Freedom Blueprint Show

Daniel Marco is the CEO and Co-Founder of Growth Institute, the leading online executive education company for C-level executives at fast-growing firms. He is a keynote speaker and a CEO Coach, with a mission to help one million entrepreneurs scale their companies faster and with less drama. Tune in as Gabe interviews Daniel and they discuss some of the common pitfalls entrepreneurs end up falling into when they begin to scale their business in this week’s episode!

Key Takeaways:

• Who is Daniel and what does he do?
• What are some of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs are constantly making?
• A daily team meeting is huge.
• More doesn’t always equal better.
• You can scale down, make more money, and be happier!
• The ideal sweet spot for profit is between eight and 12 employees.
• Every growth stage your business goes through, you have to go through the “valley of death.”
• Usually, when you have between 20 and 50 employees, you are having a horrible time.
• Daniel was happiest when he had four employees.
• What is Daniel’s “why”? Why does he keep creating companies?
• Daniel shares some of the growing pains he’s currently experiencing.
• When you’re thinking about growing, what should you be aware of?
• What’s Daniel’s BHAG right now?
• What’s Daniel’s process to help you scale effectively?
• It all starts with defining what you believe success is.
• Whenever there is no trust, there is no commitment. No commitment means no accountability.
• What are some of Daniel’s favorite books this year?
• Daniel shares what he wishes he’d learned sooner about his career.

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Danielmarcos.co

Impact X

Daniel on LinkedIn

The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry, by John Warrillow

The Challenger Sale: How To Take Control of the Customer Conversation, by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon

Jon and Gabe talk about enjoying/loving the entrepreneurial journey you are on and how to learn to appreciate the hustle with a huge smile on your face. Gabe has this dialed in, but Jon, he’s still trying to learn how to enjoy the process and he takes some time to ask Gabe how he’s achieved this seemingly impossible balance.

Key Takeaways:

• Why is it important to actually “enjoy” what you’re doing and the journey that you’re on? Gabe goes first.
• When entrepreneurs get burned out in their business, it always comes down to them not enjoying what they do.
• When you’re starting off and building a company, yes, you might be doing things that you hate, but don’t make that the status quo.
• Jon finds this concept difficult because he likes doing certain tasks but he doesn’t “love it.”
• How do you enjoy the journey? Gabe loves to have fun in the morning before he gets to work.
• Gabe shares what he loves about his job.
• How often do you keep employees around when you know in your gut they’re not a right fit?
• What are your roles as a boss/CEO/Founder?
• Jon shares how he’s kept his employees happy over the years!
• You can have more joy in your business when you’re not having to micromanage your people.
• People want to be treated like adults. When you empower them, it makes it easier for you.
• Jon shares some of his best employee hires and what gets him excited.
• We are so consumed by our work that our work becomes our life. When do you have time for fun?
• Jon realized he doesn’t have to be so serious all the time. He’s trying to have fun during the team calls.
• When you’re having fun, you make better decisions. So embrace it!

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

When you’re busy building a business, the most important thing for optimal care is your sleep schedule. If you don’t get the right amount of sleep, it will throw everything off balance. The guys discuss their sleep routines and what they’re doing to make sure they dial in their sleep habits so that they’re at their best as business owners and family men.

Key Takeaways:

• If you’re not sleeping well, then your day is going to be way worse.
• Ryan did some tests and realized he simply can not wake up at 5:00 a.m. It just doesn’t work for him.
• Ryan doesn’t do any alarms now. He just works better when he sleeps.
• Jon needs more than eight hours of sleep to function. He’s worried he’ll oversleep and needs an alarm.
• Gabe talks about falling asleep on the couch and if he does get a good quality of sleep or not.
• What kind of sleep hacks do the guys use?
• Jon is intense when it comes to his blackout blinds!
• What would be a game-changer for sleep? Sleeping at the right temperature!
• Gabe shares what he’s noticed when he’s wearing his UV protector glasses.
• The lighting in your house is also critical!
• Let’s talk about heart rates!
• Gabe dives into how saunas, cold water therapy, and fasting, help him recover at night.
• Jon is really into the Wim Hof breathing method.

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Ryan is on the road right now about to reveal some nerve-racking news to a business owner that Ryan recently bought a business from. Ryan is trying his hand at doing a merger & acquisitions deal that will hopefully net him an extra $3 million. Jon and Gabe ask him some follow-up questions as they get to know what goes behind a deal like this.

Key Takeaways:

• Ryan is on the road! He is about to tell a business owner (who Ryan recently bought his business from) that he also just bought his largest competitor. He is unsure how this guy will react.
• The business owner is a vital person in the business right now.
• How many of the employees does Ryan want to keep in the business after he acquires it?
• It’s so important to have a mentor to help you navigate these uncertain waters.
• There’s a good chance that within a year you will lose 80% of the employees.
• Why is Ryan going to tell the business owner this information? Jon and Gabe aren’t sure why he needs to know.
• For many business owners, letting go of a business is a hard thing to do.
• Ryan believes he can sell this business for 8X by combining both companies he bought.
• Why did Ryan pick a traditional business vs. a real estate business?
• How did Ryan finance and buy these two businesses?
• What’s the main reason Ryan wants to do an M&A deal?
• Ryan is currently focused on building the right culture for these two businesses.
• How does Ryan know when he’s got a good COO on his team?
• Ryan doesn’t believe Traction is the right fit for a team of more than 100 people.
• How is Ryan structuring the equity for his COO?
• Ryan is excited for the new challenge ahead!

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business, by Gino Wickman

Mindset plays a huge factor in whether you’re going to get out of the comfortable and into the uncomfortable. The guys discuss why working on your mindset and finding good people in your corner are critical milestones to becoming a millionaire (or whatever goal you’re trying to hit right now). When you work on your mental state, everything else unlocks!

Key Takeaways:

• A limited mindset will not get you far in life.
• What kind of limiting mindset beliefs did the guys have to face and overcome?
• It took Jon a long time for him to get enough courage to quit his full-time job. Even though he was making more money in his real estate business!
• Fear is the number one hurdle to mindset.
• You have to have an assertive mindset if you want to break out of the nine-to-five mold.
• You need to put yourself in uncomfortable conversations.
• You have some “professional” mentors out there in the real estate space that charge you a lot of money but don’t actually walk the walk.
• Should you work for someone for free?
• You want to develop your own pitch to find your mentor.
• Before you pitch your mentor, really do your research, find some common ground with them, and connect from there.
• How do you avoid drama?
• Habits are what carry you and they give you the baseline you need to keep going.
• When you do your very first deal, it’s incredibly stressful to do, but one after another, after another, it gets easier. You can breathe.
• The guys talk about horror stories when it comes to hiring staff.
• When you find out a team member is stealing from you, it can really affect your mindset.
• It’s unhealthy holding in anger. You’ve got to release it. If you need to hire a therapist to help you with it, do it!

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Mindset plays a huge factor in whether you’re going to get out of the comfortable and into the uncomfortable. The guys discuss why working on your mindset and finding good people in your corner are critical milestones to becoming a millionaire (or whatever goal you’re trying to hit right now). When you work on your mental state, everything else unlocks!

Key Takeaways:

• A limited mindset will not get you far in life.
• What kind of limiting mindset beliefs did the guys have to face and overcome?
• It took Jon a long time for him to get enough courage to quit his full-time job. Even though he was making more money in his real estate business!
• Fear is the number one hurdle to mindset.
• You have to have an assertive mindset if you want to break out of the nine-to-five mold.
• You need to put yourself in uncomfortable conversations.
• You have some “professional” mentors out there in the real estate space that charge you a lot of money but don’t actually walk the walk.
• Should you work for someone for free?
• You want to develop your own pitch to find your mentor.
• Before you pitch your mentor, really do your research, find some common ground with them, and connect from there.
• How do you avoid drama?
• Habits are what carry you and they give you the baseline you need to keep going.
• When you do your very first deal, it’s incredibly stressful to do, but one after another, after another, it gets easier. You can breathe.
• The guys talk about horror stories when it comes to hiring staff.
• When you find out a team member is stealing from you, it can really affect your mindset.
• It’s unhealthy holding in anger. You’ve got to release it. If you need to hire a therapist to help you with it, do it!

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Gabe is a master when it comes to biohacking and eating food in an optimal way. Jon and Ryan both know and understand the importance of food, but how can you fuel your body right when the day just gets so busy and you’re always on the go? Listen in as the guys share their biohacking tips on this week’s episode and how to eat in a more health-conscious way. Being too busy to eat properly is not an excuse!

Key Takeaways:

• Gabe is the master in this field. He’s actually experimenting right now with nicotine, which might sound a bit counter-intuitive.
• When we think of nicotine, we think of smoking, but nicotine is a natural plant.
• Every person on this planet has a vice.
• Don’t want to be addicted to anything? Get over it. We all eat food every day! There’s nothing wrong with drinking a cup of coffee every day.
• Let’s talk about diet!
• Ryan grew up pretty vegetarian as a kid.
• How can you get your kids to eat healthily?
• Our bodies need fat. The guys talk about the paleo diet.
• Did you know chickens and pork are the most unhealthy meat to eat at a restaurant?
• What is your meat eating? It’s very important to know!
• It’s not easy to get quality meals when you’re on the go!
• Ryan shares all of his kids are in sports and they’re always on the go. They don’t have time to sit down for a family dinner.
• Gabe is so strict on his food diet because he has health issues. So, he makes an effort to feed his family right.
• Make easy food choices by just having good, healthy, and quick options in your kitchen.
• Gabe shares one of his favorite hacks when it comes to health.
• Always too busy? Then don’t eat. Fasting is actually good for you.
• Jon loves fermented food like kimchi.
• It’s not so much what you eat, but what you don’t eat. There are just certain things you just have to stop putting into your body.
• Do a reset on your food. Gabe explains how.

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Jon, Ryan, and Gabe do some quick housekeeping items and share what they’ve been up to before diving into today’s main topic and that’s — meetings! As a leader, it can be hard juggling so many balls at the same time and managing team expectations, high tensions, and more. Meetings help everyone get on the same page, but they can be hard to wrangle if you don’t have a set meeting agenda. The guys break down their meeting process and also share resources on how you can help your team become more efficient.

Key Takeaways:

• Ryan had the best two weeks ever! He went with his family to Disneyworld.
• Jon did an ayahuasca trip recently and he asks, “Why do we take stuff so seriously all the time?”
• The best way to have fun is not to make a big deal out of unexpected things that come up.
• A business is ultimately the reflection of its owner. What kind of owner do you want to be?
• What do you do as a leader when an argument breaks out and tensions are high?
• Ryan is considering buying a business, but there’s one big thing that’s apparent: they have a culture problem.
• You can read all the books you want, but that doesn’t mean it’ll change your core feelings on the matter.
• There are a lot of things you can’t control in life. It all comes down to how you plan on reacting when they do come up.
• A big fault a lot of leaders have is that they’re not willing to deal with conflict.
• Gabe is learning to lead with questions instead of assuming.
• How do you get someone to buy in when they have self-limiting beliefs about the world and themselves?
• There have been so many times where you say something and people ignore you, but if you have someone else say the exact same thing you did, things start to click for the person you’re trying to mentor/teach.
• Sometimes you just have to connect people directly to the resource and not to yourself.
• How does Gabe get buy-in from his team?
• Each person has a different love language. As a leader, you have to know what those are.
• Ryan shares how to set the right expectations for your team and how to make sure everyone’s opinion has been heard.
• Another meeting tip: Turn your darn phone off during meetings!
• What makes an effective meeting? How can you get a meeting to run smoothly?
• Why is having a daily huddle so important?

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations

Jon, Ryan, and Gabe all have 24 hours in a day, and with family and other career responsibilities, it can be tough to get everything you want done on time. The guys discuss what they have done to get more of their time back to spend it on things they care about and they also share some best practice strategies on how you can learn to delegate.

Key Takeaways:

• The more limited time you have, the more efficient you are.
• Ryan always can get more done when there is a time constraint.
• Jon understands if he has unlimited time on something, he can take all day to accomplish it.
• Gabe was trying to figure out how to get the most out of the time he has.
• Does this task give you energy?
• Write down what you do on a day-by-day basis and see if you can automate it.
• What does Richard Branson do differently compared to other entrepreneurs?
• Gabe noticed a big difference in his children’s behavior when he limited their screen-time activities.
• Children are addicted to their phones. It’s actually quite scary!
• It’s so rude to hop on your phone when someone is talking to you!
• What tasks or things has Ryan done to get some of his time back?
• Jon shares what he does to get his time back.
• Are you an employee in your business or are you the owner?
• Is it possible to set your day up so that you’re only doing things that you like to do?
• Define what happiness means to you first and then strive for it.
• Ryan understands that with the extra time he has on his plate, he’ll drive everyone at home crazy, so he needs to put it into something.
• It’s easy for entrepreneurs to keep moving on to the next thing, but we really need to take a break and see what it is we want first.
• If you’re coming home drained every night, you need to do a self-audit and figure out why.

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com

Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself Book by Mike Michalowicz

Jon, Ryan, and Gabe all have had to work with a business partner or a COO at one point or another. In fact, Ryan right now is going through the process of finding his number 2 man for his company. Your three co-hosts discuss the types of personality traits you should look for in your business partner, things to ask him/her straight away to know if they’re a good fit for your company, and even share strategies on how to split the business equity.

Key Takeaways:

• Ryan is trying to hire a business partner right now. Ryan has a love/hate relationship with having a business partner and not having a business partner.
• Jon shares how he and his business partner structure the business.
• What should you be thinking about upfront when it comes to bringing on a business partner?
• Ryan says you have to make it really clear how the day-to-day should be run. Gabe agrees, you want to make it so appealing so that it doesn’t make sense to leave the operation.
• How should you structure or talk about the business equity?
• The guys talk about their personality profiles and how it compares with their business partners.
• Sometimes the people who come up with the best ideas don’t always end up being the best people to execute those ideas.
• We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
• What personality traits should you look for in your number 2?
• How well are they as a leader?
• A good number 2 should be able to understand systems and processes but also listen to their people.
• CEOs always wanna go bigger, but they don’t notice or acknowledge all the hard work the team has put into just making it possible to make it to the halfway point.
• A COO’s job is to talk through the possibility and help make the CEO’s vision and dreams a reality.
• Have more questions? Feel free to reach out to Ryan and Gabe!

Resources:

Freedomblueprintshow.com