Mariana Polic, a resilient journalist and co-founder of Shift Intelligence, shares her inspiring journey alongside husband Ivan, a former pro soccer player and aeronautical engineer. They discuss overcoming a 97% revenue drop in their business, emphasizing the power of collaboration and innovation in adversity. Their insights highlight the importance of systematizing operations to achieve remarkable financial growth—doubling revenue, tripling income, and quadrupling personal freedom. They reveal strategies for navigating family dynamics in business and the transformative potential of effective communication.
Ivan and Mariana Polic's transformative journey showcases how resilience can drive successful recovery after a drastic financial collapse.
Their partnership emphasizes the power of collaboration in overcoming business challenges, enhancing both their relationship and entrepreneurial success.
The importance of creating self-sufficient business systems is highlighted, allowing entrepreneurs to maintain profitability while enjoying greater personal freedom.
Deep dives
Overcoming Financial Collapse
The journey of rebuilding a business after a significant financial crisis is highlighted. After 25 years of success, a sudden financial collapse resulted in a 97% revenue loss within six months. Despite the dire circumstances, the founders refused to give up, illustrating the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship. Their ability to negotiate a favorable exit within just six days underscores the potential for dramatic recovery, even in seemingly impossible situations.
The Power of Partnership
The significance of collaboration and partnership in business is emphasized, particularly during challenging times. It is suggested that going through difficulties with a partner can make the journey easier and more manageable. The founders discuss their experiences in facing hardships together, which ultimately strengthened their relationship and business. This collective effort allows for shared problem-solving and encourages a unified approach to achieving common goals.
Transformative Personal Stories
The founders share their personal backgrounds, offering insight into their resilience and adaptability. Ivan’s journey from a professional soccer player in a war-torn country to an aerospace entrepreneur, paired with Mariana's experiences as a journalist, provides a rich narrative of overcoming adversity. Their individual stories of hardship and determination resonate with listeners, enriching the conversation about entrepreneurial success. This personal connection illustrates how diverse experiences can shape a strong business acumen.
Achieving Entrepreneurial Freedom
The concept of entrepreneurial freedom is explored, touching on the importance of building a self-sufficient business. The founders advocate for systems that enable business owners to step away without sacrificing income or quality. Their developed strategies, particularly the Shift Intelligence system, focus on designing a business that can operate independently. This freedom allows entrepreneurs to enjoy life outside of their business while maintaining profitability.
Healing and Growth through Trauma
The conversation delves into the importance of addressing personal trauma and its impact on business dynamics. The founders discuss how their past experiences shaped their approach to business and relationships. They emphasize that recognizing and healing from internal conflicts is crucial for professional growth and effective leadership. This holistic approach to business and personal development encourages clients to engage in introspection and create healthier workplace environments.
They are your quintessential American Entrepreneurial Success Story and Power Couple Dream Team. Born in war-torn Serbia. Ivan, a former professional soccer star and aeronautical engineer and Mariana, a recovering “farm girl” turned successful journalist met for a tv interview after a soccer game.
They married and fled Serbia during the Bosnian War to take over Ivan’s father’s multi-million dollar aeronautical business in America.
This was Ivan and Mariana’s opportunity for a new and better life.
But when their business’ revenue dropped by 97% overnight, they were crippled with anxiety. They needed a solution, and they needed it fast. Through sheer grit and determination, they refused to give-in to potential failure. And that is how Shift Intelligence was created. Through careful analysis and persistence, they built a replicable system to reinvent and rebuild their business from the inside out. They systemized everything: how they managed people, their systems and processes, and how to close the sales they needed to keep their business alive.
As a result, they 2X their revenue, 3X their income, and 4X their freedom. They made an eight-figure exit, were paid upfront, and was done in six-days.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:00:18] Ivan and Mariana Polic developed a system that helped them sell their business for eight figures in just six days.
[00:02:25] Ivan and Mariana share how they recovered from a 97% revenue loss and turned their business around, offering a beacon of hope for entrepreneurs facing setbacks.
[00:03:17] Learn from the best: This episode showcases the "art and science of getting out of your way," offering listeners the chance to learn from Ivan and Mariana's proven "Shift Intelligence" system.
[00:13:18] Ivan and Mariana discuss how they navigated a financial collapse, providing insights and strategies for surviving and thriving in tough economic conditions.
[00:24:18] Ivan and Mariana reveal how they transitioned to a two-hour workweek before selling their business.
[27:52] They helped other entrepreneurs achieve similar success, including increasing one client’s revenue from $2 million to $5 million, and another client’s from $1.7 million to $4million.
[00:28:15] Mariana explains how they negotiated a sale with no contingencies, and shares insights for entrepreneurs who want to exit on their terms.
[00:40:03] Ivan and Mariana share how addressing personal trauma led to significant improvements in their business and culture, emphasizing the importance of inner healing for entrepreneurial success.
[45:11] Ivan and Mariana help founders navigate difficult partners-related issues including renegotiating partner agreements, facilitating partner separations, and even preserving friendships in the process.
[00:56:55] Ivan and Mariana share their heart for collaborating as a power couple and how working with spouses can strengthen an entrepreneurial vision.
Ivan and Mariana have a passion for helping founders like you forge a way forward. They have created a series of FREE tools and resources to jumpstart your journey to more revenue, more profit, and more freedom.