Leading with Purpose

kThis is the Momentum Podcast. 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.

Eddie Kirk: Awesome. Welcome back to the Momentum Podcast, everybody. My name is Eddie Kirk, and I'm going to be hosting the podcast today because we have a really special episode planned here. I'm joined by Haley Hartz who is our director of operations in our company, and Deanna Pacino who is the head of our content in coaching departments. The reason we wanted to do this episode is to highlight how the leadership in our organization has responded to the massive changes that have taken place over the last few months. Alex has talked at length about what it takes to not only survive in this market, but also to thrive and continue to move forward, and put yourself and your business into momentum.

This episode is going to give you perspective on what our leadership team has done to nomally support Alex and Cadey, but also keep our company in growth mode in spite of the massive amount of constraint that happened especially early on. So Haley and Deanna, thank you for joining me in doing this. Let's start with you Haley. So let's talk about your role and what things were like for you in those first few days when you saw everything was changing very rapidly, and what the market was doing and for our memberships. Let's talk about your role, what you observed.

Haley Hartz: Well I think as a director of operations, it's really important and critical for me to be involved in everything that's happening and also the stability of the company in and of itself. So that requires me to be involved in understanding what's happening in the departments, the company as a whole, the changes, the shifts that we're making. So when the crisis hit it was really important for me, Cadey, and Alex to be in constant communication about our team members and their stability, and what's happening with them emotionally.

But then also our company as a whole and what our financials are looking at, and where our growth is looking at and what our trajectory is looking at so that we are able to pivot quickly. It's also super critical that in this company in my position is that I'm helping the CEO getting out of overwhelm as quickly as possible, and helping stabilize whatever it is that's happening. Whether that be a crisis, or some other situation that's going on. So during turbulent times, the CEO and also Cadey, so Alex and Cadey both really needed my support more than ever to be able to get information quickly, make decisions quickly.

Eddie Kirk: So let's talk about, just really briefly your mentality. The kind of mantra that you took up in terms of helping support Alex and Cadey in a leadership role in the company. What was your mentality? What did you bring to the table there?

Haley Hartz: Well I like to follow our process which is analyze, prioritize, commit, execute, and renew. I use that with a variety of things that we do, but this is really important in this particular timeframe. So the first thing is understanding what areas they needed support. And so that comes with analyzing, understanding where our business is at right now really, really quickly. Understanding any shifts or changes that need to be made really quickly, and then being able to make those decisions appropriately and prioritizing what's most important immediately. What we can push, what we need to wait on and then doing those things. So really just being there as someone, not only that Alex and Cadey can lean on in terms of questions or back and forth or making decisions, but also to help bring information as fast as I can. And then help execute the priorities that we're wanting to handle, and then stabilizing everything in the process of it. So making sure that everyone understands what's happening, why it's happening and that everyone's morale is up.

Eddie Kirk: Awesome. So Deanna, let's talk about the same thing. So what were things like for you early on and what were you seeing with our members in particular? Because you worked very hands-on and very closely with all of the members in our coaching programs. And so, because you worked so closely with them and these really incredible entrepreneurs and these amazing businesses, what were you seeing in those early days of everything that was happening?

Deanna Pacino: So it's interesting, Eddie, because we've had some members where for example, in my mind the day that stands out, it's Friday the 13th. That's when for us as a team I can remember that was when it... Not that it hadn't been on the radar and that we weren't aware of it, but that for us as a team was the day I felt like it became real. That was the day where Alex told us as a team to make sure that we've gone to the grocery store. You know what I mean? That's a rare thing to have something like that happen. So I would say to you that what we were feeling as a team is very similar to what all of our members were feeling as teams. We have such a wide array of members in our programs, but we have some members that were severely impacted by the quarantine.

For example, dental practices. If you can't open, you can't open. And dental practice is not something that you can do. You can't do that virtually. You need to get your teeth cleaned in person. So there were a lot of real issues that came up and there were people who were having to make really hard decisions about making a complete and total pivot. We have some members that did that. That had businesses that were fully up and running, and that as a result of everything that happened made a complete pivot in their offers and what they were doing. So for me as a coach, one of our core tenants is that we're the example of our content.

So nine times out of 10, when we're doing something as a team I'm not only looking at it through the lens of being a member on this team, but how can I catalog this so that when I run into a member who's experiencing something similar that I have something to anchor it to. So I really tried to observe and watch Alex, and Cadey, and Haley even, so that when I'm on calls with members that I can relay those processes to them and let them know how we approach situations.

Eddie Kirk: What would you say was the most important thing for your role to either model, or to provide for our members in that time of really early on when things were changing so rapidly?

Deanna Pacino: I think the biggest thing that we did as a company was that we listened. We listened to what people were telling us. We listened to the problems that people were having. We listened to the people that were coming to us saying, "Hey. I want to work with you." And so much of it is providing space for people to be able to just simply process what they're going through, and letting them know that they're not alone. And with Alex and Cadey they've been through something similar before in 2008, and they went into crisis mode pretty quickly and so I observed that.

But then our members benefited from that process as well, because we started having crisis calls. So one of the first things that we did was calling someone to talk about legal issues that were coming up because of the quarantine and legislation that was being passed. And making sure that as soon as we had any kind of information, that we were relaying to our members in a timely manner so that they were as informed as they possibly could be. And make really concrete decisions based on facts and data, versus making decisions based on fear.

Eddie Kirk: Awesome. And you touched on something that I feel like is a really important thing for us to talk about, because we were not outside of the impact of everything that happened. Specifically in those early days, and Alex has been really transparent about this so I feel comfortable talking about it. There was a lot of discussion between Alex, Cadey and the rest of the leadership team about what we were going to do. How we were going to provide support to our members, whether that was entirely a new product, whether we were going to abandon some things. There was a lot of... And early on it felt very reactive.

It felt very like we need to get out in front of this. We need to make all of these things. Haley, can you talk about what the catalyst was for you helping Alex and Cadey get things back on track? And maybe helping guide the entire leadership team. What were those things that we really stuck to? And that got us pointed in the right direction coming out, or coming out of the first initial drop off as members. All of the things that we saw very early on. What was the catalyst for change for us?

Haley Hartz: I think the systems and processes that we have in place right now provide us the stability and the ability in order to make changes, and make them quickly and effectively when they're needed. So because we work in a [inaudible 00:09:54] cadence and we work in our systems, it actually gives us the tools right there to support us during times just like this. Makes it really easy to go and evaluate what our current 90-day targets are. Our 30-day goals and understanding where we may need to pivot and adjust. And like Deanna was saying, we really looked and listened back to our clients and what it is that their needs were, and understanding how can we best support them.

And also thinking of what our issues were, because what things that we were going through and what was coming up for us we knew were going to be pain points for our members. That was really important for us to be able to help communicate back to them, and support them through that transition and that process, and understanding how to handle those situations. I think in terms of making changes and figuring out how we make changes, it really was looking at the waterfall. Understanding what was important for us to keep doing and what just wasn't important anymore, because it wasn't critical. Then understanding too what the needs of our clients were, and who was coming at us and what they were asking us. And we really listened. We took in everything that they were saying, and that they were wanting and needing, and that's how we made our choices. It was really easy to do, because we had the basis and the foundation of our systems and processes to support those decisions.

Eddie Kirk: Awesome. Deana, I want to ask you something similar because you have your finger on the pulse of everything that's happening in our membership, and with the amazing entrepreneurs that we work with. When did you start to see a shift in our membership? And take me to the moment when things started to maybe shift for the better.

Deanna Pacino: Well, a big part of that, Eddie, was with us launching a new program level. And it's interesting because the foundation program level was something you... If you think about radar and you've got blips on the radar, and you've got things that are on the really outer edges of the radar. It was something that was out there, but it had not really been a... It wasn't a priority. It wasn't on focus, and everything that happened I feel like it caused an acceleration of change. And so it really just like Haley said, in listening to what our members were saying, listening to the people who were getting on calls saying that they wanted to work with us, it was clear that something there had to change.

And by having that different program level, it allowed us to continue to support members who may have been forced to leave for whatever reason. So for me to be able to have that way to support people in a different way was really powerful. I think that one of the most powerful things that Alex provided in all of this was, it has been the crisis specific trainings that he's done for our members. But what's interesting is that while we say it's crisis trainings, I'm like, "Yeah, this stuff could be used at any point in time," because regardless of whether or not there's a pandemic, right? If you're in business there's going to be a crisis at some point along the way. It's just going to happen.

So all of the tools that he's been able to pull from and share have been really, really helpful specifically around avatar clarity, and getting really clear on who you serve, because that is something that has shifted for a lot of people in the midst of this, because you've had businesses that have been in person forced to go virtual. And realize wow, this isn't as hard as we thought it was. And this is actually a really great thing, or businesses that have changed their methods of delivery because of going online. So all of the things that he's been able to share and provide our members have provided, I think of it as scaffolding to the frameworks that we already have in place for our members.

Eddie Kirk: That's huge. I think one of the best quotes that's come out of all of this is crisis is accelerated change. So the answer for us was accelerating our focus on growth and getting our mindset put back on what it means to be successful in any situation, we always orient in that direction. It's just really easy to get out of whack whenever everything goes on. That the crisis hit it was really tough to get perspective, and it was a matter of stepping back and gaining that perspective. Haley, can you talk about what things are like for us now. Now that we've made a pivot and we're oriented towards growth again, what do things look like from your perspective now as director of operations?

Haley Hartz: That's a great question, Eddie. I think during any crisis or any large pivot in a company like we're just mentioning, there is an acceleration in the decisions that you're making, and the changes that you're making in the company. Sometimes that means having to do things quickly, having to go back and reevaluate really fast. I think something that, the way it looks today is that we've stabilized our business. We're able to give our clients, or give our members exactly what they were asking from us, and be able to support them in ways that they really needed. And for those that were going out of business or weren't able to stabilize their business, we're able to offer them something to help them in the meantime.

I think because of that, we have a renewed sense of who our avatar is and what this looks like for us longer term. And in terms of the stability of our company and our team, I think our team has been able to rally together. Everyone has stepped up to the plate, and everyone has accommodated based on our needs for the last few months. And we can see this in so many ways, but in terms of our planning and everything we are going back to how we know we're supposed to do it. So we are looking at our priorities. Again, we are being very, very particular about what we're committing to. I'm very strategic about the decisions that we're making, and it's important at any given time. But especially now as we're still in the midst of the crisis outcome, and we see it everywhere around us. We see it in all of our members. So it's important that the decisions that we're making are actually critical decisions. They're decisions that are going to help move us forward, they're decisions we should be focusing on and they're priorities. So with every single day, that's what we're talking about. We're talking about our priorities. We're talking about what do we need to be doing? What do we not need to be doing? And we're reevaluating everything we're doing on that scale and on that level.

Eddie Kirk: Absolutely. And I love what you said there, because it's really true. We've really gained the perspective of what it means to ride this out. And we know we're in this for the longterm. We know that this is going to come in ebbs and flows. It's going to spike and it's going to dip, and so we need to be prepared and set up that foundation ironically of what it means to be prepared to handle a crisis going forward. And so that was awesome. Deanna, can you speak about our membership and just what you're seeing in terms of growth for our members?

Deanna Pacino: Oh my gosh. I love our members. We have... I literally every day I just count myself so lucky to do what I do, because we work with some of the coolest people on the planet who have really... Are making just a massive impact in the world. It's funny because we have members who are actually having the opposite problem. Their teams have grown so quickly that they're struggling with the management of the team. That's a good problem to have. I actually, one of our members found out we had a million dollar month last month. Things have gone through the roof for this particular business.

So to see those wins from those types of things to being on a foundation call, and having a member talk to me today about how our personal planning process has created such alignment and clarity for him in his life. And how excited he was about that, there's just such a level of alignment in all of our content and that with our members we don't... of course, we focus on the growing and scaling of their business. But we also really just care about them as people and their progress, and that personal side of things as well, because if you look at the billionaire code, the beginning stages are making sure that you're taking care of yourself. And then you've got a morning and evening routine, and that you are using your momentum planner and that you're taking care of yourself. I think that it's funny Eddie, because our last event, our last in-person event, remember how everybody was so focused on the personal development side of things. And I think of that it gives me chills now that I think about that, because that room of people I think that that event set them up to move into this period of time so much stronger than had they not gotten that message at the event, because it all goes hand in hand. You can't just worry about one side of a person, you have to worry about a whole side of a person. I think that, that's the biggest thing that our community brings from us as a team and then with the members that we get to work with. Eddie Kirk: That's so powerful. I want to thank you both for jumping on and just joining me for this conversation today. The perspective that both of you provide for everything that not only happened in our company, but that we are observing in the market and with entrepreneurship in general is just really powerful. So thank you for taking time out of your schedules to sit down and talk to me. And I want to say a special thank you to Alex and Cadey for letting us take over the podcast for an episode. I know it's probably a little bit disorienting for Alex, but it's going to be awesome. I'm really excited about it.

For anybody listening, if you're ready to orient yourself towards growth and take hold of just this massive opportunity that we're seeing in the present world today, we're ready to help you. Deanna mentioned it. We look at entrepreneurship very holistically. Entrepreneurship is not something that you do. It's part of who you are. And Deanna works directly with over 200 members in our coaching programs, who are getting into momentum in their life and in their business. And we want to help you do the exact same thing. So if you're ready to take the next steps, go to predictablebusinesssolutions.com to get started and let us help you pivot and predict your success. It's predictablebusinesssolutions.com. We'll see you there.