WHERE THOUSANDS OF ENTREPRENEURS LEARN HOW TO GROW WEEKLY
How to Navigate the Uncertainty In Business Today; How to Recession-Proof Your Venture; Why A Social Contract is Key for Your Business
Get the tea from these seasoned founders, VCs, coaches and consultants: Alex Batdorf, Christina Blacken, Jean-Pierre Adechi & John Frame
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
Hey, It's Alex! 💛
Welcome to your Weekly Traction Briefing - your 5-min weekly growth playbook where we break down what's happening in business, how to Get Sh!t Done, and how to grow. If this briefing is helpful to you, share it with your friends so they can grow with you & thousands of other entrepreneurs.
🍵 THIS WEEK'S TEA
It's officially Q2 2023! So much sh!t went down last quarter from wondering if we are in a recession even though the economy grew, banks collapsing to more crypto scams (are we really surprised?). Being inundated with tech layoffs left and right from companies that could've prevented it by not chasing growth for growth's sake. Hearing about quiet quitting which is really just a cover up for Quiet firing. And being introduced to a woman co-founded game-changing tool while questioning the lack of ethical building in tech now that there's a fear that AI will take over the world. This has surfaced a lot of angst for the collective. What is it really though? A fear of uncertainty. I've spent plenty of time with my therapist (Heyyyy Clara) trying to regulate my nervous system through uncertainty. It can feel super shitty when there are already so many unknowns building a biz. But here's what I can tell you from building 3 businesses in deep moments of uncertainty - whatever is coming up for you is calling you to acknowledge your needs and what ACTUALLY matters to YOU. Those feelings of exhaustion and depletion are signs that we aren't building in alignment with our vision of impact. When we're not careful, we end up building on someone else's terms. Look - I get it! I resigned from my own multi-million dollar business because it was no longer aligned with my vision of impact. At the time, people thought I was nuts because of what it looked like on paper but that piece of paper and accolades won't stop those unsettling feelings you get when you're not building on your terms. So as we navigate Q2 2023, I want us to embrace uncertainty. Ask yourself - How do I want to build? What does that need to look like for me to be my best? What do I need to get it done? Then call on your tribe to help you.
🎙️ Speakers: Alex Batdorf, Christina Blacken, Jean-Pierre Adechi, John Frame
🧾 Receipts: These seasoned founders, VCs, coaches, and consultants bring together years of collective expertise in building and expanding startups, while also supporting fellow founders and entrepreneurs in growing their own ventures. They've got the insider knowledge and practical tips to help you grow.
💸 HERE'S YOUR TRACTION BRIEFING
Are We In A Recession? If We Are, How Can Founders Adapt?
Confront Reality, Plan Ahead - "When it comes to dealing with uncertainty, it's a matter of perception. This means that, as a founder, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself, your co-founders, and your team to understand what type of product/service you're bringing to the market. Because, recession or not, there are products and services that tend to be closer to necessities. Once you can evaluate where you are on that spectrum, you must then plan to see how you can position yourself to either sustain or grow your business. Ask yourself if there is an opportunity to introduce a new product line, a new service line, or pivot the company as a whole." Jean-Pierre Adechi. Learn more HERE.
🛠️ MORE TOOLS TO GET IT DONE: HERE's How To Position Your Business As Essential During Uncertain Times.
How Employees Can Navigate The "Year of Efficiency"
Strategically Position Yourself - "It's going to be an interesting time for people, particularly knowledge workers, as they start to think about their value and worth. They will need to contemplate how their careers will evolve moving forward and how to position themselves as organizations, with a focus on taking advantage of emerging opportunities." John Frame. Embracing a proactive mindset and continually developing new skills will be key for workers to stay competitive. In this new era, it's crucial for individuals to think like entrepreneurs, creating a unique value proposition and fostering connections that maximize their potential. HERE's how you can do this.
🛠️ MORE TOOLS TO GET IT DONE: Learn the benefits of beta testing and how it can help you increase your user base HERE.
How Can Founders Build A Better Eco-Sytem?
Develop A Social Contract - Building better ecosystems in business starts with companies taking their social responsibilities seriously and striving to make a positive impact in the communities they operate in. A strong social contract in business is crucial for building better ecosystems and promoting sustainable growth. It helps to align the interests of companies, their stakeholders, and society at large, and ensures that businesses operate in a responsible and ethical manner. Companies that take their social responsibilities seriously are not only more likely to succeed in the long term, but also play a crucial role in promoting a better and more just society. Learn more HERE.
🛠️ MORE TOOLS TO GET IT DONE: Learn the new social contract of business— why today’s brands have an obligation to act HERE.
RSVP TO THIS MONTH'S TRACTION TRAINING
Wednesday, April 5th @ 7:30 pm EST: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome with Lisa Conners. RSVPThursday, April 13th @ 2:00 pm EST: How to Secure Government Funding & Navigate the Process with Inspiralia. RSVP.
Wednesday, April 19th @ 2:00 pm EST: How to Secure Government Contracts with Allison Miller & Charmain Bogue. RSVP
Friday, April 21st @ 6:00pm EST: How to Grow with Digital Marketing on a Budget with Reva Minkoff. RSVP
Wednesday, April 26th @ 2:00 pm EST: How to Monetize Your Intellectual Property with Bianca Robinson. RSVP
THIS WEEK'S GROWTH GUIDE
Learn how to successfully set up systems to recruit talent and help them win so they can help you grow your company.
Learn how to scale by mastering different growth channels in the Traction Library.
🤗 BECOME A MEMBER: Ready to grow you? Join a powerful, hyper-connected, and supportive network helping you grow your business, reduce overwhelm, and teaching you how to hit goals consistently. Explore our membership HERE.
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With Love & Impact,
Alex Batdorf
Chief Get Sh!t Done Officer
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How to Scale & Prioritize Impact: Building A Sustainable Business Model with Bianca Tylek, Founder & Executive Director Worth Rises
Learn from Bianca Tylek, Founder & Executive Director of Worth Rises.
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
Hey, It's Alex!
🍵 Here's Your Weekly Tea
Do you want equity or do you want power? This is a question I ask founders often. As visionaries, we tend to have grandiose ideas about "changing the world" where we are the "good guy." In our narratives about changing the world, we may not realize when we have taken on the same tactics of the "bad guys" in order to get ahead. This keeps oppressive systems in place. Growth at all costs will either kill your business, kill your soul, or kill both. I'm sure that sounds pretty dramatic but it's real. We have watched how growth at all costs has tainted the business ecosystem through mass layoffs, founders going to prison, burnout, and don't even get Greta started on climate change. Growth at all costs doesn't create equity. When your company strives for growth at all costs, it's a co-sign enabling oppressive systems to thrive as long as you receive the benefits as an individual despite the harm it does to everyone else. That's not equity. That's greed. So be real - do you want equity or do you want to trade places with the oppressor? Choose wisely.
Let's get into your weekly briefing!
💸 HERE'S YOUR TRACTION BRIEFING
Founder: Bianca Tylek | Company: Worth Rises | Location: New York, NY
Receipts: Bianca Tylek is the ultimate prison reform powerhouse! With a background in finance and years of experience in the criminal justice field, she's taking on the prison industry one victory at a time. From making jail phone calls free to blocking a major merger and denying prison profiteers millions of dollars, Bianca is making a real difference for inmates and their families.
Here's your traction playbook...
How Startups Can Approach Growth & Its Effects On Their Ecosystem
What's Your Impact? - " The question is: If you are really as smart as you think you are and if you have quite the idea that you think you do, can you do it without taking others around you down? Can you do it while building others around you up? Can you do it while building communities and those that have the least? "- Bianca Tylek. At a time when the corporate world is increasingly focused on profit and growth, Bianca's message is a refreshing reminder that companies have a responsibility to consider their impact on society and the environment. While growth is still core to an organization's longevity, if it comes at the cost of the greater good of the community or individuals - then that organization will not last. It's time to think beyond just scaling up and focus on the impact your growth has on the ecosystem. With a little bit of planning and a lot of intention, you can make sure that your growth not only benefits your business but also the community around you. Here are her recommendations for how companies should approach growth and scale.
🛠️ TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are the keys to making a big impact as a startup. How businesses test and learn through experiments here. How to tap into meaningful relationships to scale impact. Learn from Susan McPherson, CEO of McPherson Strategies here.
How To Create Accountability Within Your Organization
Embrace Radical Candor - Radical candor is the key to ethical accountability! Let's be real, being a business leader comes with a lot of responsibility and it can be tough to make the right decisions all the time. But if you create an open and honest line of communication, you don't have to do it alone. When you surround yourself with people who are willing to be honest and transparent, it helps you stay accountable to your values and make the right choices. You need a team of people who will tell you what you need to hear, even if it's not what you want to hear. And that's how you'll be able to make the best decisions for your company and your community. Learn more here.
🛠️ TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
How to challenge people without being a jerk. Get an in-depth guide here. How startups can create accountability in there organizations Here's what Candice Cook, Chief Strategy Officer recommends.
How Companies Can Stay Accountable when Others Are Not
Define What Success Looks Like To You - Beyond The Financial - "At Worth Rises, we don’t view scaling as the goal. We view impact as the goal. Our organization will only be as big as the problem needs us to be." - Bianaca Tylek. It's all too easy to get caught up in the rat race and lose sight of what truly matters. But with a clear sense of purpose, you'll be able to stay focused and make decisions that align with your values. This means taking a long-term view and thinking about the impact your business has on the community, the environment, and society as a whole. Early on, Bianca knew that financial success would not be their primary measure of success for her company. And although not many companies can take this approach, it's important to identify why your company exists and who it serves. This will help you create non-financial goals that will still have an impact on the society.
Support Bianca in Scaling Impact: You can find Bianca here and you can also learn more about Worth Rises here.
🤓 ACCESS YOUR TRACTION LIBRARY: Need to acquire more customers? Need to improve your pitch? Need to get more money in the bank? Learn how to scale by mastering different growth channels. Access the Get Sh!t Done Traction Library HERE.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Join our community membership waitlist here.
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👩💻Tech-Enabled Vs Tech-Led: Find Out Which Approach Built A $Multi-Million Business with Nicole Wood, co-founder Ama La Vida
Learn from Nicole Wood, co-founder of Ama La Vida
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
"We’re focused on tech to the extent that it helps improve that experience but we’re not being hindered by the technology. We’re definitely investing in it, we’re focused on it, but it still comes down to the human experience and why people are here." - Nicole Wood
Hey, It's Alex!
It seems like everyone and their mama wants to start a revolutionary tech startup.
While new technology will always be important, the core of your company should always be to serve an unmet need. Your customers come first, not your tech.
The best companies have used technologies to create unmatched experiences that make life easier.
What you'll find in this traction briefing:
How a high-touch (aka white glove) business approach can be a major key to success.
How using a tech-enabled approach and not a tech-first approach is better.
How experimentation sets the stage for future excellence.
The rise and fall of Peloton
Founder: Nicole Wood | Company: Ama La Vida | Location: Chicago, Illinois
Where was she before Ama La Vida?
Before Ama La Vida Nicole Wood dove head-first into a career in management consulting. After hustling and networking with people from her alma mater, she landed what she considered to be her dream job. She quickly realized that it really wasn't what she thought it would be. As she rose through the ranks in her career, her company assigned her to a leadership coach who helped her gain a clearer vision of her career.
Problem
After sessions with her leadership coach, she realized just what a wonderful resource coaching is and wondered why the heck more people weren't leaning on coaches to help guide their decisions. Ama La Vida was born from her desire to help more people access the benefits that she received from coaching. Their name is Spanish for "helping people love life" - and that is what her team helps people do!
Here's what you'll learn...
How A White Glove Approach Worked For Her Business
Premium Service For Brand Loyalty: It's 2022 and doing the bare minimum when it comes to your customers' experiences just won't cut it. Your customers have experienced quality service and they expect it from all businesses. White-glove service isn't just for high-value clients, it's for all your clients.
Lesson -No matter what industry you are in, there's competition left, right and center. To make a mark on your customers, you need to be able to offer quality service. Go over and above what the rest are doing. When starting out her business, Nicole Wood was extremely keen on ensuring her coaches had quality service and quality experience. That meant that she had to offer additional services that were not offered by her competitors. That has given her business an edge that other competitors still do not have till this day. To learn more about how to apply a white-glove approach to increase brand loyalty, click here.
Learn why high touch can be transformative here.
How A Tech-Enabled Approach Proved Better Than A Tech-Led Approach
Tech-Enabled Over Tech-Driven: Winning a competition is easier when you have a headstart. That's great news if your new tech is the first one on the playground. Unfortunately, that also doesn't guarantee longevity. Inevitably, there will be new players who can offer the same if not better. A tech-enabled approach on the other hand uses technology to create new user-experiences that simply make life easier and better.
Lesson - Your customers don't care about your AI, or how revolutionary your tech is. They care that your tech can serve their needs. Bottom line! Focus on improving your customers' experience and how technology can effectively do that. A successful tech-enabled approach is at its core customer-centric. Ama La Vida successfully used a tech-enabled approach to improve their coaches' experiences. As a result, they have created a platform that is desirable within their market. Learn more about how they did this here.
Here's why your brand needs to become tech-enabled
How Experimentation Sets The Stage For Future Excellence
It's Never A Perfect Science: As founders we're naturally overachievers. That means that the risk of failure can stop us from making key decisions. We always need to feel ready and we need to have everything in order before jumping into any thing. The good or the bad news is - you'll never be 100% ready, so just do it!
Lesson - "A lesson that I’ve had to learn. There are very few inherently bad or good ideas. It’s what’s the right thing for your business at its place in its evolution. " - Nicole Wood. No, we're not here to validate your choices. We're letting you know that you will make a ton of mistakes but those mistakes will put you one step closer to success. For Nicole Wood, simply trusting that things will work out at the end is what saw her through her mistakes. As one of our Traction Queens once said, Fail Fast and Fail Forward! Learn how to successfully use experimentation to grow your business here.
Here's Your Weekly Tea
The Rise And Fall Of Peloton
Peloton has gone through some high highs and some devastating lows. Even though investors expected a rough quarter for the company, it was nothing as bad as what was seen last week. With losses of $757 million this quarter, how did this pandemic marvel fall so fast?
Quarantine is long gone: The pandemic led to exponential growth for the company. We're talking about a 66% increase in sales and whopping 94% increase in subscribers!!!With no access to gyms and outdoor workout classes, Peloton was it. Peloton increased their production all the while overestimating demand, especially once restrictions were lifted.
Competition: While Peloton was the pandemic darling, competitors like Echelon and iFit were on the rise. Their subscriptions rates were cheaper while still providing similar products. Although Peloton had a cult-like following, consumers still wanted to save some coin.
Controversy: It seemed like Peloton was always in the media and not for the right reasons. From black staff members complained about unequal pay, to their CEO throwing parties amid plummeting stock prices, the company was in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Key Takeaway: Overconfidence precedes carelessness. At the end of the day, Peloton overestimated the demand for their product. As a result, they overspent on logistics and were left with supply chain challenges that will take a while to unravel.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Gain 50k Customers!: Finding customers is one thing, but retaining them is another. Find out here how one of our queens was able to successfully attract and retain 50k customers!
Tech-Enabled Vs Tech Driven: Find out why a tech-enabled approach is always better here.
Build A Strong Company Culture: A positive company culture greatly reduces attrition. Learn the 7 ways to build a strong company culture here.
The Discipline Of Experimentation: Trying out new strategies can be scary. Here are a few success stories to motivate you to take that leap.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.
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Raising $19 Million, Recruiting Amazing Talent & Making it Equitable with Kaitlynn Knopp, founder Pequity
Learn from Kaitlyn Knopp, founder of Pequity.
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
"Your first few hires need to have hunger. Hunger to accomplish and to achieve is critical. They are the ones that are going to build the baby." - Kaitlyn Knopp
Hey, It's Alex!
I know....ain't nobody gonna love your company more than you do.
But the right people on your team are an invaluable asset. Beyond their resume and their accomplishments, early-stage companies need people who not only believe in the mission but see themselves growing with the company and continuing to master their craft. Their dedication to the mission and their growth helps the company hit goals.
"Stay hungry. Stay foolish." You need that right mix of drive and talent.
But if I had to choose - I'd pick drive every time because most talent can be taught.
What you'll find in this traction briefing:
How to identify the right hires for your company.
The right strategies bootstrapped startups can employ to find talent in an increasingly competitive market.
How to show potential investors the value that comes with investing in your business.
The recklessness of startup layoffs.
Founder: Kaitlyn Knopp | Company: Pequity | Location: San Francisco, CA
Where was she before Pequity?
Before Pequity, Kaitlyn worked as a compensation analyst for several years. She worked with established companies like Google and with rising startups like Cruise. She then worked as a consultant helping different comps analytics teams build workflows and processes around compensation.
Problem
In her time as a consultant, she realized that the systems she'd already created and mastered could be leveraged across many businesses, especially smaller companies that do not have dedicated compensation teams. This could be templatized for scale.
Motivated by wanting to close pay gaps pay and her desire to help companies save thousands of dollars, Pequity was born. Pequity creates efficient workflows that reduce friction between paid data and paid decision-makers.
Here's what you'll learn...
How To Find The Right Hires For Your Company & Make it Equitable
Train And Trust Your Gut: Easier said than done! It goes without saying that trying to find the right hires for your company can be a nerve-wracking process. Honestly, you won't always get it right. So how do you reduce your possibility for errors? Train your gut.
Lesson - Instinct is a powerful decision-making tool! Let's face it - potential hires only let you see what they want you to see. A candidate might look great on paper, but they turn out to be the wrong fit for your company. Although there's no fool-proof strategy to finding the perfect hire - your gut rarely lies. Pay attention to your first thought on a candidate. For Kaitynn, that means following up on any doubts she has on a candidate. Speaking to former colleagues to get their real perspective. To learn more about how to find your next perfect hire, click here.
Learn how to hire like-minded candidates and reduce attrition here.
How To Compete With Big Biz For Top Hires
Build A Strong Culture: Can you afford that $300k salary that Netflix passes out like cheap receptionist candy? Probably not... and if you can, spill the tea, friend! Now, Large corporations are paying higher salaries than ever before. Not only are they paying more but the benefits that they provide are also pretty sweet. What is a smaller company or startup to do?
Lesson - Create a strong company culture! And no - I'm not talkin' about having a kegger and happy hour every Friday because that's not culture building. Would you want to work as an employee in your own company? While pay will always be important, today's employees are looking beyond their paychecks. What are your company's values? Are there non-monetary benefits that you can provide? Although Pequity could not compete with industry heavy weights, Kaitlyn and her co-founder offered employees additional benefits like investing in their continued education and giving them flexible working hours. Learn how your company can compete with larger companies for talent here.
Walk It Like You Talk it To Secure the Bag
It's All About Numbers: You're not running a charity and investors don't owe you a check. If you're in alignment with your investors, you all want to see a return on investment in the form of monetary and non-monetary impact. In order to show that you're on the same page, you gotta walk it like you talk it to secure the bag.
Lesson - "At the end of the day dollars shut up doubters, and if you can put dollars on the board, you’re going to be able to impress people." - Kaitlyn Knopp. Show potential investors why your company is worth investing in. Have your numbers in order! Cash is king when it comes to securing VC funding! This is how Kaitlyn was able to raise. She had the traction and could show how it was growing. Learn how to walk the talk here.
Learn how to communicate traction to investors like a BOSS here.
Here's Your Weekly Tea
The Recklessness of Startup Layoffs
"It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Every week we hear about mass layoffs from high-growth startups like Reef, Glossier, Cameo, Noom, On Deck, Robinhood, Avo, etc. The list is freakishly long. We're not talking about a few people, we're talking about 600+ companies and 100K+ layoffs. Don't believe me? Check out this database of layoffs and the rising trend since the beginning of the pandemic.
Chasing Ridiculous Valuations & Statuses: The recklessness of startups scaling fast to chase ridiculous valuations and statuses has to stop and BOTH founders AND funders are culpable for fueling this toxic rat race.
The Price Paid with Human Livelihood: The scale for scale's sake has major consequences that mostly impact the people who were willing to believe in the company and its leaders by offering their time and talent. Ping ponging with people's livelihoods is unacceptable.
Weaponizing "Pivot" & "Strategy" as Scapegoats for Bad Behavior: Mass layoffs are NOT "strategy". This is simply scale without integrity that hides behind mantras like "high risk, high reward" to dismiss bad behavior.
Key Takeaway: We get to choose how we operate businesses and how we choose is a reflection of what we value as leaders. Continuing to choose a path that dishonors people is a sign that those "vision" statements that most startups preach to "make the world a better" place is as fake as these valuations. This model adds no value. We can do better.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Turn an Investor "No" To A "Yes"!: There's nothing easy about fundraising. Learn here how one of our queens was able to turn an investor no to a hell yes!
Hire Quickly And Easily: Hiring takes time and resources away from your company. Get the tools to help you hire faster here.
Build A Strong Company Culture: A positive company culture greatly reduces attrition. Learn the 7 ways to build a strong company culture here.
Outsource While You Bootstrap: Outsourcing is a great way of finding highly educated and experienced talent within your budget. Learn how Outsource Global has mastered how to do this here.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.