Inside Strategic Coach: Connecting Entrepreneurs With What Really Matters

For a variety of reasons, most people like asking questions to which they already know the answers. But in the entrepreneurial world, all breakthroughs are created by asking questions you don’t know the answers to. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains how different types of questions lead to different results, and in which situations each type of question is best.

New technologies are created when someone sees how the creation would fit existing desires, but that doesn’t mean that potential customers will understand its purpose or how to use it. In this episode, Dan and Shannon talk about the essential role of coaching when it comes to technology.

In business, it sometimes happens that someone is required to perform a task that’s beyond their capability. While it might seem like the entrepreneur or team leader should step in and help in such a case, doing so can actually get in the way of the individual and the team growing their capabilities. In this episode, Dan Sullivan shares a way to handle failures that will benefit the future of the entire organization.

In 1950, sociologist David Riesman developed a model to describe three types of individuals based on how they develop their opinions, values, and expectations of the world: tradition-directed, inner-directed, and other-directed. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains what these three models look like, why entrepreneurs are more likely to bet their futures on their inner values, and how you can work on remaining true to yours.

When an entrepreneur pitches a project they’ve envisioned, it can seem like great results are just around the corner. But often, there are elements the entrepreneur hasn’t predicted, and these elements can delay, or even permanently sink, a project. Dan Sullivan has created a list of checkpoints you can use on any project to determine just how profitable it’s going to be, and when. In this episode, he explains the dangers of not using the checklist and walks you through each of its points.

Figuring out what to charge for a product or service can be a source of great stress, and sometimes fear, for entrepreneurs. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains the mistakes most entrepreneurs make when determining a price and how they should be thinking about it instead.

While some entrepreneurs take advantage of new opportunities presented by change, others get stuck in their situations and left behind. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller talk about the difference in perspectives between these types of entrepreneurs and how you can be on the right side of the current divide.

A general narrative is that people need to be courageous when they’re relatively young because they won’t be able to take risks when they’re older. But this narrative doesn’t apply to entrepreneurs. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains the role of courage in an entrepreneur’s life and how he’s become more courageous and ambitious now, at the age of 78, than he was 30 years ago.

How do you teach your kids to be smart about money and ensure they’re not spoiled? This is a question many successful entrepreneurs have faced, including financial expert Chad Willardson, who decided to write a book on the subject. In this episode, Chad explains to Dan Sullivan how parents can ensure their kids are financially literate and have good “money values.”

In coaching successful entrepreneurs for decades, Dan Sullivan has developed the belief that every experience is valuable, and no single experience more than any other. In this episode, he explains why it’s important to allow people to learn and grow from their own experiences, including failure.

Most people don’t realize it, but the biggest danger you can face as an entrepreneur is boredom, which happens when you become so successful that you’re not excited anymore. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss the negative decisions and situations that boredom can lead to, and what you should do if you find yourself getting bored.

We’re not always in control of the situations or circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can always choose how we respond to our experiences. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss how you can deal with every negative experience in a positive way.

A lot of people think that self-confidence and self-esteem are one and the same, but there’s an important difference. One is a fact, and one is nothing but a wish. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss how to recognize the difference and how to make sure you have self-confidence.

Every entrepreneur has developed certain mindsets, but some of those mindsets result in unnecessary stresses. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain the benefits of being able to ask the right questions and of recognizing that the world wasn’t created for you.

Even entrepreneurs with enormous capabilities experience feelings of insecurity, and it’s important to understand why you feel insecure in order to avoid the situations that cause it. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains what leads to insecurity and how it can be avoided.

Most people don’t know it, but the main currency of the human race, especially entrepreneurs, is shortcuts: better, faster ways of getting things done. In this episode, Dan Sullivan talks about why shortcuts are so important and how entrepreneurs create, and trade in, shortcuts.

Every entrepreneur wants to get the most out of teamwork, but it isn’t always clear how to do that. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how you can engage in teamwork in a way that’s most productive and strengthens your own capabilities and efficiency.

Entrepreneurs want to be around for the long haul, but stress and challenges can sometimes mean an earlier end to a career. In this episode, Dan Sullivan shares what he does to keep himself strong at the age of 77, and how he’s planning to be effective for many years to come.

Most entrepreneurs start out doing everything themselves, but if they continue doing so, they’re operating inside of a trap they created. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how and why entrepreneurs should go about finding the best person for each job, capitalizing on the strongest capabilities out there.

Collaborations are a way for entrepreneurs to jump to the next level of effectiveness, but there are right ways to enter into a collaboration—and wrong ones. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller lay out the groundrules for great collaborations and explain the invaluable benefits you can gain from them.

For over three decades, Strategic Coach® has worked with some of the world’s best entrepreneurs to help them achieve their goals. Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller look back and share stories about the origins of the company and some of its invaluable thinking tools.

Non-entrepreneurs think money is entrepreneurs’ main motivation, but truly successful entrepreneurs see money only as a means to gain greater freedom. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss the significant difference between having “freedom from” and “freedom to,” and why entrepreneurs should strive for both.

After extensive experience serving in the U.S. military, Peter Kofod became an entrepreneur in the field of rail infrastructure. In this episode, he tells Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller about the different stages of his interesting and impressive journey so far.

Diversity and inclusion are vital, but not everyone completely understands what this means or how to best practice it. In his book The Inclusive Mindset, award-winning entrepreneur Justin Jones-Fosu explains how to cultivate diversity in your everyday life. Here, Shannon Waller talks to Justin about what led him to educating people on this topic and about his company, Work Meaningful, which is helping people improve workplace engagement and more.

Everyone has things they’re bothered by. These things create negative feelings, but often are not actually problems. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller talk about recognizing when the only thing wrong with a situation is that you’re bothered by it, and what’s best to do in those situations.

Each of us primarily uses a certain type of thinking: either linear or associative. And a key to finding success and creating the best value lies in recognizing which way you think and how your brain works. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain the different types of thinking and the best approaches to take advantage of them.

All bureaucracies can be described as systems of control, while entrepreneurial companies can be described as networks of cooperation. Though neither is necessarily bad, there are great differences between people who should be working for bureaucracies and those who should be entrepreneurs. In this episode, Dan Sullivan lists and explains the differences, and more.

Leaders of companies can often be tempted to jump the gun on a new project without properly considering all the factors involved or communicating with everyone who will be required to pull it off. And the results can be disastrous. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss all the aspects an entrepreneur needs to consider and communicate when it comes to a new project.

When circumstances change, some people will adjust quickly and be successful, while others will be paralyzed from taking action. When the world changed in 2020, some entrepreneurs immediately took advantage of existing technology and found success in a new way of doing things, while others were left behind. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss and explain the vital differences between these groups of entrepreneurs.

With so many different things vying for our attention nowadays, not everyone seems able to give someone their full attention in conversation, and this can lead to having weaker relationships and even missing out on opportunities. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss the value of one’s attention, and how people can protect their attention now and in the future.

We’re always looking forward to exciting things happening in the future, but when we actually get to those moments, it all feels completely normal. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss how important, exciting transformation is never something you can experience with a future event, but only in relation to something you’ve experienced in the past.

Unpredictable events can leave some people paralyzed from taking action. Entrepreneurs, though, are used to responding to unpredictable changes, and finding opportunities where others see only obstacles. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how Strategic Coach responded to the lockdown one year ago and what allowed them to act so quickly and effectively.

Entrepreneurs take 100 percent responsibility for their financial security but many overfill their schedules and end up becoming workaholics. The current virtual conferencing breakthrough has meant that entrepreneurs have gained as much as 30 percent of their time back, and while there might be the temptation to fill that time with more work, in this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain why the best thing they can do is leave that time open.

It’s important for entrepreneurs to pay attention to people outside their company, but which ones are best to focus on? In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller provide the answer.

Technology is a huge part of our lives, but many of us take it for granted, and some are even overwhelmed by it. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how to have a better attitude toward technology, which supports so much of what we do.

No matter how many big goals you achieve, if you measure your progress the wrong way, you'll never be happy. Here, Dan Sullivan gives you a quick mental trick that permanently changes your perspective so you can fully enjoy your success.

"I'm not who you think I am"—the dreaded internal monologue of "Imposter Syndrome." But, unlike many successful people, Dan Sullivan has never experienced this condition. Find out why, and learn how you can permanently prevent yourself from experiencing it too.

While many people buy into the general narrative, which is someone else’s description of the world, entrepreneurs are different. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain why entrepreneurs have to create their own specific stories, and how doing anything else is giving up control.

If you have big goals, the thought of all the work needed to get there can leave you feeling stuck. The better way is to find the right people for the jobs. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains the “Who Not How” concept and how it’s been developed into a book.

Writing a book can be a lonely, gruelling process, and so most people who want to write a book don’t end up doing it. Dan Sullivan, though, is well on his way to achieving his goal of releasing 100 books over 25 years. In this episode, he and Shannon Waller explain the process, which involves multiple team members and multiple unique capabilities.

Many jobs and industries emphasize asking closed-ended questions, where the person asking either knows the answer or is leading someone toward a desired response. But those types of questions only reinforce ideas that already exist. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how asking open-ended questions creates breeding grounds for great new ideas.

Since we’ve been restricted in what we’re able to do during the pandemic, we’ve become more creative and made the most out of what’s available. In this episode, Dan Sullivan talks about how entrepreneurs’ sense of their productivity has and will continue to jump.

People all over the world have been using Zoom during the pandemic as a necessity, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go away once business can be conducted in person again. In this episode, Dan Sullivan talks about the power that the communication platform provides, and how entrepreneurs can and are creatively using it as more than just a way to make video calls.

Entrepreneurs want to create new things, but some entrepreneurs are motivated to disrupt what already exists—and operating with that attitude can come back to haunt them. In this episode, Dan Sullivan explains the difference between disrupting and transforming, and how to go about increasing the value of everything through your innovations.

Entrepreneurs are aware of all the tasks that need to be completed to run a successful business, but if they try to do it all themselves, complexity arises and it’s simply not efficient. In this episode, Shannon Waller and guest host, associate coach Gary Mottershead, talk about why you have to find the right people when you just don’t have the skills, talents, and energy for certain tasks.

After entrepreneurs reach a certain level of success, they can feel “held hostage” by a variety of things, from competing through price cutting to not being able to hire the right people. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller explain how the entrepreneur themselves is partly responsible for being stuck like this, and how they can make a decision and take action in order to free themselves and create a better future.

Strategic Coach® has been growing for three decades by sticking to our core values. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller describe each of the four values and how they lead to attracting the right team members and providing the best experience and value to our entrepreneurial clients.

Dan Sullivan has been coaching entrepreneurs for nearly 50 years. In this episode, he and Shannon Waller discuss the key aspects of Strategic Coach® thinking tools and why they’re unique and invaluable to entrepreneurs.

David Braithwaite worked evenings and did everything else he thought all entrepreneurs had to do until Strategic Coach® taught him a better way: planning your days so that you’re taking effective time off—and getting more done when you’re on the job and dealing with clients. Here, he explains how The Entrepreneurial Time System® challenges the status quo and revolutionized the way he does business.

Wouldn’t any ambitious entrepreneur try to avoid negative experiences? In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller discuss why, instead, Dan lives by what he calls a “No-Rescue Policy” both personally and with his team.