The Friday Habit

An early employee of Apple and Head of Innovation at Redbox, Mark Achler has been creating and investing in tech startups since 1986. Today, he is a founding partner of MATH Venture Partners, a technology venture capital fund, and an adjunct professor at the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.Mert Iseri co-founded SwipeSense, a healthcare technology company acquired by SC Johnson in 2020. Prior to that, he co-founded Design for America, a national network of students using design thinking to create social impact, now part of the IBM Watson Foundation. He is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at MATH Venture Partners.Main Topic NotesHow to sell your startupThe importance of FAIR - Fit, alignment, integration and rationaleHaving an annual Exit TalkRecap / TakeawaysDon't see interactions as a single transactional moment in time, but as the start of a long-term relationshipStay humble and give backWhen you're a good manager, it's not about you, it's about your employees. You have to help them grow in their career and that will build trustDon't view selling your startup as an ending, but the beginning of something new to comeWhen you sell you must make sure the buyers, employees, and customers are all considered and valuedFind a buyer that makes what you do more valuable togetherDon't wait to start talking to potential buyers when you want to sell. Start years before.FAIRFitIs there is a cultural fit between the companies?AlignmentAre you aligned internally and with the acquiring company?IntegrationIs there a plan in place where these companies can deliver value together?RationaleCan you explain why joining forces strategically multiplies value?Annual exit talkHave a scheduled yearly time for the CEO to talk about how they're feeling about an exitDepending on why and when you're being bought, you can focus on adding value in that areaConnect with MertTwitterLinkedInConnect with MarkLinkedInExit Right BookConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.

An early employee of Apple and Head of Innovation at Redbox, Mark Achler has been creating and investing in tech startups since 1986. Today, he is a founding partner of MATH Venture Partners, a technology venture capital fund, and an adjunct professor at the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.Mert Iseri co-founded SwipeSense, a healthcare technology company acquired by SC Johnson in 2020. Prior to that, he co-founded Design for America, a national network of students using design thinking to create social impact, now part of the IBM Watson Foundation. He is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at MATH Venture Partners.Main Topic NotesHow to sell your startupThe importance of FAIR - Fit, alignment, integration and rationaleHaving an annual Exit TalkRecap / TakeawaysDon't see interactions as a single transactional moment in time, but as the start of a long-term relationshipStay humble and give backWhen you're a good manager, it's not about you, it's about your employees. You have to help them grow in their career and that will build trustDon't view selling your startup as an ending, but the beginning of something new to comeWhen you sell you must make sure the buyers, employees, and customers are all considered and valuedFind a buyer that makes what you do more valuable togetherDon't wait to start talking to potential buyers when you want to sell. Start years before.FAIRFitIs there is a cultural fit between the companies?AlignmentAre you aligned internally and with the acquiring company?IntegrationIs there a plan in place where these companies can deliver value together?RationaleCan you explain why joining forces strategically multiplies value?Annual exit talkHave a scheduled yearly time for the CEO to talk about how they're feeling about an exitDepending on why and when you're being bought, you can focus on adding value in that areaConnect with MertTwitterLinkedInConnect with MarkLinkedInExit Right BookConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.

We're celebrating 100 episodes of The Friday Habit with a look back at Mark and Ben's top favorite episodes so far. Thank you to everyone who has listened and learned alongside of us! We're looking forward to the next 100!Ben's Favorite Episodes:1. Episode #21: Morning Rituals for a Better Life2. Episodes #62-63: How to Live Every Day Like It's Friday with Mark Labriola IIEpisode 62: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=1000515445923Episode 63: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=10005163912403. #23-24: Productize Your Business with Greg HickmanEpisode 23: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=1000482326652Episode 24: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=1000483974221Mark's Favorite Episodes:Episode #42: Thinking Time: Your New Secret Weapon2. Episodes #12-13: Stop Trading Your Time for Money with Jonathan StarkEpisode 12: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=1000471734097Episode 13: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-habit/id1495985093?i=10004724841603. Episode #2: Strategies to Beat ProcrastinationConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Natalie Dawson is the EVP and Partner of Cardone Ventures, a management consulting firm designed to help businesses grow, and the author of the new book, TeamWork: How to Build a High-Performance Team. This book covers all the nuts and bolts of what goes into building an incredible team including what it takes to attract strong talent, how to write a compelling job description, and even the best practices for onboarding someone new.Natalie Dawson is an expert in developing people and building scalable teams. She has interviewed, hired, trained, and led thousands of employees over the course of her career, most recently as Co-Founder and Partner of Cardone Ventures, a management consulting, joint ventures, and private equity firm that helps business owners achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals through the growth of their business. With no cost of capital, no outside investment, in 30 months Cardone Ventures has generated 60 million in revenue and over 30 million in EBITDA. Natalie is responsible for the operations and finding, hiring, aligning, developing and retaining the team that allows the business to scale profitably.Main Topic NotesHow can you predict whether new hires will be a good fit for the rest of the team?What are your 5-year professional goals?Personality assessment (R3 assessment) - measure stabilityDISC Assessment or Myers BriggsTell us about some mistakes you've made and what you learned from them?How do you pitch an idea or a vision to a team? How do you get them all on board?Vision: Imagine a world (share with them the vision)Commitment: Ask them to deliver something specific, you make a commitment tooExecution: Define everything that needs to happenWhat are some practical ways to keep all of your team on the same page as it gets bigger?Daily all team meeting where you share wins from yesterdayWhat are some practical tips for onboarding new hires? (what's the right and wrong way?)Onboarding is like bootcamp (immerse them quickly to see if they have what it takes)How do you do training?Have a SOPTell me, show me, let me, coach meHow can you make letting someone go less painful?You have to correct people in the moment when something goes wrongMove quickly into giving warnings and performance improvement planTeamwork BookPhase 1: Alignment (mission, vision, core values, interview process)Phase 2: Development (read books either your team will help you grow, or you'll have to outsource)Phase 3: Transition (upward in the organization, or transition out)Recap / TakeawaysAsk: What are your 5-year professional goals?Have potential hires take a DISC Assessment or Myers BriggsWhen you're pitching a team, first you say "Imagine a world" to set the future visionWhen your team grows, do a daily all team meeting sharing wins to keep people on the same pageOnboarding is like bootcamp (immerse them quickly to see if they have what it takes)When training, use the Tell me, show me, let me, coach me methodYou have to correct people in the moment when something goes wrong so that it doesn't become too emotionalConsider making it so that everyone on the team can bring in a lead and get a commission10-20% incentive targetConnect With Nataliehttps://www.cardoneventures.comhttps://www.instagram.com/natalieworkman/Connect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Natalie Dawson is the EVP and Partner of Cardone Ventures, a management consulting firm designed to help businesses grow, and the author of the new book, TeamWork: How to Build a High-Performance Team. This book covers all the nuts and bolts of what goes into building an incredible team including what it takes to attract strong talent, how to write a compelling job description, and even the best practices for onboarding someone new.Natalie Dawson is an expert in developing people and building scalable teams. She has interviewed, hired, trained, and led thousands of employees over the course of her career, most recently as Co-Founder and Partner of Cardone Ventures, a management consulting, joint ventures, and private equity firm that helps business owners achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals through the growth of their business. With no cost of capital, no outside investment, in 30 months Cardone Ventures has generated 60 million in revenue and over 30 million in EBITDA. Natalie is responsible for the operations and finding, hiring, aligning, developing and retaining the team that allows the business to scale profitably.Main Topic NotesHow can you predict whether new hires will be a good fit for the rest of the team?What are your 5-year professional goals?Personality assessment (R3 assessment) - measure stabilityDISC Assessment or Myers BriggsTell us about some mistakes you've made and what you learned from them?How do you pitch an idea or a vision to a team? How do you get them all on board?Vision: Imagine a world (share with them the vision)Commitment: Ask them to deliver something specific, you make a commitment tooExecution: Define everything that needs to happenWhat are some practical ways to keep all of your team on the same page as it gets bigger?Daily all team meeting where you share wins from yesterdayWhat are some practical tips for onboarding new hires? (what's the right and wrong way?)Onboarding is like bootcamp (immerse them quickly to see if they have what it takes)How do you do training?Have a SOPTell me, show me, let me, coach meHow can you make letting someone go less painful?You have to correct people in the moment when something goes wrongMove quickly into giving warnings and performance improvement planTeamwork BookPhase 1: Alignment (mission, vision, core values, interview process)Phase 2: Development (read books either your team will help you grow, or you'll have to outsource)Phase 3: Transition (upward in the organization, or transition out)Recap / TakeawaysAsk: What are your 5-year professional goals?Have potential hires take a DISC Assessment or Myers BriggsWhen you're pitching a team, first you say "Imagine a world" to set the future visionWhen your team grows, do a daily all team meeting sharing wins to keep people on the same pageOnboarding is like bootcamp (immerse them quickly to see if they have what it takes)When training, use the Tell me, show me, let me, coach me methodYou have to correct people in the moment when something goes wrong so that it doesn't become too emotionalConsider making it so that everyone on the team can bring in a lead and get a commission10-20% incentive targetConnect With Nataliehttps://www.cardoneventures.comhttps://www.instagram.com/natalieworkman/Connect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Have you ever wanted to know How to Document and Delegate What You Do So Your Company Can Grow Beyond You? Well you're in luck, today we have Chris Ronzio the founder and CEO of Trainual.Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS platform that transforms the way small businesses onboard, train and scale their teams. Chris is the host of “The Fastest Growing Companies” and “Organize Chaos” podcasts as well as the author of the best-selling book “The Business Playbook - How to Document and Delegate What You Do So Your Company Can Grow Beyond You."Connect With Christrainual.com@chrisronzio on InstagramConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Have you ever wanted to know How to Document and Delegate What You Do So Your Company Can Grow Beyond You? Well you're in luck, today we have Chris Ronzio the founder and CEO of Trainual.Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS platform that transforms the way small businesses onboard, train and scale their teams. Chris is the host of “The Fastest Growing Companies” and “Organize Chaos” podcasts as well as the author of the best-selling book “The Business Playbook - How to Document and Delegate What You Do So Your Company Can Grow Beyond You."Connect With Christrainual.com@chrisronzio on InstagramConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal an online marketplace that connects homeowners with Local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the “Uber for lawn care” by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 100,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day.Icebreaker QuestionWould you rather be chronically under-dressed or overdressed?Recap / TakeawaysIf you want to keep people, make sure your business a place where YOU would want to workMake sure you create a well-running machine so you can pay your people betterIf you want to systemize your business, you have to say no to business that doesn't fit your processIf you want to build a great business, you must work in your business, on your business, and on yourselfIf things are slow, you can manufacture momentum by proactively creating opportunitiesIf you build your business debt-free, then it's easier to sellAlways be helpful to your customers, even if it's not directly profitableNo matter what, Bryan was committed to working on his best ideaBeing consistent on a daily basis is a superpowerFocusing on the input metrics and not just the outputBooks Bryan mentioned:The E-Myth - Michael GerberBuilt to Sell - John WarrillowGrinding it Out - Ray KrocThe Startup Owner's Manual - Steve Blank and Bob DorfThe Lean Startup - Eric RiesThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen CoveyConnect With Bryanwww.greenpal.com@bryanmclayton on InstagramConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal an online marketplace that connects homeowners with Local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the “Uber for lawn care” by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 100,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day.Icebreaker QuestionWould you rather be chronically under-dressed or overdressed?Recap / TakeawaysIf you want to keep people, make sure your business a place where YOU would want to workMake sure you create a well-running machine so you can pay your people betterIf you want to systemize your business, you have to say no to business that doesn't fit your processIf you want to build a great business, you must work in your business, on your business, and on yourselfIf things are slow, you can manufacture momentum by proactively creating opportunitiesIf you build your business debt-free, then it's easier to sellAlways be helpful to your customers, even if it's not directly profitableNo matter what, Bryan was committed to working on his best ideaBeing consistent on a daily basis is a superpowerFocusing on the input metrics and not just the outputBooks Bryan mentioned:The E-Myth - Michael GerberBuilt to Sell - John WarrillowGrinding it Out - Ray KrocThe Startup Owner's Manual - Steve Blank and Bob DorfThe Lean Startup - Eric RiesThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen CoveyConnect With Bryanwww.greenpal.com@bryanmclayton on InstagramConnect With UsGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.

Life is full of important decisions, and they all have consequences. Large or small, positive or negative, intended or unintended. Would you consider yourself wise when it comes to the choices you make? Well, lets talk more about that with Kayvan Kian on todays episode of the Friday HabitKayvan Kian is an entrepreneur, teacher, and senior advisor to McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam, whose work has helped thousands of leaders and teams thrive during difficult times.As the founder of the Young Leaders Forum, Kayvan has given guest lectures at Harvard Business School, HEC, Sciences Po, and more. His first book, "What Is Water?: How Young Leaders Can Thrive in an Uncertain World", became an instant bestseller. He holds an MBA from INSEAD in France and a degree in both economics and law from the Erasmus University in the Netherlands.Listen to Kayvan’s previous episodes here:Episode 83 & 84: Scale Your Company & Protect Your Culture with Kayvan KianRecap / TakeawaysEven when bad things are happening, you can choose to focus on and appreciate the goodWhen you're making a decision, ask yourself "What would a wise person do in this situation?"If you don't make a decision, that's actually a decision tooPhilosophersCleobulus - We shouldn't become arrogant in good times or humble ourselves in bad times.Socrates - Is that really so? Is it really an opportunity, or does it just look like one? (skeptic)Nietzsche - Whatever you're doing today is going to recur and come back an infinite amount of times. Would you still choose to do this if it keeps happening an infinite amount of times?Talus - Maybe this isn't the first time this has happened. Maybe something like this has happened before. Are you aware of the patterns of life. (if you are aware, you are better able to predict)Hippocrates - First, do no harm. False premise is: How can the result not be great if your intentions are good? Connect with Kayvanhttps://kayvankian.comConnect with usGo to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.