How Growth-Minded Leaders Are Using AI to Scale Smarter—Not Harder
In today’s fast-changing business world, ignoring AI isn’t just risky—it’s costly. On the latest Scale Smart, Grow Fast podcast, Mike Todasco, former PayPal innovation leader and visiting fellow at SDSU’s AI Research Center, broke down how business owners can future-proof their companies by embracing AI now, not later.
Want the full breakdown and real-world strategies? Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and hear how AI is transforming executive support.
Why AI Is a Business Advantage—Not Just a Buzzword
AI isn’t just hype—it’s giving non-engineers executive-level leverage. Mike explains that tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini offer what used to cost companies six figures per employee. Now, for just $20/month, any business owner can streamline operations, get instant brainstorming support, automate workflows, and make better decisions faster.
The problem? Too many leaders dabble. “If you’re just playing around with AI occasionally, you’re falling behind,” Mike says. True leverage comes when AI is embedded into everyday processes—from note-taking and email to decision support and strategic planning.
Overcoming the #1 Barrier: Leadership Buy-In
Most business owners delay adoption due to fear, complexity, or not knowing where to start. Mike’s advice? Don’t overthink it. Pick one tool and start using it daily. Create a culture where your team is encouraged to test AI, share wins, and improve together.
At Workergenix, for example, our virtual executive assistants not only understand AI—they use it to triple productivity for our clients. If your team isn’t integrating AI, you’re leaving massive ROI on the table.
How to Make Smarter Decisions with AI
One practical example Mike shared: using AI as a devil’s advocate. Feed your strategy doc or sales plan into ChatGPT and ask it to challenge your thinking. It’s a fast way to identify blind spots and avoid costly mistakes—something human team members may not always do candidly.
AI Is Not Replacing Your Team—It’s Empowering Them
Mike emphasizes: AI won’t replace humans (yet), but it will replace those who don’t use it. This is especially true for executive assistants. The best virtual professionals now master AI tools to manage tasks, automate workflows, and deliver higher-level support—making them indispensable to fast-scaling businesses.
Bottom Line
AI is not the future. It’s the present. If you want to stay competitive, leaner, and smarter, now’s the time to embrace it fully.
Want to see how an AI-powered executive assistant can help your business scale faster without burning out your top talent? Schedule a discovery call today!
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Mastering Your Calendar: The Key to Productivity, Business Growth, and Work-Life Balance
In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship and sales, time management isn’t just a skill—it’s the foundation for success. If your calendar isn’t aligned with your goals, chances are your productivity and profitability are suffering. In this episode of the Workergenix Mastermind Podcast, Harley Green sits down with Scott Groves, a top mortgage loan officer, coach, and entrepreneur, to uncover the secrets behind effective calendar management, lead generation, and building a sustainable business.
Your Calendar Reflects Your Priorities
Scott Groves emphasizes a powerful truth: your calendar is a reflection of your values. If something isn’t scheduled, it’s unlikely to happen. Whether it’s lead generation, business meetings, or personal commitments, what’s on your calendar dictates your outcomes. He shares a technique inspired by Gary Keller—if you’re not seeing gym time, date nights, or prospecting sessions on your schedule, you’re just wishing for success, not planning for it.
Color Coding for Clarity
One of Scott’s game-changing strategies is color-coding your calendar. By assigning different colors to revenue-generating tasks, family time, workouts, and client meetings, you can easily see if your time is being spent where it matters most. If your calendar lacks key colors (e.g., green for sales activities), it’s a red flag that adjustments are needed.
The Power of Time Blocking
Many entrepreneurs get caught up in reactive work—responding to emails, handling last-minute requests, and firefighting daily crises. Scott stresses the importance of time blocking, where dedicated slots in your calendar are reserved for focused work. Whether it’s a 60-minute lead generation session or a weekly business planning session, disciplined time blocking prevents distractions and ensures that high-impact activities are prioritized.
Handling Interruptions: The Art of ‘Interrupting Interruptions’
No matter how well-planned your calendar is, interruptions happen. Scott shares a simple yet effective strategy: when an unexpected call or task arises, quickly assess its urgency. He recommends using pre-written text responses or scheduling tools like Calendly to redirect non-urgent matters to a more convenient time, keeping your focus intact.
The Importance of a ‘Busy Time’ Block
Scott schedules dedicated time blocks for dealing with inevitable last-minute tasks. By setting aside two-hour blocks on certain days, he prevents urgent issues from derailing his entire schedule. This ensures that unexpected fires don’t force him to neglect revenue-generating activities.
Leveraging Technology for Efficiency
Technology is a double-edged sword—it can boost productivity or become a major distraction. Scott shares his approach to automation and efficiency tools:
Calendly for scheduling client calls
Pre-set text responses to minimize distractions
Google Calendar & Panda Planner for structured planning
The Power of Physical Planning: The Panda Planner Sales Pro
Digital tools are valuable, but Scott firmly believes in the effectiveness of a physical planner. He partnered with Panda Planner to create the Sales Pro Planner, which blends daily goal setting, gratitude exercises, and structured sales tracking. He emphasizes that writing things down creates a psychological commitment that boosts follow-through and execution.
Goal Setting and Weekly Reflection
Scott’s success is rooted in intentional goal setting. He advocates for reviewing your week every Sunday or Monday, assessing what went well and what needs improvement. He also highlights the Goal Setting Worksheet, a tool that breaks down large objectives into daily, weekly, and monthly actions, making progress more tangible and attainable.
Work-Life Balance: Designing Your Business Around Your Life
One of Scott’s biggest takeaways is designing your business around your ideal lifestyle—not the other way around. He stresses that entrepreneurs should first schedule personal priorities like vacations, gym sessions, and family time, then build their work commitments around them. Otherwise, work will expand to fill every available gap.
The Connection Tracker: Building Stronger Relationships
Relationships drive business success, and Scott’s Connection Tracker helps professionals stay on top of their key contacts. By tracking past clients, new referrals, and outreach efforts, sales professionals can ensure they’re consistently nurturing their network without letting leads slip through the cracks.
Final Thoughts
Scott Groves has built a thriving career by mastering calendar management, goal setting, and lead generation—and his strategies can transform the way you approach your business. Whether you’re a loan officer, realtor, or entrepreneur, prioritizing your calendar, setting intentional goals, and leveraging the right tools can dramatically improve your productivity and overall success.
Harley Green: Hey everybody, welcome back to the Workergenix Mastermind Podcast! Today, we’ve got a special guest and fellow Front Row Dad, Scott Groves. Scott is a husband, father, coach, loan officer, author, podcaster, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, and cigar aficionado.
Scott is known for his client-first approach in the mortgage industry, helping homebuyers and real estate professionals secure lending solutions that align with long-term financial goals. Beyond lending, he’s also an expert in marketing, leadership, and lead generation, coaching hundreds of loan officers to success.
Scott, thank you so much for being on the podcast today!
Scott Groves: Hey, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.
Harley Green: Before we started recording, we were talking about something really interesting—the idea that if you want to know what someone truly values, you just need to look at their calendar. Can you share more about that?
Scott Groves: Absolutely. And first off, I need you as my hype man—I love how you introduced me!
I’ve been around long enough to remember when physical day planners were the norm, and I learned something powerful from Gary Keller, founder of Keller Williams. He used to coach real estate agents by saying, “If you want to make a million dollars in real estate, show me on your calendar where you’re doing lead generation every day. If you say your family is important, show me where date nights or family time are scheduled.”
That stuck with me. Your calendar is a reflection of your values. If something isn’t scheduled, chances are it’s just wishful thinking. It’s like the saying, “A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” If you’re not intentionally making time for what’s important—whether that’s work, family, health, or personal growth—you’re just hoping it happens.
For me, proper calendar management is the key to success. I looked at my schedule before this call—I have 43 scheduled appointments this week, and I’m not overwhelmed because everything is planned out intentionally.
Harley Green: That makes a lot of sense. What are some practical tips for business owners who want to improve their calendar management?
Scott Groves: First, own your calendar—literally. I know people who have built their entire schedule within a company system, then switch companies and lose everything. Even if you use a corporate calendar, keep a backup in your own system.
Second, color-code your calendar. I know it sounds basic, but it makes a huge difference. I can glance at my week and immediately see if I have enough:
Green for money-making activities
Orange for coaching
Pink for family time
Blue for workouts
This makes it easy to spot imbalances—if my calendar is missing personal time or too light on lead generation, I adjust accordingly.
Harley Green: I love that. What about handling interruptions? We all have days where a random fire comes up and blows up our schedule. How do you manage those moments?
Scott Groves: Great question. One of my mentors, John Berghoff, taught me that if you’re a busy professional, you have to get world-class at interrupting interruptions.
For example, if I’m in a focused work block and my wife calls, I answer quickly and say, “Hey honey, I’m in the middle of something—can this wait, or should we talk tonight?” That way, I don’t ignore the call, but I also don’t let a quick chat turn into 20 minutes of lost productivity.
For business calls, I use a simple pre-written text response: “Hey, I’m in a meeting right now. Can we schedule a time to talk later? Here’s my calendar link.” Most of the time, people respect that and book a time instead of expecting immediate attention.
The key is to train people that they have full access to you—but not immediate access.
Harley Green: That’s a great mindset shift. You mentioned Calendly—are there any other tools you swear by for productivity?
Scott Groves: Yes! Besides Google Calendar and Calendly, I use quick text replacements on my iPhone.
For example, I type “CCC” and it automatically expands into a full, polite message saying: “Hey, I’m in the middle of something. Your call is important to me. Can we schedule a time later?”
This saves me from typing out responses over and over.
Also, the Panda Sales Planner is a game-changer. It’s a physical planner that helps me manage my sales calls, goals, and daily priorities without distractions from my phone.
Harley Green: That’s awesome. You mentioned something earlier about building “busy space” into your calendar. Can you explain how that works?
Scott Groves: Sure. A lot of people’s calendars are filled with back-to-back meetings, leaving them no time to handle unexpected tasks. I intentionally block out two hours, three times a week for dealing with emergencies, last-minute emails, or urgent tasks.
If something urgent comes up at 10 AM, instead of dropping everything, I just say: “I’ll handle this during my 2-4 PM busy time.”
By pre-scheduling time for unplanned tasks, I stay in control instead of constantly reacting to other people’s problems.
Harley Green: That’s a great way to manage the chaos. Now, you’ve created a sales planner specifically for business owners. Can you share more about that?
Scott Groves: Yeah! I partnered with Panda Planner to create a Sales Pro Version. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, salespeople, and business owners who need to stay organized and focused.
The planner includes:
Daily gratitude journaling (which helps with mindset)
A structured to-do list for sales calls and follow-ups
Sections for tracking goals and priorities
A physical planner helps you stay focused—unlike a phone or laptop, which are designed to distract you.
Harley Green: That makes so much sense. Scott, this has been incredibly valuable. Any final advice for entrepreneurs who want to get control of their time?
Scott Groves: Yes—plan your work around your life, not the other way around.
Start by scheduling the big things first:
Annual vacations
Date nights with your spouse
Workouts
Major business goals
Then, let work fill in the gaps. If you don’t, work will expand to take over everything, and you’ll end up missing out on the things that truly matter.
Harley Green: I love it. Scott, thanks so much for being here! For everyone listening, we’ll include links in the show notes where you can grab Scott’s free Connection Tracker and Goal-Setting Worksheet. If you want to take control of your time, grab a Panda Sales Planner today!
Scott, where can people connect with you?
Scott Groves: You can find me at scottgroves.com, and I’m always happy to connect on social media.
How to Take Control of Your Wealth with Infinite Banking
In today’s fast-paced world, entrepreneurs and business owners are constantly seeking financial strategies that provide stability, flexibility, and long-term wealth growth. One such strategy, often overlooked, is Infinite Banking—a method that allows you to become your own banker, maximize cash flow, and grow your wealth while maintaining full financial control. In a recent episode of the Workergenix Mastermind Podcast, Harley Green sat down with Erica Neal of Infinity Investment Strategies to break down how this financial concept can transform the way business owners and investors manage their money.
What is Infinite Banking?
At its core, Infinite Banking is a concept—not a specific product. It involves using specially designed, high-cash-value whole life insurance policies to store and leverage your money, rather than relying on traditional banks. The goal is to recapture the interest that banks earn on your money and redirect it back into your own financial system. This allows you to use your money to fund investments, business expenses, and personal purchases while still earning compounded interest on the total cash value of the policy.
Erica explains that not all life insurance policies qualify for Infinite Banking. These policies must be strategically designed to optimize liquidity, growth, and borrowing power.
How Business Owners Are Using Infinite Banking
Many entrepreneurs and investors are using Infinite Banking to improve their cash flow management and fund major expenses. Here are a few real-world examples from the podcast:
Equipment Financing: Business owners use policy loans instead of traditional bank loans to purchase equipment, avoiding high interest rates and maintaining control over repayment schedules.
Real Estate Investments: Investors leverage their policies to fund down payments or entire property purchases, allowing them to keep their cash liquid while still earning returns.
Payroll & Business Expenses: Some entrepreneurs fund payroll and operational costs using policy loans, repaying them with revenue generated over time, ensuring their business remains cash-flow positive.
Hard Money Lending: Many real estate investors use their policies to fund private loans, earning passive income through interest on those loans while maintaining the tax advantages of the policy.
The common thread? Business owners maintain full control over their capital, unlike with traditional loans, which come with strict repayment terms and interest going to the bank instead of their own financial ecosystem.
The Benefits of Infinite Banking
Infinite Banking offers several key benefits, making it a compelling alternative to conventional financing and saving methods:
Compounded Growth: Even when borrowing against your policy, the full cash value continues to earn interest and dividends.
Liquidity & Flexibility: Unlike retirement accounts or traditional investments, you can access your cash anytime for any purpose, without penalties.
Tax Advantages: Funds within the policy grow tax-free, and policy loans are not considered taxable income.
Asset Protection: In many states, cash value in life insurance policies is protected from lawsuits and creditors.
Control Over Repayment: Unlike traditional loans, you decide the repayment schedule, with no strict deadlines or penalties.
How to Get Started with Infinite Banking
For those looking to adopt this strategy, proper policy design is critical. Not all insurance providers or financial advisors are well-versed in Infinite Banking, so it’s crucial to work with a specialist who understands how to structure these policies for maximum cash value and growth.
Key Considerations When Setting Up Your Policy:
Choosing the Right Policy: Infinite Banking uses high-cash-value whole life insurance, not term life or traditional whole life policies with low cash accumulation.
Understanding Funding Levels: Policies have minimum and maximum funding corridors, allowing flexibility in contributions.
Navigating Underwriting & Health Factors: Your age and health determine insurability, but business owners can also set up policies for key employees or family members.
Strategic Policy Design: Policies should be structured to optimize cash value growth while keeping costs low.
Why Infinite Banking is a Game-Changer for Entrepreneurs
Unlike traditional banking systems, Infinite Banking allows business owners to become their own lender, enabling them to fund investments, manage expenses, and grow their wealth without being at the mercy of banks. This approach also aligns well with long-term financial planning, ensuring that cash remains available when needed, without market volatility impacting access to funds.
Final Thoughts
Infinite Banking isn’t just about life insurance—it’s about financial independence, strategic wealth-building, and creating a system where your money works for you. If you’re an entrepreneur or investor looking for a smarter way to manage cash flow, reduce reliance on banks, and optimize your wealth, this strategy may be the perfect fit.
To learn more about how Infinite Banking can work for you, listen to the full podcast episode with Erica Neal on the Workergenix Mastermind Podcast, or connect with her team at Infinity Investment Strategies to get started on structuring your own policy.
Harley Green: Welcome back to the Workergenix Mastermind Podcast! Today, we have a special guest, Erica Neal from Infinity Investment Strategies. She’s here to discuss a financial strategy that I personally use in my family and businesses. It’s a powerful tool that not many people know about, and I’m excited for her to share it with you.
A little background on Erica—she started her career in finance at a large investment firm but quickly realized that traditional financial planning didn’t fully meet the needs of business owners. Seeking better solutions, she joined a boutique firm and began using innovative strategies, including the Infinite Banking Concept, to help entrepreneurs protect assets, optimize cash flow, and increase liquidity. Now, as the co-founder of Infinity Investment Strategies, Erica empowers business owners to improve their financial standing, grow wealth, and reduce taxes while maintaining full control of their cash flow.
Today, she’s here to explain how you can build, protect, and leverage your assets to fuel business success. Erica, welcome to the podcast! How are you?
Erica Neal: I’m doing great, Harley! Thanks for having me—I’m excited to be here.
Harley Green: The term “Infinite Banking” sounds intriguing. Can you explain what it means?
Erica Neal: Absolutely! The Infinite Banking Concept is more than just a financial product—it’s a strategy. Instead of relying on traditional banks, you become your own banker, allowing you to capture the interest that banks typically earn on your money.
When you deposit money in a bank, they lend it out and generate profits far beyond what they pay you in interest. With Infinite Banking, you reverse this process, allowing your money to grow within a specially designed cash-value life insurance policy while maintaining access to it for investments or business needs.
These policies aren’t off-the-shelf insurance products; they are specifically structured to maximize cash flow and long-term growth. The key advantage? You maintain control, dictate the terms, and reinvest profits into your own wealth-building strategies rather than relying on traditional banks.
Harley Green: That sounds like a game-changer. Can you share some real-world examples of how business owners leverage this strategy?
Erica Neal: Absolutely. Many business owners use Infinite Banking as a financial tool to manage cash flow, fund growth, or even purchase equipment.
For example, a group of business owners in a rural area use their policies to finance equipment purchases rather than taking out traditional bank loans. Instead of tying up their assets as collateral, they borrow from their policies, repay the loan with business revenue, and maintain complete financial control.
Real estate investors also find this strategy incredibly useful. Some use their policies to fund down payments, invest in syndications, or even make hard money loans—just like a traditional bank would.
One business owner I work with in East Texas uses his policy to cover payroll, software subscriptions, and other operational expenses. He withdraws funds at the start of the month or quarter, then repays the policy loan as revenue comes in. This method creates a self-sustaining cycle where he earns interest on his money while ensuring financial stability.
Harley Green: That’s fascinating! Some might wonder—why would someone take out a loan against their own policy?
Erica Neal: Great question! When you borrow from a policy, you’re recreating the banking system in a way that benefits you. Traditional banks lend out money at high interest rates while paying depositors very little in return. With Infinite Banking, you get to control this process yourself.
Here’s an example: If you have $100,000 in your policy and take out a $70,000 loan, you’ll pay simple interest on that loan. Meanwhile, your full $100,000 continues to earn compound interest and dividends. This creates arbitrage—where you’re earning more than you’re paying in interest—just like a bank would.
Business owners love this strategy because it keeps their capital working for them at all times.
Harley Green: This sounds like a powerful business tool, but what about personal use?
Erica Neal: Since you’re the banker, you can use this money however you like. Many people use it to buy vehicles, fund their children’s education, or even purchase a home.
For example, my husband and I used our policy for a down payment on our home. We’re also using it to fund our children’s education, which gives us flexibility compared to traditional 529 plans. Unlike a 529, this policy doesn’t count against financial aid eligibility and can be used for any purpose—not just college tuition.
The key takeaway? Whether for business or personal use, Infinite Banking allows you to keep your money growing while still accessing it when needed.
Harley Green: For someone new to this concept, getting started might seem overwhelming. What’s the first step?
Erica Neal: That’s a great point. Many people assume they need a large sum to start, but most policies are structured for gradual growth. Think of it like saving money in a bank—except with much better returns.
We design policies based on a minimum and maximum funding range. Your minimum should be an amount you’re comfortable contributing each year, even in uncertain times. From there, you can add more as your financial situation improves.
The flexibility of these policies makes them ideal for business owners, allowing them to scale their “bank” as their company grows.
Harley Green: Since these are insurance policies, how does health impact eligibility?
Erica Neal: Health and age do play a role, but once your policy is set up, your rating is locked in for life. That means even if your health changes, you won’t have to undergo new underwriting.
Additionally, business owners can structure policies creatively. For example, some take out policies on key employees, known as “Key Man Policies,” which provide financial protection for the business in case something happens to a critical team member.
Syndicators and real estate investors also use these policies to reassure investors, ensuring that business continuity is protected in case of unforeseen events.
Erica Neal: Many people ask if this strategy has been used before. One historical example is JCPenney during the Great Depression.
When revenue plummeted and banks were struggling, JCPenney borrowed against its corporate-owned life insurance policy to continue paying employees. This move kept the company afloat until the economy recovered.
Today, major corporations and banks still use this strategy, known as Bank-Owned Life Insurance (BOLI) or Corporate-Owned Life Insurance (COLI), to maintain liquidity and navigate financial downturns.
Harley Green: This has been an incredible conversation. If someone wants to explore Infinite Banking further, where should they start?
Erica Neal: I put together a guide called The Four Pillars of Infinite Banking, which walks through:
Tax advantages of using this strategy
How to maintain control over your cash
Risk mitigation and asset protection
Using leverage to maximize financial growth
Anyone interested can access the guide via the link in the podcast description. If Infinite Banking isn’t the right fit, I recommend finding an authorized practitioner through InfiniteBanking.org to ensure you’re working with someone who understands the strategy properly.
Harley Green: Erica, thank you so much for sharing your expertise! This strategy is a game-changer for business owners looking to take control of their finances. I encourage everyone listening to check out the link, download the guide, and connect with Erica to learn more.
Erica Neal: Thank you, Harley! I appreciate the opportunity to share this with your audience.
