The Elite Entrepreneurs Podcast

Having built and sold a significant real estate developing company in Romania, Adrian Ghila has continued with his successful business interests in the U.S., as CEO of Los Angeles based Luxe RV, and founder of Earth Car Wash & Loop VAN, and Proiect 3 Holdings (an investment company). Adrian’s entrepreneurial spirit, ethical business background, and corporate expertise continue to drive Luxe RV, as well as his other businesses, successfully forward. Adrian is an astute and savvy businessman and pushes himself to not only excel in all he does but specially to deliver the finest product possible to his customers. He now lives and breathes for this industry, every day thinking of new ways to improve the quality of service his company provides. Adrian Ghila is now looking into investing in small smart companies. Providing not only the investment itself but his knowledge and potentially relocating your company into one of his offices. What the podcast will teach you:·        How Adrian initially became an entrepreneur in Romania before relocating to the United States at the age of 23, and how he continued his entrepreneurial journey in the US·        How Adrian realized that he needed to change his business, add a team, and implement systems after he reached the $1 million in revenue plateau·        What efforts Adrian made to scale his leadership education and abilities, in an effort to keep pace with the scaling of his businesses·        Why your team needs to scale, grow and evolve with your business, such as moving from an accountant to a CPA·        What challenges Adrian ran into when searching for effective business leaders who he could delegate responsibility to·        Why it is important to allow your leaders the room to make their own decisions and take responsibility without micro-managing them·        Why hiring the right people will save you more money than you spend and will help prevent you from making costly mistakes·        Why too many business leaders don’t fully understand their company and their numbers, and why leaders have a responsibility to their teams to learn and understand·        Why ethical businesses have a responsibility to be good stewards in their communities, and why having strong, lasting values is critical·        Why Adrian believes that the COVID-19 pandemic represents not just a crisis but an opportunity to create a new vision for your business Resources:·        Website: www.adrianGHILA.com·        Website: https://luxervrental.com/·        Website: https://loopvan.com/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adrianghila/

Vance spent ten years working for the mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. He started his career at Disney on the Opening Team of the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and progressed through the management ranks as a Nightclub Manager at Pleasure Island, Service Trainer aboard Empress Lily, and on the revitalization team of the Contemporary Resort in the mid-90s. It was at the Contemporary that Vance got his crowning achievement, Designing, Opening, and Operating Chef Mickeys, Disney’s flagship Character Dining Experience. After leaving Disney (yes people do leave), he utilized his skills to rescue or improve many of America’s companies and government agencies. His clients included Legal Seafoods, Tyson, NASA, Rainforest Café, Compass Group, The Executive Office of the President of the United States, The Smithsonian, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Tiring of corporate life, Vance opened his own brick-and-mortar business in 2007. After the meteoric growth of his service business, other entrepreneurs began to seek him out for advice and counsel. This spawned his next business, Deliver Service Now!, consulting and coaching other companies on how to create and implement Disney-style service and then apply direct response marketing to profit from it. Vance Morris has shared the stage with many of the premier marketers and service professionals in the world including Dan Kennedy, Joe Polish, Bob Brown, Lou Ferrigno, Dean Jackson, Charles Henning, Lee Cockerell, and Meg Crofton. What the podcast will teach you:·        Vance shares his background at Disney and discusses the key service experience he gained at his various roles within the company·        How Vance recognized the need for a high-end, premium-level floor cleaning service after he left Disney, and how he built his company to be a step above competitors·        How Vance implemented the customer experience training he picked up at Disney in his floor service, and how he now teaches other business leaders these same skills·        How excellent customer service has created many referrals for Vance’s business, and how Vance and his team work hard to generate and express appreciation for new client referrals·        How Vance defines the “perfect client experience,” and he shares how telling your story the Disney way can create a fantastic experience·        Why the “why” of what your employees are doing is the key to getting your employees engaged in creating the perfect client experience·        How Vance uses a “what, how, why” process to create a consistent experience for clients that the employees can easily learn and use·        Vance shares his “seven magic keys” to Disnify your business and provides real-world examples of each·        How Vance teaches coaching clients to use direct-response marketing, and why he recommends you use the news of the day in your marketing·        Why not every contact with your clients should be focused on overt sales, and why engaging with your clients on a personal level can be powerful Resources:·        Website: www.deliverservicenow.com·        Disney boot camp: www.deliverservicenow.com/disney-boot-camp/·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris/

Jeff Quintin is one of the most successful real estate agents in the United States, consistently selling over 250+ homes per year, equivalent to over $150+ million in sales. He has reached this pinnacle in his career because he is 100% dedicated to each and every customer having a positive experience – regardless of the size of the buy or sell range. He is constantly working with his team to improve on their knowledge of the market, responsiveness, professionalism, and overall efficiency. Jeff is most concerned with what your vision of success for your home is, whether buying or selling. He is eager to hear your ideas about your dream home at the shore and what you love about the beach, bay, or boardwalk. As the leader of The Quintin Group, he embodies the spirit of commitment to your goals through hard work and passion. Jeff understands that when it comes to your home, he is holding one of your most important investments in his capable hands. When you meet Jeff, you feel at ease right away because you can sense how much he cares about you, the customer. Jeff’s passion for his customers has only grown over the years as he continues to set the standard for real estate agents nationwide. What the podcast will teach you:·        How Jeff got started in real estate and began growing, and how he has turned his small team into an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing business·        What challenges Jeff and his team faced when they reached the seven-figure growth mark, and what key lessons they learned while growing·        How Jeff learned to work ON his business rather than working IN his business on the day-to-day aspects of running it, and what steps he took to pull himself out·        Why pulling yourself out of the day-to-day aspects of your business creates opportunities for your team to grow and develop·        Why it takes time and intentionality for business owners to replace themselves in their companies, and why it is important to bring the right people on board to support you·        How expanding into new markets has presented unique challenges that Jeff has had to learn to navigate·        Why having a big, clear vision can help you attract talented team members who can help you continue to grow your business·        Why hiring the wrong person can be a costly mistake, and why the right team members allow you to take a 30,000-foot view of your business, opportunities, and challenges·        Why avoiding allowing yourself to be pulled back into daily operations is the key to growing your business Resources:·        Website: www.thequintingroup.com·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffquintinsuperteam/

Melinda Wittstock is a serial entrepreneur who has built four businesses in media and tech to 7- and 8- figures. She’s now building her fifth business as CEO and founder of Wings Media, the first interactive, social and “gamified” podcast network and audience engagement platform. Launching in Q2 2020 with an initial 50 podcasts with more than 100 million downloads, Melinda’s innovative mobile platform shares revenue with podcasters. An acknowledged visionary in tech, media, mobile platforms, and social content, Melinda also hosts the fast-growing “Wings Of…Inspired Business” podcast named by Entrepreneur Magazine as #8 of 20 of the top business podcasts for 2020. Melinda also helps business owners and entrepreneurs launch magnetic and profitable podcasts. A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, Melinda also hosts the transformational luxury retreat and peer-to-peer mastermind “Wings of The Empowered Women” for successful women entrepreneurs committed to #liftasweclimb. Formerly an award-winning journalist and TV anchor for the BBC, ABC News, CNBC/Financial Times Television and MSNBC, Melinda created and grew a BBC show to a 20 million audience and also innovated one of the first crowd-sourcing mobile apps, growing unique users to 3 million in 8 months. Steve Jobs told her she “asked the best questions” when she interviewed him as a 24-year-old correspondent of the Times of London. She was also the CEO and Founder of Verifeed, the social intelligence platform assuring a Return on Authenticity™ from social media engagement. A practitioner of meditation, yoga, visualization, gratitude, and intention-setting, Melinda is passionate about encouraging conscious leadership and evolved entrepreneurship using business as a canvas to solve global challenges. Her travels have taken her to many exotic places including Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island and the Amazon Rainforest. She’s a loving mom to two teenagers and a golden retriever. She has spoken at Voice 2018, SXSW, Google, Fidelity Investments, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Georgetown University, Relentless MV, Columbia University, Underground Online Seminar, Pinnacle Global Network and many more. What the podcast will teach you:Why only 15% of podcasters earn money from their podcast, despite podcasts being the fastest-growing content mediumWhy knowing your audience is vital to monetization but most tools today are insufficient, and how Melinda has built a “gamified” platform to help engage with listenersHow Melinda’s broad experience in media has given her a unique perspective on podcasting and the ability to recognize and address pain points for podcastersHow Podopolo™ was designed to be the best-in-class podcast platform and is the first and only podcast platform to share revenue with podcastersWhy the biggest challenge Melinda faced after reaching seven-figures in revenue was learning to get out of her own way, and why she views mistakes as learning experiencesWhy maintaining the right level of control without micromanaging and filling the team with the right people has been the secret to Melinda’s business growthHow relinquishing control and giving your team room to grow and develop new solutions can motivate them, while micromanaging your team is incredibly demotivatingHow Melinda struggled to adjust to “being the boss” when her team got large enough that she didn’t know everyone, and how she overcame her concerns of not being likedWhy fear of the unknown and clinging to the familiar during periods of growth is a real problem, and how activities like meditation can help you conquer themWhy a growing company needs a visionary who is free from day-to-day operations and who can be proactive rather than reactive Resources:Website: www.podopolo.comWebsite: www.melindawittstock.com/Wings of the Empowered Woman Retreat: https://wings

Blair Nicole Housley is the CEO and Founder of Media Moguls PR, a ten-year-old 7-figure Whitelabel PR agency. She’s also a member of the Forbes Agency Council, host of the #KickassPR podcast, and columnist at Forbes and Business.com. Her agency has become the secret weapon behind hundreds of other marketing and PR agencies, and she’s trained over 1200 PR pros around the globe. What the podcast will teach you:·        Why seven-figure businesses have very different PR needs from six-figure businesses, and why it requires a different perspective and strategy·        Why you should be looking at your PR efforts as a long-term investment and go into the process with specific goals and a plan·        How Blair and her team use engagement tracking and conversion rates to demonstrate the value and return on investment of a PR campaign·        Why the time frame of your PR campaign should be determined by your business’s needs and goals, and why seven-figure businesses tend to use PR as a brand engagement tool·        How Media Moguls PR often coordinates their efforts and works with a small marketing team within an organization·        How Blair and her team help their clients with thought leadership efforts, and why timeliness and responsiveness from their clients is critical·        Why it typically only takes an hour or two a week to pull off a successful PR campaign that shows results·        What kind of time commitment you should expect to get started with a PR campaign, and what steps Blair and her team take to get a client started·        Why clients often need help clarifying their messaging before they are able to launch a successful media campaign Resources:·        Website: www.mediamogulspr.com·        Blair Nicole’s Forbes Archive: https://bit.ly/2Rem1MW·        Email: blair@blair-nicole.com·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/blair-nicole-housley-65406b2a/

Abigail Olaya knows what it’s like to start a business from the ground up since she started Venue at the Grove in 2009 with a $15,000 loan and has grown it into an award-winning, multi-million-dollar business. She was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 leaders by the Phoenix Business Journal. Aside from managing the business, Abigail is mother to triplet 6-year-old girls who keep her quite active. She is most passionate about helping people achieve more than they imagined possible. What the podcast will teach you:·        How Abigail’s venue and catering businesses primarily focus on weddings and other social events, and how the organization started with Venue at the Grove before expanding·        What challenges Abigail’s business experienced after reaching the $1 million in revenue mark, and how the team overcame those challenges·        How Abigail realized the importance of culture after a key team member who wasn’t aligned to the culture left the business·        What changes Abigail and her team have made to support their focus on their Core Values, Mission, and Vision on a daily basis·        How the company learned to always be searching for and developing relationships with a pool of talented candidates before they were needed·        What steps Abigail’s team takes to surface problems and coordinate on-brand solutions to those problems·        How Abigail manages the complexity of hiring seasonal, part-time employees and keeping everyone aligned to the company’s vision and values·        Why creating repeatable systems and documentation was critical for the growth of Abigail’s event business·        Why the particular tools you choose to use aren’t as important as putting something in place, and why the tools can always be adjusted later Resources:·        Website: www.olayaevents.com·        Email: abigail@olayaevents.com·        Website: www.venueatthegrove.com·        LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/abigailolaya/

Clate Mask loves building small businesses. He went to law school and business school, but he couldn’t get excited about going to work for a big consulting or law firm. Small business growth is what he loves. He gets to do that every day at Keap, helping his business grow by helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs grow their businesses using their small business CRM and sales software. What the podcast will teach you:·        How Clate ran Infusionsoft through two different recessions, and how he learned firsthand to manage cash when resources become scarce·        Why mindset is critical, especially during challenging times, and why you must conquer your own fears to be creative with your ideas·        Clate offers ideas for generating new cash including promotions and sales, and he explains why building a strong relationship with clients now can open new doors later·        Why you should be focused on creating value for your clients, and why you should avoid “jumping straight to the sale” and build trust and a relationship first·        Why many clients may be looking to make adjustments to their payment terms, and why Clate recommends offering a combination of additional services and credit·        What advice Clate would offer to pre-revenue businesses who are seeking private equity funding, and why these businesses should be focused on monetizing themselves now·        Why not all debt is bad debt, and why lines of credit and loans at historically low-interest rates can free you to focus on your business·        Why being creative and negotiating new agreements can help you preserve the cash you do have, and why finding ways to manage payroll expenses is vital·        Why leadership during tough times requires collaboration and close communication with the members of your team·        Why pursuing a Small Business Association (SBA) loan may be worthwhile, and how to get assistance with the application process Resources:·        Website: www.rescuesmallbusiness.com·        Website: www.multifunding.com·        Website: https://keap.com/·        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keap/·        Email: brett@GrowWithElite.com·        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/infusionsoft

In this special episode of the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast, Predictive ROI CEO, author, and Onward Nation podcast host Stephen Woessner turns the tables on Brett Gilliland as they discuss key leadership strategies, processes, and systems business owners and entrepreneurs can implement to prepare their organizations for the global coronavirus pandemic and the tough financial times ahead. Stephen’s Bio: Stephen Woessner is the Founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, a digital marketing agency, and the host of Onward Nation—a top-rated daily podcast for learning how today’s top business owners think, act, and achieve. Onward Nation is listened to in 120 countries around the world. Stephen is the author of four books, including the newly released Sell with Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency’s Authority Position with co-author Drew McLellan, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and Inc. Magazine. Brett’s Bio: 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. What the podcast will teach you:·        What shared responsibilities every business owner has during trying economic times, and why scarcity thinking can cause us to make short-sighted decisions·        Why a leader’s role is to fight against FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), and why there is a real danger of freezing in place during a crisis·        Why you must first deal with your own fear, uncertainty, and doubt before you can lead others, and why intentionality of mental and emotional health is vital·        What qualities you should look for in the ideal mentor who can help you navigate the complexities of challenging times·        Why fear cannot be countered with logic and facts, and why as a leader you must make your team feel safe first before they can hear logic·        Why members of your team need to feel acknowledged and need to be reassured that their fears and concerns are valid and normal·        How to use your team’s track record of surviving challenges as a source of motivation and evidence that you will survive this current danger·        Which three activities you can turn to that will help you and your team dispel negative thoughts and feelings·        Why now is the time to increase your communication with your team, and what steps you can take to help your team maintain focus and optimism·        What “positive focus” is and how it can help your team recenter themselves and ward off negative thoughts Resources:·        Onward Nation podcast with host Stephen Woessner: https://predictiveroi.com/onward-nation-podcast/·        Email: brett@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

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. What the podcast will teach you:·        What sorts of issues in the workplace can result in difficult conversations with your team members·        Why you might feel hesitant to have difficult conversations and how to get past these fears and concerns·        How to prepare yourself to have a difficult conversation, and why it is important to remember that people behave logically to the world as it appears to them·        Why “bad apples” are few and far between, and why most people want to do well and succeed in their roles·        Why it can be easy for a business leader to become an “accomplice” to poor performance or inappropriate business behavior·        Why the time you spend on employees who aren’t meeting expectations is being taken from the time you could be better spending elsewhere·        Why it is important to remember that your perspective may differ from the perspective of the person you’re speaking with·        How to know when it is appropriate to have a difficult conversation, and why performance numbers are key·        Why avoiding tough conversations impacts not just you but the entire team and everyone else around you Resources:·        Email: info@GrowWithElite.com·        Website: https://growwithelite.com/

Most of everything in your life today is based on your FICO credit score, but no one teaches or educates how to have a great credit score or most importantly how to restore your credit after life has thrown you a few curveballs. That is where Rondi Lambeth’s company, Fortress Credit Pro, comes in. Rondi educates people on how to have a better life with good credit. He helps people get inaccurate, obsolete, erroneous and unverifiable items like late pays, collections, repos, short sales, charge offs, foreclosures, even bankruptcies permanently and legally remove from credit reports. Rondi helps people get a 2nd chance. What the podcast will teach you: Resources: