Tue, 3 July 2018
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad love reviews - and they got one! One listener says, "Love the energy on the show and the fun hosts like to have with guests!" (Want to leave your own review? Go here.) Brad thinks the whole hiring process is a bit broken. He describes a client who has had negative reviews on Glassdoor (think of it like Yelp for employers), and how people are Googling the company - which is how they find the Glassdoor reviews. Brad doesn't understand why companies aren't Googling candidates in turn, as a way to use all the information available. "You know what this is? This is taking your shoes off at the airport." - JillIain MacLeod, author of Fatherhood, has a peculiar problem: Iain MacLeod isn't his real name. He wrote the book under a pseudonym at the request of his wife, but he also has a separate marketing company under his real name. And now, he's trying to promote both. What does he do? Jill's take is that people don't really care, and suggests that it's worth having a conversation with his wife again. It would probably be a bit freeing. If he has to keep the two names separate, then maybe he just accepts his other name as his stage name. "Resumes are dead." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways recruiting needs to change:
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Tue, 26 June 2018
What’s In This Episode:Want to try out The Founding Moms Community for free? Go to The Founding Momsand use code awesome1moto get a free 30-day trial. If you're a mom entrepreneur, become a part of the FMC and get advice from other mom entrepreneurs, video courses, an accountability program, and so much more. Jill got yelled at this week - once in response to an email that someone misunderstood, and then again in response to her advice from Episode 260: Top 5 Etiquette Rules that No Longer Apply. A longtime listener reached out to say that she didn't agree with any of what Jill had to say in that episode. Jill was trying to say that she didn't agree with (most) of the etiquette that had changed (spelling? Important. PR releases? Still on the fence), but she understands that listeners might not have taken it that way. "Even when you think you're doing a fine job, you can get yelled at a lot in one week." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways marketing needs to change:
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Tue, 19 June 2018
What’s In This Episode:The times are changing... but are they really? Brad's annoyed because he had to renew his passport, which involved printing out photos to mail them in, the photos had to be specific dimensions, and he just wants it to be done in a modern way. Is that too much to ask? "We're doing things differently than we were five years ago. If your business hasn't changed, it's broken." - BradTracey Suppo, CEO and co-founder of Book+Main, is a lifelong lover of romance novels. She began a blog a few years ago, which turned into a Facebook group, which turned into her current company, which pairs authors and readers (want to find a romance novel that revolves around an angsty fireman? Tracey can help you). Her platform launched in November and has about 30,000 members and 2,800 authors but she wants to be able to reach every romance reader on the planet. She's got a good relationship with authors from her blogging days, so that's working for her. She really would love to figure out how to get into local romance book clubs. Brad suggests Tracey use Reddit as a way to promote - find an author to do an AMA and Book+Main to sponsor. Jill thinks that Book+Main could be using their readers to evangelize the service that Book+Main offers. There also might be an opportunity to create more viral content (use author lunches and post them on YouTube, organize Meetups, etc) so that readers can share in the experience. "It's so insulting to get a link." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you need to do differently NOW:
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Tue, 12 June 2018
What’s In This Episode:Want more Jill and Brad in your life? Brad's repeating his Clients Without Proposals webinaron Spin Sucks. On this episode, Jill and Brad are talking about their origin stories, and the risks they've taken along the way. "I was a sales genius because I closed two in a row." - BradJill had a law degree and started a recording industry business right out of school. It was a big worry. She made a lot of terribly laughable mistakes but she overcame those challenges. She got her first client via Google. In 2001, Brad decided to work with business owners after the dot com bust. He reached out to a guy he knew and started helping him, but he had no plan - so it didn't go anywhere. Eventually, he found a training program that helped him learn how to sell. He made mistakes and some business friends, but it took a while before he closed deals. "It's all you now." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 risks you have to take:
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Tue, 5 June 2018
What’s In This Episode:Want more Jill and Brad in your life? Brad's repeating his Clients Without Proposals webinaron Spin Sucks. If you missed it the first time, you can sign up there! Jill also does monthly webinars - you can go to the Founding Momsand see webinars she's done in the past and RSVP to her latest. "My favorite is word of mouth. Some articulate it better than I do." - JillBDYB's producer Saul turns the tables on Jill and Brad again. He's got a question from listener Milton: As your business grows, do you find yourself doing more or less? As Jill's business grows, she's doing less of what she used to do, but she's doing more fun stuff. Brad's also doing more of the things he enjoys. Next, Saul asks them to describe the qualities of hypothetical best and worst clients. Brad's best clients have problems that they don't know how to solve but they're committed to fixing it. Jill's best members, relatedly, are the ones who really want to build a better business and so they soak up all the resources she has to offer in her organization. In any case, you get out of it what you put into it. How do they target those clients? Word of mouth is a good tactic. Case studies work well too. "Automate it if you can." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to get things done in your business:
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Tue, 29 May 2018
What’s In This Episode:Want more Jill and Brad in your life? Go to Founding Momsand subscribe to Jill's daily newsletter for biz wisdom (and awesome pictures of Jill in sunglasses). Are times a'changin' in business? Jill and Brad both seem to think so. To suit or not to suit? What about technology? "The world has changed." - BradSteve Shirk is the owner of Shirk Studios but his claim to fame is that he's a great dad and an ok guitar player. He struggles with time management though. Between home life and the studio, there are a lot of demands on his time. If it's 5 pm and the phone is ringing but he knows he's supposed to be at home, it can be hard when he's also trying to meet deadlines for work. The way Brad sees it, Steve has two options: Charge more, or get an assistant or part-time employee to help. He has raised his rates, but musicians typically aren't rolling in money. He's also rented out his studio space. Jill suggests he actually look into tiered pricing: that way the people who can pay more will and he'll keep the clients he likes. And also get interns to help out. "Take time off for yourself." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 etiquette rules that no longer apply:
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Tue, 22 May 2018
What’s In This Episode:Want more Jill and Brad in your life? Go to Anchor Advisors and sign up for Brad's newsletter for once-a-month advice from Brad as well as 4-5 of the best small biz articles. What do Jill and Brad worry about in their businesses? For Jill, it's money. For Brad, it's what if he gets sick and can't work? "I want them to be innovative in their role." - JillBDYB's producer Saul turns the tables on Jill and Brad again, this time to ask about employees. What are the things they look for? Conversely, what makes them say absolutely not? Then, once they've hired, what do they worry about? For Brad, if people come in talking about flexibility, that's a major no for him. He can offer flexibility once the employee has put in the time and proven they're willing to work (that's one of the major benefits of working for a small business). If someone comes on and wants to take initiative, he's all about it. But his first worry is if someone can really do the job they're hired for. Jill's pretty speedy. So if someone comes on her team and likes to take their time... or too much time, she knows it probably won't work out. If someone is able to also take the initiative and challenge her, however, she views it as a positive. She worries that the contractors she works with might not want to stick it out and see things through. "It's hard to get good employees." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 business owner worries (and what to do about them):
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Tue, 15 May 2018
What’s In This Episode:What tools can't you live without? Brad's still holding on to the Trapper Keeper, and he has a pen he really likes. (What can we say; he's old school.) Then Jill waxes nostalgic about pencil sharpeners. What is happening? "Don't do that in an email." - BradPhil Singleton almost failed Computer Science but now he works with computers pretty exclusively in SEO and web development. He's got an emotionally draining problem. With a company of seven people, every new hire he makes has the potential to be a big risk. Earlier this year he found out one of his prior employees wasn't so well-loved by his clients, which wasn't such great news for him. In order to avoid that punch in the gut in the future, what should he do? Brad suggests doing a client review to see how business is going - make two phone calls every day over the course of six weeks. Jill thinks you could serve the same purpose over email. Whichever way you decide to do it, be proactive and don't wait. Ask clients to submit feedback about improvement. And from now on, have a check-in process in place. And if you ask for feedback at the end of a project, it's a great chance to ask for a referral. "I heart Drift.com." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 tools/apps making your life better in 2018:
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Tue, 8 May 2018
What’s In This Episode:What's the worst proposal Jill's ever seen? She hasn't been a fan of any of them, really. Brad had a client who used to do their proposals in PowerPoint: 30 pages long and probably would have worked better as a pitch. "It should be an enticement, an allure.'" - JillKelly Roach helps people make a lot of money. She works with service-based professionals to put systems and strategies in place, like sales marketing, leadership, and productivity. So what's her problem? She's impatient. Her team is amazing and really helps the business, but she wants to grow faster than they currently are. She works with a lot of recent college grads on her team as well, whom she helps from the ground up. She gets frustrated that it takes so much to get them to operate at the level she expects. Jill's of the opinion that Kelly can achieve the stunning results she gets without continuing to drive herself crazy. "If people really need to look at your bios, direct them to your website." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things to never include in a proposal:
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Tue, 1 May 2018
What’s In This Episode:Jill's really caught up in whether bees have knees. But more importantly, she STILL hates proposals! Why do we let people convince us to write them? Brad thinks it's a common belief that people have: They won't get paid without a proposal. "We advise the things we need to work on the most.'" - JillWriter, entrepreneur, and marketer Danny Schuman returns to the podcast (he was on Episode 3!) because he wrote a book called The Worst Business Model in the World: A New Kind of Guide for a New Kind of Entrepreneur. It's a book for people who aren't only trying to make it but thrive. He's writing the book now because he's finally ready and after 10 years of his own business, he wants to share his knowledge. He also added that people are too worried about money, but the real spark of entrepreneurship is creation. But if you've got bills to pay, make sure you keep track of your stuff and logistically figure out how you're going to get work. Read more about the book here. "A video will communicate so much more than the written page." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to make your proposal stand out:
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Tue, 24 April 2018
What’s In This Episode:Jill hates proposals. Like, really hates them. Why spend time sending them out and then getting nothing back? Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales. But when Jill gets a proposal, what does she do? Like many, she scrolls right down to the price. But a lot of the time, you do extra work when you don't need to. "Time to give it up!'" - JillJonny Cooper calls in to discuss how he has a really authentic brand; he hates marketing, but he loves what it does for him. He's able to simplify things for others but finds it difficult to have time to do the things he wants to do. He takes too much on and has a hard time saying no. Brad advises Jonny that he doesn't need to get all his needs met in his business. He also doesn't need to learn everything that has to do with his business; instead, he can let other people do it for him. "We need a compelling vision of the future." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should ALWAYS have in a proposal:
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Tue, 17 April 2018
What’s In This Episode:Has Jill changed her mind about proposals? That would be a NO. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales. Brad's got a confession: He wants everyone to think he's a fearless leader, but he's got some fears... and they might be keeping him from being as successful as he could be. He actually thinks he could be afraid... of success? Clients keep you really busy, which means you hire more people, which means you manage more people... which is all a pain. Jill used to worry that if she got so busy, she wouldn't have time for things outside of work - her kids, or having a simple dinner in a restaurant. But she's realized that she can do both in a way that works for her, and she's not working 24/7 anymore. "What I want to have is work that I really enjoy and am really engaged in, and a life that I really enjoy and am really engaged in.'" - BradKris Reid, the coolest guy in SEO, calls in to tell us what SEO actually is (with an Australian accent and everything). It stands for Search Engine Optimization, and you can use it to tell the all-knowing Google more about your site so that you appear at the top of the search engine. He's been working in SEO ever since 2008 and really loves it. The good news is his business is growing. He's got 50 staff members (25 in office, 25 remote) but he finds the communication somewhat challenging and he doesn't know how to inspire people to learn. Kris personally always wants to sharpen his skills and so he listens to podcasts and reads books. Brad suggests having Kris convey the message through his team leads because it will make it that much more impactful. He also tells Kris to think about having a career ladder with respect to positions in the company, so that people have something to aspire to. Jill one-ups that thought and says that Kris should gamify the situation - have a leaderboard and make a fun culture for a love of learning. But, she cautions, not everyone needs to learn like you do. So if he really wants everyone to get something out of learning something new, do more webinars face-to-face. "I have a fear that people will find out that I'm just a regular person." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 fears that are holding me back #realtalk:
Want to know what it is? Listen in!» Guest:
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Tue, 10 April 2018
What’s In This Episode: Guess what Jill's favorite thing is? If you said proposals, you'd be... wrong. She doesn't like anything about them. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients without proposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales. Brad admits he's a little bit of a control freak, especially when something's going to a client and it's wrong - or not the way he wants it done. He wants things to be right and he doesn't want to look bad. He gets loud and a bit sarcastic. Jill's the opposite: She gets quiet and goes away until she figures out how she wants to deal with the problem. "Go to someone else and say, 'Hey, if you were to explain my business, what would you say I do?'" - Jill Marina Darlow calls in to discuss how she builds systems for entrepreneurs. In order for businesses to operate sustainably and keep owners' sanities in check, Marina creates processes to manage the aspects of a business: money, time/energy, people, and how to keep information accessible and understandable. She designs the templates to match the owner's personality. But while she knows what she does, she has a hard time explaining it to other people. Jill suggests that she ask people familiar with her business to describe what she does, and write down the words that they say to get a different perspective. Brad also suggests asking her clients, "What was the outcome of our time together?" For people who are not systems-oriented, Marina can touch upon what's familiar to them: people want more money, or more time, and so on. She can also consider a positioning statement to make it clear that she doesn't deal with mindset, but she does deal with operations. "How bad is this, really? Is your response appropriate to the situation?" - Brad Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to curb your control freak: Go for a walk. Guest: Marina Darlow is the founder of Vision Framework, a company that builds heart-centered businesses from the inside. She helps entrepreneurs run their companies with ease, putting easy-to-use, effective, and fun (yep!) systems in place. |
Tue, 3 April 2018
What’s In This Episode:Brad's feeling anxious because one of his suppliers shut down with only a month's notice. It's not like he's not used to disasters happening in business; he used to love them because it gave him a chance to feel important. But now he'd like things to just get back to normal and just be thankful for things. "We want people who will participate in their own solution." - BradSaul, our BDYB producer, turns the tables on Jill and Brad and asks hard-hitting questions, like... what is it that they do? Jill explains how The Founding Moms has built community in over 60 cities. She offers video courses and accountability coaches (and many other services). Her goal is to be the universal hub for all things business education for mom entrepreneurs. How does Brad get clients to trust him when they first come to Anchor Advisors? He offers something of value, is very transparent, and uses case studies and testimonials to establish credibility. What types of clients are the best ones for him? Those clients who have big goals and they're honest about the challenges they face. But they must be willing to put in the work. "You need to remember to go back to yourself; focus on you." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons to pay attention to your mental health because if you don't:
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Tue, 27 March 2018
What’s In This Episode:There are a lot of business owners out there with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We're talking to you on this episode! There are ways that ADHD may make it hard in life, but it might work to your advantage as an entrepreneur. "The more creative you have to be, the better." - JillWalt Bayliss, software platform creator and speaker, has finally figured out how to slay the beast of what's eating our time. The cost of doing business has become too expensive. So, he created a dashboard called Gojeo to check everything in one place. No more checking 17 email addresses and Facebook and LinkedIn, bouncing around from platform to platform wasting your time. Sounds great, right? He and his team have gotten the financial part seemingly taken care of, but what he really needs right now is the exposure. He's reached out to venture capitalists, but they're expecting that the company has gone through an accelerator. But since he doesn't need the money, how does he go about getting introductions? Brad suggests that he really reach out to the business community. Get in front of journalists and influencers, and eventually, the VCs will be reaching out to him. Put the energy from chasing VCs into gaining exposure for the business instead, and the VC thing will take care of itself. "Don't believe your own hype." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways your ADHD may be helping your business:
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Tue, 20 March 2018
What’s In This Episode:Why is it so important that we sleep? Jill gets a little feisty: Sleep is SO important! It makes everything better, so you just need to do it. You need more than five hours of sleep a night, and more importantly, you need to build it into a routine. Think of yourself as a performance athlete for your business. "Performance athletes sleep 10 hours a night." - BradDavid Ralph, podcaster extraordinaire, calls in to discuss his problem which can be summed up in two words: Virtual Coffees. As his podcast is gaining more and more traction, more and more people are wanting to reach out and connect. But when he wants more information from people or when he says no, people get moody and rude. Jill solved this problem for herself when she started telling people that they'd have to sign up for a group coffee chat, and they'd have to pay a little bit of money. Eventually, they'd pay and get together in small groups and ask their questions, and everyone was helped. If people really weren't interested, they wouldn't come to the group. If David presents this option to the people reaching out to him, there's no reason for them to have fighting words: He gave them an option; they can choose to take it or not. "It's exhausting me to talk about this." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you need more sleep (and why you want it) :
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Tue, 13 March 2018
What’s In This Episode:In business, we wanna be the hero that wins the day. Jill and Brad discuss times in their businesses when they got to be the heroes. Jill dealt with an angry customer and saved the day by simply e-mailing her personally to apologize. Brad remembers one four-day period where he didn't leave the house and got a lot of work done. He felt really good about it at the time. "What are you giving me access to that I'm not getting from anyone else?" - JillDean Williams, recently named one of the best business consultants within the UK, calls in to discuss how to build a community, but first Jill and Brad have to talk about this: Dean got a letter from the Queen of England... and he's also cooked for Jay-Z and Beyoncé? (We're a little star-struck.) But back to business. Williams really wants to branch out and build his tribe, but doesn't know how to do it. He's got followers on Facebook and LinkedIn, he's working on building his e-mail list, and knows that he can certainly go up and share a stage with Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk. But, Jill asks, if she were to follow him on every platform she could, what's in it for her? Followers need a reason to stay. Brad also suggests something we that we often do in real life, but forget to do online: We need to invite people to our communities if we want them to join. "Do you own a business or does a business own you?" - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons your business doesn't need a hero:
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Tue, 6 March 2018
What’s In This Episode:Spring is almost here! Sometimes you're so focused on building your business that it's hard to see the big picture. How do you know you're on the right track? Jill asks for feedback. She hears what people say and that helps her know that she's doing something right. Brad was at a low point when he felt like he was going to quit, but then he raised his prices and doubled his clients. It gave him a new fire to keep on keepin' on. "Hi, guys. Hey, guys. You guys!" - Jill, all the time.Jill got yelled at. Not in the podcast, surprisingly - but as a response to an email she sent out. She sends out a daily newsletter, and will often start a paragraph very excitedly with, "YOU GUYS!!!!" But one reader was not so thrilled with being called a guy. "Just to update you," the reader said, "I'm a woman." The woman then asked Jill to reconsider her language. Jill said she would, forgetting that she had already scheduled another email with the phrase "you guys" the very next day. The woman again emailed and Jill again apologized. She then reached out to the Founding Moms Community, which led to a discussion about intent versus impact. In the future, Jill decided she would be more mindful of the language she used. Language is important when you're talking to your customers, and it's important to take your clients' feedback into consideration. Canada even changed their national anthem to use more inclusive language. Let's all be like Canada. "As a leader, you're responsible for the impact and not the intent." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 signs you are on the right track:
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Tue, 27 February 2018
What’s In This Episode:In this continuing series about business decisions, Brad wonders if sometimes he makes his decisions a little too quickly. Jill admits that while she listens to her gut, she also reaches out to members of her team and the Founding Moms Community to get feedback on what she should do. If you've got a community, don't hesitate to ask for their opinions. Kim O'Hara, an intuitive book coach at A Story Inside, calls in to discuss her dilemma. She coaches clients through an 18-week program to help them find their voice and make their books stronger. She also holds workshops, which people love, but she struggles to get people to enroll. Does she quit doing workshops, even though she loves leading them and she feels called to do it? She wants to double her client load in the coming year, and she's tried everything she can think of to get people to come to the writing workshops - Facebook ads, email campaigns - but it doesn't seem to be working. Jill suggests that Kim axes the workshops for now; she's obviously more successful in her 18-week program and she should focus on that to get more clients. Brad, however, suggests that she shifts her workshops from in-person to virtual. They then propose that she go on the speaker circuit and get the best of both worlds or film one of her workshops to demonstrate her expertise and get people to see the value. "Don't make a decision and then starve it for what it needs to be successful." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things to do AFTER you make a business decision:
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Tue, 20 February 2018
What’s In This Episode:What's the weirdest thing you've ever done to arrive at a business decision? Both Jill and Brad have flipped a coin and consulted a magic eight ball. "Storytelling is where values are communicated." - BradDr. Laura Mraz, founder of Eyas Landing and Blue Bird Day, calls in to ask how she maintains her company culture while she's growing so rapidly. What started as Eyas Landing, a pediatric services clinic with 4-5 employees has grown into a separate school called Blue Bird Day, and now there are 120 employees between the two. She often hears her employees say, "I wish it was like it was before," and gives examples of how she used to hold weekly staff meetings or have therapists train directly under her. But with the rapid growth, those things just aren't possible anymore. Brad suggests crafting a purpose statement that very clearly states the values of the company. Furthermore, he suggests that she (along with a core team of people) think of stories that demonstrate those company values that she can share with everyone in the company. Jill adds that it sounds like Laura's employees are looking for connection, and that might mean having smaller groups of employees convene for meetings to get feedback. "I'm always right." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to make a business decision:
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Tue, 13 February 2018
What’s In This Episode:Have you ever thought about how you make decisions? What is your process for making a business decision? Jill listens to her gut. If you don't have a process, can you improve? Jill throws things at the wall and sees what sticks or doesn't stick, and bases her decision and her feelings on that. "Hone the gut. Fine tune the feeling." - JillThen Jill and Brad hear back from a former guest, Nedra Rezinas, who weighs in on a previous episode. She took maternity leave and relied on her colleagues to cover her clients, and it worked out great for her. A lot of the time, business owners are afraid to take time off because they think something will go wrong; it's very much a control issue. But taking time off helps you be a better business owner. So if you're afraid of taking time off, don't be - it'll work out! "By reaching out to the experts, they may give me some things to consider that I haven't thought about." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things to do before you make a business decision:
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Tue, 6 February 2018
What’s In This Episode:As business owners, there's one overarching thing we have to do: we have to make decisions. Big or small, there is seemingly no end to the things we have to make a call on (that's why Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs famously wore the same thing every day, so they could avoid having to decide what to wear). Sometimes, it's just exhausting. "One of the rules that I recommend is that no one can work for the family until they've worked for someone else for a few years." - BradFormer trapeze artist Hannah Sullivan and her wife Jade call into the podcast to discuss one big problem: working with family at their company, Pogo Insurance. Hannah's dad, their boss, is your typical alpha male and constantly wants to be the hero. Some of Hannah's siblings, who also work for the company, don't do their fair share of work. Overall, the ladies just want to be taken seriously. Brad says that one solution is to have regular family meetings. Establish ground rules and talk about what's going well (and not so well). If they can separate out and have Hannah's dad as a mentor or advisor, that might be the best case scenario. If not, the other solution is to work someplace else. "You can't value other people more than you value your own services." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 worst business decisions they've made:
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Tue, 30 January 2018
What’s In This Episode:If you've made it this far in sticking to your goals, you're on your way to forming a habit! Brad's goal for getting feedback is still going strong; you can help him by filling out this three-question survey. Are there things that you do every day or every week without fail? For Jill's business, she checks e-mail, social media, and checks up on Founding Mom Exchanges. Brad goes to the gym three times a week (and he tracks it using the Streaks App) and both of them are back on the no-sugar wagon. They made it six months last time; can they go a whole year? "Sometimes it's easier to create a habit. What's a small thing that you can change that leads you to that goal?" - BradHarry Duran, host of Podcast Junkies and creator of FullCast, calls to discuss his problem. He primarily gets business via referrals but wants to know how he can branch out to grow his business. Jill says that it never hurts to ask. If Harry is putting out content via newsletters and social media, he can simply ask people to work with him. Brad says he can also send out a quarterly advertising email to get the message clearly across. Harry can also reference case studies and show his audience real people who have gotten value from working with him. Additionally, since he's already getting the referrals, ask them for feedback - what made them recommend Harry in the first place? "Throw an 'ask' into everything you're doing." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to build a new habit:
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Tue, 23 January 2018
What’s In This Episode:Brad's still maintaining momentum on his feedback goal. Please go here and fill out his three-question survey. He'll love you forever. So you have your goals, but the enthusiasm is waning. How do you get through it? Before he discovered the Streaks App, Brad blocked time on his calendar so that he could work on his goals. He plans around his goal. Jill's all about the accountability buddy (though she's liking the sound of that app, too!). "I like the idea of check-ins. You can't do it alone." - JillKristy Wallace, CEO of Ellevate Network, calls to ask about what the best practices are for owning your brand. She recognizes that there are similar companies out there - and she thinks that's great. But she worries that if other companies do similarly-named events but they don't have the same quality or structure, that could dilute the power of her brand. She's not coming at it from a malicious standpoint; she's just worked really hard to get Ellevate Network to where it is today. Jill's take - even though it's not legal advice - is that if Kristy isn't going to take anyone to court, there's no point to trademark or copyright anything. The whole point of trademarking something is that you want to prevent someone else from doing that thing or using that name too. Any lawyer will tell you that, of course, you need to trademark. Bigger companies have trademarks, and filing a trademark may also make you feel important. If she wants to, Jill says that Kristy can put a "TM" mark next to their brand name, meaning that they're filing for a registered trademark. Brad says that nine times out of ten, a conversation is all that's needed. Something like, "Hey, that looks awfully similar to what I've been doing. I would appreciate it if you called it something different." Additionally, he tells Kristy she can use Copyscape to check for plagiarism. Overall, Jill says, if you're worried about all of this, you're not focused on building your business. So build your business - no one's going to be able to do it as well as you can. Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to maintain your momentum:
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Tue, 16 January 2018
What’s In This Episode:Are you staying focused on what's important and avoiding the trap of being busy? Brad's trying to stay on top of his goals. In fact, he's serious about getting feedback from others (please go here and answer three questions). Jill says that busy work allows us to avoid the real things you have to do. You don't realize that you're doing busy work, really, until you step back and take a look at it. Plus, every time you get an email and your endorphins rise, it's telling you, "Oh, I'm being productive." Brad says that email, especially, is tricky. Some of it is busy work, some of it is actually important, and there's probably a lead or two. Facebook and other social media are just as bad as getting sucked into email. But it's the same thing: you're rarely going to make more money by chatting with people via Messenger. "There's a lot of busy work that we get ourselves involved in that isn't really making progress on our goals." - BradLloyd Lim calls in and talks about his writing career. He began writing nonfiction books in order to simplify complicated topics for people. Before embarking on writing, he worked for the government, and before that, he worked as a lawyer. But now, he's left the government and is working on rebranding himself. He's worked on a lot of public interest projects, but he's doing a lot of them for free. How does he start moving toward getting paid for the work that he does? Brad suggests that Lloyd narrows down his expertise into one thing that provides the most value. Jill respectfully disagrees with Brad and says to just start charging. Lloyd explains that he's thought about charging a flat fee for assessment of his clients' problems. But he still needs to identify his target market, what's the problem they have, and what's the solution that he's going to offer. "I'm a big believer in the accountability buddy." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to measure progress toward your goals:
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Tue, 9 January 2018
What’s In This Episode:Brad and Jill made some goals and now they have to start working on them. It's like a clean slate! A chance to start over! What's Jill going to leave behind for the new year? She's going to try to leave behind massive impatience in her business in 2018. Some of it served her well as an entrepreneur; it even helped her build her businesses. But now, to sustain them, she needs even more patience. Brad's leaving behind social media (he's trying, anyway). He wants to make it a habit to not look at any social media when he's at home. Jill suggests just removing apps from his phone to make it easier not to check. Good luck, Brad! "Business is about trust, and if you can't follow through on your commitments, why would I do business at all?" - BradThen Brad and Jill have a last-minute guest cancellation, which leads to a discussion about commitments. What is it about commitments that people can't handle? No, it's not the first time that a guest has canceled being on the podcast, but doing so last-minute isn't very considerate. Additionally, doing so means that you miss out on other opportunities (in this case, a chance to promote and get advice!). So, for 2018... don't be that person. It makes you look bad, professionally. "Celebrate any progress, even the baby steps, because it's gonna help you move along." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to make immediate progress on your goals:
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Tue, 2 January 2018
What’s In This Episode:We're welcoming 2018! Brad wants to know if Jill likes goals. She wants to know how Brad defines goals, which he does as "something that you're committing yourself to accomplish in a certain period of time". Jill hates them because she finds specific goals to be too limiting and confining. Weirdly, BRAD AGREES WITH HER. He'd get so wrapped up in his goals, he'd stop noticing that there were other things that needed his attention. But he does think goals are useful, as you utilize different actions when working toward a goal. "I personally don't think as an entrepreneur, I need goals to drive me." - JillKelley Kitley, author, TEDx presenter and founder of Serendipitous Psychotherapy, calls in for advice on how to take her business to the next level. She wants to get on national radio and TV circuits; she wants more speaking engagements. But she doesn't have the money to hire a PR/marketing person, and wonders if she's being annoying. Jill reminds her that there is no such thing as being annoying in business. It's particularly a stigma with women, but there is absolutely no limit. Brad wants to know if Kelley would be open to raising her prices; as a therapist, she needs to make more money if she's going to devote some of her time being her own PR person. People often believe that a PR person can do a better job than they would be able to, but if Kelley knows what she wants, and knows where to find them, she doesn't have to spend that expense just yet. "The thing about pricing is - we charge what we have the confidence to ask for." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 out-of-the-box goals for the year:
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Tue, 26 December 2017
What’s In This Episode:Christmas is over, but Jill's not giving up on making eggnog a year-round thing. What are the things they loved most from the holiday? Jill's still basking in the hugs from her daughters (and eggnog), while Brad's happy about the slippers he received. "If you spend all your time on your personal brand, then the business can never really move away from you." - BradEric Paul Olson, chief marketing officer for Clever Stilettos, an online magazine for women entrepreneurs, calls in to discuss his dilemma. He can't figure out what he wants to devote time to -- his personal brand or the Clever Stilettos brand. He has a team of eight people to help him run Clever Stilettos, but he runs a podcast to go along with the magazine. Furthermore, Eric's also an actor on Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, so Brad and Jill suggest that maybe he should hire someone to help him with Clever Stilettos while he focuses on acting. Jill says that hosting a podcast is great, but he needs to hand it off to the team once he's done lending his time to it. His team can promote on all sides - both the Eric Olson brand AND the Clever Stiletto brand. Brad says that some fans of Eric Olson, the actor, will be interested in the fact that he ALSO has a digital marketing interest. Basically, it comes down to knowing who your audience is and distributing content accordingly. "I want to pay more attention to my space next year. I used to care less about clutter, but I need more space now." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 non-money-driven goals for next year:
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Tue, 19 December 2017
What’s In This Episode:The end is near! The end of the year, that is. And, as the year draws to a close, Jill's in love... with a pitch. She appreciates a pitch she received via email was so personalized via audio that she could tell the person really put time and effort into it. Brad had the opposite reaction: he disliked that he had to click and figure out the message, and thought the sender could have just written things out. "Why would I listen to two minutes and thirty-six seconds of yapping?" - BradFrank Ford, author of Happy Accidents: The Transformative Power of "YES, AND" at Work and in Life, improviser, and owner of Four Day Weekend, a comedy space in Fort Worth, TX, calls in to discuss how to open up a new location. He has the opportunity to open up a second location in Dallas, but wonders how to bring the quality and the value to the new digs. Brad says to replicate exactly. Once you can get the quality up to par, then you can innovate. Secondly, he suggests that Frank doesn't have to work with entirely new staff. Transfer some over from the original location so the feel and vibe are there. Thirdly, he says that Frank can follow the example of the Blue Man Group and reconvene frequently to see what's working for best practices. Jill says face-t0-face meetings will be invaluable. And to keep structure, but don't have hard-and-fast rules. Think of SNL, she says. The structure has been carried through for decades and the brand is apparent, but everyone has done it a little differently. "Take some freakin' time off!" - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you need to do before year end:
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Tue, 12 December 2017
What’s In This Episode:How long is a long break? In some industries, Brad says, you can take a really long time off. College professors can take sabbaticals. Some professionals can take up to three months! What does Jill think of that? Genius idea. It never hurts to give your brain a break. It's helpful every time. Could Brad take a year off? Well, he could, but he wouldn't have any income. But he's trying to incorporate some sort of sabbatical into his routine. He's going to try it and report back. Good luck, Brad! "As somebody who's taken time off, you'd have to plan in advance. But there's a way to manage it so that it's doable." - JillRuben Ocampo of Conic, an innovation consultancy, calls into the show to ask how to diversify his client base. For years, he's worked with Fortune 500 companies, but now he's looking to also work with smaller companies and non-profit organizations. He's worked really hard to market his brand, and it's finally starting to pay off. But where does he take the business from here? Brad wonders, "Well, if you were one of your clients, what would you tell them to do?" Ruben has a clear vision of where he wants to go, but he's trying to work out the path to get there. He knows that he doesn't have to focus on the little things in business (he has an employee to whom he can hand off tasks!). Ultimately, he wants to establish himself as a thought leader. The good news is that his business is doing well, so Brad suggests that if he wants to take on a business partner, he has to be careful because partnerships can be tricky. If he wants to become part of a larger company, the advantage is that he can get access to larger clients, but he needs to get to know the culture first. Find a place that will value his creativity. However, he might get the largest traction for his ultimate goal by just simply reaching out and saying that he's available for speaking and writing opportunities, and looking for possible projects to collaborate on. "Saying no to this one is saying yes to the next one that might work." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to plan for a long break:
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Tue, 5 December 2017
What’s In This Episode:Did you ever work with a workaholic? Jill did, and it was not fun. Brad considers himself to be a recovering workaholic, and now operates under the assumption that if you don't answer e-mails right away, the world won't end. Michael Asare of FeeBelly calls in for help on how to convert the free users of his app to paid users. Jill suggests that Michael is giving too many keywords away on the free version, and so he can cut back on that and offer more information on the paid version. Brad says that for a B2C user who doesn't need to go through pages of loan documents every month, it may be worth it to have a one-time price for one document instead of someone who doesn't want to pay for a monthly subscription. "Get some rest so that you can be more creative." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways taking time off makes you a better business owner:
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Tue, 28 November 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad are continuing their series on taking time off. They discuss Thanksgiving, and neither believes that visiting family counts as a vacation. They don't think the occasion is bad, but Brad can't really talk about business while he's around his family, and Jill has to explain to hers why she doesn't eat turkey. She says that, as a vegan, sides are where it's at anyway. And she's making a supposedly delicious vegan pumpkin cheesecake, so maybe desserts are a close runner-up. "Why are we encouraging working on a Saturday? Why isn't it Small Business Wednesday?" - JillThey then talk about Small Business Saturday, which was created by American Express to get more people to shop local ... and therefore, get more of a percentage from the transaction. Jill has to admit that the marketing is clever. After all, it's not every day small business owners get to celebrate themselves. Brad's conflicted because it does get people to shop local, but it was created in self-interest which benefits a big corporation. "Boredom does good things for your brain." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways taking time off makes you a better person:
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Tue, 21 November 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad are still talking about taking time off, 'cause business owners NEED it. They ponder the longest they went without taking a vacation. For Jill, her longest span was 2 years. Brad went 4 years without taking a bonafide vacation. If it's been more than six months, please, please, please book a vacation (or a staycation, or just a break where you don't do work). You need it. "If you start small, you might accomplish all of the things you want to do." - JillAmelia Forczak of Pithy Wordsmithery calls in and has two related problems. She wants to be able to help the clients who reach out, but who can't make the investment that ghostwriting a book calls for. Secondly, she needs to figure out how to make her business scalable. She's thinking of starting a course for people to write and edit books on their own, but she doesn't quite know how to begin. Jill's advice: start small. Brad says that if she coaches clients to do the work, then that serves as practice for the eventual course Amelia wants to create. Overall, though, she needs to decide what market she wants to serve. "I hope you get rich. And when you do, send us 5%." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 excuses for not taking time off:
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Tue, 14 November 2017
What’s In This Episode:Who needs a break? Jill 'n Brad are on a mission to make sure that business owners take more time off. Jill thinks that some people don't want to take time off because they don't want to miss anything (FOMO, anyone?). Others fear that the business won't survive without them. Or worse, people think that their customers will hate them if they take time for themselves. Brad also points out that it takes so much momentum to get started again once you've gone away for a little bit. "You have to connect the dots and make sure that I know that if I'm spending money on you, you're going to improve my ROI." - JillRenee Epstein and Lisette Kreuzer of B-Well Wellness Events started their business three years ago and have been doing well in their primary market. They want to branch out and do more corporate events, so they ask Jill and Brad how to get more exposure. Jill suggests that they make a good 30-second video to avoid having 17 pages of e-mail testimonials in order to pitch to the right people, and follow up repeatedly. Brad says that corporate stuff always takes time to come to fruition because it needs to get onto budgets. He also points out that even if you have a contact in the business, or names of people on your lists, they may not be the right people to talk to. So you need to find a way in and then get to the person who cares. Lastly, he suggests they may want to check out wellness fairs (that's where that video would do REALLY well). "It's like walking in a forest where you realize that you're a very small part of this large thing." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you need more time off:
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Tue, 7 November 2017
What’s In This Episode:What are your bad habits? For Jill, she says yes to things she doesn't need to say yes to (coffee dates can wait). Brad overschedules himself and has too many piles of papers on his desk. And while they both agree that social media is a bad habit, Jill thinks that's sort of a necessary evil for small business owners. "I'm really good at pretending that things are going well in certain areas when they're not." - JillMuhga Eltigani, creator of the fresh fruit hair care line NaturAll Club, calls in to ask how to expand her product line. Customers are asking for more product and since she promotes a subscription-based service, she's wondering how to best launch new product. On top of that, her product is refrigerated which might add a logistical problem. Brad suggests she uses a line of credit to introduce new products to select customers. This way her inventory doesn't get crazy. Jill suggests pre-orders, but Muhga is worried that they might not be able to fulfill the orders within a certain timeframe. The easiest way to get money is to sell things to people who already buy from you, and you don't need to tell them a timeframe - if they want the product, they'll wait for it. "It's okay to adjust your scope to their budget, but you can't give away the whole shebang." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should do less often:
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Tue, 31 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:What do you believe in? Jill believes in the gut-check. Brad believes in giving in any interaction - that a client or a prospect walked away with more than they came with. Both are essential to business. "As a business gets bigger, your gut gets disconnected with what's happening in the business." - BradJared Hecht, superstar to his 11-month-old son and tech guru, calls in to talk about his new startup, Fundera. He's really proud of what Fundera has accomplished, and how they're helping people all across the country with small-business pitfalls. But he has a problem with hiring. Since the company is located in NYC, it's hard to compete dollar-for-dollar with the bigger-name companies out there (Facebook, Google, the list goes on). They want the best talent. Brad and Jill suggest that he look at the areas he can compete: the mission, the autonomy involved in changing people's lives - which you might not be getting at a major company - and the mindset of employees when it comes to workplace culture and recognition. "If you're able to create a fun story that your PR team will go out and tell, people will gravitate toward applying to you." - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should never quit doing:
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Tue, 24 October 2017
What’s In This Episode: Does practice make perfect? Brad seems to think so. Not only because we practice, but because the benefit increases the more we do something. Jill agrees, especially when it comes to business: the operations and managerial tasks get easier, as well as figuring out how to pitch properly so that you get a response! In fact, that might be the difference between a bad entrepreneur and a good one. "Good entrepreneurs pay attention and aren't mindlessly doing the same thing over and over again." - Jill Author and teacher Kimberly Johnson calls into the show because she doesn't have enough time and she's not the best at delegating. Brad says that you need to make a list - who can do things for you? Then write down procedures. Furthermore, Jill says to put a timeframe on it. If you write down 5 things, pick the first item and say, "I'm handing this off in the next 12 hours." And when you hand things off, you're actually allowing people to share in your success. "You're more likely to get referrals the fifth time you ask than the first time you ask." - Brad Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things that are better the more frequently you do them: E-mail marketing. The more frequently you e-mail, the more people respond. Listener question: Will asks, "Do you have any tips for taking a break from your business due to moving?" Think about your clients. Will they go anywhere? You can bring on contractors to cover some things for you. Phone calls can be done from the road. Guest: Kimberly Johnson is the author of The Start of Something BIG:: Your Ultimate Guide to Writing a Dynamic Business Plan, now in its second edition. She founded U3I, a management and marketing consulting firm which provides business development, project management, and management/technical assistance to small, medium, and large private businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20229.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 11:00am CDT |
Tue, 17 October 2017
What’s In This Episode: Brad just wants to automate things - is that too much to ask? He loves Zapier. He wants to make things better, and optimize them, and make them run more efficiently! Over time, however, business owners need to keep in mind that your business will change, along with the perspective on your business. Jill says that the more efficient you get, the more you see where you actually need to do the work... instead of letting a computer do it for you. So there may be a thing as optimizing too much (sorry, Brad). "Sometimes I'm working on the dashboard of my dashboard." - Brad David Feinman calls into the show and talks about what "viral" means in the video space. To him, viral means getting the audience that they want to see the product at the right place at the right time. He's got a problem, though: His pricing. Two years into his business, he's realizing that while the quality of his product is better than his competitors, he's charging less than he should be. Jill and Brad explain that he absolutely should raise his prices because that communicates to the marketplace that you're more confident in the value that you're putting out. People want high-quality stuff, and if they want it bad enough, they'll pay for it. In fact, they suggest tripling David's current prices for his new clients. "You need to take more time for yourself. Schedule a block a week. Center yourself and make more money that way." - Jill Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons you should quit doing things that aren't working: Do a gut-check, and put your focus elsewhere. Oh hey there, memory lane: As an added bonus in this episode, Rebecca Dengrove from Rebecca's Mom Leotards calls in to follow up from her podcast episode. Her terrible 1995-era website was redesigned based on Jill and Brad's advice, and consumers love it so much, she can't keep up with current demand! A better website really is magical, guys. Guest:David Feinman is the co-founder of Viral Ideas Marketing, where they create to inspire. They believe everyone has the right to be fulfilled, they believe in shared creativity, and in the power of defining your why. His company shares this message through the creative process and through video.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20228.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 10 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad conclude their series on money and wonder aloud why talking about money is so weird. Jill remembers that she was offended the first time someone asked her what her money-making model was. She takes a much more private and personal approach to the topic because it's one that is a source of pride as well as a vulnerability for many. Brad thinks that if you just talked about pricing outright, things wouldn't be so uncomfortable. Social entrepreneur Joanna Black calls into the show and talks about the impetus for starting her co-working space, SheWorks Collective. The times they are a'changing for Joanna's business model, due to the fact that the collaborative/co-working environment that kicked off her business two years ago is a bit outdated. She's trying to attract new members but finds that it might be difficult given her industry. Jill and Brad suggest focusing on community as well as possible work themes which might bring connection. "Collaboration doesn't happen because you have a conference room or because you have a meeting. It happens in between meetings." - BradJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 money hang ups business owners have:
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Tue, 3 October 2017
What’s In This Episode:Jill and Brad take a trip down memory lane and talk about why they started their businesses. When Jill started her first business, she focused on money. Now into her third enterprise, money matters a bit less and it's more about enjoyment. Brad agrees with Jill (it doesn't happen often, but it happens!): When you have a baseline, it becomes easier to build the type of business you want. Fun fact that we didn't know about until this episode: Vanilla custard and moisturizer have similar methods of cooking.Katarina Stetz calls into the show and discusses how she was inspired by chemistry and her grandmother from a young age to become a skincare formulator (that's the technical term for a person who makes skincare products). Her problem? She moved from London to Chicago and doesn't know how to build up her network of industry contacts or buyers or other entrepreneurs in her new location. Every city has a code, she says, so she wants to know how to "crack the code" of Chicago. Jill and Brad suggest going to networking organizations no matter what city you're in - and while it won't happen overnight - it gradually will result in business relationships you're looking for. And the other important thing? If you want something, all you have to do is ask. You can't go into any industry and assume that they'll be helpful without asking. With enough opportunity, you can even create an event of your own and look like a rockstar for bringing everyone together! "There is a much bigger mission that I understand and a lot more satisfaction I get from not thinking every day about, 'Did I make this number today?'" - JillJill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things that are more important to your business than money:
"When I take a day off, I'm actually better at what I do." - Brad
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Tue, 26 September 2017
What’s In This Episode:Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker? That's the topic of the day for Jill and Brad. They discuss if entrepreneurs are, by their very nature, rule breakers or rule followers. Both consider themselves to be rule breakers, but rule followers shouldn't feel left out: Followers are vital to entrepreneurship. (Hooray!) Sara Lingenfelter, entrepreneur and all-around awesome person, calls into the show and asks for help with finding her target audience. This leads to a conversation about the best methods for networking using LinkedIn, Facebook, or getting feedback via Google Forms or Typeform to spread the word. "If somebody says, 'Here's the boundary' you say, 'Let me move it for you.'" - JillJill and Brad discuss money rules to follow:
"When you borrow money, you put someone else in charge of your business." - Brad
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Tue, 19 September 2017
What’s In This Episode:In this episode (the first in a series about that cash money), Jill and Brad talk about the things they don't know but everyone else seems to: For Jill, it's accounting. For Brad, it's fashion (thank God we just have to hear him, then, right?). They talk with Karen M. Carlson, the "absolute best, therapeutic relaxation expert east of the Mississippi" who calls in to discuss whether some of the products she's offering should be on a separate website other than the one she has now. This spurs a great conversation about what people will be drawn to when visiting your business website (hint: keep it clear and simple). "Wait... you didn't get into business to make money?" - BradJill and Brad discuss why we don't know our numbers: we're multitaskers, not accountants. (Brad likes Zapier to help with that.)We might not even know what a P&L statement is. We're not good at tracking your time. "You can hire people, you can ask friends to look at your numbers, you can even have machines come up with reports for you." - JillEntrepreneurs like to try the same thing hoping for different results (spoiler alert: it won't work). And then there's always that pesky problem about numbers... Want to know what it is? Listen! Guest:
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Tue, 12 September 2017
What’s In This Episode:We all hear about the speed of business and how we need to be faster, but is that speed good in itself? Jill gets a bit math-y and talks sine curves and parabolas, but eventually shares that we fall into the same pattern. You start off in a big rush trying to get everything done and figure it all out, but then something changes. Maybe it's burn out, tons of success, or simply age and experience -- whatever it is, you eventually realize you can slow down. We should trust our guts more because in our anxiety of trying to be faster, we inherently know the pace we should be working at. Brad and Jill chat more about why you should ease up in the Top 5 Reasons To Slow Down in this episode and they welcome coach, speaker, and author Karen Friedman to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 5 September 2017
What’s In This Episode:What was the best team you were ever a part of? Jill was part of a powerhouse team at Elektra Records; they pushed each other to be better, could make fun of each other, but most importantly, were respectful of one another. For Brad, each person on his team thought they were the worst performer so they worked hard to not let the group down. That kind of respect for each other is a big part in making a team successful. Do you already have a strong team but want to push them to go further? Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Ways To Get Your Team GOING in this episode and they welcome billboard visionary Matthew Olivieri to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 29 August 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you ever get that feeling that your business is about to take off? Jill definitely knows that feeling - it's exciting and re-energizing! It infuses life into the business and even though it may not pan out, it's a sign that good things are happening. Brad used to chase that feeling but has come to realize he'd rather have steady progress instead. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Know That It's "GO TIME" in this episode and they share which apps they've been trying out lately. We promise Jill doesn't talk about any photo apps... sort of. Listen in! » Tools:
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Tue, 22 August 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you talk to yourself? Jill does all the time! What, you don't? She thinks there are two types of people in this world, those who talk to themselves in their head and those who do it out loud. And sometimes, Jill even gets answers from herself! Brad thinks that's just called thinking.. and you're not really getting answers (which is why you should call us at 708-872-7878 with your questions!). They also talk to each other about the Top 5 Questions To Ask Yourself in this episode and welcome UX designers Mark Baldino and Ben Ihnchak to the show. Listen in! » Guests:
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Tue, 15 August 2017
What’s In This Episode:How's your to-do list looking? Brad noticed that no matter how many things he crosses off, he's left with more than he started with. How does a to-do list become a three-do list? (Groan). But really, can he declare bankruptcy on his list and make it go away? Jill teaches Brad the trick of just tearing off a new sheet of paper and starting a brand new list the following day. Yes, actual paper. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Feel Less Overwhelmed (And Make More Progress) in this episode and they welcome world famous freelancer Mark Fromson to the show. Listen in! » Guest: |
Tue, 8 August 2017
What’s In This Episode:What was the happiest team you were ever a part of? The first thing that popped into Jill's mind was a dance troupe her and her sisters were a part of. #Adorable. Brad recalls being part of a small team that led an organization for 1.5 years. It was a high pressure position but the group still remains in touch. They discovered that each person thought they were the weakest link of the bunch and continually worked hard in order to not let the group down. Everybody truly respected one another and it forged a relationship that continues to this day! Sometimes moments are more memorable with a team because you get to share a happy experience with others, instead of alone in an office. Jill and Brad chat about how you can strengthen your own relationships in the Top 5 Ways To Have A Happier Team and welcome quizmaster Josh Haynam to the show. Listen in! » Guest: |
Tue, 1 August 2017
What’s In This Episode: Why is Jill soaked? Well, she followed her own advice. She woke up this morning, did not look at her phone, then hopped on her Vespa to head to the studio. 20 minutes into her ride, it started raining. And then it started hailing. If only she had looked at her weather app! New rule: Don't look at your phone when you wake up, unless you're going outside and traveling in an open air vehicle. They also address the summer lull you may be feeling in the Top 5 Ways To Build Your Business When Things Are Slow in this episode and bring AMA to a close..for now. Listen in! » AMA (Ask Me/Us Anything): Brad and Jill wrap up their AMA series with questions from Sarah and an anonymous listener. Sarah wonders if she should ask for feedback from her employees, and if so, how to not get defensive. Our anonymous questioner wants to know if they should try to make their company look bigger than they actually are - the short answer is no. We've really enjoyed receiving and answering your questions, so thank you again for sending them in! If you want to ask us literally anything (dying to know what's Brad's favorite ice cream flavor?), just call or text and you may hear your question in a future episode!
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20217.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 25 July 2017
What’s In This Episode:Are there problems you have outside of work that you've had forever? (Um, yes, how about all of them?!) The older he gets, the more Brad figures out what are problems, and what are just tensions to manage. For example, he wanted more fresh veggies in his life so he planted a garden. But now he has too much zucchini and doesn't know what to do with it all! That's just something he has to manage while enjoying his fresh food. Also, don't be surprised if you receive a jar of pickled zucchini from Brad. In our work lives, we're all familiar with the strain of never having enough new business. No matter who you are, it's never going away. Jill and Brad share other examples in the Top 5 Business Problems You’ll Never Fix in this episode and continue on with AMA part deux. Listen in! » AMA (Ask Me/Us Anything):
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Tue, 18 July 2017
What’s In This Episode:Why is Brad yawning? Well, yesterday was pretty eventful. He came home to find maintenance folks outside his house inspecting a suspected gas leak. That somehow turned into a broken gas line, and then a broken water line. Which have to be fixed with very loud tools. What?! Brad #canteven. So, he didn't sleep at all. He wonders about the crew outside his house though; have they been working for 14 hours straight? When do they go home? Speaking of which, Jill and Brad also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Stop Working All The Time in this episode and share the questions they received from listeners when they opened up an AMA. Listen in! » AMA (Ask Me/Us Anything):
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Tue, 11 July 2017
What’s In This Episode:When you take a vacation with your family, does it really count as a vacation? Probably not. You don't get any rest, constantly have to be "on," and likely have a lot of anxiety around past issues. At the same time, it is nice to spend time with people you don't get to see very often. Also, as kids start coming home from college, Brad realized something - kids think of their parents as frozen in time, just as parents see their kids frozen in time as a certain age (ex: their favorite meal will always be meatloaf because it was when they were younger, even though it may not be true now). Now that the roles are reversed, he realizes it's a two-way street of misconception. As summer sneaks up on us, Brad and Jill help us make the most of our vacations by sharing the Top 5 Ways To Be With Your Family, When You Are With Your Family in this episode and they welcome author, podcaster, and business woman Nedalee Thomas to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 4 July 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you know what mindfulness is? It's a mental state achieved by focusing on the present. Brad has been trying to incorporate mindfulness into his daily life. He starts his day off by getting into that frame of mind, and also sets a reminder for himself midday to reset, relax, and re-find some of the peace that slips away during a workday. He is also practicing mindful eating by slowing down and actually tasting his food, instead of shoveling it down as fast as he can. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to improve your sleep, relationships, mental and physical health. Jill and Brad teach you how to be more present with the Top 5 Ways To Be More Mindful All Day Long in this episode and they welcome sexy mama Luci Lampe to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 27 June 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you ever completely shut down your work? Seems like an impossible dream, but it's possible! When Jill goes on vacation, she'll shut down all electronics and leave work behind. It takes a bit of time to fully shut down but once it's done, it's so hard to get back to reality. How does she do it? A lot of planning and heavy lifting beforehand. And if she absolutely needs to use a phone to find the nearest pizza place, someone else will have an available phone so it's not the end of the world. Brad and Jill give you tips on how to find your bliss with the Top 5 Ways To Leave Work In The Office in this episode and they welcome Yahaira Núñez to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 20 June 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you think there's no crying in baseball..no, I mean, the office? Brad had a conversation with a client last week about a team member who recently spent a lot of time crying at work. The client told the team member to put on some sunglasses and take a walk around the block. Essentially, "there's no crying in the office." Brad told the client he agreed with the action; it's ok to cry in the office, but not all the time. If crying at the office diminishes your ability to get your work done, then yes, take a walk around the block and pull it together. Jill agrees too, and thinks she'd be even harsher; she'd simply suggest not coming into the office. There's office morale and work flow to think about, and she wants to preserve that. The exception is if you cry over something you're incredibly passionate about in a situation where permission has been granted. Overall, if you're in a business setting and emotions are prohibiting you from working, that's not good. Brad and Jill also talk about the Top 5 Times To Show Your Emotions In Business and they welcome entrepreneur and dog walker extraordinaire Britt Alwerud to the show. Listen in! » Guest: |
Tue, 13 June 2017
What’s In This Episode:When is it helpful to be emotional in business? Jill started out stoic and business-like in her career, but when she began being herself, she made more money! She's now on a mission to let people know that business doesn't have to be boring. Yes, there's a fine line between emotions and business, but Jill believes we should all be closer to that line. As a consultant, Brad likes to give his clients permission to have their emotions because it allows for effective problem solving. If you can get to the root of the issue, you can connect with others and solve it! Ultimately, there are emotions you don't want to bring into the workplace but more often than not, we can all benefit from showing up as our authentic, genuine selves. They also talk about the Top 5 Emotions You Need In Business in this episode and they welcome dessert designer Joellyn Huebner to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 6 June 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you know of some companies that are doing good? Not well, but good! Jill mentioned a woman who is converting her dance studio into a non-profit, and another who runs an organization which helps literacy in Chicago. Internationally speaking, she's all about Kiva. She can go on and on about all the great companies she knows of; there are so many! Brad loves the local breweries in Chicago and how they're creating wonderful communities around them. If you know of a company that's doing good, let us know! Call or text 708-872-7878 and share it with us please! They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Know It's Time To Promote A Team Member in this episode and they welcome pharmacist and entrepreneur Rosemarie Rutecki to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 30 May 2017
What’s In This Episode:What are you planting this spring? Whether physically or metaphorically, 'tis the season! Jill is definitely not physically planting anything - rather than two green thumbs, she has two murderous thumbs. Instead, she's planting the seeds of massive business growth! She's all about planting lots of seeds/ideas and then thinning out the ones that don't work. Brad is the total opposite - he loves planting tomatoes every year, as well as other beautiful flowers in front of his home. He also plans to take his business deeper, focusing on helping his clients be better human beings, in addition to better business owners. Our favorite gardeners discuss the Top 5 Ways To Make Your Business Come Alive in this episode and they welcome Scottish superhero and entrepreneur Katy Lynch to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 23 May 2017
What’s In This Episode: When you're sitting in a meeting that's been going on for too long, how do you bring it to an end and get out of there? According to Jill, there's an app for that (of course there is). Set the app to call you at a certain time and just tell everybody you need to deal with an emergency. Or maybe go to the bathroom and never come back. Brad tries to redirect and lead the meeting so that all participants can get the info they came for and leave. We also learn what the devil is really up to, the importance of mute buttons, and why Jill is going to give Brad a jar of nail files (it's for a very important business reason). Plus, they talk about the Top 5 Longest Meetings in this episode and welcome back the focused and flourishing Emily Lonigro Boylan to the show. Guest: Emily Lonigro Boylan is the founder of LimeRed Studio, a WBE Certified and Certified B Corporation UX agency that develops user experiences and shapes campaigns that create social impact. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. Ridiculously easy accounting software that’s completely transformed how freelancers and small business owners deal with their day-to-day paperwork, built for exactly the way you work. For a free trial, go to freshbooks.com/bdyb and enter Breaking Down Your Business in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20207.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 16 May 2017
What’s In This Episode: Brad received the worst sales email in the world from "Catherine" at.. let's just call them Sales Mango. It was from a person and company he didn't know with a subject line asking about the main "pain-point" in his marketing. He replied and told them it was the worst sales email he's ever gotten, and the emails still kept coming! Clearly these (terrible) generic emails were coming from a robot, so why would anybody use their services? Do all their customers deal with robots too? Don't send out bad templated emails. Just stop. It's the worst. Please stop. Jill and Brad also talk about the Top 5 People You Need To Grow Your Business in this episode and they welcome financial advisor and life coach Lonnie Ogulnick to the show. Listen in! » Guest: Lonnie Ogulnick is the founder of Gordon Wealth, a financial advisory firm focused on helping their clients accumulate and preserve wealth over a long-term investment horizon. Find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. Ridiculously easy accounting software that’s completely transformed how freelancers and small business owners deal with their day-to-day paperwork, built for exactly the way you work. For a free trial, go to freshbooks.com/bdyb and enter Breaking Down Your Business in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20206.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 9 May 2017
What’s In This Episode:When you start out, you market broadly. To grow, you must focus. What has helped you focus your attention in life? Brad and Jill's series on scaling your business continues as they share ways to focus that has worked for them. For Jill, it's been other people telling her she has to focus (you mean doing everything and anything all the time is not the way entrepreneurs do it? No!). Thanks Brad for telling Jill she has to focus! Plus, she turns off her wifi to pause the constant flow of pings and buzzes. Brad finds time blocking incredibly effective for him, as well as automation (via Zapier). So, if you need to find Brad on a Monday morning, you know he'll be writing. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Focus Your Business As You Grow in this episode and welcome money guy and family man Justin Krane to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 2 May 2017
What’s In This Episode:When you were first starting out, what was the one marketing strategy that worked really well for you? Jill and Brad agree that talking to people face to face ranks pretty high up there. Brad remembers someone telling him "No one is going to crawl through your computer screen and say they want to work with you." You have to meet people! Email newsletters are also tremendously powerful. It's a free way to reach out to folks! If you don't have an email list, stop what you're doing and start one right now. Thanks to the magic of the internet, Jill and Brad hop in a time machine and travel back to 1996, so you'll definitely want to stay tuned for that. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways Your Marketing Changes As You Scale in this episode and they welcome gymnast Rebecca Dengrove to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 25 April 2017
What’s In This Episode:Why did Brad get a shoe in the mail? To be specific, the package (with a handwritten recipient address) contained a kids' size 10 shoe with three Velcro straps, a letter, and a business card. The letter started out with a story about a man with one shoe on the bus. You then learn he didn't lose a shoe but found one, which transitions into a woman asking about your graphic design and photography needs. To Brad, it's a good pitch but to the wrong audience (he has a small team and uses a graphic designer about once a year). To Jill, it's way too much. It gives the impression that the person has too much time or is not using funds in the right areas. She recalls a marketing event she was invited to that involved a limo, babysitter for her kid, wine, and a celebrity guest speaker. Does she remember who the company was? Absolutely not. Less pretty packaging, more effective stuff! Brad and Jill also talk funnel cakes, niching down, and sure enough, raising prices. They kick off their series on how to scale with the Top 5 Things That Need To Change As You Grow in this episode and they welcome marketing guru and dancer Hilary Buuck to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 18 April 2017
What’s In This Episode:We've been talking a lot about how business owners are the worst employees over the past few episodes, so what's an example of a time you've derailed your business? For Jill, it seems like all she does is derail her business. For example, she's forgetful, calendars badly, and doesn't reach out to people about events she puts together. So, how does she get back on track? She reminds herself to focus! (See below for some tools she uses to help her) Brad is very quick to admit he's a terrible calendarer (yup, we're making that a word) so he's going to hire someone to help him. They share more ways to remain on course in this episode with the Top 5 Things To Get You Back On Track and they welcome mom, writer, and entrepreneur Eraina Ferguson to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 11 April 2017
What’s In This Episode:How has your most unmanageable employee derailed your business? In an earlier episode, we learned that the business owner is the most unmanageable one of the bunch. So, what have you done? By that logic, what Jill has done is be herself! Fears around not charging enough, not following up enough, or not getting out there more - they're always there. Brad realized he gets bored with training others. He'll do a great job upfront but won't do it continually, resulting in someone being half trained. Take a deep look inside and figure out what's really the problem - like, so deep inside you'll need an x-ray machine. We also get some wise words from Nelson Mandela, talk about your why, and discover how sprints can be good for you. The systems series continues with Brad and Jill discussing How Do You Find Your Way and they welcome financially savvy author Kate Stalter to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 4 April 2017
What’s In This Episode:It's a bicentennial celebration with episode 200! How has Jill and Brad stayed on track for so many episodes? For Jill, the answer is Brad. Brad is excellent at keeping her on track, whereas he simply keeps showing up and episodes magically happen! (Just kidding. It takes work!) Send your congratulations and well wishes by calling 708-872-7878 and leaving a message; we're hoping for 200 callers with ideas on how to get to episode 400. The best idea gets a special prize! They also continue with their systems series and share the Top 5 Systems To Keep Your Team On Track in this episode and welcome former YouTube singer and entrepreneur Camila Paola to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 28 March 2017
What’s In This Episode:We know business owners don't like to follow rules, but are there ones you choose to follow? Which ones make you a better owner and leader? Jill likes the kindergarten rule, better known as the Golden Rule - treat others the way you'd want to be treated. Let's just all be nice to each other! She's also punctual, showing up at the agreed upon time..on most days. Along those same lines, Brad loves using meeting invites. It keeps Brad on track (since he's a self-confessed moron when it comes to his calendar) and ensures both parties show up at the right time! He pays people on time and won't work them down on their fee too, because he wouldn't want it done to him. Basically, let's all live by the Golden Rule and the world will be a happy place. They also talk about the Top 5 New Business Rules in this episode and welcome coach, speaker, and podcaster Amy Smalarz to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 21 March 2017
What’s In This Episode: Who's the most unmanageable person in your business? You, the business owner! Brad and Jill theorize why - is it because we're control freaks, like to do everything, and don't want anybody telling us what to do? Is it because we just don't fit in a corporate environment? If you know the magic answer, call and tell us why! Jill recalls her time at a super corporate place and how she did everything she was supposed to do and enjoyed it, but then went to grad school and realized she never wanted to go back to corporate. She needs her freedom and thrives in it! Brad shares how he'll sit down with business owners time and time again, explain to them how they're ruining their business, yet they don't do anything about it. They also talk about the Top 5 Systems To Get You Through The Day in this episode and they welcome people development trainer and fairy dust sprinkler Alissa Friedman to the show. Listen in! » Guest: Alissa Friedman is a trainer and coach who lifts the fog and helps people get out of their own way. Find her on about.me and LinkedIn.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20198.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |
Tue, 14 March 2017
What’s In This Episode:What's the best spam you've ever received? Jill got an email from an unknown sender and the first thing she saw was a picture of an adorable dog. Once she read through the copy and got to a sales pitch, she deleted it. BUT, she received more follow-up emails from the company that all included pictures of cute dogs! Considering the emails were memorable enough for Jill to forward them to Brad and talk about them in this episode, but not enough for her to remember the company name or even what they sell, is the approach worth it? Let Brad and Jill know! Call, email, tweet..including pictures of adorable dogs won't hurt either. We also hear from a longtime listener who emailed and expressed how much she enjoyed the short series on hiring we recently did (we hear you Nedra, and thank you for emailing!). She requested more themes, including one on systems and processes around running a business. So, in the first of a short series on systems, Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Systems To Keep Your Business On Track and they welcome photographer Monika Labbe to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 7 March 2017
What’s In This Episode:Are you aware of the things you do and the way you act? Brad has been paying attention to awareness a lot lately and noticed he acts differently. For example, someone recently told him he tends to interrupt others and ever since then, he's been aware of it happening (and he tries to stop of course). Jill thinks she became much more self-aware when she started her own business. She thought she was pretty normal until a ton of people told her "You're so crazy!" When you hear something over and over again, it might be true. But, embrace it, champion it, and allow it to make you a better leader! Brad and Jill help you get to that point by sharing the Top 5 Things That Will Make You More Self-Aware In Business in this episode and they welcome super mom and super CEO Danielle Dy Buncio to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 28 February 2017
What’s In This Episode:Is there a first day of work experience that's particularly memorable for you? Jill shares her worst first day of work story where her boss essentially said "Ok, go" then didn't look or speak to her for the entire day. What?! That's definitely a way to kick things off at a new job. On the other side of the spectrum, Brad remembers a job where on his first day, he already had business cards and log-in instructions for his computer right from the get-go. Plus, his boss took him on a tour of the office to introduce him to the team he'd be working with. From the very beginning, he knew what needed to be done and what his priorities were. Now that's an excellent way to make a first day impression! Brad and Jill help you make that same impression by sharing the Top 5 Things To Do On Your Employee's First Day in this episode and they welcome ice cream maven Natasha Case to the show. Listen in! »
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Tue, 21 February 2017
What’s In This Episode:Hey, in a few days, we've got a thing going on.. are you in? Of course you're not! That invitation is incredibly unclear and includes zero details! Would you ever offer a job to someone in that same manner? If you want someone to say yes to something, you need to give them a firm and specific offer. Jill looks back on past offers she's given and wonders if she's been doing it wrong this entire time. So, you can't just hire someone and say "Go!"? Has her entire life been one long "oops"? Plus, we learn all about Brad's sturdy eyebrows. Continuing their series on hiring, Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Things You Need When You Make A Job Offer in this episode and they welcome brow whisperer Janae' Wesby to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 14 February 2017
What’s In This Episode:Have you been on some bad interviews? Jill sure has. From a computer store fiasco in high school to "interviewing" with the ultimate New York jerk in college (it's ok, she still loves NY! #pizza), she's been burned and has learned from it the hard way. For Brad, a brilliant recruiter taught him an easy way to nail an interview, but unfortunately it doesn't involve learning about the job at all! Luckily, Brad is a stand-up guy who turned down a position (and a potential boss) that probably wasn't the right fit. Windex, pop vs. soda vs. Coke, a brand new self-awareness course called "No, You're Not" Jill will probably launch in late 2017...it's a jam packed episode! They also talk about the Top 5 Signs You Are Interviewing All Wrong and welcome author and business coach Amanda Young to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 7 February 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you need to hire? Have you ever hired a friend, neighbor, or even someone you bumped into on the street? Jill admits to hiring anybody she bumps into, but is steadfast in never hiring family. You're too emotionally tied and it'll be difficult to fire them! Stay far far away from that situation! The best hires come through referrals; someone who knows you sends along a gem (who's already pre-vetted) - it's so great and much easier! If you aren't so lucky and you have to go through the hiring process, Jill and Brad share the Top 5 Ways To Make Your Job Posting "Pop" in this episode and welcome creative genius George Berlin to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 31 January 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Unlike Jill and Brad, do you stick to them? If you’re resolving to get in shape, stop doing all the bad things and wanna sing Kumbaya more often: Good luck with that. Jill and Brad talk about how they make goals, not resolutions, and they plan ahead rather than making a few things up in the hopes that they stick to it. They also talk about the Top 5 Things To Think About BEFORE You Hire in this episode and they welcome advertising guru Rich Kahn to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 24 January 2017
What’s In This Episode:Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Unlike Jill and Brad, do you stick to them? If you’re resolving to get in shape, stop doing all the bad things and wanna sing Kumbaya more often: Good luck with that. Jill and Brad talk about how they make goals, not resolutions, and they plan ahead rather than making a few things up in the hopes that they stick to it. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Stay The Course in this episode and they welcome mom extraordinaire Kelly Jurecko to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 17 January 2017
What’s In This Episode:Is your plan for 2017 just to work harder and hopefully get more from your efforts? What makes that different from every other time you've set that goal? For Jill, this isn't the first time she's made a 'no sugar' resolution except this time around, she's telling tons of people about it (that includes you!). We get an update on the noble quest and learn a cookie or two may have snuck its way in. Maybe even a doughnut. We'll have to check Instagram to find out for sure. Jill and Brad ask some hard-hitting questions that may make you realize something needs to change in the Top 5 Signs You Need To Switch Things Up. They also welcome talk show host and producer Niala Boodhoo to the show. Listen in! »
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Tue, 10 January 2017
What’s In This Episode:Did you make any changes at the start of this new year? Still got that "new year" smell? Running off renewed energy and feeling upbeat about the coming months? Jill and Brad are right there with you and want to help keep it going! They discover they've both cut sugar out of their diet and decide to keep each other accountable. Jill is pretty sure she'll fall off the wagon by February 17th but until then, she's holding strong. Plus, we get to hear the equivalent of an audio unicorn: Brad sings. Well, maybe it's more of a brief sighting of the unicorn's tail. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Build Momentum in this episode and they welcome mind/body psychotherapist Devorah Steinberg to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 3 January 2017
What’s In This Episode:It's the start of a new year - are you ready to hit the ground running or still exhausted from the holidays? Brad went swimming this morning and had a swimsuit mishap because he couldn't focus (don't worry, it's G-rated), and Jill just misses her eggnog. Luckily, they've got methods to kickstart themselves. Having an office to go back to always helps get you back into the routine of work, as does an inbox filled with emails needing responses. Brad shares his secret to dealing with a full inbox - don't answer any emails. So, good luck getting a hold of him this year! In all seriousness, kick off the year by making a plan, organizing, and then just get going! Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Ways To Hit The Ground Running in this episode and they welcome kids fitness guru Sam Skoryna to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 27 December 2016
What’s In This Episode:Have you gotten away recently? It truly cleanses the mind and soul, doesn't it? But how do you make sure things are taken care of at work while you're away? Jill spends a lot of time prepping those around her so when she's gone, she feels confident in her team and can enjoy her time, free of responsibility. Though she definitely feels close to death in the weeks leading up to her vacation! Brad recalls his wedding day and taking on the "it's out of my control, there's nothing I can do about it" mindset, which can be pretty freeing. He's a big advocate of long weekends over long getaways, but regardless of your preference, you should absolutely stop what you're doing and plan your next vacation. Just do it, otherwise you'll never go. Well, listen to this episode first because they also bash resumes, talk about Jill's recent adventure in Brazil, discuss the Top 5 Insights Gained By Getting Away and welcome writer, podcaster, and GM Michael Sacca to the show. Listen in! »
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Tue, 20 December 2016
What’s In This Episode:Are you feeling uncertain about the rest of the year? Well, 2016 is almost over (WHEW)! Jill and Brad take a look back on this crazy year: supermoons, gorillas, Brexit, Pokémons, the Cubs, and a new President-elect, just to name a few notable headlines. We also lost a lot of important and influential people in our lives, including Prince and David Bowie. To help leaders navigate through the murky waters that may be ahead, Brad and Jill suggest slowing down and learning from a variety of sources as they share their Top 5 Ways To Lead When Faced With Uncertainty. They also welcome Triple R Marketing's CEO (and aspiring baseball card shop owner) Matt Ruedlinger to the show. Listen in! » |
Wed, 14 December 2016
What,s in this episode: Do you do the Santa thing? No, we don't mean dress up in a red velvet suit and..well, actually, that doesn't sound that bad. Bring the kiddos to the mall to sit on Santa's lap? Eagerly await the CTA's Holiday Train (Chicago's very own Santa literally riding through the night sky)? Jill has never seen the elusive train and hopes this season will finally be the one. If not, she'll take solace in eggnog and that Mariah Carey song about Christmas or something. Brad will indulge in a Christmas tree but isn't big on the Santa thing. He'd rather take credit for all the presents he's gotten for his kids, rather than some bearded stranger. They also talk about why the government may or may not be the ultimate Grinch and we get a rein-dare from Jill that you won't be able to resist. Join them as they talk about the Top 5 Holiday Wishes For Your Small Business in this episode and welcome author and coaching guru Michael Stanier to the show. Guest: Michael Stanier is the founder of Box of Crayons, which specializes in coach training for managers and leaders. Learn more about his new book, The Coaching Habit.
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Tue, 6 December 2016
What’s In This Episode:Are you a goal maker? Do you set goals? Brad shares his complicated relationship with goals and why the mature him is now aiming to be present instead of constantly thinking about being elsewhere to work on reaching his set goals. It's all about balance, people! Jill cuts to the heart of why a lot of us struggle with setting goals - you feel bad when you don't accomplish them! It's ok though, because instead she sets what she likes to call 'hovering wishes' or soft goals...'soals' if you will. They also talk about the Top 5 Goals You Should Set For 2017 in this episode and they welcome sustainability champion Kim Lundgren to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 29 November 2016
What’s In This Episode:Have you ever been to an office party that got a little bit awkward? Jill and Brad share their favorite awkward office party stories - Brad's got a bit wet and wild, while Jill's involved a celebrity and absinthe. They draw connections to some ideas from last week's episode on treating employees like family, and cause Seinfeld fans to yell into their headphones when they just can't name that holiday thing from the show. Plus they discuss how business owners can throw great parties but still maintain a level of professionalism - leave early and expand the guest list! And maybe don't include absinthe. 'Tis the season for holiday parties so grab a pen and paper and take note on the Top 5 Ways To Celebrate With Your Team, and give a warm welcome to Egg-Q's Silvia Mestre. Listen in! » |
Tue, 22 November 2016
What’s In This Episode:Are you looking forward to seeing your family this upcoming holiday season? Or are you just looking forward to lots of food and stretchy pants? Jill and Brad talk about what they love about seeing family this time of year, and what makes them so darn great! And maybe not so great. (Thank goodness for Adele. Google "SNL Adele Thanksgiving." Trust us.) Plus, they discuss the pros and cons to treating your colleagues like family, and what we really mean when we say "like family." Pro tip: assess your leadership style and think about how others may want to be treated. Speaking of family, they also talk about the Top 5 Reasons You Shouldn't Treat Your Employees Like Family in this episode and they welcome Reverie's Martin Rawls-Meehan to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 15 November 2016
What’s In This Episode:Do you have problems that feel impossible to solve? No matter what you do, something else is neglected? Or every time you solve one problem, another one pops up? These tricky balancing acts are necessary tensions to manage that keep your business going. How do we be efficient, yet still be present for others? Grow and build a successful business but still spend quality time with friends and family? Jill and Brad have some pretty unique work-life balance solutions that may or may not include cages. They discuss useful insights to help you cope with all your tensions, plus Jill has a meta moment about tensions. They also talk about the Top 5 Small Business Headaches, And How To Stop Them in this episode and they welcome Maddy Osman to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 8 November 2016
What’s In This Episode:Do you have plans to change anything up in 2017? How are you going to track what you want to change? Brad thinks there are solid ways to measure the things you tweak, and Jill thinks it's much harder than Brad says it is to do (what else is new?) so if you tune in and hear the goals that they say out loud, you maybe wanna help them and weigh in about whether their goals are realistic or not. (Read: Please do. Pretty please?) So Brad and Jill cover the Top 5 Things You'll Learn If You Create A Budget And Plan for 2017 in this episode and they welcome crowd sorcerer Ross Kimbarovsky to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 1 November 2016
How do you know that you're actually growing while you're busy running your business? Do you notice behaviors that you repeat and could potentially change? Ever see a situation where you realize that you grew a bit because you're doing things a bit differently? There are different measuring sticks for each business owner. It's always a good idea to make sure that you're tracking changes, somehow, so that you're moving forward. And it's hard to do it without other people. So it makes sense that Jill and Brad talk about the 5 Things About Owning A Business That Make You A Better Person in this episode and they welcome entrepreneur Joshua Latimer to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 25 October 2016
What scares you? What brings out the fear in you during your business week? Jill and Brad reflect on what makes them shake in their boots -- from public speaking to making sales to feeling responsible for other people. So many fears, so little time. The funny part? WE ALL HAVE THEM. All the time. But what is it that makes us stay away from ever bringing them up with other people? So, they also talk about the Top 5 Scariest Things For Your Business (And What To Do About 'Em) in this episode and they welcome catering gurus Andrew Cavitolo and Bobby Stern to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 18 October 2016
Jill & Brad finally have a listener! ONE LISTENER! Who wrote in and asked a question about whether his acupuncture practice should take insurance or not from patients who come to see him. So Brad and Jill lobby this one back and forth to decide what their one listener should do with his business. And they want you to weigh in, too, because should anyone ever stop taking insurance? It gets CRAZY, so you really do need to weigh in (which also gives Jill & Brad a second listener, so thank you in advance.) Speaking of crazy, they also talk about the 5 Craziest Moments In Your Business Owner Life in this episode and they welcome conversational entrepreneur Levi Baer to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 11 October 2016
What’s In This Episode:Do you need your team to be more committed? And why do you expect that anyone is ever going to be as committed as you, the owner of the business? If you believe that employees or colleagues will be as committed as you are, perhaps you have a realistic expectation that should be met by a "better" team member. On the flipside, perhaps you're putting an unreasonable burden on your team to meet your needs when they're not the ones running the business. That's why Brad and Jill talk about the Top 5 Ways To Have More Committed And Engaged Employees in this episode and they welcome Teen World Confidential's Kim Cook to the show. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 4 October 2016
What’s In This Episode:How long does it take to get into shape? To get rich? To fall in love? It seems to Jill and Brad that everything has to happen quickly in this day and age. Instantaneously. And that's not been their experience as business owners to date. Society at large puts high expectations on us to make things go as fast as humanly possible, but is it sustainable? They address exactly that in this week's episode. Check out their Top 5 Things That Take A Lot Longer Than You Thought (In Your Business) and join them in welcoming Credit Suite's Ty Crandall to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 27 September 2016
What’s In This Episode:Did you ever have a job where you had to go ask for a raise? Did you ever get a big raise at a job you've held? Brad and Jill know that this is a tough area for most small business owners. Whether your employees have to find the courage to ask you for a raise, or you're thinking about doling generous raises out to your team, it's always a challenge to figure out how to do it right. And when to do it. And if you should do it at all. That's why they explore the Top 5 Reasons Your Labor Costs Are Going UP in this week's episode and they welcome Strictly Marketing Magazine's Kerry Heaps to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 20 September 2016
What’s In This Episode:Why is it that all pitches we get are so predictable? How come so many business owners and PR folk have decided to make an ask the same exact way as everyone else? Brad and Jill are getting real bored of the same old templates showing up in their inboxes. They talk about what they'd like to see, how they'd like it delivered, and they wanna hear from YOU. If you have an idea about how to pitch a product or service that breaks the mold, send it in to the Breaking Down Your Business podcast so that they can talk about your biz on the air. So it makes sense that they discuss the Top 5 Ways To Get Someone's Attention Without Being A Pest in this week's episode, and they welcome Telesummit Queen LeeAnn Webster to the show. Guest:
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Tue, 13 September 2016
What’s In This Episode:How do you decide what to do when free time pops up in your work day? Do you finally get to all the work that you've been ignoring? Or do you drop everything to head outside and explore the great outdoors? Jill and Brad talk about the different ways that they take advantage of surprise spaces in their day. The one thing that they can agree on? Not attempting to get to that mythical place called Inbox Zero in the precious time they have. In this episode, find out from our co-hosts what they consider The Top 5 Things To Do When You Have Free Time. And join them in welcoming nonprofit consultant Andrew Schulman to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 6 September 2016
What’s In This Episode:When you see what fellow business owners are wearing, do you ever think to yourself, "Does that person even own a mirror?" Jill and Brad discuss why people get their wardrobes so wrong, where they live (spoiler alert: Las Vegas,) and specifically what body parts should never be revealed in an office space. Do you ever stand at your closet door and wonder what you're going to wear today? How to dress appropriately for that event tomororw night? That's why our co-hosts talk about the Top 5 Wardrobe Mistakes Small Business People Make in this episode and they welcome Principles of Increase's Aja McClanahan to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 30 August 2016
What’s In This Episode:Brad says that Vern Harnish says that business owners should say "no" about twenty times more than they say "yes." To everything. Do you do that? (This one's rhetorical.) Might you be one of the millions of business owners who need to say "no" more often? "Yes" should be few and far between, but it can get confusing as to which where when to say it. That's why Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Times You Should Say "Yes" in this episode and they welcome coffee shop owner Amanda Neely to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 23 August 2016
What’s In This Episode:Are there emails that you write over and over and over again? Ever thought about creating a template so that you don't have to re-write the darn thing on repeat? Over time, Jill and Brad have learned that it's good business practice to do so -- and they learned the hard way. While there are well over 285,492 emails that you could keep on file so that you don't have to think them up again, you may as well hone in on the Top 5 Emails You Are Going To Write One Million Times (So Make A Template). It does a body good. Tune in to find out exactly what, where, how, why and when to write those up, and hear all about Clean Forks' Shelley Davidescu and how she impacts thousands of lives. Listen in! » Guest:
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Tue, 16 August 2016
What’s In This Episode:Have you ever made solid money decisions for your business? Jill and Brad talk about the little tweaks that have brought in the big bucks and the big mistakes that have brought in next to nothing. There are ways to change up how you pay employees, mistakes to make in how you share value with folks on your team, and plenty of mistakes to be made along the way. Can you make more out of what you're bringing in? You're in charge of your income. It's helpful to remind yourself that from time to time...and that's why Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Money Mistakes Small Businesses Make in this episode and they welcome Rose Garden Consulting's Ali Mirza to the show. Listen in! » |
Tue, 9 August 2016
What’s In This Episode: What does team-building look like in your business? Do you have regular meetings, bonfires at midnight, or cupcake wars to get it done? Jill and Brad discuss the many ways that they build teams: Brad's team is all in one place and Jill's team is spread out around the world so they build up their teams in very different ways. If you take your team to a baseball game, or you host calls with people who can't meet up face-to-face, what are the ways that your team responds to it? Do you find that it helps further your business or is it more of a distraction than anything else? That's why they talk about the Top 5 Ways To Say "Thank You" To Your Team in this episode and they welcome entrepreneur Nathan Hirsch to the show. Listen in! » Guest: Nathan Hirsch is the founder of FreeeUp where he helps businesses save time and money through hands-on outsourcing. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. (And tune in for the code you can use to hire a free worker!) Brad talks about how rich he is. For reals. Tune in to hear just how rich.
Direct download: Breaking20Down20Your20Business20EP20166.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT |