Some people might think that a personal brand is only important for entrepreneurs who are the face of their companies, but that’s not true! Think of a personal brand as a strong reputation rooted in your strengths… who doesn’t need that? When Jason and Nicole get a caller question about building a personal brand, they decide to phone-a-friend: Aliza Licht, an incredible marketing guru. Jason, Nicole and Aliza take today's caller through an exercise that you can use to build your reputation, get ...
May 16, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's listener has a small Instagram following— and it cost her a job opportunity. In our current work culture, is a social media following a nice to have, or a need to have? It's a big question, but Jason has the answer. Plus, if you want to grow your social media audience, Jason shares the strategies that have worked for him.
May 11, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Picture this: you come face-to-face with someone who really wronged you... what do you do? Jason and Nicole have both been there, and yet they handled it very differently (today's episode title is a big hint). Despite their different approaches, Jason and Nicole agree on the best mechanism to achieve closure after someone hurts you. Today, they pass it on to you.
May 09, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Getting a crummy evaluation from your boss is no fun; but giving a crummy evaluation is nearly as difficult. Today's listener is a new manager up against her first round of performance reviews. She has to have an honest conversation with one employee who has been trouble for the rest of the team— and her anxiety is through the roof. Jason shares his winning formula for having a tough conversation.
May 04, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Nicole and Jason are joined by a founder Nicole critiqued on this very podcast. Tea! This conversation could have gone one of two ways, but how this founder responds is *chef's kiss* perfection. This conversation will leave you with a script you can use next time you get some tough feedback. Find the most excellent Kim Kaupe here: https://kimkaupe.com/
May 02, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast You have a hard decision to make. In front of you are two choices. Both are scary. Neither is perfect. So you’re frozen between the two. Which do you pick? Today, Jason gives you a way to decide.
Apr 27, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast According to a study by The Harris Poll last year, fifty percent of Americans want to make a career change. But knowing you want to make a change is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what change you want to make. That's the challenge today's caller is facing. Nicole and Jason give him— and you— the road map to set out in a new career direction.
Apr 25, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone wants a mentor, but what if the relationship goes sour? That’s the question stumping today’s listener. Jason gives his guidance on how to fix the situation—and his advice is the polar opposite of what this listener expected.
Apr 20, 2023•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Nicole's experience, networking and building relationships has been the single most valuable resource for her career. But let's be honest: networking is hard, and not always fun. That's where Jon Levy comes in. Jon is a behavioral scientist specializing in connection, and today he tells Nicole science-backed hacks for successful relationship-building.
Apr 18, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's listener works at a big law firm, but is tempted by success stories of entrepreneurial friends who have started their own businesses. She's wondering: is it better to have the security of working at a big company? Or, is being your own boss everything it's cracked up to be? Jason gives us the tools to answer this question for ourselves.
Apr 13, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode turns into a Sliding Doors special; today's helpline caller worked with Jason at a local newspaper over two decades ago. Since then, his career hasn't had the linear upward trajectory he hoped for— which has left him making about half the salary he wants. Today, Jason and Nicole break down how to play catch-up.
Apr 11, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's caller wants to apply for a particular job, but he doesn't have all of the qualifications required. Should he even bother applying? Jason's answer: absolutely! Jason hands over the cheat code for making the argument that you're right for a job— even if, on paper, you're not.
Apr 06, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Nicole rings the helpline to get Jason's advice: she's struggling with overwhelming stress around making sales calls for the very podcast you're listening to right now. Even though you won't find "sales" in Nicole's job title, it's still a part of her work. This is true for all of us; even if your job doesn't involve convincing someone to buy something, no matter your role, you will need to convince others to buy into your ideas. Jason shares how a "soft sales" approach and a particular m...
Apr 04, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Running a business with friends can be a whole lot of fun.... until it's not. Today's caller wants to know: how can you protect against business hurting a friendship? To learn more about Word on the Block, check 'em out: https://www.wordontheblock.biz/
Mar 30, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nicole gives you three steps to take your woodworking/travel blog/macrame empire from part-time to big-time.
Mar 28, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can you live “happily ever after” if you and your partner have completely different definitions of work-life balance? That’s the listener question Jason tackles head-on in today’s episode. If you’re feeling like you have to choose between being a good romantic partner and a good business partner, Jason has some tips for you.
Mar 23, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast No one likes to think about getting laid off, but the worst-case scenario is that you get laid off and it takes you completely by surprise. A better scenario (although still a sucky one), is to get laid off, but be prepared to chase your next opportunity. Today, Nicole shares six signs that your company might be announcing layoffs.
Mar 21, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s guest sent Jason a cold DM over LinkedIn pitching himself for a writing gig. There was just one little problem with his initial message. Jason takes the guest through a masterclass in cold outreach and gives you hacks you can use to write emails that people actually respond to.
Mar 16, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What if all of your money vanished overnight? That's the reality for founders who banked with Silicon Valley Bank, a popular institution for startups, that crashed late last week. Today, Nicole talks to a founder who is in the trenches trying to get her money back from SVB. This conversation is a masterclass in how to deal with a crisis at work, rally help from unlikely sources, and communicate the hard sh*t. To hear the full backstory of SVB's rise and fall, click here: https://link.chtbl.com/L...
Mar 14, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thousands of employees have been laid off so far in 2023. If you're one of them, Jason has actionable steps you can take to keep moving your career ahead. Plus, Jason sits down with Jonathan Salant (on his last day of work!), after being recently laid off from his post as the sole journalist in Washington reporting on New Jersey politics. Jason and Jonathan describe the bigger picture of what's at stake during the most recent wave of layoffs— and how you can be impacted by layoffs even if you're...
Mar 09, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s caller gets overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety whenever clients ask for her project rate… so she often lowballs herself. That ends today! Nicole talks her through a strategy that you can use when negotiating for the pay you deserve.
Mar 07, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Turns out, you can build relationships with industry leaders by sliding into their DMs. Today, a special guest deconstructs how he successfully used social media to build his network. Plus, you'll learn exactly what to say when trying this at home.
Mar 02, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast From The Beatles, to Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, to any high school group project: there are endless examples of partnerships gone wrong. Today, Jason and Nicole share a foolproof blueprint for a productive relationship, whether you’re working with a business partner, or a romantic partner.
Feb 28, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever dreamed of creating a product? What if you launch it... and nobody cares? That's the problem facing today's listener, who asks Jason for advice. Then they discover a shocker: Her problem isn't at all what she thought!
Feb 23, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jason and Nicole discover a shared secret: neither of them feel like they've "made it." As it turns out, this is super normal. We all have moments of insecurity around our work; but today, Jason and Nicole give you the antidote.
Feb 21, 2023•19 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Do you feel like you "have a book in you?" If so, you should: 1) Probably get that checked out and 2) Listen here for Jason's five tips on writing a successful book— and maybe even getting your book cover on a billboard in Times Square.
Feb 16, 2023•30 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Believe it or not, it is possible to oversell yourself when networking. Jason calls it "story inflation"— and you don't want to do it. But at the same time, you don't want to deflate yourself either. You want to represent yourself Goldilocks style: in a way that's juuuuust right. Nicole and Jason share their do's and don'ts that will help you nail your next intro.
Feb 14, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast There aren't enough hours in the day... unless you make some more. Jason shows you how to pull this off with four savvy strategies.
Feb 09, 2023•16 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Jason and Nicole give their do's and don'ts of taking feedback gracefully. And, they walk their producer through crafting an email reply to some feedback that is a little close to home. Per my last email, you won't want to miss this!
Feb 07, 2023•18 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Research shows that most people experience anxiety around public speaking... but Jason has your back! He gives you four strategies that will help you ace your next presentation.
Feb 02, 2023•19 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast 
