Systems Simplified

Jessica Fialkovich is the Founder and President of Exit Factor, which offers a proven method that helps small to midsize business owners maximize their company's value before selling it. As a top expert in the business brokerage industry, she is a keynote speaker, small business advocate, award-winning business owner, and bestselling author. Jessica is also a four-time Inc. 5000 Entrepreneur and the Founder and Chair of Transworld Business Advisors. In this episode: 95% of entrepreneurs sell their businesses due to personal challenges. Yet, many business owners delay developing an exit plan, compromising the company's value during the transaction. So how can you develop a thorough process to exit your business and maximize its value? As an expert exit strategist, Jessica Fialkovich recommends managing your day-to-day operations as if you're planning to sell your company. By keeping a potential exit top of mind, you can begin developing a strategy that boosts profitability. The sale process takes approximately one year, so it's crucial to identify an ideal price range and assess your business' worth to establish systems that help you reach that goal. You should begin positioning your company to sell four to six years in advance so you can capitalize on its full potential. Tune in to this episode of Systems Simplified as Adi Klevit sits down with Jessica Fialkovich, Founder and President of Exit Factor, to talk about preparing to sell your business. Jessica shares strategies for exiting a business, the timeline to maximize its valuation, and key considerations for buying a company.

Eric Miller is the Co-owner and Chief Financial Advisor at Econologics Financial Advisors, which exclusively serves practice owners, including physical therapists, dentists, veterinarians, and chiropractors. In his role, he helps clients discover the barriers that prevent them from attaining financial freedom. Eric specializes in creating and implementing the Econologics Roadmap and annual reviews for clients, allowing them to reach short-term and long-term goals. In this episode: Owning a practice is demanding, and practitioners often neglect their responsibilities as business owners in favor of their primary role. As a result, money can become lost in the company, and practitioners may lose control of their personal and business finances altogether. Financial advisor Eric Miller's step-by-step process helps you regain control of your assets to achieve financial freedom. Before employing his system, Eric leads you to define what financial independence means to you by identifying your goals for the lifestyle you want to live. Your business should be your main income stream, and that's where to start. He says to think of your household as the parent company with your business functioning for its financial benefit by setting up a weekly expense account from the business that channels into the household. A separate account should be set up for that money so it's not squandered and can be used to invest in other income streams. When you execute a system that grows your business and funnels a portion of its profits to create more revenue streams, you've started to establish a process that creates the lifestyle you want for yourself and your family. In this episode of Systems Simplified, Adi Klevit hosts Eric Miller, Co-owner and Chief Financial Advisor of Econologics Financial Advisors, to talk about developing a financial plan for your household and business. Eric shares his systems and processes for building wealth, how to attain financial freedom, and the correlation between business and personal finances to create the lifestyle you want.

Marina Byezhanova is the Co-founder of Brand of a Leader, a personal branding agency for entrepreneurs and executives. As an entrepreneur, global speaker, show host, and personal branding expert, she has been quoted and referenced in various publications, including Inc.com, Forbes.com, Yahoo News, Financial Post, Fast Company, and Success Magazine. Marina's mission is to inspire entrepreneurs to speak up, stand out, and be radically authentic through the power of building their personal brands. She's a tenured member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, having served in local, regional, and global roles. In this episode: As an entrepreneur, it's often difficult to separate your identity from your business. Yet, developing a sense of self apart from your company is crucial to amplify your impact. So how can you develop systems to build your personal brand? According to Marina Byezhanova, a personal brand has three key aspects: unique positioning, associations, and consistent marketing. Her proprietary personal branding process involves participating in exercises to uncover your true self. Marina encourages entrepreneurs to identify significant life moments and influential mentors, list positive and negative descriptors to determine how they want to be recognized, generate an ideal audience, and establish credibility. Join Adi Klevit in today's episode of Systems Simplified as she chats with Marina Byezhanova, Co-founder of Brand of a Leader, about her process for developing a personal brand. Marina explains why entrepreneurs seek personal branding services, the importance of business systems, and the three core components of a personal brand.

Chad Zdenek is the CEO of CSQ Properties, a real estate investment company that acquires, repositions, and manages multi-family properties. Before CSQ, he was a rocket scientist and structural dynamics engineer who worked for Boeing before transitioning to become the CEO of Mobile Illumination, a company that provides Christmas lighting and decorations for residential and commercial buildings. Additionally, Chad is a TV host. As an investor himself, Chad helps other entrepreneurs invest in real estate so they can achieve financial freedom through passive income. He's received extensive education, including a BS in civil engineering, an MS in structural engineering, an MBA with an emphasis on entrepreneurial studies from UCLA, and also attending the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program. In this episode: Do you run a seasonal business? What unique challenges do you face growing and scaling a cyclical company, and what are some ways to alleviate those issues? The first step, according to Chad Zdenek, is to map out your business processes clearly. Documenting these processes is key in streamlining your team's work and managing the complexity of a seasonal business. Chad advises entrepreneurs to invest in systems to increase efficiency and take advantage of limited time due to the cyclical nature of business operations. He also encourages company leaders to invest in real estate as a source of passive long-term income. Chad Zdenek, the CEO of CSQ Properties, joins Adi Klevit in this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast to talk about systems for running a seasonal business. He also shares strategies for getting your employees to implement systems and how to get started with real estate investing.

Liz Hatcher is the Founder and CEO of Women to Women Network, a membership organization for women in business dedicated to building strong connections, referral partners, and friendships. Through various events and social media connections, the network provides a forum for collaboration, mentoring, and sharing ideas, offering resources and inspiration. In this episode: As the founder and visionary of your company, how can you empower your team to develop and implement business systems successfully? Is there a secret recipe? Systems and processes are essential for the growth of a company. However, you need a competent team that understands your company's needs and goals for you to thrive. From experience, Liz Hatcher realized the value of developing the right infrastructure and leadership team to achieve her network's vision. She created and documented systems and processes, empowered her leadership team to make decisions, and leveraged project management tools to help her team execute policies. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit is joined by Liz Hatcher, the Founder and CEO of Women to Women Network, to discuss strategies for ensuring business systems and processes are implemented. They also talk about the benefits of adjusting business systems as a company grows and how creatives can use systems to execute their visions.

Joshua Keene is an Account Executive at LaPorte Insurance, an insurance agency in the Pacific Northwest. He is also known as the red-bearded risk guy. Joshua helps companies with their insurance needs by mitigating risks and maximizing profits. He graduated with honors from Oregon State University and Mt. Hood Community College. In this episode: Which business risks do you face? How can you effectively manage risk to safeguard your company assets? Risks are inevitable when running a business. If not managed well, risks can affect your employees' productivity and cause losses. However, there are a number of preventive measures you can take to safeguard the well-being of your company and employees from potential risks. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit interviews Joshua Keene, an Account Executive at LaPorte Insurance, about creating a safety culture. They discuss the benefits of risk management, how to create an effective safety plan, and common risks in the service industry.

Augusto Carneiro is the Founder and Chief Friendship Officer of Nossa Familia Coffee, an Oregon-based roaster that aims to deliver exceptional farm-direct coffee and create positive relationships locally and globally. Augusto's family has been growing coffee in the highlands of Brazil since the 1890s, and he founded Nossa Familia to bring his family's coffee to Portland. Initially, all of Nossa Familia's coffee was imported from his family's farms, which remain at the core of its direct coffee trade model. Over time, the company has developed deeply rooted relationships with coffee growers around the world. In this episode: Successful businesses require strategic processes for task delegation, goal-setting, and growth. While some entrepreneurs excel at these responsibilities, others are more creative and struggle to implement the right systems, remain assertive, and follow through with their practices. Augusto Carneiro falls under the second category of entrepreneurs. As a creative visionary and people-pleaser, he values the freedom to develop new ideas and tends to delegate tasks too quickly. Yet, systems don't have to be constraining, and after hiring a process-oriented COO, Augusto found that adhering to a regular schedule allows for further flexibility. It's also crucial to develop sound business goals and values so that you can delegate tasks with authority and intention and provide constructive feedback confidently. Tune in to this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast as Adi Klevit welcomes Augusto Carneiro, Founder and Chief Friendship Officer of Nossa Familia Coffee, to talk about the benefits of processes for business growth, flexibility, and confidence. Augusto shares the inspiration behind "chief friendship officer," how he implemented systems to facilitate Nossa Familia's growth, and how he initiated difficult conversations and overcame the challenges of delegating tasks.

Suzie Hall is an author, speaker, transformation expert, and the Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Design and The Cornerstone Collective, along with two other companies. Celebrating 30 years in business, Cornerstone Design provides interior design services for most markets, including commercial, medical, multifamily, government, luxury residential, and hotels. The Cornerstone Collective is a full-service design and construction solution that accelerates and simplifies the process, bringing proven leadership, outstanding talent, innovation, and optimal resources together to create the ideal project development team. After receiving her BA in business administration, Suzie moved on to design and development, which gives her a unique view of the industry, allowing her to combine aesthetic appeal with business realities and to view projects through the owner's lens. In this episode: How do you show up to work every day? As a leader, do you consistently show up with positive energy? How is the success of an entrepreneur's business impacted by having the right systems and mindset? To be a great leader, you have to make a deliberate effort to show up as your best self consistently every day. Suzie Hall developed and systemized daily routines and habits to help her show up energized every day by transforming both her personal and professional life. When entrepreneurs prioritize their well-being and take good care of themselves, they are better equipped to amplify the success of their businesses. Creating a culture that provides a structure that also gives your creatives room to roam is integral to success and employee satisfaction. Suzie subscribes to the mantra that having systems for yourself and your business encourages people to clear their minds, recognize opportunities, and be open to new possibilities. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Suzie Hall, Founder of Cornerstone Design and The Cornerstone Collective, joins Adi Klevit to share her systems for showing up with magnificent energy every day. They also discuss the biggest challenges Suzie overcame growing her businesses, how her morning routine affects her business, and how she structures and uses systems and processes to scale her companies.

Cameron Herold, dubbed by Forbes as Today's CEO Whisperer, is the Founder of COO Alliance, a leading community for ops-minded professionals to help them build better companies and develop revenue and profit-generating ideas. He is a business growth guru and the best-selling author of several books, including Double Double, Vivid Vision, and his latest, The Second in Command. He has been an entrepreneur for almost 20 years and was second in command at several companies. Throughout his career, Cameron has been the mastermind behind the exponential growth of hundreds of companies. Featured in publications, including Forbes, Inc., The New York Times, and Fortune, he is also a top-rated international speaker and hosts the Second-in-Command podcast, where listeners can tune in for tips and insights from other high-level COOs. In this episode: What is the best process for hiring, onboarding, and training your company's second in command? How can you create a trustworthy and mutually beneficial relationship with your COO? The second-in-command plays a crucial role in the daily operations of a company. From supporting the CEO to acting as an entrepreneur's business partner, a COO helps the business achieve its goals. A valuable and effective second in command must understand and align his or her work with the company's core values, vision, mission, culture, and purpose. This alignment ensures they actively participate in executing the company's objectives and the scaling of the business. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit interviews Cameron Herold, the Founder of COO Alliance, about his process for unleashing the power of your second in command. Cameron shares best practices for hiring a COO, tips for delegating work and strengthening the CEO/COO relationship, and how to effectively onboard and train a COO.

James McDonough is the Founder and CEO of FAT FINGER, a digital standard operating procedure software platform that empowers frontline workers to work more efficiently. Its easy drag-and-drop builder empowers anyone to create digital procedures in seconds. James' international industry experience includes internet technology, oil and gas, mining, forest and pulp and paper, and government and consumer goods. He is a passionate entrepreneur, technologist, and past top-tier management consultant. A sought-after speaker, James has held many industry forums and spoken at top universities worldwide on a range of topics, including entrepreneurship, innovation, industrial internet of things (IIoT). In this episode: The most successful companies use workflows and procedures to run operations and achieve business objectives. Documenting and implementing these processes save time and money and boost efficiency. So, how can your business get started and take advantage of these benefits? Creating SOPs (standard operating procedures) requires a time investment, communication, and relevant information. But using automated workflows, FAT FINGER makes it easy for employees to access relevant information to complete their tasks, and its drag-and-drop builder enables anyone to create digital procedures in seconds. According to James McDonough, automating procedures is a great way to empower employees, promote efficiency, and improve communication and collaboration. These benefits positively impact engagement among employees, management, and clients. Investing in automation also helps with time management and reduces human error. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit is joined by James McDonough, the Founder and CEO of FAT FINGER, to talk about streamlining workflows with his process documentation platform. They discuss the effects of automated workflows on business operations, how FAT FINGER promotes employee empowerment, and the benefits of documenting processes and procedures.