Hands-Off CEO
They said getting started was the hardest part, but no one told you how hard it is to scale a custom service business. It’s time for your team to step up, but your clients want YOU. Discover how to scale to 7 figures and beyond by freeing up time and getting your team to run whole parts of the company so you can focus on scaling profits. That means more income, more time with your family, and more ability to make impact in the community and beyond. This is the Hands OFF CEO Podcast with Mandi Ellefson.
Episodes
May 19, 2022 • 38 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Michael Zipursky, CEO and co-founder of Consulting Success and bestselling author. Consulting Success is the most comprehensive learning platform for serious consultants and skilled professionals who want to grow a stable and reliable consulting practice that attracts high-value clients. Michael has advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, and RBC, and helped Panasonic launch new products int...
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May 12, 2022 • 13 min
In this week’s solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson describes what to look for when hiring an operations manager, and the three ways you can fail.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Before you even hire an operations manager, your company has to be ready for it, Mandi says. “Your company has to be at a place where you know what you're selling, who you're selling it to, and the foundations of the business.” [2:15]
Man...
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May 5, 2022 • 33 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Zac Stucki, founder of Homeric Consulting Services and a team member at Hands-Off CEO. Zac’s specialization is scaling service-based companies and dealing with the operational constraints and challenges of fast-growing organizations. His education and training are an asset to Hands-Off CEO, bringing their operations advising to a whole new level.
You’ll hear Mandi and Zac talk about:
“If you aren’t doing...
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April 28, 2022 • 28 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Zac Stucki, founder of Homeric Consulting Services and a team member at Hands-Off CEO. Zac’s specialization is scaling service-based companies and dealing with the operational constraints and challenges of fast-growing organizations. His education and training are an asset to Hands-Off CEO, bringing their operations advising to a whole new level.
You’ll hear Mandi and Zac talk about:
“A lot of times, bus...
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April 21, 2022 • 33 min
Last week, Mandi Ellefson discussed the foundations of what it takes to beat inflation and scale profitably. In this week's episode of Hands-Off CEO, she describes the five exits she shares with her clients to help them safely remove themselves from different parts of their companies.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Mandi shares the idea behind exiting. “The whole point of removing yourself… is so you can be working on the bus...
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April 14, 2022 • 20 min
In this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson discusses how to fight profit erosion in a time of rapid inflation, and what factors are necessary to scale profitably.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
A lot of consulting agency CEOs find themselves stuck in a cycle of company productivity that’s driven by their productivity, Mandi shares. This makes it difficult for them to successfully exit. “We start the company because we a...
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April 7, 2022 • 10 min
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to improve employee engagement in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“[When] we hear staff say ‘I’m not getting paid enough,’ what they’re really saying is ‘I’m unhappy here; I’m not getting paid enough for the crap that I'm dealing with right now.’” A lack of employee engagement is a common problem for some businesses. Many leaders think that an increased wage would...
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Mandi Ellefson’s guests are Josh LaMar and Marcelo Chinellato, co-founders of Amplinate, formerly known as Authentique UX. Amplinate is committed to promoting cross-cultural understanding and deepening human connection through ethical product design. With almost two decades of cumulative experience across 18 countries, they help tech companies fast track domestic and international product growth without wasting money on designing a...
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March 24, 2022 • 8 min
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to get out of the entrapment cycle in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
The entrapment cycle seizes many CEOs. “There's this dynamic where you need to hire more experts to help you deliver the growth, but then you need more cash flow to be able to hire them. So you need more sales to generate more cash, but then you need more capacity to make sales without fear of q...
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March 17, 2022 • 11 min
Mandi Ellefson discusses the characteristics of rapid growth companies in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
Two things rapid growth businesses have in common. “[Rapid growth businesses] usually have an offer that’s really valuable in the market, and are willing to position themselves in such a way that it’s a lot easier to sell.” [1:19]
“Our top-level clients who are able to add $1-2 million+...
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Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Jamie Birch, CEO and Chief Incremental Officer at JEBCommerce, an organization that helps retainers maximize their affiliate sales. He has extensive experience in all facets of online marketing. This has enabled Jamie to thrive and become a market leader in these unprecedented times. Jamie and his team help clients grow their revenue and gain an additional $10M in sales in 3 years. He is the host of The Pr...
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March 3, 2022 • 31 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Aaron Krall, founder of SaaS Visionaries and the SaaS Accelerator, a proven system that adds $500,000 of revenue to SaaS companies in just 12 months. He is also one of Hands-Off CEO’s Scale to Freedom clients.
You’ll hear Mandi and Tim talk about:
“It’s a really specific program we’ve designed,” Aaron says. “We come in, and we rehaul everything.” He briefly lists the four major levels of SaaS growth th...
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February 24, 2022 • 53 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Tim Francis, founder of ProfitFactory.com and Great Assistant, two organizations dedicated to making the entrepreneurial journey easier. After noticing that entrepreneurs desperately needed support in running a business, Tim started Great Assistant to help them hire an assistant, retain them for years, and make them really profitable.
You’ll hear Mandi and Tim talk about:
Tim shares three strategies for...
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February 17, 2022 • 36 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Jason “Wally” Waldron, CEO of Exitology, the agency that can create 33% annual growth and guarantee to add at least $1M of new growth using existing resources for logistics, supply chain and industrial companies. Wally’s unique profit acceleration strategies have helped companies grow faster and maximize the value of their business, as well as buy back their freedom when they feel trapped in their business...
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February 10, 2022 • 43 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Tom Shapiro, the founder and CEO of Stratabeat, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses grow via branding, design, and strategic thinking. He is a marketer who understands what businesses need and crafts strategies to fill those needs. .
You’ll hear Mandi and Tom talk about:
"What we're seeing is that a lot of businesses are struggling with lead generation and struggling to increase the...
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February 3, 2022 • 61 min
James Schramko, bestselling author and host of the SuperfastBusiness podcast, invited Mandi Ellefson on his show recently. This is a cross-post of their enlightening conversation about scaling a service business.
You’ll hear Mandi and James talk about:
How soon to start building a team and becoming a Hands Off CEO. “Please don’t build a solopreneur business if you can avoid it!” James cautions listeners. Melissa comments, “It get...
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January 27, 2022 • 9 min
Mandi Ellefson discusses how to make growing your consulting agency simpler in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.
You’ll hear Mandi talk about:
“It’s not that something is wrong with your business; it’s that you’re working way too hard.” Mandi shares why CEOs sometimes struggle with growth. [0:23]
Mandi shares an example of a client who struggled to find a reason to scale. “It can’t just be about money, it has to be something b...
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January 20, 2022 • 31 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Ron Friedman, the founder of ignite80, an organization dedicated to teaching leaders practical, evidence-based techniques for working smarter and elevating their team's performance through keynotes, workshops, and consulting. He is also CEO at Friedman Strategy Group, where he fuses psychological insight with cutting-edge research to deliver actionable marketing recommendations.
You’ll hear Mandi and ...
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January 6, 2022 • 27 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Mark Arnold, President of On the Mark Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in branding and strategic planning. Mark has written several books, and is an acclaimed speaker who specializes in personal growth, leadership, marketing, and strategy.
You’ll hear Mandi and Mark Arnold talk about:
“When I started, I couldn’t see everything that others could see,” Mark admits. “When the vision expands, the...
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December 30, 2021 • 37 min
Mandi Ellefson’s guest this week is Nathan Kievman, a world-renowned demand generation expert and business growth strategist. He is the CEO of Linked Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in measurable client and talent acquisition campaigns. Nathan is an entrepreneur, executive engagement specialist, and a digital marketing strategist.
You’ll hear Mandi and Nathan Kievman talk about:
“I’ve always had a passion for interacti...
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