How Founders Can Scale Their Businesses, While Reducing the Overwhelm of Getting It All Done

Struggling with continuously putting out fires with no one capable to delegate to? I’ve been there, and I can help.

“Jeri is my executive coach and has been instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges of this latest growth stage for Luxholdups. Jeri has a unique ability to see a situation from 10,000 ft; whether it’s building a team, delegating more effectively or managing different personalities. Her advice and approach is thoughtful, goal oriented and enthusiastic.“

Ashley Platt

CEO, Luxholdups

Is this you? (As the founder of 5 businesses, I’ve dealt with all of this!)

You’re the founder/CEO/President of a small business. You’re innovative and you want to make an impact. You’ve built a small team and sales are growing. You’re proud of what you’ve started. You want your company to grow big. You’ve proven the market is there, you have what the market wants, and you think you’re on your way. You might even have an investor.

However:

  • You’re overwhelmed with how much you have to do.
  • You get caught up in the day-to-day scramble and never seem to be able to squeeze out time for proactive project planning.
  • You’re hesitant to delegate to others because you don’t have that many people you trust that you can delegate to.
  • You’re hiring, but you’re not sure you’re hiring the right people to create the culture you want to create.
  • Even the people you do hire don’t get the job done. If you can figure out how to get specific things done, why can’t they?
  • And you don’t really have a personal life. The business is a time-suck. Family and friends complain they don’t see you enough.
  • And forget sleep

What You Really Want?

  • Things to run smoothly.
  • Spend less time putting out fires.
  • Less stress in my day-to-day.
  • People who think for themselves, show some initiative and resourcefulness.
  • Employees who do their jobs thoroughly and completely.
  • Time to plan the growth initiatives that I can visualize.
  • Some time off without things falling apart.
  • The right people on our team with everyone contributing to our culture.
  • Better sleep, better eating habits, more exercise and more self-care.
  • To see my family regularly and to go out with my friends.

What if instead of:

 

You had this:

 

The Next Level of Growth

What you want is the next level of growth for your company. Your company has grown to where the team is central to the company’s success and not the founder. You’ve reached a point where you are the bottleneck. The company’s growth will be stunted until you make the transition in your leadership style. Your transition allows the company to transition.

Will You Be Replaced by Your Investor?

Will you be the founder who continues to grow yourself and grow your company, or will you be replaced or move on? Many founders don’t make the transition. It’s called Founder’s Syndrome. Some companies stay stuck at this level or dissolve. If you have investors, they just may replace you to protect their investment. (Or, you may be the person who likes to start things and then likes to pass it off and start something new. Be clear about your highest value.)

How can I get to the next level of leadership?

  • Get past your thinking that you have to do it all yourself for it to be done right
  • Get past your thinking that you should hire people like you, young, smart, techie, either a friend or a friend of a friend. Your team could probably learn from someone older and more experienced at management/operations/sales/etc.
  • Get past your thinking that you can’t organize your time to get everything done, that it’s ok to live in constant overwhelm. Really, it’s taking a toll on your health.
  • Get past your thinking that you live for your business. How about thinking that your business serves your life?
  • Get past your thinking that what got you to this point will take you to the next stage. It won’t.

What do you suggest I do?

The Founders Leadership Growth Academy is based on what I learned growing my five companies and then teaching/coaching entrepreneurship over the past dozen years. It includes learning and goal driven application so that you make this leadership transition and your company thrives. It not only helps you change your mindset, it has you actively achieving something in your business every month. It gets you past the bottleneck stage and unleashes the potential in your organization.

 

What will you get from the Founder’s Leadership Growth Academy?

  • Self confidence that comes from the confirmation that you’re doing things the best way possible
  • Upgraded leading that empowers teams and middle managers unleashing productivity and innovation
  • Less overwhelm and more delegation. You feel less pressure because you’ve hired the right people, trained them well and now you can let them perform
  • Your life back, time to be with friends, family, take a vacation
  • Increased likelihood that an investor or buyer would want to invest in or buy your business. They ’bet on the jockey, not the horse.’ Your advanced leadership skills and the exponential company growth will attract them.
  • Your increased leadership and management skills make you that much more likely to succeed at starting your next business. What you learn and internalize you use for a lifetime.
  • Better time management
  • More ability to set an example and model the behaviors and values that you choose for your culture.
  • Someone to hold you accountable to achieve your goals and keep moving forward
  • Friendship with another business owner/founder. It gets lonely at the top and it’s good to have someone to share with, someone who is going through the same things that you are, in a non-competing industry
  • Blind spot exposure. At this point you don’t know what you don’t know.

“Since working with Jeri and her program, I have developed a stronger operational plan and have set and begun to reach ambitious but achievable goals for my business. Jeri has the vision to ascertain key points of focus that can make a business grow. She has assisted me tremendously as I set monthly and yearly goals, articulate a vision, hire staff, track my business building efforts, and generally keep things growing. She gives us practical actionable tools and charts that enable me and my team to implement and execute improvements in all areas of my business. Based on these I’ve realigned our firm’s accounting responsibilities, creating less stress, better planning and greater accuracy. My practice has grown, I’ve paid off debt and my associate is working more productively with greater autonomy.”

George Bischof

Bischof & Bischof, PLLC

Who Leads the Founders Leadership Growth Program?

Jeri Quinn is an executive coach, management training facilitator, neuro-science based communication specialist, business strategist, speaker, and author.

She has started 5 companies and knows a lot from personal experience about what gets in the way of leaders and teams making progress.

She and her team work with fast growing companies to create a foundation for exponential growth. They also offer professional training and development to more established organizations.

As an author of two books, she focuses on brain optimization, leadership, culture, the customer experience and the dynamics of business partnerships.

With 40 years’ experience in 40 industries, she’s seen a thing or two.

While business is fun and addicting at times, it can always be better when balanced with a little prosecco, moderate amounts of dark chocolate and lots of dancing.

What is the Founders Leadership Growth Academy?

 

 

 

The FLGA is a 12-month program with some prework the month before it starts. It covers 12 topics (described below) that you master in order to transition from a founder to an organizational leader. You will specify goals you want to achieve in your organization and you will be held accountable for achieving them. You will have an executive coach and an accountability partner. You will be matched to an accountability partner at the beginning of the year based on similar style and stage of business. You and your partner will be coached together by Jeri Quinn, executive coach twice a month via video conference. You and your partner will talk at least weekly to keep each other on track. At any one time, Jeri accepts only 12 CEOs into the program, 6 pairs of CEO partners. This makes it very personalized and focused on you and your growth.

 

 

What’s Included in the Prework?

 

You’ll have 1, 2 or 3 private coaching calls where we will discuss:

  • A personal assessment of your behavioral styles, motivations and decision-making propensities. Self-knowledge is key to being an effective leader.
  • An understanding of how your brain works. Neuroscience is something that will be addressed throughout the year and impacts every topic we’ll discuss. This will give you the basics of the 5 parts of the brain, neurotransmitters, conversational intelligence, dashboard, tools, etc.
  • The goal planning achieving methodology we’ll be using throughout the year (and perhaps the rest of your life)
  • Matching you to an accountability partner that is in a similar stage of business and has similar issues

 

What’s included in the 12-month program?

 

Each month prior to our video calls you will have 1 or 2 articles to read, a TED talk to watch, a worksheet to complete that helps you evaluate how you can apply this topic in your organization. You’ll also be given a list of other optional resources. This sets you up to have knowledge and questions about the month’s topic. From there we start to explore how to apply this knowledge in your organization, your starting point, where you want to be and the milestones in between. You’ll have 1 private coaching call per quarter and continuous email access. You’ll also have a capstone project in the last quarter, something you want to accomplish in your organization. Here are the topics we address throughout the year. (You get to select 2 out of the 4 that are optional.)

  • Find, Hire, Coach Employees – existing and new, do they embody your culture and values? Are they engaged and productive? How do you find, interview and hire the right ones?
  • Delegation and Accountability – Who are you delegating to? Are they qualified? Do you want to control them or empower them? What are key word/phrases/actions/responses that you can develop into good management habits? How can you hold them accountable and have them love you for it?
  • Time managementSome things are important, some are urgent. What systems and processes will allow you to identify and manage priorities and get things done?
  • Management using a goals system – How can you roll out the goals system you learned to your team members? Can employees create a quarterly system and be proactive in their performance? What will you and your team accomplish each quarter?
  • Client and Employee Loyalty/Experience – Both grow in lockstep. How can they create market share? How much should you invest? How can you make that the focus of the company?
  • Culture and Values – As a leader, what do you stand for, how do you measure for it, why is it important? How do you incorporate values into how your company operates?
  • Vision and Purpose – As a leader, what are yours and how do you communicate them, why is it important? How do you use your vision to inspire your team?
  • Creating High Performing Teams – How can you select the right people, set the right expectations, foster communication and collaboration so the teams in your company perform at their highest levels?
  • Systems and Processes – What needs to be documented? Why? By Whom? An Operations Manual?
  • Effective Meetings – Are they a waste of time? How can you minimize the time spent, as well as make them effective and enjoyable?
  • Financial Management – What professionals should you be using and what are the expectations for each one? What checks and balances should be in place?
  • (optional) Sales & Marketing – What should you expect from each? How can you as the leader make each team be more effective and more collaborative?
  • (optional) Business Partnerships – If you’re in a partnership, what issues come up? If you’re considering it, what are the pros and cons?
  • (optional) Succession Planning – What system can you use to train and plan to fill positions in your growing company? How can you retain staff by giving each a visible growth path?
  • (optional) Exit Strategy – Where are you headed? By when? Are you focused and on the right track? How does it impact everything you do?
  • Other subjects brought up by participants

Interested in scaling while conquering overwhelm?

The first step is to apply to join the Founders Leadership Growth Academy.

Who is eligible to join?

 

  • Owners of businesses with 10 -100 employees (if you have 7-9 and will soon be at 10, you’re included)
  • Founders who excel at developing the products and services they want to provide, but have no business experience
  • Founders of all kinds of businesses: tech, finance, retail, professional services, e-commerce, healthcare, brick and mortar, etc
  • Founders who are open to learn, who know they have gaps in their knowledge and blind spots
  • Founders who know themselves well enough to know they need accountability to grow new habits and get past the daily scramble
  • Founders who plan to complete the full 12 months
  • Founders who want to take action and open up a whole new level of accomplishment for their companies
  • Founders who will do each month’s assignments, support your accountability partner, show up for coaching sessions, accomplish monthly goals and prioritize this growth experience. (not let ‘fires’ get in the way.) This is part of the time management/delegation/proactive planning skill development that you are signing up for.

“Jeri showed me how to create goals that were measurable and achievable. She taught me the value in creating more structure in everything that I do – from sales and marketing, to tracking, to product creation. By creating systems around the way I market and run my business, I accomplish so much more than I used to. And I have more freedom to do more in my business and my life. When you work with Jeri, you get measurable results. In the time that we’ve started working together, my income has increased dramatically – I have nearly doubled my revenue from last year, and, as I’m writing this, we’re only 6 months into this year.”

Christy Goldfeder

Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur

Who Is This Program Not For?

  • People who are not founders of growing companies.
  • Solopreneurs who have no employees.
  • Founders who think they know it all and are not open to explore assumptions, blind spots and habit change.
  • Founders who do not prioritize their time for the program. You will be expected to complete assignments, show up on time to calls, support your accountability partner, accomplish your stated goals. If you are not willing to commit to doing this, then the program is not for you.
  • Founders who do not intend to be part of the program for the full 12 months.

What Do People Say About the Founders Leadership Growth Academy?

“This is exactly what I need.”

Founders who are starting their first companies, or founders whose other companies have failed, find this program gives them the background knowledge to grow and manage a team, be proactive, and fill in the gaps of what they don’t know that they don’t know. It gives them confidence, so they make decisions more easily and quickly.

“I want to attract an investor, but they tell me I have no management experience.”

Investors bet on the jockey, not the horse. They often say a mediocre idea with a good manager is much better that a great idea with a mediocre manager. What better way to develop your management skills and prove your value to potential investors than to be part of the FLGA and lead your organization to new heights.

“My investor is putting pressure on me.”

Do you already have an investor? Investors want to see their portfolio companies succeed. They don’t want CEOs who are bottlenecks get in the way of the success of their investment. They will replace the founder who gets stuck in founder’s syndrome. If that’s you, this program will help you keep your company.

“My startup has grown thanks to you, and now this program will help me take it to the next level.”

Jeri has worked with over 500 start-up founders in NYC alone through a city-funded entrepreneurial program. She has also worked with hundreds of other clients privately throughout the country. Those founders who now have teams can join this program to scale their businesses.

“Thank goodness this is comprehensive. I’ve never owned a business before, so I don’t know what I don’t know.”

We all have gaps in our knowledge. We know some things because they came up in a former career or business. Other things we don’t know because we never encountered them before. The FLGA has been designed to cover many topics so that the founder can start where ever he or she is at and make progress from that point forward with flexibility. You will discover and conquer your blind spots.

“This is cheap for an applied mini-MBA. Not only do I learn a variety of topics, I get coached on making all this work in my company.”

The emphasis in this program is applying what you learn with monthly goals and exercises to do with your team. It’s not just head knowledge. It’s getting things done with your team and moving your organization forward. It is like a mini-MBA in that there is a capstone project that you choose. You’ll look at your organization and decide what would have the biggest impact. Then you will lead your team in getting it done using all the tools you’ve learned throughout the year. It unleashes unlimited potential and can grow your company exponentially.

“I really want the accountability. I need someone to report to so I get the action steps done and the goals accomplished, or else I’ll just keep putting out fires and never get anywhere.”

There are other programs out there. You read or listen to stuff and you work through it on your own. Those programs fail for most people, especially busy people who have been in the habit of using their time to put out fires. It’s hard to break old habits. With the FLGA an accountability partner and a coach hold you responsible on a daily basis for the conscious shift you’ve made in what you’re committed to, proactive growth rather than the status quo.

“I’m going to call my friend/family member who also has a business. I’ll get him/her to sign up, too. That way we’ll both hold each other accountable and both our businesses will grow.”

You might have a friend or family member who also has a business. You can sign up together (you both get a discount) and choose to have each other as accountability partners, or not. Both your businesses will grow, and you’ll encourage each other to transition from founder to organizational leader. It may then be easy to keep it going even after the year concludes.

“I know that 3 of my clients would be perfect for this program. I’ll recommend they take it.”

Trusted advisors like accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, and insurance advisors often see things that their clients can’t see because the advisor’s viewpoint is more objective. We know you care about each founder you serve and you want each one to be successful. The FLGA can spur additional growth and get each founder out of his/her own way. Your recommendations and referrals are welcome. You will be instrumental in your client’s growth and success. They’ll love you for it.

“I have 6 founders in my private equity portfolio that could really benefit from moving past founder’s syndrome. I’m going to recommend that they invest in this program.”

Are you an angel investor, venture capitalist or private equity manager who has CEOs/Founders in your portfolio who fall into the trap of overwhelm, poor team leadership, lack of planning, inability to delegate, poor hires, too much turnover, too little growth? Call us and we’ll customize the program for you and your CEOs/Founders.

Interested in scaling while conquering overwhelm?

The first step is to apply to join the Founders Leadership Growth Academy.

“Since we started working with Jeri, we’ve more than doubled our gross revenues. AND we were able to take a vacation to Paris. We’re getting a handle on profitability, client negotiations and ‘scope creep’. We’re delegating more to several deserving staff relieving strain on our busy lives. Jeri’s coaching has made a world of difference.”

Robert Rivadeneira & Harmony Trujillo

York Building Services

How does the Founders Leadership Growth Academy Work?

  1. You fill out an application about your company, your leadership, your challenges, and your goals.
  2. We meet and get to know each other, in person or via video conference. This meeting is complimentary.
  3. If we mutually agree that you are a good fit for the program, you register, and we have 1-3 one-on-one coaching sessions where we accomplish the prework. You’ll take an assessment and it will be debriefed, learn about neuroscience and goal achievement methodology.
  4. You are then paired up with an accountability partner, another business owner dealing with similar goals and challenges. You and your accountability partner will keep each other in action.
  5. You and your accountability partner will have two 1-hour semi-private sessions (by video conference) with me each month for 12 months. Each month we’ll look at one of the topics listed above. You’ll learn things about yourself and you’ll learn things from what your partner brings up that are blind spots for you. You will set specific measurable goals to be accomplished.
  6. In between our video conference coaching calls, you and your accountability partner will be in communication holding each other accountable weekly for making progress on your goals. You’ll also have some reading/listening/worksheet homework in preparation for your next call with me.
  7. Once per quarter you will have a private coaching session with me to address anything you want to address privately.
  8. At the end of the 3rd quarter you will identify a capstone project to accomplish something big in your business that will have a huge impact in moving you forward. For instance, it could be to open a new location, offer a new service, put a series of training sessions in place, create a strategic relationship, land a huge client or put a customer loyalty program in place. You and your team choose it and you lead them to accomplish it using the tools and knowledge you’ve amassed from the program.

What Else Do I Get as Part of the Founders Leadership Growth Academy?

  1. Unlimited number of personnel assessments so you can hire the best employees and place them in the roles that use their strengths to serve your company and help them feel fulfilled and happy. After you see your assessment, you’ll want to use it with all current and future employees.
  2. Email support for specific laser requests between our sessions.
  3. Connection to my network of skilled professionals in getting training grants, arranging loans, alternative lending, M&A, Angel/VC investing, crowd funding, staffing, business law, accounting/bookkeeping, data protection, employment law, financial planning, insurance, IP law, digital marketing, marketing strategy/campaigns, event marketing, customer experience, video, photography, web design, and more.
  4. If I sense that a particular topic would be helpful to you and your accountability partner, we will have that professional join our video conference call.

Interested in scaling while conquering overwhelm?

The first step is to apply to join the Founders Leadership Growth Academy.

FAQs

What are the dates of the program?
The program is run on a rolling basis and two CEOs can start as a pair at any time. The first month (or fraction of the month) after paying the initial deposit, we do the prework described above. Then we start the 12 months of coaching around the specific topics.

 

Does each pair interact with other pairs? Do you ever come together as a group?
Most of the program is accomplished through semi-private coaching sessions and your goals are accomplished with the support of your coach and your accountability partner. There may be times when pairs come together for a guest speaker, special event or a completion celebration. As an Academy participant/graduate you will have opportunities to network and learn from other Academy participants/graduates, to be mentored and to mentor others, and to share resources. These opportunities are being developed and you can help shape what they look like.

 

What if I want to get coaching around certain topics and not others and I want to do this in a shorter time frame?
Yes, let’s customize a coaching engagement that is exactly what you want. Please contact me directly at jeri@DrivingImprovedResults.com and we’ll create what fits you best.

 

Can I be paired with someone from my own company, rather than an accountability partner from a different company?
Yes, two people from your company can participate in the program and hold each other accountable. You’ll both get a discount since you register together. It works best when both are in high level leadership positions such as co-founders.

 

What if all 12 spots are filled?
We definitely will create a waiting list. When you apply, we’ll talk about my time availability and your needs.

 

Are you available to talk with my investor (or future investor) about the Academy so they understand more about the leadership skills I’m mastering and the goals I’ve accomplished?
Yes, I welcome the opportunity to talk with your investor (or future investor) about the program, your participation in the program, what I’ve witnessed that you’ve accomplished. I will help you with a press release, write a recommendation/testimonial, put it on LinkedIn, etc. I want to see you get the ultimate recognition from all the work you put into the program and into the growth of your business.

 

What happens after the program is over?
I form close bonds with those I coach. I’ll always be rooting for you and helping you succeed, even if we’re no longer formally working together. You’ll be part of the Academy and we’ll be in touch through that as well as personal contact (you decide how much). In addition, some coaching clients choose to continue to use me as an executive coach to help them with blind spots, decision making and continued self and business improvement.

 

What are your two books?
The Customer Loyalty Playbook, 12 Game Strategies to Drive Improved Results in Your Business (available at Amazon). Business Divorce Institute, from Prevention to Finalization, co-authored with Attorney Richard Lambert, available as a free download from the Business Divorce Institute website.

“I know my perspective has been shifted ever so slightly so I can see my company’s future potential for growth from a completely different angle. It’s like switching seats with someone in a theater, and all of a sudden, your view is clear and you get it! You have probably given me more insight into my own company and my own dreams over the last few months than I ever had myself after several years in business. I feel like the fog in my head has lifted, and anything is possible.

You have essentially propelled us forward in our mission helping shape a plan of action that will guide us for months and years to come –and certainly, most certainly, drive improved results! I would instantly refer you to anyone who wants to get from point A to point B in their business, and wants a solid sense of knowing where they are going and what they are going to do to get there.”

Maureen Isern

Founder, Moped Productions

Justifying the Investment in Your Leadership

  1. The investment you make in yourself and your company is small compared to the growth you and your company will experience. Compare the small cost of this program to the explosive growth of your company when you have proactive planning, trusted capable staff, customer loyalty programs, and visionary leadership all in place. You might also attract (additional) investors.
  1. You will capitalize on what you learn and internalize it for the rest of your life. You will develop personally and bring this next level of leadership to all your future businesses. How many businesses might you start? The gains learned in this program will uplevel all your future businesses.
  1. This academy is like an MBA that usually costs $80,000 to $200,000. It’s real world, not ivory tower. There’s a capstone project that allows you to lead your company in a stretch goal. You’re learning best practices and then being coached to implement them with accountability. It’s fairly fool proof as long as you follow the program, do the assignments, use the goal planning and achieving process, and accept support from your accountability partner.
  1. Other programs or MBA classes have you learn in a group. Your other option is expensive private coaching. Neither give you an in-depth look at how someone else is managing his/her business. You will have the priceless experience of seeing what works and doesn’t work for your accountability partner so you can learn from their successes and mistakes as well as your own. You’ll also develop a friend for life.
  1. You have the option of earning the money as payments come due. You can get the financial benefit of the program before each monthly payment is due. The program then pays for itself month by month or.

There are three payment plans. Once you are accepted into the program you can select Plan 1, 2 or 3:

Plan #1

 

Deposit upon acceptance into the program. Covers the prework $750

Each month billed to your credit card, $1,000 per month

 

Total $12,750

Plan #2

 

Deposit upon acceptance into the program. Covers the prework $750

Each quarter billed to your credit card, $2,737.50 per quarter

 

Total $10,950

Savings $1,800

Plan #3

 

Full payment up front upon acceptance into the program, covers prework and all 12 months

 

Total $9,950

Savings $2,800

“Thanks to Jeri Quinn’s help I am able to strategize and complete projects that benefit my business. I now have a workable business plan that helps me stay focused on the short term while taking into account my long range goals. With Jeri’s ongoing coaching support I am able to track my progress especially in marketing and meeting my financial goals. I’m empowering our employees and using their ideas to increase our profits. Together we have been able to identify areas of the business, especially in shipping and our answering service, where we can save money. We’ve lowered the amount of inventory we are carrying while still increasing sales. My business is running lean and mean and sales are up. Thank you Jeri!”

Viv Vassar

CEO, Hey Viv!

“Under Jeri’s business coaching we doubled the number of car fleets we put under coverage last year. We’ve expanded our staff and developed better teamwork and communication which has increased productivity. Most of all, I’ve grown as a business owner/leader. I’m much more aware of my role as a strategist and business planner. This comes from interacting with other CEO’s as well as Jeri’s emphasis on 90 Day Business Plans.”

Daniella Kirfeld

Interwest United Insurance Brokerage Inc

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