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.

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):

• We asked listeners on social media if they had any questions they'd like answered, and the response we received was so great! Thank you all! Greg wanted to know how to decide when to take risks and Peter wondered how to overcome feeling guilty for (fill in the blank). Brad and Jill shared some great nuggets of wisdom that will definitely apply to you so make sure to tune in.

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:

• Nedalee Thomas is the founder and CEO of Chanson Water, providers of alkaline water ionizers and water filters. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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:

• Luci Lampe is the founder of the Sexy Mama Movement, a community focused on empowering moms to live a life they love, in a body they love. Find her on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

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:

• Yahaira Núñez is the Assistant VP of Business Development at Excelsior Growth Fund, a non-profit organization that offers affordable, flexible and fast business loans along with free advisory services to help small businesses grow. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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:

• Britt Alwerud is the founder and CEO of Handlr, a software platform that makes it easier for business owners to handle their daily operations. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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:

• Joellyn Huebner is the founder of Sweet Soirées, a Chicago-based dessert catering company specializing in custom-styled, visually stunning, luxury dessert and candy buffets for all occasions. Find her on Twitter, and Facebook, and Instagram.

Shout-out:

• Justin D K left us a review on iTunes and we were tickled pink at all the great things he had to say! Thanks for the looooove, Justin D K!

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! »

Guest:

• Rosemarie Rutecki is the founder of Mashtopatoes, a platform focused on helping busy parents and neighbors work together and build a strong community through covering tasks that will lessen a parent's load. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sponsor:

• 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.

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! »

Guest:

• Katy Lynch is the co-founder of Codeverse, the world's first fully interactive coding school and educational tech platform that teaches kids to code. Find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Bonus: Get a $100 discount through our exclusive link when you sign your kid up today for Codeverse! Just click HERE

Sponsor:

• 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.