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10 | The one where we cope with Jon’s death

58m · Adventures in Businessing: Entrepreneurship, Small Business, and a Healthy Dose of Humor · 11 Feb 06:19

The crew comes to terms with life without Jon. ...James gets so choked up that he can't pronounce the show title. James, Kevin, and Kenny proceed to suggest many ways to bring Jon back…which includes everything from replacing him with his twin, picking another Jon from the multiverse, to cloning. (Spoiler: Due to the dark turn this show has taken, Jon may very well be undead at this point. Find out in Episode 11!) We also learn that Kenny has baby arms, like that of a newborn T-Rex.

Criticism and You:

  • What do you do when other's critique your work?
    • Make sure you're absorbing the feedback, regardless.
    • Harsh words and mean spirits don't negate the truth.
      • Be self aware and humble enough to take criticism.
    • Analyze, are they a troll, or just rude?
    • Be careful how you respond; think before you act.
    • "I'm not concerned with whether your critics can sleep at night, I'm concerned with whether you can sleep at night." - James
The guys take a mid-show break with a fantastic product of Taco-Bell's finest food-mancers, the Naked Chicken Chalupa. Now antibiotic free!

WordCamp Breakdown:

  • Conference season is here.
    • How can you get the most out of your experience as a business owner, freelancer, etc.?
    • Increasing a conference's value for a business.
    • What IS a hallway track??
    • Go in with a plan.
    • Be strategic and network with a purpose.
  • If you are sponsoring a WordCamp, take it seriously.
    • Are you trying to raise brand awareness, launch a product, or revitalize interest in your offerings?
    • Don't be a swag robot...unless you are Swagbot 9,000.
    • Leave your options open, there are other ways to raise awareness.
    • Trade time...or in Kenny's case, dignity for money.
      • Grassroots/Guerilla Marketing
      • The superhero origin of the Kenatee.
    • Why the WP Ninjas won't be sponsoring as avidly in 2016.
    • Sunglasses and T-shirts are a wonderful method of marketing.
      • T-shirts are potential expensive, branded sunglasses much less so
      • Make sure your logo is prominently displayed on the back!
  • Don't be afraid to approach new people.
    • Implant yourself in a group.
    • People in the WordPress community are generally super inviting.
    • Look for the relationships that bring synergy to you & the companies you are trying to connect with.
AIB then signs off with a 'If Kenny were president, what would be his top five executive orders signed off day one?'
Special thanks to the CrashJonesBand for providing us with our theme music. No One Can Tell You How To Live by CrashJonesBand

The episode 10 | The one where we cope with Jon’s death from the podcast Adventures in Businessing: Entrepreneurship, Small Business, and a Healthy Dose of Humor has a duration of 58:32. It was first published 11 Feb 06:19. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

More episodes from Adventures in Businessing: Entrepreneurship, Small Business, and a Healthy Dose of Humor

Leading to Fulfillment - Episode Zero

While there will not be new episodes of Adventures in Businessing, we are excited to announce a brand new podcast. Here is a sneak peek with our episode zero.

Leading to Fulfillment is a weekly 30 to 40 minute podcast that highlights the impact of People-First leaders and teams where fulfillment is the true measure of success.. In each episode James Laws has conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and other thinkers from all walks of life and kinds of businesses to find out how they think & lead differently and make decisions that lead to fulfilling work and fulfilled teams.

Parting on Good Terms

Show Notes:

  • [0:00:38] Intro | Timely Topics
    • Final Episode of Adventures in Businessing!
    • Brief Recap
  • [0:04:00] How Do We Walk Away From Partnerships?
    • How do we walk away without resentment?
    • How do you end on good terms?
    • Storytime with Jeremy!
  • [0:12:16] The Best Ways to End Well
    • Start well. 
    • Try to keep emotion out of the equation as best you can. 
  • [0:17:00] What to do About Toxic Partnerships
  • [0:25:30] Parting Words
    • The finality of life ends al partnerships...
    • Last man standing?
      • Likely James
    • Walk through all the what-ifs...including your will.

Navigating Tension in a Business Partnership

Show Notes:

  • [0:00:38] Intro | Timely Topics
    • Last time on Adventures in Businessing
    • Quoting Nacho Libre
  • [0:02:34] All Relationships Have Tension
    • How does one get around inevitable tension?
    • Tensions are typically a good sign that you care.
    • Have well-defined roles to alleviate the pressure and stress.
    • You need to be a little thick skinned.
    • Misalignment is the genesis of many tensions.
    • Navigating tension lies in transparency and communication.
    • Fundamental disagreements can happen.
  • [0:10:05] If You Want to Navigate Tension Well, You Have to Navigate it Often
    • You have to talk about the business and eachother, the overall feeling, on a recurring basis.
    • If left unchecked, tension becomes passive aggressive tendencies, a lack of empathy for eachother, or outright hostility.
    • Embrace differences.
    • Be open about misunderstandings.
      • It's okay to be vulnerable and honest above being prideful and full of false confidence.
    • Trust above all else.
  • [0:22:47] The Decision Matrix & Preemptively Stopping Tensions
    • Motivation
    • Goals
    • Vision
    • Values
    • Objectives
    • All should be heard and considered.
    • Bringing in a third voice/partner can help.
  • [0:27:32] Conclusion & Takeaways
    • Communicating is key.
    • Assume the best.
    • Be willing to give and receive constructive critique.

Why Form a Business Partnership

Show Notes:

  • [0:00:39] Intro | Timely Topics
    • Last time on AIB...
  • [0:04:09] Benefits of Starting a Partnership Before You've Started a Business
    • You don't have to be good at everything.
      • You can lean on your partner to fill in the gaps.
    • Look for someone who brings skills to the table you don't have.
    • Feel out the relationship with the potential partner before overcommiting.
      • You ideally want a partner with similar enthusiasms and energy levels.
    • Even if you get along, if you can't agree on the vision...that's a huge red flag.
  • [0:20:36] Trust is Essential
    • If you have one thing, let it be trust.
    • Stress equity and sharing the load.
    • Spend time in your strengths.
    • Sustainability is just as essential as trust.
    • Ideally, the people you partner should be of the same calibur of people you'd trust your own child with.
    • Conflict has a greater cost in partnerships and friendships.
  • [0:28:21] Parting Thoughts
    • What's the right partner percentage?
    • What's the right number of partners?
    • Evaluate, discuss, be transparent.
    • "A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship."

How to Get the Most out of Business Events

Show Notes:

  • [0:00:58] Intro | Timely Topics
    • Jeremy is REALLY excited about this one.
  • [0:02:30] How to Choose a Business Event
    • The Nitty Gritty: Hotel selection, what to eat? 
    • Is there a way to predetermine things about the event you wish to attend?
      • You must determine what you’re looking for out of a conference.
        • What are your outcomes?
    • “We live in a magical world…because internet”
      • There’s a workshop, virtual and in-person, for everything you can imagine-- technical and rudimentary.
  • [0:09:45] You’ve Picked out Your Event..What Now?
    • How to prepare to get the most out of our event.
      • What are the talks or discussions you must hear?
      • Search the hashtag and note the attendees, then energize conversations with those people.
        • Knowing who is going to be there can work in your favor.
      • Look at the schedule.
        • Have a plan.
      • Consider arriving early.
        • ...and leaving a little early?
      • Treat your business events and travel like full-on PTO.
        • Ensure your team knows you won't be available.
        • The event is the work.
      • The "all-in-one" event can prevent headaches and uncertainty.
        • Preventing choice paralysis.
      • Take the time to unpack and process AT the event.
        • Talk to your team or write about it, thus making it less likely to forget the important details you want or need to remember.
        • Compare notes with those who attended the same or similar presentations.
        • If you go alone, that's a great excuse to make a friend...if you're extroverted. 😉
  • [0:21:45] Prepare to be Presented with More than You can Rationally Absorb
    • You'll have to exercise your "keep, process, discard" muscle.
    • No one will know or tell if you don't attend EVERY lecture or discussion.
      • You don't have to waste your time if you know something isn't for you, or if you're simply overloaded.
    • Two hours of good content can justify an entire trip.
  • [0:27:05] Closing Comments | Last Round of Advice
    • Seat selection is important.
      • If you're unsure about the talk, sit back and/or to the side, to politely excuse yourself.
    • Business events are worth the effort, and if you pick a bad one, try again.