The Hands-Off CEO Blog

Run a thriving agency that grows without you: Insights from the Hands-Off CEO Retreat

Many 7-figure agency CEOs find themselves trapped in the day-to-day grind of their business making it harder to scale it, because they work too much IN the business rather than ON it. However, you can run a thriving agency that grows without your constant involvement. It’s not just a dream – YES – it’s entirely possible, and we’re here to…

Breaking Free from the Agency Owner’s Entrapment Cycle

7-figure Consulting Agency CEOs Guide: Looking to scale beyond $10M without sacrificing their freedom or quality of life. Many consulting agency owners find themselves in a familiar scenario: they land new clients and experience a surge in sales growth. But suddenly, their team is overwhelmed, and they’re pulled back into day-to-day operations. They hire new staff to create capacity, but…

The top 1% of consulting agencies are mastering these principles and seeing net profit increases of up to 600%.

Is your 7-Figure Success strangling your Growth and Freedom? Scaling a consulting agency from $1M to $10M isn’t just about working harder — it’s about working smarter. From consulting with over 1000 CEOs of service agencies at Hands-Off CEO, we’ve identified 3 critical stages in this journey, each with its unique challenges and mindset shifts. The $1M-$3M Stage: “Can I…

How Top CEOs Scale to $10M by Stepping Away – E109

 Are you a 7-figure agency owner feeling trapped by your own success? In this eye-opening episode, Mandi Ellefson reveals how top CEOs are scaling to $10 million and beyond by stepping away from day-to-day operations. Drawing from her extensive experience consulting with over 1000 agency CEOs, Mandi breaks down the critical stages of scaling and the mindset shifts necessary…

How to Calculate Cost Variance + a Better Way to Drive Agency Profits

consulting agency owner learning how to calculate cost variance

Don’t risk losing money on your projects; Learn how to calculate cost variance accurately and ensure your agency stays profitable.

The Lifestyle Business Lie – E100

This is part 2 of a 2-part series on the Hands-Off CEO podcast, where you’ll hear me being interviewed by Ross Mayfield, a copywriter and marketing strategist on my team. In this episode, we share some of the more vulnerable stories and experiences we haven’t shared on the podcast before. We dispel the myth of the “seven-figure lifestyle business” and…

The Integrity of Scaling – E89

Mandi Ellefson is discussing why popular scaling advice is terrible for consulting agencies. She shares insights about marketing, systems, and what you should actually do to scale. You’ll hear Mandi talk about: “Do you really want to systematize and accelerate a process that’s just getting okay and mediocre results?” Mandi shares a story about a company that grew from referrals,…

How to Drive Rapid Hands-off Growth – E88

I share how leaders can drive rapid growth in their company beyond themselves in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO.   You’ll hear me talk about: Convincing someone to do something: they have to want to do it, and money isn’t the most reliable incentive. [1:32] The food chain of passion. “If you don’t have a lot of passion, then…

Your 3 Roles as a CEO – E83

What does your job look like when you start working on the business instead of working in it? Mandi Ellefson describes the three main roles that CEOs assume to maximize both their time in the business and the earning potential of the whole company in this solo episode of Hands-Off CEO. Key Ideas: A CEO is responsible for providing vision,…

How to Use Your Business as a Vehicle to Build Wealth – E81

Businesses are great sources of income, but you shouldn’t have to keep working forever to build your wealth – and especially not after retirement. Mandi Ellefson explores how business owners can avoid this in this week’s show. Key Ideas: Mandi shares how she first started seeing business as a vehicle for building wealth. [2:12] “We had seen all the advice…