Michael Girdley's Linkedin Analytics

Confronting an underperforming employee is never easy. Here’s my guide to make sure it doesn’t go off the rails. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee. Send the invite at least one day in advance via email, using a generic title like “Discussion”. Write detailed notes on what you plan to cover in the meeting. Meeting tone: Once the meeting starts, avoid small talk and get down to the matter at hand immediately. Maintain a positive and constructive attitude.  Focus on the facts, the impact, and the solutions. Do not focus on the personalities, the emotions, or point fingers. The beats of the meeting: Open by stating that this is going to be a difficult conversation about their performance issues. Make it clear that the goal of this meeting is to find a way for them to improve. This sets the tone. Next, describe the circumstances that have made this discussion necessary. Be specific about actions, dates and times, and tell them what the impact of their underperformance has been on the business and other co-workers. If applicable, tell them exactly where they’ve violated your policies. Get the employee’s perspective: Do they feel they have the necessary time, support, and resources to perform their job? Has anything changed in the business that has an impact on the employee’s performance? Has anything changed outside of the business, like a personal issue or health problem? Be clear about your expectations: Be specific, e.g. “Your job starts at 8 a.m. from Monday through Friday. You should be at your desk and available to answer client calls by that time every business day.” Together with the employee, make a detailed action plan you both understand and agree on. Set specific steps, deadlines, and targets. Include what you will do to support them. You should both sign and date the document. Schedule several followup meetings to check in on their progress. Once you’re done, update your meeting notes to include everything you discussed. Follow up: Send a recap of the meeting and your agreed upon action plan to the employee immediately after the meeting. If you have any to-do items on your side, get through them ASAP. You want them feeling the urgency of the situation. From there, things will go in one of two directions: Hopefully, the situation will improve. If it does, give that employee recognition. Refer specifically to what they’ve accomplished. Sometimes, things don’t get better. At that point, it’s time to move towards parting ways. — I hope this helps. Thoughts on this process? Comment below!

If you’ve ever considered buying a business, watch this first. You’ve probably heard it before: “10,000 baby boomers are retiring every day... and no one’s around to buy their businesses.” That’s the promise sold by gurus, masterminds, and info-product peddlers claiming it’s easy to walk into entrepreneurship by buying a business. But is it true? In this video, I rant about the reality of business buying, why most deals are way harder than advertised, and how this industry has quietly become another dream-selling machine. I’ll break down the myths, share personal stories, and explain why you need to be way more skeptical about the “easy path to wealth” narrative. Drop your thoughts in the comments. And follow for more real-talk on entrepreneurship, business buying, and strategy.

Everyone’s talking about how hard it is to buy a business in 2025 — but nobody’s talking about why. It’s not just private equity or search funds… it’s something else entirely. In this video, I break down new data that shows why the pool of available small businesses is drying up — and how adult kids, generational transitions, and shifting job markets are changing the ETA landscape. Whether you're an aspiring business buyer or just trying to understand the new economy, this is a must-watch. Drop your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to follow for more weekly insights into entrepreneurship, investing, and small business strategy.

America is waking up - here's why In this video, we explore the rise of American Dynamism—a cultural and economic shift driven by fear, frustration, and generational change. From the fear of falling behind China to the anger of millennials stuck in a broken system, we’re witnessing the beginning of a new American era. One where people are tired of the status quo... and finally ready to rebuild. 📍 Timestamps: 0:00 - What is American Dynamism? 0:27 - Why Younger Generations Are Frustrated 1:11 - Fear of China and Global Competition 2:03 - Boomers Leaving, Millennials Rising 3:10 - Red Tape, Housing, and Economic Stagnation 3:55 - The Trump Effect and Desire for Change 4:17 - Final Thoughts What’s your take on this? Follow @Michael Girdley for more business content ✅

Most people get business networking completely wrong. It’s not about handing out business cards at cocktail parties or endless lunch meetings. Real networking is about doing cool stuff and helping others first. This video breaks down my experience hosting the HoldCo Conference in Utah, and how it transformed my entire perspective on building a valuable network. You'll learn why giving first, building genuine relationships, and doing remarkable work is the real secret to networking success — not just making small talk. Whether you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or someone looking to build a powerful professional network, this video will completely change how you approach networking.

These won’t be true about all Boomers, especially those on the fringes of their age group. But these tips will work with most of them. Before we start — I’m a Gen X myself, and these are just my personal observations. Here we go! — 1. Motivate Boomers with “You are valued” and “You are needed” Boomers often defined themselves by career achievements and wealth. Now that they’re nearing retirement, they want to keep being useful. Create ways for them to be essential and watch them thrive. 2. Help Boomers finally create work-life balance A lot of Boomers worked so hard that their relationships suffered. They have the highest divorce rate of any generation ever… and they invented the “Workaholic” lifestyle! By now, many of them are wondering if it was worth it. This is your chance to show them a more balanced lifestyle. 3. Recognize and respect their long experience They paid their dues when lifetime employment was a thing. So years on the job matter a lot to them. Make use of their long experience. The challenge: they have a mindset of “We paid our dues and you should too.” This can conflict with other generations. 4. Appeal to Boomer idealism Despite often taking the American Dream to an extreme, Boomers grew up during peak American idealism in the post-war years. So Boomers want to feel like they’re working towards a noble mission.  What story is your business pursuing? Can you frame it to motivate them? 5. Expect Boomers to sometimes be judgmental If you go against their core values or ideals, you’ll get a harsh earful! This appears especially in conflicts between Boomers and other generations, when they feel like they’re objectively in the right. Be patient with this, but stand your ground. 6. Give Boomers something to put on their wall No generation loves physical trophies and awards like Boomers, so put them out front and in the spotlight.  Publicly show your appreciation with physical tokens of respect. 7. Engage Boomers in person Their generation grew up when all important work happened face-to-face. So they’ll take things seriously when you show up with your physical presence. They are the most diplomatic generation, so they won’t tell you…  But they’ll love you. 8. Say “call me anytime” Boomers grew up with just landline telephones. No email, text, or even fax. So they appreciate cutting out the back and forth of written communication.  Pick up the phone – and invite them to call you. They’ll feel like you “get” them, and you’ll head off a ton of frustration on their part. 9. Put Boomers on teams They see work as a team sport and love consensus. For them, meetings are the way to get things done.  And, as they age, Boomers appreciate hierarchy even more — so make that hierarchy clear. You don’t have to put them in charge every time, but they need to know where they fit into the picture.  Put people together across different generations. They can be a great balancing force in teams of Millennials and Gen Xers.

The SBA 7(a) loan program might be the greatest small business tool most Americans don’t fully understand. In this video, I break down why this program is so important to preserving the backbone of the American economy: small businesses. Forget the noise from Washington. This isn’t about politics — it’s about economic mobility. SBA 7(a) loans allow everyday Americans to buy profitable businesses — even if they don’t come from money. I share personal stories, data, and why this program changes lives. What’s your take on this?

I know people hate this fact but: There's a strong correlation between accomplished people and how quickly they respond to email.

Everyone’s screaming that the economy is about to crash — comparing it to 2008, 2020, even the dot-com bubble. But here’s the thing… this isn’t that. And if you’re panicking right now? You’re looking at the wrong signals. In this video, I break down what’s really happening behind the scenes — from dusty unsold cars to overloaded inventories — and why the panic isn’t coming from the supply side… it’s coming from us. We’ll talk about the impact of post-COVID buying behavior, the ripple effects of recent tariffs, and how a slow-motion unraveling of the economy could actually be more dangerous than a sudden crash. 💬 Drop your take below — are we headed for disaster, or just a painful reset?

Why would anyone sell a business that makes $1.5 million a year… and only requires 10 hours of work per week? In today’s video, I unpack a common scenario we see all the time on our podcast Acquisitions Anonymous—a profitable, automated business comes to market, and everyone asks the same thing: “Why would the owner walk away from this?” The answer might surprise you. It’s not about money. It’s about psychology, identity, and what happens after 20 years of building something from scratch. If you’re an aspiring business buyer, operator, or just curious about the world of small business acquisitions, this is a must-watch. You’ll get insight into how seasoned operators think, why seemingly perfect businesses are sold, and what freedom really looks like after building wealth. Thoughts?

When should you quit? No one likes to give up, but you hurt your success by going down with the ship. When is the right time to quit? Whether it’s a business, a side hustle, a job, or even a relationship — knowing when to let go is one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face. In this video, Michael shares practical frameworks used by successful entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, Reid Hoffman, Annie Duke, and Derek Sivers to help you make the right call. You’ll learn: Why quitting is so emotionally hard How the “sunk cost fallacy” tricks you into staying stuck The exact frameworks used to evaluate what to keep and what to quit Why asking the question "Should I quit?" is often the answer itself If you’re juggling multiple projects or just feel stuck, this 10-minute video will help you refocus and make better decisions with your time and energy. 👇 Watch to the end for a simple 2x2 matrix that makes quitting decisions easy. 👍 Like this video if it helped you. Comment your thoughts below or share a good story of when you didn’t go down with the ship.

7 "Nice Life" careers that make good money and have low time requirements. Stop running on sand and start thinking about these. — My criteria for "Nice Life" careers: • Lots of headroom to grow • Can earn $200,000+ per year • Low capital and time requirements • Good work-life balance • Defensible, durable, and inflation-resistant • Medium to low-risk — 1. Niche consulting. Find a platform that is mission-critical to a small niche of people or businesses. Get really, really good at it. Then you offer your services on either a project-based or time-based system to clients. — 2. Start a digital agency. Examples include coding agencies, SEO agencies, digital ad agencies, and Twitter ghostwriting. You’re basically offering your specific services to businesses or individuals basically as a product. The cool thing about this one: very low barrier to entry. You can get started as a side hustle while doing your day job. There's almost infinite demand for some of this stuff, like SEO, because people want their websites to show up in Google. It doesn't require much capital to get started. — 3. Become a franchise owner. While franchises often require a pretty high spend up front, you’re paying to de-risk the business. Buying a McDonald's, Orange Theory, or Chili's isn’t cheap, but they’re super winning franchises. The people selling the franchise to you know very well where to put them and what makes them work. Your job is to run that playbook, and there are lots of government funding opportunities available to help you fund and grow franchised businesses. — 4. Real estate private equity. Got a nose for a land deal? Then RE PE is another low capex business I love. You take investor money, deploy it into real estate deals, and earn fees and upside. You get to magnify your level of ownership of real estate by using other people's money and sharing in the upside. Real estate is a ginormous market, super tax-advantaged, and can scale over time. — 5. Staffing firm Despite it being essential for success, lots of businesses suck at bringing in the right people. I started and own a business that helps companies staff people overseas. There are lots out there. And you can start on your own, sourcing candidates and job postings, then making the right connections. — 6. Commercial real estate broker Like a regular real estate broker, but for business transactions. The clients are very professional, and everyone just wants to get the job done. A lot of commercial real estate trades at high valuations, so your commissions can be much better when the deals are bigger. — 7. Financial or wealth planning adviser Getting into the wealth management business involves helping people plan for retirement. You can build up your book of business at a big firm, consulting with customers to help them plan for retirement and savings. The market is enormous, and you get to build great relationships with people. — Any careers to add?

Amazon was this close to killing Barnes & Noble. But now they’re on a crazy comeback, opening new stores all over America. How did they do it? Let’s head back to 2011, the bookstore industry is in shambles. Why? Amazon. Amazon changes the game by selling books online. That takes a chunk out of bookstores’ traffic. But then Amazon goes even further, and launches the Kindle — making e-readers suddenly popular, and making physical books obsolete. Borders—the #2 bookstore in America—goes bankrupt almost overnight. So, everyone thinks Barnes & Noble would be next. In a desperate move, Barnes & Noble tries to compete by spending over a BILLION dollars on their own e-reader, the Nook. It flops spectacularly. They pivot, and start filling stores with puzzles, board games, toys—anything to survive. But nothing is working! Their stock tanks 80%. They’re closing stores all over the place. Things look hopeless. So they tried something totally crazy… They turn into the anti-Amazon — every location is tailored to the community, [down to the wallpaper], stocked with books that the locals want to read, and stop trying to be the everything store. Then TikTok catches on, and book lovers online start going nuts for old fashioned bookstores. Barnes & Noble is back.

I've seen many of my peers get rich. There are a ton of different ways to do it. Here are eight proven methods: (Being a business owner comes with risk, but it sure does bring about amazing investment opportunities.) 1. Acquire one of your suppliers E.g. A grocery chain buys the local milk supplier. This can be a win-win. Both businesses lock in a good supplier/customer relationship. And by expanding ownership up the supply chain, you can increase efficiency and reduce costs. it also gives you an advantage over your competition. 2. Buy a competing business E.g. A construction contractor buys another one. When you buy a competitor, you can finance the purchase through an SBA loan. That gives you control of more business with levered returns, increasing your profits (as long as the acquisition earns more than the cost of your debt — and if it earns less than the debt would cost, don’t buy it!) Your business grows, you can consolidate departments to increase efficiency… and you have one less competitor in the market! 3. Acquire the real estate your business uses E.g. Engineering firm buying their office building. This is a great investment. Lots to love: • Easy financing (banks love real estate!) • Get profits out of your company with better tax status • The property will appreciate • Stability for your company / you 4. Start a business with synergies E.g. Own a pool construction co? Start a pool maintenance business! Sure, “synergy” is overused business jargon. But if you can find a new niche that your existing business feeds into naturally, it can be huge. Every dollar you invest in your primary business now stretches farther. Your marketing and lead lists work twice as hard.  (You can also share resources like skilled labor and equipment.) 5. Invest in an employee’s startup E.g. Pool construction company backs their eccentric mechanic’s new pool cleaning machine. As a business owner, you know which of your teammates have what it takes. You also get inside information on ideas, and you can spot new ventures that might complement your core business. 6. Invest in or start counter-cyclical businesses E.g. Hyper-seasonal fireworks company owner starts a media company. Every business has ups and downs. So whatever your “down” cycles are — whether it’s seasonal, economic, or whatever — find businesses that do well in those conditions. It hedges your lean times and gives you a way to win all year. It also gives you a more stable baseline to take more high-risk/high-reward moonshots.   And ideally, trends in one business can give you advance notice for the other. LinkedIn cut me off, but 7 and 8 are in the carousel and comments! — And yes, I do practice what I preach, so here's a plug for my remote talent staffing company... If you’d like to work with me and get into Nearshoring LatAm talent just comment below or send me a message. Thanks for reading. -Michael

The value of diamonds has been totally fake. Now, prices are crashing, and it seems like the balloon might have finally popped. Here’s what’s going on. It all starts in the 1940s: A South African cartel called De Beers controls 90% of the world’s diamonds. But there’s a problem—diamonds aren’t rare, and people don’t want them. So what do they do? They manufacture demand. They have a huge hoard diamonds, but only release a few at a time to keep prices high. Then they launch the most successful marketing campaign in history. Movies, magazines, even school programs teach women to expect a diamond engagement ring. And just like that, every man was suddenly pressured to spend two months’ salary on a glorified rock. By the 2000s, De Beers was making over $6 billion a year selling overpriced stones. But that’s when the trouble started. First, marriage rates have plummeted — so less people are buying engagement rings. Next, social media completely exposed the scam. Suddenly, everybody has heard about blood diamonds, child labor, and the environmental damage diamond mining does. [Lapse of various vids on diamonds / human rights?] The biggest secret that social media let out? Lab-grown diamonds. They’re chemically identical, but less than half the price of natural diamonds. So the De Beers’ monopoly? It’s crumbling - and jewelers are panicking. — Do you still care about diamonds? Follow Michael Girdley for more business content ✅

Business update! Over the last few years I’ve been building a community of small business leaders called Scalepath. As of this week, Rand Larsen will join as CEO (and acquire a majority of the company!). Rand Larsen is the perfect guy for this seat. He’s been driving all over the country for the last 3 years, building a peer group of his own through blood, sweat, and tears. Now he’s bringing the energy, focus, and time needed to level up this community. We’ve got some great stuff coming down the pike: - 35+ new faces, as Rand brings in his existing community members - Launching new peer groups (including some tailored to holdco owners!) - Doubling down on in-person events and retreats I’m super proud of what we’ve built, and I truly believe that joining a CEO community is one of the best career moves a leader can make. Welcome, Rand! Happy to answer any questions you have.

One time as a young CEO: We couldn’t get a permit issued by a neighboring state regulator. Weeks went by with it sitting on some guy’s desk. Phone, faxes, zoom, etc. Nothing worked. I told the person in charge of our project: “Fly out there and sit in their office until you get the permit. Bring them donuts, humility, and kindness every day.” We got that permit in 2 hours. I learned: Much of business happens because you get on a plane and go meet in person. Zoom is fine but misses this core part of human nature. Get on the damn plane. — Do you still bother doing business in person?

Burberry just burned $36 million in clothes. Seriously. They lit a pile of their inventory on fire. And before you get mad at them… let’s talk about why they did it. Every year, luxury brands do a massive “destroy unsold inventory” ritual. Think bonfires made of trench coats and handbags. And yep—it is a little nauseating. But here’s why they do it: When luxury goods get imported into the US, companies pay a big import tax. But—thanks to a little-known provision—if the goods don’t sell, companies can get 99% of that tax back… as long as they destroy the merchandise in front of a customs officer. Yes, there's a job where you literally supervise the incineration of million-dollar handbags. But here’s my question for you: what happens to this whole system now that another layer of tariffs have been put in place? Because as much as Burberry wants to tout that it’s "made in the UK," if you check the tag on a lot of their products… it still says “Made in China.” Will this force some changes in the industry? What’s your take?

You need a Chief of Staff. I hired one last year. I regret not doing it years ago. I doubled my productivity – and have a lot more fun now. Here's how I did it: Let’s start with what a Chief of Staff isn’t. This is NOT an Executive Assistant. While there are bits of menial work, the role is high-level. The CoS covers my “messy middle” of necessary projects. Too complex for an EA. But things that someone else could own/accelerate. — My CoS (hi @_robyn_smith!) does high-level projects like: • Lead a hiring process • Run a diligence process for one-off M&A • Choose a vendor • Run annual employee review process I can’t delegate these to existing teammates. But these things must get done. — There are many Chief of Staff “flavors” But this is mine: Robyn reports directly to me. And functions as a "smoke jumper": she parachutes into strategic spots. She’s a teammate in every big project and helps make things happen. A CoS is a force multiplier for me. Done right, a CoS has full access. They come to many/most meetings. Robyn knows my near-term and long-term plans. She’ll work with all my direct reports at some point. And there’s a high level of trust. — What I want in a Chief of Staff: • Smart • Good decision-making, and can make (somewhat) risky calls • Gritty • Attention to detail • Enjoys multitasking • Likable • Ambitious It’s an excellent opportunity for young early-career people. They get: • Exposure an early career person would never otherwise see • Often end up in a senior role • See the whole business • Move on (up) in 1–2 years Much better than getting a low-level jobby job! — For me, finding a CoS is easy: I just tweet about it. If you’re not there, I recommend two paths: • Network to find referrals (tons of young people want these jobs) • Identify hustlers in your current org and pitch them on the role It’s easier than you think. — You can check out Robyn’s Chief of Staff job description on my website. If you want the template for it, I'll send it to you for free: (Plus a guide to my hiring process) — The CoS role is getting more popular. Startup people are in the lead in using it. But more SMB people need to do this. It’ll change everything for you – I promise. — What are your thoughts on the CoS position? Follow Michael Girdley for more business content ✅

Do you drink at work events? I’m a big believer in keeping your wits about you. And to be honest, I’m not much of a substance user anyway. You only get one brain—and if you’re lucky enough to get a smart one, I’ve never understood why people would slow themselves down. But that’s just me.