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.'" - Jill

Jill and Brad discuss money rules to follow:

• Don't run out money. This causes suffering and exasperation that you just don't need.
• Money gives you choices. Be prudent about yours.
• Don't borrow money, especially if you're a service-based business.

"When you borrow money, you put someone else in charge of your business." - Brad

• If you need money, ask for it. Send your invoices on time, follow up with those who are late paying you, or raise your prices.
• And then there's that old saying about money...

Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

• Sara Lingenfelter is the founder of Virtual Biz Partner and Virtual Biz Partner Academy. She teaches moms how to become virtual assistants and helps female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and takes away their overwhelm. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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?" - Brad

Jill 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." - Jill

Entrepreneurs 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:

• Karen M. Carlson is the founder of Be Well and Renew, and is a massage therapist and author. She offers guided meditation, and makes eye pillows for adults and children to help them to be calm, quiet and comfortable in their bodies. A new children's book, which accompanies the eye pillows, will be out soon! Find her on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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:

• Karen Friedman is the founder of Karen Friedman Enterprises, providers of speaker and communication training programs across the globe.

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:

• Matthew Olivieri is the founder of AdSemble, a self-service billboard advertising marketplace.

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:

• Shapr - Tinder interface applied to networking. Brad swears you don't have to immediately make out as soon as you meet in person. 
• Lighter - It's a virtual lighter. And that's it. Jill loves it.
• BRiN - World's first artificially intelligent business advisor. Brad thinks it has potential but isn't there yet.
• Magic - Text-based personal assistant available 24/7
• Legend - Easily turn text into animations
• Light Phone - A phone that's not a computer. Jill is fascinated, Brad is not. (Get a $7 burner phone from eBay instead)

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:

• Mark Baldino and Ben Ihnchak are the founders of Fuzzy Math, a user experience design, strategy, and innovation firm. Find them on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Shout-out:

• Brooke Craven left us the nicest review on iTunes - thanks Brooke, we think you're awesome!

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:

• Mark Fromson is the co-founder and CEO of LocalSolo, a talent marketplace for top local freelancers. Find him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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:

• Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact, a company that makes it easy for you to create and embed lead capture quizzes. Find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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!

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):

• Brad and Jill asked listeners a few weeks ago if they had any questions they'd like answered - the response was so great we had to split up the AMA section into several parts! This week, former guest Rebecca Dengrove wants to know about ERPs and Cheryl Taylor wonders if email marketing really works. It's no surprise that our favorite hosts have plenty to say about both topics.