Xtra Mile Resources

Tips and tricks to have your open job position noticed by high-quality candidates

We ask this same question in our feedback forms, 1-1 conversations, and post-workshop check-ins. If you've served well and relieved the pain for your clients, then referrals have the potential to be your strongest source of new business. That's why asking for a warm introduction is a built-in part of our process – we don’t want to miss the best opportunities we just haven't met yet. XTRA MILE TRUTH: Your clients, fans, and referral partners want to see you grow, but they're

One of our major construction client deals closed in 63 days from first contact. During that time, we listened. We waited. We added value to their most aching pain first. We didn't jump to a pitch or talk about our credentials. For them, reaching out to us felt easy, non-committal, like calling a trusted friend. On our side, a strong process was already in-action. Straight from our 4-R Sales Process (full video on each sales step HERE ), we patiently engaged in the Build the

If you are a business owner, you are in SALES. Rejection is a natural part of sales. Even the best salespeople fear rejection. The difference is: top sales generators stop hiding behind excuses. They show up with confidence by Unpacking their Head Trash and Adopting an Effective Sales Process . “No one wants to be SOLD, but everyone loves to buy.” -Jeffrey Gitomer, The Little Red Book of Sales On top of rejection, sales brings additional Head Trash because of how we have bee

In the startup/foundation phase, an A+ client is anyone willing to sign a check. But if you take every dollar that walks through the door, you’ll end up with a stressed team and minimal (if any) profit. Get comfortable grading your clients to kill two birds with one stone: refine your business’s ‘ideal client’ profile and track which marketing spokes are actually worth reproducing. Client quality controls your growth. We once spent months finding an EA for a client who foug

When we started this business 20 years ago, I just wanted marketing to work like the manufacturing processes I had led for decades. Input. Action. Result. The frustration I experienced and still struggle with today is that marketing is the most non-linear process in my business. The activities that gave us fruit for two years stop working. Then a random encounter on a bike ride leads to one of our biggest contracts ever. How do we know what to work on? Here are a few things w

Hard XM Truth 💊: If you don’t want to learn Marketing and Sales, you should probably go work for someone who does. Coming fresh off strategic planning in time for the new year (if you haven't yet, check out our full Youtube series HERE ), we're focusing the next few weeks on the fundamentals of Business Development for Business Owners. The evolution from startup to foundation-building depends on revenue growth xceleration. And we can’t sustain the next level of revenue for

The fastest way to kill momentum in a growing business? Run out of people right when your revenue expansion is creating new opportunities. If you’ve done the work to build your Quarterly Plan  (insights into how HERE ), you know where you're going. But if you don't have enough of the right people, with the right training, in the right positions, that plan will likely fall apart before April. Question 6:  Who Does What? Now, imagine your business has doubled. Draw out the org

According to a study by the Project Management Institute:   Teams focused on three or fewer critical objectives see a  23% higher success rate in project completion than teams managing six or more at once.   If your team has done the SWOT work from last week’s lesson (click HERE to review), it's time to start laying out our strategic work into a plan for 2026. Your tactical/technical teammates are probably scratching their heads right now, overwhelmed while looking at this

We were preparing for a Strategic Planning Session with the high-D president of a financial advisor team. He was already laying out detailed priorities for the coming year. So I asked him, “Do you trust me? Let’s not put too many details into the plan until we go through the process.” I had been listening to his leaders in our Managers to Leaders training, and I knew he wasn’t hearing them. When we facilitate these planning sessions, we usually start with Where are we now? F

The danger of NO VISION is that your team scatters and works in silos. Without a clear, long-term destination, you're all just driving without a map. This is why low buy-in often precedes high turnover : when people can’t see the big picture and the end game, they stop showing up fully. Vision is the story of where you are going . And here is where most growing businesses stall: they mistake tactical goals for Vision. As owners, it has to be our job to connect the team’s d

TLDR: Don't let cultural fog become your growth ceiling. Stop using corny "wall art" values like 'Integrity' and 'Teamwork'. Instead, define 4-6 sticky, unique principles that truly reflect your company. These phrases must become your operating system, used actively to hire, coach, and make tough decisions (even firing high-performers) to protect the culture you need to scale successfully. KEEP READING for actionable, step-by-step tips, a comprehensive Values tool, and que

Would it sting to know your team is whispering, “There’s no point to any of this”? This feeling could be circulating right now, behind closed doors and around the water cooler. Lacking motivation is actively draining your team's energy and desire to give their best every day. We worked with a finance firm that kept losing people. The founder was confused: he had great benefits and ran a relaxed office with lots of freedom. But his problem wasn't about the strong environment h

When I was 23 years old, with 1 year of active duty experience, I was tasked with conducting an annual evaluation of my platoon sergeant. He was 35 years old, had 14 years of service in the Army, married, and had three children. What could go wrong? Why would he even listen to me? The […]

This is the line a General Superintendent we work with says when his leaders complain about performance problems within their operations. It is a simple accountability reminder that our go-to tool for fixing performance problems should be immediate, effective, and impromptu feedback. If you’ve done the work to build respect and trust within your team and have […]

Besides steady bonuses and promotions, how does your team know that they are Appreciated and that you Recognize them? If you have teammates you want to develop for future leadership roles, you should be giving positive feedback now to grow their confidence and acknowledge their progress. When your people feel appreciated and recognize their strengths, […]

What if we could teach you one skill that would radically transform your business owner experience? This work is not easy or comfortable, but mastering this skill would give you the opportunity to:Effectively delegate 5x more workHold your team accountable for resultsResolve conflicts quicklyCoach breakthrough performanceSignificantly reduce drama and dysfunction This one skill is called […]

High-performing teams aren’t just about hiring the right people; it’s about how you lead. Stop the drama and underperformance. Click on the video below to learn how we can help you build a team that gets things done and boosts your bottom line. Many of the SMB owners in our tribe are frustrated. Wondering why […]

Stop the costly cycle of employee turnover and internal dysfunction. The answer isn't who you hire, but how you train your managers....

Stop the costly cycle of employee turnover and internal dysfunction. The answer isn’t who you hire, but how you train your managers. Click the video below to uncover your options. “You can train your people and worry about them leaving. Or, you can not train them and worry about them staying.” – Zig Ziglar We […]