Have you played small in your business? Are you still playing small and hesitating on some core moves that you know will move the needle in your business a lot further? Today’s entrepreneur has some solutions for you! Mike Gunderson is the Founder of Gunderson Direct, Inc., a direct marketing agency that helps businesses drive new leads and close more sales through traditional offline channels, especially direct mail. He is also the Founder and CEO of Respond Fast, a voice technology company that helps offline marketers connect with customers through smart speakers. Mike was looking back in some of his old files back when he was a kid and he saw that he did have some entrepreneurial tendencies. He was the founder and president of his neighborhood clubhouse. It was in him at an early age to start something from scratch. Throughout Mike’s corporate career, he always maintained a bit of a freelancer career on the side. He thinks it’s important to have a side hustle of some kind or hobbies of some kind. He even encourages his staff to take on additional freelance projects to keep the creative juices flowing.   Interview Links: Gundersondirect.com Mike on LinkedIn Sponsored by: Eonetwork.org   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube  

Getting Real with Mike Gunderson — Gunderson Direct

Scaling Up Business is all about how a few companies make it...and why the rest don’t. Our podcast shows are drawn from the lessons of our coaching clients, coaching partners, and the leading authors that contribute to our Conferences and the Scaling Up best selling book by Verne Harnish, and the Team at Gazelles.  

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How can business leaders let go of control at the same time as they empower team members to take ownership of their work? In this episode, Bill Gallagher and Hortense Le Gentil discuss trust, empathy, and the importance of leaders recognizing and challenging their limiting beliefs.  An executive leadership coach and an author, Hortense Le Gentil is on a mission to empower leaders to embody authenticity, inspire meaningful change, and make a profound difference in the lives of people around them and the organizations they lead. 
 Key topics Bill and Hortense explore in this episode:  
 - Hortense’s journey from France to business coaching and book writing. 
 - Why empathy and trust are key to effective leadership.  
 - Hortense recounts a personal experience of feeling unfulfilled in her professional life and seeking a change, despite having a seemingly perfect life on the outside. 
 - Hortense’s journey as an entrepreneur, from learning to be herself to helping others. 
 - Self-discovery through neuroscience and psychology. 
 - Unlocking potential in CEOs and executives. 
 - Why the traditional heroic leadership model is no longer effective in today's workplace. 
 - The importance of teamwork and collaboration in overcoming challenges. 
 - Leaders can’t be like Superman and have all the answers. 
 - The importance of leaders being remembered for empathy, support, and human connection. 
 - How each person has a unique talent that they are meant to share with the world. 
 Thanks to Hortense Le Gentil for being on the show!  
 Visit her website: https://www.hortenselegentil.com/  Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hortenselegentil/  
 Get her book: The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World: https://amzn.to/49NgSkA  
 Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.  
 Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop  Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall/ Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach  
 Visit https://ScalingUp.com/ to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth.    Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts. 
 Subscribe via Spotify: <a href="https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Becoming An Effective Human Leader with Hortense Le Gentil

In this episode, Bill emphasizes the significant impact of crafting a company manifesto as a foundational tool for embedding cultural elements deeply and swiftly into the organizational fabric. This manifesto should articulate the company's purpose, its emotional core, the vision for the future, the values guiding its operations, promises made to customers, and a long-term transformational goal, commonly referred to as a "big, hairy, audacious goal" (BHAG). By doing so, a manifesto provides a comprehensive overview of why the company exists, its direction, how it plans to get there, the intended experience for its beneficiaries, and a specific target to achieve. Bill outlines a practical approach to creating such a manifesto, starting with defining the company's purpose and detailing its aspirations, operational values, customer commitments, and a visionary BHAG. He suggests integrating this manifesto into daily business operations through various means such as printing, office displays, recitation in meetings, and ongoing dialogue about its relevance and challenges. This integration process transforms the manifesto from a static document into a living, breathing aspect of the company's culture. By fostering regular conversations around the manifesto, businesses can ensure it remains a central, dynamic element of their identity, significantly easing the challenges associated with scaling and growth.

Ingraining Culture with a Manifesto

As an entrepreneur, have you given much thought to your exit plan? Are you not only capturing wealth but also putting the right things in place to preserve your legacy?  In this episode, Elizabeth Ledoux shares her wealth of knowledge on business transitions. With over three decades of experience, Elizabeth helps entrepreneurs start their business transition journey.  Elizabeth Ledoux is the founder and CEO of the Transition Strategists, an international consultancy that helps owners of private and family businesses to maximize the odds of successful business transitions.  
 Key topics that Bill and Elizabeth explore in this episode:  
 - Exit strategies for business owners. 
 - Why some entrepreneurs prioritize revenue or valuation over exit planning and impact, but may struggle with purpose and fulfillment in their businesses. 
 - Family business ownership and passing on a legacy to the next generation. 
 - The importance of starting with the "why, who, what, and when" during conflict resolution, rather than jumping to "how much" or "how." 
 - Fairly distributing profits among multiple investors. 
 - How business owners can identify their objectives and create a strategy for their exit.  
 - The importance of purpose and fulfillment in life, rather than just wealth or time. 
 - Encouraging entrepreneurs to consider their personal values and goals in their business decisions, including philanthropy and family legacy. 
 - Why starting planning your business transition early will provide you with more choices and reduce stress. 
 Thanks to Elizabeth Ledoux for being on the show!  
 Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethledoux/  
 Learn more about The Transition Strategists: https://transitionstrategists.com/  
 Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.  
 Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop  
 Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall/ 
 Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach  
 Visit https://ScalingUp.com/ to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth.    Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts. 
 Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ 
 Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://apple.co/3PKe00u" rel="noopener noreferrer"

Navigating the Terrain Of Business Transitions with Elizabeth Ledoux

In this episode, Bill delves into the significance of creating a powerful and positive company culture as a foundational strategy for scaling businesses effectively and sustainably. He likens the ideal company culture to a "good cult," emphasizing the need for intentional, cult-like qualities within a company to foster unity, commitment, and shared values among team members. By drawing parallels with companies like Disney and Apple, known for their strong, cult-like cultures, Bill outlines how such a culture can significantly contribute to a company's success by enhancing teamwork, shared responsibility, and overall satisfaction within the organization. Bill provides practical advice on building a company culture that resonates deeply with employees and guides the organization towards its goals. He stresses the importance of defining clear and meaningful core values, purpose, and brand promises that reflect the company's essence and how it operates at its best. Bill encourages embedding these cultural elements into every aspect of the company, from recruitment and onboarding to daily operations and external communications. Through rituals, traditions, and consistent reinforcement of these values, leaders can cultivate a unique and vibrant culture that not only distinguishes their company but also supports its growth and the well-being of its people. Moreover, Bill suggests incorporating various methods to keep the company's core values visible and top-of-mind, such as utilizing visual reminders in the workplace, incorporating values into employee recognition programs, and even integrating them into personal accessories or digital wallpapers. By rewarding adherence to these values and holding everyone accountable, companies can ensure that their culture remains strong and pervasive. This episode serves as a guide for leaders looking to build a cohesive, values-driven environment that propels their company forward while making the journey enjoyable and fulfilling for everyone involved.

Culture, Creating A Strong One

In this insightful episode, Bill delves into the essence and significance of company core values, demystifying how to get them right and why they are so crucial for creating a thriving, scalable business. He emphasizes that core values are not mere aspirational statements or the embodiment of desired traits but rather a reflection of how a company operates at its best. Bill argues that core values should guide the behavior and decisions within a company, ensuring it grows in a way that remains true to its founding principles without becoming overwhelming or diverging into something the founder no longer recognizes or loves. Bill advises against common pitfalls such as creating too many or too few core values, suggesting an optimal number of five to maintain focus and memorability. He strongly cautions against using generic business terms like integrity, communication, or teamwork as core values, advocating instead for richer, more descriptive phrases that evoke a clear picture and resonate more deeply with team members. Through examples, he illustrates how to transform generic terms into meaningful, actionable values that genuinely reflect the company's culture and operational ethos. This episode serves as a guide for entrepreneurs and business leaders aiming to build a distinct and enduring company culture anchored in authentic core values.

Getting Real with Mike Gunderson — Gunderson Direct

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