Lessons from Steve Jobs, confident pricing, and why your meetings suck

“People join companies. They leave managers.”

- Verne Harnish

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge."

- Simon Sinek

Hi friends,?

In this newsletter, I’ve got details about my chat with Guy Kawasaki, who discusses his former boss, Steve Jobs, and how we can learn valuable lessons from difficult experiences with difficult bosses.?

I also chatted with Casey Brown, a pricing expert who talks about how the fear of taking risks hinders confident pricing decisions. Also: Buyers often lie about pricing.?

I’ve also got two solocasts for you. In these, I explore annual strategy planning and meeting rhythms. Many entrepreneurs brush these topics aside—which is why they suck at planning and running meetings.?

Plus, I wrote an article about wimping out when heckled by an a$$hole—but I got the last laugh.?

Remember, scaling doesn’t have to be hard.?

— Bill

Ideal Meeting Rhythm - Solocast

What are the key ingredients for effective annual strategy planning??

In this episode, discover the benefits of engaging an outside facilitator, the importance of an inspiring off-site location, and how to foster team connection through shared experiences.?

Listen to this Annual Strategy Planning episode

Watch this Annual Strategy Planning episode

Making A Difference With Your Mindset with Guy Kawasaki

What are the qualities and mindsets of remarkable people??

The guest is Guy Kawasaki, who was previously the chief evangelist for Apple and is currently the chief evangelist for Canva. Guy is the host of the "Remarkable People" podcast, an avid surfer, and the author of numerous books, including most recently Think Remarkable.?

Key topics that Bill and Guy explore in this episode:?

• Remarkable people have a growth mindset, believing they can learn and improve.
• Guy and Bill’s experiences with surfing and wing surfing (aka wing foiling).?
• Guy emphasizes the impact Steve Jobs had on his life and career.
• Learning valuable lessons from bad experiences with bosses.?
• Bill reflects on his own flaws and moments of anger, acknowledging the complexity of human nature.
• Embracing vulnerability and surrounding yourself with supportive people for growth mindset success.
• Hiring people who are better than you in their function.
• The need for complementary skills and diverse perspectives in a team to achieve success.
• How it's not necessarily adversity that makes someone remarkable, but rather how they handle it.
• Bill’s fear of public speaking and the importance of embracing discomfort.?
• The concept of a "winner" and how it applies to various aspects of life, including fitness and self-image.

Listen to the Guy Kawasaki episode

Watch the Guy Kawasaki episode

Ideal Meeting Rhythm - Solocast

Do you have a “rhythm” to your meetings? If not, could you craft an ideal meeting rhythm??

In this episode, Bill looks at how to prioritize meetings over interruptions, emphasizing the importance of annual and quarterly planning sessions. He shares insights on effective weekly and daily huddles, one-on-ones, and the optimal timing for each. Streamline your schedules and boost productivity with this episode.?

Listen to this Ideal Meeting Rhythm episode

Watch this Ideal Meeting Rhythm episode

Discover Your True Pricing Power with Casey Brown

In this episode, Bill talks with a pricing expert about pricing strategies for business growth.

The guest is Casey Brown, a speaker, author, and founder of Boost Pricing, which helps companies generate more profit by empowering entrepreneurs and sellers to command the prices they deserve.

Key topics that Bill and Casey explore in this episode:?

• How the fear of taking risks hinders confident pricing decisions.
• Bill’s view that pricing at GE was accidental, not deliberate.?
• How buyers can lie about pricing, citing customer quotes and invoices as evidence.
• Understanding the customer's buying signal and addressing their concerns rather than solely focusing on price.
• An example where a restaurant increased prices by 10% on less popular items while leaving popular ones unchanged.
• Challenging the idea that charging more than a certain amount is somehow "breaking the rules."?
• How small price increases can have a significant impact on a company's bottom line.?
• How best-in-class companies focus on operational delivery, but often neglect to consider pricing power and its potential impact on profitability.

Listen to the Casey Brown episode

Watch the Casey Brown episode ?

Sign Up To My Workshop

If GROWING your business is unimportant to you, join someone else’s workshop.?

If your current leadership MINDSET is working and you don’t need any help, cool, well done.??

If you’ve got all the TOOLS you need, we don’t need to talk.?

If you’ve already mastered how to engage and retain the right PEOPLE for growth, great, I wish nothing but the best for you.?

If you have a clear STRATEGY to drive growth, I’m not the coach for you.?

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Enduring A$$hole Colleagues and Dark Moments - An Article

Once, while I was presenting at a strategy retreat, a man I worked for heckled me: “Gallagher, you know what your f**king problem is? You don't know how to sell anymore!”?

I was shocked. I instantly wanted to cry. Being humiliated like that in front of my colleagues was my worst nightmare. And the heckler didn’t stop—he kept swearing at me and belittling me.?

I thought to myself: I have to get through this. He cannot see me cry. I am not going to cry in front of him. Not today, you motherf**ker.?

Read the rest of this article on Bill’s LinkedIn

Schedule Your Free Growth Assessment

Do any of these sound like you?:

• “I’m ready to go big, but I’m not sure where to start!”
• “I’ve got a vision and a plan, but I need some help seeing the whole picture.”
• “I need to rally my team and fire up our collaboration!”
• “I’m a bit wobbly on how to keep the growth train rolling.”

If you’re looking for a guide on your growth adventure, let’s chat! Book an assessment with me, and together, we’ll explore how to power up your company and team for sustained success.

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More about Bill Gallagher

Hey there! I'm Bill Gallagher, your friendly Scaling Coach, keynote speaker, and serial entrepreneur.

I've walked in your shoes as a founder, CEO, and executive leader. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve coached and trained countless leaders just like you to grow their businesses successfully and profitably. But here’s the kicker: I've also helped them reclaim their time and sanity! My secret sauce? Making the growth journey easier, faster, and way more fun.

Learn more at ScalingCoach.com

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