Podcasts about unique ability

Season 9 begins with a meaningful conversation on resilience as Gary Mottershead welcomes long time friend and Unique Ability expert Julia Waller, founder of Unique Rabbit Coaching.Together, Gary and Julia explore resilience from several angles: Julia's own leap into a new chapter after 28 years with Strategic Coach, Gary's personal reflections on navigating difficult seasons, and the ways they've seen others demonstrate resilience by trusting their strengths, adapting through change, and staying rooted in who they are.This episode sets the tone for the season by reminding listeners that resilience isn't only about pushing through challenges. It's about self-awareness, courage, imagination, and following your heart when the next step isn't fully clear.

With the Co-Authors of The Greater Game and Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach and John Bowen of CEG Insights Louis Diamond speaks with Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach® and John Bowen of CEG Insights about founder dependency, enterprise value, and the architecture behind scalable businesses. In Summary Many advisory firms grow successfully while remaining highly dependent on their founders. Dan Sullivan and John Bowen argue that the difference between a successful practice and a valuable enterprise comes down to architecture. Louis sits down with the co-authors of The Greater Game to discuss founder dependency, enterprise value, intellectual property, and why some businesses scale beyond their owners while others do not. The conversation offers advisors a framework for thinking differently about growth, succession, and long-term optionality. The Storyline Many advisors spend their careers helping clients build valuable businesses. Far fewer stop to ask whether their own firms are being built the same way. That tension sits at the center of Louis Diamond's conversation with Dan Sullivan, co-founder of Strategic Coach®, and John Bowen, founder of CEG Elevate Group and CEG Insights. Their new book, The Greater Game, challenges a common assumption about growth: that bigger businesses are simply the result of working harder, adding more clients, or improving existing systems. Instead, they argue that enterprise value is created through architecture—the deliberate design of a business that can scale, transfer, and thrive without its founder at the center. The discussion introduces a framework for understanding why some entrepreneurs remain trapped in optimization while others build enterprises that compound in value over time. Along the way, Dan and John explore founder dependency, intellectual property, succession planning, strategic partnerships, and the role advisors can play in helping entrepreneurial clients navigate each stage of growth. For advisors, the framework creates an important mirror. The same forces that limit enterprise value for entrepreneurial clients often exist inside advisory firms themselves. The result is a conversation that extends well beyond business growth and into questions of optionality, transferability, and what ultimately makes a firm valuable. Topics Covered Enterprise Value Creation Founder Dependency Risk Business Architecture vs. Optimization Intellectual Property & Scalability Strategic Partnerships & Leverage Succession Planning & Optionality Legacy, Impact & the “Greater Game” Mindset > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors What is The Greater Game—and why does it matter to advisors? (17:57) Dan and John introduce the framework behind their new book and explain why advisors should think about it both for entrepreneurial clients and for their own businesses. Why do only a small percentage of entrepreneurs create exponential enterprise value? (22:24) The discussion explores the difference between “architects” and “optimizers” and why most business owners remain focused on improving what exists rather than designing what comes next. Why is founder dependency such a significant valuation risk? (35:00) John explains how businesses that depend on a single individual often struggle to scale, transfer, or command premium valuations. How does expertise become intellectual property—and why does that matter? (35:00) The transition from expertise to transferable systems may be the most important bridge in the entire framework, creating leverage that extends beyond the founder. What prevents many advisors from fully serving entrepreneurial clients? (18:00) The conversation examines why most advisors are well-equipped for traditional planning needs but less prepared for the governance, succession, and enterprise-value challenges entrepreneurs eventually face. What does the next game look like after you've already “won”? (50:00) Dan and John discuss why many successful entrepreneurs and advisors eventually shift their focus from accumulation to significance, impact, and legacy. What's the single most important move an entrepreneur can make? (52:30) Dan shares the concept of Unique Ability® and explains why simplifying around your highest-value strengths often creates the greatest multiplier effect. Key Takeaways Enterprise value is created through architecture, not effort. Many successful businesses continue to grow while remaining highly dependent on their founders. The firms that command premium valuations are often built differently from the start. Founder dependency acts as a hidden valuation discount. The more a business depends on one person, the more difficult it becomes to scale, transfer, or sell at a premium. Intellectual property is often the bridge between a practice and an enterprise. When expertise becomes codified, transferable, and repeatable, value begins to exist independently of the founder. Advisors and entrepreneurs often face the same challenge. The same founder-dependency issues advisors help clients solve frequently exist within their own firms. Strategic partnerships create leverage that expertise alone cannot. Many of the most successful entrepreneurs grow through collaboration, ecosystems, and coordinated expertise rather than attempting to solve every challenge themselves. Most advisors are trained to solve early-stage problems. Entrepreneurial clients eventually require guidance around succession, governance, scalability, and enterprise value—areas that extend beyond traditional planning. The next stage of growth is often not about growth at all. For many successful entrepreneurs, the question eventually shifts from accumulation to significance, impact, and the legacy they want their business to create. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5xOB8GTQY Quotable Moments “The exit multiple is downstream of the architecture.” “The difference between a three-times and a fifteen-times multiple is often whether the business depends on the founder.” “You have to simplify in order to multiply.” “We're not talking about a 10x game anymore. We're talking about a 100x game.”     FAQs Why do some advisory firms command higher valuation multiples than others? Dan Sullivan and John Bowen argue that valuation is often determined long before a transaction occurs. Firms that reduce founder dependency, codify intellectual property, and build transferable systems typically command higher multiples than those built around a single rainmaker. What is founder dependency and how does it impact enterprise value? Founder dependency occurs when clients, revenue, and decision-making remain concentrated around one individual. While those businesses can be highly successful, advisors find they are often more difficult to scale, transfer, or sell. What is the difference between an architect and an optimizer? An optimizer focuses on improving an existing business model. An architect builds systems, intellectual property, and structures designed to create leverage, scalability, and long-term enterprise value. What does Dan Sullivan mean when he says “100x is easier than 2x”? The concept challenges entrepreneurs to stop thinking incrementally. Rather than working harder within the current model, transformational growth often comes from redesigning the model itself through better leverage, collaboration, and systems. How can advisors better serve entrepreneurial clients? Many entrepreneurial clients eventually need guidance beyond investment management, including succession planning, governance, intellectual property strategy, and enterprise value creation. Understanding where a client sits in their business journey can help advisors provide more relevant advice and coordination. What is the expertise trap and why does it matter for advisory firms? The expertise trap occurs when critical knowledge, relationships, and processes remain inside the founder's head. Until that expertise becomes transferable and repeatable, enterprise value often remains limited regardless of growth. Dan Sullivan and John Bowen argue that valuation is often determined long before a transaction occurs. Firms that reduce founder dependency, codify intellectual property, and build transferable systems typically command higher multiples than those built around a single rainmaker. Founder dependency occurs when clients, revenue, and decision-making remain concentrated around one individual. While those businesses can be highly successful, advisors find they are often more difficult to scale, transfer, or sell. An optimizer focuses on improving an existing business model. An architect builds systems, intellectual property, and structures designed to create leverage, scalability, and long-term enterprise value. The concept challenges entrepreneurs to stop thinking incrementally. Rather than working harder within the current model, transformational growth often comes from redesigning the model itself through better leverage, collaboration, and systems. Many entrepreneurial clients eventually need guidance beyond investment management, including succession planning, governance, intellectual property strategy, and enterprise value creation. Understanding where a client sits in their business journey can help advisors provide more relevant advice and coordination. The expertise trap occurs when critical knowledge, relationships, and processes remain inside the founder's head. Until that expertise becomes transferable and repeatable, enterprise value often remains limited regardless of growth. Related Resources The Greater Game by Dan Sullivan and John Bowen Strategic Coach® CEG Elevate Group The Greater Game Dashboard Diamond Consultants Advisor Transition Report Dan Sullivan The world's foremost expert on entrepreneurship in action, Dan Sullivan has spent the past five decades empowering business owners to reach their full potential in both their professional and personal lives. His strong belief in and commitment to the power of the entrepreneur is evident in all areas of his company, Strategic Coach®, and its successful membership community. Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the UK Dan and Babs reside in Toronto. John Bowen John J. Bowen Jr. is the founder and CEO of CEG Elevate Group, the holding company that includes CEG Worldwide and CEG Insights. Through these companies, he helps elite financial advisors serve fewer, wealthier clients exceptionally well while building more valuable and scalable businesses. Before founding CEG, John spent 26 years as a financial advisor and built a $2 billion wealth management business. That firsthand experience grounds CEG’s work today across advisor coaching, enterprise programs, empirical research through CEG Insights, and practical frameworks for advisors who want to move beyond practice growth to enduring enterprise value. John is the author of 21 books on wealth management, entrepreneurship, and success. His newest book, The Greater Game: Your 100x Blueprint for Exponential Growth, Freedom, and Legacy, co-authored with Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach, will be published by Hay House Business in May 2026. Today, John and the CEG team work with leading advisors and enterprise firms — including some of the largest advisor organizations in the United States — to help advisors deepen relationships with affluent clients, build scalable practices, and design lives of greater significance. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Architecting 100x Growth: A “How-To” From Legends Dan Sullivan and John Bowen A conversation with Louis Diamond and Co-Authors of The Greater Game, Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach and John Bowen of CEG Insights.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Architecting 100x Growth: A “How-To” From Legends Dan Sullivan and John Bowen, a conversation with the industry’s top coaches and co-authors of The Greater Game. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is the Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Most entrepreneurs and many advisors spend years optimizing for growth without realizing they’re building a business that still depends entirely on them. Revenue and complexity grow; enterprise value, transferability, and freedom often lag far behind. Dan Sullivan and John Bowen argue that the issue isn’t effort or intelligence; it’s architecture. No doubt these are familiar names in the wealth management industry, but just to set the stage, Dan is the co-founder of Strategic Coach, and John is the founder of CEG Elevate Group and CEG Insights. Together, they spent decades coaching and studying high-performing entrepreneurs and advisory firms. Their latest book, one they joined forces on, The Greater Game, lays out a very different framework for thinking about growth, one built around scalability, transferrable value, and long-term leverage rather than incremental optimization. What makes this conversation especially relevant for advisors is that the framework cuts both ways. It applies to the entrepreneurial clients that advisors serve, as well as to the advisory firms themselves. And in many cases, the same founder dependency and expertise trap that limits a client’s enterprise value is quietly limiting the advisor’s business too. We talk about the difference between operators and architects, why 100 times growth can actually be easier than two times growth, where businesses tend to stall as they scale and how advisors can start thinking differently about their own firms, particularly when it comes to enterprise value, succession, and long-term optionality. It’s rare access to a conversation with two of our industry’s legends whose advice and counsel has not only helped to transform the business lives of many of our listeners, but also my own. So let’s get to it. Dan and John, thank you both for joining us today. Dan Sullivan: Thank you, Lou. It’s a real pleasure. John Bowen: I’ve had the privilege of joining you before, but never with my co-author, Dan Sullivan, and I’m excited to share what we’re doing because I think it can make a big impact in our advisor industry. Louis Diamond: No doubt about it. Yeah, this has been an interview I’ve been very excited to host. So let’s jump right in. Dan Sullivan, I think you are a man that needs little introduction. So many advisors in the industry are fans or clients of your firm, Strategic Coach, but for those who aren’t as familiar or need a refresh, can you just give some quick context into why you started Strategic Coach and what the company does today? Dan Sullivan: Yeah. Well, it goes back to 1974. I was a copywriter at BBDO, the Canadian branch of BBDO, big global advertising agency. It still is. But I’ve been sort of a lifetime coach. I remember once when my mother finally caught up with what I was doing in life and I was describing what I was doing, she says, “Well, you were doing that when you were a child. You were talking to adults and you were asking adults about their experiences.” And I said, “Yeah, I could do this when I was eight or nine years old, but it took me a long time to get a business model wrapped around it.” But I jumped out in 1974 and started coaching anybody, but it actually turned out that entrepreneurs were the best people to coach because they would write a check on the spot and they would make a decision on the spot and I needed cashflow and I did it. So I’ve been personally, as a Strategic Coach, which was named by someone else. You’re just out there trying to get cashflow to pay for the rent. So I started in ’74, and I was lucky and it really relates to your target audience, Lou. Right off the bat, I got what are called top-of-the-table life insurance agents. And that was really, really great because life insurance agents are purely a conceptual business. So someone can get a new idea at breakfast and they can have a new business by dinnertime just because they can change their mindset. And that moved on. And I did that for 15 years, just one-on-one, 1970s, 1980s. And then, I’d had enough experience that we turned it into a workshop program in 1989. We’ve been at it ever since. So I was at a talk. Joe Polish is a great friend of ours, Joe Polish with Genius Network. And he had a speaker there, and he says, “You’re one of the original gangsters, aren’t you? You’re one of the first people.” And I said, “I don’t know if I’m the original, but I think I’m the only surviving one.” So it’s 52 years that I’ve been doing what I’m doing. And I had the good fortune to meet John in around 2009. John, was that the year? 2009? John Bowen: Yeah, in the little economic downturn that everybody knows about here. Dan Sullivan: Yeah. And John had a great coaching program and we had a great coaching program. And over the years, we’ve talked a lot about what makes a entrepreneur exponential in their thinking. And finally, about two years ago, we decided, let’s write a book about this. And that’s the new book, which is called The Greater Game. That’s where this all started. It’s just been a great pleasure because we sync very well. Louis Diamond: Amazing. And Dan, I think a lot of people likely know you either from Strategic Coach. I know I’m personally a big fan of two of your books and I know of others, The Gap and The Gain and Who Not How. We’re going to talk about your new book, but I think it’d just be helpful. Can you talk about the key premise of some of your prior books, The Gap and The Gain and Who Not How? Dan Sullivan: As a result of my membership, I’m a member in other groups. And so Joe Polish of Genius Network fame, he’s been in my program for 28 years, and I’ve been in his program for 15 years. And there was a writer who was in one of the first Genius Network workshops, and he approached me. And I created a lot of books, but I create small books and they’re self-published. I do a book a quarter. I’m 82 in about three weeks. So when I was 70, I said, “I’m going to give myself a 25-year project. I’ll write 100 books in 100 quarters.” And this is quarter number 47, and I’m writing my 47th book. But they’re little books. They’re 60, 70 pages. They’re one-idea books. And Ben Hardy, who was, at that time, the number one writer on Medium, which is a blogging type medium, he approached me, and he said, “I know you don’t write big books and you don’t have publisher books. But,” he said, “if you ever did,” he said, “I’d like to collaborate.” And that was a great good fortune on my part. So we produced three books in five years. The first book was Who Not How. Who Not How basically says when you have a goal, the biggest problem with the goal, you’re excited about the goal, but you’re not excited about doing it. So you find “Whos” who help you and you build teamwork around it. And that was a big seller. And then, we had another concept which was called The Gap and The Gain that entrepreneurs, depending on how they measure their progress, can be perpetually unhappy or they can be perpetually motivated. And it all depends on how they measure their progress, how they measure their goal setting and their goal achievement. And then the third book, which has really turned out to be the big one, up until this book, this book will be bigger. It’s called 10x Is Easier Than 2x. So hence, Coach, everybody has a 10x game plan. Whatever number they want to choose, revenues, personal net worth, whatever, you have a framework of 10x, which is sometime in the future, but you use that future framework for deciding what you’re going to do today that will end up as a 10x result. I thought that was going to be our formula for the rest of my life until I met John. And then John is a great AI practitioner. And I began to realize that that 10x is now becoming 100x for really top-notch entrepreneurs, but the 10x is easier than 2x. And we just crossed the million mark with the three books, which is really good. And it’s great for lead… we’re having people show up and they’ve really bought into what Strategic Coach is. We have a good size company. We’re not a small company. We have 120 team members. We’re in five centers: Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, Toronto and London, England. But it’s been really great because we’ve really grown with technological change and it’s basically, we teach people how to think about their thinking. And Lou, you were in for three years, both in-person and virtual. So you know what the starting structure of it is, but I’m in love with entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are crucial characters on the planet, but mostly they operate alone and what we’ve done is create a community for them. Louis Diamond: Fantastic. Thank you, Dan. And John, I think perfect segue to you, because I know you’ve spent your career serving and helping entrepreneurs as well, mostly within financial services or within wealth management. And you’ve been very kind to share some of your amazing research on advisors serving entrepreneurial clients in the past. But for anyone who’s missed those episodes, similar question for you, can you share what your companies do? CEG Elevate, CEG Insights, your new research, and then we’ll dive into your exciting new book. John Bowen: Thank you, Louis. And Dan and I are very excited about just entrepreneurs in general. Dan is, because he’s working with them directly. The best clients for financial advisors are entrepreneurs, largely, if you’re going to go high net worth, ultra-high net worth. So we have a company, CEG Elevate, which is our parent company. Two of the companies that are really interesting for this podcast is CEG Insights and this is our research arm. And we’ll study about 20,000 high net worth, ultra-high net worth clients this year in depth and 6,000 up to 7,000 we’ll do just of entrepreneurs. And this is in the partnership. Lou, I invited you up to… We were skiing two years ago in Park City and you couldn’t join us. But Dan and I made a deal to do a 25-year partnership studying entrepreneurship, one for Strategic Coach and his coaching clients, but really the opportunity for financial advisors. And it’s probably just as well because I came down, and I think, Dan, you were 80 at the time and I was 69. I’m 70 now. And I was skiing with a whole bunch of 40-year-olds, and they’re all going, “You guys are way too optimistic.” And Dan and I are just getting started on this. And the other company that’s applicable is CEG Worldwide, where we have the privilege of coaching and training some of the top financial advisors, those aspiring, and also working with the enterprises to really help move up market and do this great experience. Louis Diamond: Fantastic. Dan, question for you. What was the core problem you and John were trying to solve in your new book, The Greater Game? What is it that existing frameworks weren’t touching? And then John, I’ll have a follow-up question for you after that. Dan Sullivan: Yeah. Well, by the very nature of what we do, we’re not going for wannabes. We’re not going for entrepreneurs who hope to be really successful someday. We’re engaging with and we’re registering into both of our communities, people who, they’re already great. They’re already doing so many things right, but they’re kind of doing it unconsciously. They just have a unique ability for growth. They have a unique ability for networking and expansion, but the very, very core is they’ve done it on their own. And they’ve done it out of intuition and they’ve done it out of ambition and motivation. But their biggest problem is that they’re really lonely. I’m in my sixth decade now of coaching entrepreneurs, and people say, “Well, what’s the number one problem that entrepreneurs face?” And I said, “Loneliness.” They can’t explain themselves to the family they grew up with. They can’t explain themselves with their lifetime friends. They have thoughts about how they’re operating. And they take enormous pride in their ability to transform difficulties into breakthroughs, but they don’t have anybody to talk to. So what we’ve created is a community where when you walk in the room, everybody in that room immediately understands you. Everybody immediately applauds what you’ve done. Everybody is inspired by you. So my framework is I call, “What you’ve done on your own, you’re great. You’re a winner already, but who do you talk to?” You have to hide a lot of your success because they just won’t understand what it is that actually motivates you. And the beauty of the partnership with John is the vast majority of our clients are in 70 or 80 different industries, so they’re not peculiar. We start off with financial services, especially life insurance. But what I notice is that all the difficulty they get into life is they’re trying to communicate with people who don’t understand them. And what we’re saying is, “Stage one, you did it on your own, you’re great by any standard whatsoever. You check all the boxes for being a successful person, but you don’t really have any way to actually check out how other people are doing this.” And so we’ve created a community, and John has created a community where people, immediately, there’s understanding. And not only that, but there’s opportunity because they’re unique in their own ways. Every one of our entrepreneurs has created a very, very unique pattern of success that if they were with 10 other people, they could learn from this. If they were with 30 other people, they would learn even more. So that’s what we’ve done. So stage two is now joining a community where everybody gets you. Louis Diamond: Interesting. And that’s the premise of the book. We don’t want to have people not buy it, but what is the greater game? What’s the game that folks are playing and pursuing and how do you make it greater? Dan Sullivan: I tell you, what I’ve always been lacking, I’m sort of intuitive like most entrepreneurs are. We’ve done about 300 times growth since we started the program. But it’s intuitive. I don’t have any research to back this up. I’m low on fact finder. I find, generally speaking, the best facts are just the facts that I make up, but at a certain point, you’d like to have some actual research to back me up. So I’ve gone as far as I can go with our company without real research. Then John comes into the picture, and now we got some real research. And I will say this, this is generally true. It’s not just a problem with me that I don’t have research. I find that entrepreneurism is one of the least researched subjects on the planet. And John comes along and he’s done all the backfill for how entrepreneurs actually perform and I’ve got research to prove it. Louis Diamond: Perfect. Yeah, John, question for you. So what is The Greater Game? And then, how do you think it relates to what financial advisors have been missing? John Bowen: One of the things that we as financial advisors all want to work with people who have already won. And there’s no better group than entrepreneurs, successful entrepreneurs. If we look at people with 25 million or more of investible assets across all households in the US, 90% are entrepreneurs. And at the 5 to 25 million of investible assets, it’s three out of four. So at CEG Worldwide, we’ve always wanted to really understand advisors. And we said we’ll partner with Dan and his passion with entrepreneurs, we’ll go ahead and study them so that we can bring insights on how we can better serve them. And the very first thing we want to do is understand, yeah, there’s very different stages that we see of entrepreneurs and we talk about the whole concept of The Greater Game. And the idea here is we wanted to identify… And I’ll share some PowerPoint slides. I know a lot of us are listening and I just want to walk through this, but Louis will have it in show notes, his team will. We really saw four areas. The first one was level one, stage one was foundation for freedom. They had ambition, the vision, but they really needed security. And Dan calls this, and I love this term, “cash confidence.” But it’s really using a financial advisor to have security. And one of the things, the last time I was on with you, Louis, we talked about there’s 59.2% of entrepreneurs who want to switch advisors because they don’t believe they have that security. And that’s kind of the foundation. And this is why you’re never going to read a more friendly financial advisor book for entrepreneurs than this because in our coaching program, we’re developing workshops and so on to bring this message out. And then the second level is where now we saw… and there were four levels. Dan and I identified 5.4% of these entrepreneurs that were just killing it and they were going through all four levels. The second level was energy for expansion. They were very motivated, they were excited about getting up and really the intellectual property, and Dan’s been one of the big leaders in this, is so much of what we know… And as I go through this too, I want every one of the advisors to think about it’s not only your entrepreneurial clients, this is for you too, is having this intellectual property, getting it out of your head so that your business is not founder-dependent or personality-dependent. You’ve got this enterprise. And then, the third level where it really took off was collaboration and multiplication. And Dan talked about the power of community and this is so big. And for advisors, the community is often working with other professionals, the accountants, the attorneys, the investment bankers. Matter of fact, when we survey, we found that 40% of the people with 25 million or more that they invest with an advisor came through an investment banker. So creating that community, teamwork, having the right team and then autonomy. Can you step away from your practice? The entrepreneurs step away 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, making that independence, moving from the founder-dependent to the enterprise. And the last level was exponential. And this is all along the way, the AI opportunities to accelerate this and augment this is really real, but the agency where the blue ocean, creating new markets, then getting the commitment and courage. And at each of these levels, we saw different entrepreneurs just really taking off. And one of the things that’s so important, Louis, for what we’re talking about today is advisors all are ready to treat stage one, the foundation for freedom, but they don’t really understand the other stages, and that’s really what entrepreneurs want. So if you want to work in this market, it’s very important for you to understand what you can do to help. The difference is often for an entrepreneur, a three to five multiplier versus 15, the level one or stage one to stage four. And this is where it gets really exciting. Louis Diamond: This would be a question for John. You found, and he’s mentioned it, that only 5.4% of entrepreneurs operate as architects versus optimizers. Can you explain the difference between those two personas? John Bowen: Well, I’m going to set up the research and let Dan really bring it home. But Dan and I came up with this framework, The Greater Game and the 10 Multipliers, and we’ve got that and we’re putting it in order and we wanted to really confirm. And everything we do is empirical research. So we reached out to 1,000 very successful entrepreneurs, 1,016. And it became very clear that the 5.4% of them were actually executing on all these levels and they were just distancing everyone else. And what we came up with, and Dan mentioned it earlier, that his book, 10x Is Easier Than 2x, but we said, what we’re seeing… and we’ve got a whole bunch, I think it’s 26 stories in the book of entrepreneurs, we’re seeing so many people blow this out that 100x is easier than 2x, and it forces a whole different mindset where if you’re optimizing, you’re kind of looking incrementally. But when you step back as an architect, big picture, wow, huge opportunity, both for entrepreneurs and advisors that are entrepreneurs to make a real big difference. This is something you’ve really coached to and had the privilege of working with thousands of entrepreneurs helping them on that journey. Dan Sullivan: Yeah. One of the things that was confusing for me, Lou, when I first started coaching, because everybody who came in to coach, you remember when you came into your first Chicago workshop, that everybody in the room was motivated. I’m not a motivational speaker. I don’t have to motivate the entrepreneurs who are in Coach. They’re already motivated. The problem is the focus of their ambition and focus. And what we discovered was that there were two types that showed up. I didn’t really understand it, but they’re what I call status-oriented entrepreneurs. And what they are when they were a kid, they didn’t have anything. Their family wasn’t at the top of the pole. When they were born, they grew up in a certain community, but there were certain people who lived in the right part of town and they had really big houses and everything about their lifestyle was way above everybody else in the lifestyle. And they saw the lack of what they had, because of the way they were born, that they were going to match it. But the matching was based in not only what the big home looks like. They’ve got other homes, they’ve got vacation homes. They belong to clubs. There’s clubs for the winners, and the losers aren’t part of those clubs, golf courses and boating clubs and everything else. And what I noticed was their motivation was simply to get to that point where they had the same sort of status. And they’re interesting for a while, but once they’ve gotten to that level of status, they’re not interesting anymore. They go on cruise control at that point and they just want to stay within that framework. But the really interesting entrepreneurs, and we really highlight them in the book, it’s just about growth. So when they get to one level, they say, “That’s great. Okay, now I’ve got a new baseline and now I want to grow even further.” And we have one story, very, very interesting. When he came into my Chicago workshop, I met him and he said, “I’ve got a big engineering company.” This is Paul VanDuyne. He’s out of the Quad City area of Iowa. And he says, “My ambition for your program is for three years, I’m just going to plan my retirement.” And I said, “Well, we’ve got some thoughts about that.” So I said, “Just do your first workshop and we’ll talk about it 90 days from now.” And he came back and he had an entirely different game plan, and he’s grown basically 250 times in his last 13 years. He’s completely transformed the industry that he’s in and he had this growth. So what we’re looking for in The Greater Game, we’re looking for those entrepreneurs who are already successful, but they don’t see any stopping point. They’ll grow to one level and then they say, “Okay, that’s the new baseline. Now I grow to another level.” Meanwhile, three years ago, what happened is the world got a new capability called AI. AI, you’re not talking 10x. If you use it properly… a lot of people are in the very early stages here, but we can see the ones who are applying it for growth. John has set up an entire research structure just to measure the people, and what are the people who are just motivated by growth? They don’t see any stopping point. They don’t see any retirement age. They’re just growing. They’re in better health now than they were when they started their ambition. One of the great breakthroughs we’re having now is the impact of AI on physical fitness and health right now. And so you have 70-year-olds now who are way more ambitious at 70 than they were at 50. So we think a whole new world is being created in front of us, but there isn’t the research to measure what the real winners of this new game are actually doing. And The Greater Game is a lot of Strategic Coach thinking tools, but it’s also the phenomenal research that John is doing, and we’re measuring exactly what are these people who just constantly grow, what are they actually doing? John Bowen: Louis, if I can jump in, I want to go back to Paul just for a second because he was going to do something classical, and Dan is also my coach and I was going to do something similar. Paul told Dan that he was going to retire at 65, and his wife. And he were going to open up a little mom-and-pop coffee shop. And the reason so many of the entrepreneurs are caught in the 2x optimization is they’re grinding it out. They’re working harder to be more successful and the desire to do that isn’t very high. That’s why you retire. On the other hand, what we found, the ones working on 100x are building platforms and ecosystems. They’re architected. And as we were writing the book, CEG grew by 58%. I’m going to give a lot of credit to the book, because as Dan and I were working on the processes, I wanted to walk all the talks. This is where the world is changing. I want everybody to think as a financial advisor, you’re being served twice, one with The Greater Game, they don’t care about a few basis points on returns. That’s table stakes. So much of the level one is taking care of the investment side, mitigating taxes, taking care of the areas, protecting the assets, some charitable planning, maybe shoot in some succession planning. I can tell you only 6% of the entrepreneurs actually feel they’re getting that from you, but that’s only level one. If you can help them from each of the stages, stage one through four, and help them create that vision, they’re going to love you to death. Because many of them want to continue in this path and create tremendous value, bigger impact, not creating legacies in the sense of enduring legacies, but active legacies. Last year, my wife and I set up a private foundation. I called it The Greater Game Foundation. I just love this so much, the difference that you can make, and I want to do it while I’m living, not while I’m gone type of thing. I think that’s one Dan and I very much share. Louis Diamond: Awesome. You wrote the book 10x Is Easier Than 2x, but now you’re claiming 100x is easier than 2x. How can that be the case? Dan Sullivan: The interesting thing, one of my points of proof on the original idea, the 10x Mind Expander, I use a lot of what the entrepreneurs have already done to prove the future. In other words, I said… You’ll remember the exercise, Lou. And I said, “I want you to pick your best number.” Everybody’s got a best number. It’s revenue, it’s net worth, whatever. And I said, “I just want you to multiply by 10.” And immediately there’s this reaction. He says, “You know how hard it was to get to just where I am 10 times?” And I said, “Well, you’ve already done 10 times. You’ve probably done 10 times twice. So let’s go back to the beginning. When were you 1/10 of where you are right now?” And they can nail it. They can tell you the year, they can tell you the month when they were 1/10 of where they were. And I said, “Let’s write the actual structure that got you from 1/10 to where you are right now.” And there’s five stages, and usually it’s an event, it’s a new relationship and all of a sudden they get a big check. And we measure, as entrepreneurs, size of check is a good scorecard. When you’re first starting, you got a $10,000 check, that was the biggest check. But about five years later, you get a $100,000 check, and all of a sudden it seems strange at breakfast, but by dinner you’ve normalized the idea, “Well, I know what it’s like to get a much bigger check, a 10 times check.” And so I have them create five growth stages that took them from where they were 1/10 to where they are right now, and I said, “Now let’s go back and talk about doing 10 times more.” And what they recognize, 80% who’ve got them 10 times the first time is going to be the same. It’s relationship, it’s having a great team, it’s having a simple approach that always works and it’s about the kind end customer. It’s not about them. It’s about who is it that you’re being a hero to in the marketplace. Because the truth is people don’t want to have a lot of relationships as they grow. They’d like to have one relationship to grow. They’d like to have an advisor who’s growing with them. But then John introduced me to the whole world of AI and I said, “We’re not talking 10 times anymore. We’re talking 100 times.” I said, “If you apply this new form of thinking, because it is an entirely new form of thinking, to what you’re doing right now, you can see that 10 times is going to happen just by doing three or four things where you’re eliminating waste, you’re eliminating things that just don’t work anymore, changing relationships, changing teamwork, changing collaborations in the marketplace.” But meanwhile, this new world of thinking is making you healthier. It’s making you more fit. So where before you thought you wouldn’t have the energy at 70, you now have more energy at 70 than you had at 50. So you’re the only one who says when it’s going to stop. I’m 82 in three weeks. We’re having this… I’m 82 and I’m way more ambitious at 82 than I was at 52. And the world is, because the world outside in terms of technological capability and access is way, way bigger in my 82nd year than it was in my 52nd year, and I love the growth. I have to tell you that the greatest point where AI is going to have the impact is going to be making money. The big titans, the Metas, the Googles, the Nvidias, what do they have in common? It’s about the money and where AI is being applied most is how you do new things with money. So that’s where the 100 times now comes from. I’ve normalized it. I said, “We’re not talking a 10x game anymore. We’re talking 100x game.” But the number on the scoreboard isn’t the issue. The scoreboard is, are you actually having fun? Louis Diamond: Yeah, we call it living your best business life. That’s our major barometer in charge. John, I don’t know if you could pull up your slides again, but I want to talk about the bridge between stage two in your pyramid to stage three. So that’s from expertise into scalable property. Can you explain how this relates to a financial advisor or an independent business owner and why this concept is so important for the valuation of a business? John Bowen: The book, it’s written for entrepreneurs, but I wanted to create some bridges while we’re together with Louis on really what’s going on for financial advisors and how you can help them. So if they’re at our stage one, Dan and my stage one of The Greater Game, and they want to go to two, they’re kind of dreaming oftentimes, and we want to help them begin creating the architectural structure. And as an advisor, this is really going to encourage everybody to read chapter two, The Greater Security. It talks about really the VFO, Virtual Family Office structure that they want, and you got to help them get financially solid, building personal wealth outside of the business, tax, estate, insurance, business structure. That’s what we all do today. Then though, if they want to move from level two to three, what we find over and over again, advisors are not equipped to do this, because what we’re taking is that founder where everything’s in its head, we’re now helping them move from just having that expertise to having scalable property. This is that codifying the process of building IP that’s transferable. And this is where the real valuation changes. Now, I’m not asking financial advisors to be the IP experts, but what the entrepreneurs want is they want somebody to help them curate and then coordinate between each of these levels. We go from three to four that the founder is indispensable, oftentimes at three. Now we want the team there to be invincible. And it’s not just the individual team as Dan was talking about. It’s the community. The collaboration is where this really takes off. The noise of AI is making it harder to market, but by partnering, particularly as financial advisors, we can very quickly have groups. One of the reasons why I’m collaborating with Dan, I want to help our financial advisors to work with entrepreneurs. Dan wants that research. So this is the natural collaboration. But they’re interested here in governance, self-managing teams. One of the things that Strategic Coach is brilliant at, the pre-transaction they want. And what we find so often is the indispensable discount. So many businesses sell, if they sell at all, they’re selling for three to five times multiplier, not advisory, but traditional businesses. Well, if you can make it to four, all of a sudden you’re now talking to 10 to 15 times multipliers. And think of it as if I’m a buyer and I’ve been involved in 50-some transactions, what happens is if the business is the guy, the gal, they’re the business, then you’re buying a very expensive job type thing. So let’s just keep a simple one. They’re having a couple million dollars of EBITDA. And let’s say the high range of that, five times EBITDA is $10 million. Well, the difference at 15 times two million is 30. Now, a few basis points I don’t really care about. I really care about capturing that difference. And because there’s a machine working without, I can buy that machine and generate that cash flow and it’s also taking advantage of the vision. And then when we get to level four, this is where most advisors make the biggest mistake is, “I’ve won. I’m at level four. I’ve got tremendous wealth.” Okay, but I’m now looking at significance. And I do want to go, “It’s not enduring legacy I’m looking for. I’m looking for active legacy. I’m looking for family governance.” Do I want to continue to build it like Dan and I’m doing at 70? I’m building the business so I can continue doing it as long as I want to do it. At the same time, and I love the impact we have and I know you do too, Louis, for the impact you have. Why not build the platform that’s going to allow you to do that as long as you want to do that? And if you don’t want to do it, let’s create the most value to transfer. When you start having conversations like that with families, entrepreneur families, it just changes, and very few advisors can do that. And that’s what we’re finding. We have a coaching company, training company, we train those things. They’re winning, quite honestly, almost 100% of the time because entrepreneurs didn’t know that was available to them. Louis Diamond: Interesting. It seems like the difference between stage two in your pyramid, to leap to stage three or four, that seems like a pretty massive pivot point for valuation for building a scalable business, having a self-managing company, et cetera. Do you find or have you seen that advisors or entrepreneurs that are in stage two themselves, they kind of pattern-match when they’re working with their own clients and kind of manage their own clients into stage two, or is it not really connected? John Bowen: I think that once you get the bigger picture and see the greater game, you can help your clients. That is a very small percentage. Remember, it was only 5.4 of when we surveyed successful entrepreneurs were actually playing the greater game, all four levels, the 10 greater multipliers. So I think what we tend to do is we get stuck on what we can do. And all the training is for level one for financial advisors. We don’t know how to guide them through the other levels. And really, the big difference from two to three, Dan and I’ve talked about this a lot, and I think Dan’s one of the biggest champions of this, is collaboration, putting together strategic partnerships. It could be with your competitors. This is for entrepreneurs, competitors, it could be various vendor partnerships. But the ability to open up markets that way when you have now put together in level two your IP, value creation’s huge. For advisors, it’s putting together partnerships with centers of influence. When we survey top financial advisors, 70% of their best clients came through COI, Centers of Influence with accountants, attorneys, investment bankers, and so on. Well, let’s do it on purpose, be successful on purpose. Louis Diamond: Dan, question for you. In all your experience working with successful financial advisors, insurance producers, probably any entrepreneur, what do you feel are the most common things that folks do unintentionally to really hurt their enterprise value even long before, or if ever, they decide to sell their business? Dan Sullivan: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is they stay entirely within their industry. One of the first questions that we ask our entrepreneurs when they come into the program and where you see it most is in the professions: lawyers, accountants, engineers, architects. I’ll say, “Well, what is it that you are?” And they’ll say, “Well, I’m a lawyer. I’m a tax lawyer.” And I said, “Are you a tax lawyer or are you an entrepreneur who has a specialty in tax law?” Okay. It makes a big difference, because if you see yourself as a tax lawyer, then you’re saying that you’re a better paid factory worker. You’re a manual laborer. But if you’re an entrepreneur, it’s a fairly recent idea in human history. There’s always been entrepreneurs, but it wasn’t until about the beginning of the 1800s that you start seeing this really different class of people in the marketplace, who, it didn’t matter how they were born, they were taking advantage of some new multiplier technology. Steam power being a great example. Around 1800, steam power came on. And anybody who had a bright vision for themselves and had the wherewithal to figure out what needs could be satisfied with a new technology, all of a sudden they became rich. They became rich. And it was very disruptive, because up until then it was based on aristocracy and you were born into wealth or you were born into poverty. There was no crossover. So what we’re saying is anybody who comes into Strategic Coach, I said, “I’m not going to tell you anything about your particular industry.” I said, “You know all the best practice people in your industry and they have workshops and they have conferences and you go to them, but they don’t know how to be entrepreneurs. You know how to create a really well-paying job, but you haven’t created a company.” A company is a totally different realm and I would say the vast majority of entrepreneurs, 95% of entrepreneurs haven’t really created a company. They’ve just created a really well-paying job which requires their presence and their attendance. I said, “You don’t get any payout for your company. If you’re the company, you need to have a structure.” I’ll give you an example. We started the company in 1989, and we’re about 270 times what our first year revenues were, and that was a great year. I was very happy for the first year, but we’re about 270 times. Along the way, what I did is I created other coaches so it wasn’t just Dan, the coach. So we have 16 other coaches. And I’ll give you a little example. In 1994, that year our company did 144 workshop days, 36 per quarter. One coach: me. Last year we did 600 workshop days and I did 12. 588 were done by other coaches. And our coaches are great. They’re clients who have coaching instincts and they do it. So about four years ago, I met one of our clients who’s an M&A specialist, and I laid out all the facts just in conversation, “This is our revenues. We have no debt. It’s repeatable income, around 70% is repeatable for one year.” I put the whole structure together. And I said, “So right off the top, I don’t have any relatives on staff.” The first thing they look for, “Any relatives working for you?” And he gave me a number. It was a big number. It was probably four times revenue for that year. He said, “We got a lot of structures.” Then something happened in the marketplace, and this is a great breakthrough that the US Patent Office sometime in the last 10 years recognized that up until about 10 years ago, to get a patent, you had to have a technological component for what you were doing. Sometime in the last 10 years, the patent bureaus decided that the internet is the technological component. So they’ve introduced education and entertainment as patentable processes. So in the last three years, we’ve gotten 82 patents. 82 patents. And these are our thinking tools, Lifetime Extender, Free Focus and Buffer Days. You know the routine that you learn in the first three days, and we’ve got 82 of them. We’re averaging about 25. I get a new patent about every two weeks. So I saw this M&A specialist, and I said, “This has happened in the last three years.” And he said, “Immediately it doubles the valuation of your company.” So what John’s saying here, as you go through the four stages, more and more you get paid for your creativity, retail, you get paid for your retail. But if you structure it, you record it, you package it, it is even greater than what you got paid for your creativity. Louis Diamond: Super interesting personal anecdote, and I appreciate you sharing that because that definitely did drive the point home for me. I see the applicability to probably any industry, but especially to any financial advisor. Dan Sullivan: Oh, yeah. Louis Diamond: The best RIA firms, the best advisors, they pretty much all start off with a cult of personality founder who’s the rainmaker. And then the practices that really grow and scale and are valuable are more platforms. That’s what private equity wants to invest in. And those are the firms that get the higher multiples. Dan Sullivan: Yeah. So the big thing is there’s a really, really great IP lawyer. He’s in our program and he’s made the breakthrough, and he’s the first IP lawyer that doesn’t charge by the hour. He charges by the patent. If the IP lawyer charges by the hour, it’s a very slow patent. If he charges by the patent, it’s a very fast patent. But the big thing, he showed a slide that in just big corporations, 1980, you took big corp, Fortune 500, the S&P 500, more than 80% of their valuation was tangible. It was property, it was real estate, it was fleets, it was equipment. Last year, more than 80% were intangibles. It was your ideas, intellectual. If you look at Elon Musk, it’s all intellectual capital. If you look at Meta, you look at anything, it’s intellectual. It’s not tangibles. So we’ve entered into that new world and AI has introduced us to that new world. It’s new processes, new structures, new approaches and it’s really interesting. It’s hard for entrepreneurs to get their idea that your creativity is actually property. Louis Diamond: It sounds like the ultimate challenge for anyone listening is translate your process, your ideas, the stuff that you’re doing by instinct as you both had said, and turn it into something patentable or something repeatable that another advisor, another executive, another owner can pick up and deploy and scale. John Bowen: We share the process in chapter four. It’s the fourth greater multiplier. And we actually share Caldwell, the attorney that Dan’s talking about, his story and the value creation. He’s now the major player in that space. And this is where we as advisors, we’re given a twofer, Dan and Louis, is that you can help your clients, but you can do this yourself too. You’ve been involved in a number of large transactions. The difference, I had a $2 billion advisory practice I sold in ’98, and we sold for 16 times earnings. And a big part of it, we were in that blue ocean. We had agents that we created and strategic process that would run without me, and it did type thing. And it continued to grow and went for about 10 fold what I sold for a number of years later. This is something that’s very real. Louis Diamond: Absolutely. I got two more questions for you guys because I know you’re both busy. For an advisor who feels like they’ve won the growth game, they grow 10, 15, 20% per year, they’re charged up, they’re on the Barron’s list, the Forbes list, they’re hitting their AUM milestones, they built an amazing team, they have a family member in the business. They have everything that anyone could want. What does the next game look like for them? What’s the next frontier once you’ve achieved all those things that from the outside looking in, seems like you have it all? What’s the next game to play? John Bowen: Well, we’re going to both say The Greater Game, but the- Dan Sullivan: Well, tell them about the dashboard, John, because the book is just part of the deal here. It gives you the landscape. There’s a great tool that comes with the book. So tell them about the dashboard. John Bowen: Really what we wanted to do is to create kind of a community just around the book. Dan and I and team built a dashboard. We were very creative on naming, thegreatergamedashboard.com. You can go in and we’re now studying every month over 500 successful entrepreneurs. We have that data in here. You’ll be able to see how you compare at each of these stages, the four stages, the 10 multipliers. And you’re going to get specific recommendations. This is for entrepreneurs. But again, you should do it. If you’re a financial advisor, you have an equity ownership, you should definitely be doing it as well. And one of the things that we see over and over again, and Louis, you probably see this a lot in the conversations. They have advisors who have already won. They don’t know what the next game is. And it’s easy to check out at that point. It’s easy to frustrate the next generation of leaders and so on. If you take the time to really see what the opportunities are and architect to realize that vision, you can create, whether it’s selling the practice, creating tremendous value there or designing a role for yourself, maybe it’s executive chairman type for that business that you can guide it with the vision and what you’ve brought and strategy. But bring that team up. That’s going to create so much value, so much impact and you can design it for the life that you want. And that’s where I get very excited. Louis Diamond: I can hear the passion in your voice. Dan, let’s finish with you. Given all of your experience working with entrepreneurs, advisors, business owners, et cetera, what’s the one move that you’ve seen the most successful entrepreneurs in your orbit make that’s changed the trajectory of their firms and their life more than anything else? Dan Sullivan: I’ll answer it in a little roundabout way. Periodically, I have a thinking tool. I said, “If everything was taken away from you as an entrepreneur and they moved you 1,000 miles away, what’s the one thing that you would take with you? It has to be portable. So what is the most portable thing that you have that you would start over again with the greatest value that you had created previously? What would it be? And then you would rebuild what you’ve already created, but you would do it much faster. What would be the one thing?” It’s an interesting thought. But in our concept, it’s called unique ability, that there’s something about you, as an individual, that first of all gave you enough confidence to become an entrepreneur because it’s risky. It’s a risky proposition. It’s guessing and betting and it’s risky business and it’s unique ability. So the starting point for all growth in Strategic Coach is that there’s something about you that’s absolutely unique. You don’t have any competitors on this and it has two qualities. One is that you’re so good at it, you don’t take it seriously. You’ve done this since you were a child and it just comes to you naturally and you don’t see the significance of it. When you’re in Coach, you start seeing the significance of it. And the second thing is you just absolutely love doing it. It’s what you love doing most of all. It comes to you naturally. You don’t even have to think about it. And then you begin to realize that anything else you’re doing as the founder and the owner of your company, probably somebody else can do. So you’re doing 20 things, but really you should be doing three things. The other 17 things still need to be done but not by you. And that’s the breakthrough. You have to simplify in order to multiply. Louis Diamond: I absolutely love that. I know when I was in Coach, that was my biggest takeaway or realization was figuring out what my unique ability was because I think the two components,

Discretionary effort is the gap between what people have to give and what they choose to give. Research consistently shows that most leaders are leaving 20–30% of their team's capacity on the table — not because of skill shortages, but because of environment.In this episode, we draw on six of the world's most influential thinkers on leadership and performance to give you a practical, layered framework for unlocking the effort your team already has inside them.The question isn't how to push people harder. It's how to create the conditions where they choose to give more.I've practised all of these myself, in low-functioning teams, and can personally attest to the spectacular rise that's possible when you are deliberate about applying them.The Six-Layer Discretionary Effort StackLayer/Thinker: The Question to Ask YourselfPositivity/Shawn Achor:Am I creating an environment where people feel good?Clear Direction/Greg McKeown: Do people know exactly what matters most?Strengths/Dan Sullivan: Is everyone working in their Unique Ability?Safety/Timothy R. Clark: Can people speak up without fear?Purpose/Simon Sinek: Do people know why their work matters?Right People/Jim Collins: Are the right people in the right seats?Ask Dex AI Coach for leadership strategy e.g. "My team are underperforming - how can I find out why?" https://app.coachvox.ai/share/DexRandallSubscribe for more leadership and burnout recovery insights →  https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7393784577229709312-----------------------------------  Resources:Leadership Performance without Burnout https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexburnoutcoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

Every great entrepreneur wants (and deserves) to have a dependable team around them so they can be freed up to develop new ideas and focus on growing their business. But how do you get one? After all, the first question most entrepreneurs ask when they join The Strategic Coach® Program is, “Where do you find such great team members?” In this episode of Inside Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller finally answer this question in-depth. From identifying and nurturing Unique Ability® within a team and creating a positive and collaborative work culture to investing in team members' growth, Dan and Shannon share everything that makes Strategic Coach® a magnet for skilled and passionate talent—and how to become one too.Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode: The number one tool necessary for building and maintaining a great team.How to determine if an activity is right for a person.Why Strategic Coach team members don't really need to be managed, monitored, or motivated.How Strategic Coach creates an incredible sense of safety for its team members.The two things that team members are looking for.Why you should think of hiring someone as an investment, not a cost.  Show Notes: At Strategic Coach, you're always either winning or learning. There are a lot of Coach tools that support having a great team. Everybody's on their own unique growth path in terms of who they are and the kind of work they're most likely to enjoy and excel at. Strategic Coach team members can continually focus their time at work on doing what they're excited about. The moment someone is hired, Coach invests in learning about who that person is and how they can grow their skills. At Strategic Coach, if something doesn't work, the system gets blamed, not the individual. The four core values of Strategic Coach (PAGE) are: positive and collaborative teamwork, being alert, curious, responsive, and resourceful, getting results, and providing an excellent first-class experience. Strategic Coach has uniformly very helpful and very positive staff. Some Coach clients have been with the company for 15, 20, 25 years, and so have some team members. The educational system generally disparages successful business people. Almost all Coach team members are directly in contact on a person to person level with the company's clients. A team member can't be at their best if they don't feel safe. If you want great team members, you have to be a great entrepreneur. And that also includes being a great person. Great team members who want a bigger future aren't interested in being with someone who doesn't have any future. If you're going to be able to attract and retain the best people out there, you can't have an entitled attitude. Resources: Unique AbilityⓇ Article: Your Business Is a Theater Production: Your Back Stage Shouldn't Show on the Front Stage The Team Success Handbook by Shannon Waller Everyone And Everything Grows by Dan Sullivan Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

PREVIEW for Later Today: The Mission to Rescue the Swift Space Telescope. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Astronomers are organizing a rescue for the Swift telescope, currently in a degrading orbit. Its unique ability to quickly capture multi-wavelength data on gamma-ray bursts remains essential for studying black hole formation.JANUARY 1956

THE BACKSTAGE | Dive into Patrick Lencioni's The Six Types of Working Genius, nicknamed “WIDGET,” explaining how work moves through ideation (Wonder, Invention), activation (Discernment, Galvanizing), and implementation (Enablement, Tenacity). Dylan, Vic, Anna and Abbie discuss how Working Genius clarifies which people need to be in which meetings, why meetings get frustrating, and how teams can identify missing “gifts.” They share their own pairings, competencies, and frustrations, connect the model to the other personality profiles used at C21SRE, and emphasize using the framework to collaborate better, reduce anxiety, and intentionally pull in complementary teammates. You can access the resource here. In this episode:   00:00 Behind the Curtain Intro   01:07 Why Working Genius Matters   04:35 Tools and Unique Ability   06:25 Three Phases of Work   08:44 Wonder and Invention   10:46 Discernment and Galvanizing   13:16 Enablement and Tenacity   20:13 Team Results and Frustrations   24:45 Missing Genius Frustrations   26:26 Discernment Isn't Intelligence   28:34 Filling Gaps on Teams   29:03 Vic Questions Her Type   32:18 Unique Ability Shortcut   35:20 Comparing Everyone's Statements   39:39 Team Takeaways and Next Steps   41:06 Using Widgets in Meetings   47:14 Building the Self Awareness Framework   48:54 Quarterly Check-ins Ahead   49:14 Onward and Upward Wrap   Subscribe to the More Than More Podcast for new weekly episodes as we discuss building meaningful and impactful businesses, careers, and lives through real estate. Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube 

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. In our final look at the game mechanics for Civilization V we look at all of the players and their unique attributes. This helps you to see that certain Empires can be better suited for particular victory strategies. Playing Civilization V, Part 11 The Players By the time you got to the last expansion and all of the DLC, there are 43 possible Empires you can play as. But they are not all alike. Each Empire has a particular Leader, a Unique Ability, and a Unique Unit. In addition most of them have some kind of Starting Bias, and many have a Unique Building or a Unique Improvement. Understanding how to make use of these is important to your strategy. If you let random chance assign you to an Empire, you need to know what kind of strategy will work with that Empire. And if you want to pursue a particular strategy you will want to know how to pick an appropriate Empire to fit strategy. There is a chart that lists all 43 Empires with all of their parameters at the Civilization Fandom Wiki and you might want to bookmark that page for future reference. Also, you want to know what to expect concerning your opponents in a game. Leader You don't have a choice of leaders. When you choose a particular Empire you get the Leader that comes with it. But these leaders are distinct in various ways. To see what I mean, go to the Leader page for one by clicking on the link under the Leader picture. You will see a long list of AI Traits. These describe in numerical terms how competitive the Leader is various ways, how prone to war, which kinds of units it will build, and so on. It is a long list, so your eyes may glaze over, but the significance is that it may give you some insight if this Leader is one of your opponents in a game. This list is how the AI is programmed. There is also more approachable summary under Personality and Behavior, and here is what it says about Pedro II of Brazil: “Pedro will most commonly try for a cultural victory. If he pursues a different victory condition, he is likely to choose a diplomatic one over a scientific or domination victory. Pedro is exceptionally friendly and loyal, and will readily befriend anyone but the most warlike leaders. He is more willing to denounce than to wage war himself, but will maintain a defensive militia comprised of a variety of units. He also has a habit of building a fairly large navy. Fittingly, Pedro's highest priority is the Happiness of his people, followed by the development of his lands and Culture. He will not claim a large territory, but his cities will be highly populated and the land and water around them will be full of improvements. He will sometimes try to build wonders that enhance his Culture and Tourism output. Pedro is friendly toward city-states in his sphere of influence and will often pledge to protect them. He will hardly ever attack or bully them.” Now, the point is that this describes your AI opponent. If you choose to play as Pedro II of Brazil, you can make entirely different decisions from what the AI would do Starting Bias Each Empire will spawn on the map in ways that reflect their Starting Bias, if any. Some Empires (e.g. China, France, etc.) have no Starting Bias at all, which means they can spawn anywhere on the map, though there is programming to ensure that the location is not a disaster, like all Tundra and Ice, or the middle of the ocean. So it will certainly be playable. Still some players like to try 2,3, or 4 times to spawn to see if they can get a good place to start.. For the Empires with a Starting Bias, it can be either positive or negative. For example, the Mongolian Empire has a bias towards starting on plains, which makes sense historically since they came from the plains of Central Asia. The Russian Empire has a bias to start in Tundra, which again seems to fit. The Songhai Empire has a negative Starting Bias, which is to avoid Tundra. The Songhai Empire historically was an empire in sub-Saharan Africa, so this makes sense. And the Siamese Empire avoids Forests. The Roman and Shoshone Empires have no Starting Bias at all, so they could spawn anywhere. This Starting Bias will apply to whichever Empire you choose to play, so if you would prefer to not play with a lot of Tundra, you would de well to not choose Russia. But Russia can do more with Tundra than some other Empire might, so it all balances out. Unique Ability Generally speaking each Empire will have a Unique Ability. For example, the Austrian Empire has the Unique Ability called Diplomatic Marriage, which allows them to spend Gold to annex or puppet any City-State that they have been allied to for at least 5 turns. If the City-State is annexed, it becomes part of the Austrian Empire, but if it is puppeted the City-State technically remains separate but is under the control in some ways of the Austrian Empire. India has a Unique Ability called Population Growth. This doubles the unhappiness caused by more cities, but reduces by 50% the unhappiness caused by increased population. So if you were playing India it is even more important to build Tall rather than Wide. Unique Units Every Empire has at least one, and sometimes two Unique Units. These units replace a normal unit, but are a little better in some respect. They are worth having, but some are more useful than others. And a key factor is when they are available to you. For example, the Celtic Empire gets the Pictish Warrior, which replaces the Spearman. Since the Spearman is generally the first unit you learn to build, it comes very early in the game. So if you were interested in a strategy of early warfare, this might matter to you. The Pictish Warrior is actually weaker than the Spearman in one respect, though, in that it gets no bonus against mounted units. So if you are the Celts, and you are facing the Mongols, you will have a problem. But the Pictish Warrior can pillage without any movement cost. Normally when you use a unit to pillage it ends your turn, but the Pictish Warrior could pillage and then move if it still had movement left. And the Pictish Warrior also has the Foreign Lands Bonus, which gives it a 20% bonus when fighting outside of Celtic territory. And finally the Pictish Warrior gets a Faith bonus when it kills an enemy unit, equal to 50% of the killed unit's strength. The American Empire is one that has 2 Unique Units. One is the B-17 bomber, which replaces the regular Bomber. It comes with 2 promotions (Siege I, and Evasion), and is slightly stronger (70 vs. 65). The problem with this is that it comes so late in the game that it is hard to see what good it will do you. If you are pursuing a Domination strategy you should have already gone most of the way to conquering the world before you actually get the B17. The other Unique Unit the Americans get is the Minuteman, which replaces the Musketman. It comes with a Drill I Promotion, ignores Terrain restrictions, and earns points towards a Golden Age. This is more useful than the B17, but not useful enough to push you towards a Domination victory. But since you need good units for any strategy, if only for defense, it is worth having. Personally, if I was playing as the Americans I would rather go for a Science victory. Unique Buildings/Improvements The last parameter for these Empires is the possible Unique Building or Unique Improvement. Some Empires, such as the Byzantines or the Japanese, do not have one, but they can be useful. For example, the Portuguese Empire has a unique building called the Feitoria which has the interesting property of being built outside of Portugal's territory. The Feitoria, which becomes available once you discover Navigation, can be built in the territory of a Coastal City-State on a Coastal Land tile that has no resources on it. It has three properties: Portugal gets one copy of each Luxury Resource the City-State has. This is great for either increasing Happiness or as something that can be traded with other Empires. +50% defensive strength for any combat units on the tile. Pillaging the Freitoria constitutes an Act of War against Portugal, which means Portugal gets no penalties for going to war. Another example is the Dutch Polder, which can be built on any Marsh or Flood Plain tile. It gives +3 Food, and once you discover Economics it will also yield +1 Production and +1 Gold. Summary Studying the chart of the Empires can help you in picking strategies for the Empire you are playing, or help you to pick an Empire that is well suited to the strategy you want to try. And knowing how the AI is programmed for other Empires helps you to know what to expect in your game. But here are some suggestions. Note that you can win with any Civ, but these are ones that lend themselves to a particular strategy. That said, I usually let the game give me a random choice and then formulate my strategy when I see what I get. Domination Germany Japan Rome Songhai Mongols Science Babylon Korea Poland America Culture Brazil Polynesia Poland France Diplomatic Greece Arabia Portugal Links: https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Civilizations_(Civ5) https://www.palain.com/gaming/civilization-v/playing-civilization-v-part-11/ Provide feedback on this episode.

When life partners become business partners, tension can quickly intensify—or multiply everything that matters. With the right tools and mindsets, that partnership can become extraordinary. In this episode, Kerby Skurat and Cristina Edelstein share how Strategic Coach® has helped them build a thriving business and a strong marriage at the same time. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:How life partners Dan Sullivan and Babs Smith co-run Strategic Coach.What Strategic Coach has helped Cristina and Kerby achieve with their business.How Cristina and Kerby grew their real estate business into a $10‑million‑a‑year company.Cristina and Kerby's core values.What led Kerby to the decision to shut down a $16-million company.Why both members of an entrepreneurial couple should attend Strategic Coach workshops. Show Notes: Many entrepreneurial couples end up with an almost adversarial business relationship that spills into their personal life. Unique Ability® gives each partner a clear lane, so “best with best” teamwork becomes possible instead of competitive. Entrepreneurism usually shows up early in life and quickly becomes a lifelong way of operating. Choosing the entrepreneurial path means you've opted out of the job market and into creating your own game. Strategic Coach provides the structure, tools, and community that support this unique way of life. There's an art to staying in your lane, especially when both partners are strong‑willed and driven. Every individual has a distinct way of creating results, and honoring those differences turns conflict into collaboration. Real data, real statistics, and real projections give you the confidence to make clear decisions and smart adjustments. A business can be big and profitable and still be the wrong one for you. Shutting down a good company can be the smartest move if it frees you up for great opportunities. Time away from your team, in a room with other entrepreneurs, often leads to the biggest strategic decisions. Hearing other entrepreneurs' success stories can inspire you to take action on your own goals. Strategic Coach workshops create a thinking space where you can focus on what could be, not just what is. Getting help at deeper personal levels, like marriage counseling, can dramatically improve your business teamwork. Strategic Coach tools work just as well at home as they do in the office. In a team of any size, the speed of the leader determines the speed of the pack. When both partners are in the same coaching environment, it's far easier to stay aligned on vision and decisions. Resources: Unique Ability® Your Business Is A Theater Production: Your Back Stage Shouldn't Show On The Front StageEverything Is Created Backward by Dan SullivanThe Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller EOS® Worldwide Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy How To Sell Transformation Using This One Question Do You Know What's Keeping Your Clients Awake At 3 A.M.? Your Life As A Strategy Circle by Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan and Peter Diamandis explore rapid technological change and the coming singularity, while emphasizing the power of human connection in coaching. Dan shares how his 37 year old model and the Abundance 360 community are helping visionary entrepreneurs thrive. They also highlight the expansion of Peter's ‘Moonshots' podcast and his vision for an abundance ecosystem for founders navigating a fast evolving future. In this episode: The accelerating pace of technological advancements, particularly in AI and robotics, and how it impacts society and individual relevance. Dan and Peter emphasize the importance of identifying and leveraging one’s Unique Ability® to navigate the fast-changing landscape, with a focus on creativity over consumption. Insights into the rapid development of humanoid robots, their capabilities, and the potential for widespread adoption in various sectors, including domestic and industrial applications.

Do you ever catch yourself frustrated that other people don't think or perform the way you do? In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller reveal why that difference is actually good news. Discover how appreciating your own uniqueness frees you from comparison, deepens teamwork, and helps you recognize the countless ways other people are smart and useful. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:Why it's a good thing that no one else is like you.How comparing yourself to others drains your confidence and progress.Why complaining that others are different is really the same as complaining about your success.How to quickly spot the specific way another person is smart and uniquely valuable. Show Notes: Wanting to be unique while also blaming others for not being like you is a mental trap that creates frustration and resentment.​As an entrepreneur, your success comes from being usefully different in the marketplace, not from everyone else sharing your strengths or level of intelligence.​Profiles like Kolbe, CliftonStrengths®, DISC, and Working Genius® make it obvious that every person is wired in a distinct way that can be incredibly valuable. The fact that other people don't see what you see or think how you think is good news because it proves your uniqueness has real marketplace value.​When you measure other people against your own personal “ideal,” you drop them into “The Gap” instead of appreciating the real progress and capability they already have. The moment you genuinely appreciate your own uniqueness, it becomes much easier and more natural to appreciate other people's uniqueness too. Better teamwork happens when collaborators don't have the same skills, instincts, and talents because each person covers gaps the others can't see or fill. A powerful question to uncover someone's intelligence is, “When it's completely up to you, what do you most like to do?” and then keep asking curious follow-up questions. You'll quickly discover that even people who don't seem “smart” in your way are often extraordinarily knowledgeable and perceptive in areas you know nothing about. Most of the useful progress in the world has come from people without formal credentials who simply applied their kind of intelligence to real-world results. Being okay with the way you're smart liberates you from constant comparison so you can focus on deepening your strengths and expanding your contribution.​Unique Ability® combines what you love doing, what you're exceptionally good at, what gives you energy, and what consistently creates value for others. When you commit to getting better and more useful with your Unique Ability, you naturally attract opportunities, collaborators, and clients who value exactly how you think.​Trying to be good at everything or match other people's strengths keeps you average, while doubling down on your Unique Ability makes you extraordinary.​Appreciating your own uniqueness removes blame, anger, and guilt from relationships and replaces them with curiosity, respect, and more strategic collaboration.​The most productive entrepreneurial communities are built around uniquely different people who share common rules and values, not around everyone being the same. Resources: The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy Unique Ability® Kolbe A™ Index Working Genius® CliftonStrengths® DISC PRINT®

Dr. Kevin Christie interviews Shannon Waller of Strategic Coach about entrepreneurial alignment and leadership for chiropractors. Shannon shares how she joined Strategic Coach after working in corporate training and dealer assessment programs, starting in sales and later moving into training design and building team programs. They discuss a key mindset shift: seeing yourself as an entrepreneur with a specialty in chiropractic care, not only a doctor focused on craft. Shannon explains Strategic Coach's Unique Ability framework—activities range from incompetent and competent to the “excellent trap” (superior skill and strong reputation, but boredom), and finally Unique Ability (superior skill plus passion), which she describes as a 10x return. Shannon outlines a leadership model based on self-awareness, team awareness, and business awareness. They cover delegation extremes that sabotage teamwork: the “delegation death grip” and “drive-by delegation.” Shannon recommends Strategic Coach's Impact Filter to clarify purpose, ideal outcome, risks, and success criteria. They close with Strategic Coach fit criteria (minimum $200,000 personal income and three years in business) and resources at strategiccoach.com and yourteamsuccess.com.

Happiness can be tricky for entrepreneurs, especially when the outside world thinks you've already “made it.” In this episode, Dan Sullivan shares a simple daily framework for staying genuinely happy as an entrepreneur, regardless of what's happening in your business, your relationships, or the larger world around you.Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:Why an entrepreneur's happiness depends on three simple ingredients.How to measure your daily achievement in a way that actually feels like progress.What excites Dan most about creating and sharing a brand-new thinking tool.Why your greatest value shows up when you spend your time doing activities you genuinely love. Show Notes: Entrepreneurial happiness comes from a way of being that you practice every day, not a goal or a destination. The first ingredient for a happy entrepreneurial life is making real daily progress, not just occasional big wins. Measuring yourself against an ideal future is like measuring your distance to the horizon line—you never feel any closer. You feel genuinely successful when you measure progress against where you started and what you've actually achieved. A simple end-of-day reflection on what you accomplished turns an ordinary day into a tangible gain you can build on tomorrow. The second ingredient for a happy entrepreneur is liking who you are, which means appreciating how you handle setbacks, not pretending you've never made mistakes.When you give yourself grace for past decisions, it becomes much easier to extend that same grace to other people. Even if you don't achieve your goal, you can be pleased with how you went about things. Being truly useful to other people each day is the third ingredient that makes entrepreneurial happiness feel complete.Strategic Coach® is built on hundreds of thinking tools that help entrepreneurs reframe situations and recognize the progress they're actually making. These three ingredients—progress, self-liking, and usefulness—keep you grounded in the present instead of trapped in past regrets or future fantasies. Of the three, liking who you are carries special weight because without self-respect, progress and usefulness don't feel satisfying.It's hard to feel useful doing work you're not good at or don't enjoy, so designing your role around your Unique Ability® is crucial for happiness. Greater self-awareness helps you like yourself more because you understand which situations you handle well and which ones you should avoid or delegate. Dan describes happiness as living in “local reality”—what's real, available, and actionable right now, instead of chasing someone else's reality.Viewing each day through this three-part lens is a practical way to keep your entrepreneurial confidence high, no matter what challenges arise. Resources: The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy Shannon Waller's Team Success podcast Unique Ability® The Positive Focus®

What if there's one part of your job you're uniquely built for—and it checks all these boxes?   Others consistently see you as exceptional at it You genuinely enjoy it and want more time doing it It gives you energy, even on hard days You never feel "done" improving at it   If you know what this activity is, you've identified your unique ability, as defined by business coach Dan Sullivan. Unfortunately, most people spend their entire careers without ever pinpointing it—robbing both themselves and those around them of their natural strengths.   Many construction owners, project managers, and superintendents feel exhausted, frustrated, and stretched thin—not because they lack discipline or skill, but because they're spending the majority of their time working outside their unique ability.   In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down a powerful leadership mental model using an unexpected case study—Michael Scott from The Office—to show how leaders can create more impact, energy, and results without trying to be good at everything.   By listening to this episode, you'll learn:   How to identify your unique ability—and why it matters more than fixing weaknesses Why burnout is often an energy problem, not a workload problem How great construction leaders design roles and teams around strengths to build loyalty, culture, and performance     Press play to discover how leveraging your unique ability can transform the way you lead, energize your team, and reclaim focus in your construction business.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   The Construction Leadership Podcast dives into essential leadership topics in construction, including strategy, emotional intelligence, communication skills, confidence, innovation, and effective decision-making. You'll also gain insights into delegation, cultural intelligence, goal setting, team building, employee engagement, and how to overcome common culture problems—whether you're leading a crew or managing an entire organization.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     This episode is brought to you by The Construction Spanish Toolbox —the most practical way for construction teams to learn jobsite-ready Spanish in just minutes a day over 6 months.      

If you're good or great at everything you do, it can be hard to focus on the one thing you really should be doing. In this episode, Lior Weinstein shares how he learned to identify and strengthen what's most important to him in both his business life and his personal life. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:How Lior's entrepreneurism showed up when he was still in grade school.The mindsets Lior gained from growing up in Israel.What drew Lior to move from Israel to the U.S.Why having a child led to Lior struggling as an entrepreneur.The particular freedom that Lior is always working to expand.What happens when entrepreneurs have space, and what happens when they don't. Show Notes: You're born with a Unique Ability®—the activity you're energetically drawn toward and can't get enough of doing. Being good—or even exceptional—at something doesn't automatically make it emotionally fulfilling. If you're a non-entrepreneur, someone else owns your time and controls your activity. There's a common misconception that entrepreneurs are motivated only by money. The “Four Freedoms” that entrepreneurs seek are freedom of time, money, relationship, and purpose. Struggling as a parent isn't a sign of failure—it's a sign that you care deeply. What looks like quitting from the outside may simply be the decision to choose a different path. If you're reflecting on a bad decision, that means you survived it. Entrepreneurs often underestimate the value of their own intuition. If you have the money to solve the problem, you don't have the problem. Resources: Unique Ability “The 4 Freedoms That Motivate Successful Entrepreneurs” Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Your deepest passion is yours alone, and what lights others up may leave you completely cold. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explore why every entrepreneur is born unique, how your experiences continually shape that uniqueness, and how doubling down on it leads to greater freedom, happiness, and business success. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:How to strengthen and continually reinforce your passion.What actually grows and develops your uniqueness every day.What gets created when two people collaborate.How AI is multiplying individuality and adding even more variety to the world.  Show Notes: Every person is born with a Unique Ability®, and that's the central starting point for all Strategic Coach® thinking. Your entire life is a process of navigating and giving meaning to the uniqueness of your own experience. As an individual, you are constantly reinforcing a central set of interests and capabilities through every experience you choose. When you go deep with anyone, you quickly discover they're far more unique than you initially assumed. Hundreds of times a day, you're sorting experiences into “more of this, less of that,” steadily clarifying what matters most to you. Entrepreneurs are the people who have bet the most on the thing they're uniquely and intensely interested in. To operate in the world, everyone has to learn a basic level of conformity—showing up, keeping promises, and finishing what they start. Thanks to technology, individuals now have more freedom than ever to pursue and deepen their own interests.​ Whatever someone is passionate about becomes the center of their universe, and they keep reinforcing it by seeking aligned experiences. You're always looking for experiences that make your passion and Unique Ability even more central and valuable in your life. Powerful collaboration happens when people find shared interests where each can bring their own Unique Ability to create a “third thing” together. Resources: Unique Ability® Perplexity Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

COACHING | Stop trying to do everything. Dan Sullivan's ABC Model reveals why success isn't about efficiency—it's about elimination, delegation, and expansion. Dylan, Angela and Abbie discuss the ABC Model and what they've discovered about where their time is spent, the insights & challenges that eliminating and delegating activities can bring, and how intentional use of the ABC Model can lead to working more in your Unique Ability®.  Access the ABC Model handout, Delegation Filter, and Unique Ability® workbook at C21Forge.com/coaching.   Subscribe to the More Than More Podcast for new weekly episodes as we discuss building meaningful and impactful businesses, careers, and lives through real estate. Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube 

When entrepreneurs retire from their businesses, it doesn't always result in the freedom they imagined. In this episode, Tricia Wingerter shares why structure, teamwork, and purpose matter just as much after retirement—and how discovering your Unique Ability® and staying in contribution aren't just good for business, but for your mind, energy, and happiness too. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:Why Tricia didn't see herself as an entrepreneur until joining Strategic Coach®.How Tricia unlocked the skills and confidence needed to hire the right people.What entrepreneurs might unintentionally give up when they step away from meaningful work.How a family illness inspired Tricia to purchase her Visiting Angels home care agency.Show Notes:The Strategic Coach® Program allows already ambitious people to become more ambitious. Choosing work you love and do best keeps your brain sharp, engaged, and full of energy. Spot someone doing outstanding work? Acknowledging and celebrating it is a sign of real leadership. Retirement doesn't have a set age or template—your path is your own. All of your problems, discouragements, and heartaches are great opportunities in disguise. When entrepreneurs stop growing and contributing, boredom sets in fast. Retirement often feels very different, and sometimes much emptier, than most entrepreneurs expect. Too much unstructured time can leave even the busiest people restless or blue. Discovering and honoring your Unique Ability® validates what you do best and brings energy back to your work. There's no rulebook for when or how to step back—keep growing as long as you want to grow. Structure, teamwork, and deadlines give meaning and momentum to day-to-day life, even after “retirement.” Staying focused in your Unique Ability isn't just good for your business, it keeps your mind fresh and your purpose strong. Fulfillment comes from contribution, not withdrawal. When you feel lost or bored, helping others and pursuing your mission can reignite your spark. Valuing your strengths, asking others for help, and building a team you trust makes leadership a richer, more collaborative adventure. There's no one way for entrepreneurs to age; finding purpose every day is the true marker of success. Resources:Unique Ability® How To Foster A Longevity Mindset & Reap The Benefits EOS® My Plan For Living To 156 by Dan Sullivan Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Are you thriving or just arriving? In this episode, Shannon Waller and Program Coach Lee Brower explore the lifelong mindset that keeps entrepreneurs in motion long after the initial motivation fades. Discover practical ways to make growth and gratitude central to your business, family, and life—plus the powerful impact of asking the right questions and building strong traditions that last. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:The surprising first job Lee created for himself before he was old enough for a paper route.What sparked Lee's deep appreciation for entrepreneurship and its ecosystem.How Lee defines the mindset that drives enduring entrepreneurial success.Why motivation and inspiration play different roles on the entrepreneurial journey.How to tell the difference between genuine confidence and mere arrogance.Why great entrepreneurs are more like rivers than you might think.Lee's most powerful lesson from three decades at Strategic Coach®. Show Notes: Not everyone chooses entrepreneurship—sometimes it chooses you. Money motivates at first, but it's the freedom it brings that keeps you going. The best lessons come from learning alongside other entrepreneurs, not just from teaching. Successful entrepreneurs focus on making things better, easier to access, and more valuable. Great entrepreneurs don't ask themselves what's wrong. They ask, “What's right?” and “How can I make it even better?” Problems don't hold entrepreneurs back; they turn problem solving into daily practice. Motivation is temporary. Inspiration and purpose are what keep you going. You can elevate yourself by surrounding yourself with people who have skills you don't have. Family traditions, shared language, and rituals build lasting culture at home and in business. The most valuable assets aren't financial; they're values, learning, relationships, and contribution. Never delegate away your Unique Ability® until you truly know and refine it. Confidence grows from gratitude and from focusing on others, not just on yourself. Great results come from being open to learning in every interaction. Instead of chasing answers, ask better questions. The enemy of thriving is arriving. Resources: Unique Ability® The Impact Filter™ Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World by David EpsteinThe Positive Focus® strategiccoach.com leebrower.com

In this episode of 3rd and Longhorn, we sit down with former Texas Longhorn QB/WR John Chiles to talk about his journey from top recruit to life after football.0:00 – Intro & Welcome0:38 – Journey to Dallas & Episode Prep1:29 – Recruiting Beginnings & Early Offers2:04 – Commitment to Texas: Family & Favorites2:49 – Decision-Making: Stanford, Notre Dame & Texas3:51 – Top-10 Recruitment Status & Athlete Ranking4:33 – Filtering Schools: “Cut List” System5:31 – Narrowing Down Top Schools6:27 – Why Choose Texas Over Others7:38 – Family Support & Proximity Factors8:41 – Positional Transition: QB to Receiver9:04 – Challenges of Learning a New Position10:46 – One Practice at Running Back12:16 – Reaction to First Contact Drill12:48 – Final Decision: Receiver or Transfer14:00 – Conversation with Mike Tomlin & Role Shift14:48 – Standing Out Among Elite Athletes16:11 – Sideline Moment: Fan Shouting “Put the brother in”17:41 – Backup QB Perspective & Leadership Transition19:02 – Playing QB as a True Freshman19:47 – Pressure & Mindset Entering the Field20:01 – Carrying the Hype & Expectations20:47 – Pressure Cooker: Playing Under Media & Personal Stress21:17 – Mental Health Struggles & Performance Anxiety22:04 – Relief vs. Celebration: Scoring Without Joy22:39 – Quarterback Culture & Community Expectations23:08 – Most Joyous Moment: National Championship Energy24:17 – Life After Texas: Transitioning to Canada Football25:26 – Going Undrafted & Keeping the Dream Alive26:02 – NFL Practice Squad Survival: $150 Reality27:06 – Taking NFL Chance despite Financial Hardship27:56 – Canadian League Tryout: Sacrifice & Ambition29:11 – Running a 4.2s and Earning Mini Camp Spot30:17 – Choosing Canada for Security & Opportunity31:32 – Playing in Toronto: Fresh Start in Canada32:10 – NFL Comeback: Injury & Final CFL Return33:02 – Weighing Health vs. Football: Decision to Retire34:16 – Reinvention: Transition to Film & Storytelling35:16 – Discovery: Nike Project & Creative Passion Ignition36:09 – From Nike to Nike Agency to Chicago Hustle37:04 – Breaking into Film: Bleacher Report & Bleacher Beat38:17 – Move to LA & Joining LeBron's Uninterrupted39:17 – Producing “Top Class” with Bronny & Momentum40:01 - First Big Break with Meta40:32 - Athletes Start Reaching Out41:00 - Lessons from Bleacher Report, Nike, SpringHill41:19 - Taking the Leap to Go All In42:07 - The Power of Reinvention After Sports42:50 - Going Through the Healing Process43:57 - Dorm Room Days & Early Memories45:11 - The John Chiles Effect46:50 - A Unique Ability to Navigate Life48:00 - Mentorship and Helping the Next Generation49:44 - NIL, Identity, and Transition50:26 - Choosing Football Over Basketball51:57 - Almost Quitting Football53:01 - The Coolest City He's Lived In54:00 - Returning to a Changed Austin55:11 - Biggest Celebrity Encounters56:50 - Legendary Mack Brown Meeting Story59:04 - Jeremy's Month-Long Silent Treatment1:00:46 - Wrapping It UpDerrick Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/superdj56Alex Okafor: https://www.instagram.com/alexokaforJeremy Hills: https://www.instagram.com/jhills5Fozzy Whittaker: https://www.instagram.com/fozzywhittRod Babers: https://www.instagram.com/rodbabersNick Shuley: https://www.instagram.com/nickshuley

Dr. Ashley Walker talks about the chapter she wrote for the book, Expanding Your Brilliance: Creating Effortless Abundance while Navigating Business and Motherhood. It's a collection of chapters written by Pharmacist Moms and published by Dr. Christina Fontana, who is also a Pharmacist Mom.    If you're thinking of writing a book, Ashley might inspire you to start your writing journey with a single chapter too. Click to find Expanding Your Brilliance https://amzn.to/418hdwx.   The FULL show notes with links to previous episodes of The Pharmacist Authors Series on https://thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.   During our interview, Ashely talks about… Why she accepted the challenge to write/publish Advice for pharmacist authors Her father's impact on her life The challenges of being a wife, mom, pharmacist, advocate, and entrepreneur Her involvement with Atomic Hands.  How personal stories about our unique abilities (like Ashley being a deaf person) can inspire others   If you know a pharmacist who might be is interested in reading Expanding Your Brilliance please share this episode with them.  If you like this podcast, please subscribe to or follow The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast on your favorite podcast player and YouTube to get each new episode right when it comes out.   Links from this episode amazon.com link for Expanding Your Brilliance: Creating Effortless Abundance while Navigating Business and Motherhood https://amzn.to/418hdwx  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dr. Ashley Walker on LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/drawalker Dr. Ashley Walker on Facebook: facebook.com/drawalker21 Dr. Ashley Walker on Instagram: @deafpharmd https://www.instagram.com/deafpharmd/  Email Dr. Ashley Walker ashley@drashleyrwalker.com  Atomic Hands https://atomichands.com/  The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 173 (August 2022) featuring Dr. Ashley Walker  The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 197 (January 2023) featuring Dr. Ashley Walker   Dr. Christina Fontana, The Pharmacist Coach, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-christina-fontana-transformational-business-coach-56367355/    2025 Pharmacist Authors Series Part 1 of 3 (June) Episode 336 with Jerry Levin, PhD, LMT - Affirm Yourself: 15 Principles to Retrain the Voice in Your Head.   2024 Pharmacist Authors Series Part 1 of 3 (June) Episode 282 with Steve Leuck, PharmD - A Pharmacist's Story An Authentic Tale of True Love, Family, Addiction, and the Practice of Pharmacy Part 2 of 3 (July) Episode 288 Helen Sairany, PharmD - The We You Don't See:  Understanding the Long Shadows of Trauma Part 3 of 3 (August) Episode 293 Kim Newlove with Publishing in Doses Co-Founders Janan Sarwar, PharmD and Theary Chhim, PharmD plus audio engineer, Julie Walthers.    2023 Pharmacist Authors Series (Part 1 of 15) June 5, Introduction to the Pharmacist Authors Series (Episode 220) (Part 2 of 15) June 9, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 221:  Interview with Salam Kabbani, PharmD about her book: COVID Long-Hauler:  My Life Since COVID (Part 3 of 15) June 12, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 222:  Interview with audio engineer Julie Walthers from Whole Story Studio: https://www.wholestorystudio.com/  (Part 4 of 15) June 16, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 223 Interview with Erin L. Albert, PharmD on her book The Life Science Lawyer Part 5 of 15) June 19, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 224 Interview with Sue Ojageer, PharmD on her children's book The Pharma Heroes:  The Power of Precision Medicine (Part 6 of 15) June 23, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 225: Interview with Tony Guerra, PharmD about his Pharmacist Residency and Career Series (8 books) (Part 7 of 15) June 26, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 226:  Interview with Christina Fontana, PharmD about her book Moving Beyond the Counter:  Elevating into Heart-Centered Health Care through Entrepreneurship (Part 8 of 15) June 30, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 227: Interview with Jade L. Ranger, PharmD, about her book Mustard Seed Mentality: Unscripted Pearls of Wisdom from a Wife, Mother, and Entrepreneur (Part 9 of 15) July 7, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 229: Interview with RDML Pam Schweitzer, PharmD and her daughter Amy Graves about their children's book Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon (Part 10 of 15) July 10, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 230: Interview with Cory Jenks, PharmD about his book Permission to Care:  Building a Healthcare Culture That Thrives in Chaos (Part 11 of 15) July 14, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 231: Interview with Donna Bartlett, PharmD about her book MedStrong:  Shed Your Meds for a Better, Healthier You - Aging Well Through Deprescribing  (Part 12 of 15) July 17, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 232:  Interview with Frieda Wiley, PharmD about her book Telecommuting Psychosis:  From Surviving to Thriving While Working in Your Pajama Pants.  Plus, we touch on her 3 children's books in development. (Part 13 of 15) July 21, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 233:  Interview with Tim Ulbrich, PharmD about his book Seven Figure Pharmacist:  How to Maximize Your Income, Eliminate Debt, and Create Wealth  (Part 14 of 15) July 24, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 234:  Interview with LaQuoia Johnson, PharmD about her book How Rxacism Manifests Inside the Small World of Pharmacy (Part 15 of 15) July 28, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 235:  Pharmacist Authors Series wrap-up (solo show)   Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Audiobook Narration Services https://www.kimnewlove.com/narration  ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Buy my book on amazon.com https://amzn.to/4iAKNBs  ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com ✅ Podcasting Course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting   ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 340 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!

Is your team operating at full capacity, or have they settled into a comfortable routine? Many teams deliver quality results, but what happens when passion and engagement wane? You might find your talented team members holding back, doing just enough to meet expectations, while their true potential remains untapped. In this episode, Shannon Waller explains the subtle difference between excellent performance and Unique Ability®. Here's how to ignite that spark of enthusiasm and creativity that elevates your team's performance, keeping them energized and committed to your vision. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Unique Ability is a superior skill that you're passionate about. Unique Ability® Teamwork means the right people are in the right seat using their areas of Unique Ability. The differences between 80% Excellent team work and 100% Unique Ability Teamwork are: Unique Ability teams self-manage because they're intrinsically motivated and engaged in the work and the projects. Excellent teams produce 2x results, while Unique Ability teams produce 10x results. Unique Ability teams collaborate and support each other without competing with each other. Unique Ability teams play full out with a no “defense budget” attitude. Unique Ability teams are always learning and growing, becoming their own internal experts. Unique Ability teams use their past experience as research for improvements in new projects. Unique Ability teams are always alert, curious, responsive, and resourceful. The Experience Transformer® tool takes a completed project as a basis for learning. The tools asks: What worked or is working? Often this breaks down into technology, timing, or teamwork. What didn't work? Usually this is a process breakdown, misunderstanding, misalignment, or miscommunication. Brainstorm: Knowing what we know now, what would we do differently? What's the new course of action or strategy? Keep what's working and fix what isn't. DONT's if you want to maximize your team's engagement: Don't shut down new ideas. Don't micromanage. Don't demoralize the team. Don't let 80% effort go on without addressing it. “Sometimes you're failing so slowly, you think you're winning.” Resources: How To Expand Your Team's Unique Ability® The 4 Performance Capabilities 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Transforming Experiences Into Multipliers Kolbe A™ Index EOS®

Are you holding on too tightly to tasks that drain your energy or block your team's growth? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals the mindset shifts and practical tools that help entrepreneurs confidently delegate, let go of micromanagement, and elevate their teams. Discover how to create a bigger future by freeing yourself—and your business—from the delegation death grip. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Most entrepreneurs, even skilled delegators, have at least one area where they struggle to let go. Micromanagement often stems from a fear that no one else can meet your standards. Shifting from “doer” to “leader” requires letting go of tasks, even if you're excellent at them. The root of micromanaging is usually a mindset of fear, uncertainty, or lack of confidence in others' abilities. Recognizing and naming your fears around delegation are the first steps to overcoming them. There are two unhealthy delegation styles: the “death grip” (never letting go) and the “drive-by” (throwing tasks at others without clarity). Both micromanagement and drive-by delegation prevent your team from developing the skills and confidence they need to excel in their roles and drive progress forward. You must have a compelling “why” to motivate yourself to let go of tasks and delegate effectively. The Impact Filter™ is a powerful tool for clarifying your purpose, standards, and desired outcomes when delegating—and setting your team up for success. Telling best- and worst-case stories helps your team understand what great performance looks like—and what to avoid. Success criteria should be specific, measurable, and written down. Delegating “excellent” activities—things you do very well but no longer love—is often the hardest but most necessary step for growth. When you articulate your standards and expectations, you demonstrate trust in your team's unique skills and empower them to meet (and often, exceed) those standards. Using tools like The Impact Filter transforms delegation from a risky handoff into a confident, collaborative process. Letting go of lower-value tasks frees you to focus on your areas of Unique Ability® and the bigger future you want to create. Regularly revisiting your “why” for delegating helps you avoid slipping back into old habits. When your brain is “on paper,” your team knows exactly how to win—and you can coach, not control, their progress. Resources: Unique Ability The Impact Filter TED Talk: Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek Time Management Strategies For Entrepreneurs (Effective Strategies Only) The 4 Freedoms That Motivate Successful Entrepreneurs The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like A Hostage Negotiator To Succeed As A Leader by Derek Gaunt The Black Swan Group EOS®

In Episode 79 of Land to Lots™, Carter talks with Shannon Waller—author, speaker, podcast host, Team Success Coach, and Director at Strategic Coach—about the key ingredients of team success.   In this episode, you'll learn:  What team success really means  The most challenging aspects of developing effective teams  The concept of Unique Ability® and Unique Ability® teamwork  Multiplication by Subtraction as a growth strategy  What a Kolbe Score is—and how it can help you build a stronger team  Show Notes Shannon Waller Contact Information: W – www.strategiccoach.com E – Shannon.Waller@strategiccoach.com  Books: The Team Success Handbook Multiplication by Subtraction Unique Ability 2.0 Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10X Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life  Podcasts: Shannon Waller's Team Success Inside Strategic Coach  Plus: Whenever you're ready here are 4 ways Launch can help you with your project:  Prepare a Special Tax District Bond Analysis for your Project – If you have a projects in AZ, CA, CO, ID, NC, NM, SC, TX, UT, WA contact  Carter Froelich (ADD MY EMAIL LINK) and have Launch prepare an initial bond analysis for your project.    Add Favorable Financing Language to Annexation and/or Development Agreements – Create certainty and flexibility related to your project's infrastructure financing by having Launch professionals prepare handcrafted favorable financing language for inclusion in your Annexation and/or Development Agreement. Perform The RED Analysis™ on your Project – We have developed a unique process at Launch called The RED Analysis™ in which we perform a diagnostic review of your project to determine possible ways to Reduce, Eliminate and Defer infrastructure construction costs in order to enhance project returns.   Track Your Reimbursable Costs Utilizing The Launch Reimbursement System™ (“LRS”) – Never lose track of your district eligible reimbursable costs and have Launch manage your district's costs reimbursement tracking, preparation of electronic reimbursement submittal packages and processing of your reimbursement requests with the district, jurisdiction and/or agency.  Complimentary Offers for Land to Lots™ ListenersComplimentary Land to Lots book: https://www.launch-mpc.com/offer Complimentary Bond Sizing Analysis:  https://form.jotform.com/231376408765160 Get all the shownotes here Learn more about Launch Development Finance Advisors Connect with Carter Froelich Connect With Launch Development Finance Advisors Carter Froelich – 480-828-9555 / carter@launch-dfa.com Carter Froelich hosts the Land to Lots™ podcast powered by Launch Development Finance Advisors. Carter shares how he and his team help their clients finance infrastructure, reduce costs, and mitigate risks all with the goal of enhancing project profitability.

How do you find your sweet spot of what you're good at and what you like? In this episode of Clinical Edge Fridays, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Jaren Argyle, founder of The Elevated Dentist, to share his difficult journey from doing procedures he hated and being “done” to becoming the most fulfilled in his life and career. If you're unhappy where you're at, don't stay stuck! To learn how you can get the most out of your personal and professional life, listen to Episode 905 of The Best Practices Show!*If you or someone you know — in or out of the dental community — is struggling with depression or is in distress, resources are linked for you below.Learn More About Dr. Argyle:Join Dr. Argyle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarenargyleFollow Dr. Argyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/argyledentalSchedule your consultation with Dr. Argyle: https://www.theelevateddentist.com/schedule-your-consultationMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT's BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT's BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT's To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 905: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosContact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988Suicide Prevention Lifeline website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.orgSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helplineAmerican Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: https://www.aamft.org“Are Dentists Really More Prone to Suicide?” by Elizabeth Brown:

Are you feeling trapped by your role? Are you looking for more freedom? Shannon Waller asks, “What if you shift your perspective and adopt a partnership mindset?” Challenge the traditional hierarchical thinking that stifles collaboration and results. Instead, imagine an environment where you, and everyone around you, are liberated to contribute your Unique Ability® and show up as your most evolved self, regardless of status or title. Discover how this mindset fosters collaborative teamwork, amplifies contributions, and leads to results and growth, letting you to focus on creating immense value. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Ditch the hierarchy. Treat yourself and others as partners, not just bosses or subordinates, for true freedom and results. Role-based thinking hinders teamwork and collaboration. Bring your most evolved version of yourself to work. Instead of your authentic self, show your “front stage” best, even internally. Value people who are different from you; they can do what you can't. Alignment on core values keeps the focus on collaboration toward shared goals. Put your ego and authority aside. Partnership means implied equality – focusing on contributing resources, skills, and effort toward shared goals, and sharing risks and rewards. The marketplace only cares if you create value; it doesn't care about your status. Know yourself and your unique contributions. Focus on the situation and the other person, not just yourself, to be a great partner. Don't be trapped by your role or title, even if it's CEO. Redesign your job to match your unique contribution for greater impact and happiness. This partnership mindset allows you to work effectively with people at any status level. The goal is to give people freedom to do what they're best at, play full out, speak up, and contribute fully. Dan Sullivan's solution when team members struggle is to bring in another “Who” that can do that piece of the work effortlessly. The Strategic Coach® core values, or P.A.G.E., are: positive and collaborative teamwork being alert, curious, responsive, and resourceful focusing on growth and results providing an excellent first-class experience for clients Resources: Cy Wakeman's books No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace: Know What Boosts Your Value, Kills Your Chances, and Will Make You Happier Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, and Turn Excuses into Results Ego, Authority, Failure by Derek Gaunt Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy Kolbe CliftonStrengths® PRINT®

Episode Overview In this episode of The John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John sits down with real estate strategist and keynote speaker Michael Collier for a high-level, real-talk conversation about what it actually takes to grow as a business owner without burning out. They dive deep into the misunderstood power of leverage—not just in business, but across all areas of life. Michael shares how agents are stuck trying to do everything, how that mindset creates burnout, and why clarity, systems, and the right support team are the keys to getting to the next level. Whether you're a solo agent, team leader, or small business owner, this episode will challenge how you view your time, your energy, and your leadership. Key Topics Covered Leveraging to Level Up Why most agents are stuck in reaction mode and burning out The difference between creating a business vs. creating a job for yourself How to get from A to B without knowing what Z looks like yet Building the Right Support Around You How to use leverage to become a better leader What tasks you should immediately stop doing—and who should take them over The power of hiring (even when cash flow feels tight) Creating Accountability That Drives Growth Why hiring a team forces you to become more organized, more focused, and more consistent How leverage leads to higher standards and stronger leadership The connection between leverage, accountability, and momentum Owning Your Strengths and Delegating the Rest The unique ability exercise: focus on what gives you energy and prints money How Michael built a content team of virtual assistants to drive brand and inbound deals Why creating content doesn't mean you have to do all the editing, posting, or managing Designing Your Life Team (Not Just Your Business Team) How leverage outside of business (like housekeepers, grocery services, laundry) gives you freedom inside it A powerful reminder that solving your life bottlenecks helps unlock business performance The mindset shifts from “how do I do this” to “who can help me solve this?” Resources + Mentions Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Who Not How by Dan Sullivan The Disney Way (book reference) The Leverage Lounge Podcast – coming soon from Michael Collier Strategic frameworks: SWOT Analysis, Unique Ability, Hourly Rate Exercise Discover Central Florida (Michael's YouTube Channel)   “If it's gonna be, it's up to me” is the mindset that burns you out. The better question? Who can help me win.” – Michael Collier   Connect with Us: Instagram: @johnkitchenscoach LinkedIn: @johnkitchenscoach Facebook: @johnkitchenscoach   If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. Stay tuned for more insights and strategies from the top minds. See you next time!

What if taking more time off could actually grow your business? Todd Ellis, a financial advisor and Strategic Coach® veteran, shares how a 15-day sailing voyage—completely unplugged—taught him the power of taking time off. Discover why stepping away to develop new skills builds confidence, strengthens your team, and fuels unexpected growth. The secret? A Self-Managing Company® that thrives when you disconnect. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:How Todd discovered his passion for financial services—and why helping people drives his business.The surprising ways Todd's company creates real impact for clients and team members.Why taking true time off accelerates success.The importance of making sure you have the capacity to handle a situation (before you're in it).How Strategic Coach helps entrepreneurs and their companies grow. Show Notes: The more free time you take, the more your income will grow. Taking free time flies in the face of workaholic culture, where burnout is worn as a badge of honor. Gaining a new capability gives you a new sense of confidence. To take time off, you must have a company that can develop and grow while you're away. Once you have your own company, you get to decide how you're going to serve the public. Many people measure their success by how many clients they have, but having fewer clients allows you to really invest in yourself. Taking a break from technology allows you to be with your own thoughts and experience what's around you. A Free Day™ is a 24-hour period that's uninterrupted by any work-related activities. When you step inside Strategic Coach, you get to be surrounded by like-minded entrepreneurs who are eager to support your growth. Entrepreneurs share common issues, but every entrepreneur is unique. Resources:How Free Days Keep You On Your Side Of “The Line” What Is A Self-Managing Company®? Unique Ability®

Do you ever wish you could predict how a new team member will perform—before they even start? In this episode, Shannon Waller shares why she relies on profiles like Kolbe and PRINT® to build high-trust, high-performance teams. Discover how these tools help you delegate with confidence, eliminate mismatched roles, and leverage each person's Unique Ability® so your entire team wins. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Profiles eliminate guesswork by revealing how team members naturally strive, think, and contribute. Trust and collaboration deepen when you understand a team member's innate strengths, motivations, and problem-solving instincts. The Kolbe A™ Index reveals how someone takes action (their striving instincts) and in what situations they'll resist taking action. CliftonStrengths® highlights top talents so you can assign roles where people will excel effortlessly. Working Genius® identifies which parts of a project energize someone (like inventing or executing) and which drain them. Entrepreneurial teams thrive on adaptability, and profiles create stability by clarifying who does what best. The strongest teams balance different strengths instead of duplicating the same skills. Profiles also prevent pigeonholing by showing the full picture of a person's capabilities, not just one trait. Hiring based solely on experience is risky—profiles uncover hidden potential that resumes miss. Using an Impact Filter™ helps you define the “why” behind a project so you can align the right people with the right tasks. Overall, investing in profiles delivers measurable ROI—better hires stay longer, perform at higher levels, and require less management because they're operating in their areas of Unique Ability from day one. Resources: Kolbe A Index Working Genius CliftonStrengths DiSC® Profile PRINT The Impact Filter Unique Ability The Talent Impact Profile™️

MORE THAN MORE | Join us for a conversation between Dylan and Vic Stefansen, the 2024 Staff Signature Award winner. This award is given to a staff member who embodies our extraordinary signature culture every day. Dylan and Vic explore her journey from professional golfer to HR leader.. They dive into the challenges and rewards of leading with empathy, the importance of building trust and open communication, and the impact of creating a workplace centered around care and connection. Vic also shares how personal growth, self-awareness, and embracing her Unique Ability™ have shaped her leadership style and her ongoing pursuit of becoming the best version of herself.   Speakers: Dylan de Bruin, Co-Broker/Co-Owner Vic Stefansen, Director of HR, Care & Connection Subscribe to the More Than More Podcast for new weekly episodes as we discuss building meaningful and impactful businesses, careers, and lives through real estate.   Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Do you hesitate to step into a leadership role, even when you know you have something valuable to contribute? You're not alone! Many people hold back, think it's not their job, or believe they lack the authority. But leadership isn't just for the top of the pyramid. In this episode, Shannon Waller discusses what “situational leadership” is and how you can make a real impact in your organization, no matter your title. Imagine being the go-to person in your area of expertise, confidently guiding your team through uncertainty and change. Listen now for the five mindsets in team members from Liz Wiseman's book Impact Players that are keys to developing situational leadership. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Strategic Coach® defines leadership as: Providing direction Maximizing opportunities Providing strategies and solutions Everyone has an area of expertise, or Unique Ability®, where we can contribute, create value, and provide leadership. The executive assistant in charge of an entrepreneur's schedule is in charge of their entrepreneur's daily activities and can provide leadership on managing time and relationships. Five key points from Impact Players by Liz Wiseman: Do the job that's needed, not what's assigned. Step up and take ownership. Adapt and stay flexible. Make work easier for others. Deliver with a finish line mentality Casting Not Hiring's 4 x 4 Casting Tool™ measures four quadrants of success: Performance: being alert, curious, responsive, and resourceful Results: what is faster, easier, cheaper, or has a bigger impact Being A Hero: four projects to focus on next quarter What Drives You/Others Crazy: behaviors you want to avoid Permission to speak up and make suggestions is not saying, “My way is the right way.” Resources: Unique Ability) PRINT®: Take the PRINT survey). Abundance 360, by Peter Diamandis Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10X Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life by Shannon Waller, Ryan Cassin, and Steven Neuner Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman

Are your team leaders still growing, or have they become too comfortable? In this episode, Shannon Waller discusses why leaders need to be led and how entrepreneurs can create environments where their leadership teams continue to grow, adapt, and welcome feedback. Learn how to avoid the trap of entropy and cultivate a team that embraces change and collaboration. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Entrepreneurs get their feedback from the marketplace, but your internal leaders may not get the same level of direct input, requiring intentional direction from you. Great entrepreneurial leaders embrace The 4 C's Formula®—Commitment, Courage, Capability, and Confidence—and continually repeat the cycle of growth. It's the responsibility of those in leadership positions to ensure their team leaders are continually growing, stretching, and expanding their areas of Unique Ability®. Without guardrails and feedback, even the best leaders can go off course, which makes structured communication and open dialogue key. While corporations tend to have established growth paths and feedback mechanisms, entrepreneurial companies often demand team members take a more proactive, self-directed approach. Entropy, or the gradual decline into disorder, can take over if there's no conscious effort to maintain uniqueness and encourage growth in your organization. Resisting change is a warning sign of stagnation. Encourage your team to challenge the phrase, “We've always done it this way.” Prioritize leading people over simply managing them; let technology handle inputs while you focus on providing direction and leadership to your team. Create psychological safety for your leaders by encouraging open and honest communication so they feel comfortable sharing feedback and voicing concerns. It's also important that your leaders receive feedback not only from you, but also from their teams, so you can build a broader culture of trust. If you want to cultivate Unique Ability® Teamwork, you have to put effort and energy into making it happen—encourage collaboration and welcome new ideas and input regardless of job descriptions. Resources: Unique Ability® The 4 C's Formula by Dan Sullivan The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design by Richard Dawkins EOS®

Are workplace stressors hijacking your mind, body, and soul? Today's guest has written a book to help you gain back your mindfulness and become a better leader, employee, and all-around person! Listen to Nicole and Mitch Russo as they unlock the key to accelerating your business success while cultivating a happier, more productive team using Mitch's book, Sacred Profits.Mitch Russo co-founded Timeslips Corp in 1985 and sold it for eight figures nine years later. He then partnered with Tony Robbins to build a successful company and became a best-selling author of three business books. Recently, Mitch underwent a profound spiritual awakening that revealed the power of applying spiritual practices to everything from sales and marketing to finance, leadership and relationships. In addition to his work as a business strategist, Mitch helps organizations rewire their company culture for maximum impact.Today, Nicole and Mitch talk about:[00:06:11] The Power of Mindfulness in Business[00:19:21] Resilience vs. Stubbornness[00:28:44] Ethical Leadership and Integrity[00:40:13] The Role of Heart-Based DecisionsMitch's books:Sacred Profits https://a.co/d/dfBlNRnPower Tribes https://a.co/d/4zyKorRConnect with Mitch:website: www.mitchrusso.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchrusso/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmitchrussoX: https://x.com/mitchpodcastsFB: https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughResults/Also mentioned in this episode:Unique Ability by Dan Sullivan https://uniqueability.com/the-book/The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron https://a.co/d/3jBhahgThe Artist's Way at Work by Julia Cameron https://a.co/d/gOYPbNIPositive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine https://a.co/d/aIzp18LListen today at vibrantculture.com/podcast or your favorite podcast platform!

Most entrepreneurs assume growth means doing more. More effort. More complexity. More stress. But what if scaling 10X was easier than doubling your efforts?   Alex Raymond digs into the bold idea behind 10X Growth, inspired by 10X is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan and Ben Hardy. He challenges the trap of incremental thinking and explains why real success comes from eliminating distractions, simplifying decisions, and focusing on what truly moves the needle. If most of your results come from a small fraction of your efforts, what would happen if you let go of everything else?   Alex also explores the psychology of growth, including the concept of “the gap and the gain.” Many entrepreneurs measure success by how far they have left to go instead of recognizing the progress they have already made. Before next week's conversation with Ben Hardy, Alex shares a preview of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, where Hardy will lead a deep dive into the 10X mindset.   If you've been grinding toward growth and feeling stuck, this episode offers a different path. One where doing less leads to far greater results.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction  02:00 The Inner Game of 10x Growth 03:42 The Trap of Incremental Thinking 04:49 The 80/20 Rule and Eliminating Low-Impact Tasks 08:02 Unique Ability and Zone of Genius 09:04 Delegation and Focusing on High-Impact Activities 12:05 Case Studies and the Cumulative Effect of Focus 14:02 The Mindset Shift for 10x Growth 16:18 The Gap and the Gain Concept 18:05 Living in the Gain vs. Living in the Gap 21:37 Overcoming Scarcity Mindset 24:44 Physical and Mental Signs of Scarcity vs. Abundance 26:04 Summary of Key Themes: 10x vs. 2x 28:01 The Courage to Focus on Unique Ability 29:46 Implementing the Gap and the Gain 30:18 Scarcity vs. Abundance Thinking 31:00 Immediate Action Steps for 10x Thinking 36:38 Final Thoughts on 10x Growth   Links Connect with Alex Raymond: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/ Website: https://amplifyam.com/ HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

THE BACKSTAGE | What if the key to a thriving team isn't just hard work, but truly understanding what makes each person exceptional? In this episode, Vic, Anna, Abbie, and Dylan dive into the power of recognizing and utilizing Unique Abilities®. They share their own journeys of self-discovery, how other tools like the Enneagram and StrengthsFinder impacted discovering their Unique Abilities®, and unpack how embracing individual strengths leads to better teamwork, personal growth, and organizational success.    Access Unique Ability® resources here.   Speakers: Dylan de Bruin, Broker/Owner Vic Stefansen, Director of HR, Care & Connection Anna Culbertson, Director of Operations Abbie Dorwart, Director of Marketing    Subscribe to the More Than More Podcast for new weekly episodes as we discuss building meaningful and impactful businesses, careers, and lives through real estate.   Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Do you understand the transformative power of hiring the right number two leader? In this episode, Shannon Waller and Alec Broadfoot discuss the essential qualities of an effective second-in-command and the critical role of a structured interview process in identifying top talent. Learn how assessments and strategic questioning can improve your hiring strategy and drive lasting success. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Understanding the role of a number two leader is crucial for entrepreneurial success. Hiring the right second-in-command can significantly improve your business operations. Most entrepreneurs face people problems, not process problems. A number two leader should oversee daily operations, freeing up visionaries to focus on their areas of Unique Ability®. The right number two leader will thrive on the challenges that visionaries find tedious. Letting go of certain responsibilities can lead to increased joy and energy for visionary leaders, ultimately driving profit. The Talent Impact Profile™ (TIP) is a valuable tool for identifying the right characteristics in a number two leader. Building a strong partnership with your number two can transform both your business and personal life. A structured interview process is essential for identifying the right number two leader. Common mistakes in interviewing include relying solely on “gut” feelings instead of data-driven insights and ignoring cultural fit. Candidates need to align with your company's values. The best time to fire a poor performer is during the interview process. The average interview predicts success about 14% of the time, but using an assessment tool can raise your success rate to upwards of 52%. Once they're hired, it's crucial to provide the new leader with ongoing support and clear expectations to ensure they can thrive in their role. Characteristics of a successful second-in-command: Strategic thinking: The ability to think critically and plan effectively. Planning and organization skills: A knack for creating and implementing processes. People orientation: A focus on developing and nurturing team members. Coaching ability: Enjoyment in holding others accountable and managing performance. Strong communication skills: The capacity to convey information clearly and effectively. Right fit: Compatibility with your company culture and values.   Resources: Vision Spark Hiring Your Right #2 Leader by Alec Broadfoot Delegate Solutions How The Best Get Better® by Dan Sullivan Unique Ability® Talent Impact Profile™ Kolbe A™ Index The Team Success Handbook by Shannon Waller

Our guest in this episode is Andy Semotiuk, a US and Canadian immigration lawyer, journalist, and author of The Young Professional. Andy has dedicated his career to helping people navigate challenges and discover their unique abilities to make a meaningful impact.Key points discussed include:The Power of Motivation: Andy shares how motivation involves helping others see a bigger picture for their lives, using inspiring stories like that of Bob Richards and Lou Boudreau to illustrate the lasting impact of encouragement.The Role of Mentorship: He explains the reciprocal nature of mentoring, emphasizing that we can be both the mentee (the pebble) and the mentor (the master) in uncovering potential. Andy also offers practical advice on finding and being a mentor, highlighting the importance of humility, integrity, and compassion.Discovering Your Unique Ability: Andy introduces a framework for identifying your unique strengths—the activities that bring you joy, make time dissolve, and allow you to perform at your best. He encourages listeners to reflect on their passions and align their values with their actions.Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn how to lead, inspire, and uncover your unique ability to make a difference.Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Are you looking to upgrade your teamwork? Do you realize that you have really high standards? Today, Shannon Waller talks about building partners within entrepreneurial teams. What does it mean to have team partners rather than employees or staff, and how do you build the ultimate dream team in your business? If you're tired of micromanaging, find out how Shannon achieves crazy fast results with team members who act as partners. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Shannon has realized she only wants to work with partners, not employees, not staff. One example of a three-way partnership is the Teamwork Triad, which consist of three people who have a Unique Ability® in separate but equal areas of “make it up” (creative vision), “make it real” (execution), and “make it recur” (sustainability). Great partnerships are built around each person being honest about their strengths and areas of Unique Ability. Unique Ability is made up of those activities at which you are capable and confident, but also most love to do. Do you know what you're uniquely exceptional at that you should be doing all the time? Do you know what you should not be doing? Having Imposter Syndrome simply means you're growing and still somewhere in the first three scary stages of The 4 C's Formula®—commitment, courage, or capability—and not yet at the last stage, confidence. To be a great partner, you can't be shy and humble about the things you're really good at. You can't be a partner when you're doing what you're incompetent or merely competent at. You also can't be a partner when you're doing what you're excellent at but have no passion for. When partners work together in Unique Ability® Teamwork, everyone is committed and energized by what they're doing. How can you tell when you have the right partners working together? You get the highest quality results at crazy fast speeds. Being a partner means stepping outside of your preconceived ideas about your role to share the best of yourself: your heart, brain, and will. Resources: Kolbe Unique Ability The Team Success Handbook by Shannon Waller The 4 C's Formula by Dan Sullivan

Are your business processes slowing you down? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals how to revamp and revitalize your workflows for better results. Learn the importance of documenting processes, assigning the right people to tasks, and setting clear expectations, and discover how small changes can lead to big improvements in efficiency and motivation. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: The Importance Of Documenting Processes Document and communicate processes clearly to eliminate bottlenecks and misunderstandings. Regularly review and update processes to adapt to changes in technology, market, or team composition. Tools And Visualization Use a simple flowchart to visualize and optimize workflows. Think of processes as a relay race, focusing on smooth handoffs between team members. Process Improvement Strategies Identify areas where processes are creating friction or frustration, and prioritize these for improvement. Aim to make processes faster, easier, cheaper, and with a bigger impact through collaborative problem solving. Be open to completely overhauling a process if it's not delivering results or if team members are disengaged. Team Alignment And Roles Ensure the right people are in the right roles for each step of your processes, aligning with their Unique Ability®. Be specific about timing expectations for each process step to maintain momentum and avoid delays. Communication And Expectations Clearly articulate expectations, including deliverables, quality standards, and deadlines. Document successful processes and make them accessible to the team for future reference and training. Real-World Application Example: Shortening a 12-week process to three weeks by involving new team members and incorporating new technology. Focus on creating win-win situations where team members enjoy their roles and processes are optimized. Resources: Unique Ability® Kolbe A™ Index Process Street Process Suite Leverage Process! How Discipline And Consistency Will Set You And Your Business Free by Mike Paton and Lisa González Playbook Builder

Do you take the time to acknowledge your team's contributions, or do you overlook their strengths? In this episode, Shannon Waller explores the transformative power of genuine praise in the workplace. Discover how effective recognition can improve team morale, fuel innovation, and drive overall success in your business. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Is guilt a necessary emotion, or is it just a societal construct that holds us back? Entrepreneurs can get overwhelmed because they hold on to tasks they feel guilty about delegating. Take notice of people who are isolating themselves: are they feeling remorse, regret, or shame? Excessive or misplaced guilt leads to negative self-perception and stress without resulting in constructive change. Is misplaced guilt preventing you from taking positive action and making progress? To avoid situations that will lead to guilty feelings, stay away from commitments where you cannot easily deliver on what's needed—in other words, stay within areas of your Unique Ability® and strengths. Learning about herself through her Kolbe, PRINT®, and CliftonStrengths® profiles has directed Shannon toward areas that result in more productivity, more profitability, and creating more value. Common triggers include failing to meet personal or professional expectations and neglecting personal well-being in favor of work commitments. Cultural and societal factors contribute significantly to feelings of guilt, often rooted in childhood experiences. Strategies To Overcome Or Avoid Guilt: Reframe Your Mindset Question your beliefs about guilt: Is it really true that you're failing if you don't respond immediately? Does what you're feeling match the urgency of the situation? Set Clear Boundaries Establishing boundaries between work and personal life is crucial for maintaining mental health. Free Days™ are essential for rejuvenation; without them, we risk burnout by constantly checking that nothing slips by at work. Communicate Expectations Clearly communicate your expectations with team members regarding response times to avoid causing unnecessary guilt. Also be clear with your clients about not being available 24/7. Have Confidence To Say No When opportunities don't align with your priorities, it's okay to say no graciously. Be Compassionate With Yourself If you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks and, therefore, not growing. If you own a mistake, forgive yourself and ask forgiveness of others, then take steps to ensure you don't make the same mistake again. You're not failing; you're learning. Build A Supportive Network Shame isolates people. A support network helps people grow. Instead of criticizing the person, look to what the behavior was that didn't work and solutions for improvement. Let Go Of Control You can be in charge, providing energy and electricity, but you don't need to be in control of everything. Great leaders aren't perfect; they're honest, provide direction, and don't make people feel guilty when they're not perfect. Encourage the team to play offense, not defense so they won't be made to feel shame, regret, and remorse. Shannon's recipe for no guilt: center yourself doing your best work with your best audience. Resources: Kolbe PRINT CliftonStrengths

Are you leveraging your entrepreneurial company's unique advantage? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals how, by getting your team to focus on activities where they have both superior skill and passion, you can ensure your business is always growing, always innovating, and always multiplying its success—and eliminate boredom and stagnation for good. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Entrepreneurial companies have a distinct advantage over bureaucratic organizations because of their flexibility, innovative spirit, and capacity to cultivate a culture that prioritizes individual strengths and passions over conformity and rigid ways of thinking. This culture is founded on the Unique Ability® model, which consists of four levels: incompetent, competent, excellent, and unique capabilities, with unique being the most impactful. Here's what they mean: Incompetent: These tasks are areas where team members struggle to achieve results, often leading to negative impacts. Entrepreneurial companies can minimize time spent on these activities, allowing them to concentrate on more productive endeavors. Competent: While team members may perform adequately in these areas, they often only meet minimum standards. In bureaucratic settings, employees may feel compelled to remain in this zone due to comfort and familiarity, but this does not foster growth or innovation. Excellent: At this level, team members demonstrate superior skills, leading to effective teamwork and often financial rewards. However, remaining in this zone for too long can result in stagnation, as people may become bored and less engaged. Unique: This is where the true potential lies. Areas of Unique Ability combine superior skill with passion, resulting in high energy, motivation, and creativity. Entrepreneurial companies have the opportunity to help their teams focus on these abilities, which can lead to significant competitive advantages If you want to maximize your company's potential for success and innovation, strive to have at least 50% of your team's time spent in their Unique Ability and the other 50% on excellent abilities. It's also important to eliminate tasks that fall under the "incompetent" category, as these activities cost your company money and limit productivity. Procrastination on certain tasks is a sign of incompetence in that area, even if the person technically has the capability to do it. To prevent team members from boredom and stagnation, move them away from merely competent tasks as quickly as possible. Be aware of the "Excellence Trap," where team members become too comfortable in their superior skills and resist moving toward their Unique Ability. It's essential for entrepreneurs to foster a company culture that encourages and rewards Unique Ability® Teamwork, as this is where the 10x multiplier effect occurs in terms of productivity and innovation. To help shift your team members toward working in their areas of Unique Ability, it's important to regularly engage in conversations with them about what they excel at and love doing. Even minor incompetent tasks can consume significant mental energy. Freeing team members from these tasks is essential for maximizing productivity and creativity. It's important to create flexible systems and job descriptions that allow team members to focus on their excellent and unique capabilities, even if it means creating unconventional role structures. Resources: Unique Ability® Book: Unique Ability® 2.0: Discovery by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller, and Shannon Waller

Are you overwhelmed by the daily grind, in a state of “suck,” with an overflowing inbox, double bookings, and a constant feeling of putting out fires? Ever thought about hiring an assistant but not convinced it's worth the money, time, and effort to bring one on board? In this episode of Team Success, host Shannon Waller sits down with Steven Neuner and Ryan Cassin, her co-authors of Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life. Shannon, Steven, and Ryan will shift your mindset about hiring an assistant so you can step out of the chaos and settle on nothing less than 10x growth and freedom. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Constant State Of Suck Many entrepreneurs can end up in a “constant state of fire drill” before they decide to hire an assistant. The setup for failure: “Most entrepreneurs show up in the worst possible, least collaborative, lowest energy state to go make one of the most important, most influential, most meaningful hires they're going to make in their business.” —Steven Neuner Mindset Shifts Required Before Hiring Steven coaches desperate entrepreneurs to shift their mindset to see hiring as an investment of time rather than an investment of money. Investing time to grow the relationship with a new assistant pays exponentially higher dividends down the road in both your business and personal life. Another important mindset shift is being courageous and vulnerable enough to let someone else see the backstage of your business. Entrepreneurial Executive Assistant This role requires the assistant to delegate and manage up, rather than the other way around. The assistant's Unique Ability® frees you to stay in your own Unique Ability lane. Entrepreneurs must think of their assistant as a partner on their growth journey, one in which the assistant will also be growing professionally and personally. Entrepreneurial assistants, like entrepreneurs, don't like getting bored; they will want to lead, take initiative, and be creative in areas outside of your Unique Ability. The Secret Many people think of an assistant as someone to whom they can delegate stuff they don't want to do. The “secret” is that your assistant can be your all-around support partner who can give you superpowers and help you expand what you think is possible. The Superpowered Scale Resignation Desperation Frustration Delegation Superpowered Impact On Entrepreneur Support Partners Leveraged support partners find opportunities to respond to challenges, grow, and achieve fulfillment in parallel with their entrepreneur. Many support partners grow into new responsibilities, new roles, and new connections in the organization. With so much core institutional knowledge, they can also become coaches and trainers for new hires. Onboarding Process For Support Partners First 30 Days: Know You Second 30 Days: Understand You Third 30 Days: Anticipate You Don't Settle For Faux Freedom Becoming Superpowered means going beyond the standard level of support to exploring a whole other dimension where 10x growth and freedom are possible. Read Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life for practical strategies on leveraging all the capabilities of an entrepreneurial executive assistant so you can expand your own freedoms. Resources: Buy Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life by Shannon Waller, Steven Neuner, Ryan Cassin Sign up for the free Superpowered resources Visit Ryan and Steven at superpowershq.com Strategic Coach

What does it mean to have fun at work? For some organizations, it means happy hours and social events. We believe in creating an environment where the work itself is enjoyable and naturally creates a culture of fun. Join Dylan, Vic Stenfansen (Director of HR), Abbie Dorwart (Director of Marketing) and Angela Fisher (Agent Development Director) as they discuss why working in your Unique Ability™ naturally makes work fun, how a supportive work environment allows people to be themselves and connect with others, and how everyone can contribute to and create a culture of fun.    Welcome to the Core Values Series! Our Signature Culture is the "secret sauce" that makes this organization so unique. We believe that the sky is the limit when we put others first and that work is something we get to do, so we might as well make it fun. Our core values define how we think and act and how our team members thrive. Join us as we dig into each of our core values with different staff members.

Born to Do YOU Can you imagine what might happen if you dared to think like your true self, act your true self, and share your true self?  That makes you smile - right? Or you may feel that living from the inside out and being fully authentic with the world is self-centered and egotistical, not how you should be. Still, I bet you're smiling, at least a little, at the thought. You were born with two things that are yours, and you alone to use as you see fit—or not. The first is Free Will, and without digging into the spiritual and scientific reasons, no matter what happens in your life, you are always doing things YOUR way. Even if you feel your destiny is predetermined, you will do it YOUR way.  Imagine what would happen if you choose to do the things you love and do them your way. You were also born with a Unique Ability you don't share with anybody else. It has always been there and will never leave you. Imagine what would happen if you used it in everything you do. The next time you second-guess yourself, remember to ask yourself one simple question — “What do you do when you're doing YOU?” When nobody is telling you what to do, when you're on your own to fill your time, when you are making the rules, what do you like to do, and how do you want to do it? It's okay to be yourself. I promise that nobody is judging you. They are most likely waiting for you to show up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you inadvertently sabotaging your entrepreneurial company by hiring corporate talent? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals the pitfalls of bringing corporate mindsets into entrepreneurial environments. Learn how to identify candidates with true entrepreneurial spirit, ask the right interview questions, and build a team that thrives on innovation, contribution, and rapid growth. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Corporate hires can be a risky choice for entrepreneurial companies due to fundamental differences in mindset and work approach. The meaning of "responsibility" differs greatly between corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Corporate backgrounds often emphasize status and hierarchy, while entrepreneurial companies value contribution above all. Red flags in interviews include candidates prioritizing salary, time off, team size, and office location over potential contributions. Corporate titles can be detrimental in entrepreneurial settings, as they focus on status rather than results. Unique Ability® titles that highlight an individual's value creation are preferable in entrepreneurial companies. When hiring, look for candidates with entrepreneurial backgrounds or experience, such as childhood businesses or side hustles. Former corporate employees who felt constrained or stifled in their previous roles may thrive in entrepreneurial environments. Entrepreneurial companies offer more freedom, innovation opportunities, and faster-paced environments compared to corporate structures. Hiring managers should prioritize candidates excited about contributing to company growth rather than personal status. Diversity in thinking and problem-solving approaches is crucial for entrepreneurial teams rather than hiring clones of existing team members. Successful candidates should be willing to work independently, be hands-on, and make a direct impact on the business. Entrepreneurial companies should emphasize their unique culture and growth opportunities when recruiting to attract the right talent. Hiring the right people is challenging but critical for maintaining an entrepreneurial culture and driving business success. Entrepreneurs should trust their instincts during the hiring process and be wary of candidates who don't align with the company's entrepreneurial spirit. Resources: Unique Ability The Kolbe A™ Index

In this recap episode, Amber shares highlights on an advisor's unique skills and the importance of rules. Monday's episode featured Andree Mohr, the new president of Integrated, who shared her expertise on building successful partnerships between advisors and CPA firms. Andree offered practical advice on understanding CPAs, adding value, and being purposeful in all interactions. She also encouraged advisors to shift their focus from being busy to being truly productive, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing high-impact activities. Thursday's episode, featuring Jamie, explored team dynamics and organizational rules. Jamie highlighted how a strong team is crucial for realizing an advisor's vision and outlined key principles for running a successful organization. These included the importance of punctuality, effective meeting practices, and maintaining a professional yet friendly rapport with team members. Jamie stressed the significance of applying rules consistently across all levels of the organization, cautioning against the negative effects of selective enforcement. She also discussed the delicate balance leaders must strike between trusting their team and providing appropriate guidance as managers. Resources in today's episode: - Episode Website  - Unlocking an Advisor's Unique Ability with Guest Andree Mohr [Episode 276] - What Rules Apply And To Who? Leaders Answer

What if the key to unlocking your entrepreneurial potential lies in embracing discomfort? In this episode, Associate Coach David Braithwaite shares his inspiring journey from a "rubbish" student to a thriving entrepreneur and coach. Discover how embracing risk, fostering genuine connections, and prioritizing personal growth can transform your business and life. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode: Why David never saw the point of school.How David got into financial planning.What prevents people from becoming incredible entrepreneurs.Why David considers products secondary in his work.What entrepreneurs have the freedom to do that others don't.What people will remember you for.Why David wishes he'd joined Strategic Coach® sooner. Show Notes: David's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early, with multiple jobs during school despite struggling academically.Traditional education often overlooks the relevance of real-world skills, leaving many feeling disconnected.Risk-taking is essential for entrepreneurial success, yet many entrepreneurs don't take enough risks.Being an entrepreneur is a career path for people who don't fit the typical mold.Your interest determines how much effort you're willing to put into something.Embracing experimentation can lead to valuable insights and breakthroughs in business. Genuine client relationships are built on trust and honesty rather than just selling products.David's Unique Ability® is communicating complex ideas with empathy and clarity.The definition of community is a group of people who agree to grow together, and community plays a vital role in entrepreneurial success.At Strategic Coach, you're in a room filled with people who are just like you.Imposter syndrome can indicate you're in the right environment for growth and learning.Growth and discomfort go hand in hand.People want to learn from other people's mistakes rather than make their own.Every coach at Strategic Coach is also a client.With business growth comes complexity.When you have the right mindsets, the right behaviors follow. Resources: Unique Ability® Podcast: Shannon Waller's Team Success Podcast: Inside Strategic Coach Poem: "The Dash" by Linda Ellis Book: The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Blog: What Is a Self-Managing Company®? Book: The 4 C's Formula by Dan Sullivan Blog: The 4 Freedoms That Motivate Successful Entrepreneurs 

What if the key to unlocking your entrepreneurial potential lies in embracing discomfort? In this episode, Associate Coach David Braithwaite shares his inspiring journey from a "rubbish" student to a thriving entrepreneur and coach. Discover how embracing risk, fostering genuine connections, and prioritizing personal growth can transform your business and life. Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode: Why David never saw the point of school.How David got into financial planning.What prevents people from becoming incredible entrepreneurs.Why David considers products secondary in his work.What entrepreneurs have the freedom to do that others don't.What people will remember you for.Why David wishes he'd joined Strategic Coach® sooner. Show Notes: David's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early, with multiple jobs during school despite struggling academically.Traditional education often overlooks the relevance of real-world skills, leaving many feeling disconnected.Risk-taking is essential for entrepreneurial success, yet many entrepreneurs don't take enough risks.Being an entrepreneur is a career path for people who don't fit the typical mold.Your interest determines how much effort you're willing to put into something.Embracing experimentation can lead to valuable insights and breakthroughs in business. Genuine client relationships are built on trust and honesty rather than just selling products.David's Unique Ability® is communicating complex ideas with empathy and clarity.The definition of community is a group of people who agree to grow together, and community plays a vital role in entrepreneurial success.At Strategic Coach, you're in a room filled with people who are just like you.Imposter syndrome can indicate you're in the right environment for growth and learning.Growth and discomfort go hand in hand.People want to learn from other people's mistakes rather than make their own.Every coach at Strategic Coach is also a client.With business growth comes complexity.When you have the right mindsets, the right behaviors follow. Resources: Unique Ability® Podcast: Shannon Waller's Team Success Podcast: Inside Strategic Coach Poem: "The Dash" by Linda Ellis Book: The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Blog: What Is a Self-Managing Company®? Book: The 4 C's Formula by Dan Sullivan Blog: The 4 Freedoms That Motivate Successful Entrepreneurs 

In this episode, Matthew Jarvis sits down with Andree Mohr, President of Integrated Partners, to explore the concept of harnessing your unique ability. Andree reveals how top advisors have doubled their practices by laser-focusing on high-net-worth clients and delivering unparalleled value. She also shares the art of storytelling that forges deep connections with clients and influential partners, setting you apart in a crowded field. Andree emphasizes the critical importance of strategic planning, urging advisors to dedicate a full 30% of their time to activities that propel them toward their goals. She shares insider tips on guarding your precious time and finding the perfect accountability partner to keep you on track. Unlocking an Advisor's Unique Ability with Guest Andree Mohr [Episode 276] Resources in today's episode: - Matt Jarvis: Website | LinkedIn - Andree Mohr: Website | LinkedIn - The Complexity Curve with Guest Paul Saganey - Moving Up the Complexity Curve: Serving High-Net-Worth Clients with Guest Paul Saganey - Kitces Interview: Building CPA Alliances To Reach A More Affluent Clientele To Serve, With Paul Saganey - Center Stage: How to Become the Star of Your Practice - Connelly Ruling - The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience  

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Learn More About Attending the Highest Rated and Most Reviewed Business Workshops On the Planet Hosted by Clay Clark In Tulsa, Oklahoma HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/business-conferences/ See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Clay Clark Testimonials | "Clay Clark Has Helped Us to Grow from 2 Locations to Now 6 Locations. Clay Has Done a Great Job Helping Us to Navigate Anything That Has to Do with Running the Business, Building the System, the Workflows, to Buy Property." - Charles Colaw (Learn More Charles Colaw and Colaw Fitness Today HERE: www.ColawFitness.com) Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Actual Client Success Stories from Real Clay Clark Clients Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/