Last episode, we discussed the first four stages of the Seven Stages of Business Ownership and the treadmill effect that traps many entrepreneurs. Today, we’re exploring Stages Four through Seven, which give you real freedom IN your business, not from it. Will also reveal why almost all business owners get stuck in Stage Four and won't take the small, measured risks to get that freedom.

Everything rests on "The Big Mindset Shift", and when business owners make this shift, they invariably build a business that regularly gives them both time and money, and a life of significance.

• Stage Five: Success is the first Stage the produces time for the owner, not just money. It is the first Stage where we experience true freedom IN our businesses, by moving from producing to building simple processes that let others produce for us.
• Stage Six: Significance gives us abundant time and money from our businesses by focusing on training others to lead, and then leading THROUGH them. Stage Six is the second most dangerous Stage behind Stage Four, because we have a tendency to want to go play golf before our leaders are fully in trained and in charge.
• Stage Seven: Succession isn't about selling, but about becoming "The Myth", where your business runs smoothly under capable leaders, with you providing vision and occasional guidance, many times without any day to day involvement. When people build Stage Seven businesses, they never want to sell them.

Moving from Stage Four to Seven is all about The Big Mindset Shift, and a simple principle, "You get what you intend, not what you hope for."

On average, business owners work 55 hours per week, take very few vacations and do business while there. Most of us are working relentlessly, always hoping that we'll some how get to a new level next year and begin to reap some personal rewards from our business. But we don't even know what "level" we're on, let alone what it would take to get to the next one.

In this podcast we discuss the Seven Stages of Business Ownership, and how the first four of these got us on the treadmill, and specifically what we need to do at every stage to get to the next one. Stage Four is the "American Dream". Or is it? We'll find out that it's not what we all cracked it up to be, and why Stage Five is the minimum we want to shoot for.

In this episode of the Get Off The Treadmill podcast, host Chuck Blakeman sits down with Scott Graves, co-founder and CEO of Alignment Financial Advisors, to dive deep into Chapter 3 of Chuck’s acclaimed book, Making Money Is Killing Your Business. This chapter, "The Way Off the Business Treadmill," offers a transformative blueprint for shifting from business overwhelm to a life of balance and fulfillment.

Scott Graves, whose journey from public school band teacher to successful financial advisor serving over 1,500 households, reveals how Chuck’s insights have reshaped his approach to business.

Key Takeaways:

• Structured Approach: Learn how Scott used the chapter’s strategies to streamline his decision-making process, easing the strain of managing his business.
• Growth Stages: Scott highlights how understanding the outlined business growth stages gave him clarity on his current position and future aspirations.
• Mindset Shift: Hear about Scott’s epiphany regarding the importance of intentional planning and setting clear goals to ensure the business serves him, rather than the other way around.
• Balancing Act: Scott shares practical advice on achieving a harmonious balance between financial success and personal time, emphasizing that it’s indeed possible with persistence and a solid support network.

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