Shift Intelligence Prepares Your Business for Sale or When the Sh*t Hits the Fan

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Hi there. Welcome to the Shift Intelligence Masterclass. This is Ivan and Mariana Pulich and my name is Mike Keenings. You're here because you've heard about Ivan and Mariana and their incredible story of entrepreneurial freedom. So maybe you've read about their Shift Intelligence system and publications like Forbes, Fast Company or Entrepreneur, maybe on a podcast, or maybe you've seen their journey highlighted in business circles. They've redefined entrepreneurial success, whether it's selling a business for an eight figure exit like they did, or running a self managing company where you can disappear for weeks without a single meeting or phone call, including their clients. You're going to hear some great case studies today. So in this masterclass, what Ivan and Mariana will share are the strategies that help them rebuild their business from near collapse and bankruptcy, losing 93% of their revenue to achieving a full eight figure exit and leaving completely unencumbered in six days. So now their Shift Intelligence system is a proven method that's helped entrepreneurs just like you double their revenue, triple their profits, and finally gain the freedom that you and they've been chasing. So if you're tired of being an entrepreneurial pain, dealing with a toxic or challenging partner, some key employees or team members contributing to a toxic culture, or you're just frustrated with a lack of systems and stuck working in, not on your business, and one that can't operate without your constant involvement. Or maybe you're dealing with cash flow issues that restrict your growth, financial stressors, operational challenges, challenges. This masterclass is for you. And you're going to get proven systems that you can use to diagnose your challenges and actually get from where you are to where you want to be. So my name is Mike Koenigs. I've had the honor of working with Ivan and Mariana. I've seen their massive body of work. I've researched their clients, their customers, and I've been working with them to produce this masterclass. So when you walk away, you're going to understand how to. How to system. You're going to learn some fantastic new psychology and we're going to have some fun too. You're really going to enjoy working with Ivan and Mariana. So thanks. As usual, it's really good to spend some more time with you. You ready? Are you ready to rock and roll?

Yes.

Yes, we are.

Okay, so before we get started, is there anything you want to add before we just get in and start diagnosing our viewer and our listener today?

Oh, we're excited to be here and excited to share our journey and the wisdom and everything and all the experiences we collected over the. And see how that can support other people.

And we're really, really. Our main key value is contribution and helping other people avoid the pains that we've been through.

Yeah, no, I appreciate that. And, and I'm going to make the assumption that many of the folks who are here right now probably saw our interview and capability amplifier or again, they probably saw you speak, they've been exposed a little bit to your work and know your basic backstory and where you came from. So if that's not the case, hopefully the initial sizzle reel. Explain that. But I want to get into the meat here. So why don't we begin with. We put together the top 10 signs that you need this masterclass. So I think that'll help everyone at least gain an idea. This will frame things, but let's go through that. Okay.

Yes.

All right, I'll let you, I'll let you. What are the top 10 signs you need this master class?

Well, the first one is that you feel like everything is on your shoulders, that the world is on top of you and you're carrying it all. You're owning all the problems, all the trouble, all it's coming, all it's, everything's.

On you and that you can scale because the business is too dependent on you. There's only so far you can go as either a one man show with a small team and you do have dreams for quadrupling your business, but it's not going to happen because it simply depends on you too much.

You're feeling overworked, burnt out, stressed out, with sleepless nights and no end in sight. There's no light at the end of the tunnel. Everything you turn to is just falling on you, falling on you. Your passion is really burning hot, but the load, the demand is just way too much.

And you could be struggling with some capital for growth. You know, you want to grow your business, you want to invest in more employees, in bigger teams, you know, some research and development potentially, but you're kind of feeling cash trapped and that's on your mind too.

And you know, you need a lot of change, but your team resists it very hard. So any initiative that you throw out there, you want to input, you want to, you want to create the better systems improvements and things. Everything you introduce is just met with, oh, no way, that's too hard, I can't do that. And it's very, very frustrating.

And then on top of that, you can't even get any kind of Relief or fun by going on vacation with your family. I mean, even if you can carve out some time for a vacation, you have to have your constantly, you know, on you, your phone, your laptop. You kind of. You were there, but you're not actually there because you're expecting a call or an email every single moment, you know, to have to deal with it.

Yep.

I know. Just from my point of view, this is so toxic in a. In a relationship, and any founder who's still married is constantly dealing with that. Can't we just go on a trip or even a car ride without being interrupted or have a call? Or can't you just focus on the kids this one time and be there and be present and that. I've been through that before. I often have said that my first business cost me my first marriage, and it took a hard lesson to get past. And on the other side, and, you know, there isn't any founder who doesn't deal with that kind of loss trauma, so. Very good. What else?

Well, you're managing toxic employees, partners, customers. There's a lot of issues, a lot of problems not getting along. The conflict inside, conflict outside, kind of war all over the place.

Yeah. And pretty much every business has that one person that is if it's not you, that it's overly reliant on. There's that one key employee that if he or she doesn't come to work tomorrow, you know, a lot of things are going to fall apart and you.

See no way out. You know, even if you wanted to sell it, you can't sell it in this state. No one's going to buy it for any kind of good money. And there's no escape. You're just stuck in this kind of magic circle.

On this wheel and you can't get out.

Yeah. The constant, eternal treadmill. And look, every. Every business, every founder is special and different. However, every business has the same problems. And one of the things that I'm going to walk through with you, the experience of using your system and what we're going to do, and this is for you today. Watching and experiencing this is my goal, is to actually be you. I'm going to ask Ivan and Mariana the same questions that you would most likely ask. And if there's something we don't cover, you can reach out to them. There's contact information at InfoiftIntelligence Co, so you can send a message. And at any time, something here resonates and you're just like, look, I want someone who can run interference for me and help me out along this path, just reach out to them. There's also an application to learn more about what it's like to work with them as well. So I want you to know at any time you have that option. But in the meantime, I'm going to be you. And I think we've all struggled as founders to be in this spot of just feeling hopeless, helpless. And entrepreneurship is a lonely place. It's hard to have a conversation with family members and other people and get the support we need, especially either when we're stuck or we're starting to make progress and finding coaches that evolve with us and systems that evolve and grow because we're just getting thrown at. It's like we're at and more every day now. One of the things that I love about intelligent and shift intelligence is you enter into every one of your engagements with your clients and you do deep work. It's really a form of.

Psychological and even spiritual work because you guys have come from a war torn country, you've endured incredible hardships and you've dealt with entrepreneurial trauma unlike most people. But let's talk a little bit about your three step system and how you apply it. And also we'll go on a journey with you because look, the best way to prove your system works is to first, is to first rate that it worked for you and you managed to get the eight figure exit with no strings attached. So let's begin with the three step system and what and how shift intelligence begins.

Right? Well, the first step is acknowledge. Because there is a truth that every business owner or founder needs to acknowledge in order to move forward. And it's usually something that they are either afraid to admit or afraid to share or. And it's usually the biggest step that I need to take. So for us, our biggest acknowledgment was that even though we built a very, built a very company, we quadrupled the business. This was not us, this was not our calling. We could have stayed and we could have probably raised it and grew it even better and more, but ultimately we will not be fulfilled. Our step was our calling, was something else.

And in reality, you know, I drove up to the building one day and I couldn't get out of the car. I was so burnt out doing something that really wasn't in my nature, doing a very, very heavy lift. And I felt like if I kept going, I might just, this business might be the end of me. And then I said, no way, this business is not going to be the end of me and I'm going to do something different, completely different. That's what opened me up to create a completely self managed business without me in it. And that was the kind of major shift that we took in the direction of creating the results that we did great.

And I know we're going to deconstruct some of your best clients and customers but do you have another example that comes to mind? I know we are going to talk about Beverly, we're going to talk about Ray, we're going to talk about the McLean's, all of which you've helped them increase their revenue, their profits and their freedom. But who comes to mind in terms of any a client acknowledgement?

Well, you mentioned Beverly. You know, she is a very hard working woman who built her business, you know, solely on her capabilities and grit and desire to succeed. And her work ethic simply was not matched by many if not all of her team members and employees. And she used to be very lack of better word judgmental towards them and extend expectations were really high. So she had to acknowledge that not everybody is going to have the same work ethic which is 80 hour week weeks that she was putting in.

So there was never any good employees. What she really needed to allow is the possibility of having a successful business that wasn't filled with super hard workers all the time. That it could be done with more flexibility and with more better culture and people that are really delivering, delivering the work not at the superhuman hours that she was willing to put put in.

Right. And from there what's the third step? So you got to acknowledge, allow.

And.

We have a line.

A line for Beverly's case is really she had to align with the possibility that this future is possible, that she can actually go down this path, reduce her kind of standard of excellence that she held herself to and build something that is last, lasting and sustainable, that is more normal, more current world that we're in. The world that needs more purpose and more flexibility and maybe some remote work. If you asked her like three or four years ago, would you allow any remote work, she'd probably yell at you, what the heck do you think you. And now half of the staff is remote and the business is thriving and achieving the best results at the time.

And for us personally, you know, having to align with the future that is, that is new building a new business, starting from scratch, you know, building on the foundations of knowledge and experiences and wisdom that we gain from, from the manufacturing, manufacturing and applying that into building a completely new business which is an advising business. So aligning with our new selves and with the future, that is future, that is the thing, living it to fulfillment, ailment.

Good. So from here, once you've gone through the three steps, which again this is, this can take for you just a conversation. It's a deep dive and analysis. It's having the conversation, identifying the root cause, the problem and from there acknowledge, allow, align. Now you've got, now you've got. And we'll do more case studies in a moment, but let's briefly go through each of your tools, which is the Shift Intelligence Freedom toolkit. Ultimately I would describe this as a combination of systems, processes, SOPs that are adaptable to virtually any business type and can be integrated rapidly. Rapidly. So why don't we first just rapid fire go through and identify the top 10 that solve the majority, the majority challenges everyone goes through and then let's tear apart some case studies. Is that cool?

Great.

All right, let's do it. So let's rapid fire through each one of these what they are and we'll illustrate them on screen too.

So the first tool in the, in the Shift Intelligence Freedom toolkit is the Unlocking the truth tool. And in it we get to the root cause of your business bottleneck. What is that? One thing that needs to be acknowledged, allowed and aligned. And we do that through very deep diagnostic process. And so we get to it and we identify it and we deconstruct it so that we can.

Acknowledge it, allow it and align with it.

Great. Step two, we have the role two, I should say right there.

Yes, it's the break read together. This is where we align the leadership team for total harmony. We know that, you know, culture is not anymore the buzzword. It is be all and it all for businesses. And unless you have an aligned team that is moving together in the same direction, your company will not be successful.

And the third, third tool is the ultimate team sync, which is where we create high performance alignment across the key players in the business so that everybody's moving in the same direction at the same rhythm and achieving the results together.

And then we have the tool number four, which is predict your success. Obviously we went through periods of uncertainty in our business where we didn't know if the job is coming or where it's coming from. We never wanted to live that again. And we don't want our clients to live that situation. So we help them build reliable and consistent pipeline for repeat business.

And the next one is Financial Compass. You need to master the metrics that drive profitability. You need to have the financial literacy and being able to read the numbers, numbers, numbers in a certain organized fashion so you can quickly identify potential issues that don't have to plague you. Many times people wait for the end of year to know how they've done it. And in this, in this season we then we much quicker basis and in our manufacturing business we had a daily PNL a little bit drastic for our, for our operation. It was needed. We will set you up with your specific customized financial compass that you will know at all points how you're doing, are you winning and how you can do even better.

And then we have a culture reset. We go in, we assess the culture, we see what needs to happen, how we can realign the team between the common values and shared values and how we can you a lasting productivity as we move forward.

The next tool is the perfect fit. How to hire and fire with confidence. And that one is a huge one because if, if you have misaligned people in your company you're going to have major problems. We are either aligned with them, we either get them in the better role that is a fit or they're going to have, we're going to have to share them with the, with the competition. Also when we recruit in new people we make sure that they are cultural and value fit before we bring them in no matter what their skill set is. So we get the right fit out and right fit in.

And then we have the fail proof business. We help you build a fail proof business where we take look, take a look at your systems. We see what needs to be improved, upgraded, you know, new systems brought in and installed so that as you move forward and your team move forward your business becomes a humming whale old machine.

Yeah. The whole idea of working on not in your business so it can work while you're not there.

Okay.

Next the next one is we streamline your ability to scale so we look at the what's what efficiencies we have to boost in your delivery and operations and how do we get to align all the different elements of the system along with the people so that you can scale in the best possible way.

Yes. And the last one is reclaim your life. We help you de identify from your business and regain your freedom so you can do whatever you want with your life.

Right. And I think that's a, that's a great setup for one of your case studies. It's the first one we chose to focus on is Beverly. We talked a little bit about her when you went through the three steps with Her. But let's just deconstruct the before, during, after. And part of this process that will be. It's visually cool, is you did your deep dive, you found out where she was and then applied the tools to help get her to the next stage. And we'll be able to see which tools made the biggest impact. But let's begin with the diagnosis.

Yeah. So we always look at three key outcomes. What is the alignment, current state, how much alignment is there in the business? The next thing, we look at the results that the business is achieving. What is the level of results that it's achieving, and what's the amount of freedom that is possible currently for the owner. And so when we do, when we did a deep diagnostic, there was really hardly any freedom. She was. She was working 80 hours a week, and everything depended on her. She had a tight grip of control over all the processes and team and people. And alignment also wasn't very, very high. The financial results were good, but at a really high cost of her time and hours and problems.

Okay, so the bottom line is she's working 80 hours a week, resentful of her employees. She's got no freedom, couldn't leave the business without her toxic work culture. So what were the tools that made the biggest impact? If you looked at, like, the top three and how you applied them and what happened? What. How long did it take? What happened? So if you grab the top three tools, get them to work, what happened next?

Right. Well, the number one was the culture reset. And when I say culture, it wasn't just the culture of the company and the employees, but also the founder also, which was reflective of the culture in the. In the company. So we had to do that reset, which produced the most results. You know, how do we move from here together forward? How do we hire more people who are more capable to help her step away and work more on the business, rather in the business. So that was one of the first ones and the most, you know, most important ones.

What we also had to do is we had to look at the perfect fit because when we took over, we had to do triage because we lost most of our team because we dealt with the toxic, Toxic key employee that was poisoning the culture. So we had to find a way to extract that employee without risking a.

Lawsuit, doing more damage and. Yeah, get the suit. Yes.

So we had to avoid the lawsuit, and we had to then rebuild the team from scratch. So we had to really know what is the right fit employee and who are the people, what roles we need to fill. So we were building a team from scratch. And that was a huge, the perfect fit was a huge, huge point of focus.

And the last one was reclaim your freedom. There was no freedom. You know, if we can, you know, look at the scale of 1 to 10, you know, it was 0 to 10. It was like 1 barely. So we helped her start to see all the places in which she can remove from the daily operations and client work and everything that somebody else could deliver instead of her, so that she starts getting an idea that there's life outside of business, which, you know, at that point there wasn't.

Okay, so let's cover how long did it take to get results and what, what was the bottom line between revenue, profit, freedom?

At the, at the start that when we started the revenue was, were $2 million. At the end, three years later, the revenues are now $5 million. The team was a very, very difficult situation. So there wasn't a lot of alignment. We had to build that from scratch. So, you know, amount of alignment, I would call it a 3 out of 10. By the time we finished, we have a 9 out of 10 on alignment. And the freedom piece, Freedom was non existent for the, for Beverly. And now we're at about a level 7 out of 10. She's working about 20 hours. She used to work 80 hours a week. And we're on track over the next six months to take that 20 hours down to maybe two hours. She's planning to manage her business remotely and get full, full freedom. Yeah.

And that's. And I've seen the details. You can't reveal the identity of this client, but she plans to live on an island, a very nice island, I will add. So I, I love. This is a great story. It's something that you shared with me.

That was posted on LinkedIn. So I just spoke to a client that's been working with Mariana and Ivan to help her build her public research and consulting business. I have to say how much I'm blown away by her growth over the past two years as a business owner. When I spoke first, spoke to her and her team, bottom line is she was crying every day. And now she called me then before she's going to take a couple of weeks off for vacation. And the happiness in her voice was amazing to hear. So.

You know, being able to walk away from a business without your phone or a computer and worrying is amazing. I mean, that really is the freedom and it can help you fall back in love with the business you had. When you're thinking you're completely stuck and hopeless.

Right.

So anything else to wrap up that case study before we move on to another one?

Yeah, the future is very bright and she's planning now what passion projects she's going to launch now that her time is freed up.

Okay, so one of the things that you get called into deal with all the time that end up blocking growth are partner problems. You mentioned that before that Iran haft even more are pre existing partner problems. One person is not doing their fair share of the work. There's resentment, there's frustration and there's either a, a deep friendship on the line, so there's loyalties or they're afraid of getting sued and you know, nothing worse than destroying your business over a lawsuit. Many marriages can be said for the, you know, the same thing and eventually it's not about the relationship, it's about the business. But people aren't willing to take the risk and get past the wounds and the damage so they endure pain and hell for years. Just like a bad marriage. Bad, bad businesses can be just as bad or worse. So this is Ray, we picked him. Can you set this up and talk about the experience, the process and the results like where you started and where you wound up?

Well, his situation was specific because he was, he went into partnership with his best friend and their families were, you know, friends also. So down the line the expectations, you know, that they had from one another and the future and the business were unmet and they were both unhappy. And Ray was especially unhappy and he needed help into seeing how he can move forward. And the only option that he saw as this amicable dissolving of the business which will also dissolve the partnership. But he also kind of was attached to the business and he wanted it to live on because it was a very purposeful company and a purposeful mission.

Yeah. So for years he struggled for years with this problem. Imagine having a partner that you cannot say what you need to say. For years lot a lot of pent up pain. And when we got to talk to him, we really needed to get across that if he's feeling this way, his partner is feeling this way as well. And he wasn't really. He was only internalizing his own pain. And we said there's going to be a way because he's suffering too. There's going to be a way to organize this situation in a way that is a win for both of you. And so that was a big key that he needed to allow, allow the possibility that our conversation could.

Keep the brotherhood alive and give a New avenue for the business as well. Yeah.

So one of the tools that we used was the team sync, you know, because if you look at it, it is a partnership, but they're also a team in the business, and they needed to be in sync in order for this to continue in the best possible way, which is, you know, either they work together or they don't anymore, but they remain friends.

Yeah. And, you know, we had to unlock the truth of. The truth of the matter is that he. He really needed to allow for the possibility that we can have a conversation that is open and that addresses the key inequities in these partnerships and that it preserves the friendship at the same time.

Right. And one of the things that I love that this makes so much more sense to me because in looking at your tools, I didn't understand how important predict your success is. But when you're going, you're going from a complete state of unknown, fear of loss, disillusion of a best friendship, all the fear that goes along with that, and potentially shutting down the business, which gets rid of your purpose. Being able to predict your success in the worst of times gives you enormous amount of resolution. So talk about the predict your success tool in this particular instance.

Well, we found a way how he can not only dissolve the partnership, but. But have the business have a predictable pipeline. And how to build that pipeline in order to give him more certainty that the business is going to be healthy in the new state where he's at the helm and he's running the show and the partner was adding some revenue to the equation. And so we had to build a new predictable pipeline that was only dependent on him. And so that piece also gave him more certainty to be able to go.

Through this and go along by himself.

Yeah.

Right. Great.

And so the net result when we look at the results. So for you, it's always alignment results and freedom. The before was miserable. It was like a one on alignment, which not good results. 3. So no one's winning when both of them are moving in the same direction. And a freedom of a wine. Again, both of them are stuck. And neither one was willing to have the hard conversation. So where are they now? How long did it take and what happened?

Well, it took about three months. The conversation itself, you know, it took an hour to dissolve the partnership to, you know, amicable respect and love and admiration and, you know, remaining friends. And in terms of, you know, results, you know, he. He's now at 7. He's, you know, building, starting to get results and keep building his Business. And, you know, he. In terms of freedom, he's also at seven. And again, this is only after three months, which is, you know, kind of a. A good success story.

Yeah, I love it. I love it. And this was one of the quotes we got from him because you had interviewed him, I had asked you to do a lot, do a lot, do a lot before we made this. And he says, my business partner and I were no longer on the same page. The business was suffering for years. And one convers, Mariana and Ivan, helped me shift my perspective. I confidently met with my partner and collaboratively and amicably amicably dissolved. Our partnership was remarkably empowering and freeing. And it feels like. And it feels like a life opportunity. And that. That is a true happily ever after story. Congratulations on that. So let's dig into another one. You've got.

A great father and son transformation, which, again, family businesses, whether it's husband or wife, you guys have survived that and you still like each other. I've been able to watch you for days and you genuinely really like each other. That's awesome. And then you've been able to negotiate best of friends as well as father, son deals. Let's deconstruct this one and talk a little bit about the before, during, after with them and the tools you used.

Right. Well, we were brought in to help them deal with the friction that was mostly generational. They worked together in the business for years, and there were some friction around the future of the business. What's going to happen? Is it going to continue to operate? Is the father going to shut it down and is the son going to take over? And it was simply just a miscommunication and they needed somebody. We talked about the buffer before. They needed a third party to be a buffer and help them understand each other better so they can align for better future.

And really what the acknowledged piece was is that the father needed to acknowledge that his son was never going to be able to do it the way he did. He's just a different human with different strengths. And to acknowledge that he could do it differently, just as successful and even more successful if we create the right people and the right system around him and surround him with complementary complimentary people and skills, he can absolutely do really, really well. His strengths are different, but his strengths are very valuable. And he had to acknowledge and allow for that. Yeah.

And you have to have a third party come in and. Because again, we all have these trauma responses that we create and these weird, codependent behaviors that, like every family's got it. Every person has it, every business has it. And no one can, you know, see the galaxy through their own belly button. I've said that for a long time.

So it's also, you know, if you were a father and you have a son, a partner, I mean, he changed these diapers and now they're partners.

Look what we share in between us. We've got 22 year olds as of right now and you have an 18 year old. This is tough psychology. Boys are hard. I mean, not that girls aren't right, but. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about what tools did you pick? What worked the best? What were the results?

Right.

Well, the Break Free Together tool was very, very important. How do we realign the relationship between the father and son? How do we increase possibilities? How do we allow for the son's strengths to come through? A very talented salesperson, business development person, and he was instrumental taking the business from 1.7 million to 4 million. And that strength couldn't shine all the way through because the father was a more of an operational genius.

He brought the business more from the operational side. And so we supported the father on the operations side with someone other than the son and let the son run on his strength of business development. And so that kind of breaking free together was the key tool that we used in that case.

Right. And another one was Financial Compass. The father really, really appreciated our tools and the direction in which we took them to look at their finances, to measure, to look at the dashboard. And basically, I mean they were doing good. They had a stable and predictable business and all of that. However, the having a deeper knowledge of finances and increasing his literacy, he really, really appreciated that.

It was a huge difference maker because when you are someone that is looking to be remote to the business, being able to read the dashboards and get let that tell you the story of what's going on rather than being on site. Yeah, when you're on site, you know what's up. When you're not on site, you have to rely on certain kind reporting and measures. And so he felt really great with the Financial Compass because now he knows what's going on even when he's on his boat. And that's, that's the piece that was very, very important for his c. Right.

And that, that is the, the word that keeps on showing up here is.

What drives us founders, entrepreneurs nuts is not having certainty. And that comes from when you look at your tools. First of all, predict your success. It's the dashboards. It's the systems. It's being able to get the teams on the same same side, thinking the same ways in sync and appreciating each other's differences and how they contribute. But that is so difficult. And for founders who are used to being in the business, keeping everything together, dealing with chaos constantly, and putting band aids on everything and being so needed, you don't have time to get any of this done and you can't see it right. Someone's got to diagnose the disease before any cure can be prescribed and provided. So that's a great story. And where are they now? Like what has happened? You talked about the revenue, the shift in revenue, which is great. 1.7 to $4 million. Where is son and dad?

All things considered, the profits have quadrupled, the freedom has increased tremendously. The high regard for each other is amazing. Their relationship has never been this good. It's just a beautiful additional thing that was a great result is that they're a seasonal business. So every winter they would lose half their people that they will have to rehire and retrain for and all kinds of chaos and drama would happen because of that. 2023 was their first year in 40 year history where they had 100% retention of stock. The amount of time and brain damage that saved them and the continuity of the team and culture and ability to respond to all the growth that they're having is amazing. And they're really planning a really bright future. When we came on, the father was thinking, you know what? I think this is the time to end this business. And now he has a completely different outlook and he's like, maybe we can continue to grow. What if we grew a little more? Maybe we can go to 10 million. The appetites have increased and there is a much larger business with way less chaos. So it's a completely different feeling. There's no more heaviness around it. They're just the possibility and the bright future and more, more opportunity.

Okay, you've also worked with high tech companies. You got a software company here that I think is very representative. This is a larger volume, bigger income, revenue. Again, every business has got the same basic problems. But let's talk about I.D. ashton.

Well, Ivy is a very mission driven founder and really.

He has a software that's supporting public public service attorneys and pro bono side of Things. He has 50,000 users. His mission is to even up the scales of justice. Many times people don't get served appropriately in the marketplace because the larger firms can push around everyone. And what he does Is provides the software service that can empower these people to get way more things done that would otherwise be possible. And the cutting edge tech that they've come with is incredible. And so when we came on, the biggest thing that we did there is the.

Really getting everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction. When it came to really seeing the bigger possibility in this business, there was a kind of a ceiling of what they thought was possible. And when we started working together, they were at about 8 million in revenue. And we said, there is way more potential on how to make an even bigger difference and have that be reflected in the revenue. And so right now, after working with them for a bit, now they're at $12 million and they're able to serve much, many more people and continue in that direction. There's huge growth opportunities because now they're working with entire states, setting up entire states with the kind of public, public attorney and pro bono side of things, so that a lot more people can get representation that is reflective of who they are and evening out the scales of justice.

Okay, so Mariana, why don't you talk a little bit about what tools in what order that made the biggest impact fastest and why?

Right. Well, it was the ultimate thing, Team Sync. We had to kind of get everybody on the same page and see how we can marry the vision. Because Ivy is an extraordinary individual. He has a big visionary and, you know, and a mission driven individual. So, you know, his team needed to understand that it is possible to operationally follow the vision. Because sometimes, as, you know, founders have a big vision, but how do we operationally make it? And sometimes teams are kind of like, no, no, no, but hold on, hold on.

Yeah, yeah. You can see it as the founder. You got the whole thing planned out in your head and then communicating that vision and making it happen, not so much. Right.

So we did a deep dive in a team sync where they can all get behind it and understand that it is possible and that they can build it.

And another tool we used was the Unlock the Truth tool.

Ivy is a kind of a quiet leader, and this mission needed a face. It needed a public leader. It needed someone telling stories. He needed someone getting out there and inspiring people. And he was a little bit shy and reluctant to do that, but that was the thing that needed to happen to be acknowledged and to be allowed and to make a bigger difference. He needed a public push and someone that's going to be champion. This mission of evening the scales of justice, which he's taken on. And now it's even more fulfilling and even reaching more and more people.

So he was willing to take on.

The public visionary and the spokesperson. That is a very difficult thing because so many founders say, I don't want anyone to know who I am. They believe that they're going to give up their anonymity, but they're going to be the best storytellers. You know, the greatest visionaries are the most respected and you're going to remember a great founder of a great company. And you know, I, most people have no idea who the CEO is of the car company they drive or the cable company or phone company is. But you sure as hell remember who started up.

Right? Right.

So absolutely. And Ivy is a former attorney and a tech genius and now he's going to be the public spokesman and a champion of a mission. It's quite of a growth curve for him, but it's a great opportunity for the brand and for the mission.

I love it. I love it. So when folks work with you, they've got a variety of mechanisms to get started. So the first one just starts with the conversation. So you can get in, figure out what's going on and you in both between the system, the process, you can intuit what you need to do and also provide a diagnosis. And then from there it's like one conversation can shift or change your life and your business. But then the other way you work is you do one on one workshops where again, two days with you can make a massive difference. You can start getting things rolling, change the psychology of the founder, owner as well as carry that onto the team. But then there's on an annual basis you work with and many of your clients, they've been with you for years now. So why don't you talk about what the onboarding is like so that we'll call it this first conversation. So what happens next? If someone goes to shift intelligent.co and applies to work with you, what can they expect?

Well, we just have a conversation and we see is there really a fit? Is there really an openness for this? Is there really a willingness for this? Do we feel like we can really help?

And if there is a fit there in that conversation, we're probably going to provide a roadmap of here's how we see it, here's the truth of the matter and here's what needs to happen and what would be the steps in order for you to reach freedom. And from that point on then we would start with the two day engagement. That would be like initial push, the initial move in the right direction from which some founders choose to go and implement on their own. And for the people that want some more help, then we would take them through and actually get our hands dirty in there with them to help them implement all the things that we have on the roadmap. So some people do it themselves and most people choose to have us help them along the way, hold their hand on these changes and journey that needs to occur to actually reach their freedom.

And so Mariana, from your lens, because oftentimes you're brought in as the fixer, you're the systems minded one, you're building the SOP as the system, but you guys really match each other very well. And ultimately you bring this whole toolbox of shortcuts that just speed up and accelerate the freedom. But talk a little bit about what someone can expect. So they meet, you start up, you give them a vision of the future. You can do the two days, then you've got your blueprint moving forward. What's that look like?

Right. Well, most of it, what we do, we have a structure, but we call it a kind of loose structure because we want to keep it open for custom work. For some people, they want to start with a half a day, sometimes, you know, or two days, depending on how soon you know, what is the schedule and how we can organize. And in some cases more handholding, if you will, is involved. Where we need to meet weekly for 90 minutes or for some people it's bi weekly for an hour, a quick check in or something like that. But the more, as you call it, the initial push, the more we put intensity behind the initial push, the better kind of velocity develops so that they can actually see the bigger difference sooner. And this is where every call that we come into, we always work with what's present and what's needed. Our clients give us an update and what is present, what is the issue? If there isn't, what is the kind of fine tuning that needs to happen. In some cases they bring us in to work with the team as well. Either remote or in the business, key employee or multiple team members. There's multiple ways in we can assess how to move forward in this case, great.

All right.

So to me, I have clarity, but I'm going to put on.

My business owner hat and I'm going to establish like I fill out an application, I answer some questions, you guys have a conversation. There's no obligation between what goes next. The best and fastest way is spend two days together. That's when you get a bunch of stuff done. A bunch of alignment. That's when things open up. You also do what I'd call the deep work. And we talked about that briefly in.

Our podcast interview. But talk about briefly the deeper work that often takes place beyond the get your hands dirty, get inside the business and the systems, the process and the tools.

Many times, certain mindsets, certain beliefs, certain control, sense of control, certainty, need can be in the way of getting to the work part. Like having the business owner say yes to wholeheartedly to something, you know, and that change can get sensitive sometimes. And we're able to sit with them in a kind of. We're kind of the safe harbor where they can come and not be judged no matter what is going on. As you're stretching, as you're changing, as you allowing these new things and new approaches and new points of view that can be. Sometimes it can be scary. Sometimes you may contract and like, oh my God, I can't do it. There are freakouts that happen. I can't do this or I'm really afraid or I think it's going to go all to hell. I can't trust that person. Oh my God. And those are the moments where we're able to sit with them in a way that inspires them, calms them down, calms their nervous system down, re centers them, refocuses them on what, what are we here to do that it's going to be okay that we. Some things may go sideways, but we got their back to really realign them and the team and the business in the right direction. And so sometimes it can get a little uncomfortable and we're there for them, holding their hand throughout the whole process. And that's the deep work, the kind of dealing with the inner conflicts and the inner turmoil that can occur. And that's probably the reason why they are in the stock place in the first place. So we need to kind of loosen the system and the grip on the reality and the control sense that they have. And so that's kind of the deeper work that we do with the safe harbor. And we're the way through to their promised land.

Okay, Mariana, I want to give you the final word on that.

I'll give you an example that we had recently with one of our clients, and he's a newer client, and after several calls, we kind of noticed some resistance of him coming on the call, the weekly check in. And we said, what is going on? And he said, well, I don't know, I just feel like. I'm not sure. I feel like I haven't done the homework, and, you know, you guys told me to do these things, and I haven't done it. And, you know, and he was kind of contracting. And then Ivan said, listen, we don't want you to feel like you're coming into the principal's office, because this is not a principal's office. We are here to help you. In that moment, I was observing him because that's what we do when we work with clients. We. We observe the, you know, the. The. The body and the. And. And energy and everything, how he changes so that we know how we can help the best. He just kind of let out a big sigh, and we relaxed in this chair, and he said, thank you for saying that. And we continue to have a really, really good call and, you know, continue the relationship, because that was the big acknowledgment that, you know, we're here to help. We're not the principal's office.

Yeah, one little. Big breakthroughs happen. One step at a time.

Yeah.

What were you gonna say, Ivan? Yeah. And, you know, it's not about the homework. We said, what is on your mind right now that is weighing on you the most? And he said, the freaking sales guy, I need to negotiate a thing with him. And it's been bugging me for weeks. Can we talk about that? Completely changing direction on what is needed in that moment and continue to.

Navigate the person through the journey in a way of what is now the need. What is now the need and continue to nudge things in a forward direction all the time and not get stuck in the structure or the expectations or the obligations or the homework. This is not a. This is not a principal's office approach.

Right.

Right.

Well, here's what I. Here's what I know for certain, and this is for you, is if any of you, if you've gotten to this point right now, there's something has resonated with you, and you know you need support. You know you need help. And this is a crossroads. What you know for certain, or what you will know, is if you do nothing and you don't apply and at least have a conversation, things are going to stay ex. The same and probably not change and most likely get worse before they get better. And if you want a shortcut, and this goes way deeper than traditional business coaching, this is a full contact opportunity with someone who's not only been there, done that is doing it with other people just like you, dealing with the same challenges you are right now, who can identify what's going on, what's really going on on a deep level and give you resources and tools that will get you to the other side and help you increase revenue. The fastest way to solve a lot of problems with the bigger bank account. But also that doesn't matter if it's not profitable. So increasing your revenue, your profit, and most importantly, the reason why you're most likely an entrepreneur and a founder in the first place, which is your freedom. It's freedom of time, money, purpose, impact, giving back, staying healthy and mobile without the strains and stress that all businesses create. And having someone that you can talk to who listens, understands and makes stuff happen faster than you can possibly do yourself, certainly faster than a group coaching program, certainly faster than most founder organizations who aren't willing to get their hands dirty. Mariana and Ivan are very, very selective about who they choose to work with. They don't need your money and they don't need a big hassle. They work with people they care about and love and that very well might be you. So the smartest, best thing you can do right now is apply, have a conversation, and they're going to tell you right away if they can or cannot help you. And it just doesn't get any simpler or easier than that than to work with people who care. So when we wrap up, is there anything I should have said that I didn't?

That was wonderful. Thank you.

You're welcome. It's true.

It's absolutely, absolutely great. I love the how we landed this masterclass. Oh, yeah. And that's what it's all about. That piece right there. We will, we will get our hands dirty in your business. We'll take care of you like it's our home.

Yes.

That's great. Good job. So, well, the next step is yours. You know what to do is shift intelligence co apply to work with these people and find out for real what they're like and how they can help you. So thank you so much for watching and I hope we see you all together soon. Bye.

Bye.