disruptive successor

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why do we have to analyze leading indicators
• Sharing favorite metrics to analyze
• Importance of being a data-driven company
• Sharing of client stories
• Data Visualization Tools (Google Data Studio, Excel, Tableau)
• How to identify or choose the right KPIs to measure
• Primary and Secondary KPIs

QUOTES

Jonathan: “People don't like us that we're analysts, you know, that we're analytical that we want to know. Too many small businesses just focus on the profit and loss and just like, am I making money and and like, that is missing the boat.”

Jonathan: “We have to know what the leading indicators are. And these are why we use KPI so we can know how we're doing.”

Jonathan: “And so it's one thing a lot of business owners, entrepreneurs, leaders, they look at indicators. And they focus on sales and marketing indicators only. They don't focus on operating metrics.”

Jack: “So that's kind of when I'm not like trying to convince anybody, just when I'm talking about it, like, Hey, if you invested in a dashboard, or if you became a bit more data driven, let's say, at the very, most, maybe it's five grand, maybe it's 10 grand, or something like that. But if that helps you save 15 grand, or make better decisions, you make an extra 20 grand or something, the ROI is kind of a no brainer.”

Jack: “I know it's kind of a new agey type thing in sports. It is not that new agey in business, it is how successful businesses have been running for a long time. It's now kind of trickling but trickling down into the small businesses and entrepreneurs and becoming a lot more accessible there, which is the whole point of my business, but also just really exciting for the industry in whole.”

Jack: “65% of people are visual learners, but I would guarantee that 100% of people, if they look at their scorecard and they see a big red down arrow or a big red square, that is going to be a red flag to them and they will look closely at it.”

To connect with Jack, check out the links below: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-tompkins/
• Website: https://www.pineapplecf.com/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How to find a good digital marketer
• The 80/20 Rule: don't stretch yourself too thin
• Do outbound prospecting first 
• Get your marketing message right
• Inbound vs Outbound Marketing 
• Inform and educate, not sell 
• Set the correct KPI
• Know your market and figure out the appropriate platform 
• The cost of traditional marketing vs digital marketing 
• Business owners need to set their honest goals

QUOTES

Eric: "Customer acquisition and getting clients and scaling a business are the probably one of the most difficult things there is because it's the lifeblood of your business. And if everyone could do it, then everybody would be millionaires."

Eric: For me, I would just lay out all of the different things that business owners are trying to figure out what to spend their time on and then make a chart of okay, this has the potential of this much ROI. 

Eric: It depends on where the business is at on their revenue level. But if they are at a lower revenue level, they could spend a lot of time trying to get organic people trying to view organic content and things like that. But manual outbound and just outbound prospecting is probably the highest ROI thing you can do as long as their marketing message and position of their offer is good.”

Eric: "A lot of people in manual outbound are just hitting with a straight pitch right off the bat. And that doesn't end up well because nobody wants to be sold to. They want to have that inbound feel where they are coming to you because they have a problem that needs to be solved."

Eric: "I think inbound is becoming more important because of how consumers in general, their mindsets are shifting to, okay if I want something I'll google it. If I want food, I uber it." 

Eric: "Because they are able to have access to whatever they want in this Information Age, they want the same thing with your business. They want to see an ad from you, go to your website, possibly convert into a lead because your offer is really good, then when they actually get into the phone with you, you're educating them, just guiding them. You're not selling them, you're just asking questions, making closing statements, hailing objections. Then eventually it just leads into the sale." 

Eric: "70% of the buying decision for a lot of markets is made by the person before they even talk to you. Because they did the research on your website, they did the research on your ads, they looked at your reviews, they did the research on Google and all these things, maybe asked a couple of friends and did all that before they even called you."  

Eric: "Business owners should be as clear and consistent with whatever their goals are as possible and really sit down and be honest with themselves on what they really want. Because that whey say their goals are can actually be less or more than what they actually say."

To learn about Eric, check out the links below: 

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrebelo/
• Website: https://www.ericrebelo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericrebelo/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

HIGHLIGHTS 

04:15 CMA vs CPA: A question of being strategic vs tactical

09:07 A love for small businesses and preparing them to sell 

11:23 Strategic planning to sell: Start with core values and culture first

16:16 Everyone benefits by having a second in command

19:30 Review your financial statements regularly and identify your ideal customer

25:16 Increase sales: Optimize leads, conversions, and average dollar sale 

28:25 Working with clients to clean up processes and make the PNL make sense

34:08 Profit acceleration tools: Revealing to clients their earning potential

36:04 Connect with Perry

QUOTES

07:27 "The finance person should be strategic. They should be a key part of creating the strategic plan and the OKRs and the KPIs to measure progress and helping push the strategic plan down to every employee in the company."

13:31 "Start off by defining the organization's values and beliefs and then I would say hire people, use that in your hiring process, just to make sure that the people you hire are aligned with those values and beliefs."

15:36 "Culture helps you implement your strategic plans. So you define your values and beliefs and then you create a one, three, five, seven (year plan), depending on the timeframe, but short term and long term strategic plan goals."

25:48 "Lots of times, you can increase sales between 50 and maybe six or seven times by simply optimizing leads and conversions and average dollar sale."

35:49 "Cost-cutting is somewhat limited, but revenue generation is kind of limitless. So focusing on the marketing side is going to be the quickest way to add value."

To learn more about Perry, you can check out the links below.

• Website - https://solvingtheprofitpuzzle.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrytrevithick/
• Email - perry@solvingtheprofitpuzzle.com

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

HIGHLIGHTS 

04:09 Nurturing a work ethic with Rich's family dry cleaning business 

09:39 Riots in the 60s were a major challenge to the business

12:42 Setting boundaries for the success of a family business

19:38 Family dynamics: Taking responsibility and expectations 

24:19 People Time & Money: Rich's wisdom in managing a business

30:21 Managing people and salaries cannot be personal

36:13 Difficult family members/employees and difficult conversations

46:40 If you were fired and a new CEO came, what would they do?

QUOTES

16:41 "If you're parents and your children go into your business and they're actually costing you money and not being responsible, you need to find a way to set boundaries."

22:29 "Anyone who wants to take the easy road to go into a family business, if it's not where your heart is and if you don't really feel that you're bringing out the best in yourself, I would say do something else."

25:49 "By the time you get to 25 to 50 people, you don't know all your customers, you may not know all the people that work for you, communication systems break down, systems and processes break down, what used to work no longer works, and it's not scalable." 

35:20 "The one question I like to ask is, if you had to hire them over again, would you? And if the answer is no, then I say, why are they still here? And that seems to be an awakening."

36:42 "Criticize the behavior, not the person, or now why the behavior is out of context with the values, how it hurts the business, and that you need to change that behavior. And be the coach, not the cop."

To learn more about Rich, you can check out the links below.

• Website - https://coachtothebest.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richrussakoff/
• Email - rich@coachtothebest.com

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

HIGHLIGHTS 

02:02 Kasel Rocks is a people-first company

04:39 Transforming into a high-level landscaping company began with personal change

08:09 The catalyst for change: Hitting rock-bottom and going to rehab

10:19 Leadership and hiring: Respect for time and problem-solving are winning traits 

15:29 Learning the values of communication and entrepreneurship from childhood 

17:32 Honing the athlete's mindset and applying it to business

22:57 Growing the business from his father's leadership post-graduation

27:04 For founders: Trust your team, let go, and coach them through their failures

30:21 Finding the right labor and incentivizing them to grow the company

34:53 Connect with Scott

QUOTES

02:37 "We need to help breed and build the leaders within and part of that is the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial wellbeing. All five of those key characteristics are really important to living a good life."

05:38 "I realized that I needed to make a change myself to make sure that I can give everybody that I was surrounded with what I want from myself. So I decided to get healthy, decided to quit drinking, and decided to get more physically active."

21:04 "I am not relied on for anything else in the business other than building and making the business grow. Our leadership team and our sales team really support that and have seen what it's doing for the company's growth."

27:08 "You got to trust everybody else especially in small companies. This might be hard for the wrong person to hear right now, but owners are micromanagers. They want to have their fingers in absolutely everything."

32:07 "Some of our guys that are making 20 to $25 an hour are doing double the work of somebody that's making $15 an hour. So they actually save us money. So if that's the trend we have to go, ha half-staffed with doubly productive people, sure."

To learn more about Scott, you can check out the email address below.

• Email - scott@kaselrocks.com

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Tom started his first company when he was 20 and bought his first business when he was 21. He was driven by the idea that he could create a life that he controlled. One where he could make his own decisions, create his own life/work balance, and pocket every dime he earned.

By the time he was 35, he had built, bought, and sold twelve businesses and was able to retire.

Being an entrepreneur and small business owner is in your blood. It’s insistent, something you can’t ignore and something that doesn’t go away. Tom discovered he could continue to satisfy that need by becoming a business broker. During his time as a broker, he matched small business buyers with businesses that were for sale. He diligently coached buyers on finding the right business to achieve their dreams of small business ownership.

He knows that the hardest part of owning a business is getting started. Setting up a location, creating a brand that will attract customers, engaging those customers, and providing the kind of customer service that will keep them coming back, is hard, especially if you’ve never done it before. The franchisee gets all the benefits of owning their own business without the pain of trying to figure out how to get started.

To learn more about Tom Hannon, you can check out the links below.

• Website - https://franchisingconnection.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasphannonjr/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Dave Specht serves as the Director of the Global Family Business Institute at The Drucker School of Management. He is an ambassador for the family-owned business and writes, delivers keynote speeches, and develops programs on topics related to the family business.

Dave is the author of "The Family Business Whisperer" and has a consulting firm called "Advising Generations."

Before this role, he developed the Family Business Management program at the University of Nebraska. He served as National Development Manager for the Family Dynamics Program at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

To learn more about Dave Specht, you can visit him on the links below.

• Website - https://www.cgu.edu/center/drucker-school-global-family-business-institute/
• Website - http://www.davespecht.com/

You can also get a copy of Dave’s book called “The Family Business Whisperer” at Amazon.com.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Scott Snider is the nationally recognized industry leader, growth specialist, and lifetime entrepreneur who is the President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPIC) and leads the strategic direction and growth of the company while also overseeing the operations. Having purchased the organization in 2012 with his father, Chris Snider, Scott assumed the leadership role where he expanded the company regionally, nationally, and globally, and provided transformational educational experiences to advisors from all specialties. 

As someone who has experienced exiting his own business, Scott is very passionate about helping business owners create companies that are true to their worth and establish an alignment with their personal financial plans. He also helps these same owners find and tap their personal purpose. These are how Scott and his team at EPI work their expertise and they achieve these by educating professional advisors who surround the business owner throughout the journey. They make it a point to create not just significant companies but also significant teams and outcomes. 

Utilizing his biggest talents, market penetration and rapid growth strategies, Scott was able to launch his first business at 17, which he established outstandingly and exited successfully at 24 to join forces with his father’s private exit planning and M&A firm - Aspire Management. Within a year, he transformed Aspire into one of the most influential boutique advisory firms in Cleveland. It’s from this point on that drove him, together with his father, to purchase the Exit Planning Institute, develop the Value Acceleration Methodology, write an Award-winning book, and effectively increase the business by 10x its purchasing size. 

Learn more and connect with Scott Snider through his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-snider-epi/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Grossman Marketing Group was founded as Massachusetts Envelope Company in 1910 by Maxwell Grossman, whose lifelong dream was to own his own business.

Now, 111 years since its founding, brothers Ben and David Grossman are the 4th generations of family leadership. Today, the company is a full-service resource helping clients with a broad range of traditional and digital marketing needs.

Ben Grossman holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Prior to Columbia, Ben worked as a strategy consultant to Fortune 500 clients, as well as started and sold a sportswear and marketing firm.

David holds a BA from Princeton University. Prior to Grossman Marketing Group, David lived in New York and was in sales for a technology startup as well as served as the Deputy Director of Marketing for the US delegation to Expo 2000, working with Fortune 100 companies to develop their pavilion presence at the Millennium World’s Fair in Hanover, Germany.

Find out more and connect with Ben & David Grossman by checking out the following links:

• Websites: 
  • https://www.bengrossman.info/
  • www.grossmanmarketing.com
• LinkedIn:
  • Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgrossman/
  • David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-grossman-15b6525/
• Direct Links:
  • Their great grandfather’s dollar-a-year check from the US Government - https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6037c57f7424b4ea01ef8e45/60515ae13f381f3f1ef1ca37_Dollar%20a%20year%20man%20check.jpg
  • Letter they sent out when their father left the company to serve as Treasurer of Massachusetts 70 years after our great grandfather left for public service - https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6037c57f7424b4ea01ef8e45/60515a91e1e851084c30e394_1941%20Letter.pdf
• Business Isn’t Just About Profit - https://www.bengrossman.info/blog/business-isnt-just-about-profit
• Acquisitions Page Summary - https://www.bengrossman.info/acquisitions

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Gary Vanbutsele is the Co-Founder and CEO of Whale, a knowledge and training platform, headquartered in Belgium, for SMEs that help centralize a company’s processes, SOP’s, policies, and tribal knowledge for a faster onboarding and training of new hires. 

Through Whale’s platform, the intra company’s system functions to reimagine the way employers train and empower their team by delivering contextual, bite-sized content to teams in their moment of need, so they can learn while doing. They basically market their solutions in four buckets - The C- Level, The Manager, The Expert, and The Novice.

A holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from HOGENT University and earned his Master’s in Mass Communication from Ghent University, Gary is a known expert when it comes to knowing the importance of building systems and structures in a company as he’s also Co-Founded and Managed a business prior to Whale, which is Direct, a digital IT servicing company that helps companies use technology to gain complete advantage in their business execution. With him taking the reins for Whale, he’s stepped back from Direct as a Board Member.  

Get access to a 14-day free trial of the Whale platform when you visit https://www.usewhale.io/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Ken Monroe is the President of HOLT of California who took part in his family’s legacy as a 2nd generation in a 4th generation business. 

HOLT of California is part of the elite group of Caterpillar Construction machinery, also known as CAT, dealers worldwide that is based in Northern Central California. They have over 11 locations in their territory which covers sixteen counties for the traditional Caterpillar product line, as well as all of Central Northern California for Caterpillar Lift Trucks and the East Bay Area and the Reno/Sparks area for our Mitsubishi & Clark forklift lines. Their five divisions: Earthmoving, Agriculture, Power Systems, Material Handling, and The Cat Rental Store - function to serve all industries.

The well-established company provides equipment solutions for the diverse needs of their customers like selling a wide variety of equipment, including Large and Small Construction Tractors, Agricultural Equipment, Forklifts, Racking Systems, Telescopic Handlers, Prime, and Stand-by-Power Generation, UPS Systems and On-Highway Truck Engines. They’re also in the business of renting out Caterpillar and other preferred manufactured equipment to contractors. 

Ken has since assumed the position of President of the company when Tenco Tractor Inc. and Holt Bros came together to form HOLT of California back in 1999.  

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Craig Bundren is the Founder of the Bundren Building Arts Foundation. Craig’s vision for the foundation is a vibrant future for communities and local artists. It’s his view that art reflects life, where people work, play, and live. He aims to work with community leaders, artists, and building owners to collaborate to make our environments more vibrant now and into the future.

Craig is also the host of the show The Chromatic Podcast.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Jeff Gould is the Principal and Founder of Lineage Asset Advisors, Inc. They provide a full-service commercial real estate advisory and consulting firm based in Los Angeles. The LAA team provides customized commercial real estate services to help families make seamless transitions with their properties - from one generation to the next.

Jeff is also the Director of the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge, an innovative utility-funded initiative. In his current position at the LABBC, Jeff manages programs and strategic partnerships, including LABBC's multifamily, affordable housing, and building technology expansion initiatives.

You can reach Jeff Gould on the following links below.

• Email - jeff@lineageasset.com
• Website - https://lineageasset.com/

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Vijay Sathe was a professor at the Harvard Business School before joining the Drucker School faculty. He has taught in numerous executive education programs worldwide. He has received the “Professor of the Year” award from the Drucker MBA graduating class seven times to recognize his outstanding teaching.

Vijay Sathe has published six books and numerous articles in academic and professional journals. He has also served as a consultant to corporations worldwide and has advised government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.

Vijay Sathe teaches at Claremont Graduate University, and you can reach out to him at vijay.sathe@cgu.edu.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Spencer Sheinin, CPA, CA, has a unique background with over 15 years as an entrepreneur combined with extensive financial experience as a CPA, CA, and investment banker. He is the Founder and CEO of Shift Financial Insights, providing straightforward accounting and financial insights for businesses on the rise.

You can find out more about Spencer Sheinin and Entreprenumbers at the following websites below

• https://entreprenumbers.com/. 
• https://shiftfinancial.co/

There are resources and a great reporting package that you can download for free. You can also visit 

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Daniel Van Der Vliet is The John and Dyan Smith Executive Director of the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University. Launched in 2014, the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell provides education, networking, and new knowledge for family business owners, successors, and students worldwide.

You can find more about Cornell University Family Business at https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/smith-family-business-initiative-at-cornell/. You may also email Daniel Van Der Vliet at dgd9@cornell.edu.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Steve Legler is a Family Legacy Coach and Advisor at TSI Heritage. Steve works with people who work in family businesses doing one-on-one as a coach. He helps business families as a facilitator, assisting communications between various family members and bringing people and issues together.

He is also an author of two books called Shift Your Family Business and Independent Wealth.

To find out more about Steve Legler and what he’s up to, please visit his website at https://shiftyourfamilybusiness.com/. You can subscribe to his newsletter and blogs for free on the website.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Emily Morgan is the Founder and CEO of Delegate Solutions. Delegate Solutions is an EOS run company that believes delegation is the foundation for growth. Their unique, thoughtful approach to support means that you’ll never need to find, manage, or train a support resource again as you grow. They combine automation, delegation, and proven efficiency strategies to help you reach your goals more quickly. 

To find out more about Emily Morgan and Delegate Solutions, you may visit their website at https://www.delegatesolutions.com/. They also offer a complimentary orientation about freedom analysis.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please subscribe, review and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Doug Gray is the Founder/CEO of Action Learning Associates, Inc. At Action Learning, We "develop smarter leaders, faster." We only work with high-potential leaders who need to (1) assess their strengths and weaknesses, and (2) make smarter decisions.

In this episode, we will hear from Doug Gray directly about how he has helped many businesses develop through Action Learning. As a family business consulting group, Doug shares his methods of achieving the market opportunity, what can be done with digital resources, and so much more.

To find out more about Doug Gray and Action Learning, please visit the Action Learning website. There are many ways to connect with Doug on the website. You can also check out the OKR Leadership website at https://okrleadership.com/.There’s many video content in there. At DFIT.org, which has five or six digital courses of content, people can learn how to apply at fit and their organizations and get a digital certification. Also, FBCG.com is a tremendous resource for any size of a family business. Lastly, you can also visit at https://www.familybusinesscollaboration.com/ for other size family business resources.

To find out more about Disruptive Successor Podcast and Jonathan Goldhill, please visit the Disruptive Successor website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.

Robert Rivnius is the Executive Director of the Family Business Association of California. FBA is an association representing family businesses in California at the Capitol and public policy issues affecting family businesses. We now have over 120 company members throughout California and 14 sponsoring companies.

In this episode, Robert talks about the family business and some unique issues. There are many key takeaways from Robert, which can give listeners on how to resolve them.

To find out more about Robert Rivinius and what they do at the Family Business Association of California - you can visit their website at https://myfba.org/. There is a 2-minute video that shows what they do.

To find out more about Disruptive Successor Podcast and Jonathan Goldhill, please visit the Disruptive Successor website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com.