Self-Improvement Is Crushing Your Business | Businessing

Don’t Rent Your Business From One AI Tool | Businessing

The AI tools making you faster can also become a business risk. When everything you run lives inside one model, you don't own that part of your business, you're renting it. Pat Miller breaks down why going all-in on a single AI tool can quietly turn into a liability, and how to use it hard while keeping a backup nobody can switch off. He's joined by Melissa Gregory of Automation Bird Dog on getting your processes out of your head and automating without breaking your team, and by Erin Perkins of Successable for a live Idea Slam on pricing and positioning an accessibility tool for agencies instead of solo owners. Plus the real answer on whether domain names still matter, and a quick World Cup check-in. It's a packed Thursday for owners who want to work smarter without handing over the keys. In this episode: 00:00 - Welcome to Businessing 01:40 - Are domain names still worth it? 09:32 - Melissa Gregory: automate without breaking your team (Automation Bird Dog) 21:03 - World Cup check-in 22:06 - Don't rent your business from one AI tool 26:26 - Athena Legal Solutions 28:21 - Idea Slam: price and position for agencies (Erin Perkins, Successable) 47:45 - Inside the Small Business Owners Community 48:38 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe 50:44 - Fridays Off framework: three problems to solve today Resources mentioned: - Melissa Gregory, Automation Bird Dog, free automation readiness assessment (use promo code OWNIT) - Trainual, the SOP and training tool Melissa uses - Erin Perkins, Successable, the accessibility checker for your site and content: mabelyq.com - Athena Legal Solutions, free legal confidence review: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe - Small Business Owners Community: smallbusinesscommunity.com Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #AIForSmallBusiness #Automation #Accessibility

Self-Improvement Is Crushing Your Business | Businessing

Self-improvement is crushing your business. The fastest way to grow isn't getting a little less bad at the thing you hate, it's handing that thing to a person or a robot who's great at it and pouring your time into the work only you can do. Pat Miller makes the counterintuitive case that shoring up your weaknesses is quietly slowing your business down. He walks through a simple two-list exercise to figure out what to offload and where to double down, then runs a live Idea Slam with broadcaster and nonprofit auctioneer Mitch Nelles on selling the transformation instead of the service. You'll also hear a real-talk segment on the AI scams now hitting one in four small businesses, and the boring, doable fixes that actually protect you. It's for owners who are tired of doing everything and ready to spend their time where it counts. In this episode: 00:00 - Welcome to Businessing 00:36 - Why self-improvement is crushing your business 05:10 - How to borrow attention from the World Cup 07:25 - AI scams hitting one in four small businesses 12:09 - Athena Legal Solutions 14:15 - Idea Slam: sell the transformation, not the service (Mitch Nelles) 31:49 - What the Idea Slam taught us about positioning 33:17 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe 35:14 - Inside the Small Business Owners Community 36:49 - Fridays Off framework: three problems to solve today Resources mentioned: - Athena Legal Solutions, free legal confidence review: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe - Mitch Nelles, host of the Mason Crosby Show (Wisconsin Sports Radio Network) and nonprofit auctioneer Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Delegation #AIForSmallBusiness #Productivity

Good Problems Mean Your Business Works | Businessing

You know that line in the old movies when somebody says it's quiet...it's too quiet? That's your business in the calm right before everything hits the fan, and today I make the case that having more problems is actually a sign things are working. I walk through three ways to go find better problems when your to-do list feels too comfortable, then Gjeret Stein joins me to talk about his new book, Cheap IT Is Expensive. If you've ever handed your website, email, or domain to a vendor and never looked back, this one's a wake-up call. We close with the daily Fridays Off framework: find free time, fund the business, finish the right stuff. It's a quick listen for any owner who wants to stop coasting and run for the ice cream truck while they still can. In this episode: 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q] - Why good problems mean your business is working 02:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=150s] - Three ways to find better problems in your business 04:48 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=288s] - Don't get old: run for the ice cream 05:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=340s] - Gjeret Stein on why cheap IT is expensive 07:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=469s] - You don't actually own your email or your domain 11:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=711s] - A checklist to take back control of your business tech 14:47 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=887s] - AI privacy: free tools versus paid enterprise tools 17:24 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=1044s] - Headlines: the Iran timeline and falling oil prices 18:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=1106s] - Toy Story 5 breaks an animation record 20:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=1203s] - The positive AI story we actually need 22:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=1356s] - How to discount without lowering your price 25:34 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_kFcEW10Q&t=1534s] - Find free time, fund the business, finish the right stuff Resources mentioned: * Gjeret Stein's book, Cheap IT Is Expensive (e-book on sale through Friday) * Athena Legal Solutions, today's sponsor: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com * Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe in West Allis: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe * Google's live translation feature * Check in live during the show: live.smallbusinesscommunity.com 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFri... [https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbW1nWFB6TUpCX19DcUZFQ1IzRHRMbDk3bVEzUXxBQ3Jtc0tsRFJRbUMwOENUZzVXNjk0VEpYTXdhTldDU20ycDN0cDFJTVFpaUd2MVRLRDFRRjBublRzWVVnVm9ial9tSUl1bC14d2tFYTUwX0pLaktqVkdjSjlpUzE5V3FvbmhTMm9zZHN2djV5MVJaTlkwTzFrdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fbusinessing-with-pat-miller%2Fid1870663109&v=YD_kFcEW10Q] 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUttVk13SWc2bzhGNmhhdGNBcjloSHdZdFY5QXxBQ3Jtc0ttUV9mNEp0NnR5M05MRFROZWpocWpTVFQ2N25nejhGS3VXS0FiYlNzMjhtSWVVbG9XZ2dIa0wyaUFGRDRHWWJrX1haanZMczFTQ080VzQyeTUteG84RDlpS2M2WUt1ZmI5YTdNRk8zX2RzMXI5WVhTQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbusinessing.captivate.fm%2Flisten&v=YD_kFcEW10Q] 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNrZmxHQlFwczVtN2pCTXhWZ3RoYmxxX3g1QXxBQ3Jtc0tuR25mUjN0OG9yN2MxdGpMeEJyV0tJNVNTaWtXX3BWU2tJM01QVGRlUVpPaV9GamV6YXd2WHNxWnRINm93c0NUNzVEU09JT1FlMk1Db0o3SEJweldvU0FsMklKaUROUzUyMXJvVXVwbjg3X0NabGJSWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ffridaysoffnewsletter.com%2F&v=YD_kFcEW10Q] 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWFsS3BJMUxLUzNUM3NROXM4SHg1eFJMQjJvUXxBQ3Jtc0tseFRUVUVzOF9TVUFnTURRUnhYY2pDOHpqTzV6THNDN0dUZjRaVEtUMUpRQ005eHBuR2RDUEY4RGQyLVZpLXBlMGdrZWYxVWJfcFlCUkJoaFdnU0tuVnlJazFIVG9IWE1vei02OWs5M09zcXZuekN5WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallbusinesscommunity.com%2F&v=YD_kFcEW10Q]#SmallBusiness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/smallbusiness] #Entrepreneurship [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/entrepreneurship] #PatMiller [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/patmiller] #SmallBusinessIT [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/smallbusinessit] #Cybersecurity [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cybersecurity]

Small Business Burnout? 3 Ways to Reset | Businessing

Small business burnout is real, and when you're the business, you can't afford to run at 80%. If things feel heavy and slow and harder than they need to be, this one's for you. I've got three ways to relight the fire. I just got back from a week off, a twelve hundred mile golf trip with my dad, and it reminded me exactly how a solo owner gets the spark back. Put the phone down and get off the algorithm. Get in person, where the stuff you can't plan for happens. And get in the car for a road trip, because there's nothing like being somewhere new to recharge your battery. Then Carolyn Jahnke from Athena Legal Solutions walks through why owners wait too long to call a lawyer and how to protect yourself before things go sideways, and we run a live Idea Slam with wedding DJ Alex Perez of AMP Events on how to book more gigs under his own brand. In this episode: 00:00 - Back from vacation and what's on today's show 01:50 - Why burnout hits solo business owners harder 03:10 - Beat burnout step 1: put your phone down 05:31 - Beat burnout step 2: get in person 07:51 - Beat burnout step 3: take a road trip 14:26 - Why business owners wait too long to call a lawyer (Athena Legal) 18:43 - Urgent vs important in your contracts 20:22 - What jurisdiction and venue clauses really mean 21:59 - What AI means for your contracts and terms of service 23:02 - The free Legal Confidence Review 26:13 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe 28:17 - Idea Slam: how a wedding DJ books more gigs (Alex Perez) 31:01 - Sell the transformation, not the service 35:28 - Positioning AMP Events: it's all about you 39:35 - QR codes, reviews, and recording the mix as a gift 46:59 - SBOC update and weekly Idea Slams in July Resources mentioned: - Athena Legal Solutions, free Legal Confidence Review with Carolyn Jahnke: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe - Alex Perez, DJ AMP / AMP Events (Houston wedding and event DJ) - Gig platforms discussed: The Knot, The Bash, Thumbtack - Prairie Club, Nebraska (the golf trip) Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Burnout #Solopreneur #SmallBusinessTips

How to Actually Take a Week Off | Businessing with Pat Miller

Taking time off isn't optional. You're going to take it whether you like it or not, because if you don't, you'll get sick or burn out or both. So you might as well lean into rest as part of a healthy business. This is Pat's last show before a full week off, so he walks through exactly how he gets ready to actually disconnect: the five steps to claim a week, clean it out, keep your business telling its story while you're gone, hand the work back to your partners, and then truly go. Then Katherine Breuss from AG45 joins as a guest and shares her "5 A's" diagnostic for finding the real problem in your business instead of the one that's just throbbing like a sore toe. Plus the news you need to know, why 45% of diners just switched their favorite restaurant and what that means for your client list, and Samsung letting new hires pick their own AI. In this episode: 00:00 - It's Thursday, and we are Businessing 01:05 - Big story: your next vacation isn't optional 03:25 - The 5 steps to actually take a week off 12:40 - News you need to know: Pentagon lockdown, Iran, and restaurant loyalty 17:05 - Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions 18:50 - Guest interview: Katherine Breuss and the 5 A's diagnostic 33:40 - AI story: Samsung lets employees pick their AI tool 36:05 - Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe 38:05 - In the community: Substack vs blogging and a live Idea Slam 39:50 - Fridays Off Framework: find time, fund the business, finish the right stuff 41:35 - Where Pat's headed: a week of golf in Nebraska Resources mentioned: - Katherine Breuss, AG45 (Accelerate Growth 45), and her "Become a True Business Owner" assessment: AG45.com - The 5 A's diagnostic: All in, Aligned, Advocates, Act, Accountable - Samsung letting new employees choose their AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude) - Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com - Paul's Jewelers, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com - 7C's Cafe, inside Paul's Jewelers: 7cs.cafe - Check in on the live map: live.smallbusinesscommunity.com 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #WorkLifeBalance #TimeOff #Burnout