Target

Employed business acumen and consulting experience to analyze workforce trends and steer data-informed strategic decision-making for senior corporate leaders.
•	Leveraged organizational structure knowledge to pre-empt conflicts and facilitate effective change.
•	Educated business partners to enable a shift towards data-driven decision-making, fostering collaboration with business teams.
•	Led people analytics project team during COVID-19, developing tools to monitor its impact on the workforce and retail business.
•	Utilized labor market insights to align external market realities with internal strategies at Target.
•	Played a pivotal role in shaping Target's 'return to office' strategy in response to the evolving 'future of work' by leveraging data insights. 
•	Fostered constructive working relationships through mutual respect, active listening, negotiation, and open discussion.
•	Applied a scientific approach to problem-solving, delivering consistent, predictable, and trusted results.
•	Gained profound insight into career values at Target, tailoring strategic workforce plans to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.

Lead Business Consultant People Analytics & Insights

Directed the development and implementation of strategic workforce plans (SWP), leading to optimized resources and operational efficiency to meet changing business needs and contributing to the growth and achievement of business objectives.
•	Oversaw a workforce of over 7,000 and managed a $690M resource budget, providing strategic advice to executive leadership on workforce needs, incorporating macro trends, competitor analysis, and people analytics.
•	Identified and spearheaded a $55M resource automation reduction initiative, educating and guiding leaders through the initiative's potential organizational impact.
•	Collaborated with HR, utilizing talent analytics for succession planning, talent reviews, year-end performance, compensation processes, employee development, diversity, and organization design.
•	Initiated and led a productivity study for 766 cross-functional merchandising roles to identify and rectify workflow inefficiencies.
•	Led cross-functional planning teams of up to 30 members from diverse departments, promoting collaboration and unity in creating workforce strategies.

Lead Business Consultant - Strategic Workforce Planning 

As a strategic HR Systems Manager, I optimized core HR systems, driving process improvements and enhanced data security. My collaborations led to the developing of effective HR programs, policies, and processes, and I became a trusted advisor offering detailed consultations and analysis. I significantly reduced report production time by 90% and user downtime by 25% through system improvements and spearheaded a successful $250K HR charting software upgrade.

Senior Systems Analyst

As a critical player in HR Systems support, I led initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of core HR systems, managed integrations, and improved data security access. My efforts included redesigning the hierarchy reporting system, leading praised training sessions for HR Operations, and updating data security to enable swift and secure access for over 1,200 new users annually.

Systems Analyst - HR Operations 

OptumHealth

As a strategic business leader, I converted product strategies into sustainable business models, overseeing internal projects and developing operational reporting systems. My analytical skills guided resource allocation, improving department performance, and the creation of productivity measuring tools. I also led monthly planning sessions with senior leaders, focusing on business results.

Senior Business Analyst Consultant - Care Solutions

Leveraging strong analytical skills, I transformed complex datasets into compelling presentations, enabling senior leadership to strategize effectively. My expertise in business and financial analysis contributed to creating impactful productivity reports and designing innovative reporting tools, resulting in enhanced management efficiency across significant divisions.

Business Analyst - Care Solutions

US Bank

I spearheaded the transition of clients' online banking to a new system, defining project parameters, mitigating risks, and determining business requirements while effectively managing a dedicated team.

Project Coordinator - Treasury Management 

Welcome to my profile! I am an established professional who uniquely fuses a robust HR strategy and scientific approach, particularly in strategic workforce planning and people analytics. With a strong foundation in Biology and Chemistry, I am adept at applying rigorous scientific methodologies to solve complex business problems, setting me apart in the field.

Fueled by a continuous pursuit of learning, I diligently apply this blend of knowledge in novel and impactful ways, drawing from my varied experiences in retail, healthcare, and banking. These experiences have broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of diverse business needs and challenges.

My strength lies in using historical experiences and trends to craft comprehensive strategies that harmoniously align organizations with their human capital. My intellectual curiosity propels me to dive deep into complex situations, extracting insights crucial for developing robust workforce strategies.

As a certified planner and consultant, I strive for consistency in my processes and results, offering predictability and trust in my professional approach. At the same time, my creativity stimulates me to look beyond conventional methods and develop novel strategies for workforce planning and people analytics. With an inherent ability to foster harmony, I adeptly unify diverse teams toward achieving organizational goals.

At Target, I spearhead initiatives to redefine workforce analytics, blending my scientific background with my business acumen. Leveraging my data analysis and visualization expertise, I influence strategic decision-making, striving to set new industry standards in HR analytics.

Equipped with an MBA, a Strategic Workforce Planning Certificate, and a Bachelor's in Biology, I actively seek networking and knowledge-enhancing opportunities. If you're interested in discussing strategic workforce planning, people analytics, or potential collaborations, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn messaging.

Jared E Johnson

People Analytics | Strategic Workforce Planning | Labor Market Insights | Advising Retail & HR Leadership

Claire Edmondson, Lisa David and 448 other attendees

View event: Securing Interviews With LinkedIn and ChatGPT

Securing Interviews With LinkedIn and ChatGPT

BeneficCapital LLC

Benefic Capital is a private family office investment firm dedicated to building generational wealth by transforming business cash flow into long-term, income-producing assets.

My Role:

Lead investment strategy across small business acquisitions, real estate, and alternative assets.

Apply a “business-as-an-asset” framework to create scalable wealth beyond active income.

Partner with other entrepreneurs to design holistic wealth strategies that combine operating businesses with investment portfolios.

Document and share lessons learned to help other business owners think and act like investors.

Highlights & Results:

Structured investment vehicles that reinvest profits from coaching and marketing ventures into appreciating assets.

Expanded holdings into both operating companies and long-term real estate assets.

Developed frameworks for owners to turn their businesses into wealth-building engines rather than jobs they’re stuck in.

Founder & Managing Partner

ActionCOACH Central Texas

At ActionCOACH Central Texas, we help ambitious business owners scale beyond themselves, building companies that create freedom, profit, and long-term wealth.

My Role:

Lead strategy as Sr. Partner across coaching, operations, and growth initiatives.

Coach business owners directly on scaling systems, building high-performing teams, and driving profit.

Train and mentor other coaches within ActionCOACH, focusing on podcast hosting, storytelling, and engaging client communities.

Serve as CFO/CMO-level strategist for select clients, bringing a systems-first approach to marketing, finance, and operations.

Highlights & Results:

Supported multiple business owners in scaling from ~$1M to $5M+ revenue.

Helped owners regain 10+ hours per week through delegation and systemization.

Guided companies through successful exits and acquisitions, creating legacy wealth.

Recognized as a top ActionCOACH team worldwide for performance and impact.

Visit us online at https://actioncoachcentraltx.com/

Sr. Partner & Business Growth Strategist

The Business Spotlight Series

The Business Spotlight Series is one of the largest business owner driven education series in the world! Business Spotlight provides an outlet for business owners to speak about their journeys, their challenges and successes in order to drive brand awareness and help others learn.

Host - Business Spotlight Austin

Benefic Marketing

Benefic Marketing is a Client Acquisition Intelligence™ firm helping small businesses, franchises, and agencies turn chaos into clarity through CRM automation, dashboards, and strategic marketing systems.

My Role:

Design and implement scalable systems that give owners clarity on sales, marketing, and operations.

Lead product innovation for our SaaS dashboards and reporting platforms (BeneficIQ, Leadflux).

Oversee custom CRM builds, automation workflows, and lifecycle-based campaigns tailored to local businesses and franchises.

Partner with owners to shift decision-making from guesswork to data-driven growth strategies.

Highlights & Results:

Built fully automated dashboards that reveal which products, services, and campaigns actually drive profit.

Helped local business owners cut marketing waste by 20–40% through better attribution tracking.

Designed CRM systems that improved lead response times and increased conversion rates by up to 2–3x.

Developed white-labeled solutions for agencies, enabling them to scale client acquisition and retention.

Learn more at https://beneficmarketing.com/

Founder and CEO

ActionCOACH WilCo

*ActionCOACH WilCo is NOW OFFICIALLY ActionCOACH of Central Texas!* 

Award Winning Sr. Partner & Marketing Manager 🔹 Founder 🔹 Entrepreneur 🔹 Business Strategist 🔹 Speaker & Educator 🔹 Certified Business Coach

Co-Owner, Global Sr. Partner, & COO (Merged to ActionCOACH Central Texas)

Bank of America

Wealth Management Lending Officer - NMLS 1510701
tanner.obrien@bofa.com

https://mortgage.bankofamerica.com/tanner-o'brien

At Bank of America, I am responsible for assisting High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth families in the purchase of new homes, restructuring/refinancing current mortgage debt to access equity or improve cash flow.  Prime responsibilities include: engaging with clients and Merrill Advisors on topic of home loans, coaching team partners (bankers, financial advisors, and other associates of the firm) in recognizing home loan solutions for clients, loan origination, pipeline management, and achieving company targets.  In addition to my role within the firm, I own my part of the business and develop relationships with outside agents within the real estate sector.

VP - Wealth Management Lending Officer, NMLS 1510701

Mortgage Loan Officer - NMLS 1510701
tanner.obrien@bofa.com

https://mortgage.bankofamerica.com/tanner-o'brien

At Bank of America, I was responsible for mortgage loan sales within my assigned financial centers.  Prime responsibilities included: engaging with clients within financial centers on topic of home loans, coaching team partners (personal bankers, financial advisors, and other banking associates) in recognizing home loan solutions for clients, loan origination, pipeline management, and achieving company targets.  In addition to my role within the Financial Center, I owned my part of the business and develop relationships with outside agents within the real estate sector.

Mortgage Loan Officer, NMLS 1510701

CENT Credit Union

I was responsible for all mortgage loans: accepting applications, quoting rates, verifying credit, determining appropriate mortgage programs and originating loans, underwriting, processing, closing, funding, and all communication between borrower, buying and selling agents, appraisal companies, title companies and attorneys, insurance agents, and other representatives as needed.  I was also responsible for the management of all escrow accounts at CENT, managing a team of five employees, consumer lending (personal and auto loans), management of collection/delinquency, monthly reporting of Lending Department statistics, member service and front line transactions as needed, and other financial duties as assigned by the CEO.

Mortgage Loan Originator & Consumer Lender

Main Street Mason City

I was responsible for the development, conduct, coordination, and documentation of the Main Street Mason City Program. I served as the principal on-site individual coordinating Main Street Mason City activities that recognize historic preservation as an integral foundation for downtown economic development. 
As the Director, I was also responsible for grant writing, committee coordination, building and maintaining relationships with downtown businesses, managing the administrative tasks of the organization, volunteer coordination, and working with Mason City Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Agencies, Mason City CVB, and the City of Mason City.

Executive Director

Mason City Chamber of Commerce

I was responsible for over 20 successful events and 4 new programs. My biggest success to date was the successful relocation of the North Iowa Band Festival to Downtown, Mason City.  I was the staff liaison to following standing committees: Agribusiness, Blue Zones Project Worksite, Business Resource, Events, and the North Iowa Band Festival, I was the Coordinator of the North Iowa Band Festival (Mason City's signature event) and all other programs/events hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, I was involved with fund-raising through events, sponsorship, and grant writing, my other duties include budget setting, media relations, volunteer coordination, and marketing for each of the Chamber events as well as the development of new programs and increasing profits of current events.  I was also responsible for implementing all policies and procedures necessary for the Chamber of Commerce to become a designated Blue Zones Project worksite.

Program Director

Life Time Fitness

Metabolic Specialist
 ◦	I provided technical leadership and training to Personal Training department, Metabolic Technicians, and members in the areas of metabolic testing, heart rate monitors and RiskPoint. Consistently provided metabolic testing and heart rate monitor services.  Managed inventory, new hire check list, implemented marketing and promotional strategies.  I also ensured our club hits revenue needs for the program.  
 
 Personal Trainer
 ◦	Worked with individuals of all ages and abilities to help them accomplish healthy way of life goals.  Provided clients with education, nutrition, and training to foster progress towards individual goals.  Responsible for customer service, sales, and member engagement of all members in the fitness club.  Track own business and strive to hit business goals set for myself.   Lead one on one training, small group, and classes of 12+ individuals.

Metabolic Specialist/Personal Trainer

Award Winning Sr. Partner at ActionCOACH Central Texas | Entrepreneur, Business Owner, & Coach | Host of 'Business Spotlight' Austin

Most business owners don’t fail because they lack drive.
They fail because they become the bottleneck.

They’re working harder than ever, yet the business still depends on them for every decision, every sale, every fire that needs putting out.

That was me, too. I left a high-paying career in banking to join my family business and quickly learned: success at scale doesn’t come from working more. It comes from building a business that works without you.

Over the last decade, I’ve:

Helped business owners replace chaos with clarity through scalable systems and dashboards.

Partnered with leaders to build teams who take ownership instead of adding more management layers.

Guided entrepreneurs through the messy middle of growth to unlock time freedom, financial clarity, and long-term wealth.

Today, I wear a few hats:

Sr. Partner at ActionCOACH Central Texas – leading one of the fastest-growing business coaching firms.

Founder of Benefic Marketing – building CRM, automation, and dashboard solutions for local businesses and franchises.

Investor at Benefic Capital – turning business cash flow into long-term, wealth-building assets.

But titles aside, here’s what matters:
I help ambitious business owners buy back their time, scale beyond themselves, and build lasting wealth and freedom.

If that’s the journey you’re on, follow me here.
Every week, I share frameworks, stories, and systems to help you move from operator… to owner.

— Tanner

Tanner O'Brien

A few days after my grandmother's funeral, I logged back into Slack.

I expected chaos.

Instead, I found this message from my EA:
"Weekly reports sent. Team sync happened. Two client issues resolved. You're caught up."

No fires. No emergencies. No "we need you" panic.
Just... handled.

That's when it clicked:

The most important hire I ever made wasn't another coach or strategist.
It was Taylor, my Executive Assistant.

Not because she answers emails.
Because she runs the machine I built.

Here's what that actually looks like:

She protects the system, not just the calendar

I built our weekly reporting process once.
She runs it every Monday at 9am without me touching it.

Consistency doesn't come from discipline. It comes from delegation.

She makes decisions I used to micromanage

Client wants to reschedule? She handles it.
Team member has a question? She routes it or answers it.

She doesn't ask permission. She's trained to think, not wait.

She documents everything so nothing lives in my head
Every process. Every repeatable task. Every "how we do this."
Written down. Accessible. Scalable.

That's how you go from bottleneck to builder.

She leads when I can't

Those four days I was offline? She didn't pause.

She stepped up, made calls, kept things moving.
Not because I'm replaceable. Because the business is built to run without any single person.

Most owners think the first hire should be a specialist.
Wrong.
The first hire should be someone who can take your brain and turn it into repeatable systems.

That's an Executive Assistant who thinks like an operator.

If you're still the person holding all the details, you don't have a scaling problem.
You have a delegation problem.

I help service-based owners get back 10+ hours a week by installing AI systems that run their business. | Benefic Marketing | ActionCOACH

No alternative text description for this image

Become Undeniable
Be the version of yourself that cannot be ignored.

Every day I remind myself of one rule:

You’re not competing with the world.
You’re competing with the guy you were yesterday.

And when I look back, the gap between old me and current me is clear.

Yesterday-Me (the real version):

Thought I knew a lot more than I did because I learned fast
Believed waking up at 5 AM was the only way to be successful
Filled downtime with music, TV, and stories
Worked because I had to pay the bills
Chased “work-life balance” like it was a finish line

Today-Me (the man I’m building):

Approaches everyone as someone I can learn from
Focuses more on what I do after waking up than the exact time
Chooses podcasts, YouTube, and skills that make me better
Works because I love what I’m building and who I’m building it with
Lives in work-life harmony, not work-life tug-of-war

None of this came from a dramatic moment.
It came from slow, steady upgrades in how I think and how I show up.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Discipline compounds
Identity shifts quietly
The small reps shape the big outcomes

Most people wait for motivation.
But the people who become undeniable?
They stack tiny wins until the old version of themselves can’t keep up.

I’m not trying to be perfect.

I’m just trying to become a man my future self would point to and say:
“He kept going. He kept growing.”

Keep going. Your future self is watching.

Building businesses that run without the owner through systems and AI-driven execution. | ActionCOACH | Benefic Marketing | Benefic Capital

If this sounds familiar to you...give this a quick read:

You haven’t taken a real vacation in years.
You’re working 60+ hours a week just to keep it all running.
You own the business… but it kind of owns you.

Are you working in the business… or stuck under it? Let’s talk about the trap that almost every entrepreneur falls into: Building yourself a job—with 

Open article: The Business Owner’s Trap by Tanner O'Brien • 1 min read

Some parts of business look chaotic, even when the work is solid.
Marketing is one of them.

For years, I kept trying to “fix” my marketing.
New platform.
New ad.
New idea.
Same inconsistency.

Some weeks everything moved.
Other weeks…nothing.
And I’d find myself asking questions that weren’t helpful:

Is it the market?
The algorithm?
Me?

Here’s the part nobody tells you:

Most of the buyer’s journey happens where you can’t see it.
And that invisibility makes good owners doubt themselves.

It’s not that your marketing is broken.
It’s that you’re reacting to the final 10 percent of someone’s decision as if it’s the whole story.

When I finally understood that, the weight shifted.

I stopped expecting every lead to move the same way.
I stopped assuming slow weeks meant something was wrong.
And I stopped treating every inquiry like they were starting from zero.

Because they weren’t.

If you want a clearer view, try this:

Think of the last customer you closed and write three simple lines:
	•	TOF: Where they first came across you
	•	MOF: What they looked at before trusting you
	•	BOF: What pushed them to act

Then drop this into ChatGPT:

ROLE:
You are a small-business marketing strategist who explains things simply.

CONTEXT:
Here is the real path my last customer took:
TOF: [YOUR EXAMPLE]
MOF: [YOUR EXAMPLE]
BOF: [YOUR EXAMPLE]

COMMAND:
1. Show me how this funnel handles warm vs cold leads.
2. Identify the biggest blind spot in how I’m viewing my buyer.
3. Give me 3 improvements I can make this month.

FORMAT:
- Warm Lead Analysis
- Cold Lead Analysis
- My Blind Spot
- Top 3 Improvements


Seeing the whole path won’t magically remove the ups and downs.
But it will give you something far more valuable:
perspective.

And perspective is what turns stress into strategy.

What part of your buyer’s journey feels the most invisible to you right now?

I almost lost our first sales hire before he even started.

Here's what happened:

Two weeks before his start date, he asked a simple question:

"What's the onboarding plan?"

And I froze.

Because the honest answer was: "You'll shadow me for a few weeks and figure it out."

That's when I realized:

We didn't have a training system.
We had tribal knowledge trapped in three people's heads.

And if I couldn't clearly show someone how to succeed here, I had no business hiring them.

So we spent those two weeks building something we should have built years ago:

A training system that works without us.

Here's what that actually looked like:

Week 1: I recorded everything I was already doing

Not scripted. Not polished.
Just screen recordings of real calls, real pipeline reviews, real objection handling.
I narrated as I worked. 12 videos. Under 10 minutes each.

Week 2: We built a path inside our CRM

We use Go High Level (not because it's perfect, but because our whole business runs in it).
Created a simple course: Pipeline Basics, Call Structure, KPIs That Matter.
Everything in one place. No hunting through Slack or Google Docs.

Day 1: He started without me

Logged in. Watched the videos. Took the assessment.
By lunch, he was making practice calls using our actual scripts.

I didn't teach him. The system did.

The part nobody talks about:

This isn't a "set it and forget it" thing.

Every coaching session, I record it.
Every role play, it goes back into the library.
Every mistake someone makes, we build a module to prevent it next time.

The system gets smarter every week.

And here's what changed:

Before: Every new hire took 6 to 8 weeks to ramp up (and needed constant hand-holding).

Now: New hires are revenue positive in 2 to 3 weeks. And I'm not in the room.

If you're still training people by hand, you're not just wasting time.

You're capping your growth at your own capacity to repeat yourself.

“Happiness is seeing progress, not being perfect.”
That line stuck with me all week.

I had the honor of presenting at the Business Leader Series workshop the other week — 40+ entrepreneurs in the room.
We talked about how to reverse-engineer your 2026 Game Plan:
profit first, then activity, then action.

Afterward, a few people came up and said,
“That finally clicked for me.”
That’s the win. When something you’ve learned the hard way lands for someone else.

Between that, watching our team hit new milestones, and volunteering with the Round Rock Chamber…
I was reminded that fulfillment isn’t found in the “finish line.”
It’s in the motion. The little forward steps.

We’re now 13.8 months away from retiring my parents from our family business.
Every system built, every team member empowered, every client served — it all adds up.

If you’re building something big, don’t chase perfect.
Just make progress today.

What’s one small win you’re celebrating this week?

In business, in real estate, in life, the things that look like upgrades can often be traps.

I sold the house. I shouldn’t have. My first real estate win felt like a triumph. Bought a house for $68K. Fixed it up. Sold it for nearly $90K. Not b

Open article: The Lesson That Cost Me $50,000 by Tanner O'Brien • 1 min read

The week my grandmother died, I wasn't thinking about our business.

And that's exactly why it kept running.

Three owners. All out of office. Zero fires.

That week we won North American Firm Owner of the Year, but the real win was this:

We built a business that doesn't need us to breathe.

Not because we're great leaders.
Because we built systems that work when we can't.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

1. Systems equal survival, not just scale

Most owners build process to grow faster.
I build it so I can disappear when my family needs me.
Freedom isn't revenue. It's the ability to step away without consequence.

2. Leadership is measured by your absence

If your team only performs when you're watching, you're a manager, not a builder.
The real test: what happens when you're unreachable for 7 days?

3. Your family deserves a business that works without you

Not for the exit.
For the emergency.
For the funeral.
For the moment you need to be fully present, and your business keeps moving.

This year, I'm documenting how we're building our family business to run independently.
Not as theory. As a field report.

Because every owner should have the option to step away.

If you're building a business that can't survive a week without you, let's talk.

Drop a comment or DM. I'll share the 3-step diagnostic we use to stress-test owner dependency.

My dreams had been too small.

Not because I lacked ambition. But because I hadn’t seen enough examples of what was possible.

I held a gold bar in my hand… … and I didn’t feel successful. I felt surprised. Because I never expected to hold one. Not at this stage of life. Not i

Open article: Your Dream is Too Small by Tanner O'Brien • 1 min read

Sometimes the simplest way to get the team to use AI as a tool is to give them an incentive to use it.

Quick unlock for new ChatGPT users - leverage the power of projects to set custom instructions and create specialists within your workflow.

If you are in business today, you've got to be exploring how AI can be used in your workflows.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered something that changed how I see business forever:

Most chaos is a systems problem.

Chaos is not a requirement for growth. For a while, I thought stress was just part of the game. The long hours. The mental juggling act. The late nigh

Open article: When I Fell in Love with Systems by Tanner O'Brien • 1 min read

When you see your business clearly, overwhelm fades.

Take 60 seconds and write down the three ways people actually find you today.

Not the five platforms you “should” be on.
Just the truth.

Then paste this into ChatGPT:

——

ROLE:
You are a small-business marketing analyst who explains things simply.

CONTEXT:
Here are the 3 ways people find my business today:
[PASTE YOUR LIST]

I want to understand which of these are warm vs cold, and what signals actually matter.

COMMAND:
1. Label each lead source as warm or cold.
2. List the top 3 buying-intent signals for each source.
3. Recommend one simple next step for each source to improve conversions.

FORMAT:
Lead Source | Warm/Cold | Intent Signals | Recommended Next Step

This week had everything — wins, chaos, and a few fires that reminded me just how unpredictable business can be.

We onboarded our 8th team member (welcome, William 👊), and for the first time, I didn’t feel buried by it. (yay - starting to fill the spaces in the office!)

Why? Because our systems, and my executive assistant, Taylor, made it feel easy.
That’s the unlock: when you finally build a business that doesn’t need you in every step.

Hiring someone new always exposes gaps. Missing videos. Unwritten SOPs. The steps you forgot existed.
But those gaps are gold, they show you exactly where to strengthen your systems.

My dad and I are sitting down next week to record the missing sales training videos.
Not glamorous, but that’s how we build the machine that will one day let him (and Mom) step out.

Progress over perfection. Every week, one more brick in the wall.

What’s one system in your business that still depends on you?

You are a culmination of the people you choose to surround yourself with…

This has been one of the most powerful pieces of advice I’ve received to date. 

Episode 4 is live on YouTube - a bit of fun on this journey to retire my parents from our business before the end of 2026. 

The week opened with a ride in a Lamborghini at Circuit of the Americas, thanks to a mentor who is living at a level I’m working toward. It was a reminder I needed: get around people who are further ahead, who think bigger, and who show you by example what’s possible.

From there, the week shifted into deep strategic work. We mapped out multiple pathways to hit the 13.5-month goal, challenged our assumptions, and clarified what the future business needs to look like if it’s going to run without me.

A big part of the vlog is the system buildout:
 • Real-time recorded trainings
 • Turning transcripts into SOPs
 • Rolling out full AI project folders
 • Custom GPTs for call reviews and call notes
 • Building an AI sales role-play bot
 • Setting tighter boundaries with scope creep

This wasn’t a “flashy” week. It was a systems week. The kind that compounds.

Why who you surround yourself with matters
https://lnkd.in/gwRnzgfG

Open video: Why who you surround yourself with matters on youtu.be

Why who you surround yourself with matters

I hate to break it to you, but your marketing isn’t underperforming…your offer is unclear.

That was a hard truth for me to swallow the first time I realized it.

I kept trying to fix things at the surface level.
New copy.
New graphics.
New ideas.
More posting.
More activity.

But the real issue wasn’t my marketing.
It was the way I was explaining the value behind what I did.

Here’s what I eventually learned:

People don’t buy activity.
They buy outcomes, clarity, and confidence.

And when your offer feels fuzzy to them, they don’t reject you —
they simply hesitate.

That alone can stall an entire business.

Once I understood that, I stopped chasing noise and got honest about my 4Ps:

Problem: Most owners feel stuck because nothing in their marketing feels predictable.
Promise: I help them build simple, clear systems that create visibility and consistent sales.
Path: We break it down one piece at a time — funnel, offer, CRM, follow-up, AI.
Proof: Real businesses using this approach reduce chaos and finally understand how growth works.

When I started speaking from that level of clarity, everything else aligned.
My content had direction.
My conversations got lighter.
People understood what I actually helped them achieve.

If you want to get clearer on your own offer, start with this:

Write these four words on a blank page:

Problem
Promise
Path
Proof

Fill them in honestly.
Right now.
No polishing.
No clever phrasing.
Just the truth about the real value you deliver.

If you want to refine it, drop this into ChatGPT:

ROLE:
You are a small-business offer strategist who keeps messaging simple and clear.

CONTEXT:
Here is my offer using the 4Ps:
Problem: [TEXT]
Promise: [TEXT]
Path: [TEXT]
Proof: [TEXT]

I serve [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] in [INDUSTRY/LOCATION].

COMMAND:
1. Point out anything vague, generic, or confusing.
2. Create two improved versions of my offer:
   - Version A: Simple and clear.
   - Version B: Bolder but still realistic.

FORMAT:
- Offer Audit
- Version A
- Version B


Clarity is the multiplier.
It’s what turns scattered effort into steady progress.

13 months from now, my parents retire from our family business.

Not "someday." Not "when we're ready."
December 2026. Hard stop.

That deadline changed everything.

Here's what I realized:
Without a forcing function, I was building a business that could run without me.
With a deadline, I'm building a business that must run without them.

The difference? Urgency kills perfectionism.

This is what we've done in the last 90 days:
✅ Documented every role my parents currently fill
✅ Hired and trained 2 new team members to absorb their responsibilities
✅ Automated weekly reporting so leadership decisions don't require their input
✅ Built an AI training system so new hires onboard faster
✅ Systemized our sales process so it's duplicatable across future locations

The goal isn't to replace my parents.
The goal is to make the business an asset, not a job.

And here's the uncomfortable truth:
If your business can't run without you, you don't own a business.
You own a high-paying job with unlimited hours.

This deadline forced me to ask hard questions:

What decisions am I making that someone else could make?
What's in my head that should be in a system?
What am I doing that I'm not uniquely suited to do?

Every answer became a project.
Every project became a system.
Every system bought back time.
The best part?

We're tracking everything. Every system. Every hire. Every process.
Because if we can retire my parents in 13 months, we can help other owners do the same.

If you want to know if your systems actually work, give yourself a deadline.
Not "eventually." Not "in a few years."
A real date. Real stakes. Real accountability.
That's where theory meets execution.

13 months. Let's build.

You’re not overwhelmed. You’re operating without the information you need to feel in control.

That’s the real truth behind most small-business marketing frustration.

You’re running a real company.
You’re serving real customers.
You’re already doing the work.

But without visibility, everything feels…noisier than it should.

So your business ends up in a loop:
	•	Busy
	•	Quiet
	•	Panic
	•	Random marketing
	•	Small bump
	•	Back to busy
	•	Stop marketing
	•	Repeat

And because nobody ever taught you the system underneath the chaos, you internalize it.

“Maybe I’m just not good at this.”
“Maybe other owners know something I don’t.”

No.
You’re not the problem.
The blind spots are.

Here’s the simplest way to get your sight back:

Take 60 seconds and write down the three ways people actually find you today.
Not your ideal plan.
Not the five platforms you “should” be on.
Just the truth.

Then paste this into ChatGPT:

——

ROLE:
You are a small-business marketing analyst who explains things simply.

CONTEXT:
Here are the 3 ways people find my business today:
[PASTE YOUR LIST]

I want to understand which of these are warm vs cold, and what signals actually matter.

COMMAND:
1. Label each lead source as warm or cold.
2. List the top 3 buying-intent signals for each source.
3. Recommend one simple next step for each source to improve conversions.

FORMAT:
Lead Source | Warm/Cold | Intent Signals | Recommended Next Step

———

When you see your business clearly, overwhelm fades.
You make cleaner decisions.
You stop reacting and start steering.

What’s one lead source you’ve been “feeling” your way through instead of measuring?

taplio

The Battle

Jared E Johnson

Tanner O'Brien

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJared E Johnson's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTanner O'Brien's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Jared E Johnson

Tanner O'Brien

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jared E Johnson's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreTanner O'Brien's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJared E Johnson's LinkedIn Performance