Businessing with Pat Miller

"You may nail the numbers at work, but if you don't nail the numbers at home, your home will leech off the business and both will be compromised." That's Mike Michalowicz on what cracked open his new book.Mike, author of Profit First and The Money Habit, joins Pat to preview his keynote for the SBOC 2026 Conference. The conversation goes deep on the difference between financial freedom and financial independence, why "be more disciplined" advice never works, and the behavioral move Mike calls channeling who you already are. Pat also covers the latest out of Iran, the Mayo Clinic AI breakthrough on pancreatic cancer, the rumored Claude "Orbit" agent, and the SBOC Awards returning for a third year with Precious L. Williams as emcee.In this episode:00:00 - Welcome and the daily ritual: positivity, gratitude, distraction, one task06:30 - Mike Michalowicz joins the show08:30 - Becoming Self-Made: Mike's new podcast10:30 - How Tommy Mello and 900 garage door techs sparked The Money Habit13:30 - Financial freedom vs. financial independence17:00 - Why Pat booked Mike for SBOC 2619:30 - Channel who you already are: the sneaker-on-the-toilet-seat story23:00 - Your bank is your #1 financial app26:00 - DUMBO: how Mike builds his contrarian frameworks29:00 - When did Profit First become a hit?33:00 - SBOC 26 conference dates and ticket release schedule36:30 - Sponsor: Money Masters Bookkeeping38:00 - Iran update and Trump's 35% approval rating41:00 - Mayo Clinic AI catches pancreatic cancer up to three years early42:30 - AI story of the day: Claude "Orbit" and the great employee46:30 - Sponsor: G2 Insurance48:00 - SBOC Awards return for year three with Precious L. Williams51:30 - Star Wars rumor: Disney heading back to the originalsResources mentioned:- The Money Habit by Mike Michalowicz- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz- Becoming Self-Made (Mike's new podcast)- Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath- Mayo Clinic AI study on early pancreatic cancer detection- Precious L. Williams, the Killer Pitch Master- Money Masters Bookkeeping: https://moneymasters4biz.com- G2 Insurance: https://g2insuranceservices.com🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #ProfitFirst #MikeMichalowicz #SBOC26

Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business. It’s the last day of April, and Pat opens with the show’s new daily ritual: positivity, gratitude, the distraction of the day, and the one task you have to finish before you stand up from your desk. Today’s distraction is performative busyness. Pat calls it a suit of armor. When somebody asks how the business is going and you say “I’m working really hard,” that’s not an answer. Nobody gets paid because they’re busy.In the news: gas at $4.25 a gallon has crossed into cultural-tipping-point territory, and Pat shows you two ways to turn it into a promotion that cuts through. Then Big Tech Q1 earnings — Alphabet at $62.6B in profit, Meta at $26B — and the $650 billion that four companies are pouring into AI infrastructure this year. That’s more than it cost to build the entire U.S. highway system. Follow the money. Two AI stories: 82% of small businesses are using AI, AI agents are handling 80–90% of customer inquiries, and the big tools are raising prices to $30 a month. Pat’s reframe: that’s a personnel line item, not a tech expense. Plus: Mike Michalowicz on the show next Tuesday May 5 at 11 AM CT, Carolyn Jahnke joining the SBOC Conference for a partnerships session, ticket sales kick off May 11–13, and Stephanie Kern’s Sticker of the Month Club is officially live. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessingShow?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comSponsor: https://www.genhead.com

A 110-person company just lost access to Claude. Cold cut off. And it got Pat thinking...what would happen to your business if your AI got taken away tomorrow?This episode goes deep on the AI dependency trap most small business owners are sleepwalking into. Pat shares why building your business on someone else's software is starting to look like the late-2010s Facebook follower mistake, and what to watch as open-source models start to compete. Plus: Taco Tom from G2 Insurance on cyber coverage and the questions every owner should be asking, the new SBOC 2026 Professional Presence Workshop with Captain Cathy Trimboli and Rebekah Bryan, and the device Pat is buying to break his Twitter habit.In this episode:00:00 — May the 4th open and welcome01:30 — Today's sponsor: Money Masters Bookkeeping03:00 — Daily warm-up: positivity, gratitude, and your #1 task07:00 — Distraction of the Day: the Brick (and Pat's Twitter problem)12:00 — News: Iran, gas prices, and Spirit Airlines bankruptcy15:00 — Kentucky Derby: 23-1 longshot and the first female trainer in 152 years18:00 — SBOC 2026 Conference intro19:00 — Guest: Taco Tom from G2 Insurance on cyber coverage30:00 — AI Story of the Day: what if you lose access to Claude?36:00 — Money Masters Bookkeeping spotlight39:00 — SBOC 2026: the new Professional Presence Workshop with Captain Cathy Trimboli & Rebekah Bryan46:00 — Stephanie Kern's Sticker of the Month Club48:00 — Tomorrow on the show: Mike Michalowicz on The Money HabitResources mentioned:- The Brick — focus device that blocks apps on your phone- Tom Goman, G2 Insurance — business and cyber insurance- Money Masters Bookkeeping (Barbara Faucet) — https://moneymastersforbiz.com- Captain Cathy Trimboli — command presence workshop- Rebekah Bryan — professional stylist, the 90/10 Rule and Red Shoe Theory- Stephanie Kern, Vanderblooming Creative — Sticker of the Month Club- Mike Michalowicz — The Money Habit (tomorrow's guest, 11am CT)- Nikki at Genhead — open source AI models for small business🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #AIForSmallBusiness #BusinessInsurance #Productivity

Pat had a moment in the car driving home from a chamber event yesterday. He'd just spent the afternoon with a room full of business owners in Fond du Lac, and they all said the same thing he's heard for 750+ Idea Slams: I'm behind. I'm overwhelmed. I feel like I'm failing. So today, the show changes. From now on, Businessing is the daily meeting for small business owners. Every show opens with three things. One: positivity and gratitude in the chat. Two: the distraction of the day. Three: the one task that has to get done by 5pm today. Then tomorrow at 11, Pat looks into the camera with full dad energy and asks, "Did you do it?"Sponsored by Genhead - Genhead.comEpisode: Businessing with Pat Miller — Wednesday, April 29, 2026 What we covered: Why Pat missed yesterday's show (Fond du Lac Chamber Idea Slam) The new show format: Positivity & Gratitude, Distraction of the Day, Number One Task The five faces of inaction News: UAE leaves OPEC, gas prices spike AI: OpenAI's phone vision, half the internet is bots Conference: Steve Glynn announced, tickets available Resources YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

A British marathoner just broke the 2-hour barrier. The four-minute mile of long-distance running. And every runner in the world is suddenly asking the same question: "Maybe I can too?"Pat takes that energy and aims it at every small business owner watching.Five questions you don't want to answer honestly:→ How many hours of an eight-hour day are you actually working?→ Could you make an extra thousand bucks this week if your life depended on it?→ Could you turn what you know into a digital product for $20?→ If Mark Cuban bought your business, would he do better than you?→ What would you do with 20 hours a week back?You're not going as hard as you can. Neither am I.Plus: Why Pat is putting a recurring meeting on his calendar with Claude. DeepSeek's new V4 Pro and V4 Flash open-source AI models. The SBOC Conference 2-Hour AI Super Session announcement (tickets May 13). And Kellogg putting toys back in cereal boxes.🎙️ Watch the show: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comWant to come on the show for an Idea Slam? Reach out anytime. We brainstorm on your behalf, live, no net.It's your dream. Don't grow it alone.®

Thursday's Businessing opened with Pat walking into the studio fresh off an hour outside. 70 degrees in Milwaukee. An AI Installation Group meeting behind him. A mountain of work ahead. The conversation that followed was the best kind of course correction.Consultant Michael Rampolla of Fortum Advisors joined Pat (on hotel lobby wifi, then literally outside) to unpack why small business owners work so hard and still miss. Michael's core diagnosis: we have a bias for action. Feeling stuck feels bad, so we move. We move before we check what problem we're actually trying to solve. And we end up running hard in the wrong direction.The fix is uncomfortable. Sit with the stuck. Check the assumptions under your beliefs. Ask how do you know. Use an AI like Claude to play devil's advocate on your thinking before you commit real time and money. Track lead indicators you can control, not lag indicators like revenue that only tell you the verdict after it's too late. And surround yourself with people authorized to tell you you're wrong.The AI story of the day: Google Workspace Intelligence is live, with AI now integrated across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Calendar, including a new inbox that auto-sorts mail. For SBOC 26, Pat announced strategic growth and SEO expert Myrna Dyramy as Wednesday's third speaker, joining Mike Michalowicz and Taylor Cusick Holman. 115 tickets remain against a 235-person waitlist.The weird story of the week: Northwestern University has successfully printed artificial neurons on plastic that fire like real brain cells, opening the door to restoring vision, movement, and speech. Pat closed with his usual note about the NFL Draft, the importance of keggers, and zero regrets.🎙️ YouTube (subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com🤝 SBOC Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com🎬 This episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/snVnycpHo0Y🎙️ Universal podcast link: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listenGuest: Michael Rampolla, Fortum Advisors — [email protected]

Three AI wins you can install this week. That's the show.Jason Kolins of Kolins Intelligence spent years running AI at Fortune 500 companies. Then he brought the playbook home to Cedarburg, Wisconsin and started helping solo shops and small teams without the Fortune 500 price tag. He came on the air with three wins any business owner can deploy right now:1. Stop writing everything from scratch. One business owner went from 45 minutes on morning customer questions to 5 minutes with a single prompt template. 10+ hours a week, back.2. Look like a bigger business than you are. AI doesn't care if you're a one-person shop or a 500-person company. Same tools. Different budget.3. Never let a lead go cold. HVAC, plumbers, pest control... if you miss a call, you lose money. An auto text-back setup is the fix.Also: Why "cringe is the new cool." ChatGPT Image 2.0 and the branding arms race. And the first SBOC Conference speaker is announced: Taylor Cusick Hollman of Enng on lead generation.Guest: Jason Kolins, Kolins Intelligence — kolinsintelligence.comLinks:🎙️ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com👥 SBOC: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

Do you care that the number one song in the country was written and performed by AI? Today on Businessing, Pat Miller unpacks the synthetic content tsunami... including new data showing less than half of new podcasts released yesterday were likely made by humans... and makes the case that real-life gatherings are about to become the most valuable asset a business owner can own.Then: the lead story. Pat put the show on TikTok and watched the comments go brutal in 24 hours. Bald jokes. Boomer jokes. The worst stuff people could think up. Then the algorithm found his people. The lesson from two decades in broadcasting: when you introduce yourself to an unfamiliar audience, the first wave is almost always negative. Get uncomfortable anyway.Plus... the Idea Slam pulled from last night's Milwaukee SBOC meetup: how to land your first client using Know, Like, Trust. News update on the Iran ceasefire, $4 gas, and the weird economy where consumer confidence is at COVID-lows but spending keeps climbing. And a major SBOC Conference announcement: Mike Michalowicz is the keynote, with an Idea Slam Lunch sponsored by Taco Tom from G2 Insurance.Subscribe and come back tomorrow... Jason Collins joins to share three wins with AI for small business owners.Watch the show: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Claude Design just launched, and Pat demos it live, rebuilding the ugly AI Installation Group landing page in real time. The insight: if your website looks homemade, your prices look homemade. The tools for small business owners to look professional just got a lot better and a lot cheaper.Also on today's show: the SBOC 26 keynote reveal. Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First and The Money Habit, headlines the September 15–17 conference in Brookfield, Wisconsin. In person this time. Tickets are $399, the lowest Pat has ever set them, and go on sale May 13 (May 11 for SBOC members).And the Marines rappel from a helicopter to take an Iranian cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz while Pat spent the weekend making four trips to the hardware store to fix his lawnmower. Hashtag - not a marine.The SBOC quarterly meetup is TONIGHT, 4–6 PM at the Technology Innovation Center in Wauwatosa. Come say hi.🎙️ Watch the show: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com🔗 Join SBOC: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

You never have to wonder what to post on social media again. The problem isn't that you don't have ideas...it's that you have too many. Creative constraint is the fix, and Pat breaks down exactly how to use it.Plus: Jeff Bezos said something about AI that broke Pat's brain. AI isn't a product like the iPhone. It's a horizontal market like electricity. It doesn't compete with what exists...it replaces it. What that means for your business is something every owner needs to hear.Two SBOC Conference 2026 announcements: Coaches Row is back with free laser coaching sessions, and Thursday afternoon gets a brand new format. Tickets go on sale May 13th.And Pat shares a moment from Iowa that'll remind you why you do this: "It feels really good to have someone believe in you."Show HighlightsCreative constraint: the social media trick that makes ideas explodeJeff Bezos on AI as a horizontal market (like electricity, not iPhone)The AI house wars: Claude vs GPT vs Gemini vs GrokSBOC Conference: Coaches Row returns + new laser talk formatTax Day survival tips and Profit First reminderWhy 70% of small business owners still expect to grow in 2026LinksCheck in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comSBOC Conference wait list: https://smallbusinesscommunity.comFridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comGenHead (show sponsor): https://genhead.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

Your business doesn't need to be better. It needs to be weirder.Not goofy weird. Strategically different. The kind of different that makes people stop scrolling, stop comparing, and start paying attention.Today we break down four ways to get weird with your business: quality, speed, entertainment, and scale. The Grateful Dead just launched a $10/month streaming service for live recordings...60 years in, still cutting through because they got weird and stayed weird. That's the lesson.Also on today's show: Ticketmaster just lost a federal monopoly lawsuit (86% of concert venues, seriously?), Senator Tammy Baldwin wants to fix the $1,500 local sports streaming problem, Claude Opus 4.7 dropped with better vision and less babysitting, and we announced a GenHead AI super session at the SBOC Conference.Plus the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2026 class, and why you should unironically listen to Phil Collins today.Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.🔗 Check in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com🔗 Sponsor: https://genhead.com🔗 Subscribe to Fridays Off: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com🔗 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

Gas prices just crossed $4 a gallon and your clients are about to start acting different. Pat breaks down what rising fuel costs really mean for your business and gives you three moves to protect the bottom line right now.Then we're rewriting the rules on to-do lists. If your list makes you remember everything, that's why you're stressed. Pat shares the system he used with Abby over the weekend that turned 52 tasks into 8 things that actually needed to get done today.Plus: A Gallup survey says half the workforce isn't using AI...but adoption is climbing past 51%. Alibaba's Accio agent just hit 10 million users and proves the agentic future isn't coming, it's here. The SBOC Conference drops Feature #4: Whiteboard Magic with Michael Rampolla. And the Milwaukee Marathon misspelled "marathon" on 4,000 medals.Businessing with Pat Miller is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. We talk about what's real: making more money without burning out, getting the right stuff done without losing your mind, and running a business built for 2026, not 2006.Links:Check in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comPresented by GenHead: https://genhead.comSubscribe to Fridays Off: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

The two most dangerous words in your business are "what if."You know the spiral. What if my biggest client cancels? What if AI takes part of my product? What if there's a new competitor? We what-if ourselves into paralysis trying to control a future that probably won't happen anyway.But here's what we never do...we never what-if the good stuff. What if that big client says yes? What if you double your rates and people pay it? What if you have to hire more people because things are going that well?Today on Businessing, Pat breaks down how to escape what-if thinking and trust the evidence you've already built. You got this far. You can handle tomorrow.Plus:Iran's peace deal is shakier than yesterday's market rally suggested, and Pat explains why energy prices matter to your business right now. The DOJ is investigating NFL streaming rights, and it could change how content gets distributed everywhere. Community member Michael demos a photo cataloging app he built entirely with Claude...no coding required. And the biggest product launch in history is coming: a pill that gives your dog two more years.SBOC Conference update: Two happy hours announced for this year's "Find Your People" event. 115 tickets remain with 225+ on the waitlist.Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Subscribe to Fridays Off: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comCheck in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comSponsor: https://genhead.com

Your survival instinct built your business. But is it also holding you back?New research shows animals that adapt just to survive actually evolve slower. On today's show, Pat connects that science to what he's seeing in the small business owner community...businesses growing so fast that quality suffers, owners doing tasks their team should handle, and all of us ignoring the small fixes because we're too busy keeping the lights on.Plus the biggest AI story we've ever covered: Anthropic's new Mythos model found vulnerabilities in software that's been out for decades, hacked its way out of a sandboxed environment, and was covering its tracks. They've pulled together Apple, Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, JP Morgan, and more for emergency patching. Pat breaks down what this means for you and what you should do right now to protect your business.And the ultimate palette cleanser: a bald eagle family livestream from Big Bear Lake that will make everything feel okay again.Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.Check in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comSubscribe to the Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comPowered by GenHead: https://genhead.comWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

Solo diners spend 48% more than group diners. The whole restaurant industry got it wrong about their best customers. What are YOU getting wrong about yours?On today's show, Pat walks through an interactive customer quadrant exercise that maps your products by value and time horizon. Grab a pen and paper and figure out where your money actually comes from...and where your attention should be going.Also on today's show:- The case for taking your best client to a phone-free lunch (inspired by the Masters and the viral Weather Channel retro forecast)- AI energy breakthrough from Tufts University: 1% energy, 99% accuracy, training cut from 36 hours to 34 minutes- Michigan wins on free throws and Pat asks: are you brilliant at the basics?- SBOC Conference daily reveal #1: The First-Timer Welcome Reception (Sept 15)- AI Installation Group kicks off Thursday morningBusinessing with Pat Miller is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. Real conversations about hiring, marketing, time, AI, and whatever you're working on right now.Check in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comSubscribe to Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Today's show is sponsored by GenHead: https://genhead.com

Mark Zuckerberg said something that should stop you in your tracks. Social media used to be your friends and family. Now half the content is creators. We went from a group chat to cable TV in our pocket, and we didn't even notice.On today's Businessing, Pat connects this shift with a restaurant remodeling boom...warm interiors, communal spaces, staff that talks to you...because the human connection got stripped everywhere else. For business owners, the question is simple. What are you doing to bring your people together?Plus: Artemis 2 is headed around the dark side of the moon. March jobs numbers tripled what economists predicted (178K added). Chinese employees are sabotaging their AI job reports AND writing up their colleagues' jobs. Stephanie Kern launches the Sticker of the Month Club. The AI Installation Group kicks off Thursday. And the sixth annual SBOC Conference theme just dropped: Find Your People.Check in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comSubscribe to Fridays Off: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comGenHead CRM: https://genhead.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

Pat brings Friday Energy to Open Line Thursday. An unexpectedly emotional Artemis II launch story taps into Gen X Challenger memories. Stephanie Kern from Vander Bloom Creative joins live to announce the sticker club Pat bullied her into, featuring the "WTF Claude" sticker. Pat shares his own WTF Claude moment building the live check-in map. Plus the AI story of the day: Perplexity sued for sharing your chat data with Meta and Google. And Pat's biggest insight: why only A-players are adopting AI.Segments: Artemis II launch + Gen X Challenger trauma, Stephanie Kern sticker club launch (WTF Claude, Avoid the Rabbit Hole), Perplexity privacy lawsuit, why A-players adopt AI first, AI Installation Group kickoff next week, DHS funding stalled, COVID Cicada variant, Retro Weather Channel viral moment, LinkedIn not suppressing AI video, SBOC Conference waitlistCheck in when you watch: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.comBrought to you by GenHead: genhead.comSubscribe to the Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Pat kicks off April Fools with an AI-translated Mandarin video intro, then demonstrates just how easy video generation has become with a live Grok Imagine demo. He generates Steve Jobs walking on stage as the SBOC keynote speaker and animates last year's conference photos into moving video...all while broadcasting live.The lead story compares owning a Culver's franchise to building your own business. Culver's locations average $4.14 million in revenue, but the franchisee takes home $250-350K after a $3 million investment and managing dozens of employees. Meanwhile, service-based business owners can reach similar numbers with a fraction of the cost and hassle.Plus: a MIT study reveals 95% of enterprise AI installs aren't meeting goals (and why employee self-interest is the real bottleneck), Google finally lets you change your Gmail username, and the AI Installation Group launches next week.Businessing with Pat Miller is small business's daily live show. Solving problems so you can be more profitable, less stressed, and running a modern business. Live weekdays at 11am CT.Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

In today's episode: Pat launches the Businessing Daily Check-In — an interactive map where you can see who's watching, connect on LinkedIn, and keep your streak alive. We dig into disposable vs. necessary income and why it matters right now. The Trump administration makes a tone-deaf King Charles move during "No Kings" protests (business lesson: get a second opinion). Tyler Perry gets blocked from doing something good for TSA workers. Apple signs a billion-dollar deal to bring Google Gemini to Siri — and it might be the biggest AI on-ramp yet. Plus the story of a German tourist who sued a taco place for hot salsa, and what it teaches us about creating extreme, talkable offers in your business. And a 10-pound chocolate bunny that requires a hammer.🎙️ Watch live weekdays at 11am CT(New) Check in when you listen: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com📬 Subscribe to Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com🤝 Join the community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

OpenAI killed Sora last week. A million dollars a day in computing costs, fewer than 500,000 users, and they walked away from a billion-dollar Disney deal... all to refocus on the core business.Today we're talking about focus. The thing we all need more of and most of us hate doing. I walk you through a quick exercise to find your one thing and de-emphasize the stuff that's competing with it. You'll know you picked right when it hurts a little.Plus: Google just dropped a free AI training suite for small business owners. Text "ready" to 20202 for the Department of Labor's free AI course. And the Idea Slam tackles the big question... with all this tech change, where does small business fit right now?The answer? Unlimited opportunity. Computer. Credit card. Focused task list. Sprinkle of risk. Let's go.In the news: Iran war day 30, Tiger Woods arrested after rollover crash, NASA Artemis II launching Wednesday, UConn's buzzer-beater sets the Final Four, and new research on erythritol that might make you rethink your sugar substitutes.Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business. Real conversations about hiring, marketing, time, AI, and whatever you're working on right now.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comSBOC: https://SmallBusinessCommunity.comSponsor: https://GenHead.com

Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.In this episode, Pat celebrates the wins that actually matter—and they're real. Four entrepreneurs share breakthrough moments: Talmar Anderson discusses a client breakthrough that changed everything at Boss HQ. Lynn Razzi reveals how she hit #1 bestseller status while running fractional CFO work. Jennifer Buol from Excel & Flourish captured 50% of her annual revenue in just two weeks using Copilot—showing what's possible when you leverage AI right. Nikki Lee shares the weight and joy of making her first hire at GenHead.The AI conversation goes deeper with Michael Cohen using Claude to handle tax complexity and Brad Herda building presentation tools and wage calculators that solve real problems. Pat highlights Make America AI Ready—a free government-backed AI course you can access by text.News hits MLB Opening Day, March Madness, and a Stanford study proving movement extends lifespan. Health Talk anchors Pat's operating system idea: you're the software and the hardware. Two Idea Slam rounds dig into referring outside your expertise and why anti-hustle culture isn't the enemy of real work.The closing question lingers: In an AI world where everyone's got access to information, what becomes the real commodity?Subscribe & Connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comSBOC Community: https://www.smallbusinesscommunity.com

Learn the three-part framework that makes your products genuinely irresistible—and discover why Google Gemini is now changing how small business owners manage their days.SEGMENT BREAKDOWNThe Flea Filter: Value + Timeliness + Fun (inspired by Red Hot Chili Peppers)Google Gemini Personal Intelligence demo and free accessIdea Slam: Friends getting weird when you start making moneyIdea Slam: Knowing it's time to close your businessSBOC community moment + AI Installation Group launchSHOW DESCRIPTIONYou got into this for freedom. The ability to choose how you work, when you rest, how it all gets done. But then the to-do list took over, the stress crept in, and now you're doing the whole thing by yourself. Businessing is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. We talk about what's real: making more money without burning out, getting the right stuff done without losing your mind, and running a business built for 2026, not 2006.LINKS & RESOURCESYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comGenHead: https://genhead.com

Businessing with Pat Miller is a podcast for small business owners who want to get smarter about running their company without the corporate jargon. We cover real strategies, live demos, and honest conversations about what it actually takes to build something that works.In this episode: How to take vacation as a small business owner (time IS compensation), a live demo of Claude's Computer Use that saved six hours of work in real-time, and how to identify whether your client is actually an "adult" worth working with. Plus news, idea slam, and community updates.Resources & Links:Claude Computer Use: claude.aiSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comHashtags: #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #AIAutomation #VacationPlanning #SalesStrategy

The Strait of Hormuz deadline just got pushed to Friday and the markets went absolutely vertical. Dow up over 1,000, crude oil crashed 8.62%, and business owners are watching gas prices hit $3.91 wondering what happens next. Pat breaks it all down.Then the main story: a viewer compliment sparks a conversation about the hardest part of owning your differentiator... actually believing it. Pat walks through a dead-simple act-and-track system that turns tiny daily actions into real confidence. Evidence leads to inevitability. If you've ever felt like a fraud proclaiming you're the best at what you do, this one's for you.The AI story of the day is a viral video you have to see. A woman who'd never written a line of code built a $25,000 website in six hours with Claude. Her reaction? "WTF Claude." That's the moment waiting for every business owner who finally dives into AI.Two Idea Slams today: how to close sales without making people feel pressured (hint: your discovery calls need work), and how to get referrals from clients without begging (hint: maybe you need to be better first). Plus, United Airlines just handed down sky justice on the worst people in the world... the ones who watch TikTok on airplanes without headphones.Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Your power pitch is broken and Lisa Raebel is here to fix it. The founder of Rebel Girl Marketing joins Businessing to break down why nobody cares about your certifications and how to talk about the fear and emotion behind what you do instead. Plus: someone screenshotted a business owner's pricing and called them expensive on Facebook — Pat explains why that's actually a compliment. ChatGPT finally gets write actions (welcome to 2026, buddy), Pat discovers Claude Code and becomes the world's best "boop" operator, and a sweat equity deal that might be a golden opportunity or a total trap. All that plus the Idea Slam, news, and community love on today's Businessing with Pat Miller.Businessing is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. We talk about what's real: making more money without burning out, getting the right stuff done without losing your mind, and running a business built for 2026, not 2006.Presented by Genhead - check 'em out - https://www.genhead.comSubscribe & FollowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

On today's Businessing, Pat connected two seemingly unrelated news stories to unlock a competitive advantage hiding in plain sight. Story one: airline CEOs are begging Congress to reopen DHS after 50,000 TSA agents went unpaid and security lines ballooned past two hours at some airports, right as 171 million people prepare to fly this spring. Story two: new research shows customers aren't just expecting more, they're expecting it faster. The throughline? Americans hate waiting more than almost anything else.Drawing on 30 years of serving the public, Pat made the case that you don't need to improve your product to improve the experience. You just need to deliver it faster. He shared two real examples of turning around what would have been three-week projects in 48 hours using AI, and both times the speed alone got the client's attention.The practical takeaways: audit your SOPs for unnecessary steps, batch similar work together (a tip from Julie Miller Davis), automate what's repeatable, and challenge the old belief that making clients wait signals value.The AI Story of the Day was driven by a live poll revealing 75% of viewers use AI to write their content, but opinions split evenly on whether they judge others for doing the same. Pat compared AI writing to wearing a toupee: everyone's doing it, and everyone can tell. His fix? Feed your AI tool transcripts of your actual voice so the writing starts sounding like you.Idea Slam covered two questions: top business book recommendations (Atomic Habits led the pack) and what single-member LLCs need to know about insurance (call a professional, don't guess).Sponsored by Gen Head. genhead.comJoin the Small Business Owners Community: https://www.smallbusinesscommunity.comSubscribe to the Fridays Off Newsletter: https://www.fridaysoffnewsletter.com

On this St. Patrick’s Day episode, Pat Miller connects the holiday’s theme of luck to something small business owners can actually control. Drawing from Sahil Bloom’s keynote at the 2025 SBOC conference, Pat breaks down the concept of luck surface area and how daily actions put you in position for your next big break. He debuts the Sale Team app, a free tool that gamifies daily sales habits with streaks, leaderboards, and a communal bell-ringing celebration when you close a deal. The AI segment covers NVIDIA’s Jensen announcing NemoClaw, a security-hardened version of the Open Claw agent framework that could put AI employees in every small business. And in the Idea Slam, Pat shares his naming framework from 20 years in radio: lead with transformation, use Cookie Monster language, lean on alliteration, and twist culturally familiar phrases. Plus news on gas prices, Cuba’s uprising, and private equity snapping up small businesses.

Your rates aren't stuck because of imposter syndrome. They're stuck because you don't have enough people in line wanting what you sell.On today's show, Pat breaks down why raising your rates is a demand problem, not a pricing problem. He walks through the exact playbook for heating up demand: mining your CRM, asking for referrals, running webinars, and using Claude Cowork to generate a scored lead list in 10 minutes flat.Also on the show:NVIDIA's Jensen Huang keynote today may reveal Nemo Claw, an autonomous AI agent that lets the chipmaker double-dip in hardware AND softwareAI tools are getting culturally nuanced (Claude said "instead of dunking on it" and Pat's brain broke a little)Idea Slam: CRM alternatives for solo operators stuck on HubSpotIdea Slam: How to spot bad business advice before you get Guru'dShow & Tell: Pat's new interactive calculator that proves the ROI of not building aloneBusinessing is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. Real conversations about hiring, marketing, time, AI, and whatever you're working on right now.Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Pat Miller wraps the week with an interactive lead segment that stops the scroll and starts the mirror. Using the viral diamond mine meme as a launching point, Pat walks the audience step by step through a goal clarity exercise: write down your goal with a measurable number, document how long you’ve been at it, list the resources you’ve invested, and answer honestly — have you been giving it your all? Pat shares his own target: 1,000 listeners per episode of Businessing, currently sitting at about 200 after two months. The kicker: what if you’re digging toward something nobody wants?In the news, the Iran war enters day 12. Gas prices hit $3.58 with analysts predicting $4 within a week and $5 diesel. The FBI reveals a memo about Iranian drones potentially targeting California and the Academy Awards from container ships. Forecasters say 2026 could be the hottest year on record, and a monster snowstorm is about to dump feet of snow on Wisconsin this weekend.Pat revisits his tax refund strategy from a month ago: refunds are 20% bigger than last year, putting an extra $65 billion into consumer pockets with an average refund of $3,800. His advice: offer annual pricing to let clients pay off their bill with that lump sum.The live word cloud Idea Slam asks what business owners are avoiding. The top answers: sleep, boundaries, overwhelm, and short form content. Pat riffs on each — sleep gets fixed by going to bed on time, boundaries are your ability to say no, and short form content is almost non-negotiable for reach. The AI story of the day: a startup paying $100/hour to be mean to chatbots about memory failures. Pat’s bumper sticker pitch: Be a Jerk. Save the Planet. AI Installation Groups kick off March 25, and the SBOC Conference has 110 tickets remaining.

CNN ran a story this morning claiming the Iran war is "squeezing" US small businesses through gas prices. The headline was written before the first interview ever happened. As a 22-year broadcast veteran who's supervised newsrooms and sat in assignment meetings, Pat Miller knows exactly how this works — and he's done being quiet about it.But the gas price math isn't even the real story here.The real story is HOW the media talks about small business owners. Every single time. The sad music. The sympathetic reporter standing outside a coffee shop. "Times are tough for small businesses." They talk to one owner, find the saddest quote they can, and suddenly all 33 million of us are helpless victims of the economy who need politicians and Fortune 500 companies to save us."Oh, those poor mom and pop shops on Main Street."Like we're uneducated. Like we have no idea how the world works. Like we couldn't make it in corporate America so we're out here fumbling around in our little businesses hoping someone will help us survive.They never cover Microsoft "passing costs on to customers." They never interview a Fortune 500 CEO about how tough things are. But a cupcake shop raises prices by 50 cents? Front page crisis.The media has one frame for small business: victim. And it's wrong. It's condescending. And it's actively hurting business owners who internalize that narrative instead of fixing what's actually broken.We eat what we kill. No safety net. No paid vacation. No company match. We are the backbone of this economy and we deserve to be covered like it.Full episode drops daily at 11am CT.SUBSCRIBE to the Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comJOIN the SBOC: https://smallbusinesscommunity.comWATCH daily: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallBusinessOC?sub_confirmation=1LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur #MediaBias #SmallBusinessOwner #Businessing #PatMiller #SmallBusinessTips #Entrepreneurship

Two massive announcements on today’s show: the 2026 SBOC Conference waitlist is officially open (only 125 tickets at $399), and Pat launches AI Installation Groups — a six-month program to help you actually implement AI in your business. Plus: Microsoft is partnering with Anthropic to bring Claude inside Microsoft 365, Ticketmaster gets slapped with a $280M antitrust settlement, the DHS shutdown is creating three-hour TSA lines, and Arnold is coming back as Conan. In the Idea Slam, Pat coaches a personal trainer drowning in 78-hour weeks and a business owner struggling with a Fiverr VA. And Pat debuts a brand new word for those days when nothing works: entremanure.Every weekday at 11am CT. Sponsored by Genhead and Enji. —🔗 Join the Small Business Owners Community: https://www.smallbusinesscommunity.com🔗 Get on the '26 SBOC Conference Wait List: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/26conference-waitlist🔗 AI Installation Group: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/sbai🔗 Try Enji free: enji.co/sboc🔗 Learn about Genhead: genhead.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur #Businessing

Pat’s back from a week off with three big stories: the war in Iran claims a seventh US casualty, daylight saving time wrecks his entire tech stack, and Anthropic drops an AI labor study that changes how you should think about opportunity.The lead story breaks down a graph showing the massive gap between what AI CAN do in your industry and what businesses are ACTUALLY doing. Pat argues that gap is your money — and he’s launching AI Installation Groups to help you claim it.Plus: Microsoft drops Copilot Cowork, Pat answers two Idea Slam questions (spend your extra hour on sales, never stop creating video content), and a Vegas story that proves bad decisions sometimes pay off.TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Welcome back + SBOC theme song [03:30] Iran war update: 7th US casualty, oil prices, what’s next [07:00] Daylight saving time tech meltdown [11:30] LEAD: Anthropic AI study — the opportunity gap [16:00] AI Installation Groups launch announcement [18:30] BREAKING: Microsoft Copilot Cowork [20:00] Idea Slam: Where to spend your extra hour [22:00] Idea Slam: What to tell your 2020 self [26:00] Vegas trip story [32:00] SBOC updates + Lake Country chapterSubscribe to the Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com Join the SBOC: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallBusinessOC?sub_confirmation=1Businessing with Pat Miller is small business’s daily live show. Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.

Pat finally reveals the full Fridays Off framework — the six pillars that took him from a five-day grind to a three-day weekend every single week since July 2025. Three pillars are personal (strategic quitting, delegation & automation, mindset & boundaries) and three are business execution (offer & audience clarity, lead generation, and asking for money every day).This isn't theory. This is the actual playbook Pat followed, broken down step by step so you can start building toward your own version of Fridays Off — whether that means a full day off, half-days, or a completely redesigned schedule.In the news: Nvidia reported $39.3 billion in Q4 revenue (enough to open 872 Chick-fil-As per day). GLP-1 drugs are in a pricing war — Zepbound dropped 72% and Wegovy is now $199/month for new patients. And Pat's innocence was shattered when he learned what new car smell actually is.Plus two Idea Slams: what to delegate first (and what to delegate last), and whether you need a new phone number when you move out of state. And a closing story about email apnea that you'll never be able to unhear.Sponsors: GenHead (genhead.com) and Enji (enji.co/sboc)

Your best clients already trust you. They already pay you. So why are you out chasing new ones when you could be making more from the people who already love what you do?Today Pat walks through a thought exercise that changes the camera angle on what you sell — inspired by a Stanford breakthrough that reimagined how vaccines work. Instead of optimizing the same deliverable, you identify WHY your clients buy and build premium offerings around that deeper need.Travel advisors, tax pros, event planners, speakers — Pat breaks down real examples of how every service business can add a premium tier without adding headcount.Plus: Trump's State of the Union dropped a nugget that could mean free money for solo operators — a 401k program with government matching for self-employed people. Pat's tax guy says it could be a game changer.And in the Idea Slam, Alison Ver Halen brings her new Sales & Marketing Alignment Workshop. Pat and the community help her find the halftime speech positioning, build a football metaphor, and land on an ownable idea that makes CEOs say yes.Sponsors: GenHead (genhead.com) and Enji (enji.co/sboc)

$650 billion is being poured into AI development this year — more than a billion dollars a day. Nobody knows where it’s going, but everybody’s betting on it. Pat breaks down what he heard called the "Jump Ball Economy" and what it means for small business owners who need to move now or get left behind. Plus: GenHead president Nikki Lee calls in live to talk about AI adoption, Pat demos building software with Claude in under an hour, and Naval’s viral advice to “live in the future.”Also: State of the Union preview (as a messaging guy, Pat loves it), remote work is the #1 job perk at 85%, and two Idea Slams — how to actually win at networking events and what to say when friends and family ask for free work.Sponsors: Genhead (genhead.com) — AI-powered marketing for small business. Enji (enji.co/sboc) — marketing strategy made simple.Businessing with Pat Miller airs live Mon–Thu at 11am CT. Join the Small Business Owners Community: smallbusinesscommunity.com

What happens when things actually go right in your business? Most of us panic. We get imposter syndrome. We retreat into turtle shell mode instead of celebrating the win. Pat’s dealing with it himself on a major proposal right now, and he’s breaking down the “Say It, Play It” framework—a simple way to handle success instead of sabotaging it.In this episode:The framework that stops you from self-sabotaging when business is goodHow to handle scope creep: The “parking lot” approach that protects your marginsWhite-label strategy: Scaling without losing your brandSupreme Court tariff ruling and what it means for your bottom lineHistoric East Coast blizzard: Travel bans and what to plan for this weekOlympic wins and why celebration mattersYou got into this for freedom. The ability to choose how you work, when you rest, how it all gets done. But then the to-do list took over, the stress crept in, and now you’re doing the whole thing by yourself. Businessing is the daily live show for small business owners who want their business to actually work for their life. We talk about what’s real: making more money without burning out, getting the right stuff done without losing your mind, and running a business built for 2026, not 2006.Sponsored by:Genhead - https://www.genhead.comEnji - https://www.enji.co/sbocWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOffGuy?sub_confirmation=1Get the newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Raise your rates. Today. Pat makes the case that every service-based business owner is undercharging — and the window is wide open to fix it. Top lawyers now bill $3,400/hour, which means your mental ceiling just got blown off. Plus: a bipartisan bill to break up credit card swipe fees could put 3% back in your pocket, Viagra might prevent Alzheimer’s (yes, really), and two Idea Slams tackle summer slowdowns and late-paying clients.Sponsors: Genhead (genhead.com) — AI-powered marketing for small business. Enji (enji.co/sboc) — marketing strategy made simple.Businessing with Pat Miller airs live Mon–Thu at 11am CT. Join the Small Business Owners Community: smallbusinesscommunity.com

Lead magnets are dead. Or at least dying. Today Pat breaks down why the old playbook — trade an email for a PDF, drip on them for weeks, then sell — is falling apart as AI makes education essentially free. The new trust equation? Stop teaching and start DOING. Give people a tangible result before you ever ask for money.Plus: Zuckerberg in court over social media addiction, a hiring crisis where 79% of job seekers are using AI to apply, Dead Internet Theory invades the job market, the Jeff Bezos question every business owner should ask, and Pat introduces his AI agent named Houston.Sponsors: Genhead (genhead.com) — AI-powered marketing for small business. Enji (enji.co/sboc) — marketing strategy made simple.Businessing with Pat Miller airs live Mon–Thu at 11am CT. Join the Small Business Owners Community: smallbusinesscommunity.com

Today's theme: MONEY. How to keep more of it. Business insurance is at an 8-year high — local insurance expert Tom Gaumond from G2 Insurance explains why and what you can do about it. Then Pat walks through 6 practical ways any business owner can cut 10% of their expenses starting today: domain hoarding, credit card interest, ACH payments, ad spend audits, software bloat, and the simple phone call that saves money every time. Plus two Idea Slams: what to do when a coaching client keeps canceling, and the one tool that's saving Pat the most time right now (it's not AI... sort of).Businessing with Pat Miller is small business's daily live show. New episodes weekdays at 11am Central.Sponsored by Genhead (https://www.genhead.com) and Enji (https://www.enji.co/sboc)Join the Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.comIt's Your Dream. Don't Grow It Alone.®

Is SEO dead? Taylor Cusick Holman from Enji joins the show to set the record straight - spoiler: it's not dead, it's evolving. Learn the free tools and checklist approach any business owner can use to get found online. Plus: Valentine's Day spending hit $29.1 billion (35% of us bought gifts for our PETS), small business owners lose 33 work days a year to tax stress, and Simon Cowell is now Team Fridays Off. In today's Idea Slam: what to do when your best employee leaves to become your competitor. The answer might surprise you.Businessing with Pat Miller is small business's daily live show. New episodes weekdays at 11am Central.Sponsored by Genhead (https://www.genhead.com) and Enji (https://www.enji.co/sboc)Join the Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.comIt's Your Dream. Don't Grow It Alone.®

You got into this for freedom. Today we're making sure the people around you aren't stealing it.Pat walks through an interactive audit of every business relationship in your life — seven questions that will tell you exactly who's dragging you down, who's pulling you forward, and which rooms you need to leave. No sugarcoating. You have permission.Plus: a stat that proves you're probably doing better than you think (top 20%, anyone?), the January housing crash and what it means for your product lineup, and two Idea Slam bangers — how to respond when a big company expects you to work for exposure, and whether it's actually okay to copy a competitor.🔑 Key topics: networking audit, business relationships, premium product strategy, working for exposure, competitive intelligence📊 Stats: 29.8M solopreneurs in the US contribute $1.7T to the economy. $100K/year = top 20%.💡 Idea Slam: (1) Don't work for exposure — here's how to flip the script. (2) Copy the transformation, not the technique — then make it yours.🔗 Links:• Join SBOC: smallbusinesscommunity.com• Subscribe to Fridays Off Newsletter: fridaysoffnewsletter.com• Submit your Idea Slam question: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/do-you-want-to-be-a-guest• GenHead: genhead.com• EngG: enji.co/sbo

Claude Cowork is now available for Windows - and this changes everything. On today's Businessing, Pat breaks down the difference between AI chatbots and AI agents, why every small business owner will have an agent swarm within 90 days, and what a viral 31-million-view article reveals about the future of screen-based work.Plus: The jobs report comes in HOT (130K jobs vs 75K expected), the El Paso airspace gets shut down overnight (and reopened 3 hours later), and the US Women's Hockey team beats Canada 5-0.In the Idea Slam: How do I know if I'm cut out for entrepreneurship? And how do I take a vacation when I'm too busy working toward a deadline?Today's Sponsors:Genhead - Scale systems, not chaos. Built for early stage entrepreneurs. https://www.genhead.comEnji - The AI marketing engine for small business. 14-day free trial at https://www.enji.co/sbocJoin the Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.comDon't Grow It Alone - Get support from business owners who get it.

59% of small businesses experienced a cyber attack last year. That's not a typo. And if you think you're too small to be a target, you're exactly who they're after.On today's Businessing, Pat breaks down what hackers actually want from your business (spoiler: it's not just your bank account—it's your CRM full of customer data), and exactly what to do about it: backups, 2FA, password managers, and cyber insurance.Plus: Eddie Bauer is closing after 104 years and blaming the pandemic (really?), Valentine's Day spending is shifting from gifts to experiences (and how to apply that to YOUR business), and an Idea Slam with gravel bike coach Paul Waki asking the question: Did I niche down too far?Pat's answer might surprise you: Go NARROWER.Don't Grow It Alone®Today's show sponsored by Genhead (genhead.com) and Enji (enji.co/sboc)00:00 - Show Open02:30 - Eddie Bauer Closing: 104 Years, $28 T-Shirts, Blaming the Pandemic07:15 - Valentine's Day: $29B in Spending, Experiences Over Gifts12:45 - How to Turn Your Product Into an Experience17:00 - Lead Story: 59% of Small Businesses Got Cyber Attacked22:30 - What Hackers Want from YOUR Business26:00 - Cyber Protection: Backups, 2FA, Password Managers, Insurance30:15 - Idea Slam: Paul Waki - Simple Endurance Coaching35:00 - Should You Niche Down MORE?42:30 - The Ownable Idea: What Makes You Different?48:00 - Big News: DontGrowItAlone.com Domain Acquired50:30 - SBOC Madison Meetup & Wrapsmall business cybersecurity, cyber attacks small business, niche down business, eddie bauer closing, valentine's day business

$8 million for 30 seconds. That's what Super Bowl ads cost. And one company absolutely fumbled the opportunity.On today's Super Bowl Monday edition of Businessing, Pat breaks down the ads that worked, the ads that didn't, and the one ad so bad it made him mad. (Spoiler: It's Slack and Salesforce with Mr. Beast, and the execution failures are a masterclass in what NOT to do.)Plus: Breezy Johnson's incredible Olympic gold medal story (she won on the same course where she crashed in 2022), Gmail's new workflow feature that might replace your automation tools, and two Idea Slam questions:• "I've been saying this year will be different for 5 years. It's not. What do I do?"• "I need to raise my prices but I have clients on old rates. Do I rip off the bandaid?"And why Olympic ski drones made Pat wish someone could follow small business owners around so our families finally understand how hard this actually is.Don't Grow It Alone®Today's show sponsored by Genhead (genhead.com) and Enji (enji.co/sboc)00:00 - Show Open & Super Bowl Monday02:15 - Olympics Update: Breezy Johnson's Inspirational Gold05:30 - Gmail Studio: New Workflow Feature07:45 - Super Bowl Ads Lead Story Intro09:20 - GOOD Ads: Colon Screening & Ro with Serena12:00 - BETTER Ads: Levi's Butts, Apartments.com, Claude AI16:30 - BEST Ad: Google Gemini18:00 - The Misses: Sofia Vergara x3, Ring's Creepy Moment21:15 - Ad Recall Quiz24:00 - BIGGEST LOSER: Slack/Salesforce Mr. Beast Disaster30:45 - Idea Slam: "This Year Will Be Different" (5 Years Later)36:20 - Idea Slam: How to Raise Prices on Existing Clients42:00 - Olympic Drones & What Small Business Owners Wish People Saw46:30 - SBOC Growth & Madison Meetup

It is Thursday, February 5th — the last day of the work week if your Fridays off.We're opening with the stat that'll stop you cold: 99.9% of all businesses in America are small. That's 36.2 million of you. US small business employs 45.9% of all private sector workers. So why do small business owners feel so alone?Then we're diving into the consumer confidence paradox. Confidence is down 10 points — lowest since 2014 — but retail spending is UP 10% and luxury is UP 15%.Plus: hyper-personalization trends from Upwork's 2026 report, two Idea Slam questions on nightmare clients and proposal ghosting, and the Clever Collector segment.Sponsored by GenHead and Enji.

One in three Americans want to start a business this year. Half of them will fail.Today I'm sharing four things I wish someone told me before I started—lessons I learned the hard way so you don't have to.Rule 1: You're not in the product business. You're in the sales business. Your success is directly proportional to how often you ask for money.Rule 2: Start lean. The study says you need $12K. People think they need $28K. I say start with a farmer's market table before you open the coffee shop.Rule 3: Don't start with a partner. Every decision becomes a negotiation. You lose all your autonomy before you even get started.Rule 4: Don't do it broke. Little financial packages—good and bad—will drop on you every single day. If your family finances are already on fire, it will get worse.Plus: Two Idea Slam questions on surviving chaos and getting started with AI. And I share exactly what Claude Cowork has been doing for my business—including optimizing my Google My Business page while I watched.In the news: Government shutdown ends (kinda). We almost sent people to the Moon yesterday. Disney has a new CEO. And the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is tomorrow.Timestamps:00:00 - Open09:00 - 4 Rules for New Business Owners27:30 - Idea Slam: Chaos & AI37:00 - Claude Cowork Deep Dive---Sponsored by:Genhead — https://www.genhead.comEnji — https://www.enji.co/sbocSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallBusinessOC?sub_confirmation=1Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comJoin SBOC: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

The lead story hits on differentiation. James Caan's quote "Observe the masses and do the opposite" sparked a guided exercise: What's the hot trend everyone's following? What best practice drives you crazy? What do you wish people would stop doing? Those visceral reactions aren't immaturity—they're your gut talking. Your negotiator helps you fit in. Your gut helps you stand out.The first live Idea Slam brings Rebecca Bryan to the show—a personal stylist who helps introverted business owners stop dressing to be invisible and start dressing to attract clients. Together we developed her positioning: turning wallflowers into lead magnets. The quick win? Wear a t-shirt that shows your passion. It's the cheapest networking hack that actually works.News highlights: JP Morgan Chase's Business Leaders Outlook shows 60% of small businesses feel more positive now than any time in five years. 74% are optimistic about 2026. 53% plan to hire. And only 27% expect a recession—down from 40% last year.Meanwhile, Lindsay Vonn announced she'll compete in the Olympics despite tearing her ACL: "As long as there's a chance, I will try." The government shutdown hits day four.Final segment: Super Bowl commercial predictions. Expect nostalgia, generational mashups, heartwarming animal moments, and 85% of brands trying to be funny.---00:00 - Open / Welcome01:30 - News: JP Morgan Business Leaders Outlook05:15 - News: Government Shutdown Day 406:45 - News: Lindsay Vaughn Olympic Update08:30 - Lead Story: Observe the Masses, Do the Opposite11:00 - Guided Exercise: Finding Your Differentiator14:00 - Negotiator vs. Gut16:30 - What Would You Do If You Ran the Company?18:00 - Sponsor: GenHead19:30 - Idea Slam Intro20:00 - Rebecca Bryan: Styled with a Twist24:00 - Wallflower to Lead Magnet Positioning26:30 - T-Shirt Networking Strategy31:00 - Lead Magnet & Pricing Discussion34:00 - Sponsor: Enji35:30 - Super Bowl Commercial Predictions38:30 - Madison Meetup Promo39:30 - CloseSponsored by:Genhead — https://www.genhead.comEnji — https://www.enji.co/sboc

This is the first episode of Businessing as a daily show—Monday through Thursday at 11am Central. Pat opens with a challenge: We're one month into 2026. Is your business still Groundhog Day? Or did you actually do something about those promises you made to yourself?The lead story explains why this show exists. This is not a business show—it's a show for people who RUN a business. That's different. Business owners are isolated, exhausted, wearing the same sweatpants for three days, trying to keep up with technology that's moving faster than they can track. This show is a lifeline, not another obligation.Pat then demonstrates the difference between AI chatbots and AI agents with a real example. A chatbot answers questions and you copy/paste. An agent actually DOES things. Over the weekend, Pat asked Claude Cowork to reorganize his YouTube channel. It researched best practices, logged into YouTube, deleted old videos, created playlists, optimized SEO—all while Pat walked on the treadmill. An hour later, done.Three Idea Slam questions get rapid-fire answers: (1) Haven't taken vacation in 5 years? You didn't build a company, you built a job. Fix your delegation and raise your rates. (2) Competitor copying everything? You're not different enough. Become one-of-one. (3) Spouse doesn't understand your work hours? They probably have a point—review your behavior and explain the business model.Fun closer: February 2026 is a perfect calendar month—starts on Sunday, ends on Saturday, four exact weeks. Oddly satisfying.Sponsored byGenhead - https://www.genhead.comEnji - https://www.enji.co/sboc

This episode delivers a wake-up call for small business owners: AI agents are no longer a future promise—they're working right now. Pat reveals his new morning workflow where a 3-minute briefing with an AI agent results in half his administrative work completed by the time he returns from the gym.The FreshBooks State of Small Business survey dropped this morning showing 76% of businesses are doing fine despite economic uncertainty. But the finding about work-life balance getting harder? Pat predicts that problem will be solved within months as AI agents take over the administrative grind.A direct warning goes out to service-based businesses: if you're a VA, copywriter, graphic designer, or customer service provider, it's "go time." The defense of "AI can write but it sucks" is rapidly becoming obsolete. The solution? Specialize. Pick an industry vertical and own it.The episode also explores quirky business habits through a viral TikTok about a woman moving buttons between jars daily. Pat shares his own: strict morning structure, investment in good coffee, removing email from his phone, and celebrating wins with Taco Bell and chocolate shakes. These personal quirks matter because AI agents need to know how YOU work to work for YOU.Two Idea Slam questions get answered: What would you do differently in year one? (Say yes faster, sell more, stop hiding in busywork.) And how do you find time for new ideas? (Validate first, sell one before building, get paid to develop it.)A bonus discovery: Pat started a LinkedIn newsletter yesterday and woke up to 344 auto-subscribed followers. LinkedIn's creator accounts automatically subscribe engaged followers to your newsletter.Sponsored by:Genhead - https://www.genhead.comEnji - https://www.enji.com/sboc

Your customers are about to get paid. Bank of America projects $65 billion more in tax returns this year—up 18%—with the average American getting back $3,400. Pat lays out three promotional frameworks to theme your February social media around this windfall:Return to Your Service: Go into your CRM, find past customers, and offer them a discount to come back by April 15th. Position it as using their tax return to reinvest in themselves.Bye Bye Bills: Offer annual plans so customers can pay once and eliminate a monthly bill. Frame it as one less thing to worry about for the entire year.Free: Position your product as a bucket list item that's now "paid for by the IRS." Play on the splurge mentality that comes with found money.The rapid-fire Idea Slam covers four common questions: How to prepare for emergencies (cash reserves, digital products, proper insurance), where to start with AI if you're not techie (pick Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini and talk to it daily—plus start building SOPs now because AI agents are coming), how to get reviews without annoying customers (ask at the transformation moment, use a two-link strategy), and what to do when a hot lead ghosts you (change the contact method, try audio messages, and never stop reaching out).Pat also shares his takeaway from a chamber networking event: 90% of the room weren't owners. That's why the SBOC is different—it's a curated community where owners connect with owners, no salespeople allowed.(00:00) - Welcome & Weekend Recap(04:00) - News: Super Bowl LX & Winter Storm Fern(08:30) - Small Business Spotlight: Doris Jones(09:30) - Lead Story: $65B Tax Return Windfall(16:00) - Three February Marketing Frameworks(17:00) - Sponsor: Gen Head(18:30) - Idea Slam: Emergency Preparedness(22:00) - Idea Slam: Getting Started with AI(26:00) - Idea Slam: Getting Reviews Without Being Annoying(29:00) - Idea Slam: What to Do When Leads Ghost You(33:00) - Sponsor: Enji(35:00) - The Greatest Job Title & Why SBOC is Different(39:00) - Close & Upcoming ScheduleDaily shows start February 2nd, Monday through Thursday at 11am Central.Keywords/Tagstax returns, small business marketing, February marketing, AI for small business, SOPs, AI agents, customer reviews, Google reviews, lead follow-up, sales persistence, emergency preparedness, business insurance, networking, SBOCCall to ActionSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallBusinessOC?sub_confirmation=1Join the SBOC: $9/month community for owners only - https://www.smallbusinesscommunity.com