Hands-Off CEO – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Mandi Ellefson talks with Gray MacKenzie, co-founder of ZenPilot, about how agency owners can build scalable, self-managing operations that run smoothly, without adding more people, tools, or chaos.

Gray shares how he’s helped hundreds of agencies streamline their systems, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and build clarity into every level of their business. Instead of growing through brute force and burnout, Gray reveals how top-performing agencies grow through structure, simplicity, and systems that work without the founder at the center.

When your operations run like clockwork, your business becomes easier to scale, your team performs better, and your profit margins rise, all while you get your time back.

🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

✅ How to design scalable systems that eliminate chaos and confusion

✅ The 3 pillars of operational clarity that drive predictable results

✅ Why “doing less” often leads to faster and more profitable growth

✅ How to use ClickUp to streamline delivery and increase accountability

✅ The most common scaling mistakes agencies make and how to avoid them

✅ How to empower your team to own results and make decisions

✅ The mindset shift from managing everything to leading through systems

The best agencies don’t grow by doing more, they grow by doing what matters, better. When you build clarity into your operations, your agency stops depending on you and starts scaling on its own.

🔗 Connect with Gray MacKenzie:

Website: https://www.zenpilot.com

🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:

1️⃣ FREE – Stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients. Join our next Executive Briefing → https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast

2️⃣ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: Unlock $10K–$50K Hidden in Your Business Right Now → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast

3️⃣ Read The Hands-Off CEO Book (4.7★ on Amazon)

Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out. Grab your copy → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast

4️⃣ Apply for The Invisible Advantage™ Growth Program 

We’ll help you uncover your Invisible Advantage, package it into a premium offer, and scale profitably without adding to your workload. Learn more → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast

In this episode, Mandi talks with Jeremy Weisz, co-founder of Rise 25, about how service firm owners can use podcasting as a powerful tool to build authority, deepen relationships, and consistently attract high-value clients without spending a cent on ads.

Jeremy shares how he’s helped hundreds of agencies and consultants create “relationship engines” through podcasting systems that generate partnerships, referrals, and long-term opportunities that most firms completely overlook.

Instead of chasing leads, Jeremy reveals how to build genuine authority by leading meaningful conversations and why your network, not your audience size, determines your growth.

🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How to turn a podcast into a lead-generation and authority-building system
• The Rise25 framework for turning guest conversations into client opportunities
• Why the best podcasts focus on relationships, not downloads
• How to position your show so dream clients are excited to join
• The mindset shift from “creating content” to creating connection
• How to stay consistent without adding more to your workload
• Why generosity and curiosity are your biggest growth levers

The best agencies don’t chase clients, they attract them by becoming the trusted authority in their space. When you use podcasting to connect, elevate, and lead with insight, your business grows on the strength of relationships that last.

🔗 Connect with Jeremy Weisz:

Website: https://rise25.com

🎯 Want to Scale? Here Are 4 Ways to Work With Us:

1️⃣ FREE – Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing → https://handsoffceo.com/briefing/?utm_source=podcast

2️⃣ FREE – Grab our $500K Pipeline Map: Unlock $10K–$50K Hidden in Your Business → https://scale.handsoffceo.com/map?utm_source=podcast

3️⃣ BOOK – The Hands-OFF CEO: Triple Your Fees and Scale Without Burning Out → https://handsoffceo.com/book?utm_source=podcast

4️⃣ 1-on-1 Coaching – Find your next growth breakthrough → https://handsoffceo.com/scale?utm_source=podcast

In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson welcomes back Michael Zipursky, CEO of Consulting Success. Michael has worked with thousands of consultants worldwide, helping them build more profitable, scalable, and freedom-filled businesses.

Together, they dive into the radical shifts happening in the consulting space. From AI disruption to global uncertainty and how these changes are creating a clear divide between firms that adapt and those that fall behind.

You’ll discover why consultants who only sell “deliverables” risk being commoditized, and why the real winners are repositioning around must-have offers that solve urgent, strategic problems. Michael also shares how consultants can use AI, not as a threat, but as a multiplier, both in their own operations and in creating value for clients.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why AI is both the biggest disruptor and biggest opportunity for consultants today
• How uncertainty in the market is changing buyer behavior (and slowing sales cycles)
• The difference between “nice-to-have” services and “must-have” solutions clients pay for
• How to reposition your offers around ROI and business-critical outcomes
• Why defining your personal vision of success matters more than following someone else’s

If you’ve been feeling stuck selling deliverables or competing on price, this episode will show you how to adapt, differentiate, and thrive in a changing market.

👉 Michael’s Consulting Website: consultingsuccess.com 

👉 Take Michael’s Consulting Superpower Quiz: consultingsuccess.com/superpower

Shaun Buck owns The Newsletter Pro, based out of Boise, Idaho. It's now a 60+ member team and the nation’s largest custom print newsletter company. His $10MM marketing services company maintain aggressive growth  because it can run without him for months. Shaun and The Newsletter Pro landed at No. 120 on the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies list. And has collaborated with marketing guru Dan Kennedy to co-write the No B.S Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention.

To have the level of success and freedom you want, you have to be willing to rock the boat. Often these breakdowns are such great gifts because it leads to powerfully choosing what we do want. “Pretty good” and “OK” are the biggest obstacles we have working with agency owners. They’re afraid to rock the boat to be able to actually have what they want. Are you willing to rock the boat to create the business and life you love?

Tanya Korpi McLeod got her company to run completely without her in five months, found $88k of profit in the first month. Then she took over her husband’s businesses and did the same for them.

I had to beg to be hired at McDonalds. Newly married, my husband was in a demanding program at school, and I had to get a job. I was willing to do whatever it took to bring an income for my family. This McDonalds wasn’t hiring at the time, but even with an associates degree and 2 years experience at another McDonalds I had to convince them to hire me. In this podcast, I talk about the lessons I learned. And how it applies to helping our clients dramatically increase fees and double profit (or more).

In today’s podcast, Kyle Racki, founder of Proposify.com shares how he spends his time optimizing and innovating systems while his team runs the business. Listen in as Kyle shares about the Four Hour Work Week, creating repeatable systems, Gary V. and Free Trials (and Tribulations).