How to Make Strategic Decisions Like an 8 Figure CEO with Mary Dee

What does your decision-making process look like? Do you lean all the way into your intuition, or structure your points with rock-solid data? Turns out, the most successful CEOs find a balance of both—or invest in advisors who make the right call for them.

“Once you get to seven figures, you’re going to need to look a little higher up and say, okay, if my goal is to scale past this number, who else has gone past this number that I know understands how things change, how things scale, how things grow, and what new problems might I end up running up against? We’re outgrowing a first set of pants. We have to go get new pants.” – Mary Dee

Whether you’re still finding your feet in business or already scaling your way to 6 or 7 figures, strategic decision-making is a skill you’ve simply got to master. The sooner you do it, the easier it will be to steer your team in the right direction—and the quicker you’ll get to your next goal.

I may be as heart-centered as they come, but there’s no denying that things can slip through the cracks fast when you start losing sight of the facts. On the other hand, if you’re spending all of your time chasing numbers and comparing your biz to your competition, you could soon find yourself chairing up a business you don’t believe in. The sweet spot lies somewhere between thinking, feeling, learning, and executing—and today’s guest has a knack for helping top CEOs find it.

I’m so thrilled to be joined by business advisor and international speaker Mary Dee in today’s episode of the I Heart My Life Show. Mary has been helping CEOs and their executive suites make strategic decisions for over two decades, so if there’s anyone in the world who knows how to scale and grow a business from the ground up, it’s her! She’s a prime example of how tapping into your natural talents can translate to a purpose-filled life.

It was such a joy and privilege to be in Mary’s energy, and I know you will love listening to the lessons she shares in this episode. We talk about the top mistakes business owners make as they grow (both when they’re first starting out AND scaling past 7 figures), the key metrics you should be paying attention to from day one, and the value of mentorship at every single level of business.

You’ll also find out whether you are a coach or a team player type of CEO, and what that means about the people you should surround yourself with as you scale your business. Note-taking is highly advised!

In This Episode:

Mary shares how she went from working as a hostess at a California seafood restaurant hostess to giving strategic advice to CEOs
Why knowing what you’re naturally good at will help you live out your purpose
What her serial entrepreneur clients struggle with most as they scale
Finding the right balance between data-driven and intuitive thinking
The metrics that really speak volumes about a business
Top mistakes business owners make as they grow
Different types of CEO, and the people they need around them
The difference between intuitive and fear-based decisions
How Mary uses journaling as a decision-making practice
The importance of matching up with a mentor at every level of business
What really keeps businesses stuck at the 7 figure level
Why a positive attitude to failure will get you far

Quotes:

“Once you get to seven figures, you’re going to need to look a little higher up and say, okay, if my goal is to scale past this number, who else has gone past this number that I know understands how things change, how things scale, how things grow, and what new problems might I end up running up against? We’re outgrowing a first set of pants. We have to go get new pants.” – Mary Dee

“If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s to keep trying something long enough. You’re going to get good at it. And if you don’t get good at it, you’re going to get good at something.” – Mary Dee

“Even if a business finds you, it’s important to understand what you are actually building. Are you building a lifestyle business or are you building a business that you’re trying to take public and sell? Are you trying to serve a lot of people? Are you trying to serve just one person? There are so many details wrapped up in that.” – Mary Dee

“Find the person you resonate with, the person who has what you want. Latch onto that person, because they will really help shortcut some things for you. And you will not have as bumpy of a learning curve that a lot of people do when they don’t ask for help. They kind of flounder around in secret, taking courses and trying to do some stuff in the background without ever leaning in. Instead, raise your hand, say I’m vulnerable and I’m coachable and I’m ready to show up. I believe the universe delivers when we do that.” – Mary Dee