Warsha 00:01
Welcome to the Dare to Scale Show with me Warsha.

Evan 00:04

And me Evan.

Warsha 00:05

So, what is Dare to Scale, over the years that we’ve been coaching founders and business owners, much like yourselves. We’ve worked through a framework called Dare to Scale.

Evan 00:18
Dare to Scale indeed. That framework has helped loads of business owners. That is what this show is all about. So, put on your big picture thinking hat. 

Warsha 00:28
Oh and your headphones, and come join us and enjoy the ride.

Warsha 00:38
Hello. Welcome.

Evan 00:41
Hey, welcome to the show.

Warsha 00:42
Do you know, our best thinking time, our best brainstorming time is when we are having tea in the morning.

Evan 00:48
Totally

Warsha 00:49
So, yeah, so this is our tea time.

Evan 00:51
It’s waking up time. And what’s interesting is this. I don’t know like a connection to the unconscious and we just have wonderful conversations and ideas flow. And that is really the best time for us to do our thinking like you said.

Warsha 1:06
So we have our cup of tea, and we hope you have your tea, coffee, whatever else that you drink in the morning.

Evan 1:13
Yeah, and hope you’re listening and enjoying the show.

Warsha 1:17
So what are we talking about today Evan? This is such a, I’m loving this very relaxed attitude not relaxed attitude, but an informal way of getting into the podcast rather than a very structured way which limits and limits us.

Evan 1:30
We don’t like limitations. And it’s less about structure so it’s wonderful. Today we are going to talk a little bit about pipeline. Right. And it’s like, well what does pipeline mean to you?

Warsha 1:44
Yeah, for a lot of people pipeline is just one thing isn’t it just straight away customers, how do you build your pipeline, how do you build your customers.

Evan 1:51
So, let’s take a step back. How do you get to your pipeline in the first place? And underlying all of this we sort of were talking about that where we’re doing our coffee, bit of thinking time. And all of this boils down to it really is, you know, planning ahead, thinking about the next steps. It’s like game of chess. Right? What are those next steps and where do you want to end up? And your strategic thinking time really does play such an important part in that. To give you that roadmap ahead. Anyway, so moving forward most people like you said, think about customers. Why is that important. Well, because it turns into business and it turns into sales correct? But the thing is, where does that sort of journey start with your pipeline.

Warsha 2:37
Well, strategic thinking time for me is five six months ahead. So, you’re planning ahead. And it starts with defining who it is that you want.

Evan 2:47
So with that his strategic sort of thinking time. And like you said, five or six months down the track, a goal sort of where you want to be that you’re also working on who you want to talk to. And in a lot of cases, how. And the purpose for that is then to attract people. You know people who sort of pre qualifying themselves who are interested in what you do and interested in how it can help them.

Warsha 3:10
So, what you’re saying Evan here is when you’re talking about strategic thinking time you’re talking about a specific aspect of that strategy as to basically building your funnel. Basically, building your pipeline, who is in your sandbox basically work, who is it that you want to talk to what is it that you’re selling How are you selling it what’s the language you’re using. So, building your funnel is what you’re talking about.

Evan 3:35
Completely, so you’re building your funnel, you really are wanting to work out who it is you want to say yes to. So, there’s people who resonate with your message who resonate with the value that you have on the table and, you know, have a rapport, a connection with you believe that you’re real, and they can see that and want to make that further connection, they’ll come and talk to you.

Warsha 3:54
Being a strategy and people side of business being uppermost on my mind always. What other pipelines are there?

Evan 4:01
That’s a really good question. And you know what, the most straightforward one in most businesses is actually your people, you know in my old corporate career there were there were times when you know resumes would come in and HR would flick them across and any good ones you would definitely, you’d want to have a further conversation and when the time was right.

Warsha 4:21
Do you know, there was a concept that we used to learn about, there was a concept that we used to talk about, and I still actually talk about, and in many cases, we use that within our own company as well, is creating that waiting bench, that the sports analogy so I might get this wrong, excuse me, but it really is a waiting bench that you create for players who are when players who are actually playing on court needs to be out. You already have two or three waiting to replace them.

Evan 4:55
Exactly.


Warsha 4:56
So, at that stage you’re not looking for somebody new, and a lot of companies, even do that to create that waiting bench, because you already know where is that great talent and you start that conversation, and you keep them on the waiting bench there’s all methodology that goes behind it so that can probably, it’s probably a different conversation.

Evan 5:20
It is but you nurture right. Anybody that meets your culture fit.

Warsha 5:23
Yes.

Evan 5:24
You don’t want to lose them. So, you initiate a sort of conversation that it’s a waiting bench not a sideline.

Warsha 5:30
It’s a waiting bench not a sideline yes.

Evan 5:31
So you adding depth to talent pool that you have.

Warsha 5:34
You are.
 
Evan 5:35
And that’s absolutely amazing. Are there any other sort of pipelines that you might sort of consider?

Warsha 5:40
A couple of our clients if you remember we were having this conversation with them. And we were talking about another type of pipeline where that’s not a service industry, it’s more a manufacturing. So,

Evan 5:54
Or Inventory based right.



Warsha 5:55
Yeah inventory-based business. So, for them, having a very strong supplier stream was very important that.

Evan 6:03
I remember that.

Warsha 6:04
So having a supplier pipeline, even building a logistics pipeline, how do you get your things across to the customers hands. So, having a supplier pipeline is something worth considering.

Evan 6:16
And particularly when you go through a tender process, you know every three to six months or whatever it is to make sure that you’re you’re you’re getting the keenest pricing, and, you know, relationship with your suppliers. So, keeping your constant with them, and not being afraid to change the plan but equally having that depth to your supply chain.

Warsha 6:37
In one of our previous episodes, I think we had also talked about this in a slightly different way and I’m just bringing it up because that was a good episode to listen to. It was about also making sure, just as you make sure that your customers aligned with, or rather you send the right message, and the customers that you attract are the customers who come for why is it that you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s the same with employees you build a culture fit first, then you can upgrade them so culture first skill second. And it’s the same thing with suppliers, as well as isn’t it?

Evan 7:11
Well completely.

Warsha 7:12
So, you look for the suppliers, not just because they give you the good product or give you a good price, but also, you’re bringing in a little bit of thought into it for that longevity of relationship.

Evan 7:21
I mean it’s almost like that cynic thing right they believe what you believe, and you work together. And it’s so much easier to work together when when when you’re on that sort of same page.

Warsha 7:32
It is and funny you should be talking about this today. So, we have Platinum VA.

Evan 7:37
We do.

Warsha 7:38
And we’re building Dare to Scale.

Evan 7:40
We are.

Warsha 7:41
And what is happening with Dare to Scale’s team, how and where are the people who are forming the Dare to Scale Core team today coming from?

Evan 7:48
From a good culture fit. And that is Platinum VA.

Warsha 7:52
A great culture fit. Absolutely. So, we’re just lucky because we have a massive talent pool that we have brought together we have nurtured and who we have absolute confidence that they will bring their best, because they’re part of our team.

Evan 8:08
Yeah completely.

Warsha 8:09
They are part of our family for the past 8/10 years have been part of our family.

Evan 8:12
But I also take a step back from that because you our OPS are very very good at spotting the talent and it’s not just about. So, Platinum VA there is a certain skill set, if you will.

Warsha 8:24
Yes.

Evan 8:25
Right but there’s a strong culture fit that’s actually paramount. That is most important.

Warsha 8:28
Yes.

Evan 8:29
And so regularly, you have conversations with the team about language, and you know, mean what you say and be clear and close the loop, all that sort of thing and it’s really important to have everybody in that same culture and then using the right languaging, but equally, there are skills and maybe experiences that some of those team have that might not be relevant in one area of the business but are certainly relevant somewhere else, and you’ll be particularly Warsha very very good at spotting that. So that’s maybe one of the little takeaways. Know your people.

Warsha 8:59
Know your people. Yes, and it’s easier said than done for a lot of people because knowing your people doesn’t just mean, what are they good at knowing your people means, what else is hiding in there, where’s the real potential in them, and you as a leader of the company or me in my scenario is, it’s up to me to see what else is there, what else can we nurture what else can we tap into what else can we help grow. We should actually do an episode with Amanda, our Head of Ops, because for the past eight years, she has really honed that talent of spotting great people.

Evan 9:38
Well, that’s a wonderful segue because we were talking about people and just keeping an eye on what makes people tick, and nurturing

Warsha 9:45
Yes, so nurturing, so it goes beyond what they bring to the table, in terms of their skill and how is it immediately useful for you in the company is really to say because I believe that with our own individual life experiences, we learn a lot along the way. And sometimes we do what we do because we have to do what we do. And yet there is something else that we could do. If we were given the freedom of choice. And we’ll be really good at.

Evan 10:15
Totally grow wings and fly.

Warsha 10:17
Yeah, and we’re very lucky today that we have these two companies and there is so much talent that can be used, which may or may not have been useful within Platinum VA we’ll just move them across over to Dare to Scale. And people shine.

Evan 10:31
Absolutely shine yeah.

Warsha 10:32
Because there’s opportunity here it’s a different kind of opportunity. So, what are we really saying here Evan? This is a lot of banter going.

Evan 10:39
There is a lot of banter the thrust of everything was about pipeline. And we talked about. Mostly it’s you know customers and sales, but people first think of, but equally There’s your employees or your team. A bank, a depth to your talent pool. There’s also your suppliers, maintaining those relationships with them. But if I can take a step back to employees, and your team, nurturing them, and getting the best out of them. It actually made me think of something that you talked about the other day. And that is, funnily enough, Hell’s Kitchen.

Warsha 11:13
Oh yes. I like to watch food.

Evan 11:16
Me too to a certain degree. But we’re both foodies. It’s a way to say.

Warsha 11:19
Yes, I was talking about Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t thought. That’s because it is a fabulous example of a pipeline. I don’t think it’s intended to be that way. It just happens that it is turning out, there’s a second layer of opportunity that it is turning out into.

Evan 11:34
Totally, totally.

Warsha 11:35
So, Hell’s kitchen as you some of you may or may not know is a cooking competition where you get and it’s not a cooking competition for home cooks these are cooking competitions for professionals.

Evan 11:47
Professionals yeah.


Warsha 11:48
So those who have already been in the field, and who were brought together, to compete, eventually vying for the top prize which is usually a head chef position or executive chef position in a famous restaurant across the world, mostly in the US but they’re vying for the top spot. So, Gordon Ramsay runs the entire show. And what I noticed, and that’s when I came to you Evan to say what I noticed is during the show, I was doing a little bit of research and said, surely there’s more to all this swearing and screaming. And the more I researched the more I got into this phase where I was reading a lot about how much mentoring that goes behind the scenes. So, what is captured on the camera what is captured, not so much on camera but what is eventually shown into that one episode is a lot of screaming and shouting with what is not shown is the amount of hand holding mentoring that goes in all aspects of running a restaurant from front of house to the actual kitchen, and even to suppliers, and how do you maintain and turn this into a profitable business.

Evan 12:54
And these are professional chefs, like you said, who already apparently know these things.

Warsha 12:59
Exactly.

Evan 13:00
What’s happening here is the honing, and I think it was like a side comment on one of the episodes you said that doesn’t make sense that’s why you went researching.

Warsha 13:06
That’s when I went researching.

Evan 13:08
Because it was like 40 hours, worth of footage goes into one hour or something like that. It’s something ridiculous, but what you don’t see is that mentoring and then hand holding and the nice guy of Gordon Ramsay.

Warsha 13:21
Oh yes.

Evan 13:22
Who has amazing, this is also a side thing you found very strong family values. There’s a certain way of being a culture fit.

Warsha 13:30
It is about culture fit. So, the point of telling you that that entire story was when I realized that one of his corporate level executive chef is actually an Ex-Hell’s Kitchen winner.

Evan 13:42
From a couple of years ago right?

Warsha 13:43
From good few years ago, and it’s now been running for 18/19 years. And I think it’s season 10. When the winner. Chef Christina. She is now the executive chef, the corporate level.

Evan 13:58
Wow, so she won, and went into one of his restaurants, right?

Warsha 14:00
Went into one of his restaurants, and then grew through the ranks and she was clearly very good at what she does. She is by the way, and she was mentored and look where she is right now.

Evan 14:11
Did she come back for another competition or Isn’t she won. I mean

Warsha 14:13
No, no she didn’t come back for another competition, she won, and when she returned, she returned as his Sous chef.

Evan 14:21
That’s right. Now I remember.

Warsha 14:22
Oh, she’s amazing. Yeah.

Evan 14:24
Yeah, it’s like, just like oh my God Christina.

Warsha 14: 26
And she plays it a whole different level. But the point of talking about all this is the season that I’m watching right now is the top prize is off the head chef in the Hell’s Kitchen signature restaurant opening in Las Vegas.

Evan 14:40
Oh wow.

Warsha 14:41
So, I know it was aired a few a couple of years ago I’m just late catching up. So, that’s what made me think. So, the what is a secondary is yes, it’s a very popular it’s a successful reality show, and yet what is the second level of gain that is happening over here is for Gordon Ramsay, there is a massive pool of talent that is coming his way, year after year. And what a great way to mentor them and to really see who’s good at what they do and to be able to handpick people from that and I’m not suggesting that, that’s the only place where Gordon Ramsay gets his team from. All I’m saying is, what a great way to be able to bring these people together, train them mentor them, and A send them off on their own individual journeys and B, to be able to say, well, there’s a little bit of potential that I’d like to explore and absorb them within one of his fabulous restaurants across the world.

Evan 15:40
Amazing, absolutely amazing. And by gamifying and, you know, making something fun out of it, and particularly the pressure, I mean, and the one show. I don’t know if it was fairly recently was you had these amazing chefs, they had their own sports heroes. And those sports heroes were actually brought onto the show, and they were made to cook and the chef’s themselves couldn’t touch anything, right, and it was about the chef’s being able to communicate clearly right so there was a lot of like life lesson and mentoring this sort of went on and I just remember thinking to myself, Oh no, this is such fun, and yet oh my god so hard right. But

Warsha 16:18
I know we’re digressing, and I want to share what the underlying theme for that particular challenge was, if you were vying for the top prize of being a head chef, being a head chef is also mentoring and teaching people around you within your team. So how good are you as a teacher, so go with starstruck eyes. And now, teach your heroes to cook a meal. These people have never cooked, and yet they are celebrities in their own right, but they never cooked so how do you put your leadership skills and your mentoring skills to test and successfully produce a dish from people who have never cooked before.

Evan 16:55
Fantastic. Well, anyway, so going full circle, it comes back to strategic thinking time, what are the ways, you know, by putting that time aside what are the ways you can improve your pipeline, whatever their pipeline isn’t whatever pipeline means to you.

Warsha 17:11
Yes, so really take some time and sit down and this is

Evan 17:15
Grab a coffee or tea

Warsha 17:16
Grab a coffee yeah grab a coffee, tea, so make this one of your thinking time points as to how do you build your pipeline. And in all aspects of your business.

Evan 17:26
Completely.

Warsha 17:27
You know what, there’s a different pipeline that also can be built is not so much a people pipeline, but a product pipeline, but that’s for conversation at a different time.

Evan 17:39
Totally, Thanks for listening. Have a great day ahead.

Warsha 17:42
Hey hey hey, thanks for joining us and listening, right till the end.

Evan 17:48
Get on over to daretoscale.fm to subscribe and access show notes and transcriptions.

Warsha 17:54
Oh also, did you know that we have a Facebook page for our podcast listeners. Come join the conversations at daretoscale.fm/facebook.

Evan 18:05
Absolutely, oh and also remember to give us a five-star review so other entrepreneurs can find this podcast like you, and get value to scale forward their business.

Warsha 18:14
Fabulous, we will see you at our next show. Bye for now.

Evan 18:18
Bye.