Businessing with Pat Miller

By Pat Miller

Solving small business problems so you can be more profitable, with less stress, and run a modern small business.

You got into this for freedom. The ability to choose how you work, when you rest, how ... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about Businessing with Pat Miller:

How many episodes does Businessing with Pat Miller have?

The podcast currently has 101 episodes available.

Businessing with Pat Miller episodes:

July 30, 2026 Why McDonald's Bets on AI Its Customers Hate | Businessing
McDonald's and Wendy's are installing AI order-takers their own customers don't want. Here's the profit math behind the AI bet, and what it means for your small business.

On today's show, Pat digs into a wild moment. Big brands are betting they can make more money installing AI than by running a better business. One AI order-taker could mean hundreds of millions in profit, so the customer friction doesn't stop them. The lesson for owners isn't to copy McDonald's. It's that AI is going to improve faster than you can drive down any other cost, so the smart move is to get AI fluent now. Plus the news you need to know, why small business grants always seem to go to bakeries, and an AI sales-coaching idea worth stealing.

In this episode:
00:00 - The AI robots nobody asked for
01:58 - Why fast food is betting big on AI order-takers
03:46 - The billion-dollar profit math behind the bet
06:17 - What the AI bet means for your business
07:03 - Three ways AI makes you money right now
10:47 - The news you need to know: Fed, GDP, inflation
12:02 - Why small business grants always go to bakeries
18:10 - AI story of the day: an AI sales coach
25:07 - Conference news: ticket prices go up Saturday

Resources mentioned:
Encore AI, sales call coaching
SBOC Conference, September 15 to 17 in Brookfield, WI: 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 #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #CustomerExperience
...more
31min
July 29, 2026 How to Build a Collaboration That Works | Businessing
Collaborations and joint ventures are one of the best ways to grow your business when you don't have a pile of marketing dollars to spend.
Today I walk through the exact five steps to build a collaboration that actually works, from getting crystal clear on who you serve to creating something fresh you can take to market. I use a real example: a leadership consultant who partners with a downtown restaurant to run a power lunch series for CEOs. Then we hit the news you need to know, including a rough morning for the market and a possible Fed rate hike, plus an AI story about why being found online now means winning AEO and GEO, not just SEO.
In this episode:
00:00 - Good morning and a market that's tanking
00:45 - How to build a collaboration that works (Big Story)
04:46 - A step by step collaboration example
09:23 - The news you need to know: markets, a rate hike, workers in pain
15:37 - AI story: getting found online with AEO and GEO, not just SEO
21:16 - The SBOC Conference in September
24:22 - Planning a dream vacation without the overwhelm
27:07 - Wait, this is my workday?
Resources mentioned:
- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Cruise Planners, Land and Cruise Travel (Tanya Murphy): tripsalive.com
- SBOC Conference, September 15-17, 2026 (Milwaukee area)
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 #Collaboration #JointVentures #SmallBusinessGrowth
...more
30min
July 28, 2026 How Scarcity Gets People to Buy | Businessing
Scarcity is one of the oldest moves in sales, and it still works: give people a real deadline and watch what happens.
Today I break down how to use scarcity to sell more, using the surprise theatrical run of Hadestown as the example, plus the one thing scarcity will never fix. Then my business BFF Jennifer Buchholz from Excel and Flourish joins me to talk Microsoft Copilot, cleaning up your inbox and your files, and how to tell if your business is actually ready to bring AI in. We also hit the news, including the Fox Valley tornado, inflation as the number one small business worry, an AI story about public Claude chats showing up in Google, and a reminder about strategic quitting.
In this episode:
00:00 - The big story: using scarcity to sell (Hadestown)
05:45 - Guest Jennifer Buchholz: is your business ready for Copilot and AI?
23:30 - Athena Legal Solutions
25:00 - The news: the Fox Valley tornado, inflation, and rising costs
31:00 - AI story: your public Claude chats can show up in Google
36:00 - Cruise Planners: planning your getaway
39:00 - Strategic quitting: kill the subscriptions you forgot about
43:00 - The SBOC Conference (ticket price goes up August 1)
Resources mentioned:
- Jennifer Buchholz, Excel and Flourish
- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Cruise Planners, Land and Cruise Travel (Tanya Murphy): tripsalive.com
- SBOC Conference, September 15-17, 2026 (Milwaukee area)
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 #Scarcity #MicrosoftCopilot #AIforSmallBusiness
...more
45min
July 27, 2026 Your Judgment Is What People Pay For | Businessing
The cost of information is going to zero. The cost of your judgment is going up. If you lean on AI and only on AI, you're going to become a commodity.
On today's Businessing, Pat Miller makes the case that the way you think is the thing people actually pay for, and he gives you four ways to stay sharp when everybody has the same AI. Then it's the stuff you need to know: Iran and the US stepping back from the brink, a huge week of economic reports, and why Wednesday's Fed meeting matters to your business. Plus two AI stories worth your time, a customer service lesson from a torn golf headcover, and the SBOC Conference with ticket prices going up August 1st.
In this episode:
00:00 - What it means to be businessing today
00:51 - Why your judgment matters more than technology
03:06 - Four ways to stay sharp when AI makes information cheap
09:53 - Iran and the US step back, and what it means for your customers
11:51 - A big economic week: the Fed, inflation, and consumer sentiment
13:37 - How to get known for one thing (Orlando, the meeting capital)
16:47 - Why big companies are mixing frontier and open source AI models
23:29 - Anthropic drops Opus 5
28:04 - A customer service lesson from a torn golf headcover
30:07 - The SBOC Conference and why prices go up August 1
Resources mentioned:
- Athena Legal Solutions (today's sponsor): athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Cruise Planners Land and Cruise Travel with Tanya Murphy: tripsalive.com
- SBOC Conference, September 15-17 in Brookfield, WI, with Mike Michalowicz: 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 #ArtificialIntelligence #Judgment #SmallBusinessOwner
...more
35min
July 23, 2026 Shoppers Now Prefer AI Over Your Website | Businessing
For the first time, more shoppers say they'd rather buy through an AI than your website. If your products aren't in the AI yet, you're about to be invisible.
Bloomberg found 41% of shoppers now prefer buying through AI tools, and only 38% still prefer the retailer's website. That line just crossed for the first time. Pat walks through what it means for you: the friction of websites, carts, and checkout is going away, and the owners who get their products into the AI now are the ones people will find later. Plus the bad habit quietly costing you money (you didn't send the invoice), why 91% of small businesses using AI say they're making more money, and how to make your marketing relatable during back to school season.
In this episode:
00:00 - It's Thursday: today's bad habit big story
01:34 - The bad habit costing you money: you didn't send the invoice
04:13 - Another bad habit: never replying to your own comments
05:00 - News you need to know: Iran, $100 oil, and rising grocery prices
07:45 - Make your marketing relatable: back to school spending hits records
11:47 - New AI study: 91% of small businesses say they make more money
13:53 - Partner: Athena Legal Solutions
16:52 - AI story of the day: shoppers now prefer AI over your website
23:55 - Partner: Automation Bird Dog
27:05 - Inside the SBOC: today's Idea Slam
29:52 - Wrap up and see you Monday
Resources mentioned:
- Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Automation Bird Dog (use promo code OWNIT for a complimentary automation readiness session)
- Bloomberg report on shoppers preferring AI over retailer websites
🎙️ 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 #AIShopping #SmallBusinessAI #BackToSchool
...more
31min
July 21, 2026 Bring Back What You Used to Sell | Businessing
You don't always need a brand-new product. Sometimes the smartest move is bringing back the one you used to sell. Panda Express and KFC are printing money doing exactly that, and you can too.

Today Pat digs into the nostalgia trend that's got fast food brands reaching into their catalog, and why your best "new" offer might be something you already crushed and quietly stopped doing. Then bookkeeper Barbara Fausett of Money Masters joins to share what she's seeing across her whole book of clients right now: steady revenue, faster expectations on return, cautious AI spending, and not one client who's cut a job because of AI. Plus the news you need to know, a ransomware attack on a dairy company, what Domino's s'mores lava cakes teach us about presentation, and the story of how the SBOC crew got Pat good at last night's meetup.

In this episode:
00:00 - Welcome and today's rundown
01:37 - Why fast food brands are bringing back fan favorites
03:28 - What you used to sell that you could re-release
06:32 - What a bookkeeper sees changing in small business right now
11:51 - Are small business owners getting a return on AI?
12:55 - Is AI cutting jobs? What one bookkeeper is seeing
18:26 - Why every small business needs a lawyer before trouble hits
20:13 - Gas hits $4 a gallon and what it signals
21:51 - The Fairlife ransomware attack and backing up your business
23:37 - What Domino's s'mores lava cakes teach about presentation
26:28 - Getting the tribal knowledge out of your head
28:52 - The SBOC meetup story that got me good

Resources mentioned:
- Money Masters Bookkeeping (Barbara Fausett): moneymasters4biz.com
- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Automation Bird Dog (use promo code OWNIT)
- 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
...more
34min
July 20, 2026 AI Plus Your Judgment Pays 34% More | Businessing
We were told AI was going to crush small business owners and make all our experience worthless. The new Upwork numbers say the opposite. Pair AI with your judgment and you earn a 34% premium per hour. Just run it through the robot with no judgment of your own and you make 13% less.
It's Money Monday, so I brought on Lisa Raebel from Rebel Girl Revenue to talk about the money you make while you're onboarding a client, and why onboarding really starts in that first conversation, before anybody signs anything. We also get into the news you need to know, a new open source AI model called Kimi K3 that could change what you pay for AI, and an Idea Slam for the owner who hits three networking events a week and still isn't getting hired. Short version: it's not the room's fault if you're in the wrong room. Sponsored by Athena Legal Solutions and Automation Bird Dog.
In this episode:
00:00 - Welcome to Money Monday
01:10 - AI plus your judgment earns a 34% premium
04:52 - Money Monday with Lisa Raebel of Rebel Girl Revenue
06:43 - The five revenue stages in your business
08:03 - Why client onboarding starts in the first conversation
11:26 - Underpromise and overdeliver: setting expectations
17:03 - Does onboarding ever really end?
23:30 - Athena Legal Solutions
25:06 - News you need: the Iran war, oil, and the World Cup
29:03 - Tropical Storm Bertha and hurricane season
30:07 - The Kimi K3 open source AI model explained
35:19 - Automation Bird Dog
37:42 - Idea Slam: everybody knows me but nobody hires me
42:19 - Free Claude webinar and today's SBOC meetup
Resources mentioned:
- Lisa Raebel, Rebel Girl Revenue (Money Monday guest)
- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Automation Bird Dog: automationbirddog.com (promo code OWNIT)
- Free Claude webinar, Tuesday at 1pm CT
🎙️ 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 #MoneyMonday #ClientOnboarding #AIforSmallBusiness
...more
45min
July 16, 2026 You Have One Job: Sell Something | Businessing
You have one job as a business owner, and it's selling. Everything else, the website, the social media, the funnels, comes second.
Three million Americans started a business in the first half of this year, and Pat says if you just joined the cool kids club, there's one law of the universe you have to accept: you're in the sales business first, and the provider of whatever you actually do second. From there he runs two Idea Slam questions, one on delegating without losing your mind, and one on whether to fire a client who pays well but sucks the life out of you. Plus the news you need this morning, the Iran conflict and what the markets are really saying, Canada's wildfires wrecking the air across the upper Midwest, and Argentina and Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. He closes with why every business owner needs a coach, even the coach.
In this episode:
00:00 - Good morning, and why more people are starting businesses than ever
01:08 - 3.1 million new business owners, up 17 percent this year
03:38 - The one law: you're a salesperson first
05:14 - Ask someone for money every single day
09:31 - The news you need: the Iran conflict and the markets
11:25 - Canada wildfires and the worst air quality on record
15:22 - World Cup final: Argentina vs Spain on Sunday
17:26 - Athena Legal Solutions
19:44 - Idea Slam: you delegated it and they blew it
23:27 - The apprentice handoff that actually works
26:09 - Idea Slam: firing a client who pays well but drains you
30:44 - Automation Bird Dog
33:15 - Why every business owner needs a coach
36:33 - What's happening this week
Resources mentioned:
- Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Automation Bird Dog (use promo code OWNIT)
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
...more
39min
July 15, 2026 How to Handle Bad News in Your Business | Businessing
How you handle bad news in your business is one of the differentiators between the owners who make it and the ones who don't. The trick is a four-step move: pause, get objective, act swiftly, then reflect.

Bad news is coming. A client fires you, a deal falls through, the letter shows up in the mail. React emotionally and you make bad decisions right when you can least afford them. Pat walks through the exact way he handles it now: pause before you respond, get objective about the job that actually has to get done, act swiftly once you're clear, and save the reflecting for after the heat has passed. Along the way, the daylight saving time change that could reshape your winter mornings, and a Claude move that turns your whole business into something your AI actually knows.

In this episode:
00:00 - Welcome to Businessing
01:28 - How to Handle Bad News in Your Business
03:36 - Make More Good Decisions Than Bad Decisions
03:59 - Pause Before You React to Bad News
05:20 - Get Objective About the Job to Be Done
07:01 - Act Swiftly, Then Reflect
10:04 - News You Need to Know: Iran and Oil Prices
11:37 - Permanent Daylight Saving Time and the Sunshine Protection Act
16:29 - How to Prepare Your Business for Darker Winter Mornings
20:47 - Athena Legal Solutions
22:49 - Giving Your AI the Full Picture of Your Business
30:47 - Automation Bird Dog and Tribal Knowledge
33:17 - Why the Small Business Owners Community Is Worth It

Resources mentioned:
- Athena Legal Solutions (show sponsor): https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
- Automation Bird Dog (show sponsor) - free automation readiness session, promo code OWNIT
- Free Claude webinar for small business owners - happening next Tuesday

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 #DaylightSavingTime #AIforBusiness #SmallBusinessTips
...more
38min
July 14, 2026 Your AI Emails Sound Too Much Like You | Businessing
Two friends told Pat they couldn't tell his emails from AI anymore, and now he's having an identity crisis. If your AI writes exactly like you, how does anyone know it's really you knocking?
Pat opens with the "we're not fooling anyone" problem: Claude's ghostwriting has gotten so good that his own contacts can't tell his voice from the AI's, and it's injecting real doubt into email. He walks the junk-mail progression we've all lived, asks whether email is dying (sick, not dead), and weighs what could replace it. Then the news: inflation cools to 3.5%, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and a produce parasite making people sick. Plus ChatGPT's new voice that listens and talks at the same time, and why that matters when robots come home.
In this episode:
00:00 - Your AI Emails Now Sound Exactly Like You (Big Story)
01:58 - The Junk Mail Progression We've Seen Before
03:43 - How Do You Prove a Real Human Sent It
06:26 - Is Email Dying? Sick, Not Dead
08:31 - What Could Replace Email
09:42 - News: Inflation Cools to 3.5%
11:04 - Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Oil
13:52 - Healthy Food Is Making People Sick
16:35 - How to Protect Yourself From Contaminated Produce
19:08 - Athena Legal Solutions
21:16 - AI Story: ChatGPT Voice That Listens While It Talks
24:16 - Why This Matters When Robots Come Home
25:05 - The AI Haters Riff
26:50 - Automation Bird Dog
30:20 - Free Claude Training Webinar Next Tuesday
Resources mentioned:
Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
Automation Bird Dog: https://automationbirddog.com (promo code OWNIT)
Start Here Claude Training webinar, next Tuesday at 1pm: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/aitraining
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
...more
33min

FAQs about Businessing with Pat Miller:

How many episodes does Businessing with Pat Miller have?

The podcast currently has 101 episodes available.