Specialties: Strategic and Tactical growth for Membership Organizations, Business Management & Development

Build a Better Business, Live a Better Life Blog

Details: Published on December 19, 2024

Does your association have the kind of engaged members it needs?

Members who show up, volunteer, serve on committees and even move into leadership positions might seem like unicorns, but they aren’t. You can grow them from your current membership by taking seven very important steps.

Details: Published on December 04, 2024

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions.

Why? Because New Year’s is too late! Why spend weeks or a month planning what you’re going to do instead of getting right to it? Now is always a better time to start than later.

Details: Published on November 18, 2024

When I ask an association board member, leader, staffer or committee head How is your association doing? I get a lot of different answers. Some answers are about membership: the number of new members, renewals, meeting attendees. Some answers focus on how much success the association is having building relationships with legislators and impacting regulations. Other answers emphasize culture, finances, events, continuing education, committees and affiliates. The answers are broad because the work of associations is broad. That’s exciting! Think about how much impact you can have! It can also be intimidating: Think about how much there is to juggle, wrangle, organize and administer—with mostly volunteers.

Details: Published on October 31, 2024

As I write this, people are experiencing a lot of stress and fear about politics, the economy and the state of the world. But whenever it is that you’re reading this, you’ve probably been stressed and fearful about something pretty recently, and it’s taken a toll. We feel those emotions so strongly that they can be debilitating. We can find it impossible to move forward and make progress.

Details: Published on July 31, 2024

What is your biggest challenge in bringing in business?

Notice that phrase: bringing in business. Not sales. Sales is an important part of bringing in business, but it’s just one part. That’s important, because a lot of people tell me they hate sales and will do anything to avoid doing anything remotely considered “sales.”

Details: Published on July 11, 2024

Giving a talk about succession the other day, I started off by asking attendees, “How many of you are thinking about retiring or selling your business?” Not a single hand went up. That may be because no one wanted to show their cards to possible competitors in the room. It could also be because too many of us don’t think about succession in advance. After all, we love our businesses; that’s why we run them. We’re not comfortable with the idea of stepping away and turning our responsibilities, our vision and mission, and our legacy over to someone else.

Details: Published on March 06, 2024

Members are the lifeblood of an association; if they’re not involved and engaged, your association can’t accomplish its mission. And yet, finding members to volunteer, to fill committees and move into leadership positions is a challenge for many associations.

Details: Published on February 01, 2024

I’m getting a lot of questions about hiring right now:
Should I hire?
When should I hire?
Who should I hire?
How should I hire?

Details: Published on August 28, 2023

How are you doing with your goals? It's a question I've been asking my clients a lot. The answer I'm getting most is some variation on, "Um... not really sure."

Details: Published on July 13, 2023

When I talk to leaders of associations, three things always come up: Their membership isn’t growing the way they need it to, they don’t have enough volunteers, and their leadership is getting burned out.

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Testimonials

Jim Challenges You to Think Bigger!

Jim Roman is a wonderful human being and fantastic speaker and business coach. He has great spirit and energy and is a joy to be around. Jim challenges you to think bigger, not just in your business but in all areas of your life: personal, family, spiritual, financial and business. My favorite story about Jim: We were at the same networking event with about 50 people, and Jim walks up to me and says, “Give me three things you are grateful for.” Ever since then, I wake up every morning and write down three things I am grateful for.

- Jeff Singletary | Realtor, GRI, Keller Williams Heritage Realty

My Business Can Thrive for the Next 100 Years!

Flourishing in business has always been one of my deepest desires, but in the past it was very challenging to understand how to grow a business. Now, because I’ve worked with Jim Roman, I can confidently say I have the right systems and processes in place to thrive in business for the next 100 years—which is what every business owner truly desires. Business is no longer a challenge in my life, and working with Jim and his team has become one of my greatest victories. Jim will make you say “bye-bye” to your 9 to 5 lifestyle for good. He will walk with you on your journey to financial freedom so you can fulfill your genuine passions for a lifetime.

- Dre Richmond | Founder, DBA Marketing Pros

I’ve Exceeded My Goals for the Entire Year!

From the day I started my business, I consistently struggled to meet my financial goals. But after only three months working with Jim Roman, I exceeded my sales goals for the entire year—before Q4 even started! If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that there is so much more to running a business than just getting the work done. Jim and his team have helped me improve all areas of my business, from bringing in new business, to hiring, training and developing my team. For the first time, I feel like all the hard work I’ve put into my business is finally coming together in the way I always dreamed it could.

- Mike Jenkins | President, BrickTech IT

Grab Onto Success in a Shorter Time Period

Working with the right coach is a vital step to fulfilling your business purpose and personal goals. Jim helped me formulate actionable goals, held me accountable, and challenged me to view things in ways I wouldn’t have seen on my own. He and his team are amazing for helping sole proprietors, coaches and small businesses grab onto success in a shorter time period than ever dreamt before! I am so thankful for the growth and success I have realized because of Jim. If you are looking for the right guidance, thoughtful insight, accountability and a plan that will work¸ you will find the right place and the right person with Jim.

- Kristi Nowrouzi | Loan Officer/Branch Manager, Certified Mortgage Planners

The Best Decision You Could Make

If you ever get the chance to work with Jim, I will tell you it’s going to be the best decision you could have done for your business growth. He helped my development tenfold!

- Dusty Feazell | Realtor

Jim Truly Cares About Me and My Company

Jim has the ability to bring a new and unique perspective to the majority of the challenges that I have consulted with him on. It is evident that he truly cares about me and my company based on the fact that he offers more than short-term, "quick fix" solutions. His coaching has really helped hold me more accountable to myself so far as my professional and personal goals.

- Bruce Tibbetts | President, EMC Mechanical Services

An Integral Part of My Success

Jim and I have worked together to build a solid foundation for my business. His coaching has been an integral part of my success in my business as he provides an outside perspective that challenges me. I came from a corporate background and wanted to pursue my own business, but I quickly realized that, even with a graduate degree, I didn’t know what I didn’t know about running and managing a small business. Jim has helped me focus my efforts on those critical elements that have made my business successful while increasing my confidence as a business owner. Jim really knows how to drill down to the basics, in particular the foundational aspects of helping business owners break down their business into more manageable pieces, keeping them focused and on track to reaching goals. He is an excellent coach, trainer and mentor.

- Michele Deane | MBA, Owner, Handyman Matters

One of the Best Speakers and Trainers

Jim is one of the best speakers and trainers I have ever seen or heard, and I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best in financial services over the years. Jim was instrumental in advising me to sell my interest in my former firm and start Financial Freedom Planners. He is very excited about and believes in our vision and mission. He is very smart, extremely dynamic and knows what I do for a living. In addition, he is an expert at networking, developing effective referral partners and relationships. Jim’s advice and counsel have had immeasurable value to me and my startup, especially when I lost momentum at one point.

- Charles Roberts | CFP, President and CEO, Financial Freedom Planners, LLC

Jim Made Me Brave Enough

I was brave enough to build my house at the lake because Jim helped me envision what my life would be like one day, and I wanted it, so I moved to that goal. At one of his Boot Camps I attended, Jim gave us pins saying, “Leading the Way”; helped me realize what a responsibility each of us have as leaders of our companies. We are providing a living for ourselves, our families and our coworkers. The Boot Camp was exactly what I needed to get me back on track, to movitate me and to get me to focus on moving the company forward. He even talked to me about how to build my business to sell it one day if I wanted—and I have sold the business!!! I have had other mentors in my life, but since my dad died I have had no other mentor like Jim. I am always grateful to him.

- Lorrie Gore | President, Gundlack Plumbing, Cooling and Electric Co.

I Have a Life for the First Time in 18 Years!

I hired Jim Roman to be my coach for my business. I not only hired the best coach but also received a staff of coaches to help me with everything from understanding my numbers, improving my marketing and, most of all, putting together the best team to run my business. The business is doing so well, and I have a personal life for the first time in 18 years. I can’t put into words how thankful I am to Jim and his team. Without them, I would still be coming to work stressed every morning. Instead, our firm is winning, my family is saving for a trip to Germany, and I’m feeling great about the future.

- Trish Ferrier | President, First Class Realty, Inc.

Companies we’ve worked with