Your CRM probably doesn't suck because of the software. It sucks because of the messy data, undocumented processes, and constant change around it. In EP 320, John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann talk with Christopher Smith, President and Founder of Empellor CRM, author of CRM Shouldn't Suck, and host of Sales Lead Dog. After two decades of rescuing CRMs, Chris explains what he checks first, how to run a simple self audit on your own CRM, why every spreadsheet is a risk to your business, how to strip out the complexity nobody uses, and how AI can take over the grunt work while making clean data more important than ever. If your team avoids the CRM or your data cannot be trusted, this conversation gives you practical next steps you can start on this week. Get Chris's free book at crmshouldntsuck.com and find every episode at entrepreneursunited.us/links.

Charlie Chase on Tough Feedback, Trust, Partners vs Maximizers, and Leading Through Uncertainty

This episode is for entrepreneurs and leaders who want to build a high performing culture without getting distracted by noise, ego, or short term profit grabs. John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann sit down with Charlie Chase, Chair of the International Franchise Association, CEO of FirstService Brands, and co-founder of CertaPro Painters, to unpack what separates leaders who "crush it" from those who coast.

What you'll walk away with:

Why tough feedback works only inside trust based relationships. The leadership basics Charlie sees consistently: people, persistence, and alignment. How great leaders prepare, practice, and learn to read the room. Why "profit maximizers" and personal maximizers are not partner worthy, and why sustainability matters more than squeezing the sponge. How to stay focused amid political friction, tariffs, social media distraction, and AI hype. What Charlie wants his transition and legacy to be: leave the enterprise whole so it does not slow down. The mentors who shaped him: Greg Clark for discipline and values, Jay Henick for partner mindset, and Paul Wolner for organizational thinking. Why charitable work builds perspective and leadership skill by immersing you with different people and problems.

Want to hear Charlie in person? He is our keynote speaker at the Entrepreneurs United Empowerment Experience (EUEE) in Puerto Rico this November. Click the link below and grab one of the last few spots to meet him in person!

Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliechase/

Hosted by John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann, Entrepreneurs United is built for founders and leaders who want straight talk on building businesses that actually work. New episodes every week.

https://entrepreneursunited.us/links/

Hosted by John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann, Entrepreneurs United is built for founders and leaders who want straight talk on building businesses that actually work. New episodes every week.

When the math says one thing and your life says another, which one do you follow?

Hosts John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann take on a decision every entrepreneur and leader faces: when to follow the wealth calculator and when to make the lifestyle decision. Inspired by the book Die with Zero by Bill Perkins, John explains why the idea keeps coming up in his conversations with entrepreneurs and leaders. This is not a book review.

Rich shares personal stories about his dad, his family, and the value of planning first and living well along the way. Together they explore what it looks like to weigh lifestyle against income, promotions, and the timing of a business sale.

What you'll walk away with:

A simple lifestyle test to run alongside the wealth calculator, why buying experiences and giving while you're alive can matter more than another line on a balance sheet, why over-saving has a cost, how to plan with a financial planner first so a lifestyle decision is a confident one, and how to live below your means without living so far below them that you stop enjoying the journey.

Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn: John St.Pierre at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnstpierre/ and Rich Hoffmann at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoffmann-rich/

Hosted by John St.Pierre and Rich Hoffmann, Entrepreneurs United is built for founders and leaders who want straight talk on building businesses that actually work. New episodes every week.

https://entrepreneursunited.us/links/