Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide

Today I'm Visionary at EOS Worldwide. But full transparency: 

I've failed more than I've succeeded.

After starting my entrepreneurial journey at 29, I built and sold 9 companies for 7 figures, made the Inc. 5000 thirteen times, and earned Inc's Honor Roll. 

I also started businesses that completely tanked (landscaping, furniture, boot camps, HVAC, and yes, a 660-acre ranch in Wyoming).

The failures taught me more than the wins.

In one of my "successful" companies, we hit pure chaos:

- Nobody agreed where we were going
- Everyone stepped on everyone else
- We fought fires daily instead of building
- We'd set goals then ignore them
- We hit a ceiling and stayed stuck

I knew there had to be a better way to run a business.

That search led me here: 

Helping leadership teams implement EOS to get control of their business and their lives.

We strengthen 6 key components: 

Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. 

Most companies run at 20-40% strength. 

We get them to 80%+ so entrepreneurs can have what they really want: freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose.

Ready to get what you want from your business? Start here: https://bit.ly/47a5Nfj

Built a business and want to help others? Consider becoming an EOS Implementer: https://bit.ly/49kWB99

Mark O'Donnell

Great teams solve 5-10 issues per meeting.

Weak ones waste two hours and solve one.

So many teams will sit in the same room week after week,
Discuss the same issues,
But end up resolving nothing.

That's because talking about problems isn't the same as solving them.

In Traction, we discuss the 10 Commandments of Solving Issues.

Functional filters that healthy teams use to make decisions and move forward:

1️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rule by Consensus
↳ Trying to please everyone makes progress hard.
↳ Make space for discussion, but appoint an owner to decide.

2️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Be a Weenie
↳ Avoiding tough decisions creates confusion.
↳ Say what needs to be said. It's better to be clear than liked.

3️⃣ Thou Shalt Be Decisive
↳ Indecision is a decision. And usually a bad one.
↳ Use what you know now. Make the best call you can, and adjust if needed.

4️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rely on Secondhand Information
↳ Hearing something third-hand leads to bad choices.
↳ Go to the source. Always check facts before solving the wrong problem.

5️⃣ Thou Shalt Fight for the Greater Good
↳ Solve for what's best for the company, not egos.
↳ When in doubt, ask: what helps the business most right now?

6️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Try to Solve Them All
↳ Not every issue needs fixing now.
↳ Pick your top priorities. Work through the real ones, let the rest wait.

7️⃣ Thou Shalt Live with It, End It, or Change It
↳ You have 3 choices. Staying stuck isn't one of them.
↳ Accept it, fix it, or move on. Stalling helps no one.

8️⃣ Thou Shalt Choose Short-Term Pain and Suffering
↳ Avoiding discomfort only makes it worse.
↳ Have the hard talk. Deal with it now to avoid bigger pain later.

9️⃣ Thou Shalt Enter the Danger
↳ The real issue is usually the one no one wants to say.
↳ Name the elephant in the room. Be brave enough to say what others won't.

🔟 Thou Shalt Take a Shot
↳ No one knows everything. That's not the point.
↳ Trust your gut. Use what you know. Action beats perfection every time.

If your team is stuck rehashing the same issues,
It's not because the issues are too complex.

You're likely just not following a clear process to solve them.

These 10 Commandments are just one piece of the Issues Component in EOS.
The full breakdown is in Traction.

📌 Grab a copy here https://bit.ly/490hqqy

Do you need to revisit any one of these with your team?

♻️ Share this if you know a leader frustrated by unproductive meetings.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on systems-based leadership.

Simple systems for stronger businesses and freer lives | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide | Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data​: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable

 10 Commandments of Solving Issues

I believed every single one of these when I started.

Until EOS showed me what really works:

"Why does success feel this hard?" 

That's the question I kept asking myself early in my entrepreneurial journey.

We were winning by every outside measure, but I was exhausted.
My team was confused. And every new level of growth brought more chaos.

Turns out, I'd been believing 9 myths that made everything harder than it should be.

Discovering EOS completely reframed my understanding of a healthy business:

❌ "More hours = more success"
✅ More structure = more success 

Systems multiply your impact, and free you from the work you think only you can do.

❌ "Vision will take care of itself"
✅ Vision only works when it’s shared

Vision has to be documented and shared constantly so everyone is working towards the same goal.

❌ "I have to do everything myself"
✅ Right people, right seats = freedom

When people own outcomes instead of tasks, they solve problems you'll never even see.

❌ “Meetings are a waste of time”
✅ Effective meetings create alignment

90 minutes a week in a Level 10 Meeting builds more alignment than 10 hours of status updates.

❌ “We can grow through chaos”
✅ You can’t scale what isn’t organized

Predictable systems give you the confidence to grow without breaking everything you built.

❌ “Accountability means micromanagement”
✅ Accountability creates ownership

Scorecards turn guesswork into data. When people measure their own numbers, they manage their own performance.

❌ “Hiring fast solves problems”
✅ Hiring right solves problems

The People Analyzer keeps you honest about fit. Slow down the hire, speed up the results.

❌ “Every issue needs my input”
✅ Leaders solve root causes, not every symptom

Stop being the bottleneck. IDS trains your team to solve issues without waiting for you.

❌ “Traction happens by chance”
✅ Traction happens by design

Rocks turn 90 days into progress you can measure. Traction is the outcome of doing the right things consistently.

Structure doesn't slow you down.
In fact, it's the only thing that lets you speed up.

If you're stuck believing any of these, EOS can help. 

See if it's right for you: https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

♻️ Share to help bust these common myths.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on EOS & systems-based leadership.

9 Myths Entrepreneurs Believe

If it feels like your business is fighting back, it’s not just you.

The problem is one of five predictable frustrations:

If you're an entrepreneur, you've probably hit all five at some point.

I know I did.

After starting nine companies, selling a few, and watching a couple tank,
I started seeing a pattern.

Now, after two decades of helping leadership teams run EOS,
The frustrations come up everywhere.

But these aren't random. They point to something specific.

Something you can fix:

1. Lack of Control
↳ Your business is running you.
↳ You're buried in decisions and can't find time to think.

✅ EOS Fix: Get your vision onto paper. Build structure and be driven by purpose.

2. People Problems
↳ Your team isn't listening or following through.
↳ Deadlines are slipping and there's no ownership.

✅ EOS Fix: Create and assign clear roles. When everyone knows what they're responsible for and they share your core values, things start to click.

3. Not Enough Profit
↳ You're working hard, but the margin isn't there.
↳ Growth costs more than it gives back. Revenue doesn't equal reality.

✅ EOS Fix: Focus on the vital few. Track the right numbers. Simplify your business so you can actually grow it.

4. Hitting the Ceiling
↳ You're always busy, but not growing.
↳ Every new idea dies in execution.

✅ EOS Fix: Delegate. Build systems. Think in 90-day priorities that compound over time.

5. Nothing's Working
↳ You've tried books, consultants, programs... but nothing sticks.
↳ You've lost belief that change is even possible.

✅ EOS Fix: Stop chasing quick fixes. Start running an operating system that aligns your people, process and purpose.

Every entrepreneur comes across these five frustrations eventually.

The question isn't whether you'll face them.

It's whether you'll stay stuck or systemize your way through.

Ready to get what you want from your business?

Let's figure out where you are and where you're going:
https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

What's one frustration you're in right now?

♻️ Share this to help another entrepreneur out of these problems.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on building systems-based businesses.

Mark Schmukler

Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC

Full-service branding, strategy, websites, digital, content, inbound, and traditional B2B marketing agency specializing in healthcare, technology, industrial and business services marketing with offices in Doylestown (PA), Princeton (NJ), Philadelphia (PA), Boston (MA), and Washington (DC). Primary responsibilities include brand strategy, business development and marketing.

CEO and Co-founder

Google

Google Certified Business Trainer. Selected, trained and certified by Google. Represented Google and presented Google content via live classes and seminars such as “Google AdWords 101”.

Google Certified Business Trainer

VertMarkets

Led the global expansion of VerticalNet, the fast growing B2B ".com". Formed joint ventures in Europe, Asia and Africa contributing directly to the rapid increase in stock price and market valuation to $11B. Established and managed the international group consisting of a staff performing business development, marketing, product management, and operations functions for global clients.

Global Business Development Director (B2B .com IPO)

Apple

Co-founded Desktop Graphics, among the first Apple certified software companies for the Apple Macintosh and maker of DrawArt, MacForms, and DrawForms, the first vector-based clipart and business forms ever offered for personal computers. MacForms was launched with Apple support at the first MacWorld Expos in Boston and San Francisco, and listed on Apple's famous "100 Software Applications for the Macintosh".

Apple Certified Software Partner

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Nederland BV

Managed the digital printer and color product businesses in Europe for Danka Office Imaging. Sourced, branded, and marketed products from Canon, Ricoh, Kodak, Toshiba, Konica, and Minolta. Accountable for $100M in annual revenue and Profit & Loss. Managed country product managers throughout Europe. Danka Office Imaging was acquired by Konica Minolta in 2008.

Business & Product Manager - Europe

Eastman Kodak Company

Directed global marketing, business planning and product line business management for the Business Imaging Systems Division ($2.5B B2B). Responsible for the successful rebranding business product lines including copiers and printers. 

Prior to marketing, Mark worked as an APICS-CPIM certified engineer in supply chain, project management, and product development including user interface design.

Global Marketing Director

Beatrice Companies, Inc.

Supply Chain Industrial Engineer for this Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturer and conglomerate with experience in optimizing Procurement, Shipping, and Warehousing functions and processes.

Industrial Engineer

CEO and Co-founder of Sagefrog Marketing Group, the top-ranked, award-winning, and fastest-growing B2B branding and marketing agency headquartered in Doylestown, PA with offices in Philadelphia (PA), Princeton (NJ), Boston (MA), and Washington (DC). 650 clients served over the past 23 years with 35+ employees.

"Mark is the ‘Mark’ in Marketing" 
- Sagefrog client 

Connect with Mark:
marks@sagefrog.com
(215) 230-9024
sagefrog.com

Mark leads marketing and business development for the agency’s healthcare, technology, industrial and business services clients. With 30+ years of experience, Mark is a trusted brand strategist, global marketer, and successful serial entrepreneur.

Previously, Mark managed global marketing for Kodak's Business Imaging Division ($2.5B) and Konica-Minolta in Europe. Upon his return to the United States, he pioneered digital B2B when he was recruited by VerticalNet, the famous B2B .com IPO, to lead global business development and joint ventures contributing to 600% revenue growth over 2 years - reaching a market cap of $11 billion.

Mark then founded Doyle Consulting (2001), specializing in healthcare, technology, and business services marketing that merged to become Sagefrog Marketing Group in 2002 - a B2B marketing agency that has experienced consistent double-digit growth for 20+ years.

Earlier Mark co-founded Desktop Graphics (1984) among the first certified Apple Macintosh software companies, and inventor of DrawArt and MacForms, the first vector-based clipart and business forms for personal computers.

Mark’s broad formal background includes Engineering, Computer Science, Business Management (MBA), and Pharmaceutical Marketing. He is a Goldman Sachs 10KSB scholar, Google Business Trainer, and has HubSpot, Salesforce, and APICS certifications.

Sagefrog's integrated marketing services include Branding and Strategy, Websites and Digital, Content and Inbound, and Traditional marketing. Visit Sagefrog.com.

Full-service branding, strategy, websites, digital, content, inbound, and traditional B2B marketing agency specializing in healthcare, technology, industrial and business services marketing with offices in Doylestown, Princeton, Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley. Primary responsibilities include brand strategy, business development and marketing.

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Mark Schmukler, MBA, IE, CPIM

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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);}Mark O'Donnell's LinkedIn Performance

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