Ineffective meetings waste an estimated $37 billion a year for businesses. We tend to focus on efficiency in every other aspect of our business, but culturally, meetings are seen as an accepted waste of bandwidth. But we say no time wasted is an acceptable amount of time wasted. We share five steps towards making your meetings effective and productive uses of everyone’s time. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy P...
Apr 11, 2022•41 min•Ep. 104
Compensation and pay structure can determine whether or not the business you’re building not only survives but grows. Pay will determine behavior. If you want to get the best behavior out of your team, look at how (and how much) you pay them. We’re going to discuss the best way to handle pay structure to ensure that a company can thrive. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypapasan Empire Building i...
Apr 04, 2022•37 min•Ep. 103
Today, we’re going to talk about the one habit that’s guaranteed to make you rich. We’re just going to come out and say it: tracking your net worth. Most of us focus on how much money we’re making, but that’s not what really matters when you’re building an empire. We’re going to share exactly what net worth is (just in case you don’t know), how to track it, and why it has such a huge impact on your finances. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Re...
Mar 28, 2022•23 min•Ep. 102
As an empire builder, rest is important, but it’s also very difficult to step away from a busy business and completely detach in order to give yourself the break you need from time to time. We’re going to discuss why taking an actual vacation away from work is so important, how to manage the guilt that it can bring, and three things you need to do to prepare. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypap...
Mar 21, 2022•31 min•Ep. 101
Many of us were recently at the largest real estate conference in the country, Family Reunion. It’s our first big event in two years, and so much has changed in that time. We’re going to share what it was like preparing for the event, how best to manage your time in order to get the most out of a conference, and our biggest takeaways. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypapasan Empire Building is a...
Mar 14, 2022•35 min•Ep. 100
Finding the right talent will determine if your business succeeds or fails. Every Empire Builder needs to recruit talent to grow their business – some even rely on it as a business model. Many people treat recruitment as an event, but it’s actually better thought of as a process. It should be adopted as a part of your business process. We’re going to share our 3 ‘P’s recruiting framework: Problem, Push, and Plan. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sar...
Mar 07, 2022•39 min•Ep. 99
It’s really hard to build an empire without a plan. Having a goal, keeping up with the market, and learning to scale are all vital parts. We’re going to talk about what goes into building a strategic business plan, from identifying your ideal customer, to knowing your end goals, to performing a full SWOT analysis. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @wendypapasan Empire Building is a production of Crate ...
Feb 28, 2022•30 min•Ep. 98
As leaders, we’re surrounded by people all day long. And yet the bigger your organization gets, the smaller your inner circle tends to be, and there are fewer and fewer people who you can truly be yourself around. That leads to our topic: leadership lonely. It might seem counterintuitive until you’ve experienced it yourself, but if you have – even if you don’t know the term – the recognition is immediate. We recently held an event called Empire Circle to invite leaders to come together, and the ...
Feb 21, 2022•31 min•Ep. 97
We don’t focus enough on joy in our lives – and it shows in our culture. There’s a lot of guilt around doing things for the simple pleasure of it – even taking vacations or time off. But it’s so, so important to unapologetically pursue joy in your life – otherwise what’s all of this for? We’re going to share how to find clarity around what brings you joy, how to say “no” to more (so you can say “yes” to the things that matter), and how to commit to bringing joy into your life. We have six steps ...
Feb 14, 2022•35 min•Ep. 96
With everything that’s happened over the past couple of years, many conferences, retreats, or large events for personal and business growth have either moved online, pared back, or stopped completely. Now that things are starting to transition back to meeting in person, we want to focus on getting back into the swing of in-person conferences, and how to ensure you get the most out of your time and experience. We’re going to focus on the five steps for you to maximize any event you go to: ‘why,’ ...
Feb 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 95
We’re continuing our discussion of handling objections. Last week, we discussed how to ensure that you’re actually dealing with an objection and not a question, observation, or smokescreen. But once you’ve actually identified an objection, how do you handle it? We have an easy-to-remember framework to share with you for what to do when an objection arises: Repeat Isolate Cushion Handle Cushion Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahr...
Jan 31, 2022•23 min•Ep. 94
We are all passionate about sales. You have to be comfortable with selling in order to build your empire, and that also means getting comfortable with some of the objections that come up in that process. Objections are stopping you from getting to where you’re trying to go. In this first part, we’re going to go over how to tell if something is a question, observation, or a smokescreen. Next week, we’ll discuss how to handle real objections. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp...
Jan 24, 2022•23 min•Ep. 93
Losing a key employee or team member in your business is never easy. It’s even worse if you face multiple losses at once. In this episode, we break down examples from our own lives of losses we faced and how we got through them, and share three steps you can follow when it happens to you: How to prepare What to do during the transition How to set yourself up for success afterwards Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji We...
Jan 17, 2022•33 min•Ep. 92
No matter how big your life is, you’re bound to face disappointment with some level of regularity. Disappointment comes when our expectations don’t match the reality of the situation. In the book “Expectation Hangover” by Christine Hassler, she breaks it down into three categories: Situational, interpersonal, and self-imposed. Left unchecked, disappointment can lead to a lack of motivation, depression, hopelessness, and even sickness. Luckily, it can be managed. Today, we talk about what to do i...
Jan 10, 2022•31 min•Ep. 91
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “If we take care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves.” What that means is: if we make the right choices moment to moment, most of our lives will turn out OK. One of the best times to set your intentions is in the new year, when everything feels fresh and our minds naturally start to reflect on the past while looking forward to the year ahead. We think back over our years, and talk about the habits we’re setting, the intentions we’re making, and...
Jan 03, 2022•27 min•Ep. 90
Leaders are readers. Reading has one of the biggest returns on investment, in terms of both time and money, among almost anything else you can do. In this episode, we share our reading philosophy with you, as well as our favorite books of the year. Resources: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Dare to Lead by Brené Brown Atomic Habits by James Clear Grit by Angela Duckworth The Blessing of...
Dec 27, 2021•27 min•Ep. 89
The Holiday season can be very stressful on top of everything else we deal with as empire builders. Thinking about buying gifts, hosting family, cooking meals, hanging decorations – it’s a lot to process. In this episode, we share ten tips you can use to manage stress this season. Start early Plan accordingly Set your own traditions Enlist help Buy extra gifts Tune in to hear all about tips six through ten! Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Rey...
Dec 20, 2021•25 min•Ep. 88
The holidays are here! If you’re feeling behind on gift ideas, for others or for yourself, we’ve got just the thing to jump-start some inspiration. In this episode, we share our favorite things in the world and how they could make fantastic gifts. Resources: Dohm White Noise Sound Machine reMarkable Notebook Rent the Runway Tory Burch Secrid Cardprotector Spanx Topo Chico Lone River Ranch Water Beachwaver HUM Nutrition Boost Sweet Boost YETI Tumbler Super Creamer Marine Collagen Peptides Powder ...
Dec 13, 2021•30 min•Ep. 87
Today we talk about an often overlooked but very important sales technique, the follow-up. So often, the focus of sales training is on finding new leads, but if you make it a habit to follow up on those leads, you’re going to have more business than you’ve ever dreamed of. The stronger your routine, the more tangible your results. Lock in today’s five effective ways to nurture leads: Find the prospect’s motivation Educate prospects on what you’re selling Understand that it takes time Maintain on...
Dec 06, 2021•26 min•Ep. 86
We get it, you hate writing copy and the thought of having to write something about yourself? Cringe. It can be intimidating, and knowing it’s something we have to do can be draining before we even put pen to paper. And yet it’s arguably the most important thing you’ll ever write! It’s the best way to make an impression online and can affect everything from your credibility to who’ll hire you, even things like converting leads and being offered speaking opportunities. Today, we share ten killer ...
Nov 29, 2021•24 min•Ep. 85
Truly, there’s a lot to be thankful for this year! Fresh off of the news of Sara Blakely breaking the billion-dollar glass ceiling for females, and with a somewhat-normal Thanksgiving holiday coming up, we spend this episode highlighting the amazing women who have inspired us in our lives. Some of our inspirations: Sara Blakely Ree Drummond Oprah Winfrey Brené Brown Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp Vija Williams: @viavija Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji Wendy Papasan: @w...
Nov 22, 2021•35 min•Ep. 84
We both have the unique experience of working with our mom. Today, we’re taking time to get into the pros, the cons, and the things we wish we’d known when we first started this great family working arrangement. There are some amazing upsides and wins to working with family. Most importantly, nobody will ever have your back more than family will. At the same time, no one is more willing to point out where you’re going astray, which can shorten the time it takes to get the right answer. There’s a...
Nov 15, 2021•32 min•Ep. 83
Carissa Acker swore she’d never be a realtor. Now, she’s a force to be reckoned with in the industry, founding Real Estate by Design as a mainstay in the top 1% of North Texas real estate groups. She’s overcome a lot in the last few years, even before COVID came to town. In this episode, we discuss the profound mindset shifts that helped her get to the other side of serious health issues, and the death of her sister, on the way to becoming an even brighter and more successful version of herself....
Nov 08, 2021•47 min•Ep. 82
This is the sixth and final episode of our series covering The Six Personal Perspectives, and we’ve saved the last for something that ties all of the others together: accountability. Once we remove limiting beliefs, there are still going to be things that happen in our life – and while you can’t control this, you can control how you respond to it. Accountability is incredibly freeing if you learn to embrace it. We’re going to share five ways you can hold yourself accountable. Seek reality Acknow...
Nov 01, 2021•28 min•Ep. 81
We’re still tingling on a high from our inaugural Her Best Life event: an incredibly expansive conference focused on curating your best life and the process of getting there. It’s unbelievable what magic unfolds when you create a container for 300 businesswomen to shine. We reflect on everything we learned, from leadership, loneliness, and trauma, to wealth building, and financial freedom, and discuss how these insights can inspire your own evolution. Connect on Instagram: Seychelle Van Poole: @...
Oct 25, 2021•32 min•Ep. 80
When you see the successes of other empire builders, you don’t get a true glimpse at the principles behind their success. There are some that are fundamental to success in business and in life. We see their effects, but it can be hard to identify where they come from. Continuing our series on The Six Personal Perspectives, we’re going to talk about “moving from E to P,” or going from being entrepreneurial to being purposeful. When you’re first starting your business, you’re likely doing what com...
Oct 18, 2021•25 min•Ep. 79
The 80/20 Principle (also known as the Pareto Principle) states that 20% of your efforts yield 80% of your results, while 80% of your efforts only make up the remaining 20% of your results. You see this balance reflected all over the world in almost any area. And while the numbers aren’t always exact, the idea is always present: things in life are not distributed equally. We explore how this principle plays out in life, finding the 20% of activities that produce 80% of your results, and how you ...
Oct 11, 2021•32 min•Ep. 78
If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you either are – or want to be – a high-level achiever. We’ve found that there are six foundational principles that the highest achievers each possess. Gary Keller calls them The Six Personal Perspectives. These six things can have a massive impact on lives, so we’re dedicating an entire series of episodes to them, starting with “committing to mastery.” This habit is foundational to all the rest because it means making a commitment to becoming a m...
Oct 04, 2021•31 min•Ep. 77
Whether we want to admit it or not, all of us have limiting beliefs. These are beliefs that are deeply ingrained in us that hold us back from accomplishing things because we’ve often given up before we even get started. It’s hard to do something when your mindset is telling you that it could never be successful. We’re going to share six steps to overcome these limiting beliefs and move past your comfort zone. Admit you have a limiting belief Recognize that it’s a belief, not a fact Challenge it ...
Sep 27, 2021•31 min•Ep. 76
If you’re an empire builder, you are interested in growth. To do that effectively you have to be learning-based. John F. Kennedy has a famous quote: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” We’re going to talk about the power of being learning-based, some of the traits of great leaders, and six things that learning-based leaders have in common. Spend time and money on learning Focus on one or two topics at a time Surround yourself with other learners Share what you learn with o...
Sep 20, 2021•37 min•Ep. 75
