In This Episode of Business Lunch: This episode explores the myth of hiring A players, the concept of micro CEOs, and how to structure teams for maximum agility and profitability in the AI era. Ryan Deiss and Roland Frasier discuss the pitfalls of traditional hiring and the advantages of outcome-based roles.

Chapters:

00:00 The A-Player Debate

02:52 Hiring Owners vs. A-Players

05:57 Understanding Micro CEOs

08:51 The Role of Metrics in Hiring

11:58 Compensation Structures for Micro Owners

14:55 The Future of Leadership in Business

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

In This Episode of Business Lunch: We explore the concept of founder identity and how legacy identity debt can hinder business growth. They discuss practical strategies for recognizing and overcoming identity lag to scale effectively.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to founder identity and role evolution

00:30 The five stages of role evolution in business

00:58 Understanding identity lag and its effects

01:28 The concept of identity debt in business

02:24 Sleep debt analogy and identity debt

02:51 Impact of legacy identity debt on scaling

03:22 Recognizing when you're in the wrong role

04:05 The importance of role clarity and job descriptions

08:06 How to get consciously competent and fix identity debt

09:44 Defining your current role and responsibilities

10:14 Using time studies to identify role mismatches

11:52 Addressing comfort work and role reversion

12:24 Resetting roles and accountability with team members

13:19 The importance of honest communication and ownership

14:38 Handling time constraints and delegation

16:29 Hiring the right roles and using AI tools

17:12 Recognizing and overcoming identity debt in business

17:43 Summary: Overcoming insidious identity debt

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

In This Episode of Business Lunch: We explore the evolving landscape of search engine optimization (SEO) versus answer engine optimization (AEO), and how businesses can adapt their strategies to stay ahead in AI-driven search environments. They discuss practical tactics, the importance of evidence and authority, and how to leverage paid and organic channels effectively.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:17 Challenges with Technology and Setup

00:30 Introduction to ChatGPT Ads and Platform Insights

00:58 SEO vs AEO: What's the Difference?

01:26 Understanding Search Engine Optimization and Answer Engine Optimization

02:02 Should You Invest in SEO Now?

02:30 Clarifying SEO, GEO, and Generative Engine Optimization

03:06 How Answer Engines Are Replacing Search Engines

03:42 The Shift from Rankings to Recommendations

04:15 Using Search Engines for Direct Source Verification

04:56 The Changing Role of Search in Customer Awareness Levels

05:36 Branded Search and Its Importance

06:01 The Evolving Nature of Search Optimization

06:19 Optimizing for Recommendations, Not Rankings

07:15 Bidding Strategies on Competitors and Trademark Terms

08:40 Cost-Effective Strategies for Competing in Answer Engines

10:00 Practical Approach for Business Owners

11:00 From Rankings to Recommendations: New Optimization Goals

12:08 The Role of Evidence and Proof in AI Recommendations

13:15 Creating Credibility and Authority for Search Engines

14:06 Content Strategy for AEO Success

15:29 Schema and Technical SEO for AI

16:29 Building the Neural Network: Assets and Relationships

17:32 Practical Steps to Optimize for AI and Answer Engines

18:36 Focusing on Questions, Not Keywords

19:10 Gathering Evidence to Prove Authority

20:39 Distribution, Freshness, and Uniqueness in Content

21:26 The Importance of Original and Contrarian Content

22:29 Using the Skyscraper Strategy for AI Optimization

23:46 Reverse Engineering Top Sources and Cited Content

25:38 Prioritizing Strategies Based on Business Needs

26:09 Shifting Budgets from SEO to AEO

27:05 Content and Embedded Influencers for Organic Growth

28:14 Paid Search and Branded Terms for Immediate Impact

29:41 Balancing Organic and Paid Strategies

33:02 The Role of Authority and Evidence in AI Rankings

36:34 Starting with Paid Search and Organic Content

37:49 The Future of Search and Business Strategy

40:13 Encouragement to Experiment and Share Results

42:22 Final Thoughts and Wrap-up

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

Not every problem in your business is yours to fix. Roland Frasier and Ryan Deiss break down how to tell a seasonal slump from a fire you actually started, why the easy and obvious moves matter most when the numbers dip, and how AI written resumes are quietly breaking hiring for small businesses. Plus the internal recruiter role they think every growing company is about to need.

0:00 Welcome back from a 30 day vacation
1:46 Why rest is actually productive work
3:20 When do you let the dumpster fire burn?
4:52 Internal vs external: what you can and cannot fix
6:00 Control what you control: lead flow and double booking
6:51 Do the easy and obvious things well
10:07 Red vs yellow metrics on the scorecard
15:46 Theory of constraints: which fire to fight first
17:47 Why small businesses aren't hiring: the AI resume problem
20:01 How to interview when AI writes every resume
25:20 The pre interview email that filters out a third of applicants
26:53 The rise of the internal recruiter

Listen to Business Lunch:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-lunch/id1442654104
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0iWSA89TaD263zhXETdSvZ

Roland Frasier:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rolandfrasier/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandfrasier/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rolandfrasier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RolandFrasierPage/
More: https://msha.ke/rolandfrasier/

Ryan Deiss:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandeiss/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandeiss/
X: https://x.com/ryandeiss

Scalable: https://www.scalable.co

In This Episode Of Business Lunch: A Hartford Financial study found that 75% of business owners regret selling their company. Roland Frasier and Ryan Deiss have both lived it, and they get personal about what the wire does not fix: the identity you give up with the business, the buyer promises that rarely survive the close, and why more than half of sellers wind up swooping back in. Then the way out: fulfillment continuity, the threads you build before the exit so you are not adrift after it.

If you have exited a business, share in the comments what surprised you most about life on the other side.

Chapters:

0:00 The telescope and why founders exit unhappy

1:57 The Hartford study: 75% of owners regret selling

4:22 Roland's identity shift after leaving law

6:02 Ryan on exiting Traffic and Conversion Summit

9:10 What buyers promise vs the post exit reality

13:52 Why due diligence pulls the two sides apart

19:46 Business partnerships are marriages: extending grace

23:45 The threads that save you from being adrift

27:02 Fulfillment continuity: Roland's framework

32:14 Find the part of the business that fulfills you

40:47 Reallocating your time as seasons change

48:20 The miserable rich person trap

49:04 Fire and rehire yourself every year

Listen to Business Lunch:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-lunch/id1442654104

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0iWSA89TaD263zhXETdSvZ

Roland Frasier:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rolandfrasier/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandfrasier/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rolandfrasier

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RolandFrasierPage/

More: https://msha.ke/rolandfrasier/

Ryan Deiss:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandeiss/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandeiss/

X: https://x.com/ryandeiss

Scalable: https://www.scalable.co

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

In This Episode Of Business Lunch: We tackle a question every founder faces: do you build your business for cash flow now or for a big exit later, and can one company really do both? They dig into why bootstrapped owners have far more options than funded ones, how cash left sitting in a company quietly turns into bloat, and how to pay yourself regular distributions without hurting a future sale.

Chapters:

0:00 Cold open

0:36 Welcome and where this question came from

0:55 Can one business deliver both cash flow and a big exit

1:57 The path VC funding locks you into

3:45 Why bootstrapped owners have more flexibility

9:19 How cash left in the company creates bloat

11:35 The cash flow waterfall and budgeting for distributions

12:34 How VC backing changes the exit itself

14:06 Building reserves for refunds and emergencies

16:20 Regular distributions or waiting for the big exit

18:54 Wrap up

Listen to Business Lunch:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-lunch/id1442654104

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0iWSA89TaD263zhXETdSvZ

Connect with Roland Frasier:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rolandfrasier/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandfrasier/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rolandfrasier

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RolandFrasierPage/

Everything else: https://msha.ke/rolandfrasier/

Connect with Ryan Deiss:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandeiss/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandeiss/

X: https://x.com/ryandeiss

Site: https://www.scalable.co

In This Episode of Business Lunch: We explore the latest in AI tools, how they're using them for content creation, research, and business automation, and share practical tips for integrating AI into your workflow.

Chapters:

00:00 Navigating Parenthood and Business Challenges

02:59 Leveraging AI for Content Creation

05:57 Exploring AI Tools and Their Applications

08:51 Choosing the Right AI Tools for Your Needs

11:54 Integrating AI with Personal Knowledge Management

14:53 The Role of Obsidian in AI Workflows

21:30 The Role of AI in Coding and Management

22:52 Understanding Client Needs and AI Utilization

24:41 Navigating AI Tools: Productivity vs. Complexity

26:35 Exploring AI Platforms and Their Unique Features

28:30 Researching with AI: Tools and Preferences

30:53 The Future of AI Content Creation

32:45 Personalizing AI Interactions for Better Outcomes

39:14 The Importance of Human Touch in AI-Driven Content

42:20 AI as an Essential Tool for Business Leaders

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

In This Episode of Business Lunch: We explore how business owners can maximize their exit multiples by focusing on clarity, positioning, and structure in the final months before a sale. It challenges the instinct to chase new revenue at the last minute and emphasizes the importance of risk management, revenue segmentation, and deal structuring.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Maximizing Exit Multiples

00:28 Common instinct: Grow Sales Before Exit

01:01 The Counterintuitive Reality of Final Months

01:16 Value Creation vs. Value Realization

02:12 Why Bigger Is Not Always Better

02:39 Stage Your Business Like a House Sale

03:07 Revenue Growth Can Hurt Valuation

04:13 Buyers Pay for Risk, Not Just Revenue

05:07 Profitability Over Vanity Metrics

06:03 Segmenting Revenue Streams

07:02 Risk and Multiple Application

08:07 Proving Cash Flow and Profitability

09:28 Bridging EBITDA to Cash Flow

10:37 The Importance of Clean Financials

11:05 The Dangers of Adbacks

12:35 Building Trust and Eliminating Risk

13:09 Working Capital and Its Hidden Dangers

14:39 Defending Against Working Capital Manipulation

15:40 Deal Leverage and Competitive Tension

17:09 Staging Data and Buyer Competition

18:37 Optimizing Deal Structure and Tax Planning

20:20 Key Takeaways: Clarity, Proof, and Structure

21:30 Applying These Principles to Your Career

22:16 Conclusion: Fix the House, Not Just Build It

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard