Call it the ultimate productivity hack: blurring the line between the office and the gym. There are so many ways to make progress on your To-Do list while you’re on a treadmill or under a barbell. The kind of repetitive exercises most of us use for conditioning are a perfect opportunity to make headway on any number of tasks — including the tedious ones. Today, Omar shares how he personally kills two birds with one stone, by merging work and workouts. For many of us, our gym time is a wasted opportunity to do work, or vice versa. If you hate getting in the reps, distract yourself with a little work. If admin is a slog, do it while you’re pumping iron! This works so well, it’s a wonder more entrepreneurs don’t do it. Learn an incredible multitask, and improve both your productivity and your health. Click Play!
We’re not all salespeople. It comes naturally to some. For others, nothing is more awkward than trying to get someone to buy your thing. But here’s the good news: you really don’t have to “sell” if you don’t want to. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and one of our listeners has a thriving business, ripe for expansion. The only problem? Our listener can’t stand the thought of having to do more selling. Fortunately, we’ve got a few good alternatives. In this episode, we explain why “sales” as traditionally understood is less necessary than ever before. We’ll present several ways our listener — and anyone else — can successfully run and grow a business without ever really putting on the Sales Hat. Sales-averse founders, it’s a different marketplace than it used to be. Enjoy it! Click Play!
Ever have doubts about the business you’re in? That’s natural. In fact, it’s healthy. But sometimes, we’re scared to ask ourselves if we chose the wrong path — and to answer that question honestly. Today, Omar shares a single guiding principle he’s learned over decades as an entrepreneur, having founded almost a dozen independent businesses. In all that time, one huge, crucial, clear lesson has come through about what kind of business you should run. Tune in to this episode, hear Omar’s #1 rule, and decide for yourself if the business you’re in is actually right for you. If it’s not, you can pivot and change course (we discuss how). Define success in the ways that matter most, and discover if the road you’re in leads in that direction. Click Play!
Why do you make the decisions you make? How? It’s a huge question, with huge implications for how you run your business. Today, we dive into Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow. This book by economist, psychologist, and nobel laureate Kahneman unpacks the mechanics of decision-making — and how to better optimize it. If that sounds a little deep…it is. But it’s entirely practical, and applicable to the way you make day-to-day calls in your company. In this episode, we discuss how Thinking breaks down complex concepts into understandable guidance, based on the two major kinds of decisions we make. Hear why this book is so powerful for entrepreneurs, and how understanding your own thinking can empower you to make better decisions. Click Play!
For entrepreneurs, there’s no way around writing. No matter what you sell, the written word is your primary tool for reaching potential customers. Even if you’re a great speaker or vlogger, writing will still be mostly how you market, sell, and communicate generally — even when you’re writing what you’ll say out loud. So how can you get good at it? Today, we offer a simple 30-day challenge that will force you to up your writing game. Focusing on the 3 main types of writing every entrepreneur has to master, this challenge will make you more comfortable, competent, and confident at the keyboard. Once you’re able to let your real value shine through in your writing, you’ll open up a whole new world of interaction with your audience. Best of all, it’s not about “proper” composition or hackneyed strategies. It’s just about speaking your truth more clearly. Click Play!
Thinking about starting a business? For how long now? Getting honest with ourselves about our motivations — and our fears — might be the most fundamental step toward becoming an entrepreneur. “Am I afraid to do this?” is the first question you have to answer. And you have to answer it truthfully, for better or worse. The alternative? You just keep thinking, to avoid actually doing. It’s true; we protect our alleged goals by never really pursuing them. We strategize, we dream up products, but in the end we stay behind emotional blockers that keep us firmly in our 9-to-5’s. Today, we change all that. In this episode, we discuss the powerful allure of not facing our fears, and how to get over that mental hump. Learn how to train your mindset to embrace failure, rather than fearing it. Decide once and for all whether you’re up for the challenge of entrepreneurship — whatever it brings. Click Play!
Business can get emotional — but you can’t let emotions hurt your business. The ability to navigate strong feelings and prioritize relationships over ego is a must-have skill in entrepreneurship. If networking is key, most of us can’t afford bad blood. It’s Q&A Wednesday, and we’ve got a listener who had a falling out with their former business partner. In the past, they had great success. But then things went South in a hurry. Now, our listener wants to mend fences — and potentially work together again. It’s time for a lesson in olive-branching. Today, we explore why diplomacy is so crucial in entrepreneurship, and how to bring about a detente when feelings get in the way. We’ll discuss how to reach out to heal a rift, and how to prepare for whatever reaction may come. Plus, we’ll share a little advice on how to avoid fallings-out in the first place. Learn how to take a centered, fair-minded approach to your working relationships. Click Play!
Experts agree a recession is on the horizon. Most small businesses will have to keep a closer eye on their budgets, very soon. Which means now is the perfect time to shore up your reserves, and stockpile revenue to weather the coming storm. But how can you get some extra pennies in the piggy bank, quickly and without burning out yourself or your team? Today, we offer 4 ways. Short-term revenue bursts are almost always possible, if you simply leverage the assets you have a little differently for a while. All 4 strategies in this episode require minimal time and effort to execute — and best of all, you can use them whenever you need a few bucks, regardless of the economy. Hear these 4 methods, and how we’ve applied them to boost our own business in tougher times. Click Play!
What kind of leaders do employees love most? According to this week’s Must-Read, the best leader isn’t someone who commands. It’s someone who coaches their people, unleashes their fullest potential, and trusts them to be their best. The Coaching Habit by Michael Stanier is two things at once: a primer on a coaching-based leadership philosophy, and a practical guide to make it happen. Today, we share the best takeaways from this super-valuable book, one you’ll want to keep on the shelf and refer to for years to come. The book revolves around 7 essential questions a great leader-coach should ask, and how the answers inform the path to your team’s greatness. Hear what makes this approach to leadership so powerful, and how it can give you the confidence to be the leader your team deserves — and stays loyal to through thick and thin. Click Play!
Don’t dream about starting a business. Do it! You don’t have to start by quitting your job or borrowing a ton of money. You don’t need the “perfect” product or service idea. You just need time, and practice. Today, we share 5 low-risk, low-investment businesses you can literally (yes, literally) start today. With minimal time, resources, and sweat, you can get the ball rolling on a business that can go big down the road. The key is to get the “reps” in, and watch it pay off over time. To prove it, this episode features real-world examples of people who’ve done it! All 5 of these businesses can become a viable full-time living…or even more. Learn from the success of those who’ve started small and simple, and scaled up. Click Play!