On the Up and Up

Most leaders don’t wake up planning to fail their teams, but sometimes it happens unintentionally. And one of the biggest culprits is a lack of common leadership language and management philosophy across the organization. When everyone’s on a different page and speaking a different language, silos start forming, and your team struggles to collaborate effectively. This is especially risky in those critical stages of small business growth when scaling your team is key to unlocking your company’s full potential.I get it - this sounds super abstract. That’s why in today’s episode, I’m sharing real-world stories that brought this concept to life for me, and I think will for you too.Whether you’re managing a team within a larger corporation or leading one your own business, this episode is packed with insights on how to create a consistent, clear, and direct leadership language that will set everyone up for success. Links MentionedTake the quiz to discover your People Leadership Archetype and start leading more authentically: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz

Last week, we kicked off a 5 day plan to go from a day-to-day manager to a trusted leader who knows how to boost your team’s profitability and productivity. If you missed that deep dive of the first 2 steps - reflect and observe - make sure you go back and catch that one too! Today, we’re wrapping it up with the 3 final steps:Unite your team with shared values and a common language. Give each team member a voice in their success. Build a plan that connects your team’s individual goals with the big-picture organizational wins. Remember, how you lead when everything’s running smoothly—aka when your team is crushing it and the vibes are on point—is a whole different game from leading in the thick of challenges.Waiting until the house is on fire to deepen your self-awareness as a leader or sharpen your skills is not the move. The time to do this work is when things are steady. That’s what keeps those fires from turning into full-blown infernos.LINKS MENTIONEDDownload the freebie: “5 Day Plan To Go From Manager To Trusted Leader.” https://the-paradigm.com/5-day-plan-to-leadership Take the quiz to discover your People Leadership Archetype and start leading more authentically: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz Catch up on the first 2 steps in last week’s episode: “Ep. 89: [Part 1] 5 Steps To Go From Manager To Trusted Leader”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-89-five-steps-to-go-from-manager-to-trusted-leader-part-1/id1661939979?i=1000665270028

Let’s hit the reset button - on both your management and your team.As managers and leaders, it’s our job to get everyone on the same boat and moving in the same direction. But sometimes it feels like some people are in canoes, some are on jet skis, and some are in a totally different lake. It happens. But there are simple ways to get everyone back on course, including yourself.In this episode, we kick off a 5-day plan designed to transform you from a manager to a trusted leader in under an hour a day. Today, we're diving into the first two steps: Reflection and Observation. These steps are the foundation for a stronger, more cohesive team—and a more empowered you.Join me for a quick chat about these crucial starting points and get ready to transform your leadership and your team by next week. Trust us, this reset will change everything!LINKS MENTIONEDDownload the freebie: “5 Day Plan To Go From Manager To Trusted Leader.” https://the-paradigm.com/5-day-plan-to-leadership Take the quiz to discover your People Leadership Archetype and start leading more authentically: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz 

LoriAnn Kuntz, a finance expert by trade (and a legal eagle by necessity), never planned on hiring employees. She had properly classified contractors, and that arrangement was working out just fine…until it wasn’t. As soon as she realized she needed more say over her team’s work, she knew it was time to change up her team’s structure. It’s one thing to chat about these principles through our typical HR lens; it’s another to hear them straight from someone who’s in the trenches, leading and learning every day. LoriAnn and I chatted about:The financial ins and outs you need to consider before hiring a team member.The mental gymnastics (hello, mindset shifts) of moving from working with contractors to managing PT or FT employees.The often overlooked value of knowing yourself as a leader and building a successful team.Why great leadership doesn’t just matter in the here and now - it can change employees’ lives for years to come.And the ultimate power move: hiring people who might just be smarter than you.Tune in now to get inspired! About LoriAnn & Profit PriorityLoriAnn is the owner and CEO of Profit Priority, a boutique accounting and fractional CFO firm helping creatives go from unsure to unstoppable when thinking about their finances. With over 8 years of experience in accounting and small business finance, she has the insight and experience to help you up-level your business while removing the stress and burden of managing your finances. Whether you are just starting out or you have been in business for years, her mission is to help creatives feel peace about their numbers while growing their profit and confidence. Business aside, LoriAnn is really just a midwest gal obsessed with running, reading, iced coffees and spending time on the farm with her two little kiddos.Links MentionedLoriAnn’s website: https://www.profitpriority.co/ LoriAnn’s podcast: https://www.profitpriority.co/podcast Download LoriAnn’s free cash flow projection tool - https://www.profitpriority.co/cashflowConnect with LoriAnn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriannkuntz.co/?hl=en Take our quiz to dIscover your own Leadership Archetype: the-paradigm.com/quiz

Ever wonder why some new hires knock it out of the park while others can’t seem to find the ball, despite having all your training videos and SOPs at their fingertips?In this episode, we’re focusing on the major mindset shift that leaders have to make - but often don’t - between sending the offer letter and training their new employee. We’ll talk about how this mindset sets the stage for effectively using documentation not just to instruct, but to uncover and bridge the skills gaps of new team members. Plus, hear the common pitfalls in standard training methods and how to transform your own internal process through engaging, strategic conversations that tap into the raw potential of each new hire.LINKS MENTIONEDCatch our recent episodes about documentation’s role in leadership:Ep. 83: Hot Take: Documentation Is The Dark Horse Of Accountable Company Cultures: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-83-hot-take-documentation-is-the-dark-horse/id1661939979?i=1000661781225 Ep. 84: How To Create Seamless Employee Onboarding [Beyond The Paperwork]:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-84-how-to-create-seamless-employee-onboarding-beyond/id1661939979?i=1000662522969 Sign up for our Documentation 101 Workshop to ensure you and your team are effectively documenting what matters most to your business: https://courses.the-paradigm.com/courses/documentation-101

How crucial is community for small business owners and entrepreneurs? So crucial that our friend Taryn Rachelle restructured her entire business into a personal brand to better serve the community she'd spent years building.In this episode, we're setting aside our usual convos on HR regulations and team management to dive into community-based business with Taryn. We chat about:Imposter Syndrome and stepping out (or getting pushed?) of your comfort zone.The joy of being selective with business opportunities.Why Taryn is extremely selective of the systems and tools for her business (and why you should be too).Her tips for business owners looking to unite their online community in person.Taryn is your girlfriend with a plan and has been crowned the systems & community queen. As the founder of Taryn Rachelle, Keynote Speaker and Podcast Host of She Can Systemize, Taryn prides herself on helping YOU create a business that can thrive while also having a thriving personal life. With her years of knowledge in systems, running a business primarily solo and now working at the Head of Community & Partnerships for Dubsado, Taryn knows her way around running a successful business that does not run you. If you’re looking for a little inspiration from a fellow female founder, this is the episode for you!FIND TARYN ONLINE:Follow @thetarynrachelle for educational resources and to learn more about Taryn’s incredible retreat!

Our legal (Bravo) correspondent is back for some BREAKING news about our girls Ariana and Katie and their former Menu Consultant and Karen of the sandwich world, Penny . Also we break down Love Island USA because we can't stop talking about it, and dive into the weird world of sibling drama via the rumor that Sandoval and Rachel's lawyers are BROTHERS? Also, Kelli teaches us about how trademarks add a value of about 30%+ to your business valuation, and why creating a business with assets is a key component to otherwise difficult to sell and scale service based businesses. Follow Kelli at @lawyerkelli_ on Instagram

There are two sides of the seamless onboarding coin:There’s the one most people think about, which is all the compliance stuff. Paperwork, forms, yada yada yada. But today we’re talking about the other side: the cultural elements of seamless onboarding that contribute to not only the employee experience, but the leadership experience as well. Join us as we talk through the 4 stages of an employee’s onboarding (which start before you’re even paying them!) with tips to make each one seamless and reflective of your culture as possible. LINKS MENTIONED:Take the Leadership Archetype Quiz and understand how to lean into your personal leadership style to better support your team: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz Our Documentation 101 workshop teaches an essential skill to add to your leadership toolkit to cultivate an accountable company culture, starting with employee onboarding.

Let’s talk about one basic skill (dare I say, the #1 skill) that every business owner and leader can bolster within their teams to cultivate a culture rich in accountability, empowerment, productivity, and long-term relationships.This skill is the answer to questions about how to build a proactive and engaged team while simultaneously creating an environment that’s in line with the way that you’re leading.Surprisingly, this skill isn’t something you’ll find in most management books, and it’s probably not something you’ve encountered in the usual corporate settings. But it’s completely transformed the cultures of businesses who do it well.So…what is it, and how do you learn it? Tune in to find out! LINKS MENTIONEDSign up for our newly enhanced Documentation 101 Workshop: https://courses.the-paradigm.com/courses/documentation-101 Purchase it for yourself or as a team resource to ensure everyone in your business is documenting the right things at the right time to support your company culture!

As an entrepreneur, you’re not expected to magically transform into a professional recruiter overnight. Interviewing without letting bias crash the party is a learned skill, not something that just pops into your brain the moment you launch your business.But the truth still remains: bias in hiring is a sneaky thief that shrinks your candidate pool down to a fraction of what it could be.Don’t worry, today’s episode isn’t about making you an expert recruiter. It’s simply about bringing your awareness to the 5 common biases we see in hiring, and recognizing how sneaky they are. Plus 3 tips for actively combating them in your own processes. Once you know what to look for and how to address them, ensuring your hiring process and team dynamics are fair and in everyone’s best interest can become a conscious effort. Tune in now and take the next step in building a diverse and inclusive team!LINKS MENTIONEDHere’s last week’s episode about the business case for building a diverse workforce: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-81-diversity-in-workplace-statistics-why-inclusivity/id1661939979?i=1000660315629 Further Reading: The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Age-of-Magical-Overthinking/Amanda-Montell/9781668007976 Join our HR membership, Set To Scale, to get access to all the templates and hiring rubrics mentioned in this episode: https://the-paradigm.com/settoscale Sign up for our Documentation 101 Workshop here: https://courses.the-paradigm.com/courses/documentation-101