Ok, this one is just Russ bragging a lot about his team. Go team! I mean raises... and now a promotion!? But somewhere in there he manages to go over his quarterly operational planning process – blow-by-blow. It's Russ' “in the weeds” version of what happens when you take Dan Sullivan's 25-year planning idea and the Genius Network Implementation Card and put them both together. Russ collected a list of all of his projects (that's a lot of projects!), sorted and prioritized them, and then started breaking each one down into “micro-tasks” that take less than a couple hours each. Not only that, but remember Who Not How? It's baaaack! The micro-tasks, and also some macro-tasks, are being delegated, leading to massive wins! There's so much delegation that somebody got promoted... and it's not Russ!

Did you know that Russ used to barefoot water ski? A lot? And before that he was a body builder. Go figure! And now he just might get to go up Mt. Whitney, CA, but he needs some new boots. He's also doing a reboot in his business, reboot 2.0: new name, logo, newsletter design, website... The abundance resulting from that reboot has earned his entire team raises! Russ talks about how he, grudgingly, came to be an employer, and how he now feels his team is his top level concern – yes, they help him that much! How he developed his team, and how he's trying to turn the “performance review” upside down. This “upside down” review process has resulted in referral, Google review, and new-employee recommendation reward programs being implemented, a mileage reimbursement, and raises for the entire team. And that's how we got a new I.T. Guy!

If you'd like a copy of Russ' Employer Review Sheet, send him an email at [email protected].

I Love Marketing! And if it wasn't for Joe Polish and Dean Jackson's I Love Marketing podcast Russ probably wouldn't be here to tell you about it and how it figures into your first million. Joe and Dean have some incredible ideas, like their Eight Profit Activators, offer the cookies, the marketing vending machine, cheese and whiskers, the self-milking cow, the 50-minute focus finder... Oh, wait, those are all Dean's ideas. Did Russ just dis' Joe? No worries, he covers, Joe's Magic Rapport Building Formula, consumer awareness guides, and free recorded messages as well. These two are a class act, and you've GOT to listen to the I Love Marketing podcast – It's easy, it's fun, it's how you'll make your first million. Correction: Russ mentions Joe and “Dean's” 10xTalk podcast... that's just WRONG! The 10xTalk podcast is Joe Polish and Dan Sullivan. Sorry, Dan!

Links:

I Love Marketing episode 1

The Genius Network

90-Minute Books

Breakthrough DNA: The Eight Profit Activators

The Magic Rapport Building Formula episode

The Magic Rapport Building Formula worksheet

The 50-Minute Focus Finder

One of the most important things you can do as an entrepreneur is to get a coach. The number 1 best entrepreneurial coach in the world is Dan Sullivan at Strategic Coach. After going on a long rant about economic factors beyond his control, Russ gives you a quick rundown on some of the amazing value you can get from Strategic Coach. If you aren't yet ready to join Strategic Coach, then this is where you start. The following links will get you some of the most valuable resources you could ever wish for as an entrepreneur. If you think you might be ready to join Strategic Coach, give Elizabeth Fox a call at 1-800-387-3206, and be sure to tell her Russ Hanush sent you!

Strategic Coach resources:

The Four C's

The Gap and The Gain

Who Not How

Entrepreneurial Time Management System

Impact Filters

Strategic Coach Discovery Call

After geeking on stats, Russ found that his business name was confusing prospective clients (and current clients too, lol!), but a confused prospect usually doesn't buy. So, in order to clear up the confusion, Russ decided to try a new name for his tutoring business. He walks you through his entire process from start to implementation – implementation is ongoing. You'll get to hear what consultants and marketers had to say on the subject, and what the number one priority should be in choosing a name in the internet age. He wraps it up with a run down on the implementation to give you the big picture of what's in a name.

Steve Tobak: Real Leaders Don't Follow

Have you ever thought about starting your own podcast? How about a podcast episode on podcasting? In an episode reeking of Seinfeld's Kramer and his coffee table book about coffee tables, Russ explores his favorite podcasts and provides some commentary on what he finds compelling in a podcast. He then gets into a discussion of his strategy and the moving parts behind this podcast. Finally, Russ closes with your wish list for starting your own podcast: the recording studio that you already own, free editing software, a (super) low cost publishing platform that does all the work for you, and a quick run-down on how to put it all together. Whew! What value!

Links:

Dean Jackson: I'll know I'm successful when...

Paul Colligan

Audacity

Libsyn

Too many projects? What do you do when you start feeling overwhelmed? Time to take an inventory and make a project list. A project list can help you put it all in perspective: prioritize and compartmentalize. It can help us identify opportunities for delegation and consolidation (Russ' latest project is set to save him at least $4K a year – guaranteed... money in the bank!). Dan Sullivan, Ben Hardy, and Mary Ellen Tribby all get shout outs in this episode. Dan and Ben for Who, Not How... on multiple occasions; Mary Ellen Tribby for... well, you ought to listen to the podcast. It's only 20 minutes. You'll love it!

Live to 970!? Are you kidding!? This time, Russ talks about his plan for living to 970. A key part of that plan is Dan Sullivan and Ben Hardy's Who, Not How. Russ talks about how he's narrowing his “to do” list down to only the things he loves to do. We expect only doing things he likes should help him live to 970. Then, Russ goes into more detail about his plan to live to 970 in his second ELF Coaching Ten-Minute Talk, and we've got the exclusive here for you! That's right, you'll get to hear Russ' live Ten-Minute Talk on The Seventh Sense right here. Imagine what that could be like! Oh wait, you don't have to imagine..., just listen to the show!

Timothy Paulson and Joe Polish literally wrote the book on consumer awareness guides: Piranha Marketing, available at Nightingale-Conant (see link below). This time, Russ talks about the thought process behind why a consumer awareness guide is a good idea, also known as The Eight Profit Activators by Joe Polish and Dean Jackson (see link below). The consumer awareness guide is meant to educate and motivate prospects to meet you - profit activator number three. We also get the inside scoop on Russ' process for writing his own consumer awareness guide: how he got his started, what he's done to improve his first version, and what his plans are for it in the future.

Links:

Piranha Marketing

Breakthrough DNA

The Parent's Guide To Choosing The Right Tutor

This episode starts with a serious discussion of business planning styles, and slowly degrades to a review of the (positive) effects brain surgery can have on your life. Ok, but really, Russ discusses his business planning style, and the more formal “business plan” process. How to avoid paralysis by analysis, and when it might just be time to get your act together. He also reviews a great tool for the avid business planner, LivePlan. There's some hints at a big change coming up in his business as well. Growth is Good!

Links:

LivePlan