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

The best way to move your business forward is to change the inputs you take in every single day. That's the big story today.

When you're the only boss you've got, nobody's there to redirect you when you drift off track. So the inputs you put into the Whopper supercomputer between your ears are the whole game. Pat digs into the energy-vampire coffee friend who only ever talks about themselves, the content diet that's quietly dragging you down, and what every obsessed person in every biography has in common. Then Beth Carter from BBA Bookkeeping comes on for an Idea Slam about bringing her husband into the business to do sales without it wrecking the marriage. Plus Pat joins the Claude Partner Network, Siri finally gets good, and the three problems we solve to earn more, work less, and take Fridays off.

In this episode:00:00 Change your inputs, change your business06:30 What obsession looks like (Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up")09:30 Stuff you need to know: the May jobs report11:00 Pat joins the Claude Partner Network12:30 Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions14:30 Idea Slam: Beth Carter on hiring your spouse for sales26:30 Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the 7 C's Cafe28:00 AI story of the day: Siri sucks less (Apple pays Google for Gemini)30:30 SBOC update and this week's events32:00 Fridays Off: free time, funding, finishing the right stuff

Resources mentioned:Beth Carter, BBA BookkeepingSteve Martin, "Born Standing Up"Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.comPaul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe: https://7cs.cafe Apple WWDC and Google Gemini coming to SiriSmall 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 #Mindset #AIForSmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner

Sandra Yancey runs a multimillion dollar business on five AI tools, not eighty-two. When everybody else zigs toward the next shiny object, she says go left.

This one is for the owner who feels buried by AI, by the to-do list, and by the pressure to keep up with everyone else. Pat sits down with Sandra Yancey of eWomen Network and Sarah Urban of She Carries It to talk about focusing on what actually moves the business, why your calendar holds all your problems, and how to lead with value instead of chasing attention. There are also two AI stories worth your time, including why 80% of companies that fired people to bring in AI saw zero return on it. If you've been wondering whether you're using AI right or just collecting subscriptions, start here.

In this episode:

00:00 Welcome and the live nationwide map is fixed

02:30 The three daily problems: find free time, fund the business, finish what matters

04:45 News you need to know: the House votes on war powers in Iran

06:30 Ish happens: the lesson from a ball off the outfielder's head

10:00 Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions

11:30 AI story of the day: Gemini Flash and why firing people for AI isn't paying off

17:45 Idea Slam: Sarah Urban on the invisible load and reaching decision makers

28:00 Sandra Yancey on less is more, going left, and your calendar

39:30 Warranties and a hello to South Africa

41:00 Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the new Seven Seas Cafe

43:00 The Idea Slam invite and Anne Gusoff's win

44:30 SBOC turns six and the new member meetup

Resources mentioned:

- Sandra Yancey, eWomen Network: https://ewomennetwork.com

- Sarah Urban, She Carries It

- Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Paul's Jewelers and the Seven Seas Cafe (West Allis, WI)

- Google Gemini Flash

- Carl Gould on warranties and guarantees

- Put your business on the live map: https://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 #AIForSmallBusiness #Productivity #WomenInBusiness

The Visa CMO just said it out loud: AI agents are your new customers. Pretty soon they'll land on your website and buy on their own, and if your sales page isn't built for them, they'll buy from somebody else.

On this episode Pat breaks down what that actually means for a small business owner who sells online. Agents don't care about your clever marketing copy. They want product specs, real facts they can parse, the actual price right there on the page, and proof you're the authority in your lane. Pat also sits down with Mitch Prejbeanu of Paul's Jewelers to talk about the new 7 C's Cafe and a better way to treat customers, runs a live Idea Slam with Kyle Mack of Vokol Branding on rightsizing your offers so clients know exactly what to buy, and gets into why nine out of ten Americans think tipping culture has gone off the rails. If you sell anything online, this one changes how you build your next landing page.

In this episode:00:00 - Cold open06:00 - The three problems every owner solves daily: find free time, fund the business, finish the right stuff09:30 - Personal update: a typhoon, LAX, and a son finally landing in Japan11:30 - News you need to know: the US-Iran situation13:00 - Has tipping culture gotten completely out of control?18:00 - Guest: Mitch Prejbeanu on Paul's Jewelers and the new 7 C's Cafe29:00 - AI Story of the Day: Visa says AI agents are your new customers37:00 - Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions39:30 - Idea Slam: Kyle Mack on helping solopreneurs get found or get focused53:00 - SBOC updates: new member event and two new education sessions

Resources mentioned:- Mitch Prejbeanu, Paul's Jewelers & 7 C's Cafe (West Allis): https://7cs.cafe- Kyle Mack, Vokol Branding- Athena Legal Solutions (sponsor): https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com- Visa CMO: "AI agents are your new customers"- SBOC education events: Wendy Babcock, "Don't Be the Best-Kept Secret" (July) and Kevin Zeigler on product-market fit (August)

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listenFridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.comSmall Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #AIForSmallBusiness #AIAgents #Branding

Every role in your business touches revenue. The CFO, the receptionist, even the person who forgot to clean the bathroom. Once you see it, you can't unsee it, and it changes how you sell and who you hire.

This one is for the owner who's tired of networking conversations that go nowhere. Pat sits down with Lisa Raebel of Rebel Girl Revenue for a live Idea Slam on how to build trust fast, so the person across the table walks away thinking "I know exactly who you need to meet." Then Pat shows off the lead-scoring CRM he built inside Claude Cowork, the kind of thing that used to be impossible for a solo owner. Plus a supersonic jet from NASA, a reminder that your business is a lifestyle and not a job, and the story behind the SBOC "Pivot" sticker. Real conversation, real problems, solved in real time.

In this episode:

00:00 — Get ready to business: find, fund, finish

04:00 — Your business is a lifestyle, not a job

12:00 — Story you should know: NASA's X-59 supersonic jet

16:00 — Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions

18:00 — Idea Slam with Lisa Raebel: every role touches revenue

37:00 — AI story of the day: a lead-scoring CRM built in Claude

45:00 — Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe

48:00 — Tweet of the day and what's happening in the SBOC

50:00 — The Sticker Club and the story behind "Pivot"

Resources mentioned:

- Lisa Raebel, Rebel Girl Revenue and the Pitch to Purchase podcast

- NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic jet

- Naval Ravikant (Tweet of the Day)

- Stephanie Kern, VBC Design (the free SBOC Sticker Club)

- Claude Cowork

- Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Paul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe, West Allis, WI: https://paulsjewelers.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 #Sales #Networking #AIForSmallBusiness

Most business owners are asking oddly specific questions that are really just versions of the wrong question. The real one is simple. Does anybody actually want to buy what you're building?

Today on Businessing, Michael Rampolla of Fortum Advisors joins Pat to talk about solving the right problem, why "go fund yourself" beats chasing VC money, and how to pick the one task that actually moves your business forward. Then Andrea Hubbert of Hub & Company brings her brand strategy work to the Idea Slam, and the room figures out how to point AI at the right part of her process so it powers up her deliverables instead of doing the work for her. Plus the AI story of the day, where four AI models each got to run their own little society and the results were not even close. If you're a small business owner who stays busy without moving forward, this one's for you.

The Idea Slam is real conversation with real people solving real problems in real time. Listeners come on the air, tell Pat what they're working on right now, and the room makes it great together, live and with no net.

In this episode:

00:00 Monday open and the Fridays Off framework: find, fund, finish

03:00 Breaking news: the US-Iran conflict and the oil spike

06:00 A pancreatic cancer breakthrough and the start of hurricane season

08:00 Solve the Right Problem with Michael Rampolla of Fortum Advisors

23:30 Sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions

26:00 Idea Slam with Andrea Hubbert of Hub & Company

27:30 AI story of the day: what happens when AI runs a society

47:00 Sponsor: Paul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe

49:30 Tweet of the day

50:00 Happy 6th birthday, SBOC

Resources mentioned:

- Michael Rampolla, Fortum Advisors

- Andrea Hubbert, Hub & Company (https://hubandcompany.com)

- Athena Legal Solutions (https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com)

- Paul's Jewelers and the Seven C's Cafe (https://paulsjewelers.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 #SolveTheRightProblem #AIForSmallBusiness #BrandStrategy