• Rydel is overhauling its coaching model from a siloed, meeting-heavy structure to a single-coach model, freeing up franchisee time and focusing support on their weakest areas.

• The new model combines generalist coaches with on-demand Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for deep expertise, using a "traffic light" KPI dashboard to quickly identify problem areas.

• The CEO's recent meeting demonstrated a powerful moderation technique: enforcing a strict agenda and no-slides rule to cut meeting time by ~50% while increasing critical discussion.

• A debate on franchising vs. corporate-owned growth highlighted the trade-off between rapid expansion (franchising) and higher profit margins (corporate), with the key differentiator being the owner-operator's long-term commitment.

• Austin owns two of Rydel's eight strategic initiatives:

  1. File Drive Cleanup:

     • Problem: An informal Google Drive system with incorrect permissions and redundant documents became unmanageable for the 80-person team.

     • Solution: Migrate all files to a new "Shared File Library" with G Suite-managed permission groups, creating a single source of truth and a virtual ops manual.

  2. Coaching Team Development:

     • Problem: The previous model of specialized coaches (sales, production, business) led to redundant meetings for high-performing franchisees and failed to focus support where it was most needed.

     • Solution: Implement a new model with a single, generalist coach per franchisee, supported by a pool of on-demand SMEs for deep expertise.

• Old Model:

  • Specialized coaches (sales, production, business) met with franchisees on a fixed schedule (e.g., 7 meetings/month).

  • This created redundancy for high-performers and didn't focus support on a franchisee's weakest areas.

• New Model:

  • One generalist coach per franchisee.

  • Coaches are cross-trained on all business pillars (sales, production, finance) for "whole thinking."

  • Coaches use a "traffic light" KPI dashboard to quickly identify red/yellow areas and prioritize support.

  • For deep expertise, coaches can deploy on-demand SMEs (e.g., a production manager) to provide targeted, hands-on help.

• John's Question: Why franchise, given the heavy support infrastructure, instead of growing with corporate-owned stores?

• Austin's Rationale:

  • Faster Growth: Franchising enables more rapid location expansion.

  • Owner-Operator Commitment: Franchisees have significant sunk costs (financing, 5-year minimum term), creating a stronger, longer-term commitment than an employee.

  • Entrepreneurial Profile: The model attracts owner-operators, not managers, who are willing to take on risk for greater reward.

• The CEO's meeting demonstrated a highly effective moderation technique:

  • Strict Agenda & No Slides: Enforced a firm end time and banned slide decks, forcing concise, critical discussion.

  • Efficient Moderation: Guided the conversation to stay on-topic, cutting meeting time by ~50% while increasing productivity.

  • Unique Ability: The skill to listen for what matters and remove signal from noise.

• Project Management: A Udemy course on project management.

• Hiring: Who by Geoff Smart.

• Integrity: A shared document defining integrity as:

  1. Keeping your word.

  2. Notifying all parties if you cannot keep your word.

  3. Cleaning up any resulting mess.

This Week on The Weekly Call
Co-host John Morgan III sits down with Scott Dedels, a respected crypto expert based in Kelowna, British Columbia, for a wide-ranging conversation on the realities behind digital assets.

Scott brings years of hands-on experience in cryptocurrency, blockchain fundamentals, and the evolving Web3 landscape. Known for his practical, no-hype approach, he breaks down complex topics like Bitcoin, altcoins, market cycles, and risk management in a way that’s accessible to both newcomers and seasoned investors.

In this episode, John and Scott discuss where crypto is today, common misconceptions, what people should actually be paying attention to, and how to think long-term in a fast-moving, often misunderstood industry.

Whether you’re crypto-curious or already deep in the space, this conversation delivers clear insights, grounded perspective, and real-world experience you won’t want to miss.

• CEO coaching impact at Rydel → ex-CEO facilitator drove future-only focus, defined 8 KCIs tied to a 2031 revenue goal; owners present progress tomorrow

• Org alignment → mitigate siloed thinking as team scales (3 → 120 relationships), assign single-threaded KCI owners, and demand outcome-focused, data-backed cases

• Marketing leadership → new head prioritizes reliable data, base ad-spend momentum, and annual ROI thinking; December 19 staffing gap forces ad budget decision

• Alternative considered → split stations but run between each to simulate fatigue; consensus leans to true solo baselines first

• Capability clarifications → Amer can complete 1,000m ski/row by pacing vs intervals; confidence-building needed via measured tests

• Role split in race → teams rarely go 50/50; align to strengths (e.g., sled push load feasibility), and choreograph transitions together

• Performance goals → stretch: top 25; sub-60 min likely unrealistic given current run pace; use Ottawa trial to set aggressive but real targets

• Ottawa trial → Feb 15 in-person dry run to test pacing, transitions, and failure points safely; highest learning ROI vs individual practice

• Pairing model → Adel matched with retired ex-CEO (Crayola/Hallmark) via profile of stage, personality, and challenges; 2 full-day team sessions/year

• Facilitation craft → future-only framing with explicit yes from each attendee; redirected any past-focused remarks on the spot; met 1:1 at lunch to vent/close loops

• Talk-time split → ~25% facilitator, 75% team; brief teaching blocks (~20 min) + moderated discussion

• Intake & agenda → anonymous prework surfaced strengths/weaknesses → day focused on defining top initiatives to “deserve” 2031 revenue goal

• KCI outcome → group debated 17 → 8 KCIs; each KCI has a single owner accountable for orchestration across silos; progress review meeting is tomorrow

• Decision hygiene → facilitator stayed neutral, pressed for objective business value, and required owners to translate passion into cross-functional outcomes

• Relationship explosion → management grew from 3 to 16; interaction lines grew 3 → 120 (N*(N−1)/2) → more conflict/coord needs

• Whole-thinking lens → consider each object’s relationships to all others, not only “my function vs the thing”

• Meeting mechanism → everyone pitches priority initiatives; group selects few; single owner quarterbacks cross-functional execution

• Strong-but-timid ideas → owners expected to self-advocate; light prompting on outcomes; “natural selection” if the case lacks clarity

• Emotional spikes → facilitator acknowledged care, insisted on translation to business value; did not match energy; kept room grounded

• Hiring journey → struggled to find autonomous marketing owner; new leader from a different industry is working due to depth on metrics + ownership

• Data discipline → focus on fewer, reliable, raw data points that tell a coherent city/trade/lead-cost story; avoid noisy inferred metrics

• Spend momentum → maintain base ad spend in off-season to preserve algorithm learning; annual ROI > monthly; educate franchisees at network scale

• Stakes ↑ → guidance affects 30+ owners; requires taking stands with clear why

• Seasonal wrinkle → Dec 19–early Jan sales capacity near-zero; must adjust ad budgets to avoid unserviceable lead inventory vs losing algo momentum

• Project management gap → difficulty isolating bottlenecks from noise; risk of over-involvement; needs sharper owners, milestones, scorecards, comp linkage

• Solver addiction → urge to fix everything reduces team self-advocacy; practicing boundaries to let owners own outcomes

• Definitions matter → deepen rigor on integrity, responsibility, accountability; “how” now outweighs “what” at scale

• Identity vs results → over-attached to monthly sales; learning to accept short-term dips to grow managers and systems

• Anxiety management → hired PA (Ben) for 2–3 hrs/week as prioritization sounding board; structured check-ins, guided questions, RICE scoring to de-conflict urgency vs impact