Scaling a consulting business is one of the hardest things you can do… But my guest today is giving away all the secrets for those who want to scale a consulting business in 2024… Mandi Ellefson is back on the podcast to discuss her new book, The Hands Off CEO, that gives readers a path to freedom and profit as the owner of a consulting agency.  In this episode, she’ll share insights from the book, break down the stages of growing a consulting business, and cover the importance of the...

AI can save your business millions of hours. It can take over the mundane tasks you hate doing… Freeing you to do exciting, creative work…  And you might not realize that you’ve already been using it. AI isn’t just for people with a computer science degree… In this episode, Evan Ryan, founder of Teammate AI, will show you some simple AI programs you can implement today. And save 4+ hours this week. Ryan has helped hundreds of business owners scale using AI automation—and he’s here to tell you...

Growing a business takes a consistent, sustainable approach… In this episode, as part of our series for marketing agency owners, we’ll unpack the Build Win Scale System™ with the inventor herself—Jody Sutter, founder of The Sutter Company.  This system is a step-by-step process designed to help leaders of small marketing agencies identify and activate their natural talents for sales and marketing.  Jody will share how agency owners (and anyone interested in business-building strategies)...

Ok…two weeks ago, we covered the main reasons why you might not be getting all the referrals you should. Last week, we covered how to leverage your best ideas to 10-x your referrals right away. Today, you’re going to see how to exponentially grow your referral network, and the number of referrals you receive each month. Now, you might be thinking…”Exponential, I’d be happy with 10 more referrals a month if they were consistent.” And that’s great. But the single biggest barrier to raising your...

This is Part 2 of a 3-part series of building your “by-referral-only” client flow this year. If you missed Part 1 you can find it here. Last week, we looked at why the old model of referrals doesn’t work consistently. Today, we’re diving into the mechanics of the new, easier model. In this episode, you’ll discover how to use your best ideas to multiply your referrals… How to create a “mission” bigger than you that your clients can buy into (and why it’s essential to growing referrals)... Why...

It's time to get refocused on the basics…block and tackling. In business development, that means referrals. Why? Referral prospects are 400 times more likely to do business with you than prospects from cold media or cold outreach. FOUR. HUNDRED. TIMES. MORE. When surveyed, 64% of business owners say they get the majority of their business from referral. Yet, 80% say they have no system or process for generating referrals. So… Starting this week on the podcast, I’m doing a 3-part series to...

The failure rate for small businesses is high—but it doesn’t have to be.   My guest Geoffrey Kent believes the formula for success is out there…and in this episode, we’ll explore the 5 pillars of successful entrepreneurship.   Geoffrey is a wealth of wisdom: a serial entrepreneur who has launched, scaled, and exited 20+ businesses in the last five decades. Now, he mentors entrepreneurs through the same process.   In this episode, he’ll share the key lessons he’s learned over the years about...

Every week, two or three business owners tell me they want to speak to get clients.   They want to know how to unlock bigger and better stages…TED Talks or high-profile paid keynote opportunities.   With thousands of people competing for the same speaking opportunities, what’s the key to getting in the door?   A book.   The National Speakers Association Hall of Fame has inducted 54 speakers since 2012…all but one has written a book.   When you’ve written a book, stages, podcasts, even...

It takes determination to scale a business… This episode’s guest, John Vagueiro, knows this too well—and he’s here to share his inspiring story.  John started his business at 17 to help his struggling family. After 3 months of going door to door selling digital marketing services, he got his first “yes.” Now, his business, Adapting Social, serves clients in over 20 countries including Bentley, Ferrari, Columbia University, Compass and RE/MAX. In this episode, John will cover what he’s...

What’s the future of the law firm model?   With the transition to hybrid work and the rise of AI, like most industries, the law industry is being forced to adapt…   In this episode, my guest Gary Mitchell will cover how attorneys building their practice can be nimble to overcome challenges.    Gary is a top business coach for lawyers and law firms in North America, and he recently launched the Law Practice Builder App.   He’ll share how lawyers can beat perfectionism, develop soft skills, and...

Is financial freedom a trap?   My guest Ali Katz believes we need to reframe it as “financial liberation…”   And create an entirely new paradigm for legal, insurance, financial, and other professionals to find fulfillment in their careers.    In this episode, she’ll share why the old business model is broken and how professionals can shift to a new model.   Ali will cover: The fallacy that success = happiness Why a scarcity mindset corrupts the client relationship How to “share the...

How do you incentivize your team to create more profit in the business?    (And the answer is not “with a Christmas bonus…”)   Alex Freytag is the author of “Profit Works” and an EOS implementer who helps entrepreneurs and leadership teams simplify and clarify their incentive plans.    Alex believes in getting employees to think like an owner…   When an owner is transparent and a team is financially literate, everyone is motivated to perform at a high level.    In this episode, Alex will...

What tools do lawyers (and other professionals) need to stop feeling stressed and overwhelmed and start enjoying the success and fulfillment they’ve always wanted?   My guest Gary Miles has been practicing law for four decades, and now he works with lawyers to help them align their career with their values.   Gary believes the billable hour is a flawed model—and he’s here to share how attorneys can shift to value-based pricing.   Gary will also cover how imposter syndrome affects the legal...

What is the art of the $100,000 signature talk?   If you’ve ever considered speaking as a way to land clients, today’s guest has some wisdom for you…   Steve Lowell is on a mission to train people to craft their signature talk, scale their influence, and create more business through speaking.   In this episode, he’ll share how you can get started with speaking, including: 3 types of stories to share with an audience How to monetize your message A pay-to-play earning strategy Why your talk...

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a better way to build your service practice, this episode is for you…   My guest Anton Anderson believes the referral model is inefficient…   He’s devised a model to grow your business by building relationships with allied professionals.   Instead of viewing these professionals as competitors, Anton wants professionals to view each other as allies who can collaborate and exchange expertise to create more value for their shared client.    In this episode,...

One of the statements I hear the most from professionals is, “I love to practice my vocation, but I was never taught how to run a business…” Whether you’re an attorney, an engineer, or another professional who owns a business, you may be struggling to make the transition from owner-producer to owner-leader. But how can you free yourself up to do the things no one else in the organization can do? Steve Smith is an expert at helping businesses and professional firms go beyond their current...

Have you been trying to grow your business, but now you’ve hit a wall?   To get past it, you need a strategic plan.   In this episode, Carl Cox covers the 7 key principles for developing a strategic plan that actually gets achieved. If you want to multiply your revenue, free yourself up, and build a self-sufficient team, tune in…    He’ll share: The reason why 90% of strategic plans fail (and what to do differently) Where to begin a conversation around strategy Why a strategic plan needs to...

Many people approach investing with fear and worry—and it costs them money.   My guest John Jennings is here to change the way you think about investing.    In his new book, The Uncertainty Solution, he outlines mental models to help investors make better decisions in times of uncertainty.   These models will help you approach investing without fear (and have more money in 20 years).   John will also discuss the advantages of his unconventional business structure and the power of learning...

I just read this book and I think it’s the most important book for entrepreneurs in the last decade… 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More By Doing Less by Dan Sullivan, with Dr. Benjamin Hardy This week on the podcast I share my key insights from the book and explain why I think you should read it. You’ll discover… Why 10x is easier (counterintuitive truth) How to change your experience of time (and be less busy) Why 10x is qualitative and 2x is...

Last month, I took an 11-day vacation without thinking about work once…   Meanwhile, the business had a record number of sales.   This is possible for you, too—if you follow a strategic process to free up your time through hiring.   My guest Brett Trembly is the CEO and co-founder of Get Staffed Up, the largest virtual staffing company in the US.    He’s here to talk about his new book, 24 Months to Freedom, which breaks down how you can hire a team to free up your time, increase your income,...

The question that keeps lawyers up at night is: “How do I get clients?”   All my attorney clients joke that they don’t teach you business development in law school…   In this episode, we’re going to cover a framework for building a business development plan for attorneys.   (And even if you’re not an attorney, these strategies will help you, too…)   My guest Elise Holtzman, CEO of The Lawyer’s Edge, is an expert at growing thriving law practices.    She’s here to break down the 3 pillars of...

Want to land a deal today?  What if I told you that in today’s podcast my guest shares a method anyone can do today, it costs nothing, and can land a high-ticket deal today?  Would you want it? That’s exactly what John Phillippe, author of the new book Prospecting Hacks shares on today’s episode.  If you want new, out-of-the-box ways to attract clients, this episode is for you… Plus, John will share the mindset you need to succeed at prospecting and seize the possibilities that are all...

The key to earning more?  Working less.   If you’re an agency owner, delegation is the path to winning back your time while growing your business.    My guest Karl Sakas is an expert at elevating agency owners to a higher performance level so they can achieve time freedom.   In this episode, he’ll break down the 4 stages of involvement for agency owners—and how you can take action now to move to the next level.   We’ll also cover: The 6 roles every agency needs The difference between...

Many attorneys (and most other professionals, too) hate the idea of “selling” but want to build a business…   They want to scale their practice to achieve freedom and control in their legal careers…   Yet they struggle with “sales”—something they don’t teach you in law school.   My guest, business development coach Steve Fretzin, is here to share a unique, “sales-free” approach to growing a legal practice.   He’ll also break down his 3 painless approaches to asking for referrals…   And reveal...