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How Charles Gaudet turns founders into 7- & 8-figure CEOs

In 2010, after years of scaling his own ventures, Gaudet founded Predictable Profits – a powerhouse coaching firm for elite CEOs, founders, and their teams.

Photo courtesy Charles Gaudet
Photo courtesy Charles Gaudet

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Meet Charles Gaudet: a relentless entrepreneur who kickstarted his first business at the tender age of 4 and went on to establish a multimillion-dollar empire by 24. In 2010, after years of scaling his own ventures, he founded Predictable Profits – a powerhouse coaching firm for elite CEOs, founders, and their teams.

Over the past 14 years, Gaudet and his team have honed a revolutionary approach to business growth, consistently propelling companies into the ranks of America’s fastest-growing enterprises. As the author of The Predictable Profits Playbook: The 7- and 8-Figure CEOs’ Guide to Generating Consistent and Sustainable Growth, Gaudet has been dubbed “The Go-To Business Coach for 7 & 8 Figure Companies” by The International Business Times.

But what’s the secret sauce behind Gaudet’s extraordinary success in transforming small businesses? We delved into an exclusive interview to uncover the innovative strategies that set his approach apart.

Gaudet recalls feeling different as a child, struggling to learn like his peers. Diagnosed with multiple forms of dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities, he faced immense challenges throughout his childhood. Even the doctor was astonished that he could function in a “normal school.”

However, Gaudet refused to let his limitations define him. Instead, he learned to harness his unique potential and turn his weaknesses into strengths.

From overcoming adversity in sports to becoming a three-time wrestling state champion, Gaudet’s tenacity knew no bounds. Within just one year of college graduation, he founded a company that was nominated by Ernst & Young as one of the best seed stage companies in the United States.

“My brain doesn’t work the same because I’m forced to approach things differently,” Gaudet explains. “Once I harnessed this reality, a new world opened up for me because I began to see opportunities in a unique way.”

Curious about Gaudet’s insights on becoming a 7- and 8-figure CEO? Read on for his enlightening responses to our burning questions.

How do the processes and people within a business change when going from seven to eight figures?

A Kauffman Foundation study found that 66% of companies listed on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list are either disadvantageously sold, go out of business, or shrink in size within 5-8 years.

This happens because many companies lack the right people and scalable processes to handle rapid growth. Furthermore, when you grow fast, you need strong leadership. Top executives within an organization must improve their leadership skills quicker than the company grows.

You see, growth alone isn’t always beneficial. The key is having sustainable growth (i.e., growth that is repeatable and continues without adding significant costs). 

After a decade, I developed The Predictable Profits Operating System.™ It’s through this process that my team and I target three primary growth areas in a business — Setup, Sales and Scale. 

The Setup phase is where you create, capture and nurture demand to take your company from obscurity to prominence. Then there’s Sales, which consists of lead refinement, closing mastery and repeat revenue strategies for converting prospects to maximize lifetime customer value. The third component is Scale, which reduces a company’s dependence on the CEO by integrating data intelligence, process optimization and proper team dynamics.

To give you an idea of how powerful this methodology can be when used correctly, Gaudet helped one company grow from $950,000 to over $40 million within six years.

When you combine the components, you benefit from rapid revenue, sustainable growth and maximum valuation for your business.

What is the number one stumbling block for entrepreneurs who struggle to scale beyond seven figures?

Imagine hitting a revenue plateau of around $1M-$3M, wondering how to break through to the next level. Our research reveals that 85% of small businesses experience this stagnation because they rely solely on word-of-mouth and referrals. However, the remaining 15% that soar beyond the $3M mark implement scalable marketing and sales strategies, propelling them to even greater heights.

Instead of merely admiring the success of the top 15%, shift your focus to transitioning from word-of-mouth tactics to scalable strategies that generate predictable revenue and growth.

A vital ingredient for success is diversifying your promotional approach. To ensure sustainability, embrace a rich ecosystem of revenue-generation strategies.

Think of it as a Money Wheel: each spoke represents a different strategy, working in harmony to provide a seamless journey towards growth. A robust wheel, with multiple spokes, offers stability and resilience. Should one “spoke” underperform, the others will maintain a consistent flow of leads.

Remember, adding more revenue-generation strategies to your arsenal strengthens your business. Aim to introduce at least one new spoke to your Money Wheel every quarter, and watch your business flourish.

What are the mindset hurdles that keep most founders at the seven-figure level?

One of the most significant mindset obstacles is placing too much emphasis on hard work. While effort is essential, it should never overshadow the importance of a well-crafted strategy.

All too often, leaders fall into the trap of making excuses like “nobody can do it as well as me” or “it’s faster if I do it myself.” This kind of thinking fosters a reactionary mindset, causing you to rely on guesswork and invest precious time in activities that don’t contribute to growth.

Remember, the key to success lies in striking a balance between hard work and strategic planning. Don’t let excuses hold you back – embrace a proactive mindset and watch your business thrive.

How can founders improve at making the shift from working in their business to acting more like a CEO?

Here are three essential insights every business leader should grasp:

  1. The more dependent a company is on its CEO, the less valuable it becomes.

When a company is small, the CEO often juggles multiple roles. However, as the business expands, this multitasking can turn the CEO into a bottleneck, hindering further growth. To overcome this, you must step back from day-to-day operations and implement systems and processes that allow you to focus solely on leading your company. “Franchise” your previous responsibilities to ensure tasks are completed with minimal variability.

  1. Eliminate guesswork, particularly when it comes to growth strategies and prioritizing efforts.

Relying on assumptions leads to poor strategic choices, ineffective resource allocation, and missed opportunities. Moreover, guesswork puts your company at a disadvantage compared to competitors who leverage data-driven insights and market research to make informed decisions, spot emerging trends, and better cater to customers’ needs. Over time, guesswork erodes your market share and weakens competitiveness.

Working with CEOs to uncover and capitalize on untapped opportunities isn’t just about learning – it’s about equipping you and your team with the knowledge, tools, and training needed to excel based on data-driven insights.

  1. Utilize KPIs as a roadmap for driving company growth.

Consistently track “The Fabulous 5” key performance indicators: revenue, profit, churn, lifetime value, and Net Promoter Score (a measure of customer loyalty). These metrics provide a comprehensive overview of your company’s health.

Assign each team member a KPI to monitor and manage. This serves as a guiding star, offering direction and enabling performance measurement.

Think of KPIs as your business dashboard – akin to a car’s check engine light, they signal when something requires attention.

In conclusion, remember that there are reasons and results. KPIs lay the groundwork for data-driven decision-making, helping you move beyond guesswork and achieve consistent outcomes. Top CEOs always base their decisions on data, and so should you.

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Written By

Jon Stojan is a professional writer based in Wisconsin. He guides editorial teams consisting of writers across the US to help them become more skilled and diverse writers. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

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