The Friday Habit

Our guest on this episode of The Friday Habit is Greg Hickman, founder of Alt Agency. Greg graduated from a small liberal arts college and earned a business management degree, then joined one of his classmates at a big brand agency as a project manager. Working with all departments at the agency really helped give him a good understanding of the design process and working with clients. Before long, he decided to go out on his own to help personal brands sell their courses and develop sales funnels, eventually providing full-service automation. This experience helped him realize that monthly recurring revenues were not scalable or sustainable for his team and he found himself in a cycle of needing more help to take on new clients but not being able to afford to hire anyone new. As he began to process how he might be able to shift his model, he focused on the 80/20 rule and decided to start with productizing his services and then introduce retainers later in the sales process. They also flipped the script on client work, waiting until the client created the required content before having his team start their portion of the project to reduce unnecessary backups waiting on the client. This became the Foundations flagship program offered by Alt Agency, teaching people that they have to specialize before they can productize. Businesses that successfully productize market to a specific problem and articulate to consumers how they can solve that problem. They also systematize all parts of the funnel, from lead generation to onboarding to communication to billing. Come back next week for the second half of Mark and Ben’s conversation with Greg!Connect with Greg:https://altagency.com/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

This episode of The Friday Habit podcast is dedicated to everyone out there who is looking for a little extra help to maintain or improve their productivity, particularly those people who find themselves thinking “Isn’t there an app out there that can help me with this one thing I need to do AND is well-designed and beautiful to stare at?!” Rest assured that Ben and Mark have got you covered.Here is Mark’s list:Spark Mail – This app for Apple and iOS allows you to combine all of your email inboxes into one, snooze emails that you aren’t ready to address yet, schedule responses, pin urgent emails to the top of your inbox, and collaborate with your team members on specific emails without bogging down your inbox.Paste – This app is like an archived copy + paste function. It allows you to scroll through your clipboard and retrieve previously copied content so you can paste it now. There is also an iPhone app, so you can integrate your computer and phone seamlessly.Overcast – A podcast curation app that compiles all of your subscribed podcasts into one place, Overcast provides you with the ability to share specific clips of episodes with people and has a smart speed function that can make episodes shorter without distorting the audio.Pixelmator Pro – If you have ever needed an app like Photoshop but you haven’t wanted to shell out the serious cash required by an Adobe subscription, Pixelmator Pro is the answer to all of your problems. Just trust us on this one.Calcbot – Essentially, this is a simple calculator with an archive function that allows you to go back to previous calculations for reference.And here is Ben’s list:Things – Things is a to-do list and project management app that Ben describes as “simple, minimal, powerful, and intentional” which allows you to schedule tasks and reminders in an environment that promotes productivity.Bear – This is an app for writing and note-taking which features tags, markdown, search, and full-screen focus functions.Mindnode – Mindnode is an app for mind mapping, which is great for brainstorming and so much more.Tempo – An email app which is currently in beta, Tempo aims to solve your email problem by batch delivering new emails into your inbox at specified times and showing you one email at a time for you to categorize or respond to.Loom – Loom allows you to record your screen or your face or both and easily share these videos with others.Your action item after this episode is to take a look at your apps and evaluate which ones are really helping you, perhaps investing in a few new apps that will help you be more productive.Links:Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/ Spark Mail: https://sparkmailapp.com/ Paste: https://pasteapp.io/ Overcast: https://overcast.fm/ Pixelmator Pro: https://www.pixelmator.com/ Calcbot: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calcbot-2/id376694347 Things: https://culturedcode.com/ Bear: https://bear.app/ Mindnode: https://mindnode.com/ Tempo: https://www.yourtempo.co/ Loom: https://www.loom.com/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit podcast, we are finishing up the discussion started last week about the daily rituals that Mark and Ben practice to help them be more productive while still having plenty of time with their families. Ben gets up and intentionally gives his wife some time to herself before he leaves for work, fixing her coffee, and taking care of breakfast for the kids so she can prepare for the day. Next, he usually goes for a run with his son followed by taking a cold shower and riding his electric bike or one-wheel to work. Once he gets to work, he immediately jumps into the most important task that he has set aside for himself the night before, using the pomodoro technique and/or the Portal app to help him concentrate.Mark wakes up before the rest of his family so he can have his coffee and take time to clear his head before starting his day. Next, he goes to the gym (when it is open) and spends some time in the sauna followed by heading to work on his electric bike if the weather is good. Once he gets to work, he gets to a zero inbox using the Spark mail app. This app allows you to easily categorize emails, snooze them if you want to be reminded to reply later, schedule emails to be sent later, collaborate with team members, and create and use templates. Another mail app that Ben recommends is Tempo, which is set up to make you focus on only one message at a time.Your action item after this episode is to think through your current routine and consider tweaks that you can make to jumpstart your productivity and creativity in the morning.Links:Smaggle article: http://www.smaggle.com/4-slightly-weird-morning-rituals-that-will-change-your-life/Portal app: https://portal.app/ $50 off Rad Power Bikes:https://www.talkable.com/x/xqRj0aSpark app: https://sparkmailapp.com/ Tempo app: https://www.yourtempo.co/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit, our topic is evening rituals for entrepreneurs with families and the idea that a great day starts the day before. Once the workday ends every day, Mark and Ben are both committed to spending intentional and focused time with their families over dinner where everyone discusses their highlights and lowlights from the day. They also try to do an activity like a walk, a game, or play outside together after dinner and read together before the kids go to bed. They believe that it is important to be present with their kids when they are young and to build strong bonds that will keep their families close even after the kids have grown.Ben finds separation from work and home by riding his electric bike home and mentally transitioning to family time on the way. Mark and Ben both set their clothes out for the next day on the night before and try to do some reflective journaling as well as preparing a to-do list and/or a priority task for the morning. They have both found that this family-focused and forward-thinking routine allows them to be meaningfully productive, focused on the things that matter most.Links:Day One app: https://dayoneapp.com/ Portal app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/portal-focus-sleep-escape/id1436994560 Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Maybe you are like Ben and Mark and you’ve found that positivity helps you have better personal and professional success in life. Or maybe you are one of those people who Mark and Ben smile at relentlessly in the elevator until you make eye contact and smile back. Either way, this episode of The Friday Habit podcast is intended to give you practical pointers for promoting positivity. When you find yourself struggling with negativity or pessimism, try these ways of improving your attitude:Identify the source – Ask yourself why you are feeling this way. If it’s helpful, you could write it down to help you trace the source better.Go for a walk – Even a 5-minute mental break that raises your heart rate has been proven to improve your mood and help you have a clearer mind.Take a short nap – Taking a 15-minute nap has a unique way of refreshing your mind and body to give you a fresh perspective on even the toughest problems.Do something creative – Do something with your hands like working with clay, painting, drawing, or making music that will give you the headspace to think.Meditate and breathe – Take a few deep breaths - with your eyes closed if you feel like it – to get centered and give your mind even a few seconds of calm.Eat healthy – Eating junk food (or not eating at all) can really bring down your attitude, so have a stash of healthy snacks nearby to give you a quick pick-me-up.Put things in perspective – Remind yourself what you have already overcome in life and in this situation and remember that things will not always be the way they are right now.Listen to upbeat music – Sometimes music can help you process things better than anything else. Check out some of the playlists linked below if you need a place to start.Hang out with positive friends – You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Think about that. If you want to be a more positive person, surround yourself with positive people.Acknowledge the good things – Have an attitude of gratitude and keep the right perspective. A great way to do this is by working it into your morning routine.Remember that your attitude shapes your present and your future and you have the power to shape your attitude.Links:Morning Motivation playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXc5e2bJhV6puChill Covers playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWXnscMH24yOcLobby Music playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO1pfLKkThe Enneagram: https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-testConnect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] Ben:https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/Mark:https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Within the first few clicks on the websites of most organizations, you can find their mission and vision statements that they communicate to the world. But what do they communicate internally? Access.mobile International’s Todd Evenson has focused his journey as an entrepreneur and leader on the establishment of the values of the organization first, before crafting the mission and vision that are expected by consumers. Essentially, your values, mission, and vision outline the who, what, and why you are in business.The values of your business are those things that you want to consciously do and the behaviors you expect of yourself and your employees. If you were to sit down and think about the values you want to establish, a good place to start is with the values that would combat the things that make your stomach hurt. If dishonesty is a deal-breaker for you (as it should be), then set up honesty in all things as a core value, for example. Your values should be specific, aspirational, and easily understood so that you can gauge whether potential hires are a good culture fit for your organization.It is also important that you train your employees to recognize and understand the significance of these values in the midst of everyday tasks. Prioritize the values for them and train them to make decisions based on those priorities, then empower them to make decisions within that framework whether you are involved or not.Once you have been in business long enough to understand your market position and how you are meeting the needs of your consumers, now it is time to determine your mission. A mission statement starts with a belief and is typically short, clear, and answers the “why” question. This will help you craft a vision, which is the 30,000 foot view of your purpose. You could think of your vision as the impact on the world if your organization had perfect execution on a broad scale.Connect with Todd:https://www.accessmobile.io/https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-evenson-4a66008Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Ben has multiple personalities – sort of. But you likely do too: Boss You and Worker You. Boss You is the one who plans out the tasks and objectives, puts them on a to-do list, and allocates a certain amount of time for those things to be completed. Boss You is optimistic, ambitious, not very realistic, not very thorough, and doesn’t know how to prioritize things.Worker You is the one who receives the to-do list from Boss You, complete with the timing expectations and little else. Worker You is also optimistic, but skeptical of the plan that Boss You has drawn up, prone to distraction, and likely to complete the easiest things over the most important. So how should Boss You be a better boss to Worker You?Prioritize tasks – Choose 1-3 specific things that are the most important or time-sensitive for that day.Prepare – Pull up the necessary background information necessary before Worker You can get to work.Set realistic goals – Don’t expect Worker You to be able to build a whole website in an hour or edit a video in 15 minutes.Be kind to yourself – Be understanding and reasonable with Worker You. Emphasize quality over quantity.And how should Worker You be a better worker?Trust your plan – Don’t question the priorities or timelines given.Focus on execution – Reduce the potential for distractions so you can just work.Make yourself proud – Work hard and build up your self-trust.Your action item after this episode is to imagine that Boss You is creating this to-do list for someone else and think through the prioritization and research that should be done first.Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit podcast, our guest is David Hepburn of Hepburn Creative. He and his team are committed to optimizing the video platform for their clients before, during, and after the coronavirus pandemic crisis. Since the vast majority of business meetings (and many personal ones as well) have transitioned so abruptly to video, it is likely that you haven’t had the time to put much thought into how you come across to your colleagues on screen. David provides listeners of The Friday Habit with 5 simple ways to improve how people view you in meetings over video.Change your perspective – Your camera should be just below your eye level. This will allow everyone else on the call to look up to you a bit, elevating you in their minds.Adjust your room lighting – Make sure you do not sit with a window behind you, but rather in front of you. Also, try not to mix different lighting temperatures: use daylight lightbulbs if you are doing calls during the day and warm lightbulbs if you do more calls at night.Optimize your audio – Be conscious of the background noise around you and try to choose a microphone option that will isolate your voice as much as possible. Headphones with a microphone right by your mouth are probably the best for this scenario.Be mindful of your background – Try to limit the likelihood that people will be distracted by what is going on behind you. A blank wall is a great option for video calls. It is also important that you either turn off your ceiling fan or make sure that it is not on camera, as this will cause problems for your camera and connectivity.Be intentional about what you wear – Avoid wearing stripes and tight patterns. Even though the human eye can distinguish and process patterns like this, cameras are not able to translate them properly and this can be a distractor for the others on the call with you.Your action item after this episode is to come up with an immediate solution to give you the proper camera angle.Connect with David:https://hepburncreative.com/https://hepburncreative.com/#training https://www.instagram.com/hepburncreative/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark discuss specific ways to come up with ideas for your business throughout the year, but particularly during this time of COVID-19 quarantine. Undoubtedly, you have noticed many businesses shifting their methodology and messaging out of necessity such as coffee shops and restaurants offering convenience and grocery items for sale to customers. If you are struggling to come up with creative solutions like this for your own business, here are 3 places to start your brainstorming:Cross-pollinating from other industries – Take a step back from your industry and survey the entire market, thinking about existing ideas and concepts that you could apply to your own business in an innovative way. There are transferrable ideas all over the place if you just take the time to think through the application for your own niche.Applying imaginary limitations to your business – We are all learning to adapt our businesses to align with the societal and governmental regulations of business operations during this time of COVID-19, but you might also benefit from putting hypothetical restrictions on yourself. For instance, if you had to limit the time or resources used to complete a project, think through what adjustments to your systems or processes would need to be made? If you were to be incapacitated for a week, what would need to be in place for your team to be able to pick up your workload and seamlessly carry on with business?Use the Friday Habit program – Get the free download from our website that will walk you through how to allocate one day a week to spend on your business instead of in your business. This method of constant improvement and evaluation is a great way to continually innovate.Your action item this week is to do the cross-pollination brainstorming exercise at the link below.Links:https://knapsackcreative.com/blog/1-simple-method-to-generate-innovative-business-ideasConnect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Our topic on this episode of The Friday Habit is using podcasting to communicate, inspire, motivate, and connect. There are nearly 1 million podcasts available to listeners at this point in 2020, and you likely subscribe to or listen to at least a few episodes per month. While it might have been complex to launch a podcast back in 2005 when Ben and Mark were both starting to dabble in the platform, technological advances in the past 15 years have drastically reduced the barriers to entry and made it almost effortless for new podcasters to launch their shows.As with most things in life, it is important to start with “why”, so if you are considering starting a podcast, here are a few things to consider:Podcasts capture your audience’s attention – Podcasting as a platform has much higher completion rates than blog posts.You can create a personalized experience for your listeners – People are drawn in by the conversational format.They help you build and maintain important network connections – As a branding strategy, having a podcast can act as lead generation and increase brand awareness.Podcasting can open up a new financial avenue – If you are able to gather enough downloads per episode, you could be eligible for sponsorships and advertising deals to generate additional income.Having a podcast positions you as a thought leader in your industry – When you add value to your listeners and share your knowledge with the world through podcasting, people will view you as an industry expert.Once you are ready to get started, there are some questions you can ask yourself to determine your show topic or idea and how to make people want to listen to it. You can also download a FREE guide that walks you through all of the logistics of launching a podcast on https://www.BrandViva.comLinks to things we talked about:Podcast Hosting Platform: https://transistor.fm/Podcast Recording Platform: https://squadcast.fm/?ref=marklabriolaiiConnect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Welcome back to the continuation of Ben and Mark’s interview with Jonathan Stark on The Friday Habit podcast. Jonathan says that it is important to determine the metrics that a client is using or looking for during discussions with them about potential projects or else you will never be successful, and they will never be satisfied. Many clients say that they want to be “thought leaders”, but they are really looking for specific outcomes that they feel like would make them thought leaders, so getting to the root of what they want is the key to your success and, in turn, theirs.When it comes to working with retainers or on a subscription model, it is important to treat each of these long-term relationships uniquely, specifying the outcomes and deliverables for each client and pricing based on the overall scope of the monthly requirements. You are not doing yourself or your client any favors by promising that you will spend a certain number of hours on them every week or every month, so be sure to price based on the value to the client rather than the time it will take. Jonathan specifically talks about the advisory retainer model where clients pay you for your initial strategy as well as variations of overseeing the projects.Jonathan sets out a detailed and straightforward narrative for shifting your mindset and that of your clients from an hourly pricing model to value-based pricing in a way that reduces the risk for the client and ensures that their project will not go over budget. He recommends that freelancers offer this value-based and risk-reduced pricing model at an 85% markup from their traditional hourly rate.He also delves into the pros and cons of productized services and the question he asks himself before agreeing to work with a client. The action item he recommends after this episode is to think about your positioning and target market and to educate yourself about value-based pricing, perhaps through his free email course.Links:https://valuepricingbootcamp.com Connect with Jonathan: https://jonathanstark.com/https://www.thebusinessofauthority.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanstark https://twitter.com/jonathanstark?lang=en Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Our guest on this episode of The Friday Habit is Jonathan Stark, industry thought leader, CEO of Jonathan Stark Consulting, and cohost of The Business of Authority podcast. Jonathan is working to flip the script on the traditional hourly pricing model used in freelancing and consulting. He points out that when you price your services based on hours, you are creating an unnecessary limit on earning potential. Instead, he advocates for a value-based pricing model that is based on the value of your service to the client. In order for this model to work, the client must have a clear vision of what they want from you and a specific outcome in mind. Defining this scope will inform your value-based pricing for this specific project and having these outcome conversations will ensure that you are able to provide the most important service: customer satisfaction. Jonathan says that this pricing model only makes sense for longer-term projects that are 6 months or longer, and that it is best to draft a proposal that breaks down the ultimate dollar amount of value to the client into 3 tiers and then determine what you could do for those price points.When conversing with potential clients, Jonathan focuses on the questions: “Why this?”, “Why now?”, and “Why me?” If they have the answers to all of these questions and you feel like your services align with their needs, draft a proposal. Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions along the way and challenge their narratives if you want to understand better their requests or to define your boundaries.While it can be intimidating to think about value-based pricing for intangible services, Jonathan says that everything is measurable, even if the measurements are subjective like Amazon reviews. When it comes down to it, the client will tell you what they are willing to pay and why. Even so, you should be willing to walk away if it is not a good fit.Tune in next week for part 2 of our conversation!Links:“Breaking the Time Barrier” e-book: https://www.frameworkhomeownership.org/images/uploads/Breaking-the-Time-Barrier.pdf Connect with Jonathan: https://jonathanstark.com/https://www.thebusinessofauthority.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanstark https://twitter.com/jonathanstark?lang=en Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark shine some light on the ethereal subject that is website improvements as only two people who are experienced in branding and creative website creation could do. In fact, they outline 7 ways to improve your website that will not only provide you with a clearer and more effective website but also with greater clarity on your brand as a whole.Make your text bite-sized – You shouldn’t have any big paragraphs that cause the reader to audibly grunt when they see what they are expected to read. Within 5 seconds, the reader should be able to answer basic questions about your company such as who, what, and how.Capture email addresses – Use a lead magnet like a free e-book or other exclusive content to get people’s email addresses but avoid the intrusive pop-up technique.Use real photographs – Put actual photos of your team members on the website rather than relying on the stale stock images that everyone is tired of seeing. Stocksy and Unsplash are great resources for less common stock images as well.Make your customer the hero – The customer really only cares about what your company can do for them, so craft your messaging to answer their questions rather than boring them with a play-by-play of your career up to this point.Add clear calls to action – Let your customers know what they can expect to happen next in their process with you. Don’t just have them click a button to “learn more”, but rather “schedule a call” or “request a demo”.Test it on potential customers – Watch someone interact with your site, either in person or by using a service like Hotjar.Make updates often – Knapsack Creative recommends that you update your website weekly or monthly to keep clients coming back to see what is new.Your action item after this episode is to review your website and implement some or all of these changes, then show your site to someone and ask for feedback.Links:“The Smart Agency” podcast: https://jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class/ Stocksy: https://www.stocksy.com/Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/ Hotjar: https://www.hotjar.com/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark talk with Dr. Sherry Walling, a clinical psychologist with a specialization in trauma and stress. She works with people in high-intensity jobs, particularly entrepreneurs, so she has been trained in the space of chaos and has the advantage of experience in knowing how to navigate uncertain times.Sherry says that during this time of coronavirus affecting countries all over the world and the subsequent impacts on the economy, many people are experiencing instability and a heavier than normal mental load. There is really nothing anyone could have done to plan or prepare for this drastic shift in lifestyle, which makes us all feel unsettled and burdened. It is very important to create as much cushion for yourself as possible: get plenty of sleep, eat well, limit alcohol and sugar intake, move your body every day, and create structures or boundaries.In fact, these drastic shifts in lifestyle and daily life may merit the need for grieving the loss of rhythms, interactions, jobs, milestones, and comfort. Grieving these things might look like this: talk about it with others (virtually), move your body, and then discuss the question “What is the next meaningful move to make?” You may also find it helpful to step back from your own needs for a minute and reach out to help others around you in any way you can. It is all about finding a counterbalance to what is going on in the world and in your own life, taking control of what you can through deep breathing, moving your body, and creatively reorganizing your mindset through mindfulness practices. As a business owner, the most practical ways to develop resilience are to be intentional with your choices, be honest about your limitations, and choose joy and creativity. Sherry’s action item after this episode is that you find a “quarantine project” that provides you with an outlet that allows you to experience stillness every day.Connect with Dr. Walling: https://www.sherrywalling.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Keeping-Your-Together-ebook/dp/B079SNX6NBhttps://zenfounder.com/Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Ben and Mark take a step back from their planned episodes of The Friday Habit to address ways to run your business in these unusual times. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs are struggling to know the next right steps, but there is hope and there are some simple ways that you can keep things moving:Reach out to your network – Call or send messages to your clients and other people you have business relationships with to check in and see how they are doing. Encourage them during these uncertain times and offer to help in any way you can. You may also consider modifying your business offerings to provide more value to clients in this time.Take action – Identify problems that your market is facing and create solutions for them. Even consider using some of your gifts that are unrelated to your industry but that might be helpful in providing value.Be a leader and a resource – Know your market and be present, confidently leading the way and guiding others.Start using online tools to stay connected – If you aren’t already using online tools, now is a great time to start. We have linked some resources below that will help you stay connected to your business and just to other people in this time of isolation.Focus on your business – Use this “downtime” as an opportunity to do some short-term and long-term business planning, perhaps using the Business Made Simple online curriculum as a guide. Be cognizant of the content you’re putting out – Evaluate your message before publishing it to be sure it is thoughtful, relevant, sensitive, respectful, and positive. People are worn down enough just by life’s circumstances – they don’t want to receive emails that rub salt in their wounds.It’s all about relationships – Be kind to everyone you come in contact with and be intentional about checking in on people you haven’t heard from in a while. Links: “Profit First” book: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making/dp/073521414X/Mike Michalowicz: https://mikemichalowicz.com/Squadcast: https://squadcast.fm/ Slack: https://slack.com/ Bonjoro: https://www.bonjoro.com/ Zoom: https://zoom.us/ Business Made Simple: https://www.businessmadesimple.com/ Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

So how do you retain more of your current clients and increase their lifetime value over time? On this episode of The Friday Habit podcast, Ben and Mark provide their top 3 ways and recommend some awesome resources to help you along the way. Package or productize your service – Mike McDerment wrote the e-book “Breaking the Time Barrier” demonstrating this topic, which we highly recommend that you read. Horizontal integration such as expanding your current product offerings based on demand and needs expressed by your clients can be a gamechanger for your business.Create a subscription service – Often referred to as a retainer, a subscription service is a way ensure that your clients will stick around for a specified period of time and that you will be able to provide enough value to them that they will recognize their need for your services. One good way to communicate this value is by providing the client with a quarterly or annual report of what your company has done for them and laying out some goals for the future.Continue the relationship with content marketing – Content marketing is one of the clearest ways to provide value to clients, new or existing. Setting yourself up as a thought leader in your area of expertise and willingly sharing that knowledge will surprise and delight your clients and keep them engaged. You can do this through weekly email newsletters, hosting a podcast, creating a deliverable that your clients can refer to, or offering free services to help them conduct more effective business themselves.Your action item after this episode is to read the e-book entitled “Breaking the Time Barrier” and consider how you might implement some of the methods described there into your own business.Links:Bonjoro: https://www.bonjoro.com/BombBomb: https://bombbomb.com/c/ Taylor Landis article: https://www.outboundengine.com/blog/customer-retention-marketing-vs-customer-acquisition-marketing/“Breaking the Time Barrier” e-book: https://www.frameworkhomeownership.org/images/uploads/Breaking-the-Time-Barrier.pdfConnect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

The topic of this episode of The Friday Habit is dealing with business envy. Everyone struggles with comparison and the temptation to be judgmental of yourself and others in the context of business, and when you are in the heat of the moment it can be difficult to see things from the right perspective. Even if you didn’t get that new client or promotion, you are doing better than you think you are. Here are four ways to help combat this business envy and get a better understanding of your own strengths and position in the industry:Reach out to that competitor – Send them a message or meet them for coffee to congratulate them on their recent success and start to build a relationship with them. Most likely, getting to know them and their story will help you learn a few things and will also set your mind at ease because you will see that they have had their fair share of difficulties as well.Avoid a scarcity mindset – There are more than 30 million small businesses in America, so if that is your client pool, there is plenty of business out there for you and all of your competitors. Focus on adding value to your potential clients rather than worrying that you won’t get any clients.Stay humble – Don’t base your worth on being the best. If you remain humble, you will not have as far to fall when something happens and it will be easier for you to get back up again.Focus on the long game – A majority of your business will come from the relationships you have built rather than the cold calls you make or the social media promotions you run. Be true to yourself and genuinely interested in others and you will set yourself up for a solid sales pipeline without much effort.Your action time after this episode is to think of someone you have felt jealous of and reach out to them.Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/

Whether you realize it or not, when you say “yes” to anything, you are saying “no” to everything else in that situation. On this episode of The Friday Habit, Ben and Mark discuss the wrong ways that people typically say “no” and the one right way that will be in everyone’s best interest. You could think of this like a financial budget, as described by several business leaders including Michael Hyatt, where overspending in one area will make you go into debt somewhere else. In his book, “The Power of a Positive No”, William Ury spells out the 4 ways that people say “no”, three of them wrong and one of them right: Accommodation – This is refusing to say “no” even though you should. Essentially accommodation means saying “yes” to something that is not good for you or you do not have the capacity for.Attack – Sometimes people overreact and so strongly say “no” that the other person feels attacked and damage is done to the relationship. This is unnecessary and definitely the wrong way to say “no.”Avoidance – Non-answers are common: “I’ll get back to you”, “Not right now”, “I’ll let you know when I have time”, etc. But this lack of upfront honesty will just lead to frustration for both parties involved in the end due to wasted time and energy.Affirmation – Ben calls this a “criticism sandwich” where you give them good news, then bad news, then good news again, cushioning the blow and providing them with twice as much good news as bad. This could look like affirming them, rejecting your participation in the project, and then providing a referral or suggestion for how they could move forward in another way.It is critical to the functioning of your business that you learn to set boundaries and say “no” to the things that are outside of your primary focus or would distract you from your main line of work. This week’s action item is to try the affirmation technique the next time you have to say “no”.Links:“Free to Focus” by Michael Hyatt: https://freetofocus.com/“The Power of a Positive No” by William Ury: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-No-Relationship-Still/dp/0553384260 Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

If you are living with the “live every day like it’s Friday” mentality like Mark and Ben are, you know how this shift in perspective can boost your energy level and help you find the good things in each day, seeing every problem as an opportunity to do something right. This perspective carries over into many aspects of your working life and is especially pertinent to the implementation of effective meetings. Maybe you have never been a part of a meeting that you would define as “effective”, so here are 5 ways to alter the paradigm and make every meeting more productive:Have a goal for the meeting – Define the reason why the meeting is taking place and include a brief agenda and action items in the meeting invite so all participants are on the same page.Keep meetings small – Be intentional with who is invited to each meeting, only including those who absolutely need to be there. Identify the key stakeholders in the project or initiative and make sure they can be there, rescheduling the meeting if necessary.Avoid conference calls – When you can’t see each other, it is easy for people to get distracted and difficult to gauge people’s genuine reactions to things other people are saying. Instead, try to schedule in-person or video conference meetings when possible.Be present – Institute a rule that all devices should be in “do not disturb” mode and/or face down on the table to reduce the number of distractions. If you are not distracted, it is likely that the meeting will conclude faster and you will be able to get back on your devices quickly anyway.Clearly define the action items – At the end of the meeting, discuss the action items and delineate the responsibilities for those items to the appropriate people. Set timelines for these tasks and go ahead and set up the next follow-up meeting before you all leave the room.Your action items after listening to this episode are to define the purpose of your next meeting and split up tasks at the end of that meeting to see how much this improves the effectiveness of the meeting.Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Based upon the book "Profit First," Ben and Mark share the concept of setting aside profit for yourself first by simply creating different bank accounts (for operating expenses, owner's compensation, taxes and profit). Then, you put a percentage of what is made each pay period into each account. Each quarter, you change the percentages as needed. One of the many perks is it helps you assess reoccurring expenses more often. The four keys to creating stability include:Keep your overhead low – If you value a really nice office space, perhaps sublease part of that space to cover the expense for your own space. With spaces like WeWork and other coworking spaces, having a really expensive space should be lowest on the priorities. Every time you hire someone, make sure they pay for themselves and then more- Make sure they for pay themselves, are the value of their work and there is a really good profit margin. Charge three times the service someone is offering but make sure you have enough work for them to do beforehand. "Hire when it hurts," making sure your workload is consistently too heavy for a time period and and not just if you have extra money. You can also hire if you want to offer additional services that you otherwise wouldn't be able to offer. Create subscription based products/service – This helps with forecasting. There is a scare factor because you aren't sure how it's going to work. One of the perks is it eliminates proposals. Charge a flat rate for the same services every month, and you are, for example, an on demand content department. Offer subscriptions based upon the client's budget. It helps the client see you as a partner instead of "a doer." Once you have the stability and security, it allows you to really grow because you aren't scrambling to meet the budget each month, You know what is coming in and you can plan into the future. Pay yourself consistently as the business owner– Pay yourself consistently each month to give you a consistent baseline. Then, if needed make sure you have the ability to make an owner's draw. If you follow the process, every quarter you will get a bigger bonus.Links to Books: Profit First- https://profitfirstbook.com/ Rework - https://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307704513 Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Too often, distractions invade our world and keep us from accomplishing everything we have set out to do in a certain timeframe. Whether you find that your distractions are of your own making or the result of those who work around you, hopefully you can find some good insights and action items in these 3 simple strategies for staying focused at work:Stick to a time management plan such as the Pomodoro technique – Block out some time during your day when you can commit 25 minutes to focus on one task with no distractions whatsoever followed by a 5-minute break. You can then evaluate whether you need to commit to another 25-minute session to that same task or move on to a different focused task, followed by another 5-minute break. There are many helpful apps and tools to help facilitate this focused time/break time balance, but the easiest is just setting a timer on your phone. You will likely find that by spending such concentrated time on a single task skyrockets your productivity and helps you do your best work.Wear noise cancelling headphones – In addition to the obvious benefits of blocking out ambient and distracting noise, wearing headphones sends a message to those around you that you are in focus mode and they should leave you alone. Mark recommends the Apple AirPods Pro in-ear headphones with noise-cancelling and Ben recommends the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 over-ear headphones.Set boundaries – If your workplace culture will permit it, clearly communicate with your coworkers and boss that you set aside certain times of the day for focused work. Perhaps block out time on your shared calendar so people know not to schedule meetings with or try to call you during those times and/or establish “open office hours” when those around you are permitted to stop by to talk to you.Links:Hourglass timers: https://www.amazon.com/OrgaNice-Hourglass-Sand-Timer-Productivity/dp/B01KFYMFYE/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=hourglass+timer&qid=1581472135&sr=8-12Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.brandvivamedia.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Whether you find yourself constantly procrastinating or you are specifically avoiding a particular task, hopefully you realize that you can’t put it off forever and eventually you will have to do it. Why not just get started right now? Ben shares his 5 tips for beating procrastination:Think through the process – Create some space for yourself each week to consider your upcoming tasks and define the physical actions involved in each one. While having a task like “get better health insurance” on your list is specific, it is just unclear enough that you might not know how to move forward with it. List out the physical actions you will need to take to get better health insurance and then do them.Set the stage in advance – One great example of this is setting out your workout clothes at night so they are ready for the next morning and you have reduced the number of barriers between yourself and the gym. When you aren’t ready to do the whole task, gather all of the materials you need first and provide yourself with a friction-less jumpstart when you are ready.Reset your brain – Try one of these techniques for getting your brain back to a clean slate: 10 minutes of cardio exercise, a power nap, a cold shower, or working on the task for 15 minutes and giving yourself a break.Do a bad job on purpose – Put together the roughest rough draft just to get all of your thoughts out there and all of the content on the table. This gives you a great place to start.Think out loud – Verbally process with someone else why you don’t want to do this task or what is hindering you. They might have some helpful feedback as someone outside the situation and they can now hold you accountable for getting the task completed.Connect with us:https://www.thefridayhabit.com/[email protected] https://www.instagram.com/benjaminmanleyhttp://www.benjaminmanley.com/https://www.facebook.com/Marklab2https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklab2/

Main Topic5 Habits That Will Revolutionize Your BusinessLearn every weekLet others curate for youSubscribe to make it automatic (podcasts, emails)Capture new ideasWrite it down right when you think of itUse team messagingEncourage others to contributeDocument problemsExample: Taking too much time to quote small changes to sites turned into a membershipPerform a weekly reviewSchedule it on the calendarTalk through each of the ideas and problemsMake decisions and assign action itemsBlock off time to take actionThe goal is to block off one day per weekIf you need to, start with a half-day or even an hourAction ItemDownload our free guide to The Friday Habit System. It will help you establish the 5 habits we talked about today. That way you can start making consistent weekly improvements and revolutionize your business.Where to find BenBenjaminManley.comKnapsackCreative.comWhere to find MarkTwitter: @marklab2Website: BrandVivaMedia.com

Are you too busy doing work for your customers to make critical changes to your business? We’re here to help you set aside time every Friday to improve your business. So you can stop feeling behind and instead build a business that works for you.