By Crista Grasso
5
5959 ratings
The podcast currently has 205 episodes available.
Thinking about launching a certification program but not sure where to start? If the idea of turning your expertise into a certification program feels overwhelming, you’re not alone.
In this episode, I share my experience launching two certification programs: Chief Strategy and Operating Officers (CSOO) and Entrepreneurial Project Managers (EPM). I break down the process of designing and implementing certifications, focusing on starting with the end goal in mind.
I introduce the Shuhari framework, inspired by martial arts, to simplify the process into three stages: SHU (learning), HA (practicing in context), and RI (mastery). This method helps structure certifications, whether they're short knowledge-based courses or in-depth skill-building programs.
I also discuss the importance of hands-on application through capstone projects and share key lessons from my journey, including how I determined the length and structure of my programs.
In this episode, I share how to alleviate the overwhelm using a simple (and surprisingly effective) framework inspired by martial arts including:
If launching a certification is priority for you next year, you won’t want to miss this one.
Ready to get out of the day-to-day operations of your business? A SOL (Strategy + Operations Leader) is the missing link between your vision and results that aren’t dependent on you! Certify your existing right-hand or get support in hiring the right person: https://www.strategicopsinstitute.com/sol Looking to go deeper and learn how to scale your business sustainably? OPS ALCHEMY will help you to reclaim your time, increase your impact and profit, and simplify your business as you scale to multiple-7 figures and beyond so you finally get to enjoy the success you worked so hard to achieve. Find out more at: https://www.leanoutmethod.com/opsalchemy Ready to become a strategic leader who understands how to balance sustainable and scalable growth with operational efficiency? Join our SOL Collective, an elite and private community for Business Strategists and Operational Leaders who advise and support founders in scaling their businesses. Learn more at https://www.strategicopsinstitute.com/collective
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
Do you want more freedom in your business as you look ahead at 2025? Many entrepreneurs feel so buried in details and distractions that it can seem impossible to reclaim control of your time and clarity in focus. In this week's episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast, I chat with Melissa Unsell-Smith, founder of Catalytic Icon, about creating a business that aligns with the life you truly want and achieving success without overworking.
Melissa shares her journey building multimillion-dollar B2B SaaS companies and highlights the power of stepping outside our comfort zones to unlock potential and boost revenue.
Melissa also breaks down the core principles she uses to guide her clients: staying aligned with one’s identity, using the 80/20 rule, cutting out non-essential tasks, as well as embracing discomfort to grow. Melissa and I both emphasize the importance of self-care, with simple strategies like organizing your calendar and taking solitude retreats to support growth in both life and business.
"Clutter and complexity lead to procrastination and paralysis, while simplicity and focus lead to success and clarity."
– Melissa Unsell-Smith
In this episode, we explore:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
Ever struggled with knowing when it’s time to let a team member go? If you’re constantly questioning it, you might already have your answer.
In this episode, I share insights from a recent conference where I led a workshop on growing your business sustainably (without burning out). During the workshop, someone asked about knowing the right time to part ways with a team member. My answer? If you’re already wondering, it might be time.
I also emphasize how important it is for team members to bring a sense of relief, not stress. Alignment is also key, so I encourage business owners to listen to their instincts and consider if their team truly supports their future vision. Additionally, I share tips on how to help great employees grow, and when it’s best to make hard choices with those who may be holding you back.
If you’re thinking about making changes in your team or want to be ready for success in the new year, this episode is for you.
In this episode, I discuss:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
Are you set up for a successful new year?
Ending the year strong isn’t just about closing this chapter but setting the tone for the next one.
In this episode of the Lean Out Your Business podcast, I discuss actionable steps to wrap up the year successfully and set the right foundation for the upcoming year. I guide you on how you can optimize your time, evaluate business activities, and get ready to hit the ground running in the new year. Learn how to objectively take a closer look at your business practices, investments, and the individual roles within your business. And of course, I discuss best practices for planning ahead, and how to make sure your vision is grounded in practical and actionable goals. I also share how having the right people, systems, tools, and automations can support your goals and why measuring progress is vital to ensuring progress. In this episode, I dive into planning for a successful finish to this year and start to next year including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit leanoutmethod.com/podcast.
Ready to better align your business growth with personal growth in the new year? Scaling in 2025 looks different than prior years. It is a new era and requires a new approach. That's where Kim Woods comes in! Kim and I teamed up recently in Colorado to deliver a keynote that blends her unique astrology-driven strategies and "knowing, liking, and trusting" yourself with my “simplify, sustain, scale” model.
Kim Woods is a master astrologer and business strategist and she is all about combining astrology with modern business strategies. Kim explains how astrology has influenced important tools like Carl Jung's work and the Myers-Briggs personality test. She also shares details about her popular 12-question quiz, which has been taken by 22,000 people to help understand different decision-making styles.
Kim’s method blends masculine and feminine energies, making her strategies pragmatic for today’s fast-changing business world. She highlights the power of self-awareness and building real connections, rather than relying on automated systems, to achieve business success. We also discuss how our approaches, "know, like, trust" and "simplify, sustain, scale," are coming together in a new live event focused on making big business moves.
"It's crucial to balance innovative ideas with practical implementation. That's where true growth happens."
- Kim Woods
Tune in to this week's episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast - our 200th episode! - where Kim and I merge insightful ideas and practical steps to help businesses thrive and scale in the new era including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit leanoutmethod.com/podcast.
Is your business ready for success and scale in 2025? As you look at what it will take make your big bold vision and goals a reality in the new year, there are some key things to consider. Not only has the way we market and sell shifted, but the way our business operates needs to shift as well. Things that were a nice-to-have in prior years are now a bare minimum for success.
In this episode, I'm excited to celebrate the launch of my new brand, the Strategic Ops Institute, and share some important insights on the future of business operations. I talk about key market changes and how AI is playing a big role in transforming the way we work. It’s not just a competitive advantage anymore—AI is something businesses must use to grow and run more efficiently.
I explore why strategic planning is so important, how we need to balance innovation with steady growth, and why it's essential to connect marketing with operations. I introduce my S.P.S.T.I Framework, Strategy, Planning, Systems, Team, and Insight—which is the foundation for scaling a business in a simple and sustainable way.
In this episode, I dive into what I see as the future of operations and scaling success for small businesses including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
Do your business results ever leave you feeling like you're on a roller coaster? You want to create a stable and predictable business that avoids burnout and minimizes constant stress. So how do you scale your business without burning out?
In this episode, I explore the concept of sustainable scaling and break down the two key components of building a business that grows without leading to burnout: sustainable results and a sustainable pace. I discuss how many entrepreneurs get caught up chasing what's "new"—new ideas, tools, or strategies—that may offer short-term wins but don't create lasting stability.
I also highlight the importance of maintaining a sustainable pace in business operations. While periods of intense work, like during a launch, are sometimes necessary, it's crucial to recognize when these bursts of effort become the norm rather than the exception. Whether it's systematizing processes to eliminate redundancy or ensuring tasks align with your zone of genius, finding a sustainable rhythm is essential for you and your team.
In this week's episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast, I share the two key elements to do so successfully including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
Why is it important for businesses to block out distractions and focus on what really matters, especially in today’s tough market? Providing an exceptional client experience isn't just about what you deliver, but how you make your clients feel throughout their journey with you. In this week's episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast, I am joined by Kim Breiland, a customer experience expert and creator of The Customer Experience Formula™. Kim specializes in helping entrepreneurs and small business owners grow their businesses without burning out.
We explore it’s crucial for businesses to avoid distractions and focus on the essentials. Kim shares her story, including her background in psychology and customer service at Princeton University, stressing that businesses need to offer not just good products but also great customer experiences. She explains key moments for keeping clients engaged and the risks of ignoring customers after they’ve made a purchase.
Kim also gives practical tips, like adding a personal touch to business interactions, making sure the customer experience is smooth, and gathering regular feedback to make clients feel heard. Her advice, backed by her certifications in neuroplasticity, offers a well-rounded approach to balancing both emotional and business needs.
"Retaining clients should be as much a priority as acquiring new ones. Both are key to improving profit margins."
- Kim Breiland
Kim shares the critical role client experience plays in business success including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
How have the operational areas of your business impacted your overall results? How do you balance staying engaged with your business's strategy while delegating operational tasks? Have you encountered any issues with completely delegating without oversight?
In this episode, I talk about the challenges of growing a business in a sustainable way, especially when it comes to operations. I highlight common mistakes founders make, like only addressing operational issues during a crisis or hiring the wrong people. I also discuss how important it is to make operations a key part of the business from the start and how to avoid these mistakes for better efficiency and smoother growth.
One of the most common hiccups I see in businesses trying to scale is treating operations as a backend chore instead of an integral part of the business. This often leads to avoidable issues eating up valuable time and resources. In this episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast, I tackle these critical operational mistakes head-on:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit leanoutmethod.com/podcast.
How do you manage to avoid the "revenue roller coaster” in your business and what strategies have you found to be most effective for both immediate and future growth? As we enter the last 3 months of the year and come out of summer, you may be looking to generate some short-term cash flow to make up for slower summer revenue or to hit your financial targets for the year. Balancing urgent cash flow needs with long-term growth can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I dive into actionable strategies for driving short-term cash flow and outline twelve high-impact strategies such as leveraging VIP days, offering referral incentives, and introducing payment plans for higher-ticket offers. Each strategy is designed to help entrepreneurs not only boost their revenue in the short term but also lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth in the new year.
I also emphasize the importance of balancing short-term cash flow with long-term sustainable strategies to avoid the dreaded "revenue roller coaster." I share personal experiences and practical examples, including my own successful methodologies within the Ops Alchemy program. The episode is packed with insightful tips tailored for tackling urgent financial goals while keeping an eye on future stability.
In this week's episode of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast, I share strategies for short-term cash flow that are working right now including:
Ready to simplify and streamline how you scale your business?
We are now accepting Visionary CEOs and their right-hand Ops Leads into our signature Simplify to Scale mentorship program. Learn more and join us at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/scale
Join us for our transformational in-person business retreats and masterminds each Spring and Fall at https://www.leanoutmethod.com/retreat.
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
If you loved this episode, please help us spread the word and reach more business owners like you by leaving a 5-star rating and review. Hit subscribe to be the first to listen to new episodes each Tuesday.
For full show notes and more visit https://www.leanoutmethod.com/podcast
The podcast currently has 205 episodes available.