The Agile Scaleup

Beer Test; Bernie’s Book; Steve Jobs; Nov 1 Webinar

You can’t overtake 15 cars in sunny weather…but you can when it’s raining.
                                                Racing legend Ayrton Senna

To this day, I think the time we spent training and traveling to stores was the key to our success.
                                                Bernie Marcus, co-founder Home Depot

Great Game of Business Webinar – Nov 1, 1pm ET 
Have you thought about what separates the level or quality of decisions you’re making vs those of your employees? It most likely comes down to context and incentives. The good news is there is a simple fix. Growth Institute is hosting Great Game of Business’s Steve Baker to give you the blueprint to confidently scale your organization's decision-making. Join us next week, November 1st @ 1 PM ET/ 10 AM PT / 6 PM CET. Click here to learn more at save your seat! https://hubs.li/Q01qMg1b0

Home Depot Co-Founder Bernie Marcus on People/Hiring
Released Oct 18, the co-founder of Home Depot has an excellent book out titled Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back, and Doing It Yourself. This Chief Executive magazine article details many of the people strategies the founders used to attract, hire, train, and retain talent – too many insightful ideas to mention – please, please scan thru the article.

Home Depot Onboarding 

So many mid-market firms lack any kind of onboarding. The key is making the newbies “pay their dues” and prove worthy to work at the firm. To his point, Marcus notes:

We believed that everyone at Home Depot should have experience working in the stores, including lawyers, accountants, marketing executives and human resources people. They unloaded trucks, worked in the parking lots, helped with inventory, and worked as cashiers for three to six weeks. I once had a lawyer complain, and I finally asked, “How can you handle our lawsuits if you don’t know how our business operates?”

He continues:

We used to insist that buyers and suppliers conduct their business in the stores, so they could see what customers wanted. We even invited our vendors to come to the store, grab an orange apron, and work with customers in the department where we sold their product. We also required that board members visit 12 stores every quarter to stay in touch with what was happening. 

Steve Jobs on Hiring and Retention 
This Inc. article is a little misleading re: Steve Jobs, but is excellent, nevertheless, in detailing why and how to attract A-players. Notes Jobs:

I noticed that the dynamic range between what an average person could accomplish and what the best person could accomplish was 50 or 100 to 1. Given that, you're well advised to go after the cream of the cream ... A small team of A-players can run circles around a giant team of B and C-players.

Jobs goes on to explain:

I found that when you get enough A-players together, when you go through the incredible work to find these A-players, they really like working with each other. Because they have never had the chance to do that before.

Five Hiring Strategies – The “Beer Test”
The article goes on to explain five ways to hire A-players:

• Create an A-Player Avatar
• Recruit, Don’t Hire
• Turn Your A-Players into Recruiters
• Do the “Beer Test”
• Constantly Recruit

Please take 2-minutes to read the important details and then another 5-minutes to study this article. Then take 30-minutes to discuss with your team. Thank you to Scaling Up coach Manoj Chugani’s wife for sharing this article.

91% of CEOs Plan to Invest in A.I.
Fortune noted:

Our survey also found that 91% of the CEOs plan to invest in A.I. in the next twelve months. They said those investments are driven less by a desire to reduce costs (48%) than to accelerate intelligent insights (63%), improve decision-making (53%), and increase speed to execution (50%).

It’s time for all of us to make the move – or you’ll be replaced by a 22-year-old out of Toronto who disrupts your business. It’s about speed, prediction, and decision-making!!

100 Best CEOs Mexico – Congratulations Daniel Marcos 
CEO of our online education platform Growth Institute, Daniel Marcos was named one of the 100 Best CEOs in Mexico by the Great Places to Work organization. In addition, the Growth Institute made, yet again, the Inc 5000. Both accolades align with our Core Value “Practice What We Preach” confirming that we eat our own dog food!! Congratulations Daniel – well deserved.

Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown

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)

Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 9, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 16, 2022 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Nov 16, 2022
Boulder, CO – Nov 17, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands –Nov 17, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 30, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC - December 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Ann Arbor, MI – Jan 26, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Feb 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)

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: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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.

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.

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 [email protected].

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

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

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Zuckerberg Heat; Stanford Guru; Why Depressed; Love vs. Fear

When I see something messed up, I'm going to challenge it.
                                          Martha McSally, the first female combat pilot

Every bit of money, every bit of progress in life comes through the connections you make.
                                            Joe Polish, author of What’s in It for Them?

Scales to $30 Million While Battling Cancer (Scaling Up Case Study)
This ScaleUps.com article details how Debi Davis’s team at Scott Manufacturing Solutions scaled from $19.6 million to a projected $30 million in one year – and from being in the red for five years to profitability! Davis found out she had a highly aggressive form of endometrial cancer during our Vegas Scaling Up Master Class in Oct 2021. With the help of Scaling Up coach David Chavez, Davis and her team put together an aggressive plan to scale, fixed cash flow issues (including raising prices 30% - 80%), and started piecing together wins and celebrations, monthly, with the launch of “Scott’s Feeling Lucky” Wheel of Fortune-like chances to win prizes. Cancer-free today, Davis is doubling down on the HA (Human Assets) in her firm. Please take 2-minutes to read her inspiring story and how her employees supported her thru the process.

Mark Zuckerberg Turns Up the Heat – More Aggressive Goals
I think Zuckerberg has nailed what all of us should be doing right now. In a memo to his team: 

“Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” Zuckerberg said. “. Part of my hope, by raising expectations and having more aggressive goals, and just kind of turning up the heat a little bit, is that I think some of you might decide that this place isn’t for you, and that self-selection is OK with me.”

Less people, paid more, with a lower total labor cost per gross margin dollar of revenue is the goal. Only A-players!!

Stanford Guru – “Organized Hybrid” is Working
This Fortune article highlights Stanford Prof Nick Bloom’s research focused on remote workers and three companies he feels are getting it right – Salesforce, Lazard, and Elevance Health. Bloom labels the approach that’s working “organized hybrid” (good to have a term!). The quick summary: 

One, ensure your team comes in on the same days; two, front-load those days with in-person meetings and events; three, promote cross-office Zoom meetings and “deep thinking” work on remote days; and four, relatively new hires should come in an extra day each week for mentoring.

Please take 1-minute to read.

Why We’re Depressed? Million Dollar Racehorse 
Marketing guru Joe Polish also keynoted our Summit this week. This slide from his PPT titled “I Don’t Know Why I’m Depressed Starter Pack” is a good wake-up call. It’s what we “stop doing” that is as important as what we start. This image provides good suggestions for where to start! As leaders of scaleups, Polish equated us to million-dollar racehorses. Would you pour booze down its throat? Feed it bad food? Leave it untrained/unexercised? We set the energy tone of our organization!! Get help/coached if needed – just do it!!

Stop Yelling at the TV and Do Something – Love vs. Fear
Retired colonel Martha McSally lit up our stage at the Scaling Up+ Summit. As the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat and the first female leader of a combat squadron, McSally encouraged all of us to face what we fear. And she admonished us to stop screaming at the TV and act! From suing the Secretary of Defense over an insane policy to acknowledging being raped by a superior, McSally has taken action to fight for what she thinks is right even when it’s threatened her career. Approach all things from a perspective of love vs. fear. Where do you need to do this right now?

Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown

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

TECHNOLOGY:
ScalingUp ScoreboardIntegrated 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.

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 [email protected].

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

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

Singapore & Hong Kong – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 9, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 16, 2022 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Nov 16, 2022
Boulder, CO – Nov 17, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands –Nov 17, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 30, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC - December 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person & Virtual options)
Annapolis, MD – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)

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: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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

Coonect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights   

Cult Classic; YPOer’s Pink Shell Devastated; Polish Cosmetics; Give Ian

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.
              Estée Lauder

Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently.
              Marie Forleo

Double Sales in 12 Months – New Edition Launch Party 
The cult classic book The Ultimate Sales Machine has been significantly updated by the late Chet Holmes daughter Amanda Holmes. Chet doubled the sales of 9 companies for billionaire Charlie Munger (co-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway), all within 12-15 months and went on to author a book that is one of my favorite sales books of all time (and considered top 10 of all sales/marketing books). For the next week, when you secure your copy of the book, you’ll get a ticket to the virtual launch party where I will be one of the keynote speakers.

5 New Strategies for Doubling Sales
Following is some of what’s new in this updated edition of The Ultimate Sales Machine: 

1. Time Management Secrets of Billionaires: adopt the 6 steps to increase your productivity by 500%.
2. Death of the Salesman, Birth of the Strategist: how you can get 9x the impact from every move you’re already making to generate new clients.
3. The Fastest, Least Expensive Way to Double Sales: The Dream 100, (with new material on how to implement the one strategy that has doubled the sales of more companies than any other)
4. The 5-Prong Process to Generate the Highest ROI from Each Sales and Marketing Initiative. Learn this and you will be able to adapt to every technology change that comes your way.
5. *Bonus chapter: never before released letter from Chet about how he generated more wealth in 6 months than the previous 8 years combined following this one thing.

The biz world lost an incredibly talented and insightful sales/marketing guru a decade ago. I’m happy his daughter has continued his work and thrilled to support her efforts. Secure your copy and get your ticket to the virtual launch party with me!

Poland-Based Arkana Cosmetics’ Cash Flow (Scaling Up Case Study) 
“I don’t read Scaling Up. I study it,” notes Wojciech Pyzik, founder and CEO of Poland-based Arkana Cosmetics, who has his Polish edition of the book annotated extensively. This ScaleUps.com article details how Arkana aims to be a global brand and how he and his accountant have focused on the “Power of One” chapter to get their cash flow back in line. Engaged in our online Scaling Up Master Course, Wojciech and two of his sales and marketing team noted that one highlight was the exchange of ideas across cultures. He was part of a group that included entrepreneurs from Canada who let them in on their best practices. “We shared their experience. They shared theirs,” he says. Please take 1-minute to read their inspirational story.

YPOer’s Pink Shell Resort Fort Myers, FL -- Devastated
CEO Robert Boykin’s Pink Shell Resort (www.pinkshell.com) continued to set records in 2021 and 2022, despite COVID, Red Tide, etc. Remaining 98% occupied, even in low season (vs. 60% for the area), their focus on the Customer Experience, purpose, core values, and profitability helped them achieve their 3-year profitability targets in ONE year in 2021 – and again in 2022! And they were aggressive targets. Scaling Up fans, Robert’s team attended my YPO two-day workshop and engaged our coach Aquiles Nunez. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Ian struck. Still standing, it will be a year until they can reopen.

No Loss of Life. Everyone Accounted For 
They have a total employee base of about 450 employees.  About 330 are at associate level (servers, beach, housekeeping, etc.) for which many of them lost everything. Many are sleeping in coaches with just the clothes they have on. Very rapidly Aquiles collaborated with them to create a GoFundMe campaign for their associates and their recovery.   In 4 days over $60k has been raised by the support of their raving fans. If you haven’t found a way to support those affected by Ian, consider supporting a fellow founder/CEO/YPOer. This is the GoFundMe page.  Donate now (I have): https://gofund.me/47d6f485. Thank you.

Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown

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

COACHING: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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

Auckland, New Zealand – Oct 18, 20220 (In-Person)
Singapore & Hong Kong – Oct 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Wilmington, NC - November 4, 2022 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 9, 2022 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 16, 2022 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Nov 16, 2022
Boulder, CO – Nov 17, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Nov 17, 2022 (In-Person)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – November 22, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 30, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - March 7, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia - March 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Australia - March 9, 2023 (Virtual)

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.

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.

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

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

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights

Key Hiring Question; 50 Top Women; Alzheimer's Insight; $45 Million Exit

To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
              Lao Tzu

Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.
              Ray Bradbury

Important Hiring Question/Criteria 
Dee Hock, the founder of Visa International, was a mentor to Chip Conley (and me). Chip shared, this week, one of Dee’s best hiring questions – one you ask yourself as you consider hiring someone “What if this person worked for our biggest competitor?” If you don’t care, then maybe not the right person for you. But if you do, then hire them if they meet the following criteria: 

Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience. 

Without integrity, motivation is dangerous. 
Without motivation, capacity is impotent. 
Without capacity, understanding is limited. 
Without understanding, knowledge is meaningless. 
Without knowledge, experience is blind. 

This aligns with our Will, Values, Results, Skills criteria but admittedly, missing the integrity piece. Integrity must come first!!

50 Most Powerful Women in Business Globally 
Fortune is out with the 25th-anniversary list of the most powerful women in business. Topping this global list for the 2^nd year in a row is CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch. 38 women run US-based firms; 12 outside the US with Jessica Tan, co-CEO of Chinese insurance and tech giant Ping An, the most highly ranked international MPW at No. 5. Please take 1-minute to scan the list.

Steven Smith Credits Scaling Up for $45 Million Exit (case study)
Founded by Steven Smith in 1999, 80-person GCommerce built a SaaS offering streamlining eCommerce for the aftermarket automotive industry. Please take 2-minutes to read this ScaleUps.com article detailing how Smith used the Scaling Up platform to achieve 82% gross margins, 92% recurring revenue and customer churn of less than one-tenth of one percent.

Every Six Weeks – Strategy Meeting for Nine Years
If you want to move faster, pulse faster. Steven’s senior team reviewed their One-Page Strategic Plan and 7 Strata every 6 weeks for nine years, finetuning constantly as they learned more from customers and employees. Their 6:01 am PT (8:01 CT for most employees) daily huddle kept the teams focused – and allowed them to address “stucks/constraints” immediately. 
 
PACe and Cash Flow Story 
Steven’s team used the Process Accountability Chart (PACe) to streamline processes, including their customer onboarding process. They took it from 80 steps to 22 to eventually 5 steps (make it easy!). They engaged our Growth Institute to drive training and worked with Alan Miltz to reduce collections down to an average of 8 days!! Again, please take 2-minutes to read the details – this stuff works! Then have your team join us in Denver Oct 18 – 19 to finetune your use of our Scaling Up Tools.

Alzheimer's an Autoimmune Disease
This Science Daily article notes: Scientists have proposed a new mechanistic model (AD2) for Alzheimer's, looking at it not as a brain disease, but as a chronic autoimmune condition that attacks the brain. Getting to the root of autoimmune conditions is our expertise at the Riordan Clinic (www.riordanclinic.org) – email me at [email protected] if we can be of help (I’m Vice Chair).

Scaling Up Summit – Oct 18 – 19 (CEO-only Oct 17 evening)
Prepare your team for 2023 – deep dive and updates to Scaling Up taught by Verne (Newly Revised Edition of Scaling Up out Oct 18) – plus four main keynotes including the #1 biz book of 2022. Entertainment included both days from a top “The Voice” competitor in a beautiful setting – the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Oct 18 – 19, Denver.

Weekend Countdown – 1-Minute of Wisdom
Enjoy this kickoff to your weekend – some bits of wisdom from a fresh set of wise teachers, updated each weekend.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/weekendcountdown

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)

Oxford, UK – Oct 12, 2022 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 13, 2022 (Virtual)
Auckland, New Zealand – Oct 18, 20220 (In-Person)
Singapore & Hong Kong – Oct 19, 2022 (Virtual)
Singapore & Hong Kong – Oct 26, 2022 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2022 (In-Person)
Phoenix, AZ-  Nov 3, 2022 (In-Person)
Boulder, CO – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 9, 2022 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 8, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 10, 2022 (Virtual)
Salisbury, England – Nov 15, 2022 (In-Person)
Indiana & Michigan – Nov 16, 2022 (Virtual)
Washington, DC – Nov 16, 2022
Boulder, CO – Nov 17, 2022 (Virtual)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands –Nov 17, 2022 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – Nov 29, 2022 (In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain – Nov 30, 2022 (Virtual)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 1, 2022 (Virtual)
Dallas, TX – Dec 8, 2022 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio - Jan 20, 2023 (In-Person)
Annapolis, MD – Mar 7, 2023 (In-Person)

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.

COACHING: 
Now is the time to start planning for a strong Q4 and 2023. Implementing Scaling Up is not an overnight process but you can see quick wins if you know where to start. Our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance Program. Using our custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, we can match you with the right coach to help you scale faster.

We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. CLICK HERE! Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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.

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.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

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