Ever consider starting your own podcast? Everybody's doing it. Brad and Jill got wayyyyyyy ahead of the game and determined that it would be really easy to promote what they do for a living by shouting into microphones every week about business things and stuff. But whaddya know? Getting way ahead of the game also put them in a position of not knowing what they were doing, having to learn what podcasting is all about from the ground up, and making a lot of mistakes along the way. Well lucky for you, they have a thing or two that they want you to know about launching your very own podcast before you actually do it. So they talk about the Top 5 Things You Need To Know BEFORE You Start A Podcast in this episode and they welcome Laura Kalister to the show before Brad goes on another amazing rant... Listen in! »

Guest:

• Laura Kalister is the founder of LK Weight Coaching where she helps clients end their struggles with weight and emotional overeating. Find her on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Rant:

• Brad is MAD. Do companies think that incompetence is actually a business model? A serious question from a very amazingly lengthy and hilarious rant. If Brad is ready to "gouge his ears out" and firmly believes that people are creating "customer incompetence systems" you HAVE to tune in to hear why he hates the hotel industry and customer service fails so very much right now.

What’s In This Episode:

Do you leave bad reviews on Yelp? Have you ever left a bad review anywhere? Brad does. Jill does not. (We know. Shocking.) So, they fight about why Brad likes to let businesses know when they wrong him and whether Jill should leave more reviews or let folks know offline rather than online. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Manage Your Online Reputation in this episode and they welcome founder Andrei Mincov to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Andrei Mincov is the founder of Trademark Factory, the only firm in the world where licensed lawyers and trademark agents can help you register your trademarks with a free trademark search, for a single all-inclusive flat fee, with a 100% money-back guarantee. Find him on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Shout-Out:

• Remember Anna Stout of Astute Communications? She called in a while back to ask about what to do with her business since she was about to have a baby. And then she followed none of our advice. Tune in to hear all about how she didn't listen to us and how successful she is now. GO ANNA!

What’s In This Episode:

Are there businesses that you purchase from repeatedly? If you spend a lot of money at Amazon.com, why do you like going back for more? Is it cost? Efficiency? Convenience? If you're an Uber addict or a SpotHero junkie, it may be time to figure out what makes those businesses stand out (or rather, suck you back in) and how you may be able to do have the same effect on your customers or clients. Jill and Brad talk about their favorite places that attract their repeat business and talk about the Top 5 Ways To Make It Easy For Customers To Buy (And Keep Buying) in this episode. They welcome app founder Raj Bhaskar to the show and hear from amazing listener Arthur Zards! Listen in! »

Guest:

• Raj Bhaskar is the founder of Hurdlr, a smart mobile app for independent workers, freelancers and solopreneurs to seamlessly manage their business finances in seconds, in real-time, on the go. Find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Tool:

• AwesomeBoss.com :: It's an app that coaches you to be a better boss. Brad loves it. It has everything you need to engage, recognize and reward your team. Jill thinks you're probably an awesome boss without it, but Brad swears you'll be awesome-er with this tool.

Shout-Out:

• The brilliant Arthur Zards of TEDxNaperville fame called in with a clever solution for Brad. Remember how Brad was having a tough time weeding through job applicants in last week's episode? Arthur makes all job applicants fill out a multi-page form so they have homework to get through rather than merely checking out resumes. He finds it a much more effective way to find the right person. THANK YOU, ARTHUR!

What’s In This Episode:

What are some really great things about attorneys? Most likely, you can't think of a single one. But what about all of the good that they do for small business owners? There are reasons, after all, that people still hire them. Lawyers, for some folks, are necessary evils. For others, great weapons to have at the ready juuuuuust in case something comes up. And for most people, they don't fall into the "things I like" category when it comes to running a business. But they can be great for a variety of reasons -- and they've stuck around all these years because they're up to something good. What is that something? You'll have to tune in to find out. This week, Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Legal Things That Actually Matter and they welcome serial entrepreneur Pam Worth to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Pam Worth is the founder of Tiny Treks, an innovative alternative to indoor early childhood programming. She also co-founded Instructions Included, where experts share their parenting experiences to make your unique parenting experience not just less stressful, but truly enjoyable. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Rant:

• Jill is tremendously upset. Did you hear about the viral sensation that wasn't actually a viral sensation? She read all about how Madonna cofounded a startup that manufactures viral dance trends -- and 'Whip/Nae Nae' was its first monster hit and it pretty much devastated her. What's actually viral anymore? Is there anything that is not manufactured on the Internet anymore? IS ANYTHING REAL?? Tune in to help Jill get through this. Please. And then call her and let her know what you think about it.

Is there a social network that you thought, when you got on it for the first time, that you'd hate? When you first logged onto Twitter, you may have been one of the millions who thought, "I will never, ever need to understand this so just forget it." If you first joined Instagram and only saw photos of celebrities showing off their very filtered selfies, you may have been one of the many users who rejected the platform outright. So were Jill and Brad. They talk about the different platforms that they didn't understand at first use -- Twitter taking the top of the list -- and they reminisce about the way these platforms functioned before everybody started to use them. Remember the good 'ol days? So it makes perfect sense that they talk about the Top 5 Networks That Make No Sense (To Us) in this episode and they welcome Kenny Nguyen to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Kenny Nguyen is the founder of Big Fish Presentations, a creative agency that focuses on creating powerful presentation experiences. Find him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Accolades:

• We made it! Inc. Magazine named us one of the "Top 100 Podcasts That Will Make You Smarter, Better, and Wiser." AMAZING, RIGHT?!?!?!?! !!!!!!!!!  Well, we think so. We're humbled by it, and by all of you who continue to support us by listening and calling in. Thank you, thank you, and thank you some more.

Turn The Tables:

• Brad needs your help. He has a job post on his site at Anchor Advisors and he wants better applicants to find it than the folks who apply right now. How can he make sure that he finds the right people to work at his company? Got ideas? Call 708.872.7878 and let us know!

Do you know any small businesses that flame out? You know the ones. They look like they're doing an amazing job, they make you jealous of their successes, they even convince investors to write big checks for them because they are just so incredible. And then they die. You may have heard about plenty of these companies, but you don't often hear about what actually happened and why they went bust. Jill & Brad discuss the rumors they've heard and the different reasons that this happens to even the best of 'em. They also talk about the Top 5 Reasons Not To Grow A Business in this episode and they welcome CEO Thomas Smyth to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Thomas Smyth is the founder of Trim, a service that finds your subscriptions and cancels the ones you don't want. Find him on LinkedIn.

Tool:

• Homemade :: The app connects hungry customers to delicious homemade, locally cooked food. Ever miss the flavors of home? The dishes grandma used to make? Find them on Homemade! And then call in and tell us about your experience, please.

What’s In This Episode:

Do we need another social network to be active on? Don't we have enough to work on? It's complicated. If you're just getting going on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Flickr or Tumblr or Youtube or Ello or Peach (see?) there always seems to be a new outlet popping up and you have to catch up. Is it all important? Are some important? Is it ok to focus on just one social media site? Jill and Brad talk about the myriad sites that are out there and discuss whether keeping up is a smart option for entrepreneurs. They also talk about the Top 5 Ways To Use Instagram For Business in this episode and they welcome entrepreneur and CEO Jivko Bojinov to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Jivko Bojinov is the co-founder of ShipBob, a company that helps you pack and ship the stuff you sell. Find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

• Brad recently read about "How Solitude Can Change Your Brain in Profound Ways" which stirred him up enough to share with Jill all the ways it affirms that it can change your brain, make you more creative, and strengthen relationships. Do you take time out from your business to explore this solitude idea? Tell us!

What’s In This Episode:

Do you write your goals down? Do you tell people what you plan to do so they hold you accountable? Jill writes them down all over the place (sticky notes, anyone?) and works really hard at remembering to read them. Brad creates fewer goals than Jill does, and he seemingly remembers to both look at them and act on them. If you're the type who needs to come up with more goals to help you get down to business, or you are the desperate-for-an-accountability-buddy type, or you just need to keep that persistence going that will help you accomplish everything, tune in to hear how Jill and Brad find ways not to get lost or distracted as they get things done. They also talk about the Top 5 Things You Need To Focus On To Achieve Your Goals in this episode and they . Listen in! »

Rant:

• Jill takes issue with people who know everything. You know the type, right? When someone asks you for help or advice and then they give you the good 'ol "Yeah, I knew that" response, IT SETS JILL OFF. Listen in to find out just how much it does, and why, and how you should never ever do this, either.

Shout-Out:

• Marcy Capron and the great people of Polymathic left a fantastic comment about how much they enjoy the podcast. So many thanks!

What’s In This Episode:

Do you like getting help? Is reaching out to other people for help easy enough or challenging for you? Brad and Jill talk about when they've asked folks to pitch in with their opinions, and how long it took them to actually get to the place where they were comfortable reaching out. From Weight Watchers to laptop screens to coach addicts, they wind their way to sharing their Top 5 Reasons You Need Help NOW! in this episode. Brad also shares a tool for screen fanatics. 

Tool:

• Duet :: It's the first app that allows you to use your iDevice as an extra display for your Mac using the Lightning or 30-pin cable.

What’s In This Episode:

How important is trust in your business day? If you didn't trust the folks you work with, would you really be able to get anything done? We need our colleagues to trust us to that work gets done. We need customers and clients to trust us so that they pay us for the stuff and things that we sell. Do we talk about trust enough? No, silly. Which is why Jill and Brad talk about the Top 5 Ways To Build Trust in this episode and they welcome Scott Beebe to the show. Listen in! »

Guest:

• Scott Beebe is the founder of My Business on Purpose, a multi-broadcast platform that equips, inspires, and mobilizes business professionals to live out their skill set to society. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Tool:

• Video Merger :: Want to merge videos? Use this app. It's ridiculously easy to figure out. (And then email us a video you merged!)