Help Wanted

There are some wild stories in business news right now: a guy is suing a company because he misses his wife, a beer company blamed its stock performance on the weather and an airline is throwing it back to third grade and making a doctor's note a prerequisite for sick days. But these stories are not just weird headlines— there are business lessons too, if you know where to look. Today, Jason and Nicole find the unexpected advice and give you the diamonds from the rough.

You can't say yes to every opportunity, which begs the question: When should you say no? Today, Jason will give you an answer. It’s a simple framework that he learned from Brian Lee, the cofounder of LegalZoom. And he learned it by accidentally almost killing the company. Now you can benefit from his mistake.

Today, Jason tells Nicole a story of a very recent— and very public— failure. He explains what happened, how he panicked, and ultimately, what advice he got from a friend that made him feel better.

You have the right stuff: You’re talented, smart, and good at what you do. But the right people aren’t noticing. So here’s a difficult truth you must take seriously: you are a high-quality person, but you can’t compete on quality alone. Today, Jason shows you how to get noticed another way.

Jason and Nicole got a wonderfully crafted piece of constructive criticism from a listener: they swear too much on the show! Today, Nicole and Jason explain how they decided where to draw their line when it comes to swearing— and they teach you how to calibrate the trade-off between raw personality and professionalism.

Have you ever asked for something — but were misunderstood? This happened to Jason recently and it triggered an an ah-hah moment. His mistake was that he didn’t ask for what he wanted. Instead, he asked for bad examples of what he wanted. Today, he gives you a better way to ask questions, give answers, build relationships, solve problems, and become someone’s hero.

Today’s caller has been slowly increasing her rates over time with market trends—except for one of her earliest clients, who's still paying the same old low pricing. She knows it’s time to raise those rates, but the thought of having that conversation is totally stressing her out. Today, Jason and Nicole give her strategies to help her feel more comfortable with having the conversation successfully.

Today Jason shares two strategies he uses to stop obsessing over small mistakes. He calls them Thinking Downward, and the Grading Curve. They’ve helped him bounce back from his imperfect moments — and he thinks they can help you too.

Today Nicole and Jason break down all things introductions— how to ask for one, how NOT to ask for one, and what to say if someone asks for an intro you don't want to give. They give you the steps you should take every time you make an intro, and they start by talking about the weirdest intro Jason has ever been a part of.

You’re trying to solve a problem. But you’re stumped. So you keep asking the same question: How do I do this one thing? But what if you’re asking the wrong question? Today, Jason will show you how to back up and ask the “earlier question.” And he'll start by showing you how he just used this trick… and helped a big company solve a big problem.

Today, Jason and Nicole explore a taboo topic: the give-and-take struggle between a demanding career and parenthood. Jason and Nicole have noticed a reticence in others to talk about this experience for fear of judgment or misunderstanding. But in this conversation, Jason and Nicole speak honestly. Plus, what's the best way to tell your coworker you're expecting?

Trust is not binary, it's a gradient — and once you appreciate how it works, you can build (and maintain!) trust in smarter, more careful ways. It’s a concept called the trust battery. Today, Jason will show you how to use it — and how it can help you build better relationships, professionally and personally.

When the check comes at the end of a business dinner, who should pay? The bigger company? Does that even matter? These are the questions on our Executive Producer Morgan's mind after an awkward fumble at the end of a business dinner with a big tab. Jason gives a framework you can use to assess when you should throw your card down, and what to say if you can't.

Jason got a cold DM on LinkedIn that included a common ask that often creates friction. Today, Jason and Nicole call up the guy who made that ask to talk through his networking strategy and give him some tips on frictionless outreach.

You want to do something new... But you’re hesitating, because you’re not sure if it’s the right thing to do. Today, Jason will introduce you to a concept he calls the ticket. It’s a way to stop thinking about what you should do, so you can think about what you can do. And to see how it works, he’ll first tell you about a friend who’s in this situation right now — feeling stuck, at a crossroads, and searching for courage.

Today's caller is fighting with her fiancé; he didn't include her in a business deal, but she feels *strongly* that he should have. Today, the caller is joined by her fiancé to explain the situation so Nicole and Jason can determine which of them is right, and how couples should handle joint opportunities.

You’re trying to do something but don’t have… enough money. Enough time. Enough resources. Enough something. Today, Jason will reveal a resource you didn’t know you have: It’s the stuff all around you — but with a twist.

The Paris Olympics are over, but Jason says that three surprising business lessons from viral Olympics moments live on. Today, he shares those moments with Nicole (and yes, pommel horse guy sleeping is one of them).

If you want to earn people's trust and respect, ask yourself: how are you using their time? Today, Jason explains how he learned an important lesson about other people's time — and how he learned that lesson from an unexpected cautionary tale.

Listener Melissa calls the Help Line today because she's experiencing some analysis paralysis (haven't we all). Jason gives her a formula to help her determine which parts of her work she should change; plus, he shares how to failure-proof her pivot by making it into an experiment.

When we solve problems, we often start with the easiest part… But that’s often the wrong approach. Every big problem has one fundamental challenge — and if you don’t start there, then you’re just wasting your time. We’ll call this thing the monkey. You must know your monkey. Today, Jason introduces you to it.

Today’s caller is watching his company go through a big change... and as a result, his work is feeling less meaningful. Jason and Nicole help him realize that he's been looking for a solution in all the wrong places, and give their tips on how to make your voice heard at work.

Jason is dealing with some haters right now. Here is how he's handling it, and how you can too.

What happens when you hire someone, and they charge way more than you expected? That happened to our caller, Kassi Underwood, whose babysitter handed her a steep bill. (So steep, a screenshot of it went viral on LinkedIn!) Jason and Nicole give advice on how to course-correct, and how to prevent making this big mistake in the first place. Want one-on-one business and money coaching from Jason or Nicole? Email [email protected] with a question, or book them for coaching here: intro.co/moneynewsnetwork Want a personalized investing portfolio from an AI investing assistant? Check out moneyassistant.com

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Try this.

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 recognition for the work you love and secure the opportunities you've always wanted. Find Aliza's latest book, On Brand, here: https://alizalicht.com/on-brand

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Today, Jason tells you how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Because if you don’t tell everyone how awesome you are, nobody else will.

Today's caller is tired of getting underpaid for gigs she doesn't even like. Jason and Nicole give strategies for finding— and securing— opportunities to make a living out of doing what you love.

In every partnership, there will be disagreements. The key is to know how to find a path forward when there's resistance, and how to reevaluate whether that path forward is getting you anywhere. Today's caller is trying to crack this code with a disagreement that's very close to home. Jason gives him a script to tackle the conversation. Want one-on-one business and money coaching from Jason or Nicole? Email [email protected] with a question, or book them for coaching here: intro.co/moneynewsnetwork

Getting rejected feels personal, but Jason believes it’s not. When someone tells you “no,” they're not saying no to you; they’re saying “no” to a very specific question that might not actually have anything to do with you. Today, Jason helps you understand that question so you can build a better strategy for handling rejection — and moving forward.

Today's caller had been asking to take on more responsibility at her work for about a decade - and she finally got it! Now, she wants to leverage those new responsibilities to negotiate a raise and a senior job title. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, plot-twist! Jason and Nicole point out why this ask is not as straightforward as it seems, and give their do's and don'ts around how to navigate this delicate conversation.

So you want to (or have to) bootstrap your business. Nicole is self-funding the business that makes this very podcast, and she will tell you: it is not easy. To share best-practices around protecting your bottom line and mental health, Nicole and Jason are joined by Christina Stembel, who has self-funded her business Farmgirl Flowers. Learn more about Christina and her biz here: https://farmgirlflowers.com/about

Feeling pressure from colleagues? Jason has the cure and it all comes down to distinguishing between what people need from you and what they expect from you. Today, he explains with a little help from the cofounder and CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey.

Whether you're talking to a prospective client, or to your boss about a promotion, you'll be faced with the same questions: when is it time to ask for money? And when it is the right time... how do you do it? Jason and Nicole help someone very close to home who is struggling with this question, and it all starts with a rule Jason learned while online dating.

There have probably been many times when you’ve been impacted by someone else, and you’ve wished you could read their mind. Today, Jason teaches you how to do this by building their “logic chain.” And to start, he’ll tell you about a senior manager at a large company who learned this lesson the hard way.

If your boss is a nightmare... do you stay or do you go? Nicole and Jason can help you answer this by going through one simple thought experiment. But first, they each share the most ridiculous thing a boss has ever asked them to do. And in Nicole's case, it involves being sawed in half...

In this episode, Jason reads an email from someone who so desperately wants their book published, that they've sent copies to King Charles, Bill Clinton and Quentin Tarantino. It's not uncommon for people to look for a champion of their work... but, it's a waste of time. Jason and Nicole explains what you should do instead when you need a helping hand.

Want to grow your social media following (for business or pleasure)? Entrepreneur and author GaryVee explains the major do's and don'ts that will help you master social media and build a community. He also shares why he thinks TikTok will be banned and how companies will need to adapt, the secret to holding attention, and what he's determined to be the most effective strategy for every business. You can find more gems from Gary in his newest book, Day Trading Attention, which you can preorder here: https://garyvaynerchuk.com/attention/

Feeling bored or stuck? Jason has a strategy that will help you find your next big thing.

Today, Jason shares a strategy that will help you do the thing you’re afraid of. To start, he’ll show you how this helped a friend who’s been afraid of starting a new project.

Having to issue a public apology as a CEO is stressful... and that stress can lead to some bad choices. Jason and Nicole call up PR and branding expert Aliza Licht to unpack the apology delivered by the CEO of Kyte Baby... and then the apology for that apology. Aliza explains what the CEO should have done, and Nicole shares about a time she needed to apologize herself. Subscribe to Aliza's podcast Leave Your Mark, now part of the MNN network, here, or wherever you're listening now.

Instead of your problems just costing you time, energy and maybe even money— your problems can become assets. Jason explains how to make this transformation, and shares a story of someone who used exactly this strategy to turn their problems into a multimillion-dollar brand.

Nicole received what is probably the worst sales email ever. To unpack what went so wrong— and how to get it right, Nicole and Jason are joined by MNN's very own sales lead, Will Stein. Will shares the tips and tricks he uses to send outreach emails that move conversations and relationships forward— rather than emails that get moved... to Junk Mail.

You know that feeling of panic while you're waiting for an answer from a client or a boss? Jason does. But he has found the secret to stopping that panic in his tracks— and the secret is: what you don't know. Jason explains what the heck this means and how to use it next time you're freaking out.

You need an awesome team around you to help you reach your goals. But if you’re a small business owner or a solopreneur, you might not have big Fortune-500-money to throw at your dream employee. So… what do you do? Nicole and Jason asked this question to Adam Broda, a coach for mid-to-late career professionals, and he gives actionable steps small business owners can take to compete with big companies when it comes to acquiring talent. Find your dream team on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/helpwanted. Learn more about Adam's work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrbroda/

Change can feel scary— but with this short exercise from Jason, you can future-proof your career so that the only change that remains is opportunity. Today, Jason helps you do this exercise.

If you want your company or employer to do more than just post a photo of the planet for Earth Day, Jason and Nicole have you covered. Today, they sit down with Tricia Carey, the Chief Commercial Officer of Renewcell, an award-winning textile-to-textile recycling company. In their conversation, Tricia shares insight into what meaningful actions companies can take to be more sustainable, whether carbon offsets actually work, and one specific thing everyone can do today to help the planet. To learn more about Tricia, her work at Renewcell and beyond, follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-l-carey/

Today, Jason shares the story of the worst thing that's ever happened to him— and what he did to turn it around. With this formula you can, too.

When is it a bad idea to bring your romantic partner into your work? That is the question Nicole was trying to answer gracefully... until she made a super embarrassing mistake. Jason gives a framework to help you decide when your personal life and professional life should stay in separate lanes, and just for fun, they spontaneously call up a guy at the very center of Nicole's mistake.

You’re ready to move on from something something— but you’re struggling to leave some small part behind, which is pleasurable and meaningful. You keep asking yourself, “Is this worth staying for?” Today, Jason will help you answer that question. And he starts with his own version of this problem. Are you ready to meet Drunk Party Jason?