Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher

This week, Bill Gallagher, Lisa Ridley, and Daniel Marcos discuss the new developments that are happening in the World of Scaling Up and cover news topics related to what’s happening in the country.   Let’s talk about diversity in light of the recent police brutality attacks. It’s a tough topic because there are two white people and a Hispanic on the call, but the main point to drive home is how can we, as leaders, remove barriers for our people so they can thrive. We are seeing a profound social cost when we see a lack of respect and ignorance.   There is forced transparency happening. Images are being shown in the media that are very difficult to see right now, and that’s the point. Lisa is getting to hear some conversation topics she’s never heard before and it’s giving people a voice to speak.   We’re living in not only a pandemic right now, but also a social crisis. Daniel has lived in the U.S. for the last 15 years and has personally seen these things happen to him or people he’s known during his time here. It’s refreshing to have a voice, not just in the U.S., but also globally. People are marching all over the world against racism and police brutality.   Bill has always been a straight white male. There’s no changing that and Bill recognizes this privilege. He remembers when he was a minority in a remote part of Pakistan and he was the only person there who looked like him. Not knowing how to speak the language, he felt vulnerable, but this was not something he had to experience every day. He has a lot of empathy for what people of a different skin color or cultural background have to go through on a daily basis.   Interview Links: Lisa: Compassgroupcc.com Daniel: Danielmarcos.co Dr. Frances Frei   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube

We can all get better at our marketing and today’s show is how you can implement easy marketing strategies into your business right now. You don’t need any special or creative mojo to get these strategies to work, simplicity is key!   Bruce Rowley is the Founder of RSMarketing, which offers data-driven outsourced marketing services. They have appeared on the INC. 5000 list twice. Bruce launched his company at the bottom of the recession in 2010; he shares how you can keep your marketing easy and fresh during a crisis.   Bruce, in addition to the U.S., has worked in Hong Kong and Singapore. He discovered that marketing is the same everywhere, no matter the culture. If you can understand what people want, listen to the market, and answer what the market needs, you will succeed.   An operational playbook is necessary for all types of business, but you should also have one for sales as well as marketing. You can plan in advance for fun events and relevant trade shows your brand needs to appear at through the use of a playbook.   It’s critical to understand your numbers in every step of the business. If you’re only partially aware of the numbers, you’re never going to fully and successfully scale. Growth has a tendency to eat your cash and if you don’t know your numbers inside and out, you might find yourself unnecessarily spinning your wheels.   Interview Links: Rsmconnect.com Bruce on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

As the world changes and you’re busy focusing on what new tools to use, business models, pivots you have to do in your business, there is another thing you might want to pay attention to: yourself. Today’s guest helps ask some key questions on how you can evolve and grow during these critical pivots.   Todd Palmer is a collaborative business advisor and CEO of Extraordinary Advisors. He went from being a struggling entrepreneur with $600,000 in debt to making it in the INC. 5000 (A total of six times!) as one of America’s fastest-growing companies. Todd is also the author of the popular book, The Job Search Process.   Todd learned at an early age that he could only depend on himself and that the path of entrepreneurship was the only real way for him to make it. But because of the way he was wired, his business got so paralyzed and so dependent on him and he was the main factor as to why his company had bottleneck and growth issues.   Todd was stuck. He didn’t know where to go from here and despite business doing relevant okay, he was broke. The only option at the time to get out of this and his intense imposter syndrome was to hire a coach. He knew there was no way he could fail or quit. He was backed into a corner.   When Todd came up with his list of core values for the company, everything changed. He began hiring for the DNA and not for the resume. His company began thriving because of it.   Interview Links: Extraordinaryadvisors.com Todd on LinkedIn Todd on Twitter   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

This year, it might be smart to do a little bit less than you normally would. Can you actually make your company better and more valuable by doing less, though? The answer is yes! This week’s guest is a master of tackling overwhelm and simplifying your life.   Ari Meisel is the best-selling author of The Art Of Less Doing: One Entrepreneur’s Formula for a Beautiful Life, and The Replaceable Founder. He is a self-described ‘overwhelmologist’ whose insights into personal and professional productivity have earned him the title of ‘The Guru’s Guru.’   Ari used to work really unhealthy 18-hour days and after three years of doing this, he found himself in $3 million worth of personal debt. He was also diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which made his productivity struggle. He couldn’t even get one hour of work done a day. He had to find alternatives and he had to do it quickly.   Ari worked diligently on how to incorporate automation, business optimization, and team structures into his business so that he could maximize his time based on what he could physically do. Through these productivity discoveries, Ari created Less Doing, to help coach clients on doing the same.   Now, he helps clients replace themselves as a CEO or Founder. Entrepreneurs often think, ‘If I could only find someone who was just like me.’ But, we all know that’s nearly impossible to do. Though, not all hope is lost if you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you’re working two full-time jobs in your business. Ari stresses the importance of conscious project management, outsourcing, and automation to make your life easier.   Interview Links: Lessdoing.com Ari on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

This week, Bill features a client case study! Chin Beckman is the owner of DSP Concepts, an audio platform powering over 40 million of the world’s best devices and the leading supplier to top tier brands in automotive and consumer products like Tesla, GoPro, and Bang & Olufsen, among others. They recently closed a round of Series B funding last month, which saw investments from leaders in the industry like BMW, Porsche, MediaTek Ventures, and more.   Chin Beckman and her husband, Paul, both work on the business together. Chin credits herself with helping Paul get into MIT because Paul used to copy her math homework in high school. Paul studied signal processing under two prestigious professors in the industry, Professor Oppenheim and Dr. Bose. This early start set them up to understand the mathematics and wave formats of how audio systems work.   Chin has taken on the role of CEO and has helped with the fundraising as well as the business development side of DSP Concepts. Paul has taken on the technology development and engineering role in the company. Chin says she is a reluctant CEO, but she knew she needed help and that’s why she reached out to Bill shortly after they raised the needed funding.   Chin shares why GoPro originally approached them. Since a lot of their customer base is jumping out of planes and doing extreme sports, the audio quality is critical. No one wants to hear themselves in a wind tunnel, so DSP worked with them on developing wind noise reduction technology. They needed a sound system that could handle 100 miles per hour.   Interview Links: dspconcepts.com   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

How have you been sleeping? How are you feeling lately? Do you feel off? It’s critical to take care of your mental health and your mental state during times of crisis and stress. Our guest today has practical thoughts on what you can do to feel better now.   Malorie Nicole is a Mindset Expert and Subconscious Reprogramming coach for high-achieving entrepreneurs and driven professionals. She helps her clients decrease their stress, create a more fulfilling life, lead their teams more efficiently, and generate more money through helping them uncover their mental barriers for success.   Malorie was suffering from several different health problems and it caused her so much anxiety and tension in her life. That was the wake-up call she needed to take better care of herself. This is how she discovered her love for health and wellness.   Everyone is freaking out right now. One of Malorie’s clients — he mentally lost it. He was ready to buy a gun and defend his family for the next six months. What was really happening was there were old emotions getting triggered about the need to feel safe and in control.   What goes on in your subconscious is playing out into reality and you don’t even notice how these subtle things might be affecting you! What you’re after, the goals you’ve set, are completely possible, but when we don’t know how to work through that fear, it blocks our ability to get there.   When we’re in touch with our emotions, we can create better products and offers to our clients because we now have an emotional connection towards them and what they’re feeling/going through. You can enhance your business and enrich the lives of others just by understanding what you’re feeling.   Interview Links: Malorie-nicole.com Malorie on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

Deb Gabor is the CEO and Founder of Sol Marketing, she helps brands scale their content and helps create brand loyalty, Ami Kassar is the CEO and Founder of MultiFunding and a nationally renowned small business advocate and leader, and Anita Cabell is the Founder of Leading Edge and has been in the Chinese market for the last 18-plus years as a Scaling Up Coach.   Since we’re living in a different world right now, Bill thought it was important to bring on the perspective of different coaches around the world to get their thoughts and insights on what is happening currently. As some of us have been hit really hard and had to lay off some people, others are dealing with a lot of overwhelm, our coaches today have some important insights on how they’re helping their clients through this pandemic.   What is working and not working in the world of online Zoom meetings right now? Deb tried to replicate the office scenario where she’d just randomly pop into meetings and see how everyone was doing, but she realized she had to stop doing this as it was creating a lot of anxiety for her team. Another piece that she’s been struggling with is eye contact. Who is she supposed to be looking at?   One of Ami’s friends had to cancel their son’s bar mitzvah, but they decided to host it on Zoom instead. It was an experience he’d never forget. They made the best out of an awful situation and 40 of their closest friends were able to attend from around the world. For Ami, it seemed a lot more intimate and meaningful than being in a synagogue.   Anita is experiencing something similar. As all of her family is from different parts of the world, it offered a rare time for their entire family to tune in and be together on Zoom. She also understands Deb’s perspective on having to be a little more ‘on’ and experiencing much more fatigue than normal while being on a Zoom meeting. People are overwhelmed with everything we’re throwing at them.   Bill, Deb, Ami, and Anita continue their discussion on what they’re currently seeing with online collaboration tools with their clients and how well they’re working as well as reflecting on how much time they’re saving on travel and being able to be home and connect with their families.   Interview Links: Debgabor.com Deb on LinkedIn Multifunding.com Ami on LinkedIn Leadingedgebusinesscoaching.com Anita on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

Many businesses are hurting right now, so this is an excellent opportunity to look at ways you can pivot and adjust your business model as we embrace a new daily normal. Today’s guest had his business close overnight, but through some careful thinking has reopened his doors and has kept his staff employed.   Kevin Hundal is the CEO of Atrend, a provider of high-end mobile electronic accessories for events that need acoustical solutions. As no one is currently hosting events right now, Kevin and his team had to pivot quickly to stay in business.   At Kevin’s peak, he had 34 employees working for him and 25 contractors who all depended on Kevin’s business. His business started becoming affected in December when China was experiencing the impact of the virus because he was relying on imports from there.   When the virus hit, it impacted revenue by about 15-20%. Then when the stay-at-home order happened on March 15, Kevin saw a 60 to 80% drop in revenue. Kevin put a challenge to his leadership team on how they could pivot and get their business back on track. Unfortunately, Kevin had to lay off 25% of their workforce.   Kevin and his leadership looked around in their warehouse to see what they could make that would be useful today. Turns out, they can make face shields for grocery stores and companies who deal directly with customers and provide a safe barrier from them.   Through a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis, Kevin and his team are actually creating new products that are relevant to the crisis right now and are helping frontline staff like medical staff, nursing homes, and UPS drivers get access to their products.   Interview Links: Atrendusa.com Kevin on LinkedIn   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

There are many lessons from people navigating these times right now! If you’re worried about how to maintain your routine or keep connected with your personal and professional relationships, this week’s guest has some suggestions on how to start.   Robert Glazer is the Founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, a global performance marketing agency. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. As a serial entrepreneur, Robert has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity to outperform.   Despite everything that’s going on, whether it’s your business shutting its doors or customers unable to pay you, you do need an anchoring purpose to get through all of this and giving back to your community can be a great equalizer.   Bill also knows the importance of giving back during this time and has been doing so in his business. His wife also joined an organization, East Bay FeedER, where they are currently feeding 250 ER personnel.   With everything that’s going on, it will soon become the new normal. Human beings have the extraordinary ability to adapt, and this virus is no exception. As soon as we begin to settle in, we will not find the day-to-day as stressful.   Interview Links: Accelerationpartners.com Brandcycle.com Robertglazer.com Eastbayfeeder.org   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

This crisis may have made you close your doors temporarily, or at the very least, shift the way you’re doing business. This episode is all about what you should be focusing on first to get the most out of this uncertain situation!   Mike Michalowicz is the author of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, and his latest book, Fix This Next. He is also the Owner of Profit First Professionals, his third million-dollar venture. Mike has been an entrepreneur his entire life and also he is a popular main stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics.   Mike was very successful, but he had no clue what entrepreneurship really was. He saw that sales cures everything, but in reality, a business needs so much more than just that. He ended up losing nearly everything except his family. When he was at the bottom, he thought long and hard about what his next career move would be, something that would give him meaning, and he decided that he wanted to become a business writer to really discover what the core of entrepreneurship is.   Just like us as people, businesses have a common DNA. Mike investigated and researched micro-businesses to macro/big businesses. All businesses have a hierarchy of needs and if we understand what the needs are, we can pinpoint what to work on next and resolve it.   Businesses have five levels of needs, Sales, Profit, Order, Impact, and Legacy. We often understand when we, as people, have needs. We know when we’re in danger or that we’re hungry, but with our business, we often use our gut feelings to solve the most pressing of problems. The first thing to do is make an assessment of all the challenges you might have and then, before you try to fix anything, back those up with empirical data.   Interview Links: Mikemichalowicz.com Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change that Will Level Up Your Business Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine Ask The Profit First Professional Facebook Group   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube