The Fire Time Podcast Tim Reed

Pretty much all business owners know where they want their companies to go. Still, very few actually understand how to break down their big goals into smaller, achievable objectives that can be distributed company-wide.
In today’s episode—the final one of the season—Matt Bradley returns to talk to Tim about WhyFire’s goals and objectives for the next three to five years. In doing so, they hope to provide some insight into how you can create your own goals and objectives.
In this episode, you’ll learn:


How WhyFire’s goals and objectives came to be (and how the definitions of “goals” and “objectives” differ).


How to give your employees just the right amount of authority (and why you should let team members own specific goals).



Why it’s important to surround yourself with people who balance you out (and how doing so will allow you to see where you’re blind).

We all dream of reaching our companies’ loftiest goals, but few of us break down the steps to achieve them. More often than not, this creates stagnant companies that barely scrape by. If you’re ready to craft goals and objectives that will truly move the needle, then this episode’s for you.
 
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It’s easy to think that core values are unnecessary fluff, but that mindset will likely lead to slow growth and poor culture. Core values, done right, are hard-edged driving forces that make companies come alive.
In today’s episode—the follow-up to last week’s episode with Stan Campbell—Tim talks about WhyFire’s core values with his fellow team members, Matt Bradley and Sam O’Donnell. These core values galvanize the WhyFire team every day—something that’s clearly conveyed through this lighthearted conversation.
In this episode, you’ll learn:


How the WhyFire team came up with their core values (and how those shape the team’s daily actions).


How to create an actionable core value (and what three traits make a rock-solid one).



How to bake your core values into your team (and why this gets everyone rowing in the same direction).

Honestly, most core values are fluff because they aren’t truly internalized. Taking core values seriously might be challenging at first, but doing so will lead your company down the path of prosperity. If you’re ready to rethink your core values, listen to this episode today.
 
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If you walked up to your team and asked them to recite your mission statement, could they do it? If not, here’s the hard truth: Your mission statement stinks, and you need to improve it. If your team doesn’t know why your organization exists, where you’re going, and how they’re expected to behave, then you’re setting them up to fail.
In today’s episode, Tim sits down with his mentor, Stan Campbell, to define and discuss the essential elements of any healthy business: mission, vision, core values, goals, and objectives. During the conversation, Tim explains how Stan helped him and his team develop each of these elements so that they could always have clarity on what the company is and where it’s going.
In this episode, you’ll learn:


How core values—when done right—will pump up your team (this makes winning organizations).


How an outsider’s critique of your organization will change everything (this will allow you to truly see eye-to-eye with your team).



How you should delegate tasks (this isn’t offloading things you don’t want to do onto others' plates).

The landscape is littered with organizations that never made it past their leaders' capacities. If you truly care about your business, you should be okay with leaving behind a legacy that doesn’t include you. Making things less about you as a leader and giving your team the authority to talk back will pay dividends. Listen today to get started.
Hiring Stan is the best money Tim has ever spent. Bring him in to critique your organization by emailing him here: stanfordjcampbell@gmail.com.

Despite what some misguided folks say, the chimney sweep business isn’t a dirty, low-dollar industry. After experiencing the culture of this industry first-hand, Tim thinks hearth retailers can learn a ton from it.
In today’s episode, Tim chats with Sean Kraemer (Podcaster and Owner of Holy Smoke Inc.) about his story about buying and transforming the business he worked for so that it could grow and support his family. Given that Tim and Sean have lived somewhat similar lives—Sean was also in a punk band—this conversation is an eye into the minds of two young business owners striving to serve their employees, their customers, and their communities in any way they can.
In this episode, you’ll learn:


How to appraise and advertise your business when you’re ready to sell it (and how to prove the company makes money on repeat).



Why you need to be in the right mental state before buying a business (and why you’ll likely end up in a rut if you’re not).


How to find a mentor when you need one (and why doing so will make you aware of your levels of incompetence).

After attending the National Chimney Sweep Guild Convention, Tim was amazed at the tight-knit nature of the industry. These people genuinely care about each other and the people they serve. If we could combine our two industries, we could all grow together. Listen today to learn more and get involved.
 
Check Out The Life of a Chimney Sweep Podcast
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“I started looking at my company as a retirement plan.” Do you look at your company the same way? Chances are, you probably don’t. But building a business you can sell is all about keeping the end in mind and reverse engineering from there—and this conversation covers how to do that like an expert.
Today, Tim talks with Clay Dennis, a man who titles himself a believer, a coach, and a friend when called. Clay tells Tim about how his business almost literally killed him, how he built his business like a retirement plan, how he eventually sold his business, and how he segments his life into acts.
In this episode, you’ll learn: 


How you can build a business that works as a retirement plan (this is mandatory if you want certainty in the future).



What you should know about the three fates of every business (this will help you decide how you want yours to end).


What you should do when a manufacturer’s suggested products aren’t moving (this is a hard truth that only the most dominant businesses embrace).


Stop operating your business day by day—focus on the end instead. Building a business that you can sell is essential to finishing life well. Listen today to learn how to craft a better future.
 
Nearing Home by Billy Graham
 
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Would you be okay with giving your team members free products so they can experience the lifestyle they provide? If not, you should seriously reconsider your approach. Salespeople that speak from experience are better equipped than those who just read the manufacturer's manual.
In today’s episode, Tim talks with Megan Lee (Key Account Manager at Looft Lighters) about her experience growing up in, and working in, the barbecue industry. As one of the leading women in our space, Megan brings some new topics to the show, including how to use social media to make a difference, how to attract young people to work in our industry, and what young women in our industry need to know.
In this episode, you’ll learn:


Why you need to be a sniper—not a shotgunner—if you want to attract the right customers (making a message for everybody is making a message for nobody).


Why you should always call customers and not waste time emailing them (our industry is built on relationships, and emails aren’t very relational).



Why positioning your brand to be aligned with a lifestyle is crucial (this makes your brand a provider of value, not a provider of a commodity).

Experience is everything—plain and simple. As a leader, it’s essential to allow team members to experience your product in their own lives. That way, when customers come to your store, team members can tell them about the value a product has brought to their own lives. Listen today to learn more.
 
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