Adventures In Businessing

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.

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.

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

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 transpare

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 w

Show Notes: [0:00:54] Intro | Timely Topics Considerations around hosting video podcasts of AIB on Youtube. [0:02:33] Events, Events, Events… How to make the most of them.  Why we recommend them.  Why they’re worth the time and money.  The major benefits of events across the board.  *Brief disclaimer on vaccination and mask wearing while attending events during the COVID pandemic.  Getting out of your typical office or home office comfort zone to induce creativity.  [0:08:46] Unpacking Great Events (Location Matters) The Global Leadership Summit The Cult Gathering CaboPress Traffic & Conversion Summit COLLISION If you're one to feel punished by choice...maybe avoid the Collision conference. [0:17:41] Advice for Leaders Throwing Events "Conferences with less content and more time to process are arguably more valuable." Elaboration on why this is true, worth acknowledging, and seeking out. Be careful of overengineering. [0:25:00] Closing Thoughts Find what works for you. Cost ca

Show Notes: [0:00:46] Intro | Timely Topics A brief recap of our series on culture. Minimal, memorable, and meaningful values. [0:02:05] Planting, Protecting, and Propagating Your Culture The power of alliteration. You can plant the seeds of your culture. ...but you can't force it. Culture is something you can determine and discover. Your purpose and values have to align with themselves and your culture at large. You have to check on this regularly, preferably annually. Pruning & What to Fight for Has your organization changed enough to warrant culling or adding a core value? Your mission statement can change as well. [0:10:30] How do You Reinforce Your Culture? With action! Culture without action is just aspirational consideration. Memorialize your values and display them for all to see. Every member of your leadership should be reminding, and living out by example, what's important in your company. [0:16:30] Reminder: You Already Have a Company Culture Culture is always growing

Show Notes: [0:00:58] Intro | Timely Topics Brief Discovering Purpose Recap [00:03:03] Thoughts on Values Values are guardrails. "Stay between these lines." Values can be deceptively easy. Values force you to make tough decisions. [00:05:51] The Right Number of Values? What's too many? What's not enough? An exercise in comparing and contrasting other company's values Some well intentioned core values could actually be red flags... Avoid the generic and indescript. Value being memorable. Nailing down your core values take time, and could rightfully be a slow process. "Is this a value or a purpose?" Values should have specificity. [00:15:47] Making Values Meaningful to Your Team Using values as a motivator and empowering decision maker for the organization and projects. Keep it short, sweet, and meaningful. If you only have one value...that's probably your purpose, and not your value. [00:20:00] How to Discover Your Values Sit down, converse, write down the things that are important to th

Show Notes: [0:00:47] Intro | Timely Topics Culture Recap [0:03:18] Purpose...is it something you discover, or decide on? Disagreements and opinions ensue! What is THE why? Purposes should align. A manufactured purpose might not fare so well in the long run. [0:12:52] The Infinite Game, The Why From purpose to a just cause. The just cause has to be personal and meaningful. Purpose should be authentic. [0:15:25] Helping Leaders & Organization Find Purpose Purpose, mission, and vision are the same...or are they? [0:17:17] Reviewing Purpose Statements Can you match the statement to the organization? *send us your purpose statements and we'll read and review them on the show!* [0:20:01] You Have to Think About the Purpose of Your Customers Do their purposes align with your own? [0:22:44] On Starting a New Company to Solve a Problem The Lululemon story. [0:24:12) Your Purpose Can be as Inspiring as it Needs to be Critiquing the Lululemon & Patagonia purpose statements. Specific

Show Notes: [0:00:53] Intro | Timely Topics Previous Episode & Series Recap [0:02:36] Bridging the Gap from Uncertainty to Culture The norms and stardards, i.e. the default state of behavior in your organization. When you have these figured out, you can answer the question, "What do I do when I don't know what to do?" [0:04:49] "Now we're going to talk about Culture." What is your company culture? It's a BIG umbrella! The textbook definition, the assumed, the implicit and explicit. "Your culture is a combination of who you are, what you value, and how you behave." Creating a great company culture. You don't control all of your company culture. You have leverage and input, but you can't dictate the culture. It's just as much what your team brings to the table. True or False: You can't know what your culture is in the early days, because people make up your culture? There's a weird irony to unpack. Each new hire brings something to your culture. Culture fits & culture adds Divers

Show Notes: [0:00:00] Intro | Timely Topics The Uncertain Edition? Recap on Uncertainty to Action & Unknown-unknowns [0:02:30] How Do You Lead & Navigate Through Change? Acknowledging the different types and areas of uncertainty in your business: 1) The uncertainty you may feel as an owner/manager. 2) The uncertainty that your team might feel from lack of clarity and/or communication. "How do you handle the uncertainty you feel, and how much of that do you share with the team?" "How do you ensure the team has the clarity they need?" Living with chronic uncertainty can negatively impact anyone, literally rewiring our brains. This kind of stress will change the way a person thinks. When you convey your own uncertainty, you have to prevent simply piling on and multiplying fear. Transparency is always something to aim for, but some uncertainty is better held amongst the leadership. But this is usually a very small list of things. Assume the best from all parties involved. Transparency re

Show Notes: [0:00:57] Intro | Timely Topics Radio voices are a go. Wear sunscreen! A brief recap of the previous episode. [00:03:00] Leaving Behind Analysis Paralysis Punished by choice, leaving uncertainty to chance, and overconfidence All of them exhibit a lack of knowledge/experience/data. Gaining information when under the thumb of uncertainty. Iterative action/s through uncertainty. Understanding pieces at a time. "Put one foot in front of the other...and soon..." You can't overestimate the value of action. The scientific method is your friend! You make observations and you ask questions. That's the start. "What does this uncertainty/opportunity afford to us as a company?" "Then what?" *what's next?* "So what?" *measuring worth & magnitude* [00:12:20] Important Aspects of Moving from Uncertainty to Action "Where is the opportunity in the uncertainty?" Using the trend of distributed work culture as an example. Forming a testable explanation to get you to the next stage.

Show Notes: [0:00:49] Intro | Timely Topics We’re all surrounded by uncertainty in these trying times.  Dealing with uncertainty in your business & your life How we respond to universal uncertainty is unique to each of us.  [0:05:25] Identifying Uncertainty in Your Business  We wrongfully attribute uncertainty to risk.  We often lack the information to reasonably define uncertainty as risk. Using Slack as an example. Certain people are excited by uncertanty. It’s very important to be able to react to the unknown things that pop up.  You can address some uncertainty simply by not being too certain of your plans.  Keep an eye and ear attuned to your marketplace.  [0:13:50] Everyone Handles Uncertainty Differently, and That’s Okay Uncertainty may entice, excite, and compel some to action.  Some of the best things can come from uncertainty and learning to act in the face of it.  [0:15:35] Leadership is Not the Absence of Uncertainty There are 3 Responses to Uncertainty: Denial Overconfidenc

Show Notes:   [0:00:00] Intro | Brief Recap   A Look Back on ‘Humanizing Your Team’ Final Part of the Series on Distributed/Remote Work   [0:02:50] Work/Life Balance vs Work/Life Integration   “Work/Life Balance is a Scam”? When we think about work/life balance, we tend to think of it as:  “I go to work to provide for the life I want to live, and I’m trying to intentionally keep those two things separate.” We argue that what we’re looking for is not necessarily “Work/Life Balance”, but rather Work/Life Integration. Instead of segmenting your life into work, play, downtime, etc.-- it’s the complete package we should embrace.  A huge part of this integration is catalyzed in being happy with your work and feeling fulfilled with what your work asks of you from a creative and productive standpoint. This integration will naturally look different for everyone.  Does your life need separation from your workplace, coworkers, and to-dos?  Or is it that your work just needs to better align with you

Show Notes: [0:01:12] Intro Brief Recap on the Last Episode of AIB [0:02:05] “How to not turn your coworkers into your crazy Facebook uncle.” In a polarized world where everything is extreme, our society has a habit of pitting us against each other on most topics and issues.  We evolved to be able to read body language and in-person communication. But now we need to adapt to modern technologies and to the landscape of changing industries, and distributed workforces.  Unlike Facebook, you can’t just turn off your coworkers.  How we humanize each other goes a long way toward creating a healthy and safe work environment.  [0:06:03] Things we can do to humanize our perceptions of others and eliminate our own biases: Give people spaces to discuss things that aren’t work-related.  Find out where you all have common ground. Avoiding apathy out of anger, frustration, or as a symptom of poor communication.  [0:12:06] Things you can do to ensure broader interaction between coworkers: Personality Pro

Show Notes:   [0:00:54] Intro    You have found it! Jeremy messes up Kevin’s ‘flow’. Very Brief Last Episode Summary   [0:2:23] Decisions We’ve Made to Set Up for Success for Distributed Work   Rule #1: Experiment! Rule #2: Test what works for you, throw away the rest.  Categorizing our decisions by clarity, connection, and collaboration. How transitioning to distributed, at first, brought teamwide clarity to a halt. Being colocated for so long was our crutch, the one that made us think we were better at clarity than what we actually were. Looking back, we also confused in-office distraction and being “busy” for solid communication and real progress. Which is certainly less than ideal.  If Slack communication is the main way you run your business (like ours was), you may find clarity, quality communication, and work/life balance to be suffering.  Distributed isn’t isolated to software.  Jeremy elaborates on his time with bankers and his remote experience regarding his own work in distr

Show Notes   [0:00:00] Episode Summary | Intro [0:02:25] Remote Work: Pros/Cons   How we’ve done it, and how you can learn from our mistakes.  There are options.  The pandemic has made a huge portion of people realize their jobs can be done from home.  Not everyone is going back to the office, and for valid reasons.  The pros far outweigh the cons.  Comfort and convenience go a long way toward being productive.    [0:06:40] Why We Chose Distributed   We started as a completely co-located business.  Think 1/3rd....or 1/10th of Silicon Valley and you have the right idea. In late 2019 we decided it was time for a shift.  Being pre-pandemic, the thing that made us kick-off a new normal was quite simply that our office became less desirable.  And inconvenient parking (aka no parking) led to distributed considerations...seriously.  We were always remote friendly, but more people started working off-site: from local coffee shops, gastro-pubs, their homes.  We misunderstood business fo

Show Notes   [0:00:00] Episode Summary | Intro   Jeremy tries out new greetings… And also recommends everyone watch Guga Foods.    [0:02:16] Managing Up & Why it Works   Challenging...and comes with many landmines. Do it right and your life is easier. Do it poorly and it could make your work and culture really suffer. You can’t control whether someone is a good or bad manager, but you can put your best foot forward. You have very real restrictions in how you can deal with a manager, and how you interact with them.  Managers aren’t perfect, and are oftentimes someone who was in a similar role to you, but was good enough at their job to be moved up (sometimes against their will or desired growth path). This however does not mean that they’ll inherently be a good manager.  Rarely is a manager ever actually ‘out to get you’, but poor communication and misunderstandings can make it feel like the opposite.  Over communicate. Don’t assume you’re on the same page and that you have t

Show Notes   [0:00:39] Episode Summary | Intro   Jeremy gets “folksy”.  All relationships take work and conscious effort to make them affective.  This applies to work, family, and friends. You’re managing relationships, even when you’re not.    [0:06:06] Diving Into Managing Relationships Well   Communication Mistakes We often go in NOT assuming the best.  Whether you’re sick, maybe you slept poorly, etc.  We’ve found that very-very rarely does anyone actually have any ill intent going into their interactions.  Assume the best! With the advent of social media dominance, the world at large right now needs to come together and acknowledge there are MANY more individuals with you than against you.  And those people want peace, kindness, equality, and much more for themselves and others.  If you are going to manage your relationships well, you’re going to have to listen.  Listening is a skill that takes effort, and it’s not one people come by naturally.  Listening isn’t, and shouldn’t

Show Notes   [0:01:05] Episode Summary | Intro   Give Us Your Thoughts on the Show! Find us on Twitter @Ciircles    [0:03:16] Managing Yourself   Applicable to Everyone, Even if You’re Not Actively in a Leadership Position If you don’t have a culture of people who can/will self manage...you’ll notice it quickly.  In distributed work you have to focus on objectives over time tracking.  Activity can be disguised as progress, but oftentimes it’s anything but.    [0:07:12] Things we do to Manage Ourselves   Incrementally enhancing the mundane has a positive ripple effect.  Improving sleep is a prime example.  Start every day with a loose list of things you can accomplish, that which if completed will ensure you feel successful.  Identify your Essential Three: What are the three things that are imperative to move forward today? Try to make sure the thing you do not want to do is on that list, attempt it first; the goal is that hopefully you can then snowball through the rest of th