The Authority Builder Podcast

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 right type of client.

Evan Ryan, founder of Teammate AI, is an authority in AI automation and time management, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses. In this engaging discussion, he reveals how AI can save you over 4 hours a week by automating mundane tasks. Ryan emphasizes that AI is accessible to everyone, not just tech experts. He shares practical tools like copy.ai and Otter.ai for enhancing productivity, and offers insightful strategies for optimizing email management, ultimately freeing up time for creative endeavors.

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) can use this system to grow a business over the long term.She’ll cover:Building a consistent narrative in the marketplaceThe challenges owners face in each phaseThe first step an owner can take to escape the chaosAnd more

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 prices, to bigger profits, and to sleeping soundly at night is a lack of lead flow/opportunity.The process you’ll get in today’s episode will show you how to create a continually expanding network of enthusiastic referral partners, so that you always have more referrals than you need.Part 3 is live now…

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 you need to move down the buyer-readiness pyramid if you want to smooth out the feast-or-famine cycle of business development.Part 2 is now live…

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 help you build your “by-referral-only” pipeline of new clients.Part 1 is live now… 

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 running a business.  He’ll also share why he believes entrepreneurship can solve the world’s problems and how entrepreneurs can create much-needed opportunities in struggling communities.

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 high-paid speaking opportunities open up for you.  In this episode, I’ll unpack why writing a book attracts speaking opportunities and share the 3 major benefits of having a book as a speaker. 

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 learned, including:How to overcome limiting beliefsThe sacrifices of scalingWhy leaders need to stop people-pleasingThe importance of cutting expensesAnd more

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 master their strengths to grow a successful practice.