Ridgeline
From Operator to Organizational Leader
Course Description
Owners – quit doing it all; liberate yourself and grow your company. Built in the Pacific NW yet tested everywhere, Ridgeline is the next step in growing your company through the assistance of business theory. Built and priced for the everyday CEO, Ridgeline is a “prelude to” or “instead of” the more institutional, costly venues. This masterclass is Marc and a whiteboard. Grab a journal, join Ridgeline, and grow your business fluency so culture, growth, and profit will follow.
Watch for free: “Transferable Asset Theory:“
Learn four organizational theories:
Transfer Theory
Learn laws that explain and determine current and potential company value.
De-risking Theory
A trustworthy, low-risk Ops paradigm that opens growth and reduces pain.
Margin Theory
Reduce casualties by understanding your risk tolerance and your margins.
Vital Signs Theory
Measures that reflect a company’s true health.
Tiered Pricing
| Licenses | Cost/License | Total Cost | Total Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $460 | $460 | — |
| 2 | $391 | $782 | $138 |
| 3 | $368 | $1,104 | $276 |
| 4 | $345 | $1,380 | $460 |
| 5 | $322 | $1,610 | $690 |
| 6+ | $299 | $1,794+ | $966+ |
Ridgeline includes these assets:
A foundation in Transferable Asset Theory (free deliverable up above)
Do what most executive teams don’t do – unite around a common operating mindset. Enter – Transferable Asset Theory. Studies show 80% of a company’s value is found within the intangibles – the non-material aspects of the business. Transferable Asset Theory will begin to identify these value drivers and their effect on your company. You will begin to learn core, executive level concepts that should be part of every CEO’s academic database: the value gap, the profit gap, the relevancy of EBITDA, tax value vs real value, the intangibles that increase company value, and more.
Margin Theory Part I - Stay out of the helicopter
We explore a reliable operating mindset for managing leadership risk. Pulling from core values garnered from expedition leadership, in Part I we discuss how to evaluate leadership risk and find appropriate risk margin, and stay out of trouble. In part II, we place ourselves on the Rescue Spectrum, we learn about the Experience Bell Curve, and we discuss an 8 part action sequence to mitigate leadership risk.
Margin Theory Part II - How did I end up in this helicopter?
Let’s continue…
De-risk your company using the Customer Lifecycle
A strategic way to get organizational alignment inside your company. It’s a path leading to efficiency. We unpack a multi-week process aimed at identifying and removing bottlenecks and increasing throughput. It’s time to get everyone on the same page, going the same direction.
Understand labor markets and the suffocating effect of wage compression
An academic lesson on two market forces that surged and created CEO fatigue during the COVID era; they drove many out of business and crippled countless others. These two market dynamics have always impacted us, but now they are responsible for a disproportionate share of business-owner headaches. Reduce their impact through understanding. Knowledge, in this case, is truly power.
Increase influence through investing in your leadership brand
Our leadership brand has everything to do with how we are received. And how we’re received controls our level of influence. After 25 years of reflection and observing, Ridgeline will share habits of admired leaders who have built great brands. It will feel very much like an action list; “do this” and “don’t do this.” We won’t over-explain each one…we’ll clip through well over a dozen behaviors.
The Org Chart - use it right for the first time
Get an energy drink – this one is not that exciting. But it’s really effective. I give you a list of questions….my system for determining if your org chart is working. Please make it yours if you’d like. Re-frame your mindset and use Org Charts to de-risk and create change.
The frustration/ambition paradox – understand how these opposing forces affect our odds of success
Growing companies will eventually ask their leaders to leave behind the traits they used to build the company in exchange for ones that will take the company forward. Most can’t do it. We will identify the reason. We will also connect “business valuation” to this discussion and why it should matter to you.
Vital Signs Theory: Measure and control your company health indicators
Are your departments healthy? Begin to measure company key capitals, de-risk, and leverage them. Influence behaviors through scorecards.
Increase company value through a performance culture
Our culture is a reflection of our leadership. This entire discussion rests upon our common, agreed upon definition of culture. We will define it and discover how the right culture – a performance culture – can be a great means to an even better end. We’ll brainstorm the C-level’s role in grafting proper culture elements into your company’s DNA.
Attract and keep talent through Incentive pay
A short and sweet lesson on “incentive compensation” – a catch-all term for bonuses and benefits. We work under the assumption these programs are designed to either: encourage and reward results you would otherwise not get OR attract and retain talent. Are yours working? Do they result in increasing net cash flow? Should we expect incentives to change behaviors? Ridgeline will bring some straight-forward talking points for your consideration.
Set your true North - A look at Core Values
A friend insisted this may be the most important topic, so I put it in. I get personal and share my core values for work, family, and faith – not to convince you of their merit, but to spark within you the desire to discover your own.
Increase net cash flow - a study in employee capacity
We’ll be walking through a story of an entrepreneur – someone who begins a painting business from scratch. We’ll work through the expansion conundrums he experiences. We’ll then apply our observations to a larger company where similar conundrums exist but are harder to see; bureaucracy, minutia, and distractions bury their effects. Don’t just hire another person – know what to look for relative employee capacity before you pull the trigger.
Executive teams: become unified in what you believe and how you speak.
Learn. Unite. Act as one.
The Ridgeline Purpose:
“Taking everyday CEOs to the next level by teaching proven business theory and leadership actions. For those who don’t want business school or expensive consultants, Ridgeline teaches the guts of what matters.”
Ridgeline is simple. It’s direct. Take BOTH your acumen and company to the next level.
Ridgeline teaches institutional level material through a very relaxed delivery.
These topics are heavy in that much of your company’s fate rides on your ability to understand and perform in them.
Ridgeline will teach business theories and challenge you to decide what you believe about them. This is important – our beliefs guide our behaviors. So in the context of this course, you MUST:
- Obtain an academic understanding of essential business theory through Ridgeline
- Decide what you believe about those theories
- Turn your decisions into strategy
- Decide if anything will change – and start doing it.
A Ridgeline goal is to build senior leader acumen that results in an increased net profit. Though less cost than most venues, you’re spending money on this course – so expect a return. Perhaps the most awesome return Ridgeline can have is the positive cascading effect on the people within your company through a more equipped you. That…would be truly tremendous.
It’s an executive level development course. Welcome.
"Why Ridgeline may not be for me" and other FAQs:
Who is Ridgeline designed for?
Executive teams or senior leaders without formal business education.
Why would Ridgeline not be for me?
Non-institutional course topics and production quality. Institutions should be teaching these, but they’re not. If you want something boiler plate, RL is not for you. And, Marc feels over-production reduces authenticity; no softened backgrounds and colored lighting found within the XSU experience. If you’re looking for a Tik Tok and Instagram vibe, stay away from RL.
How long will Ridgeline take to complete?
If you watch Ridgeline all the way through, maybe 13 hours. But why would someone do that to themselves? Pace yourself. No one climbs Mckinley in a day. And, that’d be a whoooole lot of Marc. Not good.
What will I get out of Ridgeline?
Solid small business theory to build your confidence; you’ll have the WHY behind your new ideas. You will be more assertive, basing your leadership on trustworthy truths. New knowledge will bring confidence that will help you cast vision and lead well.
How do I access Ridgeline once I enroll?
Each person receives their own log-in and dashboard. Go to www.xspearience.com and click on “dashboard” in the upper right corner. You will likely be auto-logged after your first time. If not, click “dashboard” and log in.
Is Ridgeline mine forever?
Yep. Or until XSU goes bankrupt and shuts everything down. That scenario, however, is not part of the XSU Strategic Plan.
When I enroll multiple people, how does that work?
One person buys with a credit card. During purchase, they enter the e-mails of everyone participating. Everyone receives an e-mail with log-in instructions and they all receive their own dashboard. At least, that’s what the coders told it to do. Hopefully it keeps behaving.
Where did all the curriculum come from?
Let Marc tell you himself. Check out About. Basically, he learned it all by failing.
Marc (course facilitator) is an Exit Planner. What is that?
Most normal people aren’t that impressed, but it is definitely a thing in the business consulting world. It’s a certification Marc earned from the Exit Planning Institute. It simply means he has training in building business value and de-risking that compliment his real-world experience.
Is Ridgeline ever taught to groups?
Yes. Actually, that’s all Marc ever did until XSU. XSU was an odd stretch for him – taking things he organically taught clients on an “as needed” basis and putting them into a class. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed it.
Be curious.