Come along on a journey with Kyle Walbrun, the founder and CEO of EfficientAide, as he shares his valuable insights into entrepreneurial growth. In this episode, we'll explore the importance of surrounding yourself with positive influences and the role mentorship plays in becoming a successful business leader. Kyle's story, which traces his evolution from a solo entrepreneur to a CEO, highlights how community and guidance can make all the difference in the entrepreneurial world. Through his company, he sheds light on practical ways to manage time effectively, showing that achieving success while maintaining work-life balance is achievable.
Join us as we dive into the heart of entrepreneurship, learning from Kyle's experiences of overcoming early obstacles and seizing pivotal moments that shape a business's path. From his humble beginnings to serving Fortune 100 clients, Kyle emphasizes the power of vulnerability and growth. We'll also explore the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and the significance of having a structured approach, all while staying resilient in the face of market demands without compromising core values.
As we wrap up, we'll discuss strategies for scaling businesses without sacrificing personal well-being. Kyle shares insights on delegating tasks effectively and leveraging tools like virtual assistants and AI for streamlined operations. He stresses the importance of having a strong support system and even suggests considering a business coach to accelerate your entrepreneurial journey. Tune in for a fresh perspective on owning and running a business, where success in your professional life can coexist with fulfillment in your personal life.
Come along on a journey with Kyle Walbrun, the founder and CEO of EfficientAide, as he shares his valuable insights into entrepreneurial growth. In this episode, we'll explore the importance of surrounding yourself with positive influences and the role mentorship plays in becoming a successful business leader. Kyle's story, which traces his evolution from a solo entrepreneur to a CEO, highlights how community and guidance can make all the difference in the entrepreneurial world. Through his company, he sheds light on practical ways to manage time effectively, showing that achieving success while maintaining work-life balance is achievable.
Join us as we dive into the heart of entrepreneurship, learning from Kyle's experiences of overcoming early obstacles and seizing pivotal moments that shape a business's path. From his humble beginnings to serving Fortune 100 clients, Kyle emphasizes the power of vulnerability and growth. We'll also explore the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and the significance of having a structured approach, all while staying resilient in the face of market demands without compromising core values.
As we wrap up, we'll discuss strategies for scaling businesses without sacrificing personal well-being. Kyle shares insights on delegating tasks effectively and leveraging tools like virtual assistants and AI for streamlined operations. He stresses the importance of having a strong support system and even suggests considering a business coach to accelerate your entrepreneurial journey. Tune in for a fresh perspective on owning and running a business, where success in your professional life can coexist with fulfillment in your personal life.
Surround yourself with just good people, and I think people muddy those waters right of what a good person is. It's pretty clear to me, right, just like show up, be friendly, do the right thing. I don't care if you're left right, whatever it does, just be a good person. Surround yourself with people that are gonna lift you up. And second, surround yourself with people that are, like you mentioned, the light years ahead and where you wanna go, because the light years ahead and where you want to go, because that up-levels you very quickly.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to Small Business Pivots, a podcast designed for small business owners. I'm your host, michael Morrison, a small business coach and founder of BOSS, where we make business ownership simplified for success, so that you can create a business that works without you. To learn more, go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom and be sure to hang out to the end of this episode for my recap and coach's corner, where I challenge you to take action on one thing that will move the needle in your business. Our guest today is Kyle Walbrun. Kyle was born and raised in the Midwest, in a small town in Wisconsin, where he was taught the value of teamwork and dedication. He graduated with honors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he triple majored in marketing, finance and communication. He then packed up his belongings and moved to Colorado for new adventures, enhanced quality of life and to start a company focused on assisting business professionals.
Speaker 2:
Today, kyle is the founder and CEO of EfficientAid, an assistant company as well. Kyle is a joke teller, sports fanatic, llama farmer and outdoor enthusiast. He has a huge passion for helping professionals work effectively and proficiently through a proven process of delegation. Throughout Kyle's career, he has partnered with a wide variety of business leaders, strategizing on how to buy back their time and eliminate their worry. Kyle is an avid outdoorsman and thoroughly enjoys camping and hiking with his wife, janelle. In general, kyle is very personable, generous and loves to have a good laugh. We're going to have fun today, so let's get to Kyle now and learn how you can buy back your time and scale your business so you can own a business that works without you. All right, so welcome to another Small Business Pivots podcast. Today we have a special guest from around the world. Where are you coming to us from today?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I'm joining you, michael, today from Evergreen Colorado. Where is that at? Yeah, so Evergreen Colorado is about 20, 25 miles west of Denver in the foothills, so on your way to ski country, I'm about halfway in the middle Very cool.
Speaker 2:
So I'm going to let you introduce yourself and your company, because nobody can say their name like you can.
Speaker 1:
So I really appreciate that, Michael, and again just thank you for the opportunity. It's a pleasure to speak with you today.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, I'm Kyle.
Speaker 1:
Walbrin, I am the founder and CEO of a company called Efficient Aid and we are an assistant company and, in short, really what we do is we have kind of three levels of service. We provide fractional virtual assistance so business leaders who want to buy back their time get their nights and weekends back. So check their emails, schedule their appointments, you know all the stuff that's not the highest and best use of their time. We also provide a recruiting program. So for folks that say, kyle, I don't necessarily need virtual, I want someone in person and I want someone full time.
Speaker 1:
We have a really great knack for identifying that talent, since we've been doing it for over a decade. So we have a recruiting program called our Find your Assistant program. And lastly, michael, we have some folks that say, kyle, I don't need an assistant, I have one, but I want to up-level them, I want to invest in them, I want them to learn some tips and tricks from your years of experience. We also have a Train your Assistant program as well. So in short, really we're an assistant company trying to find if any sort of avenue we can support leaders to make sure they can buy their time back and focus on growing their businesses.
Speaker 2:
That's. That is very important, because you cannot replace time right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:
Correct. Yeah, so well, let's go back to your childhood, because I found that a lot of business owners went through some trials and tribulations. Possibly those that didn't Congratulations. I know that's very few, but anything that may have stuck in your mindset that kept you from progressing as fast as you wish you would have.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's a great question, Michael. I'll kind of say I'll give you a little, without getting too far in the weeds. I'll give you kind of my backstory, a little bit of how this formed. So I grew up in the Midwest. I was born and raised in Wisconsin actually, and it was really unique. I did not take a very stereotypical path to becoming a founder and entrepreneur. So I founded Efficient Aid about 12 years ago when I was like 22 years old, and it was very unique.
Speaker 1:
When I grew up in Wisconsin, I grew up in a very typical Midwest household. My parents were blue collar, but what was really unique about it? So I didn't have really any entrepreneurial father. I didn't come upon or inherit a business. But what was really interesting, michael know, my dad worked at a mill. He's been, you know, 30, 30 something years. So what really taught me is I didn't necessarily learn the business side of life, but I learned about hard work, learn about dedication, loyalty. But I also realized that I have the utmost respect for my mom and dad. Right, they brought me up in a great life, but I also knew that that wasn't the life that I wanted to live, right you?
Speaker 2:
know. I said are you my brother? It sounds like we've lived in the same household.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know, and so you know my dad would come home and I could tell he's just drained, you know exhausted, you know working on the floor and uh, you know I have the utmost respect for the work work he did and still does. But I also kind of knew that wasn't really the path that I wanted to take and I was fortunate enough that I had an uncle who did have more of that entrepreneurial mindset. So it was really unique for me. I learned our work dedication from my parents, that loyalty, but also realized that wasn't really the life and path for me, but also realize that wasn't really the life and path for me. And then I saw this other side of life, with my uncle who was running his own business, and seeing the freedoms that came along with that.
Speaker 1:
So really at a very young age, michael, I was really fortunate. I mean I'm talking as far back as middle school. I knew, hey, I'm going to run a business, I want to be an entrepreneur. And it's really interesting actually, because I grew up playing ice hockey. I was a huge hockey player growing up, but you probably can't necessarily tell from Zoom I'm 5'8", like a buck 50, soaking wet. I wasn't going to the league, michael, so I was like all right, that path is probably stopping there and I'm going to take this path of entrepreneurship and I think for me you know, michael, to answer your question directly something I wish is I had a really great mentor, my uncle on the business side of life. But you know, I think for me I didn't necessarily have that upbringing where I was surrounded by these folks and surrounded by business leaders.
Speaker 2:
My parents weren't entrepreneurs, so I had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own growing up.
Speaker 1:
But keeping that mindset, michael, that I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur, I found the right avenues and I connected with the right folks. I was definitely the stereotypical guy that, instead of getting jobs in college at, maybe the sandwich shop, I was interning in the marketing department or you know, with various businesses, just trying to surround myself, you know, with as much mentorship and you know business insight as possible. And I was grateful enough that when I came out of college I did actually I've had one out of college. I had one like corporate gig. I worked a sales job for about four months out of college doing cold calling, cold emailing, and realized after four months I said this is just not what I'm grooving on. Oh my God, I was doing 80 cold calls and a hundred cold emails per day was my quota and I'm grateful for that opportunity. It really taught me how to communicate and how to, how to reach out and connect with people. But after about four months I was like this isn't it? Now's the time I'm going to start my own, my own gig. And it was really unique. I spent a few days in my apartment OK, what am I going to do? And probably a matter of 72 hours.
Speaker 1:
Michael, from the time I quit the full-time corporate gig I created Efficient Aid, really with a sense of when I was in college and throughout my life I had this blend between a little bit of professional experience, a little bit of that blue collar I can relate to people experience and in college I did a triple major in that blue collar I can relate to people experience. And in college I did a triple major in marketing, finance and communication. I realized, hey, I don't really want to focus on one area. I like doing a lot of a little different things. And I was like, wow, there's got to be a service for that. If someone who says, hey, I don't want to hire 10 different contractors, I want to hire support, that can maybe dabble a little bit. And ultimately I formed EfficientAid. That was about 12 years ago now and started off providing just virtual support for business leaders. And now it's evolved into our three main service lines and we're supporting companies and small businesses all the way up to Fortune 100 leaders all over the country.
Speaker 2:
I almost hate to say what I'm fixing to say because I usually save like the nuggets to the very end, but it really does boil down to people If people are wondering how to be successful and how to pivot their company to where they can get to that next level. Because there was a social media post this actually this morning that just said what do you think crushes business goals from a business owner before they even get started? And I quickly responded people like they're with the wrong people, they're circling with the wrong people, they hire the wrong people and you're a people solver. So that's, that's awesome. I mean, that's. That's really the key I have found to most business success the company.
Speaker 2:
I'm a business coach and so most of the companies we work with. When they come to us they literally some of them their only problem or challenge is having the wrong people in the wrong bus on the right seat, that whole thing there. So when you first started, you came up with this idea. What were some of those early challenges in your business that you overcame? Because I know a lot of business owners that they've been in business as long as you have and they're still operating like they were on day one. They just can't get past that part of the business.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know there was lots of trials and tribulations throughout it. You know the first and foremost when I first started the company, I was 22. I didn't know anything. So the first challenge but you thought you did, oh, absolutely. We all did, Absolutely, and you know so the first challenge was just navigating what being an entrepreneur and starting a business was, from the legal side and the LLC components to it, all the way up to operations and efficiencies. So that was my first big challenge and I didn't have a large network of, you know, business folks. A lot of my buddies and people I was with at that they, a lot of my folks, went a different route, you know, and they were working corporate gigs. So I didn't have a lot of that mentorship. And so that was my first first big challenge was just surrounding finding and surrounding myself with the right people that can help guide me through the process. So that was first, and then second was and it's a common challenge I think a lot of folks face is scale right, Scale and growth is scale right, Scale and growth, Because initially it was just me, it was a efficient day, but initially it was just basically me providing the support and that leap from, you know, being a solopreneur to, hey, I want to build this and I want to hire staff and take on more clients. That's a really tough nut to crack. Right Is scale with protecting your core values and protecting quality. So I think that was probably my biggest.
Speaker 1:
Biggest challenge was how do I scale and how do I get the right people in the right seats to join on, you know, on this journey together and the way I overcame in Michael was really reaching out to various peer groups.
Speaker 1:
You know mastermind groups of business minded folks. It was pretty common. I was probably the youngest guy in these groups by 10, 20 years, but I always find to do extraordinary things, you've got to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and whenever I talked to any younger folks that are looking to start a business, I said if you're not feeling a little uncomfortable, you're probably not doing it right. You know, I think that's a big challenge is putting yourself in those positions. And then, another key component that really helped me a lot, Michael, was wrapping myself around structure and process, and I happened to find that by finding EOS, which is the Entrepreneurial Operating System, and that was really critical, really critical for me to work with an implementer start employing some of their tools in the US toolbox and that provided a lot of structure for me that helped me overcome a lot of those challenges I mentioned.
Speaker 2:
Those are all great points. Almost every guest that we've had on this podcast has mentioned something about a coach or a mentor, and so I'm not plugging my own play here, but it is important. I'm a business coach and I have three coaches Now I always follow up with. I'm not in that bad a shape. They're all for a different purpose. So people people will say you're a business coach and you need three. I don't know if I want to hire you and I'm like no, no, no, no. We're human and I have an accountability coach. I have a business coach. That's been light years ahead of where I'm at Cause I always say that business owners, we don't know what we don't know.
Speaker 2:
So to hear you say that is, I would say, pat yourself on the back, because most young entrepreneurs don't understand the value and the power of that. But the more people like you keep saying it, hopefully it will stick, because that really is the true difference between being stuck in your business and getting to the next level is just asking for help or getting help from somebody. Would you find that to be true? Is that kind of what you're saying?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, absolutely, there's a lot of vulnerability that goes into it and I think you're spot on. I still face that right now I'm 34 years old. I will never sit up here and say I have the secrets Right. There's still stuff you don't know, what you don't know. So, absolutely you know the two pieces that I always find is critical that we're kind of touching on now.
Speaker 1:
Surround yourself with in two different ways. Surround yourself with just good people and I think people muddy those waters right of what a good person is. It's pretty clear to me right, just like, show up, be friendly, do the right thing I don't care if you're left, right, whatever it does, just be a good person. Surround yourself with people that are going to lift you up. And second, surround yourself with people that are, like you mentioned, the light years ahead and where you want to go, because that up levels you very quickly. So I think it's absolutely surrounding yourself with the right people and part of it, as you know, being a business owner and entrepreneur yourself, part of it is taking the leap.
Speaker 1:
And you know, I think that is critical. I mean, michael, you know I had no seed money, I didn't inherit money, I didn't inherit a business. I had nothing to my name. You know I was a fresh out of college, but it's just having that mindset to take the leap, getting yourself in the right, surrounding yourself, with the right people. And what I like to always do is inspire folks and say it can be done. You know, I I didn't grow up with anything special besides just a drive and the ability to want to do something extraordinary. And it can be done. It's scary, it's hack as you know.
Speaker 2:
But it's possible. It's possible to do. Yeah, it is possible. I've also found that with most small business owners you can have two employees, 10, 20, 30. But until you find that right one, that one good, special person, it's really hard to start scaling and that's what you really do. So can you offer any tips or advice for business owners that they might have a staff but they don't have that one? How can they find that one?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's a really really great question, michael.
Speaker 1:
You know in our areas of expertise, you know specifically, you know kind of, you know honing in more on the admin, executive assistant, virtual assistant realm. I find that's critical for any business leader. The first and foremost, I think, critical piece is getting a really well-trained assistant to help you out, and I want to emphasize well-trained Right assistant to help you out, and I want to emphasize well-trained right. And that's a common misconception of hey, I'm going to bring someone on, I'm going to have to invest all this time and processes for them. If you get the right person, the right seat and they're well-trained, you present problems to them and they present solutions based on their experience. That's exactly how we like to operate at EfficientAid right Is be solutions-oriented. To operate at EfficientAid right is be solutions oriented, because there's a few things that really are critical with that role for any small business. And that's where I like to start, because there's a few things that happen when you bring on that well-trained assistant One you have, or two things can happen. You've now bought back a bunch of your time because you're not in the weeds doing all these administrative type tasks. So now you have time to actually intelligently think about scaling your business. You actually have time to intelligently invest time into bringing on more strategic maybe C-level or higher level hires or the other thing you can do, michael, that I always find is really critical with that time back.
Speaker 1:
Some of these small business owners can do nothing with that time they just bought back. You know, they can use it to focus on mental health. They can use it to maybe make their kids soccer game for once and take care of maybe other sides of life that we all know directly contribute to the professional side. So that's always my biggest first step when I'm talking with small business owners. Let's start there. Who's your right-hand person? Who's getting all this off your plate? Who's going to help project manage things for you? Give you those nudges day-to-day to make sure things aren't slipping through the cracks. Get that dialed in first, because then it frees you up for all these other possibilities of goals or scale or other strategic hires. And that's my experience. My experience is small business owners that make the leap, let go of the vine and delegate to a well-trained assistant. I see a direct correlation into growth in their business or just quality of life.
Speaker 2:
You're listening to Small Business Pivots. This podcast is sponsored by Boss, where business ownership is simplified for success. Boss helps business owners create a business that runs without them, with business consulting services, business loans and much, much more. Go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom to learn why small business success starts with Boss. If you're enjoying the podcast and want to stay up to date with all of our episodes, make sure to hit that subscribe button, give us a thumbs up or leave a positive review. Your support means the world to us and it helps others discover the show too. Let's get back to our guest. So when you bring people on, what does that look like? Because I know that business owners often ask kind of mentioned it earlier, but like I wouldn't even know where to start. I mean I do, but I'm saying a lot of business owners will ask that question.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know. The first thing I recommend, you know, for most small business owners that are looking like where to start, recruiting and hiring is time consuming. It's very, very laborious. So my first recommendation is find don't try to be an expert in an area you may not be an expert in. Leverage folks. We're one of many offerings. There's other assistant companies out there, of course, so leverage the folks that have dedicated.
Speaker 1:
I've dedicated 12 years to dialing this process in. So I think first it's identifying a reputable source to identify where to get this assistant from, because a really great agency approach. The biggest misconception of hiring the assistant is this is going to take a lot of my time to ramp this person up. So what happens is you don't do it and then they're in the rat race, right. And also you have this thing where I just have a bunch of five minute tasks. It's going to be take longer for me to train the EA to do it than to do it myself. Well, I know you can attest this, michael. I mean, when you have 25 minute tasks, it adds up pretty darn quick, you know.
Speaker 1:
And so the way I like to recommend starting is find a reputable agency that has a proven track record of sourcing and providing quality assistance, because they'll take all the lift off your plate. So with us, when someone approaches and says, kyle, I'm really darn busy, I don't know how to delegate, I don't even know what this looks like, I recommend we get on a first in our process. You get on a call, we talk about your needs and you can come prepare that call with nothing right. You don't have to come prepare with your list and how you want to do it. Just say, kyle, let's talk and we come with specific questions to learn about what you're doing day to day, week to week, where you want your business to go, to provide proactive recommendations on what the scope of work or what we could do to solve that problem is, and that's critical. You know we take all that lift off the plate.
Speaker 1:
And then what also is great is we already have a bench of really well trained, quality assistants on our team, so you don't need to go out and find them. We have them, they're trained, they're ready. We just need to find the right match for you, based on personality, skill set, geographic zone, whatever it may be, and then we can say, hey, you mentioned these problems. Here's a package that's going to solve those problems and here's a person that's going to show up turnkey to guide you through that process and it's pretty quick. Then there's a little bit of time where there's some onboarding and rapport building, but then our folks are able to direct those conversations and say let's talk about some of your pain points, here's exactly a few ways I can solve them, and the business owner to be able to say, yep, I like option B, kyle, go, let's start there and go with that, and we're providing value day one. We're immediately starting to take things off the plate.
Speaker 1:
So I think the biggest takeaway in our process is for any small business owners are out there that are stuck in that rat race, working the 60 hours a week, the nights and weekends. Identifying and working with an assistant does not need to be a huge process that takes up all your time. If you're working with the right folks, they'll guide it and they'll take the least amount of your time to provide the maximum amount of output and high level. That's how we like to operate and sourcing that and really, like I mentioned, our niche is high caliber folks, so you're not training them how to be an assistant. They're coming prepared with the best practices and templates and things they've seen work with other leaders. We just need to customize it to how Michael likes things done. We mold it tailor-made, the support and we start implementing right away.
Speaker 2:
You brought up so many critical points in that comment, because, well, number one and I want to share this to help business owners think differently, because sometimes we can have a one-track mind I'm hearing you say, hire an assistant company to find you an assistant, but that goes for everything Like don't don't waste your time, like I see so much time wasted with business owners. Don't waste your time on something you're not qualified to do. The first one that they usually do is accounting. They try to do their own accounting and I'm like why? First of all, every time QuickBooks makes an adjustment on their dashboard, you have to go find how to do this, how to do that, how to catch, and you're doing it wrong. Anyways, I promise you, because I know financials.
Speaker 2:
And so I know you're doing it wrong, so you're wasting your time. Well, and then I hear, well, I don't have the money to hire and I'm like, okay, if that takes kind of what you mentioned, that 60 hours off your plate or can reduce it by five, go use that five hours and get more sales so you can afford that. Like, stop doing things that you're not qualified to do. That is such a great point. I that's. I can jump on that bandwagon forever because I just see it all the time Videos, social media. I'm like social media You're not getting a sale today from social media. That's a long-term play. Go make calls, like what you did, learning. I love that. You kind of that was your first experience in the business world, if you will was making calls, because it showed you the power of how much time it takes and the work that's involved. What skills did you bring from those to get sales today? I'm just curious.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know, it's really it's yeah, it's really interesting based on the sales. And first, just to close the point you made I'm on that train as well, Michael. We could probably spend a whole nother podcast talking about that, because what I always tell small business owners it's all about ROI. I feel extremely confident, extremely confident. If you bring on a well-trained assistant, you will see direct ROI for the amount you're paying them for what you're now able to do with reaching goals or strategic partnerships or hires. It's proven.
Speaker 2:
As you know, it works. I see it all the time, yeah.
Speaker 1:
It works. And going back to your question, so it was really interesting. So those four months I spent doing all this cold outreach, it taught me a few different things. It taught me how to relate to all sorts of different types of individuals and find common ground. It also really taught me just best practices in sales.
Speaker 1:
I had no sales background and you know, most people tell you a sales sales is not about the sell, it's about the relationship. And so what I learned more than anything, I didn't necessarily learn how to be a sales expert. I learned how to really be a relationship expert, and so now I'm able to relate to, hopefully, folks listening to the podcast, or I'm able to relate to my staff or my clients now, because it's all about listening, and I think that was some of the biggest takeaways that I had was learning how to build proper relationships and listening. And I think that was some of the biggest takeaways that I had was learning how to build proper relationships and listening. And what that's now translated into, michael, in terms of our sales here at Efficient Aid, I'd say over 90 to 95% of our business comes via referral, and it's because we build solid, solid relationships with our clients. We work with good people, we hire good people, we go above and beyond and that comes full circle. And so I think that was one. One big thing I learned that's directly resolved in sales is build relationships, listen to people's wants and needs and find ways to solve them. And we've perfected that to the point where now that's translating in lots of referrals and ultimately more sales.
Speaker 1:
And on the cold side of things, on the outreach sales portion, it's allowed me to have a little bit of a sales background, understand what that life's like and what we're asking maybe some of our folks to do, and it's allowed us to really hire the right people in the right seats to help with sales.
Speaker 1:
Because I've understand it, I've been in it, I understand the value of creating the relationship with that staff member which enables them and empowers them to just thrive at their job, which allows us to bridge that other 10% gap of that just cold outreach process. So for me, in the highest level, it is truly about listening and building solid relationships and truly you got to believe in your core, in my core, my why, my purpose, my cause is I want to help people and I believe it. I believe it to my core. The byproduct of that is I get to make a few bucks doing it, but that's not what gets me up every day. It's because I want to help people and I want to instill that same value in the people I work with and the people that I surround myself with. And the correlation to that, michael, is sales. You get more sales as a result of it in varying ways, just by just providing a quality service and really genuinely want to help business owners buy back their time and help them grow their business.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's. It's interesting because many of us small business owners, we keep looking for a better answer, but there's not one.
Speaker 2:
It's like well, I've heard that before build a relationship and listen. But what else? What's a faster one? You know it's like there's not a faster one. You can invest in $10 million worth of sales, coaching or whatever. That's still the secret sauce right there is know, like and trust, and the only way to do that is to listen, build a relationship. So thank you for sharing that. I want to go back to your EOS instruction, because scale the word is kind of a buzzword, if you will. I hear so many business owners say I want to scale my business and in my head I'm like, yeah, chucking a truck?
Speaker 2:
you're not scaling in your current status. One of my clients always calls those kind of you know the rusted truck with the ladder, strapped to the top with a rope. I'm like you're not scaling this current business? Let's, but anyways, what point in your business did you truly scale, and what does that look like in a business?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's a that's a good, good question, michael. I think the first thing you have to determine is what scale looks like to you and then, truly, if you want it, cause it's not for everyone to be candid. When I started my business, it was you want it, because it's not for everyone To be candid. When I started my business, it was a fish day, but it was just me. I could have rode off in the sunset, I was making okay money, just running it by myself. Providing support Could have been just fine. And I want to also say for any small business owners out there that's okay, you don't have to feel as pressured to create multimillion dollar companies, you know, that's OK, you just find your sweet spot. So, for me, though, it hit that pivotal point where one I was starting to burn them on both ends a little too much. You know, I was working a lot. I also really valued the relationship and I wanted a team, you know, and I wanted to be a part of something and I wanted to be a leader. So that was the first kind of decision. But that's just. You know, in EOS they, you know and I'm probably not quoting this perfectly, but what they say is vision without traction is just a dream, right? So I had that vision. But now I was like, well, how the heck do I actually do this? And again we keep going back to it. But again it was surrounding myself with good people, finding people who have gone through the experience that I have, that were light years ahead of me, that have gone through the experience. And so first, I think it's just making the decision. You want to scale. What that looks like to you, to me. I was young. My version of scale was I want to build a huge business and I want to be the thought and industry leader for assistant services. And that was my goal, that was my vision, and it's lofty. It still is today. So I think first you've got to make the decision. You have to project what that looks like and then surround yourself with the people to help guide you on ultimately making that step.
Speaker 1:
So for me, what that looked like first and foremost was I had to hire, hire someone. I had to hire a right-hand person, because the only way for me to scale and what scale looked like to me was to be able to bring on more clients, help more people. I was tapped out. So scale to me was first bringing on that first hire and then for any solopreneur that's out there, it's the scariest thing you'll ever do, but it's also the most rewarding, because at that moment, michael, I thought, wow, I'm now actually a business owner.
Speaker 1:
Before I was kind of a solopreneur, a fishnade. I probably touted myself as a bigger company than what I was. But that's one of the most exciting things is that first hire, and it's a critical hire. So for me, scale looked like getting some additional support which then allowed me to onboard more clients, because there's people that were trying to hire that I couldn't take on. So scale first was getting the right person and then building the clients up to fill that person up.
Speaker 1:
And then from that moment in time to this moment today, it's finding that balance between that supply and demand right when you need to bring on more internal people and pause, build the foundation tight again and then do the splurge of bringing on more clients. And that's an ebb and flow that I imagine I'll be experiencing the rest of the time I'm running the business. But that would probably be my definition and how it worked for me was bringing on that first hire, scaling with more clients and then ultimately building that balance. But again, I agree, scale is a little bit of that buzzword because again it goes back to vision without traction. Right, have the foundation. You have to understand how you're going to do it and how you're going to maintain quality. Or you're going to scale and you're going to scale right back down very sharply because you're not going to be able to provide the service that you intended to.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I always say success is intentional. Yeah, like you can't find success without a plan, like, yeah, and that's kind of what you were talking about with the traction and everything. What were some pivots that you made that you wish you would have done differently, you know the first thing that comes immediate to mind is I wasn't drinking my own Kool-Aid.
Speaker 1:
Is I wasn't drinking my own Kool-Aid. I'm here preaching to business owners to delegate, to let go of the vine. It took me a while to do it, michael, longer than I wished it would have. It was my baby, right, it's my brand. I've literally my entire professional career has been invested into Efficient Aid and running Efficient Aid.
Speaker 1:
But at a certain point and for any small business owner out there you become your own worst enemy, you know, being that control, micromanaging and taking too much control. Sometimes you got to let people lead and maybe they stumble a little bit and fail, but you have to take that leap. So I think for me, I wish I would have drank my own Kool-Aid a little bit earlier in my career, delegated a little bit earlier, brought on people probably a little bit earlier. Because instead of what happened, michael is I took on a lot and you get burnt out. You get burnt out, something that I always find and it's just an old, it's an untrue statement.
Speaker 1:
People used to think, being a small business owner, if I'm not working 67 hours a week, then I'm not doing it. Right, that's for the birds If you're working 67 hours a week, you are not working effectively Right, and that is not cool. You know it's not cool to be doing that because there's resources out there. So in short, michael, I'd say that was my biggest learning. That comes to me intuitively, right out the gut. When you mentioned that was, I wish I would have let go of the vine a little bit earlier, because I probably would have scaled a little bit quicker and, quite frankly, it probably would have protected some side of my personal life that I think also could have been more fine-tuned as a result of delegating earlier.
Speaker 2:
I know for a lot of business owners that I work with, they're the worst employees. It's like they're like, well, I can't trust anybody else to do it and I'm like you're the worst employee here. What are you talking about? Let go of the vine. Like you said, and I know a lot of business owners now you got to have the revenue. But I know for a lot of business owners they wait too long, you know, and they just keep getting their hand more and more in the cookie jar and doing more and more that they literally really can't train somebody to do everything they know to do now because they waited to so long. And that's where, you know, we try to help people. Let go of the vine. I love that. Let go of the vine. Any other pivots that you made that you can think of that were good for your business.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, definitely. The next thing that immediately comes to mind is and it goes back to people again, so I don't want to beat that horse dead but for me the next biggest pivot was getting out of my day-to-day operations. But for me the next biggest pivot was getting out of my day-to-day operations, and so in EOS they have phrases for this. But, in short, I really made the pivot from going and fully sinking into a visionary role in my business. I'm not thinking as much day-to-day, I'm thinking a year, three years, 10 years down the road. But you can't think that way if you don't have someone to hold the fort down. So another extremely pivotal thing that I did is I hired a full-time COO. In the US they call it the integrator, right, the day-to-day boots-on-the-ground operations person Again, huge.
Speaker 1:
I mean.
Speaker 1:
That was letting go of a massive vine for me because I had a pulse and, don't get me wrong, I still keep a pretty good pulse of what's going on, but not to the detail that I would have earlier Because, again, I was my own worst enemy.
Speaker 1:
If you're focusing on this all the time, it's very hard to step back and all of a sudden you're five years in your business Like wow, I'm not where I wanted to be, so that was definitely the biggest pivotal decision was bringing on a CEO who can run the day-to-day operations and help interface with our staff and I'm still involved in that, but not as much as I was, and now I can think, sit back and I can do speaking, I can do thought leadership and I can help really get our company to the place I want to be in my three-year picture, my 10 year target of where I want to be, which ultimately allows me to hire more people, contribute to the economy and also help more businesses. So, without a doubt, that was my biggest. That was about three years ago and it has dramatically transformed our business and our ability to grow the business.
Speaker 2:
You got to have somebody implementing your vision while you keep envisioning.
Speaker 2:
So, it doesn't work. And I always kind of mentioned to business owners like they'll say why would you say that's important and for obvious reasons. But I also say because if you don't have someone else doing it, it'll never get done. Cause, again, business owners are the worst employees. Like we're procrastinators we get, we, we dabble over here, we go put this fire out over there. In the meantime nothing's being enforced, nothing's being implemented or holding people accountability. You know all that good stuff, so that's so important. So how can someone get in touch with you? How do you prefer?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I appreciate that. So the best way is through our website. It's EfficientAidcom and that's A-I-D-E. So EfficientAidcom A few things there. One, there's a great submission form and what I recommend and it's for a complimentary discovery call. So if you're even thinking about it at all, there's no obligation, right? If you are working nights and you're working weekends and you're burning on both ends, it can't hurt.
Speaker 1:
Reach out. Let's get on a call and just talk through what it's going to look like and it's an educational conversation. It's not a sale, it's education. What's going on? Here's some ways. I think that there's some solutions to this. So that's also really that's the best way is through the website and also mentioned on our home page of our site. If some folks are sitting there thinking like, all right, I'm busy, but I just can't even envision what I could possibly delegate, we have a free download right on our homepage. That is my top 10 things any small business owner can delegate today to an assistant. So that's definitely the best route to go. And again, if you're listening and you're feeling that stress and you're working and you don't feel like you're putting as much time into that vision and the goal no obligations Reach out, I promise you'll leave with some sort of value from the conversation, whether we work together or not.
Speaker 2:
That's valuable. I love that 10 things you can delegate now, because I know that's one of the questions that business owners ask us. Even when we say we feel like your first employee, I agree with you. I feel like that their first employee should be that administrative assistant, just to take some of those tasks that they shouldn't be doing, so that they can work on growing or scaling their their business. So I encourage people to reach out. Are you on social media anywhere? Yep.
Speaker 1:
Yep, so we're on LinkedIn as well, so we have a heavy preference on LinkedIn. Um, I'm personally on LinkedIn, happy to connect and chat. We have a heavy preference on LinkedIn. I'm personally on LinkedIn, happy to connect and chat. We have a corporate page where we're posting value-added articles and tips and tricks. So that's just LinkedIn for EfficientAids our company profile Also a great way to see what we have going on and a great way to engage with us as well.
Speaker 2:
Other than the traction book, which is the EOS you're talking about, yeah, any other books out there you would suggest to a small business owner? That's in that place where you were before you went with coaching.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you hit a really sweet spot for me because I just recently read an amazing book. If you have not read it, 100% recommend. It's Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard. Unbelievable, inspirational book, very easy read and it is applicable for every single person who is listening to this. I mean you will finish it in a couple hours. It's not a huge lift and you will leave with a radical different approach to your business and how you serve customers and how you create raving fans, not only for your clients, but also for your staff. That was absolutely one that was very eye-opening for me and, quite frankly, in true visionary fashion, I read that book and almost overhauled our complete business of how we provide our service, because the goal is to create raving fans, people that really buy in and love your service and they're getting direct results from it. So I highly recommend that book to anybody who hasn't read it.
Speaker 2:
Well, I think he said a couple of key words when he said it only take you a couple hours. I guarantee everybody's on the online. Okay, I want that book, because most books take longer than that.
Speaker 1:
Yes, you're spot on.
Speaker 2:
So last question if you were in a room with a full of business owners, what is the one advice you would give them?
Speaker 1:
I think the one advice I would give is you don't have to sacrifice your personal life to be a business owner. Again, I think I briefly touched on it earlier. I think they used to be cool, you know. It used to be kind of trendy to say I'm a business owner, oh yeah, I'm working 80 hours a week. It does not have to be that way. There are resources out there. Technology is crazy. There's AI. There's so many tools. I think the biggest, biggest takeaway and advice is there are resources out there to help you. We're one of thousands of resources available to you and there's no need Buy your nights and buy your weekends back right and delegate, delegate. It's possible. This is not a dream, it is a reality. The folks that are doing this are growing their business and I'm also seeing a direct correlation to the personal side More time with family, with friends, pursuing your passions, filling your cup up so you can show up really, really well professionally, and I'd say that would be my biggest takeaway.
Speaker 2:
That's awesome, great advice, kyle. You've been awesome. Appreciate all your information and helping other small business owners.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, thanks a lot, michael. Really appreciate the opportunity to chat with you today.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to the Small Business Pivots Recap and Coach's Corner. As we wrap up our time together, I want you to take a moment to soak in the stories shared by Kyle and the incredible insights we discussed. Remember your journey as an entrepreneur is not just about reaching the destination of success, but about appreciating the scenery along the way. Be adaptable, understand you don't know. What you don't know, and that is okay. That's the beauty of entrepreneurship. The unknown okay. That's the beauty of entrepreneurship. The unknown, if you want the known of what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Well, you might be a better employee. You might need to go find a job. Sorry, just preaching truth. For those who love the unknown and the land of the free that entrepreneurship offers, I want to share with you my daily mantra I start every day with. I personally wrote this. Every day is an exciting adventure, with problems to be solved and memories to be made. Feel free to start your day with that, as I do. It really makes a difference.
Speaker 2:
As we transition into our Coach's Corner segment, let's dive into one actionable takeaway that you can implement right away to move the needle in your business. Today, I want to challenge you to assess your support network. Take a moment to evaluate the individuals you surround yourself with. Are they mentors and peers who inspire and uplift you? Are they guiding lights on your path to success? Research shows that the company business owners own is a product of those who influence their mindset, their decisions and, ultimately, their outcomes. So if you find yourself lacking in a supportive community, now is the time to seek out new connections in a supportive community. Now is the time to seek out new connections, whether it's joining industry-specific groups, seeking mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, finding a consultant or coach like yours truly, fostering relationships with like-minded peers. Prioritize building a network that empowers you to thrive. Your one action item today is research and invest in a business coach or consultant within seven days from today.
Speaker 2:
Nothing happens without a date. At Boss, we have the resources you need. Go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom and set up a free consultation by clicking the tab in the upper right-hand corner. Remember, success is not a solo journey. It's a collaborative effort fueled by the collective wisdom and support of those around us. Thank you for listening to Small Business Pivots. Please don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast. If your business is stuck or you need help creating your business to run without you. Go to our website businessownershipsimplifiedcom and schedule a free consultation to learn why business success starts with Boss. If you have a guest or topic suggestion for our podcast or just want to talk, anything small business related email me at michael at michaeldmorrisoncom. We'll see you next time on Small Business Pivots.