Hands-Off CEO Mandi Ellefson

If you're like most entrepreneurs, you already know that the journey to success is a long and arduous one. You've poured in your sweat, tears, and countless sleepless nights to get where you are today. But despite all your hard work and dedication, there comes a time when you hit a roadblock and find yourself unable to grow any further. 

You become the bottleneck of your own growth. 

This is exactly what Ricardo Perez, CEO of OneRhythm, encountered while running his agency. But he didn't let this setback defeat him. Instead, he took charge of the situation and found a way to scale his consulting agency in a better way. 

And now, he's sharing his insights to overcome the same obstacle and achieve the success you know is possible. 

The conversation touched on insightful topics like: 
Importance of having an Irresistible Offer [03:11]Learn why having an irresistible offer is critical to success in today's highly competitive business environment to attract world-class clients and top talent. How Ricardo’s team is able to deliver exceptional million dollar services that are 90% repeatable and process driven. Proof that it’s possible!
Refining the companies you work with to command higher fees [08:02]Discover how refining the companies you work with impacts the overall size of engagement and the fees you can command for your services.
Talk about results [11:49]Understand the difference it makes when you focus on talking about results and projections with new clients to generate more engagement instead of talking about what they will spend on your services.
Essential factors for scaling a consulting agency [24:27]Explore the critical factors for scaling your consulting agency with maximum profitability.
Don’t be a bottleneck, delegate [32:30]Hear out Ricardo Perez's spot-on advice, that all consulting agency CEOs should learn from and take into consideration for scaling their business as a true Hands-Off CEO. 

Key Quotes:
Focus on Results: “We focus on what they're going to get, not what they're going to spend. And I think that's a huge part of how when you look at it that way, and you focus on those results; then it's less about nickel and diming on what your professional fees are.” [12:08]
Letting Go: “To the extent that you are the bottleneck and to the extent that that is something that you feel can't change, then you need to rethink that. You really think that that thing is that there's no way that anyone else can do what I do. You can't; you have to let go of that.” [32:42]
Resources: 
Ricardo Perez on LinkedIn
OneRhythm

Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing

Two and a half years tend to be the sweet spot where consulting agencies come knocking on Hands-Off CEO’s door. Usually, those two and a half years are the point when CEOs can feel like they are stuck in a never-ending cycle of hard work and stress that is preventing their growth.

But there's a better way to scale your company while avoiding those stagnant periods and growth plateaus.

Don't fall into the trap of getting ready to get ready. In this solo episode, I'm here to guide you through the steps of preventing and overcoming any obstacles preventing your growth. Let's break free from the cycle of stagnant growth and take back control of your business growth.

Some key ideas in this episode are:

What is holding you back as a CEO? [01:04]Learn what is the number 1 thing that's actually keeping you, the CEO, stuck in the day-to-day, even when you have hired a trusted team to support you.

What are the 2 reasons for a Growth Plateau? [03:54]Understand the two main reasons for growth plateaus and how they can lead to stress, lower profits, and an unhealthy work-life balance.

Maximize your growth to make 2024 your best year ever [11:08]Discover what you need to focus on next to make 2024 your best year ever and how having an inspiring vision is critical to scaling your company and encouraging you and others to take massive action. 

Key Quotes:
The Right Mindset: “Whenever you're trying to create a new change, you must have the right mindset, system, and approach. If you focus on the mindset, you could get further because your mindset will. When you are fully stepping into your vision, you're saying: ‘I'm willing to do whatever it takes. This is my vision. I'm standing in my future right now.’ Then what happens is that you are open to a whole new set of actions that you were not able to see and have access to before.” [06:07]
Getting Ready to Get Ready: “One of the things that I see a lot of times, and our teams see this with our clients, is there's a lot of getting ready to get ready. And this is definitely something that once our clients are in our community and ecosystem, they are transforming just simply by really taking a stand for the growth that they're creating and taking actions aligned with that.” [04:52]
Resources: 
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing

When managing a consulting agency, there's always a constant feeling that our current methods for measuring profitability just aren't giving us the whole story.

Marcel Petitpas, CEO and Co-Founder of Parakeeto, experienced this very issue while running his own agency. Luckily, he didn't just sit back and accept the status quo. Instead, he set out to find a better way. 

Get ready to discover what he did to streamline their operations and reporting systems to improve profitability. He found a better way to help agencies double their profits and simplify their operations by providing the financial insights that Ops leaders need to make informed decisions. 

The conversation touched on insightful topics like: 
Power of tracking operations data [09:15]Learn why tracking data from your operations is much simpler and more valuable to make decisions on for capacity, hiring, and profitability than the financial data you get from your accountant.
What metrics do you need? [16:54]Discover which metrics you need to track to get a clear picture of your performance if you use value-based pricing or T&M.
A deeper understanding of your P&L and operational metrics [21:02]Exploring the 3 pieces of operational metrics to track gives you many more insights than just your P&L. 
Automated utilization and capacity management [24:56]Find out the issues agencies and consultancies encounter when tracking capacity and utilization. And you can implement a much simpler way to track utilization immediately.Streamline your business with a tool for tracking the operational metrics [30:48]
Learn how to maximize the efficiency of your business by implementing a powerful tool for tracking your operational metrics. Streamline your processes and easily make data-driven decisions, leaving no room for guesswork or wasted effort. 

Key Quotes:
Revenue and Profits: “You want to keep at least 50% of every dollar that you are responsible for earning from a client. If you get to keep less than 50%, it's going to be really hard to be profitable because usually you're going to spend another 30 on overhead.” [35:45]
Average Cost Per Hour: “The way to lower your average cost per hour is to standardize what you do, create better documentation, create better processes so that you can lower the level of judgment that's required, which generally lowers the level of experience that's required, which generally allows you to access lower cost labor to do more of the work on a client engagement. ” [37:03]
Resources: 
Marcel Petitpas on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
Parakeeto - Agency Profitability Toolkit

Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing

Have you ever thought about looking at agencies from a new perspective? Get ready to discover the concept of the "Alt Agencies" - where specialization and specific outcomes for niche clients are favored over the traditional agency model. Our Guest Greg Hickman shares his journey on how to deliver a repeatable sales and onboarding process. 

The conversation touched insightful topics like: 

Power of productizing services [04:56]
Understanding the concept of "productizing" services, which involves packaging a repeatable service with fixed problem-solving, turnaround time, and price. Discover the benefits of standardizing packages and systemizing processes to scale a business effectively.

Importance of specializing and finding a niche [06:50]
Find out the challenges and benefits of specializing in a specific area, what realization can working nights and weekends bring you and ultimately understanding how to divorce your time from your income.

Role of webinar funnels in scaling a business [08:26]
How focusing on webinar funnels and becoming experts in that area changed the game for Greg’s agency and what are some common plateaus experienced by many service providers.

Evolving agency model and additional revenue streams [15:58]
Exploring the term of “Alt Agency” and discussing the changing landscape of agency models, such as tech-enabled, strategy-focused, or platform discipline-focused agencies. 
Key Quotes:
Unique Skills: “If you can position yourself as the engine builder, you can charge a premium. You're more valued because you know how to do this unique thing. And that is kind of how I see how we were able to make the shift to only working on the stuff that we enjoyed. And that was, I think, the true value to the client.” [12:53]
Understanding Nuances:: ”Nobody understands that a person who's at 3K a month and a million a year could actually be experiencing the exact same thing and need almost the exact same solution. But there's still these little nuanced differences. It's fascinating to me. We're a unique breed.”  [34:15]
Greg Hickman on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube 

Alt Agency - Free Training

Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing

Did you ever think about the importance of effective account management on scaling your business? If not, prepare for these gems! In this episode Taylor McMaster, founder of Dot and Company, tells her story and how she helps digital marketing agencies with achieving full-service client account management.

Here are the essential insights from our riveting conversation with Taylor- feel free to have a powerful read through these most impactful lessons.

Important Correlation between Sales and Account Management [07:22]
Find out why sales and handovers are essential to successful account management, and when to introduce your account manager to the client during the sales process. The imperative of changing the narrative from “I” to “my team”.

Powerful Communication [12:35]
Establishing a clear communication cadence and a thorough onboarding process for successful account management. Know who on the team is responsible for what. Different things which you can learn from each new client or a sales call.

Using Questions in Training [17:33]
How far you can go in allowing your team to ask you questions, until they start thinking like you. Being in control of the training process and what needs to happen without your involvement. 

Key Characteristics of an Account Manager [26:34]
Know if someone is generally a good fit for this role. The list of red flags and the required skills to make sure someone grows in this position and becomes amazing in it.
Key Quotes:
The Power of Questions: “I think the best thing that we can do as CEOs is prepare our team as much as possible, but give them the space to ask questions, not letting them get scared to ask questions.” [16:02]
Constant Optimization: “People forget that business is a game of optimization. We need to continuously be optimizing something that works, just because we did a great job. Well, can we optimize this so that next time it's easier and better and more efficient? Training your team to think like that, I think, is super important.” [22:14]
Taylor McMaster on LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube 
Dot & Co. - Onboarding Checklist

Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing

Are you ready to take your marketing strategy to new heights? We have a treat for you! Our latest podcast episode features the  marketing expert, author, and speaker John Jantsch, owner of Duct Tape Marketing. Get ready to fuel your success with these game-changing insights!

In today's fast-paced world, time is everything, and we understand that. That's why we've condensed the best highlights from our conversation with John, ensuring you get the most valuable information without wasting a second. Let's dive right into it!

The Duct Tape Marketing Methodology and Licensing Program [02:15]:Say goodbye to random tactics and hello to strategic genius! John unveils the game-changing Duct Tape Marketing methodology, putting strategy front and center. 

The Fractional CMO System [07:38]:Ready to conquer the challenge of scaling your business without sacrificing profitability? Say hello to working with multiple clients while maintaining a stellar profit margin of 60-70%. By offering a well-defined package, pricing structure, and system, you can achieve scalability, delegate tasks, and drive vertical growth.

The Changing Landscape of Marketing and the Importance of the Customer Journey [14:26]:The marketing world is in a constant state of flux, and you need to stay one step ahead. John and I dig deep into the changing landscape of marketing and emphasize the importance of the customer journey.

Key Quotes:
The Evolution of Marketing: "The thing that's changed the most that I don't think people pay enough attention to is the way people buy. That's why I spend so much time talking about the customer journey."
Scaling Your Agency: "By having this repeatable system that you can actually train and delegate and quite frankly, get work done that doesn't have to be done by you anymore. Is how you actually effectively scale vertically, which is what people are trying to do, but struggle with so much."
John Jantsch on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Duct Tape Marketing
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO – Executive Briefing