Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Andersen, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that it was not a good fit. Although it was not part of the plan, he decided to change direction, quit his day job and launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012.

Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals.

Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two podcasts that are available for download and subscription on iTunes.

• The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn't.
• The #AskSwenk Show, a live broadcast with questions and rapid-fire answers about agencies, marketing, entrepreneurship and business based on a lifetime of building successful, multi-million dollar companies.

• Jason's lead generation system
• The clarity system: the first system that you need in your business
• How to position yourself to be THE choice
• How to create trust with Jason's "offer ladder"
• Why you need to create multiple channels (and the kind of channels Jason recommends creating)
• Why you need to review proposals instead of simply sending them
• Why you need to treat your agency as your #1 client

• Website: jasonswenk.com
• The Agency Playbook: theagencyplaybook.com

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/5-step-lead-generation-system

After 27 years in the retail industry, Heidi took on a new challenge — from corporate life to entrepreneurship — from fashion retail to the employee benefits industry. At JCPenney, she oversaw the largest brand launch in JCPenney history. As co-founder and COO of freshbenies, she developed the brand from zero members to one of Inc. 5000's fastest growing companies in America for two consecutive years (#117 in 2015 and #255 in 2016).

• How freshbenies was founded and how they help people save money on healthcare by delivering non-insurance benefits
• The struggles Heidi and her husband struggled through as they launched their business and didn't see immediate success
• Why you need to create processes in the beginning stages of your business when you can't afford expensive systems
• Heidi's employee onboarding system
• Why you need to ask lots of question of people moving through processes when you first set them up
• freshbenies' onboarding process of brokers, employers, and members, their three different customers
• Why freshbenies focused on customer experience internally and outsourced the "nitty gritty" development of their system
• Why you need to be ready to react to problems that you can't foresee
• Heidi's system for using new employees to document freshbenies' systems
• Why tweaking processes and systems is the secret for making them effective
• Heidi's husband's system for following up with people after events

• Website: www.freshbenies.com

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/employee-onboarding-system

Gary Bizzo has Mentored over 1000 business leaders, investors & entrepreneurs. Bizzos book, "How to Start a Successful Business The First Time!" is on Amazon. He was a National Finalist in the 2014 Business Development Bank of Canada Mentorship Award. His book was nominated for the International 2014 Small Business Book Awards. He was a Nominee for the 2014 & 2015 International Small Business Influencer Award. Entrepreneur Magazine, in 2014, said Bizzo was one of 17 Masters of Marketing & PR Entrepreneurs Can Learn From.

Bizzo is a Social Media 'Agent of Change' and an expert at managing multiple businesses with several hundred thousand followers on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. He helped change Canadian Law through Bill C-470 that made charities more transparent.

He is an Elite Weekly writer for Equities.com the largest platform for emerging growth companies. He is also a Contributing Columnist for Stockhouse.com, Canadas #1 financial portal and one of North America's largest small cap investor communities.

Bizzo ran two business incubators for 13 years where a community of entrepreneurs with innovative ideas were nurtured and supported through workshops, bootcamps, mentoring, executives in residence and financing options.

He is a Partner at Equifaira Advisors Inc. – Liquidity Event Planners. Equifaira are specialists in strategy & execution, corporate finance, capital formation & investor relations.

His next book, "Startups From Early Stage to Early Growth" will be in stores in May 2017.

• What Gary's been up to since his last interview on System Execution
• Gary's upcoming books "Social Media Rockstar" and "Startups From Early Stage to Early Growth"
• How Gary successfully manages multiple businesses

Gary's recent work with Equifaira, a consulting company that works with companies that aren't public yet to raise money

• The system that Equifaira has in place to be in compliance with the British Columbia Securities Commission
• Why Equifaira is very selective of the companies they work with
• Why they help the people they work with sell no more than 49% of their companies
• How the social media piece fits into the overall system
• Upcoming projects for Gary

• Website: garybizzo.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @GaryBizzo
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/garybizzo
• Book: "How to Start a Successful Business The First Time!"

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/managing-multiple-businesses-system

As the CEO of Financial Gravity, John Pollock has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to find legal, moral and ethical ways to lower their tax, raise profit and create wealth. The result? His clients can finally start living their American Dream — a key reason they started their business in the first place.

As a podcast guest expert, John delivers more than just entertainment and good content. His audiences walk away transformed and equipped with real-world strategies they can immediately use to solve their most challenging business problems, including the ones they thought couldn't be fixed.

• Why your background doesn't matter if you're an entrepreneur
• John's business built around the problem that people think CPAs do tax planning even though that's not true
• The Tax Blueprint: Financial Gravity's architectural plan for your finances that maximizes your tax savings
• The Tax Operating System: the next step which takes your bookkeeping, payroll, tax returns, etc. as a monthly fee
• Why you need to do sales in the context of a story if you want to differentiate
• Why your story has to be believable (even if that means underselling what you actually do)
• Why you should hire your kids as employees
• How to reduce buyer reluctance
• How and why you need to learn from other industries
• Why you shouldn't be afraid to launch and must be ready to pivot
• What's next for Financial Gravity

• Free book: Text "taxbook" to 33444
• Website: financialgravity.com

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/tax-operating-system

Peter is the CEO of Peter Strohkorb Consulting International, a business consulting firm that specializes is customer experience and sales & marketing team alignment with offices in Australia and the USA.

Peter has over 15 years of business experience in both Sales and Marketing Executive roles with some of the biggest brands on the planet. He is a respected business Speaker, conference Chair, Facilitator and a sought after Executive Mentor. Peter is an international authority on Smarketing® i.e. on Sales & Marketing alignment and collaboration. He has appeared on three continents at conferences, corporate events and on promotional occasions. His vision is a world where business teams collaborate seamlessly to the benefit of all stakeholders.

Peter is also a guest lecturer in the Executive MBA Program at the internationally acclaimed Sydney Business School and at the University of Wollongong, Australia. He is a published author of the Amazon 5-Star rated book The OneTEAM Method, which describes his holistic Sales and Marketing collaboration framework to lift sales results, enhance customer experience and boost staff engagement.

Peter holds qualifications in Marketing and Management from the prestigious Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) in Sydney, Australia.

• Peter's book "The OneTEAM Method: How Sales+Marketing Collaboration boosts big business"
• The 5 steps of the method and how Peter delivers that to clients
• Examples of companies of varying sizes (6 and 60 people) that Peter has used this system with
• The new deal that has allowed Peter to bring this system to the US
• How companies are becoming more risk-averse has changed how Peter has had to sell his system
• Peter's efforts to bring the Smarketing system worldwide

• Website: www.peterstrohkorbconsulting.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeterStrohkorbConsulting
• Twitter: @pstrohkorb
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterstrohkorbsalesmarketing

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/the-oneteam-method

Craig Cody is a Certified Tax Coach, Certified Public Accountant, Business Owner and Former New York City Police Officer with 17 years experience on the Force. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant for the past 15 years, he is also a Certified Tax Coach. As a Certified Tax Coach, Craig belongs to a select group of tax practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training and continued education on various tax planning techniques and strategies to become, as well as remain, certified. With this organization, Craig has co-authored an Amazon best seller book, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life.

• Craig's background and how he went from NYC Police Officer to CPA and Certified Tax Coach
• Craig's tax planning system that helps his clients save significant amounts of money
• Why Craig's system is based on proactivity (and why most people do their taxes reactively)
• Why Craig works with his clients all year and not just during "tax season"
• Why a computer cannot do Craig's system
• "Secrets of a Tax-Free Life": Craig's book
• Things to look out for on your own taxes (like choosing the wrong entity)
• Why your accountant can't do what Craig does
• How you can work with Craig from anywhere in the US

• Free copy of Craig's book: www.craigcodyandcompany.com/execution
• Phone: (516)869-4051
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.craigcodyandcompany.com

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/tax-planning-system

Dr. Gordon Jones is the Founder, President, and CEO of Lifelog Health. He is a Doctor of Health Administration, has spent 25 Years in Digital Health & Technology, and he has been involved with 15 startups in early adoption with over $200 million in new revenue created. He's a multi-sport athlete, a world champion in beach ultimate, and is the father of five, the grandfather of one, the husband of one, and the son of two aging parents.

• Gordon's background
• Why startups often have to pivot — and why Gordon had to pivot away from his original startup idea
• Gordon's thoughts on when to pivot your startup
• The healthcare technology market and how it applies to Gordon's company
• How Lifelog Health creates the bridge between technology and the consumers (the healthcare industry) and why that bridge is necessary
• The readings that the wearable technology records and how that information is utilized
• How physicians deal with noncompliance from patients using the wearable
• Why scaling will be easy for Lifelog Health

• Website: lifeloghealth.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drgordonjones

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/pivot-your-startup/

Shane Kenny has been in the filtering business for over 15 years. In 1999, he started InternetSafety.com with his brother. Together they built Safe Eyes, the top-rated Internet filtering software product for parents. After selling InternetSafety.com to McAfee, Shane started looking for his next project. One day it dawned on him that if replacing his air filters was such a hassle for him, it had to be a hassle for plenty of others. From this initial idea, FilterSnap and the concept of filters delivered to your door when you need them was born.

• Shane's background
• FilterSnap, Shane's business for delivering air filters directly to your home
• Why Shane believes in delivering a better product and delivering better service
• Shane's "Delivering Quality Products" System
• Why your company culture is crucial for delivering a great product/service
• What to look for in cover letters, resumes, and interviews to recognize employees that will or won't fit your company culture
• How to find the right product if you have a business like Shane's that sells products that you don't manufacture internally
• Why you have to understand the products you sell -- even if you don't manufacture them
• How FilterSnap deals with damaged products
• Why you have to be able to set your level of "quality enough"
• Recommended reading: "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

• Website: filtersnap.com
• Website: shanekenny.com

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/delivering-quality-products-system/

Lt. Col. Rob Waldman "Waldo" — was his call sign — he's the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller "Never Fly Solo." A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Waldo is a decorated combat fighter pilot and an expert in helping leaders and organizations accelerate performance in changing environments with his professional networking tips and mentorship. Waldo overcame massive claustrophobia and a fear of heights to become a fighter pilot and believes that the key to building a culture of trust lies with your wingmen the men and women in your life who help you to overcome obstacles, adapt to change, and achieve success. In business and life, you should never fly solo! Waldo is also the founder and President of The Wingman Foundation, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to build funds and awareness for soldiers, veterans, and their families in need. Waldo is an inductee into the professional Speakers Hall of Fame and his clients include Marriott, Hewlett-Packard, UPS, and Verizon. He's been featured on Fox & Friends, CNN, MSNBC, Inc. Magazine and The Harvard Business Review.

• Waldo's background
• Why you need a mentor (and why finding a mentor was the first thing Waldo did when switching careers)
• Waldo's professional networking tips
• How to find the time to get into an industry while employed at a different job
• Why you need to hire an assistant sooner than you think
• Why you need to be involved in mastermind groups of likeminded professionals that don't necessarily share your profession
• How to seek out mentors a couple levels above where you are
• Why Waldo wrote his book "Never Fly Solo"
• Why fearlessness is a myth and why you need to face your fears
• Waldo's next challenge: figuring out how to monetize his business outside of speaking engagements
• Waldo's next book

• Website: yourwingman.com
• Free copy of Waldo's book: yourwingman.com/nfs
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/WingmanF16
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/waldowaldman
• Twitter: twitter.com/waldowaldman
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/waldowaldman

A transcript of this episode is available at: systemexecution.com/professional-networking-tips-mentorship/

Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 25+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R and still actively runs the agency.

He also owns and runs Agency Management Institute (AMI), which serves 250+ agencies small to mid sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media and PR) every year, so they can increase their AGI, attract better clients and employees, mitigate the risks of being self employed in a such volatile business and best of all let the agency owner actually enjoy the perks of agency ownership.

AMI is the only agency network that is run by an active agency owner. It offers:

• Public workshops for agency owners, leaders and account service staff
• Owner peer networks (like a Vistage group or AAAAs forums)
• Private coaching/consulting for agency owners
• Annual primary research with CMOs and client decision makers about their work with agencies
• The highly praised podcast Build A Better Agency

Drew often appears in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Agency Post, AdAge, CNN, BusinessWeek, and many others. The Wall Street Journal calls him one of 10 bloggers every entrepreneur should read.

He also speaks at leading agency conferences and is often cited in agency centric content for his expertise in the industry.

When he's not hanging out with clients or agency owners, Drew spends time with his daughter, traveling and cheering for the Dodgers.

• Drew's background
• Drew's one-on-one meeting agency management system
• Why you need to employ this system the day you hire your first employee
• Why it's so hard to find and retain great employees today
• Drew's research that shows that employees want to learn and grow more than anything else
• Why your employees want more one-on-one time with you
• Drew's form for running this meeting
• Why being fair to every employee doesn't mean treating them all equally
• Why having these meetings will boost the time you have instead of taking it away
• Setting quarterly growth goals with your employees and checking in weekly on progress
• Having employees share good news, ask for what support they need to do their job, getting input they need from you, share potential issues, and anything else to include in these meetings
• Why you need to put these meetings on your calendar
• Why yearly reviews are not enough

• One-on-one meeting document

• Website: agencymanagementinstitute.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @drewmclellan
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/drew.mclellan

A transcript of this episode is available at http://systemexecution.com/the-agency-management-system/