Make the Adjustment Podcast

Chris Mader

MTA Podcast guests are proven leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and revenue generation executives who have built, scaled, and led organizations in the real world, not just studied them. Through each conversation, listeners gain practical, actionable insights they can immediately apply to make the adjustments required to grow their team, strengthen leadership, and scale their business. You will also find podcasts guests will help listeners with improving their mindset, both at work and at home. Your host, Chris Mader, brings more than three decades of experience operating at the highest levels, as a business leader, executive coach, and EOS Implementer. His work centers on helping C-Suite leaders, founders, and business owners move from being the driver of the business to building a leadership team that can run it. Chris’s approach, known as the Founder’s Exit, focuses on aligning people, process, and accountability to drive performance, create optionality, and ultimately position the business for a successful exit where everybody wins. Listener ResourceIf today's conversation hit home, and if you're the bottleneck in your business, I built something for you. It's called the Leadership Readiness Scorecard. It's a short self-assessment that shows you exactly where your business still depends on you, and what to fix first so you can start building a team that runs without you. It's free. No email required. No strings attached. And if this episode was useful, do me a favor: share it with one owner, entrepreneur, or leader who's in the middle of the grind. That's how our show grows. https://mtachange-lyfufnhj.manus.space/

  1. Sep 25

    Retention is the New Acquisition with Alisia Esmail

    Chris Mader speaks with Alisha Esmail, founder and CEO of Latch, about why the bottom of the funnel matters as much as lead generation. They dig into client retention, AI-native operations, and the personal systems Alisha uses to stay grounded as a founder.Alisha brings a rare mix of international development experience, coffee-business operator lessons, and AI-forward product thinking. If you care about reducing churn, improving customer lifetime value, and building a business that does not run on constant new-logo pressure, this conversation is for you.Key topics In this episode, Chris and Alisha unpack why retention is often cheaper and more powerful than acquisition, especially when a business is stuck on the “revenue treadmill.”Alisha shares the origin story behind Latch, which was shaped by a painful client loss in her coffee business and the realization that she needed to become a retention expert.We discuss the idea that most clients do not leave because of one dramatic failure, but because they quietly drift away without a strong retention system in place.Alisha breaks down her retention ladder:Detect drift through signals like slower response times and weaker engagementScore accounts red, yellow, green, or purpleUse save plays to respond in a specific, timely wayTurn current clients into expansion, referral, and renewal opportunitiesChris and Alisha compare retention thinking to EOS and other simple frameworks that make execution easier across teams.Alisha explains how she built her Five Tanks Framework after a season of grief and burnout, using daily check-ins across mental, emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual energy.We discuss how Saturdays have become sacred deep-work time for Alisha, where she does strategic thinking, solves problems, and keeps learning.Alisha shares how Latch uses AI on both the front end and back end to surface revenue at risk, identify expansion opportunities, and draft client-specific messages.She also explains why AI works best when the business already has strong systems, rather than being used as a fix-all for broken processes.The conversation closes with practical advice for business owners who are curious about AI but hesitant to adopt it, plus Alisha’s ideal client profile for Latch.Timestamps (00:00) Why the bottom of the funnel matters more than most founders think (01:26) Why retention is seven times cheaper than acquisition (02:21) Alisha’s background in international development and coffee (03:21) The client loss that changed everything (04:21) How she tripled retention through focused learning (05:27) Sales as service, not pressure (07:26) The exhaustion of the revenue treadmill (08:42) Why clients quietly drift away (09:38) Introducing the retention ladder (10:27) Detecting drift through engagement and depth signals (11:26) Red, yellow, green, and purple account scoring (12:19) Save plays that make clients feel seen (12:47) Turning current clients into a revenue engine (14:20) Building the ladder from 15 years of business lessons (15:30) The Five Tanks Framework (16:30) Grief, burnout, and the origin of the framework (17:29) The five tanks: mental, emotional, physical, relational, spiritual (18:27) A simple daily way to refill what is low (20:33) Latch’s ideal clients and recurring revenue businesses (22:38) Why founder knowledge still matters in the system (23:37) How AI powers Latch on the front and back end (26:11) What to say to founders who are afraid of AI (28:59) Why Saturday mornings are sacred (31:33) Learning as a leadership habit (34:06) Why now is the time to implement AI meaningfully (35:14) From using AI to automating it to building agents (37:24) Where to find Alisha Esmail

  2. Apr 17

    The Power of Simplicity in Achieving Lasting Fitness & Discipline with Mark Boutin

    Summary In this episode of the Make the Adjustment podcast, Chris Mader sits down with fitness and entrepreneurial coach Mark Boutin to explore how core principles like discipline, self-identity, and legacy influence personal growth and business success. Whether you're a founder, parent, or leader, Mark shares actionable insights on simplifying health routines, building sustainable habits, and inspiring legacy through daily choices. Takeaways The role of fitness in restoring and maintaining identity for founders and entrepreneursHow chaos in life can serve as a catalyst to double down on healthy habitsThe importance of simplicity and consistency in fitness routines — 1% daily improvementsWhy every high-performer, from Michael Jordan to Tiger Woods, benefits from coachingTechniques for overcoming common obstacles: overthinking, information overload, and setbacksBuilding the mindset of accountability, high standards, and self-compassionThe power of journaling, morning routines, and intentional reflection for sustainable growthHow legacy is shaped by modeling behaviors for children and the importance of vulnerabilityThe transformational value of coaching, objective feedback, and outside perspectivePractical strategies for maintaining progress beyond New Year’s resolutions Resources & Links Mark Boutin Email – Reach out for coaching inquiriesNavigating Leadership Friction: https://mtaleadership-ssmzmyjo.manus.space/#friction

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

MTA Podcast guests are proven leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and revenue generation executives who have built, scaled, and led organizations in the real world, not just studied them. Through each conversation, listeners gain practical, actionable insights they can immediately apply to make the adjustments required to grow their team, strengthen leadership, and scale their business. You will also find podcasts guests will help listeners with improving their mindset, both at work and at home. Your host, Chris Mader, brings more than three decades of experience operating at the highest levels, as a business leader, executive coach, and EOS Implementer. His work centers on helping C-Suite leaders, founders, and business owners move from being the driver of the business to building a leadership team that can run it. Chris’s approach, known as the Founder’s Exit, focuses on aligning people, process, and accountability to drive performance, create optionality, and ultimately position the business for a successful exit where everybody wins. Listener ResourceIf today's conversation hit home, and if you're the bottleneck in your business, I built something for you. It's called the Leadership Readiness Scorecard. It's a short self-assessment that shows you exactly where your business still depends on you, and what to fix first so you can start building a team that runs without you. It's free. No email required. No strings attached. And if this episode was useful, do me a favor: share it with one owner, entrepreneur, or leader who's in the middle of the grind. That's how our show grows. https://mtachange-lyfufnhj.manus.space/