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!