In this episode of the "Becoming Unleashed" show, Richard Shaull is joined by seasoned fractional CFO, Robert Lee. Together, they explore the challenges faced by business owners in the current economic climate, discussing declining revenues, rising expenses, and the need for strategic adaptation. Robert shares insights from his three decades of experience, emphasizing the importance of a customized approach and highlighting key steps for business resilience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Profitable Growth vs. Unprofitable Growth: Prioritize profitable growth over mere expansion. Evaluate revenue streams, update pricing strategies, and avoid the race to the bottom.
• Margin Attention: Focus on maintaining healthy profit margins. Exit lower-margin segments and explore new revenue streams that align with market demands.
• Expense Review: Conduct a meticulous review of expenses. Differentiate between must-haves, needs, and wants. Build a leaner, more agile operation to navigate economic challenges.
• Team Investment: Redirect investment towards team development, culture building, and leveraging AI for automation. Enhance engagement and readiness for future productivity.
• Opportunistic Marketing: In times of crisis, monitor advertising metrics closely. Adapt marketing strategies based on customer feedback and seize opportunities when advertising costs are on the decline.

QUOTES

• "Should you be planning for growth with the headwinds that exist right now, or are you better just to be a bit more reserved in your growth plans?" - Robert Lee
• "The conversation we're into today is how do I adapt and get prepared for this new economy I'm finding myself in?" - Richard Shaull
• "Don't plan for never within a year. 6 months is a 50 percent savings. If you can survive without it." - Robert Lee
• "Invest in the team, invest in the culture, invest in their development, their learning, in their engagement." - Robert Lee

Connect and learn more about Robert Lee.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lee-/

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In this episode of Becoming Unleashed, We delve into the complex realm of trust in leadership. Richard shares his personal experiences of betrayal and setbacks in business, emphasizing the impact these incidents have on a leader's ability to trust. The discussion focuses on how to navigate the aftermath of betrayal without letting it hinder growth, providing insights on fostering trust, refining leadership approaches, and establishing effective systems for accountability without sacrificing transparency.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Trust Amidst Betrayal: Encouragement to learn from past betrayals and not allow them to cloud one's ability to trust in the future.
• Self-Reflection: Emphasizing the importance of introspection and personal development to attract trustworthy individuals.
• Vision-Casting: Creating a compelling vision that inspires individuals to align their goals with the greater purpose of the company.
• Smart Systems for Accountability: Implementing transparent systems that promote accountability without stifling autonomy.

QUOTES

• "It's better to live and lead in a world where I can trust people than live in a world where I'm isolated in my castle and control everything, but have no ability to really empower others."
• "The ticket of entry to success is having some bad stuff happen to you."
• "Trust and have smart systems."

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In this episode of Becoming Unleashed, Richard Shaull expresses concern for business owners: hiring A-players without draining resources. He shares insights on the myth of affordability and the hidden costs of not investing in top talent. Richard narrates a personal story of the perils faced due to settling for B-players and outlines the imperative to recruit individuals with innate talents, the "A-players," for sustainable growth. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni's model and Maslow's hierarchy, he explores what truly motivates high-performing individuals and unveils strategies to attract, retain, and nurture A-players within entrepreneurial teams.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Hidden Costs: Choosing B-players over A-players can lead to extensive time and resource drain, hindering business growth and even causing financial setbacks.
• Defining A-Players: A-players possess unique talents, excel independently in their roles, and outperform others significantly in the long run.
• Attracting A-Players: Understand and cater to the higher-level needs of A-players—belonging to a high-performance culture, personal growth opportunities, and a chance to make a substantial impact.
• Opportunity Recruiting: Leverage your company's vision and growth potential as a magnet for A-players, emphasizing career fulfillment beyond monetary benefits.

QUOTES

• "It's far more expensive in the long run not to hire A-players."
• "A-players have a talent for their role that allows them to produce two to three times more than someone else."
• "The real key to attracting A-players isn't just offering more money or a fancier benefit package."
• "We have a vision and a growth opportunity that can speak to these A-player career needs."

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In this episode of Becoming Unleashed, we delve into the crucial aspects of becoming a true CEO and mastering the discipline required for long-term success. The discussion centers on crafting a visionary strategy, maintaining focus, and implementing a robust plan that transcends short-term fixes. We explore the pitfalls that hinder CEOs from staying disciplined and patient enough to execute a refined strategy, emphasizing the need to align teams and instill a culture of accountability. Join us to uncover the key elements of CEO scaling strategy that foster enduring, impactful companies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• CEO Mindset and Discipline: Transitioning from a reactive mindset to that of a proactive CEO involves crafting a clear vision, strategizing, and having the patience to refine ideas for long-term execution.
• Focus on Strategy and Vision: Successful CEOs delve deep into strategy, positioning, and vision, aiming for implementable plans rather than quick fixes or superficial solutions.
• Accountability and Commitment: Building an elite group committed to long-term growth involves holding oneself and others accountable, prioritizing thinking time, and engaging in CEO-style intellectual work.
• Clarity in Purpose: Defining the 'why' and 'what' of a company's existence from the CEO's perspective is crucial. It enables the team to align on execution strategies collaboratively.

QUOTES

• "Most CEOs, most founders I've met do not have the discipline or the patience to stay long enough for a strategy to be executable."
• "The great, enduring companies go deep on strategy, vision, and execution; they don't opt for quick fixes."
• "Transitioning to a true CEO means having the focus, discipline, and patience to allow strategies to marinate for successful implementation."
• "Define your 'why' and 'what' clearly; the 'how' falls into place with the right team and execution strategies."

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In this episode of Becoming Unleashed, we delve into the common issue of decision fatigue that many leaders face in service-based businesses. We outline how leaders unintentionally become the bottleneck for their team's decision-making process and talk about a comprehensive strategy to shift from an owner-centric structure to fostering a smart team. The focus is on empowering team members to autonomously make quality decisions, ultimately reducing the burden on business owners.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Culture: Create an environment where making autonomous decisions is celebrated, not feared. Encourage a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Clarity: Define the organization's purpose, strengths, and future direction to serve as a filter for decision-making.
• Coaching: Guide team members to think critically by asking questions rather than providing direct answers, fostering independent decision-making skills.
• Context: Establish clear communication channels to provide necessary context for making informed decisions.
• Collaboration: Encourage teamwork and diverse perspectives, allowing for refined ideas and decisions without solely relying on the leader's input.
• Calculation: Equip your team with the necessary data and tools to assess costs, consequences, and potential rewards of decisions.

QUOTES

• "If you want something repeated, celebrate what gets celebrated, gets repeated."
• "Your job isn't to tell them what to do; it's to train them how to think."
• "Create spaces for collaboration where smart people with different perspectives can refine decisions without solely relying on you."

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In this inaugural episode of the new season of "Becoming Unleashed," co-hosts Luke Mardigian and Richard Shaull delve into the pivotal topic of identifying and overcoming bottlenecks in founder-centric businesses. Through candid discussions and real-life anecdotes, they emphasize the importance of distinguishing between constant innovation and addressing critical bottlenecks to achieve substantial business growth. Luke shares his personal journey from being the "Chief Everything Officer" to gaining freedom as a CEO and how acknowledging and addressing bottlenecks transformed his approach to leadership.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Identifying Bottlenecks: Visionary CEOs often focus on the next best step, but the real challenge lies in identifying the bottleneck that hinders business growth.
• Mindset Shift: Rather than constantly seeking new tactics or strategies, a shift in mindset towards fixing existing bottlenecks yields significant breakthroughs.
• Self-Awareness and Humility: Acknowledging that something in your business might not be working as well as believed is crucial for growth.
• Sequential Problem Solving: Fixing one bottleneck leads to increased organizational throughput, creating the margin to address the next bottleneck.
• Consulting Support: Seeking outside guidance and consulting services, like Unleashed, can assist in diagnosing and resolving these bottlenecks effectively.

QUOTES

• "Are you willing to reconsider? Is your mind open to the idea that something isn't working as well as you think?"
• "Fix the bottleneck, and the business can grow. There's an unseen flywheel effect that people don't realize."
• "Are you open? Is your heart ready to accept that maybe you need to revisit something broken in your business?"

Connect and learn more about Luke Mardigian.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardigian/

Connect and learn more about Richard Shaull.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-shaull/
Website: https://www.unleashed.ceo/

In our latest episode we discuss financial management in an entrepreneurial company and what is actually required to scale a business as a Founder CEO. We are pleased to be joined by Jarrod Souza, co-founder of CFO Expertise. Jarrod is the former CFO of Michael Hyatt & Company and has been a fractional CFO and advisor to entrepreneurs, focused on teaching them how to maximize profitability. For all entrepreneurs who want to scale with more bottom-line profits, this is the episode for you!

In this episode, host Richard Shaull interviews Anatoliy Labinskiy, founder and CEO of Ukraine based digital agency, Golden Stream Media. Anatoliy discusses his company's unique culture, incredible business results and impactful ideas on how to motivate and manage your entrepreneurial team.

Golden Stream Media is a boutique eCommerce growth specialized agency that combines the power of PPC, Paid Social Networks, Conversion Rate Optimization, Content Creation, Influencer Marketing and Customer Lifetime Maximization into a Proven eCommerce Growth Framework.

Scaling a business is all about leverage. Utilizing technology correctly is one of the highest forms of leverage in modern times. However, when misapplied, you can waste tons of time and money. In today's episode Richard interviews Jordan Mederich, founder and CEO of DropFunnels, where they examine and discuss some of the best strategies for using technology to scale your company.

What if you were just one “Missing Link” away from scaling your company and becoming a time-free founder CEO? Our experience says most entrepreneurs' missing link is having the team and time to focus on growth as CEO.

Hosted by Unleashed.CEO Richard Shaull, we equip you to be time free by defining and finding your missing link so you can truly Become Unleashed.

Episodes will feature: insights you can apply now to scale your company, exposure to successful leaders' habits, experiences, and mindsets used to scale their company, and usable tools to help you on your journey to becoming Unleashed