Problem Solvers

Do You Have “Founder-Market Fit”? Jun 23, 2025

In a space evolving as fast as AI, how do you build something that stays relevant? According to Misbah and Farah Uraizee, co-founders of Nectar Social, the answer starts with founder-market fit. Solve the problem that you are uniquely suited to solve. In this episode, they share how that clarity helped them land early clients, raise a full seed round without even using a pitch deck, and introduce a bold new solution to the marketplace.

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The Most Strategic Networking Strategy Ever? Jun 16, 2025

In a high-tech world, old-school relationships still win. So take a cue from Hollywood: Film producer and financier Matthew Helderman, cofounder and CEO of BondIt Media Capital and Buffalo8, shares how his team turned the classic business lunch into a repeatable growth strategy - one so effective, it’s written into the employee handbook. These social outings have even led to seven-figure deals. In this episode, Matthew explains how to systematize relationship-building to open doors, uncover opportunities, and grow any kind of business.

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How to Build Your Authority on LinkedIn, with LinkedIn's Exec Editor Jun 09, 2025

Everyone says to “build your personal brand,” but how do you actually do that on LinkedIn? In this episode, Jason talks with Laura Lorenzetti, Senior Director and Executive Editor at LinkedIn News, about what really works and what doesn’t. They walk through how to create content that sparks conversation and build a strategy for growing your personal brand. Along the way, they bust some common LinkedIn myths, and Laura shares just when the perfect time to post on LinkedIn really is. Whether you're growing a business or a career, this is how to make LinkedIn work for you.

Want more strategies for finding your next big client on LinkedIn? Check out Jason's new course, LinkedIn Mastery. Get 40% off with code PS.

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How to Learn Things Faster Jun 02, 2025

What holds us back from doing new things? The answer is often learning — there's too much information to absorb, and we get stuck trying to consume it all. Pat Flynn has a different model. He's the creator of Smart Passive Income and the YouTube channel Deep Pocket Monster, and has developed a framework he calls Lean Learning. (It's also the name of his new book.) It's a way to learn information faster, and discard what isn't necessary. It's helped him launch new products, reach millions on YouTube, and stay focused while scaling. This episode will help you build a system for learning only what drives results.

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How eBay is Fueling Small Business Success with the Power of Capital May 27, 2025

Need cash to grow? Small businesses often have trouble accessing traditional financing, which is why global marketplace eBay is stepping in to help. On this episode, eBay's VP and GM of Financial Services and Payments, Avritti Khandurie Mittal, explains the financing challenges that many small businesses face, how eBay Seller Capital is making financing accessible to them on transparent terms, and her advice for founders who are seeking funds.

This episode is sponsored by eBay. Learn how the eBay Seller Capital program can fund your business growth. Visit http://ebay.com/sellercapital

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Lauryn Bosstick’s Playbook for Monetizing a Community May 26, 2025

Lauryn Bosstick turned The Skinny Confidential into more than just a brand. She built a deeply invested community. That connection has fueled product launches, new ventures like Dear Media, and cultivated long-term brand loyalty. In this episode, she breaks down how she tells a brand story, gets her audience excited to buy in, and sets healthy boundaries without losing trust. If you're trying to grow a business around a loyal following, she’s your guide.

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Could Custom AI Help Your Company? You'd be Surprised May 19, 2025

The smartest companies aren't just using AI — they're building custom AI tools just for them. Just ask Jeff Wharton, CEO of Bloomin’ Blinds. His company faced a common industry-wide problem and turned to AI for a solution. The result? A proprietary tool called BloomScale, which helps employees precisely measure windows, match customers with the right window treatment, and create instant visual mockups. In this episode, Jeff shares how they partnered with an AI firm, built a system tailored to their needs, and made it simple enough for any employee to use. Whether you're in home services or healthcare, this is a playbook for how AI can help you lead your industry

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The 3-Step Formula for Motivation and Happiness May 12, 2025

Ever feel unmotivated? Or, ever notice that your team is slumping? You (or they) may be missing a something very specific. According to a revolutionary psychological theory, all humans have the same three basic psychological needs — and if you don't find them in your work, your motivation will drag. In this episode, Jason breaks this theory down, and shows you how to apply it in leadership, parenting, and even self-discovery. This includes audio from one of Jason's live keynote talks; you can learn more about him as a speaker here.

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Stone-Age Shelves: The Solution That Saved Lives May 05, 2025

Jason bought a really old rock—and it sparked a fascination with the Neolithic era. In this episode, he’s joined by Dr. John Shea, archaeologist and stone tool expert, for a conversation about the original problem-solvers. They explore how communication became humanity’s superpower, why the stone ax was the first handheld all-purpose tool (and how it’s surprisingly similar to a smartphone), and the ancient problem that shelves were designed to solve.

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AI Can Help You Find Product-Market Fit Faster Apr 28, 2025

Every business needs to find product-market fit — and AI can help. How? In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and entrepreneur Jeff Bussgang (author of The Experimental Machine: Finding Product-Market Fit in the Age of AI) walks us through the process. It’s a free consulting session with everything included: step-by-step directions, real examples, and the names of the LLMs you need to know about. If you're ready to use AI in your business but don’t know where to begin—start here.

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What I've Learned After 400 Episodes Apr 21, 2025

This is episode 400 of Problem Solvers, and I've learned a few important things about how to evolve a product! In this episode, I share why you might be WRONG about what makes your product special — and how to keep refining with your audience in mind.

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Stop Doing What People Hate! Apr 14, 2025

It's a simple philosophy. But what does it take to actually achieve? We talk to Jesse Cole, owner of the baseball team Savannah Bananas, about the idea that transformed his business—and how it can work in any industry.

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How I Won This Angry Customer’s Business Back Apr 07, 2025

Here's a strategy for talking people down, and even turning people's anger to your advantage. And I have the emails to prove it!

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How to Tell Your Brand Story, from the Storytelling Master Mar 31, 2025

Donald Miller literally wrote the book on brand storytelling: It's called Building A StoryBrand, and it sold 1 million copies. He's just released an updated version. On this podcast, Don explains how to communicate your brand's value in a simple story. After that, I invite a few entrepreneurs to tell him about their brands — and he comes up with stories for them! It'll change the way you think about telling your story.

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How to Become Shameless (In the Best Way) Mar 24, 2025

Want to pitch yourself with confidence? Want to become better at sales, or just selling yourself? You must learn to be shameless. That's the advice from Jenny Wood, former Google executive and author of the new book Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It. In this episode, she teaches you how and why to embrace shamelessness.

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How to Be Your Brand's Face, with Angie of Angie's List Mar 17, 2025

Angie Hicks has been the face of Angie’s List (now called Angi) for decades. It’s not a role she wanted, but she knows how important it is — and how to play it perfectly.

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Confessions of a Former Retail Buyer Mar 10, 2025

Want to get your product onto store shelves? Listen to this. Matt Adelmann used to be a buyer at Target, where he was responsible for placing products on shelves. Here are the three mistakes that founders always get wrong about retail — and how you can set yourself up for success.

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How Nintendo (Literally) Changed the Game Mar 03, 2025

In 2006, a debate raged inside of Nintendo: Do they bundle their new Wii console with the game Wii Sports, or sell the game separately? Reggie Fils- Aimé was president of North America at the time, and he argued yes — because even though it meant giving up revenue upfront, it would lead to more Wii sales later. Here, he explains the battle and how he won it.

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Quitting Can Be Good Feb 24, 2025

Entrepreneurs love telling stories of perseverance. But that can be misleading. "In order to succeed, you're going to have to quit the things that aren't worth pursuing," says Annie Duke, author of the book "Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away". On this episode, she explains why we should see quitting as a virtue — and how to know when it's time to walk away.

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Turn A Wild Idea Into A Very Real Business Feb 17, 2025

One night, Holden Forrest drew a wild idea on the back of his daughter's math homework: What if he could lower a house into the ground, as a way to escape oncoming wildfires? He couldn't shake this idea, so he started researching whether it's possible — and now, years later, he has a company called HiberTec, multiple patents, groundbreaking technology, and is raising money to build his first prototype. On this episode, Holden explains how to turn a big idea into a real business. Learn more at hibertec.com

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The 9 Types of People You Need On Your Team Feb 10, 2025

There are three types of skills, Jen Kem says: The ability to visualize, strategize, or mobilize. Everyone has these skills in different combinations — and when you can assemble a team with the right mix of combinations, you've built something unstoppable. On this episode, Kem (author of the new book "Unicorn Team") explains how it works, how to identify which combination of types you are, and how to hire the right people.

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How to Have Time for Everything Feb 03, 2025

Money isn't the only definition of wealth. So is time. That's one of the central ideas in Sahil Bloom's new book "The 5 Types of Wealth" — and on this episode, he explains how to become wealthy in time. He offers strategic ways to reallocate your time, how to prioritize what matters, and how to stop feeling like you never have enough of it.

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Brevity! (You Need It) Jan 27, 2025

Founders accidentally create a lot of confusion — because we talk too much! We pitch too many products, tell a too-complex story, and don't often get to the point fast enough. Today, business coach Steve Sims teaches you how to be brief and powerful.

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Taco Bell's CEO Has a Formula for Success Jan 20, 2025

Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant reflects on his first year as the boss, and talks about how to build an incredible brand. It comes down this formula, he says: math + magic. We spoke because Taco Bell is #1 on the 2025 Entrepreneur magazine Franchise 500, which is out now at entrepreneur.com/franchise500

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The Five Skills That Accelerate Any Career Jan 13, 2025

This will sound crazy: When you only focus on your core skillset, your growth slows. Instead, you need to add what Jonathan Goodman calls "leapfrog skills" — a list of five other skills (including writing and human psychology) that will accelerate your growth. Goodman is a hugely successful serial entrepreneur and author of the new book The Obvious Choice. In this episode, he explains how to find and learn your leapfrog skills.

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How to Truly Understand Your Customers Jan 06, 2025

Why do great companies make bad products? The answer is confirmation bias, and a lack of true connection with your customer. Phyl Terry is a pioneer in the field of consumer experience, and shares an important methodology — which helped Facebook in its earliest days! Today, Phyl also helps people who are searching for jobs through the program Never Search Alone.

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Can Professionals Drop F-Bombs? Dec 30, 2024

Should you curse at work? There isn't much cursing on Problem Solvers, but over on Jason's other podcast Help Wanted, it happens a little more often... and a listener complained! Today, Jason and his Help Wanted cohost discuss when it's appropriate for professionals to curse — and how how to calibrate the trade-off between raw personality and professionalism.

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"I'm Mad at My Fiancé for Not Including Me in a Business Opportunity!" Dec 23, 2024

Morgan is engaged to Jack. Jack didn't include Morgan in a business deal, but she feels *strongly* that he should have. Now she's mad. What should they do? In this episode from Jason's other podcast, called Help Wanted, Jason and his cohost Nicole Lapin help this couple through a rocky moment — and talk about what happens when finances get personal.

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What Your Taxes Could Be Like In 2025 Dec 17, 2024

With a new presidential administration, entrepreneurs are expecting a lot of tax changes — but what are they? And how can they prepare? In this episode, hear from two professionals at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP), a top-10 U.S. accounting and professional services firm. They share the biggest questions that entrepreneurs are asking, and their guidance for how to prepare for big changes now.

This episode is brought to you by CLA. CLA exists to create opportunities for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. With nearly 9,000 people, more than 130 locations, and a global vision, we promise to know you and help you. Visit CLAconnect.com to learn more.

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A Better Way to Solve Your Biggest Problems Dec 16, 2024

When something's wrong, we often make a mistake: We try to treat the symptom of the problem without understanding what the REAL problem is. Today I offer a helpful problem-solving framework. You'll learn to diagnose your problems, identify the right "one-word problem," and then come up with a solution that actually works.

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Should You Partner With A Musician? Dec 09, 2024

Musicians are the overlooked influencers. That's what Jesse Kirshbaum of Nue Agency says. He creates partnerships between the largest brands and musicians, and says that all entrepreneurs, of any size, should consider working with musicians too. They're cultural influencers full of authenticity, have loyal followings, and aren't getting the kind of brand deals that traditional "influencers" do. So how does it work? He explains on today's episode.

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How to Become A Main Street Millionaire Dec 02, 2024

Codie Sanchez started by buying a little laundromat. Now she has a portfolio of small local businesses that drive tens of millions in annual revenue, and developed a playbook for anyone looking to buy small businesses and build serious wealth. Her new book is called Main Street Millionaire, and in this episode, she explains how and why small biz is such a great buying opportunity.

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How Notion Became A $10 Billion Company Nov 25, 2024

Notion is changing the way people communicate and collaborate. Cofounder and CEO Ivan Zhao has an unusual philosophy about how to do it — which anyone can follow.

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When to Quit Something That No Longer Works Nov 18, 2024

Catherine Connelly cofounded one of the first social media platforms, and was early in the online dating space. And over time, she learned how to do a very hard thing: She killed features that she loved, and that customers loved, because they no longer served the company. How and when do you do that? She discusses. Read Catherine's new book, Designing Success: Lessons from 20 Years as a Female Tech Entrepreneur.

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Stop Trying, and Start Doing Nov 11, 2024

Carla Ondrasik hates the word "try." She says it's holding you back from taking action achieving your goals. On today's episode, Carla will give you a better way to approach big and scary tasks: No more trying allowed.

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How Chip & Joanna Gaines Define Success Nov 04, 2024

How do you grow, while staying true to what made you successful in the first place? It's something that Chip & Joanna Gaines (Fixer Upper, Magnolia) think a lot about. In this episode, a candid conversation with them about growth, challenges, and what should always remain the same.

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How to Recover After You Screw Up Oct 28, 2024

I bombed on stage. It was terrible and embarrassing. Then I learned something very important about how to recover, and it's a lesson I'll use for the rest of my life. Here it is. It'll make you feel better the next time something goes wrong.

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How to Motivate Teams That Fear For their Jobs Oct 21, 2024

Work is changing. People don't feel job security they way they did before. So how do you motivate teams that are operating scared? Mithu Storoni has a unique answer. She's a physician, neuroscience researcher and ophthalmic surgeon who advises multinational corporations on mental performance and stress management (and author of the new book Hyperefficient). On this episode, she explains what really motivates people, and how to create that empowerment despite turbulent times.

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Turn Your Customers' Thoughts Into Amazing Products Oct 15, 2024

Want to build incredible products? Listen closely to your customers, and (importantly!) have a system to turn those insights into action. In this episode, I speak with Mary Beth Westmoreland, VP of Selling Partner Experience at Amazon, about how this happens on her global selling partner experience team. Her team's products impact millions of businesses, so the stakes are high — and she's incredibly thoughtful about how great leadership, teamwork, and customer feedback systems can combine in all the right ways.

To learn more about how Amazon is helping independent sellers succeed, visit http://sellingpartners.aboutamazon.com/

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How to Make Money as an Artist Oct 14, 2024

We had an idea: What if we took a talented but financially struggling artist, and paired them with a coach who helps artists build businesses? The result was magic! Today, you'll hear art-business coach Carolyn Edlund work with photographer Matthew Cortellesi. At the start, Matthew was selling occasional photos but had no idea how to create a real business. By the end, he had a new website and an entirely new sales strategy. This episode is for anyone who makes something they love, but can't figure out how to make money doing it.

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How This New Pasta Brand 3X’d Its Sales Oct 08, 2024

Pasta is a crowded space, so how did Amazon help Madalina Defta and Arash Hashemi, the husband-and-wife duo behind Kaizen Food Company, transform their vision into a thriving brand without relying on traditional marketing? In this episode, they explain how they did it: They leveraged engaging content to build a loyal clientele, refined their product that speaks to an underserved customer base, and, when faced with overwhelming demand for fulfillment and customer service, strategically pivoted to Amazon.

To learn more about how Amazon is helping independent sellers succeed, visit http://sellingpartners.aboutamazon.com/

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Creating A Workplace People Actually Love Oct 07, 2024

Erin Wade hated her job. So she created a mac & cheese restaurant called Homeroom, then rethought how every other employee should be treated. In this episode, she explains how she rethough discipline, incentives, and the working environment, and built a place that people actually want to work in. Erin's new book about this is called Mac & Cheese Millionaire.

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How to Ask Investors (or Family!) for Money Sep 30, 2024

Mike Maples Jr. is one fo the pioneers of seed-stage investing, and invested early in the likes of Twitter, Twitch, and Lyft. I asked him to do something a little unusual: give advice to small business owners who, instead of pitching VCs like him, are instead pitching their family and friends. His advice reveals a lot about how investors think, whether they're pros like him or just a mom or pop at home.

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How to Transform An Organization, with Alibaba.com's President Sep 23, 2024

How do you see the opportunity that others don't? That's what we discuss with Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com, who has overseen a massive transformation of the company.

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Counterintutive Wisdom from LegalZoom's Founder Sep 16, 2024

Brian Lee cofounded LegalZoom, ShoeDazzle, Honest Company, and now Arena Club, and he believes a lot of conventional business wisdom is backward. Here, he shares the hidden path to founder success.

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Can't Find the Right Employees? Create Them. Sep 09, 2024

Removery had a problem: It wanted to rapidly expand and become the world's largest tattoo removal company, but it couldn't find enough tattoo removal specialists to hire. So it built a system to create its ideal employees. Here's a lesson for anyone looking to hire the right people. Removery COO Jo Kelton explains.

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Transitioning Your Business? Plan Now to Increase Value and Impact Sep 05, 2024

Are you prepared to sell your business? Even if a sale is many years away, you should start planning now — and avoid the common mistakes that devalue many other businesses. CLA managing principal of industry Brandon Knight explains why not all businesses are sellable, why you need to build a leadership team, and why it's so important to look at your impact beyond your business.

This episode is brought to you by CLA — CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. See how CLA can help you, your family, and your employees prepare for the seamless transition of your business. Visit CLAconnect.com

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How to Tell Everyone How Awesome You Are Sep 02, 2024

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? You need to start — because if you don't talk yourself up, nobody else will! On today's episode, I offer my four rules of self-promotion, four ways to talk yourself up if you're afraid to do it, and then how to handle the inevidable haters. These are all tips from my newsletter, One Thing Better.

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Using Telecommunications to Help Solve Crimes Aug 27, 2024

David Walker is the Founder of iCell Consulting LLC, a consulting firm specializing in telecommunications analysis. After a successful career in telecommunications, David decided to start the business by pursuing his skill of analyzing telephone records. Working with multiple telecommunications companies, David has helped solve over 200 criminal cases, bringing him across the country over the last decade.

Listen to the Side Hustle to Small Business podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit: entm.ag/hiscox

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This Packaging Change Sent Sales "Through the Roof" Aug 26, 2024

Do you know what makes your brand special? Sometimes, you're wrong — and the "special sauce" you cling to can actually be holding your company back. That's the story of HiBall, an energy drink that was struggling to gain traction... until they rethought a critical part of the brand. Sales went through the roof, and the company was sold to Anheuser-Busch. Here, HiBall cofounder Dan Craytor explains what happened.

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How to Make Money as a Speaker Aug 19, 2024

Want to become a keynote speaker, but you're not sure how to get on stage and get paid? Katrina Mitchell has advice. She's the founder of Franchise Speakers, an agency that books speakers for franchise events, and shares how speakers can find their niche, develop their product, and start making money.

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How to Make Better Decisions, According to Science Aug 12, 2024

Entrepreneurs make a mistake: They often think of decisions as binary, where one answer is definitely right and the other is definitely wrong. Astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter says there's a better way to approach decisions — and it's with "probabilistic thinking," a concept that's familiar to scientists but less so to businesspeople. Today, he explains. Saul also writes about this in his new book Third Millennium Thinking.

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When to Say "Yes" to A New Project Aug 05, 2024

Entrepreneurs often take on too much, so when should you say "yes" to something new? I talk about that with best-selling author Dan Heath, a busy guy who took on a new project, a great podcast called What It's Like To Be... In this episode, we discuss how to evaluate new ideas, which are worth committing to, and how to know if they're truly valuable.

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Are You Feeling Torn Between Places or Projects? Jul 29, 2024

We often take on too much, desire too much, or feel stuck between different paths. How can we navigate it? Social psychology professor Tessa West, author of the new book Job Therapy, helps us make sense of our complex paths — and our often complex relationship with work.

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How To Productively Disagree With Anyone— Even Family! Jul 22, 2024

In every partnership, there will be disagreements. But they don't have to ruin your relationships. Today, listen in on a coaching session about this: Jason talks with an entrepreneur who disagrees with his cofounders (and family members!). This is an episode from Jason's other podcast, Help Wanted.

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How to Feel Satisfied, When You Always Want More Jul 15, 2024

Andrew Wilkinson went from barista to billionaire, and often wonders: When does it feel like he's accomplished enough? It's why he wrote his new book, "Never Enough." In this deep and personal conversation, we explore what it means to constantly want more, and how to find satisfaction in your accomplishments.

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Find Out What People Are *Really* Thinking Jul 08, 2024

Why are we often unaware of problems? It's because we're not asking the right questions. Jeff Wetzler is a master of asking better questions, and teaches us how to extract the information we need from others. His new book is called "Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs In Leadership and Life".

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How to Overcome Fear and Take Action Jul 01, 2024

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Become the Leader Your Team Needs, with Jon Taffer Jun 24, 2024

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How to Stand Out From Your Competitors Jun 17, 2024

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Don't Let Your Business Ruin Your Life Jun 10, 2024

How can you build a business, without it consuming your life? Kathleen Griffith, author of the book "Build Like A Woman", explains how to keep both things healthy — step by step.

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When Defeat Becomes a Blessing in Disguise Jun 04, 2024

Jaliyla Fraser is the Founder and CEO of Fraser’s Mathematics Solutions. What started as a STEAM summer camp for students, Fraser’s Mathematics Solutions now provides high-quality mathematics learning for administrators, teachers, and parents to help the students in their lives succeed. Fraser’s Mathematics Solutions also produces school supplies for students to help them reach their full potential.

Listen to the Side Hustle to Small Business podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit: entm.ag/hiscox

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How to Make A Million Dollars (with the Co-Hosts of My First Million) Jun 03, 2024

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Leader vs. CEO, with Whole Foods Co-Founder John Mackey May 27, 2024

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What's Your Hidden Competitive Advantage? May 20, 2024

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How Google Executives Become More Productive May 13, 2024

Want to be more productive, and use your time more wisely? Take advice from Laura Mae Martin, Google's in-house productivity expert, and author of the new book "Uptime". In this conversation, she lays out a plan for focusing your time and your energy. You'll never look at to-do lists the same again.

Thanks to our sponsor Hertz Business Rewards for helping small businesses save big. Join for free at Hertz.com/businessrewards

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Start A Million-Dollar Business In A Weekend? May 06, 2024

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The Biggest Writing Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make Apr 29, 2024

Want to get your ideas into the world? Writing coach Amber Rae (see: amberrae.com) has some counterintuitive advice: Don't think about your audience, and don't write what you "should" write. On this episode, she explains some of the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make, and how anyone can find great stories and create meaningful, memorable work. Thanks to our sponsor Hertz Business Rewards for helping small businesses save big. Join for free at Hertz.com/businessrewards.

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Solving the Staffing Shortage in Hospitality Apr 22, 2024

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The First Influencer Marketing Agency... for LinkedIn? Apr 15, 2024

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Make Better Content With the "Bricks & Mortar" Method Apr 08, 2024

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How To Find Your First Customers Mar 25, 2024

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Want A Great Business Idea? Find A "Cohort" Mar 18, 2024

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Start Sales Pitches With Stories. Here's Why! Mar 11, 2024

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Should You Start A Business With Your Best Friend? Mar 04, 2024

Many people start businesses with friends and loved ones — but if you're not careful, you can destroy both your company and your relationship. So how do you do it right? Take it from two women who know: Julie Griggs and Danielle Dietzek, cofounders of FourPlay Social. They share the very personal, often difficult side of their relationship, and how they've learned to thrive.

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LinkedIn's Algorithm Changes, Explained Feb 26, 2024

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Why Workers Are Disengaged, and How to Fix That Feb 19, 2024

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How to Send the Best Sales Emails Feb 12, 2024

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How Failure Can Feel Good Feb 05, 2024

Our jobs are not to do things perfect. We can't! But we can make our mistakes very useful. Here's how — along with a personal story about a very recent, embarassing failure. (To see the newsletter I talk about in this episode, visit jasonfeifer.com/newsletter)

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Where Negativity at Work Comes From, and How to Fix It Jan 29, 2024

Where there's a void in leadership, negativity will fill it. That's Jon Gordon's message. He's the best-selling author of 28 books (most recently, "The One Truth"), and has a company that teaches what he calls "positive leadership." In this conversation, he explains how workplaces become negative, how to diagnose the problem, and how leaders can create positivity instead.

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Keeping Up With Rapid Change, With Investor Thomas Tull Jan 22, 2024

Are you ready to adapt quickly? Billionaire tech investor Thomas Tull says you should be—because these days, there’s no other choice.

Entrepreneur’s 45th annual Franchise 500® ranking shines a light on the unique challenges and changes that have shaped the franchise industry over the last year—and how franchisors have adapted and evolved to meet them. See the list here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500

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Taco Bell's New CEO On How Brands Become Culturally Hot Jan 15, 2024

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Vulnerability Can Hurt Leaders, Unless They Do This Jan 08, 2024

Should a leader show vulnerability? That depends on how they do it, says leadership expert Jacob Morgan, author of the book "Leading with Vulnerability." He interviewed 100 CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees, and found that, depending on how a leader shows their vulnerability, people are either more drawn or more distrustful of them. In this episode, Morgan explains how to use vulnerability smartly — as a way to build trust, not as a way to unburden yourself.

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“I’m Running a Business With My Ex. HELP!” Dec 25, 2023

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How to be Heard by Improving Your Listening Skills Dec 18, 2023

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Earn a Living as a Writer, Without a Writing Background Dec 11, 2023

Most writers obsess over their words. Sahil Bloom did that too — but he also became curious about how words travel, and why they go viral, and the needs that other writers have. That’s because he came from the world of finance, not writing, and was able to apply a business lens to the sometimes-squishy world of content... and now runs a newsletter with 600,000 subscribers that brings in upwards of $70,000 a month, along with a network of businesses that serve other writers (and earn much more). In this episode, he explains how he did it. Learn more about him at sahilbloom.com.

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Making "Hybrid Work" Actually Work Dec 04, 2023

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Turn A Crazy Idea Into A Very Real Business Nov 27, 2023

One night, Holden Forrest drew a wild idea on the back of his daughter's math homework: What if he could lower a house into the ground, as a way to escape oncoming wildfires? He couldn't shake this idea, so he started researching whether it's possible — and now, years later, he has a company called HiberTec, multiple patents, groundbreaking technology, and is raising money to build his first prototype. On this episode, Holden explains how to turn a big idea into a real business. You can learn more and invest in HiberTec at https://republic.com/hibertec-homes

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When You Have A Solution People Don't Know They Need Nov 20, 2023

Sometimes, a company creates an amazing solution... but clients don't understand why they need it. What do you do then? Garry Cooper has the answer, because it's exactly what he had to do at his company Rheaply. Here's the problem, as Rheaply saw it: At large companies, employees often buy things the company already has. They also throw out things the company could still use. That's because there's no way for everyone in the company to know what they have, what they need, and how to get items across that divide. Garry and his team built Rheaply to solve that problem. It helps companies reuse products... if only they could get clients to recognize this as a problem, and realize the value of the solution. Here's how Rheaply did it. Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation

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How to Leave Social Media and Still Grow Your Business Nov 13, 2023

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He Got 450,000 Newsletter Subcribers by Sharing "Nice News" Nov 06, 2023

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Why "People First" Is Better Than "Customer First" Oct 30, 2023

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Who Should Solve Our Biggest Problems? Oct 23, 2023

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How to Be More Human In A Time of AI Oct 16, 2023

Cal Fussman is a master storyteller, and he's been thinking a lot about AI lately. Why? "This debate between authenticity and artificial intelligence is the battle of the next millennium," he says. When robots can communicate for us, how can we be more human? When we can automate much of our writing and production, how do we share our authentic selves and connect to others? These questinos have never been more important, and Cal — host of the podcast "Big Questions" and former Esquire writer who's interviewed major celebrities and CEOs — has some very surprising answers.

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How to Tell Sexy Stories About Unsexy Brands Oct 09, 2023

Not every company has a whiz-bang product, so how can you make it pop? Squarespace Chief Creative Officer David Lee has done that, winning tons of awards and making campaigns with the likes of Adam Driver, Zendaya, Dolly Parton, Keanu Reeves and John Malkovich (which earned him an Emmy). Here, he offers a unique way for entrepreneurs to think about their brands, and some big questions to ask when you start crafting your new stories.

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Small Biz Special: How A Magic Show Became Popular Oct 02, 2023

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How to Sound Smart and Memorable, Anytime Sep 25, 2023

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Can An Entrepreneur Be An Activist? Sep 18, 2023

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Small Biz Special: How A Small Gym Stays Strong Sep 11, 2023

How can a small gym compete against a world of big, well-funded chains? In this special episode celebrating Entrepreneur and Yelp's list of America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, we take an inside look at Ambitious Athletics in Washington DC — by zeroing in on one customer interaction, and what made it so special. This episode is in partnership with the podcast Behind the Review.

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Don't Just Sell A Product. Champion An Idea! Sep 04, 2023

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Small Biz Special: How A Small Theater Gets Attention Aug 28, 2023

How can a small theater compete against a world of big, well-funded entertainment? In this special episode celebrating Entrepreneur and Yelp's list of America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, we take an inside look at Illusions Bar & Theater in Baltimore — by zeroing in on one customer interaction, and what made it so special. This episode is in partnership with the podcast Behind the Review.

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The Most Annoying Tech Mystery, Solved! Aug 21, 2023

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Why Eco-Friendly Products Keep Failing Aug 14, 2023

People say they want eco-friendly products, but they rarely actually buy them. Why? Because their marketing is all wrong. Utah State University marketing professor Ed Stafford explains.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation

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Where the Greatest Creative Ideas Come From Aug 07, 2023

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The Greatest Meetings Policy Ever Jul 31, 2023

At The Lactation Network, anyone can opt out of any meeting. Why? Because CEO Sarah Kellogg Neff has a philosophy about meetings and company culture — and you need to hear it.

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Why More Creative People Should Be In Leadership Roles Jul 24, 2023

Advertising legend David Droga, founder of Droga5 and now head of Accenture Song, explains why there should be more creatives in the C-suite — and why creatives should start seeing themselves as business leaders.

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Prepare for the Worst With "The Flexible Method" Jul 17, 2023

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How to Make Customers 28% Happier! Jul 10, 2023

Multiple studies prove it: Sustainable products make people happier, and inspire them to spend more money. We go through the research with Thomas McKinlay of Ariyh.com.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com/innovation

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How to Speak and Be Truly Understood Jul 03, 2023

What you say is important, but how you say it matters even more. Tone coach Marshall Davis Jones, author of the new book "Tonal Influence", explains how to master the meaning behind your words.

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Why LinkedIn Doesn't Want You Going "Viral" Jun 27, 2023

LinkedIn has made some big changes to its algorithm. So what kind of posts does the system now reward? LinkedIn editor in chief Dan Roth and director of product Alice Xiong walk us through it.

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Find Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World Jun 19, 2023

How do you find meaningful work? Start by recognizing what is meaningful. Bruce Feiler, author of "The Search", breaks down the lies we tell ourselves about work, the many different jobs we have, and the literal ABCs of meaning.

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Everything You Know About Dieting Is Wrong Jun 12, 2023

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Write Emails That People Actually Open Jun 05, 2023

Expert copywriter Laura Belgray explains what you're doing wrong in your emails (and especially your newsletters), and how a few simple changes can boost open rates and engagement. Laura's copywriting company is at TalkingShrimp.com, and her new book is "Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F'ing Worst". — Book time with Jason at intro.co/jasonfeifer

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Running Ads Inside Fortune Cookies? May 29, 2023

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When Someone Has More Power Than You May 22, 2023

How do you navigate tricky power dynamics at work? Leadership consultant (and author of the new book "Quick Confidence") Selena Rezvani has the answer. And it all starts by working with the person... and not their power.

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How to Talk About Hard Things May 15, 2023

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How to Catch and Hold Someone's Attention May 08, 2023

In this special 300th episode, Jason reveals some of the biggest lessons he's learned in communications — including a fascinating shift in podcasting, how to build a newsletter people really want to read, and more. If you want to reach an audience of any kind, even just an audience of one, you'll want to hear this.

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"I Feel Behind in My Career. Help!" May 01, 2023

This episode turns into a Sliding Doors special. Jason talks to a former colleague from 20 years ago, whose career didn't turn out the way he hoped for, and then offers advice on how to play catch up. This episode is from Jason's other podcast, Help Wanted, which you can find here: https://link.chtbl.com/LsYdERXQ

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Why, Like, It's Good to Use Words Like "Like" Apr 24, 2023

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Are You Too Curious For A Traditional Career? Apr 17, 2023

You don't want to be locked down. You'd rather have multiple sources of income. But how? Eloise Skinner, author of the new book "But Are You Alive?", explains.

Our sponsors:

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Very Real Talk About Launching A Startup Apr 10, 2023

This is how founders should always talk! Chris Mears has been in startups for 20 years, and talks honestly about the challenges of getting his new one, Wild Clean, off the ground. Contribute to his Kickstarter at launch.wildclean.com

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How to Win Big in a Recession Apr 07, 2023

Pat Flynn and Matt Garland of Smart Passive Income share what entrepreneurs need to do today to improve their business. This is a special bonus "roundtable" episode of Problem Solvers, and the beginning of a fun experiment where Entrepreneur Podcast Network hosts join together to discuss the subjects most important to you.

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His Product Wouldn't Sell... Until He Changed This Apr 03, 2023

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Why This Brand Shares Its Customers' Worst Insults Mar 27, 2023

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Finding Your Company's Deep Purpose Mar 20, 2023

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The 6-Step Plan to Growing A Small Business Mar 13, 2023

Donald Miller made 537 mistakes in growing his business, and he did six things right. In this episode, the author of the new book "How to Grow Your Small Business" explains all six.

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The 3 Most Important Questions, with Naveen Jain Mar 06, 2023

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Hey, Leaders: Would You Follow You? Feb 27, 2023

Leadership expert Logan Stout asks his clients that all the time. In this episode, he explains how leaders lose their way, and takes us into a powerful coaching session where he helped a leader reconnect with the things that matter most.

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How This Newsletter Writer Got 325,000 Subscribers Feb 20, 2023

Lenny Rachitsky built a thriving newsletter about product development. Here's how he did it, step by step, and how he's now making more money from the newsletter than he did as a product lead at Airbnb.

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It's Time to Think Differently About Productivity Feb 13, 2023

To avoid burnout, we can't just think about task management. We need to also think about energy management... and how productivity doesn't just mean "getting lots of stuff done." In this conversation with psychotherapist Katherine Morgan Schafler, author of the new book "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control", she offers strategies for building yourself up for the long haul.

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Perfectionism Can Be Your Advantage Feb 06, 2023

Have you been told you're a perfectionist — and not in a good way? Psychotherapist Katherine Morgan Schafler says we have it all wrong, and explains how you can use perfectionism as a strength. She's the author of the new book "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control".

See NordLocker Business in action now with a 3-month free trial here nordlocker.com/creators with code PROBLEMSOLVERS

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What People of 1923 Thought About Work In 2023 Jan 30, 2023

In 1923, a famous scientist predicted how work would change in 2023. Now, 100 years later, we can confirm: He was shockingly right… and yet totally wrong. What happened? The answers can tell you a lot about what’s coming in the next 100 years, and how technology will (and maybe won’t) change work forever. This episode originally aired on the podcast "Build For Tomorrow".

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How to Set Boundaries: A Live Intervention! Jan 23, 2023

Are you setting the right boundaries at work? In this episode, we pick apart a very real relationship between an employee and employer, and see where boundaries end... and where assumptions begin. For more like it, listen to the new podcast "Help Wanted".

This episode is sponsored by Target Accelerators. Learn more here: https://entm.ag/targetaccelerators

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What Your Time Is Worth (and What to Pay to Outsource It) Jan 16, 2023

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Looking to Buy A Business? These Are the Top 500! Jan 11, 2023

Special announcement! Our annual Franchise 500 list is out, providing you with the best opportunities to buy a business. Which is right for you? Entrepreneur magazine Jason Feifer explains what goes into the list, and how it can benefit you. Learn more at entrepreneur.com/franchise500

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How This Podcaster Gets 10 Million Downloads A Month Jan 09, 2023

Jordan Harbinger (of the Jordan Harbinger Show) hosts a top podcast that makes big bucks. But how did he build it, and how can you build your own profitable show? On this episode, he explains.

This episode is sponsored by Target Accelerators. Learn more here: https://entm.ag/targetaccelerators

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How I Won This Angry Customer’s Business Back Dec 26, 2022

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Make A Big Impact As An Outsider Dec 19, 2022

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How This Guy Saved Barbie From Cultural Extinction Dec 12, 2022

When Barbie sales were falling, the company asked Richard Dickson to help save the famous toy. He became its president and COO — and here, he explains the four-point playbook he drew up to turn Barbie sales around. (And it worked!)

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Hack Your Bureaucracy! Dec 05, 2022

Bureaucracy doesn't have to grind you down, says Marina Nitze, who has fixed government bureaucracies and now has lessons for us all. She's the co-author of the new book, "Hack Your Bureaucracy."

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From a Side Hustle to Employing 400 Women In Peru Nov 28, 2022

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How Smart Passive Income's Cofounders Thrive Together Nov 21, 2022

How do you build a great cofounder relationship? Pat Flynn and Matt Gartland have figured it out — and have built Smart Passive Income into a gigantic success. Here, they explain how.

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Barbara Corcoran: Setbacks Make You Stronger! Nov 14, 2022

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How FamousBirthdays.com Drives 25 Million Users A Month Nov 07, 2022

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Solve Big Problems By Solving Little Problems Oct 31, 2022

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How to Delegate in Three Easy Steps Oct 24, 2022

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How to Promote Yourself, Even When You’re Uncomfortable Oct 17, 2022

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Why Quitting Something Can Be Your Best Move Oct 10, 2022

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The Climate Problem We All Have Wrong Oct 03, 2022

Climate change is described as a “generational battle,” in which young people care and older people don’t. But this is a perfect example of how we think about generations all wrong — and that has big consequences. If we can drop our assumptions about generational divides, we might just have a shot at solving some of the world’s most urgent problems.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com

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What Happens When You Stop Checking Email Daily Sep 26, 2022

Yes, it's possible to detach yourself from email! And it might even help you get more work done. Kim Kaupe, founder of Bright Ideas Only, explains the grand email experiment she's undergone, and how it transformed her business.

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Chip Gaines: "Without Change, There's No Growth" Sep 19, 2022

Change didn't come easy to Chip Gaines, who went through an "identity crisis" as he transformed from an anonymous home builder to one of the most beloved people on TV (with Fixer Upper, and now the Magnolia brand he cofounded with his wife Joanna). Here he talks about that evolution, and what he's learned about finding opportunity in the unexpected.

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Treat Your Brain and Your Team Sustainably Sep 12, 2022

What does it mean to run a sustainable business? It's about building something that can last. In this episode we look at two unexpected "sustainable" approaches — what your brain needs after a hard day of work, and how to build a team that'll survive the ups and downs.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com

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How to Predict the Future (But for Real) Sep 05, 2022

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Spot the Opportunities That Others Don't Aug 29, 2022

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An FBI Hostage Negotiators Guide to Building Rapport Aug 22, 2022

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Solving the Unsolvable Problems, with Russ Roberts Aug 15, 2022

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How Values Can Shape Your Business Model Aug 08, 2022

What does it really take to make a brand eco-friendly? For Shine Pet Food, it meant sweating every CO2 molecule—and making hard, expensive decisions.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com

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Push Beyond Your Boundaries, with John Lee Aug 01, 2022

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Bringing Change to an Industry That Really Needs It Jul 25, 2022

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How to Get the Information You Need Jul 18, 2022

As business and local media shrinks, how can you find the information that helps you grow your business? Chris Roush, author of the book "The Future of Business Journalism", offers new ways to stay on top of everything.

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Use the Right Words to Reach More People Jul 11, 2022

Lomi is a composter that rarely uses the word "compost". Why? Because its creators developed deep insight into how the right language can help them reach more customers, helping them reach beyond just the "eco-minded" crowd.

Sponsor: Paper & Packaging Board. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com

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Why Is This Company A Web3 Company? Jun 27, 2022

Confused about Web3? This is the episode for you! I always wonder why a company uses web3 technology, when it seems to be doing the same thing as a web2 company. So I asked someone. Today, I have a very candid conversation with Rusty Matveev, chief strategy officer at Calaxy, a web3 company.

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Emails That Should Have Never Been Sent, with Nicole Lapin Jun 20, 2022

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Sustainability Is A Business Opportunity Jun 13, 2022

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The Power of Conflict, with Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer Jun 06, 2022

The world is full of conflict, but Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer says most people approach it all wrong. They either see conflict as something to avoid, or they argue with emotion and a winner-take-all mentality. “If we're going to engage together, I should have a purpose for engaging with you,” he says. In this conversation, inspired by his new book "The Power of Conflict", Taffer explains how to use conflict purposefully and constructively.

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How to Find Great Talent, with Tyler Cowen May 30, 2022

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The Four-Day Workweek Is Here May 23, 2022

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Turning Plastic Trash Into Construction Materials May 16, 2022

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How to Balance Predictability With Surprise May 09, 2022

What's the secret to making something great? It's a combination of predictability and surprise — and a healthy Rule of Rules. To find out what all this means, listen to this, our special 250th episode of Problem Solvers!

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How Nintendo's Battle over Wii Sports Was Won May 02, 2022

In 2006, a debate raged inside of Nintendo: Do they bundle their new Wii console with the game Wii Sports, or sell the game separately? Reggie Fils- Aimé was president of North America at the time, and he argued yes — because even though it meant giving up revenue upfront, it would lead to more Wii sales later. Here, he explains the battle and how he won it.

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Behind the Scenes of A Kickstarter and Shark Tank Fail Apr 25, 2022

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A Star Trek Legend’s Advice on How to Be More Creative Apr 18, 2022

John de Lancie, best known as Q from Star Trek, gives fantastic advice on how to find inspiration. It's not something to seek; it's a habit to build. (John was recorded at ciLive! in Des Moines.)

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Making Good Ideas Bigger, with Summit's Elliott Bisnow Apr 11, 2022

Sometimes an idea won't work until it's bigger. So how can you start thinking bigger yourself? A conversation with Summit cofounder Elliott Bisnow, coauthor of "Make No Small Plans".

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A Ukranian Entrepreneur Pivots During War Apr 04, 2022

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Rethink Your Goals... and Your Calendar Mar 28, 2022

Are you prepared for new opportunities? Here, I offer a new way to approach your goals, and a plan for you to achieve "calendar zero."

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Extract Yourself From the Weeds and Lead More Strategically Mar 21, 2022

If you lead a team or organisation, your daily demands may suck all your time — leaving no space for strategic thinking. How can you fix that? I talk to Richard Medcalf, founder of Xquadrant and an executive coach, about four mindshifts you can make now.

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What Makes You Stand Out? It May Not Be What You Think Mar 14, 2022

In this episode, a candid conversation with a 16-year-old entrepreneur and an important lesson for us all: To identify what makes us special, we need to dig deeper — not just into who we are and what we do, but into who we’re trying to appeal to.

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His Marketing Post About Ukraine Went Very, Very Wrong Mar 07, 2022

Mac wanted to draw attention to his company's event, so he posted on LinkedIn... and made a joke about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The internet erupted in anger. In this episode, a rare kind of conversation: Mac apologizes, explains where such a stupid post came from, and we explore the human side of public shaming.

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How Your Body Language Impacts Your Business Feb 28, 2022

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What Self Care Really Looks Like Feb 21, 2022

We hear a lot about self care, but what does it really look like and how can entrepreneurs put it into practice? Here, an inspiring conversation about taking care of yourself with Rosie Acosta, author of the new book "You Are Radically Loved".

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How Jimmy Fallon Found His "Why" Feb 14, 2022

How The Tonight Show host built his career and an entertainment empire — by first identifying his most important mission. This is a reading of the January/February 2022 cover story in Entrepreneur magazine, plus a special behind-the-scenes story about the interview.

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How Can Artificial Intelligence Help You Now? Feb 07, 2022

If you want to put AI to use in your business, you have to stop focusing on the whiz-bang cool stuff — and start focusing on the really boring, really useful stuff. Sam Ransbotham, a professor of information Systems at the Boston College (and host of the podcast Me, Myself, and AI) explains.

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Become A Better Investor and Negotiator, with Nicole Lapin Jan 31, 2022

Best-selling author Nicole Lapin, author of the new book Miss Independent, shares tips for investing and negotiating your way to wealth.

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What You Can Learn From the World of Franchising Jan 24, 2022

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The Hard Decisions To Protect Your Supply Chain Jan 17, 2022

As supply chain issues harm so many businesses, we look at how one startup proactively avoided problems: It is Bartesian, and it made hard decisions more than a year ago that are paying off now.

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How To Tell A Good Publicist From A Bad One Jan 10, 2022

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Find Your Strengths and Scale Them Jan 03, 2022

How do you build a sustainable business? Figure out what you’re great at, and then how to build a great team around you. Jon Bier did it; he now runs multiple companies, including Jack Taylor PR, and advises many others. But it did not come easy. Here, he shares the hardest lessons he learned. (Also, check out Jon’s podcast, One Day with Jon Bier.)

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Ray Dalio Says: Write Down Your Ideas! Dec 27, 2021

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Efficiency Can Make You Inefficient Dec 20, 2021

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How to Build A Network Effect, with a16z's Andrew Chen Dec 13, 2021

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Reasons to be Optimistic About Cybersecurity Dec 06, 2021

It feels like everyone's just one hack away from disaster, but cybersecurity expert Adam Levin (host of the podcast What the Hack) says things are going to get better. Here, he explains how we're going to solve this problem — or at least adapt to it.

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What To Tell Yourself When You're Stressed Nov 29, 2021

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How to Win Customers By the Millions, with Joy Mangano Nov 22, 2021

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I Stopped Saying This Word. It Changed Everything. Nov 15, 2021

Swapping out even a simple word in your vocabulary can shift your mindset and re-center your true priorities. This episode is all about how we can be more careful and strategic with our language.

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When Do Founders Stop Running Their Social Media? Nov 08, 2021

Natalie Ebel is the co-creator of Backdrop, an innovative paint company that was just acquired. But even as her company has grown and her job has gotten busier, she refuses to outsource her brand's social media. Why? Because it's a critical connection to her consumer, she says — and a key to building the brand's great community.

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Run the Right Experiments, with GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani Nov 01, 2021

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Why Jim Cramer is Bullish on Small Business Oct 25, 2021

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Everything Is Just The Next Thing Oct 18, 2021

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Michael Dell's Path to Success: Take Risks! Oct 11, 2021

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Start With Your Audience: Advice from Wondery CEO Jen Sargent Oct 04, 2021

What makes a great podcast? The same thing that makes a great business: Start with your audience and build from there. In this conversation, I speak with Jen Sargent, CEO of Wondery, a podcast company that has created many big hits (Dirty John, Dr. Death) and was acquired this year by Amazon. We talk about growing during difficult times, building stories that connect with audiences, and taking risks inside the data-driven world of Amazon.

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You Should Embrace Uselessness Sep 27, 2021

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How one CEO Built a Company to Help Prevent Forest Fires Sep 21, 2021

We all see problems, but how do we build a business designed to solve them? In this episode, we follow Tim Barat's journey. Tim was a high-school dropout working as an electricity lineman and is now the cofounder and CEO of Gridware, a company that's helping to improve electric grid safety and help reduce wildfires.

This episode is sponsored by AT&T Business. To learn more about how AT&T Business can help keep your business going, visit att.com/solvers.

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Work Your Next Job Sep 20, 2021

Want to get ahead? Expand beyond the things being asked of you, and focus on the things *nobody* asks you to do. I explain my "Work Your Next Job" philosophy, share some of my own stories, and then play stories from listeners Richelle DeVoe, Jules Hogan, and Erica Sinner.

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The Mindset That Helps You Hit the NYT Best-Seller List Sep 13, 2021

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What It Takes To Be A Superforecaster Sep 06, 2021

When there are many options in front of us, how can we pick the best one? Warren Hatch has the answer. He's the CEO of Good Judgment, a forecasting company that fosters a team of "superforecasters" — people who are exceptionally good at looking at situations and predicting what'll happen next. What are they doing? And how can we do it too?

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Maria Sharapova: "I Hire People I Can Lose With" Aug 30, 2021

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Hey Freelancers, Fix Your Portfolio! Aug 23, 2021

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A Leader Who Asks, "Should I Still Be CEO?" Aug 16, 2021

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When Internet Connectivity Goes Out Aug 10, 2021

An internet connection is the lifeblood of any business, so how can you maximize your uptime? In this special episode brought to you by AT&T Business, we hear from entrepreneurs who have struggled with lost connectivity and about how you can solve the problem.

This episode is sponsored by AT&T Business. To learn more about how AT&T Business can help keep your business going, visit att.com/solvers.

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You Know Change Is Necessary. What's Next? Aug 09, 2021

When things are going wrong, how do you know what change to make? Wharton professor Katy Milkman, author of the book "How to Change", explains a few simple ways to identify the best path forward.

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How Do You Compete Against the Biggest Companies? Aug 02, 2021

Sridhar Ramaswamy is building a search engine called Neeva, because he sees a white space left open by Google (where he used to work). Is he crazy, or does he understand innovation on a deep level? Here, he explains how to see opportunity in even the most crowded spaces.

This episode is sponsored by AT&T Business. To learn more about how AT&T Business can help keep your business going, visit att.com/solvers.

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Investing in the Future, Even As the Past Falls Apart Jul 26, 2021

When things go wrong, we often look backwards to fix them. But when Dribble got hit hard by Covid, Michael Sacca and his team started thinking ahead. He explains how to look past the initial panic and start using crisis as an opportunity for improvement.

This episode is sponsored by AT&T Business. To learn more about how AT&T Business can help keep your business going, visit att.com/solvers.

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How to Talk To Strangers Jul 19, 2021

Are you uncomfortable talking to strangers? It's time to get comfortable! Talking to strangers has many personal and professional benefits — and it's something you can learn to do better. Joe Keohane, author of the book "The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting In A Suspicious World", explains how.

This episode is sponsored by AT&T Business. To learn more about how AT&T Business can help keep your business going, visit att.com/solvers.

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The Surprising Importance of To-Go Cocktails Jul 12, 2021

You can learn a lot from a simple margarita… because when you take one home from a restaurant in America, you’re participating in a change that was hundreds of years in the making. In this episode, we dig deep into how cocktails-to-go became suddenly legal (and why they were once illegal in the first place). It’s a surprisingly complex story that reveals our weird history with alcohol, and how the smallest shifts can lead to unexpectedly massive changes, and how entrepreneurs can take advantage. This episode is from my other podcast, Build For Tomorrow.

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How to Live Like Ancient Royalty Jul 05, 2021

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What Five Psychics Told Me Jun 28, 2021

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Wondery: One Hundred Percent with Marcus Lemonis Jun 23, 2021

One Hundred Percent with Marcus Lemonis is a little bit of a masterclass, a cocktail party and a Sunday drive all wrapped up into 30 minutes with an audience invited to listen in.

Marcus values family, community, character and ethics and helps small business owners who need his guidance and investment. His process is very personal and provides valuable insight through his ability to identify both problems and solutions. For years he has transformed the trajectory of businesses and the lives of its founders. Listeners will get to enjoy fun and unfiltered conversations centered around mentoring entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs that Marcus invites onto the show are creating products or services that will impact the world for the better.

In each episode, listeners will meet the most exciting generation of business owners, including Charles Barkley, Kathy Ireland, Al Roker and Nicole Miller, and all the innovative ventures coming to and disrupting the market. Marcus talks to CEOs, entrepreneurs, inventors and all kinds of new leaders in the only way he knows how, it gets personal. They also talk about something successful people rarely reveal, what they need to take their success to the next level. Marcus and the guest explore that question in an effort to solve that puzzle..

Listen Here: http://wondery.fm/100PercentSolver

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Solving the Top 3 Marketing Mistakes Jun 21, 2021

People.ai CMO Justin Shriber, host of the "Legends of Sales and Marketing" podcast, walks us through the top three marketing mistakes he sees entrepreneurs make — and explains how to fix them.

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How to Raise Entrepreneurial Kids Jun 14, 2021

Amy Morin, author of the book "13 Things That Strong Kids Do", explains how to create the entrepreneurial spark — and how, in the entrepreneurial quest, adults and kids all grapple with the same big issues.

Set Your Children Up for Success with Entrepreneur Kids: All About Money.

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Turn Your Passion Into A Career Jun 07, 2021

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How to Start Over, with NBA Star Chris Bosh May 31, 2021

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200th Episode Special! The Change We Resist Is The Change We Need May 24, 2021

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Don't Ask "Why Now?" Ask "Why NOT Now?" (With Jim McKelvey) May 17, 2021

The hardest question in entrepreneurship might be this: "When?" Square cofounder (and author of the book Innovation Stack) Jim McKelvey has thought deeply about this question, and has a helpful way of thinking about timing... both in business, and in life.

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Stop Networking and Start Connecting! May 10, 2021

Everyone hates networking, but everyone knows that they need to build their network. What to do? Jon Levy, author of the new book "You're Invited", explains how to build meaningful connections in a totally different way.

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When Your Big Plans Change, with Taboola's Adam Singolda May 03, 2021

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How to Switch Jobs and Succeed, with James Altucher Apr 26, 2021

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Embracing Life's Transitions, with Stacy London Apr 19, 2021

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A Better Way to Describe What You Do Apr 12, 2021

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How Ryan Reynolds Makes Ads Go Viral Apr 05, 2021

How do you poke fun at something in a way that excites everyone and upsets no one? It's a skill that actor Ryan Reynolds has mastered—as his marketing company, Maximum Effort, churns out one viral hit after another. In this conversation with Entrepreneur editor in chief Jason Feifer, he shares how he does it.

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Reconsider the Impossible Mar 29, 2021

The pandemic taught us an important lesson: The things we once thought were impossible might actually be our greatest opportunities.

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Chip Gaines on Building A Powerful Network Mar 22, 2021

Chip Gaines (of Fixer Upper) loves people who say yes. “People who say yes to life, yes to hard work, and yes to risk, but who aren’t yes-people,” he writes in his new memoir, called No Pain, No Gaines. In this conversation, we talk about the power of building a network, imposter syndrome, getting through hard times, and so, so much more!

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The Equity Crowdfunding Rules Just Changed Mar 15, 2021

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What It Really Takes To Build A Community Mar 08, 2021

Entrepreneurs know that it's important to build a community—but how do you really do it? In this episode, Smart Passive Income community experience director Jay Clouse explains how he developed a premium community from a small slice of the site's overall user base. Jay is also the host of the podcast Creative Elements.

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Do Great Things Without Destroying Yourself Mar 01, 2021

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Build A Mindset That Prepares You For Anything Feb 22, 2021

Most people say "I can't do that." Entrepreneurs say, "Let's figure out what I CAN do." How do you develop that kind of mindset? I talk with educator Charlene Walters, author of the new book "Launch Your Inner Entrepreneur: 10 Mindset Shifts for Women to Take Action, Unleash Creativity and Achieve Financial Success".

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How to Recognize and Destroy Your Boundaries Feb 15, 2021

The pandemic offered us a gift: It forced us to blow past the boundaries we'd set up for ourselves. Now let's keep doing it. How? I share my own thoughts, then talk with Mario Armstrong, host of the Never Settle Show and the Wake Up and Level Up podcast.

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Did You Really Set Yourself Up For Success? Feb 08, 2021

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Do We Lose Skills Because of Technology? Feb 01, 2021

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How to Scale Yourself Jan 25, 2021

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What Will 2021 Bring? Here's What They Predicted In 1921 Jan 18, 2021

People in 1921 made big, bold predictions for what would happen in 2021... and many of them were surprisingly accurate. We explore what they said, what it all means, and how it can inspire us to build even greater things tomorrow.

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Wondery: Business Movers Jan 14, 2021

In Wondery’s newest series, Business Movers, host Lindsay Graham dives deep into the inner workings of some of the most successful companies of all time. From the origin stories of their famed leaders to the million dollar idea that catapulted them to success, how exactly did these companies grow from an idea and a dream to multi- billion dollar corporations? Hear the landmark decisions, the scandals, and the stunning triumphs that made them who they are. First up: Walt Disney. Listen at http://wondery.fm/solvers_movers

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Building Human Trust In A Digital World Jan 11, 2021

How can you provide a great digital product or service, while still providing the human contact that consumers want? The mortgage company Own Up originally got that balance wrong... and fixing it transformed their business.

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How Parenthood Can Help Your Work (Even In A Pandemic!) Jan 04, 2021

These stressed-out parents discovered new ways to expand their businesses. Business consultant Terry Rice explains how.

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What We Learned About Change In 2020 Dec 28, 2020

This was a hard year, but also a good year. Why? Because we were forced to make change. Here are the lessons we should take into 2021.

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What Makes You Memorable? Dec 21, 2020

It may not be what you think! In this episode, Jason Feifer explains why "quality isn't enough."

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Treat Your Brand Like It's A Mission Dec 14, 2020

How do you create passionate customers? Little Spoon's Lisa Barnett has an answer: Treat your brand like it's a mission—identifying an enemy, releasing a manifesto, and offering many ways to onboard your audience. In this episode, she explains how to do it all.

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The Pandemic Can't Change Your Purpose Dec 07, 2020

Baked goods company Foodstirs had big plans for 2020, but had to reinvent everything when the pandemic came. This is a story about the importance of knowing your mission, and how it can keep you focused even when times get tough.

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"What The Hell Am I Doing?" with Hint Water's Kara Goldin Nov 30, 2020

Ever feel like you're up against the impossible? Hint Water's Kara Goldin did. In this conversation about her new book "Undaunted," she describes how she got through her doubts (hint: focus on customers!), how she's expanded her company's mission and wrestled with the challenges of lobbying in Washington, and how anyone can empower themselves to be a leader.

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Closing A Huge Deal During A Pandemic Nov 23, 2020

How do you pull off the biggest business deal of your life... while a pandemic changes all the rules? That's what John Berkowitz of OJO Labs pulled off, raising $68.1 million in the process. And here's the craziest part: The pandemic may have been the thing that made it all possible.

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A Podcast About the People Behind Yelp Reviews Nov 20, 2020

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How Dunkin' Went From A Family Business to a Powerhouse Nov 16, 2020

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Gary Vaynerchuk Solves His Multi-Million-Dollar Problem Nov 09, 2020

Gary Vaynerchuk just entered the consulting industry. Why? In this conversation, Gary tells Entrepreneur editor in chief Jason Feifer about how the new business solves a problem inside his company VaynerMedia, how he developed the products, and what big brands do wrong as they try reaching younger consumers.

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The Only Time We Have Is Now Nov 02, 2020

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Cutting Back Helped Me Grow Oct 26, 2020

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Merging Companies During A Pandemic (Yikes!) Oct 19, 2020

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Build Relationships That Can Reinvent A Business Oct 12, 2020

Your relationships can transform your business -- so how do you build them right? In this episode, painter Meg O'Hara explains how Covid completely destroyed her business... and pushed her to rethink her relationships with her clients. Now she's reinvented herself, and her business is stronger than ever.

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Diversify Your Hiring: How Infosys Did It Oct 05, 2020

As companies across industries talk about broadening their workforces, they’re running into a cold reality: If you just say you want to hire different people, you’ll reach candidates who don’t feel welcomed by the opportunity. This is the story of how the global IT firm Infosys rethought its hiring process, and began attracting a new kind of tech employee.

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Accidentally Creating the Perfect Remote-Work Tool Sep 28, 2020

Fireflies.ai automatically takes and organizes notes during meetings, and has become super popular in the past few months. But its 26-year-old founders never used the term "remote work" when they were building it, because they never thought that's how it would be used. Here's how their unusual partnership, and their bet on a once-futuristic technology, led to the right idea at the right time... without them even knowing.

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3 Ways to Adapt to the Future Sep 21, 2020

We've gone from panic, to adaptation, to new normal, to... something else? Here are three ways to think about what comes next, and how to make sure you're as relevant as ever.

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Your Mission Is Unshakeable (with Tara Mackey) Sep 14, 2020

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How Solving Your Own Problem Turns Into A Business Sep 07, 2020

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When A Big Competitor Suddenly Appears Aug 31, 2020

Madison Semarjian's fashion app Mada was totally unique and making waves... until a massively funded competitor came along. Here's how Madison, fresh out of college, pivoted to protect her space.

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Making the Most of Life Transitions, with Bruce Feiler Aug 24, 2020

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When You Have The Right Idea... At The Wrong Time Aug 17, 2020

Sometimes an idea isn't bad... it's just that the timing is bad. So what do you do? In this episode, host Jason Feifer tells two stories from his own life about finding the right time for once-wrong ideas, and how you can make the most of yours.

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How to Overcome Our Fear of the New Aug 10, 2020

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He Shared His Profits, And Business Soared Aug 03, 2020

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Retail Horror Stories From Shark Tank's First Contestant Jul 27, 2020

Retail is not as simple as getting products into stores, as Tiffany Krumins learned the hard way. Here are her tough lessons, which she learned after scoring big on the first-ever episode of Shark Tank.

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Reinvent Your Business, With Shark Tank's Matt Higgins Jul 20, 2020

The most important question an entrepreneur can ask today: "If I were starting my business today, what business would I build?" We discuss this (and how to reinvent yourself too!) with Matt Higgins, a recurring shark on Shark Tank and CEO of the investment firm RSE Ventures.

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Bringing An Old Company Into A New World Jul 13, 2020

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Why We Put 137 People On Our Cover Jul 06, 2020

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Seeing Opportunity During Coronavirus, part 4 Jun 29, 2020

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How Innovation Works, with Matt Ridley Jun 22, 2020

How do you innovate, and how do you do it in a time of crisis? A conversation with Matt Ridley, author of the book "How Innovation Works".

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You're Prepared For Crisis, Whether You Know It Or Not Jun 15, 2020

Entrepreneurs can get through anything. Why? Because they've already been prepared for the worst. Hear host Jason Feifer's thoughts, and then a conversation with "The Soul of an Entrepreneur" author David Sax.

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How to Be A Better Writer Jun 08, 2020

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Why Now Is The Best Time To Go For It Jun 01, 2020

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"I Pivoted My Business During Coronavirus. Now What?" May 25, 2020

Many entrepreneurs have pivoted online, offering new digital services in order to keep their business afloat. Now they’re wondering: Is this really sustainable? Small-business expert Amanda Brinkman offers a surprising answer: Not only is it sustainable — it might be better for your business! In this episode, we listen in on a coaching session she gives Leigh Ann Cannady, owner of a performing arts center in Georgia.

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Seeing Opportunity During Coronavirus, part 3 May 18, 2020

Stories of entrepreneurs who are making fast, important changes during this crisis. Featuring: Eric Morton of American Bench Craft, Lisa Janvrin of YouthfulNest, Brian Chen of ROOM, Todd Bellomy of Farthest Star Sake, and Kirsten Lambert of Beantown Bedding

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How Big Can Our Ambitions Get? May 11, 2020

Our ambitions drive us, but they can also consume us. How do we make the most of them, without losing ourselves? We explore with Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe.

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"Can I Still Pitch My Services During Coronavirus?" May 04, 2020

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What To Do When It's All Your Fault Apr 28, 2020

Leaders are made in a time of crisis—not just because they can step up to fix things, but because they're willing to look at their own flaws and become a better leader. That's the story of Eric Edelson of Fireclay Tile, who had to fix his company... and himself. This is a bonus episode of Problem Solvers, brought to you by Asana.

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Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's Strategy: Rethink Everything! Apr 27, 2020

The Rock and business partner Dany Garcia have a rule: "We aren't attached to process. We're only attached to outcome."

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Seeing Opportunity During Coronavirus, part 2 Apr 20, 2020

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Leading A Company While Suffering From COVID-19 Apr 13, 2020

Eric Yaverbaum, chairman of Ericho Communications, has been sick in bed with COVID-19 for 11 days. But he's been able to lead his company with optimism, transparency, and blunt reality.

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Don't Resist Change: A Cold, Cautionary Tale Apr 06, 2020

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Seeing Opportunity During the Coronavirus Mar 30, 2020

How can entrepreneurs adapt to coronavirus, and set themselves up for a stronger future? In this episode, hear directly from five of them—as they share their thoughts about how to pivot, produce new products, and plan for the future. Featuring: Meghan Asha, Cynthia Williams-Bey, Joseph Sommer, Monica Kang, and Natasha Miller

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Perfect Your Pitch, with "OxiClean Guy" Anthony Sullivan Mar 23, 2020

How do you say the most in the fewest amount of words? Expert pitchman Anthony Sullivan, known for being the face of OxiClean as well as his new CBD brand MontKush, explains how.

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"You Can Save Me, Or Destroy Me" Mar 16, 2020

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Stop Doing What Customers Hate! Mar 09, 2020

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Trust Is Your Competitive Advantage Mar 02, 2020

How can something so basic—so obvious!—be a competitive advantage? Here's why: Because too many people forget to build trust. I explain, and then discuss it with a guy who won my trust. It's Jay Sofer of Lockbusters, a locksmith whose approach to customer service is worth learning from.

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Saving the Company, With Only $1,000 in the Bank Feb 24, 2020

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The Weird Customer Quirk That Changed Everything Feb 17, 2020

Talkspace is a platform where therapists and patients can talk, and its first launch was a total failure. But then its founders noticed something strange: Users were sending lots of very, very personal emails to its customer service team. Why? The answer totally transformed the business.

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When Everyone Says You're Wrong (But You're Not) Feb 10, 2020

Mark Lawrence co-founded SpotHero in Chicago, and investors told him he needed to expand across America fast. He wanted to take a different approach... even though he wasn't entirely sure it was the right one. Here's how Mark formulated a plan, stuck to it, and proved himself right.

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Finding Joy in the Unknown, with Brandon Steiner Feb 03, 2020

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How to Deliver A Great Customer Experience Jan 27, 2020

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Who Is Your Customer, Really? Jan 20, 2020

When the home security company SimpliSafe launched, it marketed itself entirely towards renters. After all, they were an underserved marketplace—no other home security system was made for people who rent apartments. But SimpliSafe wasn't growing as fast as its founders expected, so it dug into its customer data and discovered something surprising: Half its customers were home-owners, the people it explicitly wasn't trying to reach. Now it had a big decision to make: Does SimpliSafe keep going with renters, or change everything (including its product!) to court this new marketplace of customers?

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How Mark Wahlberg Became So Disciplined Jan 13, 2020

To start the year 2020 right, take some lessons from the business world of Mark Wahlberg—who diligently, thoughtfully built himself into the most disciplined man in Hollywood.

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Diane Von Furstenberg Says: "Own It!" Jan 06, 2020

Do you sometimes feel like a loser? So does legendary fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg—and she admits it here! In this episode, Diane shares a healthy perspective on life... and how the most important thing is owning what you do.

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The Terrifying History of the Elevator Dec 30, 2019

Change can be scary, and entrepreneurs are at the forefront of that conflict. We invent things. We create change. But of course, that change can be scary… for other people, or for ourselves. What then? On this episode, we dive deep into what transformative change looks like—by examining the surprising, weird, often alarming history of the elevator. (Episode comes to us via the podcast Pessimists Archive, which is another show hosted by Problem Solvers host Jason Feifer.)

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He Went to Prison For A Ponzi Scheme. Now, A Fresh Start. Dec 23, 2019

Neal Goyal ran a ponzi scheme, defrauded investors out of roughly $9 million, and spent years in prison for his crime. Today he’s out, and we have a frank conversation about what leads someone to make the kind of decisions he made, and the amount of soul searching and self-repair required to come back from it.

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Edible Arrangements vs. the Word "Edibles" Dec 16, 2019

This is a story about change—and whether it’s something to resist, or an opportunity to take. And it all started when the founder of Edible Arrangements discovered that the word “edibles” had become associated with marijuana. It scared him. He tried to fight it. And then… something else happened.

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A Better Way to Sell Yourself Dec 09, 2019

Why are we not more comfortable selling ourselves? In this episode, host Jason Feifer reveals a common mistake he sees people make when pitching their work. Then, he turns to Jason Harris—CEO of the ad agency Mekanism, and author of the book "The Soulful Art of Persuasion"—for a plan on how to do better.

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Career Advice: A College Student Interviews Me! Dec 02, 2019

How do you build an exciting career? Does networking matter? Does it matter what you study? In this episode, the interviewing tables are turned: College student Danielle Kraidin asks me her most pressing career questions.

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How to Work With Family, Featuring Rebecca Minkoff Nov 25, 2019

Most people work with family or friends, but is that wise? And what do you do when things go wrong? Celebrated fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff has plenty of insight on this, because she works with plenty of friends—and her CEO is her brother! In this episode, she explains how she balances it all.

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Feeling Overwhelmed? Remember Who's In Control Nov 18, 2019

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Walmart's Huge Order Nearly Killed His Company Nov 11, 2019

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To Build A More Inclusive Culture, Look to... Genghis Khan? Nov 04, 2019

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Customer Service Special: Turn Haters Into Fans! Oct 28, 2019

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Can't Beat 'Em? Do What They Overlooked Oct 21, 2019

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He Made A Big Promise. He Couldn't Deliver. Now What? Oct 14, 2019

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Change Your Name, Gain More Customers (Hello, Neighborly!) Oct 07, 2019

When you change your company name, can you change the way you relate to customers? That's what Neighborly (formerly Dwyer Group) is currently finding out. In this, the second in our two-part series about name changes, we learn how the country's largest home-services franchise company is redefining how it relates to customers... all because it changed its name.

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Change Your Name, Inspire Your Employees (Farewell, Oath!) Sep 30, 2019

Does a corporate name really matter? Yes, says Guru Gowrappan. And he should know. On this episode, we learn why Yahoo and AOL was merged into a company called Oath, why Guru changed the name to Verizon Media, and how renaming the company changed the entire company’s culture—leading to more sales, more collaboration, and a lot less drama.

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"Why I Stepped Down As Netflix CEO" Sep 23, 2019

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Do Something New and Scary! James Altucher Explains Why Sep 16, 2019

Entrepreneurs should be life-long learners. They should constantly develop new skills, even if they don’t know the ROI on those skills. And that’s why James Altucher—the former hedge fund manager who’s built and sold many companies—dedicated himself to mastering stand-up comedy. In this conversation, he explains why he kept pushing himself to try something difficult and often embarrassing, and how stand-up has helped him in the most unexpected ways.

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Bobbi Brown's Secret: Fewer Meetings, More Doing! Sep 09, 2019

What do you do for a second act, when your first act literally changed an industry? That was the question facing makeup powerhouse Bobbi Brown, whose simple line of lipsticks blossomed into the billion-dollar company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She left it in 2016 with no plans for what to do next; all she knew was that she was done with corporate life. But she’s since found an answer—expanding into new territories with multiple new brands. But the second act isn’t really so different from the first act, she says: At its heart, everything an entrepreneur does is just about doing.

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Make Change Before You're Forced To Sep 02, 2019

Change will come to every business, but there’s an irony to it: The best time to embrace change is when you see it coming from far away -- when you still have time to plan, and when you aren’t hurting. On this episode, I make my case for making change, and then talk actor Justin Klosky, who switched careers and became a professional organizer.

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How to Score With Influencers Aug 26, 2019

Influencers can be a valuable marketing tool: Get your product into their hands, and they might send waves of new fans your way. But how do you actually do that? We talk to Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of a wearable fitness device called Whoop, whose product was almost immediately embraced by the world’s top athletes.

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Are You Giving Customers Too Much Choice? Aug 19, 2019

Can you give your customers too much choice? Vanessa Van Edwards learned that the answer is yes. She used to sell lots of different courses online, but eventually decided to throw them all away. The result was crazy: Profits spiked! If you’re looking to sell online courses—or really, to sell *anything* online—this is the episode to listen to.

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Not Everyone Is A Leader... And That's OK! Aug 12, 2019

In this episode, leadership expert Scott Miller lays out a radical argument: Some people are just excellent individual performers -- and there's no shame in staying that way. But if you ARE going to become a leader, then it's time to think differently about everything.

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The Benefits of Working With Family Aug 05, 2019

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How to Hire Better Employees: Scare Them Jul 29, 2019

SwagUp COO Artem Mashkov had a problem: His employees were miserable and making mistakes. But instead of blaming them, he looked internally—and discovered a hiring system that was recruiting the entirely wrong kind of employee. Then he made some big changes in how SwagUp hires... leading to sometimes strange interviews, where he challenges candidates to think creatively and tries to scare them out of the job.

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How to Make Big Changes (Just Ask Rosetta Stone) Jul 22, 2019

When a company is in trouble and needs someone to make change, they call Matt Hulett. He's now the president of Rosetta Stone, and is in the process of rethinking the company's entire product offering. How does a guy like this operate? In this episode, Matt shares the three-step approach he takes to turning a company around.

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Is Fear Stopping You From Self-Promotion? Jul 15, 2019

Right now, as you listen to this show, someone out there might be thinking about hiring or partnering with you—but they can't, because you haven't put enough of yourself out there. On this episode, we discuss fear and self-promotion with Kassi Underwood, an author and coach who focuses on overcoming fear.

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He Fired 70% Of His Staff, Then Rebuilt A Better Company Jul 08, 2019

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Going from Entrepreneur to Executive, with NerdWallet's Founder Jul 01, 2019

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Episode #100 Special: How to Make a Podcast! Jun 24, 2019

OMG we've made 100 episodes of Problem Solvers! If you're interested in podcasting, this is the episode for you: Host Jason Feifer is going to explain how he conceived of the show, how he makes it each week on a shoestring budget, and how any entrepreneur can jump into the podcasting game.

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Barefoot Wine Turned A Crisis Into Major Growth Jun 17, 2019

Barefoot Wine is one of the largest wine brands in the world. But it was nearly destroyed in the very beginning, when it was forced to stop all sales for a month. Its founders panicked... and then used that suspension to create the greatest sales opportunity a young brand like theirs could ever hope for. This is the story of how Barefoot Wine grew by repeatedly turning errors into advantages.

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How to Become the Person Everyone Roots For Jun 10, 2019

We’ve all done it: We see someone score amazing attention, or win some award, or snag the perfect client, and we wonder, How’d they pull that off? It can seem random. What do they have that we don’t? How did luck happen to break their way? I used to wonder this all the time. But now, after meeting so many entrepreneurs who have triumphed in so many ways, I see a pattern in their success. Here it is: They make it as easy as possible to be rewarded.

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Cameo Bounced Back From A Massive PR Disaster Jun 03, 2019

Cameo is an app that connects celebrities with fans for a very specific purpose: Fans can pay for the celebrity to film a personalized video for them—wishing them a happy birthday, for example. Growth was steady, but then potential disaster struck: A group of white supremacists tricked one of Cameo's most famous celebrities into filming a video with coded hate speech. Cameo knew it needed to fix this problem quickly, before other celebrities started to distrust the platform. Here's how Cameo sprung into action.

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Can Sun-Maid Raisins Adapt To A New Generation? May 27, 2019

Harry Overly got an unexpected call one day from Sun-Maid, the raisin company with the famous red box featuring a grapescarrying girl. It needed a new CEO—was he interested? “What is the appetite for risk?” he asked in response. Because Overly, a food industry veteran, knew the job wouldn’t be easy. Sun-Maid was in trouble: Raisin sales were down, and its brand voice had gone silent. What to do? In this episode, Harry explains the plan he’s enacting to turn around one of America’s most recognizable brands.

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Michelle Pfeiffer's Hard-Earned Entrepreneurship Lesson May 20, 2019

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The Six-Step Plan for Success May 13, 2019

Nobody can see the pathway ahead of them. We’re all blind. But the people who succeed are the ones willing to walk in the dark anyway. On this episode, host Jason Feifer shares his six-step plan for success (step one: start moving!), and then talks with Gregg Clunis, host of the podcast Tiny Steps, Big Leaps, about how to find the motivation and will to take those steps.

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Orangetheory Nearly Destroyed Its Brand May 06, 2019

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How Do You Convince Clients That You're Valuable? Apr 29, 2019

Namogoo is an Israeli company that solves a problem most companies don't know exist. That became quite a sales challenge: Its founders needed to get clients' attention, and then convince them to pay attention to a problem they'd been completely overlooking. Here's how they did it.

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Why A Hit Product Turned Into A Flop Apr 22, 2019

It’s the case of the mysteriously popular growler! The e-commerce company Huckberry sold tons of growlers during the holiday season—but the people who bought the growlers disappeared afterwards. They never came back to buy more products, which was very unusual for Huckberry. What was going on? The answer forced the company to rethink its entire marketing approach. (Here’s a hint: The buyers weren’t who Huckberry expected.)

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"Kill Your Business With A Better Business" Apr 15, 2019

What do you do when conditions change, and your business starts to fail? You could try to save the business. Or, you could “kill your business with a better business”—essentially take what you’ve learned from the failing business, and create a new one that thrives. That was the strategy employed by Adam Schwartz, who killed his t-shirt business called BustedTees with another one called TeePublic. (And “kill your business with a better business” is a direct quote from him.) On this episode, he walks us through the transition.

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The Terrible Lesson of Chain Stores Apr 08, 2019

Be honest: What do you do when the world around you changes? Most people probably say they change along with the world... but few actually do. Most people resist. And resistance leads nowhere. That’s the big lesson of the rise of chain stores, a transformational event in American business that pitted entrepreneur against entrepreneur, and ultimately led to some big lessons in what it takes to be competitive. This episode comes to us from Pessimists Archive, another podcast hosted by Problem Solvers host Jason Feifer.

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Get What You Want By Providing Value, With Mazda's CMO Apr 01, 2019

How do you get what you want—from customers, partners, investors, and more? You don’t just come out and ask for it! Instead, you focus on what THEY want, and how you can deliver it. In this episode, Mazda CMO Dino Bernacchi and host Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine) and discuss how this works, and why entrepreneurs and brands must always stay relentlessly focused on value.

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He Waited Too Long To Fire People Mar 25, 2019

It’s a classic managerial mistake: You know an employee isn't working out, and yet you give them more time. You hope—foolishly, of course!—for some magical turnaround. And in the meantime, your company suffers from that employee's bad work. This is what happened to James Heller of the startup Wrapify, but at a bigger scale. He was growing his new advertising company, and hired a sales team he thought would lead to fast growth. Instead, the team stumbled and James moved too slowly to fix the problem. On this episode, we learn what happened when James gave his employees more time... and how he finally learned to take control.

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Smarties Embraced Change After 69 Years Mar 18, 2019

You know Smarties. It’s a classic American candy—and so classic, in fact, that its leadership became afraid to make any branding changes. As a result, decades passed and the brand looked increasingly stale. Then a new generation of leaders took over the company and had to wrestle with a big question: What’s worth changing… and what’s worth keeping the same? On this episode of Problem Solvers, Smarties co-president Liz Dee takes us through the change that’s rolling out onto stores now.

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How to Treat Art Like A Business Mar 11, 2019

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Know When (Or When Not) To Quit Mar 04, 2019

When things are going wrong, how do you know whether or not to keep going? That's the question that faced Kabir Shahani of Amperity, a company that, in its early days, missed a huge deadline and seemed unable to develop the technology it needed to thrive. Important, difficult questions had to be answered. Investors wanted to make sure their money wasn't being squandered. And in the end, Kabir learned an important lesson—both about when to keep going, and how to measure success.

Episode sponsored by Shapr - https://bit.ly/2U0InkC

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Property Brothers Help 2 Cofounders Work Better Together Feb 25, 2019

What’s the secret to having a great work partnership… with someone you’re also personally close to? That’s what we aimed to learn in this special conversation, in which we put two Entrepreneur readers on the phone with our March issue cover stars, the Property Brothers. We asked Drew and Jonathan Scott (better known as HGTV’s Property Brothers) to counsel the husband-and-wife duo of Dean Praetorius and Kiki Von Glinow, founders of Toast Media Group. Kiki and Dean are actively learning to refine their working relationship, and the Scotts had a lot of wisdom to offer. Check it out, and then read more about the brothers in our March, 2019 issue!

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The Best Employees Have Side Hustles Feb 18, 2019

Employers often discourage their team members from having side hustles. That's an insane policy, guaranteed to drive your most ambitious and creative people out of your company. Here's a better idea: Think of flexibility as a retention strategy. On this episode of Problem Solvers, we make the business case for embracing your side-hustling employees, and then talk to Jack Taylor PR founder Jon Bier—an employer who has completely changed his view on this subject.

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The Dangers of Expanding Fast (and Benefits of Going Slow) Feb 11, 2019

Numbers can be deceptive: Just because you have more customers, locations, or dollars coming in, that doesn’t necessarily mean your brand is growing strong and stable. That’s what Jill Salzman discovered with her company The Founding Moms, a collective of meet-ups and resources for mom entrepreneurs. At first, she wanted to be in every city as fast as possible. So she expanded rapidly -- and although her membership numbers were going up, her brand was falling apart. This is the story of how she stepped back and fixed it.

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Groupon's Founder Gets Inspired By Failure Feb 04, 2019

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Every Investor Rejected Them. They Thrived Anyway. Jan 28, 2019

It’s become a truism of startup life: To grow a company, first go out and get investors. But is that true? Does every company need investment? Not really. That’s what Eric and Sasha of the men’s retailer Buck Mason discovered, after they went out to raise cash and were rejected by every investor they met. It forced them to step back and rethink who they are as a company, and how they can thrive. Their conclusion: They needed to grow smarter, not faster. And now they’re doing just that.

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How Do You Find Your First Customers? Jan 21, 2019

How do you find your first customers? It’s a question first-time founders are often flummoxed by. But Keith Krach has developed a tried-and-true strategy—starting during his days at Ariba (which sold for billions), and extending into his current time as chairman of Docusign. In this special live edition of Problem Solvers, taped at Entrepreneur Live in Los Angeles, Keith explains how to turn a company’s first customers into valuable ambassadors. (This episode originally aired 2/26/18. At the end, we catch up with Keith for an update in 2019.)

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How The Points Guy Became The Points Guy Jan 14, 2019

How do you turn a great idea into a great business? It’s an infinitely complex question. You have to build an infrastructure around that idea -- one that amplifies it and makes it compelling enough for someone to pay for. On this episode, we learn how Brian Kelly did just that. He turned a grueling side hustle into The Points Guy, which is now arguably the most well-recognized and influential site in the credit card world. It time, grit, and a lot of failure -- but that’s the real a recipe for success. (This episode is a replay, and originally aired 8/28/17. An update from 2019 is included at the end.)

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The Downside of Going Viral Jan 07, 2019

What’s it like when your company goes viral? Take it from Kristen Tomlan, the founder and CEO of a viral cookie dough company called DŌ: “It’s terrifying.” And exhausting. And it exacerbated every weakness in her business, including staffing, supply and production. We learn how she fixed it, and harnessed the kind of huge opportunity that may have sunk others.

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Customers Come, Customers Leave. Now What? Dec 31, 2018

There are a lot of Uber-like startups out there—companies that connect customers with some set of service providers, such as cleaners, lawn care pros, or, in the case of Storyhunter, companies looking for video freelancers. But these companies all face the same danger: They're at risk of disintermediation, or being cut out of the deal. (After all, if you're a consumer and find a great cleaner through a startup, why keep using the startup? Why not work with the cleaner directly?) This is the problem Storyhunter faced, and solved. Its solution: Understand its users, and then become incredibly valuable to them in every way possible. (Original air date: 7/31/17)

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Everyone Has Imposter Syndrome Dec 24, 2018

IAC CEO Joey Levin told Problem Solvers host Jason Feifer that everyone -- everyone, at every level! -- feels like they're making things up as they go. On this episode, Jason dives deeper into that idea. At times when you feel intimidated, or worry you're not up to the task, or feel at a loss for the right answer, let this be your guide: It’s knowing that in actuality, nobody inherently belongs. Nobody is ready from the start. Nobody has the answer already prepared. And nobody sees you as an impostor any more than they see themselves that way.

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Scaling One Person Into A Company Dec 17, 2018

Lauren Berger was like many solopreneurs: She'd built a one-person business called Intern Queen, and it made her a good amount of money. But it wasn't scaleable. She could only do so much. In this episode, we learn how Lauren ultimately transformed her one-woman shop into a company that can scale... and in the process, discovered a new line of work that now makes up 90% of her revenue.

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The Downside of Having A Huge Corporate Client Dec 10, 2018

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Fixing eBay's Culture Dec 03, 2018

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A Cautionary Tale About Trademarks Nov 26, 2018

In 2015, Carrie Sheffield founded a live-streaming news service called BOLD. Two years later, a pair of gigantic public media companies announced that they, too, would be launching a live-streaming news service called BOLD. In this episode, we follow what happened next... and turn to an IP lawyer to help us make sense of it all.

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SimpliSafe Was Targeting The Wrong Customer Nov 19, 2018

When the home security company SimpliSafe launched, it marketed itself entirely towards renters. After all, they were an underserved marketplace—no other home security system was made for people who rent apartments. But SimpliSafe wasn't growing as fast as its founders expected, so it dug into its customer data and discovered something surprising: Half its customers were home-owners, the people it explicitly wasn't trying to reach. Now it had a big decision to make: Does SimpliSafe keep going with renters, or change everything (including its product!) to court this new marketplace of customers?

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How Home Depot's CEO Managed A Massive Data Breach Nov 12, 2018

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Why Meeting Customers In Person Changes Everything Nov 05, 2018

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He Killed Off A $30 Million Business—And Thrived! Oct 29, 2018

Andy Monfried's company Lotame was thriving, but he saw trouble on the horizon: His industry was changing. Lotame was a major player in the complicated world of digital advertising, and although there was plenty of growth still to be had and plenty of money still to be made, Andy knew that his company's long-term future was going to be rocky. So he made a difficult, gut-wrenching decision. Rather than wait for the decline to come, he was going to shut down a major portion of his company now—sacrificing $30 million in revenue!—and rebuild it as a different company whose future looked brighter. This is the story of how he took such a big risk, and why it paid off.

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How Gen. Stanley McChrystal Protects His Time Oct 22, 2018

Every entrepreneur struggles to manage their time, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal (Ret.) knows that challenge especially well. He previously commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and now oversees a 90-person consultancy called the McChrystal Group. How does a guy this busy keep on schedule? In this episode, we learn how McChrystal uses a calendar with the level of rigor only a former military general would think of.

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He Hired The Wrong People. Now What? Oct 15, 2018

When Joshua Tetrick founded his plant-based food company JUST, his goal was to disrupt the entire food industry—and to do that, he decided, he'd hire industry outsiders. He didn't want people with lots of food-industry experience, who'd just carry all the marketplace's old assumptions with them! But then his company began having massive problems, and losing massive amounts of money. And Joshua came to a realization: He was totally wrong about who to hire.

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The Secret to Working With Family or Friends Oct 08, 2018

In this special episode, host Jason Feifer gets personal. Whenever he tells people that he wrote a novel (Mr. Nice Guy) with his wife, their reaction is always the same: "You're still married!?" To celebrate the release of the book, Jason and his wife Jennifer Miller talk about how they built a healthy working relationship while also strengthening their marriage, and what it takes for everyone else to do the same.

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Start A Company, Figure Out The Business Model Later? Oct 01, 2018

When Ari and Gavi started Indiewalls, a company that wanted to manage sales of art on cafe walls, they hadn't fully thought through just how difficult it would be. But that turned out to be for the better: Because they were willing to dive into this crazy industry, they were able to meet people who wanted art, understand the marketplace, and then transform into an entirely different company. This is the story of how they began with an idea that didn't work, and pivoted into one that does.

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How Comedian Nicole Arbour Thrived Despite Chronic Pain Sep 24, 2018

Millions of people know Nicole Arbour as a comedian, actor, model, YouTube celebrity, and Instagram influencer—but until recently, she was afraid to reveal another side to her: Years ago, a car accident had left her with chronic, debilitating pain. She worried that if people knew, they wouldn’t want to work with her. Or, she feared, she’d become defined by her disability. But now she’s talking. This is the story of how Nicole learned to cope with the pain, surround herself with positivity, launch a new career, and be funnier and more popular than ever.

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The Difference Between "Any Sales" And "The Right Sales" Sep 17, 2018

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How Malcolm Gladwell Solves Problems Sep 10, 2018

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Why It Took Dunkin' Donuts 10 Years to Build the Perfect New Cup Sep 03, 2018

Sometimes, the simplest ideas turn out to be the hardest. That was the case at Dunkin' Donuts, where the company wanted to eliminate its Styrofoam cups and replace them with something more environmentally friendly. They thought it would be easy -- but the change took 10 years, countless prototyes, meetings with competitors, and a deep study of how people hold cups. This is the inside story of that quest, and how Dunkin' finally got it right.

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The New Product Doesn't Work. Do We Scrap It? Aug 27, 2018

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Should Entrepreneurs Lie? (And How A Lie Saved Stonyfield Farm) Aug 20, 2018

Here at Entrepreneur magazine, we hear a lot of stories about how entrepreneurs founded their companies. Many tend to follow a similar format. Someone has an idea. They take a bold risk to make it a reality, often sacrificing a fair amount of time, money, and relationships in the process. They become incredibly resourceful. They outsmart their competition. And at some point... they lie. It's so common to hear about an entrepreneur's lie -- to win over a first client, say, or to bring in resources when they're needed the most -- that we forget to pause and ask: Where's the line? On this episode, we consider the question with the cofounder of Stonyfield Yogurt, who saved his company in its early days with a particularly clever and daring bend of the truth.

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How Tony Hawk Learned To Protect His Brand Aug 13, 2018

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Why This CEO Fired Himself Aug 06, 2018

When Matt Bodnar became CEO of Fresh Technologies, he took over a failing company and saved it from disaster. That felt great. Then he hit a wall: He couldn’t seem to get this company to grow, or to fix its internal culture. He began suffering from self-doubt. He’d always wanted to be a CEO, and he initially seemed good at it, but now here he was… failing! After a lot of soul-searching, Matt came to an important realization: He needed to identify what he was good at, and then use those strengths. And that meant no longer being a CEO. In this episode, we explore how Matt came to that conclusion -- and why it supercharged his career.

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Her Company Was Growing, So Why Was It Failing? Jul 30, 2018

Just Between Friends is a nationwide franchise that runs consignment events. About a decade ago, it experienced a crazy jolt: It sold more franchise units than it ever had... and that fast growth nearly bankrupted the company. Why? Because here’s the difficult truth about growing a business: Not all growth is equal. Sometimes, growth in one part of your business can harm another part of your business. So to fix the problem, Just Between Friends had to hit pause and consider some very important questions: What’s the right way to grow? And what does it really take to get there?

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Why Freshbooks Launched A Competitor To Itself Jul 23, 2018

Mike McDerment saw the future, and it wasn’t bright. His accounting and invoicing company, Freshbooks, was doing well with customers -- but behind the scenes, its software code was a mess and it wasn’t able to innovate as quickly as it needed to. But fixing this problem was tricky. If he ordered his team to hit pause and fix the code, years could go by and Freshbooks would lose ground to its competitors. And if his team did manage to create a better Freshbooks in the process, customers might be annoyed by the sudden change. So his solution was radical: He launched a competitor to his own company.

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She Raised Millions From Investors... Then Almost Lost It All Jul 16, 2018

Raquel Tavares, founder and CEO of a ghee company called Fourth & Heart, had just finished raising a round of funding -- and then her team looked at the company's numbers and realized they were almost out of money. How did this happen? The answer is simple: The company wasn't properly tracking its inventory and cost of raw materials, and now it was in a terrible bind. What does an entrepreneur do in a situation like this? Raquel is here with an incredible answer: Not only can you survive a problem like this, but you can even thrive because of it. But you’ve got to be nimble, humble, willing to make a lot of changes, and able to stomach a lot of hard conversations.

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How MailChimp's CEO Became the Leader His Company Needed Jul 09, 2018

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How to Survive When the Money Runs Out Jul 02, 2018

It's perhaps the most terrifying situation an entrepreneur can face: Suddenly, the bank account is nearly empty. You can't pay your staff. You can barely keep the lights on. What now? This is what Saima Khan faced with her high-end cooking company Hampstead Kitchen. She charges a small fortune to cook intimate dinners for industry titans, celebrities, and even world leaders—but then a change in the tax law nearly wiped her out, and forced her to reconsider exactly what kind of business she was running.

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What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From The Bicycle Jun 25, 2018

Entrepreneurs must embrace change, or risk becoming outdated. In this episode, we offer a cautionary tale from history: What happened when entrepreneurs of the late 1800s tried to resist a newfangled invention called the bicycle? This episode is a special rebroadcast of a podcast called Pessimists Archive, also hosted by Entrepreneur magazine editor in chief Jason Feifer. For more like it, search Pessimists Archive on any podcast platform or visit www.pessimists.co.

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Nobody Believed In His Vision. But He Knew Better. Jun 18, 2018

Everyone who’s experienced setbacks, rejection, and frustration will ask themselves the same inevitable question: “What if the naysayers are right?” Mike Rothman did that. As he built his company Fatherly -- a media site for dads, which is a market everyone told him was nonexistent -- he was told “no” over and over again. But instead of quitting, he made strategic decisions that enabled him to discover the truth: His idea really was a good one. And soon, the people saying no started to say yes.

Sponsor: Hover - visit hover.com/problemsolver for 10% off your first purchase.

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Califia Farms Had To Start Saying, "We're Out Of Product" Jun 11, 2018

Califia Farms makes a popular line of plant-based milks, yogurts, and coffees—but they became too popular, too quick. In 2017, demand began significantly outstripping supply, and so the company had to do something it hated to do, but that was critical for its long-term health: It had to start telling retailers "no," while it fixed its entire production system.

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When Your Staff Can't Agree On a Vision for the Company Jun 04, 2018

Orchard Mile, an online shopping site, had a promising platform and a talented team. But they had two very different ideas about what the company should prioritize. How CEO Jennie Baik made tough decisions to bring them together.

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Keep The Company Running During A Personal Crisis May 28, 2018

It's a question almost every entrepreneur will at some point face: How do you keep a company stable while you're pulled into a personal crisis? For Chris Carter, founder of Approyo, that question came shortly after his startup launched -- when his daughter developed epilepsy. After working himself to exhaustion, Chris stepped back and retooled how his company operated and how he was treating himself. The result was a stronger company, a healthier founder, and a better balance for everyone.

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Build An Audience Without Advertising May 21, 2018

If you want to learn how to succeed without traditional advertising, ask someone in the "adult" industry. Why? Because most advertising channels—including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more—are closed to them. That's what Polly Rodriguez learned when she founded Unbound, a company that makes and sells adult products. Most platforms won't take her money, so she had to get creative... and build her own community.

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Saving A Damaged Brand (Remember About.com?) May 14, 2018

How do you give new life to an old company? Bring new vision to a place that lost its own? And how do you bring your team -- and your new audience! -- along for the change? Those are the challenges Neil Vogel faced when taking over the old internet giant About.com and transforming it into a thriving company called Dotdash.

Sponsor: Hover - visit hover.com/problemsolver for 10% off your first purchase.

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Selling The Product That Everyone Said Was Impossible May 07, 2018

Selling perfume online seems impossible. After all, people need to be able to smell it, right? And when former Ralph Lauren executive Eric Korman launched his online perfume company PHLUR, he ran smack dab into that problem. Industry peers thought he was crazy. He hung in and devised a solution: an ingenious a mix of smart e-commerce strategy, science, photography, psychology, music, and storytelling. And with that, he made the impossible possible.

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People Love Your Idea, But It Doesn't Make Money. Now What? Apr 30, 2018

People may like to shop for cars online, but they still want to test drive them in real life before buying. So when the online car sales company Shift launched, it created a system its founders were sure would win customers over: They hired “car enthusiasts” -- guys just really passionate about cars -- to drive a car to a customer so they could test drive it together. The car enthusiasts were a hit; people loved them, and praised them online. But Shift wasn’t celebrating: As it turns out, the car enthusiast program was so expensive to run that the company wasn’t actually making money. And that meant Shift needed to do something that felt crazy: blow up the feature everyone loved.

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How to Name Your Company — Or Fix A Bad Name Apr 23, 2018

A company's name is one of (if not the) biggest early decisions a company founder will make -- and they often get it wrong. Google was first called BackRub, Best Buy was Sound of Music, eBay was AuctionWeb, and Policygenius was KnowItOwl. In this episode, Policygenius's founder walks us through the rigorous process she went through to scrap a confusing name and create one that led to success.

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He Took A Lowbrow Product, And Made It Luxury Apr 16, 2018

Sean Dowdell loved tattoos, but he hated tattoo parlors. They were dirty, uninviting, downmarket, unprofessional and often sexist. So when he set aside his music career to start his own tattoo parlor, he needed to find a way to make a traditionally lowbrow product appeal to a high-end, but still edgy, audience. A decade later, he’s now opening glitzy tattoo shops all over the world. Here’s how he pulled it off.

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The Business Model Doesn't Work—So Change It! Apr 09, 2018

What happens when your customers are willing to use your product, but they're not willing to pay for it? Answer: Your business model may be wrong. That's what Ilir Sela learned after launching Slice, a company that helps local pizzerias sell online. He found plenty of early customers, but they weren't paying their invoices. As he dug deeper, he realized the problem wasn't them -- it was him. And he began the long process of figuring out what (and how) people were willing to pay.

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The Curse of the Problem Solver - You Can't Solve It All Apr 02, 2018

Patrick Llewellyn discovered that his design company, 99designs, was only fulfilling some of his customers' needs. He wanted to fill more, so he created a spinoff brand called Swiftly. But in doing so, he created a major problem for himself: He was stretching his resources too thin, and confusing customers about which brand they should use. In the end, he discovered the Curse of the Problem Solvers: Sometimes, you have to let some problems go unsolved.

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How A Company Becomes A Thought Leader Mar 26, 2018

When Daniel McCarthy cofounded the music licensing company Musicbed, he had a big idea: "I don’t want customers to just think about Musicbed when they think about music licensing. I want them to think about Musicbed when they’re trying to get inspired." Accomplishing that would require a lot of experimentation, spending money with no sure ROI, and launching (and closing) a magazine. In this episode, we map how Musicbed became more than just the sum of its product.

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They Were Acquired... And Then The Buyer Went Bust Mar 19, 2018

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How Three Entrepreneurs Started On The Fast Track Mar 12, 2018

Every entrepreneur’s journey starts with a big problem. That first hurdle—and hopefully, that first solution. Small and sometimes simple as it may be, this first moment contains so much ingenuity and inspiration, and captures just how resourceful entrepreneurs must be to continue along their path. Today, we’re telling three mini-stories of first-time challenges: how the creator of the Butterie butter dish cracked its market research problem, how GrowSumo found the right customers (and avoided the wrong ones), and how American Rhino created an apparel brand within weeks.

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The Entrepreneur’s Identity Crisis: “Am I My Company?” Mar 05, 2018

Glenn Kelman thought of himself as a software guy. Then he became CEO of a real estate company called Redfin, but insisted on seeing it as a software company. Confusion reigned. Cultures clashed. For Glenn, it would come to highlight an often-unspoken business challenge: Entrepreneurship means exploring unknown paths, sometimes leading entrepreneurs to a very different place from where they started. The result can challenge not just their business philosophies but their very sense of identity.

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How Do You Find Your First Customers? Feb 26, 2018

How do you find your first customers? It’s a question first-time founders are often flummoxed by. But Keith Krach has developed a tried-and-true strategy—starting during his days at Ariba (which sold for billions), and extending into his current time as chairman of Docusign. In this special live edition of Problem Solvers, taped at Entrepreneur Live in Los Angeles, Keith explains how to turn a company’s first customers into valuable ambassadors.

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Tripping.com's Problem: Their Popular Service Wasn't Making Money Feb 19, 2018

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The Danger of Profitability: It Masks Deeper Problems Feb 12, 2018

From the outside, Cogent Entertainment Marketing looked like a success: It got early into the influencer marketing game, quickly signing big clients and making good money. And because profits were high, founder Mark Zablow was afraid to make any changes—even as major leadership problems in his company began wreaking havoc. In this episode, we explore how Mark finally fixed his culture (while still making a profit).

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Going From B2C to B2B: Why Poppin Transformed Itself Feb 05, 2018

What happens when you’re trying to sell to consumers, but your best customers are actually other businesses? Furniture-maker Poppin’s answer: It radically transformed itself to meet this new customer. That meant changing its brand voice, marketing, products, and supply chain. In this episode, we explore how and why it made the switch—and became the go-to furniture maker for Facebook, Snapchat, Google, Warby Parker, and others.

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How Transparent is Too Transparent? Jan 29, 2018

Beck Besecker believes in transparency. So much so, that he calls Marxent, “aggressively transparent.” That means everyone can talk to everyone else. Everyone has a voice. Everyone has access to management. Most important, everyone is trusted. There’s an assumption that the employees of Marxent are professional, responsible, mature adults, and thus they’re completely capable of taking bad news and rolling with it. But what happens when the news is really bad? Can employees still be trusted to handle it? Besecker found out.

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How A Young, New, Female Boss Took Over Her Male-Dominated Company Jan 22, 2018

Chrissy Monaco was basically raised at Monaco Ford, her dad’s car dealership. Then in January of 2017, she took over as co-owner and new boss—now in charge of men she’d known all her life, some of whom weren’t immediately comfortable with it. She knew her task: New leaders have limited time to set a company’s culture and get people on board with their vision, before doing so becomes far harder. In this episode, Chrissy takes us through her first, critical year—and the tough decisions it required.

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He Said Yes Too Many Times, Then Learned to Say No Jan 15, 2018

Entrepreneurs love to say yes—to new ideas, to new opportunities, and to new markets. But yes can be dangerous: The wrong yes will compound itself, stretching a company thin and clouding its sense of purpose. Hamilton Powell learned this the hard way: As he built his watch company Crown & Caliber, he said yes so often that he was soon working 100-hour weeks and burning out his employees. Then he hired a COO who trained as a drill sergeant—and everything changed. Here’s how Hamilton learned to say no.

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How to Win in a Ruthless Industry? Try Being Nice. Jan 08, 2018

Tami Halton Pardee started out working in Hollywood—an industry known for crushing hours and sociopathic behavior. Then she left to work in real estate in Los Angeles—another industry known for crushing hours and sociopathic behavior. But instead of going with the flow, she decided she’d work differently, structuring her company to allow her employees a better work-life balance, and being kind to her clients. As she tells us, competitors looked at her like she was crazy, but her business exploded.

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How Tough Mudder Expanded Its Loyal Fanbase Jan 01, 2018

Every entrepreneur wants a loyal fanbase, a group of repeat customers who will evangelize their favorite brand. But superfans come with challenges: They love a company exactly the way it is, and they do not want it to change. That was a problem for Tough Mudder, whose obstacle course races were attracting primarily young, fit men. To grow as a business, it would need to attract different kinds of people too -- but without alienating those core fans. On this episode, we explore how Tough Mudder did it.

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What’s Holding Your Company Back? Dec 25, 2017

In its first four years, Tyson Lawrence’s logistics company reached $5 million in sales. “Everything I touched turned to gold,” he says. But then the golden touch disappeared, and his growth stalled. Why? When he looked into it, he discovered a disaster in the making: His biggest client, a national retailer that helped his company grow so fast, had become its biggest problem. And to help his company start growing again, he’d need to make some gut-wrenching decisions.

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How to Survive 150 Straight VC Rejections Dec 18, 2017

Sam Sisakhti had a great idea for a company, and early on it seemed like others agreed. He got funded on his very first pitch. But when that funding fell apart, and Sam embarked on a punishing year and a half of brutal rejections, he learned invaluable lessons about himself, his business, and the nature of entrepreneurship, and he turned his failure into a big success.

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Survive the Holiday Crush Like Baked By Melissa Dec 11, 2017

For many entrepreneurs, the stretch between Halloween and New Year’s is when teams get stressed, systems get strained, and even the smallest inefficiencies amplify into crises. But if a company builds itself well enough to survive into January, it’ll be in great fighting shape for the rest of the year. That’s what happened to popular New York-based cupcake company Baked By Melissa, whose disastrous 2009 holiday led it to rethink fulfillment year-round—and win the holidays every year since.

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Find Overlooked Growth Opportunities, With Study Giant Quizlet Dec 04, 2017

Here’s a thought that’s going to make you crazy: Somewhere in your business, in a place you’ve completely overlooked, there’s a major opportunity you’re passing up. On this episode, we explore how it happened to Quizlet CEO Matthew Glotzbach. His company makes a hugely popular study platform for students, and yet for a while, Glotzbach was ignoring an opportunity to triple his advertising revenue. Listen to his story, and learn how to find the opportunities hiding right under your nose.

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What Happens When You Can't Deliver Your Kickstarter Project to Backers? Nov 27, 2017

A successful Kickstarter campaign is exciting, but it can also be a curse. New entrepreneurs routinely miscalculate how much money they need to fulfill orders, and get drowned in unexpected costs. How can someone survive that? We follow the story of Ryan Lupberger, founder of an eco-friendly laundry detergent called Cleancult, who could have gone broke after his Kickstarter success -- but then made some major changes to his business (and his life!) in order to survive, and now thrive.

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Expanding Before You're Ready, With Yogurt-Maker Noosa Nov 20, 2017

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Dollar Shave Club for Couches Shows Upside in Asking "Why Are Things Sold The Way They Are?" Nov 13, 2017

Here’s the most exciting question to ask today: “Why is this thing sold this way?” The answer will reveal all sorts of business opportunities, and startups who asked this question have gone on to disrupt everything from razors to the mattress industry. But the path to success isn’t simple; a startup must literally reinvent an industry. How? In this episode, we follow the path of Burrow, a company reimagining how furniture is sold -- but to succeed, it first had to create a new way of making furniture.

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When You Try Making "Something For Everyone," You Attract Nobody Nov 06, 2017

You want customers to love your product, of course. But what happens when they don’t? The simple answer: You have to make a change -- and it won’t be easy. Today we follow the story of Grayl, a company that created a groundbreaking bottle that filters water. When it first hit the market, sales sagged and customers were confused. So Grayl spent three years better understanding its ideal customer and refashioning its product. Now sales are spiking, and Grayl knows a lot about how to take customer feedback.

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From A Garage To Its Own Warehouse, How Boxed Grew Fast Oct 30, 2017

How do you scale when your business depends on it? Chieh Huang of Boxed knows this well; his company is like an online wholesale club (with no membership fees), and in four years, he took it from a garage to $150 million in funding and its own custom-built warehouse. In doing so, he survived one of the hardest kinds of uphill battles in business. Some business ideas only work at a large scale, but those businsses must start small like everyone else -- and then endure a long, gaping middle point when they’re running their business at a size that inherently doesn’t work. Huang shares how he got over the hump.

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How This Dating App Company Spiked User Engagement Oct 23, 2017

Every company wants to increase user engagement. But for a company like Meet Group, it was a life-or-death need. It runs four free dating apps (Meet Me, Skout, Tagged, and hi5), and relies largely on advertising -- which means when user engagement was down, ad dollars were down too. To fix this, cofounder Catherine Cook Connelly radically rethought how users engage in the apps. Now revenue is up, users are using the apps for longer, and matches are being made with... live video!?

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The Power of Simple and How HelloFresh Increased Customer Retention Oct 16, 2017

HelloFresh made one counterintuitive change in its business, and it sparked an immediate boost in sales. The result should be a lesson to all entrepreneurs: In business, simple things matter. Simple changes matter too. In this episode, the head of HelloFresh’s U.S. business reveals how he runs experiments in his business, how he honed in on the right change -- and why he’ll keep making little changes that can lead to big results.

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How He Convinced 300,000 People To Work With Him, From Malaysia Oct 09, 2017

It can be hard convincing others to work with you, especially if your company is new. And yet, you need them: They’re your future suppliers, contractors, partners, and sponsors, which means you must find some way to prove that you’re worth working with. That’s what Andy Sitt faced when trying to build an Asian stock photo company called Inmagine -- and solving it led him on an insane journey. Now Inmagine is a powerhouse, with 72 million images and 40 offices around the world.

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What To Do When Your Solution Is Actually Creating More Problems Oct 02, 2017

Hanson Grant had built a hit product called Think Board, and what seemed like a world-class customer support team. But when his product started getting terrible reviews on Amazon, he scrambled to figure out what was wrong -- and discovered the problem was hiding in plain sight. Sometimes, the thing you think is solving a problem is actually creating one. In this episode, Grant explains how a disaster for the company forced him to rethink everything.

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How Increasing Your Prices Can Attract Better Customers Sep 25, 2017

How do you raise prices? It’s not easy, as the cofounders of Motto can attest. For more than a decade, they’ve been raising prices -- while evolving from a little design shop to a full-scale, high-end branding agency. Along the way, they were forced to reconsider exactly what work they do, how they structure their relationships with clients, and even what kind of company they run. Because pricing isn’t just about a number. It’s about your value, what you’re really worth, and who you want to work with.

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How To Hire The Perfect Team, With Zapier CEO Wade Foster Sep 18, 2017

Many entrepreneurs struggle with how to hire the right people. But they don’t always think about when to hire those people. That can lead to disaster, as Zapier cofounder and CEO Wade Foster knows well. He used to follow a philosophy he calls “don’t hire ‘til it hurts,” until his company grew so fast that he was severely understaffed. That forced him to develop a new staffing system, one that ensures his staff grows at the same pace his company does.

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How DraftKings Survived And Made Daily Fantasy Sports Legal Sep 11, 2017

How can a company survive a crisis so big, its very future is in doubt? Draft Kings knows the answer. It was a startup on the rise, making millions by allowing fans of fantasy sports to bet online -- but in 2015, a huge lawsuit and skeptical legislators created havoc. In this episode, CEO Jason Robins speaks frankly about how he navigated the years-long storm, stayed focused, and survived, and is now thriving once again.

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What To Do When Customers Don't Share Your Vision Sep 04, 2017

What happens when customers don’t share your vision? It can be an emotional blow. Here you poured your heart into a product, only to find that customers want something different. Shira Berk faced this problem with her gluten-free cookie company, Goodie Girl Cookies. Taste tests were positive but sales were stagnant, and Burke realized it was because her personal branding touches were confusing consumers. So she made big, hard changes -- and sales grew to more than $3 million. We learn how she did it.

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From $50 Consulting Fees to 4m Monthly Uniques with The Points Guy Brian Kelly Aug 28, 2017

How do you turn a great idea into a great business? It’s an infinitely complex question. You have to build an infrastructure around that idea -- one that amplifies it and makes it compelling enough for someone to pay for. On this episode, we learn how Brian Kelly did just that. He turned a grueling side hustle into The Points Guy, which is now arguably the most well-recognized and influential site in the credit card world. It time, grit, and a lot of failure -- but that’s the real a recipe for success.

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What Happens When The CEO Can't Possibly Talk To Every Employee or Customer? Aug 21, 2017

How can you scale yourself? It’s something every successful entrepreneur needs to figure out. At some point, your company will become so big that you can’t be in the weeds the way you once were. If you try, you’ll create a bottleneck and harm your company. So, what’s the solution? This week we learn how Adam Tischauer, founder of a company that hosts sleepaway camps for adults called Camp No Counselors, did it -- by created a system for hiring, training, and monitoring that enabled his company to grow.

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Her Cookie Company Went Viral, Which Meant A Bouncer and 4-Hour Lines Aug 14, 2017

What’s it like when your company goes viral? Take it from Kristen Tomlan, the founder and CEO of a viral cookie dough company called Do ("Dough") "It's terrifying." And exhausting. And it exacerbated every weakness in her business, including staffing, supply and production. We learn how she fixed it, and harnessed the kind of huge opportunity that may have sunk others.

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What Happens When You Realize Your Plan is Flawed At Launch? Aug 07, 2017

You did your homework. You lined up the right investors. You hired the right talent, created a product that everyone in your industry thought was just going to totally wow people and then you launch... and realize you severely miscalculated. It happens to a lot of businesses, and it happened to Scott Ruddman of GLORY Sports International. In this episode, we explore how he tore down his old plans and built new ones -- fast.

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How Do You Keep Buyers and Sellers Inside Your Marketplace? Jul 28, 2017

Jaron Gilinsky created Storyhunter, a platform that connects media companies and brands to freelance video producers and journalists in 180 countries. But to succeed, he had to overcome two major problems: First, his original business model was failing him. And then, once he created a great way to connect those media companies and video producers, he had to become so invaluable that they wouldn't abandon him. Have a problem-solving story to tell us? Do it at http://bit.ly/2v8g4Y6

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