The Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast

What You Will Learn:·        How Misty created More Than Just Great Dancing’s affiliate licensing program which now has 265+ affiliate studios serving more than 100,000 students per week·        Misty shares key business lessons learned while growing her affiliate business, and why your business needs a higher Purpose·        Why Misty’s focus is on teaching skills and mindset that people can take with them long after they stop taking dance lessons, and why making a lifelong impact is key·        How getting clear on the hiring and training process and baking in the organization’s Values was crucial in growing More Than Just Great Dancing·        Misty shares a story of how targeting the right change and lifting everyone on your team up can be truly transformative·        Misty shares another story of a student who took a summer job selling knives during the pandemic and explains how the company’s higher Purpose made a lasting impression·        How Misty made the jump from running a dance studio to building a company focused on licensing her methods to others, and what building that team looked like·        Why Misty’s team spends 80% of their time on “whirlwinds” and the other 20% of the time on “initiative” tasks, and how they use KPIs to measure their progress·        How Misty uses internal dashboards and coaching to help ensure that everyone is moving the needle forward in their business·        Why collaboration across the team and working toward a shared Vision for the company is the key to getting buy-in·        Why a vital business lesson learned by Misty during the growth of her business is that a leader’s job isn’t to be responsible for and capable in everything About Misty LownMisty Lown is the founder, president, and energized force behind More Than Just Great Dancing® – A licensed dance studio affiliation program that has a positive impact on over 100,000 dance students around the globe each week. She is also the owner of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance – an educational company. Her dance studio, Misty’s Dance Unlimited, founded in 1998 and named a “Top 50 Studios in the Nation” by Dance Spirit Magazine has provided $500,000 in scholarship for dancers. Misty has been a speaker for every major dance industry event and has authored over 100 industry articles. She is a sought-after speaker and business leader. She has been recognized as “Teacher of the Year” by Eclipse, “Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year” by the YWCA and awarded the “Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service” by Viterbo University, the “Philanthropy Award” from the local Red Cross, the “President’s Award” from the La Crosse Area Development Corporation and the “President’s Award” from the Association of Professional Fundraisers. Misty is an entrepreneur and builder at heart. In addition to her dance studio and licensing program, she owns a dancewear store, self-storage business and is a managing partner in a family real estate business. She is the author of One Small Yes an Amazon #1 Bestseller that has been translated to Korean and Indonesian. Misty’s favorite part of the day is spending time with her husband and five beautiful children. Resources:Website: https://mistylown.com/More Than Just Great Dancing!® Website: https://morethanjustgreatdancing.com/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mistylown/Facebook: www.facebook.com/mistylownmentorFacebook: www.facebook.com/MoreThanJustGreatDancing Additional Resources:Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/healthEmail: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:·        Why one of the most important lessons you can learn about money is that where you keep it makes it do different things·        How Mark helps seven-figure business owners reframe the way they think about money, and how that can help you create certainty for yourself and your business·        How Mark teaches business owners to “be your own bank” and stop paying high interest and fees to financial institutions·        How particular types of whole life insurance policies can become a financial vehicle that you can borrow against with no penalties, with examples from Mark of how it works·        Why writing a contract with yourself can be a powerful motivator to push you to keep working toward your own success·        Why a whole life insurance policy is a superior way to store your money over a 401K, an IRA or a bank account·        Why Mark is passionate about working with business owners, and why too often business owners don’t diversify their portfolio outside their business·        Why it is important to balance your investments in a high-risk asset with investments in a safe, predictable, liquid account like a whole life insurance policy·        Why thinking differently about your money and learning to be your own bank is crucial, and why much of the financial advice you can get is often wrong or shortsighted·        Why surrounding yourself with the right people, the right coaches and advisors, and the right peers is crucial for empowering yourself and getting the support you needAbout Mark Willis“We’re all in the banking business, just on the wrong side of the desk.” – Mark Willis is a man on a mission to help you think differently about your money, your economy and your future. After graduating with six figures of student loan debt and discovering a way to turn his debt into real wealth as he watched everybody lose their retirement savings and home equity in 2008, he knew that he needed to find a more predictable way to meet his financial objectives and those of his clients.Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a THREE TIME #1 Best Selling Author and the Owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. Over the years, he has helped hundreds of his clients take back control of their financial future and build their businesses with proven, tax-efficient financial solutions. He specializes in building custom-tailored financial strategies that are unknown to typical stock-jockeys, attorneys, or other financial gurus.As co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you won’t outlive. Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, to become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement.Resources:·        Website: www.growmorewealth.com·        Website: http://lakegrowth.com/·        Facebook: www.facebook.com/lakegrowth/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lakegrowth/·        Twitter: @LakeGrowthAdditional Resources:·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:·        How Rob’s team at Ignite 360 strategically helps their clients of all sizes and sectors find the “one big idea” that can move their business forward·        How Rob learned how to manage rapid business growth after his organization reached seven figures in just six months, and what unique challenges he had to overcome·        How Rob had to learn the difficult lesson that “it’s finances, not feelings,” after becoming emotionally attached to his company’s monthly, quarterly and yearly results·        How Rob “hired for his weaknesses” by bringing in an operating COO, and how that served as a major transformation for Ignite 360·        How early, rapid growth created challenges for Rob and his team around taking on too much work, and how Rob addressed the problem·        Why it is important to have a plan but be ready to adapt and pivot if you aren’t going to be able to achieve your plan·        How Ignite 360’s scope has changed since crossing the seven-figure revenue mark, and how bigger numbers mean greater opportunity to make mistakes·        How growing Ignite 360 has enhanced Rob’s leadership skills and given him a different perspective on business leadership·        Why Rob named his company Ignite 360 with the goal of building something that would be bigger than himself·        Why it’s important to realize that clients and customers don’t think about you as much as you think about them, and why your marketing needs to reflect that factAbout Rob VolpeAn astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience, Rob Volpe founded Ignite 360 to deliver actionable strategy, grounded in meaningful consumer insights, presented through story and creative ways that drive results. As CEO, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world’s leading brands across a range of industries.Rob is recognized as a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace. He frequently talks on the topic, is cited in media and writes about building and applying empathy. He’s finishing his first book which explores his own journey to empathetic understanding of Americans through his ethnographic work. The book will be published in February 2022 through Page Two Publishing. Rob lives in San Francisco with his husband and three cats.Resources:·        Website: www.ignite-360.com·        Email: hello@ignite-360.com·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ignite-360/·        Facebook: www.facebook.com/i360sparks/Additional Resources:·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn: About CaseWhat You Will Learn:·        Casey explains how Gravy’s payment recovery solutions work, and why he chose to put employees first as a core part of his organization’s culture·        How Casey and his team set the lofty goal of recovering $1 billion in failed payments by the end of 2023, and how they built their company and strategy around that goal·        What obstacles and opportunities Casey experienced while quickly scaling beyond $1 million in revenue, and why “Vision as a discipline” has become a core part of his company·        How Casey learned the importance of having a set and non-negotiable meeting rhythm for his nine-person leadership team·        Why Gravy’s leadership meetings are divided so that half the time is spent on strategy and the other half of the time is spent on team building and trust·        Why learning to have conversations across the organization was one of the primary skills Casey needed to develop post $1 million·        Why Gravy’s strong culture enables the organization to attract great talent when they put employees first, even before clients or shareholders·        Why the return on investing in the company’s culture is powerful, and why strong culture helps Gravy navigate any challenge they face·        Why investing in team members and company culture takes intentionality and hard work, and why the rewards make it all worthwhile·        How Gravy spends a full 7% of their operational budget on developing their culture and people, and why “culture at scale” is a key strategy they are focusing onAbout Casey GrahamCasey Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravy, the leading failed payment recovery and customer retention solution for recurring revenue companies.Prior to launching Gravy, Casey is known for founding The Rocket Company, an organization that helped church leaders scale their financial leadership and fundraising. The company grew quickly from 2008 – 2015 and was on the Inc 5000 list three years in a row.When faced with a customer churn problem in late 2015, Casey and his team created what would go on to become Gravy. And in 2016, The Rocket Company successfully exited to a venture capital group.Caseys passion for entrepreneurship and bold vision for leadership are the driving force behind his energetic and engaging presence.When he’s not actively driving Gravy forward, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, a good cigar, Alabama football, and riding around on a rented tractor.Resources:·        Website: www.gravysolutions.io·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caseygraham1/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gravysolutions/·        Facebook: www.facebook.com/gravysolutions/Additional Resources:·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/y Graham Casey Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravy, the leading failed payment recovery and customer retention solution for recurring revenue companies. Prior to launching Gravy, Casey is known for founding The Rocket Company, an organization that helped church leaders scale their financial leadership and fundraising. The company grew quickly from 2008 – 2015 and was on the Inc 5000 list three years in a row. When faced with a customer churn problem in late 2015, Casey and his team created what would go on to become Gravy. And in 2016, The Rocket Company successfully exited to a venture capital group. Caseys passion for entrepreneurship and bold vision for leadership are the driving force behind his energetic and engaging presence. When he’s not actively driving Gravy forward, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, a good cigar, Alabama football, and riding around on a rented tractor. Resources: Additional Resources:

What You Will Learn:v How Tim initially got involved in web design and built out his marketing and SEO business, Exposure Ninja, specializing in small and medium-sized businessesv How Tim’s past as a professional drummer taught him that monetizing your passion can cause you to feel overwhelmed by the thing you used to lovev How Tim scaled Exposure Ninja beyond doing everything himself, first by hiring people to shore up his weaknesses and then by hiring even for the things he is strong inv What key lessons Tim learned about leaving behind the entrepreneurial mindset and what makes an effective CEOv How Tim manages a team of over one hundred people and keeps everyone focused, aligned to the company’s Vision, and coordinated to make progressv How Tim dealt with his imposter syndrome and learned why coaching his team members was vital for the growth of the organizationv How Tim helps other members of his team make the same important realizations about delegation and leading that he learnedv What strategies does Tim employ to keep growing in his role as a leader, and how does he identify areas he wants to focus on in his growthv How Exposure Ninja’s shared Values are essential to their success, and how Tim and his leadership team have consciously built a large, effective team About Tim Cameron-Kitchen:Tim Cameron-Kitchen is a Digital Marketing expert and Head Ninja at Exposure Ninja. Exposure Ninja works and consults with businesses in every imaginable market around the world, helping them increase their website rankings, traffic, and profit. Tim has worked in Digital Marketing since 2005, setting up Exposure Ninja in 2012.Tim’s five bestselling digital marketing books, online courses, seminars, and the Exposure Ninja podcast teach tens of thousands of businesses each year. Tim is a regular speaker at the B2B Marketing Expo at London’s Excel and private seminars and workshops.When he’s not Ninja-ing, Tim tries to persuade his son Luca to come to the cricket with him, going to the gym with his wife, or fixing the destruction caused by three cat children, Ninja, Samurai, and Shinobi. Resources:Website: https://exposureninja.com/YouTube: www.youtube.com/exposureninjaLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timcameronkitchen/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/exposure-ninja/Facebook: www.facebook.com/ExposureNinjaTwitter: @timninjakitchenTwitter: @ExposureNinja Additional Resources:Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/healthEmail: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:●     How organizational behavior is the study of how parts of an organization unify to create an outcome, and why all organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get●     Why defining your Values is only the first step, and why developing a Leadership Model is the key to sustainable, profitable growth in your business●     How a Leadership Model and Leadership Brand help further define how your organization’s Values apply to your business leaders●     Why rapid growth can cause you to risk bringing the wrong people into your company who don’t fit with your Values, and why developing your leaders internally is crucial●     Why developing a Leadership Model can be a powerful growth catalyst for businesses in the $1-3 million range●     What work to do to fulfill the four elements of the Elite Leadership Model: Set the Vision, build the team, deliver results, and developing leaders with the right attributes●     Why, to be a truly great and effective leader, you must care about the well-being and success of the people you lead●     Why great leaders should learn how to enroll, inspire and engage the people they lead in a collaborative, participatory way, and why the old ways of “command and control” don’t work●     Why your business can only grow as far as the collective leadership capabilities of your leadership teamAbout Brett GillilandBrett 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.Additional Resources:●     Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health●     Email: info@GrowWithElite.com●     Website: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:What considerations seven-figure business owners should make toward their marketing efforts, and what commonalities Nancie sees in businesses in this bracketWhy a consistent message is key especially for anyone in a sales role, and why spreading your marketing efforts too thin is a common pain pointWhy “brand purpose” is the first and most important thing an organization needs to identify and clarify, and why having a clear brand purpose can help both internally and externallyWhy understanding your value offering and defining the “who, when, what, and how” come after you’ve defined your brand purpose or your “why”Why partnering with a market research expert or conducting your own market research can help you best identify your target audience and what they’re looking forWhy building out your internal marketing team and expanding your research can help you identify thought leadership opportunities to expand within your spaceWhy difficult times like these should be exactly when you dial up your research, sales and marketing, even as you cut back in other areasHow studies have shown that 70% of US consumers want and expect to hear from the brands they care about during the global pandemic, and why nailing your messaging is crucialWhat common denominators Nancie has seen in businesses that successfully made the jump from small entrepreneurial efforts to well-marketed organizationsWhy Culture and Brand are two incredibly important sides of the same coin, and why it is important to recognize and address your company’s cultural challenges About Nancie McDonnell RuderNancie McDonnell Ruder’s 25-year career began at the Leo Burnett Company where she worked in account management and strategy for Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, The Gap, Lexmark Computers and Hoerchst Marion Rousseau. Nancie founded Noetic Consultants in 2002 with the goal of becoming an effective extension of their clients’ teams. The word “noetic” is related to one’s intellect and thinking, and Nancie chose this name for the company because it reflects the team’s commitment to helping clients strategically think through their challenges so that, together, Noetic and their clients can take the actions necessary to get to the best possible outcomes. Noetic’s clients have included Samsung, PepsiCo, Nike, Marriott, Mayo Clinic and Discovery, Inc. Nancie is also the author of Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill: How Senior Marketers Scale the Heights Through Art and Science, and the creator of the Noetic Art & Science Assessment™. Nancie is actively involved in many industry, education and community endeavors. Resources:Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill by Nancie McDonnell Ruder: https://amzn.to/3qX1HPUWebsite: www.noeticconsultants.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nancieatnoetic/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/noetic-consultantsFacebook: www.facebook.com/noeticconsultants/Twitter: @nancieruderTwitter: @NoeticConsults Additional Resources:Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/healthEmail: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:What revenue acceleration is, and how a “radical redesign” of your business can dramatically increase your revenueWhat a sales mindset is, and what common roadblocks and obstacles entrepreneurs often face that Rick can help them overcome through the power of mindsetWhy Rick pushes his sales team to track by hand the work they’re doing, the calls they are making, and how many responses they getWhy consistency is the key to overcoming the lag time between building the relationship and making the saleHow manually tracking their progress helps the sales team see and experience the correlation between the work they do and the resultsWhy communications like text messages and emails lack the richness and depth of face-to-face communicationWhy Rick suggests your sales team record every single sales call and then listen back to them, reviewing the conversations to find ways to improveHow Rick is involved with Partner Here, a website that helps business owners find business partners to start or grow a business without cashHow Partner Here allows experts to leverage their specialized skills and allows businesses to offer alternative compensation for help getting things off the groundWhy the right mindset will help you think outside the box and find innovative solutions that are within your abilities and resourcesAbout Rick BarerraRick Barrera is known as the Revenue Accelerator for the work he does with entrepreneurs and small businesses to smooth the on-ramp and make them easier to do business with. He believes you can generate any level of revenue you choose, whenever you choose to generate it.He is the author of the best-seller, Overpromise and Overdeliver: How to Design and Deliver Extraordinary Customer Experiences. His other books include Non-Manipulative Selling, Collaborative Selling, Alignment: The Shortcut to Marketplace Dominance, and We Before Me: How to End Workplace Selfishness and Accomplish More Than You Ever Thought Possible.Rick is also the Head of Faculty for the Center for Heart Led Leadership in Denver, Colorado where he works with SEAL Team leaders, world class mountain climbers, Fortune 500 CEOs, journalists and astronauts to teach We Before Me leadership to the next generation of leaders. His Heart of Leaders podcast can be found on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to get your podcasts.Rick speaks worldwide on Innovation in Leadership, Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience.Resources:Website: www.partnerhere.com and use code PartnerHereVIP2020Website: https://www.barrera.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickbarrera/Twitter: @rickjbarreraAdditional Resources:Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/healthEmail: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:·        Which key three leadership responsibilities are crucial for getting you past the $3 million revenue plateau, and why each helps in making the transition from entrepreneur to CEO·        Why sharing your Vision with your team isn’t a one-and-done box to check but an ongoing responsibility in every interaction the leader has·        How the book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip and Dan Heath can be a powerful resource for improving communication effectiveness·        Why the Curse of Knowledge means we often make incorrect assumptions that people understand what we’re trying to communicate to them·        How the Heath brothers outlined six key principles that can help you communicate clearly and effectively, and what those principles are·        How communicating effectively and in a “sticky” way is vital for setting the Vision and leading others toward that Vision·        How Gamestop’s stock battle between the short-selling hedge funds and retail investors illustrates an important lesson on power, control, and coordination·        How setting the Vision is about taking coordinated action as one team and ensuring that everyone is clear on the objective and aligned in execution·        Why developing your leadership skills is instrumental in your journey from entrepreneur to CEO, and how the best leaders build the best businessesAbout Brett GillilandBrett 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:·        Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath: https://amzn.to/3tWQcKz·        Kaihan Krippendorff’s Gamestop blog post: https://kaihan.net/gamestop-3-hidden-strategic-lessons/Additional Resources:·        Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/health·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/

What You Will Learn:v Why process is crucial for helping business owners train others to take responsibility and strengthen the businessv Why it is important to learn how to “lead leaders” and distance yourself from the work that needs to be donev Why the first step is taking stock of all the roles and responsibilities in your business and then determining what you want to delegatev What actions to take to build a great, effective new employee onboarding and orientation process, and why that process should be one of the first you createv How to set a new hire up for success and then automate the process so that new employees are quickly acquainted with your company, leadership, and processesv Why a task that begins to feel tedious or monotonous is the perfect task to turn into an automated processv Why automation isn’t about removing personal connections or dehumanizing your business but is about freeing up time and ensuring consistencyv How to avoid “freak out moments” by ensuring that every responsibility in your business has an owner and a backup ownerv Why implementing processes takes time and is in itself an ongoing process, and why you should set aside time to document your knowledgev What best practices to follow to create and structure a process or standard operating procedure in your business About Chris Ronzio:Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS company helping businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in a simple system. Chris is a host of the Process Makes Perfect podcast, author of 100 Hacks To Improve Your Business, and an Inc. Magazine contributor with a column called The Process Playbook. With Trainual, Chris is on a mission to make small business easier by helping business leaders find the time to do more of what they love and providing a way to document and delegate what they do. Resources:Website: https://trainual.com/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisronzio/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/trainual/Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrisronzio/Facebook: www.facebook.com/trainual/Twitter: @chrisronzio Additional Resources:Elite Business Health Assessment: https://growwithelite.com/healthEmail: info@GrowWithElite.comWebsite: https://growwithelite.com/