Breaking Down Your Business | Small Business | Business Owners | Entrepreneurship | Leadership

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! »


Guest:

  • Hilary P. Buuck is a marketing strategist focused on helping service providers get more leads in order to gain more clients, memberships, and students.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_203.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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! »


Guest:

Tools:

  • Forest: an app that gamifies focusing; don't let your tree die!
  • Go...Work: a Chrome extension which blocks sites that keep you unproductive and constantly reminds you to stay on track
  • One Big Thing: an app to keep you focused on, you guessed it, one big thing
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_202.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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! »


Guest:

  • Kate Stalter is the co-founder of Better Money Decisions, a financial firm dedicating to helping clients meet their unique financial goals. Find her on Twitter and Facebook, and learn about her latest book here.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_201.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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! »


Guest:

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_200.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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