Systems Simplified

Anne Huntington Sharma is the President and a Board Member of Huntington Learning Center, the leading learning and tutoring center in the country for test preparations. The center was founded in 1977 by Dr. Ray And Eileen Huntington, Anne's parents. The center currently has over 300 locations and more than 500 part-time and full-time employees. In this episode: How do you run a mission-driven company? How do you adapt to unforeseen changes in the environment you operate in and expand in the process? Anne Huntington Sharma knows that the secret to growing and scaling a business is investing in good systems and processes. She advises new business owners to be organized, set up systems and processes, prepare well-laid-out goals, and use key performance indicators to evaluate performance. Anne Huntington Sharma, the President and a Board Member of Huntington Learning Center, joins Adi Klevit in this episode of the Systems Simplified Podcast to talk about systems for growing and scaling a franchise business. Anne explains how Huntington Learning Center was started, how it started franchising, and how it uses systems and processes to scale. Stay tuned.

Bonnie Low-Kramen is the Founder and CEO of Ultimate Assistant Training & Consulting, where she provides assistants and their leaders the tools they need to build the ultimate partnership and workplace. Bonnie was the Personal Assistant for Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis for 25 years and learned the skills needed to be an incredible assistant. She is also an international speaker and the Author of the best-selling book, Be the Ultimate Assistant. In 2015, she was named Educator of the Year by DEMA, the Domestic Estate Managers Association. In this episode: One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is thinking that they can save a lot of money by taking care of all of their administrative tasks — without the need for an executive or personal assistant. This is not an effective use of time regardless of how skilled they are and can limit their success in the long term. So what should leaders do to get started with personal assistants? What do they need to know when hiring an assistant? And what are the top qualities to look for in a good assistant? Bonnie Low-Kramen, the Founder and CEO of Ultimate Assistant Training & Consulting, joins Adi Klevit in this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast to talk about systems for nurturing successful relationships with executive assistants. They also discuss the benefits of having an executive assistant, tips and tricks for hiring an executive assistant, and the qualities of a good executive assistant. Stay tuned.

Ian Vacin is the Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Karbon, a collaborative practice management platform for accounting firms. Ian has over 25 years of experience in technology and more than 15 years of leadership experience in the accounting profession. Before starting Karbon, he was the Vice President of Marketing and Product at Xero and the Offering Leader and Group Manager of Intuit's QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program. In this episode: When is the right time to use practice management software? Can software promote efficiency and the provision of services to clients? Ian Vacin wanted practice management software that could ensure both consistency and flexibility for knowledge workers in the accounting profession. He also wanted to boost employee communication and collaboration to improve productivity, prevent deviations from set standards, and drive company growth. So, he co-founded Karbon, a practice management software platform to help his company achieve those goals. Ian Vacin, the Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Karbon, is Adi Klevit's guest in this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast. Ian talks about the need for practice management software for professional service companies. He also discusses the key performance indicators (KPIs) for accounting firms, when to use special practice management software, and the importance of utilizing practice management software.

Tania Sterl is the Founder and CEO of Sterl on Style, a personal styling and image consultancy agency. She is a certified image consultant, fashion expert, and professional speaker. Tania incorporates more than 20 years of fashion expertise into elevating women's images and styles to take them to the next level of success. Her clients include prominent female industry leaders from corporate finance and law to rising entrepreneurial stars in fitness and media. In this episode: Are you using your style and image to communicate who you are and get people interested in connecting with you? What does your image say about you? Your image is a key marketing tool. Make your mark — what makes you different makes you memorable. So, use your image to show up in a way that will attract people's curiosity and make them want to engage with you and what you have to offer. From a young age, Tania Sterl created her own kind of fashion and has been in the industry ever since. Now, as a personal stylist professional, Tania shows women how to dress to express who they are inside and out and showcase themselves through their individual styles to be viewed as the leaders and experts they are. It's important to decide what you want to be known for and what makes you different so you can project the appropriate message through your style. When you dress with intention, you can create a powerful impact, and more opportunities will present themselves. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit interviews Tania Sterl, the Founder and CEO of Sterl on Style, about the power of dressing with intention. Tania explains how using systems influences her creativity, talks about helping clients create their personal brand through their style, and discusses how to choose your outfit and accessories for the week.

Lauren Francis is the Founder, President, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, and Career Advisor for Mulberry Talent Partners, a recruiting and staffing company based in Portland, Oregon. Whether in a temporary staffing or long-term direct-hire placement situation, they partner with both the candidates and clients to identify the key attributes that lead to a successful match. At the onset of her entrepreneurial exploration, Lauren founded Town and Country Resources, a staffing agency in the San Francisco Bay Area that focused on the services industry. She grew the company from a single-person operation to a company with more than 50 employees, four offices, and over $4 million in annual revenue before selling it and moving to the next phase of her journey. In this episode: Entering the world of entrepreneurship can be exciting if you dream about being your own boss and carving your own path. It's also not an easy journey and often doesn't have a straight and narrow path. Would you like to learn from someone who has been there and done that? Lauren Francis started with herself and a vacuum cleaner and grew a simple side hustle into a booming business. Ultimately, the company grew to 55 employees with four offices, but she stopped enjoying what she was doing and sold it. Throughout that process, she learned that to build a thriving business, you need to connect with people and nurture great relationships. Lauren's desire to connect, help, and make a difference in the lives of her employees and customers has driven and shaped her entrepreneurial journey. The sale of her business pivoted her direction and eventually led her to start a professional services placement business that she loves and aligns with her values and principles. Lauren learned a lot about herself from her experiences and has many lessons to share. Most importantly, she says it's never too late to get started. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit joins Lauren Francis, the Founder, President, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, and Career Advisor for Mulberry Talent Partners, to talk about her entrepreneurial journey and how where she started didn't predict where she ended up. Lauren explains what she learned about herself and growing a business, the challenges of running a thriving business, and the importance of aligning your brand with your purpose.

Chad Gill is the Founder and Owner of Concreate, a family-owned business specializing in all things concrete, including polishing, staining, surface prep, and joint repair. The company works hand in hand with designers, architects, project managers, general contractors, tradespeople, and homeowners from start to finish. Chad is also the Founder of Workforce Recon and the creator of the Field Recon app. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Virginia Military Institute. Chad hosts the This is Concrete and the Get the Intel podcasts. Adi Klevit is the Co-founder and CEO of the Business Success Consulting Group, an organization that provides businesses with the infrastructure, processes, and systems they need to thrive. Adi and her team help companies scale up, transfer knowledge, and prepare for succession. She has over 25 years of experience as a trained industrial engineer, management consultant, and business executive. Adi has worked with various corporations in different industries and helped them take their business to the next level or gear up for a transition. In this episode: Do you fret over your key employees leaving your company? Do you ever find yourself being held hostage by employees who decide to leave? Is it hard to onboard and train new hires? When some of Chad Gill's key employees decided to leave his company, he became anxious and felt like he didn't have control. Before that, he never paid much attention to the work employees did as long as everything went smoothly. He decided to start documenting his company's processes and procedures to prevent future uncertainties and promote knowledge transfer among his current employees to ensure continuous process improvement and happier employees. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit joins Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Co-founder of Rise25 Media and Chad Gill, the Founder and Owner of Concreate, to talk about process documentation for increasing company efficiency. They also discuss tips for growing and scaling a business, the lessons Chad learned from documenting his company's processes, and Adi's approach to documenting processes and procedures.

Ryan Tansom is the Co-founder and Partner of Arkona, a company that teaches business owners how to grow the value of their business through educational workshops, fractional CFO services, and strategic planning. Ryan started his career working in his family's business, where he helped turn it around and sold it for eight figures. He hosts the popular podcast, Intentional Growth, which boasts over 300 episodes and more than 300,000 downloads. Additionally, he is a frequent keynote speaker and a soon-to-be author. In this episode: Most entrepreneurs fail to realize the potential value of their business because they chase growth rather than building the true drivers of value. They don't have a clear focus on what strategies to use to increase their company's valuation. If you are passionate about your business and want to create a valuable company that gives you the freedom and ability to accomplish all your goals, then you must shift your mindset and hone in on long-term value creation. According to Ryan Tansom, who turned around his struggling family business and eventually sold it for eight figures, it's all about intentional growth. He developed a framework that helps you get clear on your overall goals so you can put them to the top of your list and use them as a decision-making lens. You also have to determine your financial targets, figure out your exit options, and have a great team of advisors that helps you through the process. Do you want to learn how to build a valuable asset to secure your financial future and achieve your goals? In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit interviews Ryan Tansom, the Co-founder and Partner of Arkona, about how to increase the value of your business. Ryan explains the five intentional growth principles, the methods of valuing a company, and how the eight functional areas that create value work.

Adi Klevit is the Founder and CEO of Business Success Consulting Group, an organization that provides businesses with the infrastructure, processes, and systems they need to thrive. Adi and her team help companies scale up, transfer knowledge, and prepare for succession. She has over 25 years of experience as a trained industrial engineer, management consultant, and business executive. In this episode: There are many benefits of having well-documented processes and procedures. They include ensuring standardization and consistency of operations, improving the onboarding process for new employees, promoting knowledge transfer, increasing profitability, and boosting overall company efficiency. So, what does it take to create the perfect manual for documenting processes? Does it focus on your company's goals and objectives, your customers, or your employees? How can you design and create the ideal manual that helps you scale your business and increase revenue? In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit is interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Co-founder of Rise25 Media, about her process for creating the perfect documentation manual. Adi also talks about her clients' primary reasons for documenting processes, clients' main questions and concerns, and the key results and benefits they get from process and procedure documentation.

Robert Hartline is a serial entrepreneur and EOS Implementer. He is the Founder of multiple businesses, including CallProof, Shift Your Time, and Hytch Rewards. After growing his first business from $11 million to over $100 million in less than three years, Robert was inspired to help other entrepreneurs gain traction with their businesses. He currently lives in Nashville with his wife and two kids. In this episode: What is the key to a successful selling process? Does the secret lie in your salespeople, your customers, or your communication style? A company's selling process is a crucial element for building a successful business. For Robert Hartline, the process that helped him build multiple thriving businesses is based on his core values. He focuses on showing care to his customers, building trust, and growing repeat sales through referrals. In this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast, Adi Klevit interviews Robert Hartline, the Founder of CallProof, Shift Your Time, and Hytch Rewards, about developing a successful sales process based on your core values. Robert also shares how he learned about EOS, his best practices for getting referrals, and his communication strategies for increasing sales. Stay tuned.

Glenn Diehl is the Owner, President, and CEO of Genesis Exhibits, a live events company. He purchased the company – formerly known as Skyline Genesis Event Marketing – in 1998, diversifying its services and rebranding it five years ago. Glenn has been in the trade show and live events business for over 35 years. In this episode: How do you measure the ROI of your business? Do you base it on revenue, employee efficiency, or profits? For Glenn Diehl, an important benchmark for his company is revenue per head. But to ensure that he gets maximum benefits or ROI from his employees, he supports them by having the right systems and processes in place – ultimately increasing their performance and efficiency. His philosophy centers around process improvement. Glenn Diehl, the Owner, President, and CEO of Genesis Exhibits, is Adi Klevit's guest in this episode of the Systems Simplified podcast where he shares his strategies for measuring a company's ROI. He talks about the evolution of the live events industry, differentiates between the structural and procedural parts of a business, and shares strategies for continually scaling a business. Stay tuned.