"Community" has become a buzzword but when it's done right, it's also an incredibe tool. This is where you find support from others. It's a living, breathing resource. In this episode, Jason Feifer talks with Pat Flynn, cofounder of the community Smart Passive Income, about how to build and foster great relationships. And if you're building a business or audience online, you can now join and interact with them both inside the SPI community! Learn more at https://bit.ly/SPI-Jason...
Nov 24, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes, a company creates an amazing solution... but clients don't understand why they need it. What do you do then? Garry Cooper has the answer, because it's exactly what he had to do at his company Rheaply. Here's the problem, as Rheaply saw it: At large companies, employees often buy things the company already has. They also throw out things the company could still use. That's because there's no way for everyone in the company to know what they have, what they need, and how to get items ac...
Nov 20, 2023•32 min•Ep 328•Transcript available on Metacast This may sound counterintuitive, but your business doesn't HAVE to be on social media. In fact, social media might not even be the best tool for your growth. Amelia Hruby, host of the podcast Off the Grid, explains how to leave social media without hurting your business and the many other marketing tools that you should pour your energy into instead....
Nov 13, 2023•33 min•Ep 327•Transcript available on Metacast People often say they want positive news stories, but they rarely read them. Sean Devlin wanted to know: Why? So he set out to find out and has since built a newsletter, called Nice News (at nicenews.com ), that now has 450,000 subscribers. So how did he do it? And how can you build a strong newsletter for any niche subject? That's what we discuss on this episode of Problem Solvers. Sponsor: Harvard Business Review. Access's HBR's unlimited content start at only $10 a month. visit www.hbr.org/su...
Nov 06, 2023•27 min•Ep 326•Transcript available on Metacast Lots of companies say they put their customers first, but what does it mean to be a truly people-centric organization? According to Rah Mahtani, Alibaba.com 's head of marketing for North America, it means changing the way you think about your customers as well as the products you design for them, and the marketing you create to reach them. Here, he breaks down some great "people-centric" examples of product design, and explains how Alibaba brings people (aka customers!) into their process....
Oct 30, 2023•36 min•Ep 325•Transcript available on Metacast How can we solve the biggest problems, in our company or our world, if we can't agree on what the problem is or who wants to solve it? Here's a case study that'll surprise you. Climate change is described as a generational battle, in which young people care and older people dont. But this is a perfect example of how we think about generations all wrong and that has big consequences. If we can drop our assumptions about generational divides, we might just have a shot at solving some of the worlds...
Oct 23, 2023•38 min•Ep 324•Transcript available on Metacast Cal Fussman is a master storyteller, and he's been thinking a lot about AI lately. Why? "This debate between authenticity and artificial intelligence is the battle of the next millennium," he says. When robots can communicate for us, how can we be more human? When we can automate much of our writing and production, how do we share our authentic selves and connect to others? These questinos have never been more important, and Cal host of the podcast "Big Questions" and former Esquire writer who's...
Oct 16, 2023•25 min•Ep 323•Transcript available on Metacast Not every company has a whiz-bang product, so how can you make it pop? Squarespace Chief Creative Officer David Lee has done that, winning tons of awards and making campaigns with the likes of Adam Driver, Zendaya, Dolly Parton, Keanu Reeves and John Malkovich (which earned him an Emmy). Here, he offers a unique way for entrepreneurs to think about their brands, and some big questions to ask when you start crafting your new stories....
Oct 09, 2023•26 min•Ep 322•Transcript available on Metacast How can a comedy/magic show compete against every other entertainment option, especially when most people aren't thinking of going to magic shows? In this special episode celebrating Entrepreneur and Yelp's list of America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, we take an inside look at Trickery in Chicago by zeroing in on one customer interaction, and what made it so special. This episode is in partnership with the podcast Behind the Review....
Oct 02, 2023•26 min•Ep 321•Transcript available on Metacast Want to sound smarter? Want to be more comfortable speaking on the fly, whether it's giving a presentation or just rolling with a conversation? You don't have to memorize what you're saying, but you do need a structure that helps your ideas stick. Stanford lecturer Matt Abrahams, author of the new book "Think Faster, Talk Smarter", explains how to do it and offers some specific structures you can start using today....
Sep 25, 2023•22 min•Ep 320•Transcript available on Metacast Seth Goldman wants to change people's behavior, and he sees business as the way to do it. He founded Honest Tea, chaired the board of Beyond Meat, and now has a company called Eat the Change. In this conversation, he discusses how to be a pragmatic activist, and what it really takes to build a sustainable, mass market brand. Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation...
Sep 18, 2023•27 min•Ep 319•Transcript available on Metacast How can a small gym compete against a world of big, well-funded chains? In this special episode celebrating Entrepreneur and Yelp's list of America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, we take an inside look at Ambitious Athletics in Washington DC by zeroing in on one customer interaction, and what made it so special. This episode is in partnership with the podcast Behind the Review....
Sep 11, 2023•28 min•Ep 318•Transcript available on Metacast Joelle Mertzel is the president of Kitchen Concepts Unlimited, and the self-declared "national advocate for countertop butter." What's that last part about? It's her way of drawing more attention and expanding her marketplace and it's working. Today, she explains the benefits of creating a cause... instead of just selling a product....
Sep 04, 2023•27 min•Ep 317•Transcript available on Metacast How can a small theater compete against a world of big, well-funded entertainment? In this special episode celebrating Entrepreneur and Yelp's list of America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, we take an inside look at Illusions Bar & Theater in Baltimore by zeroing in on one customer interaction, and what made it so special. This episode is in partnership with the podcast Behind the Review....
Aug 28, 2023•30 min•Ep 316•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever called a company, given your information to an automated phone system, and then had to repeat that same information to a human customer service agent? Why do that twice? It's so annoying! On this episode, we get the answer (and an important lesson on tech adoption!) from Eric Skeens and Brandon Bird of 3 Tree Tech....
Aug 21, 2023•24 min•Ep 315•Transcript available on Metacast People say they want eco-friendly products, but they rarely actually buy them. Why? Because their marketing is all wrong. Utah State University marketing professor Ed Stafford explains. Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation...
Aug 14, 2023•29 min•Ep 314•Transcript available on Metacast Simplicity! In this episode, legendary creative Peter Arnell (who helped shape DKNY, Samsung, PepsiCo, and more) breaks down his creative process and shares how to make the most complex ideas memorably simple. Peter's new book is "Peter Arnell: Portfolio 1980 - 2020"....
Aug 07, 2023•26 min•Ep 313•Transcript available on Metacast At The Lactation Network, anyone can opt out of any meeting. Why? Because CEO Sarah Kellogg Neff has a philosophy about meetings and company culture and you need to hear it....
Jul 31, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Advertising legend David Droga, founder of Droga5 and now head of Accenture Song, explains why there should be more creatives in the C-suite and why creatives should start seeing themselves as business leaders....
Jul 24, 2023•34 min•Ep 311•Transcript available on Metacast James Burstall is a high-powered entertainment producer, but he's also a guy who saved his business from disaster many times. His new book, The Flexible Method, offers a 16-point way to prepare for and navigate any disaster. He shares some of his points here....
Jul 17, 2023•23 min•Ep 310•Transcript available on Metacast Multiple studies prove it: Sustainable products make people happier, and inspire them to spend more money. We go through the research with Thomas McKinlay of Ariyh.com . Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation...
Jul 10, 2023•20 min•Ep 309•Transcript available on Metacast What you say is important, but how you say it matters even more. Tone coach Marshall Davis Jones, author of the new book "Tonal Influence", explains how to master the meaning behind your words....
Jul 03, 2023•34 min•Ep 308•Transcript available on Metacast LinkedIn has made some big changes to its algorithm. So what kind of posts does the system now reward? LinkedIn editor in chief Dan Roth and director of product Alice Xiong walk us through it....
Jun 27, 2023•48 min•Ep 307•Transcript available on Metacast How do you find meaningful work? Start by recognizing what is meaningful. Bruce Feiler, author of "The Search", breaks down the lies we tell ourselves about work, the many different jobs we have, and the literal ABCs of meaning....
Jun 19, 2023•22 min•Ep 306•Transcript available on Metacast Entrepreneurs need to take better care of themselves, but the health advice we hear is often so strange and conflicting. What's real? Adam Bornstein, author of the new book "You Can't Screw This Up", offers the entrepreneur's guide through the messy world of wellness....
Jun 12, 2023•25 min•Ep 305•Transcript available on Metacast Expert copywriter Laura Belgray explains what you're doing wrong in your emails (and especially your newsletters), and how a few simple changes can boost open rates and engagement. Laura's copywriting company is at TalkingShrimp.com, and her new book is "Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F'ing Worst". Book time with Jason at intro.co/jasonfeifer...
Jun 05, 2023•31 min•Ep 304•Transcript available on Metacast How do you take a crazy idea, and turn it into an actual business? Matt Williams, the cofounder and Chief Cookie Officer of OpenFortune, explains how he's built a business by creating an entirely new kind of advertising space....
May 29, 2023•23 min•Ep 303•Transcript available on Metacast How do you navigate tricky power dynamics at work? Leadership consultant (and author of the new book "Quick Confidence") Selena Rezvani has the answer. And it all starts by working with the person... and not their power....
May 22, 2023•30 min•Ep 302•Transcript available on Metacast Our culture is full of difficult, important, hot-button issues and even if you want to avoid them, you can't always. Sometimes you need to discuss or address them. So, how? Paul Kix has spent a long time figuring that out with his new book, "You Have To Be Prepared To Die Before You Can Begin To Live." On this episode, he explains how to do it with honesty and humility....
May 15, 2023•32 min•Ep 301•Transcript available on Metacast In this special 300th episode, Jason reveals some of the biggest lessons he's learned in communications including a fascinating shift in podcasting, how to build a newsletter people really want to read, and more. If you want to reach an audience of any kind, even just an audience of one, you'll want to hear this....
May 08, 2023•35 min•Ep 300•Transcript available on Metacast 
