Above The Business

Retired four-star general Stanley A. McChrystal has lived a life associated with the deadly risks of combat. He was once called “one of America’s greatest warriors” by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.From his first day at West Point, to his years in Afghanistan, to his efforts helping business leaders navigate a global pandemic, McChrystal has seen how individuals and organizations fail to mitigate risk. Why? Because they focus on the probability of something happening instead of the interface by which it can be managed.He is a transformational leader with a remarkable record of achievement. General McChrystal is widely praised for launching a revolution in warfare by leading a comprehensive counter-terrorism organization that fused intelligence and operations, redefining the way military and government agencies interact.In this episode, General McChrystal shares lessons learned over the course of his extensive career and shares leadership nuggets of wisdom.  He is the author of the bestselling leadership books, My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, Leaders, and his latest book Risk: A User’s Guide which we dive into today.In Risk: A User’s Guide, General McChrystal offers a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk. Instead of defining risk as a force to predict, McChrystal and coauthor Anna Butrico show that there are in fact ten dimensions of control we can adjust at any given time. By closely monitoring these controls, we can maintain a healthy Risk Immune System that allows us to effectively anticipate, identify, analyze, and act upon the ever-present possibility that things will not go as planned.Be sure to listen to this powerful episode, and grab your copy of his latest book off of Amazon!Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Risk-Users-Guide-Stanley-McChrystal/dp/0593192206

Bradley talks with Vlad Cherchenko about his insurance career, his powerful sales referral process, and his consulting agency.Vlad shared how his sales referral process helped him write 152 policies in his 9th month as an insurance producer, and how he continued to write 150+ policies after that.  You can get his free sales script on his website, linked below.  While that script is focused on insurance agencies, anyone who runs a business that needs referrals will benefit from it!He launched his consulting business in 2016 after a ton of agents reached out asking him to work with their staff.  He now trains insurance agents and their staff across the nation on his unique sales & referral process.To learn more about Vlad’s sales process, his masterclass, and more, you can text COMP to 503-864-6974 or visit www.insurancesaleslab.com.

Bradley and Jake discuss the role of grit in entrepreneurship, and how to play to win.  Jake shares how your heart and head work together to propel you towards results - positive or negative.They also talk about standards of excellence in business, why you need accountability, and the principle of win or leave - there is no lose.Finally, learn Jake's concept of "persuade and get paid," and why it matters for youJake Thompson is a keynote speaker and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, a brand he started in 2011 by first selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car.Jake works with organizations and individuals around the country, teaching how they can develop accountability, mental resilience, and leadership skills in order to achieve more in their careers and in their life.It’s through his entrepreneurial sales experience and research that he’s discovered how people who harness a competitive mindset against their own previous best can reach their goals, commit to action over motivation, and create the influence as the leader they were created to be.

Wondering how to recruit “first round draft picks” for your team?  What about using the "Stairs and Buckets" principle in your business?Today on the podcast, Randy Thompson shares how to find, train, and compensate the best people for your team.  He also shares the three intrinsic qualities he looks for in prospective team members.  These include honesty, a kind heart, and a strong work ethic.Randy and Bradley also discuss how to sell to your clients, ways to meet their needs while increasing business income, and more.  If you’re an insurance agent, he shares quite a few nuggets of wisdom specific for your business!Randy has traveled the country speaking to agents and team members on how to develop and train a high performing team.  His experience as a teacher and high school wrestling coach prior to his career as an Agent has been priceless at helping  develop consistent systems that produce results and strong team members that govern themselves.

Many business owners are frustrated because they feel invisible in a crowded marketplace. They know they are better than their competitors, but when they focus on that fact, they get little in return. That's because, to customers, better is not actually better. Different is better. And those who market differently, win.Mike and Bradley discuss the following key issues business owners face, including:Why marketplace plans seems to fail.Why copying your competition will almost always cause you to go unnoticed.The DAD framework, and why you need it.How your prospective clients consume marketing in milliseconds.Mike also shares from his new marketing book, offering In his new marketing book. "GET DIFFERENT" offers a proven, no-nonsense method to position your business, service, or brand to get noticed, attract the best prospects, and convert those opportunities into sales. You can check his book, Get Different, on Amazon or his website: https://mikemichalowicz.com/

Bill Gallagher and Bradley discuss the 4 Step Leadership Flywell, Rockefeller Habits 2.0, and his highly successful coaching methods.  His framework has allowed businesses in all stages, from startup to $5M business, scale up.The Leadership Flywell includes…1: Inspiration - getting people motivated to change. 2: Engage - connecting with people on a deeper level. 3: The Process of Planning - going through the right cadence of quarterly meetings. 4: CoachingLearn more about Bill by visiting his website https://scalingcoach.com/

Josh Fuller talks about growing your business through best practices borrowed from multiple sources.  He has had the opportunity to work in multiple spheres as an entrepreneur throughout his career, and has gained a lot of great experiences and insights along the way.  He specifically has been able to successfully jump on opportunities as they arose throughout his work to find new success.In 2009 Josh Fuller started a specialty design/print company serving high school and college athletic departments, but after landing an account with a Fortune 100 insurance company within the first 6 months of business, his company took an unexpected turn. Josh and his team at Relevant Marketing Solutions (www.relevantadvantage.com) now provide a full suite of marketing services for mid to large size companies including: print service, branded merchandise, graphic design, and video production.  Josh is passionate about helping his clients better understand how to not only get noticed, but how to cultivate Brand Champions.This mini masterclass of entrepreneurial efforts will show you how to position your brand.  If you’re ready to leverage best practices in marketing for your business, listen now!

Greg and Bradly discuss Greg's work history as an insurance agent, financial advisor, and now owning a coaching and consulting business. Key to Greg's success are his strategies for managing his thoughts. He call these Mind Tracks, and they include...What you say to yourself on a daily basisChanging what you tell yourselfBelieving what you're sayingTo learn more about Greg Gaines' business, visit www.teamsalescoach.com

Ready to have a hiring process that works?Walter McCone from CareerPlug (https://www.careerplug.com) sits down with Bradley to discuss recruitment.  You’ll hear more about…Best practices in recruiting, including how to write a job description that converts, what terms to avoid, and reaching the right audience with your job listing.Hiring trends in insurance agencies.  They discuss the type of talent that is being recruited and why you should consider hiring people with experience outside the insurance field.Learn why a responsive employer is better able to recruit top talent.  Hear how texting platforms have grown in popularity and effectiveness.  Consider using a career listing platform that acts as a hub for openings in your company.Finally, learn more about how tools like CareerPlug can help you find the best members for your team!Learn more about CareerPlug's Insurance Hiring Software: https://www.careerplug.com/clients/insurance-hiring-software/

Bradley sits down with State Farm Agent David Peterson and discusses what led to his success that has continued into being on track for 600 life insurance policies in 2021.Hear David break down intentionally developing your team including...His system of implementation for developmentWhy he prefers specialization for each area of insurance salesBelieves in “running of the plays” from his playbook for insurance salesSpending 15-30 minutes daily to review applicants or court team members to find the best recruits possibleReady to get started in building a high-performing team?