December 23, 2012

Double Double
How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3
Years or Less
Cameron Herold

©2011 by Cameron Herold

Adapted by permission of Greenleaf Book Group Press
ISBN: 978-1-60832-099-8

Key Concepts
• To achieve the goal of doubling a company’s size
in three years, entrepreneurs must prepare for fast
growth by developing a detailed vision of the fu-
ture, refered to as a Painted Picture.
• The role of leadership is to align, support, and en-
able teams to do the work they were hired to do.
Leaders must focus on ensuring that people are
working on projects and tasks that are aligned with
their Painted Pictures.
• By focusing on culture, a leader can improve all as-
pects of the business, from productivity and hiring
to customer relations and employee satisfaction.
• The most important aspect of company culture is
the physical environment. A space that is clean,
bright, and orderly reflects the culture positively.
By exhibiting creativity in workspace design, a
company makes a visual commitment to doing
things differently.
• Great people are essential to a great company cul-
ture, and effective hiring is the way to get great
people.
• Good communication within a company is essen-
tial to success, and it starts when information and
feedback are allowed to flow freely.
Introduction
In Double Double, Cameron Herold offers a detailed
plan for entrepreneurs who wish to double the size
of their companies’ revenues and profits within three
years. The steps he describes are simple, actionable,
and straightforward, but they require focused plan-
ning, focused building, and focused leadership.
Preparing for Fast Growth
Vision/Painted Picture
To achieve the goal of doubling a company’s size

Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
Double Double Cameron Herold
in three years, entrepreneurs must prepare for fast
growth by developing a detailed vision of the future,
or a Painted Picture. The ideal timeline for a Painted
Picture to cover is three years, which is short enough
to be seen as realistic and achievable, yet long enough
to allow for innovation and expansive ideas. The
Painted Picture should consist of a three- to four-page
document that describes the vision for what the com-
pany will be in three years at double its present size.
It should describe in vivid detail what the company’s
highest-ranking executives envision the company will
look like and feel like in three years, without detail-
ing how each part of the vision itself will get built or
put in place. It should cover every area of the busi-
ness: culture, staff, marketing, public relations, sales,
IT, operations, finance, production, communication,
customer service, engineering, values, employee
engagement, and work-life balance.
Once the Painted Picture is complete, it should be
shared with employees, suppliers, bankers, and law-
yers because it will help them make decisions that are
in alignment with the companies’ vision. It is helpful
for entrepreneurs to refer to the Painted Picture often,
especially at quarterly planning retreats
Reverse Engineering Goals and Projects
In order to take action toward making the Painted
Picture a reality, entrepreneurs must work backward
by articulating their goals and finding the means to
achieve objectives. They must start this process with
an inventory of the company as it stands today in
order to identify strengths and weaknesses. They
must then establish goals that are shared, measurable,
attainable, relevant, and time-based. Every company
will have goals that are related to four fairly general
categories:
1. Revenue
2. Profit
3. Customer Service
4. Employee Satisfaction
The role of leadership is to align, support, and enable
teams to do the work they were hired to do. Leaders
must focus on ensuring that people are working on
projects and tasks that are aligned with the Painted
Picture for the company.
Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
Creating a World-Class Culture
Creating a great workplace culture is not accidental;
companies must make a conscious decision to focus
and develop a plan that fosters a fantastic working
environment for employees. Without a strong cul-
ture, there will be no foundation for rapid growth. By
focusing on culture, leaders can improve all aspects
of their businesses, from productivity and hiring to
customer relations and employee satisfaction.
The most important aspect of company culture is
the physical environment. In many ways, the work
space defines the culture. People should get an idea
of what it would be like to work for a company from
the moment they walk through the door. A space that
is clean, bright, and orderly reflects the culture posi-
tively. Open work spaces, instead of private offices,
result in better communication, better teamwork,
better morale, and faster learning. Dividing people
from one another by department or stature should
also be avoided. By exhibiting creativity in workspace
design, a company makes a visual commitment to
doing things differently.
In addition to the physical environment, it is also
necessary for entrepreneurs to create an outstand-
ing social environment that will inspire everyone
to do their best for themselves and for their teams.
There are two main pillars that support a company’s
Further Information
Information about the author and subject:
doubledoublethebook.com
Information about this book and other business titles:
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
Related summaries in the BBS Library:
Revenue Disruption
Game-Changing Sales and Marketing
Strategies to Accelerate Growth
By Phil Fernandez
Make Your Own Rules
A Renegade Guide to Unconventional Success
By Wayne Rogers and Josh Young
Page 2
Double Double Cameron Herold

social environment: hiring and communication. Great then ensure that they also have great attitudes. This
people are essential to a great company culture, and can be achieved during the interview process, which
effective hiring is the way to get great people. Compa- should be a carefully planned series of steps including
nies must demonstrate the value they place on their resume review and selection, one-on-one interviews,
employees by caring about them personally and talk- and group interviews. Focused hiring will result in a
ing to them about their dreams and aspirations. team that is ready to support the company’s growth.
It is necessary to create an entrepreneurial cul- Focused Communication
ture in order to build an entrepreneurial company.
Good communication within a company is essential
All employees should be treated as co-owners and
to success. The key to good communication is listen-
allowed to learn how different parts of the company
ing to what people have to say, and not telling them
operate. A profit-sharing plan also strengthens the
what they need to do. Communication starts when
sense of ownership. Each company must have its own
information and feedback are allowed to flow freely,
way of building a unique people-centric culture.
without fear of professional repercussions or judg-
Focused Actions for Fast Growth ment. A combination of listening, openness, and trust
Focused Hiring is the best way to achieve the kind of communication
that will make the Painted Picture a reality.
Focused hiring is essential to
making the Painted Picture a
People find their work rewarding when they feel they are con-
reality. Each new employee
should raise the average skill set tributing toward a common vision. The Painted Picture allows
of the entire group. To find the everyone in the company to feel like they are part of a bigger
right people, hiring committees plan.
must have a crystal clear picture
of exactly the kind of person they need. To recruit the Focused Meetings
best people, it is sometimes necessary for companies Meetings reflect the nature of a company’s culture and
to poach the best talent from other companies. The should be focused, energetic, and accountable. There
old adage “hire for attitude, train for skills” does not are five steps that can help an entrepreneurial leader
work in new fast-paced work environments. It is best take and maintain control of company meetings:
to recruit people who already have proven skills and
1. Prepare an agenda: The agenda should include a
bulleted list of action points and a clear statement
of purpose.
About the Author 2. Determine a meeting style: Varieties include infor-
For over 20 years, Cameron Herold has been mation sharing, creative discussion, or consensus
building companies as well as coaching, speak- decision.
ing to, and helping entrepreneurs on five 3. Start on time and end early: This increases produc-
continents build theirs. He started BackPock- tivity and implements a profitable system of time
etCOO.com to coach and mentor companies. management.
He has twice been the highest-rated speaker at
MIT’s and Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Entre- 4. Foster useful communication: Engage every partici-
preneurial Masters Program. Herold is one of pant and avoid distractions.
the country’s most innovative business leaders 5. Assign specific roles: Roles include chair, timekeep-
and was a leading force behind one of the most er, participants, and a closer.
successful new business ventures of the last
To make meetings more effective, leaders must ensure
decade, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
that they occur regularly. Different types of meetings
should be on different schedules:
Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved Page 3
Double Double Cameron Herold
• Retreats: Yearly and quarterly
• Board of Advisers Meetings: Quarterly
• Business Area Reviews: Quarterly
• Profit Sharing Meetings: Monthly
• Weekly Action Review Meetings: Weekly
• Strategy Meetings: Weekly
• Goal Settings and Reviews: Weekly
• Huddles: Daily
• Debrief Meetings: Ad hoc
Once a company decides to actively design and build its own
signature culture, the process required to grow it is sort of like
chasing the horizon: you never quite get there since it is always
moving.
Focused Marketing
Focused marketing is less about marketing to every-
one and more about marketing to those most likely to
have a need for the company’s products or services.
The challenge is to find the right audience and get the
right message in front of them. Once the target market
has been identified, the goal is to focus on providing
the widest possible exposure for the company’s brand.
Advertising costs can be controlled by bartering for
advertising space and negotiating advertising prices.
Focused Public Relations
Marketing and communications are very different
from public relations (PR). PR is a sales function that
requires skilled salespeople to make it work. To craft
an effective PR sales pitch, salespeople must follow
five steps:
1. Know the story angle and be familiar with the style
of the outlet target.
2. Know the audience, which includes the readers or
viewers of the outlet target.
3. Use phone calls to pitch stories instead of sending
press releases.
4. Prepare for the pitch conversation.
5. Be prepared to handle rejection gracefully.
Since PR is a sales function, some companies create
Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
a commission or bonus structure to compensate PR
professionals for successful media placements.
Focused Productivity
Focused productivity means getting more of the right
stuff done, by fewer people, at a faster pace. Most
companies measure either too many metrics or not
enough; however, even companies that only measure
a few things rarely look at their numbers in meaning-
ful ways that give them insight into what they mean.
When measuring metrics, companies should keep
several factors in mind:
• Who should measure metrics?
Companies must assign individu-
als in each business area to be in
charge of measuring and distribut-
ing metrics.
• What should be done with the data? Leaders must as-
sign a band of acceptability to the metric and avoid
wasting time looking at numbers that are within
the band.
• When should the numbers be reviewed? To achieve
the goal of doubling the company’s profits, met-
rics should be reviewed regularly to identify slight
variations from projections.
• Where should data be stored and tracked? Metrics
should be hosted live on a company intranet or in
a web application that allows all employees to re-
view them.
• Why should this metric be measured at all? Facts and
feelings are both clarified when real data is exam-
ined and analyzed on a regular basis.
Leveraging Technology
Every company has the opportunity to leverage
technology to cut costs and achieve growth. Simple
technology solutions include:
• Getting every employee to use a laptop.
• Buying existing software rather than building it in-
house.
• Using multiple monitors on every desktop to si-
multaneously show a web browser, email, and
work in progress.
• Using PDAs to maintain productivity, but turning
off all notification signals.
Page 4
Double Double Cameron Herold

• Using wireless headsets.

• Employing social media.
• Writing a blog to share ideas with customers and
followers.
• Buying ergonomic chairs for all employees.
• Hiring young people who understand technology.
How to Grow When It’s Slow
Focus on Leadership
The Roller-Coaster Ride of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship can be studied using a traditional
transition curve with five stages:
1. Uninformed optimism: The entrepreneur is excited
and filled with energy and passion.

When business is slow, entrepreneurs have very 2. Informed pessimism: Feelings of fear, nervousness,
unique opportunities for growth. There are ten spe- and frustration set in.
cific ways they can make money while in a recession: 3. Crisis of meaning: The entrepreneur is in despair—
1. Increase expenses: Hire another salesperson and give terrified, helpless, and frozen.
everyone a raise. 4. Crash and burn: The entrepreneur goes bankrupt, is
2. Fire unprofitable customers: They consume valuable forced to sell, or faces other catastrophes.
time and resources. 5. Informed optimism: The entrepreneur is calm, in-
3. Remember that there is always money to be made: Strong formed, and cautiously optimistic.
companies and rich clients always have money. The feelings and energy—positive or negative—can
4. Eliminate competitors: They are often weaker and be leveraged at each stage of the curve.
more vulnerable during a recession. Personal Productivity
5. Steal customers from competitors: They are more sus- Personal productivity is essential to successful lead-
ceptible to discounts and bonus offers during a re- ership and requires intense focus. Entrepreneurs can
cession. utilize the following tactics to get more of the right
6. Find hidden sources of money within the company: Re- things done:
brand products or services and consider selling off • Determine the optimal environment for focused
a small equity position in the company. work and use it.
7. Stay positive: In every recession, some companies • Schedule focus days each month or each quarter to
still do well. slow down, sit quietly, and think about the future.
8. Stay focused: Write down the top five things that • Cultivate the habit of good time management.
need to get done each day and
start working down the list. As an entrepreneur, your attitude and actions dramatically
9. Reinforce existing relationships:
affect the company culture. If those around you understand
Get more business from cur- the roller coaster you are riding, they will be better prepared to
rent clients by building rela- enjoy the ride and help you focus on the Painted Picture.
tionships and getting to know
their companies. Board of Advisors

10. Keep an eye on cash flow: Cut waste, increase credit
lines, and delay paying bills as long as possible.
Bad economic times will only make strong compa-
nies stronger. Leaders must never lose sight of their
Painted Pictures, and they must focus on their compa-
nies’ growth rather than the overall economy.
Even the most productive entrepreneurs will need to
reach out to others for help in doubling the size of
their companies. One approach is assembling a board
of advisors to help maintain focus and keep the com-
pany on track. This board can be comprised of internal
and external people chosen by the CEO. Ideally, the
board should include people who are not only experts

Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved Page 5
Double Double Cameron Herold
in niches such as marketing, advertising, HR, strate-
gic alliances, or international business, but also those
who have leadership-level experience in building
companies. They should live near the company and
be willing to make three- to five-year commitments.
Leaders must begin meetings with their advisors by
presenting them with the Painted Picture and asking
them to focus on the future rather than where the
company is today. They must also provide a pack-
age of materials that will bring the board up to speed.
Before each meeting takes place, updates on several
topics should be distributed:
• The company’s achievements since the last meet-
ing.
• The areas in which the company is struggling.
• Any key metrics.
• Financial statements showing key ratios and per-
formance versus budget.
• Key decisions the company may be facing.
• The Painted Picture, as an ongoing reminder.
The preparation package should focus on facts, spe-
cifics, and absolute truths. After roughly one hour, the
meeting should shift into creative discussions, insight
gathering, and debates about two or three critical
areas the company is working on. Each member of
the board should be adding to all topics and not just
giving advice from his or her own area of expertise.
In addition to the board of advisors, entrepreneurs
should also tap into other sources of information,
such as professional learning organizations, coaches,
and mentors.
Work-Life Balance
Too often, entrepreneurs who are focused on growth
forget their personal goals as they strive to attain their
business goals. This results in loss of work-life bal-
ance, which can negatively impact business outcomes
as well as personal outcomes. The best way for entre-
preneurs to become more productive workers is for
them to focus on the things outside of work that are
invigorating. The following eleven tips can help them
find a healthy work-life balance:
1. Work hard, play hard.
Business Book Summaries® December 23, 2012 • Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
2. Build a support network.
3. Instead of talking about it, do it.
4. Schedule family time.
5. Schedule dates for children’s events.
6. Stop the insanity of email.
7. Review accomplishments.
8. Exercise often.
9. Do not work at night or on weekends.
10. Watch the results, not the clock.
11. Hire people who play.
If entrepreneurs can achieve a work-life balance,
achieving growth goals for their companies will be
much easier.
g g g g
Features of the Book
Estimated Reading Time: 3.5 hours, 220 pages
In Double Double, Cameron Herold outlines a
method for doubling a company’s revenue and profit
through simple, actionable steps of focused planning,
focused building, and focused leadership. The busi-
ness principles provided are enhanced by personal
examples from the author’s own business experiences.
This book offers practical tips and avoids generali-
ties and theories. Each topic covered in the book is
focused on the end goal of doubling the size of the
company in three years or less. There are check lists
and samples, as well as helpful resources that can be
found on the author’s website. The final chapter pro-
vides 58 focus points to help the reader stay on track
during the process of day-to-day business planning.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Preparing for Fast Growth
Chapter 1: Vision/Painted Picture
Chapter 2: Reverse Engineering Your Goals and Proj-
ects
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Double Double Cameron Herold

Chapter 3: Creating a World-Class Culture

Focused Actions for Fast Growth
Chapter 4: Focused Hiring
Chapter 5: Focused Communication
Chapter 6: Focused Meetings
Chapter 7: Focused Marketing
Chapter 8: Focused Public Relations
Chapter 9: Focused Productivity
Chapter 10: Leveraging Technology
Chapter 11: How to Grow When It’s Slow
Focus on Leadership
Chapter 12: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Entrepreneur-
ship
Chapter 13: Personal Productivity
Chapter 14: Board of Advisors
Chapter 15: Work-Life Balance
Chapter 16: In Summary
Chapter 17: Letters to Myself
Appendix 1: Interview Questions
Appendix 2: Goal Setting and Review Process
About the Author

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Double Double Cameron Herold

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