0383 | The Drop In CEO™: Helping C-Suite Leaders Take Control of Their Careers and Get Promoted with Deb Coviello

Debbie. Hey, I am Deb Coviello. Dropinceo.com is my website and welcome to another episode of EA Interviews.

EA Interviews, episode 383, inspiration, transformation, success stories and the imperfect action round. Seven days a week, join Mario Ficcini for today's Expert Authority effect interview. Expert Authority World. Have you ever gone through transitions in your life? Have things been going well and things but not going well? I'm sure that's the case with you because you're a successful entrepreneur and I know I've personally gone through it and I can actually give you a real life example of this and I might just do that. But that is why I'm excited to have Deb Coviello on the show. She is an author, speaker, management consultant and she has her own podcast and she helps companies go through the transitions of growing and put more money in their pockets. She's an exceptional woman. She's super nice. I'm excited to bring her up. Right after we thank our sponsor. Every business needs a book, including yours. And that's why I'm launching my new book to help you, regardless of where you think your current writing abilities are. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com today to learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction, lead and profit generating business book in eight weeks. Once again, this. That's eapublishingmethodbook.com Here she is, ladies and gentlemen, author of the CEOs Compass, Deb Coviello. Deb, how are you feeling today?

I am feeling amazing, Mario, and just want to thank you for the opportunity for this conversation. And everybody else is going to be watching and listening in the background, so just it's amazing here. It's nice and sunny in Cincinnati, a little cold, but you know, I love the season so we'll get used to it. But grateful for the sunshine.

I was thinking the same thing because some people are like, oh, I need the sun 24 7. I kind of like knowing life isn't the same every single day. There's definitely, I think we can definitely say that there's changes in the Midwest and it's sometimes unpredictable, but that's what makes it fun.

Yeah, I've always loved the four seasons. Went to Florida, thinking about going to Florida. But you know what? I love the changing of the leaves as well as the spring. So I think I'll stick around in the Midwest. It's a great place, good people too.

And I noticed you're not too far from me and like I was introducing you and Telling every. Well, I'm not telling everyone. We're talking to them right now. I want to ask you what inspired you to write your book and why did you decide to get in a business of helping people with the transitions? I mean, we even had an issue. I mean, I'll tell everyone. And I did. I didn't. I was thinking about how to preface this because I didn't want to say she's helped me in my business. Even though you have. But not like in a client capacity. I wanted to be clear on that. So there's not just for transparency and. What's that word?

Integrity. Transparency. One of those good things. But you did help me because we had an issue on the last one. I was so excited to have you up and then it just. Everything wasn't going well. The. This wasn't working. That wasn't working. You know, technology, let's just say. And I was just for everyone listening, I was telling her before the show. I was so excited to have her back here. I felt like we've known each other for years and we knew some of the same people, but the reality is we had maybe a 1012 minute exchange. But she is one of the nicest people that just. I remember her saying, let's take the anxiety out of it. Okay, what can we do? It's not that big of a deal. This. And I was just like blown away because in business, I think we all know that. Not everyone. I have two examples in the last 24 hours. Not everyone treats people the same. Why did you choose this? And how can more people be like you, I guess.

Well, first of all, thank you for that compliment and I sincerely appreciate that. But I will say being calm amidst chaos is one of my superpowers. And I will tell you time and time again, in my corporate life, while I am a STEM professional, I know my craft. I'm a lean six Sigma black belt quality op ed. I can make it better, faster, cheaper and safer for you. But one of the things I've been faced with is crisis. Day after day, things go wrong, customers are complaining. And the best thing that I can do for my team is remain calm. Because while there is chaos in the room, somebody has to be the voice of reason to be able to hear what is the problem and then apply the proper treatment. So for instance, yes, we had technology issues last time. The ultimate outcome was to be here today and have a great convers conversation, not get the transaction done in the minute. So I read the situation and I was calm and said, you know, what, what's more important is that we get through the technology. You as a host need to be calm and make, you know, this a great conversation. So that was the more important thing. And so that is what I'm celebrated for. CEOs of companies will come to me at a time of chaos or pre chaos and they know they need somebody to help them, guide them. And so let's go back to the book. The book is the playbook I didn't have while going through all of those situations of transformation. The acquisition of another business unit, a loss of a leader, changing customer requirements. Oh my. Most leaders would panic, panic, panic, scurry, kill people with meetings and emails. And I go in with a little bit more of a level head. I listen and get the best information and level set the team to move forward. So that's just a snippet of what is in the CEO's compass. I had to distill all of my lessons learned and create the playbook that I think CEOs need. They don't necessarily need one of these amazing leadership books up here and they're all fantastic frameworks for building up businesses, but it's meant for the CEO who has been very successful building businesses and something changes and they feel off track. The book helps them to self reflect on what's, what's their leadership style, what do they maybe need to change. And then you can pick one of the seven compass points and to make the changes you need. So it's a how to manual to get you back to true north and peace of mind, which is what I aspire to. What's different is leaders don't need results, but in actuality they're in pursuit of peace of mind. And coming back to you, when we had that conversation, you calmed down a little bit, you had peace of mind. Okay, I can't serve this guest today, but I know I can serve them in the future. And so we're back here today and I think we have some peace of mind. So that's why I had to write the book. I help people through transformation. I keep things calm so we can do the work we should be doing.

You guys listening to this? Because I'm enjoying this already and already calmer. But in that moment, like I was revealing before the show, I had four or five different episodes guest I was doing that day and it just, it calmed me down. Not just for that one, but the other ones because I had more bad news. It wasn't like, oh, there's one problem, it was everything's Amplified. And in business, this happens from time to time. But I think, I mean, everyone listening right now can just tell there's something about you that's different and it's phenomenal. And I noticed it last time and it's why I was excited to have you here. And I will say, even if you can resolve something in that moment, because I've done enough of these and even prior starting the show, I've done enough on camera stuff that the room next door could be on fire and I could still have a good conversation. I'm confident of that. But there's a point where if you're doing something and forcing it too much, and for the example, I'll say the episode. But in business, if you're trying to force it, maybe you can get it done. But I loved what you said about why am I leaning?

I. I'm so relaxed, I'm so comfortable right now. I'm like, I'm kind of slop sided. So what I was saying is.

The.

Question is, should you. There's been times that happened. It had been like two years, but early, early on it was like, should we move forward with this? And the guest was willing, I was willing, and I know we still could have made it happen. I go, you know what, I want to honor you and your time. I want this to be the best it can be. And truly I want that with every episode. So there's times I'm like, let's just not do it. So we can both come in fresh and we can have the energy up here instead of down here. Even though we're going to be saying similar stuff, it does make everything goes into. So I just want to say thank you again. And for anyone listening, if they don't, can anyone hire you? And if they can't, what are one or two things anyone listening right now can do to go, okay, my life is in chaos, my business is in chaos, all these things. What can I do right now to just calm it down and reframe this whole situation? Like, you clearly have this innate ability to do so so well.

So one of the things that I will say to that leader, that there's a little bit of chaos, should I proceed forward and be the firefighter or pause and reflect? And the greatest power that you have in the courage is to pause and reflect and not move forward and run into the fire because what do you to be known for? What legacy do you want to leave? That person that runs into the fire and at the end of the day you get that result but what chaos did you create in that process of surging forward and driving the team towards an outcome, you've kind of overwhelmed and burnt out the team. If a leader has personal accountability and says, I need to pause, do I know what I need to do? Do I need to change my approach in this situation? Think about your leadership and why you lead, and only then do you proceed forward. And that's hard for leaders. We are rewarded for action and activity and results. And it's the courageous leader that can just pause and reflect. Read the room and say, I need to pause and let's reschedule. Let's do this in the future. It's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. And so I have had too many times in my career, even when I left corporate and started my own business, a lot of reflection. What was I good at? What was I passionate about? Who did I want to work with? Who did I want to serve? And I'm now serving amazing clients. I don't have a ton of business, but I have the right business. And so a leader needs to pause before moving forward with their team because then they need to lead their team, not drive their team.

Wow. So I know something else you've done. And what I love about you is not only that you're helping people in this way and you're great at it, obviously, but you have the book, but you also have your show, the Drop in CEO. What inspired you to start the podcast? And why are you making so much available for free? And also a free to a low stepping stone point, I should say, because.

I'm sure people realize that when you hire a high end consultant like yourself, it's probably not free or 20 bucks or 30 or whatever you're selling, depending on what edition of the book you have.

Why are you taking your time, energy and resources to make this available to people?

So this is where the authenticity comes through. And I hate that word, but this is the real Deb. Pull back the curtain here. Oh, my. I love to create, I love to speak, I love to share my thoughts. And I'll tell stories about being a very talkative kid and that didn't fit into the educational system. Can you keep Debbie quiet? Okay, we'll try. And then later, you know, why asking why? Always being inquisitive and then being told to be quiet. Ask me offline. So I have had a long career of being frustrated, a frustrated speaker, and not being able to have a platform. So when I started my own business, I said, oh, podcasting let me go on a show. And I loved it. I loved it. And then I was chasing, can I be on your podcast? I'd love to be on your podcast. And then I just realized I was tired of chasing. I can speak on my own terms. So having my own platform to be able to invite insights and inspiration from industry leaders, have conversations, learn from them, create content for others, it is a joy because I know whether I know the people listening or not, I am doing good work for them. Now, I believe in being of service and building that trust for free, because that's how we build relationships. And again, if it converts into some kind of collaboration, so be it. And it has. But then I offer the book the CEOs Compass, because if you want more of my insights, and I do talk about the book in my own podcast, you can go to that and get more details of how to do it yourself. If you're faced with transition or chaos, you can do it yourself. But ultimately, if you have the courage, you may not have the capacity or the capability to do it alone. And that's where I can come in. But I believe in giving first, sharing these insights with you. That's why I did the podcast, and I'll do it for as long as I can. I just love this media, especially also being a guest on your show. It's just a great platform.

It is, it is, and thank you for that. But more good Midwest here. I swear, the people.

I can tell you're one of the right people, and I'm glad you're here, because this, the whole reason I started my show, is to bring more of the good people to the world because, frankly, there's enough bad out there and the news doesn't.

Shy away from airing it. And I don't know if this is going to get me in more trouble because it already has. But I don't feel like I should ever have to step down from saying what's on my heart, especially if it's something good.

Amen to that. Because.

People may not agree with everything that I said. And I have had stories where people didn't agree with what I had to say, but then the quiet ones off to the side say, deb, can I talk to you? I really like what you said. We need more people like you. And so it's for those people that I think differently, my thoughts are different, and it resonates with the people I can serve. And quick, fun fact, I'm originally from New Jersey. I'm a Jersey girl. I can talk real fast. And bust your chops. But I've acclimated to the Midwest and there are great people out here as well.

Well, here's how I treat the Midwest. Anything from like Chicago east is kind of the Midwest if it's north. And I've said for years when I was speaking in L. A in San Diego, I'm like, yeah, I'm from the east coast. The east coast, the east coast. They're like, you're not from the east coast, you're from the Midwest. I'm like, well it's close enough east, it's further than the California. So it's, you know, you round up, you round down. It all works out like you were saying with the spell check beforehand. As long as you configure the beginning and the ending, everyone will, it'll make sense.

Perfection is not what we're after.

Correct. So let's talk about the type of businesses you do help and have helped. Is there a certain one? Like is there. Do they have to be at a certain size or does that not matter? Or can they only be a certain size or do they have to be at a certain size or does it not matter? You can help anyone. They just need to be in a certain threshold of chaos. Basically.

You know, this is live on the fly changing of my perspective. And while I have worked for Fortune 500 companies, I have that pedigree and expertise of that having all the resources and money and travel and support systems while I have been attracted or people been attracted to my work are the medium sized businesses because they have leaders that realize they've been successful with a good knit culture, that when things get ahead of them they need external support. But you know what? Just a little while ago a major, major company reached out to me and they're much bigger than just a medium sized company. So I have to re qualify. It's any leader that is going through some kind of transformation in their operations that has the courage and the realization they can't do it alone. So if you want to put me in a box and I don't Prescribe to that five to $200 million worth of sales is the medium sized company. Five people working with the business owner up to about a hundred. Those are the best environments I have worked on. You can do great work, the people turn on a dime and they sincerely appreciate you and there's usually follow on work because of the relationship. So box, but don't box me.

Well, I appreciate you narrowing it down so we have some context. But I could make a joke about the screen here, because I did put you in a box.

Go ahead, go for it.

No, I mean literally, like with the way the screen looks, we're both in boxes.

So yeah, I don't prescribe for that. You know, people often need to profile, put you in a box so that they can understand you. And I'll go there. But I don't prescribe to be like everybody else. Somebody once asked me, I said, so are you a fractional coo, fractional CEO? And I said, no, I'm the drop in CEO. I will be whatever that C suite leader needs me to be, leveraging my expertise, helping partner through that change, the downsizing, loss of leadership, and I'll either pull in my skills or other skills and be what they need. So don't put me in a box because then you limit my ability to serve others.

What has been one of the biggest.

Issues you've dealt with? You don't need to say the company or anything if you don't want to, but give us an example of like you dropped in somewhere and it was just, you know, how much of a chaos thing was this? Just I don't know how to deal with Debbie and Dan. They're arguing or is it like some M and A going on? And it was just dirty.

I talk about this quite a bit and thank you for that question. Even the best companies around have flaws. And while on paper they can lead an initiative, they've got resources, spreadsheets, drumbeats and meetings. And on paper it looks good, but they fail to look at the human perspective when they make these changes or go through transformation. And yeah, they say they respect the people, everybody's coming to the meetings, we keep everybody informed. But in one situation where we're integrating another company into ours, on paper we were doing all the right technology, technology things. Tech. Tech's really important to make businesses run. They were laser focused on that. They had the best technology, but what they didn't spend time doing is understanding the customer requirements and what they really needed. That was not negotiable. And the companies that we were integrating that had these customers, they didn't take the time to understand what made them great and why did they work so well with these new customers. We acquired and so on one side of the business, when we flipped the switch, that business failed because we couldn't supply the customer. Data was wrong and we had a hard time servicing that customer. But on my side, where I spent time getting to know the people, even though we had problems, they knew who they could Ask for help within the network to be able to be able to ship product to the customer. And we never had a quality issue. That is chaos. These sometimes larger companies get so complex that they forget their roots. When they were small, when people had everybody's back and just made things happen. Even when the computers and the phones go down, they could still make things happen. Unfortunately, that company suffered a lot of heartache. They eventually became whole. But think of how much money they lost had they not started with the fundamentals and slowed down a little bit. Get the technology right, understand the intellectual property of the people and the relationships with customers. And the new relationships are forming. Big fail. That was a big fail.

Yeah. And not just the technology, but even if I'm glad they became whole and recovered and everything, but at the same time, you're letting the people go. Well, is this how we do it? You cast a little seed of doubt maybe depending on the person. Little doubt, big doubt. You know, in the ripple effects of that, I mean, you can always recover. And I would say in most cases, unless it's just astronomical. But will you have the same team moving forward? You may have had some star players that, you know, I know for a fact that there's people who go, I only like to work with the best and deal with the best and be the best. You know, it's how I get to be the best. And I've seen some really cool people just transition because they're like, you know what? I feel like I could do a better job than the leader. When the leader, you know, law the lid.

Yeah. And I have seen it done well. I have actually seen a leader who had to close a plant down and keep the people whole, still shipping product to the customer even though their job was in jeopardy. But ultimately we provided. We had relationships with everybody and provided them the unique services and support they needed to while they were still with us. And then even afterwards, we left people whole. We respected them and they gave it their all. Despite any problems we had. We kept the customer serviced throughout the change. Those are the leaders. I love to work with that understand. Let's start with the humans and how we can help them. And then the technology and everything else is an enabler. It's not the core thing, it's the enabler of humans doing the business and the transactions.

So what I'm hearing a lot of is no matter what the industry is, size of the business, this, that, the other thing, as long as you're doing the right thing, being honest, honest and treating people with respect, that's going to work out.

Yeah. People have missed this because we have gotten into better, faster, cheaper. We have devices that can help us do things so much more efficiently. But then we forget about the people. And again, people and the humans still run the world. It is all about the relationship building. It's about you and I having a conversation that hopefully doesn't stop here. It continues on afterwards because you never know someday, hey, Deb, can you help me out? And I'll be there because we know each other. So again, it's not about the transaction. It's not about us postponing this conversation from a couple months ago. But as we're having the conversation now and people get to enjoy our insights.

I'm really enjoying it. I gotta be honest. I. I am like, one of my favorite ones. I. I always like most of them, but there's been a few people who. I'm like. It just felt like there was an undertone. I feel you're completely genuine. You're not trying to hide anything or skirt anything. So everything I've asked you, you've had a great answer for. You're not, like, dodging anything.

And I appreciate that. I mean, I have a few mentors in my life that I can thank for that, because as we're trained, I was trained as a geeky engineer. You dot your eyes, you cross your T's, you give the PowerPoint, you answer every question before they even ask it, and you're celebrated because you gave them good for them to make a decision. And so when I started my own business, I showed up on video exactly like that, and it wasn't resonating. And so as soon as I embraced the lock of hair that's a little bit off the side, maybe my lipstick's not perfect, but you know what? I'm myself here. And I think a lot of people can learn a lesson and just enjoy each other's interactions and just be yourself.

Yeah, it's a lot more calm and relaxed. And I can relate to the spreadsheets. I was trying not to smile or smirk too much when you said it 10 minutes ago or wherever, but one of the things I do, getting ready, you didn't see it, but I have. On one of my other screens over here, I see the tab right now, I have a whole spreadsheet of every episode. The guest, the like, it's 165 columns wide of everything that went on. And there's a column I look for getting ready. It's literally the color of my ties. And it Depends on which episode it is and this and that. And I just have. I can do the data thing just as much as I can converse. And sometimes I have to pull myself back also from out of that, going, okay, this isn't a rocket ship. Just don't worry about it. It's going to be fine. So that leads me to this question of, is there a point, do you feel where you can be too efficient with something.

Too efficient?

And the context I'm thinking of is what we were talking about with the people side of stuff. You held up your phone saying, you know, that we can do transactions better, quicker, faster. But then we're also talking about the conversation and the, you know, we're actually getting a chance to talk here like human beings. So kind of in that context of, you know, you could say, well, maybe I'm not gonna. I saw someone the other day, as a matter of fact. They said, we don't offer phone support.

I think that's a missed opportunity. I get that it's better and more efficient, but do you think that we can be too efficient nowadays?

I can support that because a couple things I've been told, I'm very efficient. I've got my spreadsheets, I've got my processes, and I can look busy, busy, busy. But then I had lunch with somebody someday and I said, you know, just give me some feedback. What do you say? They said, you're great, you're doing a lot of stuff, you're killing it, but you're not present, not present. So there's this sense of I'm always thinking, I'm always on and I'm not in the moment. And it's hard. If you're a high achiever, you want to get a lot done, you need those spreadsheets to keep going, going, not forget anything. But you miss an opportunity to say, okay, I'm not ready for this interview. I'm just going to be in the moment and we're going to wing it here. That's okay. One other story about being too efficient, and I'll say it was a recent project. We were very, very efficient at getting to a point where we could have an external auditor and certify us for achieving a certain subject matter. We were so efficient. We got everything in place. And yes, we did really well. We didn't pass the audit on the first try. We were so efficient putting the spreadsheets and the books and the binders and the procedures and the training in place. And then we forgot to communicate why it was so important to complete one piece of paper. And it was that one piece of paper that they said, wait a second. I was trying to get product out the door. They're yelling at me, I gotta hurry, hurry, hurry. And we didn't give the people the time and space to know that it was so important to make sure we complete that record. And we put them in a situation where they made a poor decision. So in that moment of being so efficient and working so hard to get across the finish line, we missed some connections, dotting some I's and T's, et cetera, and making the mental connection with people on why are we doing this? And then they would have made a better decision. That's the pitfall of being too efficient.

Sometimes I. I can relate to that. There's one of the things I've had to do because I can process a lot and handle a lot and get a lot done. But I've actually started putting in my calendar years ago, be present with family, Be present here. Like, block off time to just. Especially holidays, you know, you know, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, Mother's Day, Father's Day in. The irony is this wasn't me growing up. I'm, like, all over the place. So for business, I had to learn to be more disciplined. And I got so good at was like, you know, two minutes. Like, variance is like, I don't like this. But at the same time, it's like you have two hours free. The two minutes is not making or breaking anything. You're running red lights. You're. You know what I mean? It's like, you know, in business, oh, you know, you're so efficient because you're ultimately cutting something out to get it done quicker. But I think the. To the point of the question, is it something you should be cutting out? Like the phone support? You know, how many people. I don't even want to say a certain generation. But I think people like to connect with people. And I think customer service is a lost artist. I feel like the last few years, 5, 10, all, it's just gotten worse, with few exceptions.

And the one time that somebody calls you up and say, hey, I'd like to talk to you about your policy, talk through a couple of the options, like, oh, I'm getting personalized service. I'm going to get my questions answered the first time out, or the assurance they're going to call me back with the right information in the. I know what you're saying. The efficiency, all the menus, the texting, a lot is lost in translation. And people are stewing because they can't get their questions or issues resolved. Because efficiency, we replace the humans, but it's humans that still make decisions for the most part.

Absolutely. There was two examples in the last 24 hours of horrible situations, I could say. And then there was one that I thought I was going to have to do later. And they were so efficient. It took a minute and a half and now it's done and I'm excited for it. And it was a personal thing. I'm taking my mom to see a concert of someone we've seen traditionally every year. And I was able to book it and do all of that in literally a minute and a half to two minutes. The two other things probably will be going on till next week. And they started a week and a half ago. And they both. All three scenarios are phone calls.

I think what people are really looking for. And again, this is peace of mind and the outcome. And I can't take credit for this, but it's called frictionless customer service. Because when you're engaging on Amazon, all you want to do is find what you want, click on what you want, push a button, and get out, get on. So that's where you don't want to talk to a person. I just want to point and click and get what I want. And so whether it's on the phone, an automated system, or talking to a human, ultimately we want frictionless service. Whether it's a minute or three minutes, get what we want versus feeling like we're hitting a roadblock or having to go through all these different loops to get what you need.

Yeah. Or it takes 2 hours and 54 minutes to even talk to someone. Really? Really? You're gonna leave me on hold for three hours? So I'm so glad you're doing the right things with the right people. I got a couple more questions. One of them is.

Shabam. This is what I was hiding last time that I thought you saw, but you didn't. Yellow or black?

Black.

You sure?

I'm just saying black. You asked the question.

Okay, I'm just teasing you. There's no wrong answers. So we got black here. This is the wheel of whatever. My question for you is, what is something you would like to do that you haven't done yet? And it doesn't have to be business related. I didn't want to pinpoint it. To travel or something with your family. But what is something really out there? You've. I was even. I'll be honest, I was going to ask you this one. But I didn't know if it would make you uncomfortable. Comfortable? Tell me something you've never told anyone.

I can't do that.

Okay, that's fair.

I can't do that one.

What is it? What is something you'd love to do that you haven't done yet?

Well, I realize I love cruises and I would love to take a cruise to Alaska. I just think there's something about seeing a part of the world that is amazingly beautiful. That's a little bit on my bucket list. We are going to go on a cruise to the, you know, the Bahamas and all of that. But going on a cruise to Alaska would be amazing. I've never been to Alaska, and I just think there's some beauty there. That's something I've been talking to my husband we need to think about doing, but something that I've never told anybody. I want to keep that at bay.

Okay, that's fair. I. I would agree. I've wanted to go on an Alaska cruise. I've always loved photography and videography, and it really is. I've seen pictures. I mean, I think we've all seen pictures, but there's a lot of stuff, you know, like we learned our whole life. And now with computers and everything, it's like you believe it's real because you've seen it a hundred times, like alligators, animals, whatever, penguins. But it's like, really, how do you know? All we've ever seen is pictures and videos for the most part. Until you experience it live.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not. I wish I could give you a more exciting answer.

That's a great answer.

My needs are simple. I love to travel. I love going to Europe. My children are in Europe. I had a chance to go there in August. We're going to go to the Caribbean. I love being on a cruise ship. I love beaches, any place warm. But Alaska is intriguing and I'd love to do that someday.

Would you ever want to scuba dive in the Alaskan Arctic?

I'm going to say that doesn't interest me. On the other hand, unless I've experienced something, I never know.

Dry suit you've done or a submarine. Those are two I would find interesting. I have all kinds of fun ideas, but thank you for playing along and answering. We're going to thank our sponsor real quick and come back for the imperfect action round. You've heard me say every business needs a book, including yours. And it's true. And that's why I'm launching my new book@eapublishingmethodbook.com so you can learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction lead and profit generating business book in eight weeks. But you know what, don't take my word for it. Take it from a few of my authors like Lori I went from having.

An idea and a possibility to actually getting my book published.

Or Catherine, thank you for making my mom number one best selling author. Or Mary Alice what he got done.

For me in three days regarding my book launch.

Unmanageable.

John Cody I've worked with Mario over the phone and online and he's been very helpful in getting me where I needed to go promoting my books.

Rocio there's no way in the world I would have been able to do this with somebody else again. I've attempted it in the past, it didn't serve me. As a matter of fact I ended up more frustrated than anything. So this has been a very seamless process. Adele if you're looking for an amazing business coach, I highly recommend Mario Ficini or Bill Benner.

I can't make a higher recommendation for than to work with Mario Ficini.

He has been great for for me and right now I won't work with anybody else except for Mario.

Hey, their words not mine. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com to get your copy and I look forward to hearing your transformation as our next video success story. Once again, that's eapublishing method book.com and we are back with the Imperfect action round. Deb are you ready to take imperfect action?

I I'm gamed if you are at it. Yeah.

60 second or less answers rapid fire. I got three of them. The first one is what is the fastest path to the profits.

Fastest path to the profits. Look at where people are busy, extra activity, taking a long time from going from A to B. Look at the time from starting a transaction to the end of a transaction. There's a lot of waste in there. If we give people the tools to be more efficient and not take so long to do their job and make it easier for them. There's a lot of missed profit in there that people don't realize.

Excellent. Number two, what is the biggest problem you see your prospects making and the fastest way for them to fix it?

They're not asking for help. Oh my. Business leaders think that they got all the resources in the four walls in their box. But you got to think differently. Focus on your core competency. You may not need full time people. Think about focusing on your core competency and Leverage external experts for when you need them for what you need them. Make it a new business model that 80% of your resources might be there, but enhance it with 20% experts at all times. That's what's going to get you ahead.

Excellent. 3. What is the best way to maximize customer lifetime value?

Same as humans and not a transaction. I remember being with a client and they were deer in a headlight. They had no idea how they were to get to the end. But as soon as you give them a map and you take them on that journey and then have them start doing things in that journey, as soon as you see the switch flipped and they say, deb, come on along on our journey. Let us show you what we're doing. Let us know if we're still on the right track. When you change the deer in the headlight to having confidence, you build loyalty, you build trust and you're going to be the person they think about next time to bring you back to solve the next issue in their business.

Love that.

Thank you.

All right. As a publisher myself, I love talking about books. What are a couple that have made a big business? It's not like I haven't done this hundreds of times. Can you tell me some books that have helped you.

In business or life?

So there's a few books. I'm just going to say I love Dori Clark. She was a guest on my podcast. She's written three books Stand out. Entrepreneurial you and Reinventing you. Those books were so invaluable as I was looking at who I had been for about 25, 30 years and who I was going to be in terms of standing out and the value I was going to bring to others. An amazing resource. She's a very kind person. Those three books stand out. Reinventing you and Entrepreneurial you. Those have been amazing. And I will tell you, Jeffrey Shaw, he's on my shelf as well. The entrepreneurial life. Oh my. He so understands small and medium sized businesses and that ecosystem of what we need to be successful. Those have been invaluable to me.

Great resources. Thank you for mentioning those. Where would you like people to learn more?

Just visit my website, drop in CEO.com d r o p I n c e o dot com. You'll learn more about my myself and have access to my book, the podcast, my blog and more resources coming. So I would love for you to come and let's start a conversation.

The drop in CEO herself and author of the CEOs Compass, Deb Coviello. Thank you so much, Deb.

It's all been a pleasure. Mario. Thank you so much.

All right, Expert Authority World, we have another great episode here today. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a great day and God bless.

You're already the expert, but have you transformed your expertise into a tangible asset that will generate qualified leads while increasing profit for you 24? 7? And if so, how well are you promoting it? With my new book, the Expert Authority Effect Publishing Method, I take you through my process step by step. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com today to learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction, lead and profit generating business book book in eight weeks. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com to get started. Now once again, that's eapublishingmethodbook.Com hey, thanks for listening to today's episode. I hope you got a lot out of it. I know I sure did. If you haven't done so already, I invite you to subscribe to the show and also be sure to check out eainterviews.com for complete show notes, the full interview, video experience, links to the resources we mentioned, and more. Have a blessed day and I'll see you tomorrow.