Mandi Ellefson shares how leaders can drive rapid growth in their company beyond themselves in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO. You’ll hear Mandi talk about: Convincing someone to do something: they have to want to do it, and money isn’t the most reliable incentive. [1:32] The food chain of passion. “If you don’t have a lot of passion, then neither will your team.” [3:43] The secret to growing your company beyond you. “What is the bigger reason for why you're scaling? What is the impact that ...
Oct 27, 2022•10 min•Ep. 88
What do you need to put in place to generate cash flow? Are you ready to hire the right people to support your growth? Mandi Ellefson discusses how to take advantage of the buying season to increase business growth. She advises CEOs to get out from under day-to-day operations, freeing up time for more strategic planning. Key Ideas: Quarter 4 is when your clients and prospects are pulling out their budgets, Mandi says, and thinking about what they can do differently in the upcoming year. “Most co...
Oct 20, 2022•10 min•Ep. 87
The right executive assistant is the Chief Bottleneck Breaker of your company. This role should NOT be ignored. Mandi Ellefson discusses how an executive assistant can free up 20 hours per week, and why this role is especially relevant for CEOs. Key Ideas: Mandi’s own experience can attest to the benefits of an executive assistant, as hers was able to free up no less than 20 hours per week by doing a lot of the soul-sucking tasks that Mandi hated doing. CEOs should keep in mind, however, that it...
Oct 13, 2022•33 min•Ep. 86
Increase your productivity without the strain? Yes, please! Executive assistants can make it happen. Mandi Ellefson shares how she cut 20 hours off her work week by hiring an executive assistant, and why every CEO should have one. Key Ideas: Trends are changing in the staffing industry, Mandi claims. Recently, it hasn’t been as competitive as it has in the past. Through paid advertising, you’re likely to find some really good candidates on LinkedIn. [4:06] If you could spend ten extra hours a we...
Oct 06, 2022•30 min•Ep. 85
Reach your ideal prospects wherever they hang out - via LinkedIn or cold email or any other channel - and scale your consulting agency. Mandi Ellefson shares the five variables that make cold outreach work in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO. Key Ideas: Use direct outreach to make money quickly if you’re in a bind and need to bring in more clients. It’s a good strategy to use as you build up your company, when you need to test new offers, or when you’re pivoting your company. [3:04] “We want t...
Sep 29, 2022•19 min•Ep. 84
What does your job look like when you start working on the business instead of working in it? Mandi Ellefson describes the three main roles that CEOs assume to maximize both their time in the business and the earning potential of the whole company in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO. Key Ideas: A CEO is responsible for providing vision, accountability, and support. Vision encompasses growth strategy, mission, and culture; accountability involves setting and managing agreements, and support ref...
Sep 22, 2022•22 min•Ep. 83
Can you imagine going from 3,000 to 30,000 visits a month? BroadVision Marketing takes clients from local to national levels, adding millions of dollars in as little as 6 months. Mandi’s guests Jaco Grobbelaar and Jon Sooy of BroadVision Marketing share how they scale their clients further than they could have ever imagined. You’ll hear Mandi, Jaco and Jon talk about: BroadVision Marketing positions themselves as their clients’ concierge, but they’re not sitting across the table from you - they’...
Sep 15, 2022•52 min•Ep. 82
Businesses are great sources of income, but you shouldn’t have to keep working forever to build your wealth - and especially not after retirement. Mandi Ellefson explores how business owners can avoid this in this week’s show. Key Ideas: Mandi shares how she first started seeing business as a vehicle for building wealth. [2:12] “We had seen all the advice about buying into the stock market in your 20’s… and we made a conscious decision to wait and invest in our earning potential,” Mandi says. Sh...
Sep 08, 2022•12 min•Ep. 81
Committing to a bigger purpose than profit is a surefire way to build a strong company; one that can withstand even a pandemic. Mandi’s guest in this episode of Hands-Off CEO is Karen Hite, Director of Operations at Digital Agency Hacker and co-founder of Hite Digital. Karen will explore why having a grand vision, passion and purpose leads to long-term success. You’ll hear Mandi and Karen talk about: Karen had a big vision of supporting people in her home country and generating over 1000 jobs th...
Jul 14, 2022•28 min•Ep. 80
There are CEOs who are adding millions of dollars to their annual revenue - the ultimate Hands Off CEOs. There are leaders who are able to scale their business profitably, and they have five traits in common. If you want to see the kinds of productivity and profitability that these top-performing CEOs are getting out of their teams and businesses, this episode is for you. Mandi Ellefson is sharing what you need to know in this week’s show. Key Ideas: “The next level of growth [doesn’t] come from...
Jul 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 79
The temptation to get back into client work can be overwhelming for a CEO scaling their team - especially when it feels like your reputation is on the line. This means that too many CEOs are stuck overseeing project management that really should be delegated to other team members, leaving them with less time to actually run their business. In this episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi’s guest Gray Mackenzie, co-founder of ZenPilot, shares what CEOs need to do to get out of day-to-day project managemen...
Jun 30, 2022•39 min•Ep. 78
In this week’s solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson explains how selling the wrong offer traps you in the company as CEO. You’ll hear Mandi talk about: Mandi shares an example of selling the wrong package at the wrong time. [1:16] Hands-Off CEO takes their clients through an intensive and thorough process to generate growth. “It used to take us 6 to 9 months to actually help our clients implement this in their business, now we can do it in about 3 or 4 weeks.” [3:03] “What you should be...
Jun 23, 2022•8 min•Ep. 77
Mandi Ellefson’s guests are Nikole Mackenzie and Ashley Carroll, founder and COO of Momentum Accounting. Momentum Accounting helps creative agencies and other professional service companies scale from $1 million to $10 million in annual recurring revenue. They are a 100% US-based, remote team of business-savvy accountants and technology experts who provide actionable insights and vision into the future so your business can grow faster, and more confidently. You’ll hear Mandi, Nikole and Ashley t...
Jun 16, 2022•45 min•Ep. 76
There are plenty of mistakes you can make while scaling your service business, and if you’re having trouble scaling to the next level, chances are you’re making the biggest one. This is content that Mandi has been working on for years, and that has been used to help businesses vastly increase their profitability. Listen in to find out what the biggest mistake in scaling is - and how to avoid making it in your own business. You’ll hear Mandi talk about: What is happening in the global marketplace...
Jun 09, 2022•14 min•Ep. 75
Mandi Ellefson’s guest is Kristen Gallagher, founder and CEO of Edify, the frictionless way to onboard software engineers. Edify functionally tailors onboarding to each client’s teams, which works to attract, keep, and grow great employees while helping them get back the time they need. You’ll hear Mandi and Kristen talk about: One of the top reasons for team dysfunction is that context isn’t being shared properly, Kristen says. In their desire to be transparent, a lot of business owners and exe...
Jun 02, 2022•39 min•Ep. 74
In this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO, Mandi Ellefson discusses the changes that the business climate has undergone over the last 2 years, and how you can use it to your advantage. She shares tips on ways to strengthen your business, increase your fees, and get a higher commitment from your very best clients. You’ll hear Mandi talk about: The challenges that arose in the spring of 2020, and how she helped her clients navigate it using the Power of One formula. “We went right back to the foundati...
May 26, 2022•11 min•Ep. 73
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 into global markets. He has helped over 500 consultants in over 75 i...
May 19, 2022•39 min•Ep. 72
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] Mandi shares the importance of attracting a top performer. [3:43] “One of the b...
May 12, 2022•14 min•Ep. 71
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 the right things in the right order, it can screw things up… The t...
May 05, 2022•33 min•Ep. 70
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, businesses misunderstand what operations is all about,” Zac claims. He...
Apr 28, 2022•28 min•Ep. 69
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 business and not in it. That’s where you can be generating these million-do...
Apr 21, 2022•34 min•Ep. 68
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 are the company.” [2:17] To safely let go of your company, you must ...
Apr 14, 2022•20 min•Ep. 67
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 motivate their staff, but Mandi shares why this doesn’t work. [1:2...
Apr 07, 2022•10 min•Ep. 66
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 and developing products that people won't use. You’ll hear Mandi, ...
Mar 31, 2022•55 min•Ep. 65
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 quality slipping.” [2:41] “This cycle is just so challenging, and the im...
Mar 24, 2022•9 min•Ep. 64
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+ in their first year with us have this certainty that allows them to show...
Mar 17, 2022•12 min•Ep. 63
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 Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast, where he talks to industr...
Mar 10, 2022•48 min•Ep. 62
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 that his company ensures, which are market positioning, automating the ...
Mar 03, 2022•32 min•Ep. 61
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 more effective delegation. “Do not use email when it comes to deleg...
Feb 24, 2022•54 min•Ep. 60
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 businesses. You’ll hear Mandi and Wally Waldron talk about: “If you’re lo...
Feb 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 59
