The Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast

Leading remotely requires more intentionality in everything we do. When the world started to see remote work go into the mainstream, many leaders were at a loss for ideas on how to make it work for their teams. Some are even worried if they’d ever know if their people are really working or not. Remote leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry argues that this is only because they focus too much on activity rather than on accomplishment. To lead a remote team effectively, Kevin stresses, leaders must set clear expectations of what success looks like for the team. For people to be accountable, they need to know what accountability looks like, and it’s up to you, the leader, to make that happen. In this conversation, Kevin shares with us his best practices in engaging a remote workforce, fostering genuine interaction in the workplace, conducting effective and equitable hybrid meetings, and more. Join in and learn how you can be an effective long-distance leader.

Mike Simmons successfully grew his business to a million in revenue then got stuck. Profits suffered as employee churn increased. Then he and his partner had a breakthrough. They immediately pivoted and found the success they were seeking. He has now grown several successful businesses using some of the key lessons learned at that time.  Join Mike Simmons and Brett Gilliland on this interview to learn some of the secrets to growth past the million dollar ceiling.  For more insights from Mike Simmons visit https://www.mikesimmons.com/To implement what you learned here with Elite visit https://growwithelite.com/elite_ignition/

Anita Grantham is a mission-driven culture champion that is passionate about building teams that inspire people to do the best work of their life. As a ​people- and culture-focused executive with experience in a variety of industries including technology, cloud-based marketing, construction/real estate, education, and customer experience, Anita has developed talent from multiple angles and has helped business leaders thrive in competitive environments.  Anita spent the last five years as Chief People Officer of Pluralsight, Inc, the leading technology workforce development company that helps companies and people around the world transform with technology. In her time there, Anita and team helped Pluralsight be recognized for awards such as 2020 Fortune Best Companies to Work For, Ranked number 10 on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Technology 2020 list, 2020 Best Workplaces for Millennials by Great Place to Work and Fortune, ranking number 11 in 2020 for Utah’s fastest-growing companies for the seventh consecutive year. Anita was also honored with the For All Leadership Award by Great Place to Work.  When Anita is not working on Pluralsight’s culture or advising others on talent management, she is focused on building a winning culture at home with her husband, daughters, and dog. What You Will Learn in this Episode:·        Why entrepreneurs forget why they started after hiring a team·        How to stop the breakdown of clarity in your business·        How to get clarity on your measurable outcomes for you and your employees·        What are the benefits of fractional executives·        How often should you check in and adjust your focus·        How many goals or tasks should you intend on accomplishing each day Resources:·        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitakgran/ Additional Resources:·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

After a horrific car accident in 2005, Tyler was motivated to forge his own path in life and find a way to create wealth. Years later, Tyler owns two online lead generation companies generating eight figures in revenue annually.Tyler has been in the industry for over 15 years and has a wide range of experience. From sending millions of emails a day to running ads on Google, Facebook, and other display placements to owning/managing offers.Even though Tyler has admittedly an extremely limited technical skill set, he excels by developing strategy, creating relationships, uncovering opportunities, and building/managing teams that execute on his vision.Tyler also co-hosts a podcast called 7 Figure Entrepreneur. Between his own experience and that of other industry leaders that get interviewed, he takes his listeners behind the scenes of how to successfully build and grow a million-dollar online business.What You Will Learn in this episode:·        How Tyler has built a business that generated nearly 30 million·        Why you need to change your business operations every time your business doubles·        Why you shouldn’t hire people that you like·        What is the skill vs will matrix·        What you should hire B type employees·        What is the downside of having a fully remote company·        How to foster a great work culture with a fully remote team·        When should you outsource work or bring in external talentResources:·        Website: https://www.7figureentp.com/·        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSnW91tSrc5sB_krEUFQqg·        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7figureentp/·        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7figureentp/Additional Resources:·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

A.J. Lawrence has more than 25 years of professional experience across business strategy development, sales and marketing, recruitment, remote company development, and operations efficiency. He’s spent most of his career working across industries like CPG, tech/SaaS, health & wellness, financial, travel & hospitality as an investor, founder, and consultant.His professional time is divided between his own projects and investing in other businesses. So far, he’s invested in many different startups and is involved with several investment funds including TinySeed. A.J. is also an advisor to Private Equity and VC firms, runs a strategy company, Insights Lab, and hosts the Beyond 8 Figures podcast.What You Will Learn in this Episode:·        What did A.J. realize after exiting companies that he wish he would have done differently·        How A.J. built a million-dollar business within 6 months and exited shortly after·        Where to put more emphasis in your business to have sustainable growth·        How to be more intentional as your company is growing·        Why A.J. decided to get rid of a lot of the smart people when restructuring his company·        How to become better at handling the stress of your workResources:·        Website:o   www.insightslab.ai/o   https://beyond8figures.com/·        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightslab-ai/·        Facebook:o   https://www.facebook.com/TheInsightsLab/o   https://www.facebook.com/beyond8figures/·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyond8figures/Additional Resources:·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Paul Sokol started selling dime store candy for 25 cents in middle school. After a gauntlet of college combined with direct sales founding his first company, he dove headfirst into entrepreneurial business automation with Keap. This was in the summer of 2008. Since then, he has helped thousands of business owners and people leaders, written an authoritative book on sales marketing automation, and personally sold nearly half a million dollars in services.  What You Will Learn:·        What are some of the easiest and most common areas that business owners can automate·        How to nurture your customer relationships through email·        In what ways can you automate your internal business processes and systems·        How to determine where you should begin implementing automation in your business·        Why is automation a good filter for growing your team·        In what ways can you use automation to manage your sales team

When your business is growing at a rapid pace, you may feel like you’re barely hanging on. Although you’re on the path to taking your company to the next level, you question if you have what it takes to get it there. In this solo episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, you’ll learn strategies to help you reduce your self-doubt and become a better leader.  Trying to find the time to develop your leadership skills can be frustrating when you’re also trying to run a successful business, but the payoff is worth the effort. Learn how even a few minutes of leadership development work each day can make a dramatic difference in your relationships and your success as a business leader.What You Will Learn:●     What to do if you have self-doubt about your ability to lead●     How to remove any negative labels you’ve placed on yourself●     What statements help you rewrite the script in your head●     What 3 strategies can you implement to become a better leader●     Why you shouldn’t expect to be the leader your business needs next yearAbout Brett Gilliland Brett Gilliland is Founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that specializes in giving $1M+ business owners the knowledge, processes, and tools to grow to $10M and beyond. Brett is an expert in organization development, leadership, and strategy and spent 10 years helping Infusionsoft grow from $7M in revenue to over $100M. Brett was involved in the foundational work of Purpose, Values, and Mission at Infusionsoft and facilitated the strategic planning process for many years.One of Brett’s favorite professional accomplishments is co-creating Infusionsoft’s Elite Forum along with Clate Mask and building the Elite business inside of Infusionsoft. As the leader of the Elite business, Brett has helped hundreds of struggling seven-figure business owners overcome their biggest challenges and achieve new levels of success. He also played a central role in the development of Infusionsoft’s Leadership Model and was serving as the VP of Leadership Development when the decision was made to spin the Elite business out of Infusionsoft. As the new owner of Elite Entrepreneurs, Brett can’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing professionally. When Brett isn’t busy helping $1M+ businesses succeed, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Sharon, and their 8 children.Resources:●     Email: info@GrowWithElite.com●     Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Eric Berman is currently founder/CEO of Brandetize, a full service, performance-based marketing agency that partners with esteemed thought leaders such as Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Phil Town, as well as consumer brands such as Heartmath, Terasana, Aptera, DaviSkin, The Good Feet Stores and more. Additionally, Eric has consulted for venture capitalists and successful companies at all levels including Club Med, Fenix Space, and Click For Lessons. Lastly, Eric Berman was one of the co-founders of CollegeClub.com, Inc., the largest and most visited college site on the Internet in the year 2000 (the first Facebook), wherefrom September 1993 until June 2000, Eric Berman helped the company raise $75 million, oversaw several acquisitions and helped manage the growth of employees from 3 to 400. Berman had served in a variety of positions there including Chief Operating Officer, VP Corporate Development, VP Business Development, and Director of Sales. Eric Berman received a B.A. in Quantitative Economics from the University of California San Diego in 1993. What You Will Learn: Resources: Additional Resources:

During his 23 years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron Alvesteffer has helped the company leverage double-digit revenue growth year over year, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. Ron is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its company Vision of “helping employees achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.” This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success. As a result of its dedication to people, Service Express has been recognized in Inc.’s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies twelve years in a row. Service Express has also been recognized as one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for ten consecutive years.Ron is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact. In his free time, you will find Ron cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Pittsburgh Steelers with his family by his side. What You Will Learn:·        Do you have too many people to keep coordinated focused effort? What do fast-growth company leaders do to make it all work?·        How to not get sucked in the day-to-day whirlwind and take time to work ON the business while still helping your company succeed today.·        Learn the discipline that creates the freedom to grow your business…learn how Ron does it and how Elite teaches it. Resources:·        Website: https://serviceexpress.com/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/service-express-inc/·        Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareserviceexpress/·        Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronalvesteffer·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronalvesteffer·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/ServiceExpress Additional Resources:·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/ 

Pete is a veteran in the education industry. Over the past 20 years, he has opened over 120 schools and acquired more than 25 others. His experience in education spans president and CEO roles of organizations in the private school, charter school, and early education industries. He also served as a public school board member in his local community for 5 years. Pete is currently the founder and CEO of Fusion Education Group. Launched in 2007, the company made five acquisitions in its first two years. The last acquisition in December 2008 was the original Fusion Academy campus. Within a few years, the company determined that Fusion’s unique model and high growth potential made it a significant growth opportunity. Thus, the company sold off its non-Fusion schools to focus entirely on the national expansion of the Fusion Academy model. Today, there are more than 60 Fusion campuses in operation around the nation. In 2019, the company acquired Futures Academy, another one-to-one school model with 16 locations in the state of California. In 2020, the company launched Fusion Global Academy (FGA), a one-to-one virtual school that provides 100% live instruction in every class. FGA serves online students throughout the United States and internationally. Today, Fusion Education Group, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operates nearly 80 Fusion and Futures Academies across 16 states and the District of Columbia. All Fusion Academies, Futures Academies, and FGA provide completely individualized programs based on the needs of each student. Virtually all classes are taught in a one-to-one environment: one student, one teacher. All schools offer programs for 6-12 grade students. Ruppert started his career with Procter and Gamble. He entered the education industry when he was hired as president of National Heritage Academies (NHA) in May 1997. During his eight years as president of NHA, Ruppert led the expansion of the company from four schools to 51 schools across five states. In addition to his work, Pete is the author of “Limitless: Nive Steps to Launch Your One Extraordinary Life.” He also co-founded “Armed Forces Thanksgiving,” an annual celebration and education event that raises money for military veterans throughout West Michigan. Pete holds a BA in Economics from DePauw University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children; three sons and a daughter and reside in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. What You Will Learn: Resources: Additional Resources: