A Path to Freedom Through Process with Adi Klevit, Founder and CEO, BSCG
Adi Klevit is a business owner’s gateway to freedom. No, she doesn’t give you all the answers. She doesn’t make it easy. What she does is help you put the processes in place in your business so you can more confidently build a machine that will grow. What is a process? A process is a method of doing something repetitively in order to get the same result every time. Good process is tied to a clear goal that can be measured.
Many business owners toil “in their business” for years, unclear and unconfident in how they are going to “get out of it.” The problem usually comes down to:
- The wrong organizational structure for the business strategy; and
- A lack of well defined and documented processes and systems that make it clear to all what needs to be done to deliver your service or product.
For clarification, processes are part of systems. For example, you might have a system on how you answer the phone and take a message and transfer. Within that system are the processes for “how” to answer the phone, take the message and transfer.
As the founder of Business Success Consulting Group, Adi is a maniacal process person. Processes could focus on things like new employee onboarding, retention, customer experience, error exception handling, training, communication, etc. Wherever there is an area of responsibility, that gets documented in detail. Oh, you think that might be overkill because people know what they need to do? Think again. If you ever wake up at night concerned that if you lose that one employee that things will go off the rails, call Adi!
You’ll enjoy this Podcast episode with Adi—A good test for assessing whether you have the systems in place. Ask yourself these questions and see how it feels to answer them:
- Do you feel your business is organized?
- Do you feel calm?
- Do you feel like you know where everything is or how everything is being done?
- Do you have areas of confusion, uncertainty, overwhelm, overwork, and inefficiency?
Don’t give into the fallacy that your business is super unique and requires all kinds of bespoke processes. That’s the easy way out. Adi will help you simplify and streamline so that you can see a path to a business that doesn’t require a rocket science degree to understand.
If you want to grow your business and you are willing to look inside your organization for what needs to change in order to do that, consider having Adi join you as an ally. She will help you pave the freedom path. Learn more in our most recent podcast episode with Adi Klevit.
Special thanks to our sponsor, Stride Services, who provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounting and CFO Advisory services to growing professional service firms around the United States.
We are fortunate to have Adi available to spend time with us on this edition of Stride 2 Freedom. If there is a speaker you’d like us to interview, click here and let us know. Stay well. Stay safe. Stay healthy.
Show Notes and Links From Episode:
Adi Klevit LinkedIn |Â Business Success Consulting Group Website / LinkedIn | Adi Klevit Email
Episode Transcript:
Russell Benaroya: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Stride 2 Freedom podcast. I am your host, Russell Benaroya.
The Stride 2 Freedom podcast is about helping business leaders get and stay in their zone of genius. What is your zone of genius? It is that thing that you do that is uniquely yours to own, that you do so well that people say, “Huh, how do you do that?” And you say, “I don’t know, I just do because I get energy from it. I lose track of time.” And for many business leaders, it’s associated with driving growth and scale in the vision that they set out for when they started the business.
So, on the Stride 2 Freedom podcast, we bring on guests that help people get and stay in their zone of genius. Stride 2 Freedom is sponsored by Stripe Services, a back office, outsourced bookkeeping consulting, and fractional CFO services firm. Our zone of genius is helping people use data to make better business decisions.
Okay, let’s jump into today’s episode. Today we are talking with Adi Klevit. Hi, Adi?
Adi Klevit: Hello Russell. Thank you for having me.
Russell Benaroya: Such a pleasure. Adi is the founder and CEO of Business Success Consulting Group. And it’s the perfect name because Adi kind of says it like it is. And that also makes sense because Adi is an operational process and system design guru. She has this uncanny ability to simplify the most complex problems into manageable pieces.
Today, we’re going to be talking about the importance of processes and systems in scaling a professional service business. We have a principle at Stripe, by the way, which is to relentlessly pursue the creation of the impossibly perfect machine. And what that means for us is to think about how we put in place processes and systems that will endure and scale.
But there’s one really big problem associated with process and systems and Adi is going to help us untangle that. And I think as a business leader, you’ll appreciate it, which is people, humans.
Humans are so variable. It’s the variability of humans and putting humans in the mix that makes processes and systems so important, but oftentimes business owners wait to put those in place, and then struggle with achieving the level of freedom they want for the business they desire. So, Adi, are you going to help us untangle today?
Adi Klevit: Absolutely, and I agree with everything you said. By the way, we did a survey a few years ago of entrepreneurs and business owners. The first question was, what do you like most about being a business owner? And the number one answer was freedom.
But then we asked about the challenges; that’s where the challenges came in because that freedom, it was basically why did you want to become a business owner? What do you aspire for? What enticed you or what do you like the most about being a business owner? And it’s the freedom but then all the barriers that come with it. But definitely, freedom is a very important word for business owners.
Russell Benaroya: I really appreciate that. Let’s just level up for a second to acknowledge that for many entrepreneurs, it is that pursuit of freedom. And freedom is not just financial. Freedom is also about impact and purpose and passion and having the space to do that thing which you believe is a change you can make in the world. But so often, as entrepreneurs, we create this self-imposed cage of captivity, where what we thought was going to be our path to freedom becomes this path to this feeling of constraint.
And I’d like to suggest today and then I’ll give you the floor, one way to unlock that is to put really good processes and systems in place in your machine so that you’re not staying up at night worrying and freaking out that you’ve got single points of failure and nobody knows how to do anything, which means you feel like you have to get in and do everything. That’s not freedom.
Adi Klevit: No, that’s exactly right.
Russell Benaroya: Tell me about some scenarios where people call you in to help them. Maybe create a profile of a situation or circumstance where you’re brought in to really help unlock the cage.
Adi Klevit: Sure. The first characteristic we start with is let’s level up, let’s go to a higher level. So, the common denominator is somebody, a business owner, entrepreneur, or key executive that has that mindset of growing the business. Because if you don’t want to grow, you just want to be an employee in the business, then you don’t even go into processes and procedures. You will just keep doing what you’re doing every single day, and maybe it will happen, maybe it will not.
But if you decide you want to grow the business, that’s when you go, “Okay, I need to look at systems.” And it’s not just processes and procedures, it’s also financial systems like you help businesses with so they can be data-driven, so they can make the right decisions. So it’s really a matter of, okay, I want to scale and grow. Now, can I do it myself? Do I know how to do it? Well, I’ve been trying to do it, it’s not working, it hasn’t worked. I don’t have the time to do it. I need to bring some expert advice, so somebody that can actually do it.
And maybe instead of it either taking years or not being done at all, in a matter of months, I can have all my processes and procedures documented. So that’s really the mindset that is the common denominator of people that call us when they reach out to us. But the circumstances can be different. Somebody is maybe facing a merger and acquisition, and they want to make sure that their processes are well documented so when they acquire another firm, it’s all going to be combined together well.
Maybe somebody is growing and they need to train new employees. They need to onboard new employees and they don’t have the time or they want to train them correctly. It could be that they’re working 60, 70, 80 hours a week and they want that freedom of having enough time to work however many hours they would like to work, and also utilize the time to expand the business and strategize and create the future. That can be an option as well.
Employee retention is a big one because, especially in the employment market that we’re in right now, you want to retain your good employees. And in order to do that, they have to see that there is a process that is being followed, that there is predictability, there is consistency in operations, etc. So they feel the security that the business is going to expand.
And it’s also a matter of making sure that they can do what their genius zone is, like utilizing their genius zone and not having to do other things that they will become dissatisfied with and then leave the company. So that will be an example of retention.
Customer experience: you want to make sure you give the best customer experience. Well, you need to have processes and procedures for that. So, there are many reasons within the organization or within the growth or the stage organization is in that will trigger them reaching out and wanting processes and procedures. But I think the common denominator is wanting to scale, wanting to grow, and understanding that in order to do that, they need to have systems in place.
Russell Benaroya: Can we fly at like a fifth grade level for a second? So the fifth-grade question that I have for you is: what are we actually talking about when we talk about processes and systems? Like processes; are we talking about tasks, task lists? With systems, are we talking about software? Can you help us understand in an approachable way what this actually means? I don’t know if we all know.
Adi Klevit: I think it’s an excellent question because we definitely need to define it. Again, we’re looking at the lowest common denominator to all the systems and processes. What is it? It’s basically a method of doing something repetitively in order to get the same result every single time.
So let’s think about the process of when you wake up in the morning and make coffee or tea. The majority of us will do the same thing over and over in order to get the same results. Sometimes we might want to improve. Sometimes we hear about somebody doing it another way so we’ll try it. But it’s still a process with the same end result.
So a process is a sequence of actions that you take. Usually, you repeat them in order to get the same final result. And the final result has to be identified so we know that we achieved the goal and accomplished what we wanted to accomplish.
Russell, does that communicate in terms of simplifying what a process and system are? I’ll go into it more, but just as a common denominator, does that make sense?
Russell Benaroya: Yes, that makes sense. Can you then draw the distinction between processes that are a documented method or way of doing something repetitively to get a similar outcome, and then what’s the difference between the process and system? Is the system the enabling technology that allows for that to happen? And what might be an example of a system?
Adi Klevit: A system does not necessarily have to be software. Definitely, software is a system. So there are different definitions for the word system. The way I use system is basically, it’s a methodical way of doing something. So, systems and processes can be interchanged. Process is more about how we think about how we do certain actions, and that can be documented. But a system is basically a systematic way, or a way that you’re doing it that is thought of in advance and can be repeated to get the same results.
The way I look at it is that processes are part of your system. So, you can have different systems. You can have a system of answering the phone. So there is a process of how you answer the phone, but with that, there is also how you take a message and how you transfer a call to a voicemail, and then how you follow up on it. That can be a system on how you do that.
When we talk about systematizing a business, let’s say in this case, you have a system of answering the phone correctly every single time. Again, it can be interchanged with the process. You can have a system of how to record, let’s say you get paid by credit card, and you have to reconcile the credit card at the end of the day.
You have a system on how you do that, where you have a credit card system, like a computer if that will be part of your software. There is a process that you will follow to reconcile the account. There is a way that you will follow in order to batch it and to send information to your accountants. All those are systems that you have in place.
I think sometimes understanding something, it’s very helpful when you look at the opposite of it, like the lack of existence of systems. And then you can go, “Oh, okay, this is what a system is.”
Let’s say you’re a dental practice and you don’t have a system on how to talk to a new patient. So you talk to a new patient and you ask certain questions. Let’s say I’m talking to you, I’m the receptionist, you’re the new patient. And I’m asking you certain questions and noting them down on a piece of paper. Then the next patient calls and I ask a different set of questions. So maybe one or two of the ones that I asked before and then another one, and I write it on a notepad over here. Then somebody else calls and then I ask something else.
So, it’s not systematic. And I enter it into the computer at a different time, or I forget, or I write it in different places. It’s a very simplified example, but just so we think about it, okay we don’t have a system here.
But then the opposite of it is a dental practice that has a really good system on how to do the intake for new patients. So what they will do, the front desk will have a list of questions to ask and will actually go through the question one by one. Let’s say there are five of them. And note down the information, ideally, on a system on the computer and their software. So it’s set up correctly. Whenever a patient calls, it pops up on the screen, you can actually make notations of each one of the questions.
Then there are certain steps that you do in order to schedule the patient and then to start creating all the documentation that you need for the insurance or getting the data. So that is step by step, very predictable, very consistent for every single patient. So the experience is the same for the receptionist and also for the patient. No matter who you are, you’re going to get the same experience and you’re going to get asked the same questions.
Of course, we are human so you might be calling me because you need cleaning and I might be calling because I need a root canal. So we have different decision trees, but it’s very predictable. The main actions are very predictable. We know where the information is, we know where the data sits, how to enter it, etc.
So you see the difference of confusion and order between the first example and the second one. And I think that is a key component for our listeners to think of, where do I need systems? Where do I need processes? Well, the question to ask is, is your business organized? Do you feel like it’s organized? Do you feel calm? Do you feel like you know where everything is or how everything is being done? Or do you have areas of confusion, uncertainty, overwhelm, overwork, and inefficiency? That also can determine whether you have something systematized or not.
Russell Benaroya: Adi, let’s role-practice this. I’m a business owner, ‘Yes, but Adi, our business is different. We have all kinds of different customers, they have different needs, and we invoice a certain way. I can’t imagine how we could put systems and processes in place. We’re so different.”
Adi Klevit: If I had $1 for every time I heard that, I would be now… I wouldn’t say retired. I don’t want to retire because I love what I’m doing, but I would be very rich. So, I hear it all the time, as you can imagine. And it’s fine because especially as entrepreneurs we’re very proud of what we’ve developed or what we’ve created. It’s our baby and we can’t even conceive the idea that somebody else understands it, or has a similar thing.
You’re absolutely right and I don’t want to make less of people who think that they have their own way of doing things. Absolutely, it is correct. The only thing that I would like to offer a different perspective to think about is, how can we take your uniqueness and find a common denominator so we can actually document it. It doesn’t mean that your business is the same as another CFO or bookkeeping business.
I’m sure that there are things that are common, and some people want that commonality. They want us to come in and say, “Okay, what are the best practices that you know because you’ve worked with so many accounting firms?” And that’s totally okay as well. But some will say, “We’re unique. We’re a boutique company and we have our ways.” That’s totally fine.
But if we do not replicate what is so unique about your business, internally, not for outside purposes, you will never be able to grow. Because you are the only one who will be able to do the invoicing. You’re the only one who will be able to do the client intake. You’re the only one who will ever be able to deliver.
Russell, can you imagine if you were going to do the bookkeeping for all of your clients, and then also give them advice as CFO, and also do all the sales, networking, and whatever else? Well, you’re going to collapse. It’s not going to go anywhere. So, the thing is to realize that it can be done that and that is our genius zone.
Some of the things that I hear are like, “Well, how do you do that?” Well, it’s not a secret sauce that I don’t want to share, but it is the processes and procedures that we developed. I’d love for you to come and work with me, and I’ll show you, but this is how I trained our staff, our consultants so they can duplicate what I do. So we can actually extract that information, figure out what is the common denominator, and figure out how we can write it out in a way that it can be duplicated, it can achieve the consistency, it’s replicable. There are a lot of things that can be done and still maintain that uniqueness. Does that make sense?
Russell Benaroya: It does. If someone was listening to the show and they wanted to do a little self-assessment, you gave a couple of clues already. Like, ask yourself, do you feel organized? Or where might there be some common denominators? Is there a little self-assessment that you might share where you’d say, “Hey, ask yourself these few questions and that might be a good trigger of whether or not a firm like yours can be helpful”?
Adi Klevit: Sure, of course. The first question that I will ask is do you want to grow? You have to be really honest with yourself. Do you want to grow the business or do you want to remain a solopreneur or even a solopreneur with five employees or whatever it is? Do you want to grow? Do you honestly want to grow? That’s the first question.
The second question is, are you willing to change the way things are being done right now in order to grow? Not necessarily change your product or your services. Are you willing to do something different in terms of the management of the firm? Are you willing to do something different in terms of the way that you approach things, in terms of getting help? So in terms of delegating, hiring, and expanding.
And Russell, I know you help businesses in terms of not just the bookkeeping and the CFO, but also consulting them and getting them to see the vision, the strategy and really work with them on that. So, if the answer is, yes, I want to grow, but I’m not sure, they probably should contact you and you walk them through that. When we get to the point where they go, “Okay, yes, I want to grow, I want to scale and I’m willing to do what it takes in order to do that. And I know I have a strategy on how to do that.”
Then the next question to ask is, which area in your company if you had well-documented processes and procedures will get you the biggest return on investment? Now, let’s talk about return on investment for a second. Return on investment is not just money. I mean, obviously, at the end, you want to get to more profitability.
But return on investment can be spending more time with my family. Let’s say I work 80 hours a week; I can now work 60 or 40. Return on investment is to have the lifestyle that I want with the income that I want. Return on investment can be that now my employees are not quitting on me. Maybe I had that problem of not retaining good employees and now I have great retention, and I have a great team. Not able to hire the right team and now I have a great team. That’s a great return on investment. Or getting five-star reviews on Google. That’s a return on investment because the customer is experiencing the right customer journey.
I mean, obviously, it will all translate to more income, more profitability, but not just saying, “Return on investment is I’m going to grow my business by 20%.” Those are great numbers that we like to throw out there. But what I would challenge our listeners to do is to qualify and quantify the return on investment and not just make a generic statement, “Yes, I want to grow my business by 20%.” What are the milestones to get to that 20% increase in profitability?
Russell Benaroya: Let me interject with one quick observation. I bet there are few people listening that would say, “No, I don’t want to grow.” I think there’s a disposition for growth. However, growth is not a linear concept. And what I’m hearing you assert is it’s not just, do you want to grow, but are you willing to take the step function necessary, and the requisite investment to grow at a different trajectory?
And we’ve learned this, as I’m sure many businesses do, which is to go from a million to three million, from 3 million to 10 million, that is a fundamentally different organizational design, systems, and processes. That’s the commitment.
Adi Klevit: That’s true because, let’s say, your capacity, you can get to a million by yourself, or with a little bit of help. But then if you want to go to 3, 10, 20, 30, you need an organization around you. Even in our example of the dental practice, a solid dentist can get to 2 million depending on if they are specialists or not. Let’s say you get to 2 million with good hygiene, with good assistance, etc.
But what about the future? Do you want to grow more than that? You have to bring associates. Do you want to take a vacation? Do you want to live the lifestyle that you want? And not necessarily retirement and doing nothing, but maybe you want to travel somewhere and help people somewhere else. Or maybe you want to start another business.
All of that takes time. And if you are a slave to your business, you’re basically a very highly paid employee of your business. You’re going to have a problem achieving those things. So that’s why, to your point, the question is really what do you want and why do you want it?
Russell Benaroya: And let’s be objectively honest that you be more profitable at a $2 million business than you’re going to be at a $3 or $4 million business, but not as profitable as you’ll be at a $5 to $6 million business because some of the investment to make to get on that new trajectory does take time to be fully realized. And it is a willingness to make that commitment and a preparedness to do so. I’m sharing from experience.
Adi Klevit: For sure. I agree. Again, it’s an investment, it’s not spending.
Russell Benaroya: It’s not spending because, as my business partner likes to say, there are no expenses in business, there are only investments.
Adi Klevit: Correct. I guess they could be if you’re just wasting money. That can be viewed as an expense. But if you’re smart about it, it’s an investment. It’s also an investment into the future because a $3 million business will be worth more than a million-dollar business. And probably a $3 million business will be something that can be solved. Whereas a $1 million business, not always because it’s more dependent on an individual. If you’re a service provider, that’s usually what I encounter. It’s very dependent on an individual that can actually create that revenue.
But as you start growing, then you are forced to have the systems in place so you can have a second provider, a third provider, and the support staff that you need. That’s where you really make sure the systems are in place. And that’s something that can be created again and again. And that has value as well.
Russell Benaroya: Talk to me about the way you respond to this question or concern, which is, “Hey, the plane is already in the air. We’re already flying as a business and we’re now going to be doing some rebuilding of the plane while it’s in the air. What do I need to be prepared for as a business owner when your group comes in? How disruptive is it? Who’s involved? Do we need to figure out how to land the plane before it can take off again? ” Tell me about how to think about preparedness for your impact.
Adi Klevit: Sure. What we do and the number one rule is, if you already have a successful business, if you’re already flying, you are above the 10,000 feet, you are flying to your destination, it’s going to be very gentle in terms of the changes and what we look at. And we’re very careful not to change anything. That’s very important to us. We’re not there to tell you how to do things. We are there to observe, to learn, to document, and then make suggestions.
The suggestions that we make, that’s what we document first because you can see if the plane is actually going to go faster because of our suggestions. But if there is going to be any deviation, then it’s a problem. We don’t want to because you’re already successful.
So we don’t come there and say, “Okay, now we’re going to change everything.” No, the plane is in the air, let’s get it to the destination. We have so much at stake here and we don’t want to mess with it.
So, we observe very carefully, document, and understand why you’re doing each step that you’re doing. And that’s very important to get the why behind each step. That step might look like, “Oh, well, you know what, this is a waste of time. I don’t want to do that.” Let’s say the way that your receptionist answers the phone. Let’s say she spends 10 seconds chit-chatting with the customer and you go like, “I can save this 10 seconds because 10 seconds time this many customers is…” We should just go directly to ask the questionnaire.
Then you see that you’re not getting as many bookings. Why? Well, there was a change here. This was something that has been done for the last 10 years. And there is something here that maybe that’s what the customers tell each other, “Well, when you call in, they really care about you.”
So we need to understand why each step of the procedure is being done before we make any changes, especially if the plane is in the air. Now, if the plane didn’t take off or can’t get above the 10,000 feet or has a hard time reaching the destination, then we take action to see what’s happening here. That’s also you from your business coaching part and working with data. It’s not just our component; there is a whole holistic view of the business.
The point is it really depends on what stage you’re at. And if you have something that is going or something that is working really well, we are there to not change it but to replicate it, to identify the points that got you to fly the plane that fast. You can look at it as a whole ocean of things that you are doing. But you bring us on to identify what are the main drops inside that ocean that can actually get you to the destination every single time in the most efficient way?
It might be that you’re flying this plane, but the next one takes off, and then it doesn’t arrive at the destination. And then another one doesn’t even take off. So, is it a fluke? Is it just lack? Or is it that really you know what you’re doing? That’s where we come in to identify those steps so that every single time you’re starting to take off, you’re going to arrive at the destination at the exact amount of time, safely, and correctly.
Russell Benaroya: How do companies work with you? Do you tend to work on a project basis for a fixed period of time? How does it work?
Adi Klevit: It depends on what is needed. If they want to only document a portion of the company, that would be a project. They’re all projects, but there are projects that take three months; there are projects that take a year. It really depends on what the company wants.
The way that we usually work is if it’s really a specific project where you go, “I want to document my sales process, ” that will be a fixed price.
We didn’t talk about that, but there is no point in writing processes and procedures without actually implementing them. You can create the most beautiful processes, and nobody uses them. So, we always work on the implementation and make sure they’re being followed by all. It’s basically being part of the culture of the organization to use processes and procedures in order to deal with issues or problems. It’s part of the habit of the organization.
So, if you want the entire package of designing the processes, creating them, and implementing them, then we basically work it’s more of a month to month engagement. Let’s say we have an engagement. We assess the scope of work and say, “This probably will take about 9 to 12 months,” and we charge monthly.
Russell Benaroya: We use Asana at Stride to manage most of our processes. It creates a lot of transparency around workflow. And there are technologies that have come out over the last couple of years that really help organizations get visibility around process and cross-functional workflows.
Are there any pieces of software that you found that if somebody was like, “I’d love to try some stuff, I’d like to create a little bit more improvement in my workflow and I’d love a piece of software”? Are there are any software solutions out there that you’re like, “We really like this,” Or, “I have found to be particularly useful”?
Adi Klevit: Absolutely. And they can be different categories. In terms of the processes, there are two types of software. There is task management and that’s Asana. I love Asana, Monday, ClickUp, and I use them internally as well to manage workflows. I have my workflows very well-identified within the company. I have a whole process just like you do on how to schedule guests, how to prepare for the interview, all the post-interview follow-up, etc.
So, we have a whole workflow. We use ClickUp, which is very similar to Asana. We have a workflow and then my assistant can go in and he does whatever he needs to do. Then our podcast producers do whatever they need to do. My marketing person then follows up on her steps. So, this is workflow management which is very important, and it has to be based on your processes.
We also have a whole category of software that we use internally and also document processes for clients, which is basically the platform where it’s your knowledge base. Think about it like a textbook.
Let’s say, for instance, you’re taking a class. You have a textbook and the textbook is organized in a way that is easy to follow, and very easy to find. Probably now, you look at it more like an electronic textbook, where you have a great search function, where you can assign different parts of the knowledge to different people to review and read. It has version control, which is very important.
It has different levels of ability to assign different levels of users. So you can have an admin, you can have a person that can just read, you can have a person that can make suggestions. You also should have the function of periodical reviews, where every six months, it triggers you to go in and review the processes. So they are kept alive and they’re being reviewed. It also has the functionality of signing off on processes. So when you have a new employee, you know that they are actually going through it.
Ideally, they will also have a testing ability so you can actually test the employee quizzes, practical exercises, etc. That kind of software is different from task management software. And yes, you can use task management software and you can create your processes there, but those are two different platforms.
I would recommend both. You definitely have to have your task management. I will not be able to function and run my business without task management software because that’s how we live, that’s how we communicate.
The process documentation platforms; there are several that I like. I like SweetProcess, I use welle.io, and I like Trainual. Those are my three favorite ones. I have experience with all of them. I’m a certified consultant for Trainual. I’ve done many projects on Welle, many projects on SweetProcess. We know the ins and outs of all of those softwares. But I definitely recommend having a process documentation software and not just putting it in folders in Google Drive because that is dangerous. You can lose the information, there is no version control, and searchability is not as robust as one of those platforms.
And on those platforms, it already has the templates on how to create good processes. So it’s very easy. You see that and you go, “I want to learn more about it.” As opposed to reading a three-page document. And you can integrate videos, screenshots, links to a podcast, for instance. You can actually use all the methods of learning within the platform which makes it very easy to understand and use.
Russell Benaroya: Perfect. The last question for you is, what is a question that you wish people asked you that they typically don’t, but you’d love to use it as a springboard to share something about why what you do is important or a little bit more about you or get under the hood of what it means to run a business like yours and support the kind of clients you do?
Adi Klevit: I would love for people to talk about the future, like a year from now. Usually, I am the one who is asking that question. But I’d like to start every conversation with, let’s say we are doing this project together. A year from now, what should I expect? And, of course, I would like to hear what the expectations are. I’d like to also paint the ideal situation or the ideal outcome and see if that is something that that person is interested in.
Because the ideal outcome should be that you’re now able to live the lifestyle that you want with the income that you want. It’s not always like, “Okay, I want free time.” You might want to start more businesses. You might want to volunteer. You might want to spend more time with your family. That would be an ideal outcome. Another ideal outcome would be that you are able to hire the people that you want.
I’ll give you an example. I have a client, we just finished a project for them, and they are a property management company. And before we started working with them, they had to hire people with experience that didn’t necessarily align with our core values and culture because they needed somebody to actually execute the processes that were not written or come with some knowledge of processes because they weren’t able to train on the processes. They just had to bring somebody with experience.
And we documented and created those uniform procedures based on seven property managers, getting their information, sitting them together in a room, combining it all together, and creating the company way on how to do things and get their agreement. Then the owner said, “Wow, now I can hire people that align with my core values and that fit our culture because I can train anyone.” I think that is an ideal outcome that I would like to see for every single client. Then you can be in control of your business.
You can get that freedom that you so want because you have a machine that you can drive.
You have a nice, beautiful expensive car that you can drive expertly and you don’t feel like there are things that you don’t understand and sometimes it does things that you’re not in control of.
Russell Benaroya: You were the perfect guest for the Stride 2 Freedom podcast because that’s what we’re talking about. We’re talking about freedom and freedom unlocks in so many different ways.
And where I think it unlocks with the greatest amount of impact and scale across the organization is oftentimes that area that many business owners just don’t want to pay attention to or don’t put energy into because it’s not their genius zone. In fact, for many CEOs, this is the biggest area of energy drain but it is also the place where they’re going to get the most leverage. I’m so happy that BSCG, Business Success Consulting Group, is here to help clients do that in a way that feels really approachable and achievable.
Adi Klevit: Thank you. An analogy to that is like a kitchen remodel. You have to be willing to go through it. It’s painful not having a kitchen and going through the dust and the noise and everything. But in the end, the final result if you really design it correctly, you’re going to get the kitchen of your dreams that will stay there for years to come. And it was worth it.
So it’s either you’re going to do it yourself or you hire a professional. And that’s also the choice that people can have. I agree with you. As business owners, we tend to be the visionaries, wanting to go out there and talk to people. And it’s great to get freedom, stay in your genius zone, but do the other things that you need to do in a business in order to be successful.
Russell Benaroya: Adi, thank you so much for being here today. I wanted to unlock this topic of process and systems. As I said, you were the perfect contributor to the topic. Thank you everybody for listening this week. I’m Russell Benaroya. This was the Stride 2 Freedom podcast. We will see you on the next show. Have a good day. Thanks again, Adi.
Adi Klevit: Thank you.
Russell Benaroya: Bye
