meteoric growth boom for Innovative Solutions How the company's former CEO served as a mentor to Justin, and how Justin's focus on company culture and stepping outside of his own comfort have been growth catalysts Why the terrible, crushing moments are the ones where you can achieve real clarity and renewed purpose by finding silver linings they offer Why the right leadership team can help you keep things calm even when there is so much chaos going on around you and can take some of the burden off your decision making Why businesses often struggle to grow even if owners know what they should be doing, just because learning and implementing the processes can be incredibly challenging What key lessons and surprising moments Justin has experienced during the transition of ownership at Innovative Solutions and its period of remarkable growth Why Justin sees being a business owner as both a great honor and as an enormous responsibility to the people he's leading Why pushing yourself to grow and develop as a business owner and leader is crucial for moving the needle for your organization as well Why great company culture is the key to bringing in new team members who truly believe in your Mission About Justin Copie As CEO of Innovative Solutions, Justin Copie is leading the bold move forward: instilling growth in employees and inspiring change well beyond the four walls of Innovative. Yet the 65 people working at Innovative don't work for him. He works for them. As CEO and leader, Justin provides safety and direction: safety in voicing opinions, trying new things, and failing, and direction in where to go on the path to success. He serves others in cultivating a culture where people can come to work every day feeling safe and free to do what they love to do, and in turn help Innovative reach its vision. Resources: Website: www.innovativesol.com Website: www.justincopie.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jcopie/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovative-solutions/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InnovativeSolutionsIT Twitter: @InnovativeSol Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Misty created More Than Just Great Dancing's affiliate licensing program which now has 265+ affiliate studios serving more than 100,000 students per week Misty shares key business lessons learned while growing her affiliate business, and why your business needs a higher Purpose Why Misty's focus is on teaching skills and mindset that people can take with them long after they stop taking dance lessons, and why making a lifelong impact is key How getting clear on the hiring and training process and baking in the organization's Values was crucial in growing More Than Just Great Dancing Misty shares a story of how targeting the right change and lifting everyone on your team up can be truly transformative Misty shares another story of a student who took a summer job selling knives during the pandemic and explains how the company's higher Purpose made a lasting impression How Misty made the jump from running a dance studio to building a company focused on licensing her methods to others, and what building that team looked like Why Misty's team spends 80% of their time on “whirlwinds” and the other 20% of the time on “initiative” tasks, and how they use KPIs to measure their progress How Misty uses internal dashboards and coaching to help ensure that everyone is moving the needle forward in their business Why collaboration across the team and working toward a shared Vision for the company is the key to getting buy-in Why a vital business lesson learned by Misty during the growth of her business is that a leader's job isn't to be responsible for and capable in everything About Misty Lown Misty Lown is the founder, president, and energized force behind More Than Just Great Dancing® – A licensed dance studio affiliation program that has a positive impact on over 100,000 dance students around the globe each week. She is also the owner of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance – an educational company. Her dance studio, Misty's Dance Unlimited, founded in 1998 and named a “Top 50 Studios in the Nation” by Dance Spirit Magazine has provided $500,000 in scholarship for dancers. Misty has been a speaker for every major dance industry event and has authored over 100 industry articles. She is a sought-after speaker and business leader. She has been recognized as “Teacher of the Year” by Eclipse, “Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year” by the YWCA and awarded the “Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service” by Viterbo University, the “Philanthropy Award” from the local Red Cross, the “President's Award” from the La Crosse Area Development Corporation and the “President's Award” from the Association of Professional Fundraisers. Misty is an entrepreneur and builder at heart. In addition to her dance studio and licensing program, she owns a dancewear store, self-storage business and is a managing partner in a family real estate business. She is the author of One Small Yes an Amazon #1 Bestseller that has been translated to Korean and Indonesian. Misty's favorite part of the day is spending time with her husband and five beautiful children. Resources: Website: https://mistylown.com/ More Than Just Great Dancing!® Website: https://morethanjustgreatdancing.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mistylown/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/mistylownmentor Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoreThanJustGreatDancing Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Why one of the most important lessons you can learn about money is that where you keep it makes it do different things How Mark helps seven-figure business owners reframe the way they think about money, and how that can help you create certainty for yourself and your business How Mark teaches business owners to “be your own bank” and stop paying high interest and fees to financial institutions How particular types of whole life insurance policies can become a financial vehicle that you can borrow against with no penalties, with examples from Mark of how it works Why writing a contract with yourself can be a powerful motivator to push you to keep working toward your own success Why a whole life insurance policy is a superior way to store your money over a 401K, an IRA or a bank account Why Mark is passionate about working with business owners, and why too often business owners don't diversify their portfolio outside their business Why it is important to balance your investments in a high-risk asset with investments in a safe, predictable, liquid account like a whole life insurance policy Why thinking differently about your money and learning to be your own bank is crucial, and why much of the financial advice you can get is often wrong or shortsighted Why surrounding yourself with the right people, the right coaches and advisors, and the right peers is crucial for empowering yourself and getting the support you need About Mark Willis “We're all in the banking business, just on the wrong side of the desk.” – Mark Willis is a man on a mission to help you think differently about your money, your economy and your future. After graduating with six figures of student loan debt and discovering a way to turn his debt into real wealth as he watched everybody lose their retirement savings and home equity in 2008, he knew that he needed to find a more predictable way to meet his financial objectives and those of his clients. Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a THREE TIME #1 Best Selling Author and the Owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. Over the years, he has helped hundreds of his clients take back control of their financial future and build their businesses with proven, tax-efficient financial solutions. He specializes in building custom-tailored financial strategies that are unknown to typical stock-jockeys, attorneys, or other financial gurus. As co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you won't outlive. Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, to become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement. Resources: Website: www.growmorewealth.com Website: http://lakegrowth.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/lakegrowth/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lakegrowth/ Twitter: @LakeGrowth Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Rob's team at Ignite 360 strategically helps their clients of all sizes and sectors find the “one big idea” that can move their business forward How Rob learned how to manage rapid business growth after his organization reached seven figures in just six months, and what unique challenges he had to overcome How Rob had to learn the difficult lesson that “it's finances, not feelings,” after becoming emotionally attached to his company's monthly, quarterly and yearly results How Rob “hired for his weaknesses” by bringing in an operating COO, and how that served as a major transformation for Ignite 360 How early, rapid growth created challenges for Rob and his team around taking on too much work, and how Rob addressed the problem Why it is important to have a plan but be ready to adapt and pivot if you aren't going to be able to achieve your plan How Ignite 360's scope has changed since crossing the seven-figure revenue mark, and how bigger numbers mean greater opportunity to make mistakes How growing Ignite 360 has enhanced Rob's leadership skills and given him a different perspective on business leadership Why Rob named his company Ignite 360 with the goal of building something that would be bigger than himself Why it's important to realize that clients and customers don't think about you as much as you think about them, and why your marketing needs to reflect that fact About Rob Volpe An astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience, Rob Volpe founded Ignite 360 to deliver actionable strategy, grounded in meaningful consumer insights, presented through story and creative ways that drive results. As CEO, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world's leading brands across a range of industries. Rob is recognized as a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace. He frequently talks on the topic, is cited in media and writes about building and applying empathy. He's finishing his first book which explores his own journey to empathetic understanding of Americans through his ethnographic work. The book will be published in February 2022 through Page Two Publishing. Rob lives in San Francisco with his husband and three cats. Resources: Website: www.ignite-360.com Email: hello@ignite-360.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ignite-360/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/i360sparks/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Casey explains how Gravy's payment recovery solutions work, and why he chose to put employees first as a core part of his organization's culture How Casey and his team set the lofty goal of recovering $1 billion in failed payments by the end of 2023, and how they built their company and strategy around that goal What obstacles and opportunities Casey experienced while quickly scaling beyond $1 million in revenue, and why “Vision as a discipline” has become a core part of his company How Casey learned the importance of having a set and non-negotiable meeting rhythm for his nine-person leadership team Why Gravy's leadership meetings are divided so that half the time is spent on strategy and the other half of the time is spent on team building and trust Why learning to have conversations across the organization was one of the primary skills Casey needed to develop post $1 million Why Gravy's strong culture enables the organization to attract great talent when they put employees first, even before clients or shareholders Why the return on investing in the company's culture is powerful, and why strong culture helps Gravy navigate any challenge they face Why investing in team members and company culture takes intentionality and hard work, and why the rewards make it all worthwhile How Gravy spends a full 7% of their operational budget on developing their culture and people, and why “culture at scale” is a key strategy they are focusing on About Casey Graham Casey Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravy, the leading failed payment recovery and customer retention solution for recurring revenue companies. Prior to launching Gravy, Casey is known for founding The Rocket Company, an organization that helped church leaders scale their financial leadership and fundraising. The company grew quickly from 2008 – 2015 and was on the Inc 5000 list three years in a row. When faced with a customer churn problem in late 2015, Casey and his team created what would go on to become Gravy. And in 2016, The Rocket Company successfully exited to a venture capital group. Caseys passion for entrepreneurship and bold vision for leadership are the driving force behind his energetic and engaging presence. When he's not actively driving Gravy forward, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, a good cigar, Alabama football, and riding around on a rented tractor. Resources: Website: www.gravysolutions.io LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caseygraham1/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gravysolutions/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/gravysolutions/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: How Tim initially got involved in web design and built out his marketing and SEO business, Exposure Ninja, specializing in small and medium-sized businesses How Tim's past as a professional drummer taught him that monetizing your passion can cause you to feel overwhelmed by the thing you used to love How Tim scaled Exposure Ninja beyond doing everything himself, first by hiring people to shore up his weaknesses and then by hiring even for the things he is strong in What key lessons Tim learned about leaving behind the entrepreneurial mindset and what makes an effective CEO How Tim manages a team of over one hundred people and keeps everyone focused, aligned to the company's Vision, and coordinated to make progress How Tim dealt with his imposter syndrome and learned why coaching his team members was vital for the growth of the organization How Tim helps other members of his team make the same important realizations about delegation and leading that he himself learned What strategies Tim employs to keep growing in his role as a leader, and how he identifies areas he wants to focus on in his growth How Exposure Ninja's shared Values are essential to their success, and how Tim and his leadership team have consciously built a large, effective team About Tim Cameron-Kitchen Tim Cameron-Kitchen is a Digital Marketing expert and Head Ninja at Exposure Ninja. Exposure Ninja works and consults with businesses in every imaginable market around the world, helping them to increase their website rankings, traffic, and profit. Tim has been working in Digital Marketing since 2005, setting up Exposure Ninja in 2012. Tim's five bestselling digital marketing books, online courses, seminars, and the Exposure Ninja podcast, teach tens of thousands of businesses each year. Tim is a regular speaker at the B2B Marketing Expo at London's Excel and at private seminars and workshops. When he's not Ninja-ing, Tim's trying to persuade his son Luca to come to the cricket with him, going to the gym with his wife, or fixing the destruction caused by three cat children, Ninja, Samurai, and Shinobi. Resources: Website: https://exposureninja.com/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/exposureninja LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timcameronkitchen/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/exposure-ninja/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ExposureNinja Twitter: @timninjakitchen Twitter: @ExposureNinja Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What Makes a Business Sustainable and Profitable   What You Will Learn: How organizational behavior is the study of how parts of an organization unify to create an outcome, and why all organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get Why defining your Values is only the first step, and why developing a Leadership Model is the key to sustainable, profitable growth in your business How a Leadership Model and Leadership Brand help further define how your organization's Values apply to your business leaders Why rapid growth can cause you to risk bringing the wrong people into your company who don't fit with your Values, and why developing your leaders internally is crucial Why developing a Leadership Model can be a powerful growth catalyst for businesses in the $1-3 million range What work to do to fulfill the four elements of the Elite Leadership Model: Set the Vision, build the team, deliver results, and developing leaders with the right attributes Why, to be a truly great and effective leader, you must care about the well-being and success of the people you lead Why great leaders should learn how to enroll, inspire and engage the people they lead in a collaborative, participatory way, and why the old ways of “command and control” don't work Why your business can only grow as far as the collective leadership capabilities of your leadership team About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: What considerations seven-figure business owners should make toward their marketing efforts, and what commonalities Nancie sees in businesses in this bracket Why a consistent message is key especially for anyone in a sales role, and why spreading your marketing efforts too thin is a common pain point Why “brand purpose” is the first and most important thing an organization needs to identify and clarify, and why having a clear brand purpose can help both internally and externally Why understanding your value offering and defining the “who, when, what, and how” come after you've defined your brand purpose or your “why” Why partnering with a market research expert or conducting your own market research can help you best identify your target audience and what they're looking for Why building out your internal marketing team and expanding your research can help you identify thought leadership opportunities to expand within your space Why difficult times like these should be exactly when you dial up your research, sales and marketing, even as you cut back in other areas How studies have shown that 70% of US consumers want and expect to hear from the brands they care about during the global pandemic, and why nailing your messaging is crucial What common denominators Nancie has seen in businesses that successfully made the jump from small entrepreneurial efforts to well-marketed organizations Why Culture and Brand are two incredibly important sides of the same coin, and why it is important to recognize and address your company's cultural challenges About Nancie McDonnell Ruder Nancie McDonnell Ruder's 25-year career began at the Leo Burnett Company where she worked in account management and strategy for Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, The Gap, Lexmark Computers and Hoerchst Marion Rousseau. Nancie founded Noetic Consultants in 2002 with the goal of becoming an effective extension of their clients' teams. The word “noetic” is related to one's intellect and thinking, and Nancie chose this name for the company because it reflects the team's commitment to helping clients strategically think through their challenges so that, together, Noetic and their clients can take the actions necessary to get to the best possible outcomes. Noetic's clients have included Samsung, PepsiCo, Nike, Marriott, Mayo Clinic and Discovery, Inc. Nancie is also the author of Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill: How Senior Marketers Scale the Heights Through Art and Science, and the creator of the Noetic Art & Science Assessment™. Nancie is actively involved in many industry, education and community endeavors. Resources: Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill by Nancie McDonnell Ruder: https://amzn.to/3qX1HPU Website: www.noeticconsultants.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nancieatnoetic/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/noetic-consultants Facebook: www.facebook.com/noeticconsultants/ Twitter: @nancieruder Twitter: @NoeticConsults Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: What revenue acceleration is, and how a “radical redesign” of your business can dramatically increase your revenue What a sales mindset is, and what common roadblocks and obstacles entrepreneurs often face that Rick can help them overcome through the power of mindset Why Rick pushes his sales team to track by hand the work they're doing, the calls they are making, and how many responses they get Why consistency is the key to overcoming the lag time between building the relationship and making the sale How manually tracking their progress helps the sales team see and experience the correlation between the work they do and the results Why communications like text messages and emails lack the richness and depth of face-to-face communication Why Rick suggests your sales team record every single sales call and then listen back to them, reviewing the conversations to find ways to improve How Rick is involved with Partner Here, a website that helps business owners find business partners to start or grow a business without cash How Partner Here allows experts to leverage their specialized skills and allows businesses to offer alternative compensation for help getting things off the ground Why the right mindset will help you think outside the box and find innovative solutions that are within your abilities and resources About Rick Barerra Rick Barrera is known as the Revenue Accelerator for the work he does with entrepreneurs and small businesses to smooth the on-ramp and make them easier to do business with. He believes you can generate any level of revenue you choose, whenever you choose to generate it. He is the author of the best-seller, Overpromise and Overdeliver: How to Design and Deliver Extraordinary Customer Experiences. His other books include Non-Manipulative Selling, Collaborative Selling, Alignment: The Shortcut to Marketplace Dominance, and We Before Me: How to End Workplace Selfishness and Accomplish More Than You Ever Thought Possible. Rick is also the Head of Faculty for the Center for Heart Led Leadership in Denver, Colorado where he works with SEAL Team leaders, world class mountain climbers, Fortune 500 CEOs, journalists and astronauts to teach We Before Me leadership to the next generation of leaders. His Heart of Leaders podcast can be found on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to get your podcasts. Rick speaks worldwide on Innovation in Leadership, Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience. Resources: Website: www.partnerhere.com and use code PartnerHereVIP2020 Website: https://www.barrera.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickbarrera/ Twitter: @rickjbarrera Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: Which key three leadership responsibilities are crucial for getting you past the $3 million revenue plateau, and why each helps in making the transition from entrepreneur to CEO Why sharing your Vision with your team isn't a one-and-done box to check but an ongoing responsibility in every interaction the leader has How the book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip and Dan Heath can be a powerful resource for improving communication effectiveness Why the Curse of Knowledge means we often make incorrect assumptions that people understand what we're trying to communicate to them How the Heath brothers outlined six key principles that can help you communicate clearly and effectively, and what those principles are How communicating effectively and in a “sticky” way is vital for setting the Vision and leading others toward that Vision How Gamestop's stock battle between the short-selling hedge funds and retail investors illustrates an important lesson on power, control, and coordination How setting the Vision is about taking coordinated action as one team and ensuring that everyone is clear on the objective and aligned in execution Why developing your leadership skills is instrumental in your journey from entrepreneur to CEO, and how the best leaders build the best businesses About Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years. One of Brett's favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft's Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft's Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can't think of anything else he'd rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn't busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children. Resources: Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath: https://amzn.to/3tWQcKz Kaihan Krippendorff's Gamestop blog post: https://kaihan.net/gamestop-3-hidden-strategic-lessons/ Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Taking the Right Business Process Development Steps What You Will Learn: Why process is crucial for helping business owners train others to take responsibility and strengthen the business Why it is important to learn how to “lead leaders” and distance yourself from the work that needs to be done Why the first step is taking stock of all the roles and responsibilities in your business and then determining what you want to delegate What actions to take to build a great, effective new employee onboarding and orientation process, and why that process should be one of the first you create How to set a new hire up for success and then automate the process so that new employees are quickly acquainted with your company, leadership, and processes Why a task that begins to feel tedious or monotonous is the perfect task to turn into an automated process Why automation isn't about removing personal connections or dehumanizing your business but is about freeing up time and ensuring consistency How to avoid “freak out moments” by ensuring that every responsibility in your business has an owner and a backup owner Why implementing processes takes time and is in itself an ongoing process, and why you should set aside time to document your knowledge What best practices to follow to create and structure a process or standard operating procedure in your business About Chris Ronzio Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS company that helps businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in one simple system. Chris is also the host of the Process Makes Perfect podcast, author of 100 Hacks To Improve Your Business, and an Inc. Magazine contributor with a column called The Process Playbook. With Trainual, Chris is on a mission to make small business easier by helping business leaders find the time to do more of what they love and providing a way to document and delegate what they do. Resources Website: https://trainual.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisronzio/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/trainual/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrisronzio/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/trainual/ Twitter: @chrisronzio Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Kristin Carpenter founded Verde Brand Communications after a decade-long journalism career, working on staff for major consumer lifestyle magazines, business and trade titles. Now 19 years later, she continues to serve as Verde's CEO and directs strategy for the agency. Kristin is also host of the Channel Mastery podcast, voted best Outdoor Podcast by SNEWS in 2019. Channel Mastery launched in 2017 and delivers solutions in every weekly episode tailored for specialty business and brand leaders navigating the continual transformation of multi-channel business. Specialty's competitive set now includes behemoth marketplaces like Amazon, billion-dollar retailers like Target and Walmart, armed with troves of data, Channel Mastery shows specialty business leaders what's working today to best engage today's consumer. In her free time, you can find Kristin chasing her kids around the mountains and desert around her home in Durango, Colo. In addition to her duties of founder/CEO and Mom, Kristin hosts town halls and keynote speaking engagements. What You Will Learn: How Kristin initially founded Verde Brand Communications with the goal and began specializing in the outdoor recreation market How the outbreak of the global pandemic forced everyone to “throw out the playbook” and encouraged them to innovate new solutions How Kristin learned to stop over-servicing her clients and recognize the real value of her time and effort as her firm grew Why Kristin would tell her younger self to not stress so much over the challenges ahead of her and to know that she will overcome them Why learning to delegate responsibility was one of the significant skills Kristin had to develop as a leader to keep her organization growing How the global pandemic has impacted online research engagement and conversion and created change in both businesses and in the consumers they serve How Kristin and her team are continuously working to update their Mission, Vision, and Values and to implement and streamline their processes Why constant outgoing communication between brands and consumers is more important than ever before in the age of pandemic Why Kristin believes it is key for a brand to not be too tied to its founder and to stand on its own legs How Kristin is focusing on building out her leadership team's structure to better reflect who Verde is and what they want to be Resources: McKinsey & Company's “The Quickening” study: https://mck.co/3iM0GHf Website: www.verdepr.com Website: www.channelmastery.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kcarpediem/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/verde-pr-&-consulting/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinthecarpenter Twitter: @VerdeBrandComm Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Good Succession Planning and the Science of Change What You Will Learn: How Bradley developed his Succession Solution process to help business owners increase the value of their company and ensure that it continues after they leave How 70% of all businesses fail to make it through a transition successfully, and why 85% of those failures are within the owner's control to change Why succession planning is crucial for the survival of your business after you decide to exit, and why allowing time to get everything into place is key Why good succession planning requires a team effort and needs to consider all aspects of the organization Why starting early gives you more options and helps protect your business, especially if an unexpected disaster happens Why the first step is to speak to your financial and legal advisors and ask if they have experience with succession planning How to reach out to Bradley to discuss your own succession planning, and why meeting with a succession planning expert every 90 days is the key to a smooth process How Bradley's business landed on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing businesses due in large part to keeping a regular quarterly planning cadence How solid planning and committing to a process helped Bradley turn his first business from a total failure into a consistent and profitable organization About Bradley Franc Bradley Franc is the creator of The Succession Solution. He is an accomplished entrepreneur, business coach, strategist, business lawyer, and CPA (inactive). As an entrepreneur, he has formed 4 separate companies which have been named 9 separate times in INC Magazine list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Have been named by Worth Magazine as one of the top 100 attorneys in the United States. Over his 30 years in the field of transition planning, he counseled hundreds of closely-held business owners on their succession plan. In 2019, he published the book entitled “The Succession Solution, The Strategic Guide to Business Transition,” which was an Amazon bestseller. Resources: Website: www.thesuccessionsolution.com Website: www.hh-law.com/attorney/bradley-franc/ The Succession Solution Worksheet: www.thesuccessionsolution.com/worksheet LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyjfranc/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-succession-solution/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesuccessionsolution Twitter: @successionsol Additional Resources: Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health Email: info@GrowWithElite.com Website: https://growwithelite.com/