PODCAST · business
The Bureau Briefing
by Carl Smith
The Bureau Briefing is a podcast by the Bureau of Digital, an organization dedicated to giving digital professionals the support system they never had. In each episode, we share what the Bureau community is talking about.
Episodes
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Love Your Users
In this long lost episode, Tevi Hirschhorn shares with us ways in which you can build a real relationship with your users. How UX can be designed to show love for them - and get them to love you back.
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We’ve got some tough choices to make
While we have a lot of support, the core Bureau team is myself and Lori Averitt. When more membership money started coming in I thought maybe we should grow the team so we can do more. But once we had the results from the Better Bureau Survey I realized I was looking at it wrong. We need to focus...
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What Does Web 3.0 Mean For Us?
The web is a funny place, and I don’t just mean cat memes (but yes, I do also mean cat memes). It’s weird to buy a couch online and then get nothing but couch ads for weeks like you needed a second one. Or say something online and suddenly have a mob of people show up to tell you you're wrong…
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How to find a good broker to sell your shop
Thanks to everyone who sent in their "you need to know" and "I wish I'd known" replies to our last newsletter. Your experiences and insights helped us put together this approach to finding an effective broker. Listen to the show, but also check out more in the newsletter:...
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Beware of the Broker Feeding Frenzy
I was talking with David C. Baker the other day about the high amount of webshops that are for sale right now. I’ve been in the digital services space for over 20 years and there has never been anything like this in our industry. He’s seeing the same surge and we dug into some of the challenges...
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10 + 1 things that are take aways from 10 years of the Bureau - Part 2
The Bureau is 10 years old! Of course we've learned a thing or two over the past decade. So here are 2nd half of the 10-ish of those. Have you seen the weekly email newsletter yet? https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0&id=790197d7f2
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10 + 1 things that are take aways from 10 years of the Bureau - Part 1
The Bureau is 10 years old! Of course we've learned a thing or two over the past decade. So here are 10-ish of those. Have you seen the weekly email newsletter yet? https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0&id=790197d7f2
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The Ethical Web Design Framework
We're talking with Warren Wilansky about his company Plank's approach to designing ethically driven websites. Which is where he and his team developed and released for us all to dig into; Plank's Ethical Web Design Framework. Get the weekly email newsletter:...
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Everybody is getting paid! Well almost.
We’ve all been trying to figure out what’s going on with compensation and benefits since the great resignation started. Over 3.8 million people quit their jobs in April of 2021 looking for better pay, conditions and work/life balance. For those with a career in digital, it sure looks like they...
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Happiness is great, but is it a goal? 👊
There are things I believe in very strongly when it comes to managing clients: We have to establish and maintain trust. We have to actively listen and confirm what we heard. We need to make sure bad news travels at the same speed as good news. But should we focus on client happiness? I think it…
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How to handle bumps in the road with clients
Most shop owners keep a mental tally of clients and finances, even if you’re not the one making sales calls and running spreadsheets every day. And the last thing you want is a pissed-off client ripping you a new one for a situation that’s been brewing for a while, especially when the whole thing...
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Let's take back control of our day 💪
This is probably gonna sound obvious, but if it was more of us would do it. Before we can be effective and motivated we have to know what we want to achieve. Not what needs to get done, there’s a big difference. And there should be alignment in your personal and professional life in what you're...
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Why Are Soft Skills So Damn Hard? 🤷
Michael Scott was clearly the best part of The Office (don’t @ me, Dwight stans). Because while he was not great at the business part of his job, he was even worse at the intangibles. And some of us were probably laughing because of our own insecurities. I feel confident in saying that if you’re...
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Are you offering "unlimited" time off?
Nobody likes having limits placed on them. After all, this is the land of all-you-can-eat breadsticks, right? And if more is better, unlimited vacation time might be the sweetest treat of all. But can you really let your team take as much time off as they want? What are the rules? And what's the...
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Are you a control freak? Be careful, it can cost ya!
Sometimes doing something yourself is the best way to get it done, like brushing your teeth. Other times, not so much. If you struggle with being a -- what’s a nicer term for “control freak”? -- you’re not alone. It pretty much goes with the territory of being an entrepreneur. And guess what?…
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Raising your rates in 2022?!
There's a lot to consider as you raise your rates or grow your company or whatever as it's all related. Let's review some of these from the most recent Summit. Check out more in the email newsletter: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0&id=790197d7f2
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Covid vs. The Bureau | Round 2
Well, well, well. If it isn’t our old friend Covid. And just as we were getting back to in-person events. But wait one darned minute! There’s a big difference this time. We’re ready. Not to say that it doesn’t suck, or that it’s just like it used to be. But that we have a plan. Get the email...
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Let's focus on real change this year.
I spent a few hours reviewing all of the new year's resolutions for businesses and found 34 that had merit. But most of them were more about doing a specific thing versus making changes that impact everything. With that in mind, I categorized them and came up with five actions I think we can all...
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For once, let's surrender to the holidays.
We're all creative leaders. And as leaders, we struggle when the need to lead takes a break. So our brains fill that space with other things we should be doing. And we often feel lazy or afraid an opportunity is slipping away from us if we don't "take advantage of the downtime." Let's…
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Events are back in-person
After two years Bureau Events are happening in-person with Owner Camp. The energy was great and there is more in store for 2022. If you aren't already, get signed up for the email newsletter: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0&id=790197d7f2
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2022 should be more about you.
Enough is enough, am I right? We've all been working so hard and we needed to. But now we've got to slow down and take care of ourselves. Take solace in our survival through two of the toughest years humans have collectively faced. Listen in as we go over Carl’s recent Marathon, but the point is...
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The best gifts don't need a logo on them
We’ve all been there. You look up and it’s December and you still haven’t finalized your holiday gifts for clients. You wonder what swag can you get made in time? Or... maybe we’ll make it a New Years' gift to buy some time! OK, maybe all of you are awesome and it was just me dropping the ball?...
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ConvergeSE... The Golden Years...
We often drop a lot of references to conferences and events we've attended and even produced together, in this episode we talk about the history of the Converge conference. Get the weekly newsletter to read more. https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?id=790197d7f2&u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0
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The Origin Story: Carl's nGen Works Journey Part 4 of 4
From nGen to the Bureau of Digital it's been a ride of a lifetime. Here is part four: The 3rd Act. Get the weekly newsletter to read more. https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?id=790197d7f2&u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0
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The Origin Story: Carl's nGen Works Journey Part 3 of 4
From SXSW to distributed teams nGen grows and then things get dicey. Here is part Three: Saying Your Goodbyes. Get the weekly newsletter to read more. https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?id=790197d7f2&u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0
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The Origin Story: Carl's nGen Works Journey Part 2 of 4
In part two of the nGen story, Gene and Carl talk about the shift from Flash to Web Standards, the collaborative nature of a young industry, finding your people, and the birth of Happy Webbies. Get the weekly newsletter to read more....
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The Origin Story: Carl's nGen Works Journey Part 1 of 4
Carl's experiences with starting, running and closing down nGen Works have come up a lot in our episodes. A listener mentioned we never get the full story of how nGen started, grew and eventually ended. So let’s do this! Here is part one: The Origin Story. Get the weekly newsletter to read more....
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How do you define BURNOUT?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Feeling it? Let's go through some definitions of burnout and how you might be feeling it or dealing with it. Check out the weekly email newsletter:...
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Don't tie your self-worth to your job
Let's say you're at a conference, someone walks up to you during one of the breaks and asks what you do? What do you say? I run a digital agency? Let’s find a better way to define ourselves that doesn’t impact our happiness after a bad day at work or maybe during a pandemic. Read more in the...
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Signs a remote teammate is struggling
One major difference with working remotely is how hard it can be to tell when someone is feeling down. Especially when we're all working to maintain our own mental health. Let's look at some things to look for and ways you can help. Read more in the newsletter:...
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What has big challenges & a huge upside?
Let's keep talking about other ways we can make money besides traditional services. Personally, I'm a huge fan of maintenance agreements. In my experience, they are easy to sell, provide opportunities to keep the team busy when things slow down, and frequently turn into new business…
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More about policies and potential fallout
Last week we got into vaccination policies and how you can approach that or not. This week we follow up on some of the great conversation around this topic from the Bureau Slack Channels on the same topic. More like this in the email newsletter:...
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How do we protect the team and the company?
It's pretty obvious we're in unchartered territory here. As the pandemic continues to make headlines, we're staying focused on what comes next. For many of us, that involves growing the team and getting back to the office. Which explains why the Bureau Slack has been very chatty regarding...
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We only lose when we quit trying.
Another rough day. Everything feels like one step forward and two steps back. Somebody new joins the team... another person leaves. And that person that left was loved by the client. A client who is now cranky because the team keeps changing. So you make time to smooth things over. But... you're...
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Want instant chaos? Hire a jerk.
I get it. You've had that position open for two months and work isn't getting done. But bring in someone who isn't a team player, no matter how talented, and things will get worse. If you haven't before, read The No Asshole Rule. Or actually, just write "No Assholes" on a post-it note and keep it...
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When things really go off the rails...
Ever been involved in a lawsuit or gotten real close to it? Here's some war stories that Carl and Gene have been through so you can feel better about yourselves. Get the weekly newsletter to read more. https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=3c7b14630509cce52d23ffec0&id=790197d7f2
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Relax, you got this!
Running a shop is hard. Especially when you never went to school for business. And never planned on having people work for you. Plus you now have clients with needs, budgets and expectations that make you nauseous. But you’re here now so let’s talk about it. Spoiler alert; you’re doing great.…
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Emojis, inclusion and navigating change
Recently in the Bureau Slack, a conversation took place about emoji usage among employees. Emojis are part of our language now. And just like words, they matter. So listen as Gene and Carl talk about the history, evolution and impact emojis are having on how we communicate.
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If you could, would you do it all over again?
What's the personal toll of running your own company? The emotional side, the impact it has on your family. You're going to be torn between providing for your family financially versus emotionally and it will drive your decisions. What ways would you do things differently if you had a chance to…
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Transparency and Trust in Your Organization
How do you build trust through transparency in your organization. How much is too much and what happens if you go too far or don't give it the respect it deserves. Check out the Bureau's weekly emails, sign up if you haven't already!...
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Would you want to work for you?
Even shops with healthy cultures and deep pockets are experiencing turnover and struggling to hire. Look at almost any research and you'll see that a competitive salary is an important part of the equation, but not the most important. So there are opportunities to get to yes with a reasonable...
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Keeping Your Cool in Tough Situations
It's a different kind of difficult right now. Pandemic uncertainties aside, and that's a big aside, most of us are still struggling to find people to join the team. And the people we do have are being tempted with shiny new opportunities and higher salaries. Oh, and there's still the matter of...
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Retainers Rock! Retainers Stink!
There are a lot of polarizing things when it comes to running a webshop. It still blows my mind that retainers are one of them. But it's a great reminder that we're all in this business for different reasons and with different needs. So let's take a look at the good, bad, and sometimes ugly…
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What do you do when they disappear?
We've all been there. You put your best effort into a proposal and the prospect is excited! You've told the team it's 99% in the bag. The agreement goes over and... crickets. A follow-up email goes out to make sure they got it. Nothing. You call and leave a voicemail. Hello? Is this thing on? So...
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To B-Corp or not to B-Corp?
For a few years, there's been chatter in the community about B-Corps. A lot of the talk has been about how hard it is to qualify and is it worth it. Lately, with the difficulty in hiring talent, B-Corps seem to have a leg up on everyone else as people want to work for a company with a commitment…
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Why your client doesn't trust you
From the moment you come in contact with a prospective client you should be laying the groundwork for a relationship built on trust. Not only does this involve being honest and transparent, but also keeping your commitments. And let them know you expect the same from them for the best outcome.…
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When clients want to manage the design
Sometimes our clients misunderstand what it is we do when it comes to Design and UX for their projects, it can be treated as an afterthought or just as "make it pretty" type of work. What happens when your client wants to bring the design in-house or have their own resource handle that part of…
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Let's get real about clients & budgets
What's the price? What's the budget? This is still a challenging part of projects for many web studios and prospects. But it doesn't have to be! We're the experts and the professionals. It's our job to walk prospects through the process of establishing cost and options of how they'll compensate…
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Getting Testimonials & Negotiating NDAs
Each week we'll be highlighting what Digital Agencies in the Bureau community are excited about. This week we dig into ways to get testimonials out of your clients and how-to overcome some challenges when they don’t really want to give them to you or even when it seems like you can’t because of...
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Work Lessons From The Pandemic
Each week we'll be highlighting what Digital Agencies in the Bureau community are excited about. This week we take a look at the biggest lessons we've learned from working during the pandemic. For more ways it helped, check out this week's newsletter: http://bit.ly/BureauBriefing142 Also, catch…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Bureau Briefing is a podcast by the Bureau of Digital, an organization dedicated to giving digital professionals the support system they never had. In each episode, we share what the Bureau community is talking about.
HOSTED BY
Carl Smith
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Bureau Briefing have?
The Bureau Briefing currently has 190 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Bureau Briefing about?
The Bureau Briefing is a podcast by the Bureau of Digital, an organization dedicated to giving digital professionals the support system they never had. In each episode, we share what the Bureau community is talking about.
How often does The Bureau Briefing release new episodes?
The Bureau Briefing publishes regularly with 190 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Bureau Briefing?
You can listen to The Bureau Briefing on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Bureau Briefing?
The Bureau Briefing is created and hosted by Carl Smith.
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