In this episode of Built for This: Stories of a Maverick, host Jenna Bayuk speaks with Ral West, an experienced entrepreneur and the founder of Ral West Livin' the Dream. With over four decades of entrepreneurial experience, Ral shares how she built businesses that create freedom and serve life rather than consuming it.

Ral talks about her journey from scaling a successful tourism business to teaching entrepreneurs how to build businesses that run without them. She reveals her six essential principles for business success: systems, measurement, leverage, culture, team, and customer delight, and explains how these pillars have shaped her approach to scaling with ease and living with intention.

Ral's passion for helping others craft businesses that allow for freedom, creativity, and a balanced life comes through as she shares key insights and strategies for entrepreneurial growth.

She teaches these same lessons through coaching, Mastermind Programs, online courses, and speaking. She also shares insights on her YouTube channel.

👉 You can access Ral West's Six Principles for free here

Key Takeaways:

• Systems Are Key: Create scalable systems that allow your business to run without constant involvement.
• Measure Everything: Track key data points beyond revenue, including customer satisfaction and conversion rates.
• Leverage Your Resources: Use systems, education, and a strong team to scale without doing everything yourself.
• Team Empowerment: Build a strong, incentivized team that is aligned with your business’s vision and goals.
• Customer Relationships: Focus on delighting your customers and creating long-term loyalty.
• Sustainable Growth: Create a business that gives you the freedom to think, grow, and live on your terms.

• “A business that serves life, not consumes it, is built on systems.” – Ral West
• “You can’t do it all yourself. You need a team that shares your vision and values.” – Ral West
• “Scalable systems are not just for efficiency—they’re about creating freedom in your business and life.” – Ral West
• “Taking risks and making mistakes is part of the journey. It’s all about learning and evolving.” – Ral West
• “The key to success is creating a business that works without you being in the trenches every day.” – Ral West

00:00 – Intro: Ral’s entrepreneurial journey and roots in tourism

02:30 – The Influence of Her Father: Growing up in the tourism business

04:13 – Making the Leap: From marketing director to solopreneur

09:03 – Meeting Her Husband: How working together became their secret to success

15:00 – Taking Big Risks: The charter plane leap of faith that led to massive growth

23:22 – The Power of Education: Learning about systems and culture through college and mentorship

26:05 – The Six Essential Principles: A discussion about systems, measurement, leverage, culture, team, and customer delight

29:41 – Mastermind Insights: How Ral’s mastermind program helps entrepreneurs thrive

40:35 – Final Advice: How to shift from doing to designing your business for success

44:05 - Final thoughts: What built for this means to her.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST RAL WEST ON:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ral-west-0ba7aa12/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RalWestLTD/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ralwestltd/?hl=en
• Website: http://ralwest.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennabayuk/
• Website: https://kinshipkollective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenna_bayuk/
• Email: [email protected]

• Website: https://kinshipkollective.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kinshipconsulting/
• X: https://x.com/JBayuk
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@builtforthispodcast?
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinship.consult
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kinshipconsult