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.

Lingo Staffing, Inc.

Chief Executive Officer

Beyond4Growth

You know your business, we enhance it through the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®). At Beyond4Growth, we help leadership teams, by serving as a “teacher”, “coach”, and “facilitator”, to implement a simple set of transparent tools to run their business. Implementing EOS® will help you and your leadership team get better at three things: Vision - Traction®- Healthy.

Founder & Certified EOS Implementer®

City of Amherst, Ohio

Elected by the residents of Amherst to hold the responsibility for the accurate accounting of all receipts and disbursements of the City of Amherst, representing the city fully in financial matters and abiding by all mandates governing proper municipal financial control. The Auditor's Office prepares payroll, and oversees the perpetual and physical inventories of fixed assets. Working in conjunction with the Mayor, Treasurer and City Council in the preparation of the city's annual budget and all other financial matters.  The Auditor also reviews and approves all purchase orders.

City Auditor (Elected Position)

TalentLaunch

Overall responsible for the corporate operations and delivery to TalentLaunch and its portfolio of staffing & recruitment firms. As the COO & Integrator, my areas of responsibility included managing the Technology, Marketing, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Accounting, HR, and Administration departments. Success was defined my driving three main categories: 1) financial performance of the operating companies in the portfolio 2) the net promoter score for the clients of the operating companies 3) customer satisfaction from the operating companies.

Chief Operating Officer

Responsible for leading all strategic initiatives comprised of M&A, learning & development, and system integrations within TalentLaunch including it's network of companies.

Director of Client Service Delivery

Corporate United

Responsible for developing and driving the Human Resources (HR) category strategy for Corporate United members and partner community. Develop and manage supplier relationships and provide member development support for HR related sub-categories including Contingent Workforce Solutions (CWS), Background Investigations, Relocation, Prescription Drug (Rx), and Language Translation Services.

Category Manager, Human Resources

KeyBank

Managed KeyBank category spend for the Human Resources line of business to include: Recruiting, Talent Management, Contingent Workforce, Business Training, and Compensation/Benefits. Lead and facilitate market events (RFP, RFI, RFQ) for Human Resource clients. Developed the strategy and implemented Key's Contingent Workforce program on the Technology and Operations team in Corporate Procurement with $110MM+ in annual spend.

Senior Procurement Strategist, Vice President

DFAS

Served as the United States Air Force Lead for a large scale financial system transformation; developed and executed a robust project management plan to guide the development, testing, training, implementation of changes, and system retirement to secure Department of Defense (DoD) financial systems following a standard Software Development Lifecycle.

Financial Systems Analyst

Federal Contractor

Worked on Air Force transformation projects regarding the Air Force Logistics and Financial Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system as a subject matter expert for Air Force financial systems.

Supported the Air Force District of Washington's budget office to manage organization's budgeting.

Financial Analyst

United States Air Force

Managed the travel accounting team which resulted in successful posting and balancing of 7,500 monthly transactions on time and ahead of schedule to provide clean reporting to the Air Force accounting system with 95% accuracy.

Received early promotion for exceptional performance – achieved only by top 15% of enlisted workforce.

Organized local tutoring and mentoring program to inner city school in Omaha, NE where English is a second language (ESL). Directed 16 Airman with diverse backgrounds to participate in weekly tutoring and mentoring sessions for two years to encourage and promote the importance of a good education.

Lead Accounting Technician

Passionate about helping entrepreneurs get what they want from their business with the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®). EOS® is set of practical tools and simple concepts that has proven to assist entrepreneurs to ultimately get what they want from their business, gaining Traction® by systemizing and solving issues to move their company forward. 

Served as an Integrator in an entrepreneurial business overseeing cross functional departments to ensure service levels and deliverables are met with consistent results while implementing EOS®. 

Derek Pittak

AI won’t replace recruiters, but it will absolutely expose the ones who don’t know how to build trust.

We’re entering a phase where automation will streamline scheduling, screening, and communication. And here’s the thing: this means that the human side has to get sharper — not disappear.

The recruiters who win?

They build relationships that last beyond the first placement.
 
Know how to translate a vague job description into real-world fit.

Can talk a passive candidate into considering something new.

And understand how to support both the client and the associate.

The future of staffing isn’t AI or people. It’s AI and people working together seamlessly. 

#staffingtrends #recruitingstrategy #humanfirst #staffingleadership

Staffing Leader | CEO | Professional EOS Implementer® | Integrator

The truth is, great staffing isn’t always convenient.

It requires honest conversations, process audits, and challenging the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset.

Some clients want a magic button. They want to say, “we need people,” and have 15 perfect candidates show up, fully trained and committed — without being part of the process themselves. But that’s not how this works.

The best results we’ve ever delivered came from partnerships, not transactions. From leaders who weren’t afraid to slow down long enough to get it right. Who welcomed feedback. Who held us accountable and expected us to do the same.

If you want to build a workforce that actually performs, and not just fills a schedule, you can’t delegate all of it and hope for the best.

Alignment wins, urgency matters, but open and honest communication bring clarity and collaboration. That’s what builds something worth sustaining.

#leadership #staffing #workforce

Attended the Greater Akron Chamber SWAP 25 event on Tuesday - think speed dating for businesses. Never participated in one before until our local Akron manager, signed me up! 

It was a very quick way to meet 20+ local owners and leaders in the greater Akron community without the nervousness of walking up to a complete stranger in a room full of 200 people. We went through 20+ rounds of meeting others with 2:30 seconds on the clock each round for both parties to share their story. What I learned - as good as I think I have my "elevator pitch" down, if not used consistently, I can improve. 

Consistency is the theme to pull out here and apply to business. If you do not practice your process enough, it will never be disciplined to where it's done the right and best way every time. I recently heard you have to fall in love with the process to create discipline and discipline breads success. That's what separates the good from the great!

Had a blast, met some great people, and huge thank you to the Chamber for putting it on!

Chris McCail Ned Parks Laura A. Petrella Kimberly Moses Melanie Tran Heather Terry Andy Platt Brent VanFossen Jessica Murphy Sheri Shields Vic Ing Adam LaFaber Kevin Denee Rebecca Smith Bill Hagey Sean McAllister Jill A. Smith

#networking #community #leadership

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taplio

The Battle

Mark O'Donnell

Derek Pittak

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Engagements

Likes

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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