Todd Krause: Lead Like a Pro with the LEAD Framework

Speaker A: Welcome, um, to the Badass Direct Sales Mastery podcast with your direct sales Dom, Jenny Bellinger. Badass Direct Sales Mastery is a podcast for rock star direct sales moms who are determined to make their business kick ass. Jenny will share her knowledge of effective sales and recruiting techniques, tips to get what you want from your business, and will interview direct sales professionals and leaders from various companies. The interviews will give insight to how these rock stars got to where they are and where they plan to grow in the future. And now, the direct sales Dom, Jenny Bellinger.

Speaker B: Welcome back to another episode of Badass Direct Sales Mastery. I'm your host, your direct sales dom, Jenny Bellinger, helping you whip your business into shape. And today I have with me Todd Kraus. And Todd is the owner of the cleaning authority Fishers, where he grew the business from $1.8 million to over $4 million in revenue while building a diverse, high performing team and an award winning workplace culture. A, uh, CPA and MBA with decades of leadership experience across finance, banking and entrepreneurship, Todd has helped grow organizations ranging from startups to multi billion dollar enterprises. Today, Todd is the founder of Silversun Consulting where he works with home service business owners to help solve the growth challenges that keep companies stuck. His work focuses on building strong leadership, effective systems and thriving workplace cultures that allow businesses to scale without chaos, burnout or owner dependence. Todd, welcome to the show.

Speaker C: Thank you for having me, Jeanne. It's really such an honor to be on your show. Thank you.

Speaker B: Oh, well, I'm glad to have you here. And one of the things that I was really excited to talk to you about today is leadership, because that is something that a lot of sellers and leaders of teams and network marketing and MLM are always looking to help improve their leadership. Because when you've got a team of volunteers, you know, how do you get them to do stuff? So tell us your journey into leadership. How did you get from starting as a cpa, an MBA, to, you know, starting with a business into becoming the leader that you've become?

Speaker C: If you look at the resume, it looks like a fairly traditional path. And I've had a lot of very traditional corporate sounding titles along the way, including spending a whole bunch of years in the C suite. But when you take the top layers off and look at what I really did, I worked for years on the alternative investment side of the world. So when you hear that, you think hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, and I did operational accounting and finance for a long time. So I was the one who literally set up the legal structure of the companies Created and implemented their operations, made sure things hummed along well and when they weren't needed, liquidated the assets and shut down the companies. So it let me touch and be a part of many, many different organizations. And it was, um, just an amazing spot to be on, to be able to see what worked and what didn't work. So I always tied things back to, I think, how my, really, how my father raised me and how he ran his business. He was always very caring and giving. He was always the one who made sure that problems were solved for his customers. He would even solve problems that he noticed before the customers even notice. I remember going along with him on his routes and seeing that and always carried that with me. So I've always seen the world probably just a little bit differently than what we hear today in the media. Because if we listen to the media today, technology AI is going to take care of all of our problems. And we're also hearing AI is going to take away all of our jobs because it's going to do everything for us. Well, that's not really true. They are wonderful tools used appropriately in their places where they do their best work. They, they are amazing in what they can do. But we still have the people that we serve, uh, and the people who work with us and for us, there's a tremendous, tremendous untapped potential in those people. It's really the difference between somebody who drags themselves to work because they need a paycheck on Friday or somebody who brings their heart and soul to work and they care when they do work. That is really where I have focused a lot of my attention with great success. Because when you release this caring and this potential in these places and the inside of the people, all of a sudden some really great things happen. And it sounds so touchy feely, but here there's real math behind it. M your clients and your customers notice this new level of caring and people bringing their heart and soul to work. Your customer and client retention goes up. That means that when you add new customers and new clients, it's uh, accretive to the business. The revenues go up faster. Employees and staff who stay and stay longer and do their work with greater care are more efficient. More they do it faster, fewer mistakes, less rework, you're paying less to hire, train. When you bring somebody on board, there's always that learning curve that you go through as, ah, they adjust to doing the work and they learn the little critical details that make the difference between a job well done and a job that well. It got Done. But it, uh, could have been better. So operating expenses go down. And the real math here is that that gap in between is your profits, it's your cash flow.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: So what sounds touchy feely really accelerates the business growth. You get five things out of it. You get staff that stays longer, which already lowers your operating expenses. They start telling other people what a great place it is to work and how you care for them. They take that with their heart and soul out into the work they do. So your clients and your customers notice and your clients and customers stay longer. Your lifetime value of your customers goes up. Uh.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: Your customers refer other customers. So now we're up to four things. And then your customers start to tell the world about you. You get free advertising and it's. But it's a type of advertising that you just can't beat. Because when somebody leaves a Google review with an actual message and says what a great job they did. And by the way, here's a couple of pictures of the great job. That's like gold to any business. Yeah, you can't beat that when you're out there selling and you're trying to convince the next prospective customer that you're the right choice. Mhm. Reviews and word of mouth like that is unbeatable. We live in a world where we filter information because there's so much of it. So what do we start focusing on? If we're shopping on Amazon, we look for the things with the most reviews and we narrow it down to the top few items and we say, well, Is it Item 1A or Item B? Or maybe item C? Because guess what, one has 15,000 reviews, the other one has eight or nine. Then we've got this third one that has five or six and the rest of them have two or 300 reviews. So we don't even consider those. We look online and we say we need a business to help us with maybe a plumbing problem or we need a lawyer or an accountant. And nobody goes past the first page.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: Most people don't even look past the top two or three.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: So those reviews and that, those readings and stuff are uh, our filtration system. It's how we eliminate the noise.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: Because there's just too much of it coming at us through social media, through the Internet. So we need, we can only process so much and we reduce our choices down to two or three based on that. And then we start reading, well, what is the reviews? And today Google gives us this overview. So now Google's going To summarize what everything says and put it into a nice neat little paragraph for us. And we oftentimes make our decisions based on those overviews without even clicking on websites these days. It's a very different world now. Selling. Yeah. So suddenly, how do we rise to the top? We're going to rise to the top by doing it differently and not sounding like everybody else who's shouting, look at me, look at me, look at me. There's just some real power to these quieter conversations that just say, here's what. Who I am. Um, this is what we do. These are how we solve your problems and the results that you're going to get.

Speaker B: Yeah. Well, I was going to say, uh, sorry to interrupt, but what came up for me as you were sharing, that was when you were talking about those five things that happen when you take care of your people and you take care of your customers. So when I say your people, your team, your, your staff, if you're, you know, if you have employees, of course, for direct sellers, we and MLM people, we have a team of volunteers, right. Who are also doing business with us, but they're not employees. I'm going to put air quotes around that, but what came up for me was, interestingly enough, you know, my father started a business after he retired from the military. And one of the things that was really important to him was building that culture for his employees and taking really good care of them. Because he knew that he couldn't be there to interact with every. In this case, it was a medical practice. He wasn't working with every patient. Cause he had multiple doctors and, you know, PAs and LPNs and whatever other providers who were providing healthcare. So he couldn't take care of everyone the way he wanted to. So he knew he had to take care of his people so that they would take care of the patients the way he wanted all of his patients to be cared for. Right. So it was very interesting. Cause I was like, oh, man, that's all the stuff. My dad's business experience. Because then when he retired and a hospital system took over, I heard from patients. They were not happy with the way things were showing up anymore. Because they're like, it's different people. They're not as caring, they're not as, you know, nice. You know, and the, that changeover really showed. So what you, what you were sharing there, I mean, it, it really, really, really works. I mean, this was evident, you know, 30, 20 to 30 years ago with my dad's practice. So that was really interesting to Be able to see that connection there. And as I mentioned in your, in your introduction, you developed an award winning team culture. How did you begin to do that with your staff? Where did that begin? And what kind of system did you put into place to make sure that, that your team had this amazing, like award winning culture?

Speaker C: Well, um, I teach several different things through my keynote speeches, but it really all goes back to answering the question that you have. So I do a keynote speech about thriving workplaces. We talk about the three pillars being caring, positivity and culturally competent. So under each of those pillars you talk about, well, what, what is a caring workplace? And then, um, what is, what is a workplace that is positive? And then, um, Culturally competent. Culturally competent goes beyond just diversity. Because even if we peel back the different layers and the different cultures that are working together, even within the English speaking Caucasian culture, there are different cultures here in our country. From the New England culture to the California culture, to the southeastern southern culture. We ourselves have culture. We are all immigrants to this country. We all came from somewhere, we have a history.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: And now we've layered on everybody else from around the world who's come to our country and wants to be a part of our economy. It's a lot of flipping the script. Companies have a tendency to have rules and regulations and say, no and don't do this, and if you do, consequences. And I just said stop, just don't do that. Stop. Tell them what you want and tell them what the rewards are when they deliver what you want. Link the rewards to what your clients want and need from you. When Mrs. Smith gets what we promised and Mrs. Smith says, wow, you did a great job reward.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: People, especially business owners, react like, oh, that sounds so expensive. It's not. It's actually cheaper because all of your operating costs go down. Your people stay longer, they do a better job, they're more efficient, they're faster at what they do. Fewer mistakes, every single one of those is money, money, money, money. Mistakes are, um, Rework is money. Having to go back a second time to fix things is money. Customers that stay longer is more revenue. Uh, that profit gets wider. Right.

Speaker B: Customers that are happy are more likely to refer.

Speaker C: Right, exactly. And then the caring part, you don't just hire the professional part of the person. When you hire somebody, you get the whole package. People come with family, they come with whatever personal problems they have. They come with cars that break down at times. They like things called holidays and vacation. Go figure. Imagine that.

Speaker B: I know, right?

Speaker C: There's no such Thing as checking the personal life at the door when you walk into work.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker C: So when you create space for them to solve some of their problems, they come back with their heart and their soul and they care more and they're more grateful and they just perform at a whole different level.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: And uh, we already covered the culturally competent. So now you've brought people into the business and you've built this culture that really makes the technology and the AI that you're paying for really makes it all hum at its optimal level. Well, you can't do everything yourself. So now we get into the lead like a pro keynote speech where I use the four pillar framework. L E A D let go, empower, align and develop. So if I can't do it all myself, I need help. I have to let go of things and give it to other people so they can do it. Because if I can no longer get my arms around everything, then things either fall through the cracks and stop getting done or I'm self limiting in how far I can go with my business.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: So once I let go I. Well I can't just dump on people. I have to empower them and give them the authority and the responsibility and the ability to perform it well. So that brings us to the next align. If people don't know which direction to row the boat, then everybody's going to go off in their own directions and they're not going to know what the goal is or what the objectives are. That's where we want to align everybody. So they know what direction we're moving and that helps with them when they come to making decisions. You've given them something, you let go of it, you've given them the ability to do it. But now they know what type of decisions to make because you've aligned it with goals. And then finally you have to develop them. You want to develop them into managers and leaders in your organization so your organization can continue to grow. But that is more than just sitting in a conference room or a training room watching videos.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: Developing includes those conversations at the water cooler or the coffee machine about how you made a decision and why you made the decision you did make. Every one of those little short conversations is teaching them, it's training them. It's taking them by the hand and leading them into their potential. You're leading, literally leading them into what they can become.

Speaker B: Yeah. Oh yeah.

Speaker C: We tend to think of it as send them off to the conference room for two days to watch videos with some trainer. And no, it happens all Day long, every day, as you're talking to them, as you're sharing your expertise, your experience with them.

Speaker B: Absolutely. I. I love this because, you know, looking back, you know, at one of my failed leadership things, so I, uh, was running a networking group. I was the president of this group. And the one thing I did not do well was the letting go piece. Um, I was like, oh, I can do that, or I've got time to do that, or I, uh, uh, you know, I can do it better, so I'll just. Or faster, so I'll just go ahead and get it done. And then, like you said, I eventually got to the point where I could not keep my arms around all the things, and things started falling through the cracks. And what eventually ended up happening is that particular referral group fell apart because I could not let go and be able to empower and align and develop people in that way. I had a very, um, egocentric version of leadership in my head at that point in time. And that was. That was about 10 years ago, you know, But I've. I've learned since then, you know, and had the opportunity to really begin to do that. And so now I'm with a different referral group, and I took over as president. And this time I was like, I am not doing all the things. I am letting go, as you said, Todd. And I love. Because that is such a simple framework, um, to help people begin to understand, especially as they're starting to come into leadership if it's their first time really getting to lead. So, um, for you, how did you, um, teach this to your team? Did you take them through the lead framework?

Speaker C: Looking back on it, in hindsight, I did. But I really developed that keynote speech and that framework as a result of thinking about, well, how did I do it? And, um, what was I really doing? And trying to connect words to it that made sense and put it into some sort of understandable framework. But to let them go, it's. It's not an easy thing for people. It feels scary because we're responsible for the results. We're responsible because our name is on the business, on the organization. We don't want anything to slip or to fail. So you start with something simple and you pick that thing up off of your desk and you hand it to somebody and then they do it well, and you say, oh, that feels good. I didn't have to do that. Pick the second thing up and you give it to them. And after you do that two or three times this time, now you're going to give them three or four things.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker C: But there's just one other thing that goes with them. Because so often we measure the results by how does it compare to how I would do it. To let go, you need to be more objective. You have to have a different yardstick that you use. Was it done well? Did. Was the, uh, outcome a good outcome for the business, for the organization? And if you couldn't let go of was it done my way and start to say was it done well, then it's easier to let go. Because everybody looks at the world differently. Everybody has their own perspective. So they're going to do a task a little bit differently than you or I would.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: But oftentimes you're going to be amazed at how well these people do it and they'll surprise you. Oftentimes the result is better than if I did it myself.

Speaker B: Yeah. Because they, like you said, they have a different perspective, they have different experiences in life that lead them to do something differently. Right. That we maybe would not have considered. You know, and so what actually taught me to learn to let go was actually starting at home was having my kids starting to do more things around the house. And like you said, letting go of them, not doing it the way that I would do it. So for example, the dishwasher, loading the dishwasher, you know, I taught them some basics. You know, this is where the silverware goes, this is how the plates go in this, you know, those kinds of things. But for the most part, I, um, I wanted to have them learn that if they got it done quickly, that they didn't always do it right. And then they had to do two loads because they weren't trying to fit things in efficiently. But they had to learn it on their own. They had to see that, oh, wow, when mom loads the dishwasher, she's able to get it all done in one load. And I'm having to load, unload, reload, and then unload again. Right. And I helped point those things out over time, kindly, gently, you know, to say, hey, have you noticed that mom only has to do it once and you guys are doing it twice? What do you think is different? You know, and that's what helped me to begin to see how I could let go of other things in other arenas with business professionals, for example, you know, so I think, uh, it's starting with something as simple as doing it at home. But so Todd, you mentioned the lead framework and lead like a pro, and you actually have a guide that shares the lead framework so if someone is interested in more of that information, uh, how can they get a hold of the lead Lead Like a Pro guide?

Speaker C: Go to www.silversun. that's s u n consulting.com.

Speaker B: very good.

Speaker C: It is there. It is there on, on the website.

Speaker B: Perfect.

Speaker C: Plus, if you go to the about page, it has my personal email address and the phone number. That phone number is going to ring right here.

Speaker B: Oh, wow.

Speaker C: So I like talking to people. Uh, give me a call. And you're not getting an assistant. You're not getting an answering service. You're getting me right here on, um, this.

Speaker B: That's amazing. I love that. So, of course, my regular Badass crew, they know that they can go into the show notes, and we have the link directly to where you can get the lead Like a Pro growth guide@silversunconsulting.com so you don't have to worry about misspelling it. We're going to check it and make sure that that is linked direct Todd's picture. And of course, uh, as he mentioned, Todd also has his personal email and his phone number on the website in the about section. And we will link to that as well. So that way, if you guys want more information, maybe have Todd come speak for your team or for your company, you can probably book him that way as well. So, Todd, thank you so much for sharing this. I so appreciate you because I know that this is an area that a lot of leaders of voluntary teams volunteer, uh, teams, uh, struggle with. So thank you so much for being here.

Speaker C: Well, thank you for having me, Jeanne. It's been a real pleasure being on your show.

Speaker B: Oh, uh, awesome. I'm glad. I'm glad you're here and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, too. Before we go, is there a last thought you would like to leave with the Badass Crew?

Speaker C: Yes. When you really change your relationship with the people who work with you and work for you, you are going to experience a couple of things. First of all, it's just going to be such a, uh, personal relief to not have to do it all yourself. Secondly, you're going to find that they bring a level of energy and commitment to the organization that you haven't seen before. And the results are just going to accelerate so much faster. The revenues will go up so much faster, your operating expenses will drop. There's real, real math here leading to greater profits and cash flow for you in this.

Speaker B: I love hearing that. Well, thank you again for being here, Todd. We really appreciate you. And of course, Badass crew. You know, if you enjoyed what Todd had to share today, please reach out and share the gratitude that you feel and your biggest takeaway. Because of course we know gratitude is the highest vibration and wonderful frequency that we can share out with others and thank him for what you learned from today's episode and connect with him and grab that lead like a pro growth guide to help you in your own leadership growth. So and of course Badass Crew, stay tuned because as you know, there's another Badass episode on its way.

Speaker A: Thanks for listening to the Badass Direct Sales Mastery Podcast with your Direct Sales Dom, Jenny Bellinger. Why are you waiting to go to badassdirectsalesmastery.com don't make the Dom, um, get her whip. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with another rock star that you know in direct Sales after you subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss any future episodes. You can also check out the show notes for links and any contact information mentioned in today's episode. We'll see you next time.