Taking time off isn't optional. You're going to take it whether you like it or not, because if you don't, you'll get sick or burn out or both. So you might as well lean into rest as part of a healthy business.

This is Pat's last show before a full week off, so he walks through exactly how he gets ready to actually disconnect: the five steps to claim a week, clean it out, keep your business telling its story while you're gone, hand the work back to your partners, and then truly go. Then Katherine Breuss from AG45 joins as a guest and shares her "5 A's" diagnostic for finding the real problem in your business instead of the one that's just throbbing like a sore toe. Plus the news you need to know, why 45% of diners just switched their favorite restaurant and what that means for your client list, and Samsung letting new hires pick their own AI.

In this episode:

00:00 - It's Thursday, and we are Businessing

01:05 - Big story: your next vacation isn't optional

03:25 - The 5 steps to actually take a week off

12:40 - News you need to know: Pentagon lockdown, Iran, and restaurant loyalty

17:05 - Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions

18:50 - Guest interview: Katherine Breuss and the 5 A's diagnostic

33:40 - AI story: Samsung lets employees pick their AI tool

36:05 - Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe

38:05 - In the community: Substack vs blogging and a live Idea Slam

39:50 - Fridays Off Framework: find time, fund the business, finish the right stuff

41:35 - Where Pat's headed: a week of golf in Nebraska

Resources mentioned:

- Katherine Breuss, AG45 (Accelerate Growth 45), and her "Become a True Business Owner" assessment: AG45.com

- The 5 A's diagnostic: All in, Aligned, Advocates, Act, Accountable

- Samsung letting new employees choose their AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude)

- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Paul's Jewelers, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com

- 7C's Cafe, inside Paul's Jewelers: 7cs.cafe

- Check in on the live map: live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #WorkLifeBalance #TimeOff #Burnout

Chipotle just gamified its rewards program with visit streaks, monthly challenges, and local leaderboards. You're not Chipotle, but that doesn't mean you can't borrow the idea and gamify the way you keep customers coming back.

This one's about giving your customer loyalty a little life and a little bounce. Pat walks through a pile of low-budget ways to gamify referrals, your newsletter, your social media, and repeat business, no fancy app required. Then photographer Michael Cohn comes on for an Idea Slam, and together they take the entire world of photography down to one thing he can own, a personal storytelling business nobody else in his town is doing. Plus the inflation number you need to know, why today's a good day to raise your prices, Hasbro renting out cartoon personalities through AI, and Pat's honest review of Claude's new Fable model.

In this episode:

00:00 - Wednesday, and we are Businessing

01:00 - Big story: how to gamify your customer loyalty

07:00 - Stuff you should know: inflation hits 4.2% and why to raise your prices

10:00 - The World Cup starts tomorrow, and why owners should care

12:00 - Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions

14:00 - Idea Slam: Michael Cohn becomes a market of one

31:00 - AI story: Hasbro's behavioral licensing and a Claude Fable review

39:00 - Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the new 7C's Cafe

41:00 - In the community: 197 members and self-promotion Wednesday

43:00 - Fridays Off Framework: find time, fund the business, finish the right stuff

Resources mentioned:

- Chipotle's gamified rewards program (visit streaks, challenges, leaderboards)

- ManyChat, the social messaging tool with a free tier (thanks, Nikki)

- Hasbro's behavioral licensing, voiced through ElevenLabs

- Claude's new Fable model from Anthropic

- Michael Cohn, photographer, Birmingham, Alabama

- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Paul's Jewelers, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com

- 7C's Cafe, inside Paul's Jewelers: 7cs.cafe

- Check in on the live map: live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #CustomerLoyalty #Gamification #AIForSmallBusiness

The calculator moment hit knowledge work. If you sell training, education, or consulting, the way you make money just changed.

When the calculator showed up, knowing long division stopped being the valuable part. Pat makes the case that AI is the calculator moment for knowledge work, and your clients won't be the ones pulling the levers anymore. They'll hand the how to their AI junior employee, so your job shifts from teaching the how to teaching the what must be done. Then Barbara Fausett from Money Masters Bookkeeping comes on for an Idea Slam about whether to launch a second brand for her fractional CFO work. Plus Sweden pulls phones out of schools, only 4% of new jobs are fully remote, and the books and music the SBOC uses to get fired up.

In this episode:00:00 The calculator moment for knowledge work06:30 Sweden bans phones in schools09:30 Your content diet: what the SBOC is reading and listening to12:30 Guessing game: only 4% of new jobs are fully remote17:30 Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions19:30 Idea Slam: Barbara Fawcett on launching a second brand31:30 AI story of the day: the new Claude model34:30 Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe is open37:30 SBOC update and this week's events39:30 Fridays Off: free time, funding, finishing the right stuff

Resources mentioned:Barbara Fausett, Money Masters Bookkeeping

Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe

Books from the SBOC: Sahil Bloom "The Five Types of Wealth," Dan Martell "Buy Back Your Time," Cal Newport "Slow Productivity," plus Mel Robbins, Ed Mylett, Emma Grede, and Dean Jackson

Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #AIForSmallBusiness #KnowledgeWork #RemoteWork