By Cheryl Powers

As a business growth advisor specializing in SMBs and mid-market companies, I've observed a common challenge among ambitious owners and founders: scaling their businesses while reducing their personal dependency. A compelling example of this is Jaclyn Johnson's journey with Create & Cultivate.

Unpacking the Founder's Challenge: The Story of Create & Cultivate

In 2012, Jaclyn Johnson embarked on an entrepreneurial venture, launching Create & Cultivate, a media platform aimed...

By Cheryl Powers

The Key to Premium Enterprise Value: Autonomy from Ownership

With all of its crispness and snowy goodness, winter is the perfect time to increase your company's value. 

Top-tier companies are distinguished by their ability to operate independently of their owners. This autonomy is a critical factor in enterprise value; businesses running on autopilot command premium prices, while those overly reliant on their owners face significant valuation discounts. Removing yourself from...

By Cheryl Powers

In today’s competitive talent landscape, attracting, finding, selecting, hiring and onboarding top managers for your company is tougher than ever before. This isn't just by chance; it's due to several reasons that small and mid-market business owners often miss or don't give enough importance to.

Knowing these challenges is key to solving them.

Let's explore why it's hard to hire great management talent:

Why Business Owners Struggle to Hire Top Management Talent

Owner's ...

 By Cheryl Powers

Expanding a team is more than just adding bodies to your company—it's about finding the right kind of people who'll turbocharge your growth. As an owner, you need to be tactical and thoughtful about whom you bring into your fold. It's not just about filling positions; it's about enriching your team's dynamics and enhancing your company’s capabilities. 

The Complex Journey of Team Growth

When you're at the helm of a small or mid-market business, expanding your team is like ...

By Cheryl Powers

As Thanksgiving approaches, it's a time for reflection and gratitude, not just in our personal lives but in our businesses, too. This season offers a unique opportunity for business owners and founders to cultivate a thriving environment that adds value to their leadership, employees, and customers. Here's how you can harvest success this Thanksgiving and create a business that’s valuable on all fronts.

Cultivating an Engaged Workforce

An engaged workforce is the bedrock of...

By Cheryl Powers

Imagine for a moment the enterprise value your company could reach if every sales hire turned out to be a veritable superstar, a perfect fit for the demanding rhythm of your business. Now imagine what that would mean to you personally.

What would it add to your customer happiness?

What would it do for your employee satisfaction?

How would it impact your standing against the competition?

And what would it do for your personal wealth?

Yet, here's the sobering reality: near...

By Cheryl Powers

Ever found yourself wishing, “If only I had a team full of [Best Employee's Name]s?” 

I’ve been there, and I totally get you.

Imagine this: A company where everyone is as knowledgeable, skilled, and efficient as your star employee. 

Sounds like a dream?

But what if I told you it's achievable? Even kind of simple?

I'm thrilled to invite you to a masterclass that I believe could revolutionize the way you look at building and managing teams: "How to Ethically Clone Your Bes...

By Cheryl Powers

In a constantly evolving global economy, business owners often find themselves on a rollercoaster of highs and lows.

And let's be real: riding that coaster isn't always fun, is it?

Just as sailors must skillfully navigate stormy seas, business owners need to cross the unpredictable waves of economic turbulence.

But here's the silver lining: economic volatility isn't simply a challenge—it's an opportunity.

I often find myself remembering, the most breathtaking views come...

By Cheryl Powers

I have never met a CEO or business owner who didn't want to know the fastest and most effective way to grow profits, free up cash flow, and create a winning culture. The best owners know that culture eats strategy for breakfast and without the right strategy, people and processes, the culture will deteriorate and profits will plummet.

Over the years, the owners who were having the most fun while they grew their companies were the ones who were able to view their business growt...

by Cheryl Powers

Salespeople come with different levels of skills and competencies but some - even highly skilled sales professionals - have hidden beliefs about how business, life, sales, and money that will be detrimental to your revenue growth if you don't help correct them. Some combinations of self-limiting beliefs can be a sure sign that a salesperson will not succeed in their role, no matter what sales skills or sales knowledge they possess. Being able to spot these early on is critical ...