What’s In This Episode:

How do you engage your team? When your team is engaged, they're getting a psychic benefit from the work. They're into it!

But even when you have the most engaged team, in the summer months, it can be tough. In this episode, Jill and Brad discuss how to keep your team engaged when they want to be outside.

 "I'm looking forward to being the old guy sitting in the coffee shop." - Brad

Brad tries to solve his personal engagement problem by taking more Fridays off in the summer so he can enjoy long weekends. Doing so allows him to be more engaged at work and then at home with his family.

Jill points out that the more time she takes off (whether it's three or four days), the more she dreads Monday. And there are some days she just wants to sit and chill out.

So how can they convince employees to stay engaged when they understand being checked out themselves?

"I don't want to take the joy of summer or breaks away from them." - Jill

It might be a good idea to check in on your employees, not nannying them constantly, but to make sure that everyone is still on track. Maybe the expectations should be lowered in the summer, but does that mean you make less income because of it? And how do you get back into the swing of things?

How do you stay engaged? How do you keep your team engaged?

What’s In This Episode:

How do you change things up with your business? Jill's revamping her website. Brad recently changed pricing. Change can be good, but sometimes when you don't think things through all the way, you can be surprised at the details that you miss.

Jill has a highly collaborative relationship with her team. Brad pretendsthat he does - he's collaborative-ish - but what works in some areas might not work in others. Since he hasn't asked his employees how they feel about certain changes, he doesn't know what their feedback is. But he feels like because his tactics are working, people are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 "Sometimes you've got to break what's working really well in order to turn it into something new." - Brad

Brandon Bruce, former rower, and cyclist across 508 miles of Death Valley, now owns a business called Cirrus Insight, which sells sales software to salespeople. Up to this point, they've focused on inside sales but they want to branch out to have more of a field presence in the bigger cities and get more face-to-face time with customers and prospects. So how does he build up a sales force?

Brad suggests hiring more inside sales with the expectation that they'll become outside sales. Jill says to run a mini-boot camp and figure out who might be best on the outside and test in multiple cities to figure out what's actually working.

"Leading only one way never helps anybody." - Jill

How do you get your team on board with new ways of doing things? Do you listen to their feedback?

What’s In This Episode:

How do you measure and improve your own performance? Jill uses external measures but also uses her gut instinct. She also asks a few people what they think, because feedback can be helpful. How does one get better as a business owner?

Brad believes that it's a balancing act. As he gets better in one area, he gets worse in another. And as a business owner, you have to know so many things. But you can definitely hire out for things you're not so good at.

 "Email is not your job." - Brad

Meditating leader and company owner Rob Dube calls in. His company Image One was recently named a 2017 Small Giantby Forbes. But with all the good news, he really just has one problem: How does he manage the influx of email? Between his team and customers, it can be overwhelming.

Jill wants to know if he has any systems set up to filter through emails and he does have a filing system. Is response or reception the problem? Brad reminds Rob that email responsiveness is not a measure of effectiveness when it comes to being a CEO. Plus, the more emails you send, the more you get back. Not everything requires an immediate response. Jill thinks that Rob may be suffering from CEO anxiety and that he can practice not responding to people - no matter how much it hurts.

"There are lots of ways to educate yourself as a business owner." - Jill

How do you measure and improve your own performance as a business owner? What are your tactics?

What’s In This Episode:

Jill and Brad are doing things a bit differently in this episode and talking about networking vs. building business relationships. A lot of people feel like networking is an ugly word, but only feel that way in a business context.

 "But isn't that what relationships are - just mutually benefitting?" - Brad

Jill doesn't believe that you can succeed without relationships, and Brad thinks that the reason people disdain networking is that it's viewed as a competition. It took Jill a long time to change her mind about working by herself. She didn't realize how beneficial it was to have face-to-face interactions with people until she went out for coffee meetings and was able to see how energized she was about her own business.

Brad intentionally scheduled meetings - lunches, breakfasts - so that he could see other people. When Jill began The Founding MomsMeetups, she got feedback almost immediately about the positive impact it was having on the other business women in the room.

"Relationships are the reason the world goes round." - Jill

There's a lot that people miss from nonverbal communications and there's so much to be gained from face-to-face interactions. Granted, there are those out there who meet face-to-face only to swap and collect business cards. But Brad remembers how he ended up doing business with those whom he was truly vulnerable with and invested in. It's important to remember that at the end of the day, people connect with human aspects - not how much you earn or what you do, but that you've shared similar experiences.

It's also worth noting that networking takes time. You need to build up trust and do it regularly. You won't walk out of an event with a ton of new business.

What are your thoughts on networking vs. building business relationships? Do you value it or do you believe it's a waste of time?

What’s In This Episode:

Are you fun? Jill recently ran a webinar and heard from someone afterward who said, "I love this, but I'm not very fun." Jill realized that people feel like they're boring or not enough in some way and that it prevents them from joining a group they really feel connected to. Don't do that thing! If you 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.

 "People are weird." - Brad

Saul, producer of BDYB, has a listener question for Jill and Brad. Bruno writes, "Hey guys. I love the wacky, crazy vibe of the show. I was wondering if you could share some of your craziest customer stories."

Jill thought about her favorite podcast guest: Erika Kerekes of Not Ketchup, who took Jill's interesting marketing advice and it worked out for her! She also has a story about a guy who had a very creative way to get someone to sign up for life insurance.

Brad had a customer who got ghosted by an employee. They passed each other as they were going in and out of an elevator, but the customer didn't realize that the employee had quit until she got to her floor. He also knew a guy who would send phones out to people via FedEx, then call those people once the package had been received.

Saul's takeaway? "Weird works."

"They need instruction. They need guidance. Is there something you need that can make your job easier?" - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways managing employees needs to change:

• Everyone needs to use Slack.
• Ask them what they need more often.
• Listen when employees tell you something is not working.
• Be a proponent of having your employees work together more often.
• And the number one thing is something you really should be doing...

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." - Jill

Iain 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." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways recruiting needs to change:

• Never ask for a resume ever again. Look at LinkedIn.
• Do a phone screen or video chat and save yourself a lot of trouble.
• Put the salary in the job posting.
• Interviews should not be adversarial hazing rituals. Be likable.
• And you need to put effort into this one..

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." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways marketing needs to change:

• Social media is NOT the only way to market.
• Leaning on data - you don't need to JUST look at the analytics.
• Stop selling so much. You don't need to be sales-y up front. People need to be genuine.
• Marketing doesn't happen in two days. Things take time.
• And the number one thing is Jill's sincere wish...

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." - Brad

Tracey 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." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you need to do differently NOW:

• Send a link to your invoices or use apps - no more printing and mailing or PDF attachments.
• Jill and Brad disagree on this, but stop sending emails back and forth to schedule and use an app.
• Hiring: Resumes lie. Use a Google Form and get the answers you want to know.
• Your website. Revamp it! Make it work for you.
• Think about this last one consciously...

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." - Brad

 Jill 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." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 risks you have to take:

• No regular income.
• There's no manual to do the job a specific way.
• Admitting that you don't know what you're doing and that you might be overwhelmed.
• Losing friends and family who don't support you.
• And the number one thing is something you might not like to hear...

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." - Jill

BDYB'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." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to get things done in your business:

• Automate it. Brad loves Zapier, You Can Book Me, Text Expanderand more.
• Hire someone to do it. Use a VA!
• Delegate.
• Block time on your calendar.
• And the number one way might not make sense, but you can always come back...