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In today’s Great Place to Work Spotlight, we feature a business owner who started in a place of struggle and stress but totally transformed her business in just a few years. Through the principles she learned in our How to Hire the Best course, she’s created a Great Place to Work for herself and her dedicated team members.    We welcome Dr. Nancy Trimboli back to the podcast! She’s a health expert and chiropractor with over 25 years of experience. Her practice, Trimboli Chiropractic, has undergone many changes to become the streamlined, efficient team of A-players that makes Dr. Nancy’s life fulfilling and virtually stress-free. She has a large local patient following and an ever-expanding online audience through her YouTube channel. She is the author of Stealth Health: Take Back Your Power and Unravel the Mystery of You, which was published in 2020. It’s a book for those who want to achieve true health without going the traditional route of relying on medications, interventions, and surgery. Dr. Nancy teaches people how to unravel their health mysteries and ask the right questions, and she applies that focus to making Trimboli Chiropractic a Great Place to Work!   Join us for a closer look at the changes that have taken place at Trimboli Chiropractic to create a thriving environment for Dr. Nancy and her team of A-players!    Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   A look at what Trimboli Chiropractic used to look like with about 5 out of 40 A-players, and what it looks like now with the right people in the right places   Highlights of Dr. Nancy’s immutable laws for Trimboli Chiropractic   Why frequent conversations are the key to good communication among team members   How curiosity and questions help eliminate assumptions   How Dr. Nancy honed in on consistency as a key factor in their immutable laws   How Dr. Nancy streamlined her business and her team to become profitable again   Dr. Nancy’s perspective on losing team members who go on to further their careers elsewhere   What works for Dr. Nancy in hiring A-players today   Steps Dr. Nancy takes to preserve the culture at Trimboli Chiropractic   How Dr. Nancy has created a mutually-supportive environment in which she can get out of the way and let her A-players operate in their sweet spots   What Dr. Nancy would say to her younger self about her journey to build her business and grow her team       Links and Resources:   Connect with Dr. Nancy: www.trimbolichiro.net and www.drnancytrimboli.com    Visit her YouTube Channel for over 150 videos (2-5 min.) designed to help you help yourself at home simply and inexpensively.  Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members!   We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp.    Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment.   Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.    New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Business owners are busy! One area that often gets overlooked and pushed aside is team development. We have found some simple ways to work on team development with our Tap the Potential team, and we are pulling back the curtain to give you an inside look at what’s working for us. We hope this episode is helpful for you and your business! Dr. Sabrina is joined today by Melissa Swire, the Lead Strategist at Tap the Potential. She joined the team in 2019 and carries forward her passion for helping entrepreneurs.Together, Melissa and Dr. Sabrina discuss how to build a better place to work by keeping your team members inspired and encouraged. In this way, your team members will do more for your business and alleviate some of the pressure that small business owners feel.  Join us for the conversation around team development and learn how this singular concept can be the key to overcoming your hiring challenges and creating a great culture.  Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights:   Why it makes a difference to build a “family” culture where people feel that they work with friends   A closer look at Tap the Potential’s team huddles and icebreakers to create a safe, supportive space for all team members   Why it’s important to be sensitive to the psychology of A-players, especially the tendency to say YES and overachieve   How team huddles give a level of accountability with open and honest communication   Melissa highlights some of her favorite icebreaker questions   How a “user manual” for each team member gives a lot of information about their preferences, struggles, communication styles, etc.    Why business owners need to have mutually-invested relationships on their team that support team members in their dreams (Our new Dream Manager Program can help!)   How building a great team frees up the business owner to take care of other things (Our How to Hire the Best course covers it all!)   Links and Resources:   Sign up for our FREE Livenar, What’s Working NOW to Hire the Best and Grow Your Team of A-Players. It’s coming soon on July 29! Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members! We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp.   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Who is your ideal team member? What are their characteristics? How can working for you be exactly what they are looking for in achieving their hopes and dreams? What are you doing to attract them? You can’t just sit back and wait for them to find you, but you need an intentional, deliberate, and well-crafted system. Want to know more? Let’s talk about finding and attracting those ideal team members.    Join me to find out how to streamline the time-consuming hiring process so that your valuable time is spent with those candidates who will be the right fit for your business culture!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights:   Why you need to rethink your hiring process to find the A-players you want on your team   How to follow the five simple steps in the Tap the Potential Solution   Why the A-player attraction system is THE most important strategic step in building your business (I can teach you how to make this happen! Learn more about my upcoming How to Hire the Best course.)   Follow this exercise to identify your ideal team member, the role they can play in serving your clients and supporting your profitability, the personality strengths needed to carry out this role exceptionally well, and the skills that are must-haves   Why the skill set for a role is NOT the #1 hiring criteria; skills come AFTER the fit with your core values and their personality strengths   Why you must evaluate each potential team member regarding how they demonstrate your immutable laws; this determines everything about how they will fit into your culture!   How the things that make us proud and the things that “tick us off” reveal our core values   In the time-consuming hiring process, I can show you how to filter out the wrong candidates and spend your time hiring A-players who are the right fit; sign up for the How to Hire the Best course today! Links and Resources:   Sign up for our FREE Livenar, What’s Working NOW to Hire the Best and Grow Your Team of A-Players. It’s coming soon on July 29!   Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members!   We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp.    Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment.   Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.    New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Almost 9 out of 10 entrepreneurs are experiencing symptoms of burnout. They think their business cannot run effectively without them and have no system for attracting A-players. Our Better Business Better Life Assessment found these results by surveying 225 entrepreneurs. It all comes down to hiring, onboarding, and team development, and each of these plays a huge role in your profitability. Let’s dive into this topic together!   Retaining A-players is an overlooked area in the business world today, and attracting and hiring them is just the beginning. Your onboarding process is a critical determinant of whether they stay or go, and haphazard training won’t cut it. You want your new team members to feel supported, confident, and set up for success; the best way to do that is to create engagement and build enthusiasm for their new role. Join me in this episode as I break down what it takes to create a great onboarding experience!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   The facts: Only about 7 out of 10 entrepreneurs say they have a system for onboarding new team members. Why you should treat the onboarding process for new team members with as much care and priority as attracting new customers/clients How onboarding A-players to your team DIRECTLY affects your profitability Why the 12-18 onboarding process should focus on relationship-building within the team, and transition into ongoing team development Why team members will STAY: It all comes down to relationships! Why YOUR relationship with the new team member comes first: “Be INTEREST-ED, not INTEREST-ING.” (The People Map Assessment is a simple tool that can help you learn someone’s strengths, communication style, goals, and more!) The value in setting up opportunities for your existing team to get to know the new team member Why you should want to be a part of that team member’s career journey, helping them to fulfill their overall life and career goals Why you should ask about their goals, dreams, and strengths–and align their role accordingly Why you should ask their opinion on what makes a great boss and how they like to be appreciated because this gives more insight into who they are The value in pre-establishing clear, well-defined goals for the new team member’s role, including how they can be an A-player by the end of Year One, Month One, Week One, etc. Why it’s helpful to ask existing team members about their highs and lows during their first weeks on the job to gauge what’s working best and what is not How a simple conversation at the end of Day One can create a great experience and help your new team member feel celebrated, successful, and appreciated Why it is important to establish clear guidelines about who the new team member is with, and later, where they can go to ask questions (Who do they go to? What if that person isn’t available? How often will they meet with you?) How an end-of-day huddle can be very helpful for a new team member during the first few weeks; you can later transition to weekly one-on-one check-in meetings Links and Resources: Sign up for our FREE Livenar, What’s Working NOW to Hire the Best and Grow Your Team of A-Players. Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members! We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp. Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Wow! Here we are, celebrating Episode 200 with today’s Great Place to Work spotlight. My guest, Sarah Martin, joined us previously in Episode 101. As a small business owner who has experienced unique hiring challenges, Sarah has taken small steps forward to put systems in place and work on culture and leadership. In learning how to hire the best, she has supported and developed her team in unusually creative ways. I hope Sarah’s story inspires you to see what’s possible in YOUR business! Sarah Martin is the president and co-owner of Cabin Works, a property maintenance and cleaning company located in the rural, mountain town of Granby, Colorado. She and her husband, Phill, started Cabin Works over ten years ago intending to provide peace of mind to busy and absentee property owners in need of a reliable, professional, and trustworthy property maintenance company. Sarah and her team strive to foster a workplace culture of family involvement and work-life balance at Cabin Works. From company BBQs to family events, such as their annual bus trip to Denver to watch a Colorado Rockies game and participation in the local annual kickball tournament to raise funds for charity, they get excited about their involvement in their community and show appreciation for their team’s hard work. When not working with their team, you can often find Sarah, Phill, and their young children, Alivia, Mia, and Asher exploring the Colorado mountains on their skis or mountain bikes.  Join us and be inspired by Sarah’s commitment to putting her people first by prioritizing family and flexibility at Cabin Works!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights: How Sarah faced unique hiring challenges because of housing situations for her employees that led her into a new role in wholly supporting her team Specific steps Sarah has taken over the last two years regarding core values and advancement to improve her hiring system to attract, train, and retain her team members How Sarah pinpointed and developed her core values (immutable laws) around honesty, open communication, family, and flexibility Why Sarah implemented guidelines for her employees to bring their children to work with them–with specific boundaries in place How the COVID pandemic highlighted the need to be open to change and modify the rules—and the WHY of how things are done What Sarah’s A-players say about the Cabin Works culture around family and flexibility–even in classifying 30-hour/week employees as full-time and giving bonuses How Sarah measures benefits and bonuses that are most important to her team members How Sarah has addressed the question of “What’s possible?” and what she would say to her former self from two years ago Links and Resources: Find out more about Sarah and Cabin Works: Website and Facebook Sign up for our FREE Livenar, What’s Working NOW to Hire the Best and Grow Your Team of A-Players. Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members! We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp. Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart ! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Today’s episode continues our focus on hiring. This has become a monumental challenge right now for business owners who are feeling the pain in many ways. Small business owners everywhere are losing team members to other jobs that promise higher wages. The truth is that even without paying significantly higher wages, there are creative ways to attract and retain A-players to your team. Let’s take a closer look! Don’t forget to join us next week as we celebrate Episode 200! We will feature a very special return guest to the podcast who expounds further on hiring as she teaches us how consistent, small steps can lead to BIG changes in your business. Don’t miss it! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights: The value in intangible perks, those things that your team members value beyond money, like opportunities for advancement through training, business education, and hands-on experience How even entry-level roles can be greatly enhanced through systemized training and checklists The key question to ask when bringing any team member into a new role: “What does success look like in this role at the end of Year #1?” (This indicates the direction in which your training for them should go.) Why building confidence in a new team member is the key to enabling them to think on their own, problem-solve, and work independently Why it is essential to improve your “flow” and decrease chaos in your work culture (This element is crucial to retaining A-players!) Never be afraid to ask your team members for suggestions on improvement; this makes A-players feel that their opinions matter and are valued. Why understanding how A-players think and respond will help your recruiting efforts align to attract them (Our upcoming FREE Livenar can help!) Why opportunities for training and development in technical skills, leadership, and personal growth WILL attract and retain A-players Why it’s important to lay out clear opportunities for advancement and specific time frames to “move up” (Our Dream Manager Program and Leadership Boot Camp can help!)   Links and Resources: Sign up for our FREE Livenar, What’s Working NOW to Hire the Best and Grow Your Team of A-Players. Check out our new Dream Manager Program that provides personal and leadership development for your team members! We can teach your team members new strategies to support your efforts in making your business a Great Place to Work! Find out more about Leadership Boot Camp. Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

Many Profit Designers like you are struggling to hire, grow, and retain their best team members. You are not alone! Business owners are in a desperate state to hire the quality help that they need. The COVID pandemic has plunged us into a never-ending cycle of business owners having to step in and do more because of the depleted team—and increased customer dissatisfaction due to the level of service they are receiving. Can you resonate? Let me help! Solving this problem for small business owners has been my primary focus for many years. Let’s talk about solutions to help your business and your life!   You CAN hire A-players and build a quality team for your business. Don’t be like I once was: buying into the limiting mindset and making excuses for why I couldn’t hire A-players. I’ve done the research and discovered the characteristics of A-players that align with a business owner’s core values. Join me now for more!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   Hear my story of how hiring A-players became my focus! Characteristics of A-players: what they see, what they want, and the common thread that draws them to the team How I wrote the How to Hire the Best series, three books on the same topic to focus on what’s working–a clear guide to finding success as a small business owner The facts: 9 out of 10 entrepreneurs have NO system in place to attract A-players! Why there are huge gaps in the areas of on-boarding and team development Why there are subtle ways that having “warm bodies” on our team instead of A-players is costing business owners in BIG ways Why getting warm bodies off your team and replacing them with A-players mean fewer team members and lower payroll costs Exciting new episodes about hiring solutions are coming up as we celebrate our 200th episode! How are your limiting beliefs preventing you from hiring the BEST? Join us for the upcoming Livenar and our next How to Hire the Best course   Links and Resources: Make your business more attractive to A-players by doing things differently! Join us for an upcoming Livenar to learn what small business owners need to know RIGHT NOW to hire the best!   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment.   Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. Do BIG work on developing your culture by taking small steps over five weeks–and have a chance to be featured in our “Great Places to Work” spotlight!   New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart!   Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour  

Andrew Tvardzik of Cedar Ridge Log Homes has just graduated from Tap the Potential’s Better Business Better Life program, and we are celebrating with him! We are excited about what Andrew has accomplished since his new journey began in 2018. Running a family company presents many unique challenges and requires deeper-level work to promote growth and development. Besides increasing overall profitability and being able to take four-week vacations, Andrew has seen revenue growth of 5x! Andrew’s story is an opportunity for much learning for other business owners.  Join us to hear Andrew’s story of niching down, implementing and improving systems, and building a team of A-players who love what they do! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   What Andrew’s business was like back in 2018, when he and his dad were trying to find their place in the construction world Andrew’s moment of clarity–when everything began to change for the better How Andrew stepped into a new location, new niche, and new business after coming through a very dark place What it meant for Andrew to shift his thinking, build his team, and figure out exactly who they are at Cedar Ridge Log Homes Unique challenges in running a family business and figuring out who needs to “sit in each seat”  How it makes a big difference to have A-players operating in their sweet spots How Andrew learned to empower his team and let go of the “I have to do it myself” mentality through implementing systems Why mistakes are learning opportunities to improve the system–and not personal attacks on anyone What Andrew has learned about sales and products that Cedar Ridge delivers outside his personal skill set How Andrew and his company were able to stay afloat during the COVID pandemic, a blessing in disguise How Andrew is using the Better Business Better Life principles and Tap the Potential resources to create a healthier and happier life for himself and his family How being highly coachable and creating a supportive community makes the difference in creating a business that gives your life back to you as a business owner Andrew’s insights about who is a good fit for the Better Business Better Life program Links and Resources:   Find out more about Andrew and his company:  www.cedarridgeloghomes.com   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart ! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour

I have often wondered what distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from those who continue to flounder in survival mode. This distinction is essential to understanding the secrets to success, and we can even call it the “secret sauce” to entrepreneurial success. Join me today as I share my reflections over my 16 years of building my business and coaching other entrepreneurs.  Don’t make the same mistakes I made! Listen to–and learn from–the advice of others who have forged ahead on the entrepreneurial path. Don’t ever be hesitant to invest in yourself. Let’s dive into this subject together!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   My true confessions about early advice that I didn’t take to “Mindset is everything.” "Take time to journal about what you really want.” "There is great value in investing in yourself.” A key factor that distinguishes an entrepreneur who thrives from one who stays in survival mode—investing monetarily in themselves Where can you invest the time, energy, and money to get the learning and insight that you need as an entrepreneur? Ideas for investing in yourself as an entrepreneur: READ, listen to podcasts and integrate the learning, take online courses (be selective), and take advantage of opportunities for support and coaching Ask yourself, “How can I invest in myself to take my business to the next level, and what return can I experience in my business and personal life?”  

The biggest difference between business owners who thrive and those who continually struggle is a clear and compelling vision. My guest today is sharing how to develop a specific vision for your business and your life, and how to get ALL your team members on board. Join us to learn more!   Sir Steven Wilkinson found himself pivoting through the COVID pandemic to gain clarity and increase his writing and consulting work. As a business finance and investment expert, he takes on the role of a critical thinking partner with business owners and works with leaders of human-scale businesses who are having growth challenges. He is the creator of Good & Prosper, a platform through which he teaches finance to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Sir Steven is also a founding member of the Small Giants Community, a US-based organization of business leaders who focus on connections, culture, and caring. Though the impact of his work reaches all over the world, Englishman Sir Steven resides in Ireland with his wife, four children, three dogs, and a horse. He loves long-distance trail walking, cross country skiing, sailing, listening to podcasts, and writing enthusiastically with a cup of green tea close at hand.  If you are ready to act with intention and let go of vague and hazy visions of your future success in business and life, join us now for this inspiration-packed conversation with Sir Steven!    Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights:   What it means to have a “human-scale business” The difference in growing a business based on a people model vs. a profit model The importance of aligning decisions with the clear and compelling vision to support the people in your business How to break out of the “Groundhog Day” trap with big intention How the two states of mind of the entrepreneur are like “the fantasy of someone in prison who is dreaming of life in a different state” How Sir Steven was influenced most by two people, one of which was his grandmother, who said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” Why the power of an intention is in its specificity Steps in Sir Steven’s visioning exercise: Determine the point in time at which you are visioning. (He explains how to grade your business on foundational criteria.) Be specific about what you are DOING at that future time with a specific scenario. How we limit our vision with operational questions (asking “how?”) What makes a vision great is the energy flow and balance between “strategically sound” and “maximally inspiring” to take you from the present to the future. How business leaders who vision properly send out a frequency that resonates with and attracts others How the vision tells us what we are NOT going to do so we can dismiss distractions How to give everyone on your team input into the draft of the vision so it becomes their own How to celebrate the final version of the vision in tangible ways that bring on change management Links and Resources:   Connect with Sir Steven via email, steven@goodandprosper.com or LinkedIn Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Connect with Dr. Sabrina Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart ! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour  

Every business journey brings bumps and bruises along the way, but keeping your end goals in mind brings clarity in the face of distractions. In today’s episode, a fellow Profit First professional shares her lifelong entrepreneurial journey–and she’s not finished yet! Even though her focus is on the boutique business space, her tips, insights, and lessons learned apply across all types of businesses.    Ciara Stockeland began owning and operating businesses in her early teens. As a serial entrepreneur, her business mindset and tenacity led her to open her first store, Mama Mia, a high-end maternity store in Fargo, ND, in 2006. Shortly after, she opened Mode, a designer outlet store next to Mama Mia. In 2008, Ciara chose to merge her two stores into Mode and develop the concept into a franchise. Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led her to launch the first to-market wholesale subscription box for boutique owners, which she built and sold within 18 months. Most recently, Ciara has launched The Boutique Workshop, a coaching program for retailers. Ciara has been recognized as a Small Business Champion through Score, and most recently was awarded the Outstanding Franchise Small Business Award. She is active with Score, an organization that is the largest network of expert business mentors across the nation. Additionally, Ciara has been an active member of the International Franchise Association and an advocate for small businesses with her seat on the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council. On the personal side, Ciara has completed an Ironman triathlon and is currently training for another. She lives in Franklin, TN, with her husband, two children, and Bentley, the family dog.    Join us to hear the highs and lows in Ciara’s entrepreneurial journey, along with tips on pinpointing your passion and capitalizing on opportunities with your endgame in mind!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights: Where Ciara’s inspiration for entrepreneurship came from as a young girl, and how she started her first business, an acting company for students, at age 13 How Ciara discovered her passion for being a “disruptor” for retail business and selling products How Ciara capitalized on opportunities and her problem-solving skills to open her first and second retail stores and later merge the two The steps Ciara took to franchise her business and begin her subscription box service Lessons learned from growing to 13 franchises before selling the brand and moving on to her next steps What it takes to build a business with the clear intention of selling it later How Ciara built her coaching program as an outgrowth of questions she received and problems she could solve for other business owners How Ciara’s coaching program, The Boutique Workshop, works with a membership level and a mastermind group, which offers peer support, benchmarking, and one-on-one coaching  Lessons learned about simplifying a business with inventory management challenges The value in knowing your numbers—even if they are ugly! How Ciara has seen Profit First principles smooth out the “entrepreneurial roller coaster” Why Ciara came to Profit First and how this system has impacted her business Highlights of Ciara’s advocacy work with the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council Links and Resources:   Connect with Ciara:  www.theboutiqueworkshop.com   Visit the website to take the free class, Profit First for Retail, where Ciara takes a simple look at bite-sized pieces of what retailers need to know. Visit the website to find The Boutique Workshop podcast. New episodes are released weekly! Download our Workbook and take our Better Business Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Follow the steps to claim your spot for the upcoming live training, The 4 Week Vacation Better Business Better Life Jumpstart! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an HourJoin Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Life Back! Community

Welcome back for part three of this four-part series! In the last two episodes, I shared how to avoid the most common and costly missteps when working on your business. I also talked about how to multiply your profit by 100-900% in less than 12 months while freeing up more of your time. The greatest value in focusing on $10,000 an hour activities is the impact on your quality of life as a business owner.    At Tap the Potential, we support our clients in designing business plans that align with their life’s vision, which is very different from most coaching plans that focus solely on increased revenue. When what you are working on aligns with the vision you have for your life, you KNOW that you are working on $10,000 an hour activities.   Today’s focus is on getting your team to have the same mindset about $10,000 an hour activities. A clear, compelling, vivid vision is a big part of that mindset, and your team members have to understand your vision. Refer to my book, The 4 Week Vacation, for guided help developing your vision. Join me now to learn more!    Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights:   How to help your team clearly understand your vision and the sweet spot of your business: Identify the most important result that you need from each role to make money and save money, and share that with each team member. Review in weekly one-on-one meetings with team members the one result that is their highest-value contribution.  How to align team members’ strengths with the one result they need to deliver: Have one-on-one weekly check-in meetings with each team member. Give them permission to speak up about tasks that need to come off their plate.  Why teaching all team members to look out for “drag” on themselves and each other will help them find workable solutions to delegate tasks and support each other How to use the Chart of $10,000 an Hour Activities by sharing it with team members; identifying the highest-value contribution for their role; and listening to their ideas about delegating, automating, and taking tasks off people’s plates that don’t align with their strengths An example from our Leadership Boot Camp of an A-player who understood the sweet spot and helped improve the profitability of his business   Links and Resources:   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business, Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Life Back! Community

In Part 1 of this three-part series, I shared the $10,000 an hour mindset and the downloadable chart of $10,000 an Hour Activities. Visit www.tapthepotential.com/10k to get your copy of the chart and the workbook accompanying this series. These resources will be helpful to you over and over again as you move forward with a $10,000 an hour mindset.  Today’s episode features a mind-blowing golden nugget with significant ramifications for your business. I wish I had known the secret to free up my time and have more money in my bank account many years ago! This concept sums up our philosophy at Tap the Potential of helping you design a sustainably profitable business with more free time. Join me now for Part 2, refer to your copy of the chart, and learn the simple business model that can be a big game-changer for you! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights: Learn the difference between $10 an hour activities and $10,000 an hour activities!  Why many business owners need to let go and delegate bookkeeping activities to a qualified professional How to apply the 80/20 principle in regards to making your time worth $10,000 an hour by finding your “sweet spot” at the intersection of your top clients, your unique offerings, and your systemization Understand the basics of identifying your top clients in terms of the revenue they bring in, the ease of doing business with them, and their alignment with your immutable laws. How the 80/20 principle can give you the choice to let go of your most challenging clients and customers without decreasing your profitability–and focus on your top 20%, who bring in 80% of your revenue! How to get clear about the overall desired outcome, which is growing profitability and increasing YOUR free time How to focus on hiring A-players to create your lean and mighty team How to navigate the “messy middle” of letting go of difficult customers and team members who aren’t the best fit with the sweet spot of the business Why the “gremlins” show up when you are on the cusp of change and major breakthroughs How to add more value for your top clients and customers by freeing up your mental space and focusing on $10,000 an hour activities Links and Resources:   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business, Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an HourJoin Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Life Back! Community

This episode takes a deep dive into a popular topic within our community of Tap the Potential business owners: how to make your time worth $10,000 an hour. I have been teaching on this subject for several years, and as one of our most requested trainings, it’s a valuable tool for working most effectively on your business. One of the most rewarding aspects of this awareness is that it is just as useful for team members as for business owners, helping everyone get clarity about the most valuable use of their time.  Today’s show is the first of a three-part series in which you will hear how to avoid the most common and costly missteps when working on your business, the secret to multiplying your profit by 100-900% in less than 12 months (freeing up your time in the process), and two powerful questions to get you laser-focused on your $10,000 an hour activities.  Join me to shift your mindset about how you show up in your business and how you spend your time. Visit www.tapthepotential.com/10k to download your Chart of $10,000 an Hour Activities to support this podcast series.  Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights:   Learn how to do a mental exercise to gain clarity about where your team shines brightest: Recognize the places where you have already implemented $10,000 an hour thinking and action. Realize how $10,000 an hour activities free you to enjoy a higher quality of life. (Our Better Business, Better Life Assessment can help!)  Systems in your business are EVERYTHING when it comes to improving your quality of life: Identify those systems that improve the quality of your clients and customers and deter poor quality clients and customers. Identify those systems that ensure every team member exhibits high enthusiasm for their role. (My book, How to Hire the Best, can help, along with the accompanying How to Hire the Best Toolkit.) View each system as an opportunity to take small steps forward in making significant changes to improve your quality of life.  Is your relationship with your business dysfunctional? “Your business isn’t your baby anymore; it’s time for your business to grow up!” Delegate tasks and give your team members new opportunities to grow and learn.  Every time YOU do a lower-value task, there is an opportunity cost—because you COULD be doing a $10,000 an hour activity instead. “Confessions of high-level entrepreneurs” (or lies we tell ourselves that keep us stuck): “I’ll just do this one small thing and then move on to the next big thing.” “It takes too much time to delegate; I can do it faster myself.” What it means to “work on your business” with $10,000 an hour activities with systems to serve your top clients and add value that shows up over time (The Profit First system and The 4 Week Vacation book can help!) Two questions to ask to sharpen your laser focus on $10,000 an hour activities: “What is the one thing I can do today that will add the greatest value to my business?” “What is the one thing I can do right now so that everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” (From Gary Keler’s book, The One Thing) Links and Resources:   Download our Workbook and take our Better Business, Better Life Assessment. Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course.  New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Life Back! Community

Let’s talk about you. How are you doing with managing your stress? Right now, world events bring a lot of anxiety and stress, and we are still recovering from the COVID pandemic and its impact on our businesses. In addition, I from hear from many of you that hiring continues to be a challenge and that you are doing everything you can with a “lean and mighty” team. It is important to do a check-in with yourself and your team, especially regarding burnout.  Join me for a closer look at burnout, energy gainers and drainers, and why knowing your team members’ strengths might be the answer to preventing burnout in A-players.    Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group. Show Highlights:   Check-in questions to ask yourself, the chief A-player in your business: Does your mood fluctuate based on how the business is doing? In the last three days, have you neglected any basic needs, such as sleep, healthy eating, or social interaction—because of work? Are you finding it hard to switch off and NOT think about the business? Do you feel that no one understands you and the stressors you’re experiencing? Why you need to take our FREE Better Business, Better Life Assessment if you’ve never taken it, or feel free to take it again if it’s been more than a few months What we have found in the correlation between a higher number of systems and a lower risk for burnout How to identify your energy “gainers” and “drainers”---and what you can do about them! Why burnout is the downside to having a team of A-players (and how to spot the symptoms!) How to help your A-players fight against burnout by teaching them to delegate lower-value tasks to others and making sure they know how to say NO Tips for supporting your A-players and preventing burnout: Educate them about what burnout is, and give them permission to talk about it.  Help them shift responsibilities off their plate and maintain good boundaries about work time. Talk to them about energy gainers and drainers, and encourage them to focus daily on energy gainers. Find out what they don’t enjoy doing that someone else might like to do. How having your team members work from their strengths helps prevent burnout AND increase productivity (There are tools to help!) Links and Resources: Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts on April 7! New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community

As a business owner, you know that A-players love to learn, grow, and be challenged. Don’t expect to have A-players if you keep them in a stagnant role where they are not challenged! Join me in this episode where we dive deeper into retaining A-players by creating challenges and opportunities for their advancement.    Show Highlights:   Can you relate to Bill? He is a business owner facing the problem of a revolving door for entry-level employees–because he doesn’t have a plan for advancement for A-players.   “What we focus on grows.” Shift your intention and attention to developing and retaining your best team members, and start with weekly one-to-one meetings.   How to identify opportunities for team members to use their strengths in their work   What can you take off YOUR plate that can become an opportunity for advancement for your best team members?   Why retention matters (Situations like “The Great Resignation” will affect you less if you have the reputation as one who develops A-players.)   What makes a great boss? The key is to have people-management skills honed by: Planning one-to-one meetings where you can LISTEN. Clearly defining each team member’s role. Identifying crucial skills and strengths needed in each role.   How to identify in existing team members what drains them and what excites them about their role (Pinpoint their strengths, and don’t burn them out!)   How team goals help create a culture of support, safety, and connection for your team members   The value in mutually-invested relationships–when you share your business goals and vision with team members to show them how they will benefit from achieving them (They will see that they are working for something bigger than a paycheck.)   How the business owner’s dream should stretch everyone on the team to embrace and achieve that vision   The final piece in retaining A-players: How you, as the business owner, show up (Be non-judgmental and have a learner-curiosity mindset.)   Links and Resources:   Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course, book, and Quick Start Toolkit.   New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! When you purchase the book, you have access to The 4 Week Vacation Better Business, Better Life Jumpstart AND the exclusive VIP training to identify the true profit potential in your business!   Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour   Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community  

Branding means everything in today’s business world. Branding done the right way will force you out of your comfort zone–and that’s OK! Dr. Sabrina is thrilled to be joined by today’s guest who explains why branding is the soul and passion of your business and how you can be a boss at the branding game.  Mallika Malhotra is an award-winning brand strategist, a confidence-stirring mentor and speaker, and the founder of The Brand Attraction Society. After years of working in corporate advertising for brands such as L’Oreal and Oil of Olay, Mallika now helps women entrepreneurs get clear on their branding message, show up as the face of their businesses, and find their power niche. Mallika’s friends and clients call her “The Brand Energizer,” because she is a strong believer in getting out of our comfort zone, taking action, and implementing ideas. When not building brands, Mallika is at home in Maine with her husband and three sons, drinking coffee or red wine, and dreaming about their next global adventure.  Join us to learn why branding is NOT your logo or your headshot. Learn simple steps to build your brand today!  Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights: What is a brand, and why do we need one? How to ask the questions and do the discovery work to build your foundation and attract the right team members Why you MUST be the face of your brand to build human connection and the know-like-trust factor with clients–”You have to pull the curtain back to show transparency and authenticity.” How niche-ing positions you as an expert and specialist–and gives you your life back Four powerful questions to ask to develop your brand: What problems do I solve? What do I stand for? Who am I meant to serve? How am I different? (Hint: Your clients can help you figure this out!) How Mallike helps people discover their “Brand Brilliance” The critical images you need to establish your brand (not just a headshot!): Working Girl/Guy, Passion Portrait, and Future Forecast What will change in your business when you have a powerful niche and a breakthrough brand How Mallika’s Brand Visibility Booster gives you a framework to follow to empower yourself through branding Mallika’s advice to her past self and all entrepreneurs: “Don’t do this alone. Invest in a network of like-minded people, a community, and a mentor.”   Connect with Mallika: www.mikifoto.com. Get Mallika’s Brand Visibility Booster!     Instagram    Facebook    LinkedIn Links and Resources:   Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts on April 7! New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour   Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community  

Today’s episode highlights another “Great Place to Work.” My guest learned the ugly truth of entrepreneurship the hard way, so he made a big pivot and changed everything to align his business with the dream life he wanted. He is an alumnus of our How to Hire the Best course, which showed him what he was doing wrong and could do better. Now, he is moving in the right direction with his team of A-players to make his business even more profitable.  Erich Kolb owns Seagreen Lawn Care and Irrigation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He and a business partner started their first company in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area in 1995 with $40 in their business bank account! The company grew to $700k in revenue within a few years, but Erich wasn’t happy with its direction. A few years later, Erich realized his entrepreneurial dream was a nightmare; he was wearing too many hats and working too many hours to achieve his dream of living on the coast. In 2016, Erich sold his business, made the move, and started pumpkin planning his new business before he even learned what that meant. Through our course, books, and EVERY episode of the Profit by Design podcast, Erich has learned what it takes to be committed to having a business that supports his life.  Join us to hear Erich’s story and learn why narrowing his niche has been a big key to his business success! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights: Erich’s story: his background, business management degree, and how he started his landscaping business with $40 in the bank Why a business degree does NOT match up with real-world entrepreneurship The turning point that forced Erich and his business partner to step back and look at the numbers and the truth How Erich realized he was not moving toward his life and business goals—and needed to change his direction Erich’s steps in selling his business, relocating to Myrtle Beach, and starting a new business in a new and specific niche How Erich found success by tuning into higher-profit areas within his industry so he could offer higher wages and build a better team (Pumpkin planning at work!) Why a narrow focus allows you to stand out in your field, build an expert team, and free up your time How Erich’s hiring mistakes drove him to the How to Hire the Best course (Fact: 9 out of 10 small businesses have no system for attracting A-players!) The “Aha moments” for Erich when he took the course regarding immutable laws, job descriptions, and hiring systems (Fact: Following traditional hiring practices will fail 75% of the time!) What Erich is doing to make a great place to work by communicating his values, providing training and incentives, and supporting and respecting team members Erich’s questions about communication in moving forward in building his team What Erich is doing differently in hiring, based on what he has learned and experienced How Erich is incorporating virtual team members and helping them feel included and informed What Erich says about his experience with our How to Hire the Best course   Connect with Erich: www.seagreengrass.com                                       Facebook Links and Resources: Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts on April 7! New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community    

We are diving into all things marketing with today’s guest, but this is not your typical marketing conversation. He is a friend who has inspired me, and he has recently released his newest book, Full Circle Marketing: Transform Your Marketing and Turn Customers into Evangelists. Learn more about rethinking your marketing mindset in today’s episode! Wayne Mullins is a husband, father of four, founder, entrepreneur, and author. Over the past 20 years, he has had the privilege of scaling multiple companies and helping hundreds of entrepreneurs do the same with their companies. Wayne’s marketing agency, Ugly Mug Marketing, has won praise from some of the leading influencers in the business world, such as Neil Patel (founder of QuickSprout), Chris Voss (author of Never Split the Difference), Greg McKeown (author of Essentialism and Effortless). There is nothing Wayne loves more than helping entrepreneurs push through limiting beliefs and achieve more than they thought possible.  Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated! You can simplify your strategies and turn happy customers into evangelists. Learn powerful marketing insights from Wayne in today’s show! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.   Show Highlights: Wayne’s focus right now: team building and creating culture Transform your marketing mindset by concentrating on how your clients feel about themselves. The shocking truth about marketing dollars: 95% for attracting new clients vs. 5% for retaining clients Stop deceiving yourself about your level of service and learn to exceed your customers’ expectations. Eliminate the debris and obstacles! Want to know how your business really comes across? Follow Wayne’s advice about using litmus tests to find out the truth of how your business treats customers. Touchstones for entrepreneurs in Wayne’s new book; learn the core foundational pieces around psychology and math! Using Wayne’s “marketing rocks” strategy vs. throwing a handful of gravel in every direction Wayne’s marketing campaign strategies: Moving people from strangers to friends to customers to evangelists through trust and love   Connect with Wayne: Ugly Mug Marketing, Facebook, and Instagram   Full Circle Marketing: Transform Your Marketing and Turn Customers into Evangelists  by Wayne Mullins   Links and Resources: Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts in April! New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community Wayne Mullins Episode 150 on Tap the Potential

At Tap the Potential, we understand that being an entrepreneur is tough! So we always look for opportunities to do the happy dance! Today, I will be sharing what we do at Tap the Potential to support a healthy and resilient mindset. Stay tuned to find out how to stay strong and maintain a positive outlook- even throughout the hard times! Paying attention to your wins and successes has tremendous value for making your business more profitable. It will also give you more time for the things that matter most. Listen in today to learn how to use whatever is working in your business as a lever to start positive momentum and get more of what IS working going your business!   Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.  Show highlights: At Tap the Potential, we keep our energy up by regularly doing the happy dance to help us focus on the good things! How I stumbled upon the value of focusing on wins and successes. We have evolved to focus on threats and the things that are wrong in our environment. Unfortunately, what we focus on grows. It might take a while to get used to focusing on your wins and successes, but it will be worth the effort! What do you stand to gain from focusing on the wins and successes in your business? How can you attract more A-players to your business? Why listening to your employees and treating them with respect is a big deal. How wins and successes apply to niching down and having a clearly-defined sweet spot. (This is Step 2 of our Tap the Potential Solution.) Why should you start your next meeting by asking your team about their wins and successes? Some tips for getting the conversation going around the wins and successes in a team meeting.   Links and Resources: Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts in April! New! Now Available!! The 4 Week Vacation book with bonuses! Download Dr. Sabrina’s Introductory Training: How to Make Your Time Worth $10,000 an Hour Join Dr. Sabrina in our Entrepreneurs Take Your Live Back! Community Book mentioned: The Gap and the Gain, by Dan Sullivan