Levership
Levership is a combination of leverage and leadership - it’s focusing your time on what will generate outsized returns. In other words, high-leverage leadership. Together Matt Symes and Chris Johnston have both been in the trenches of entrepreneurship and through the Levership podcast share how they tackle challenges, ignite growth, and build profitable businesses. They don't just talk theory. They dive deep into the real-life experiences of leaders from growing companies to uncover how they maximize the return on their time. Stay tuned as we explore the pivotal moments, the challenging decisions, and the innovative strategies of leverage and leadership.
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Why Your Best Investment Might Not Be a New Machine
02/04/2025
Why Your Best Investment Might Not Be a New Machine
In this episode of the Levership Podcast, Chris Johnson and Matt Symes discuss the importance of building a sellable business, the various types of investments entrepreneurs can make, and the critical role of process improvement in maximizing returns. They emphasize the need for entrepreneurs to be intentional about their investments, particularly in processes and people, to create a sustainable business that serves their best life. The conversation also touches on preparing for business exit and the importance of normalizing financials to attract potential buyers. Takeaways: Every aspiring entrepreneur should have a sellable business. Investing in process improvement is often overlooked. You can gain more from investing in processes than equipment. Investing in skills is crucial for growth. Normalizing your P&L can provide better insights into investments. Investing 20 cents on the dollar is essential for growth. You can have both a thriving business and a fulfilling life. Stop subjecting yourself to the tyranny of your business. Get intentional about the engine of your business. Building a business that serves your best life is possible.
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The Busy Myth: Maximizing Leadership Time
01/14/2025
The Busy Myth: Maximizing Leadership Time
In this episode of the Levership podcast, Matt Symes and Chris Johnston discusses the importance of time management for leaders. They emphasize that being busy does not equate to being productive and that leaders must redefine their responsibilities to enable others rather than just doing the work themselves. The conversation covers the pitfalls of email management, the need for intentional time allocation, and the significance of understanding one's energy rhythms to optimize productivity. Ultimately, leaders are encouraged to reflect on their time usage and create space for deep work to achieve their goals effectively. Takeaways Busy is often glorified, but it doesn't equate to productivity. Leaders must shift from doing to enabling others. Intentional calendar management is crucial for leaders. Email management is a significant distraction for productivity. Understanding energy management is more important than time management. Deep work requires uninterrupted focus and time. Leaders should articulate their responsibilities clearly. Reflection on time usage is essential for improvement. Creating a productive rhythm is key to success. Setting clear objectives helps in measuring success.
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What Is Good Strategy?
01/08/2025
What Is Good Strategy?
In this conversation, Matt Symes and Chris Johnson explore the critical elements of effective strategy in business. They discuss the importance of understanding good versus bad strategy, the necessity of a strategic cadence, and how external market changes impact business decisions. The conversation emphasizes the need for small business owners to step back, analyze their operations, and create a thriving business that serves their lifestyle rather than enslaving them to their work. Through real-life examples, they illustrate how focused strategic planning can lead to significant improvements in business performance. Takeaways There's someone in your market succeeding today. Good strategy is about purposeful decisions. Strategy is often misunderstood and misapplied. A strategic cadence is essential for success. You need to connect strategy to market changes. Improvement rate is a key metric for control. Creating a thriving business is the goal of strategy. Small changes can lead to significant results. Strategic planning should be a regular practice. The right strategy can transform your business.
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AI In Small Businesses
12/18/2024
AI In Small Businesses
In this conversation, Matt Symes discusses the significant impact of AI on small businesses. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how to implement AI effectively, particularly through fractional implementation, and shares practical examples of how AI can enhance various business processes, including content creation, email management, and meeting preparation. The discussion highlights the necessity of prompt engineering and the potential of AI tools to optimize workflows and improve efficiency in both personal and professional contexts. Takeaways: Understanding your core processes is essential to leverage AI. AI can amplify capabilities but requires upfront work to identify needs. Fractional implementation allows small businesses to access AI benefits without full-time hires. AI tools can significantly reduce time spent on repetitive tasks like email management. Prompt engineering is a crucial skill for maximizing AI effectiveness. AI can enhance content creation by streamlining the drafting process. Using AI for meeting preparation can lead to more productive outcomes. AI can help organize and prioritize ideas efficiently. Exploring AI in personal life can ease the transition into business applications. AI is not a replacement but a co-pilot in business operations.
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From Strategy to Results: The System Behind Levership
12/10/2024
From Strategy to Results: The System Behind Levership
In this episode of the Levership Podcast, hosts Chris Johnson and Matt Symes delve into the foundational principles of business strategy and the importance of practical implementation. They share personal stories of their entrepreneurial journeys, highlighting lessons learned from family legacies and experiences at Procter & Gamble. The conversation emphasizes the need for accountability, effective business models, and the significance of integrating proven methodologies into small businesses to drive growth and transformation. Takeaways Confidence is important, but business fundamentals are essential. The foundation of leadership combines leverage and leadership. Family history plays a crucial role in shaping entrepreneurial journeys. Procter & Gamble's evolution showcases the importance of adaptability. Symplicity Designs was created to help businesses implement effective strategies. Small businesses often struggle to invest in strategic planning. Accountability and regular check-ins are vital for successful implementation. Practical implementation leads to real results, not just reports. Understanding customer needs is key to business success. Creating accessible strategies can empower small business owners.
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Levership is Growing
12/03/2024
Levership is Growing
In this conversation, Matt Symes and Chris Johnston discuss the principles of effective leadership and entrepreneurship through their experiences with Levership and other organizations. They emphasize the importance of focus, clarity, and alignment within leadership teams to drive business growth and transformation. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the significance of strategic planning, and the value of co-creating solutions with teams. They also explore the concept of managing ideas and prioritization to enhance productivity and performance in businesses, particularly for small and medium enterprises. Takeaways Leadership combines leverage and leadership for outsized returns. Focus on what generates the most return for your business. Alignment with the leadership team is crucial for success. The importance of a formal management system in organizations. Managing ideas through a 'hopper' can enhance prioritization. Good strategy helps sort through business challenges. Transformational leadership leads to significant business results. The journey of entrepreneurship involves continuous learning. Investing time in strategy sessions is vital for business growth.
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How to Build a Seamless Customer Journey
11/26/2024
How to Build a Seamless Customer Journey
In this conversation, Matt Symes discusses the importance of understanding the customer journey and the various touchpoints that businesses have with their clients. He emphasizes the need to identify friction points and improve the overall customer experience. Through examples from different industries, he illustrates how mapping the customer journey can lead to better service delivery and customer delight. The discussion also covers proactive customer success strategies and frameworks for effectively mapping the customer journey to enhance business outcomes. Takeaways Understanding the customer journey is crucial for business success. Identifying touchpoints helps in recognizing friction in the customer experience. Delighting customers can lead to increased loyalty and retention. Proactive customer success strategies can prevent churn. Mapping the customer journey reveals opportunities for improvement. Consistency in service delivery enhances customer satisfaction. Small changes can significantly impact the customer experience. Customer feedback is essential for understanding service effectiveness. The experience provided to customers is more important than the product itself. Engaging with customers at various stages of their journey fosters loyalty.
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How To Build A High-Performance Team
11/13/2024
How To Build A High-Performance Team
In this conversation, Matt Symes discusses the critical importance of investing in employee development and creating effective growth plans within organizations. He emphasizes the need for small businesses to focus on their people’s growth to prevent disengagement and turnover. The discussion also covers the significance of defining organizational culture, whether as a family, sports team, or village, and how this impacts performance expectations. Additionally, the conversation highlights the importance of psychological safety and radical candor in fostering open communication and effective feedback. Finally, Matt introduces Levership programs designed to help business owners implement these strategies effectively. Takeaways Investing in people is crucial for retention and growth. Annual reviews should not be tied to compensation discussions. Small businesses must communicate financial realities to employees. Defining organizational culture influences employee expectations. A village culture supports employees through life seasons. Performance expectations must be clear and consistent. Psychological safety is essential for honest feedback. Radical candor helps in addressing performance issues. Compliments should be specific and authentic. Levership programs can provide templates for effective HR processes.
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Unlock Business Growth While Staying Flexible: Here's How
10/31/2024
Unlock Business Growth While Staying Flexible: Here's How
Summary In this conversation, Matt Symes and Kyle Racki discuss strategies for appointment-based businesses to better meet customer needs, emphasizing the importance of flexibility, capacity management, and understanding customer demand. They highlight the significance of creating a business model that allows for profitability while being responsive to customer requests. The discussion also covers the need for businesses to prioritize customer experience and retention, as well as the role of leadership in identifying and solving core business problems effectively. Takeaways Understanding customer needs is crucial for appointment-based businesses. Flexibility in scheduling can enhance customer satisfaction. A business model should be resilient and profitable at 80% capacity. Last-minute appointments can be more valuable than regular bookings. Policies should prioritize customer needs over business convenience. Identifying core problems is essential for business improvement. Leadership plays a key role in shaping customer service strategies. Seasonality affects customer demand and should be considered in planning. Businesses should track missed appointment opportunities to improve. Creating a customer-first culture can lead to long-term success. "keywords": [ "customer service", "appointment-based business", "flexibility", "profitability", "customer retention", "business model", "leadership", "quick response service", "capacity management", "core problems" ]
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The Truth About Cashflow for Small Businesses
10/16/2024
The Truth About Cashflow for Small Businesses
In this episode, Matt Symes and Kyle Racki discuss the critical importance of cash flow management for small businesses, particularly those run by technician founders. Matt emphasizes the common pitfalls of neglecting cash flow, the significance of invoicing and accounts receivable, and strategies to improve cash flow. The discussion also covers the challenges of client payments and the necessity of building financial health for sustainable growth. Takeaways: Many small business owners neglect cash flow management. Understanding the cash equation is crucial for business success. Invoicing processes can significantly impact cash flow. Cash flow strategies must evolve as the business scales. Access to credit should be secured before it's needed. Pricing strategies can influence cash flow positively. Knowing your break-even point is vital for financial planning. Understanding client payment behaviors can aid cash management. Financial health is foundational for business growth. Chapters: 00:00 Understanding Cash Flow in Small Businesses 02:54 The Importance of Invoicing and Accounts Receivable 06:09 Strategies for Improving Cash Flow 09:00 Navigating Client Payments and Cash Management 12:01 Building Financial Health for Sustainable Growth
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What Working With the Right Client Fit Can Do for Your Business
10/08/2024
What Working With the Right Client Fit Can Do for Your Business
Matt Symes and Kyle Racki discuss the importance of attracting the right clients for businesses. They explore a simple exercise to assess your current client base and discuss how to evaluate if clients are paying the right amount for your services. Matt provides insight on how to qualify your potential clients in order to filter out poor fits and leverage referral networks to make mailbox money. Takeaways: It is important for businesses to attract the right clients who pay the right amount off the service. Conducting a customer analysis can help identify the top and bottom 5% of clients to inform next steps in sales and marketing. Qualifying customers through methods like referral networks and qualifying questions helps filter out poor fits. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and Importance of Attracting the Right Clients 1:00 Assessing the Right Clients Through Customer Analysis 3:24 Different Types of Clients and Behaviors 5:44 Qualifying Customers for Better Fit 9:23 Filtering Out Poor Fit Clients 10:49 The Value of the Levership Program Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level? Go here: Want to learn more about what Levership does for small business owners? Go here:
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The Strategic Map to Building a Highly-Effective Team
10/02/2024
The Strategic Map to Building a Highly-Effective Team
In this episode, Matt Symes and Kyle Racki discuss the importance a high-performing team can make in driving a business’ success. They highlight the challenges of finding and retaining the right people and emphasize the need for a clear understanding of the skills and competencies required for each role. They also discuss the importance of strategic thinking and prioritizing the most critical issues in order to drive business growth. Takeaways: Building and managing effective teams can do wonders for business success. You need to map out the skills and competencies you need to deliver value and work backwards to hire and develop the right people and skills. Prioritizing critical issues is a key to driving strategic business growth. The Levership program helps businesses at different stages of growth optimize their operations and achieve their goals. Chapters: 1:20 Chapter 1 - The Biggest Challenges of Building a Team 3:05 Chapter 2 - The Strategic Map 5:48 Chapter 3 - The Hiring Sequence (Who to Hire & When) 7:45 Chapter 4 - The #1 Mistake Businesses Make With Their Resources 9:05 Chapter 5 - Exploring Creative Staffing Solutions to FTE 10:47 Chapter 6 - The Key to Good Strategy 12:50 Chapter 7 - The Big Levers 13:40 Chapter 8 - The Value of Team Involvement in Strategy Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level? Go here: Want to learn more about what Levership does for small business owners? Go here:
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Optimizing Appointment Scheduling for Service Businesses
09/26/2024
Optimizing Appointment Scheduling for Service Businesses
In this episode of the Levership Podcast, Matt and Kyle discuss the leverage opportunity that lies in optimizing a business’ appointment scheduling. Matt highlights the need to focus on maximizing profitability per week rather than per service. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the ideal mix of services that maximizes return. Matt also explores the concept of working at the top of one’s skillset and the impact that not maximizing your minutes can have on profitability. Takeaways: Maximizing profitability per week is more important than per service in service-based businesses. Understanding the ideal mix of services that would maximize return is crucial for optimizing appointment scheduling. Working at the top of one's skillset and maximizing minutes is essential for maximizing profitability. The Leadership Program helps business owners analyze their business model, customer fit, and pricing and positioning to make strategic decisions and improve their business. 0:00 Introduction 2:27 Working at the Top of Your Skillset 3:23 Optimizing Business for the Ideal Mix 5:20 Maximizing Profitability per Hour 6:01 Scaling and Delegating for Efficiency 7:20 The Importance of Strategic Planning 8:12 The Levership Program 10:34 Analyzing the Business through Different Lenses
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Outbound is NOT Dead with Brooks Van Norman
06/10/2024
Outbound is NOT Dead with Brooks Van Norman
Brooks Van Normal, founder of Pipeline Formula, discusses the importance of a strong partnership between marketing and sales in generating pipeline. He emphasizes that outbound is not dead, but rather becoming more efficient with the use of tools. Brooks shares insights on effective cold email strategies, highlighting the value of offering sales assets that provide immediate value to prospects. He also suggests reverse engineering the pain points of potential customers to create relevant and insightful sales assets. Additionally, Brooks discusses the use of LinkedIn as a channel to expand touchpoints and build trust with prospects. In this conversation, Brooks and Kyle discuss various topics related to outbound reach and founder-led growth. They talk about the importance of effectiveness in email outreach and the need to optimize call booking rates to positive reply rates. They also discuss the prevalence of ad fraud and strategies to target potential customers who are spending on ads. The conversation then shifts to the concept of the value equation and how to make prospects believe in the dream outcome. They explore the idea of founder-led marketing and the power of developing a relationship with the founder or leader of a company. They also discuss content pillars and the importance of subject matter expertise and personal stories in content creation. The conversation concludes with a discussion on automating content ideation and the types of clients that would benefit from founder-led marketing. Keywordspipeline generation, marketing and sales partnership, outbound strategies, cold email, sales assets, reverse engineering pain points, LinkedIn outreach, outbound reach, effectiveness, email outreach, call booking rate, positive reply rate, ad fraud, targeting, value equation, founder-led growth, relationship building, content pillars, subject matter expertise, personal stories, automating content ideation, founder-led marketing Takeaways Marketing and sales must work together closely to generate pipeline effectively. Outbound is not dead, but it is becoming more efficient with the use of tools. Offering sales assets that provide immediate value to prospects can lead to higher response rates. Reverse engineering pain points can help create relevant and insightful sales assets. LinkedIn can be used as a channel to expand touchpoints and build trust with prospects. Focus on effectiveness rather than just efficiency in email outreach Optimize call booking rates to positive reply rates Target potential customers who are spending on ads Make prospects believe in the dream outcome through the value equation Develop a relationship with the founder or leader of a company through founder-led marketing Create content pillars based on subject matter expertise and personal stories Automate content ideation to generate ideas for content creation Founder-led marketing is beneficial for companies with deep domain expertise Sound Bites "You can't separate marketing and sales when it comes to generating pipeline." "Outbound is becoming more efficient because the tools are enabling more people to do more outbound at scale." "Offering up a sales asset that adds value to the prospect is really good at getting positive reply rates." "This is cringe. This is cringe." "We're looking for ways to optimize around that." "15% of all ad spend is fraudulent." Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 02:15The Importance of the Marketing and Sales Partnership 05:26Effective Strategies for Cold Email Outreach 09:18Creating Sales Assets that Provide Immediate Value 13:32Reverse Engineering Pain Points for Relevant Sales Assets 22:35Optimizing Email Outreach 23:33Targeting Potential Customers 25:25Relevance Over Personalization 26:08The Value Equation 27:53Building Trust with Prospects 28:38Founder-Led Marketing 32:30Developing a Relationship with the Founder 33:56Unlocking Founder Knowledge 36:30Creating Content Pillars 40:42Automating Content Ideation 44:11Founder-Led Marketing for Deep Domain Expertise
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Visual Storytelling with Jono Hey
06/03/2024
Visual Storytelling with Jono Hey
Jono shares his journey of creating visual explanations and sketches to distill complex concepts. He discusses some of his favorite sketches, such as the curb cut effect and the Swiss cheese model, and how they have resonated with people. Jono also offers advice for leaders on how to connect with others and explain abstract ideas, emphasizing the power of visuals and storytelling. He reflects on the process of writing his book and the challenge of selecting and organizing topics. Overall, Jono encourages individuals to pursue their personal projects and share their work with others. Keywordsvisual explanations, sketches, distilling complex concepts, curb cut effect, Swiss cheese model, leadership, connecting with others, abstract ideas, visuals, storytelling, book writing process, personal projects Takeaways Visual explanations and sketches can make complex concepts more accessible and memorable. Sharing your work publicly can hold you accountable and motivate you to do your best. Leaders can use visuals and storytelling to connect with others and explain abstract ideas. Finding topics for sketches can come from personal experiences, reading, and suggestions from others. Writing a book requires selecting and organizing topics, redrawing sketches, and rewriting content. Taking the time to think and clarify ideas can lead to clearer explanations and visuals. Personal projects can be valuable and interesting to others, so it's worth sharing them. Consistency and perseverance are key to making progress and creating meaningful work. Sound Bites "The curb cut effect is essentially this principle of when you design for disabilities, you make things better for everyone." "The Swiss cheese model is about accident safety and how you can have multiple layers of defenses, but you can still have holes in each one." "Don't push information up to authority, push authority down to information." Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 03:11Creating Visual Explanations: The Curb Cut Effect 06:38Explaining Complex Concepts: The Swiss Cheese Model 09:17Using Visuals in Business: Bosses vs. Leaders 11:09Favorite Sketches for Business Leaders 13:06Motivating Teams: Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose 15:18Writing a Book: Challenges and Process 21:13Connecting with Others: Using Visuals and Storytelling 24:04Advice for Leaders: Clarify Ideas and Share Work 27:00Future Plans and Projects
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Buyer-Centric Selling with Evan Santa, Sales Leader @ Keep
05/31/2024
Buyer-Centric Selling with Evan Santa, Sales Leader @ Keep
Evan Santa discusses his background in building sales teams for Canadian tech companies and his current role at Keep, a fintech company. He shares his experience at Vidyard and how he challenged the sales system to sell to smaller customers and improve the buying experience. Santa emphasizes the importance of creating a strong sales system and finding hungry individuals with a drive to compete with themselves. He also discusses the need for transparency in pricing and providing enough information for buyers to qualify themselves for a product. In this conversation, Evan Santa and Kyle discuss the importance of building trust and providing value in the sales process. They emphasize the need for salespeople to be seen as assets and sources of information rather than just trying to close deals. They also highlight the importance of setting clear expectations and being transparent about pricing. The conversation touches on the relationship between sales and customer success, and the need for alignment in providing a consistent and positive customer experience. They also discuss the shift towards a more partnership-oriented approach in sales, where the focus is on helping customers succeed rather than just making a sale. Takeaways Building sales teams for Canadian tech companies requires a focus on creating a strong sales system and finding individuals with a drive to compete with themselves. Challenging the sales system to sell to smaller customers and improving the buying experience can lead to success. Transparency in pricing and providing enough information for buyers to qualify themselves for a product is essential. Sales leaders should prioritize individuals who are putting in the most effort and have a hunger to succeed. Salespeople should aim to be seen as assets and sources of information for customers, rather than just trying to close deals. Transparency and clear communication about pricing and expectations are crucial in building trust with customers. There should be alignment between sales and customer success teams to ensure a consistent and positive customer experience. The focus in sales should be on helping customers succeed and providing value, rather than just making a sale. Sound Bites "Building out sales teams for Canadian tech companies" "Selling to smaller customers and improving the buying experience" "Competing with themselves and setting realistic goals" "Make them feel informed enough. So they're like, okay, this is great. I'm not reaching out to somebody because they're trying to sell me. I'm reaching out to somebody because they are going to be my key to information." "How do we make our salespeople complete assets from the moment they're engaging with a prospective customer, that customer is going like, you're my person who's given me the information. I trust you. I enjoy speaking with you and you're giving me all the information I needed lightning fast in a lightning fast speed and manner." "I think it's really, really important to be able to provide your sales team with ballparks that they can sit, that they can provide. Cause really what's happening a lot of times when we get asked for prices, salespeople on the first call is the buyer knows that they're going to have to spend."
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How Do You Leverage Communities?
05/28/2024
How Do You Leverage Communities?
The conversation explores the power of networking and finding communities as an entrepreneur. The hosts discuss the importance of having a network outside of your immediate business team where you can vent and share experiences. They highlight the value of being able to skip small talk and have meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals. The conversation also touches on the higher prevalence of mental health issues among entrepreneurs and the need for support networks. The hosts share their own experiences with formal and informal communities and the benefits they have gained from them. Keywordsnetworking, communities, entrepreneurs, support, mental health, meaningful conversations Takeaways Finding a network and community as an entrepreneur is crucial for personal and professional growth. Having a network outside of your immediate business team allows for honest venting and sharing of experiences. Meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals can provide valuable insights and support. Support networks are important for addressing mental health issues that are prevalent among entrepreneurs. Curating your communities and investing time in them is essential for maximizing their value. Titles Curating and Investing in Your Communities The Power of Networking and Finding Your Community Sound Bites "I think there's value in getting really curious about what other people are doing." "Having an outside outlet, having a community outside of your business where you can honestly vent is very important." "Find your formal or informal community and make sure you are leveraging it." Chapters 00:00Introduction and Setting the Scene 08:32Curating and Investing in Your Communities
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How Top Performers Focus By Saying No
05/15/2024
How Top Performers Focus By Saying No
The Christmas tree effect refers to the tendency to keep adding more and more tasks without considering the finite amount of time available. This leads to a lack of focus and the inability to prioritize important tasks. The effect can be seen in both personal and professional life, resulting in missed deadlines, longer checklists, and decreased productivity. Strategic teams should focus on subtraction before addition, identifying what is no longer important and eliminating it. To combat the Christmas tree effect, individuals can use productivity frameworks like the Getting Things Done method or the calendar audit. Takeaways The Christmas tree effect occurs when people keep adding tasks without considering the finite amount of time available. To combat the Christmas tree effect, individuals and teams should focus on subtraction before addition, identifying what is no longer important and eliminating it. Productivity frameworks like the Getting Things Done method and the calendar audit can help individuals prioritize tasks and stay focused. Strategic teams should prioritize what matters most and avoid spreading themselves too thin by taking on too many projects. The Christmas tree effect can lead to missed deadlines, longer checklists, and decreased productivity.
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Losing A Key Executive
05/06/2024
Losing A Key Executive
Summary In this conversation, Kyle and Matt discuss the process of restarting and resetting after losing key executives in an organization. They emphasize the importance of the people you surround yourself with and the impact they have on the success of the company. They share their personal experiences and lessons learned when dealing with the departure of key executives. They discuss the need to get curious and ask questions when someone announces their departure, as well as the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the departing individual. They also explore the steps to take in order to fill the gap left by the departed executive, including taking on their responsibilities, understanding the functional area, and recruiting a replacement. Takeaways The people you surround yourself with make all the difference in the success of your organization. When a key executive leaves, it is important to get curious and ask questions to understand their reasons and the impact on the organization. Taking on the responsibilities of the departed executive can provide valuable insights into the functional area and help identify areas for improvement. When recruiting a replacement, it is important to define the desired skill set and character traits and consider fractional support or alternative roles. Hiring someone with experience in scaling can bring valuable insights and help drive the growth of the organization. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Disney World 01:06 Restarting and Resetting After Losing Key Executives 07:30 Understanding the Impact of Losing Key Executives 10:03 Handling Different Types of Departures 23:19 Digging into the Functional Area and Processes 25:35 Recruiting a Replacement 31:18 Avoiding Overindexing on Finding Someone Like the Departed Executive 35:03 Hiring Someone with Experience in Scaling 40:03 Summary and Conclusion
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Sales Is a Process Not an Art w/ Scott Tower, Director of Sales @ Proposify
04/30/2024
Sales Is a Process Not an Art w/ Scott Tower, Director of Sales @ Proposify
Summary In this episode, Scott Tower, Director of Sales at Proposify, shares his journey in sales and provides insights into growing sales within a team. He emphasizes the importance of process-driven sales and the need for patience and perseverance. Scott also discusses the challenges of transitioning from founder-led sales and offers advice for hiring sales reps. He highlights the qualities he looks for in sales hires, including grit, openness to following process, and coachability. Additionally, Scott emphasizes the value of outbound sales and the importance of always being recruiting. Takeaways Process-driven sales is essential for success in growing sales within a team. Transitioning from founder-led sales requires trust in the sales leader and a focus on documenting and transferring knowledge. When hiring sales reps, look for qualities such as grit, openness to following process, and coachability. Outbound sales can complement inbound efforts and provide more opportunities for success. Always be recruiting by engaging with potential candidates and building relationships. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:16 Scott's Journey at Proposify 25:14 Hiring Sales Reps 33:08 The Importance of Outbound Sales 35:14 Always Be Recruiting 37:10 Conclusion
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How Do You Position Against The Competition?
04/23/2024
How Do You Position Against The Competition?
SummaryIn this conversation, Kyle and Matt discuss the importance of understanding competition in business. They highlight the different ways businesses compete, including with the status quo and competing alternatives. They emphasize the need to identify and understand competitors in order to position oneself effectively in the market. The conversation also covers methods for gathering competitive intelligence, such as monitoring customer reviews and analyzing competitors' marketing strategies. They discuss the creation of battle cards to equip sales reps with the necessary information to address competitors during sales conversations. Finally, they share a hack using Chat GPT to quickly generate battle cards. Takeaways Competition is an important aspect of business that should not be overlooked. Understanding and identifying competitors is crucial for effective positioning in the market. Gathering competitive intelligence through methods like monitoring customer reviews and analyzing marketing strategies can provide valuable insights. Creating battle cards can equip sales reps with the necessary information to address competitors during sales conversations. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Understanding Competition 02:13 Competition with the Status Quo 03:52 Positioning and Competing Alternatives 05:04 The Buying Process and the Role of Sales 06:36 Different Types of Organizations and Competition 07:26 Understanding Competitors in the Small and Medium-Sized Business Market 08:26 The Importance of Monitoring and Understanding Competitors 10:21 Utilizing Customer Reviews for Competitive Research 11:41 Methods for Gathering Competitive Intelligence 13:28 Using Competitive Research for Demand Capture 15:59 Key Elements to Look for in Competitors' Marketing 22:14 Using Chat GPT for Competitive Analysis 25:00 Arming Sales Reps with Competitive Information 25:55 Summary and Next Steps
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Create Once Distribute Forever. A conversation with Ross Simmonds
04/11/2024
Create Once Distribute Forever. A conversation with Ross Simmonds
SummaryRoss Simmons, a top marketer, discusses the importance of personal branding and content marketing for CEOs and leaders. He emphasizes the power of leveraging media to communicate with and influence your target audience directly. Ross shares his mantra of 'create once, distribute forever' and provides insights on how to effectively distribute content on different platforms. He also discusses the importance of team formation and hiring specialized individuals to support your content marketing efforts. Keywordspersonal branding, content marketing, CEO, leadership, leverage, distribution, team formation Takeaways Personal branding and content marketing are essential for CEOs and leaders to attract great talent and clients. Creating and distributing content allows you to communicate directly with your target audience and bypass traditional media channels. The mantra of 'create once, distribute forever' emphasizes the importance of repurposing and distributing content across multiple platforms. When building a content marketing team, consider hiring specialized individuals for tasks such as video editing and community management. Titles The Power of Personal Branding and Content Marketing for CEOs Create Once, Distribute Forever: The Mantra of Effective Content Marketing Sound Bites "We no longer need a middleman to translate and manipulate our story, we can now go direct to the people that we're trying to influence." "Consistently getting back to that keyboard and doing it all over again is where the leverage really starts to compound into results that can fundamentally change your life." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Ross Simmons' Background 01:41 Using Personal Branding as a Leader 04:19 The Power of Content Creation and Distribution 07:38 Overcoming the Fear of Judgment and Getting Started 11:40 The Mantra of 'Create Once, Distribute Forever' 14:20 Balancing Algorithm Mastery and Content Creation 25:56 Scaling Content Distribution with Specialized Teams 27:11 The Future of AI in Audio Content Creation 28:22 Conclusion and Book Promotion
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From Burning $400k/month to Profitability in Less Than Two Years
04/05/2024
From Burning $400k/month to Profitability in Less Than Two Years
In this conversation, Kyle interviews Kathy Doucette, the COO and CFO of Proposify. They discuss the role of a CFO and COO, the importance of a single source of truth in finance, and the CFO's role as a strategic partner. They also explore how finance can be integrated into operations and the challenges faced when joining a company with financial red flags. They highlight the dangers of relying solely on sales to solve financial challenges and the importance of budgeting and planning for the future. In this conversation, Kathy and Kyle discuss the financial challenges they faced in their business and the importance of cash flow management. They delve into the difficult decision to lay off employees and the impact it had on the company. They also share their journey towards becoming cash flow positive and the role of a CFO in financial decision-making. The conversation highlights the need to cut expenses and focus on key levers to achieve profitability. They emphasize the importance of strategic hiring, accountability, and maintaining a narrow focus on target customers. Lastly, they discuss the discipline of bootstrapping and the dangers of overstaffing and creating part-time roles. Takeaways A CFO should be a true strategic partner to the CEO and the entire business, providing a single source of truth and deep understanding of the entire business. Integrating finance into operations can lead to greater efficiencies and a holistic view of the business. Having a single source of truth in finance is crucial for unbiased decision-making and accurate measurement of performance. Relying solely on sales to solve financial challenges is not a sustainable solution; a comprehensive financial strategy is necessary. Budgeting and planning for the future is essential to ensure financial stability and growth. Effective cash flow management is crucial for the sustainability of a business. Making the tough decision to lay off employees is necessary for the survival of the company. Identifying and leveraging key expense levers can help in transitioning from a high burn rate to break even. Maintaining a narrow focus and targeting the right customers is essential for business growth. Sound Bites Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:07 The Role of a CFO and COO 05:09 The Importance of a Single Source of Truth 06:54 The CFO as a Strategic Partner 08:29 Bringing Finance into Operations 10:25 Aligning Hiring and Resource Allocation 12:57 Creating Processes and Oversight 14:19 Challenges Faced Upon Joining the Company 16:07 Identifying Red Flags in Financials 19:09 The Danger of Relying on Sales to Solve Financial Challenges 20:08 Budgeting and Planning for the Future 21:06 Financial Challenges and Cash Flow Concerns 22:02 The Difficult Decision to Lay Off Employees 23:22 Becoming Cash Flow Positive 24:09 The Importance of a CFO 25:06 Cutting Expenses and Focusing on Key Levers 26:29 Eliminating Unnecessary Positions 27:52 The Dangers of Overstaffing and Lack of Focus 28:50 Identifying and Leveraging Key Expense Levers 30:12 Transitioning from High Burn Rate to Break Even 30:46 Strategic Hiring and Accountability 32:05 The Importance of Narrow Focus and Targeting the Right Customers 33:36 The Temptation of Spending Venture Capital 37:24 The Discipline of Bootstrapping and Resource Constraints 39:14 The Danger of Overstaffing and Creating Part-Time Roles 41:21 Transitioning from Zero to One and One to One Hundred
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Leveraging Other People's Networks
03/29/2024
Leveraging Other People's Networks
In this conversation, Kyle and Matt discuss various strategies for leveraging media and networks to promote your brand and generate leads. They cover topics such as remote work, being a guest on podcasts and blogs, paying influencers, buying established channels and websites, partnering with complementary businesses, using events and speaking engagements, review websites and affiliate marketing, and managing key relationships and networks. These strategies can help businesses increase their visibility, reach new audiences, and build valuable connections. 00:00 Introduction and Personal Catch-Up 00:08 Remote Work and Digital Nomad Lifestyle 03:08 Leveraging Other People's Networks 06:09 Being a Guest on Podcasts and Blogs 08:06 Paying Influencers to Promote Your Brand 10:39 Buying Established Channels and Websites 13:09 Partnering with Complementary Businesses 16:10 Using Events and Speaking Engagements 32:25 Key Relationships and Network Management
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Get Cash Efficient with The
Triple C Exercise
03/22/2024
Get Cash Efficient with The
Triple C Exercise
Kyle and Matt discuss the importance of cash efficiency and capital investment. They emphasize the need for organizations to plan and allocate their cash effectively in order to reinvest in the future. They introduce the concept of the triple C exercise, which involves evaluating expenses and determining what to cut, control, and continuously improve. They also discuss the importance of evaluating advertising and marketing spend, as well as labor and headcount, to ensure efficiency. The conversation concludes with a mention of a future episode on advertising efficiency. Takeaways Plan and allocate cash effectively to reinvest in the future. Use the triple C exercise to evaluate expenses and determine what to cut, control, and continuously improve. Evaluate advertising and marketing spend to ensure efficiency. Consider labour and headcount efficiency to optimize resources. Regularly review and adjust budgets to maximize cash efficiency. Chapters 03:05 Introduction to Cash Efficiency 04:01 Cash Efficiency and Capital Investment 05:06 Revenue and Expenses 06:22 Triple C Exercise 08:41 Efficiency in Software and Tools 09:29 Efficiency in Advertising and Marketing 23:31 Efficiency in Budgeting and Hiring 27:41 Efficiency in Advertising and Marketing (Continued) 33:19 Future Episode on Advertising Efficiency 34:22 Conclusion
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Our Top 3 Business Mistakes
03/15/2024
Our Top 3 Business Mistakes
In this episode, Kyle and Matt discuss their most painful mistakes in leadership and leverage. They share their top three mistakes and provide insights on how to avoid them. They emphasize the importance of high standards in leaders and the need to focus on key objectives to achieve success. Takeaways Understanding leverage is crucial for effective leadership Having skilled financial reporting is essential for business success Strategic hiring and maintaining high standards in leaders is key Focusing on key objectives and avoiding distractions leads to better outcomes
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Speak a Bold and Powerful Future Into Existence. An Interview with Jeff Dudan of Homefront Brands
03/08/2024
Speak a Bold and Powerful Future Into Existence. An Interview with Jeff Dudan of Homefront Brands
In this episode of Levership, Kyle Racki talks with Jeff Dudan, a published author, Forbes contributor, host of the On the Homefront podcast, and founder of Avanta Clean and Homefront Brands, and the Dudan Group. During this conversation, we will cover topics such as Jeff Dudan’s journey, including his fusion of technology and traditional businesses, how he got started in private equity, and his lessons learned on the TV show, Undercover Boss. Takeaways The first two questions you need to ask yourself when you start a business: Who is the customer and what problem do you solve for them? Who is the natural owner for this business? Think big, and stay away from creating self-limiting beliefs and obstacles that don’t exist, then articulate and refine your plan to create something spectacular. Check out Jeff Dudan’s podcast, On The Homefront, on and
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Introducing our new Podcast name: Levership
03/02/2024
Introducing our new Podcast name: Levership
The first episode of the relaunched podcast focuses on the theme of leverage and leadership. The hosts discuss the importance of anchoring the podcast around this concept and the challenges of finding a suitable name. They introduce the pyramid diagram of leverage, which includes labour, capital, code, and media as the four core leverage points. The conversation delves into each of these points, exploring how they can be leveraged to achieve business success. The hosts also touch on the importance of mindset and systems thinking in leveraging resources effectively. Takeaways Anchoring a podcast around a theme or concept, such as leverage and leadership, can provide a clear focus and direction. The pyramid diagram of leverage highlights labor, capital, code, and media as the core leverage points in business. Leveraging people and labor involves hiring and investing in the right individuals to achieve more with reduced input. Leveraging capital involves investing in the business, infrastructure, technology, and R&D to enhance growth and profitability. Leveraging code refers to the use of technology and software to scale and automate processes, leading to increased efficiency and scalability. Leveraging media involves building a personal brand and utilizing platforms like YouTube and social media to reach a wider audience and create value.
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Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales
01/12/2024
Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales
SummaryIn this conversation, Kyle and Matt discuss the challenges of transitioning from founder-led sales to building a sales team. They explore the importance of positioning and persuasion in sales, as well as the stigma associated with the profession. They also share insights on hiring and training salespeople, and the role of a sales leader in scaling a sales team. The conversation provides valuable advice for small and micro businesses looking to grow their sales capabilities. Takeaways Transitioning from founder-led sales to a sales team is a challenging but necessary step for business growth. Positioning and persuasion are key skills in sales, and finding salespeople who can effectively communicate the value of a product or service is crucial. Hiring and training salespeople requires a systematic approach, including providing training, coaching, and ongoing support. Bringing in a sales leader can help scale a sales team, but it's important to first establish a solid sales process and have sales reps who can consistently hit targets. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Recap 00:38 Diving into the Sales Game 01:22 Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales to a Sales Team 03:03 The Skill of Persuasion in Sales 04:26 The Difference Between Hunters and Farmers in Sales 05:18 The Importance of Positioning in Sales 06:31 Overcoming the Stigma of Sales 09:45 Hiring and Training Salespeople 11:45 Interviewing for Sales Positions 17:48 The Pitfalls of Hiring Sales Reps 21:48 Steps to Scale a Sales Team 25:51 Bringing in a Sales Leader 27:21 Reflection and Application
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Building The Foundation for Demand
01/05/2024
Building The Foundation for Demand
This insightful episode delves deep into the complexities of solving revenue problems and fostering business growth. The conversation covers essential topics like pro forma analysis, scalability, customer mix, and product mix. It further emphasizes the significance of customer service improvements, understanding lost opportunities, and the pivotal role of customer experience in driving revenue. Whether you're facing challenges in scaling your business, retaining customers, or improving conversion rates, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable strategies for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Tune in to learn how to refine your approach to revenue generation and lay a strong foundation for future marketing efforts. Introduction to Revenue Challenges and Growth Strategies [0:00]: Introduction to the topic: tackling revenue problems and growth strategies. Dissecting Revenue Problems 0:03]:** Discussion on dissecting revenue problems. [2:35]: Understanding the importance of a 12-month pro forma analysis. Delving into Revenue Sources and Customer Retention** [9:07]: Exploring various revenue sources and the significance of customer retention. [9:32]: Emphasis on focusing on customer retention before acquiring new customers. Importance of Product Mix and One-Step Adjacency Products** [11:42]: The role of one-step adjacency products in revenue growth. Customer Retention, Conversion Rates, and Marketing Strategies** [15:13]: Identifying low conversion rates from SQL to SQO. [15:24]: Discussing reasons behind low conversion rates. [17:53]: Exploring the impact of understanding customer needs. [23:54]: Recognizing the need to enhance the customer experience. [27:31]: Strategies for creating exceptional moments for clients at the end of engagement. Follow-Up Tasks and Planning for Future Discussions [27:49]: Teasing the next episode's focus on marketing strategies. [28:25]: Emphasizing the necessity of a solid foundation before prioritizing marketing efforts. [28:31]: Concluding remarks and plans to continue the discussion in a future episode.
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