Podcast – Not a Real Job

After interesting (but not exciting) visits to their local faires and parks, Chris and Joel sit down for a chat about Apple products. They also dig into a discussion about confidence rebuilding and the importance of being social about business. And don’t panic, this is the correct episode number. Quotes “A podcast about two guys podcasting.” “Interesting without being exciting.” “That’s the thing about anxiety, if it works it works.” Talking Points Hopewell Rocks Dynamite Circle Gear Picks Before the Exit: Thought Experiments for Entrepreneurs by Dan Andrews Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg Crabtree and Beverly Herzog Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Chris is back from WordCamp Chicago, so it’s time to record a new podcast. Things haven’t changed a whole lot for Chris or Joel since last episode, but they do dig into some real talk about hiring. Are you ready to be a manager? Quotes “Always 100%… fun?” “We’re not things more often than we are things.” “When I’m writing and I’m on a roll, it’s one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have.” “Inertia is probably the shittiest thing we have to deal with.” Talking Points 2Bobs podcast The Family Knife blog Gear Picks The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

This week the kingly content for your ears comes from Chris, who is contemplating cutbacks. Everyone makes mistakes in life, and it’s no different in business. But the best thing to do is acknowledge them and learn from them. Quotes “Consistency is key and content is king.” “Learn to be honest with yourself.” “Get the robots in your house.” Gear Picks The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others by Tali Sharot Amazon Echo Dot Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Chris and Joel do one of those pre-show things… a trailer? Foreplay? You know, the talking before the show. Joel also interviews Chris about Gutenberg, the new WordPress editor that is currently in development. Chris talks about why it’s happening and what it can bring to WordPress. Quotes “I feel so much more in tune with my own exhaustion than I ever have before.” “Anything where you’re hiring an agency, absolutely Gutenberg should be part of your plan.” “Right now you’re building to a moving target.” “It is absolutely designed to simplify a lot of those experiences and make it so you don’t need a developer, but it also does make it necessary to hire a developer if you want to step outside those confines.” Talking Points Gutenberg Gear Picks Muji A5 Thread binding Dot Grid Notebook Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas by Fredrick Douglas Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Lindsay apologizes for getting this one up a bit late! But now you can finally listen to Joel’s review of the incredibly fresh and never-before-reviewed iPhone X! Quotes “I’m increasingly old, I’ve noticed.” “If by ‘partying’ you mean watching episodes of Fraiser on Netflix, then the answer is profoundly yes.” Talking Points iPhone X Gear Picks Alien Quadrilogy DVD Box Set Seville Classics Expandable Kitchen Counter and Cabinet Shelf Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

This week, Chris calls in Joel from Moncton. They talk about how best to harness your motivation, enthusiasm, and energy for a task or project. Rather than just doing the dang thing, plan the dang thing first! And just a heads up – no episode next week! But if you have questions please feel free to send them in for the following week. Quotes “I am extremely comfortable with losing grip on the things I once loved and cared about.” “Use that energy to plan rather than to execute.” Gear Picks Saucony Originals Jazz Low Pro Vegan Sneaker Why Don’t We Learn From History? by B.H. Liddell Hart Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Finding the balance between work and rest is much more difficult than it sounds. This week Chris and Joel pick apart this topic to discuss what they’ve done right and wrong in the pursuit of balance and why it is so important to business and entrepreneurs in particular. Quotes “I don’t want it to be 90 degrees anywhere. That’s too many degrees, everyone knows.” “I balance it by not balancing it and just constantly overworking and burning myself out.” “If it’s something you’re not doing but it’s bothering you, is it possible you just shouldn’t worry about doing it?” “Do the things that matter and divide the work evenly.” Talking Points TMBA podcast Gear Picks Leatherman Wave Multitool Before the Exit: Thought Experiments for Entrepreneurs by Dan Andrews Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Chris and Joel are recording this episode extra early in the day so it’s… a little short while also… stretching for… time. 20 minutes is a good minimum, right? Quotes “When I push the button, it’s not the only thing that’s depressed.” Gear Picks Jabra Speak 510 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker for Softphone and Mobile Jabra Speak 410 Wireless Speaker for Skype and VoIP Marpac Dohm Whitenoise Machine Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

We’re into Quarter 2 now, so it’s a good time to look back to Q1. What went well? What could be improved on? Chris and Joel go over the highs and lows of their respective businesses and what the hope to achieve going forward. Quotes “The only people I talk to now are you, my wife, and clients. Maybe I should talk to more people.” “New York is the third character of this podcast.” Talking Points 2bobs Podcast Gear Picks The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin Pilot FriXion Slim Ball Retractable Erasable Gel Ink Pen 0.38mm Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

This week we welcome on Dr. Julia Charity! She stops by to talk to us about career changes, the many hats of an entrepreneur, and the challenges of working in the tourism industry. Quotes “I wished I wasn’t quite so ballsy and brave.” “The place where sensibility meets innovation.” “Will you regret not doing it?” Talking Points Look After Me Gear Picks Mapping Experiences: A Complete Guide to Creating Value through Journeys, Blueprints, and Diagrams by James Kalbach Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk  Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

No guest this week because we had to re-schedule some stuff, sorry! Instead, Chris and Joel talk about business positioning. Why is it important in marketing and yet why is it so undervalued? Joel also loses hope in his own words part way through but things work out. PS, I will be posting a screenshot of the much-discussed Google Doc on Twitter, so check for it there. – Lindsay Quotes “I lost my train of thought three words in there.” “Saying no more often is really difficult.” “You and I are the Ubitter of good taste.” Talking Points 2 Bobs Podcast Careening – The Family Knife Newsletter Gear Picks Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz Futurama: Volume 1 DVD Family Guy: Volume 1 DVD Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Chris is sick again and Joel is busy setting blogging goals. The two sit down this week to talk about common WordPress mistakes made by small businesses. They also delve into general advice for website building and being honest with your needs. Quotes “No good goal goes by without revision.” “We tend to undervalue the time we spend doing things.” “Be honest about the solution you need at that stage.” Talking Points The Family Knife – Market Positioning: Who is your product for? Gear Picks Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter  

There’s audio issues all around in this episode, but Stephen does a great job smoothing things over with music. Because of the audio problems, everyone’s a little out-of-sorts and not much business talking gets done. Quotes “Humans are a gas and will expand to fit the time given.” “Every podcast is a vore podcast.” “It’s just a bad conversation recorded between two people.” Gear Picks Set of 6 Essential Oils The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

We’re breaking new ground here – Joel is recording from his couch rather than his desk. These are exciting times, indeed. Joel and Chris also have a discussion about the value of cost-cutting versus purely trying to increase revenue. While costs can only be decreased, so much and revenue has a near-infinite ceiling of possibility, there’s a lot more evaluation that should be done on whether you really need to be spending as much as you are. Quotes “Two business buds in a bod.” “It’s much easier to cut costs than grow revenue.” “How much business are we doing to impress other people and how much are we doing to meet our own goals?” “You heard it here first, folks: Joel thinks that’s lame.” “Stop listening, ya dinguses.” Gear Picks Swingline Standard Stapler Value Pack Belkin Standard Mousepad AmazonBasics 92 Bright Multipurpose Copy Paper Origin by Dan Brown Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter

Joel wants to do another show-in-a-show. But he’s spent too much energy this week fighting a certain Canadian postal service provider to do that, so let’s talk about management, leadership, and emotions instead! Quotes “We’re all part of the royal family up here in Canada.” “Come-at-all-angles Kelly” “It’s my fault for having expectations.” “Solicit feedback from your team but don’t take it personally.” Talking Points Ask a Manager Gear Picks The Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond by Elaine Biech Wilton Holiday Grippy Cookie Cutters Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker’s Half Sheet Listen [powerpress] Find us on:  iTunes  •  Stitcher  •  YouTube  •  Twitter