Momentum Podcast: 700

How Real Businesses Grow

by Alex Charfen

Episode Description

The secrets to growing a successful business are among the most sought after in the entrepreneurial space.

Alex Charfen, a business growth coach who helps entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses, gives practical, tangible, and actionable tips that you can implement into your business right now.

If you've always dreamed of running a real business that can change the world for the people you serve, this episode will help you get there.

By the end of this 16-minute episode, you will understand:

– How focusing on your own self-care can be the biggest point of leverage you have to grow your business.

– That an entrepreneur with a team never walks into a room alone.

– If you apply the right systems, processes, and frameworks into your business, you can go out and make your greatest contribution.

The Momentum Podcast is created specifically for entrepreneurs like you to get into momentum and take the rest of the world with you. If this episode helped you do that, take a moment and leave a review. Let us know how we have helped you make a bigger impact on the world.

Our entrepreneurial journey doesn't end here! Be sure to check out our Facebook Community filled with entrepreneurs just like you who are getting into momentum and building world-changing empires https://charfen.com/community

If you are an entrepreneur who is listening in and you can relate, then be sure and head over to charfen.com/buildmomentum and gain access to some of my most requested business tools to grow and scale your business in any market condition, even in this one.

Full Audio Transcript

This is the Momentum podcast.

What does it take to grow a real business that makes a real impact if you've always dreamed of running that business, that can change the world for the people you serve? This episode of the Momentum podcast is going to help you get there. This excerpt from a recent Charfen summit highlights the members of our coaching program and what they're taking away from the event to apply to their business fast. They're going to help you understand how focusing on self care can be the biggest point of leverage for growing your business. Also, that an entrepreneur with a team never walks into a room alone and that if you apply the right systems, processes and frameworks into your business, you can go out and make your greatest contribution.

I'm Alex Charfen, and this is the momentum podcast made for empire builders, game changers, trailblazers, shot takers, record breakers, world makers and creators of all kinds, those among us who can't turn it off and don't know why anyone would want to. We challenge complacency, destroy apathy, and we are obsessed with creating momentum so we can roll over bureaucracy and make our greatest contribution. Sure, we pay attention to their rules, but only so that we can bend them, break them, then rewrite them around our own will. We don't accept our destiny. We define it. We don't understand defeat because you only lose if you stop. And we don't know how. While the rest of the world strives for average and clings desperately to the status quo, we are the minority, the few who are willing to hallucinate. There could be a better future. And instead of just daydreaming of what could be, we endure the vulnerability and exposure it takes to make it real.

We are the evolutionary hunters, clearly the most important people in the world, because entrepreneurs are the only source of consistent, positive human evolution and we always will be.

One of the biggest issues with leadership in a business is when you bring in a leader that's not culturally culturally aligned, it creates this. Like tumor in the business that starts touching everybody and everybody gets a little piece of the tumor and they like Backway and they don't want to be close to it and they really do. They like it in their shell. And they they make themselves small. They diminish themselves so that they don't offend this new person who's in leadership. And I'm glad that they're coming back within six months. Robert, I've seen it take a year in some businesses when somebody comes in and they're punitive enough in a leadership position, it can take. And and even worse, what I've seen is a leader comes in and it's not culturally aligned. People in the business start not doing so well. We start terminating people and we keep the leader like that. Thank goodness you didn't do that. You know, I've watched that so many times over and over again, especially when it's supposed to be the savior. So, you know, I think in a lot of ways you guys got out of that relatively well compared to a lot of businesses that I've seen. That's awesome. By the way, it doesn't have to be somebody in leadership. You bring somebody into any part of the team who's not culturally aligned and it will start to affect the entire team fast. I've done it by accident. I think we've all done it. And it's it's something that we really focus on now for every hire, regardless of where they are. Thanks, Robert. Let's see here, Donna.

Hi. Hey, Don. Hi. So we had we talked about the things that were most impactful for us, and then we kind of just started to talk with each other freely afterwards. And we realized that we had we were like two operators and two CEOs. So Alice wanted to ask, since she's in her role as operator, what is the best way to like? How do the CEOs find the best to hear their nose and to have an operator or some members of the team they know? And one thing that Julie said, it was in our group that I thought was really interesting, and she said that if she has, like a new idea or something, she wants to implement her company. She has to make sure she finishes in first. And having to finish first is like a big enough deterrent that if it's not a good enough, it's not a big enough priority, then she won't do it. And then that kind of tells her this isn't worth it. And both of the the CEOs, we're talking about how having an operator who will help prioritize things for them, like ask them again, OK, this is this is what you just said is the number one priority. Now, does that mean that it's a priority over this list of things that we already said were priority and then the CEO kind of realized none of those other things? Those are still the number one priority. And you're right, let's keep going with this the way we had it in our waterfall first or something. And so I think that's that definitely is something that I want to put more is adding the OTAs and something that we need to make sure we went for any new idea or process and then also realigning with every new idea that it's still something that is actually a priority in all of our priorities.

So good. I'll share an insight with you. I talk about this. I end up talking about this at every event. Here is part of the training that our team gets when they start with us. Every member of the team is told about me. They they are they are exclusively told, like discretely told Alex does not change priorities. You can't change stuff on the waterfall. He can't change timing and he can't change what you're accountable for. And we tell everybody that because here's what used to happen. I would have casual conversations with somebody and say, oh, that's a great idea. And then they would go off and do it and ignore the waterfall. And so that that's that putting that that gatekeeper in place of the hotta is really interesting. I've seen CEOs who have a million ideas a quarter. Suddenly they have four because there's a document involved. And so it completely changes things. And there's this there's this, like we talked earlier about maturation of a CEO. Rachel, give us a really clear example of it. But it's like early on as an entrepreneur, I want everything done right away all at once right now. And then as you start moving away from that, it's like, OK, I can give the time for other people to do it. Well, then it's I'm going to create a process through which we decide what we're going to do so that I don't just throw things out and we get them done all the time. And then several steps from there. It's now I'm excited about multi quarter multi-year projects. You know, my cousin works at Apple and I love hearing about his experiences at Apple. He's been there about ten years. He just got promoted to senior manager, which is one step below director, which is like at Apple. If you had a director, you've got to make your salary. Seven figures are more your stock options are probably more than seven figures. It's very hard to get a director out of Apple because it's very hard to become a director.

And he's working. So his his strategic plan for his department is twelve years. Apple knows the next 12 years, so the next four years are super clear set in stone.

They're already designing those products. The four years after that, they're designing, they're looking the four years after that. The technology doesn't exist yet for the products they're planning, but they still have the plan. So that's when when we look at like multitrillion dollar company, biggest company in the world, they're 12 years out at the manager level. Imagine where they are at the executive team level. It's probably 30 years. They probably have a 30 year plan at the highest level at Apple. So as entrepreneurs, we go from like, I've got an idea, I'm going to get it done Monday to as we grow. It's like we're going to build not just a one year plan, but a two year plan. And then the two year goes to three and then the three year goes to four. And then you get to the point at Apple where there is an entire structure around a plan that lasts longer than a decade.

That is where like that's how business grows. That's how this really works. Thank you so much for sharing. That's awesome. Let's see here. Brittney Martin says our room was full of awesome conversation. Many Laura and I, we talked about avoiding delivery and how the pain it's causing is sabotaging sales, no doubt, and how we all seem to have the same problems around meeting process, because like many said, solving the people problem will only work if you have solved the process problems. So good. Oh, man, that's a quote. Thank you. I'm going to put that on Facebook. Such a good quote. And who said it? Manny, man, you can't solve a problem without solving the process problems, so. Dang good.

Let's see. Laura says, can I share a dealer? Do you want to talk or do you want me to read what you said.

Let me read it. OK, you have some other stuff going on over there. So Laura from Avalon says, Every time I meet my four year old decided it's time to be crazy and to do something. He shouldn't totally get it. It's like they have radar. We had a great conversation about delivery and how pain and delivery energetically pushes away sales. So dang good pain in delivery will energetically, consciously, subconsciously, metaphysically shut down your sales. And because it's protecting you, you know, when you're you you know, when you're tapped, also managed, cared about doing the time studies and then going, OK, now what. And the need for four hours basically what Britney said. Awesome. Thanks for sharing Laura. So good. Oh Andrea left and said I have to go. I thought you meant you wanted to talk, but she'll be here tomorrow. Let's hear Dustan part.

Cool. Yes, so one of the things that came up for me, I guess this one was me sharing with our group, but whatever, it didn't hit me until we started talking about it.

But Alex, I remember when you and I started working together. Prior to that, I was running my own business. And so coming in and working with Alex, I was like, dude, it's going to be a real hard shift for me to go from, like running my own thing and being my own boss to come to working for you. And and I'm not and I'm not an entrepreneur anymore. And one of the things you said was, first of all, you don't work for me. You're working with me. And just because you work in my business doesn't mean you're any less of an entrepreneur. And it's like being an entrepreneur is not synonymous with being a business owner. And that was a huge shift for me and I think for the rest of the operators in the room, just because you're an operator or just because you're a director of operations or whatever it is, it doesn't mean you're not an entrepreneur. In fact, you're probably even more so of an entrepreneur. And so that was such a huge realization for me to remember, is that, you know, we the space we take up in the businesses that we serve. That's an important role and it's a huge responsibility to take on. And I was just reminded of that this week and and in the last couple of days. So I just want to share that with the group for all my operator homies out there and just how important we are into the businesses we serve and what a responsibility that is. Because, you know, we were thinking about the self care piece and how important that is for us, too. And so that was just like that came flooding back to me. And I just wanted to share forever my idea here at Dyson.

Can I ask you a question about it really quick in that moment? I actually vividly remember that exact discussion you and I had. And in that moment when I said first, you don't work with the reform, you work with me. What did what did it make you feel?

It took all those feelings of.

Like going back, like now I'm taking steps backwards or inadequate or I'm not I'm not as good as I thought I was or I'm not good enough to do that. Now I'm going back to work for somebody else. It took all of that away. And it really empowered me to step into that role that I was in with you at the time and understand, like, OK, I can still have a big impact on the world. Right? Because as entrepreneurs, we know it's not just about the money. Like the money is the scoreboard. It's a direct correlation to the value that you put into the world as an entrepreneur. And so the money's cool, right? That's a cool scoreboard. But what we're all after is contribution. And so knowing that I could still make that contribution and still walk into that role and into that that place in the company was a huge revelation for me. And I preach it to people all the time. I'm like, you're still an entrepreneur. Even if you don't own a business, you can still be a freaking entrepreneur. And so that was a huge revelation for me.

So I want the reason I ask that specific question was I wanted everyone to hear what it feels like on the team member side. When you say that and during these during this session where everybody shares their takeaways, this is what I most actively take notes at this event, because this is where I feel like the real gold is. And one of the things that I want all of you to think about and like I have a habit, if someone says I work for Alex, I won't embarrass them publicly. I won't stop in the middle of conversation and say, no, you work with me, but I'll decide later and I'll say, hey, this is a decision we're both making. You don't work for me. You work with me. We are building a career together. I'm helping you build your career. You're helping me build my career. This is a win situation, not a situation. You know that we're boss like, I do not allow anyone to call me boss. No way. Like I'm a leader. I'm not a boss. That word comes from slave driver. We actually used to be based and it was literally slave driver. I don't want to ever be in that type of a position anywhere. I want anyone to see me that way. I want us to see each other as colleagues. I want us to see each other as a mutual support system. And so just that is something if you hear something in your business, say, you know, I work for Robert or I work for Travis. Correct. I'm not maybe not embarrassing. Or by calling not in a place Brent Pohlman side later and say, hey, we work with each other and I want you to really take ownership of the fact that this is a with situation, not a situation so good. I actually I like I really vividly remember that conversation and it's so interesting to have you bring it up, because I remember later that night I was thinking, man, I remember when I didn't know to have that conversation. And I would actually feel pride. When somebody says that I work for Alex now, it scares me now. I mean, it's been now there's no pride in and around the world. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't want you feeling that way because that's the first part of them feeling suppressed. It's like I work for no with with is empowering with is completely different than for so good destiny.

Thanks for sharing them and thanks for bringing it up like a really good personal memory. That conversation between the two of us.

I walked out of it feeling like way closer to you and also like heard and validated like from where I was coming from.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Momentum podcast, the moments and podcast is created specifically for entrepreneurs just like you to get into momentum and take the rest of the world with you. If this episode helped you do that, take a moment and leave us a review. Let us know how we helped you make a bigger impact on the world. And our journey doesn't have to end here. Be sure to check out our Facebook community filled with entrepreneurs just like you who are getting into momentum and building world changing empires. Go to Charfen dot com forward slash community to join now.

Thank You For Listening!

I am truly grateful that you have chosen to spend your time listening to me and my podcast.

Please feel free to reach out if you have a question or feedback via our Contact Us page.

Please leave me a review on iTunes and share my podcast with your friends and family.

With gratitude,

Alex

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