Reference checks. It's funny how we sometimes ask candidates applying for a position for references but fail to follow up. Checking on a person's references could make the difference between a great hire and a great headache.

Doing your due diligence in your hiring process includes checking references. Asking key questions from people who have already worked with this candidate is priceless, especially if you ask insightful questions. Shelli shares her top 10 reference check questions that will help you figure out if your top candidates will be a good fit for your team.

Reaching out to a former employer and requesting their time to provide feedback on someone you want to hire is a big ask. Shelli has tips for how to approach former employers for references, and also what to do in a situation where the interview and reference checks do not match up.

Get the Free Cheat Sheet with Shelli's Favorite Reference Check Questions Here Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• ProfitChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team17. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

Conflict is inevitable. But having the skills to identify, navigate and avoid conflict can ease the stress of working with clients or team members.

Shelli interviews Lara Currie, communications expert and CEO of Difficult Happens. Lara serves those working in high stress, high stakes and purpose driven fields understand conflict and get better communication skills.

Lara and Shelli discuss common team conflicts, and how to manage accountability, boundaries and breaches - not only among your team, but with clients as well. Lara also has some great insights about working with millennials and soul-sucking clients, and how you can improve the communication on your team and within your client and customer base.

Grab the free download: "12 Ways to Motivate your Team without a Pay Raise" and join the BizChix Community! Connect With Lara Currie:

• Website
• Get Lara's Free Resource - 10 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients
• Difficult Happens Podcast
• Podcast Episodes on Millennials

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• Difficult Happens: Effective Communication for Bosses, by Lara Currie

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• ProfitChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team16. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

Do you talk yourself out of hiring because you don't have any training plans or tools set up yet? Are you afraid to hire because you think you won't have time to onboard a new team member?

Hiring, onboarding and training can be a stressful process, but Shelli has just the tips on how to ease the transition and stack your team with thoughtful onboarding. She shares her one-point lesson method, and reminds us of a key point: Your team members do not need to learn tasks until it is time for them to execute or take over that task from someone else!

Shelli also has a special clip from a real CEO chick, a participant of the CEOChix Mastermind Program, who recently onboarded a new team member where it didn't go quite so well. She talks about what she learned from the experience, and how she's going to do things differently in the future.

Grab the free download: "12 Ways to Motivate your Team without a Pay Raise" and join the BizChix Community! Connect With Shelli:

• Email

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• Loom
• CamStudio

Other Links Mentioned:

• ProfitChix Mastermind
• Amy Feierman, Co-Host of The Amazon Files Podcast via mommyincome.com

Stacking Your Team Episodes Mentioned:

• SYT 12: How We Dealt with the Sudden Loss of a Team Member

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team15. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

Team meetings--every company has them, but they don't always have to be a chore and a waste of time. In this episode, Shelli tackles how to improve team meeting efficiencies, because there is definite value in bringing your team members together!

Shelli shares some of her favorite types of meetings to host, so that you can consider a new style of meeting to introduce to your business. She outlines some best practices for team meetings, and how you can make simple tweaks to your meeting structure to have meetings that add value for you and your team.

Grab the free download: "12 Ways to Motivate your Team without a Pay Raise" and join the BizChix Community! Connect With Shelli:

• Email

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• Trello
• Excel

Other Links Mentioned:

• ProfitChix Mastermind

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team14. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

What's the difference between hiring an independent contractor and hiring an employee? As a small business owner who is a service provider, where are you placing yourself in the marketplace?

Danielle Liss of Hashtag Legal and the Businessese Influencer Marketing Podcast joins Shelli to discuss stacking your team with sub-contractors. Shelli and Danielle discuss the differences between independent contractor and employees, and Danielle shares her tips for setting up your business as an independent contractor - it really depends on the level of control and flexibility.

At the end of the day, expectation management is key to ensure both parties are in agreement about the working relationship. It's also important to equip yourself with the right tools and team to help you manage the relationships you build with your clients.

Connect With Danielle Liss:

• Hashtag Legal
• Businessese Influencer Marketing Podcast
• Businessese

Stacking Your Team (SYT) Episodes Mentioned:

• SYT 10: Lessons from Our Best Bosses (Featuring BizChix Community Members)

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team13. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

Something we don't often talk about is loss. As we grow and stack our teams, it is inevitable that team members will come and go. How do we, as CEOs of our businesses, deal with the sudden loss of a team member?

Natalie Eckdahl returns to join Shelli on this episode to share her story of a sudden loss on her BizChix team. Natalie reveals a tragic loss she experienced on her team, and her key takeaways from the experience. Shelli also has some insights about working through a recovery plan and supporting your business and team members through that transition.

As with other aspects of life, in dealing with the loss of a team member, it is important to hold a space for the emotions you and your team will feel, and finding the courage and resources to do what needs to be done to support everyone involved.

Join the BizChix Community

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• Voxer
• Loom

Other Links Mentioned:

• Podfly

BizChix Episodes Mentioned:

• 240: [On Air Coaching] How to Pivot Your Business with Freya Casey
• 290: [On Air Coaching] Where Are They Now? Updates with Betsy Furler, Blair Thielemeir, Freya Casey and Shawna Dingman

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team12. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

How can stacking your team with an Online Business Manager (OBM) add immediate value to your business?

Adding an OBM to your team at the right time can help you take your business to new heights. Esther Littlefield of Morningstar Media Services and Shelli dive into all aspects of hiring and inspiring an OBM to join your team and help you grow your online business. Esther shares some insights about some of the key components of an online business that an OBM can help you with, as well as how to attract, onboard and retain the best talents in your business.

Connect With Esther Littlefield:

• Blog post: How to Hire an Online Business Manager
• Morningstar Media Services
• Facebook
• Instagram

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• BAM Success Summit 2018

Other Links Mentioned:

• Trello
• Asana
• Google Drive
• Voxer
• Google Calendar
• Create Your Laptop Life Hiring Form

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team11. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

One of the best ways to learn how to be a great leader is by following in the footsteps of others who have gone before you. Listen as several fabulous BizChix join Shelli today to share some of their "Best Boss" stories, and what it was that made them such great leaders. Don't miss out on this great compilation of personal anecdotes from our very own BizChix about the importance of role modeling, serving those you lead, and taking advantage of teachable moments.

Join the BizChix Community

Connect With Featured BizChix:

• Shannon Crow, Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
• Nikki Rausch, Sales Maven
• Maelisa Hall, QA Prep
• My Biz Bestie Podcast
• Lara Currie, Difficult Happens Podcast
• Danielle Liss and Jamie Lieberman, The Businessese Influencer Marketing Podcast
• Hashtag Legal, LLC
• Sue Monhait, Gift Biz Unwrapped
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Podcast for Gifters, Bakers, Crafters and Makers
• Carol Cox, Speaking Your Brand
• Speaking Your Brand Podcast

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• BAM Success Summit 2018
• BizChix Live 2018

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team10. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

Join us behind the scenes as we share the highs and lows in our journey to hire an executive assistant for BizChix. Shelli is joined by BizChix CEO, Natalie Eckdahl. Nat needed and wanted to hire an executive assistant (EA), but for various reasons was stalling the process. Shelli uncovers what was holding her back and what finally helped her move forward. Learn our process of finding candidates, shortlisting them and hosting a trial period with the right candidate. There were also a few unexpected benefits of choosing to hire a local assistant--both in Natalie's business, and in her life! Plus we are sharing the job description we used to find our incredible new hire. Don't miss the free download.

Get your Free Job Description to find an EA Connect With Natalie:

• Biz Chix

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• BAM Success Summit 2018

Other Links Mentioned:

• Next Door
• Indeed
• Zoom
• Kolbe Assessment

Stacking Your Team (SYT) Episodes Mentioned: SYT 7: Compelling Interview Questions Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team9. Listen to our sister podcast BizChix on your app or at http://bizchix.com. Join the BixChix Community here.

You've hired new team members, but how do you get them to integrate into the team? How can you overcome some of the challenges of bringing on new team members?

Join Shelli as she coaches Sarah Radabaugh of Cloud Peak Chiropractic and Wellness. After 10 years in the business, Sarah is expanding her practice into a wellness center and hiring new team members to cater to more clients. Shelli and Sarah discuss the finer points of onboarding new team members to ease in to her team culture: having structures for on-boarding, as well as communicating and understanding expectations are key.

Join the BizChix Community Connect With Sarah Radabaugh:

• Website
• Facebook

Books or Tools or Events Mentioned:

• BAM Success Summit 2018

Other Links Mentioned:

• Email Shelli your comments, and suggestions for future episodes!

BizChix Episodes Mentioned:

307: How to Maximize a Live Event with Julie Fry of Business Among Moms

Work with Shelli:

• One Day Mastermind
• EliteChix Mastermind
• Strategy Session

Work With Natalie:

• One Day Mastermind
• CEOCHIX Mastermind
• Strategy Session

This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team8. Listen to our sister podcast BizChix on your app or at http://bizchix.com.