The Agile Scaleup

Kobe Bryant; Cult of Costco; VIDA Ron Lovett; Jun 5 - 6

…(we don’t need) managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work.
                     Mark Zuckerberg

Push them to greatness or push them out the door.
                     Ron Lovett

An invitation to invest 2 to 22 minutes in your executive education this week.

Feeling Sorry for Yourself
This quick Kobe Bryant social media rant, to himself, is a good wakeup call for anyone suffering a setback. Seeing how golfer Scottie Scheffler calmly handled being arrested before his big golf match was a wonderful lesson for me. Stay calm and keep pushing forward.

Biz Brokerage Firm Triples in 3 Years (Scaling Up Case Study)
Scaling from $8 million to $24 million in revenue in 36 months, this ScaleUps.com article details how Albert and Jessica Fialkovich, co-founders of the 75-person Prospere Companies in Dallas, Texas have achieved Inc 5000 status five times. Working with Scaling Up Certified Coach Jennifer Berkowitz, Albert notes, “She was a spark and brought systems and processes.” Building a core leadership team; getting focused on the right core values; and identifying their core metric is propelling them to a well-defined BHAG of $1 billion in transactions. Pls take 2 minutes to scan the story.

Cult of Costco – Pricing, Merchandising, Retail Fundamentals
This Fortune article details the magic behind Costco’s fandom – it’s worth 2-minutes to soak up the insights. One key is paying an average $26/hr vs. $18/hr at Walmart. And their retention is 90% of employees who stay a year. What’s surprising is they are the largest seller of fine wines; they sell 500,000 cars; they are the 6^th largest jeweler on par with Tiffany’s in revenue; and they are selling $100 million per year of gold bars.

End of Middle Management?
This Bloomberg article (no paywall) notes that 30% of white-collar layoffs are middle managers. Notes Mark Zuckerberg:

I don’t think you want a management structure that’s just managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work.

Maintenance Dropped from $110/unit to $23/Unit
Ron Lovett, who scaled his first biz to 3500 private security guards (without any middle managers) and exited for 24x earnings is at is again. Owning and operating over 2,700 units within apartment buildings across four Canadian provinces, with a planned 6000 more coming online, his firm VIDA needed to find a solution to spiraling maintenance costs. This story details how he used a contest to help drive maintenance costs from $110/unit per month to $23/unit per month. The key is employing residents as Building Ambassadors instead of the industry standard building manager.

Review the Fundamentals – Four 90-Minute Sessions Jun 5 - 6
Every pro golfer, tennis player, etc. reviews the fundamentals of their sport before every stroke/point. If you travel by air, every pro pilot reviews the fundamentals before each flight. Same for business leaders. Next week I’ll host my twice-annual Scaling Up Master Class. Four 90-minute sessions each for People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Review the fundamentals and bring new team members up to speed. June 5 and 6 (with a special 90-minute session for CEOs-only June 4). Sign up and you also get the recording to review with your team at your leisure.

Order a box of 20 books
Save 50% over the price on Amazon for Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

Additional Books 
Scaling Up Compensation, a quick read helping you get much greater impact and outcomes from one of your largest expenses; and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, which provides you with some great ideas to borrow/steal for your own business are available on Amazon.

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 Scaling Up workshops. Here's our list of workshops

Western Sydney, Australia – Jun 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Madison, NJ – Jun 6, 2024 (Virtual)
Kansas City, MO – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – Jun 20, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – Jun 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Western Sydney, Australia – Jul 4 & 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Hong Kong – Jul 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA –  Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia –  Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Nottingham, UK – Oct 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with 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, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover 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). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard is AI-enabled and 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!) with a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of the Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Scaling Up Free Mini Course

COACHING: Unlock Explosive Growth with a Scaling Up Coach
Is your business hitting a growth ceiling? Break through with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™. Our elite coaches master the Scaling Up methodology to reignite growth, align your team, and chart a clear scalability path. From day one, we provide a custom-tailored approach - conducting a comprehensive diagnostic, hand-picking your perfect coach match, and providing dedicated support. Whether a $5M or $250M firm, invest in coaching to propel your business to extraordinary new heights.
Schedule a complimentary follow-up or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Seinfeld; Sexy Packaging; Galloway Predictions; July 21 - 24

Fascination is better than passion.
                     Jerry Seinfeld

An invitation to invest 2 to 22 minutes in your executive education this week.

Making Packaging Cool/Sexy
Think your product/service isn’t sexy? This 2-minute promo brings out the best in Signet’s packing tape, cardboard boxes, and packing materials. Maybe you can have some fun and do the same? Thank you to Oliver Maughan for sharing.

Elon Musk – Don’t Optimize Something That Shouldn’t Exist
Simplifying is the third step, not the first. Eliminate the unnecessary steps first. This short IG video features Elon Musk sharing how he got process improvement backward. Share this video with your team and discuss first, what shouldn’t even exist in a process before you automate the mess.

Scott Galloway’s Predictions for 2024 
AI was last year’s trend; in 2024 it’s GLP-1 drugs (weight loss) – and all the companies that will benefit from their use. Grab your favorite mocha beverage and enjoy this 32-minute video of the always-on-point NY Stern marketing profs insights.

Jerry Seinfeld – Don’t Lose Your Sense of Humor
Jerry Seinfeld’s 16-minute entertaining and insightful Duke commencement address is already lighting up the internet. Notes Jerry, as he suggests we could all loosen up a bit: 

...humor is the most powerful, most survival essential quality you will ever have or need to navigate through the human experience.

Go to 12:20 where he shares his biggest point about life. Thank you to Paul Berman for nudging me to watch.

Drop the Visionary Label
And at 2:50 Seinfeld explains better than me why the idea of a grand visionary (with outstretched arms) is ridiculous. As Jerry suggests “get over yourself.” He then goes right into his 3 life lessons for the next 2 minutes. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy 16 fun minutes. Then drop the visionary label, it makes “your co-workers uncomfortable.”

Boundless Adventures – Colorado July 21 - 24
Last summer I had the opportunity join Andy Bailey on one of his Boundless Adventures where my son Quinn (16) and I rafted down the Arkansas River and summited a 14’er (14,000 ft) mountain in Colorado. An experience we will remember for a lifetime! They are doing it again this summer – Boundless in Colorado

Boundless Adventures – Kilimanjaro Oct 21 - 30
And they have added an international Adventure to the top of Kilimanjaro in Africa! If you have ever had the inclination to tackle this mountain then I suggest you check out the VIP-level experience that Andy and his team have put together. I know it will be epic! The link is here – Boundless Adventure Africa

Order a box of 20 books
Save 50% over the price on Amazon for Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

Additional Books 
Scaling Up Compensation, a quick read helping you get much greater impact and outcomes from one of your largest expenses; and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, which provides you with some great ideas to borrow/steal for your own business are available on Amazon.

COACHING: Unlock Explosive Growth with a Scaling Up Coach
Is your business hitting a growth ceiling? Break through with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™. Our elite coaches master the Scaling Up methodology to reignite growth, align your team, and chart a clear scalability path. From day one, we provide a custom-tailored approach - conducting a comprehensive diagnostic, hand-picking your perfect coach match, and providing dedicated support. Whether a $5M or $250M firm, invest in coaching to propel your business to extraordinary new heights.
Schedule a complimentary follow-up or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 Scaling Up workshops. Here's our list of workshops

San Francisco, CA – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Europe – May 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Western Sydney, Australia – Jun 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Madison, NJ – Jun 6, 2024 (Virtual)
Kansas City, MO – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
Boulder, CO – Jun 20, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – Jun 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Western Sydney, Australia – Jul 4 & 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Hong Kong – Jul 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA –  Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia –  Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Nottingham, UK – Oct 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with 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, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover 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). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard is AI-enabled and 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!) with a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of the Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Scaling Up Free Mini Course

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Tito’s Joyologist; Guilty Pleasures; Tara Bosch; Jun 12 - 14

Staying in the moment seems to be the safest place to be.
                     Ken Blackwood

Every big issue on the CEO’s agenda, basically, is a people issue, and that has made the CHRO role more prominent.
                     Jennifer Wilson, Heidrick & Struggle’s CHRO

An invitation to invest 2 to 22 minutes in your executive education this week.

Tara Bosch Sells Her Candy Company for $360 Million
…and all before her 30^th birthday. Get inspired and share this Fortune article with your children (OK, it might depress them). It’s about solving a problem for yourself. There are likely others who have the same problem and now you have a business. Start small, start local.

Chief Joyologist
Amy Lukken is Chief Joyologist at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In this 21-minute YouTube video, she explains her role. Go to 14:55 in the video to hear how Lukken “measures” employee happiness at Tito’s. Hint, it has to do with emotions.

Guilty Pleasures and Company Rituals
What a couple of Harvard professors have taught thousands of leaders to do to maintain their mental health – and that of their employees – is shared in my latest Chief Executive column. It’s a one-minute read and includes the importance of granting yourself time for a few guilty pleasures – and emphasizes the most important 5-minute routine in the workweek of your employees – sharing Good News at the beginning of your 4D Weekly Meeting.

Success Path vs. Career Path
I’m with serial entrepreneur Ron Lovett this week, author of Outrageous Empowerment. He arranged for me to keynote both the EO and YPO Halifax chapters and as an investor in his firm Vida, I’m here for his board meeting with some of the top heads of People (HR) in the world. One thing he reminded me of is his choice to provide his employees with a Success Path vs. Career Path – his choice of words matters. It’s an invitation to learn, move into different roles, assume more responsibility, and most importantly improve their own productivity and the profitability of their firm.

Intuit’s (QuickBooks) Head of Employee Listening
Scott Cook’s Intuit, creator of QuickBooks, is famous for its “follow me home” routine of 500 customer visits a year. Therefore, it’s not surprising that they have a similar weekly routine for listening to employees, including having a head of employee listening, Emily Pelosi. This Fortune article details how Intuit listens to and acts on what they learn from employees. The key? Upping the frequency. Notes Pelosi: 

…we have a survey called “Always On” that lives on our homepage that employees can participate in once a week to tell us what’s on their minds.

This is one of many routines built into the fabric of Intuit’s employee listening process. Please take 2 minutes to read and adopt one or two ideas for your firm.

Customer and Employee Feedback – Critical Intel
Rockefeller Habits #4 and #5 emphasize the importance of gathering regular (weekly) customer and employee feedback. It’s so critical we moved the sharing of this input to the top of our 4D Weekly Meeting agenda, just after 5 minutes of Good News. Hubert Joly, the CEO who turned around Best Buy, emphasizes in his book The Heart of Business that ALL leadership team meetings should start with input from customers and employees. Do yours?

Have Your “Head of People” (HR) Read This
This Fortune article details the increased importance of the role of HR in companies.

May You Be of Use – 2-Minute Film
Nik Askew shoots some powerfully touching short films including his latest 2:22-minute piece entitled “The Use of You.” Notes Ken Blackwood, the subject of this film, “Staying in the moment seems to be the safest place I know.” I invite you to scroll down Nik’s page to see other short films – and links to his Inner Leadership programs. I experienced one and it’s profound. In the end, as Jim Collins often says, the hope is to be of use – and to be used up by the end.

5 Seats Left – June 12 – 14, Charleston, SC
Join me for a two-day Authority journey hosted by my publisher Forbes Books in beautiful Charleston, SC. Limited to 16 CEOs, it includes 1:1 time with Forbes Books experts to elevate your thought leadership through executive publishing and media strategies. You will leave with several content assets – these are working/creation sessions, not lectures:

• An Executive Book Outline
• A Personalized Brand & Content Strategy 
• An Optimized LinkedIn Profile
• A Professional Headshot
• A Forbes Books Podcast Episode featuring you as our guest

This event is exclusive to Scaling Up members and is a must for anyone who wants to accelerate their business growth. I guarantee it will be worth your time!  More Info HERE.

Order a box of 20 books
Save 50% over the price on Amazon for Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

Additional Books 
Scaling Up Compensation, a quick read helping you get much greater impact and outcomes from one of your largest expenses; and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, which provides you with some great ideas to borrow/steal for your own business are available on Amazon.

EDUCATION: 
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Scaling Up Free Mini Course

COACHING: Unlock Explosive Growth with a Scaling Up Coach
Is your business hitting a growth ceiling? Break through with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™. Our elite coaches master the Scaling Up methodology to reignite growth, align your team, and chart a clear scalability path. From day one, we provide a custom-tailored approach - conducting a comprehensive diagnostic, hand-picking your perfect coach match, and providing dedicated support. Whether a $5M or $250M firm, invest in coaching to propel your business to extraordinary new heights.
Schedule a complimentary follow-up or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 Scaling Up workshops. Here's our list of workshops

Hong Kong / Singapore – May 22, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia  – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jun 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – Jun 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 4 - 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Hong Kong – Jul 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA –  Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia –  Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with 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, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover 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). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard is AI-enabled and 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!) with a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of the Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

No BS; Buffett Quips; Investing Next; May 14, 12pm ET

Who would you like to spend one more day with? Find a way to spend more time with them now.
                     Warren Buffett

I trust my children and my wife totally, but that doesn’t mean I ask them what stocks to buy.
                     Warren Buffett

An invitation to invest 2 to 22 minutes in your executive education this week.

Oops – $1.99 Kindle NOW Available
My bad – the $1.99 Kindle version of 12 Habits of Valuable Employees went away last week. We asked Amazon to bring it back – available for your team May 9 – 13 at that price on Amazon. BTW, you purchase thru Amazon and send to your Kindle now. The Kindle app can no longer purchase directly (a fight between Google and Amazon).

Bezos On Importance of Making Less Decisions
I showed this short Bezos IG clip during my workshops in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta last week. Show it to your senior team next week.

No BS Secrets of Success – Jim VandeHei
This 46-minute podcast is full of street-smart wisdom by the founder of Politico and Axios and author of a new book on the no BS secrets of success i.e. avoid the 5W’s -- whiners, whisperers, weasels, wanna-be’s, wunderkins (18:06); the importance of knowing when to be a peacetime vs wartime leader (37:05); and the importance of healthy revenge (41;38). With a 1.4 GPA, he emphasizes his insights into how to fire people (14:25), EQ, etc. comes from playing poker and hanging out in bars.

Role of AI – What Jim is Telling His Reporters
My favorite insight, since Jim is in media and being hugely transformed by AI, is his advice to his reporters (38:48 the role of AI in media – then what humans can do no AI can do soon 40:22). In short,

AI is never going to be a subject matter expert that has human sources that can capture the nuance of human conversation and break news and tell people things that they did not know.

This makes so much sense – and informs me as to the role our coaches play inside companies.

Lessons From Warren Buffett’s Shareholder Meeting
His first shareholder meeting without Charlie Munger by his side, this Fortune article details some of the best Buffett quips from the meeting – I included one above. I think he nailed the right analogy for AI…and his only investment hint, after investing heavily in Japan last year, is that he’s looking at a huge investment in Canada. With $189 billion in cash, maybe he’ll just purchase the country? (OK, no hate mail from Canadians please!).

If Buffett Had One More Day with Charlie Munger
The best question asked Warren at the meeting was by a young man. This 7-minute video provides his lengthy answer to if he had one more day with Charlie, what he would have said/done. Go to 6:57 for the true insight. Choose who you would like to spend a day with and start meeting them now, or tomorrow, and find a way to spend more time with them and not others you’re spending time with. Who is that person for you?

Meet Them Thru Books
Buffett emphasized that Charlie felt he had “met” everyone he ever wanted to meet – including Ben Franklin. No, Charlie wasn’t that old, but Buffett noted that Charlie did it thru books. I’ve not met Elon, but I’ve learned so much reading/listening for a third time to Walter Isaacson’s latest biography on Elon. Again, who would you like to meet? Read books about them, like Ryan Holliday’s books on the Stoics.

Meet NVIDIA CEO Thru Video
Tim Ferriss recommended this 55-minute keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang (someone I would also like to meet) and particularly to go to 36.16 in the video for his key to success and shortly after a pregnant pause before sharing his wish for everyone – which is also the key to transcendence.

Meet Verne – May 14, 12pm ET Webinar – Latest Rantings
Join me and the Growth Institute for a complimentary webinar on the Scaling Up "Four Decisions" framework— People, Strategy, Execution, Cash. I’ll share my latest updates to each – what I’m seeing new in driving up the value of your firm and synchronizing your entire team towards achieving your central business objectives. Save your seat here.



Order a box of 20 books
Save 50% over the price on Amazon for Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

Additional Books 
Scaling Up Compensation, a quick read helping you get much greater impact and outcomes from one of your largest expenses; and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, which provides you with some great ideas to borrow/steal for your own business are available on Amazon.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard is AI-enabled and 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!) with a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of the Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Scaling Up Free Mini Course

COACHING: Unlock Explosive Growth with a Scaling Up Coach
Is your business hitting a growth ceiling? Break through with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™. Our elite coaches master the Scaling Up methodology to reignite growth, align your team, and chart a clear scalability path. From day one, we provide a custom-tailored approach - conducting a comprehensive diagnostic, hand-picking your perfect coach match, and providing dedicated support. Whether a $5M or $250M firm, invest in coaching to propel your business to extraordinary new heights.
Schedule a complimentary follow-up or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 Scaling Up workshops. Here's our list of workshops

Ontario, Canada - May 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – May 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Singapore – May 22, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Melbourne, Australia  – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jun 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – Jun 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Jul 4 - 5, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Hong Kong – Jul 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA –  Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia –  Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada – Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with 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, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover 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). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

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*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Woods Video; Warehouse to CEO; File Claims; Jun 5-6 Fundamentals

If my team fails, it is because of me. And if they succeed, I am a part of that as well.
                     Virgil Miller, President Aflac U.S.

I’ve never received a promotion for a job I wasn’t already doing.
                     Dawn Exline, 12 Habits of Valuable Employees

An invitation to invest 2 to 22 minutes in your executive education this week.

12 Habits of Valuable Employees – $1.99 Kindle
On its third printing, our newest and quick-read book 12 Habits of Valuable Employees helps each of your employees review the fundamentals for becoming and maintaining A-Player performance and driving their own career. Right now, it’s just $1.99 for the Kindle version. Review one habit each month, for the next 12 months, and generate important conversations and behaviors throughout your organization.

Tiger Woods Video – Daily Fundamentals/Feel
This short IG video features golfer Tiger Woods sharing the key to his success – a review/feel for the fundamentals 1000x per day – club to ball.

Keep Raising Your Hand (when the boss is out of town)
This Fortune article headline says it all: Walmart CEO started his career unloading trailers at the warehouse—he says he got promotion after promotion by raising his hand when his boss was out of town. Going from making $6.50/hr to $25 million a year, grab inspiration from Doug McMillon’s journey and share with your team. Notes McMillon:

“Don’t take your current job for granted,” the 57-year-old chief exec said. “The next job doesn’t come if you don’t do the one you’ve got well.” “Be a great teammate—you learn how to lead, you learn how to influence by the way you interact with your peers,” he added. “Treat them well, help them, help them do a better job.”

Aflac – Unwavering Focus on Fundamentals
Notes this Chief Executive piece:

Before becoming a U.S. Marine and president of Aflac U.S., Virgil Miller played baseball and football and even took up fencing in college. In his view, a critical link between athletics and corporate leadership is the unwavering focus on fundamentals. 

And the leader must take accountability, especially for the bad, per Miller’s quote above.

File Your Own Claims
To focus his team on the fundamentals, Miller puts his teams through a process to test customer satisfaction: walk your own process. Notes Chief Exec:

At Aflac, this means having teammates file their own claims to experience the process firsthand. “If you want to own the process, and you want to make sure it works, then you need to test it,” Miller says. Have you truly mastered the fundamentals of making your processes as easy on your customers as they can be? 

Is every one of your team members doing business with your firm?

Stay At Your Own Resort
Ritz-Carlton, under Horst Schulze, had all their employees, including housekeeping staff, stay as guests at Ritz-Carlton and competitor resorts. How are you reinforcing the fundamentals of your business with your team?

Drive Your Own Cars
On the job just over a year ago, Lyft CEO David Risher published his first “letter to shareholders” last week highlighting how Lyft has achieved record growth numbers and share price up 60% because of their customer obsession. Please take 2 minutes to read how an accomplished CEO shares the details of how they accomplished these results. I specifically love how Lyft implemented a Catalytic Mechanism (Brand Promise Guarantee) to fix a critical issue. And how did CEO Risher figure all this out? Working as a Lyft driver on Sundays!

Review the Fundamentals – Scaling Up Master Class Jun 5 – 6
Virtually 3 hrs. per day, review the fundamentals of Scaling Up/Rockefeller Habits with your existing team and new members. Taught by me (Verne Harnish) and our team June 5 – 6, it’s 90 minutes each for People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. For more info.

Fundamentals and Advanced Exec Ed – Barcelona, Vail, Adelaide
For the most in-depth and advanced set of tools/techniques for scaling (valuation) – CEO Boot Camps in Barcelona, Vail, and Adelaide (www.ceo-bootcamp.com) – limited to 8 CEO/COO teams at each.

Grateful For…
…as I lead workshops in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta…I’m so thankful every pilot and mechanic reviews the fundamentals every flight, every day. Ritz-Carlton, under Horst Schultze, had all “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen” review one of 17 fundamentals every day during their daily standups. How is your team reviewing fundamentals every day?

Order a box of 20 books
Save 50% over the price on Amazon for Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

Additional Books 
Scaling Up Compensation, a quick read helping you get much greater impact and outcomes from one of your largest expenses; and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, which provides you with some great ideas to borrow/steal for your own business are available on Amazon.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with 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, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover 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). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

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.

COACHING: Unlock Explosive Growth with a Scaling Up Coach
Is your business hitting a growth ceiling? Break through with a Scaling Up Certified Coach™. Our elite coaches master the Scaling Up methodology to reignite growth, align your team, and chart a clear scalability path. From day one, we provide a custom-tailored approach - conducting a comprehensive diagnostic, hand-picking your perfect coach match, and providing dedicated support. Whether a $5M or $250M firm, invest in coaching to propel your business to extraordinary new heights.
Schedule a complimentary follow-up or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected].

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 Scaling Up workshops. Here's our list of workshops

Dallas, TX – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – May 9, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - May 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – May 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Singapore – May 22, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – Jun 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Hong Kong – Jul 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.