---
title: Small Business Coaching, Resources & Tools | EMyth Blog | Ilene Frahm (2)
description: "Ilene joined EMyth in 1982 and partnered with Michael Gerber in building the company during their 17-year marriage. Over that time, she collaborated with Michael on
The E-Myth Revisited as his editor and publishing agent, as well as on a number of his other books. Ilene worked ON EMyth not just IN it, making it possible for her to retire as EMyth’s President in 1999 while continuing to serve as the company’s board chair, a position she still holds. In 2020, Ilene returned to company operations as its CEO to support a new executive team, and everyone in the company at every level, in their leadership. Since her return, Ilene has created an original, customer-centered approach to sales and coaching, Uncommonly Genuine™ Engagement, which is designed to help small business owners open to their blindspots so they can grow in their leadership. She lives in Gig Harbor, Washington with her husband, Gerrit. (2)"
---
## Request a free coaching session with a Certified EMyth Coach
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[Entrepreneurial Mindset](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/entrepreneurial-mindset)[Small Business Leadership](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/small-business-leadership)
### [On letting go: an entrepreneurial perspective](https://www.emyth.com/inside/how-letting-go-can-expand-your-business)
If you sent your team a text today telling them you were never coming back, what would happen? Would your business be able to operate just as well without you? If the answer is “no,” it’s safe to say that you’ve built your business around your own ability to get things done. If that’s true, your business may be gi...
Ilene Frahm
[Hiring Employees](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/hiring-employees)
### [You CAN build a team that does things your way](https://www.emyth.com/inside/small-business-recruitment-build-a-systems-focused-team)
How many times have you wished your employees would do things your way? The way you treat customers, the way you make sales, the way you deliver your product or service, the way you solve problems, and, if we’re going to be honest, the way you think? If you’re like most business owners who want to create a self-su...
Ilene Frahm
[Systems Thinking](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/systems-thinking)
### [Systems will set you free](https://www.emyth.com/inside/how-to-create-business-systems)
If you want to confidently step away from your business—whether it’s for two weeks, two months, or two years—you need to trust that two key dynamics in your business can operate consistently and predictably whether you’re there or not.
Ilene Frahm
[Managing Employees](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/managing-employees)[Business Systems](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/business-systems)[Small Business Leadership](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/small-business-leadership)
### [Building a self-sustaining business is a choice](https://www.emyth.com/inside/building-a-self-sustaining-business-is-a-choice)
Let’s be honest: Building a business that doesn’t depend on you isn’t easy. It’s going to take lots of time, attention, and know-how. You’re going to be drawn into fighting fires you wish weren’t happening; you’re going to worry about having the right resources to create the right results; you’re going to have to ...
Ilene Frahm
[Managing Employees](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/managing-employees)[Leadership](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/leadership)
### [Planning for Success: EMyth's 40th Anniversary and Annual Goals](https://www.emyth.com/inside/how-were-planning-for-our-40th-anniversary)
This is the season for planning for the new year and we’ve been talking a lot about it. If you haven’t started yet, it’s not too late to create your Annual Plan. We have a six step process to get you there. If you really want your business to look, act, feel and perform differently a year from now (Is there anyone...
Ilene Frahm
[Lead Conversion](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/lead-conversion)
### [Who leads your sales conversations? You or your prospects?](https://www.emyth.com/inside/how-to-lead-effective-sales-conversations)
This is Part Four on how to build a sales system that works. Read Part One, Part Two, and Part Three here. When you really break it down, a salesperson who has the highest lead to sales conversions is doing one thing better than everyone else: leading the sales conversation. If you, in your sales role, or your sal...
Ilene Frahm
[Small Business Leadership](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/small-business-leadership)
### [Women in Leadership: A Personal Journey of Growth and Insight](https://www.emyth.com/inside/my-reflections-on-women-in-leadership)
As an owner of EMyth and its Board Chair, this is a meaningful time for me. October is National Women’s Small Business Month. My 35th anniversary at EMyth is a few months away, having spent the first 17 years building the company into a global brand with my former husband, Michael Gerber, EMyth’s founder and best ...
Ilene Frahm
[Lead Conversion](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/lead-conversion)
### [Maximizing Sales: Understanding the Hidden Conversations](https://www.emyth.com/inside/the-sales-conversation-you-dont-know-youre-having)
This is Part Three on how to build a sales system that works. Read Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Four here. How well do you know what’s really going on in your sales department? Whether you’re a solopreneur or you’ve got a team of salespeople responsible for bringing in new business, how much do you reall...
Ilene Frahm
[Lead Generation](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/lead-generation)[Lead Conversion](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/lead-conversion)
### [Building a Sales System: The Key to Connecting with Prospects](https://www.emyth.com/inside/are-you-open-to-getting-more-sales-1)
This is Part Two on how to build a sales system that works. Read Part One or Part Three here. Isn’t it curious that sales, the lifeblood of every small business, is so damn hard to get right? You started your business because you believed you could make or do something that other people wanted, but then you strugg...
Ilene Frahm
[Lead Conversion](https://www.emyth.com/inside/topic/lead-conversion)
### [Building a Sales System: Structure and Substance for Success](https://www.emyth.com/inside/stop-waiting-for-the-perfect-salesperson)
This is Part One on how to build a sales system that works. Read Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four here. It’s not hard to agree with the idea that your business needs systems. But, when it comes to sales, small business owners often have a lot of difficulty really getting behind creating a comprehensive sales sy...
Ilene Frahm