Tyler Elliston’s Post

Ever wondered what it takes to build a marketing dream team from scratch? 🤔 Tyler Elliston, Right Side Up Founder & CEO, breaks it down in our latest episode of Growth Talks—from scrappy startups to scaling enterprises, he knows how to find, hire, and build exceptional teams. Here are his key takeaways: • As companies grow, they naturally shift from needing flexible, jack-of-all-trades team members to experts in specific areas. • It’s not just about skills—traits like curiosity and persistence are what truly set standout hires apart. • Google and Facebook play different roles at each stage: startups use them to get feedback, mid-stage companies use them to drive growth, and big enterprises fine-tune their costs and scale. • Freelancers are becoming a go-to for companies wanting to test new strategies or get specialized skills without hiring full-time. • The best collaboration happens when marketing, product, and sales are on the same page with clear goals and mutual trust. • Flexibility is key—top talent today wants autonomy and values work-life balance more than ever. Listen to the full episode to get all of Tyler's insights on building marketing teams for every stage of growth! https://bit.ly/4dwqxhb | #GrowthMarketing #Marketing #TeamManagement #B2C #B2C #Leadership

People overcomplicate scaling their business. Listen, if you're a startup founder or agency owner in the growth stage: Avoid: ❌ Chasing every new tool or shiny strategy without understanding your needs. ❌ Being reactive to every 'urgent' task that pops up. ❌ Trying to handle everything yourself and burning out. ❌ Hiring before you've streamlined your processes. Instead: ✅ Start by mapping out your current workflows and identifying bottlenecks. ✅ Implement the right tools that serve your business (not the other way around). ✅ Focus on delegating tasks that don’t need your direct attention. ✅ Automate repetitive tasks to free up your time for what truly matters. Focus on these basics for the next 3 months. You’ll see how much easier growth becomes when your operations are dialed in. -- 🙋♀️ Hi, I'm Mischa - COO-on-demand 🚀 I help startups and agencies through their #growthstage 🗯 Follow for more tips on business ops, strategy and culture

📌 Attention startup founders! PR isn't just another task to fully outsource. You might choose to stay out of the spotlight and have someone else be the face and voice of your startup, but don't forget: You are still the heart that keeps it beating. Working with numerous companies under 100 employees has shown me that founder involvement adds authenticity and vision that no external PR pro can replicate. If you're a fan of the 80-20 rule, apply it to your comms. Dedicate a small amount of time to the PR team to keep them tuned in to your business's rhythm. Arrange monthly sync calls. Build a simple process for collecting input. Keep them updated on company news in your workspace. Amplify your startup’s voice with your passion, and make others as invested in your vision as you are. #PublicRelations #FounderPR #StartupComms

Retreat is my third company—and while the journey has been rocky, I've learned a lot about what it takes to build a successful business and keep your life intact along the way. Here's what I'm doing differently this time around, and what I'd recommend for any early-stage founder: 1. Master the Art of Sales 🎯 Being a CEO is all about sales—whether it's selling to customers or pitching to investors. I used to think sales was "icky." Now, I see it for what it is: storytelling. We have a service that changes lives—it’s worth talking about. 2. Trim the Fat ✂️ Hire slow, fire fast. Hiring is the biggest challenge for an early-stage startup—finding qualified, talented, and hungry people isn't easy. And, no one will ever care about your business as much as you do. As a woman, I used to feel ashamed every time someone left my company, worrying people would think I was unlikable or that I had done something wrong. Female founders don’t talk about this enough. Now, I’m getting better at letting people go—fast. If someone isn't adding value within six weeks, it’s time to part ways. 3. Own Your Superpower ⚡ You can’t do everything. I used to juggle CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, legal, and admin. This time, I've learned to delegate. We have a great fractional CFO, a legal team, and fractional admin and Chief of Staff support. Scaling requires letting go. 4. Block 3 Hours Weekly for Copywriting ✍️ Storytelling is at the heart of a CEO's role. Behind every successful startup is a founder who crafts an authentic brand story—one that resonates deeply with customers. Genuine storytelling, not just sales tactics, is what drives high-converting copy, websites, and marketing materials. ✈️ Writing on airplanes is my favorite flow state. 5. Document Everything 🗂️ I've built processes, SOPs, guidelines, and guides in Notion to make hiring and training efficient, onboard partners quickly, and standardize business operations.

I can admit when I am wrong. Ordinarily before I start working with a health-tech or sustainability startup, I establish who my day-to-day contact will be. It is always a PR or Marketing team member who is senior enough to sign off content. But one CEO told me he doesn't have a marketing team yet which is why he wants to work with me. And he would be my day-to-day contact. I was ready to end the conversation there. From experience, I can tell you most startups in this scenario would not get the results they need because CEOs are too busy to read, edit and sign off copy. They cannot drop everything to review a Q&A that needs to be submitted in the next hour. But this CEO was adamant that he would make the time. So we're trying it. And truth be told, it's going really well. Everyone has their processes and preferences. But every once in a while, a client will come along who will challenge them and make you reassess if there are other ways to work. Have you ever changed your working process for a client?

My agency has grown by 500% in the past 6 months It has been experiencing growth like never before in my 3 years in this industry. The secret? → Necessity,  → A whole lot of hustle, & → Pushing past my comfort zone. You see, I'm also the co-founder of a startup. We needed funding for our SaaS product. But after 3 VC rejections, I knew I had to take the matter into my own hands. My agency became my lifeline. To fuel its growth and generate the capital we desperately needed, I dove deep into 3 things- → Consistent, strategic posting on Linkedin helped me reach new audiences and establish thought leadership. → I focused on right-fit hiring, bringing on talented people who shared my vision. → We streamlined our operations, optimizing funnels and processes for maximum efficiency. The results speak for themselves. This experience has been a powerful reminder that sometimes, the greatest growth comes from embracing discomfort and pushing beyond perceived limitations. What are your experiences with pushing past your comfort zone in business? Share your stories in the comments!

Dear Companies, Forget execs, brainstorming sessions, and chasing that next million-dollar idea. Hold on to your hats, because the real game-changer for your company is hiding in plain sight: your people! Here's the deal: companies thrive when everyone feels like they're part of the team, not just a cog in the machine. Imagine a place where everyone, from the CEO on down to the mailroom crew, feels like their voice matters. Sounds easy, right? Maybe for a tiny startup, but things get trickier as companies grow. Here's the challenge: can you make any one person in a room of 100 (or even 1000!) feel like they're the MVP? By ditching the stuffy suits and building a culture of high fives and respect, you'll not only keep your crew happy, but you'll also unlock a treasure trove of innovation and success. Think of it like a soccer team. My daughter plays, and when she misses a goal, her teammate cheers her on. That's the kind of support that makes everyone shine! So ditch the formality and create a company where everyone feels valued, just like my daughter on the field. What do you think is this too idealistic? Anyone doing this?

Here’s a list of things “founder ego” will force you to do, but you should totally avoid- 1. Hire, hire and hire - Higher LinkedIn employee count does not equal higher brand value. 2. Chasing valuations - More valuation doesn't guarantee better chances of exit, if anything it gets even harder. 3. Paid PR - More eyeballs don’t necessarily lead to more revenue. 4. Relying on digital marketing - Ads are a commodity. Unique GTM helps build a better growth engine. 5. Going too fast, too soon - First sign of success, doesn't guarantee a sustainable growth. Conserve capital until you are 200% sure. 6. Ignoring customer feedback - Success stories are born from listening, adapting, and evolving based on what your customers really need. 7. Overlooking team culture - A toxic environment can stall even the most promising ventures. Invest in building a strong, positive culture. 8. Skimping on product development - Cutting corners here can be tempting when funds are tight, but innovation is your lifeline. 9. Neglecting diversity - Diverse teams solve problems faster and foster creativity. Don’t miss out. 10. Forgetting why you started - Your vision is your compass. Stay true to it amidst the noise. Navigating the startup world is challenging. Keeping your ego in check can be the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Stay focused and be adaptable. #startupsuccess #philippines #founder

CUSTOM SOLUTIONS + TEAMS ARE THE FUTURE. The traditional agency model is over-engineered, complex, and wasteful. And clients are left footing the bill for the bloat and bureaucracy that often comes with full time staff that may or may not be the best match. Talented teams are stifled by rigid corporate structures and siloed operations and thinking. Far too often, this leads to lackluster work that simply doesn’t move the needle. In the last two decades, as a marketing and business strategist, I've seen these pain points firsthand across finance, startups, agencies, and entertainment. I founded Assembly 7 to be the antidote. We are an extension of our clients' teams, not an added layer of complexity. Sometimes that means augmenting the c-suite with just me. Other times that means hand-picking a dream team precisely matched for needs AND culture by tapping our network and communities like WE ARE THE BOARD. (Proud to be a member!) The headline - no bloat, no filler, no square pegs. Move faster, make a bigger impact, grow. Businesses don’t have to choose between great work and genuine partnerships. They can (and should) have BOTH. #experts #growth #dreamteams #marketingshift #wearetheboard

You’ll Have All the Hats and No Life... Starting your own business sounds glamorous, right? Freedom, passion, building your dream... blah, blah, blah. What they forget to mention is that you’ll become a one-person circus, juggling every possible role you never signed up for. Here’s the lineup of hats you’ll be wearing: 1. CEO Hat: Making big decisions with no idea if they’re good decisions. 2. CFO Hat: Budgeting down to the last cent while crying over spreadsheets. 3. Marketing Hat: Social media guru by day, hashtag failure by night. 4. Sales Hat: Pushing your product so hard you start dreaming in pitch decks. 5. Customer Onboarding Expert Hat: “Hi! Just following up—do you have feedback on the thrilling experience of joining our waitlist?” 6. Product Development Hat: Googling how to build a product as if your life depends on it (because it does). 7. IT Support Hat: Resetting passwords you forgot five minutes ago. 8. HR Hat: That one’s easy when you’re the only employee (but tricky when you argue with yourself). 9. Content Creator Hat: Making reels and TikToks that get 2 likes (and one of them is your mom). 10. Therapist Hat: Talking yourself out of quitting every other Tuesday. 11. Janitor Hat: Cleaning your workspace because chaos does not spark joy. 12. Event Planner Hat: Launch parties... yeah let's do one... And let’s not forget: Accountant Hat Lawyer Hat Cheerleader Hat (because you will need to hype yourself up daily). Entrepreneurship isn’t just a journey; it’s a never-ending hat collection. But hey, at least you’re the boss... of your chaos.🙌🏾 Want to see me juggle these hats in real-time? Join the waitlist for my web app—it's way more fun than this list! Sign up at https://mysafespace.io/ #EntrepreneurLife #StartupJourney #ManyHats #SmallBusinessLife #CEOConfessions #BuildingADream #EntrepreneurHumor #StartupStruggles #BusinessOwner #SideHustleLife #FounderLife #JugglingHats #WaitlistGoals #CulturallySensitiveAI #MySafeSpace