The Agile Scaleup

TP Retires; Starbucks CEO; 18-Sec Boss; Master Class Jun 7 - 8

There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.
                                                Tom Peters

If I read a book that cost me $20 and I get one good idea, I've gotten one of the greatest bargains of all time.
                                                Tom Peters

Scaling Up Master Class June 7 – 8.
Spend 3 hours each day updating, reviewing, and training your team on the latest in Scaling Up your firm. Pricing, Compensation, Org 3.0, and Talent Acquisition are newer topics in addition to People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Professionals review the basics regularly – great for biz leaders as well. And CEOs who have attended before ALWAYS attend for free if they register one other person from their team (or customer). A great way to help orient new team members. Register you and your team now to prepare for the second half of 2023.

CODE: CEOVIP (Note: must register with at least 1 additional attendee to attend for free)

Tom Peters Retires Age 80
Yesterday, in his newsletter, the pioneer of the biz gurudom world Tom Peters announced his retirement after turning 80 last fall. Tom is THE reason I’m in the business I’m in, trying to help scaleups around the globe – and it’s Tom's style, ideas, and approach to excellence which have been my inspiration.

Tom Peters’ Compact Guide to Excellence
Tom’s latest book is worth the $20 – and you’ll get more than one good idea (referencing his quote above). Tom owns the word “excellence” and has concluded after spending 45 years in the biz that “extreme humanism” is the key to accomplishing anything! Download on Kindle for half the price and read a little every day.

Are You an 18-Second Boss?
Of Tom’s 45 years of pontificating, this 3-minute video is one of his best – where he asks if you’re an 18-second boss and how to get over this affliction. In short – what you need more than strategic thinking is strategic listening. Strategic listening to your frontline employees, to your customers, to the market – and don’t interrupt them after 18 seconds!! Please take 3-min to listen to the uber guru of our biz world. Then, get listening to the Voice of the Customer (VOC), Employee, and Market.

New Starbucks CEO Working Half-day Shifts as Barista
Laxman Narasimhan has taken over from Howard Schultz the CEO role at Starbucks. Hopefully, the 4^th time is a charm. To prepare, Laxman has 40 hours of barista training and plans to work a half-day shift in a store each month, giving himself ample time and opportunity to listen to and learn from customers and employees. This LinkedIn article details the importance of driving strategy from listening. Thank you to Scaling Up coach Corwin Smith for sharing.

Acquisition Summit Conclusions
Thank you to the over 1500 who registered for our virtual Summit last Thursday. Here is a link you can use to register and get the replay (Password: scaleup), including professionally edited notes for each session. Scaling thru acquisitions is a key strategy. My quick summary (9 points): 

• Riches are in the niches. Find a highly niched opportunity and then acquire small firms in that niche to create a national or global firm.
• Become the platform company in your niche by creating the culture, the playbook, and scalable infrastructure (technology) that makes it attractive for firms/founders to bolt on and win.
• Start with small acquisitions – you can’t afford to mess up a big one early.
• Talent is always key. Build a bench and use acquisitions to attract talent that wouldn’t otherwise be available.
• Actively network in your industry/niche – through your trade associations and hosting events. Membership in YPO and EO can help connect you with other founders/CEOs.
• As the CEO of a business, you have an advantage over PE firms in reaching out and connecting with other like-minded CEOs/owners.
• Have a dedicated team to integrate the acquisitions.
• Demonstrate immediately that you care for the people in the firm being acquired – ease their fears.
• Over-communicate!!

If acquisitions are part of your growth strategy, take 70 minutes to learn from three entrepreneurs who have acquired hundreds of firms collectively. Again, here’s the link.

Martyn Barker, B&C Doors, Listened
Martyn Barker owns a sliding door company. After his Scaling Up coach Jonathan Mond reminded him how important Customer Feedback is to setting strategy (Rockefeller Habit #6), Martyn went out and spoke to a few clients and discovered that he was a preferred supplier because he had an after-service team that was available to help installers with any problems they had on site. The team was just being customer-centric and didn’t realize how important this service was vs. the competition. Nothing to do with the doors themselves!! Their next quarterly planning session will build on this critical insight!! What insights from customers are you building on this quarter?

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO - April 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, New Zealand – Apr 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Denver, CO - April 28, 2023 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – May 11 & 12, 2023 (2-Day In-Person)
San Francisco, CA - May 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – May 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – May 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Birmingham, UK – Jun 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Houston, TX – Jul 11, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights

Fix Sales; VOC Key; Marc Rosen; Mar 28 Webinar

It’s about creating a sales machine! Do you have one?
                                                Justin Roff-Marsh, author The Machine

…you’ve seen the company chase shiny objects and try to come out with a ‘big bang’ solution. This time we’ve got to fix the foundation.
                                                Marc Rosen, CEO JC Penney

Fix Sales Now – March 28 Webinar, 11am ET
Join Justin Roff-Marsh, author of The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function, March 28, 11am ET. More info below.

Spring Equinox – Be Ambitious
I’m warming up to the idea that this week of March (northern hemisphere) feels more like the beginning of a New Year than Jan 1. A new moon, spring is here, and the days are longer – it’s time to be ambitious coming out of hibernation – I know I’m on fire!

12 Months of Success in 9 Months – Sell, Sell, Sell, Rest
What if you could accomplish in 9 months what it normally takes 12 (March 21 – Dec 21) – then hibernate and recharge your batteries Dec 21 – March 21. For three quarters “sell, sell, sell” then take the last quarter to let systems (and yourself) catch up. Think about it – something we can learn from nature. Doug Harrison did this with his firm – you can, too! It’s time to plant and grow.

Fix Sales Now – Start with the Voice of the Customer (VOC)
In asking many CEOs “what is their key constraint right now,” it’s sales/revenue. Customers are being more careful spending money – and pushing back hard on the price increases of 2022. To accelerate your sales success, start with the Voice of the Customer (VOC). It’s time to get back intimate with your clients – to visit them. Find out what are their constraints right now (likely different than the past) and then reposition your value proposition to be of help. We’ve listened and you want us to help you scale the valuation of your business.

Voice of Employees – JC Penney is Back and Hugely Profitable
After filing chapter 11, JC Penney brought in Marc Rosen as CEO in 2021. This Fortune article details how Rosen has taken Penney’s back to its fundamentals and is focused on better serving the existing 50 million customers they have. To start the turnaround, when Rosen became CEO, he set about meeting as many store-level workers and middle managers as possible. 2023 is about getting the fundamentals right and better serving your existing customers (which means talking to them and your employees!). They fixed sales now!!

2-Minute Video – Voice of Customer
Rock Habits #5 and #6 are about gathering firsthand customer and employee intel. Scaling Up Coach Mark Roberts is an expert in garnering the VOC. Watch Mark’s 2-minute video and then glance thru his list of 17 benefits of VOC – the main one being a real boost in revenue. Fix sales now!

Sales Improvement Is Not Driven by Sales Department!!
This is the message of Mark Roberts (above) and Justin Roff-Marsh, best-selling author of The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function. Join us for a Live FREE Training on March 28th with Justin to discover why the standard sales model guarantees diminishing returns. Justin will share how a simple shift design of your organization's front-of-house can lead to a huge spike in sales from motivated buyers.

I'm confident this revolutionary process will transform your business! Save your seat here! And fix sales now!!

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, New Zealand – Apr 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – May 11 & 12, 2023 (2-Day In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – May 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – May 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Birmingham, UK – Jun 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Houston, TX – Jul 11, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

Meta’s Theme; Eliminate Competition; Spike Protein Syndrome; March 23 Virtual Summit

It’s well-understood that every layer of a hierarchy adds latency and risk aversion in information flow and decision-making.
                                                Mark Zuckerberg, Meta

We’re consolidating the market and reducing the number of competitors.
                                                Jonathan Brun, Nimonik

CEO+ Boot Camp – 2 Spots Left -- April 18 – 21 Lake Tahoe
Wanting a deep dive with me (Verne Harnish) in scaling your business? Looking for one-on-one time and access to my contacts – along with some fun? Likely snow still, we have two spots left for our CEO and #2 Boot Camp Lake Tahoe April 18 – 21. And we’ve scheduled a second boot camp in Lake Tahoe Sept 19 – 22. www.ceo-bootcamp.com

Dominate a Market -- Purchase Your Competitors (Scaling Up Case Study)
One way to dominate a market is to simply purchase your competitors. Notes Jonathan Brun, founder of 39 employees environmental, safety, and health compliance firm Nimonik, in this ScaleUps.com article: “We buy very similar companies…we’re consolidating the market and reducing the number of competitors. Our business will grow much faster that way than if we tried to get their clients for ourselves.”  Most of the acquisitions were simple stock swaps, involving very little cash. Please take 2 minutes to read how he lucked into a China acquisition and some of the mistakes he’s made along the way.

Eliminating Persistent Spike Protein (PSP) Syndrome
Spike proteins from COVID and mRNA injections are toxic – and cause debilitating chronic issues. This Orthomolecular Medicine article written by Dr. Tom Levy details our Riordan Clinic protocol for eliminating these spike protein toxins from your blood and cells. In short:

• Vitamin C (multiple modalities)
• Hydrogen peroxide (multiple modalities)
• Ozone (multiple modalities)
• Ultraviolet blood irradiation
• Hyperbaric oxygen

I’ve personally experienced all by hyperbaric oxygen. The article details each protocol. Hope it proves helpful to those suffering from Long COVID and other symptoms from these spike proteins.

Meta’s “Year of Efficiency”
What is your theme for the year? Meta’s is “Year of Efficiency.” This Meta (Facebook) post details how Meta is stripping out managerial layers – Flatter is Faster – and canceling hundreds of “lower priority projects.” Mark Zuckerberg goes on to note that internal data analysis suggests engineers who initially joined the company in an in-person capacity performed better than those who joined remotely from the get-go – thus his emphasis on getting back into the office. Please take 3 minutes to read Mark’s communication to his employees this week. March 21 (the real beginning of the New Year) is the beginning of spring – write and share your plans for 2023 next week as well! Thank you to coach Karol Popa for sharing.

$400 Million -- PK Scheerle – Scaling Up Summit March 23
PK Scheerle will share lessons learned as she scaled Gifted Healthcare to $400 million through a series of acquisitions. Prior to that she founded and scaled American Nursing Services from five to 2500 employees. Register for free (and to receive a replay) March 23, 2:03pm – 3:33pm ET

$500 million – Phil Miner – Scaling Up Summit March 23
Phil Miner scaled material-handling equipment firm Miner Corporation to $500 million then exited. He’s done it twice again through a series of acquisitions and an 8-chapter playbook. Phil will share his lessons learned in finding, financing, and integrating acquisitions to scale rapidly and dominate a nationwide marketplace. Register for free (and to receive a replay).

Author of It Pays to Play – Kristi Herold – Scaling Up Summit March 23
Rounding out the program next Thursday is founder/CEO of JAM, a firm helping people connect through play and companies unlock profit through play. Following her 20-minute session her team will host some trivia play for all of us. Register for free (and to receive a replay).

Money Ball Strategy – 90-minute Free Training
Named after the famous book/movie, this strategy involves using data and analytics to make strategic decisions and gain a competitive advantage. In a new free 90-minute training I put together with my partner Daniel Marcos, we share a blueprint for finding yours! Get the toolkit that has helped thousands of 7 to 8-figure entrepreneurs scale their businesses to the next level.  Together, we’ll help you drive exponential growth in your company—and make sure it stays that way. Sign up here >>

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Minneapolis, MN – Mar 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 24, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, New Zealand – Apr 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2-Day In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – May 11 & 12, 2023 (2-Day In-Person)
Nashville, TN – May 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Houston, TX – Jul 11, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights 

Marc Quits; Horn’s Flush; Scott’s Decision; March 23 Virtual Summit

In the spirit of Open Company, No Bullshit, here’s our honest take on how these decisions came to be.
                                                Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, Atlassian

Since I stopped drinking, I feel much better. I don’t need as much sleep, but my sleep is better. I’m more alert through the day. I have more energy when I exercise, and it’s easier to control my diet.
                                                Marc Andreessen

Billionaire Marc Andreessen Quits Alcohol
Joining legions of others, this Fortune article explains why venture capitalist Marc Andreessen quit drinking and is mad about it. But the evidence is clear – there is nothing healthy about alcohol. Pls take 2 minutes to read the details.

1000 Acquisitions – K1’s Neil Malik -- March 23 Summit
Leading off our spring virtual Scaling Up Summit is YPOer Neil Malik, founder and CEO of K1 Investment Management. With over 215+ investments to date, K1’s BHAG is one-thousand acquisitions. Join Neil and three other keynoters March 23, 2pm – 3:30pm ET who will detail how they approach and close on acquisitions – with some fun thrown in at the end! Have your CFO and COO join in – register here.

$6 million to $160 million via 12 Acquisitions (Scaling Up Case Study)
This Scaleups.com article details how Scaling Up fan Stephen Kearley used creative financing to acquire 12 firms. Bringing on a COO to handle the day-to-day, it freed up Stephen to focus on acquisitions. He approached the process like sales – identifying appropriate prospects, building relationships, and spending a lot of time closing deals! Early on it was about adding revenue; then his strategy evolved to acquiring firms for talent, technology, and new niches. His first deal added $2 million in revenue; his most recent $40 million which brought him into a new niche. Please take 2 minutes to read the details.

Atlassian’s Gut-Wrenching Decision
Atlassian announced this week the toughest decision the co-founders/co-CEOs have made in their 20-year history – saying goodbye to 500 (5%) of their workforce. Their internal communication of this decision aligns with their values and matches the emotional state of founders, stayers, and leavers. It’s not for financial reasons but due to profound changes in their approach to the market. And leavers can reapply for new jobs being created. For those leaving, see how Atlassian has structured their departure packages. Thank you to Sydney coach Anna Samios for sharing.

Lessons from GitLab – One of World’s Largest Remote Companies
This HBR article shares the approach GitLab has taken to operate one of the largest remote companies in the world. Focusing on outputs instead of inputs; aligning culture with a 2000-page searchable handbook; making sure everything is open (transparent); and having a good set of meeting rhythms are key. Thank you to Scaling Up Coach Herb Cogliano for sharing.

Horn Plumbing and Heating – Seen on the Hwy

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Boulder, Colorado – March 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Minneapolis, MN – Mar 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – March 24, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – April 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – May 18, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Houston, TX – July 11, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

 

Pay to Quit; Munger Insight; AI Role; March 23 Virtual Summit

I am not entitled to have an opinion unless I can state the arguments against my position better than the people who are in opposition. I think that I am qualified to speak only when I’ve reached that state.
                                                Charlie Munger, Co-Founder Berkshire Hathaway

In the long run, an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company.
                                                David Burkus, author of Under New Management

Scaling Up Summit+ (Virtual) – March 23, 2:03pm – 3:33pm ET
Register for FREE – theme for next virtual 90-min Summit+ “Scaling Up via Acquisitions and Fun” featuring four top keynote speakers (20 minutes each – no time for fluff!). Even if you can’t make it LIVE, register to get the replay. Learn the key strategies and tactics for scaling via acquisitions – often easier to buy and build than launch greenfield sites. Hear from those who’ve done it multiple times successfully. More on each speaker over the next few weeks.

27 Acquisitions Later (Scaling Up Case Study)
The latest Scaleups.com article details how Drew Schildwachter, COO of the US-based payroll service provider ConnectPay, has grown from $2.8 million in annual revenue to a $20 million run rate this year by completing 27 acquisitions since he read Scaling Up in 2017. Using a "buy and fix" approach, Drew gives every new team member of an acquisition a copy of Scaling Up which helps inculcate the new team members with ConnectPay's culture. Creating a common language is important. "Probably the most important step—welcome the people," Drew says. " If we get their buy-in, the entire process is better." Please take 2 minutes to scan the article for insights.

This Week’s AI Article to Read
Fortune continues to do the best job, I find, in translating stuff into useful business insights. This article discusses the role AI will best play over the next few years. In a sentence: 

One way to quiet aversion is automating time-consuming tasks, particularly those burdensome to employees.

This is exactly what COE Distributing (office furniture) is using AI to do. The chat function on their website answers inventory availability questions, saving J.D. Ewing’s employees thousands of hours. A car dealership is using AI to interact with potential customers in helping them find the car they are looking for – all via text – and AI learns the best time to text the customer!! What mundane or burdensome tasks could you offload onto AI? Start there.

Pay to Quit – Amazon’s Updated Version
This Inc. article details why Amazon has adopted the “Pay to Quit” policy Zappos has had in place for decades offering new recruits $4000 to quit during the first three weeks of onboarding. Amazon modified to offer any employee the first year to quit for $2000 and then ups it by $1000 a year to a max of $5000. Jeff Bezos, the founder, explained the rationale:  

The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want. In the long run, an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company.

Nothing’s worse than an employee who has already quit before quitting – and the fact that very few employees take the offer is probably one of the best indicators that things are pretty good at Amazon, better than the media might portray.

“Please Don’t Take This Offer”
One key detail. The annual pay-to-quit letter to every employee is actually titled “Please don’t take this offer.” This emphasizes how much the company really wants to keep its engaged employees. And the article notes there are other ways to structure something similar. Notes the author: 

Processes that encourage employees to examine their reasons for choosing to work for your company are likely to help them reaffirm the wisdom of their original decision, hence engaging further with the organization. 

Pass this along to your Head of People and see if they can find a way to offer something similar to emphasize this examination. Thank you to Scaling Up Coach Bill Gallagher for sharing.

Best Employment Ad
Josh Greene from Mather Group (our Wikipedia expert) shared this first-class and fun employment ad for a Corporate Communications & PR Director for Liquid Death (also a great name). Take the opening couple of sentences: 

We look forward to having you join us in our exciting mission to conquer the world and turn the human race into flesh batteries to power our giant marketing robots. With your help, we’ll eventually ensure that all beverages will become Liquid Death.

The rest of the ad gets down to details – but the key is a catchy opening. And it seems to have worked, generating over 2300 applicants. The position is closed to more! How could you spice up (and better align with your brand) your marketing for talent?

“About the Company” Also Catchy
Liquid Death has an equally catchy “About the Company” info at the end of the employment ad: 

Liquid Death is 100% natural mountain water from the Austrian Alps, served in ice-cold sustainable cans designed to murder your thirst.

Founded in January 2019 and based in Los Angeles, California, Liquid Death is one of the nation’s fastest-growing water brands taking a completely unnecessary approach to canned water. Unnecessary things tend to be far more interesting, fun, hilarious, captivating, memorable, exciting, and cult worthy. Taking the world’s healthiest beverage and making it just as unnecessarily entertaining as the unhealthy brands put Liquid Death on the map for BevNet’s Best Marketing in 2019, one of dot.LA’s hottest startups in 2020, and Medium’s cult-worthy brands among its few accolades.

Again, the counterintuitive style and language align with the brand. They are also “murdering” plastic containers and opting for more easily recyclable aluminum, etc. – everything aligns and is remarkable i.e. I’m remarking about it. ChatGPT isn’t going to give you this great copy – yet!!

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Boulder, Colorado – March 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, Colorado – March 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Minneapolis, MN – Mar 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – March 24, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – April 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights 

Horror Management; Rites of Passage; Family Meeting Planner

If you don't initiate the youth, they will burn down the village.
                                                African proverb

This company is now a platform company to buy and grow.
                                                Shawn Skaggs

Rite of Passage Programs for Men/Sons
One of the 8 ideas I’ve been championing this past decade is the importance of parents taking their children through “rite of passage” initiations. All four of my children have participated. There are a couple programs coming up on the east coast (West Virginia mountains): 

Fathers and Sons Learning Together (sons 13 – 18) April 1 – 2

Young Men’s Rite of Passage (18 – 28) May 17 – 21

25 Acquisitions – Parallel Ag (Scaling Up Case Study)
This is our third in a series of “Scaling thru Acquisition” stories. Shawn Skaggs’ firm Livingston Machinery, with the help of private equity, acquired a second firm Ag Solutions Group. Using Scaling Up and the help of coach Stacy Eads, Shawn has integrated the combined firms, named Parallel Ag. With 13 locations selling new and used ag equipment, this new firm is serving as a “platform company” to do 25 more acquisitions. Please take 2 minutes to read the details on how Skaggs found his equity partners, integrated the acquisitions, and is pursuing additional acquisition targets. How do you become a platform firm and then grow through acquiring small firms in your niche? It’s one of the most important growth strategies this decade as the baby boom is exiting millions of companies.

Platforms vs. Operating Systems
Yes, operating systems are so last century. Platforms are what you want to create and use to scale in the 21^st century. It’s why Learning Management Systems (LMS) are being replaced with Learning Experience Platforms (LXP). And it’s why we call our Scaling Up solution a “Performance Platform” (www.scalingup.com) on which you can bolt all kinds of additional tools/techniques vs. an old-school operating system that is rigid and represents a “one size fits all” approach. You need the flexibility or you’re leaving millions of dollars and time on the table!! No time for amateur hour.

Recruiting – Name Price First
One of the CEOs in my recent 2-day YPO program in Australia emailed how the “name price first” approach I taught worked beautifully in recruiting a key position. He noted (preferred not to be named) that expressing: 

I don’t know what you’re paid, but this is what I have to offer, we are really excited and would love to have you on board…

…approach helped generate a “completely different conversation” vs. asking the person, first, what they were expecting to make. He goes on to note:

I was very worried about having to pay more for this particular role since these people are in high demand, but it went just like you said it would. We found a spot in the middle right on the top of our budget.

Great outcome. Very positive. We have come to a verbal agreement today and expecting a signature from the prospect tomorrow.

The Planner for Family Meetings that Work
Dr. Mark Goulston interviewed Alex Mont-Ros on his podcast, which BTW is in the top 0.5% globally and carried in 40 countries. Mark emailed me to share Alex’s “Family Meeting Planner”. It's a 52-week program in a binder where families sit down once a week and everyone shares their ups and downs, their goals, and steps they're taking to move it forward and more. He told me that his 8-year-old, three weeks earlier, asked to run the check-in for the family and one week earlier asked to run the meeting.

Coaching the Team vs. One-on-One
This HBR article details how team coaching vs. the typical one-on-one coaching is often more effective. It helps build better relationships within the team vs. just with the manager – and peers learn more from peers than their manager!! A key approach is “problem-based coaching” where a company/team challenge is treated like a case study and the team is asked to solve the case (like you would at Harvard, only your firm is the focus!). The case study method is powerful. Please take 2 minutes to read the article (and yes, I recommend two subscriptions – HBR and Fortune – my two favorite sources of biz learning).

Horror and Management
Australian Scaling Up coach Rob Nankervis sent me the following photo. You can make this stuff up! A local bookstore in Melbourne now has Horror and Management titles positioned right next to each other.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Madrid, Spain – Mar 2, 2023 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – Mar 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, Colorado – March 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Minneapolis, MN – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, Colorado – March 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Your Brand as Marketing Powerhouse with a Forbes Books Content Partnership
If you want to be “top of mind” with your audience, then you need a strategy to build your authority in your field. Investing in media services with your personal brand can help you grow your audience and distinguish you as a trusted authority because you are educating, not selling. Learn how your brand can work harder for your business with a free brand audit.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

Shark Flywheel; Amazon’s 3; Fewer Bigger; Feb 23 Negotiations Webinar

…a concession made before you start the negotiation counts for zero in the relationship bank. People like to see you concede during the negotiation.
                                                Dr. Victoria Medvec

…we have fewer but bigger customers, our minimums are higher, orders are bigger—and it’s had a big impact to the bottom line.
                                                David Harding commenting on HBS

High Stakes Negotiation Webinar – Feb 23, 11am ET
The strategies of high-stakes negotiations expert Victoria Medvec, Northwestern U, have saved and generated millions for businesses in the Scaling Up community. Alongside hiring, negotiating is among the top 2 most essential skills you need as a leader. Sign up for this free training.“Command the Conversation: The Top 3 Strategies to Win High Stakes Negotiations in the Digital Era” and dive deep into the powerful tactics behind Dr. Medvec's world-class negotiation methodology with University of Michigan professor Sara Soderstrom.

Fewer, Bigger Customers – Hunt Big Sales (Case Study)
Scaling Up fan David Harding, CEO of Tipton Mills, contracted Hunt Big Sales (HBS) to create a sales growth strategy. Notes David: 

We initially hired HBS because we were not meeting sales goals and wanted a replicable and scalable growth strategy to take the company to another level. Now, through this new process, we have fewer but bigger customers, our minimums are higher, orders are bigger—and it’s had a big impact to the bottom line. Had we not done this, we likely would have had to do some structural changes to reduce costs... but instead, we are now growing!

HBS, who keynoted our last Summit, has been able to deliver over $18B of incremental sales opportunities to their clients and is helping a lot of Scaling Up firms. Here is more information: https://www.huntbigsales.com/scaling-up/. Or just reach out to them at Carajane@huntbigsales.com or 317-847-8037.

€4.5 to €60 Million via 14 Acquisitions (Scaling Up Case Study)
This ScaleUps.com article details how Marc Visser scaled his Netherland-based MSP hallo to €60 million and 300 employees thru 14 acquisitions. Teaming with a private equity firm that supplied €75 million, the article explains how he chose, structured, and integrated the acquisitions. Notes Visser: 

Many of them are small businesses that find it difficult to scale to the next level, build a management team and put money into marketing and automation.

Using Scaling Up to aid integration, the daily and weekly meeting rhythms help to drive a common culture and brand that has helped hallo become an employer of choice in the tech sector. Please take 2 minutes to scan through the details. Our chaotic economy makes for a great time to do acquisitions!! Let us help.

Adelaide Firm Eliminates All State Managers (Scaling Up Case Study)
Rob Cowie, CEO of Move Yourself Trailer Hire, attended our virtual Summit in 2022 and came away with an immediate decision. With over 1000 locations throughout Australia, he eliminated all his State Managers. Notes Rob: 

Despite our best efforts to guide them and train them, they always knew better and due to being remote to our head office, ran ‘their own show’ and bucked at attempts to improve despite systems we put in place.

Instead, he upgraded the “team leads” (called Coordinators) for Depot and Field Operations. The result – everything is better – morale, service, and financials.

Amazon’s 3 Priorities -- CEO’s Message to Employees
This Fortune article summarizes a leaked audio from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy to his employees after cutting 18,000 employees (out of 1.5 million). He suggested that the moves Amazon is making will be “misunderstood and underrated” and asked employees to focus on three things:

• Think Like Owners – be “speedy and insurgent” to stay ahead of competition.
• Focus – be more productive.
• Customer Obsession – “reprioritize and rethink” what is important to shoppers.

Have you decided/shared your themes for 2023 with your team?

Shark’s Culture Flywheel
Andrew Banks, one of the famous Shark Tank judges in Australia, was the opening keynote at our Scaling Up Summit in Sydney last week. This slide says it all – a strong culture is virtuous; a weak culture is vicious!

Ben Zander's “Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony” and Talk Feb 26 Livestream
The iconic conductor Ben Zander, whose TED Talk and book The Art of Possibility are renowned, is heading to Carnegie Hall to perform Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony on Sunday, Feb 26, preceded by a talk at 1:30 pm ET. It’s being live-streamed – not to be missed. For tixs.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing.

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Barcelona, Spain – Feb 21, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Madison, NJ – Feb 24, 2023 (Virtual)
Madrid, Spain – Mar 2, 2023 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – Mar 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Minneapolis, MN – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach.Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Owner Financed Acquisitions; Unworking; Layoff Warnings; Coral’s Results

Managers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack in the week after they fire someone.
                                                Fortune

What will a workplace adapted to the opportunities and challenges of the new world of work look like?
                                                Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office

Mass Layoffs Come with Large Hidden Costs
This Fortune article details how layoffs can end up being drastically more costly – lost productivity, replacement costs later, low morale, health issues with the survivors, etc. The article features Lincoln Electric (their stock is at an all-time high) which hasn’t laid off employees in nearly 75 years, one of the companies we highlight in Scaling Up Compensation. Thank you to Scaling Up Coach Ethan Martin for pointing me to this piece.

Unique Owner Financing of Acquisitions (Scaling Up Case Study)
Scaling Up fan Austin Clark scaled Moxie Pest Control through five acquisitions, tripling revenue. This ScaleUps.com article details how he chose and integrated these acquisitions. Key was complete owner financing with the article sharing the simple structure they used to payback the owner and the benefits to the owner. Scaling through acquisitions is key as many business owners coming out of the pandemic are anxious to exit. It doesn’t take “millions lying around” as Clark exclaimed.

Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office
Borrowing straight from GetAbstracts summary, this book might be useful to many of you as you figure out how to bring people back to the office: 

While the offices of large corporations may look serene on the surface, underneath they are struggling to adapt. Workers are fed up with rigid, hostile workplace structures. What will a workplace adapted to the opportunities and challenges of the new world of work look like? Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross analyze the shifting role of the office since the early 20th century, and speculate on its ongoing evolution. This part-historical, part-exploratory study will appeal to anyone preparing for the future of the workplace, either as a user or provider of the office as a service.

NOTE: YPOers receive GetAbstracts for free. For the rest, it’s a nominal cost and they provide the best 3 – 5-page summaries of books!

First Time Implementing – Culture Change Concern (Scaling Up Case Study)
Coral de Camps, CEO of Cacaoteca, a bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer in the Dominican Republic she founded 8 years ago, emailed me:

I read Scaling Up with much joy…we have reached a new point this year: for the first time we are ready to work with budgets, sales predictions and data driven production calendars. I am really excited about it. However, I am at a loss on how to implement this culture change - mainly because I have never done anything like it! Do you have any suggestions? advice?

One Process at a Time – With a Whiteboard Update
My response:

Implementing the Rockefeller Habits -- where you’re using KPIs and Priorities (setting sprints) that align with your budget, sales, production goals -- causes the culture change.  Start with one thing – like the Jim Tobin example in the book.  His 28 employees weren’t using their new project management software indicated by all the late and unassigned tasks flagged by the system.  He set the monthly goal to get both late and unassigned tasks to zero and the team did. Key was updating a whiteboard in the breakroom each day with the latest numbers.

Results – Zero Missed Deliveries!
Coral’s results:

Thank you for answering my email! I had been waiting to answer back because I wanted to run the experiment of the simple step of starting with one thing. I chose my logistics department. They have been consistently lagging the rest in performance (the constraint). So, I changed management and gave them the goal of sticking to a pre-established calendar and reporting every day on the orders they have marked as closed in the system. The result – they now have zero missed deliveries. It has been wonderful. We have had immediate improvements. And most of all, a team who is now convinced they can do the work. The challenge now is for everyone to keep it up with them!!

Coral continues: “I am now reading Scaling Up Compensation. It has already changed my perspective and I am only starting!”

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing.

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™

Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Feb 21, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Mar 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Minneapolis, MN – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Mar 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Apr 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Apr 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sep 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 10, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Key to Happiness; Most Admired; 14 Acquisitions; Gen-Z Desires

In these economic times, get better at what your customers value most.
                                                Brian Beaulieu

The principles and structures we learned from Scaling Up have helped us grow.
                                                Rob Schenk

Key to Happiness – Always a Great Reminder
What did researchers find who have followed over 700 people since 1938 to find the keys to happiness? In short, notes this Fortune article: 

…strong relationships most accurately predicted people’s happiness throughout their lives. They are “intrinsic to everything we do and everything we are,” the authors write.

Please take 3 minutes to read why, how, when, and with whom you should build relationships.

Scaled Via 14 Acquisitions (Scaling Up Case Study)
Launched in 1996, Rob Schenk took 15 years to scale his IT-managed services firm to 35 employees. At a crossroads, this Scaleups.com article details how he partnered with a PE firm and acquired two firms rocketing revenues to $22 million in 2021. Since then, he’s bolted on 14 additional acquisitions using a variety of deal structures. A Scaling Up fan, he worked with Scaling Up coach Bill Gallagher to put in the place the structures to handle the scale. Please take 2 minutes to read his story and consider scaling thru acquisitions yourself.

World’s Most Admired Companies
For the 16^th year in a row, Apple topped Fortune’s list this week. Amazon, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan Chase round out the top 5. Significant changes included Netflix which fell out of the top 10 and Costco rising to #7. Elon Musk was voted the most overrated CEO by the 3700 corporate executives, directors, and analysts, which seems like professional jealousy to me!! One interesting trend – CEO longevity seems to correlate to a higher ranking.

Given This Economic Landscape – Hone Your Value Proposition
Brian Beaulieu, CEO & Chief Economist of ITR Economics, keynoted The Economic Club of Grand Rapids. His key advice -- now is a good time to hone your value proposition. Get better at what your consumers value most. Trumpet that to grow sales and margin. Invest in your facilities, technology, company culture. Consider breaking into new markets. Companies that do this can grow and outperform the competition, even in an adverse economic landscape.

Gen-Z Want Salary Range – and Like Going into the Office
This Fortune article notes re Gen-Zers: 

Most (85%) won’t even apply to a job listing if it doesn’t include the salary range. It’s no surprise, considering the generation is bold about asking their peers what they make and sharing their salaries with strangers on the internet.

Fortune goes on to note:

While they enjoy the flexibility to make their own schedules, they still like to go into the office to further their career and get to know people. Most respondents (75%) said they’d even be open to relocating to be closer to the office.

Please take 1 minute to scan this article for more details.

Scaling Up Compensation
Transparency of pay, like that of professional athletes, is becoming more prevalent (and the law in some places). Make sure you have wide pay bands so employees can earn more without moving up into management (which is going away!). Chapter 2 of Scaling Up Compensation details how to establish clear criteria for progressing in a specific job so the employee, customer, and company win with your comp system. It’s a quick read.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing.

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™

Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – Feb 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 9, 2023 (Verne Live In-Person)
Madrid, Spain - Feb 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 10, 2023 (In Person)
Boulder, CO – Feb 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Feb 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – March 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – Mar 23, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – April 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – April 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – May 18, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sept 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights 

Stories Needed; Acquisitions; Hungary; Feb 1 Topgrading Webinar 11am ET

The key to making acquisitions is being ready because you really never know when the right big one is going to come along.
                                                James McNerney

There aren’t a lot of levers you can throw to grow your business. If you don’t include acquisitions, you’re leaving out one big lever.
                                                Dale Robinette

Grab a Tissue – Heartwarming Story
Ron Lovett, who has scaled VIDA Living through a series of acquisitions, held a contest among his thousands of residents – below is the heartwarming short video of making someone’s holiday!!! This is why we do business!!!!

Acquiring Talent Now – Feb 1, 11am ET Webinar
With major companies laying off tens of thousands of people, now is the time to attract and hire A-Players. Join this free live training titled "Assemble Your Dream Team: The 4 Steps to Attract, Train & Retain A-Players" on February 1st, 2023, with Chris Mursau President of Topgrading Inc. Save your spot! While the future of business is uncertain, there is one core characteristic that continues to separate the good from the great: your team. Click Here to Learn More & Sign Up!

Need Your Stories -- Growth Through Acquisition(s) Book
Has part or all your growth been through acquisitions? I’m looking for examples we can include in a new book we’re writing. Please email me at verne@scalingup.com and I’ll have our writers interview you for the book.

Five Reasons to Acquire a Firm
The Fortune 500 have indicated growth through acquisitions is a #1 priority in 2023 and it should be a part of your playbook as well. Recessionary times are a good time to make a move, if you have cash or access to cash. In turn, you can often acquire a firm for little or no money of your own. There are five reasons to acquire (buy vs. build). Let us know, if you’ve made an acquisition, which of these reasons: 

• Buy and Grow – one client dominates their city; they are purchasing two firms in nearby cities as bases to grow all three markets to a combined $150 million
• Buy and Fix – what many PE firms aim to do including Fortune 500 firms like Danaher
• Buy to Enhance – a set of acquisitions fills out a product suite and/or completes the 100% solution your market seeks.
• Buy for Arbitrage – you acquire for a lower multiple than what the combined entity’s multiple will be.
• Buy for Access – the acquisition has key licenses, markets, approvals, or influential relationships.

Lessons from Tyco – An Acquisition Machine
Scaling Up Coach Dale Robinette learned the art of mergers and acquisitions at Tyco Electronics where Dale was in on the ground floor and stayed until it grew to $13.2 billion! This Scaleups.com article details many of the lessons Dale learned from this experience. Let us know if you’re considering acquisitions and let us help you make sure you choose the right targets and integrate/inculcate the acquisition properly (like waiting a year to change the name externally!).

“How Has VIDA Impacted Your Life?” Contest -- $2500 Winner
Ron Lovett, who scaled his first venture, thru acquisition and organic growth, to 3500 private security guards and exited for 24x earnings, is at it again. Acquiring and fixing up low-income housing, he has over 2000 doors. Always engaging his residents, he held a contest over the holidays asking his customers “How has VIDA impacted your life?” Hundreds submitted stories and one lucky resident won $2500. This 2-minute video captures the moment!!

Scaling Up in Hungarian
Thank you to Scaling Up Coach Horváth Balázs for helping us get Scaling Up translated and published in Hungarian (27^th language). Here’s a link to purchase.

Brightly-Colored Suite Entry Doors
Inspired by the book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things, which I named one of the top 5 books in 2021; and inspired by the “Doors of Dublin” featured in the book, Ron Lovett painted all his suite entry doors in bright colors. This Facebook post shows the resulting look. The response from the residents has been overwhelmingly positive with many commenting on how cheerful it makes them feel in their submissions to Ron’s contest. Vandalism, cleanliness, etc. have all improved as well. How are you adding a little joy to the lives of your customers and employees? Grab a copy of the Joyful book for ideas.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Denver, CO – Feb 2, 2023 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – Feb 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 9, 2023 (Verne Live In-Person)
Madrid, Spain - Feb 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 10, 2023 (In Person)
Boulder, CO – Feb 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Costa Mesa, CA – Feb. 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – Feb 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Feb 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Feb 22, 2023 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – March 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Oxford, England – Mar 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Mar 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - Mar 15, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne/Sydney, Australia - Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Mar 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Hong Kong/Singapore – Mar 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – Mar 23, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Mar 24, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru/Hyderabad/India – Mar 29, 2023 (Virtual)
Scottsdale, Az – Apr 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Apr 13, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – April 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – April 20, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Apr 27, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 3 & 4, 2023 (2 Day) (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - May 11, 2023 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN – May 18, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Jun 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Franklin, TN – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jun 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada – Jul 6, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Aug 10, 2023 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Sept 5, 2023 (In-Person)
Grand Rapids, MI – Sep 12, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada – Sep 14, 2023 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Planning to Exit?
It’s the most critical decision a business owner will make in their lifetime – and over my 40 years of helping firms, I’ve seen owners taken advantage of time and time again – leaving tens of millions on the table. You’re up against sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions – whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works. Seeking help, owners find the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). They are not your friend in the process, just another transaction. Email me to get a white paper on what to avoid when exiting verne@scalingup.com.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Become an Authority and Reduce Your Marketing Investment
Top leaders know that branding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Becoming an authority means you and your brand are synonymous with trust and confidence. Growing brand equity translates to greater pricing power and the ability to reduce marketing costs. If you’re interested in proven strategies to help outflank your competition and grow your audience, request a free copy of Authority Marketing.

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™

Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights