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The Sustainability Stage | Stage 5: A Star Is Born Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results.  Stage five, the sustainability stage. In stage five, you are sustainable because your systems are running the business; your business can now outlast the owner. A Star Is Born: your systems become the rockstars; the business has actually cut the umbilical cord from the owner; your business has now developed its own personality, and it is more than likely different than yours. The business will reflect your vision, but it might go about it in a slightly different style than you. Now that your systems are up and running and working well, you can focus on the business.  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

The Systems Stage | Stage 4: Every Frustration Is a Missing System Hi Everyone, Carl Gould here author of The Seven Stage Growth Method and your #70secondCEO,  just a little bit more than a one minute investment per day for a lifetime of results. Today's topic - Stage 4. Rank yourself on how well you have created your systems. This is the Systems Stage, where you decide on the ecosystem or the type of business you're going to be. Up to this point, you've been an entrepreneurial, run business; now we're making the switch to a professionally managed business, where you systematize every single aspect of your business. Little hint, start with the most frustrating part of your business and work your way back from there because any frustration in your business means that you lack a consistent and viable system in that particular area of your business. Give yourself a rank, 1-we haven't figured out what we want to be when we grow up, 10- we've nailed it! Put your score in the comments section below.  Like and follow this podcast. This is Carl Gould and this is your #70secondCEO.

Rank Your Business | Stage 3: Is Your Team All In?  Hi Everyone, Carl Gould here author of The 7 Stage Growth Method and your #70secondCEO, a little more than a one minute investment every day for a lifetime of results. Today's topic -Stage 3.  Give yourself a rank on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 low, 10 high. Stage 3 is the Synergy Stage. This is where you're building your implementation team. If you have a great plan you're an authority in your niche now you're busy and in demand and you need people to help you. They have to be fully aligned and bought into: Your mission Your vision Your values  Your purpose for your business Give yourself a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10, how aligned and enthusiastic is your team about your mission? All right, because that'll tell you how dedicated they are to the long-term goals of your company. Put a comment below, what's your score? I wanna know, all right? Like and follow this podcast, my name is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Rate Your Authority in Your Niche | Stage 2: Specialty Hi Everyone, this is Carl Gould, author of The 7 Stage Growth Method and your #70secondCEO, just a little over a one-minute investment each day for a lifetime of results. Today's topic is stage 2: the specialty stage.  Alright, here we're judging how much of an expert in your niche you are. How much of an authority? Give yourself a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10. One: nobody knows who I am. Ten, I'm an ABSOLUTE authority in my niche. Here's how you know. Somebody unsolicited comes up to you at an industry conference, or somebody in the industry contacts you and says, "hey, can I can I bug you a little bit can I ask you a few questions? Buy you a cup of coffee and pick your brain because you've figured out some things that I just haven't been able to figure out, and you seem to really have that worked out." So, how often does that happen to you, and how much of an expert are you in your niche? One, you're a Houdini; nobody knows who you are; you're a disappearing act; 10, you're a celebrity in your niche. Put a comment at the bottom let me know what your score is.  Like, follow this podcast. This is Carl Gould, and this is your #70secondCEO.

Hello Everyone, this is Carl Gould, author of The 7 Stage Growth Method, and your #70secondCEO just a little over a one-minute investment per day for a lifetime of results. Today we are going to start ranking your business according to the 7 stage method.   Stage 1- give yourself a ranking: 1 low, BORING! 10 high, inspiring, and compelling. To what degree are your strategic planning documents, all those great ideas you got out of your head and onto paper not only are they documented they are inspiring and compelling. What you do, how you do it, why you're doing it, all that together has to be a 10, a 10 in each one so give yourself a ranking.  Like and follow this podcast and send me a comment, what is your score? Okay so, this is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO, just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results.  At the beginning, you'll have either two options or three. If you get into a conversation where they want to customize, you can offer all your variations. You do want to keep it as simple as possible. In my business, I've always had two options. In another retail business I have now, we have three options.  You can go; there is a little bit of art to this, depending on who your avatars are and how that works. But you do want to keep it somewhat simple. You don't want to make it so confusing that they cash out.  You want them to kind of pick the kind of buyer they are, you know, good, better, best, and then let them customize as they make their way down the list. And in the good column, you don't allow much customization, right? In the better and the best, you allow for customization.  And if somebody even chooses, like, I think I'm better or best, then that's a strategy call with one of your salesmen or your team members or your engineers, and then you can help them build the engagement or the product that they want. It's a great point. You do want to keep it as simple as possible.  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results.  If you were to raise your prices by 1%, just 1%, so if you charge $100 an hour, you charge 101. If you charge 3% as a, you know, commission or a percentage rate, you now charge 3.03% right if you just charge 1% more what percentage of your clientele would leave you like all right at a hundred you were fine but 101 forget it I'm out of here how many of you what would your percentage of attrition be if you raise your prices 1% 0, 3% if you raise your prices 3% what was your level of attrition 5% 5% technologists probably not but some companies like 5 a little sketchy 5% 0. You might get a little bit of 10% okay, so a 10% so somewhere between 5 and 10 you're starting to see attrition. Pick the number where you believe you could raise your prices with zero or almost no attrition, and understanding you probably can't go back to some of your contracted clients or things you already have agreements on, but with whomever you can, raise your pricing tomorrow.  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi Everybody, Carl Gould here, author of The 7 Stage Growth Method and your #70secondCEO, where you invest a little more than one minute a day for a lifetime of results. Today's topic is: Stage 7, The Succession Stage We're ranking your business right now. Where are you in this growth trajectory? 1 is, huh? 10 is, we got it! Alright, The Succession Stage: to what degree do you have: Management team in place? Tight controls?  Solid operations?  You're running like a finely tuned machine? You have a lead generation machine? A sales team that's closing it?   Are clients happy?  And you're on the leading edge of product development?   This is rarefied air, folks. We gotta make sure that you're fully there; if not, put a comment at the bottom: what do you need to do to maximize your 7th Stage here? Rank yourself on a scale of 1-10, tell me your score, and where is your area of improvement? Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi Everyone, Carl Gould here. I am your #70secondCEO and the author of The 7 Stage Growth Method.  Just a little bit more than a one-minute investment each day for a lifetime of results.  Are we ranking your business on the 7 Stage Growth model, OK? Stage 6, give yourself a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10. This is the Stage of Scalability. Remember Stage 3, when you're building your implementation team? Now you're building your management team, OK? You need to have in place a consistent resource for a lead generator: Your chief marketing or lead generation officer Your VP of sales  Your director of operations who handles all things fulfillment   At a minimum, that's got to be your management team. To what degree do you have those three in place, and are they running day-to-day operations so you don't have to be there and can start maximizing the salability of your business? Also, you need to be cash flow positive each month and have enough buying power to take advantage of an opportunity if it presents itself. Give yourself a rank. Huh? That's a 1, 10, NAILED IT!  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi Everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO, I'm also the author of The 7 Stage Growth Method. Today's topic- Stage 5- The Sustainability Stage  This is the stage when you can first start considering scaling your business. You've laid the foundation in stages one through four. Let's see how you're doing in Stage 5; give yourself a rank on a scale of 1-10, 1 low, 10 high. Stage 5 is when the systems have taken over to the point they've created such a consistent experience for your customer base that you are now known for something other than your product and service. Starbucks- the experience; McDonald's- convenience and real estate. They are known for things other than their core product and service. Are you? Give yourself a score on a scale of 1 to 10. One: we're not known for that at all; 10: we are, and the ancillary benefits people really know and know really well. Put your score in the comments section.  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO—just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results. You'll know you've entered Stage 4 when every role in your business begins to take on a life of its own. Things start happening without your direct involvement. The pace of the business slows down—but in a good way. You might walk into the office and find it calm, almost quiet. That's not a bad sign—it's a sign of growing efficiency. This is a big shift from the hustle of Stages 1 and 2. It's not that your business is moving slower; it's that it's moving smoother. Early in Stage 4, the focus turns inward. You're building systems, processes, and internal structure. Think of it like teaching a child to ride a bike—you're still right there with your hand on the seat, just in case. During this time, your energy is focused on your internal client—your employees. Because of that, your sales might dip slightly—but that's normal and expected. You're laying the foundation for sustainable growth. Like and follow this podcast to learn more. I'm Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi Everyone, Carl Gould here, author of The 7 Stage Growth Method and your #70secondCEO, a little more than a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results. Today's topic: Stage 3.  Give yourself a rank on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 low, 10 high. Stage 3 is the Synergy Stage. This is where you're building your implementation team. If you have a great plan, you're an authority in your niche. Now you're busy and in demand, and you need people to help you. They have to be fully aligned and bought into: Your mission Your vision Your values  Your purpose for your business Give yourself a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10: how aligned and enthusiastic is your team about your mission? All right, because that'll tell you how dedicated they are to the long-term goals of your company. Put a comment below: what's your score? I wanna know, all right? Like and follow this podcast. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one minute investment every day for a lifetime of results.  The challenge that you have here is that, most of the time, the business runs the owner in stage two; this is an area of concern. Part of your focus needs to be implementing your MVP plan, working with your strategic partner, your advisor, building those credentials, and maximizing this stage by making sure you're among the highest compensated in your field, because in stage two, there is a limit to what you can earn. There is a limit, because there are only so many hours in a day, and there are only so many people you can reach. So if you are a tradesman, if you're a doctor, if you're a financial planner, if you're an accountant, if you're an attorney, there are only so many hours in the day, and there are only so many clients you can serve. So part of the equation is making sure that you are among the top-paid in your field, and to do that, you need to build your credentials to become the highest certified or the most acclaimed in your field.  Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.

Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results. Stage one: strategic planning. If you look down at the graph, you'll see in front of you what the personality of this particular stage is. Well, your major focus is going to be drive; your other major focus is going to be income and interaction because, remember, we have to persuade the marketplace that we have a good idea, and we have to sell it first before we create it. Now that's high risk, because you have to live up to what you said after the fact you have to deliver on what you've promised. So this is all about making the promise and delivering it. You will need a quality product because, as you get to the later stage you want to develop, you're about to sell your product, so that needs to come into play. Your blind spot here, and it'll be a virtually non-existent one, is systems. You will create a little bit of structure; your systems will be virtually non-existent. You're going to do whatever it takes to get yourself to that first customer. Your focus for this particular stage is to design your future. It's both your focus and your outcome, really. Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould, and this has been your #70secondCEO.

What are the 7 Stages?. Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of results. So what are these 7 stages? We've been talking about them a lot already. Let me give you an overview of each of the 7 stages before we get more into it. Stage one is the strategic planning stage. This is where your dream is born; you're going to focus on the direction, the planning of your company; you're going to sell your business first, then you're going to create it. Well, what the heck does that mean? Have you ever heard of a franchise? Ray Kroc, way back when, had the idea of selling businesses to people when they didn't exist, and then creating them later on. He actually had to convince the government that it was not fraudulent. Have you ever bought a home or an apartment just by looking at the building plans when there was nothing but a hole in the ground, and a building was going to be built later on? That builder or that developer sold the business first, created second. A very common practice in this day and age when they build new sports arenas is they sell what's called Personal seat licenses before the venue is ever built. They sell you the right to buy that seat once it's made. In other words, they sold the whole stadium. They sold out the stadium before the stadium was ever built. Have you ever bought a ticket to a performance that has not debuted yet? Have you ever pre-purchased a book or a record album or musical album or DVD or CD? Anyone who pre-sells anything is selling the business first and creating second. Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.