Cosmos

Welcome back to the show, my fellow extraordinary Americans. For today’s guest, we have Gary Harper. Gary is the CEO of Sharper Business Solutions and co-creator of the Rise Business framework. With over 11 years of executive experience at a Fortune 500 company, Gary specializes in evaluating operational expenses and driving efficiencies. 

Since 2004, he has combined his expertise in business systems with his passion for real estate investing, helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses effectively. In 2013, he faced a life-changing battle with limb disease, a diagnosis that inspired him to dedicate his life to making a difference. 

He now travels the country empowering businesses to establish clear vision systems and processes that enable growth while promoting a fulfilling work-life balance. Known as a difference maker, Gary offers practical solutions to complex challenges, equipping teams with actionable tools for success.

His common-sense approach and dedication to helping others have left a lasting impact on businesses nationwide. He’s an extraordinary American, and I’m glad to have him on the show. Gary, thank you so much for taking the time to be here on this podcast.

Gary

Absolutely, thanks for having me.

Cosmos

So, Gary, can you tell me a little bit more about yourself, your background, and how you got started in the audience?

Gary 

Yeah.  I left home at a young age of 17. I moved to northwest Indiana and started working with my brother-in-law on house rehab projects. I actually lived in one of the rentals until it was fixed up. I ended up getting married at a young age, 20, and had kids by 23, two kids —a son and a daughter. Then, I got into corporate America. I started at the bottom, worked my way up. 

My first entry-level job paid $7.15 an hour, and I worked binding books at a place in Illinois. I recently completed extensive studying and learning, and I had the opportunity to work with an organization that allowed me to study their curriculum. It was called the Management Associations of Illinois.

And they did a lot of good stuff. While making copies, I was able to study, read, and learn, gaining a lot of knowledge that helped me in my career and growth within my organization. This experience also enabled me to work my way up to a national manager, focusing on business initiatives and development. My career was on the rise, and I became Executive of the Year 8 out of 10 years, with one exotic trip around the world. 

And that led me, like you said, into real estate. In 2004, I started buying and investing in real estate, which turned out to be a really great experience for me. Until 2008 came along. We ended up in a market crash, and many entrepreneurs were part of that. One of the biggest crashes in the real estate market occurred in 2008 and 2010, and I was not immune to that. By 2011, I had filed for bankruptcy. 

But I also ended up getting Lyme disease. And in the same year, I got bitten by a tick. It came down to Lyme disease, and it left me in a really bad place. I was forced away from my corporate job, which had been my success in Chicago. And I was forced to spend a year in recovery, and getting better almost cost me my life. But at the end of that year, I partnered up with my brother-in-law. We got back into real estate. We started wholesaling houses and also flipped some. 

By 2016, the team we assembled had closed over 300 deals in a single year. I was able to rebuild my wealth and rebuild my success. By 2016, I had developed a passion and a drive, a promise I made to God in 2011: if He gave me my life back, I’d dedicate it to helping other entrepreneurs. And so that’s what I’ve done. Since 2016, we’ve helped over 5,000 businesses globally, not just within the United States, but outside of the United States as well.

And I’ve written multiple books. One is about a seller on Amazon. It’s called the Rise Business Framework. And it’s for anyone looking to start a business, all the way through the expansion and scaling of a company. We discuss the five phases of business and the bridges that connect them. And those bridges serve as resources, inspiration systems, and engagement tools. And that’s what Rise is all about. How do we bridge those phases to get to scale and ultimately achieve our purpose of why we started the business in the first place? 

And so that’s where it leads us today. And a little bit about my journey. I’m 48 years old, and I have an amazing family with grandkids, including all my grandsons. They’re really the whole drive of my life at this point are those two amazing little young men. So it’s exciting to watch them grow up. And I’ve got a long life ahead of me still, and I’m already what I call a paw. I’m excited about that opportunity.

Cosmos

So, Gary, one of the things I wanted to know is that you went through this 2008 crash, and then you had a battle with Lyme disease. 

And this was a very intense moment in your life. How did you come back from this and become successful in business, helping a lot of people?

Gary 

Yeah. You know, when you look back on a time like that, it feels like a small moment and a small window. But the 2008-2010 period was pretty excruciating. I mean, I felt like I had it all under control. I thought this was my retirement, my chance to step away from corporate America, and then it was all ripped away. 

And I feel like you’re starting over from scratch. All the savings I had were gone. All the money and investments I had were gone. All the cash flow I had was gone. You know, nothing’s there anymore. And then on top of that, in 2011, to compound it all, to put the cherry on the cake, Lyme disease, I got bitten by a tick. I ended up finding myself with very, very, very little time left to live. 

By the time I found out what was going on, it was wrecked. Havoc all over my system. My hormones were all messed up, I lost a bunch of weight, and I was in for the fight of my life. I spent the next year fighting for my different treatments, and lots of money was spent on treatment protocols, trying to figure out a way to reverse the damage. 

And obviously, I’m here today. I’ve recovered to about 90% of my pre-infection state. I’m not nearly back to 100%, but I’m at around 90% of where I was. I’ll take it. You know, it’s great to be there. I still battle different diseases and illnesses from Lyme. Lyme doesn’t actually ever go away, but I was able to recover enough to function properly. 

But when you’re in the thick of it, I wrote a lot. One of the things I did to keep my mind right was to write a lot. I have a website called lim to light.com, where I share various stories from that time, journaling my thoughts. But, you know, it’s. When you’re stuck in a moment like that, it’s not one of these things that just. You wave a magic wand, and it’s over. You know, you have to go through it. 

And I think that’s the most difficult thing for most people: when they face illness, they face struggle, they face downturns, financial ruin. They don’t want to face it, they don’t want to go through it. Unfortunately, many people don’t go through it. They end up giving up. 

But, you know, the people who go through it and push through it, and get to the other side of it, build something within us and a strength within us that allows us to push new levels. And I think it’s a refinement. You’ve got to quit looking at tough times like they’re meant to destroy you. You’ve got to look at tough times like they’re meant to refine you. 

And even now, I don’t think everybody ever masters the art of it or desires to go through hard moments. Love, lost loved ones, broken hearts, people they may love who are no longer with them. Nobody wants to face those times, but I believe that by facing, enduring, and going through them, and then allowing them to refine you, you build strength. It builds a level of strength within you that you never could have imagined coming out of you. And without those moments, without the refining, without the rebuilding, you’ll never know what you’re fully capable of. 

And so allow it to happen, allow those times to come and go. But I think what’s more important is understanding that it’s not a. It’s not something that’s just going to go away tomorrow. It’s something to get up deliberately, intentionally push through. You know, most of the time when we’re in a struggle, we’re looking for someone to save us. Nobody’s coming to save them. Nobody’s coming. And I don’t mean to be a downer, but in that moment, you’ve got to accept it’s you that’s going to get up, it’s you that’s going to push through. 

And I believe wholeheartedly that people have loved ones in their lives who support them and want to see them succeed. And there are just times that they’re supportive emotionally, but physically, you have to get up, you have to put one pant leg on, and then put the other pant leg on. You know, my most successful days, despite being super ill, were when I built a successful business. It wasn’t that I wrote a book. It wasn’t that I won an award or made a lot of money. 

My most successful days were in my weakest moments, getting out of bed. We’re putting one pant leg on, then another, and then taking one step, and another, and then taking one compounded step after another that led me back to my bed, fatigued and ready to go to sleep that night. That was a success. And you’ve got to look at little wins like that, and then you compound those wins, right? 

As the strength and mental toughness build, you find yourself on another level. And that new level allows you to try new things and push yourself. And probably one of the things it gave me was confidence. What’s the worst thing that can happen than losing your health, losing your wealth, losing everything? Friends, people. I had people walk away. They just didn’t know how to support me. They didn’t know how to help me through that. And you know what they did? They just pulled away. They just got silent. Now they came back when I was better. 

But you realize that you’re stronger than you thought you were. And I think because you fail and you then succeed, you’re able to take on any challenge. There’s nothing too scary anymore. I truly believe that people who fail in life are born or designed to do something greater. You know why? When you fail and lose everything, what’s the worst that can happen? 

At that point, you know, my mind was reminded of Job in the Bible and how God allowed the devil to take everything from Job. Not only did he rebuild, but he rebuilt 10 times the amount of wealth and every single thing he lost, from family to health to wealth to riches, everything —it’s all gone. 

But he didn’t just rebound, he rebuilt. And when he rebuilt, he rebuilt 10x what it was. And I think there was a reason for that. I think he wasn’t scared. I think fear either caused us to do something or not do something. 

And when we face failure or illness, we decide we don’t want to fail, right? And the fear of failure drives us to succeed. But then I think some people have never faced failure, and what happens is they’re never willing to face it and drive to the next level of success because they’re so scared to lose it. 

And so fear either calls you to do something or not do something. And you know, your listeners today are taking chances, trying to build a business, or striving for success, aiming to reach the next level, or seeking to leave a legacy for future generations. They have to face fear. And they’ve got to be willing to push past every fear they have, which will either motivate them to take action or not. And that’s really where I think the magic happens, Gary.

Cosmos

I think many people share the fear of what you’ve gone through.

When you start a business, it takes obsession to build success

They’ll either lose financially or lose everything, or their family and friends will disapprove of everything. And then that’s what stops them from starting a business or, like, taking those chances. And it’s all about risk and how they’re going to approach it, you know?

Gary 

Yeah, well, I mean, and that’s probably what’s going to keep them stuck right where they are, never truly succeeding. And I think people get FOMO when they feel like they’re missing out, you know? When building a business, it’s essential to understand that success requires obsession. You’ve got to become obsessed with what you’re doing. People are also fearful of losing time with friends, family, or the hobby they love. People aren’t willing to give up golf, or at least some of them aren’t willing to give up their addictions. People aren’t willing to give up things to be successful, but that’s what it takes. It takes being obsessed to get there. 

And not for a long period of time, but people aren’t even willing to endure the discomfort for a short period of time. You know, I’ve recently lost over £100, and I’ve managed to keep it off for three years now. 

So, I started this journey in 2020, before there were GLPs available to help people lose weight. And I’m not knocking that. I’m just saying, it takes grit and perseverance. It takes hard work to grind and become obsessed with what you want to achieve. And whether it’s weight loss or building a business, any goal, anything you want to do in life, man, that’s what matters. It takes obsession. So, I always tell people that when you start a business, you need a clear purpose for why you’re doing it. Right. 

Before we got on, you shared your purpose for this extraordinary podcast and what it’s all about, and you said this was my purpose. Well, if you have the right purpose. The purpose is to create a passion. Right. When we have a purpose and build a vision plan, we become passionate about it.

Cosmos

Yeah.

Gary 

Even the Bible says there’s no vision. The people perish. Well, so does your purpose if you have no vision for it. So, the first thing you need, once you have a purpose, is to say, “All my purpose is to get out of the corporate rat race and work for myself.” Great. That’s the purpose. Perhaps you have an initiative or something you’d like to change for people. Great. That’s the purpose. 

Well, maybe you want to leave generational wealth for your kids. Great. That’s the purpose. What’s your vision? What does it look like to do that? What’s your one-year, three-year, five-year, and ten-year vision plan for getting there? Once you have that, you become passionate about it. You get excited and start telling other people. That’s where you know you’re passionate about it. But then passion has to go to an obsession, right?

 We have to be obsessed with it. We have to work the plan; we have to pour ourselves into it. Once we have an obsession, then we have to stay focused. We have to stay focused on what we’re doing. And it’s easy to get focused once you become obsessed with it. And obsession is a good thing. It can be used for good as long as it’s trying to help you fulfill your purpose. You become obsessed with the wrong things, which can destroy you. But obsession about the right things, about a purpose that has a vision, and that vision has created passion, and that passion has created an obsession. And that obsession has driven me to focus, but what does it stand for? 

Follow one course until successful. And that’s when you reach success. And you fulfill your purpose because you stay focused long enough to achieve success. What I find is people hit plateaus in this, right? They have a purpose, but they never get passionate about it. Nothing ever sparks them to do it. Why? Because they don’t have a vision.

Right. And then when they have a vision, they become obsessed with it. They become passionate about it. That creates obsession. And obsession, then what does it do? It creates focus. However, people lose focus and become obsessed because they fail to hold themselves accountable to the vision. You know, they don’t want that. They won’t tell anybody about it. I tell people that I know when you become obsessed with something is when everybody sees it. 

And everything you’re doing. I know when you’re 100% focused on it, and when you allow people to hold you accountable who are trying to lose weight. They have a purpose, wanting to lose weight and get healthy, right? And then what happens is they’re like, here’s my vision. I want to lose £150. £100 or £50.

And then they’re like, “I’m going to get obsessed with this.” I’m going to change my eating habits, exercise daily, and adopt these practices. And they start doing it. And people start to notice that they’re doing it. They’re like, Hey, are you trying to lose weight? No, I’m just doing things differently. What are they doing? They won’t tell anybody about it because they haven’t fully bought in, and they’re not laser-focused on it yet. And because they’re not laser-focused on it, they won’t let anybody hold them accountable. And that’s the moment they’re in. That moment is when they start to fail. They start to fail because they’re unwilling to let anyone hold them accountable for it. Yeah, go ahead.

Cosmos

So, Gary, I would also want to add that maybe the purpose of their why isn’t emotional or deep enough. Many people have a shallow purpose, driven by things like wanting to make money or make their family happy. But I think the purpose should also be deeply emotional, like their why. Right. It has to get something deep within them for them to get obsessed, right?

Gary 

Well yeah. To cultivate passion, one must have an emotional connection. They got to see how it’s going to change things for them. They have to be willing to see it and get emotionally connected to it. And so without that 100%. But that’s what the vision does. A vision is a part of helping you connect emotionally to it. Why do I want to do this now? It’s a good purpose. 

But why? Why am I trying to get to that? And that’s some of the stuff we talk about in the Rise Business Framework in my book, specifically, how to create that purpose. I always tell people, purpose comes from your life. That’s how you emotionally connect to it. What is life? It’s past. Your life is the present. Your life is the future. The past, the present. The future creates your purpose. People understand how we emotionally connect with a company’s purpose when they see how it aligns with achieving their life’s purpose. 

And that’s when the emotional connection shows up, which can be anything. Right. It could be making money. You could go out and start a company today, saying your goal is to make a million dollars. Great. What will it do for you? How will a million dollars help you achieve your life’s purpose? Because the company’s purpose is about making a million dollars, and that’s fine.

And here’s the thing I think most people confuse. They confuse the company’s purpose with their own. That’s not true. Sharper, my company, Sharper Business Solutions, has a purpose that is not my purpose in Life. My purpose in life is to rise by lifting other people. Sharper’s purpose is to do good work that supports God’s work—two totally different purposes. 

However, here’s where the emotional paycheck shows up. I can see how the company’s purpose aligns with my personal goals, and that’s what emotionally connects me to it. I have a vision for the company that will help me achieve my life’s purpose. And then that creates passion. If you want your employees to be passionate about what you’re doing, help them discover their personal purpose and connect the company’s purpose to helping them achieve their personal goals in life. Perhaps their purpose in life is to spend more time with their kids right now, since they’re 8 and 12 years old. Okay, so how will the company’s purpose help them achieve that? Maybe their goal is to make a lot of money. How will the company’s purpose help it achieve its goals and generate significant revenue? Because as soon as they can see their personal purpose being achieved by helping the company reach its purpose, they’re going to be more committed. They’re going to get emotionally connected to the company, and that’s a great place to be.

Cosmos

Gary. Many companies fail to do this for their employees, neglecting to connect their emotional purpose to the company’s vision and purpose. But if you do that, then that’s a very good way of human resource management. Right? Because that’s one of the main things in many companies. How do I handle employees and people?

Gary 

Well, it’s the first stage of business. So that’s where most people get stuck, the first stage of business. First, why did we start the business? You had a purpose, right? A product that created profits. That’s why you started the business. Well, then you have to hire resources to help you with that business. What you need to do is not just hire, but also get the necessary resources. What are resources? Time, money, and people. That’s what resources are to a company. 

So that’s why you hear so much talk about people. It’s because we have a global partnership with small business entrepreneurs and owners. That’s what America is all about. It’s the SBA, the Small Business Association. That’s why so many people come to America: they have an opportunity here to build an entrepreneurial business. And so, when they get into stage one, which is time, money, and people. It’s like, where are you going to spend your time? Where can the business best benefit from your time? How much money will we make, how much do we need to spend, and how much will we keep?

A business performance number three: what people do I need to build this business? Do I need VAs? Do I need contractors? Do I need employees? Do I need vendors? What people do I need to help me achieve what I set out to do? And so that’s why there’s so much talk about it. That’s why many people are interested in learning how to hire, manage, and lead, as they are often still in the initial stages of their business or at stage two. 

And then, when we transition from stage two to stage three, what do we need? We need to inspire the resources. We have to have a vision; we have to have purpose. We need to align their purpose, employees, and goals with our company’s purpose. We need a plan, goals, and other key elements to inspire the resources.

Cosmos

Yeah.

Gary 

And once we get into stage three, we have resources, we have inspiration, vision, and a plan. Now we’re sustainable. Stage three focuses on sustainability, involving decisions on what to do next, how to achieve it, and how to maintain it. And that’s the S in rise, which stands for systems. Right. 

What systems do we need to relinquish control over those resources without losing control? How do we start to build on these resources? And systems allow us to do that. Processes, procedures, policies, meetings, structure, and KPI structure are all crucial for sustainability. However, to expand and reach the next stage, stage four, and grow the company, we need to have the E quadrant, which is a quadrant of expansion. Right. And that’s what we’re looking for: how do we expand with those things? We need marketing, sales, and other key elements to 10x the business.

Cosmos

So, Gary, one thing that we’re in Rise is the S, which stands for systems and processes, and these are the key to sustainability. Right. Many people fail to create the right systems for their businesses, or they develop a system that revolves around them. So, from your perspective, how do you go about creating the right systems for success?

Gary 

Well, the only way to let go is to build trust. The only way to create a repetitive system where other people are doing it without you is to build trust. The only way to build trust is to document the process, including the procedure on how to do it and the policy on when to do it. You have to have trust in your process, procedures, and policy. That’s the first thing. If you don’t trust your process, procedures, and policies, then it doesn’t matter who you hire. You’re not going to let them do it without controlling it. 

But then you have to put the right people in the right seat with the right process to be able to build trust truly. What are the right people? The right people are those who align with our values and our vision. That’s trust. When you have someone working for you who shares your values and vision for the organization and is aligned with it, that makes them the right people, but you can have the right people in the wrong seat in your company. 

So how do we make sure they’re in the right seat? In rise, we talk about the heart, the head, the hands, and the feet. The heart that had the hands of feet. They tell me you are in the right seat. It’s a little rhyme to help us remember. What is the heart? The heart is desire. How do I know you’re in the right seat? You desire to be in that seat. You want it, you’re passionate about it.

Number two, what’s your behavior? We conduct an assessment with our team members called the Predictive Index. That predictive index indicates you have the right behavior to perform the process I’m about to have you do. The next thing is the hands. What are the hands? The hand represents skills training and the knowledge you possess. Do you have the necessary skills, training, and knowledge to do this job? And last is the ability to grow, which is the feet. What are you doing? Are you trying to grow with the seed, or are you trying to grow the seed? Like, what are you trying to do to grow it? 

And so when somebody has desire, they have behavior, they have the skills, and they can grow with the seat. They’re in the right seat for the organization. When you have the right person in the right seat and the right process, you have trust.

Cosmos

So, Gary, I also wanted to ask about the company’s leadership and culture, and how they align with its systems and processes. Because without the right leadership and the right work culture, companies usually fall apart. So, from your perspective, what is the best approach to take on this?

Gary 

Well, I mean, you have to be intentional with building culture. And we were alluding to it a little bit. Culture is just the way we do things. But part of culture is being able to trust people to do and get results for you. That’s what culture is. 

And so, what it creates is culture—having the right people. If you have the wrong vision, the wrong values, you’re going to have a really crappy culture. What else hurts culture? Having people in the wrong seat. That’s what hurts culture. If someone else has to do the job for them or help them, they won’t have a healthy culture. Number three is that you have to have goal alignment to have the right culture. People have to be bought into your goals, and you have to know their goals and what they’re trying to achieve. And then last is purpose alignment. We talked about that earlier with a purpose. Ensuring the company’s purpose aligns with your employees’ personal goals. 

And when you have those four things — people, position, goal, and purpose — that’s what creates the right culture in an organization. And then you have to drive that down to every level of the organization so that everybody’s bought into all four of those areas. And that’s what makes a great culture.

Cosmos

A lot of people think about human resources, resource management, and creating the right standard procedure, but also about leadership. There’s a case of trust where people don’t want to delegate. And I feel like in business, delegation is important at some point if you want to expand.

Gary 

Yeah, for sure. And delegation is something that has to be done over time with the ability. No trust. Delegation is the purest form of telling someone you trust them. In Rise, we discuss how to build trust. I wrote about the art of delegation in Rise, explaining why it’s important and why delegation is truly an art. And when we teach people how to do it, I’ll show you how to do it quickly. The first thing we do is ensure that everyone is on the same page with the person they’re delegating to. And what does it look like to get on the same page? 

Well, if I ask you to do something to be on the same page with you, I need to confirm two things: first, that you don’t think you need training on how to do it, and second, that you don’t feel you need training on how to do it. That’s how we get on the same page. First, do I want you to have training, or do you need training? Do you feel you need training? If you don’t feel you need training, I don’t feel you need training. Then we’re on the same page, but with the first step to delegation.

So, the second step in delegation is whether I want feedback after you’ve done it or if you’d like to receive feedback after completing the task. That’s the second step to proper delegation. 

Second, do I want feedback, or would you prefer to get it after you’ve completed it? If you don’t want feedback, you don’t need training. I don’t feel you need training, and I don’t need you to give me feedback after you’ve done it. Now we are in stage three of delegating, which is autonomy. I feel that you have everything you need to do this on your own. You feel you have everything you need to do this on your own. And that’s when we let go, when both of us are on the same page with those three steps. But here’s a word of caution for everybody who wants to delegate too soon. I’ve encountered some leaders, not good leaders, by the way, who want to delegate too soon. They say, Well, this is what I’ve hired you to do. I just need you to realize that you’re empowering them to fail. There are times when we don’t want to delegate or empower people. 

And they’re like, man, I’m ready for it. Please put me in, coach. I’m ready. I’m ready. I feel like I’ve got what I need. Neither one of those is a good combination. We need to be on the same page as the person we’re delegating to, regarding the current stage of delegation. That’s why it’s called an art. But here’s the caution. When delegating tasks to others, whether to a spouse, a child, or employees, ensure you’re on the same page regarding both financial and time budgets. 

One of the biggest areas where people get frustrated when delegating is when someone either spends too much money or takes too much time. And time is probably the biggest culprit here, where someone says, Hey, I need you to do this. Okay, I got it. We’re on the same page. You don’t need training. You don’t need feedback. No, I’m good. I’m going to do it. And what do they do? They trust that person to do it. Then what happens?

As the week goes by, or two weeks, they approach the person and say, “Hey, I trusted you to get this done.” Why isn’t this done yet? Like, whoa, whoa, whoa. I am doing it. Yeah, but, man, I expected this to be done by now. 

I asked you two weeks ago, that’s bad leadership. What makes good leadership is when we look at each other and say, “Hey, I need you to get this done.” And then they confirm they can do it without feedback or training. And then you say, “Okay, can you get it done by Friday at 4 pm? Can I have this done in three weeks?” Can I have this done by the end of the quarter? Failing to align on time can break trust, even if the person’s capable of doing it. And that’s why it’s so important.

The art of delegation, proper leadership. You know, I make this statement a lot, and I’ve actually put it on a lot of podcasts, but I love the statement. You want to hear it?

Cosmos

Yeah.

Gary 

You have the team you deserve.

Cosmos

Wow.

Gary 

Right? You have the team you deserve. If you want a better team, become a better leader. Level A employees are often reluctant to work for a Level C leader. They just don’t. So if you want to level up, it starts with you.

Cosmos

I think that’s actually a very relevant point you’re making, because many people don’t want to look within and take responsibility for their actions. They would rather blame other people. But making a business successful is about accepting accountability and responsibility for yourself.

Gary 

Yeah. You know, people hire me all the time to come into their companies and coach their business. It costs about $10,000 a day for me to come in and coach at somebody’s company. And you get people who pay it all the time. They’re like, yeah, man, you’re going to make me a lot of money. It’s worth the investment. Let’s do it. Let’s work together. 

If I had a workshop focused on leadership, it would help people become better leaders. I struggle to get people to pay a hundred dollars to learn how to better themselves. If I tell them their employees, company processes, or finances are the problem, they’ll pay for it all day long. They’re like, “Man, if you can fix this, that is great.” I look at them and think, “You’re the problem.” They’re like, “I don’t pay to have that fixed.”

Cosmos

No, I mean, you’re actually right; people would rather have the blame put on them. It’s kind of like the scapegoat kind of thing, you know. But to get better, you have to look within. But that’s actually really hard to do for most people.

Gary 

Yeah, but they’re not even willing to pay someone to look at them and provide instruction or coaching on how to improve as a human being or a leader. I had a guy once, and by the end of his two-day session, we had covered everything. We built the vision, the purpose, the plan. We had accountability. We put a meaningful structure in place. We identified the proper KPIs to track daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. We set 90-day goals and followed through on everything. We identified the right people, the right seats, and who needed to be moved around. All right, that’s hard work in two days. 

And the guy looks at me. In two days, he’s like, “So, which one of these do you think was my biggest problem?” And I looked at him, and I thought, “Man, I think it all needed adjusting and fixing.” There’s no doubt, 100%. But the truth is, if you want to know the truth, the problem in this company is you, not the business. And he was so upset; he was like, “Are you kidding me?” I urged you to tell me I’m the problem. I mean, and that’s the problem. You don’t even want to hear that you’re the problem, but you are.

And so, how many successful entrepreneurs have you known, or even legacy businesses that you’ve studied, where after the owner, the entrepreneur, passes away, they explode and get bigger? We, as entrepreneurs, are sometimes our own single point of failure in our own companies. We think we have to send every seat; we have to be the one who does everything. And you know what? The truth is, most entrepreneurs shouldn’t be sitting in more than 20% of the seats in their business because they’re not any good at the rest. 

Yeah, if you’re truly a great entrepreneur, a visionary type personality, you’re great at sales, marketing, and leading or creating a vision for a company. But you know what? You’re not good at operations, nor are you good at finance. But there are three major components of every business. There are sales and marketing, operations, and finance, all of which are major components. 

And when you’re only good at one of those three major components, you’ll never truly reach your full potential as a business until you get out of your own way. But people don’t want to hear that. They think they’re the end-all, be-all to everything in their own company. And their ego, their pride, causes them to stumble and never succeed.

Cosmos

No, yeah. What you’re saying is actually relevant, but it’s also for many people who are going through internal struggles and facing criticism, even in constructive forms. But ultimately, that’s what it takes in business. 

And I want the audience to take home this point that you have to be willing to look within yourself and face some level of constructive criticism to get to the next level. Because that’s the only way we’re going to actually, truly grow.

Gary 

Yeah. And honestly, the best way to do that is to be around people who challenge you to reflect on yourself. Surround yourself with successful entrepreneurs who have scaled their businesses, or consider hiring a business coach or someone who has achieved success, to gain a fresh perspective on yourself. Here’s the thing: if you’re just starting a business or have a small one, you often don’t know what you’ll need at the next level. 

So, you’re looking for someone who’s at the next level or maybe a couple of levels ahead of you. Someone who can look at you and say, “Bro, this is what you’re going to need, and you don’t even know it yet,” but you can’t bring that. You’ll need to find someone else to bring that for you. And successful leadership isn’t about getting things done. It’s about getting things done through other people. That’s what successful leadership looks like: when you can get people to do things, and they do it for a common purpose that they get excited about with you. And it’s not just for you, it’s with you, so it’s really important.

Cosmos

Gary, could you tell me a bit more about your book, Rise Business Framework, and the premise behind writing it?

Gary 

Sure, absolutely. My world came together from corporate America, where I worked as a corporate professional and helped successful Fortune 500 companies, including building my own. I also found that there are limited resources available for businesses that grow from startups to success. There are various operating systems available that help entrepreneurs. There are various operating systems available to help business owners. There are entrepreneur operating systems available to help businesses scale. 

And all great operating systems. They’re really good. What I found, though, was that there was nothing that took you from startup all the way to success. There was nothing that helped you through every phase of business. And so that’s why I wrote Rise, because I found that even as a business coach, I had companies that would come to me and say, “Can you coach me?” I’m currently running on this operating system as a company. And then I realized that the operating system lacks a solid foundation in processes, procedures, and policies.

 So then we had to add to it. Other operating systems excelled at building vision, culture, and purpose, but struggled with other key areas, such as finance. There were different components needed at various stages of business, which meant people had to switch between operating systems, leaving them frustrated. The vernacular would change, the language. All those things would be different with each operating system. 

And so I just created my own. I was like, you know what? I’m going to create something that supports entrepreneurs from the moment they decide to start their business, through to the point where they feel they have achieved their purpose and are ready for expansion. And so that’s why I wrote Rise. And, you know, we had some extra time during COVID. And usually I’m flying five times a week. And now I’m home more. I’m doing a lot more coaching via Zoom at the time, but it allowed me to have a little bit more time to start writing. 

And so I started writing. I started writing my own curriculum. This is Rise, the third rendition of a curriculum I’ve written. I’ve written two others before this, but Rise felt like it brought everything together for me, finally. I then decided to publish the book and send it out into the world. And to my surprise, it became a bestseller. 

And it’s available on Audible, Amazon, and multiple other platforms. And then. And then here’s the thing for me: I always say you’ve done something great, not when you tell others you’ve done something great, but when others have told you. Hearing from people, entrepreneurs, and business owners about how much it’s helped them was truly telling. It made me realize we’ve done something really good here. And so that’s why I love the book Rise.

Cosmos

No, Gary, this is amazing. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to start their own business, as it provides a framework for navigating the business landscape. Starting a new business is a scary thing, especially when you’re going all out with it. So this will help them understand which stage they’re in. And I really appreciate that you wrote this book.

Gary 

Thank you. I appreciate that, man. I enjoyed the podcast today, particularly the questions you had. I hope your entrepreneurs and listeners gained a lot of value from today’s content. Hopefully, they’ll provide them with tactical advice to implement immediately, rather than just reading the book.

Cosmos

Yeah, totally. And, Gary, how can the audience connect with you and learn more about your company and your work? If they’re interested in learning more, what’s the best way to do so? Let’s say someone wants to get coaching from you.

Gary 

Yeah. Sharperbusiness.com has all the links. Right. Whether it’s the Rise Business framework or hiring us as coaches, we offer multiple coaches for you to choose from. They want to follow me on social media: official Gary Harper on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. A couple of our videos went viral on TikTok, with one reaching a million views on Instagram and YouTube Shorts. But you could search for me there. Our company also has a platform on each of those channels, along with Facebook. You can find those links directly on sharperbusiness.com.

Cosmos

Gary, I’m grateful you took the time to join this podcast and share your wisdom and knowledge on business, as this is exactly what people need to reach the next level. And I definitely hope that you come back to this podcast at a later time.

Gary 

Absolutely. Thanks for having me on.

Cosmos

Yeah. And I want to conclude this episode by letting my fellow extraordinary Americans know that, hey, look, there’s an extraordinary within every one of us. It’s our duty to awaken it and unleash it. Until next time. Bye for now.