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.

Authentic®

Authentic® is a national fractional CMO firm, serving clients across the United States and beyond. We were early pioneers in our industry, and continue to set the standard for fractional CMO excellence.

Our unique approach combines Marketers + Methodology + Mindshare to help growing businesses Overcome Random Acts of Marketing® and increase maturity, growth, and transferrable value.

We are Authentic Fractional CMOs™
Tested. Trusted. True Executives.
Learn more at www.authenticbrand.com

Founder & CEO

RISE Marketer Community™

I am the Founder & Host of RISE Marketer Community™ - A CMO-facilitated peer group for rising star marketing leaders. LAUNCHING 2025! Learn More: https://authenticbrand.com/rise-marketer-community/

Founder & Host

LIFT Integrator Community™

I am the Founder & original Host of LIFT Integrator Community™ - An executive peer group for entrepreneurial leaders who hold the "second in command" role. 

We gather as a community through a series of virtual, interactive meetings that: 

Enrich perspectives through shared stories and experiences;
Connect you with other entrepreneurial leaders that “sit in the same seat” and can help you solve issues through their own experiences and diverse industry perspectives; 
Develop and support your success at every step and stage in your organization’s growth.

Learn more: www.IntegratorCommunity.com

Founder

Association for Corporate Growth Minnesota (ACGMN)

About ACG (Association for Corporate Growth)
Founded in 1954, ACG is the premier M&A dealmaking community with 59 chapters worldwide. ACG’s global network comprises more than 100,000 middle market professionals who invest, own and advise growing companies. ACG’s mission is to drive middle-market growth.

About ACG Minnesota
ACG Minnesota is the place where Minnesota’s corporate leaders, bankers, investors and service professionals come together to share resources and information, build relationships and grow Minnesota. With nearly 300 members, we are the premier organization for Minnesota’s middle market dealmakers.

Member Board of Directors (Elect - 2025)

Corporate Visions

Head of global marketing for Bay-Area based B2B professional services consulting firm: oversaw strategy, budget and execution for corporate brand, messaging, design, content marketing / thought leadership, digital programs, events, and demand generation.

Executive Vice President of Marketing

Marketing leader of PwC's Salesforce Alliance: the fastest-growing, and one of three largest, salesforce.com global alliance partners.

Salesforce Alliance Marketing Lead

Magnet360

Magnet 360 is a B2B technology services and salesforce.com consulting firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (Now a Mindtree company)

Senior Director of Marketing

Reside (acquired by Magnet 360)

Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Founder and CEO of Authentic: Fractional CMO leaders for growing businesses.

Jennifer Zick is a passionate and driven leader with 25 years of experience in innovative, entrepreneurial, and accelerated-growth companies. 

Women In Business Awardee, 2024
Inc 5000 Member, 2024
Best Places To Work Awardee, 2023-2024
Enterprising Women Awardee, 2023
Fast 50 Awardee, 2023-2024
40 Under 40 Awardee, 2014

Jennifer's StrengthsFinder Top Five:
1. Woo - I enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and "winning others over".
2. Activator - When can we start? I believe action is the best device for learning.
3. Communication - I am able to explain, describe, host, speak in public, and write.
4. Input - I am inquisitive; a collector of ideas and relationships.
5. Futuristic - I am fascinated by the future, and can envision what will be / what is possible.

Jennifer Zick

Thrilled to celebrate some truly amazing, inspiring, resilient, generous, faith-filled female entrepreneurs and friends at tonight’s  NAWBO-MN | National Association of Women Business Owners - Minnesota Chapter Gala!!

I was brought to tears more than once tonight by the stories and testimonies of these women who I so deeply admire!

Heartfelt congratulations to my friends Kasey Worrell and Mary Younggren (she/her/hers) on their well-deserved induction into the NAWBO Hall of Fame! And shout-out to Jill Lytwyn for being named the Disruptor of the Year!

To all of this year’s honorees….You are amazing and so inspiring! Keep on shining, leading, and lifting up other women. 

Authentic® is proud to recommit as a Catalyst Fund sponsor - helping to open more seats at the table for emerging women entrepreneurs. So thankful for all of our blessings, and the opportunity to pay it forward. 

Thank you, NAWBO-MN | National Association of Women Business Owners - Minnesota Chapter, for all you do to elevate and support women business owners! ❤️

Founder & CEO of Authentic® | Inc. 5000 + Fast 50

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The Battle

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