On this episode of The Friday Habit podcast, our guest is David Hepburn of Hepburn Creative. He and his team are committed to optimizing the video platform for their clients before, during, and after the coronavirus pandemic crisis. Since the vast majority of business meetings (and many personal ones as well) have transitioned so abruptly to video, it is likely that you haven’t had the time to put much thought into how you come across to your colleagues on screen. David provides listeners of The...
May 15, 2020•26 min•Ep. 16
On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark discuss specific ways to come up with ideas for your business throughout the year, but particularly during this time of COVID-19 quarantine. Undoubtedly, you have noticed many businesses shifting their methodology and messaging out of necessity such as coffee shops and restaurants offering convenience and grocery items for sale to customers. If you are struggling to come up with creative solutions like this for your own business, here are 3 place...
May 08, 2020•19 min•Ep. 15
Our topic on this episode of The Friday Habit is using podcasting to communicate, inspire, motivate, and connect. There are nearly 1 million podcasts available to listeners at this point in 2020, and you likely subscribe to or listen to at least a few episodes per month. While it might have been complex to launch a podcast back in 2005 when Ben and Mark were both starting to dabble in the platform, technological advances in the past 15 years have drastically reduced the barriers to entry and mad...
May 01, 2020•22 min•Ep. 14
Welcome back to the continuation of Ben and Mark’s interview with Jonathan Stark on The Friday Habit podcast. Jonathan says that it is important to determine the metrics that a client is using or looking for during discussions with them about potential projects or else you will never be successful, and they will never be satisfied. Many clients say that they want to be “thought leaders”, but they are really looking for specific outcomes that they feel like would make them thought leaders, so get...
Apr 24, 2020•39 min•Ep. 13
Our guest on this episode of The Friday Habit is Jonathan Stark, industry thought leader, CEO of Jonathan Stark Consulting, and cohost of The Business of Authority podcast. Jonathan is working to flip the script on the traditional hourly pricing model used in freelancing and consulting. He points out that when you price your services based on hours, you are creating an unnecessary limit on earning potential. Instead, he advocates for a value-based pricing model that is based on the value of your...
Apr 17, 2020•26 min•Ep. 12
On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark shine some light on the ethereal subject that is website improvements as only two people who are experienced in branding and creative website creation could do. In fact, they outline 7 ways to improve your website that will not only provide you with a clearer and more effective website but also with greater clarity on your brand as a whole. Make your text bite-sized – You shouldn’t have any big paragraphs that cause the reader to audibly grunt wh...
Apr 10, 2020•20 min•Ep. 11
On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark talk with Dr. Sherry Walling, a clinical psychologist with a specialization in trauma and stress. She works with people in high-intensity jobs, particularly entrepreneurs, so she has been trained in the space of chaos and has the advantage of experience in knowing how to navigate uncertain times. Sherry says that during this time of coronavirus affecting countries all over the world and the subsequent impacts on the economy, many people are exper...
Apr 03, 2020•30 min•Ep. 10
Ben and Mark take a step back from their planned episodes of The Friday Habit to address ways to run your business in these unusual times. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs are struggling to know the next right steps, but there is hope and there are some simple ways that you can keep things moving: Reach out to your network – Call or send messages to your clients and other people you have business relationships with to check in and see how they are doing. Encourage them during these u...
Mar 27, 2020•17 min•Ep. 9
So how do you retain more of your current clients and increase their lifetime value over time? On this episode of The Friday Habit podcast, Ben and Mark provide their top 3 ways and recommend some awesome resources to help you along the way. Package or productize your service – Mike McDerment wrote the e-book “Breaking the Time Barrier” demonstrating this topic, which we highly recommend that you read. Horizontal integration such as expanding your current product offerings based on demand and ne...
Mar 20, 2020•23 min•Ep. 8
The topic of this episode of The Friday Habit is dealing with business envy. Everyone struggles with comparison and the temptation to be judgmental of yourself and others in the context of business, and when you are in the heat of the moment it can be difficult to see things from the right perspective. Even if you didn’t get that new client or promotion, you are doing better than you think you are. Here are four ways to help combat this business envy and get a better understanding of your own st...
Mar 13, 2020•21 min•Ep. 7
Whether you realize it or not, when you say “yes” to anything, you are saying “no” to everything else in that situation. On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark discuss the wrong ways that people typically say “no” and the one right way that will be in everyone’s best interest. You could think of this like a financial budget, as described by several business leaders including Michael Hyatt, where overspending in one area will make you go into debt somewhere else. In his book, “The Powe...
Mar 06, 2020•19 min•Ep. 6
If you are living with the “live every day like it’s Friday” mentality like Mark and Ben are, you know how this shift in perspective can boost your energy level and help you find the good things in each day, seeing every problem as an opportunity to do something right. This perspective carries over into many aspects of your working life and is especially pertinent to the implementation of effective meetings. Maybe you have never been a part of a meeting that you would define as “effective”, so h...
Feb 28, 2020•15 min•Ep. 5
Based upon the book "Profit First," Ben and Mark share the concept of setting aside profit for yourself first by simply creating different bank accounts (for operating expenses, owner's compensation, taxes and profit). Then, you put a percentage of what is made each pay period into each account. Each quarter, you change the percentages as needed. One of the many perks is it helps you assess reoccurring expenses more often. The four keys to creating stability include: Keep your overhead low – If ...
Feb 21, 2020•25 min•Ep. 4
Too often, distractions invade our world and keep us from accomplishing everything we have set out to do in a certain timeframe. Whether you find that your distractions are of your own making or the result of those who work around you, hopefully you can find some good insights and action items in these 3 simple strategies for staying focused at work: Stick to a time management plan such as the Pomodoro technique – Block out some time during your day when you can commit 25 minutes to focus on one...
Feb 14, 2020•16 min•Ep. 3
Whether you find yourself constantly procrastinating or you are specifically avoiding a particular task, hopefully you realize that you can’t put it off forever and eventually you will have to do it. Why not just get started right now? Ben shares his 5 tips for beating procrastination: Think through the process – Create some space for yourself each week to consider your upcoming tasks and define the physical actions involved in each one. While having a task like “get better health insurance” on ...
Feb 07, 2020•17 min•Ep. 2
Main Topic 5 Habits That Will Revolutionize Your Business Learn every week Let others curate for you Subscribe to make it automatic (podcasts, emails) Capture new ideas Write it down right when you think of it Use team messaging Encourage others to contribute Document problems Example: Taking too much time to quote small changes to sites turned into a membership Perform a weekly review Schedule it on the calendar Talk through each of the ideas and problems Make decisions and assign action items ...
Jan 31, 2020•16 min•Ep. 1
Are you too busy doing work for your customers to make critical changes to your business? We’re here to help you set aside time every Friday to improve your business. So you can stop feeling behind and instead build a business that works for you.
Jan 22, 2020•1 min
