TEAM GENIUS, EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO BUSINESS FOR MAXIMUM EFFECIENCY AND COMPETATIVE EDGE
Established in 2019, Team Genius successfully integrates technology into every aspect of their customers’ businesses, allowing them to operate more efficiently, automate processes, and expand quickly. The business focuses on the market for intelligent online business, meaning that they work work customers who already have a proven system and revenue stream and scaling it up by implementing Monday WorkOS, Smart business automations and knowledge products such as courses, and communities to facilitate global scale at a rapid pace.
Its clients include Entrepreneurs, business owner coaches, and leaderswith a desire to improve the world by turning their skills into profits by harnessing the power of technology to do it from anywhere they so desire. Yasaf Burshan, the founder of the company treats it as part of his healing process to unleash his voice and creativity. His core mission is to make sure that everyone who wants to have his voice heard will be able to do so.
WHO IS YASAF BURSHAN?
A world-traveling entrepreneur, Yasaf is on a mission to inspire and empower creators to make an impact. He is the founder and CEO of Team Genius, which removes all technical obstacles from the way of coaches, influencers, and mentors so they can spend more time in their Zone of Genius and own a thriving online business. He also created the Anywhere Boss program, which teaches like-minded people how to succeed by building businesses owned from anywhere in the world and creating a lifestyle that excites them.
Also, he is fascinated by the endeavours his work allows him to put which is a win-win for both Yasaf as well for his clients.Every project is an opportunity to influence and grow. The customers know that he will always look for win-win-win solutions. That kind of relationship creates trust and prosperity.
He further added, “I make important business decisions using my gut, not just my head. Seriously, tuning in to what feels right is a skill often overlooked in business and then we end up with “logical choices” instead of the right ones. When I work (or as I call it in my “Zone of Genius” I don’t let anyone interrupt me. My phone is always on silent, and no notifications are allowed. That wat I’m fully present and work. Then when it is time to switch gear and be fully present with family and friends and recharge it is much easier to do so and exercise balance.”
THE IDEA OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The first step in starting Team Genius is based on a promise Yasaf made to his wife. She has the soul of a traveler, but for many years she put her needs and dreams for adventures aside for his need for a sense of security and steady income. At some point, he decided it was time to spice up the relationship with a sense of adventure that comes with traveling the world and living life to the full.
Yasaf also shares, “The essential factor that helps in success is curiosity. I can do what I do and lead Team Genius like I do because my skillset isn’t narrowed down to a single niche. I like to understand how things work. Very common feedback I get from my customers and peers today is “how on earth do you know all that?”. I believe that a never-ending desire for new information and skills is crucial and perhaps the most important growth contributor an entrepreneur can have.”
‘MAKE OR BREAK’ MOMENTS
Yasaf has several ‘make moments’ – he was leading 6 store expansion projects for IKEA in Israel. Every one of them was a collection of make-moments. Others are related to seeing team members grow or solve a problem we were working on. He doesn’t focus much on registering the break moments. Of course, there are times when things don’t always go as planned, or when a customer isn’t happy. Yasaf takes it personally because it is his company and responsibility. He keeps trying to improve and get better.
LOOKING AND THE PAST: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
Yasaf recollects while talking about his goals, “My last role before starting Team Genius was the head of IT for IKEA in Israel. I gave them a 6-month notice in September 2019, and we all know what happened 3 months later. To be honest that was scary. One moment I have a job, a place to live, and travel plans, and the next moment we’re on lockdown instead of on a plane, with no place to stay because we didn’t renew our contract and no source of income. But instead of panicking both my wife and I looked at it as an opportunity to try new things and the best option to scale quickly was through partnerships.”
Many entrepreneurs overlook this business model, unfortunately. By partnering with organizations like Thinkific, Zapier, Microsoft, and Monday Yasaf got access to leads and potential clients and they could enjoy his +25 years of experience. It was and still is a win-win-win for everyone involved and served a key role in growth over the years. He created his opportunity. Today, Yasaf regrets nothing from the past, he only likes to keep learning. Every situation is an opportunity to grow for him. He keeps asking himself what is in it for him and how would it serve him. This helps him take ownership of everything in life and business.
CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY: THE PANDEMIC
After the pandemic, more and more coaches, trainers, and creators shifted to a global business model right from the start. If “going local” or “start slow and see” was common earlier several leaders would have “gone big” right from the start. Technology makes it easier and cheaper than before. That also means that competition is higher than before and that is important now, more than ever, to pay attention to one’s values and mission to create differentiation and succeed.
“We are very fortunate to operate in an industry that is blooming through the pandemic. We acknowledge that not everyone is as fortunate. Most of our customers were forced to adopt technology in their business without any training and previous knowledge. We understand that they need a more personal touch and flexibility and we go the extra mile to support them as we can” assert Yasaf.
THE CAN-DO APPROACH AT TEAM GENIUS: CREATIVE THINKING
The organization follows a “can-do” approach. The fact that everyone has a voice, can speak their mind, and offer feedback both internally and to our customers. Team members are involved in the project right from the start and are continuously empowered and supported in being the main point of contact to their customers.Creative thinking is encouraged by getting the relevant people involved in the discussion as soon as possible, be it scope, budgeting, or both. And by creating an environment that is safe for everyone to say what they do or do not like. It is made sure that everyone has a chance to speak. Some people are naturally more open than others, and by creating a space for the ones that aren’t to also speak up everybody wins.
This further helps in generating ideas, great ideas come from every nook and corner of the corporate structure. If, for example, the employees are creative in pitching a solution to a problem proposed by a customer. Alternately, there can be a customer who will challenge them with things that may look impossible at once, but it may end up as a blessing in disguise just because they find even more creative ways to solve problems.
LEADERSHIP ROLE AT TEAM GENIUS
“I don’t think that leadership is difficult. As long as the leader walks the talk and leads by example. A leader cannot say one thing and do the complete opposite. I’ll admit that it is a bit lonely at the top. Often there isn’t a large group of people to ask for advice, so standing firm and strong in the face of a storm can sometimes be challenging, but if a leader knows why he has something very powerful to hold on to” emphasizes Yasaf.
As a leader, you also have to take important decisions. These decisions are usually related to HR, people to hire or terminate, budget allocation, and customer onboarding. Culture is the key so if Yasaf feels that an employee or a potential lead won’t be a good fit it is better not to get involved with them in the first place than to terminate an agreement. It is not easy sometimes. A few times when there was a really good opportunity, involving a lot of money that could support us for a long time, but it wasn’t a good fit with a customer, Yasaf took the tough decision. Luckily, he learned to listen to his gut and was always rewarded with better clients after refusing to onboard ones that were not a good fit.
ADVICE FROM YASAF BURSHAN:
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FOR A FIRST-TIME LEADER
It is not about your technical skills; I have employees that are much better than me in their tech. It is about how you act. Lead by example and remember that you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. It is impossible to be successful on your own. Pick your team wisely and empower it daily so everyone can grow.
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FOR AN ENTREPRENEUR
Graduating from Tony Robbins platinum partnership program and obtaining a certificate as a master in clinical NLP. These two combined helped me work on my skills and overcome most of my fears by deeply changing my belief system and getting more clarity on the values and service I want to deliver to others. Learning NLP, not necessarily to become a therapist, even on a personal level is something I highly recommend as it provides a wide range of communication mastership skills in a relatively short period.
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FOR READERS
Don’t wait until you have it all figured out. Uncertainty is inheritable to being an entrepreneur. Plus, there is so much fun in problems solving and learning new things every day. Just start walking your path and when the sea gets rough remember why you do what you do. These are the times when we are tested just how serious we are about our goals and experience the most growth. Just remember to have a lot of fun along the way. It is a skill, like any other, and everyone should use it often.
