
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas discuss what it takes to build and develop a strong number two who can lead effectively, take ownership, and reduce dependency on the founder.
Hiring an experienced COO, integrator, or second in command is only the beginning. Jessica and Brooke explain why even highly qualified leaders need time to understand a founder’s vision, communication style, expectations, and approach to decision-making. They share how intentional onboarding, clear feedback, and explaining the reasoning behind decisions can help a number two develop greater confidence and independence.
They also examine the founder’s responsibility in creating a successful leadership dynamic, from establishing clear communication expectations to teaching operational leaders how to present strategies with the right data and context. Ultimately, developing a strong number two is not simply about making the right hire. It is about building the trust, alignment, and leadership structure that allows the founder to step away without the business depending on their constant involvement.
Together, they discuss:
If you have hired a COO, integrator, director of operations, or second in command but still find yourself involved in every decision, this episode offers a practical look at what may be missing and how to develop a leadership structure that can operate effectively without your constant involvement.
Ready to reduce owner dependency and build a leadership team you can trust? Listen to the full episode of Millions Were Made.
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas discuss why founders should begin planning for the coming year well before January and how early strategic planning can create stronger financial and operational visibility.
Following their private client retreat in San Diego, they share how founders can use Q4 to evaluate business performance, secure future revenue, refine offers, and establish clear priorities for the year ahead. Jessica also explains why these decisions should be guided by data rather than emotion, particularly when revenue slows or growth begins to plateau.
Together, they discuss:
If you are preparing your business for 2027, this episode will help you evaluate where you are now, identify what needs to change, and build a more intentional strategy for the year ahead.
Listen now!
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas explore how founders can increase the long-term value of their businesses by building sellable verticals.
Many businesses unintentionally combine multiple services, offers, and revenue streams into one structure, making it difficult to scale efficiently, market clearly, or create future acquisition opportunities. Jessica breaks down how separating key areas of a business—from service divisions to intellectual property—can improve profitability, operational clarity, and overall enterprise value.
Using real client examples, they discuss how strategic restructuring can help founders create cleaner financials, stronger brand positioning, and more flexibility when it comes to future growth or potential exits. They also unpack common mistakes businesses make when layering new offers into existing brands without a clear operational strategy.
Together, they discuss:
If you’ve ever added new services, programs, or media brands into your business without a clear structure, this episode offers practical insight into building a company designed for both growth and long-term opportunity. Listen now!
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx sits down with sales strategist and founder of The Salesgirls, Macy McNeely, for a practical and insightful conversation about the hidden sales gaps that prevent businesses from scaling sustainably.
Many founders believe inconsistent revenue is a marketing problem, a lead generation issue, or a systems breakdown. But according to Macy, the deeper challenge is often much more foundational: most entrepreneurs have never intentionally learned how to sell. Instead, they rely on momentum, passion, referrals, or strong offers—until growth plateaus and the existing approach no longer works.
Throughout the episode, Macy explains the difference between simply making sales and truly understanding sales psychology, persuasion, buyer behavior, and messaging. She shares why many multi-six and multi-seven-figure business owners continue to leave significant revenue on the table despite having established audiences, successful launches, and experienced teams.
Jessica and Macy also discuss how modern sales environments have shifted. Buyers are more skeptical, more discerning, and more resistant to vague messaging and overly complicated funnels. As a result, businesses must become more precise in how they communicate value, build trust, and guide prospects through the buying process.
Macy also shares real examples from her own business, including how a highly targeted 23-minute sales message generated nearly $300,000 in revenue by directly addressing the specific resistance buyers were experiencing in real time.
This episode offers a clear and actionable perspective for founders looking to improve conversions, strengthen their sales process, and scale their business with greater clarity and confidence.
Listen now!
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
Connect with Macy McNeely:
Website: http://www.thesalesgirls.com
Instagram: @thesalesgirlsofficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Macy_McNeely
“Getting Seriously Good at Selling” Masterclass: https://go.thesalesgirls.com/masterclass-register
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas break down one of the most important skills founders must develop: knowing when to take business advice—and when not to.
With endless podcasts, masterminds, social media content, and business opinions available today, many entrepreneurs find themselves overwhelmed by conflicting strategies and constantly chasing solutions that may not actually apply to their business. Jessica explains why generalized advice often leads founders into expensive detours, reactive decision-making, and operational inefficiencies.
Together, they discuss the importance of understanding your company’s data, analytics, profitability, customer behavior, and operational structure before implementing new strategies. They also explore why successful founders learn how to think critically about their business instead of blindly copying what worked for someone else.
Jessica shares practical insight into scaling responsibly, avoiding common hiring and growth mistakes, using AI strategically, and identifying when expert guidance is actually worth the investment.
Together, they discuss:
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many opinions, strategies, or business trends, this episode offers a practical framework for making more intentional and strategic decisions as a founder.
Listen now to learn how to filter business advice effectively and build a company based on clarity, data, and sustainable growth.
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas explore a critical shift impacting nearly every business today: evolving buyer psychology.
While many founders continue to operate using strategies that were effective in the past, today’s buyers are making decisions differently. This conversation breaks down the key factors behind that shift—from post-2020 economic cycles and inflation to the rise of social media selling and the resulting erosion of trust in the marketplace.
Jessica provides a clear and grounded perspective on what has changed and why sales cycles are now longer, more complex, and more relationship-driven. Buyers are no longer making quick, impulse decisions. Instead, they are more cautious, more informed, and more intentional about where they invest their time and money.
At the same time, businesses themselves have also evolved—becoming more selective about the clients they work with and placing greater emphasis on alignment, readiness, and long-term fit.
Together, they discuss:
Jessica also shares practical guidance for founders looking to strengthen their sales pipeline—from improving internal processes to focusing on delivering measurable results and building long-term relationships.
If you’ve noticed changes in how your audience engages, evaluates, or invests, this episode offers both clarity and direction on how to adapt.
Listen now to better understand today’s buyer—and how to position your business for sustainable growth.
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
Many founders begin their entrepreneurial journey deeply involved in networking, relationship-building, and strategic visibility. However, as the business grows and operational demands increase, it is common for founders to step back from these activities—often unintentionally. While this shift may feel necessary, it can lead to a gradual decline in sales, reduced market visibility, and a disconnect from evolving industry trends.
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx and Brooke Dumas address a critical yet often overlooked factor in sustained business growth: the founder’s role in business development. They explore why business development must remain a consistent priority at every stage of growth. Jessica provides a clear distinction between marketing and business development, emphasizing that while marketing supports visibility, business development drives strategic direction, partnerships, and long-term positioning.
Key topics include:
• Why stepping away from business development can lead to declining sales and missed opportunities
• The distinction between marketing activities and true business development
• How founders can remain competitive by staying informed on market trends and industry shifts
• Identifying which aspects of business development require direct CEO involvement
• Recognizing the signs of a disconnect between the founder and the business
• Practical strategies for rebuilding a consistent business development rhythm
• How to approach networking and industry conversations with intention and value
• Recommended time allocation for business development on a weekly basis
If you are experiencing a slowdown in growth, a lack of clarity in direction, or reduced engagement with your market, this episode provides actionable insights to help you realign and move forward with confidence. Listen now!
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx is joined by Brooke Dumas to continue their onboarding series with a practical, implementation-focused discussion.
Following Part 1, this episode outlines the exact 90-day onboarding framework they use with six and seven, and even eight-figure companies to ensure new hires are set up for long-term success. Drawing from their experience working directly inside growing organizations, Jessica and Brooke explain how structured onboarding reduces employee turnover, improves performance, and supports scalable growth.
They walk through what effective onboarding looks like across the first 30, 60, and 90 days—emphasizing the importance of clear expectations, documented systems, and a gradual transition from training to execution.
In this episode, they covered:If you are currently hiring or planning to expand your team, implementing a structured onboarding system is essential.
So what are you waiting for? Tune in now—and don’t forget to listen to Part 1 so you don’t miss the full framework.
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx is joined by Brooke Dumas, the Fractional COO brand of Tailored Premier, to examine one of the most overlooked drivers of team performance: ONBOARDING.
While many founders dedicate significant time and resources to hiring, far fewer implement a structured onboarding process that ensures new team members are set up for success. The result is often misalignment, underperformance, and early turnover—despite hiring highly qualified individuals.
Jessica and Brooke introduce their proprietary 90-day onboarding framework, a system implemented across client organizations to reduce owner dependency, improve clarity, and accelerate employee performance. They emphasize that the first 90 days are not only a critical evaluation period for the employee, but also a reflection of the company’s leadership, systems, and operational standards.
Through real-world observations, they outline the common mistakes founders make—such as assuming experienced hires require minimal guidance—and explain why clearly documented processes, defined expectations, and consistent feedback are essential to building a high-performing team.
This episode covers:
This episode serves as Part 1 of a two-part series designed to help founders implement a scalable and effective onboarding process that supports both team performance and business growth.
Listen now and stay tuned for Part 2, where we will provide a detailed breakdown of the onboarding framework and how to implement it within your organization.
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx welcomes Bunny Young—multi-7 and 8-figure founder, investor, and coach to high-performing women—for a powerful conversation on authenticity, identity, and sustainable success.
With over two decades of entrepreneurial experience and the creation of 16 companies, Bunny brings a unique perspective on what it truly means to build and scale while staying aligned with oneself. Her journey began with a life-altering diagnosis at the age of 14, which fundamentally reshaped how she approached risk, ambition, and fulfillment.
Together, Jessica and Bunny explore the often-overlooked reality faced by high-achieving women: the ability to build successful businesses while simultaneously becoming disconnected from their own needs, identity, and vision for life.
This episode moves beyond traditional business strategy and addresses the internal dynamics that influence leadership, decision-making, and long-term sustainability.
They discuss:
Bunny also shares practical, accessible tools to help rebuild self-trust, increase presence, and create a more intentional relationship with both work and life.
If you’ve ever thought:
“I built everything I was supposed to… so why doesn’t it feel the way I expected?”
This episode is for you. Listen now!
Mini-timeline
Resources
Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarx
Work with Jessica: Tailored Premier
Website: Millions Were Made
Connect with Bunny Young:
Website: http://abetterplaceconsulting.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebunnyyoung/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bunnysumneryoung/
From the publisher's feed

2,769 Listeners

2,618 Listeners

4,577 Listeners

1,640 Listeners

513 Listeners

664 Listeners

12,080 Listeners

7,711 Listeners

1,640 Listeners

1,445 Listeners

2,030 Listeners

882 Listeners

2,607 Listeners

954 Listeners

935 Listeners