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You hit the milestone, check the box, celebrate for five minutes—and then the emptiness creeps back in. The finish line just keeps moving farther away.If success has left you exhausted, it's because you've been chasing the wrong version of it.  In this episode of The Obedient Rebel Podcast, Allyson Chavez unpacks what it means to be an Obedient Rebel: Obey God's laws. Break your rules. Calm, clarity, and confidence.You'll hear the unspoken rules that keep leaders trapped in exhaustion—and the simple shift that breaks the cycle.Walk away with a practical tool you can use today to stop chasing and start receiving, and the reminder that God's version of success restores instead of drains.__Key Takeaways00:00 Intro00:20 Are you exhausted from chasing success that never satisfies?01:10 What it means to be an Obedient Rebel02:05 The unspoken rules that wear you out03:10 Breaking fear-driven rules and anchoring in God's truth04:25 The difference between God's laws and the world's chase05:40 Real-life story: when success didn't satisfy07:10 The moving finish line of achievement08:20 Why chasing success always leaves you empty09:15 What happens when success is built on obedience10:00 The lie that “more is always the answer”11:10 Tool: Switch the Chase – Step 1 (Identify what you're chasing)12:00 Step 2 (Stop chasing, start receiving)12:40 Step 3 (One small shift today from chasing to receiving)13:20 Obedience isn't passive—it's alignment14:15 Rest isn't laziness—it's obedience in action15:10 Redefining success through peace, not pressure__Additional Resources:Learn more about Allyson's work:Website: https://allysonchavez.com/freebie: theobedientrebel.com/way__Reach out to me on social media:

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Jeff Holman, founder of Intellectual Strategies, to unravel the legal landmines that can sabotage even the most promising startups. From intellectual property oversights to under-documented agreements, Jeff explains why legal strategy should be baked into your business from day one. Hear why the conventional “fractional counsel” model often leaves founder needs unmet, and discover how a flexible, team-based legal approach powered by expert attorneys (and some AI augmentation) can protect your innovations and scale with you. Whether you're an early-stage SaaS founder or gearing up for acquisition, this episode is a tactical goldmine for risk-proofing what you're building—without drowning in unnecessary legal fees.Key Takeaways00:00 "Startup Legal Pitfalls Explained"04:26 From Outside to Inside Counsel09:56 "Startup Risks Without Legal Counsel"12:22 "IP Strategy for Business Success"14:31 "Branding Builds Lasting Business Value"17:20 "Startup Branding and Naming Challenges"21:05 "Time for Fractional Legal Support"23:30 Efficient Legal Counsel Management28:52 Contractor IP Ownership Rules29:41 IP Ownership and Workplace Conflict34:32 Prepare Early for Due Diligence37:39 AI Adoption Challenges for Attorneys41:07 "AI for Contract Review?"44:50 AI-Powered Legal Support System48:48 "Personality Science & Scaling Growth"Tweetable QuotesQuote: "You're talking strategy, and you're talking IP strategy aligned with business strategy, and it can get really cool." — Jeff Holman "Because for most companies, while patents are really cool and it's a, it's a strength of mine for most companies, your, your brand is probably going to be the most valuable thing in your business the day that somebody comes to buy it." — Jeff Holman Quote: "You need to do that smartly and you need to do it with, with the end in mind, which is some point someone's going to want out, whether it's amicable or antagonistic. Like we need to plan for the day that, that we're not all on the same page." — Jeff Holman Viral Topic: The Costly Mistake of Delaying Legal Strategy: "legal strategy isn't something to bolt on later, it's something you need to bake in from day one." — Jeff Mains Legal Blind Spots for Startups: "I think a lot of startups or maybe early stage companies don't think that they need, you know, legal representation. It's just, it's not an important thing. It's something we'll do later when we get big."— Jeff MainsViral Topic: Legal Blind Spots for Scaling Companies: "Well, from an owner's perspective, founder perspective, what are the biggest legal blind spots you see scaling companies fall into, especially as they hire faster, raise funds, and go into new markets." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsDocument Everything Early and OftenVerbal agreements and handshakes are not enough. Founders must document all promises, equity splits, and employment agreements to avoid expensive disputes and setbacks.Baking in Legal StrategyTreat legal planning as a foundational element of your business model, not a problem to solve later. This proactive approach can drive enterprise value and safeguard innovation.Build Your Moat with IPYour most valuable asset at exit may be your brand or proprietary...

With the launch of Fizzy getting closer, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson use this episode to answer listener questions about the upcoming product. They talk about how Fizzy and Basecamp will coexist, why aesthetic design choices matter, and which AI features are actually worth using.Key Takeaways00:11 – Fizzy and Basecamp, competitors or complementary?02:00 – Finding the right tools that fit your workflow11:39 – Why aesthetics matter in software18:45 – Not every AI feature adds real valueLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this special SaaS Fuel episode, host Jeff Mains welcomes James Piacentino, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Genetics—a company at the intersection of healthcare, genetics, technology, and compassionate mission. James shares his deeply personal connection to the opioid crisis, describing the family loss that shaped his life's purpose and eventually sparked the founding of Thrive Genetics.The conversation explores how advances in genetic testing, behavioral analysis, and AI are enabling physicians to proactively identify and mitigate addiction risk—before opioids are prescribed. Along the way, they discuss building solutions in complex, regulated markets, the importance of pilots and product-market fit, and why mission-driven leadership can turn innovation into real-world impact.Key Takeaways00:00 "Building Leaders and Scaling Success"06:25 Generational Trauma: Beyond Genetics07:24 Breaking Cycles Through Innovation11:53 High Pain Procedures and Opioids15:30 "Genetic Testing for Addiction Risk"20:09 Market Applications and Opportunities22:48 Integrated Healthcare Ecosystem Insights25:43 "Customer-Centered Product Development Insights"29:36 "Vision and Path to Scale"33:52 Streamlining Customer Service Efficiency37:27 "Focus on Solutions, Not Problems"40:01 Simplifying Healthcare Innovation43:18 "Collaborate for Impactful Leadership"47:18 AI Monitors Patient Pain Signals49:50 "Simple Design, De-Identified Data"52:16 "Embracing Rejection as Growth"55:36 "Fractional Legal & Personality Insights"Tweetable QuotesViral Topic: Building Products That Truly Fit Customer Needs: "It's very important to sit with your customer and just literally build the product to ensure that you are satisfying those specific business needs." — James PiacentinoViral Topic: Simplicity in Healthcare Innovation: "Complicated's fun and tech, maybe, but when you get into these healthcare scenarios, it's gotta be really, really lean, simple." — James Piacentino Viral Topic: Keep It Simple in Complex Systems: "We're just giving you some Information to use. We're not telling you you should. You should drive here or not, you know, so it was like a very simple workaround to something that could have been awfully complex, especially for what we're doing." — James PiacentinoViral Topic: Rethinking Opioid Addiction Prevention: "Why is it that we only talk about addiction after it happens, when technology now makes it possible to see the risk before the first prescription is even written?" — Jeff MainsViral Topic: The Future of Opioid Prescription"Advancements in personalized medicine are helping physicians make better informed decisions, balancing the need for pain relief with the responsibility to prevent addiction." — Jeff Mains Healthcare Innovation Mindset: "You don't have to tackle the bear, just drive by and wave." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsMission Drives Resilience:Stay true to your personal and company values, especially in high-stakes industries. Purpose fuels perseverance through complexity.Customer Collaboration is Key:Meet customers where they are. Continuously incorporate their feedback to ensure product-market fit and genuine value.Embrace Simplicity:In regulated spaces, complexity can kill progress. Strive for solutions that minimize barriers for adoption and use.Learn from the ‘No's:Rejection (from investors or stakeholders) is a gift. Each “no” teaches you something new to incorporate or consider.Surround...

In this episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Casey Woo, a renowned tech operator, investor, and co-founder of the Operators Guild. Casey introduces the concept of the “Scaler”—an elite generalist who thrives in the chaotic, ever-changing environment of early-stage SaaS startups. The conversation dives deep into what makes scalers indispensable, why specialists often struggle in startup settings, and how AI is shifting the landscape for operators and business leaders. Casey offers practical frameworks, shares battle-tested leadership lessons, and explains how founders can build more resilient and focused teams to avoid the burnout common among high-performing scalers and ops leaders.Key Takeaways00:00 "From Loneliness to Operators Guild"03:25 "Misleading Job Titles and Roles"09:47 "AI Reshapes Roles, Specialists Evolve"11:08 "Rise of Special Forces in Business"15:04 "Balancing Focus and Ambition"19:45 "Focus on Core Business Metrics"21:05 Pitfalls of Over-Hiring Too Early27:06 "Quality Checks, Trust, and Community"27:57 "Staying Engaged to Master AI Tools"33:07 "AI Fluency as Essential Skillset"37:11 "Understanding Diverse Business Languages"39:23 Operators Guild & FOG Investing CommunityTweetable Quotes“We are not defined by titles—we are multidisciplinary, and we are elite specialists at being generalists.” — Casey Woo“The earlier you go, the more change there is per day. You need people who can adapt and wear multiple hats.” — Casey Woo“AI isn't replacing the scaler—it's making the generalist even more indispensable.” — Casey Woo“Special Forces in business are the cross-functional scalers—the people who get dropped in and get it done.” — Casey Woo“Valuations aren't free. Be careful what you raise at, because expectations get baked into every round.” — Casey Woo“If you give someone 15 things to do, that's a lot. Do they need to do all 15? Prioritize ruthlessly.” — Casey WooSaaS Leadership LessonsEmbrace Generalism: In the early stage, leadership isn't about titles—learn to thrive by solving whatever needs attention, from product to operations.Ruthless Prioritization: Success comes from choosing the right battles. Cut down initiatives to what truly moves the needle.Build and Rely on Community: Leverage peer networks like Operators Guild for continuous learning, sharing, and staying ahead of rapid changes (especially with AI).Adapt Your Communication: Learn to “Google Translate” your messaging for different internal stakeholders—speak to engineers, marketers, and founders in their language.Invest in Scalable Systems Early: Upgrade infrastructure in anticipation of growth, not after; it's easier and more cost-effective to implement before complexity grows.Balance Aggression and Prudence: Being aggressive can win markets, but unchecked overextension leads to down rounds and organizational pain. Stay grounded in business fundamentals.Guest Resourcescasey.woo@gmail.comhttps://www.operators-guild.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywooEpisode SponsorThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond –

Who is Katie?Katie Hahn is no stranger to the entrepreneurial hustle. Early in her journey, Katie was the one burning the midnight oil—she was everywhere, trying every strategy in the book. From updating her CRM to jumping onto the latest social media trend, Katie left no stone unturned. But beneath the surface, she was pulled in countless directions, chasing quick fixes and scrambling for solutions to meet her coaching clients' needs. Over time, Katie realized that true success came not from the frantic chase, but from focus and clarity. Now, she empowers other women to step off the hamster wheel and build purposeful, sustainable businesses.Key Takeaways00:00 Brilliant Women Lacking Growth Systems05:19 Lack of Business System Integration08:00 Empowering Women Coaches' Growth12:44 Sales as Helping, Not Forcing15:39 Guidance and Accountability in Business17:01 Weekly Advice_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download check out https://systemise.meIt's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSwomen coaches, coaching business, business systems, overwhelm, time freedom, financial freedom, CLIMB Framework, scalability, sales checklist, business growth, online business, client onboarding, lead generation, business processes, virtual assistants, high ticket sales, business optimization, chaos to stability, female entrepreneurs, productivity, systemization, strategy call, Facebook group, sales strategies, business model, business mentoring, accountability, client experience, business automation, business supportSPEAKERSKatie Hahn, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:00]:hi and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I'm here with Katie Hahn. Katie is the founder of the Climb Framework. The Climb Framework, and I'm sure we're going to get into this is a way that helps particularly women coaches, consultants get out of the overwhelm of a non systemized business and helps them too elevate themselves to growth by using a framework which introduces systems processes to help their business grow. So, Katie, thank you very much for spending a few minutes with us. I'm really looking forward to this conversation. And welcome to It's Not Rocket Science.Stuart Webb [00:01:11]:Five questions over coffee. Thank you.Katie Hahn [00:01:14]:I'm very excited to be here.Stuart Webb [00:01:16]:Thank you, Kate. So, Katie, let's start by trying to understand those people that I just sort of talked about, those people that you're trying to help. What, what are, who are these people? What's the business they've got? What's the problem that they really find themselves in?Katie Hahn [00:01:32]:I'll give you an example. And we've seen a lot of these people and this men and women, but I just specialize in women. But we see those people who hustle, you know, the ones who are working all hours, they're doing everything, you know, they're really putting this stuff in place. They're saying, oh, I got a new CRM, I'm on social media, I'm doing these things. But really when you talk to them and you dig down, they're all over the place. They're, they're after every shiny object. They are really just trying to solve that problem that they have today. And it may be trying to find people to, you know, for their coaching clients.Katie Hahn [00:02:09]:And so they're like, okay, what am I going to do today I'm going to go after this and tomorrow it's like, oh, I need a CRM. Now I have this. Well, now I have a client, what do I do next? And it's just constant chaos. And really what they face is this their bit. They don't have a business, they have chaos. And really what that means is they don't have a system to support their businesses. And what I found coming from the traditional business setting, brick and mortar professional services, is when you set up a business, you generally set up with very specific systems in place. However, in this new world of having everything online, you know, anybody can get started with anything.Katie Hahn [00:02:53]:And these women that I work with are brilliant, absolutely brilliant and passionate. Problem comes in is they got the hustle, but they don't have the know how that gives Them those systems in place to actually predictably grow and, and feel that they're meeting what they want to do, which is generally, you know, support the people they want to and whatever that coaching is, or in their business aspect, but also provide themselves that time and financial freedom that they got into this for. You know, most of them are moms and had a life crisis of change because now I can go back to work, I'm going to do my thing I love. And now with that, they got hustle, but they don't have time or financial freedom at all.Stuart Webb [00:03:38]:Yeah, I know the sort of thing you're talking about. This is the sort of person that goes from feast to famine. Suddenly they've got too much work, they've got no time to deliver properly. And then the next week they're looking around going, what, where's the next meal check coming from? I have no idea where everything is. And, and it's that need to have that continuous flow of leads that, that conversion of the, of the lead to the customer in order to sort of just give them the space and the time to actually develop a real business, isn't it? Yeah.Katie Hahn [00:04:08]:And they, they make these, you know, rash decisions because they need something today to solve a problem and they don't have the systems in place that's going to help them long term.Stuart Webb [00:04:20]:So let's, let's talk a little bit and sort of, you know, if there's somebody out there sort of immediately saying, hey, this might be me, and they might recognize themselves, but give us some specifics about the sort of things that they found themselves doing. You know, you come across somebody and you go, you know, I know what you're trying to do. These are the sort of people that have tried all sorts of things. Give us an example of the sort of things they've tried before. They seek advice on how to put the sort of systems you're talking in about Katie.Katie Hahn [00:04:47]:So it's really how they. Women generally, it's a feeling. They are just sick of the feeling of being out of control. When they were a mom or in the traditional business setting, their life was pretty easy. And now they're starting to feel chaotic and they're feeling overwhelmed. And what they start doing is the shiny object. You know, they may be on Instagram and they see, you know, some somebody puts out there. You're gonna get a million, you know, views if you do this.Katie Hahn [00:05:19]:And so they start going down rabbit holes. But it's really never a system in place that's going to get them to the Actual end goal. And so, you know, they're not figuring out that everything in a business has a relationship to each other. You know, so they may go down, oh, I got a CRM. But they don't use it, which means they don't now have the data, the information, the cohesion that's going to take the processes from sales to onboarding to client experience, to have those, you know, clients that are really going to be the evangelist for them. And because of the experience wasn't there. And it means that they are acting in a way where everything in their business is a bottleneck because it relies on that. There's no growth strategy because they've put everything on themselves and not using the right system so that they can say, okay, I need to work on my business, not in my business.Katie Hahn [00:06:19]:And then they can start delegating, bringing on a va. Because ultimately, what you typically see are they'll bring people on, they'll bring salespeople. Vas problem is everything goes through them and it ends. I work with tons of them like that.Stuart Webb [00:06:33]:Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've all seen those poor people that turn around. You know, I've got 15 people working for me, and absolutely none of them make a decision. And the question you always ask is, have you ever asked them to make a decision without talking to you first? And they look at you as if to say, why would we do that? That would be a very silly thing to do. So we know what you're talking about, Katie. I know you've got some really valuable, free. And I'm going to just point people now towards our. Our vault.Stuart Webb [00:06:59]:Katie has given me three brilliant, brilliant pieces of valuable content that I think you're going to just describe it to us, Katie, because, I mean, I'm going to really encourage people. There are some really, really interesting pieces of really valuable advice that you've got that you've given to us to give away this evening.Katie Hahn [00:07:20]:So the first one is my coaches weekly sales checklist. It just starts small. You got to start somewhere and realizing that at the front end, you need to have some processes in place and a checklist. So that one's an easy read. It gives you some activities to do, how to start implementing one thing at a time into your business and have a repeatable process every week just for sales, just small things. But I couldn't stop there because I know we'll have lots of problems. And I don't want to make this sound like these people are horrible or they're doing things wrong. They just don't have the right support and I feel like I don't.Katie Hahn [00:08:00]:I'm not doing them justice if I can't help provide more and the guidance they need to get to the next steps. So what I did was I just created a Facebook group and it's called High Ticket Women Coaches and it's all about sales and systems for scalable growth. I'm going to be dropping lots of nuggets of information in there, going live, talking about actual tangible pieces that they can implement in their business to get there. And the last thing is I don't normally do this, but I want to make sure that what people and women are doing is impactful and they're really going to have some strategies that they feel apply to them because everybody feels like they're in a different spot. My business is different. But really there's three stages and these three stages are chaos, stabilization and optimization. And what I want to do is help them identify where they are and provide real strategies on a strategy call to get out of where they are so they can get to that growth. So I, I got a busy summer, but I am willing to give 10 people a free strategy call and really start working with them on.Katie Hahn [00:09:09]:Here's what the steps you need to take to get to where you want to go.Stuart Webb [00:09:13]:So if you go to www.systemize.me forward/free hyphen stuff, you can see there those three links. There's the link to book a strategy call. That's quite a long link, so I'm not even going to try and read it out. You can go to free hyphen stuff and you will get immediate access to that strategy call link. You will get the Facebook group where Katie, I, I really, I really wouldn't mind dropping in on that myself. I'm the wrong, on the wrong. I've got the wrong hair lengths and things like that. But so there's some really great stuff that you're going to put in there as well as exercise.Stuart Webb [00:09:54]:Go to www.systemize.me. free hyphen stuff. Grab those free things from Casey because they are hugely valuable. Casey, I just wanted to understand a little bit more about it. You obviously have got this system. You've worked out the climb system and the climb is a great system system. What, what was it was a book, a life event. What, what helped you to form the climb system and get it really focused in the way that you've got it now?Katie Hahn [00:10:22]:Well, it, it started off with experience. I, I was drinking from a fire hose. I was put in charge As a CEO of an IT company and the owners that I was working with, my other owners, they left to go off on another venture. And so it was a disaster. I was changing a business model, growing clients in charge of sales. Everything was happening at once and I felt that I didn't have a method to figure out what I needed to do. And so somebody had given me a book and it was the business model Generation by Strategizer. And it really helps to visually organize what your business model is and who are your clients, kind of all those basic things that you really need to know.Katie Hahn [00:11:07]:And I absolutely love the book. I still use it and to this day I talk to my clients, have them fill it out and I just share the link. There's some great videos, but once you understand your business model, then you can move on to say what systems are important to your business model and really where to start focusing. So it's a very easy starting point. The other one I just, I believe you can use in life, but specifically for sales, is how to win friends and influence people. By oldie but a goodie. It's got core ideas. And what I really like about it is I don't want to manipulate people.Katie Hahn [00:11:49]:It talks about how to be genuinely interested in people, how to be there to support their needs and hear them. Because I don't want to be this used car salesman. I am a high ticket closer. I love sales, but I want to do it for the right reasons. And I want my, the coaching clients that I work with to understand why that's so important. Because I want those evangelists on the outside, you know, I want them talking about it. And once you learn those and can align them, your businesses can scale because people aren't talking this negative talk about their experience, but also how they made you feel. And so I really want to combine those two.Katie Hahn [00:12:26]:And the life instance that really kind of put these all together is that I work on the back end for high ticket coaches and I see in their business and I'm like, all right, I already have a process. Doesn't matter if it's a coach or a traditional business. Let's put it in place.Stuart Webb [00:12:44]:Yeah. Do you know, I'm very aware that one of the things you were talking there about was the how to win friends and influence people and how. And I'm very aware that a lot of people, particularly who are struggling or perhaps just beginning to scale their business, they get very worried about sales because they feel dirty. They feel somehow it's forcing somebody to have something they shouldn't have. And I was talking to somebody not so very long ago, and they were saying, well, how do you feel about sales? Because my background is very different to most, and I was not trained in sales or anything like that. And I said, I eventually realized sales is about helping somebody, and I just wanted to be the most helpful person in the world. So when I was reaching out and I was talking to somebody about helping them, I would say something like, you have this problem, and I have this solution to your problem. If you'd like the solution, let's find a way of working together.Stuart Webb [00:13:39]:And they go, yes. And I go, well, there needs to be some money for that. And they go, of course there has to be some money. And immediately you'd go, this sales thing isn't so difficult. It's just reaching out and helping somebody. And it's not about trying to force somebody to have something they don't want. It's basically being the most helpful person in the world. But just remembering in the end to say, I need to pay my mortgage.Stuart Webb [00:14:01]:So do you mind if you help me do that?Katie Hahn [00:14:03]:I completely agree. I'm not traditionally in sales. That's not where I came from. I have an education and a science background. I'm a scientist by trade. So this is not my background. And it's just like you. What I find is, if I can be helpful and they align, let's do it.Katie Hahn [00:14:20]:And it's not slimy or anything like that.Stuart Webb [00:14:24]:So let's move on to the. To the real question that you've probably got for me, Katie, at the moment, which is, you know, you're probably sitting there thinking, he still hasn't asked the killer proper question. He's got these questions he's asked me, but he hasn't asked the real one that. That I'm. That I'm waiting for. So I'm just gonna have to admit that I don't know what that question is and ask you to tell me what is the real killer question that you want me to ask you? And then obviously, you have to answer it, because I don't know the question either.Katie Hahn [00:14:52]:Well, it's not difficult. I mean, if I was talking, like, thinking about this, it's like all this information is out there. You know, all these processes are out there. There's tons of templates. The question is, why do business owners, specifically coaches, women coaches, still need a coach or mentor? And that, for me, is it takes some realization that as a business owner, you still need to have that support. Because basic transformation in a Business is driven by just implementing. It's not about just the information you have. And I don't think that all this information that we can Google is making everybody money, because if it was, we'd all be on autopilot.Katie Hahn [00:15:39]:We need somebody to say, here's where you start. Here are the things you're blind to because you're in the business and really aligning and saying, okay, here are the things we need to do to get you to X, putting plans in place and holding somebody accountable. I was an athlete, and we have coaches for a reason. We need to have a team behind us. We have doctors. We don't just go to one. You know, there's always this team and this support, and we think that's okay in other areas of our life. But as a business professional, you know, we got to get our set, set our egos aside and say, you know what, there's somebody here who can help guide me.Katie Hahn [00:16:18]:And the point is that it's going to happen quicker and faster and easier when I have the right support. And that's why I do this back to your sales thing. I want to help people.Stuart Webb [00:16:30]:Brilliant. And we've gone full circle, which is exactly where we need to end. Listen, I thank you so much for coming out and spending a few minutes with us today. Katie, I think the advice you've given is brilliant. I'm going to just once again, Pete, go to Systemize Me free. Grab that stuff from Katie. There are not many people that give away as much free value as Katie does, so please grab that stuff as soon as you can. And one little request from me, please subscribe to the newsletter.Stuart Webb [00:17:01]:What I do is I send an email once a week, and all I do is I let you know who's coming up so that you can join in and grab the sort of free advice that people like Kate give. So go to Systemize Me forward slash subscribe. That's Systemize Me Forward slash subscribe. Get onto the newsletter list. You'll just get an email once a week, which basically there's a joke in there as well. So it's not all. It's not all stuff. There's a joke, there's a joke, there's a.Stuart Webb [00:17:26]:There's news about the people that are coming up on the podcast and also some really great ways of getting advice from these people. Katie, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. I really, really love what you're trying to do to help people, and thank you for being as generous as you have been with so much of your advice.Katie Hahn [00:17:44]:Thank you very much.Stuart Webb [00:17:46]:Listen, I'm looking forward to following Katie. I really do think you should do the same. Thank you, Katie.Katie Hahn [00:17:53]:Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Time has a way of reshaping what we believe, and sometimes, what we've published. In this week's episode, CEO and co-founder Jason Fried chats with Kimberly Rhodes to explore one particular chapter of REWORK that no longer rings true. Jason reflects on their current stance on having multiple products vs. just one, what company's should consider before they expand, and why knowing your limits still matters.Key Takeaways00:10 – The change in perspective on multiple products03:15 – The team needed for the company's expansion05:28 – Recognizing when you've taken on too much09:16 – The real value of writing ideas down12:35 – Advice on launching new products while maintaining previous onesLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Vitaly Motuz, founder of Reviews On My Website. Vitaly shares his journey from high school side projects to building a successful SaaS business focused on reputation management for local businesses. The conversation dives deep into product simplicity, scaling challenges, client-centric growth, leadership mindset, the impact of reviews (good and bad), and how AI is reshaping the landscape. Whether you're a SaaS founder, leader, or just passionate about tech, this episode is packed with actionable insights!Key Takeaways00:00 "Sparked Idea for Review Tool"04:19 "Simple Reputation Management Software"06:36 "Expanding Tools for Market Growth"11:42 Focusing on Marketing and Growth13:11 Learning to Delegate as Founder17:16 Startup Success in 201722:43 "Leadership, Hiring, and Growth Blueprint"24:53 "Small Remote Team Challenges"28:39 "Simplicity Over Features Wins"32:18 Customer Request Prioritization Strategy37:10 "Prioritize Stability, Avoid Quick Fixes"38:51 "Testing Features for Usability"42:14 AI Transforming Business OperationsTweetable QuotesViral Simplicity in Reputation Management: "And that's kind of like one of the things that all our customers tell us is we're one of the most intuitive and simple reputation platforms out there." — Vitaly Motuz Viral Topic: The Secret to Expanding Market Reach Quote: "it wasn't so much I think there were new platforms that helped us expand but rather expanding the tools that we offer." — Vitaly Motuz Letting Go as a Founder: "So one of the struggles for me was letting go some of the control and be open to finding help, finding somebody to bring on board to help me with some of those stuff." — Vitaly Motuz "It's providing the simple, simplest reputation management software for local businesses and agencies that simply works." — Vitaly Motuz Startup Flexibility: "So at the beginning you gotta be nimble. You gotta kind of like try things and see what works." — Vitaly Motuz SaaS Leadership LessonsPlay Your Own Game: Focus on what makes your company unique instead of chasing competitors' features.Let Go to Grow: Delegate and release control, especially in areas where others can excel, freeing yourself for strategic work.Relentless Customer Focus: Listen to paying customers, and develop the roadmap based on their real needs and experience.Lead By Vision: Define and communicate your organization's purpose and direction so your team feels a part of the mission.Embrace the Learning Process: Experimentation and failure are part of the journey—analyze, learn, and adapt.Prioritize Simplicity Over Complexity: Resist bloated product features that distract from your core value.Guest Resourcesvitaly@reviewsonmywebsite.comhttps://reviewsonmywebsite.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalymotuz/Episode SponsorThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond –

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Nahed Khairallah, a global startup strategist and HR leader known for transforming seven-figure startups into nine-figure success stories. Nahed shares how he revolutionized HR from an administrative afterthought into the rocket fuel for sustainable, scalable growth. With practical lessons gleaned from scaling teams across four continents, Nahed discusses why 70% of scaling attempts fail due to people issues, the dangers of throwing bodies at problems, and how founders can turn HR into a strategic business enabler. It's a masterclass on people operations for tech founders, with actionable tips whether you're 10 people or 100.Key Takeaways00:00 "Turning Human Capital into Growth"06:33 From Recruiter to HR Advisor11:04 Scaling Operations, Not Expanding Markets14:00 Founder Ego and Company Stagnation15:59 Hiring Strategy: Capacity vs. Capability21:30 Proactive Scalability for Startups23:26 Balanced Optimism vs. Delusion28:17 "HR's Business Understanding Gap"29:55 HR's Role in Business Alignment35:45 Financial Literacy Essential for HR38:56 Building Trust and Credibility40:25 External Advisors vs. Internal Trust44:55 Contractors vs. Full-Time Misclassification48:27 "Optimize Startup Staffing Strategy"51:14 Prioritize and Delegate for Growth54:37 Connect for HR InsightsTweetable Quotes“Throwing people at the problem almost never works. It's subtraction by addition.”— Nahed Khairallah“70% of scaling attempts fail because of people issues, not product issues.”— Jeff Mains“HR should be the rocket fuel for growth, not just a cost center.”— Nahed Khairallah“Success covers up a lot of problems—until the ceiling hits and the issues become visible.”— Jeff Mains“You want to operate lean, but also be ready to grow—build infrastructure that bolts on seamlessly.”— Nahed Khairallah“You need to be a business person first and apply the HR lens to it.”— Nahed KhairallahSaaS Leadership LessonsDon't Throw People at Problems:Rapid hiring without process scale is risky—focus first on optimizing operations.Recognize the Hidden Costs:Headcount costs go beyond salary (benefits, equipment, software)—track the full picture.Let Go to Grow:Founders must delegate and trust new hires, especially those brought in for their specialized experience.HR as Rocket Fuel:Move HR from a backend support role to a business-enabling function aligned with vision and results.Scenario Planning is Essential:Always challenge optimistic forecasts; plan for downturns and scenario-test your people ops.Founder Focus:Founders should regularly document and review their own roles—double down on what they do best and delegate the rest.Guest Resourcesnahed@organizedchaos.fyi https://organizedchaos.fyi https://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahedEpisode SponsorThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond –

For 37signals, flashy ad campaigns and traditional brand promos have never been the way to go. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why traditional marketing methods like billboards, paid social media posts, and keyword ads don't give them results. They talk about how meaningful marketing comes from genuine support and real connection.Key Takeaways00:12 – Why marketing ROI looks different for every business10:35 – Spend your marketing budget on companies and people you believe in17:35 – What kinds of marketing actually does work for 37signals28:02 – How AI is making the authentic human connection stand outLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes Harish Chandramowli, CEO of Flare, to unpack the evolution of ERP systems in the age of AI—specifically for fashion brands and SMBs.Harish shares insights from his unique career path, spanning cybersecurity at Johns Hopkins, engineering at Bloomberg and MongoDB, to tackling unstructured data and workflow automation for modern retailers. The conversation dives deep into the intersection of technology, scalable team building, and founder-led sales—along with candid lessons learned while bootstrapping, selling, and leading distributed teams across the globe.Key Takeaways00:00 Tech Innovation and People-First Leadership06:18 "SMB Market Gap: Custom ERP Needed"07:29 Flexible ERP Solutions with MongoDB12:34 AI Streamlines ERP Communication15:55 Increase Sales with Incomplete Products18:40 "Benefits of Technical Founders"23:02 Cultural Sensitivity in Global Teams25:41 Delegation as a Learning Opportunity29:43 "Team Growth and Skill Challenges"32:37 AI-Driven Business Insights36:22 Optimizing Workflow with AI Automation39:58 Future Growth: Strategies & Insights40:49 "SaaS Fuel Podcast Overview"Tweetable QuotesThe Power of Flexible Data: "One of the things that I learned in MongoDB is flexible data has so much power. It's so much easier to help people understand their business without having to pay." — Harish Chandramowli AI Revolutionizing Supply Chain Communication: "AI can learn. Your emails say that, hey, you got an email from your factory saying that things are getting delivered and AI can parse your attachment, fill in those data, you just need to verify and approve it and the workflow is done." — Harish Chandramowli Viral Topic: The Importance of Cultural Understanding in Global Teams: "Understanding each other's culture goes a long way in people feeling close to you." — Harish Chandramowli SaaS Leadership LessonsUnderstand Before You Automate: Deeply map out a customer's workflow before implementing automation. AI is most powerful when embedded where the real pain is.Founders Must Stay Hands-On: Engaged, founder-led sales and customer interactions are critical in the early stages—don't retreat into just building.Hire for Culture & Autonomy: Successful distributed teams thrive on self-motivation, global empathy, and transparent communication.Don't Fear Delegation: Letting your team handle challenges increases their growth and the company's overall resilience.Sales and Engineering Need Real Collaboration: Break down silos by involving engineers in sales calls and non-technical staff in planning meetings.Contextualize AI's Role for Customers: When selling AI-driven solutions, focus on the concrete problem solved, not the flashy technology. Realism and transparency build trust.Guest Resourcess.c.harish@gmail.comharish@flairesoftware.com https://www.flairesoftware.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/scharish/Episode SponsorThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond –

In this jam-packed episode of SaaS Fuel, sales expert Christian Jack joins host Jeff Mains to break down everything SaaS founders and sales leaders need to know about effective sales demos, discovery processes, psychological safety in sales, team culture, and the evolving landscape of SaaS sales.Christian shares his journey from music teaching to sales mastery, the critical lessons he learned about sales psychology, and the costly mistakes most SaaS teams make when it comes to demos and team management. You'll also get hard-hitting tactics to boost conversions, examples of SaaS companies that transformed their sales processes, and powerful leadership insights to help you build an unstoppable sales culture.Key Takeaways00:00 Understanding Cost Perception Objections04:59 "Entrepreneurial Aspirations Amid Uncertainty"09:33 Trust Over Features in Sales12:40 Safety Influences Communication Openness15:26 Tactics for Positive Engagement20:21 Sales: A Cyclical Journey23:15 Highlighting Simple Solutions Over Features25:59 Syntax and Engagement Strategy29:43 Demo Dilemma: Pros and Cons31:26 Marketing's Role: Engagement Initiation35:44 Enhancing Sales with Pre-Call Videos39:22 Transformational Vocabulary Strategies42:13 Empowering Message from an Astronaut47:06 Sales Success Hinges on Culture48:55 Find Christian Jack OnlineTweetable Quotes"Sales has now become even more of a game of building trust, I think, and building connection with people rather than just, you know, we have the best features, we have the best." — Christian Jack"We live it through the words that we attribute to the experience. And so if you are talking to somebody about your product, about your service, about your software, et cetera, the words that you use to describe it are very, very important."— Christian JackThe Secret to Driving Engagement in Software: "How do we actually set up the software in a way where people will actually use it? And what is the specific vehicle that we've used in order to achieve that?" — Christian Jack"Marketing gets people to the point where they start to lean in as soon as they start leaning in that sales job.” — Christian Jack "You want to use words like the door is closing or the window is open because that will start to help people envision in their mind, like they can see a door closing." — Christian JackDeeper Connections Through Nonverbal Communication: "And you can focus on other parts of the interaction, how they're reacting, what the response is, facial expressions, those kinds of things." — Jeff Mains"The dividing line between those two, marketing, sales and then where are they separate and then how do they work together best?" — Jeff MainsBiggest Competitor in SaaS Sales: "the biggest competitor that I think we all have in the marketplace is no action, no decision." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsCulture Over NumbersYour sales team's culture is the foundation of consistent performance and retention—it's critical for growth and survival.Sales and Marketing Must Work in HarmonyMarketing makes people “lean in”; sales takes over when a prospect is engaged. Align these efforts for maximum ROI.Prioritize Discovery, Not Just DemosYou can't sell a prospect unless you deeply understand their context. Tailor every demo and sales conversation.Empower with Psych-SafetyProspects buy when they feel safe. Your job isn't just handling objections, but creating an environment of trust and...

Who is Stever?Stever Robbins is a strategic advisor dedicated to empowering individuals at pivotal moments in their professional journey. With a focus on reputation building, he guides business leaders and entrepreneurs who aspire to become recognized authorities in their fields. Stever's expertise lies in helping clients establish themselves as the go-to person around their key constituents, whether it's within their industry or among high-value employees. His approach is tailored to those eager to cultivate a magnetic reputation that naturally attracts attention and opportunities, positioning them as influential figures in their respective domains.Key Takeaways00:00 Understanding Business Relationships05:54 "Public Speaking Overcomes Age Bias"09:41 Networking Maintenance System14:06 "The Myth of Hard Work"14:45 Rethinking "Work Hard" Advice18:16 "Maximizing Productivity and Networking"22:45 Effectuation in Startup Success24:28 "Networking: Meeting the Right People"29:32 Reflecting on AI's Impact31:12 AI's Impact on Critical Thinking34:31 Networking for Personal Fulfillment_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : https://systemise.meIt's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSexecutive coaching, personal branding, business networking, building relationships, reputation management, career advancement, professional development, strategic outreach, public speaking, podcasting, productivity tips, maintaining connections, follow-up systems, industry recognition, business leadership, career success myths, high impact coaching, business startups, entrepreneurship, effectuation, business ecosystems, corporate politics, introverts in business, systematic networking, reconnecting contacts, business strategy, work-life balance, leadership skills, personal productivity, AI and productivitySPEAKERSStever Robbins, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science five questions over coffee. I have my coffee here in front of me. I think Steve is ready to go as well. So I have my coffee. Up. We are caffeine up and ready to go. Looks, I'm really, really grateful that Steve has meant, spent some time with us. He's gonna spend a bit of time with us today.Stuart Webb [00:00:50]:Steve is well, he's, one of the most interesting and thought provoking and, innovative, speakers I've come across. So, Steba, I'm really grateful you're gonna come here and spend a few minutes talking to us about, well, five ideas we're gonna have over coffee.Stever Robbins [00:01:08]:Absolutely. Thank you for having me.Stuart Webb [00:01:11]:So, Steven, let's start with, I know you're you're sort of talking today a little bit about some of the some of the work you've been doing, and we're gonna get into it. So so tell us, who is it you're trying to help? What what what's the what's the the the ideal candidate for the sort of work you're trying to do with them at the moment?Stever Robbins [00:01:26]:Sure. I help people who are at an inflection point. People who need to get more widely known and who wanna become the go to person around their key constituents. At some point, I'll probably get a little bit more focused than that. But for example, a business person who wants to get known in their industry, a business person who wants to get known around the, high value employees. So So they wanna have a reputation as a, as a hire as a hire as an employer. Basically, anyone who wants to have a reputation that draws people to them and they want to establish a high profile as go to person.Stuart Webb [00:02:02]:And so this isn't just, just business owners. This could be anybody from a business owner to somebody who's already in in an employment and and just wants to get better known around their industry or bet better known around around the company.Stever Robbins [00:02:15]:Yeah. What I've discovered isStuart Webb [00:02:16]:that this actually has been oneStever Robbins [00:02:17]:of the keys to many of the coaching engagements that I've done. I've I've spent the last twenty years as an executive coach. And I finally realized, wait a minute. Helping this person with their marketing was just like helping this person who, I I work with a lot of high potential leaders, so people who are being groomed for the c suite. And part of being groomed for the c suite is you have to establish connections. You have to be known within the company. You need to be able to to, you know, go to the right places, know the right people, call in the right favors, and get people working together. And I realized this is actually the exact same skill set.Stever Robbins [00:02:49]:What it takes to become known in your industry is the same thing that it takes to come to become known within your company, you know, with a few minor tweaks. Instead of speaking at a conference, for example, you might be speaking at a brown bag lunch, but, you know, largely the sameStuart Webb [00:03:02]:thing. Absolutely right. A lot of these people will have spent time trying to do this just just by, you know, maybe making making mistakes or maybe sort of trying to sort of get out there and do things, but but I haven't got anyway so far. So what are the what are the frustrations? What are the some of the things you've seen people do? I wouldn't say wrong, but are not necessarily focused in the right way in order to really get that that high impact that you're talking about.Stever Robbins [00:03:29]:Sure. Well, you know, one of the big ones is that people treat their business like a business. So if I were to ask people, do you do you know where you make money? Most people would say yes. They might be wrong, but but but at least the point is they have some idea. Like, they're they're paying attention. But when I ask people, do you know do you know who you're connecting with and why you're connecting with them and what their major motivational drivers are and how you can deepen a relationship with them and connect with them, they just kind of look at me and go, well, yeah. I mean, I called someone up to have a lunch date. And I'm like, so you're preparing a proposal and you spend six weeks doing research and write a 25 page proposal.Stever Robbins [00:04:17]:But when you're thinking about who do you need to know, who needs to know you, and how are you gonna create that connection, you give that no thought. You just sort of treat it the way that you did back in kindergarten, which by the way, don't knock kindergarten. Really good time, recess, awesome idea. I love the thing where you play with the blocks. But as adults, we get more sophisticated about things. I would say one of the biggest, problems that people have is they're not systematic about it. They don't decide who they're gonna contact. They don't actually have a system for making contact and then a system for maintaining relationships, which, you know, people think, oh my gosh.Stever Robbins [00:04:59]:This is gonna take me a hundred hours a day. It is gonna take time. Building and maintaining relationships takes time. However, it doesn't take as much time as one might think if you're systematic about it. And even in the best of worlds, you're only gonna have a small inner circle, and a lot of what you do is gonna be about getting yourself out there more widely.Stuart Webb [00:05:20]:Are you suggesting that some people don't think deeply enough about their networking and they just wander into a networking meeting with a bunch of business cards and hope for the best?Stever Robbins [00:05:28]:Oh god. Yes. Yes. So okay. I know that it doesn't come across in this in this format. I am a high introvert. You put me in a networking event, and I will find the cheese table, and I will nibble 200 of those little cheese cubes while desperately trying not to make eye contact with anyone. And I realized this about myself.Stever Robbins [00:05:54]:And what I found what and and the other thing too is I look, this is actually getting less true. I started getting gray hair, like, all of a sudden last week. I'm like, where did these come from? But prior to getting some gray hairs, I looked much younger than I actually am. And I would go to business networking events, and people would just look right past me. They would just assume, oh, who's this high school kid? He has nothing to offer. And what I discovered was that if I did public speaking and if I was on stage, people would pay attention long enough to me just by virtue of my being on stage that I could say something intelligent. And then they would go, hey, that guy on stage said something intelligent and then they would approach me. So I never had to leave the cheese table.Stever Robbins [00:06:37]:I got to be lauded as like, oh, this great public speaker. And of course, for introverts, public speaking is amazing because you have complete control over the room. You don't have to pay attention to anyone you don't want to. They raise their hand to ask a question. You ignore them. Public speaking is a fabulous introvert activity. And and what I found was that was people would start coming to me. So that that was, like, my first big in, you know, in you don't have to network the way that that people say where you go and you show up with business cards.Stever Robbins [00:07:10]:You can network by putting yourself on a stage and having people want to come to you. I started a podcast in 02/2007, and, it was called the Get It Done, guys. Quick and dirty tips to work less and do more. It was a personal productivity podcast. It made it to number five on I or number three on iTunes, which I was totally psyched about. Unfortunately, I was never able to monetize it. But one of the interesting things about that is that I started having people come up to me on the street and just saying, you know, hey. You're you're Steve Robins.Stever Robbins [00:07:42]:You're that get it done guy person. And I'm like, how do you know what I look like? This podcast is audio only. But, apparently, people found somehow found out what I look like. And, again, that was putting myself out there with my ideas in such a way that I actually built an audience and built people who wanted to, to come speak to me to connect.Stuart Webb [00:08:04]:And the problem with all of that, Steven, I think you've just sort of alluded to it, is you've gotta have a system. You've gotta have you've got to have a you've got to have a strategy, you've got to know what it is you're trying to do to connect with them. But but networks can go cold very quickly, can't they? I mean, you just mentioned a podcast in 02/2007 now. In Internet terms, that was that was pre pre dinosaur. You you you can't just assume that the the the people you've connected with three years ago even remembered that your name or whether or not you've got gray hair. You you have to have a system for being available and being with them all of the time.Stever Robbins [00:08:41]:You do. And that's one of the wonderful things. So first is so the podcast went through 2020, by the way. So there are some still some people who who remember who I am. But but part of it is in fact being in front of them in some fashion. And you don't have to you don't have to be in front of them all the time. You need to be in front of them enough to reactivate their memory of you. And one of the things that I I mean, one of the wonderful things about the Internet world is you can do that through many different media.Stever Robbins [00:09:09]:You can do it through video. You can do it through audio. You can do it through email, newsletters. You can also do it with the telephone if you're keeping in touch. I mean, I I'm if you're doing marketing, you might be trying to keep in touch with hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people. But you might if you're within a company and you're networking within the company, you're not necessarily trying to keep in touch with 10,000 people. You're trying to keep in touch with a hundred people who are your most critical people. Or if you're in a career and entering a new industry, you'd be and and you're and it's not just customers you're going after.Stever Robbins [00:09:41]:You may only only wanna be keeping contact with, you know, 20 industry leaders, five or six key suppliers, etcetera. And part of, part of, like, the systems that I have, which I hate, let me be very, very clear, there's nothing pleasant about this, is I have a whole follow-up system. And every it's pleasant to actually connect with people. What's not pleasant is actually sitting down there. And every day, I have a spreadsheet that I can sit down and go through. It'll tell me how long it's it's been since I contacted which people, which ones are currently high priority. And I'll just run through it and drop them all an email. Drop them an email, send them a text, make a phone call, and just do something to remind them that I exist.Stever Robbins [00:10:23]:Doesn't have to be a long conversation, but they need to see my name and and remember who I am. And, you know, I'll offer to reconnect at depth. Some people take me up on it. Some people don't. But it's about keeping your name front and center. It's not necessarily about having having tons of in-depth conversation or tons of in-depth content with them at every touch.Stuart Webb [00:10:45]:And I remember when I was a very young professional, I I I know, I know I only look back 12, but, but I was I was a a professional at one stage. And I remember one of my mentors saying to me, use the opportunity for the two minutes at the beginning of every meeting to sit next to somebody different. That way you'll find out somebody else who you haven't spoken to yet. So you don't have to you just have to be systematic in the way that you think. You don't have to necessarily sort of think to yourself. I must reach out to them. If you see them, you you you make contact, you make a note, you move on. Yeah.Stever Robbins [00:11:15]:I one of the things I was doing recently was cleaning up my address book because I have about 7,000 contacts, and I just decided that, you know, that's a lot of contacts. And many of these people I haven't talked to for quite a while. So I literally had been going through about, you know, 50 to a hundred names a week. It's slow going. And as I've been going through every single one, I'm like, oh, wow. Here's someone I really care about. And for whatever reason, we haven't connected in, you know, ten years. And I've just been dropping people an email or sending them a text and just saying, what are you up to? And it's amazing.Stever Robbins [00:11:47]:This is something that a lot of people are afraid to do. They're afraid that if they've lost contact with somebody, oh, it'll be so embarrassing for me to try to reestablish contact because it's been so long. No. Remember, it's been long for them too. They haven't reached out to you. You haven't reached out to them. Without fail, when I reach out to people after ten years, their reaction is primarily, oh my gosh. It's great to hear you, except for the person who says, wait a minute.Stever Robbins [00:12:13]:Does the restraining order expire? You know? You know? Like, why? You're the one I was supposed to delete from theStuart Webb [00:12:18]:address book.Stever Robbins [00:12:20]:But but generally speaking, I've had a great response. I've reconnected with some people that I I I reconnected with a friend of mine I haven't seen in thirty years. And, you know, we had a great conversation, and it was all because I just picked up the phone. I picked up the phone, and I said, hey. Is this still your phone number? Because if not, I really wanna delete it out of my out of my phone. And she was like, don't delete it. Don't delete it. Call me today.Stever Robbins [00:12:43]:We had a great conversation.Stuart Webb [00:12:44]:That's brilliant. That's brilliant. Steve, I it it brings me to to what is technically question three, but I think we've sort of veered off track a little bit. And that, I know you've got some really valuable free advice, valuable free offers that you wanna sort of, leave the audience with. Do you wanna just describe those to us and and and tell us about, you know, how you are trying to help people with these, with exactly these problems?Stever Robbins [00:13:06]:Sure. Absolutely. So, as I mentioned to you, I don't remember if we were on air when I did. I've recently done a business pivot, and I previously dealt mainly with strategic business issues and am now shifting to this new model, which I call connected and respected, which is helping individuals do this kind of outreach. The the giveaway that I have today is a handout from a presentation that I did called 10 cultural and success lies. And,Stuart Webb [00:13:36]:Only 10? Wow.Stever Robbins [00:13:38]:Well, the the top 10. Well, let's make it a top 10 list. I gave this first at Harvard Business School, this presentation. I and I ended up being asked and came back and did this several times. The basic idea is as I got older, I looked around at people who were successful. I looked around. I I I did go personally to Harvard Business School, so I know a lot of people who are very successful in material sense. And I started noticing that the way they actually got there was not the way everyone says.Stever Robbins [00:14:06]:Right? Success lie I think this is number one. If it isn't, it should be. Is work hard and you'll get ahead. And I'm like, in what universe? I I mean, I know a couple people who are worth who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars when I compare their life to mine. They don't work harder than I do. Meanwhile, my cleaning lady I know how hard she works because I know how messy I am. My cleaning lady works her butt off, and she's never gonna have a hundred million dollars, at least not from not from cleaning. And that was the first cultural career lie that really got me wondering what other things do people say that have become conventional wisdom that if you really stop and think about them.Stever Robbins [00:14:45]:You know, we even tell kids to work hard. And I'm like, why would you tell a kid to work hard and they'll get ahead if that's not actually how getting ahead works? I mean, I wanna give my kids or my nieces and nephews because I don't have kids. I wanna give them advice that works. So I will say, work hard under the following circumstances for the following reasons, but don't expect these to be the thing that distinguishes you from other people. This may just be the price of admission or it may actually and this this was the weird thing about having a personal productivity podcast is I took a really hard look at what makes people productive. And one of the interesting things about being productive, if you're an employee, this is not true if you're self employed, but if you're an employee, the more productive you are, the more free time you have. The more free time you have, the less you appear to be working. The less you appear to be working, the more the people around you say that person is lazy.Stever Robbins [00:15:36]:And they give you more work to do because they think you have all of this free time, but they don't raise your salary because clearly, you were you didn't have enough to do previously. So when you are employed by someone else, the paradox is the more productive you get, the more work and the more responsibility you get without necessarily getting the rewards. When you're self employed, the more productive you get, you also get the rewards because you get to keep them, to keep the rewards yourself. So hard work, depending on the form, may or may not be having social and reputational consequences and maybe having career consequences that have nothing to do with your output and your productivity, but that have everything to do with the way that the hard work that you're doing is or isn't being perceived by other people. Should I tell you a secret I've never told anyone?Stuart Webb [00:16:24]:Please go ahead.Stever Robbins [00:16:25]:Okay, everyone. You're hearing this for the first time. I hope my first manager is not listening to this. I figured this out at my very first job out of undergrad. I was a computer programmer, and I Figured it outStuart Webb [00:16:39]:a lot earlier than most of us at Stevie. You know that. Don't you?Stever Robbins [00:16:42]:Well, so I was much I was much more productive than any anyone else on the programming team, like, really more productive. And I realized that I wasn't get I wasn't getting paid more for this. In fact, they even told me at my review that I was that productive, and they said, but you're too young to be making any more money than you're making now. So, I had to finish the system that I was working on. I finished the entire system in two days, and I then spent the next six weeks releasing one new module at a time so that it appeared that I was doing six weeks worth of work even though I had only spent two days on it. I spent the rest of the time reading comic books. And what was interesting is because I was so much more productive, the amount of work I was releasing per day was comparable to what everyone else was releasing per day. Whereas if I had released it all in two days, they would have given me six more weeks worth of work to do.Stever Robbins [00:17:41]:And, anyway, I've never told anyone that before. If my ex manager is listening, Sheldon, now you know. And the statute of limitations has passed.Stuart Webb [00:17:53]:Steve, I hate to I hate to sort of, just summarize that in a in a phrase that that was said to me when I was a much, much younger person. It's not what you know, it's who you know. And so you come back to the fact that you can be brilliant. I mean you can really know some stuff, but if you don't know the right people or you don't know the right person to tell that to, you might as well know nothing.Stever Robbins [00:18:15]:And IStuart Webb [00:18:16]:think you're illustrating that brilliantly with the fact that if you are, if you do have that free time, and I do know somebody in one company that I worked with who had a lot of free time because they were very productive. They just spent their time networking. They just spent their time going around making sure the senior managers knew who they were so that when they had an hour free and they had an idea, they knew to go and talk to about it. So they use their productivity extremely well. But, I'm really looking forward now to getting my hands on that and that that freebie that you just mentioned. And what I'm gonna tell people, look, if you go to this this link, I'm gonna put a lot of this stuff from Steve, you know, where you can find him, who you can talk to about him, and and some of his previous talks and things. I mean, we'll even refer to the podcast because I think the the productivity podcast, I do remember listening to it, was a brilliant brilliant insight into productivity. But if you go to systemize.me/free- stuff, we'll have links about Steve, what he does, how he works.Stuart Webb [00:19:11]:You can pick up all of that stuff there, and I really do think you should go and find out more about Steve. If you don't know who he is, you really should. So go to systemize.me, free stuff. Steve. I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna potentially take you back a little bit. You you've talked about productivity. You've talked about being a high impact coach. How did you get to be a high impact coach from being somebody who was a programmer? What what path was it were you on? Was there a program, a a course, a book, something that changed how you started to think about yourself? And I I appreciate we could now we could open a Pandora's box, and we could be here for a while.Stuart Webb [00:19:48]:So you take your time.Stever Robbins [00:19:50]:Sure. Let me let let me let me let me try to summarize as best I can. When I discovered that the hard work I I mean, this is this was my own lived journey. When I discovered that the hard work wasn't getting me the results that I wanted, I was gonna have to wait another ten years for my age to catch up with my work ethic. I started doing things like trying different companies, and I went back to business school, got an MBA, and I was with a series of startups. And after my I think it was my ninth startup, this was over the course of about of about fifteen years. After my ninth startup, I I was seeing patterns. Like, we we we myth mythological, myth logic.Stever Robbins [00:20:32]:We turn start ups into myths, at least here in America, and we have kinda corporatized to the whole start up process. So so there's all of this stuff, which just like the career wise, it is just complete b******t that people spew about startups. And part of it is things like how hard you have to work. And after you've been with nine startups, you start to notice the reason people are working hard is they don't know good project management. They don't know project scoping. They don't know how to identify what's important and what isn't. And if you know these things, then you simply, you know, you scope your work so that you can do it and you choose the work that's most important that's gonna get you the next step, etcetera. So I was at a start up.Stever Robbins [00:21:12]:It was driving me absolutely nuts to watch a bunch of very earnest, well meaning young people make all of the same mistakes. And I went to my lifelong mentor, and I said, you know, I I'm getting really tired of going through the same learning curve over and over and over and over. And they won't listen to me, of course, because they're young and adventurous and visionaries and all that stuff. And he said, why don't you try helping people from the outside instead of necessarily being part of the company? Because when you're the outside expert, people take you more seriously. And long story short, that's what led me into coaching, and I discovered I loved it. It's,Stuart Webb [00:21:50]:I'm gonna have to I I was laughing. I was trying not to laugh too much because this is a very serious subject. But I'm afraid I recognize so much of what you were saying because, you know, I I spent some time myself being a a start up mentor to some start up companies. And then nearly always ask the first question, which is, well, we're we're in the process of developing this or we're doing this. And I'll go, okay. Is that is that how is that gonna help your customer solve their problem? And they nearly always have no answer to that question. I think that's the basic question that you ask of any business. You know? Am I producing a solution to a problem, or am I doing this because it feels like it's the right thing to do? And, you know, I'm a scientist by background.Stuart Webb [00:22:25]:So I often use sort of the soul sort of, like, let's run an experiment and find out. And people would look at me as if to say, no. No. That's not how you do it. And I'm thinking, yeah. It is because that is actually the basis upon which most successful businesses have been built. But but it takes time to learn that sort of thing, doesn't it? And I think you've encapsulated that journey brilliantly.Stever Robbins [00:22:45]:There there is a there's a set of research in entrepreneurship and business formation that actually supports that. It's, done by a woman named Sarris Sarris Vathid at the Duke Fuqua School of Business, and she has published it under the title under the term effectuation, e f f e c t u a t I o n. It is she somehow has taken an extremely easy set of concepts and made them almost impenetrable using scholarly language. However, at the bottom line or at the at the end of the day, the bottom line is that most successful startups go through a period of extreme experimentation. And the ones that tend to be most successful and have the longest runways in terms of they're able to try the most experiments Mhmm. Are the ones who manage their investment very carefully. They make commitments in a very particular kind of way. And one of the big things that they do is they form alliances.Stever Robbins [00:23:43]:They become connected and respected, but they allow their network and their connections to help shape the business. And it becomes an iterative process where the business becomes shaped by the people around the business who put skin in the game. And skin in the game is the big differentiator. Anyone who's only put skin in the game, they get a say. And what happens is you have ecosystems developed, business ecosystems, in which everyone is an interested and committed player because everyone has skin in the game. And it may not look like the ecosystem that any of those players would have imagined in the beginning, but it's successful because everyone involved has had a hand in shaping it so that it meets their needs as well as the needs of anyone else. So it's called effectuation.Stuart Webb [00:24:28]:That's a brilliant I've not heard of that book, and I really am grateful for that. You've mentioned it. It's another one to add to my reading pile, which is getting longer, and I need to find some time to do it. But, you know, that is, that once again takes us back to this question about how do you know the right people and how do you keep the right people in your orbit so that they can actually be the partners that help you to form your ideas. I mean, we all have to we all have to have these networks. So it brings us right back to to your basic core tenant of this this discussion, which is you've gotta know the right people, and you don't know them by sitting in the corner with the cheese and waiting for them to come and approach you. You have to have a system for getting out there and finding them out and talking to them about these things.Stever Robbins [00:25:10]:Correct. And it it and it's the side of business that pretty much every successful business business owner either has because they work at it or because they have it naturally. Because let's be clear. If I look I was raised in a in a polyam a a traveling new age polyamorous hippie commune. And, you know, driving around in a in a 12 foot trailer with with our little commune members. And I went to Harvard Business School. So I was an extreme outsider to that entire echelon of society and and way of working. And it's been really interesting seeing that from both the inside and the outside because a lot of, you know, a lot of hundred million dollar deals do not get done the way you would imagine with tons and tons of due diligence and whatever.Stever Robbins [00:25:59]:It's, you know, my college roommate is running a fund, and he needs to invest in a gas pipeline for a tax deduction this year. Do you know anyone who's selling a gas pipeline? Oh, sure. My friend Bill is. I'll tell you what. I'll introduce you to Bill. You give me a 10% cut. Fine. And I'm sitting here watching these deals get made, and I'm like, really? Really? That that's how this happens? You know? Now there's plenty, I'm sure, that happened with a lot more due diligence and and a lot more care, etcetera.Stever Robbins [00:26:27]:But it's astonishing that that at the higher levels of business and presumably of it probably presumably, it's not just business. An awful lot of what goes on ends up being through personal connections, not through formal requests for, you know oh, can I tell you can I tell you something that will blow your mind?Stuart Webb [00:26:50]:Please.Stever Robbins [00:26:51]:I I realized this a couple weeks ago, and I realized I have never heard anyone else say this. I was thinking about, gee, isn't it a shame that there are no entrance criteria or entrance qualifications to be the leader of a country? And I thought about it. I thought, you know, I I honestly can't think of any country for whom there's their process of selecting a leader includes something like like they have to have passed economics one zero one with at least a passing grade or or a CEO. I've never heard of a CEO being given a balance sheet and saying, can you read this? What does this what does this balance sheet tell you about the business? Our leadership positions, none of them are based on actual competency measurements. They're all based on personal connections, who knows who and who has what reputation. And I would love a counterexample. Please send me counterexamples, but I haven't been able to think of them.Stuart Webb [00:27:52]:I hate to, I hate to to support what you've just said. I had a meeting with a CEO of a reasonably sized company, and I sat down with the CEO. And my immediate response was, I'm not sure how this guy got his job, but it wasn't by some sort of competence based interview. And I just asked him a simple question about his finances. Now I'm not an accountant. I'm not a great finance expert, but I knew a couple of questions to ask. And he looked at me and said, well, I don't really understand the numbers. I leave that to my finance guy.Stuart Webb [00:28:28]:I said, so how are you driving your strategy? And he said, strategy. What do you mean by strategy? And I said, well, do you know who your main customer is and how you're gonna make them happy? And he went, I'll leave that to my sales and marketing team. And I was wondering how this guy ran his team. And then I realized, he played a lot of golf, and he met a lot of potential customers on the golf course. And he invited those potential customers and potential partners to come back to the golf club and have a drink with him. And that's how he did his deals, and it was nothing more than that because he was playing quite a bit of golf. And and I just thought, hey. I wish I had your life, but on the same token,Stever Robbins [00:29:06]:I don't thinkStuart Webb [00:29:07]:I'd be as successful somehow. And I'm I'm afraid you're absolutely right. We do not have enough people who have been taken through those those lessons unless, of course, they've failed miserably and learned from them. And I think as a species, we're not that good at reflecting and learning upon what we've done in the past and maybe sort of sitting quietly and thinking about it and perhaps correcting it in the future?Stever Robbins [00:29:32]:Oh, don't even get me started on humans as a as a species and how we learn. I've been playing a lot with AI recently, which is probably gonna be our next successor species. And and I've been playing with AI, but I've been doing it in a very particular way, which I have been observing my own reactions to the AI. And so I'll solve a problem, and then I will solve a problem with AI. And and what I'm paying attention to, I mean, obviously, is whether the solution is correct, but I'm also paying attention to what is that experience like for me. How is it different for me to use AI as a tool or not? Because I wanna find out. Is this a tool that I wanna use? And what I have found is the piece that you just mentioned, the reflective piece, is virtually a % missing when I use AI. So when I use AI to solve a problem, I'm kind of pounding at the keystrokes and hoping the AI figures it out.Stever Robbins [00:30:25]:But when I solve a problem on my own, I kind of stop and think deeply about it. So with AI, it's more like I'm an editor. Oh, okay. Here's the five page essay that chat GPT or Claude just did for me. I'm gonna scan it over to see if there are any obvious errors. But what I'm not doing is really reading it sentence by sentence and going, wait. Do I really believe this sentence? And if I don't, is Claude right or am I right? And if Claude is right, how can I learn this? And how can I incorporate it into my thinking? None of that is happening when I use AI, and it should be because that's how humans learn, and that's how we get better at things. So I am now very afraid of AI.Stever Robbins [00:31:04]:I am afraid that it is going to deskill us very, very rapidly. Yeah. And I use it anyway. Go figure it out.Stuart Webb [00:31:12]:Articulate you have articulated a number of problems that I think we've got with AI at the moment. And it's nothing to do with the fact that well, it is to do partly with the fact that it's stealing stuff off the Internet and the the business models are highly flawed. But I think it is it's, for me, too often we're lazy and we just use it because it's quick and it's easy and we don't have to do the thinking. And I think sometimes we find thinking to be too much effort and I think that's partly and we go back to how are we teaching children. We're teaching them we're teaching them some of the some of the things which are not necessary to pass exams as opposed to do thinking. It's we're teaching them about we're teaching about the fact that they should know this stuff, but they don't have to think they don't have to learn it by doing any thinking. They learn it because it goes up on the blackboard and they copy it down or they write to a blackboard. Whatever screen they use now in teaching, I'm sure they don't use blackboards anymore, but it goes up and they just copy it down.Stuart Webb [00:32:03]:So We could spend many hours on that, but I'm gonna take us away because otherwise, we'll be here for the rest of the afternoon. And I don't wanna keep you that long because I know you've got things to do. Steve, you must be thinking we've had some really interesting questions, but when is he gonna be asking that really key question, the one that really makes me say, well, no. This is the key one that you should have asked. So I'm gonna ask you now to to pose that question and answer it for us.Stever Robbins [00:32:27]:I think the question you should have asked me, is why do we bother with any of this? Why why are we striving for, quote, unquote, success or to build our business or to have our hundred million dollar exit? And, you know, there's tons and reams of research that says that on people's death beds, they do not say, oh my god. I wish that I had acquired one more company. Right? It's the relationships that matter. As I as we're sitting here talking, the day care center across the street is taking the little tots out for their walk. There's, like, 20 of them. They're holding this little rope, and they're they're climbing up on the curve, and they're jumping, and they're making these little babbling tock noises. And even though I'm here with you, oh my god, it's coming in the window and I can't can barely stop myself from running over and going, oh gosh, they're so adorable. They're the future.Stever Robbins [00:33:23]:So I wanna be really, really clear. Right? All of the success stuff and the business stuff, none of this means anything. The only reason we do it is so that we can have a meaningful, happy life with relationships and people we love. And if that's the whole reason we're engaged in this set of endeavors and pretending that this is important, then why not start with the connection with the connections and the respect and the relationships and and build your business around that. Build your business around who do I wanna hang out with because I do business eight to ten hours a day. I'm gonna hang out with the people I'm doing business with. Instead of choosing the business and then hoping that you can find people to buy, choose the people and then find a business to serve them. And forget the hundred million dollar thing.Stever Robbins [00:34:16]:Trust me. You know, a couch made out of platinum thread is not more comfortable than a couch that's you know, that old stuff one that you got in the junkyard. It actually probably is more comfortable. But you you get the basic broad idea.Stuart Webb [00:34:31]:I'd love I'd love to have a an old couch, just to sit and talk about this while I've done it. You're absolutely right, Steve. But I I absolutely believe that too many people are spending time in companies and building businesses that make them unhappy. And, you know, you need to you need to know people to reach out to and have a coffee. You need to reach out to and speak to people who can just feed your soul. And I just kind of feel like you've done that for me this afternoon. There there's a big I've got a I've got a large contact list as well. I'm gonna go through that today.Stuart Webb [00:35:03]:I'm gonna make a note of some of the people that I have connected with in twenty years. No. I'm not that old. In in five years. And, just, just send them a message and find out. You know, there are people that I was I I spent some very happy years, when I was doing research at universities. I probably haven't spoken to them In a few years, I really should reach out and just say hello to them, and I'll be doing that. And then I'll put a system in place to keep in touch with them because that's the key thing, isn't it?Stever Robbins [00:35:28]:That is the key thing. Just remind them you exist, and eventually, you'll both be in the same city. You'll get together for lunch. You know, you'll plan a diamond heist together. You'll succeed. You'll wait long enough for the statute of limitations to wear off, and then you'll write a screenplay about it, and you obviously will be played by George Clooney.Stuart Webb [00:35:47]:I I can think of nothing better that I wanna do with my afternoon. Steve, thank you so much for spending some time with me. Listen. I'm I'm gonna say once again, look. Go to systemize.me/free-stuff to find out about Steve. Find out about that valuable, 10, 10, tops tips that he's gonna give me. I was gonna say the 10 tips, but it's not. It's only the top 10.Stuart Webb [00:36:08]:It's nothing more than the top 10.Stever Robbins [00:36:09]:I need to go put the word top in the title of that really quickly.Stuart Webb [00:36:14]:And now I'm just gonna beg you. Look. If you'd like to hear more about some of the people that are coming up, that are as joyful, they're as useful, they're as informative as Steva. Go go join, my my newsletter subscription list. Systemize.me/subscribe. Get on the list. Just get an email. It it doesn't come out very often.Stuart Webb [00:36:34]:I do not bombard you with 15 a day. It's I haven't got time for that, but I'll send you an email just letting you know who's coming up on the podcast, who you should join to listen to because some of these are absolutely brilliant. Stevie, you have been one of those people. Thank you so muchStever Robbins [00:36:48]:for beingStuart Webb [00:36:48]:here today, and thank you for bringing to our attention those tiny tots that are outside right at the moment enjoying themselves. Go join them. Go have fun. Go wherever they're going. I'm sure it's better than wherever you were planning to be some boring meeting that you were gonna go to.Stever Robbins [00:37:04]:Quite probably. Thank you very much, Stuart. I've really enjoyed it.Stuart Webb [00:37:08]:Thank you, Stever. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Trust is the foundation of any strong company. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson joins host Kimberly Rhodes to explore what it really means to build a high-trust organization. David shares how trust shapes the culture and success of a team, even when working remotely.Key Takeaways00:23 – Trust starts as the default at 37signals05:19 – Empowering employees with reasonable spending freedom11:46 – Why one person's mistake shouldn't lead to restrictive policies15:15 – How to cultivate trust in remote workplaces22:10 – Trust and accountability can and should coexistLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

What happens when you challenge the status quo of Agile, throw out bloated teams, and supercharge small pods with AI? In this episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Mac, founder of Wednesday Solutions, to explore the evolution of product development teams. Mac shares why he believes traditional Agile is obsolete and how his company's “product pods” are delivering massive impact with lean teams. Dive into real-world strategies on using AI to automate grunt work, focus on real customer value, and deliver faster than ever. Mac and Jeff also discuss over-engineering pitfalls, the essential Sprint Zero, and what's next for tech leadership in the age of AI.Key Takeaways00:00 "Impactful Small Teams"06:03 AI-Powered Engineering and Vibe Sprints07:15 "AI-First vs. Human-First Mindset"10:33 Rural Loan Tech Success15:28 "Sprint Zero: Focusing on One Problem"16:50 User-Centric Product Roadmap Creation20:00 AI: The New Industrial Revolution25:09 From Doing to Empowering Others27:18 Embrace Incremental Change30:47 Thoughtful Hiring in App Development35:53 "Utilize Managed Services First"37:15 "CTO: Bridge Across Tech, Product, Business"Tweetable QuotesAI-First Mindset: "Are you AI first or are you human first? Do you typically think of how I can do this myself, or do you think about what tools I can use to leverage, what tools I can leverage to actually get this done?" — Mac Viral Topic: The Dangers of Over-Engineering Early "don't try to build for scale before you even get your first user. Sort of like not over engineering over there is very important." — Mac The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration: "So when I think about it, having a product manager with tech experience or engineering experience and sort of bringing the intersection of these two disciplines together is first and foremost, most important." — MacThe Art of Delegation: "The question that I keep asking myself at the end of every week is how well would things have gone if I wasn't there for this week? And how well will things go if I'm not there next week, right?" — MacViral Topic: AI and Interview Strategies: "What was possible to build in weeks or months earlier is now possible within a few minutes with a few prompts."— Mac The Dangers of Confirmation Bias in Product Development: "And so we build a product and then get to the end. And it's not really what the market was looking for or it was close, but it's off a little bit." — Jeff Mains Viral Leadership Secret: "The most successful leaders aren't lone heroes. They're the center of four specific relationships that multiply their impact while preserving their sanity." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsTrue Velocity Comes from Focus, Not Headcount:Small teams with well-defined roles and clear ownership far outpace large, fragmented ones.Delegate Relentlessly:Great leaders empower others to own outcomes, not just tasks—Mac constantly asks how his absence would impact the team.Start with the Problem, Not the Solution:Sprint Zero ensures the product addresses a real, validated user pain—don't let assumption drive your build.Embrace Incremental Change:Don't fall for the “big-bang” launch myth when modernizing systems; ship value early and often.Hire for Specialization, Not Generalization:Early mistakes in hiring generalists slowed quality—now, experts who excel at their craft yield superior results.Leverage AI as a Force-Multiplier:The best...

Are you hiring your first go-to-market team, or looking to scale your B2B SaaS sales organization? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with William Spengler, founder of Frederick Fox, to discuss the realities—and pitfalls—of building a high-performing sales team for SaaS startups.Will reveals why most early sales hires fail, how the staffing industry is undergoing disruption, and his blueprint for assembling a scrappy, effective team in a marketplace crowded with resumes and inflated claims. The conversation ranges from the challenges of hiring senior versus raw talent, the tactical necessity of reference checks, the evolving role of AI in recruiting, how to avoid cash crunches even when revenues are up, and why clarity in your hiring process is the foundation of success. If you're ready for a brutally honest, actionable guide to hiring and scaling (without the fluff), this episode is for you.Key Takeaways00:00 Effective Sales Strategy & Hiring04:56 Real Estate-Style Recruiter Model08:51 "Reality Check: Starting a Firm"11:47 Competitor Research for Business Growth15:04 Defining Critical Hiring Needs20:49 Experience Over Elbow Grease22:14 Streamlining Interview Processes28:25 Incentivizing Sales with High Commissions29:57 "Finding High-Performing Sales Talent"36:37 AI Tools in Recruiting: Limitations40:02 The Limits of AI Interviews42:33 Building an Effective GovTech Sales Team45:24 Verifying Sales Candidate References50:14 "AI Systems & Sales Strategies"Tweetable QuotesQuote: "I would say start to target their top salespeople. That's really what recruiters do. We do the research, we cold call, we email them and we sell your value proposition." — William Spengler How to Attract Top Talent: “A player is going to pick up on that confidence and is going to want to join you. If you're going to go, if you're going to talk to Lebron James and you're not confident, they're not going to take you seriously." — William Spengler Viral Topic: The Traits of Top Sales Talent: "I always think that's a red flag when a really good salesperson is paycheck to paycheck, that it's sort of a red flag." — William Spengler "It's not just about hiring someone with a shiny resume or a smooth pitch because they all seem to have that." — Jeff MainsThe Secret to Unstoppable Leadership: "It's not strategy, not charisma. It's not even luck. It's relationships. — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsBuild for Clarity, Not Convenience:Ensure all stakeholders align on what the business truly needs from a hire before you start searching for "unicorns."Check the Hype at the Door:Don't just trust claims and shiny resumes. Take the time to verify past performance, especially for sales roles.Know Your Numbers—And Theirs:Ask candidates detailed questions about past targets and results, and verify them. Top performers are always eager to share real numbers.Prioritize Process Discipline:A clear, concise hiring process beats endless rounds every time. Do more work upfront—it pays off with better hires.Scale Operations Before Sales Explode:Investing in back office, accounting, and compliance early prevents massive headaches and cash crunches when you scale rapidly.Bet on Talent That Bets on Themselves:Seek out salespeople willing to trade high base salaries for high upside. These are often the true A-players.Guest...

As 37signals gets closer to launching their newest product, Fizzy, Jason Fried joins host Kimberly Rhodes to reflect on the final stretch of development. He shares the trade-offs of setting your own deadlines, the importance of onboarding new customers, and the company's process for marketing a product.Key Takeaways00:11 – What the “11th hour” looks like before a product launch03:50 – How to weigh deadlines against final release decisions05:44 – The importance of customer onboarding11:18 – A playful touch added to Fizzy's logo15:30 – Why version 1.0 is just the beginningLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

This week on SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains dives into radical innovation at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and human impact. Guest Sean Schroeder, exited founder and product strategist, unpacks his journey from digital content platforms to autism therapy and AI-powered brand storytelling. The episode covers Happy Ladders' parent-led autism therapy model, the philosophy behind Reventure Labs' unorthodox venture studio, and the technical artistry fueling Story Cycle Genie—a collective intelligence platform powering authentic brand narratives. If you've ever wondered how SaaS can drive real transformation or how founders can operationalize their own unique “vibe” into assets that scale, this episode delivers actionable insight with heart.Key Takeaways00:00 "Parent-Led Autism Therapy Revolution"04:51 From Content to Autism App09:40 Origin of Our Venture Studio10:31 Audience-Centric Investment Partnerships13:21 Balancing SaaS and Services Tensions19:14 "Off Standards, Off Results"20:24 Streamlined Founder Insight Extraction23:33 Deep Dive into Audience Archetypes27:40 Prioritize Planning Over Execution32:36 Extracting Founder Knowledge33:46 Pre-Investment Business Idea Testing38:24 "Governance for Consistent Conditions"40:08 Seamless Brand Story Coordination43:58 Data Utilization: Next Steps47:25 "Integrating Technical Specs and White Papers"51:18 Recruitment and Innovation InsightsTweetable Quotes“When you're working with AI, you're working at a more atomic level, validating what the genie is giving back—something you'll rarely get in a room just tossing ideas.” — Sean Schroeder“The therapist may only be there for hours, but parents are with their children 24/7. Empowering them turns everyday moments into therapy.” — Sean Schroeder“Founders move quick. Our job is to extract their embedded business intelligence—their real story—without months of ‘brand exercises.'” — Sean Schroeder“StoryCycle Genie lets you build your brand narrative with authentic inputs, not by borrowing someone else's metaphor but by owning your vibe.” — Sean Schroeder“If you're off just 2 degrees at the start, by the time your marketing or messaging hits the world, you'll be a foot away from where you want to be.” — Jeff Mains“Sometimes starting without a rigid plan is freeing—some of the best frameworks are discovered through building, intuition, and iteration.” — Sean SchroederSaaS Leadership LessonsEmpower the Stakeholders Closest to the Problem:Happy Ladders proves that empowering parents—rather than outside experts—can yield faster and more sustainable developmental progress in children.Lead with User-Centric Simplicity:Transform complex frameworks (therapy or branding) into practical, actionable routines that non-experts can implement.Technical Capital is as Valuable as Financial:In the modern venture landscape, providing technical expertise and capabilities can catalyze new ventures more effectively than just cash.Operationalize Authenticity:Authentic storytelling isn't found in vague abstraction but in pulling out and refining the founder's real-world beliefs and experiences.Build Ecosystems, Not Just Assets:A truly scalable brand is underpinned by systems, connected content, and iterative learning, not just standalone artifacts.Adopt a Test-and-Learn Mindset:Start with one asset, test hypotheses quickly (even monetization), and be unafraid to adjust based on feedback and new insightsGuest...

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with David Ebner, founder of Content Workshop and author of "A Content Marketing Story." Together, they dive deep into the power of storytelling for brands, especially in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. David shares his journey from an MFA in creative writing to agency founder, highlighting how classic storytelling techniques breathe life into business content—even for "boring" brands. The conversation covers why emotion trumps logic in B2B sales, aligning brand stories with real customer pain points, and how AI is changing (but not replacing) creative content. They also explore building trust, the need for strong brand values, and practical frameworks for developing compelling narratives that make both customers and investors take notice.Key Takeaways00:00 Evolving Content Strategies and Trust04:50 Founding Content Workshop: Storytelling Essentials09:00 Evolving Beyond Early Success11:55 "Post-COVID Digital Shift"12:57 Emotional Connection in Marketing16:21 "Helping, Not Selling"20:53 "AI Refines Quality Content Production"22:57 Glossary's Impact on Content Traffic28:51 Hybrid Content Creation Process31:54 "Prioritizing Quality Over AI Automation"35:28 "Customer-Centric Corporate Values"36:14 "Opinionate Only on Relevant Issues"40:39 "Value Through Personal Engagement"44:31 "Building Trust for Long-Term Value"47:10 Faceless Case Studies Boost Relatability51:22 Story-Driven Business StrategiesTweetable QuotesRethinking Corporate Values: "And your values really should be derived from again, the people you're helping. That's really where your value should come from." — David Ebner "giving away value is the best way that you can kind of build that trust with the audience, influence having your brand influence the relationship with your target audience." — David Ebner Viral Topic: Why "Sticky" Audiences Matter"Sticky is just a business term for trust. Having a sticky audience. Sticky client base is valuable, extremely valuable." — David Ebner The Power of Storytelling in SaaS: "Telling great stories builds more trust than a security badge and closes faster than a limited time offer pop up." — Jeff Mains The Real Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI: "The difference maker isn't volume. I mean, there's plenty of that slop out there. It's voice."— Jeff Mains Digital Accessibility is Profitable: "digital accessibility isn't just ethical, it's profitable." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsStorytelling is StrategyWeave classic narrative elements into your brand to forge stronger connections and lasting differentiation.Know Your Audience DeeplyBuild and update personas regularly, because markets and customer priorities change.Emotion Precedes Logic in Every SaleNo matter the industry, purchase motivation starts with emotion—lead with empathy.Stay Human in the Age of AIUse AI to enhance productivity, but protect and amplify your unique voice.Brand Trust Is a Long GameInvest in evergreen content and consistent value, even if ROI isn't immediate—it pays dividends in loyalty.Tested Values Define Your BrandValues are...

Who is Ryan?Ryan Ware is a thought leader who helps individuals and organizations navigate the challenging period of change. He identifies a common tendency among people to undervalue the transitional phase between the current state and a desired future. Ryan emphasizes the importance of embracing this uncertain and confusing middle area, recognizing it as a critical time for growth and transformation. Through his insights, Ryan empowers others to appreciate the significance of this phase, ultimately guiding them toward achieving their envisioned future.Key Takeaways00:00 "Navigating Change in Business"06:11 "Embrace the Journey of Growth"07:04 "Embracing Change is Uncomfortable"12:27 Embracing Change Through Curiosity16:17 Adapting to Change in Learning18:47 "Embracing Curiosity in Coaching"20:16 Embracing Curiosity in Problem-Solving24:05 Reframe Change Mindset Strategies28:34 Join Our Expert Mailing List_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : https://systemise.meIt's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSchange management, construction industry, architectural design, business transformation, team coaching, mindset shift, curiosity in business, growth mindset, human side of change, habit formation, leadership empathy, organizational development, business strategy, process improvement, learning culture, resistance to change, business coaching, fractional COO, project management, behavioral change, employee engagement, adaptability, consulting, coaching vs consulting, discovery call, strategy session, willingness to change, Amy Edmondson, Carol Dweck, failure as learningSPEAKERSRyan Ware, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi there, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee. I'm delighted, well, one, to have my, coffee in front of me, which is the most important part of all of this. There's not very much left in there at the moment, so I'm gonna need to refill that soon. But, I'm also delighted to to to welcome Ryan who tells me he has decaf coffee in front of him. So, don't, don't don't fall asleep on us, Ryan. You gotta be you gotta be entertaining us for the next twenty minutes or so. Ryan is a, keynote speaker, a coach, a fractional chief operating officer, and he really helps teams within the construction, architectural design space to navigate change, to think about the way in which they have to approach the changes that are, that are that they're approaching in their business. But it's a it's a it's a common problem that all business owners have to, think about, which is how do you navigate the changes in the business landscape around you.Stuart Webb [00:01:28]:So, Ryan, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee. Thoroughly looking forward to this. So, please, take your time to tell us a little bit more about how you help these teams to navigate change.Ryan Ware [00:01:41]:Yeah. Well, thank you for having me, Stuart. I appreciate the opportunity. I'm looking forward, to the questions and the conversation, even though it's decaf, try to run off natural energy.Stuart Webb [00:01:52]:That seems entirely reasonable. So let's start with the first question, which is Right. Let you I've already said that you work with sort of teams in the sort of architectural construction space. But, you know, the the common problem, who what are the sort of the the sort of give me the the the sort of common, ideal client, the person that sort of really is seeking sort of help from somebody like you at the moment.Ryan Ware [00:02:12]:Yeah. I I think there's a couple categories, but, generally, they they find themselves pretty much all in an area where they're recognizing that current state isn't exactly what they want. And they can envision this future state that they wanna get to. But they all, in some way, form, undervalue that middle that middle area. And that middle area is where things are uncertain, things are confusing, things, are unknown, and we've never seen them. We don't recognize them. It's what we call change. They undervalue that that time.Ryan Ware [00:02:52]:And by undervaluing it, they each have one group will overvalue current state and stay in it, and the other group will tend to rush through, that center area and and lack, the connection of human complexity into the change that's occurring whether in their individual life within a team or an organization.Stuart Webb [00:03:17]:And and tell me, Brian, I mean, you you you've been doing this for a while. You you you have some experience in it. What what are the sort of things that you've seen these business owners, these people within these sort of situations try before they reach you? I know when I've come across people that are doing this, they've they've they've normally done a bunch of things that try to help, but but rarely sort of, you know, seek out an expert such as yourself, and and I don't always succeed.Ryan Ware [00:03:44]:Yeah. It's you know, they say 70% of all change management and companies fail to meet the objective. And so a lot of times, what I mentioned in this middle area and undervaluing it, it's they'll they'll make an attempt on a new strategy, a new process, try a new solution within a project per se. And it doesn't go exactly as planned because they've never seen it before, and then they halt. And a lot of people will give up on that that center, change, area, which which is it takes a lot of time for us to learn something new, to develop, you know, new skills. We we already have habits. If we think about just a daily routine habit of getting up in the morning when who hasn't said, like, oh, I'm sorry. I'm sort of all out of sorts.Ryan Ware [00:04:34]:I got out of my routine in the morning.Stuart Webb [00:04:36]:Yeah. Yeah.Ryan Ware [00:04:38]:Yeah. When you get into that center area, what I see a lot of companies doing is, again, disconnecting the human side of change. And it's the objectives there. We wanna get this software put into place or there's a merger and acquisition done or or whatever. You know, it could be large or small sort of change that's occurring, but they don't go go to the humans and have the real conversation. So they'll they'll only bring up results and sort of go there. They won't drill any deeper, into the conversation to find out the root cause. They'll, they'll overvalue that current state as being something like, hey.Ryan Ware [00:05:21]:I've already been doing this a long time. I know how to do it, versus sort of a beginner's mindset of how do I test this? You know? How how do I work through through this change in order to learn? And I think you come from the world of science, and I try to tell everybody's like, we treated every project sort of as a laboratory or a change internally as this free testing zone to to regain knowledge on something that we've never seen before, it doesn't mean that we aren't taking what we've already known and just eliminating it. We're actually able to sort of stack on and and and grow. And I just find people rush through this. They see the goal, and they wanna rush through it. It's like, hey. You know, as simple as, hey. I wanna lose some weight.Ryan Ware [00:06:11]:Well, you can't just rush through that process, but you can start to recognize each day the little wins, and, you know, you don't rush through university. You know, the beauty of that the beauty of university is you go in and you're developing your learning. And even though you wanna be on the other side of it, even though you know at the end of the clarity is to graduate, you don't know what's happening on a daily basis. You can see the courses, but you don't know for sure. But where you're really in growth is that that middle confusion, you know, unknown territory that allows you to develop, and to begin to build a stronger relationship with change because you're now recognizing it as as an opportunity and a positive, not as a disruption or a cost or or a burden, to yourself.Stuart Webb [00:07:04]:Yeah. And I think you've mentioned two things. And and and and, what comes across to me most resonantly is change is tough, change is hard, people's habits. I mean I often remember the sort of the exercise I was taught when I was doing some of this which is you know this is the way you like, naturally lock your fingers. But if you do it the other way, it feels wrong, and it feels unnatural, and you desperately want to get back to the way it feels right. And just that action of sort of holding it there can make you feel uncomfortable, can make you feel very, very exposed if you like. And and just having to do that behavior change or or introduce something new takes people time to sort of understand that things won't be as threatening as perhaps they feel it is when they first come across it. And and the other thing is you say is is that sometimes when you when you are in that state, when you're when you're uncomfortable and when it's when it's you you have to start to think to yourself, okay.Stuart Webb [00:08:02]:This might not might not be as threatening as I first thought it was, but I have to want to learn to go through this. And getting to that mindset of wanting is kind of tough for a lot of people. You know, the business owner just wants to get them through it, and they're going, I was comfortable. Why why why are you making me do stuff which you don't? I I've got enough discomfort when I go home. You know? I've got a a family that I've gotta deal with. Why make me go through this discomfort now? I just wanna come here and be comfortable and and enjoy myself. You know? This is tough.Ryan Ware [00:08:32]:Yeah. It it's what I call willing participants first forced compliance. Right? So this is where leaders sort of begin to get it a little off track. A lot of times, they'll they're they're up the hill, and they believe they've said it, so therefore, the change is happening. And you have a middle layer who is trying to initiate the change, and everyone has their own their own agenda and their own goals towards the bigger goal. And this is where the human the human side, having that empathy of how difficult it is as a human to change. Like, just, you know, go do something simple. Get a new haircut, which I don't have the privilege to do anymore.Ryan Ware [00:09:13]:But, like, go change a style. Get a new shirt. Get a new get something small. How long does it take to adjust? And and when you start to recognize that within yourself and give yourself that time, that grace of adjustment period towards something new, you you can extend that same empathy towards others on your team, whether you're all coworkers or you are the manager or you're the leader. But when you when you connect the change to to humans and our and the way our brains want to function without getting into a lot of the science, because I know a lot of your shows have been able to already start to explain that, you described habits. They're great. They're perfect. We want them because that's where we're we can speed up and and be what we consider it our most efficient.Ryan Ware [00:10:03]:But we really hold on to that as, again, that overvalued state versus achieving what we want to. Like, taking seeing this middle area of it's always, you know, going to be a little unclear. The goal is there, but how you get there is going to still be unclear. You you overvalue that pain of going through it or the work to go through it or the the some people look at it as like, well, what if I fail? I'll be embarrassed. And what if I'm wrong? Mhmm.Stuart Webb [00:10:38]:First,Ryan Ware [00:10:38]:you know, believing in yourself and saying, like, I value that I have the ability to get through this. And even when it's not exactly what I thought, I can reframe my thought process in that moment of I've been here somewhere near here before. I've been through these things. I have the ability and think through with the team. But if we think embarrassment is, like, the end, or or we've thought something our whole life, and now it's wrong, and and we're afraid to say it and hold on to something, there's actually more cost to that and more pain to that. But we but we've it's familiar, so we keep it.Stuart Webb [00:11:24]:Yeah. And learning is hard, isn't it? I mean, well, I mean, we could we could do an entire an entire twenty, thirty hours on just learning. But I mean, learning is is is hard but is often undervalued in these situations. And I and I think you're absolutely right. People too often go back to when a a learning situation was difficult for them and go, well, I just don't wanna be there. You know, we we have to find these easy ramps, these easy paths, don't we? Yeah. And I'm I'm I'm gonna sort of bring in now because I think you've got some great, some some great some great offers and things that people, which we've put into our our our free stuff vault, where Ryan just took us through. I know there are a couple of offers in there, but, people, if you you go and go and look at these immediately.Stuart Webb [00:12:09]:In my opinion, immediately is is is is is possibly too too strong to work. But you need to get a hold of these and have a look at what Ryan is is is is giving giving away in terms of his valuable advice. Ryan, just talk us through, sort of some of the stuff that you've been able to sort of, offer to the listeners here.Ryan Ware [00:12:27]:Yeah. So we've got a couple ebooks that are out there really around mindset and and, you know, also just being able to navigate change by being more curious. Like, curiosity is, like, the key to me of change, and also this this idea that it's okay to be wrong once in a while. And what I mean by that, it's not, it's not that we always wanna just stand, you know, and fight against something that that we don't truly believe in, but that you could attempt to do something, and it's it may not go exactly as you thought. But now you know. And this is that world of science, and I'm trying you know, these these areas are about reframing our our thought about our relationship with change. And there's some steps and some things that you can go into, especially in chapter three of the the change mindset that some activities that you can begin to put yourself through that will help you sort of, like, assess your own relationship. Because I don't you know, you can't drive change as an individual in the company if you're not usually a willing participant or you aren't quite sure how how you react.Ryan Ware [00:13:44]:How do your emotions come up when something happens, until you recognize that your relationship with change tends to be one-sided. And no relationship is strong when when it's one-sided. Right. And I would say the other thing that we're we're you know, we typically will do is a strategy session or a discovery call because there's there's no one problem. As a coach or consultant, every company is different. While there's some similarities, it's just getting to know. I've gotta get closer to the team. I've gotta get closer to the problem to to be able to assess and work with them and build a relationship because, you know, consulting is is advice.Ryan Ware [00:14:28]:Coaching is questions. Like, I'm trying to get to your curiosity level to help you explore. And, you know, it's, to me, like, even with the speaking, I am just trying to spark enough curiosity that makes people start to question, like, I don't know. How did I learn this? Where did I get it from? Things like that to to be willing to say, hey. I'm curious enough to to go through this, like you said, and and begin to makeStuart Webb [00:14:58]:I think that's a brilliant way of putting it because to to make that sort of change for you to to start that journey. I mean, it doesn't matter where you are within an organization. You have to be curious about your own beliefs, your own your own behaviors, in order to get to the stage where you go, I now need to move beyond this this behavioral pattern, which which which has which has caused me to stay where I am. Because, you know, I I said this to one organization very recently who said, well, you we're talking specifically about the fact that, you know, their their growth had stalled. And I said, well, it hasn't stalled. It's going backwards because the world is advancing. Whether you like it or not, everybody around you is moving on. And so if you're sort of staying static, it means you're losing relative to everybody else two, three, four, five percent a year.Stuart Webb [00:15:51]:So you have to be changing constantly. Otherwise, you are behind. You're you're losing just by the fact that you're saying, well, I'm comfortable where I am. You you you're in actual fact losing. And so having that cautious sort of, belief that you need to question is absolutely critical to that whole process. I love what you were saying.Ryan Ware [00:16:11]:Yeah. I think it's we we forget that we're changing from the moment we're born.Stuart Webb [00:16:16]:Yeah. Yeah.Ryan Ware [00:16:17]:Life is constantly changing, but we're all you know, I I think it is. It's important that we have we create habits because we're taught that. Like, there's there's a reason that that you have to go through routines, and you gotta get them in sort of ingrained and embedded. But where I started questioning things, you know, little things is, like, as I learned math, my parents were teaching me. Those teachers were teaching me. Everyone had learned math the same way. But when I started teaching my son, I had never seen some of the new math that was coming through. And while I could be frustrated and I and I probably did get frustrated, like, why can't I figure this out? Why can't I learn it? I started realizing that the challenges that that generation is gonna have are different than than ours, but we we've learned math the same way, or we've done things the same way as all the other generations prior.Ryan Ware [00:17:09]:And without questioning, like, where where did we figure this? Where did we learn this? Or, you know, why do I believe this? Without doing that exploration, like, we're we're sort of allowing like, we love choice and we love control, but we're allowing other things to control us by not questioning it. And even though it may not be different, without knowing, we're letting someone else make a choice for us.Stuart Webb [00:17:35]:Brian, there must have been a, book, of course, a life experience that brought you to where you are with this knowledge, with this understanding, with this with this expertise in how to help construction companies go through the sort of changes you're talking about. Where did that come from? What was the what was the origination of of that? What was the book, of course, that you you think you'd recommend others sort of think about?Ryan Ware [00:18:01]:Yeah. I think that I think the book that really hit home was Carol Dweck's mindset. Courtney, you know, which is a couple decades old. But the just the things that I was seeing on a daily basis of how I was practicing architecture and then and left architecture and got into construction and was really trying to get people to reevaluate how they were building. You know, I watched, like, why isn't this taken off? I started just questioning, like, you know, this has been around a hundred years. Why isn't this taken off? Like, you know, we know there's other problems, like, all of it, labor shortage, all of these things occurring. It just I needed to know, like, what was the resistance? And it Yeah. You know, we could say it's risk.Ryan Ware [00:18:47]:We can say all of these things, but I just needed to start to understand the human mind. So reading mindset by Carol Dweck kicked off this this area for me to start thinking about, you know, how I train people in architecture, how I learn, how I wanted to take more of a coaching approach to it, and stretching people's minds as I was going through a change and implementing, you know, process and, you know, into those conversations because I couldn't force I couldn't force them to do it. If I've forced groups to to take on what I was trying to put in front of them as as, hey. Here's a new method to construction. Try it. They that's when they go into defense. Right? And and it it didn't work, or I don't have a choice. Someone is making me do this, opposed to using more curiosity, you know, kinda driven questions while having conversations with them.Ryan Ware [00:19:51]:Mhmm. You're trying to get trying to get them into not just their idea, but becoming those willing participants. So, you know, whether it's, you know, the Carol Dweck's and then reading a lot of the Dan Heath books. But one of my most favorite recent books is Amy Edmondson from Harvard, which wrote The Right Kind of Wrong. And you beingStuart Webb [00:20:15]:Great book.Ryan Ware [00:20:16]:From science. Right? Like, it's a it's a beautiful area where you you go back to that curiosity and exploration where just because you didn't get the answer today with all of the work that you did, it wasn't lost because you're using that experience as, like, we just know this didn't wasn't the right answer. It doesn't mean it's a wrong end. It just means it's one step closer to the right answer Yeah. Than being able to bounce back quicker. And I think that's one of the you know, that book has allowed me to be like, we have to think differently in this industry to address our problems. We we've got to kind of stretch our mind into into more curiosity sort of building experiences that create the project like a lab that we get the freedom to be wrong once in a while to make a mistake that some would say is too costly, which we're not talking about, like, you know, the buildings collapsing. We're we're talking about just selecting a new method, selecting a new delivery model, selecting a new material finish that that addresses other areas.Ryan Ware [00:21:26]:So, anyway, those are probably some of the books, but I would say the the one right now is Amy Edmondson's.Stuart Webb [00:21:32]:And I think Amy Edmondson has a a wonderful way of looking at it from all the way over from the malicious intent to destroy you through to the, hey. I was experimenting and that's a good thing, which we all have to bear in mind. You know, the the the the occasions in in which you know, you're talking about buildings collapse. There was one that I know she's talked about a little bit, which is a hotel that that unfortunately collapsed because somebody just didn't do the calculation, but that was because they were in the wrong mindset. So you you have to put yourself in the right mindset, Damien. That's the change is all about the mindset as you've been talking about and getting the right mindset. You know? Am I here? Should I be here in the I need to question everything because this is a safety critical issue, or, hey. This is a time for experimentation to learn and develop and grow.Ryan Ware [00:22:25]:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I'm a child of, you know, the eighties and the challengers. A perfect example for me of one where information's sort of there, and sometimes we're afraid to talk about it. Sometimes we're whatever the reason. Right? And I just think that creating that safe zone is you everyone can say we're creating a safe zone of kind of that learning environment. But by by really as leaders, if you're going through a change, getting just going through questions, getting to everybody's curiosity gets them to become more willing participants. But you don't have to start it with a change per se.Ryan Ware [00:23:06]:You don't have to be going through a massive change to begin building a stronger relationships with change. You just have to sort of start with yourself and something you've been thinking about, something you wanted to learn, something you wanted to try, you know, anything to go into that that exploration. SoStuart Webb [00:23:27]:Ryan, I I I'm very aware that I've been sort of asking you questions that have sparked my curiosity, but possibly are the wrong questions for, people, who have sort of, understanding of this. And and and there must be one question that you really think at the moment I should have by now asked, and it's very, it's very foolish of me not to have asked it. So I'm just gonna ask you to tell me what that question is. What is the question that I should have asked you? And and, obviously, once you've you've posed the question, you're the expert. You're gonna have to answer it for me, which is, which is the only way that, I can I can get through doing this? So what's the question, Ryan, that I should have asked you by this stage?Ryan Ware [00:24:05]:Yeah. I think I'll I'll stay, I'll stay in a little bit of just kinda giving, an opportunity for the for the listeners to to test something. So it would probably be is, like, what is one thing that they could do starting right now in order to, kind of reframe their thought on relationship with change? And I would say this goes back to that change mindset ebook, which has some strategies in there. But I would just I I typically like people to just start with something in their their life that it could be small like, pick a small thing that you could just win on or something that you've known your whole life, and you haven't really questioned it. And the reason I say something like that is, as a kid, you know, for a long time, we thought, you know, something happened to a child actor, in a life commercial. Because we were told that, and we believed it, and we never validated. And your whole life, you go through these things like, hey. Something something might be true.Ryan Ware [00:25:15]:So my question my question for them would be is pick something in your life that you were taught and you believed pretty much your whole life, but you've always felt like, there's no way this is valid. There's no way it's exactly like this. And maybe it sounds a huge impact, but just start asking the question. Where did I learn it? Who taught it to me? Who taught it to them? Is it still valid? What situations were different? What would have to be true today in order for this to be false or even further in the truth? Just to start to stretch your mind into it's okay to ask questions. It's okay to start to wonder, like, I don't know. I don't know if this is real. I don't know if this is true. And I would pick on the construction industry and say, like, because we're taught, that's exactly how we do it, or how we design or how we set up a sheet or whatever, in a set of documents, that doesn't mean it's true.Ryan Ware [00:26:19]:It could be something that someone set into motion years ago and just happens to become part of the process, but it's not real. And I think you just have to be willing to start asking questions and see where you get and just just to test it. You know? Just stretch yourself a little bit into this new way of thinking opposed to sitting in this current state of, like, well, I just I think it's too hard to go through the change. I don't wanna ask the question. What if somebody thinks I'm not intelligent enough because I didn't know the answer? Or, you know, because I've been here for five years, I've been doing it. Will I look, you know, silly or embarrassed? Because, you know, you read the book Traction or anything in kinda operation systems and think through it. They'll say, like, hey. If you're not embarrassed, you haven't gone deep enough.Ryan Ware [00:27:11]:But I I would just say, like, it's you don't have to be embarrassed by it. It actually is this moment of, like, like, an moment. It's actually this beautiful like, I keep talking about this beautiful thing that has changed, which is that's where you're growing. That's where you're learning. It's not where you're actually being downgraded or suppressed. You're in you're in an area of this freedom to to, yeah, you know, sort of explore your, kind of a beginner's mindset again ofStuart Webb [00:27:47]:I love that. I love that. And I think that's a really important message as we come to the end of this because, you know, change doesn't have to be embarrassing. Change doesn't have to be, I can only do it if I'm really hanging out there. Sometimes the incremental, sometimes the small steps to help you get there can be just as effective, and it's about taking yourself from the the mindset of I just wanna be comfortable through to the curious, which actually is probably the biggest shift that you can go through. Mhmm. Ryan, what a, a lot to think about, and I'm really grateful for the fact that you you spent sort of twenty, twenty five minutes with us just sort of talking us through some of that. Thank you so much.Stuart Webb [00:28:34]:Listen, I I'm just gonna do a little tiny bit of self promotion at the end of this. If you would like to get onto the mailing list so that you get an email, once a week, which sort of tells you who's coming up and so that you can join the the the the the LinkedIn live to to listen to some of the real experts in this, in this sort of stuff like Ryan talking to you, go to, www.systemize.me/subscribe. It's as simple as systemize.me/subscribe. And there's a simple form. It asks you for your first name and your email address, and that's it. And you'll get an email from me that just basically sort of, sets out who's coming up, what they're gonna be talking about, and you can come on and ask questions and and talk to people like us as the knowledge that people like Ryan have got. Ryan, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Really appreciate you spending that time, and and I look forward to, to spending a bit more time with looking at what you're talking about and and learning more because I think, change is gonna be, the one constant that we can all agree is never going away.Ryan Ware [00:29:40]:Yep. Thank you, Stuart. Appreciate it.Stuart Webb [00:29:42]:No problem at all. Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

In their book REWORK, 37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson caution against glorifying nonstop work. In this week's podcast, they tackle a listener's questions related to the chapter Workaholism and dig into employee management including how to measure productivity and how to track progress. They explain why simple conversations often matter more than complex systems.Key Takeaways00:15 – Judge productivity by paying attention and staying engaged07:50 – Tracking progress doesn't require complicated systems11:44 – Conversations matter more than systems; don't be a coward15:11 – When work ramps up, handling busier times without burning outLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

This episode dives deep into digital accessibility—why it's more than just ticking a compliance box and how it can unlock business growth, improve user experience, and amplify engagement across your B2B SaaS company. Jeff Mains chats with Mike Barton, VP at AudioEye, about transforming digital content and experiences to be truly inclusive. Together, they explore practical strategies for simplifying messaging, overcoming the “curse of knowledge,” leveraging AI as a creative partner, and using storytelling to create content that resonates with and includes everyone.If you're looking to scale your SaaS, boost SEO, or just build a business of significance, this conversation is full of actionable wisdom.Key Takeaways00:00 Inclusive Content Creation Strategies05:59 Emphasizing Digital Accessibility Awareness09:36 Unlocking a $13 Trillion Market10:28 Accessibility: A Revenue Opportunity15:51 Digital Accessibility for All19:50 Simplifying Content for Quick Impact22:29 "Storytelling Enhances Data Impact"24:30 User Experience Roadblocks Analogy30:27 Pre-Demo Decision Influencers33:49 Collaborative Storycrafting in Business36:40 Creating Unified Brand Narratives38:29 Engaging Brand Storytelling Techniques43:56 AI Enhances Content Creation Efficiency45:39 AI Clarifies Better Than Humans?48:58 Free Accessibility Site Scan51:18 Streamlining Growth: AI to StorytellingTweetable QuotesDigital Accessibility Matters: "This isn't about just checking a compliance box. It's unlocking your full audience potential and improving the experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities." — Mike Barton"But here's the kicker. Simplifying content, ditching jargon, and designing with clarity not only helps users with visual, cognitive or mobility challenges, it boosts your SEO, increases engagement, and actually converts better." — Mike BartonViral Topic: The Power of Emotion in B2B Storytelling: "data informs and emotion transforms." — Mike Barton Why Simplicity in Web Design Matters for Everyone: "Simplicity sells, simplicity scales." — Jeff MainsQuote: "Well, the first place it goes wrong is that there is no overarching brand story or narrative. You just have a bunch of content islands that exist across all your channels that are telling different stories." — Jeff Mains Quote: "Most people are shocked to find how many issues exist on their site and how difficult it is for a person with a disability." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsEmpathy-led Leadership:Lead your content, teams, and company by keeping customer experience at the forefront, especially for those often excluded.Challenge Default Thinking:Don't treat accessibility as a compliance task—see it as strategic growth and innovation opportunity.Simplify Relentlessly:Precision beats paragraphs. Prioritize clarity in your messaging for every audience segment.Make Others the Hero:Elevate your users' journey and outcomes, not your brand's accolades.Leverage Team and Community Feedback:Build a creative "brain trust" for testing and refining ideas—it's never a solo act.Embrace Technology with Humility:Use AI not to replace the human touch but to supercharge your team's abilities and your content's impact.Guest Resourcesmike.barton@audioeye.comwww.audioeye.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/omnibarton/Episode Sponsor

Curious how Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson keep their attention where it counts? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, the 37signals co-founders join host Kimberly Rhodes to talk about the different ways they approach focus. From procrastination that sometimes pays off to meditation and visualization, Jason and David share their tips for finding and maintaining focus. Key Takeaways00:44 – What procrastination really tells you05:30 – Traditional and alternative meditation practices13:28 – Breaking through a creative block16:35 – Building a work schedule that makes focus easierLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

How can job seekers win in a world where roles attract hundreds—if not thousands—of applicants and the hiring process feels like a black hole? This week, Jeff Mains is joined by Garrett Rice, co-founder and CEO of Callings AI, for a compelling look at how AI and modern SaaS tools are reshaping the job hunt—for the candidates themselves.Garrett draws on his extensive tech background—including years at Apple—to outline why today's employment search is fundamentally broken, and how Callings AI equips job seekers with workflow, networking, and optimization tools to regain control, clarity, and confidence on their path to a new role. The conversation is rich with actionable insights on standing out, networking with intention, and designing products for real user needs. If you're a SaaS founder, product builder, or simply navigating your own job transition, this episode is a masterclass in both leadership and innovation.Key Takeaways00:00 Empowering Job Seekers with SaaS04:28 "Career Shift: From Apple to AI"08:31 Job Application and ATS Challenges10:51 "Optimizing Job Application Success"14:48 AI-Enhanced Job Networking Tool18:29 "Comprehensive Job Search Support"21:55 Networking Unlocks Hidden Job Market24:50 Streamlined Job Matching Platform27:32 AI Boosts Efficiency and Fun30:20 Improving Candidate Discovery35:34 "Embrace Internal Growth Over Consultants"40:05 Division of Roles in Partnership41:18 Resume Enhancement Tool Unveiled45:31 Earning Customer Trust Over Awareness49:25 "Sales Hiring and Resource Sharing"Tweetable Quotes"The number one way to win a job is to get out of the pile and into the ‘You're being considered' pile—and that's done through networking." — Garrett Rice"AI won't magically solve the job search, but it can finally help level the playing field." — Garrett Rice"Your resume is a piece of paper. When you reach out, you become human to the company." — Garrett Rice"If you're not iterating, you're not building. Success is just well-managed failure and learning." — Garrett Rice"Credibility is earned, one relationship at a time—it's not just about getting your name out there." — Garrett RiceThe Power of Referrals: "I think that the referral incentive is huge and most people completely underestimate that or forget it exists." - Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsIterate Relentlessly:"You build, it works a little bit, it doesn't work in parts. You rebuild and you iterate and iterate and iterate.” — Learn as you go. Product-market fit is a process, not a one-time discovery.Mission-Driven Building:Stay laser-focused on delivering value to your core user—even when others try to pull you toward more profitable, “easier” directions.Make Networking Frictionless:In both leadership and job search, proactively and intentionally connecting with others is non-negotiable for success.Credibility Over Noise:The brand battle isn't just about visibility. It's earning trust, one genuine connection at a time, that matters now more than ever.Co-Founder Synergy Matters:Build with people you respect and align with. Complementary skill sets and shared values are a startup's real superpower.Embrace the Unknowns:“The idea that you have when you start… is never how it works out.” Be ready to hack through the jungle, not stroll down a paved path.Guest Resourcesgarrett@callings.aicallings.aihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettriceEpisode Sponsor

What's holding you back isn't just strategy—it could be your own brain! In this riveting episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Mitch Weisburgh, veteran educator and author of Mind Shifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success. Together, they explore how understanding the brain's survival mechanisms (hello, limbic system!) and developing self-awareness can unlock resourcefulness, resilience, and collaboration—skills every SaaS leader needs to thrive in chaos.Mitch shares practical stories about mindset shifts, the neuroscience behind decision-making, and actionable frameworks to transform failure into feedback. They discuss how to navigate conflict, ditch binary thinking, and lead teams (and yourself) with more empathy and adaptability. Get ready for brain hacks and business wisdom you can use right now.Key Takeaways00:00 Mindset Shifts for Effective Leadership06:14 "Reaching Critical Mass Skills"08:50 Travel Frustrations and Airline Inefficiencies13:17 "Understanding the Brain's Decision-Making"14:38 "Limbic Brain Functions Explained"19:43 Challenge Certainty, Embrace Awareness22:42 Understanding Limbic Reactions27:10 Unified Collaboration Over Individual Solutions30:04 Exploring Product Presentation Strategies33:53 Fostering Problem-Solving in Management35:32 Understanding Conflict Resolution Styles38:27 Negotiation and Collaboration in Sales43:40 Embracing Feedback in Challenges46:46 Stress Relief: Mindfulness and Support48:58 "Getting Rich Through Book Sales"53:17 Innovative Job Hunting PlatformTweetable Quotes"If you have a group of, let's say, 50 people in your organization, and if you can mobilize seven of them to be advocating for a solution, that's very often with good leadership enough to tip the whole organization." — Mitch Weisburgh"When you are absolutely positive about something, it's a sign that your limbic mind has made the decision." — Mitch WeisburghNavigating Uncertainty When Launching Products: "So in a complex system, what you really need to do is you have to come up with things that you can try that aren't going to destroy you so that you can get feedback and from that feedback, decide the next thing to do." — Mitch WeisburghQuote: "But the first thing is to be aware is that there's really five different styles of dealing with conflict. And once you become aware that there's five different styles of conflict, of conflict resolution, then all of a sudden you have options." — Mitch WeisburghThe Power of Trusted Support: "So having a trusted authority such as Jeff Mays, you know, that, you know, or a spouse or friends or relatives, you know, or even a therapist or coach. Okay, you know, sometimes, you know, you need that." — Mitch WeisburghViral Topic - The Loneliness Epidemic Among Leaders: "Most leaders are exhausted from playing the lone hero and it's killing both your results and your sanity." — Jeff MainsViral Topic: Inclusive Design Effectiveness: "He's proof that inclusive design isn't just ethical, it's effective." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsSelf-Awareness Is Step One.Leadership growth starts with recognizing your own thinking patterns and emotional triggers before you can shift them.Train Your Team to Think in Options, Not Orders.Instead of...

Who is Robyn?Robyn Harris is the visionary founder of Wild Well-being, a transformative initiative born from her personal journey towards holistic health and self-discovery. Recognizing the profound impact of perspective on one's life, Robyn created Wild Well-being as a philosophy rather than a prescriptive set of steps. Her approach emphasizes the transformative power of changing thoughts, beliefs, and filters to ultimately enhance well-being. Central to her philosophy is the concept of "rewilding," which highlights humanity's intrinsic connection to nature. Through Wild Well-being, Robyn encourages others to reconnect with nature and rediscover their inner harmony, fostering a deeper sense of health and balance.Key Takeaways00:00 Embrace Nature's Rhythms05:39 Rediscovering Childlike Wonder09:41 "Embrace Stillness Amidst Noise"10:26 "Adjusting to Pandemic Lockdown"14:52 "Book a Free Chat with Robin"17:55 YouTube Link and Health Insights_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page :It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSnature connection, well-being, rewilding, Wild Well-being, perspective shift, health and wellness, NHS, self-care, empowerment, intuition, childlike wonder, holistic health, stress reduction, mind-body connection, diabetes reversal, lifestyle change, seasonal cycles, intuition, loving yourself, personal growth, resilience, adaptability, stillness, mindfulness, burnout, self-compassion, mental health, symptoms as information, breathing exercises, emotional safety, grounding exercisesSPEAKERSRobyn Harris, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi there, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee. I'm delighted today to be joined by, Robin Robin Wilde who is, going to be giving us some fascinating insights, I hope today. If she doesn't, then I'll have to kick her out and find somebody else. But, Robin, is, is going to well, Robin, do you wanna introduce yourself and and talk about, your business Wild Well-being?Robyn Harris [00:01:01]:Thank you Stuart. Yes my name is Robin and my business is Wild Well-being and as you might be able to see on the screen there that is an acronym and it came from my own journey. And it's basically not as much a set of steps, but how we can shift our perspective because everything is about our perspective. Thoughts, we change our beliefs, we change our filters, we change our experience, we change our well-being, we change everything. It's transformative. And that's for I for me, my journey was all around nature. So Wilds fitted in with that and how we are a part of nature. And it's about getting back to that rewilding ourselves.Robyn Harris [00:01:47]:We hear a lot about rewilding now, and I recently watched the documentary on NEP, the NEP estate where they have allowed it to go back to nature and how that is so healing for the land and for the animals that live on that land for all of the plant life. And we can do the same for ourselves. And so wild fitted in with that as well, but it is an acronym, and that is Well supporting ourselves and changing that perspective.Stuart Webb [00:02:12]:Let's get into that. So let's let's talk about the sort of, the the the people who you're appealing to at the moment, the the ones that need to, go on that journey, towards well-being. So that I'm sure we're getting to wild, but let's talk about who those people are before we leap into the to the wild acronym.Robyn Harris [00:02:31]:I think most of us could do with a little bit more wild in our lives because generally speaking, certainly in The UK, we don't live as close to nature as we used to. But physically and genetically, we are the same as our hunter gatherer ancestors. We evolved alongside the cycles of nature day and night. The ebb and flow of the tides, the monthly cycles of the moon, those affect us because we are such a high percentage of water. You can see in a glass of water. You can measure tides in glass of water. It it the pull of the moon is that strong, and we are such a high percentage water that the moon impacts on us as well and obviously there's the seasons so we go through those alongside of nature so if people are feeling tired and sluggish in January and February we've started a new year we get all of this messaging of it's new year you know get to the gym and do all of those things. And you might be thinking, but we're still wintering.Robyn Harris [00:03:32]:Our body is still wintering. So that's perfectly natural and perfectly normal.Stuart Webb [00:03:37]:So tell me the you you you we've we've sort of touched a little bit on this. There are people who are suffering, and and need to go on that journey. What what do you see that they've done themselves before they start that process, before they start to discover an expert like yourself to help guide them?Robyn Harris [00:03:57]:Sadly, I think in The UK certainly and probably in many other parts of the world as well, our messaging that we receive is if you feel sick, go to see the doctor. And that's our first port of call. Without realizing that there's so much we can do to support our well-being well before we need to go to the doctor, and we see the results, don't we, in the NHS. It's crumbling. It's really struggling. They're under resourced, understaffed, etcetera. So if we could take back a lot of our own well-being empowerment, then we would take off a lot of that pressure on the NHS. And we could potentially keep ourselves well, not need the doctor.Robyn Harris [00:04:38]:So it's small things like coughs, colds, etcetera we could deal with and recover from, and we could maybe prevent some of those other, bigger illnesses. I'm currently doing a podcast with a colleague of mine, Steven Leggett, who is the diabetes destroyer because he was diagnosed with type two diabetes and he reversed it. So things like that that we can do for ourselves when we understand what our symptoms are showing us. Because symptoms are just information. Our body isn't going wrong. It's making a mistake. It's adapting. And when we understand why it's adapting, and we can then know how to not need that adaptation anymore, get back to balance and to well-being.Stuart Webb [00:05:21]:So the the let let's let's get into the acronym, the WILD. What what does it stand for? And then what is it that you're you you think you can offer as advice for people and listening to at the moment thinking, I know that I need to be a diabetes destroyer myself?Robyn Harris [00:05:39]:Well, I don't particularly work just with diabetes. It's one of the things that I cover. That's my colleague, Steven Leggett. But wild is the fact that quite often as we grow up we start off having that child life way of looking at the world and everything is new and everything is exciting and we're like little sponges and we just wanna know we're curious and we're eager to learn. But we get older and we get a bit cynical and a bit jaded and a bit disillusioned sometimes with life. So the w is to get back those childlike eyes of wonder. And some circles talk glimmers because so often when we're older we focus on all of the heavy burdensome stuff that we have to do. You know, the the general day to day life that can just get to be a bit mundane and we just feel like it's a struggle.Robyn Harris [00:06:27]:Whereas we're here to thrive and we can thrive when we look at the world through eyes of wonder, looking for all the joy, all of the excitement, being curious, being compassionate, being loving towards ourselves. So w for wonder, I for intuition, knowing that our bodies are wise. Biological, design. Biologic we are biological beings. Our body isn't going wrong. It's not making a mistake. It's making an adaptation. And when we can understand that and work with it rather than as I was doing right at the beginning of my journey, I was working against it.Robyn Harris [00:07:07]:I hated my body. I hated everything about it. It was letting me down. It was going wrong. Everything was crumbling and falling apart. Only it wasn't. That was just how I saw it. And then I came to understand its wisdom and understand things like my liver is doing over 500 functions for me every single day.Robyn Harris [00:07:29]:I had eczema. I thought my skin was fighting against me. It wasn't. It was doing a job for me. Yes. It it was uncomfortable. And, yes, it wasn't what I wanted, but it was actually trying to serve me. And when I came to understand that, and then I could see what it was telling me about myself and the way I was living my life and how I could change that.Robyn Harris [00:07:51]:So it's it's it's our wise and our compass. The l of Wilde is loving ourselves. How often become our own biggest critic. We're not there cheering ourselves on by and large. We're there picking holes in everything that we do. Whereas if we could love ourselves, because the picking holes and the criticizing ourselves isn't getting us the answers that we want to want in our lives. It's not moving us forward in the way that we want. It's holding us back.Robyn Harris [00:08:16]:So why don't we stop doing that and start loving on ourselves instead? And that's not to say that we let ourselves off the hook. We love ourselves best when we are challenging ourselves, helping ourselves to grow, nurturing ourselves, not just pampering ourselves. It's actually holding ourselves to account and being the best that we can be. And d is dance. Because I used to say and I've heard people say it to me. It's one step forward and two steps back. But when that's a dance that's not a problem. Again it's how we're looking at things.Robyn Harris [00:08:53]:And if we can see it just life has changed tempo. Life has changed its background music right now. It might not be what I would choose, but I can still go with that. And when I go with it rather than resisting it, I find my flow. It might not be my easiest style but I can still find how to work at that rhythm until it shifts again. Because it's always shifting, always changing and it's about being adaptable.Stuart Webb [00:09:22]:And is there a valuable piece of advice or or something similar that you can give to the audience listening now who are and maybe themselves struggling with the with the understanding their body, understanding the the the the way in which that's giving them signals that they find confusing?Robyn Harris [00:09:41]:Yes. I would say to allow time for stillness. Our world is so noisy and so busy. We have mobile phones that are with us by and large twenty four seven, bombarding us with information. And if you've got all your news notifications and stuff turned on, most of those notifications are not uplifting and cheerful and supportive. There are more things to be worried and anxious about, particularly in the current climate with all that's going on. So to make time for stillness, to make time to be still. So it's not just quiet and getting away from all of those messages and notifications and bombardments, but to take time out and to sit still as much as you can.Robyn Harris [00:10:26]:And that can take getting used to. And I used to think when we went into lockdown at the beginning of COVID and we all thought we can't do lockdown and we can't be home based and we can't just do all of that and then we were forced to. And I thought of it like jumping off a roundabout where when you first jump off the roundabout that's already been going around and you jump off, your insides are still spinning and your head is still spinning, and it feels deeply uncomfortable. But when we allow ourselves the time to adjust to that, then we find there's such value. And I heard so many people saying after we've been in lockdown for a while, oh, I didn't realize how busy I was, how much I was running around, and now I really value this time. We were noticing how much cleaner the air was. There were dolphins allegedly swimming through the canals in Venice. There were goats coming into, a town in North Wales.Robyn Harris [00:11:23]:The the wildlife was coming out because we weren't making as much noise and we weren't being as busy and there wasn't as much pollution. We can do that in our lives as well. We can make that space in our lives. Get back. A lot of people took up gardening or walking in nature. So those sorts of things we can bring back and remember how valuable they are. Make space and time for them.Stuart Webb [00:11:47]:You you you alluded earlier to the fact that, this journey you came on, brought you brought you to this understanding. Do you want to give us a a small a small insight into that? And I I don't ask for your life history, but but what was the the event, the the the book, or or whatever it was that brought you to the to realize that you needed to return, if you like, to that that wild state of being?Robyn Harris [00:12:14]:It was a long journey, and being me, I took the scenic route. So there was I don't think I could really pinpoint one point in time, but I had got to that point as I was kind of touching on earlier where my body, I felt, it was letting me down. It was breaking apart. It was crumbling. Everything felt like it was going wrong. I had eczema, IBS, a whole list of things. And then I would go to the doctor and they say, oh, you're borderline for fibromyalgia. You're borderline for diabetes.Robyn Harris [00:12:44]:And I thought, if I don't do something and it needs to be quite a serious something, I need to change my life, then I'm just gonna carry on going downhill, and I will be slapped with diagnosis left, right, and center, and goodness knows how bad it's going to get. So I tried the conventional. I tried going to the doctor and got put on medication, which did not work for me. I got referred for counseling, which also didn't work for me. And that was I mean, we're going back twenty odd years ago. So it was of its time, and it wasn't solutions. It wasn't giving me solutions. It was just giving me sticking plasters.Robyn Harris [00:13:22]:And it was fairly recently I looked back and I realized it didn't work because it didn't make me feel like I had the tools. So I I think at that point, I realized that's what I need. I need tools. I need to find things that are going to help me. I know life is always gonna be shift shifting and changing and throwing me curve balls. Where do I get the tools that equip me to respond to that? I I did a lot of reading as well, and I've come across terms like being response able. I felt very responsible. I felt like things were going in wrong in my life and it was my fault.Robyn Harris [00:14:01]:And there's a lot of reasons behind that, and I actually go into that in my book. But learning that I could be response able and that I didn't have to react to things, I could respond, and I could choose how to respond. And I'm currently listening to The Choice by Edith Eager. But I read books like,Stuart Webb [00:14:24]:IRobyn Harris [00:14:24]:read a lot of Brene Brown, and, I read Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now. So it was books like that and Louise l Hay, those kind of energetic and how we can work with our body and how our body is telling us so much information if we just know how to interpret it. It was those things that helped me to shift and transform.Stuart Webb [00:14:52]:So I'm just gonna show a a link on the screen now because I know you have got the ability for somebody. If they wanna book a free chat with you and just have a a short discussion, to explore some of this in their own life. If you go to www.systemize.me, that's systemize, s y s t e m I s e, Me hyphen, forward /free- stuff. I'm gonna put a link in that vault there to Robin's, website and her her ability to book a chat, which will enable you to have a short very informative, I suspect. I'm not gonna judge how Robin will do it, but I would imagine a short and very informative discussion helping you to sort of understand perhaps if you're hearing some of this and thinking, I can recognize myself in some of this. But that's gonna lead me on to the to the question that I've got at the moment in my head, Robin, which is, you know, I've asked you a number of questions and you've explained and answered those questions, but there must be one question that you're currently thinking. Why doesn't he ask that really important question, the one that we're all really thinking about and yet he still seems to be avoiding? So I don't know what that question is because I just don't haven't thought of it, but you have. So can you give us what is the key question that that you would like to to have given us the sort of the takeaway that you think we are thinking? And once you've done it, you'll obviously have to answer it as well because I don't know what the question is myself.Robyn Harris [00:16:15]:I think one of the big questions that comes up for me a lot in my work and that maybe people don't know how to articulate or don't even recognize in a sense, but what inside possibly they're asking for is how do I feel safe? How do I find that space or create that space that allows me the time and the the physical, emotional, psychological space to explore some of this stuff? Particularly because some of it is sensitive stuff. It's stuff that we have pushed aside or pushed down perhaps for years, and we've done that for a reason. So to suddenly say, right, I want to transform my life. I'm gonna have to explore some of that stuff if that stuff is holding me back. I need to look at it. I need to process it because I haven't. If it's still there and it's coming out in my body and symptoms, then I'm gonna need to process it. So how do I do that? How do I find that safe space? And I think there are ways in which we can create it for ourselves.Robyn Harris [00:17:28]:And I have a YouTube channel and on that channel I have a self care exercise playlist which goes through various different ways that I find really useful. Breathing exercises, energetic exercises, grinding exercises, that sort of thing to create that safe space. And also remembering it is not just physical safety but emotional and psychological safety. And it might require working with somebody for a while.Stuart Webb [00:17:55]:I will make sure that we put we put that same, same YouTube link into the, the vault to make sure that people can get to see that, Robin. And thank you for answering that because I think that's a really key point of this. I'm going to to thank you for spending these last sort of fifteen, twenty minutes with us. I think what you've identified is a number of things that actions even the busiest professional can take a few minutes to think about because health is so important. And thank you for bringing that to us. If you would like to get an and and hear more about some of the, the work that we're doing and and how we are bringing people like this to a wider audience, if you just go to www.systemize.me/subscribe, there's a simple form there. It's just your email address and your first name. You sign up to that.Stuart Webb [00:18:51]:You'll get an email which brings, to you the the who's gonna be on the the podcast recording this week. And you'll get here people like Robin who gives you such really valuable advice, that will help you live better and live longer and be less stressed in your business and personal life. So, Robin, thank you for bringing that to us. Really appreciate you spending a few minutes of your day doing that, and, I look forward to hearing more about this, as we go forward.Robyn Harris [00:19:20]:Thank you very much, Stuart. It's been great being here and sharing this passion.Stuart Webb [00:19:25]:Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains goes deep with Juan Betancourt, CEO of Humantelligence and creator of the AI-powered Ask Aura coach. Juan shares his fascinating transition from leading major corporations like P&G and Siebel Systems to scaling a tech startup aimed at transforming HR and team collaboration. We dive into the challenges of selling into the HR tech space, how leveraging psychometrics with AI can radically improve engagement, retention, and teamwork, and what it really takes to transition from executive to founder. Juan also reveals hard-earned lessons from multiple pivots, what makes Ask Aura unique, and how every organization—and founder—can prepare for the AI-powered future of work.Key Takeaways00:00 AI-Driven Talent Management Solutions05:04 Seamless, Multilingual, Voice-Activated Insights07:49 Revolutionizing Leadership Efficiency Tools12:31 "Prescriptive Action Replaces Reports"15:31 Lessons Learned from Corporate to Startup16:41 Venture Capital and Startup Realities20:23 Startup's Code Impresses Potential Buyer24:59 "TalentFit: Analyzing Workforce Performance"28:54 Marketing Failure Due to Misaligned Strategy31:36 AI Tool Implementation Challenges34:11 Ensuring Effective Employee Training39:02 "Unique AI: Personalized Coaching"42:05 AI's Future Impact on JobsTweetable Quotes"Who doesn't want to know how to get along better with that jerk who busts their balls every meeting?" — Juan Betancourt"The more you can democratize leadership insights company-wide, the bigger your edge." — Jeff Mains"Technology finally caught up—with AI in workflow, what used to be a $20,000 executive coach is now a $2/month subscription for everyone." — Juan Betancourt"We reduced turnover by 30%. That's the kind of impact that's only possible when psychometrics meet workflow." — Juan Betancourt"Even if you build the right thing, you'll lose if you try to outspend competitors on marketing instead of solving a pain the market understands." — Juan Betancourt"If you only see a blank screen, you're missing the real adoption battle—every user needs use cases, not just features." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsLean Into People Development:Scaling isn't just about products—it's about the quality of leadership and ongoing development. Invest in understanding and empowering your teams.Prioritize Actionable Insights:Make sure that psychometric or engagement data is not just collected—but used daily, in the flow of work, for real impact.Adopt Founder-Led Sales Early:In the beginning, rely on your network and credibility. First deals rarely happen because of the product alone.Pivot Relentlessly, But Learn Each Time:Don't be afraid to kill what's not working. Each failed pivot, portal, or product iteration paves the way to something better.Foster Ownership Over Perfection:Empower your “Bad News Bears” team: grit and ownership beat waiting for rare A+ players. Innovation comes from belief, not just brilliance.Make Product Value Obvious and Accessible:Users need clear use cases and context. Interface design and onboarding should start with “What do you want to accomplish today?”Guest ResourcesJuan BetancourtEmail: juan@humantelligence.com or...

In this energizing episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Ryan Hogan—an entrepreneurial powerhouse known for turning murder mystery games into a global business and now shaking up the recruiting world through his company, Talent Harbor. Together, they explore the underappreciated but foundational role of company culture in scaling SaaS organizations, why hiring for values trumps hiring for resumes, and how onboarding, leadership, and learning from failures build resilient, thriving teams.You'll hear battle-tested tips on establishing and living real core values (not just slogans), fixing broken cultures, running stellar onboarding programs, mistakes most founders make when hiring, and how to create pathways for growth that keep your best talent around for the long haul. Packed with practical examples and actionable advice, this is an episode every founder, leader, and hiring manager should bookmark.Key Takeaways00:00 "Core Values and Culture Fit"04:47 Measuring Success: Consumer Signals09:18 "Identify Core Behaviors First"12:10 Defining Startup Culture Evolution13:34 Core Values Alignment in Leadership16:56 Core Values in Daily Life19:32 "Brand Values in Customer Experience"25:13 "Why Companies Lose Talent"28:26 "Evolving Workplace Culture Issues"29:22 "Prioritizing Culture Fit in Startups"33:51 "First 72: Critical Onboarding"37:19 Effective Onboarding and Support Strategy40:50 Inspiring Growth with Care44:29 "Leadership Beyond Individual Success"47:54 Entrepreneurship: Finding Product-Market Fit51:17 AI Revolutionizes Culture with Ask AuraTweetable QuotesThe Truth About Business Culture: "Not the fluffy feel good posters on the wall version, but the real gritty, foundational stuff that drives how your team thinks, works and wins." — Ryan Hogan "Culture Fit matters more than a perfect resume, especially in the early stages, and how adaptable hires often outperform the most qualified ones when the market inevitably shifts." — Ryan HoganThe Art of Scaling a Brand: "founders have to learn to let go in order to scale effectively." — Ryan Hogan Viral Topic: The Impact of Leadership Authenticity on Workplace Culture: "You know, you said it was going to be this, and what I'm seeing is something else. And I think there's a kind of a disharmony there. And I wanted to be a part of this movement, but it's not what I thought it was going to be. Wasn't what I was sold." — Ryan HoganViral Topic: Leadership Integrity and Core Values: "the minute you say, we're committed to these things and someone makes a decision that's not in line with those core values, you've destroyed it." — Jeff Mains"Most people put their core values on the wall. You're trying to take those words from the wall and you're trying to make that connection of how do these show up on a daily basis." — Jeff MainsQuote: "You can create all this inspiration, but if people don't feel supported, that can become a huge issue for the enterprise." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsDefine and Reinforce Core ValuesBefore hiring, know the core behaviors your company needs to succeed and reinforce them consistently.Hire for Culture Fit—But Don't Neglect SkillsIn startups, prioritize values and adaptability slightly more than experience, but remember both matter.Transparent, Aligned Recruiting Models WinChallenge industry norms—flat, transparent fees and partnership drive better results than traditional commissions.Onboarding Shapes Long-Term SuccessInvest in scripting the...

37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share more about their business than many founders. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, they chat with host Kimberly Rhodes about why transparency is important to them. They talk about how sharing openly can double as marketing, the upside of showing work that's still in progress, and why timing matters when deciding what to put out to the public.Key Takeaways00:13 – Why transparency matters at 37signals03:07 – Everything is marketing09:22 – Letting people follow along while the work is happening12:43 – Knowing when and what to shareLinks and ResourcesRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode of the SaaS Fuel Podcast, host Jeff Mains sits down with John Long, the visionary behind Think AI, to explore the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence and human empowerment in SaaS businesses. John shares his journey from real estate and HVAC to tech entrepreneurship, revealing how Think AI was born out of a need to streamline sales and customer interactions through advanced AI agents.The discussion delves into real-world examples of AI adoption—from automating interviewing and reviving old sales leads to transforming customer support in e-commerce. Jeff and John also tackle the boundaries of what current AI can (and can't) do, why humans will always be needed for complex and creative problem-solving, and how to build resilient, future-proof teams at the forefront of technological change.Whether you're a SaaS founder, tech leader, or simply AI-curious, this episode is packed with practical wisdom, actionable leadership takeaways, and a clear-eyed look at the realities and potential of AI in business today.Key Takeaways00:00 Empowering Humans with AI Integration04:34 AI Tool Evolution to Product06:44 "AI: Enhancing Focus and Efficiency"12:29 AI Revolutionizing Customer Support Careers16:26 "Empowering AI for Human Interaction"19:16 "AI Necessitates Human Oversight"22:33 AI: Capable, Yet Sometimes Overhyped24:44 Workforce Cuts: Economic Impact & AI Shift29:03 Understanding Tech in Home Services32:28 AI-Driven Podcast Production36:02 "Think Differently with AI"37:58 Balancing Ideas and Reality43:19 Rapid AI Support Adoption47:53 "AI Talent Management Revolution"Tweetable QuotesAI Revolutionizes Customer Support Careers: "We're going to double your pay, turn this into a career path, and really incentivize you to do what you love doing at a really, really high level and taking care of our people." — John LongViral Topic: The Expanding World of Agentic AI "AI can do a lot. It's challenging because most people don't know how to get started or kind of what to do to kick this thing off. And that's where companies like us step in and help with, with kind of the, the guiding steps of that. But yeah, AI can do a lot." — John LongHow AI Changes the Way We Think: "as people start to dig into AI, they literally begin to think differently. They look at their world differently and they, rather than approaching problems and thinking, well, okay, well I got to go and fix this. They think about things like, well, I'm going to go check with AI and figure out who else has experienced this and how they dealt with it. And you just, you look at the world in a different way and you approach problems in a different way and you just think differently." — John Long Empowering, Not Replacing Humans: "the future of business isn't about replacing humans, but empowering them." — Jeff MainsCultural Shift in the Age of AI: "Teams start working very differently, focusing on High value creative tasks while AI handles the grunt work. It's not just efficiency, it's a cultural shift."— Jeff MainsThe Epidemic of Leadership Burnout: "You know, you're probably like everybody else, drowning in connections but starving for real support. And it's creating a silent epidemic of leadership burnout among executives just like you." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsBalance Tech Ambition with Practical Reality:Leaders must combine visionary ideas with operational discipline—having both a “gas” and “brake” in the partnership drives sustainable growth.Focus on Value, Not Just Shiny Tools:Successful leaders implement AI...

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with serial entrepreneur and strategic executive Josh Sizemore, a powerhouse in building and scaling consumer brands in retail, CPG, wellness, and ecommerce. Drawing from decades of experience (including billion-dollar brands and innovative startups), Josh reveals the realities of taking niche health products to household names—without losing your brand's soul or becoming just another “me-too” in a crowded market.The conversation uncovers the art and science of brand storytelling, making the leap from DTC to retail, the power of deep versus wide expansion, the importance of authentic leadership, and how to avoid the pitfalls of solo decision-making and delegation. Josh gets candid about his journey launching a premium water brand, the value of grit in founder storytelling, navigating retail growth, keys to scaling SaaS marketplaces, and the ever-present challenge of knowing when to sell or double down.Whether you're a SaaS founder, a CPG upstart, or growing any high-integrity brand, this episode is loaded with actionable insights on leading powerfully, communicating clearly, and building market momentum that lasts.Key Takeaways00:00 AI, Innovation, and Mindset Shift06:35 Boost Product Sales with Sampling07:38 Slow and Steady Market Expansion11:24 Effective Virtual Communication Tools16:24 Water Donation and Distribution Initiative18:24 "Authentic Storytelling in Branding"23:00 "Original New York Salsa Success"27:00 Entrepreneurship Patience and Resilience30:05 High-End Retail Venture Story32:49 Founders' Delegation Challenges35:48 Instincts and Delegation39:31 Entrepreneurial Journeys in InnovationTweetable QuotesIf a distributor wants you but the retailers don't want you, then they're not going to bring you in. If a retailer wants you and then, but you don't have distribution to that retailer, well how are you going to get there? So it's gotta all kind of work in synchronous, you know, together and kind of synchronize itself up." - Josh Sizemore"you have to just stick to the play of slow and steady until you, you know, until you have the, the capital and the resources to hire 100 people or whatever to get to those stores." - Josh Sizemore"when you're not communicating directly to somebody, you have to be super, like, aware of, okay, does this text sound kind of even killed or is it over the top, or is it underwhelming when you send those communications through virtually?" - Josh Sizemore"just make sure that whoever it is is authentic. They're coming from a perspective of grit and grind." - Josh SizemoreScaling with Integrity: "Delegation isn't just about survival, it's about enabling real growth." - Jeff MainsAI and the Future of Work: "Documenting current processes is the first step to any meaningful innovation." - Jeff Mains"It's not strategy, not charisma, it's not even luck. It's relationships, specifically four of them." - Jeff Mains"It's really refreshing to be able to turn that over to somebody like that. They can just take it and run with it and make it so much better than even we thought it could be." - Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsDon't Rush Retail: Go Deep Before WideEarly retail wins are tempting, but focus on dominating a few stores at a time before expanding. Depth beats spread.Grit and Authenticity Beat Flashy MarketingShare real founder stories and struggles; people spot authenticity and reward it.Test Relentlessly and Leverage DataWhether it's email...

Who is Oli?Oli Cohen is a documentarian dedicated to transforming ordinary lives into compelling narratives. Driven by the belief that everyone has an interesting story to share, Oli focuses not on fame, but on the intrinsic value of personal experiences. Recognizing the digital age's potential to democratize storytelling through accessible video technology, Oli bridges the gap between people's everyday stories and the wider audience they deserve. By capturing the essence of individual lives, Oli underscores the importance of personal history and its significance to loved ones everywhere.Key Takeaways00:00 "Live Storytelling vs. Written Legacy"06:28 Life Stories Spotlight Feature09:49 Bridging Generations Through Vulnerability12:12 The Philosophy Behind Life Stories14:32 Personalized Emails for Groundbreaking Ideas_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page :It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSlife stories, personal documentaries, legacy, video storytelling, capturing memories, documentary film, family history, emotional storytelling, nonverbal communication, archival footage, two-camera interview, photography, cinematography, preserving memories, storytelling philosophy, intergenerational connection, empathy, relationships, self-reflection, unsung heroes, audio-visual legacy, life story spotlight, nomination process, everyday heroes, pandemic impact, digital age, documenting lives, life story website, preserving family stories, legacy preservationSPEAKERSOli Cohen, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:30]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science five questions over coffee. I have my coffee here with me. I've probably had too much of that so far this morning, so I'm likely to be hot. Very well hopped up. And I'm delighted to be joined today by Ollie Cohen. Ollie is a cinematographer and photographer, but more importantly today he's here to talk to us about the his founding of a company called Life Stories or a product called Life Stories. Life Stories is a way that people can tell their story and capture it. And I think this is a fascinating idea.Stuart Webb [00:01:07]:I think it's something that more people should know about. Hence, Ollie is here with us today. So, Ollie, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee.Oli Cohen [00:01:17]:Thank you so much for having me. Great to be here.Stuart Webb [00:01:21]:So, I mean, you've had a a fascinating story, your yourself, but what is it what is it you're trying to do? How is it you're trying to reach out and and help people with this idea of life stories, and the the content that that comes with that?Oli Cohen [00:01:38]:So, well, life story is about turning people's lives into documentaries. There's the the basic thinking that everyone's got a an interesting story to tell. It isn't fame that makes somebody have, you know, worthy of documentary. People all have, valuable stories that are significant to their loved ones. Yeah. There seems to be a disconnect or certainly there's a lack of, opportunity for people to have their lives turn into documentaries. And, you know, we live in this digital age, and so video, is a very accessible medium.Stuart Webb [00:02:17]:Okay.Oli Cohen [00:02:17]:So the idea is we turn people's lives into documentaries, which is a two camera interview, intercut with photographs, archive footage, and and music.Stuart Webb [00:02:29]:I think it's a I think it's a truly brilliant idea. I mean, a lot of people have sort of done this for themselves, but, I mean, I guess the problem that that we would all say is, you know, one, it's very difficult to interview yourself, but, also, none of us are particularly good at the editing something to make it look right. Have you seen people do this? And, frankly, it doesn't quite tell the story in the way that you go, I just know I could do a better job.Oli Cohen [00:02:58]:I don't know if people try to do it themselves. What, I am aware of are people getting their lives turned into books, and there's quite a few, operators in that in the sort of legacy space. And, you know, that's great. But my thinking was that so much of the emotional nuance gets lost when words get put on into, onto the script. And, you know, when you hear somebody's somebody speaking, there's a lot more powerful. There's so much more emotional information there that's that affects you as a as a listener. And, you know, but we're not just recording we're not just doing podcasts at Live Stories. We we're creating films, and so much communication is nonverbal.Oli Cohen [00:03:48]:It's in the body language. It's in the face of expressions. It's in the little twinkle in people's eyes. And I think that, through film, there's a lot more potential to capture the essence of somebody compared to just turning their life into a book. And I kind of I thought there's not when I was when I set the the the company up, there there didn't seem to be many people doing it. And it was something that I wish that I had done myself, not for me, but for for my sister. Yeah. That's the the origin story of why I set it up.Oli Cohen [00:04:21]:My sister, unfortunately, passed away not that long ago. And at the time, I was living in LA. And I, you know, I rushed. I got, you know, immediately within twenty four hours when I heard the news. I I got some documentary film equipment together and got on a plane back to The UK to try to capture her life on film, thinking mainly that this would benefit my, nephew, her son, who was only seven years old at the time. Because I thought he's never gonna be able to see his mother from an adult perspective. So I thought this is this is something that I can do to add value to this awful situation. That is sort of be a wonderful thing to be able to to get my my sister's life, on on film documented.Oli Cohen [00:05:05]:But I wasn't able to do it because of the pandemic. I wasn't able to visit her in hospital, and, it was a missed opportunity. And it was, you know, really, really sad. And, I just thought this is this is something that I'd like to be able to offer to other people. You know, that's that was the the, the beginnings of the idea.Stuart Webb [00:05:27]:I'm sorry to hear about that story, but I mean, it's a wonderful illustration of the fact that you don't leave these things until it's too late, do you? You do it now because none of us can really count on tomorrow or next week. We have matters outside of our control.Oli Cohen [00:05:45]:Exactly. Yeah. There's, there's that idea of, like, that concept of you you don't know you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Yes. Yes. And, you know, it's easy to sort of think well, well, I it's easy to not to not want to think about it at all or to put it off. Yeah. But Well I you know?Stuart Webb [00:06:11]:Great that there are people like you, on the at the moment trying to address this problem. Do you have a a a valuable, a piece of advice or or or offer that you have that you can you can bring to the audience at the moment?Oli Cohen [00:06:28]:Well, on on the life stories website, which is, lifestories.media, On the homepage, if you scroll down, there's this thing we're doing, called life stories spotlight. And with that, we you know, with this with that spotlight feature, we'll be we're encouraging everybody to think about who is it in who who in your life do you feel has, a story that, or just, you know, a life story that you would like to to document. And, and and then, you know, this could be a loved one, but it could be anybody you know. Somebody who who you have some respect for, because of something they're doing. It might be extraordinary, but it might just be not just it might be an an everyday an everyday hero, you know, and someone an unsung, hero, if you like. So what we what we're encouraging people to do is have a think who this person could be, get in touch with us, and and then we will select a particular story that we think is worthwhile documenting, and we will cover all of the the costs and the production ourselves. So it's something we encourage people to think about, who would you like to nominate?Stuart Webb [00:07:45]:If you didn't catch that, website, the the the the link will be in our vault where we put all of the content of these these, these podcasts. So if you go to www.systemise, s y s t e m I s e, Me forward / free - stuff, you will see a link to Ollie's website and details of that, in that in that vault, and you will be able to access that from there. Ollie, you've got a fascinating history. You've been a city photographer and photographer, as we've said, with some really impressive stuff being shown across the world. You've told us the story of how you sort of got here. Are there other stories that you've captured as part of this, a part of this project which which have made you realize just how valuable it is to to have this content available for documenting lives, even if it's not lives that are past, but lives that are ongoing?Oli Cohen [00:08:44]:Yeah. Well, thanks for asking. The there are a lot of, a lot of surprising, things that happen when you make a film about someone's life because they they can sometimes unlock I mean, I'm I I don't wanna I don't need to be like therapy sessions, but they can sometimes unlock, emotions in, that they that people have kind of, not wanted to talk about. You know? Because in with family stories, you know, this is something that's occurred to me. When a child asked an adult a question about that adult's life, you know, children are quite inquisitive. The adult gives them a very, you know, child friendly watered down version of what actually happened. And then that those stories sort of get a bit cemented and stuck. But then when when you go to make a life story film about somebody, and you ask them certain questions or particular questions about their, about what it was like for them growing up at that place at that time.Oli Cohen [00:09:49]:And on these situations, sometimes, things can, they can show a vulnerable people can show a vulnerability, that they haven't shown to their children before. So the generation below get to see their parents or their grandparents with, a new perspective, which is which can, help bridge the generational divide, which I find a, you know, I I find that such a a powerful thing, helping because because ultimately life story is is about it's connected people through stories to help people feel more connected with each other and particularly with the their loved ones. But as well as that, people who are answering their questions, they they, often have certain realizations themselves. Yes. Yeah. Because we, you know, we all we all have this need to be appreciated, to be listened to, to be heard, to be seen, to be appreciated. So there's some in the process of doing that, that you can tell that people really enjoy it. They really benefit from doing it, and they get to sometimes look at their own lives in a slightly different perspective and kind of think, actually, you know, I've done alright.Oli Cohen [00:11:05]:You know? Because we I think a lot of us feel really critical of ourselves. But when you look back and think, you know what I did, I did do, okay. I've got through this and I've done pretty well. And I don't have, loads of regrets. A lot of people say they they don't regret the decisions they made, which I often find yeah, an interesting bit of a confusing thing to me, but it's, you know, it's the process gives people new perspective on themselves.Stuart Webb [00:11:33]:Yeah. Brilliant. Brilliant. Ali, I'm I'm very aware that I've asked you questions that I'm sure you think at the moment are sort of you know fairly softball questions that really haven't sort of gone to the heart of the matter. But there must be one question that you think well he's forgotten to really sort of nail the killer question. So as I've, as I'm thinking about this, I'm gonna suggest that you try and ask me what is the killer question I should have asked you, and then, obviously, you will have to answer it for us because you already know the answer. Well,Oli Cohen [00:12:12]:there's the questions about, the the sort of philosophy behind life stories. And so you could you could ask you could ask me that. And, I I can I can just answer that if you if you like? The there's a few things that stick out. There's the line from, Joan Didion, who she said, we tell us we tell ourselves stories, in order to live. And I think that's the line. So stories help us make sense of the world, and they encourage empathy with each other. So that's really very much aligned with the sort of the thinking behind life stories. And similarly, I'm a big fan of Esther Perel, and one of her sound bites is that the the quality of, our relationships determine the quality of our lives.Oli Cohen [00:13:16]:So with life stories, we we you know, obviously, it's about preserving memories. But ultimately, it's more about deepening our relationships with people. So, yeah, that and and stuff we've already talked about about this the the impermanence of of things. These are the the key sort of philosophies or the the the thinking behind life stories.Stuart Webb [00:13:48]:Brilliant. Oliver, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. I'm just going to make a short appeal after hearing frankly about the fact that relationships are so critical, stories are so critical to our well-being. If you would like to hear more about things like this where we speak to some really groundbreaking thinkers and some people doing some very different stuff, and I love meeting these people. You should wanna meet them as well. You should wanna get onto the newsletter list. So come to www.systemize, that's systemise,.me/subscribe. Just fill in short form.Stuart Webb [00:14:32]:It just asks you for your email address and your first name just so that I can send you something a little bit more personalized than hey. And you will get an email from me telling you about some of the really groundbreaking thinkers coming up with such brilliant ideas, in the next week or so, on this, live stream. Oliver, I just want to thank you for spending a few minutes with us today talking about what I think is a really, you know, we don't think enough about the fact that, you know, as somebody who is ordinary I have got stories, I have got things that people might be interested in hearing, and those stories bring a better connection which inevitably is a healthier life altogether. So thank you for just bringing that to us and I I hope that people get on to the to the vault and have a look at that, that that story that you told us, the the where you can go and actually capture some of those really brilliant brilliant, brilliant stories from other people. Thank you for for being here.Oli Cohen [00:15:31]:Thank you so much for having me on. Great to talk to you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Ghazenfer Mansoor, CEO of Technology Rivers, to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing SaaS development, scaling, and operations. With a background in healthcare and custom software, Ghazenfer shares his "10x Blueprint," unpacking the frameworks and mindsets founders need to leapfrog the competition without falling into the common trap of feature overload. The discussion covers the shift from feature-chasing to outcome-driven innovation, managing compliance in healthcare SaaS, harnessing AI-powered development tools, and the enduring importance of process, customer discovery, and balancing customization with scalability. Ghazenfer also teases his upcoming book on building mobile apps people truly love and use daily.Key Takeaways00:00 AI-driven Work and Digital Transformation06:53 "Stand Out with Unique Solutions"08:52 "Prioritize Unique, Problem-Solving Feature"12:51 "Expert-Led CRM for Service Growth"16:24 "Streamlining Processes with AI"17:28 Rapid AI-Driven Healthcare App Development21:23 Unexpected SEO Leads Evolution24:27 Streamlining Processes: Execution Challenges30:44 Decades in Mobile App Development31:54 "App Growth and Engagement Strategies"36:43 Business Transformation and AI VisionariesTweetable Quotes"Diagnose the bottlenecks first. You don't want to bring AI into everything without knowing where it's needed." — Ghazenfer Mansoor"Building endless features is a trap—solve one real problem your customer has, and do it better than anyone else." — Ghazenfer Mansoor"Customers don't want features; what they want is outcomes." — Jeff Mains“AI is not just about moving faster. It's about creating more efficiency and value in your business.” — Ghazenfer Mansoor"Software isn't static. It's a living system that needs continuous care, iteration and a keen eye on what's next." — Jeff Mains"Now software is being built by architects and AI agents. The old playbook is obsolete." — Ghazenfer MansoorSaaS Leadership LessonsStrategic Use of AI:Use technology to remove bottlenecks, not as a blanket solution.Prioritize Ruthlessly:Launch with a core differentiating feature; add bells and whistles only when customers truly demand them.Champion Process:Systems and processes are key—both for internal efficiency and for client delivery.Adapt or Be Disrupted:Stay ahead on innovation (like leveraging AI), or risk being left behind as industry shifts accelerate.Listen, Then Lead:Customer discovery is critical—sometimes you must show users what's possible, not just build what they say they want.Build for Iteration:Treat your product like a living system—plan for ongoing evolution, not just a single launch.Guest ResourcesGhazenfer Mansoor:gmansoor@technologyrivers.comhttps://technologyrivers.comhttp://facebook.com/techrivershttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gmansoor

This thought-provoking episode of SaaS Fuel welcomes Evan Schwartz, a visionary in AI-enabled sustainability and global enterprise transformation. Together, Jeff and Evan explore the seismic shifts AI is causing in both business and education. They dive deep into how the role of creativity is evolving in an AI-driven world, the pitfalls of hasty tech adoption, and why leaders must focus on documenting processes before layering on the latest tools. Evan shares hard-won lessons from implementing transformational systems, discusses how customer confusion—not technology—is often the greatest barrier to adoption, and envisions a radically creative future for the next generation.Key Takeaways00:00 "Documenting and Innovating for Success"05:26 Early Digital Transformation in Energy Industry08:48 Traditional Methods vs. Tech Adoption13:03 Adapting to Rapid Tech Changes15:37 "Elevating Customer Service with AI"19:01 "Refining Controls for Complex Systems"21:53 Mastering Prompt Engineering23:30 "Skill and Perspective: Realization"27:46 Agentic AI Enhances Customer Service30:31 Reassessing Education for Creativity35:12 "Building a Customer Journey Framework"38:18 "Understand Before You Buy Systems"40:44 "ROI's Comfortable Fit vs. Unrealistic Goals"45:05 "Feature Request Process Strategy"47:10 "Sprint Timeline and Code Impact"49:33 "First-Time Collaboration Challenges"53:16 Journey from Security Budgets to StartupsTweetable QuotesViral Business Transformation Moment: "I can't run my business without a piece of software. Wow, I've reached a point where there's no going back." - Evan SchwartzViral Topic: Why Some Industries Resist Software Adoption: "some of that equipment, some of that stuff they've used was built by, by the guy's grandpappy who designed that bark boiler 200 years ago. And the only thing I've ever had to do was grease the bolts and, you know, scrape some rust off of it and we're good to go. Those are very slow to change." - Evan SchwartzHow Schools Stifle Creativity: "We beat creativity out of our children in exchange for repeatable excellence." - Evan SchwartzInnovation Requires Honesty, Not Just Hype: "learning from failures, rather than just parading successes, sets the stage for smarter, more resilient innovation." - Jeff MainsViral Topic: Rethinking Burnout and Recovery"Burnout as more than just stress, framing it as a perfectionist narrative that disconnects people from their values." - Jeff MainsQuote: "Most leaders are exhausted from playing the lone hero and it's killing both your results and your sanity." - Jeff MainsCosmic Karma for Sharing Thought Leadership: "Everyone who shares this week gets a handwritten thank you note from the universe itself, delivered by a comet signed in stardust and forever boosting your cosmic karma score. Better than Xbox." - Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsPreserve Creativity:Don't beat creativity out of your teams chasing repeatable excellence—reward risk and experimentation, especially as AI absorbs rote work.Be Transparent About Adoption:Clearly document your current processes before implementing new tech. Gaps in process knowledge are the #1 cause of adoption failure.Balance Vision With...

In this insightful episode of the SaaS Fuel podcast, host Jeff Mains welcomes Nik Froehlich, founder and CEO of Saritasa. The conversation dives deep into the perennial pain points of custom software development, especially the ongoing challenge of translating business needs into effective technical solutions. Nick reflects on nearly two decades of helping businesses overcome tech hesitation, scale SaaS operations, and avoid major pitfalls in product development and maintenance.Together, they discuss the misconceptions SaaS founders have—like thinking software is “done” after launch, underestimating ongoing maintenance, and not accounting for technical debt. Nick shares lessons from working with a wide range of clients, managing feature requests versus product vision, and how to build a resilient tech culture. The episode also zeroes in on the evolving role of AI and low-code tools in the dev landscape, and Nik's predictions for custom dev firms in the SaaS ecosystem over the next five years.Key Takeaways00:00 Translators' Role in SaaS Scaling04:58 Bridging Business-Developer Communication09:25 "Emphasizing MVP in Software Development"12:21 Customer-Driven SaaS Feature Challenges13:44 SaaS Customers Push Boundaries17:26 Maintaining Client Confidence Strategies22:56 SaaS Product Optimization Service25:33 Business-Tech Partnership Origin28:48 "The Captain's Keys: Leadership Relationships"30:20 Underpriced Software Projects Issues34:55 "Middle-Market Focused Business Services"38:10 Interpreting Specifications: Key Differences40:27 Refactoring Delays in Technical Debt44:06 "AI Bots Need Supervision"50:22 Thermal Paper Alert System52:56 AI Transformation Insights with Industry LeadersTweetable QuotesThe Truth About SaaS Growth: "Why do so many SaaS founders think the hardest part is launching, when that's really just the warmup?"— Jeff Mains Viral Topic: The Power of Translators in Tech "There's also a hot take on the often missing role of translators, those rare people who can speak both business and geek or tech, turning those abstract goals into real world roadmaps without getting lost in all the jargon." — Jeff Mains Timeless Challenges in Technology: "And I think it's interesting in technology there aren't a lot of problems that last 20 plus years. And this will be a problem, I don't know, maybe 50 more years, 100 more years, I don't know. But from it has been from the very beginning and will continue to be absolutely timeless." — Jeff Mains "Some of the biggest value in the spec. You're not going to get everything in the spec. And I think one of the biggest things is, is the things that aren't said and the choices that are made and just the experience level." — Jeff Mains Bridging the Tech-Business Communication Gap: "The pain point really comes down to the communication between the stakeholders, in this case business people trying to run their business, whatever it is, and knowing that or hearing that they can use technology in a way, but delivering that request and communicating in a way to developers so they understand what they want because developers speak a different language." — Nik FroehlichViral Topic: The Challenge of Customer-Driven Product Decisions in SaaS "I've seen them put their foot down on multi-million dollar customers and just say, we're not doing it until the customer said...

This episode of the SaaS Fuel podcast dives deep into entrepreneurial burnout with Scott Anderson, author of "You're Not Toast" and founder of Double Dare. Scott blends his unique experience as a business owner, mental health therapist, and executive coach to challenge the traditional hustle narrative. Instead, he champions a values-driven approach to business growth and personal well-being. Together with host Jeff Mains, the discussion uncovers toxic narratives, the science of stress cycles, actionable mini-vacation techniques, and why internal rewiring—rather than external fixes—creates sustainable, joyful leadership. This episode is a must-listen for high-achieving leaders seeking not just to survive, but to thrive in both work and life.Key Takeaways00:00 Breaking Perfectionism's Cycle06:10 Success Narratives and Their Drawbacks08:47 Brain Chemistry's Role in Addiction13:09 Five-Second Vacations Combat Burnout15:06 "RNR Technique for Stress Management"18:22 Relaxation Boosts Entrepreneurial Productivity23:03 Rethinking Work and Achievement25:22 Breakthrough Beyond Revenue Plateau30:26 Work Less, Achieve More31:39 Ego's Double-Edged Sword34:34 Entrepreneurial Vulnerability and Reflection37:31 Recognizing and Addressing Burnout41:10 "Breaking Burnout Through Values Alignment"45:31 Program's Key: Community & Cohorts49:41 "Beyond Burnout: Discovering New Possibilities"52:24 "Overcoming Burnout and Embracing Innovation"Tweetable Quotes“Burnout isn't about working too hard. It's about chasing goals that don't even matter to you.” - Scott Anderson“Our biggest limiting beliefs are usually the exact habits that made us successful—to a point.” - Scott Anderson“You can do more in 20 hours a week with clarity than in 60 hours running on autopilot.” - Scott Anderson“A five-second vacation, taken five times a day, beats a five-day getaway when it comes to beating burnout.” - Scott Anderson“The answer isn't outside—a better system, an assistant, a retreat. Burnout is an inside job.” - Scott Anderson“Vulnerability unlocks community, and community dismantles the loneliness that fuels burnout.” - Scott AndersonSaaS Leadership LessonsSuperstition of Hustle: The habits that made you successful—working harder, saying yes to everything—become limiting beliefs that eventually prevent growth.Honor the Stress Cycle: Short real-time breaks are more powerful than long avoided ones. Address stress as it arises, not in bulk.True Burnout Cure Is Internal: Sustainable change comes from shifting your mindset and aligning with guiding principles, not external productivity hacks.Scale by Letting Go: Leadership at scale means dropping perfectionism and distributing responsibility, freeing yourself to focus on impact, not just hours.Vulnerability Is Strategic: Admitting struggles and embracing community prevents the isolation that powers burnout.Redefine Success for Yourself: If you're not clear on your core values, you'll chase goals that don't matter—and exhaust yourself doing it.Guest ResourcesWebsite & Burnout Assessment: burnoutbreakthrough.comBook: "You're Not Toast" – Available for $5 at burnoutbreakthrough.comFree Resource: fastfixcall.com for a complimentary burnout assessment and practical first-aid techniquesGet in touch...

Who is Kimberly?Kimberly Gawne is a dedicated professional in the field of alternative education, known for her insightful critiques of the traditional public school system. With a focus on Canada and the United States, Kimberley frequently addresses a common concern shared by parents, educators, and observers: the outdated nature of public school curricula, many of which have remained unchanged since the 1990s. Her work highlights the urgent need for educational reform and innovation, as she humorously notes that some educational materials are older than she is. Through her advocacy, Kimberly aims to inspire a modernized, dynamic approach to education that better serves current and future generations.Key Takeaways00:00 Public School Curriculum Criticisms05:11 Parental Involvement in Education Crucial06:59 Thoughtful Outsourcing Responsibilities10:44 Discover Kimberly's Journey & Resources14:17 "Unasked Killer Question"_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://systemise.me/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page :systemise.meIt's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSAlternative education, public schooling system, homeschooling, outdated curriculum, classroom sizes, private school, parent involvement, educational complaints, teacher frustration, educational outsourcing, parental responsibility, school PTA, student learning styles, burnout in homeschooling, educational support, star students, tutoring services, socialization in homeschooling, educational accountability, flexible learning, educational resources, school system reform, individualized education, factory-style education, John D. Rockefeller education, educational history, digital education, parent educator communication, modern curriculum, real-world preparationSPEAKERSKimberly Gawne, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:32]:Hi there, and welcome back to five questions over coffee. I have my coffee here in front of me. I need it at the moment because a man has just stopped it started chopping down a tree outside. So if there's a noise, that's what it is. I'm delighted, however, to be here with Kimberly Gorn. Kimberly, is gonna be talking to us about providing alternative education solutions for parents who are dissatisfied with the public schooling system. So, Kimberly, I love I love the attitude you brought with you as well. You've promised me you won't have skate stage fright.Stuart Webb [00:01:06]:You're just gonna do it. So I love the attitude. Let's do it together. How are you doing?Kimberly Gawne [00:01:12]:I'm doing well. It's really nice to be able to chat with you. Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it.Stuart Webb [00:01:17]:No problem at all. So, look, Kimberly, let's start with the the obvious first question. For anybody who is, who is at the moment sort of maybe themselves, struggling with the public schooling system, what are the sort of sort of thoughts that they have? Who who are they? Who is it you're trying to reach, and what is it you're trying to tell them?Kimberly Gawne [00:01:38]:I would say that the I mean, that's a good question. I get that I get asked that a lot is what are the complaints. Right? Because, I work in the alternative education space, and so a lot of people say that, well, you know, what what complaints are there with the public school system? They asked me to specify. And I kind of make a joke of it, and I say, well, a shorter list is what's not wrong with the public school system. The most common ones that I hear from people in terms of complaints, whether they're parents, whether they're educators, or whether they're just kind of on the sidelines of looking at how public education works is the curriculum. The fact that the curriculum itself is so outdated, so outdated, especially in I I can't speak for European education as much, but in Canada and The US, public school education, some of those curriculums have not been updated since nineteen nineties. Like, they're older than me. Not to you know, like, people aging is a different thing.Kimberly Gawne [00:02:36]:Curriculums aging is quite another. I think it's really important to make sure that we have accurate and updated information that we're teaching to children, let alone, you know, with the framework that we're teaching as well, or that from which we're teaching. Mhmm. So curriculum is definitely the biggest one. That's the biggest complaint that I hear. The other complaint is, the classroom sizes. And there's no getting around that no matter how you look at it. Public school or private school, you are typically in a class of anywhere from 15 to 30 plus children.Kimberly Gawne [00:03:10]:And and that's not that you're not able to really talk to the kids. You're not able to really teach them, in the way that they learn best. Right? That's one of the biggest frustrations I see from parents. I also see that from educators, but on the different side of the perspective because they're expected to teach all 30 children to the best of those kids' understanding, and they just can't. It's not possible.Stuart Webb [00:03:33]:Great. So, you know, I think we we can all we can all identify with with people who have you know, if you're you're a business owner, you don't wanna be trying to sort of reach out to 30 customers at a time. So, you know, parents are in the same situation. So tell me, what are these people I often say this about sort of, you know, when somebody sort of sees a a business person that's tried to solve a problem, parents are trying to solve this problem as well. What what are the sort of things you've seen that they've tried to do and maybe made mistakes trying to solve as part of their, desire to get their children better educated as part of their frustrations with with watching this situation at their school?Kimberly Gawne [00:04:20]:I see I see some commonalities when it comes to parents, trying their best. And this is not to say that, you know, parents don't have good, good intentions. Of course, they do. We all have good intentions when it comes to our children, especially when it comes to their education. One of the common mistakes that I see parents making when it comes to their child's education is outsourcing it without any sense of responsibility, without any sense of responsibility. One of my favorite things to say is that the public school system is glorified babysitting. I get a lot of hate for that, but it's true if you think about it. What else are are parents doing other than sending their children to a public school that's going to just babysit their kids all day while the parents are at work.Kimberly Gawne [00:05:11]:If the parent themselves does not have any responsibility, any communication, any sort of, initiative to go and talk to the teachers, to go and get involved with the school activities, to go you know, if there's a PTA, go get involved with the PTA. If there's no responsibility on the part of the parent in terms of getting involved with their kids' education, the children are the ones that suffer because those are the kids that will fall through the cracks. Because the teachers, quite simply, don't have the brain space and or the time, to be quite honest with you, to give all 30 children the the best of what they are able to give them because they have Of course. They have, what, forty five minutes or fifty minutes or, you know, maybe seventy five if you're talking about high school. If you have a child whose parents are not involved and whose parents are not, as active in their school life, that child is going to suffer because nobody's looking out for that kid's best interest in terms of educationally speaking. Right? In in my in that specific context for me, no no one's looking out for their educational interests. So that's a really common mistake that I see parents making is outsourcing without any sense of responsibility. There's nothing wrong with outsourcing, but you still have to be involved because you're you as the parent are your child's first, you're you're the child's first barrier to or the first first guardian to, getting that good education, to be able to to speak for your child if they're, you know, in elementary school, they're in grades one through eight.Kimberly Gawne [00:06:43]:They're not really able to speak for themselves in terms of what's best for their best educational interest. You as the parent, that's your job. And if you're not saying anything because you're not involved, there that no one else is going to do that for you.Stuart Webb [00:06:59]:And I think that's a really good message that you've given with the fact that too much outsourcing is done without thought of the responsibilities you own as the sort of parent or, the the the, you know, if we we think of, you know, too many times people outsource things without really thinking about their responsibilities within the process, which is exactly what you've described. A parent just sort of, you know, says, well, I I don't know what else to do. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna leave it and hope for the best. And that's where things go wrong, isn't it? When you hope for the best, we often we often fail to realize that actually there, you know, there are things we can do. There are things we can the actions we can take in order to improve, if not if not, drastically change the situation.Kimberly Gawne [00:07:50]:Absolutely. Absolutely. And like I said, it's not there's nothing wrong with outsourcing because you can't do it all yourself. That's another mistake I see parents making is that they they can they're like, okay. Well, I'm gonna homeschool my children. I'm gonna do all of it myself. You will burn out so fast. Absolutely.Kimberly Gawne [00:08:07]:Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:08:07]:Yeah. You know, if you if you're if you're busy working or if you don't have the the necessary income in order to be able to afford to sort of have one parent take the time off, then then it becomes very difficult, doesn't it?Kimberly Gawne [00:08:19]:Mhmm. Yeah. Absolutely. Even if you have a parent, we have I have quite a few clients actually who that's a sort of, that's the sort of category that they fall into where there's one parent who is actively working and away from home, and then there's the other parent, usually the mom, because that's just how the dynamic works, who's homeschooling kids, who's chosen to make the time to homeschool the children. But when you have multiple children, I and I'm speaking from experience here, when you have multiple children that you're trying to homeschool in the same household at once, it is a lot. It is a lot. So there's nothing wrong with outsourcing, but you still have to be involved. Right? You can't just outsource with that and say, okay.Kimberly Gawne [00:08:57]:Now it's this person's job. I'm they you know, I'm I'm paying them the money. They'll just they'll just take care of everything. You as the parent still have to be an active participant in your child's journey, whatever that looksStuart Webb [00:09:09]:like. So is there a a piece of advice, an offer you can you can provide people who are currently watching this and going, this is me. This is me. I'm I'm kind of intrigued to know more. What what what is the valuable piece of advice that you would you would offer them?Kimberly Gawne [00:09:24]:I would say that the most valuable piece of advice I could offer parents at whatever stage they might be at in their child's journey, This is perhaps more of a reassurance than advice. It is never too late to start over. It's never too late to say, hey. Something needs to change because this isn't working anymore. Right? Yeah. And in order to say that, it requires a sense of accountability as to, like, hey. This isn't working for me. This isn't working for my child, more importantly.Kimberly Gawne [00:09:57]:What can we do to change it? Instead of sitting there and saying, oh, well, you know, it's already ruined. They're already in public school. You know, they're already in private school. It's it's not working, but whatever. What else do you do? I would encourage people to look outside the box. There's so many different solutions for alternative education these days, and public school is just not it's just not where it's at anymore in terms of preparing children for the real world, in terms of fitting a family's flexible lifestyle. It it is just not there. So my piece of advice, look around you, take stock of what the world is like, ask yourself, is this public school system preparing my child for what this world is going to be like in ten years or even in five years.Stuart Webb [00:10:44]:And I'd encourage everybody to go to the link that I'm just showing at the bottom of the screen at the moment, which is www.systemize.me/free-stuff. We'll have links to Kimberly's website, her LinkedIn profile, and and everything there so that you can you can find out more about what Kimberly's talking about here and and and understand the sort of actions that you can take in order to solve these problems if, you are, who, if you're one of the people that, that that you you feel it's Kimberly is talking to you at the moment. Kimberly, can I just sort of find out a little bit more about how you got to be well who you are today? What was it? Was there a book? Was there a was there a a course, a program, a life situation that eventually brought you to the realization that you need to take this sort of responsibility for stepping into the outsourcing breach, if I can put it like that.Kimberly Gawne [00:11:47]:Mhmm. I I just laugh. I'm just chuckling as you're saying that because it was definitely not a book. It's simply not a book or a course, or program. It was, as we mentioned, a life situation, that brought me to starting like, to to starting star students and to being able to, provide that for families. I graduated teachers college in March or rather in April, of twenty twenty. So ifStuart Webb [00:12:15]:people were to graduate.Kimberly Gawne [00:12:17]:I'm telling you. We went home, and it I I remember it to the day. It was Friday, 03/13/2020, because that was the Friday before March break. To make a long story short, we we decided we were taking two weeks, and I never saw my kids again that I was teaching. That was a that that was the five let me call that the the cherry on the icing on the cake of a long line of complaints that I had, with my with the public school system in my six years of post secondary education. So I really had to take a hard look once I graduated. I did that year. I had to take a hard look at, is this something I really want to do? And the answer was no, quite frankly, because it was not something that I was willing to sign myself up for.Kimberly Gawne [00:13:05]:It was not something that I wanted to have be my fulfillment. I could not I I could not see myself doing the a public school teaching job and coming home every day, Monday to Friday, for the next forty years, looking in the mirror and genuinely saying to myself, I did a good job today with those kids.Stuart Webb [00:13:26]:Yeah. Yeah.Kimberly Gawne [00:13:27]:That was what it came down to. That was what it came down to. I realized I could not do that. I could not look myself in the mirror and say I did a good job with those kids. I said if I can't do it after, you know, two years of being in school, in a school, how am I gonna do that for forty? For the next forty, right, or thirty or whatever my code would be in the public school system. So that I mean, that was where it started because I I was kind of I I said, okay. Well, that's not I I can't I can't do that. What am I going to do instead? And star students was born to make a long story short, star students was born from that.Kimberly Gawne [00:14:04]:It was born from the desire to do something different and the desire to see something different for the kids of this generation and for future generations because they don't deserve what they're getting in the public school system. They don't.Stuart Webb [00:14:17]:And and I think that's a that's a a brave action to take at a very tough time for the world anyway. But, I mean, that is a that was a that was a driving force clearly, and and I guess that's what led you to this, which is kind of what I'm expecting you to be thinking at the moment. Do you know he still hasn't asked me that killer question, which I just don't understand why he hasn't got this? So, you know, I'm obviously unable to think what that killer question is because otherwise, I wouldn't now be asking you to say, what's the question that you think I should be asking you so that you can really sort of get me to understand exactly the next actions I should take. So what's that question that you think you would like to answer? And then, obviously, once you've asked it, you need to answer it, Kimberly, because that's the way this works.Kimberly Gawne [00:15:05]:Right. The I would say the killer question that I always that is always the number one thing that people ask me when it comes to homeschooling. They find out that, you know, we provide homeschooling services and and tutoring services. Tutoring services is something that people can, understand because it's in our cultural schema. Right? When people find out that Star Students is very much about homeschooling and we provide a variety of homeschooling supports, the first question that people always ask without fail, when they when they talk about homeschooling is, oh my goodness. How are you gonna homeschool children? They need to be socialized. What do you mean you're taking it from public school or some sort of variety of that? Right? That is the killer question I get asked. I get asked that on podcast.Kimberly Gawne [00:15:51]:I get asked that by parents. I get asked that by, teachers, public school educators. Right? What do you mean? Are you gonna homeschool your children? You can't you can't do that. They won't be socialized. That's my killer question, I would say. Because the answer, I think, really shakes a lot of people. It really makes a lot of people think about how our world is set up. I very simply respond to that question, and I say, is public school actually educating your children, or is it indoctrinating them into the nine to five factory style workforce? Not one person.Kimberly Gawne [00:16:34]:Every single person has that look on their face. They just oh, you're right. If you look into the public school education, history, if you look into the history of how public school education got started, it was John d Rockefeller that started our public school education. Not to get on a history tip. I am a history fan. I'm a history major, actually. Not to get on a history tip, but John d Rockefeller started the public school education system with the intent with the publicized intent of making sure that he had factory workers and not thinkers. So if that doesn't say to you about the intentions of what the public school system intends to do to your children, if that doesn't say something to you, I I don't know what will.Kimberly Gawne [00:17:25]:That that's my killer that's my question. Gives people a lot to think about.Stuart Webb [00:17:32]:And I was about to say and I think that is an interesting point at which to say, this is where people let's go back once again. Have a look at what Kimberly's, Kimberly says in in her profile and and and the, the the website get and where where you talk about getting getting started with with homeschooling. So, Kimberly, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna leave people with that thought, and ask them to check you out further. And at this point, I'm just gonna say, look. If you would like to get onto the main list so that you get access to that free stuff or if you would like to, to to hear about the people that are coming up on the podcast coming up, go to this form, which is www.systemize, that's with an s, not a a zed or z,systemize.mesubscribed, s y s t e m I s e, Me forward / subscribe. And, you'll just get a it's just simple form, email, first name, and then you get an email once a week, which basically tells you about who's coming up on the podcast. Now outside my window, the tree is being heavily chopped down, so I don't know if you can hear that. So I'm just gonna thank I'm gonna thank Kimberly.Stuart Webb [00:18:48]:Okay.Kimberly Gawne [00:18:49]:So you're good.Stuart Webb [00:18:51]:Thank Kimberly for her time now. Kimberly, thank you so much for coming on to talk about this. I really hope that people do get on and, listen to some of this stuff that you're saying because I think it's important. Kimberly, thank you so much for being with us. I trust, that the kids continue to behave. I I know, I know in the background, you've got quite a lot of activity, so enjoy the time with them. They grow up very fast, and, eventually, they become less educated and less trouble, but an awful lot, a lot of my distant to you. So enjoy the time you got with them now, and thanks for coming on and talking to us.Kimberly Gawne [00:19:29]:Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Eli Portnoy joins Jeff Mains on SaaS Fuel to dive deep into the world of B2B customer feedback, leadership, and scaling SaaS ventures. Eli shares candid stories and practical wisdom from his career, including founding and exiting Sense360 and ThinkNear. He breaks down how BackEngine AI is changing the game for customer retention and voice-of-customer insights by harnessing AI to organize and activate the wealth of organic customer feedback that's already flowing through businesses. The conversation ranges from tactical product decisions and the dangers of confirmation bias, to transformative leadership lessons, distribution vs. product obsession, and the future of AI in SaaS. This episode is a goldmine for scaling founders, product leaders, and anyone who wants to build lasting companies around customer obsession and actionable data.Key Takeaways00:00 Appoint Voice of Customer Owner05:38 Leveraging AI for Customer Feedback08:07 "Customer Data Insights Unveiled"11:20 Visibility Challenges and Customer Feedback16:04 Second Business: Hard Lessons Learned18:01 Balancing Data with Intuition21:26 Pursuit of Right Answers24:34 Appointing Customer Voice Ownership28:14 "Empower Through Shared Context"31:06 "Context Enables Growth in Teams"33:17 "Focus on Pain, Not Solutions"39:33 Sales Empathy Essential for Success41:53 Successful SaaS: Niche vs. Consolidation45:02 Burnout: Catalyst for Personal GrowthTweetable Quotes“If an executive team cares about the voice of the customer, someone needs to own it—explicitly and visibly.” — Eli PortnoyViral Topic: The Hidden Cost of Leadership Loneliness: "Most leaders are exhausted from playing the lone hero and it's killing both your results and your sanity." — Jeff Mains“Most B2B companies operate on anecdotes, not data. That's where bias creeps in.” — Eli Portnoy“The customer isn't always right—but they're always insightful.” — Eli PortnoyViral Topic - Digging Deeper Than Features: "It's not about the feature. It's not about the horse or the car or anything else. What do they really want? They want to go faster." — Jeff Mains“Distribution beats product if nobody knows about you or can't buy from you. Prioritize both.” — Eli Portnoy“Context is the most important thing you can give a high-performing team.” — Eli Portnoy“In the age of AI, building features is easy—delivering outcomes through focus and distribution sets the winners apart.” — Eli PortnoyPreventing Burnout as a Leader: "Stop drowning alone and build your stability matrix." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsMake Customer Obsession Tangible:Assign clear responsibility and accountability for customer feedback within your executive team.Don't Rely on Surveys Alone:True feedback is happening organically; invest in systems or tools that capture it across all customer touchpoints.Default to ‘I Don't Know':The best leaders approach growth with curiosity, seeking truth rather than confirmation of personal biases.Share the “Why” Behind Decisions:Equip your teams with context so they make aligned, mission-driven choices without bottlenecking leadership.Speed Matters for Reversible Decisions:Don't overthink what doesn't move the needle. Make quick calls unless the decision is high-impact and hard to reverse.Prioritize Team Over Titles:Avoid title inflation to win talent; it creates future misalignment and headaches as you...

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez discuss the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and its implications for taxpayers, real estate investors, and the general public. They break down the key components of the bill, including changes to standard deductions, bonus depreciation, and specific benefits for real estate investors. Also covering the impact of the bill on the national debt, social security, and incentives for clean energy investments. They also address the potential consequences for individuals regarding EV credits, solar incentives, and the implications for state and local taxes (SALT) caps. In the end, they will share more practical advice for maximizing the benefits from the new tax laws and the importance of staying informed and proactive in financial planning. Tune in to learn more about this!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:00:15Discussing the One Big Beautiful Bill00:01:45Breaking Down the Bill's Impact00:03:40Real Estate Investor Benefits00:05:27Understanding Depreciation00:06:41Bonus Depreciation Explained00:09:26Tax Strategies and Planning00:19:25State and Local Tax (SALT) Cap00:24:01Tax Benefits for Middle Class00:25:15Incentives for Workers00:27:54Auto Loan Deduction00:28:41Understanding the Child Tax Credit00:29:13Global Population Trends and Policies00:31:22Immigration and Economic Policies00:33:14Social Security and Economic Impacts00:35:03Tax Incentives for Clean Energy and EVs00:39:51Real Estate and Tax Strategies00:50:41Estate Tax Exemption and Final ThoughtsResources and LinksOne Big Beautiful Bill Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

Why do so many product launches fall flat, even when the market should want them?In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Neil Twa, CEO and co-founder of Voltage Holdings, to talk about unlocking product-market fit through AI-powered data engines and customer intent analysis. Neil shares his journey from spreadsheets and guesswork to an intelligence-driven system that has launched multiple 8-figure Amazon brands.Whether you're in SaaS or physical products, you'll learn how to align your offer with demand, eliminate guesswork, and build a business designed for scale and exit. From avoiding vanity metrics to pricing for value, this episode is a blueprint for intentional, scalable growth.Key Takeaways00:00 – Data-driven product launches02:26 – Why products fail: The product-customer disconnect06:00 – From spreadsheets to AI-powered product research08:00 – Discovering customer intent through Cosmo + Rufus AI10:20 – Aligning listings with real Amazon demand12:14 – "Sales fixes everything" and building for fast ROI14:10 – Greenlighting products: Profit-first approach17:00 – Don't marry your product, marry the brand20:00 – Understanding demand engines (Amazon, TikTok, etc.)23:00 – Misaligned AI = missed opportunity26:00 – The #1 question: What the heck do I sell?28:00 – Building with the exit in mind (Platinum Principle)31:00 – Profit extraction vs. long-term value33:00 – Pricing SaaS products based on experience35:00 – Tiered pricing and support strategies37:00 – Be selective with affiliates and partnerships38:00 – Lead from your own wins40:00 – Imperfect action creates perfect opportunities42:00 – Real case studies + beta testing results44:00 – Milestones, timeframes, and abundance mindsetTweetable Quotes“The number one question every founder asks: What the heck do I sell, and who do I sell it to?” – Neil Twa“Sales fixes everything. Figure out what to sell and who to sell it to—fast.” – Neil Twa“Don't marry your product. Marry the brand.” – Neil Twa“If the AI thinks your product is for men, but it's really for women, you lose—even with the best product.” – Neil Twa“A $97 product won't build a 7-figure business. Price for the result, not just the access.” – Neil Twa“Imperfect action creates something perfect along the way.” – Neil TwaSaaS Leadership LessonsData alignment > keyword hacksAI-powered tools that match intent will outperform keyword-driven guessing every time.Validate at 80%, then iterateYou don't need perfection—get to 80% product confidence and let the market fine-tune the rest.Marry the brand, not the productSuccessful companies adapt product lines to match evolving demand—don't get stuck on a single idea.Price for transformation, not featuresCustomers pay more when they understand the value. Price accordingly and educate your audience.Imperfect action creates feedback loopsLaunch MVPs with real users. Iterate with feedback, not in isolation.Build to exit, but earn trust firstSystemize operations, optimize value, and serve your own company before inviting others in.Guest ResourcesEmail - nailvoltagedm@gmail.comWebsite - https://www.voltagedm.com/FB -

Who is Howard?Howard Polansky is a pragmatic individual who navigates life's financial intricacies with a focus on strategic decision-making. Recognizing common defaults in financial practices, he often critiques the conventional 30-year mortgage system prevalent in the United States. Polansky understands that while many opt to pay extra on their monthly mortgage to reduce the term, the fixed nature of the monthly payment remains unchanged, a topic he frequently discusses. His insights reflect a deep understanding of financial commitments, emphasizing the impact of additional payments and highlighting the etymology of "mortgage" as a lasting "death pledge." Through his observations, Polansky shares his wisdom on making informed financial choices.Key Takeaways00:00 "Cash Flow Chat with Howard"06:03 Pay Yourself First, Always08:01 "Ebook Insights on Home Equity"12:40 "Prepare Financially During Success"16:21 "Key Unasked Question"19:32 "Motivating Business Financial Freedom"_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://systemise.me/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level:If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page :systemise.meIt's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSCash flow, cash flow coach, financially led, debt management, high debt professions, medical debt, student loan debt, mortgage payments, fixed debt payments, paying off debt, interest reduction, offset mortgage, home equity line of credit, business owners, business cash flow, paying yourself first, tax payments, IRS, emergency fund, financial planning, risk management, business continuity, business loans, personal finance education, burnout, work-life balance, entrepreneur finances, insurance planning, financial ebook, income preservationSPEAKERSHoward Polansky, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:33]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee. I haven't actually got a coffee in front of you at the moment. This is actually fruit tea, because if I drink too much coffee, after lunchtime, I start to go to sleep. And I don't wanna go to sleep right at the moment because I'm really interested in speaking with Howard Polanski. Howard is a he's a cash flow coach, who doesn't need to speak to one of those nowadays. Howard is the cash flow coach at Financially Led, and we're we're gonna get into what that means at the moment. But who doesn't wanna spend some time thinking about cash flow and how to preserve it in these days? So, Howard, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee, and I trust you're ready to take us through cash flow and financially led.Howard Polansky [00:01:26]:Thank you, Stuart. Thank you for the opportunity.Stuart Webb [00:01:30]:It's It's terrific. So let's start with, let's just start. You're you're you're a former dentist, so we'll get into how you ended up in this situation. But who is it you're trying to help with your advice on on cash flow and and financial matters overall?Howard Polansky [00:01:47]:Those that don't like being in debt. And if we're talking about people let me just use The US since that's where I'm based. Those professions that are high debt type of professions, medical doctors, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, lawyers, where they just have these massive fixed payments that they're trying to navigate around. And sometimes it feels like all I'm doing is going to work to literally pay off these debts. When do I get to enjoy my life?Stuart Webb [00:02:25]:Yeah.Howard Polansky [00:02:25]:And and I'm not saying that there's not other industries that face that challenge, but those are the obvious ones that if there is a way for us to minimize the impact of those fixed debt payments, get them out of our lives sooner, pay less interest. Now all of a sudden, you have more money freed up at the end of each month.Stuart Webb [00:02:47]:And and and, Howard, I'm I'm sure you can you can sort of, you can help us to understand this, but was that a situation that you were in as a dentist? Did you find yourself wondering every day, why am I doing this? There must be an easier way to make a loss, and that's what you led you to where you are?Howard Polansky [00:03:05]:Well, I didn't know if that was gonna be the question now or it was gonna be question number five in terms of how I got into this. If you wanna wait until then, we can, or you want me to go through the story now, I will.Stuart Webb [00:03:16]:Yeah. I'll put it I'll put it to you as question five. Let's just talk a little bit more about how you, what you the the sort of things that the the people you've helped have got into the sort of trouble they have, and what are they trying to do to get out of it? What is it what is it you see when you sort of they they eventually engage an expert like you and you start dealing with them? So they they recognize eventually they they have a problem and they need to do something about it.Howard Polansky [00:03:42]:Yeah. So, I mean, one of the I hate to call it a mistake, but one of the ways that people are doing it just because it's either it's by default or by design. And so by default, they're like, I've got this mortgage. Let's just say that. And in The US it's a thirty, traditionally a thirty year mortgage. Well, I don't wanna pay on this for thirty years, so let me throw a little bit of additional money against this. So if I've got a $2,000 mortgage, let me put 2,200 and I know that's going to save me some time. The problem is, what's your payment the next month? It's still the $2,000 It does not change when you put extra money against the mortgage because the more mortgage is two French words put together, which literally means death pledge.Howard Polansky [00:04:39]:So the system is set up for you to make payments until the day you die or you're gonna die trying. This allows you and, again, you're we're over on different sides of the pond, so I'm not gonna keep this a secret. Over in The UK and Australia, they're known as offset mortgages. So the open ended mortgages where all of the money can go in to lower the overall balance of the debt. When you lower the overall balance of the debt, you're lowering the amount of interest you pay on a daily basis. And then when the expenses come due, you just take that much out, but you've got the excess now attacking the entirety of the debt versus the way that it's set up in The US. They have a one way street known as your house in front of you. You only make the minimum payment because you're like, if I put more money in, I can't get the money back out.Howard Polansky [00:05:42]:And when we don't have access to money, that's when people don't sleep very well. So that's the common mistake is how I'm just putting more money into this loan, but then if something happens, I get disabled, I get fired, I still have this fixed payment in front of me, and now I have no wiggle room.Stuart Webb [00:06:03]:Yeah. I I'm always very aware that a lot of business owners, disobey, for want of a better word, one of the golden rules which which I think is is something I hope you'll you'll agree with, which is they forget that they need to pay themselves first out of the income into their business. They're putting it against all sorts of other things, and then eventually they realize that there isn't anything left for them. And they they're left in a situation like you've just said where suddenly they are unable to pay the bills that have come in for their family, and they then have to get back on the treadmill and work even harder because they've now forgotten that they've got a life. And and I just think it's it's it's often this the the the the the golden rules of, you know, thinking about your cash flow and how you allocate it are so difficult for many business owners for for reasons because often we are not taught. We are not given the instruction early enough in our lives about how to manage money.Howard Polansky [00:07:04]:What's even worse than not paying yourself first is not only do you pay yourself, you take the money from the IRS that you have to pay them and use that on your expenses too. I've seen that situation happen also. That's never a good situation that I wanna be involved in.Stuart Webb [00:07:23]:Now if there's one thing you should definitely be very aware of is the tax man will find you and will hunt you down if you are if you are diligent in, not diligent in playing that that money off. Howard, look. The the the these must be times at the moment. People are are listening to you and thinking, I think I hear myself in this. This might be me. What valuable piece of advice or or or free free offer can you sort of help people with? And, and how would you sort of, you know, give them that that allow them to sort of access you?Howard Polansky [00:08:01]:Yeah. The probably the easiest way to understand a little bit more of the concept behind this is my ebook. So financiallyled.com, so that's just LEDfinanciallyled.com/ebook. It'll take you maybe about twenty minutes to go through and start to understand the three lessons on how and why this works. The second, if I'm okay if it's okay for me to get a second piece of advice, Stuart, is if you have lived in let's just keep it on the personal side for now. If you've lived in your residence for a number of years now, whether it's in overseas or in The US, it doesn't matter, Your house is probably appreciated substantially, and there is equity. There is cash literally trapped in the bricks. While you're employed, while business looks good, go get a home equity line of credit.Howard Polansky [00:09:08]:Have access to the cash because you just never know what's gonna happen in life. I mean, here's a perfect example. One of my clients is a dentist. She texts me back in November saying, guess what happened to me two months ago? I'm like, this is just out of the blue. I'm like, I don't know. COVID? It's like, no. Two ruptured aneurysms and a mini stroke. Mhmm.Howard Polansky [00:09:34]:Mhmm. She's 40 she's 46 years old, Stuart. I don't think this was in her life plan in terms of, oh, I'm gonna go I wanna be in the ICU and have brain surgery for three weeks sitting in a hospital. If it wasn't for having the business line of credit set up twelve to eighteen months ago, her business would be toast. That buffer of cash is what allowed her to keep paying the bills. Even though there was no money coming in, it was the access to cash that allowed her to pay her team, pay the bills so that she could get back to still having a a functioning business.Stuart Webb [00:10:19]:I've just put a link, on the the screen in front of you, Howard. I'm gonna put that story and the link to your ebook into our vault. Our vault, if you if it listen, guys, it if you're listening to this and you go, I need to do that. If you didn't capture what Howard just said, go to, Systemize, and that's the word systemize, but it's spelled with an s, not a zed, systemize slash free hyphen stuff. There's a vault there with with and and we'll put Howard's link, and we'll put that story in order for you to be able to sort of capture that and come back to it again and again and again because that is really valuable advice. I think that's a truth that everybody should be trying to do, Howard. It's not just dentists that have aneurysms. Anybody can have one of those.Stuart Webb [00:11:03]:You know, I I have a a a a friend who went on a very nice holiday, fell over, skiing, and they were in a similar situation. They were suddenly unable to work. And if they hadn't set up the right systems in place in in his case, it was the fact that his business carried on because he had set up teams that were working. But he had to you have to think ahead, don't you? You have to you do have to do exactly what you said. This might not be in the plan, but there is a risk that this could happen. So, therefore, I need to sort of deal with the risk before it happens, not as it happens because it takes time. These things take time to set up. They don't happen overnight.Stuart Webb [00:11:46]:You have to plan it. You have to think about it. You have to put that into your thinking, don't you?Howard Polansky [00:11:51]:Absolutely. And and look, you know as well as I do, when are banks gonna gonna be most, when are they gonna be most appreciative of giving you money? When you don't need it.Stuart Webb [00:12:06]:When you've got it.Howard Polansky [00:12:08]:That's exactly as soon as you're in distress, they're the last people that wanna help you. So get this set up while things are going goodStuart Webb [00:12:18]:Yeah.Howard Polansky [00:12:19]:And just have it there just in case because stuff happens. I mean, we're live, so I definitely don't wanna say what I normally say, but stuff happens. And it's just far easier to have this all in place before any of this stuff happens because we know it's happened to everyone. It's a it's part of life.Stuart Webb [00:12:40]:It is. And, you know, there's an old there's an old story about a man walking down the road, it's pouring with rain, and he sees a farmer digging a well. And he turned around and said, why are you digging the well when it's raining? And he said, because now the ground is soft and the digging is easy. The last thing you wanna be doing is digging a well when there is no water and the ground is hard. So if you're in a situation at the moment where your business is still doing well, I know we're going into some, economically interesting times at the moment, but if you've got a business that's doing well, now's the time to be digging that well ready for when, perhaps the the ground hardens and it's not quite as easy digging. Howard, I'm I'm I'm gonna gonna, gonna get on with this because otherwise, I think we'll be here for many, many hours talking about this. So was there a sort of we we sort of talked about the the the origin of your sort of, a realization that financially led was the way that you wanted to go. Was there a a books, a course, something that led you from from where you are as a dentist now to being, the guy that tries to advise other people that, they need to think about their cash flow?Howard Polansky [00:13:50]:Yeah. The the one book which really helped in terms of solidifying this whole concept, the author's name is Harsh Gill, h a r j is the first name, g I l l. And it's the book is something like pay off your debt sooner. That was the first time I ever heard in terms of this offset mortgage, they call it the Australian mortgage or whatever. And I was like, oh my god. This is the most logical way I've ever seen in terms of being able to pay off debt. It doesn't have to be a house. It can be student loans.Howard Polansky [00:14:29]:It can be cars. It can be business loans, whatever it is. I just realized that once I was able to utilize this for myself and I got my I got down to a $24 house payment, which might be about £20 for you. I shared that with another dentist and he could not believe what he was seeing and is like, can you help me? And I'm like, I think so. And he ended up paying off his house in eight months instead of thirty years. Wow. Wow. And and that and that's when it really the light bulb went off.Howard Polansky [00:15:07]:And then later on, I was like, wait. I think I can help apply this idea to businesses because if the business has more cash flow, where's it gonna spill over? It's gonna spill over to that owner's personal life, which is where I was trying to make the impact anyway. And the answer is, yeah, it works beautifully, for the average business owner, the cash flow improvements been over $65,000 in year one. SoStuart Webb [00:15:39]:But again, notHoward Polansky [00:15:41]:doing anything crazy.Stuart Webb [00:15:43]:For those that want a personal testimony, I had an offset mortgage. We became mortgage free quite a while ago, and, I'm very grateful for the fact that I found it. So, Howard, perhaps perhaps if I'd got this advice from you many years ago, I'd I'd have to but but I found it myself. So they're a great thing. They're a great thing.Howard Polansky [00:16:03]:For the right person, if you're gonna go and just, you know, spend on Louis Vuitton and Lamborghinis and and trips around the world and you don't have the cash flow to back that up, please don't do this. You are going to get yourself in trouble.Stuart Webb [00:16:21]:I will I will not I will not immediately go out and buy a Lamborghini then. I will I will keep that. I'll keep what I've got at the moment because, clearly, that would be the wrong wrong thing for me. So, Howard, let let me let me let me sort of, help you get back out to helping people do this rather than talking about it. Is there a question that you think I should have asked you in these questions? Is there one thing that you're thinking? I wish you'd hurry up and get to the really important question. And, obviously, once you've posed the question, you need to answer it because I don't know what the question is at the moment.Howard Polansky [00:16:55]:We've kinda hinted at it before. How the heck does someone go from being a dentist to doing this?Stuart Webb [00:17:02]:Let's talk about it.Howard Polansky [00:17:04]:Yeah. So I tell people now sometimes life leaves you little clues and other times life hits you with a two by four. My two by four moment was Sunday morning, Memorial Day weekend twenty eighteen. Jaden, my older son, is 12 years old. I'm sitting next to his bed. He realizes I'm there and he says, Dad. His voice is barely above a whisper. Yeah, buddy.Howard Polansky [00:17:30]:I lean over the bed, I put my ear over his mouth to make sure I can hear him, and he says three words I'll never forget. Am I dying? Oh. Twelve days earlier, Jaden came home with a stomachache. Three days after the stomachache were in the ICU at the Children's Hospital having emergency surgery. Woah. It was a it was appendicitis that turned septic, twenty nine days in the hospital, 19 of them in the ICU, eight straight days of sedation because he went to the Operating Room 5 times. After they take the tube out of his throat, they give him methadone and morphine to bring him down from the drugs he was on. So my 12 year old son looks like a heroin addict coming down from a high, and the very first question he will only ask me are those three little words, am I dying? My first breath was, did I hear him correctly? My second breath was, do not lose it right now.Howard Polansky [00:18:34]:I look him in the eyes, and I tell him, no. You're not dying. You've had prayers from thousands of people all around the world, and you're gonna be just fine. He looks at me, he knows I'm telling him the truth. He closes his eyes to get more rest. I walk outside the room and then I broke. I was already miserable. I was burnt out from sixteen years of dentistry.Howard Polansky [00:18:57]:And one thought seared into my mind, if life is this fragile and I'm unhappy with the path that I'm on, burn the ships, it's over. That's what I did. I sold my practice September 2018, just walked away. And if I didn't make the bold move of walking away from dentistry, I would have never had this $24 house payment and never took the shot to open open a new business and do this. So that's that's the one question, Stuart.Stuart Webb [00:19:32]:Howard, if if if that is the story that motivates people to get and think about their cash flow situation, to manage their business in such a way that they turn it from being a millstone around their neck to something which is actually an asset and something which brings them the financial freedom that you got from making that decision. I trust and pray nobody has to go through what you went through to make that decision, But we can all learn from the fact that you cannot regulate, cannot plan for life to continue being the joy that it is. So if it is currently raining in your business and the ground is soft and you are not currently digging the well and taking advice from people like Howard, I would encourage you, please go and find that stuff in the in what we've said with that, Howard. Get that ebook and get on and listen to some of the brilliant advice. Howard, listen. That is a hugely, humbling story for me to have listened to, and I'm grateful for the fact that you spent just a few minutes with us giving us that story. Let me just let me just be slightly flippant now and just say please come subscribe to our newsletter list because I would love you listening to us now to to be able to get and hear people like Howard talk about these stories and really motivate you to make your business better. If you go to www.systemize.me/subscribe, there's a simple form.Stuart Webb [00:21:06]:It just asks for your first name, your email address, and that's all I want from you. Just so I can send you an email once a week saying we've got this really great guest coming up tomorrow. Come listen to some of the stuff they do, and you can listen to some real truth bombs, like Howard's given us today. Howard, that is a powerful way to end. I'm not really wanting to say very much more other than thank you very, very much for coming on and motivating us to get control of our finances and our cash flow. And and and thank you for taking the steps that you've taken in order to be that, that cash flow coach.Howard Polansky [00:21:41]:Stuart, thank you for the opportunity.Stuart Webb [00:21:44]:It's been brilliant. Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Is your SaaS team aligned—or just busy? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Jolly Nanda, GTM advisor and sales strategy expert, to discuss how SaaS founders can build scalable growth by aligning product, marketing, and sales from day one.Jolly shares insights from scaling teams at SAP, Adobe, and Atlassian, and breaks down what early-stage SaaS leaders can do today to build healthy sales pipelines, improve forecasting accuracy, and foster a culture of truth-telling inside the funnel.In this episode, you'll learn:How to fix the misalignment between sales, product, and marketingWhat most founders get wrong about pipeline hygieneWhy culture—not comp plans—drives real sales performanceHow to use product-led growth alongside sales, not against itThe mindset shift every founder must make to scaleIf you're tired of hero sales and pipeline guesswork, this episode gives you a clear framework to build process-driven, revenue-responsible teams.Key Takeaways00:00 – The sales number isn't the whole story04:10 – Early-stage GTM red flags05:30 – Product, marketing, and sales: 1 team, not 306:42 – Sales culture vs sales process08:18 – Why incentives don't fix a broken system10:01 – How to build a truth culture in sales11:47 – Why PLG doesn't mean anti-sales13:40 – Building alignment between product and revenue teams15:19 – The right kind of friction in sales and onboarding17:02 – Discovery before demo (and why that order matters)19:14 – “Hero sales” vs. scalable sales21:00 – Why most pipeline data is not accurate22:48 – Trust is a byproduct of process24:12 – 4 elements of good pipeline hygiene26:00 – Sales managers: stop being scorekeepers28:09 – Real forecasting starts with sales call truth29:20 – The connection between missed targets and broken process30:32 – How to change sales culture without killing morale32:00 – Leading indicators vs lagging indicators in GTM34:29 – Product-led + sales-led = better customer journey36:14 – Why you need revenue roles inside product38:06 – Pricing is part of GTM, not just finance 40:00 – Aligning marketing messaging with sales narratives41:27 – The next evolution of GTM rolesTweetable Quotes"Pipeline hygiene isn't a Salesforce task—it's a culture of truth." – Jolly Nanda"If sales, marketing, and product aren't on the same page, your customer feels it first." – Jolly Nanda"Don't fix sales with comp plans. Fix it with better process and culture." – Jolly Nanda"Product-led growth isn't the enemy of sales—it's fuel for it." – Jolly Nanda"The goal isn't activity—it's alignment." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsPipeline hygiene is a culture issue. It's not just about clean CRM—it's about truth in the funnel.Sales, product, and marketing must operate as one team. Siloed GTM leads to chaos and churn.Product-led growth doesn't eliminate sales—it elevates it. The handoff must feel seamless to the customer.Scalable sales = process + mindset. Don't build your GTM around a hero rep.Truthful forecasting starts with sales conversations. If reps are sandbagging or guessing, fix the culture first.Curiosity beats control. The best leaders build cultures where feedback flows freely across GTM.Guest ResourcesWebsite -

In this 100th episode of the RE Social Podcast, host Vince Rodriguez is joined once again by Jason Hartman, now live for his second appearance on our podcast! Jason dives into his early start in investing, key takeaways from his Empowered Investor Live Conference, and why he believes linear markets outperform cyclical ones in the long run. You'll also learn about Jason's unique Hartman Comparison Index, the power of inflation-induced debt destruction, and how to manage properties remotely with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, this milestone episode is packed with timeless strategies and market-shifting insights. Tune in now and level up your investing game!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:02:12Jason's Journey and Early Investments00:03:43California Real Estate Market Analysis00:05:37Linear vs. Cyclical Markets00:14:23The Benefits of Self-Management00:22:17Impact of COVID-19 on Markets00:31:27The Hartman Comparison Index00:39:49Real Estate Historical Comparison00:40:36The Value of Commodities Over Time00:43:21Stock Market vs. Real Estate00:45:13The Ultimate Subscription Business00:56:35Market Dynamics and Housing Shortage00:58:27The Lock-In Effect and Unemployment01:02:06The Resilience of the Housing Market01:12:05Real Estate Investment Strategies01:15:30Connect with JasonResources and LinksProperty Tracker https://propertytracker.com/Empowered Investor Podcast https://www.jasonhartman.com/podcast/Connect with Jasonhttps://www.instagram.com/jasonhartman1https://www.facebook.com/jasonhartman.comhttps://x.com/JasonHartmanROIhttps://www.jasonhartman.com/Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

Feeling like corporate ortho is closing in? Think again.In this brutally honest and motivational 5-Minute Friday episode, I get real about the fear-mongering flooding our industry—especially when it comes to OSOs and DSOs. If you've been told that you have to hire a consultant, or that you can't compete with corporate money, this episode is your wake-up call. The truth? You're not under attack. You're just distracted.Knowing where you're headed is the best and only strategy to get ahead. You need a plan; OSOs, DSOs, and Corporate Dentistry are not coming for you; in fact, they have nothing to do with your journey. Once you have a plan, you can get expert help to support you and teach what you need, and your practice will be more solid.Key Takeaways00:00 — Economic pressures and industry fear-mongering01:30 — The real impact of OSOs/DSOs (and why it's overblown)03:00 — How to filter the noise and make decisions for you04:00 — Consultants vs. coaches: understanding what you actually need05:30 — My story: investing $57k I didn't have (and why it was worth it)07:30 — Time is your most valuable currency—use it with intention08:50 — Practical advice: write your 6-month plan, then find the right help09:45 — Why you're not being “attacked”—and how to stay focused on your goals11:30 — The upcoming Orthopreneurs coaching program teaserAdditional ResourcesWant to connect with orthodontists who believe in lifting each other up?Come to the final Orthopreneurs Summit in Las Vegas this September. Trust me—it'll be the most impactful event you've ever attended. Go to opSummit2025.com and grab your spot today.- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/- Join our FREE Facebook group here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

What if the key to closing more deals… is to stop trying to close at all?In this mind-blowing episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Ari Galper, world-renowned sales strategist and founder of Unlock The Game. Ari dismantles the outdated, pressure-filled sales models and introduces a frictionless, trust-based approach called the One Call Sale.You'll learn:Why relationship-building in discovery calls is a trapThe language patterns that instantly reduce resistanceHow to sell like a doctor diagnoses, not like a pushy repWhy most deals are lost in the first 5 minutes—not at the closeHow to qualify buyers by their problem, not your pitchIf you've ever been ghosted, followed up endlessly, or felt like you're forcing the sale—this episode will flip your entire mindset.Key Takeaways00:00 – Why "rapport-building" kills deals01:39 – Sales isn't about selling harder—it's about connecting deeper02:05 – What really derails most sales conversations03:22 – How Ari's method makes it impossible not to buy06:16 – Ari's pivotal sales moment (and what he overheard on mute)08:59 – The exact moment Ari decided to flip the sales game11:28 – Doctor-patient dynamic vs buyer-seller dynamic13:08 – The “One Call Sale” explained15:28 – Why you should stop building fake relationships17:16 – How to start a sales call the right way18:34 – Why you must remove value, education, and chit-chat20:01 – Your job isn't to solve. It's to diagnose22:09 – Cost of inaction: building the ROI without pitching24:34 – Stay rooted in the problem, not your solution25:59 – How to spot buyers who aren't serious26:40 – The final diagnostic question: “Is this a priority?”27:57 – Why trust, not pressure, is the key to conversion29:02 – Never say “follow up” again30:29 – Why sales is not persuasion, it's facilitation31:27 – SaaS leaders: stop drowning in ghosted leads32:20 – When the prospect asks you how you can help34:00 – The roadmap technique: show process, not product35:15 – The magic question: “Where would you like to go from here?”36:40 – Why objections disappear when you start with clarity38:33 – Trust must be earned—deep trust40:01 – The skill most sellers never master: shutting up41:29 – How this works in corporate buying environments43:10 – Why your champion doesn't want to sell to the CEO45:09 – Sales are lost at the beginning, not the end46:00 – This only works in high-margin, long-cycle sales47:18 – SaaS founders: you are the bottleneck48:56 – Stop selling. Start connectingTweetable Quotes"The sale is lost at the beginning, not the close." – Ari Galper"Stop selling. Start diagnosing." – Ari Galper"Follow-up is dead. Ask for feedback instead." – Ari Galper"If they don't own the problem, they won't buy the solution." – Ari Galper"Trust is built when the buyer feels safe enough to tell you the truth." – Ari Galper"When you stay in their world, they invite you into the sale." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsTrust replaces tactics. The fastest path to a deal isn't persuasion—it's empathy and truth.The sale is lost at the beginning. How you start determines whether you'll be ghosted later.Build around their problem, not your pitch. Your solution means nothing if the buyer doesn't own the problem.Follow-up is dead. Ask for feedback, not...

Is traditional SEO dead? In this powerful episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Andreas Voniatis, founder of Atheos, AI-powered SEO strategist, and author of Data-Driven SEO with Python. Dre reveals why traditional keyword-driven SEO is fading fast and how AI is reshaping the content marketing game.You'll learn:Why high-effort, data-driven content outperforms “ultimate guides”How to succeed in AI search by mining real customer conversationsWhy relying on AI to write your content is a trapHow SEO today is like email marketing—still useful, but not game-changingWhat mid-market firms must do now to stay competitiveIf you're a SaaS founder, marketer, or SEO expert trying to stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital landscape, this episode is your roadmap to what's next.Key Takeaways00:00 – “Pay cheap, pay twice”00:20 – Why using AI to write content is a mistake01:23 – How SEO has changed in the AI era02:40 – AI search vs traditional SEO06:35 – What “data-driven SEO” really means07:42 – Why SEO clicks today are fewer but higher value08:47 – Why generic SEO content no longer works09:46 – AI-first content strategy based on real buyer conversations12:30 – Why traditional “best practices” slow you down14:50 – SEO's brute force problem16:19 – Flaws in using AI output to create content18:34 – Is SEO dead or just different?20:10 – Injecting new data is the key to AI performance25:43 – Mid-market SEO and the AI opportunity window27:11 – Why most marketers are still asleep on AI29:22 – Region-specific, sector-specific content is the future31:11 – AI will create more jobs for marketers32:20 – Why high-effort content beats volume34:24 – Marketing's real challenge: standing out with belief36:23 – Automating the boring, amplifying the creative39:14 – No convincing needed—AI will do that for you42:15 – Why AI-augmented humans will always win44:36 – The future of content: high-effort, high-value46:05 – Cognitive AI: the next leap47:12 – Human brains are still the ultimate AITweetable Quotes"Using AI to write your content is like trying to rehydrate by drinking your own sweat." – Andreas Voniatis"If your content doesn't tell the world something it didn't know, it won't win in AI search." – Andreas Voniatis"SEO is becoming the banner ads of today—still there, but no longer transformative." – Andreas Voniatis"We're not here to convince. If you need convincing, AI will do that for us." – Jeff Mains"High-effort content outperforms 100 low-effort SEO posts. Every time." – Andreas Voniatis"If you follow best practices, you're already late." – Andreas VoniatisSaaS Leadership LessonsHigh-effort content wins in AI search. Low-effort SEO tactics are obsolete—content must be unique, insightful, and deeply tailored to your buyer.AI search rewards information gain, not keyword stuffing. Algorithms are looking for novel insights, not recycled blog templates.Your buyer's voice should drive your strategy. Mining real conversations—not keyword tools—is how you create content that resonates.SEO isn't dead—but it's no longer the growth engine. It's now a hygiene factor. AI search is where the real growth lies.Automation frees humans to create. Offload repetitive tasks so your team can focus on interpreting data and crafting strategy.Belief-based messaging > Feature-based messaging. In crowded

INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.FERMATCreate funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting ⁠⁠https://fermatcommerce.com/af//What do you do when your eCommerce brand stalls—not failing, just stuck?In this tactical deep dive, Andrew walks through a real case study of a 7-figure brand that turned stalled momentum into its most profitable non-holiday month ever. You'll get specific data breakdowns on how changes in spend allocation, campaign strategy (including a massive shift toward Target ROAS), product prioritization, and CRO testing led to a whopping 88% increase in contribution margin—without increasing spend.If you're an operator feeling the pressure to grow but watching margins shrink, this episode is your playbook. Learn how to:- Run leaner without killing momentum- Make Meta's learning phase work for you- Use price testing and retention ads to boost profit per visitor- Think beyond creative volume to win consistently- Reinvest profit into real growth, like product development or new channels//CHAPTER TITLES:00:01:28 - My Brand Experienced Stalled Growth00:05:08 - Less Spend, More Efficient YoY00:06:56 - Spend Down, New Customer Revenue Up00:10:15 - Media Buying Changes00:13:54 - The Limits of Creative Diversity00:18:00 - Product Distribution00:21:17 - Key Takeaways00:28:15 - Spend Smarter Not Harder// SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!//ADMISSIONGet the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠//FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What happens when a brilliant builder becomes the boss with no playbook?In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains welcomes Pete Steege, B2B strategist and author of Radical Clarity, to unpack the journey of the accidental CEO. Pete shares frameworks that help technical founders shift from reactive problem-solving to confident leadership, scale without burnout, and delegate without losing visibility.We explore why clarity not hustle, is the real unlock for growth, how to tell stories that sell, and how to lead with purpose even when your background isn't in business.

Most SaaS companies treat onboarding like a checklist Rocketlane turns it into a competitive edge.In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains welcomes Srikrishnan Ganesan , co-founder and CEO of Rocketlane. Sri shares how strategic onboarding builds trust, boosts expansion revenue, and drives customer success from Day 1.They explore how AI is transforming service delivery from reactive to proactive, and why onboarding is the second sale that most founders overlook. Whether you're scaling a SaaS product, leading a customer success team, or building from zero, this episode is packed with frameworks, strategies, and insight.

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, host Vince Rodriguez sits down with Clayton Lemons, a medical device engineer, to explore the intersection of real estate investing, decentralized finance, and the evolving future of currency. Clayton unpacks his journey into Bitcoin and breaks down its value as a hedge against inflation, while Vince challenges traditional thinking about money and the U.S. dollar. Together, they discuss the importance of leveraging systems, understanding monetary policy, and preparing for economic shifts. Whether you're new to crypto, real estate, or both, this conversation will spark your curiosity and help sharpen your financial strategy. Tune in now for a thought-provoking episode on wealth, risk, and the future of money!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:01:47Basics and Personal Journey into Bitcoin00:09:03Technical Aspects of Bitcoin00:25:31Comparing Bitcoin and Real Estate00:34:23Inflation and Asset Classes00:42:54Future and Broader Implications00:46:35Bitcoin as a Store of Value00:51:19Real Estate vs. Bitcoin Investment00:53:42Global Economic Dynamics and Currency00:58:13US Dollar's Dominance and Future01:12:42Tech Deflation vs. Monetary Inflation01:23:13Kardashev Scale and Harnessing Energy01:26:47The Role of War and Economic Policies01:31:44Power Dynamics and Global Influence01:40:50401K and Investment Strategies01:50:35Reflections on Success and Value01:56:14Final Words of WisdomResources and Linkshttps://crypto.com/en/university/what-is-bitcoinConnect with Claytonhttps://www.instagram.com/claytonlemons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonlemons/Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest