When it comes to managing your business, there’s a topic that most people don’t like to talk about: Firing people. It’s probably the hardest part of being in business. But in order to make sure we know how to fire people the right way, we have to be willing to have conversations about it. We’re going to offer our experience and approach to this, and how to get in the right mindset about firing. We also offer our personal scripts for handling these difficult conversations. Performance improvement...
Feb 15, 2021•33 min•Ep. 44
We know leaders should be good at motivating and communicating, making decisions, delegating, and holding people accountable, but there’s one skill that has the potential to make or break a leader and often gets overlooked: emotional intelligence. You’re going to learn the definition of emotional intelligence, why it’s so important in the workplace, and four ways you can improve it. The four ways to improve your emotional intelligence: Self-awareness Self-regulation Work on your internal motivat...
Feb 08, 2021•40 min•Ep. 43
Communication is essential, both in your business and your personal life. Whether you’re succeeding in one area but not the other or you could use a little help with both, it’s an important topic to cover. We’re going to talk about some of the big rocks around this topic: cadence of communication, the tools you can use, and the rules of engagement. Creating a cadence: What you should talk about annually What you should talk about weekly Making a plan and putting it on the calendar Tools you can ...
Feb 01, 2021•33 min•Ep. 42
When you’re building an empire, all of your time is valuable—including the time spent at home. We’re going to give you some quick and easy tips for making your home life more efficient so that you can make the most of all of your time… whether it’s work or recreation. We go over the topics of: Finances Cooking Meal prep Health Organization Household management Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypa...
Jan 25, 2021•28 min•Ep. 41
Did you go a little overboard on your holiday shopping this year? Or maybe you’re struggling to make ends meet due to a difficult business year or job loss? Whatever the case is, we expect a lot of people will be focused on knocking out debt this year. We have six easy steps to help you pay off your debt. Think about how you feel about money Get clarity around your financial situation and own it Create your debt payoff plan Create a budget and cut expenses where possible Make more money Surround...
Jan 18, 2021•34 min•Ep. 40
As children, the world is full of rules and boundaries. Being raised this way trains our brain to seek permission for the things we want to do—for days off, to get a raise, to move up the ladder. It’s a part of our society. But the one person we never ask permission from is the most important person in our lives: ourselves. Last year was a wild one collectively, but no matter how it was for you personally, it’s time to give yourself permission to make 2021 your best year yet. We’re going to help...
Jan 11, 2021•35 min•Ep. 39
There’s something about a new year that’s so refreshing. People often use this time to look at themselves, examine their lives, and try to fix things… or they talk about doing that, at least. 60% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions, but only 8% of those actually follow through with them! We want the Empire Building community to be a part of that success, and true resolutions are all about creating habits. Our habits determine who we become, whether they are good habits or bad, and relying o...
Jan 04, 2021•32 min•Ep. 38
Earlier this year, Wendy declared that she was going to “win” the pandemic. And the four of us, in our own ways, can say that we’ve won this thing. We’re going to share lessons learned from the pandemic and the year, and how we’ve applied them to our businesses and lives—and how you can, too. Resources: 29. 8 Communication Skills That Will Change Your World Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypapas...
Dec 28, 2020•28 min•Ep. 37
There were so many lessons this year — and so many great books to help teach them to us. Where you put your focus is where you put your time, so, if you’re focused on growth and personal development, you’re going to spend a lot of time reading. We’ve compiled the top three books that each of us has read this year, and we’re going to share the most important lessons we learned from them. Books we talk about: "Recursion" by Blake Crouch "The Splendid and the Vile" by Erik Larson “Stillness is the ...
Dec 21, 2020•34 min•Ep. 36
You need to be the authority on who you want to attract in your business and your life. Gary Keller often tells us that you are five years or less away from massive success, and for this to happen, you need to attract amazing people into your life that are in alignment with your vision and goals. We’re going to dive into five key things you need to do in order to attract the right people, and ultimately, achieve massive success: Becoming a confident leader to attract world-class talent Defining ...
Dec 14, 2020•31 min•Ep. 35
How do you ensure you’re hiring people that align with your company culture? Last week, we discussed how to define your company culture and values, as well as the importance of cultivating an intentional culture. But once you have that, you have to find people that match with those values, your mission, and what you’re about. The people in your company are your most valuable resource, so it is essential that you get this step right. We talk about how you can systemize your culture so that you’re...
Dec 07, 2020•30 min•Ep. 34
Do the people in your organization match your culture? Company culture is a mixture of vision, mission, and values—and it’s important everyone’s on board with these three things. Culture is more than a pool table and free snacks. To start developing your culture, you have to start with your mission. We’ve already covered how to define your vision, now we’re going to dig into how you can identify your mission and your values—and how to hire for them. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @se...
Nov 30, 2020•28 min•Ep. 33
As we head into Thanksgiving season, there’s one thing that most of us struggle with that our family and friends are too afraid to tell us—and no, it has nothing to do with your weight. It’s that you aren’t fully present. You’re stressed, your mind is elsewhere, and your head is often buried in your phone. Often our friends and family only get what’s left over after all the work is done, and even then it’s hard to fully dedicate that time to them. We all struggle with being fully present, but as...
Nov 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 32
What do you do when faced with an upset client? And how can you guide your team so that not only does it never happen again but so that you turn that client into your biggest fan? Being a leader is often glamorized, but one of the most challenging aspects of being a leader is that the buck stops with you. Everything rises and falls on leadership—both the good and the bad. Part of your job is putting your ego in check, and handling tough clients when things go wrong is going to be a big part of t...
Nov 16, 2020•28 min•Ep. 31
Ellen Curtis is the Vice President of Operations at Keller Williams International, the largest real estate company in the world. We’re going to go through her journey and the lessons she’s learned as one of the youngest female senior executives in the real estate industry — who also happened to have an incredible journey of motherhood at the same time. She talks about her successes, her failures, and the decisions that made her career. Resources: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ellencurtis2 Connect on...
Nov 11, 2020•34 min•Ep. 30
Are you as good a communicator as you think you are? We’re going to go over 8 communication skills that will change your world. If you work towards mastering these 8 skills, it will truly increase your success and make you better at everything you do in your personal life and your professional life. Make it about them, not you Listening Less is more Be a purposeful communicator and don’t fear the pause Tell stories Commit to being a good presenter and public speaker Commit to being a good writer...
Nov 09, 2020•46 min•Ep. 29
Time is not your most precious resource—energy is. We’re going to talk about energy hacks to help get you through the day. Together, we’re going to take control of your energy and take back control of your time, set up your priorities, and take action on what moves you forward. Our 5-Step Energy Plan to get done by 11 AM is: Meditate and pray Exercise and eat Hug, kiss, and laugh Plan and calendar Lead generate Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah...
Nov 02, 2020•20 min•Ep. 28
Protecting your energy is one of the most important things to master when you are building an empire. We are going to cover four things when it comes to personal energy: What is personal energy? Why protecting your energy is so important A morning routine to set your energy for the day Practical hacks to protect your energy throughout the day There are five key areas where your energy is important: Spiritual energy Physical energy Emotional energy Mental energy Business energy Connect on Instagr...
Oct 26, 2020•32 min•Ep. 27
Here’s the truth: work/life balance and relaxation don’t always come naturally to empire builders. As a result, it can be tough being married to an entrepreneur. Sometimes our partners might even think we care more about our business than we do about them. This can be hard for people who aren’t goal-setters to understand, and that can create a real strain when those people are our romantic or life partner. One of the best ways to make sure the start of your company isn’t the end of your marriage...
Oct 19, 2020•34 min•Ep. 26
When you’re starting to get comfortable, it’s a sign that you’ve stopped growing. So, when Sarita Dua realized that she was stagnating, she started doing the work to turn things around. She outlines the steps she took to redefine and discover her best life, what she went through, and how this shift helped her get to where she is today: a profitable business owner finishing up her MBA at MIT. Resources: asksarita.com Instagram: @asksarita Twitter: @asksarita Facebook: facebook.com/asksarita Conne...
Oct 14, 2020•27 min•Ep. 25
Last week, we went through five of our top 10 productivity hacks. Today, we’re going to go through the last five. If you just take one of these tips and really apply it in your life, you will see huge improvements and so much stress relief. Get clarity Priorities, not tasks Manage your energy, not your time Focus on habits, not discipline Block time for planning Get rid of unfinished loops Productivity does not mean busy Put white space into your calendar Avoid excessive procrastination Work les...
Oct 12, 2020•40 min•Ep. 24
Our mission at Empire Builders is to help you lead big lives. And in order to lead big lives, you have to be productive. Even if productivity doesn’t come naturally, it is a skill that can be learned, and it’s essential that you do. We’re going to talk about the little things you can do every single day to be more efficient with your time with these 10 hacks: Get clarity Priorities, not tasks Manage your energy, not your time Focus on habits, not discipline Block time for planning In the next pa...
Oct 05, 2020•37 min•Ep. 23
The cat’s out of the bag! In our episode on forming your own tribe, we promised we would share the secret format of our tribe retreats. So, now that you know how to go about forming your own tribe, we’re going to outline exactly how we structure, organize, and run our own retreats. Start with a leader to spearhead the planning Finding the right location Deciding on the timing Bringing the right supplies Setting the agenda ahead of time Following up and staying engaged Resources: amplifyevent.com...
Sep 28, 2020•27 min•Ep. 22
The relationship we have as co-hosts began long before the show ever did. We all come from a tribe of 11 women called The Dolls” — a group of like-minded women who are strong, fierce, loyal, positive, and unapologetically honest. By being in each other’s lives over the past five years, we’ve seen careers take off, lives improve, net worths skyrocket, and relationships flourish (or unhealthy relationships end). And that’s just a few of the benefits of being part of a tribe. Today, we’re going to ...
Sep 21, 2020•40 min•Ep. 21
Women make up 50.8% of the world’s population — but we make up only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs. While we have made strides towards representation in business, we still have a long way to go. We’re going to cover the 6 things holding you back from building your empire—that men need to hear, too: You can’t do it all Mom guilt Not building your tribe Not acknowledging that sexism exists and that you need to deal with it Not asking for help Not going for it Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @se...
Sep 14, 2020•43 min•Ep. 20
Here’s a sobering truth: one in three Americans have saved nothing for retirement and 56% of Americans have saved less than $10,000. Most of us want it all right now — and we’re not willing to give up the small pleasures today to have what we want in the future. Today, we’re going to talk about all the things every millionaire knows but the rest of us don’t really have a clue about. The Six Wealth-Building Habits: Say “no” to say “yes” Pay your investment fund first Focus on net worth over incom...
Sep 07, 2020•29 min•Ep. 19
This is Part 2 of our retention series, and we’re talking about what you can do in the first 90 days in order to retain your best talent. Last week, we talked about the importance of building a 30, 60, and 90-day plan for your new hires. But what do you do to create these plans? You want to break down into the operational tasks that you no longer want to be fulfilling in your business and give them a plan to conquer those tasks over the first 90 days. We also talk about the keys to retention: cl...
Aug 31, 2020•28 min•Ep. 18
Richard Branson famously said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” So how do you create a business that employees love to work for? Employee retention is important for four key reasons: Cost, Momentum, Clients, and Culture. Today, we’re going to be discussing the importance of retention, what to do the first 90 days to ensure success, how to decide when it’s time to upgrade and how to do it, how to lead talent...
Aug 24, 2020•40 min•Ep. 17
You’re sitting in your office. It’s a busy week at work and you’re preparing for an important meeting. You receive word that two of your team members just submitted their two week notice. Your phone rings. It’s a client panicking about their social media campaign. A few minutes later, the phone rings again. It’s the nurse from your kid’s school, who got hurt on the playground. You look at the calendar for the rest of your week and you feel overwhelmed. What do most of us usually do in this scena...
Aug 17, 2020•28 min•Ep. 16
Over the last two episodes, we’ve guided you through the first five steps of The Empire Building 8-Step Hiring Process. This week, we’re covering the last three phases of hiring, and as always, sharing stories about how we failed forward to become better versions of ourselves along the way. The Empire Building 8-Step Hiring Process: Step 1 - Job Fit Verification Step 2 - Thought Process Step 3 - Life Story Step 4 - Motivational interview Step 5 - Group interview Step 6 - References Step 7 - Defe...
Aug 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 15
