The Agile Scaleup

Father Song; Don’t Pout; Fever Rages; Now Virtual Dec 8 - 10

An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox. 

Proverb

There’s no off-season when you’re serious about being a winner.

Tim Grover, Michael Jordan’s Trainer, author of Relentless

Verne’s Scaling Up Master Class – Now Virtual
As bad as I wanted to spend time with you in-person, the lockdowns announced this week made that unlikely – so we pivoted to a condensed (3 hours/day Dec 9 and 10) virtual version. It’s feels like off-season, do the work anyway! More, below, but first…

Rather than Pout and Lick our Wounds…
Catapult Health’s revenue went to ZERO in March/April/May (they had $8M in revenue booked). Notes CEO Dave Michel, in an email to me this week:

Rather than pout and lick our wounds, we created the first ever VirtualCheckup^TM over the summer and launched it on September 1^st. Over 60 large employers have already signed up, and October was the biggest month in our 10-year history with revenue of $3.8M and 20% EBITDA. 

Here’s a 3-minute video (www.virtualcheckup.com) about the service (note the power of video!). And Dave emailed me to let me know he’s signed up his entire leadership team (12) for the virtual Scaling Up Master Class to keep the learning going. Concluded Dave, in his email:

We are surviving proof that every major setback *can* lead to a silver lining. 

Father, I’ve Been Crying for You
Brandon Calano’s latest song release “For my Father” will touch the very depth of your soul – in time for Thanksgiving (US) and given these latest lockdowns. It’s OK to pout.

GT Independence Scales to $300 million and 300 Employees
Tuesday, I mentioned GT Independence’s story of using Scaling Up to soar as they serve clients with disabilities – 25,000 to date. Here’s a link to the in-depth story and how John Carmichael, after taking over the business in 2015, used daily huddles, weekly meetings, core values, and a series of dashboards (displayed in the article – worth looking at) to scale the firm. And though profitable, they were cash strapped and used our cash tools to turn around their cash conversion cycle. Please take a few minutes to read about the details, including the availability of a “Success Coach” for the employees engaged in training and development.

Spring Semester Alternative?
With several universities not expected to host in-person classes this spring, maybe your student is interested a “gap experience” in the jungles of Panama led by top scientists and professors in the rainforests.

A Spring-Semester-only option is now available. February 1^st to March 27^th, 2021, with the option to intern at Mamoni January 5^th to 31^st at no additional cost. For more information click here.

Let the Fever Happen/Rage
Another excellent blog post by Dr. John Briggs which details how a fever is critical to helping the body fight infections/influenza. It needs to get to 104F to do its job, yet because of the aches and pains of illness, we take NSAIDs which also reduces/inhibits fevers. He shares how the use of aspirin during the 1918/1919 plague had similarly negative effects (greatly increased death rates). Notes Dr. Briggs:

The high mortality rates (1918/1919 plague) were attributed to a cytokine storm overwhelming the host. A febrile state (fever) inhibits cytokine production to protect the organism. Bayer’s aspirin, the new wonder drug had a patent which expired in 1917, so it was widely available at the beginning of the pandemic. People used doses high enough to stop the fever, but destroyed the natural defense mechanisms of the body. Salicylate toxicity begins at 150 gm/kg and becomes life threatening beyond 400 mg/kg. 

BTW, patients are dying today, not from COVID, but from these same cytokine storms unleashed in the body from the traditional approach we’re taking to treatments. Please take 2 minutes to read this insightful blog post. Thank you, Dr. Briggs.
https://drjohnabriggs.com/blog.html

Overpaying on your commercial lease?
With the latest lockdowns, commercial real estate rents are falling further and 2021 is anticipated to be the best year in modern history to renegotiate your office, industrial, medical or retail leases. We chose Jonathan Keyser to present on this topic during our virtual Summits. Click on the link below to secure a free assessment and strategy call to discuss restructuring your real estate leases to start saving money today! https://keyser.com/swat/

* As an Amazon Associate, I may earn revenue from qualified purchases made through this link.

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.

Write Your Own Book
Whether you want to make it to the bestseller lists or just sell a lot more of your goods or services, with a profound competitive edge over the competition, Book The Business: How to Make BIG Money With Your Book Without Selling a Single Copy is for you! Request your free copy of this ground-breaking book at advantagefamily.com/scalingup.

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? The Scaling Up team is prepared to support you. We have helped 40,000 other organizations over the past 30+ years, in scaling up their organizations through coaching, workshops, online training and more.

We would like to offer you a complimentary, personal follow-up from our Scaling Up team to share how we can support you in scaling your organization. 
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING & RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY FOLLOW-UP (CLICK HERE)
For questions or more information contact us at [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY: 

ScalingUp 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: 

We’re still in business coaching and training firms:
Guatemala City, Guatemala - Nov 25 & 26, 2020 (Virtual)
Phoenix, AZ - Dec 1, 2020 (In-person)
Colorado Springs, CO - Dec 2, 2020 (Virtual)
Los Angeles, CA - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Atlanta, GA - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
Vancouver, BC, Canada - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA - Dec 10, 2020 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia - Dec 10, 2020
San Francisco, CA - Dec 17, 2020 (Virtual)
Oxford, UK - Jan 13, 2021 (Virtual)
Waltham, MA – Jan 14, 2021
Lancaster, PA - March 2, 2021 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England - March 18, 2021
Brisbane, Australia - Mar 24 & 25, 2021 (2 Day Master Class) 
Lancaster, PA - Oct 26, 2021
Salisbury, England - July 6, 2021
Salisbury, England - Nov 18, 2021

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

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

 

BOGers/EMPers; Talk More; 2021 Theme; Dec 8 Ritz Carlton Gift

Take your job seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.

Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy (RIP)

Elegance without warmth is arrogance. 

Horst Schulze, Ritz Carlton & author of Excellence Wins

The Happy Leader Summit Nov 16 – 20 -- Free
Are you happy? I’m one of several keynoters sharing what I’ve learned about happiness and leadership. More below, but first…

Type Less, Talk More – Email LAST Resort
The #1 KPI for you as a leader is the hours (not minutes) of talk time you’re getting with influencers, customers, teams, etc. This HBR article shares research that supports this idea. Read if you need convinced, otherwise, just pick up the phone and call! This is precisely the “communication protocol” in the 3000-employee factory at Steelcase (see photo). It’s why the leadership team has bicycles so they can hop on and go talk to someone – or at least call. Email is LAST resort.


Calling All BOGers and EMPers (and EOers) – Dr. Roberts GCEC Legacy Award
Dr. Ed Roberts, MIT Sloan Professor, is THE reason the “Birthing of Giants” and now EMP are hosted at MIT – and why EO scaled! That early program attracted many of the entrepreneurs that went on to lead and scale EO! Nov 2 it was announced he received the GCEC Legacy Award – only the eighth time it’s been given in 24 years. Please email Dr. Roberts and share your congratulations [email protected] – and then please purchase his latest book Celebrating Entrepreneurs* as a way to honor him and all entrepreneurs.

Horst Schulze, Dec 8, 45 minutes -- Free Holiday Gift
Horst Schulze, co-founder and iconic former leader of Ritz Carlton, is author of Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise*, which I named the best biz book in 2019. He and I spoke opposite each other last year and he was outstanding – so insightful, great storyteller, and focused on how excellence is THE winning formula – with specifics on how he did it at Ritz Carlton. He’s zooming in for our Scaling Up Master Class in Dallas and we’re sharing his presentation with the world Dec 8, 12:30 – 1:15pm ET. Register here to attend and receive a complimentary replay link afterwards.

First Impressions, Data Driven
Notes Horst: “After analyzing hundreds of thousands of comment cards over the years (with the help of the esteemed J.D. Power research firm), I learned that if a customer’s first four contacts with our hotel go well (for example, the phone reservation clerk, the doorman, the bellman, and the front desk), there will be virtually no complaints thereafter. But if something goes amiss in the beginning, the complaints will sprout quickly.” First impressions are so critical in all our businesses – and Schulze had the data to prove the importance and then the discipline to drive relentless repeatability throughout the chain.

Employee Orientation Critical
Excellence extended to employee orientation (you have one?). Notes Horst: “Orientation must never become routine—a chore to be endured, a box to be checked off. It is crucial for establishing the platform on which all future success can be built.” Again, excellence in everything to create an iconic brand synonymous with quality. Please sign up your team to share this LIVE (or replay) zoom event Tuesday Dec 8, 12:30 – 1:15pm ET.

The Happy Leader Summit – November 16 – 20
I am joining Scaling Up Coach Shawn Johal to share the story of why I founded the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. I’ll share the many lessons learned from mentors and leaders over the past years, and how the next generation can do the same. We will speak about the important topic of “Happiness” and how a diversity of interests has helped me connect with a myriad of communities. Register for FREE here: Free Summit

Prepare to Prosper 2021 – Scaling Up Master Class Dec 8 – 10, Dallas
Limited to 80 teams, join me for 2.5 days as I take you through the 4 Decisions of Scaling Up: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. One thing I’ve heard over and over this year – the companies using the Scaling Up tools/techniques have both survived and thrived. So much that we won a contract from the country of Canada to help their scaleups; a top franchise organization found that the one thing their top performers in 2020 have in common is they are using Scaling Up; and companies like InfoTrack and others email me almost daily to share how they are using the tools to prosper. Go here for more information – and I look forward to working with your team (safely) to jump start (or refine) the use of Scaling Up as you prepare for 2021.

* As an Amazon Associate, I may earn revenue from qualified purchases made through this link.

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

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? The Scaling Up team is prepared to support you. We have helped 40,000 other organizations over the past 30+ years, in scaling up their organizations through coaching, workshops, online training and more.

We would like to offer you a complimentary, personal follow-up from our Scaling Up team to share how we can support you in scaling your organization. 
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING & RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY FOLLOW-UP (CLICK HERE)
For questions or more information contact us at [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY: 

ScalingUp 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: 

We’re still in business coaching and training firms:
Tampa Bay Area, FL - Nov 18, 2020 (Virtual)
Sydney, AUS - Nov 19, 2020
Guatemala City, Guatemala - Nov 25 & 26, 2020 (Virtual)
Phoenix, AZ - Dec 1, 2020 (In-person)
Colorado Springs, CO - Dec 2, 2020 (Virtual)
Los Angeles, CA - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Atlanta, GA - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
Vancouver, BC, Canada - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA - Dec 10, 2020 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia - Dec 10, 2020
San Francisco, CA - Dec 17, 2020 (Virtual)
Oxford, UK - Jan 13, 2021 (Virtual)
Waltham, MA – Jan 14, 2021
Lancaster, PA - March 2, 2021 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England - March 18, 2021
Brisbane, Australia - Mar 24 & 25, 2021 (2 Day Master Class) 
Lancaster, PA - Oct 26, 2021
Salisbury, England - July 6, 2021
Salisbury, England - Nov 18, 2021

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

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.

Write Your Own Book
Whether you want to make it to the bestseller lists or just sell a lot more of your goods or services, with a profound competitive edge over the competition, Book The Business: How to Make BIG Money With Your Book Without Selling a Single Copy is for you! Request your free copy of this ground-breaking book at advantagefamily.com/scalingup.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here 
  
Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI 

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

 

Elon Musk; EOS vs Scaling Up; Zinc Critical; Nov 10 Webinar 3pm ET

The day the learn-it-all says "I'm done" is when you become a know-it-all.

Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft 

Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.

Elon Musk 

Nov 10 Webinar – How I Scaled “Scaling Up”
Something I’ve not really discussed much is my own journey in scaling to 190+ partners on six continents and the various learning and tech “divisions” that support them. Join me and Adam Witty, ForbesBooks, Nov 10, 3pm ET.  More below, but first…

1-Minute of Inspiration
Enjoy this 1-minute “countdown” video featuring 8 biz-related quotes. The text versions of the quotes are below to make it easier to share (team, friends, social media). Lots of wisdom in a short format.

Zinc is Critical – Please Read
As Vice Chairman of The Riordan Clinic, I’ve been deep in researching effective COVID-19 treatments. The first thing I instructed my team, back in March, was to load up on zinc, vitamin C, and several compounds that help zinc get across the cell wall (cinnamon, green tea, quinine, turmeric, etc.). Zinc stops the RNA of viruses from multiplying. One of the many doctors I follow is Dr. John Briggs. His blog post on zinc last week provides an important summary. FYI, losing your sense of taste and smell, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, can result from being chronically low in zinc. 

3 Words Explain How Elon Musk Mastered Space
This Inc. article, in three words, details how Elon Musk became an expert in so many things. Notes Elon, “I read books.” Specifically, he was reading Jim Cantrell’s textbooks on rocket building to build his own rockets. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, believes the same – he’s crazy about books. YouTube videos do the same for many – the key is setting aside time (Thursday mornings for three hours for me) to digest all the articles, books, and videos being sent your way. Thank you to Greg Cleary, former top EOS coach and now a Scaling Up Coach (see next headline), for pointing me to this fun article. What are you reading?

EOS vs. Scaling Up
You asked, we answered. One of the questions we’re frequently asked is “how does EOS compare to Scaling Up?” This comprehensive article details the similarities and differences. 

How I Built and "Scaled Up" Scaling Up – “Lessons Learned” Webinar Nov 10 - 3pm EST
I’m joining Adam Witty of ForbesBooks on Nov 10 to share my journey as an entrepreneur and business owner. I’ll be pulling back the curtain on my 25+ year journey in building the Scaling Up organization into one of the most recognized and respected business growth and CEO coaching companies in the world (hint – it certainly didn’t happen overnight!!) From books, to speaking, to interviews on radio and television, I’ll share my journey (and business plan) in building an umbrella of companies that do business around the globe. I hope you’ll join Adam Witty and me for a (free) hour of education, inspiration, and "lessons learned". Register here. 

Prepare to Prosper 2021 – Scaling Up Master Class Dec 8 – 10, Dallas
Limited to 80 teams, join me for 2.5 days as I take you through the 4 Decisions of Scaling Up: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. One thing I’ve heard over and over this year – the companies using the Scaling Up tools/techniques have both survived and thrived. So much that we won a contract from the country of Canada to help their scaleups; a top franchise organization found that the one thing their top performers in 2020 have in common is they are using Scaling Up; and companies like InfoTrack and others email me almost daily to share how they are using the tools to prosper. Go here for more information – and I look forward to working with your team (safely) to jump start (or refine) the use of Scaling Up as you prepare for 2021.

8 Wise Quotes

1. You don’t build a company, you build people, then the people build the company. 
— Lolly Daskal

2. Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds.
— SEAL Team Saying

3. Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
— Maya Angelou

4. Never underestimate the power of a few people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Meade

5. You can only grow your business as big as you grow yourself.
— Julia Pimsleur

6. Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.
— Elon Musk

7. Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.
— Warren Buffet

8. Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.
— Tom Peters


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

EDUCATION: 

We’re still in business coaching and training firms:
Chicago, IL - Nov 10, 2020 (Virtual)
Costa Mesa, CA - Nov 10, 2020 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 10, 2020
Sydney, Australia - Nov 10 & 11, 2020 (2 Day Masterclass)
Mexico City - Nov 10 & 11, 2020
Grand Rapids, MI - Nov 11, 2020  (Virtual)
Phoenix, AZ - Nov 12, 2020 (Virtual)
Guadalajara, Mexico - Nov 12 & 13, 2020
Tampa Bay Area, FL - Nov 18, 2020 (Virtual)
Sydney, AUS - Nov 19, 2020
Guatemala City, Guatemala - Nov 25 & 26, 2020 (Virtual)
Phoenix, AZ - Dec 1, 2020 (In-person)
Colorado Springs, CO - Dec 2, 2020 (Virtual)
Los Angeles, CA - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Franklin, TN - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX - Dec 3, 2020 (Virtual)
Atlanta, GA - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
Vancouver, BC, Canada - Dec 9, 2020 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia - Dec 10, 2020
San Francisco, CA - Dec 17, 2020 (Virtual)
Waltham, MA – Jan 14, 2021
Salisbury, England - Jan 14, 2021
Salisbury, England - Feb 18, 2021
Brisbane, Australia - Mar 24 & 25, 2021 (2 Day Master Class) 
Lancaster, PA - Oct 26, 2021

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

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

COACHING:
Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? The Scaling Up team is prepared to support you. We have helped 40,000 other organizations over the past 30+ years, in scaling up their organizations through coaching, workshops, online training and more.

We would like to offer you a complimentary, personal follow-up from our Scaling Up team to share how we can support you in scaling your organization. 
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING & RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY FOLLOW-UP (CLICK HERE)
For questions or more information contact us at [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY: 

ScalingUp 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.

* As an Amazon Associate, I may earn revenue from qualified purchases made through this link.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here 
  
Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI 

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights