The Startup Sessions with Michael Knouse

“[With servant leadership] You philosophically turn the pyramid upside down and you work for your people. Your job is to help them win.”

Ken Blanchard is the authority on leadership and management in the workplace, and we’re diving into what servant leadership looks like, from both a managerial and entrepreneurial perspective. Ken breaks down what leadership is and isn’t, how a servant leader differs from a manager, the ways a work culture changes when leaders are focused on being servants, and the ways that Ken has implemented servant leadership in his own business.

Wondering how to create a culture for your business that breeds positivity and great results? Listen in to find out how!

With a passion to turn every leader into a servant leader, Ken Blanchard shares his inspiring insights with audiences around the world through speeches, consulting services, and bestselling books. Universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most influential and compassionate leadership experts in the world, Ken is respected for his lifetime of groundbreaking research and thought leadership. In fact, few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard.

He is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, established in 1979 in San Diego, California.

Ken has authored or coauthored 60 books whose combined sales total more than 21 million copies. His groundbreaking works—including Raving Fans, The Secret, and Leading at a Higher Level, to name just a few—have been translated into 42 languages. In 2005 Ken was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time.

“I need to think like a business owner!”

How many of us have felt this way? Today I’m talking with Jacqueline Fisch, a copywriter, editor, and author from Chicago. We’re diving into Jacqueline’s journey from being laid off three times, to making a name for herself as a successful entrepreneur and freelancer. Jacqueline will be talking about how to set boundaries and stay sane while turning your side hustle into a thriving business.

Tune in for some great tips on strategy, mindset, and getting the work done.

Jacquline Fisch is a writer for creative entrepreneurs who don’t have the time or patience for writing and have a business to grow, helping them make money in their business and attract their dream clients.

Before launching her writing business, Jacqueline spent more than 13 years working in corporate communications and management consulting.

Jacqueline is passionate about helping entrepreneurs drop the fussy writing and jargon and instead communicate authentically, letting their personality shine through, and always in the simplest way possible.

Jacqueline lives near Chicago, Illinois, with her husband, two spirited little kids, and a small chicken farm.

“Go door to door, make it happen, good luck!”

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this advice about prospecting for new clients. Cold calls, knocking on doors, word-of-mouth – these techniques may have worked in the past, but today I’m talking with Jason Bay, who has some NEW and improved advice about connecting with clients and growing your business. Jason is co-founder, along with Sara Bay, and Chief Revenue Officer of Blissful Prospecting.

How can Jason help you remove the stress from prospecting? Listen in to find out how he’s perfected an approach to prospecting and growing your business through LinkedIn and more!

Jason’s entrepreneurial experience dates back to 2008. At 19, he ran his first six-figure business painting houses while attending school at Oregon State University. He’s worked with hundreds of sales reps and personally closed millions of dollars in revenue during his career.

At Blissful Prospecting, he’s in charge of growing company revenue through marketing and sales efforts. In his free time, Jason also enjoys stand up comedy, reading, traveling, hiking, and geeking out on productivity tips.

“I should do that, but I just don’t know how!”

How many of us entrepreneurs have said this? I’m talking with Josh Haynam today, co-founder of Interact Quiz Builder, about his repeatable system that anyone can use to go from a novice to an expert through simple practice. He’s used this exact system to become a guest on over 100 podcasts and became an expert writer that’s been published in Forbes, Entrepreneur.com and several hundred other publications. And he’s also used this system to bootstrap and grow a million dollar company.

How does Josh go from novice to expert so quickly? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in today’s episode.

Tech wizard-turned-writer-and-marketing expert, Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact, a successful startup that produces online quizzes for lead source generation. Josh is also an accomplished writer, writing for Entrepreneur, Forbes and over 100 other publications in just a few years.

Josh is an expert in lead generation and conversion rate optimization (CRO) and often shares his knowledge with budding entrepreneurs that are looking for a method to take their vision and turn it into accomplishment by using his step-by-step process of becoming an expert in any field. With over a quarter of a BILLION quizzes taken over 2017, Interact’s method is securing clients for customers around the world.

What would your life & business look like if you were completely aligned with your deepest purpose and you followed your life’s calling? Visionary empath and integrative healer, Danielle LaRock, joins me to discuss the importance of blending a strong, tactically-sound business strategy with wholeness and true alignment. Danielle dishes on the effects of “Shaman Sickness” and the realization that friction in your life and business doesn’t mean you’re broken, but that you’re being called to your true higher calling.

After an autoimmune disorder diagnosis at eleven years old, and years of trying to find the answer to her pain, Danielle LaRock was determined to be herself and help others. Danielle began to live life outside the ‘box’ and found the more she followed her path, the more her body healed. The more she chose to be herself, the more she helped others.

Danielle says “the journey of healing is the realization that we are already whole” and uses this as a foundational element in the Heal You Project, where she uses her process of “Feel, Heal, and get Real” to show others that aligning with your life’s calling & purpose is a gift to yourself AND the world.

It’s a new year! In this episode, we stop comparing bigger income with less time freedom and hear the importance of getting fully aligned with our ideal business! Stephanie Hayes, Serial Entrepreneur & Business Strategist, rolls up her sleeves with me to discuss her process to maximize time & energy as an entrepreneur. My first guest of 2018 joins me for an unbelievably content-packed episode!

Stephanie is a seasoned entrepreneur who works with experienced business owners who are looking to shift their business in order to grow, scale or become more profitable. They are committed to the change but aren’t sure what to do or how to do it. Stephanie helps align their strategy and their vision and create a clear, actionable plan to reach the next level of their business. Stephanie has worked as an entrepreneur mentor at the university level, has built startup accelerators and mentored over 100 business owners through the creation and growth of their businesses. Her lifelong purpose is to help entrepreneurs create sustainable, fulfilling businesses that serve them and their communities.

Is your message ringing crystal clear with the world? Are you communicating the VERY best version of YOU with the world? An impactful message is not only a necessity for your audience, but also for YOU. This week’s podcast guest, Amanda Johnson, joins me to discuss how important it is for impact-driven entrepreneurs to powerfully rewrite their stories and clarify the very core of their message to create a memorable brand that facilitates change.

As a Message Strategist and Mindful Messenger Coach, Amanda Johnson helps aspiring speakers, authors, and coaches craft their message for maximum impact on their audience, brand, and bottom line. In her bestselling book Upside-Down Mommy, Amanda shares The Butterfly Approach philosophy responsible for her successes as a parent, wife, messenger, and coach.

I’m out of the studio this week, so we took Episode 173 on the road to a cafe in Northern California. Certified Life Coach, mother of two spirited little girls, and simplification expert, Ashley Gartland, joins me to explore why saying “yes” to too much slows your business down, how & why to focus on less, not more, and why progress is more important than perfection.

How can delegation can help you achieve more? Ashley believes if you want your business to grow, you have to learn how to simplify it. A lot!

Ashley Gartland helps entrepreneurs stop over-complicating things and learn to simplify their business so they can find their focus, grow sustainably and experience more fulfillment and freedom in their life. An entrepreneur since 22, Ashley got her start as a food writer. After doing everything from event planning to public relations to working as an editor at a digital media startup, Ashley launched her coaching practice to show other entrepreneurs how to bring more ease to building their businesses. Ashley’s work has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Huffington Post and Being Boss. She lives for rainy days, prefers kombucha over coffee and can be found hanging out inside her free community, The Simplified Entrepreneur.

Most entrepreneurs are earning far less than they deserve to be making and are working far harder than they should be. Why?!

This week’s episode focuses on the vital questions we must – as entrepreneurs – answer, in order to create a scalable business that will give us the impact, lifestyle and freedom we’re searching for. Why will some entrepreneurs never get past survival mode (or even stability mode)? Is your business model solely dependent on whether you’re constantly in “hustle-mode”? What’s holding you back?

This week’s episode shakes out the four biggest business-killers for entrepreneurs looking to grow their business.

Obstacle #1: You lack a powerful identity (9:17)

Without a powerful identity, you have ZERO. COMPETITIVE. ADVANTAGE.

Obstacle #2: You rely on pure “hustle” to get clients (11:20)

If you’re relying on pure hustle to get clients…  your business will likely never achieve any sustainable or predictable revenue growth.

Obstacle #3: You lack a proven model or framework (13:48)

Have you ever noticed that the preeminent thought leaders in a given space almost always have a proven model or framework that they are known for?

Mike Michaelowicz has Profit First

Obstacle #4: You are neglecting (or unaware of) your ideal business model (17:30)

Contrary to what the culture of (insert your industry) wants you to believe… your business doesn’t need to be defined by what others are doing.

Depending on where you’re at in your journey, you might just need to slow down for a moment and say…

– How can I get my head out of the sand for just a minute?

This year has been filled with many firsts and many lessons learned. I know, I know… the year isn’t over yet, but I wanted to share some of the most valuable business lessons that I’ve learned so far. This episode is short, 11-minutes, and there are some nuggets that have truly helped my business become more sustainable and FUN!

Lesson #1: Try new things (0:30)

After years of 1:1 coaching, I decided to launch and run a new peer-based community called The Council of Visionary Business Builders. I discuss the impact this had on my business and how I’m structuring this group moving forward.

Lesson #2: Stop trying to do all-the-things (1:59)

I stopped trying to do all-the-things and hired a business manager. Hiring my business manager (LJ Seeger) has empowered me to spend more time working ON my business and less time working IN my business. I talk about what else I’ve been able to do now that I’m not the sole implementor in my business.

Lesson #3: Track the money (4:10)

I hired a money ninja! Technically, she’s a bookkeeper but I call her my money ninja because she tracks all the money; where it comes from and where it all goes. She’s, quite frankly, a magician! I discuss exactly how & why it’s helped me.

Lesson #4: Raise the rates (5:49)

This has actually been a recurring theme for me over the past couple of years. It’s not comfortable for me yet it’s consistently been one of the best things I do for my business. Raising the rates can be tricky but it’s essential if you’re a service-based entrepreneur.

Lesson #5: Lifestyle first (8:15)

Finally, one of the reasons I left the corporate game and started my own business was to have more freedom over my own time, money and life. Let me tell you, this is a very slippery slope. How do you balance it all – have lifestyle freedom while also delivering top value for your clients? My lessons learned are all in this week’s episode.