How To Build Your Dream Multi Million Generating Team

Welcome to episode 140 of Dawn of a New Era, and we are on the cusp of the launch of our new series. You may know from previous podcast episodes that I've been talking about a new series that we have of female founders that we recorded on a private island in Oxfordshire. They joined me, the business growth coach, Dawn McGruer, to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of being an entrepreneur, as well as sharing some of their most embarrassing stories as a business owner. Now, with all podcasts, we had to inject a little bit of fun with our guests, and you are going to love the guests that we brought on because these stories are inspiring, they're funny, but they're also real life, you know, and I think we have to really harness.

What it is to be a business owner. You know, we created our businesses from blank canvases. We have been through a myriad of challenges and pitfalls. And today's podcast is really pertinent because this is something that I get asked a lot from business owners of all sizes.

And even the sort of seven, eight, nine-figure businesses are still trying to master this. Now, I would say I have hit upon a strategy of building teams that is so powerful, so strong, it has been one of the best things that has served me over the years. And in particular, today's podcast is how to build your dream multi-million generating team. And I love this topic because when I talk about it, I am really passionate because these people, my team, light me up because they give me such an amount of joy in my business.

Why? Because they are the infrastructure. They allow me and facilitate me to achieve the goals and also the dreams of what my business and brand is about. So the seven people I needed to make seven figures in seven months and run this lean team that generated over 83% profit from my service-based business were all experts in their field.

And I want to share with you exactly what the breakdown is of who these people are, who are the seven core foundational people that you will ever need in any size business. And this goes for like five, six, seven, eight, nine figures. Now, when you're at the lower end of five, you would probably start off with maybe more of your three-core team. But as you grow, you build the same seven people in.

And as I say, this is for business owners. This is for CEOs. This is for corporates. These are the people, the team members that you need around you.

So regardless whether it's your business or you're in a role, these are the absolute pinnacle experts, whereby if you think about all of the things in business, all of the functions, all of the actions that need to happen, these people would cover all of them. So every member of my team, and this is a really crucial point, knew the bigger picture. So when I recruit, I share my end-to-end strategy, and all of my team report to me. Now, not every single day, I could not facilitate that.

I just, it wouldn't be feasible with time. But in between, they all work together. Now, albeit these people come from separate businesses, they're all retained for the services and, you know, in my eyes and in their eyes, we are all working together in the same business, although they are experts and have their own businesses, we are a team. Now, this is something that a lot of people struggle to get their heads around because when we think of outsourcing, I think that terminology sort of assumes that we're giving something out of our business and taking off our hands.

I believe that when we have this blended approach where we're bolting people on and they're an extension of our business, then this is when the magic happens. So if people don't want to work this way, that's fine, absolutely fine. But I've managed to find the people that are happy and joyful that want to do it this way, and it works. So I share my vision when I'm recruiting, and I look at taking people on board based on things like the case studies, the expertise, the results, but most importantly, the relationships as well.

Because if my gut says no, then it's no, I don't recruit. And my team have been with me for a very long time. Now, I'm always recruiting new teams for different projects, but I have a core team that has stayed with me for many years. I have some of my team that have been around since like 2017.

That's a long time. Now, I have multiple businesses, and my team work across multiple businesses, so they know what we do, they know how I work, and we've built this relationship. So this method of building teams for specific outcomes for the business is what generates huge success. And every action that they are doing is strongly aligned to our objectives, but also, most importantly, the business revenue and profits.

So each aspect of what I do is weighted around what can we do differently? How can we do things better? Now, I am fully prepared to do what 80% of business owners won't, and honestly, this is why my businesses flourish. Because I don't want necessarily just the easiest, least hands-on, you know, outsourced route.

I want the fastest, most effective and efficient route, and I want to work in a way that's really driving impact, that's moving the needle on my business every day. Now, this difference is key because what you're looking for is the ideal way to reach and attract and convert clients. And if you're investing in the right things and you are fully prepared to say no to things that don't serve those goals, then things will start to get easier. Because I'll be honest, every expert has their own agenda.

Everyone will tell you, you know, like if you meet an SEO expert, and absolutely I advocate this, that they're telling you you need to do this, this and this. But the thing is, is there's a certain amount of priority on tasks. It could be that yes, you do need to do those things, but not right now. They won't actually impact the goal.

And this is where I see things go badly wrong in businesses. I would say 90% of businesses that I meet, the problem in the business... is the team. Now, I always talk about 80% of clients I meet, the business model's wrong.

Yeah, true. And once that's fixed and everything is running, if the model is working, what is the next thing that isn't? It's the team. So my team is made up of operations, admin, tech, socials, copywriting, lead gen, and finances.

And I am the overarching strategy piece, so I'm the eighth member of the team puzzle. So think about the specific actions that you need to achieve a goal and look at the best people to do it. I don't believe one person can be expected to do all of these things, and they, you know, they certainly won't be able to do it justice or give it their best because it's just too much. You know, our brains cannot facilitate such a broadness of activity.

You know, we are better when we are laser focused in on a specific thing and we get into our flow. So don't put all your eggs in one basket. Spread your risk. I know that I could potentially lose three people in my team and I would still have the absolute ability to function without issue.

The thing is here is having people who know what works, how it works, systems, automations, processes, things that are just running, that people don't have to be running every day. We need to get things in a process because we need to be tight, we need to be lean, we need to make sure that we're freeing up repetitive tasks that, you know, could take up lots of time in a day, and we are allowing the humans in the team to flourish as well and be in their most creative, and you're not asking them to do boring things that you wouldn't do either. So also look at things like team retention, retainers, because referrals work well, and this builds this sort of holy synchronicity because I built my panel of experts who work with me, but they also work with my clients, and it's a great mutually beneficial relationship because they know me, they know my strategies and how I work, and I trust them, and I know that they're going to get the results, so everyone's happy. So my advice to you is to get a team that aligns to your goals now and understand your zone of genius.

So getting laser focused on the who, the what, the why, and the when, and it will be the The best investment of time that you ever make, because a good team gives you freedom, financial growth, and also fun in your business. Because when everything's running well and people are enjoying what they're doing and you're getting results, it's a far nicer working environment. And when you're not putting huge pressure on people, expecting, you know, really unrealistic results, then people work better. So building a team for a multi-million generating business requires strategic recruitment and clear objectives for each team member.

So here is my summary, concise guide to building the most amazing team that you will ever need. So hire experts and choose individuals.

Who are experts in their fields and have proven track record through case studies and expertise. Number two, set clear objectives and assign no more than six specific objectives to each team member to maintain focus and productivity. And number three, share your vision and strategy. So ensure every member understands the bigger picture, the end-to-end strategy, and how their role contributes to their overall goal.

Number four, work with retained services. So opt for retaining services from experts who are not necessarily part of your business, but will align with your strategic vision and goals. And number five, oh, so important, trust your gut. If something feels wrong during the hiring process, trust your instincts and say no.

Honestly, if I've ever made a mistake, it's because I didn't trust my gut. Number six, align actions with objectives and ensure every action taken by your team is strongly aligned with your objectives and revenue and profit goals. And number seven, an innovative approach. Focus on what can be done differently and more effectively compared to what your competitors are doing or your peers are doing, even if it means taking a harder route.

And number eight, risk management. Spread your risk by not relying on a single person for multiple tasks. Your team should be robust enough to handle the loss of up to three members without any significant disruption. And that's sometimes a hard thing.

I don't meet many business owners who can say that. So the team composition, just to remind you, number one is operations. Number two is administration. Number three is technology.

Number four is social media management. Number five is copywriting. Number six is lead generation. And number seven is finance.

And you, as the business owner, would be the strategist. So you are the leader. You'll be responsible for the overarching strategy, maintaining the relationships, and ensuring your team alignment to your vision. And you'll focus on retention by creating, you know, nice mutually beneficial relationships where your panel of experts could also maybe work for your clients, or you could refer to other people you know.

So my general advice for building your team is align team to goals. Always align hiring decisions to your current business goals and needs. Your zone of genius, understanding your strengths and really focusing on the tasks that align with them while delegating other tasks to experts. And laser focus.

Be clear on who, what, why, and when in your recruitment and management strategy. And invest in the right team. This investment will yield financial growth, freedom, and enjoyment in running your business. And honestly, these principles are what I stand for.

You can build a highly effective and efficient team that will drive your business to success with just seven core members. You know, and seven core members could take you right the way through to multi-millions to billions. So I really hope this podcast helped. It is the infrastructure.

It is the absolute foundation to success. I always talk about mindset, and that, of course, is, you know, fundamental in our progression. But when we have the team, you know, this changes a lot in our mindset because we're not taking on all of the stress, all of the pressure. You know, we can delegate and declutter.

We can be a better leader because we're working on the business, not necessarily in the business. So remember, you can find me on all of the usual channels at Dawn McGruer. Come and find me on Instagram, LinkedIn, wherever you like. And, you know, if you have any questions about building your team, just reach out.

I would love to know if you've got any tips as well. So have an amazing week and take care. Thank you for listening to Dawn of a New Era podcast, and for your free checklist to find out how to boost your business for growth, profit, and success, and join our community. Go to dawnmcgruer.

com.