E-Myth Company Story of the Month May 2010

I was introduced to E-Myth through a colleague, David Straight at E-rehab (a company that provides Internet marketing services to Physical Therapy Private Practices). I was talking to David about systems development and the direction we were trying to go with the business, and he said matter-of-factly, “Oh, just like (Michael) Gerber and the E-Myth.” I had no idea what he was talking about; I was devouring business books and courses, yet had not been exposed to Mr. Gerber at that time. Of course, I ran out and got the book and it immediately resonated with me. The whole notion of the entrepreneurial myth made me laugh out loud because I had lived it.

I decided to get involved with E-Myth coaching when I was trying to figure out how my business could outlive me. I wanted to protect my business partners and my family and, at the same time, make sure that the business was not dependent upon any one individual. I was actually going through a worst case scenario and completing information advising my wife what to do in the event I was no longer around or no longer able to manage the business. One of the recommendations I had given her was to take the Mastery Impact! program. Realizing I was giving advice I hadn't taken for myself, I contacted E-Myth and started talking about how the program could help me.

I have to say though, that working with an E-Myth business coach started out pretty rocky for me. The coach I was originally assigned to work with, I just did not resonate with. But what was great about the whole experience was as soon as I expressed my concern; they found a coach who better fit my work and communication style and my desires for the program. We developed a very rapid and deep rapport, and I really credit E-Myth for working with me to find that right fit.

The Mastery Impact! program has changed our business through improving and increasing our systematization and helping to clarify where we’re going. We've grown well over 20% since completing the program. We hired a number of new employees, and all are now very clear on their accountabilities and the tools and resources available to help them. We have continued to increase sales and referrals, developing new and broader relationships with referring providers. But the most significant change has been the reduced time demand and reduced stress levels for me and for the principals in running the business.

The Mastery Impact! program changed me by streamlining and systematizing the business and removing a lot of the personal time and stress loads from me, the individual. I now do more of the business activities that I am good at and I enjoy doing. I spend less time putting out fires and being scattered and trying to take care of whatever the latest emergency is. Our management system is no longer stream of consciousness, it is deliberate and focused. I am far better able to work on strategy and direction while preserving my personal life and my sanity.

I think the biggest "aha" moment for me happened near the beginning of the coaching program. We had already laid out some big picture goals about where we wanted the business to be in about seven or eight years. These goals seemed pretty lofty and really unattainable. I think I knew where I wanted to go but really had no idea how to get there. Through the Mastery Impact! program we've been able to articulate and define how we are going to achieve our goals and objectives. In those first couple weeks the goals became real and attainable.

The single biggest process that has changed the way we do business is really rather mundane. We implemented the EDMs (Employee Development Meetings) and the E-Myth management strategies and processes. Creating and using a standardized method has had a huge impact on the cohesiveness, the direction and the success of our managers and staff.

Another process that has made a significant improvement on our business is our Recruiting and Hiring Process. We used to struggle to get quality applicants. And while some systems were working well and we were growing and increasing the number of patients we were serving each year, we were having a hard time finding the right staff to serve them. Our recruiting difficulties were limiting our growth. Using the E-Myth processes for recruiting as the basis, we customized it to fit our business with great results. We now have fewer applicants, but the quality of those applicants has increased markedly. Instead of getting 20 Physical Therapist applicants per job posting with only one strong candidate, we get 5 applicants and 4 strong candidates. It saves us a great deal of time and has helped us find some great staff members.

I think many business owners know that certain developmental steps, be they personal or in business, can come along at the right time or the wrong time for them. If a business owner is looking to really get out of the day to day technical work and do more management, leadership, and more high-level strategy then this program could be a great fit for them. It allowed me to step outside our business and really get a bird’s eye view of it. It put the cliché of working on your business, not in your business in practical terms and provided the tools to do that. When I got involved it fit very well with my desires and my goals both personally and for the business. I can't recommend it highly enough for the person who wants to grow their business and preserve some semblance of balance with their personal life.