Mads Singers Management Podcast

There are many business books that share theories about how to manage companies.  Unfortunately, many of them are heavy in theory and light on real-life experience, which is why I’m always keen to talk with those who don’t just have a set of experiences with one company, but many sets of experiences across multiple companies and industries.

Someone who fits that profile is Henry Daas, who joined us for this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast.  Henry is a serial entrepreneur, business coach, author of a book about money and finance and currently writing a book about the “seven silos” of a business, which he has arranged into an acronym spelled as “codfish.”

Henry used a website to find an English word that would match the first letters of each of the concepts that he found were vital for any successful and serious business:

• Customer Service
• Operations
• Development
• Finance
• Infrastructure and IT
• Sales and Marketing
• Human Resources

Henry has a great skill stack, one of which is in finance, so I really enjoyed our conversation about business finances.  We agreed that a shocking number of business owners do “bank account financing,” meaning that they run their business and build their financial outlooks based on what is going on in the company bank account.  This is just one of the many issues I talk about in my finance course for entrepreneurs.

Henry insists that business owners doing less than $1M in annual revenue should know the numbers from their balance sheet and profit and loss statements backward and forwards.  He also noted how casual most business owners can be about securing credit during good times.  “Otherwise,” he says, “You won’t be able to get it when you do need it.”

I really appreciate Henry’s humble and understated style and there’s a lot more to this interview that you’ll enjoy.  Dive in!

Key Learning Points:

1. Henry shares how he developed his Seven Silos concept - 1:57

2. Henry gives his opinion about “writer communities” - 5:35

3. Henry talks about the #1 finance issue most small business owners face - 7:30

4. Henry talks about the importance of a credit line, even when you don’t need one - 10:27

5. Henry cautions against “bank account” financial planning - 13:45

6. Mads discusses two aspects businesses should consider when making investments  - 20:31

7. Henry discusses the one milestone that makes you a “real business”  - 26:32

8. Henry discusses “micro clients” and their relation to the 80/20 rule  - 31:00

9. Henry shares his biggest management mistake - 39:02

10. Henry warns about the “equity trap” - 40:35

11. Mads explains why he takes business partnerships more seriously than marriages - 42:00

Connect with Henry Daas:

1. Henry Daas

While hiring is one of the most important parts of running any business, the truth is that many companies are not intentional about hiring.  They don’t have calibrated questions that relate to company culture.  They don’t use an assessment.  They don’t have interviewing skills.  I’ve written about these topics before, but it’s always great to learn more from others who spend a lot of time thinking about these subjects.

That’s why it’s my great pleasure to welcome Beth Miller to this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast. Beth runs Executive Velocity, which is a talent management and leadership advisory management firm.  Beth works with business owners and their leadership teams and helps identify future leaders in the organization. 

Both Beth and I know how much money can be lost by bringing on the wrong team members.  That’s why it’s so important to be intentional in the hiring process.  Beth identifies the beginning of this process in having a “company story.”  If you don’t know where you came from, it’s really hard to figure out where you are going, and the profiles of the people you need to help you along the way.

If companies have taken the time to write their story, they can then use that to put together a hiring process, another item that many companies don’t often possess.  Key elements of that process that Beth and I discussed:

• Calibrated questions - not just the generic ones (“tell me your strengths and weaknesses”) but the ones that are related to how you company thinks, acts, and executes
• Assessments - using tests like DISC and Business DNA which not only shows inherent characteristics but opportunities for helpful adaptations
• Video - it’s never been easier to find out rapidly how many candidates should be dumped from the process early on (or to get excited about those who might be great fits)
• Interviewing skills - don’t assume everyone “knows how to interview.”  Cultivate those skills in those who most frequently interview new team members

Key Learning Points:

1. Beth discusses the importance of a hiring mindset - 1:57

2. Mads shares the two most important skills of a manager - 3:41

3. Beth warns about the dangers of a manager hiring a “Mini Me” - 4:40

4. Beth notes that many businesses don’t know how to attract the best candidates - 8:10

5. Beth shares the importance of having a “company story”  - 9:45

6. Mads notes how game-changing adding a video requirement to a job application can be  - 12:55

7. Beth encourages the types of questions that are tied to your company’s culture - 16:10

8. Beth shares what “I” vs “we” language means when a candidate is recounting a failure - 19:17

9. Beth stresses the power of assessments - 25:15

10. Mads shares the usefulness of DISC - 28:49

11. Beth talks about planting palm trees and how that’s related to training employees - 40:14

Resources Mentioned:

1. How to be a Great Boss

Author: Gino Wickman

2.  DISC profile

3.  Business DNA

Connect with Beth Miller:

1. LinkedIn

Many business owners get stuck in the hamster wheel of simply running their businesses day-to-day (working in the business) and hence never get to grow the company via strategic planning and deep work (working on the business).  The best business owners, however, put systems into place to escape this hamster wheel and to help their team members become more effective too.

It’s the one year anniversary of the podcast and for this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast I welcome Ronnie Teja of Branzio Watches to discuss how he leveled up his and his team’s performance by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System and hence moved from working in his business to working on his business.

Ronnie Teja is a Canadian e-commerce entrepreneur who manages a portfolio of websites with the help of a remote team of 24 based in almost a dozen countries.  He recently implemented the Enterpreneurial Operating System (EOS) for his entire company, which essentially entailed getting the entire company on the same page regarding key principles and paperwork:

• The entire team understands and accepts company principles, to which even the owner is held accountable
• Each member of the team individually signs off on the company playbook
• These principles and accountability also apply to each team member individually, and with Ronnie’s company that meant principles of honesty and integrity particularly
• Observance of the EOS is enforced by a system everyone has agreed to and accepts

This was a challenging six month process, but results came in the first 30 days, as team members who were not on board with the new ways were let go and those who embraced them not only stayed but thrived and leveled up with new accountability and better delegation from Ronnie, creating a culture of improvement.  As the system was implemented Ronnie went from working 60-70 hours a week to 20-25 hours a week.  He realized how much he had made himself a single point of failure within the organization and these changes have made the business that much more valuable for any future acquirer.  Now when he uses his time to do things like write handwritten notes to customers or employees it makes a strong impact because he’s using his time to do the things only he can do.

Key Learning Points:

1. Ronnie and Mads discuss the timeline for implementing EOS - 4:11

2. Ronnie shares how the system led people to come forward about times they had failed to be accountable - 7:55

3. Ronnie realized that the Canadian team were not pulling their weight - 9:25

4. Mads warns about the dangers of implementing a system from the top without buy-in from everyone - 15:35

5. Ronnie describes his Bruce Lee approach to management - 17:16

6. Ronnie shares the things he’s been freed up to work on now - 23:20

7. Ronnie discusses the challenges ecommerce businesses face - 28:07

Resources Mentioned:

1. Entrepreneurial Operating System

Author: Gino Wickman

2. Traction

Author: Gino Wickman

3.  Get a Grip

Author: Gino Wickman and Mike Paton

Connect with Ronnie Teja:

1. LinkedIn

Joining me in today’s episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast is Marquis Matson, from BookRetreats. 

Marquis is a digital nomad and SEO Expert. She also specializes in comprehensive keyword analysis, making sense of organic traffic data, and topic clustering. 

Marquis creates content plans with a focus on Search Engine Optimization, high-converting content creation, funnel strategies, and email marketing.

Marquis’s passion is to works with start-up companies, and her experience is mostly in the wellness and yoga industry. Currently, she manages the Marketing Team of a company called BookRetreats, which focuses on overall wellness. 

Marquis has always subscribed to the view that becoming part of the growth is essential in management. From this perspective, she profoundly understands the relevance of being flexible, knowing that individual differences significantly affect her management style. This is, in effect, also reflects in the manner she relays her feedback. For Marquis, having the right method to communicate is crucial for improvement; hence, it must be specific, whether it be positive or negative feedback. 

As she has grown within BookRetreats, being organized is the best advice she could impart. In this way, asking the right questions contributes to becoming relevant such as how she was able to grow with BookRetreats with her SEO and Digital Marketing expertise. 

Key Learning Points:
1. Marquis Matson’s General Insight on Management - 2:25, 4:04
2. Marquis Matson’s Take on Performance and Over All Wellness - 9:12, 11:39
3. Marquis Matson’s Management Tips - 17:00, 20:58

Connect with Marquis Matson on the following online handles:
1. Linkedin

2. E-mail: [email protected]

Many leaders in this time, especially new ones, fall into the trap of thinking that they have to be the ones doing everything, "running the show," dispensing good advice right and left. Because after all, why else are you in charge, right? Wrong. The best leaders are not those who try to do it themselves, but those who can guide, inspire, and motivate others to do their best, and even bring out things in others that they didn't think they were capable of.

A good leader shines. A great leader makes other people shine.

In this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast, Ghilaine Chan from, Brilliant and Human joins me today to discuss how enabling strengths becomes an essential function to effective delegation. 

Ghilaine Chan is the Co-Founder of Brilliant and Human. She works with small businesses and looks at how the customers, people, and technology work together. These elements are what Ghiliane considers when looking at the whole business interface regardless of the business size. 

Ghilaine is mainly responsible for the inside of the businesses and how people work best with those teams. 

Ghilaine subscribes to the view that managing people entails being able to build connections for effective delegation alongside the tools or technology in place. 

Key Learning Points:
1. Ghilaine Chan’s Insight on Management - 2:16, 8:24
2. Ghilaine Chan’s Tips on Team Management - 18:30
3. Ghilaine Chan’s Insight on Common Client Challenges - 27:52.
4. Ghilaine Chan’s Tips and Hints in General - 41:45

Resources Mentioned: 
1. Nine Lies About Work
Author: Marcus Buckingham 

2. The End of Average 

Author: Todd Rose

Connect with Ghilaine Chan on the following online handles: 
1. Brilliant and Human
2. Linkedin
3. E-mail: [email protected]

Coaches are like guides who help you unpeel and navigate what you know to help you come out with the best outcome.

Joining me in today’s episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast is no other than, Todd Palmer, the leader. He knows that we only learn by leaning into the uncomfortable and away from the comfortable.

Todd is a serial entrepreneur and has been a CEO for 25 years. Recently, Todd retired and is currently, a full-time coach and speaker helping entrepreneurs through his company Extraordinary Advisors to do inside out leadership training, to help them stick around their business, take their complicated business issues and make those complicated business issues simple so entrepreneurs can create a life designed to typically involve entrepreneurship and their personal life to help them enjoy a better life and a profitable experience versus trying to do all by themselves which for Todd is the real hidden trap of entrepreneurship.

Todd subscribes to the view that every entrepreneur should never stop learning and should always consider themselves as long life learners to be able to know better and figure things out accordingly for them.

Key Learning Points:
1. Todd Palmer’s Biggest Management Challenge - 1:37
2. Todd Palmer’s Common Client Challenges - 14:41
3. Todd Palmer’s Insights and Tips - 31:49, 37:07

Connect with Todd Palmer on the following online handles:
1. Extraordinary Advisors

2. Linkedin
3. Twitter
4. E-mail: [email protected]

What our mind believes in, it focuses on, and this, in turn, influences our reality.

Essentially, the world we experience is a reflection of our thoughts, which we clung on to believing in our minds. These are our unique filters of reality. 

In this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast, I am joined by no less than Byron Morrison. Byron is a Mindset and High-Performance Coach, Speaker, and Author.

Byron is a CEO and a High-Performance Coach. His ultimate goal is to help CEOs upgrade their brainpower so they can make better decisions, execute things properly, and handle different levels of stress effectively. 

Byron profoundly understands the relevance of developing self-awareness in carrying out the right mindset for every starting entrepreneur and to every entrepreneur who is to embark on a new business journey, whether it be business growth, new team members, or carrying out customer satisfaction. 

For Byron, “Bracing the right mindset and High-Performance Consulting can uplevel your brainpower to help you (entrepreneurs) deal with new levels of pressure—without crumbling, without losing your composure, and without needing any “willpower” or “productivity. In the end, overwhelming levers will be turned off breezing through old stress triggers, and executing without overthinking. All without any extra effort.”

Key Learning Points: 

1. Byron Morrison’s Common Encountered Challenges - 3:33, 8:27
2. Byron Morrison’s Insight on Leadership - 17:37
3. Byron Morrison’s Insight on The Importance of Self-Awareness - 19:20

Resources: 

Book: Become a Better You: Stop Dieting, Start Living

Author: Byron Morrison

Connect with Byron Morrison on the following online handles: 

1. Byron Morrison
2. Linkedin
3. E-mail: [email protected]

A lot of us wait for an extended period to be able to say to ourselves, “Aha! Goal achieved!”. For Austin, it works differently. 

Austin Bollinger joins me in today’s episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast to talk about working to achieve massive success every day. 

Austin is the Vice President of Strategic Development of a Digital Video Marketing Company and, at the same time, runs his podcast circulating around helping people achieve massive success in their lives every day. 

Austin found love in helping team members discover personal growth journey. He also describes himself as a person whose passion revolves around servant leadership and mentoring. 

Austin is a driven leader; he leads with a vision and goals. He knows that for the vision to come to life, clarity, and focus dramatically helps a leader lead others effectively, specializing in adding more value. 

 ****Get Your Copy TODAY!****
Crush YOUR Goals!
Author: Austin Bollinger

Key Learning Points:
1. Austin Bollinger’s Insight on Servant Leadership - 2:52
2. Austin Bollinger’s on his Current Focus - 14:28
3. Austin Bollinger’s on Setting Effective Goals - 32:57

Resources Mentioned:

Book: The ONE Thing 

Authors: Gary Keller, Jay Papasan 

Book: The Compound Effect

Authors: Darren Hardy

Connect with Austin Bollinger on the following online handles:
1. Daily New Year’s
2. Linkedin
3. Twitter 
4. E-mail: [email protected]

It is every leader’s responsibility to own and communicate a vision for those who desire to follow. It is every leader’s responsibility to map out a course on a larger scale and find good talent to become a significant partner in developing people to their fullest potential. These are just a few of the many responsibilities that are expected from a leader, but a leadership legacy focused on developing people is something more.

I discussed these insights today with Rocky Romanella in today’s episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast.

Rocky is known to be a respected business leader willing to take risks and new challenges. With more than 40 years of executive-level experience, Rocky navigates and guides business ventures to define, prioritize, and deliver strategic initiatives for maximum value and profitable results. He is also the Founder of 3sixtymanagementservices wherein, they work with clients to generate sustainable business results through its proven Balanced Leadership Model.

Rocky learned and realized that great leaders believed in their people until they were ready to believe in themselves. This insight was one of the leading anchors in all his business undertakings. 

Rocky also believes that profound self-awareness is significant in learning, developing, and eventually growing whatever that maybe. 

Get It Now! 

Tighten The Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership

A 5 STAR book

Key Learning Points:
1. Rocky Romanella’s Take on Internal Growth - 4:48
2. Rocky Romanella’s on His Professional Success - 9:22
3. Rocky Romanella’s on Acquiring Talents - 23:17
4. Rocky Romanella’s Take on Delegation - 26:54

Resources Mentioned:
Book: Tighten The Lug Nuts: The Principles of Balanced Leadership
Author: Rocky Romanella 

Connect with Rocky Romanella on the following online handles:
1. 3sixtymanagementservices
2. Linkedin
3. Twitter
4. E-mail: [email protected]

While many leaders have leadership challenges, there are particulars of leadership unique to each leader level—the transition from being an individual contributor to leading others, then leading other leaders require enhanced capabilities.

Michael Tanner joins me in today's episode of Mads singers Management Podcast to talk about his passion for Leadership Development. 

Michael started his management and leadership career 23 years ago; his experience at the US Marine Core made him realize the true essence of leadership - that it is not about the rank or your direct reports, leadership, after all, is about the relationship. 

Currently, Michael is not just a software developer but also a leader of other software developers. It is alongside his career that he is also engaged in what he calls his retirement business, which is focused on Leadership development in his earnest desire to see people win. 

Michael subscribes to the view that leadership involves influencing others towards a shared goal. 

Michael also believes that leadership development is essential for emerging leaders. The transformation of mindset from being an individual contributor to becoming a significant partner or leader is crucial in not just carrying out the responsibilities but transforming the organizational culture itself. 

Key Learning Points:
1. Michael Tanner’s Management Philosophy - 4:31, 5:23
2. Michael Tanner’s Leadership Inspiration - 7:58
3. Michael tanner’s Insight on how to get out of “Career Survival Race” - 11:23
4. Michael Tanner on Grooming Emerging Leaders - 19:45, 23:22
5. Michael Tanner’s Approach to Personality Tests - 29:30

Golden Nugget: 

Golden Rule on Leadership - 37:41

Connect with Michael Tanner on the following online handles:
1. Credible Leader
2. Twitter
3. Linkedin
4. E-mail: [email protected]