Businessing with Pat Miller

Halfway through 2026, your mid-year business review comes down to one shift: the question goes from what do we wanna get done this year to what can we still get done this year. Hope is not a strategy, and the second half of the year doesn't care about the goals you set in January.

Pat walks through seven questions (the five he planned, plus two bonus) that every small business owner should ask before July 1st: what's the biggest problem that's gotta get solved, are you satisfied with your revenue, what's actually selling, is your biggest expense pulling its weight, and where are you using AI in your business. Then attorney Carolyn Jahnke from Athena Legal Solutions joins the show to talk about how protected your business really is, the contract blind spots that catch owners off guard, and why going into business with friends and family is riskier than it feels. If you own a small business and you're staring down the second half of the year, you'll walk away with a checklist you can run in one afternoon.

In this episode:

00:00 - Mid-year business check-in for small business owners

02:34 - What's the biggest problem to solve in your business (Question 1)

04:16 - Reviewing your revenue, what's selling, and your biggest expense (Questions 2-4)

07:00 - Where are you using AI in your business (Question 5)

08:39 - Getting a return on your time and avoiding burnout (Bonus questions)

12:23 - How protected is your small business, with Carolyn Jahnke of Athena Legal Solutions

22:22 - Supreme Court rulings on birthright citizenship and transgender athletes (News You Need to Know)

28:57 - SBOC Conference tickets and SBOC Awards nominations

Resources mentioned:

- Carolyn Jahnke, Athena Legal Solutions (free business legal confidence assessment)

- Carl Gould: "Sell what people wanna buy, not what you wanna sell"

- Elzie Flenard, Crown Room Live and The Daily Crown: https://joindailycrown.com

- Put your business on the live show map: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

- SBOC Conference, September 15-17 (ticket prices go up August 1)

- SBOC Awards nominations, open through July 19 (presented by Athena Legal Solutions, Money Masters Bookkeeping, Crash Design Co., and Excel and Flourish)

🎙️ 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 #MidYearReview #BusinessCheckIn #SmallBusinessTips

68% of small business owners are using AI, but only 15% have installed it into their regular workflow and are actually getting the benefits. Pat says the gap comes down to one reframe: stop treating AI like software you have to learn and start treating it like a junior employee.

This one's for the owner who's been tinkering with ChatGPT and Claude, writing a few social posts, and wondering where all that promised productivity went. Pat breaks down why the AI teachers keep getting small business wrong, then hands you a 20-minute pen-and-paper exercise to figure out exactly what to hand off to your new junior employee first. He also pulls a pricing lesson out of Tidal's new direct-to-artist music model and challenges you to charge for your work in a way that removes objections and pays you more. Plus the SBOC Awards open for nominations, and Pat levels up his Wisconsin card at a polka wedding.

In this episode:

00:00 - Why only 15% of small businesses are getting results from AI (Big Story)

04:52 - How to treat AI like a junior employee instead of software

08:01 - A 20-minute brainstorm to decide what to hand off to AI

11:16 - How to change the way you charge customers (Tidal's new pricing model)

16:49 - Pay-for-results pricing for coaches and consultants

26:48 - Why the newest AI models aren't available to small businesses (AI Story of the Day)

38:26 - How business awards help you win more clients (SBOC Awards open)

Resources mentioned:

- Athena Legal Solutions (Carolyn Jahnke) - free confidence review for show viewers

- Crown Room Live with Elzie Flenard - https://crownroomlive.com

- The Daily Crown - https://joindailycrown.com

- Small Business Owners Community Awards nominations - https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

- SBOC live check-in map - https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

- Money Masters Bookkeeping - https://moneymasters4biz.com

- Crash Design Co

- Claude Cowork

- Tidal

🎙️ 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 #AIAdoption

The AI tools making you faster can also become a business risk. When everything you run lives inside one model, you don't own that part of your business, you're renting it.

Pat Miller breaks down why going all-in on a single AI tool can quietly turn into a liability, and how to use it hard while keeping a backup nobody can switch off. He's joined by Melissa Gregory of Automation Bird Dog on getting your processes out of your head and automating without breaking your team, and by Erin Perkins of Successable for a live Idea Slam on pricing and positioning an accessibility tool for agencies instead of solo owners. Plus the real answer on whether domain names still matter, and a quick World Cup check-in. It's a packed Thursday for owners who want to work smarter without handing over the keys.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome to Businessing

01:40 - Are domain names still worth it?

09:32 - Melissa Gregory: automate without breaking your team (Automation Bird Dog)

21:03 - World Cup check-in

22:06 - Don't rent your business from one AI tool

26:26 - Athena Legal Solutions

28:21 - Idea Slam: price and position for agencies (Erin Perkins, Successable)

47:45 - Inside the Small Business Owners Community

48:38 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe

50:44 - Fridays Off framework: three problems to solve today

Resources mentioned:

- Melissa Gregory, Automation Bird Dog, free automation readiness assessment (use promo code OWNIT)

- Trainual, the SOP and training tool Melissa uses

- Erin Perkins, Successable, the accessibility checker for your site and content: mabelyq.com

- Athena Legal Solutions, free legal confidence review: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller

- Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe

- Small Business Owners Community: 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 #Automation #Accessibility

Self-improvement is crushing your business. The fastest way to grow isn't getting a little less bad at the thing you hate, it's handing that thing to a person or a robot who's great at it and pouring your time into the work only you can do. Pat Miller makes the counterintuitive case that shoring up your weaknesses is quietly slowing your business down. He walks through a simple two-list exercise to figure out what to offload and where to double down, then runs a live Idea Slam with broadcaster and nonprofit auctioneer Mitch Nelles on selling the transformation instead of the service.

You'll also hear a real-talk segment on the AI scams now hitting one in four small businesses, and the boring, doable fixes that actually protect you. It's for owners who are tired of doing everything and ready to spend their time where it counts. In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome to Businessing

00:36 - Why self-improvement is crushing your business

05:10 - How to borrow attention from the World Cup

07:25 - AI scams hitting one in four small businesses

12:09 - Athena Legal Solutions

14:15 - Idea Slam: sell the transformation, not the service (Mitch Nelles)

31:49 - What the Idea Slam taught us about positioning

33:17 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe

35:14 - Inside the Small Business Owners Community

36:49 - Fridays Off framework: three problems to solve today

Resources mentioned: -

Athena Legal Solutions, free legal confidence review: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller

Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis, WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe -

Mitch Nelles, host of the Mason Crosby Show (Wisconsin Sports Radio Network) and nonprofit auctioneer

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 #Delegation #AIForSmallBusiness #Productivity

You know that line in the old movies when somebody says it's quiet...it's too quiet? That's your business in the calm right before everything hits the fan, and today I make the case that having more problems is actually a sign things are working. I walk through three ways to go find better problems when your to-do list feels too comfortable, then Gjeret Stein joins me to talk about his new book, Cheap IT Is Expensive. If you've ever handed your website, email, or domain to a vendor and never looked back, this one's a wake-up call. We close with the daily Fridays Off framework: find free time, fund the business, finish the right stuff. It's a quick listen for any owner who wants to stop coasting and run for the ice cream truck while they still can. In this episode: 00:00 - Why good problems mean your business is working 02:30 - Three ways to find better problems in your business 04:48 - Don't get old: run for the ice cream 05:40 - Gjeret Stein on why cheap IT is expensive 07:49 - You don't actually own your email or your domain 11:51 - A checklist to take back control of your business tech 14:47 - AI privacy: free tools versus paid enterprise tools 17:24 - Headlines: the Iran timeline and falling oil prices 18:26 - Toy Story 5 breaks an animation record 20:03 - The positive AI story we actually need 22:36 - How to discount without lowering your price 25:34 - Find free time, fund the business, finish the right stuff Resources mentioned:

• Gjeret Stein's book, Cheap IT Is Expensive (e-book on sale through Friday)
• Athena Legal Solutions, today's sponsor: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com
• Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe in West Allis: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe
• Google's live translation feature
• Check in live during the show: live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFri... 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #SmallBusinessIT #Cybersecurity

Small business burnout is real, and when you're the business, you can't afford to run at 80%. If things feel heavy and slow and harder than they need to be, this one's for you. I've got three ways to relight the fire.

I just got back from a week off, a twelve hundred mile golf trip with my dad, and it reminded me exactly how a solo owner gets the spark back. Put the phone down and get off the algorithm. Get in person, where the stuff you can't plan for happens. And get in the car for a road trip, because there's nothing like being somewhere new to recharge your battery. Then Carolyn Jahnke from Athena Legal Solutions walks through why owners wait too long to call a lawyer and how to protect yourself before things go sideways, and we run a live Idea Slam with wedding DJ Alex Perez of AMP Events on how to book more gigs under his own brand.

In this episode:

00:00 - Back from vacation and what's on today's show

01:50 - Why burnout hits solo business owners harder

03:10 - Beat burnout step 1: put your phone down

05:31 - Beat burnout step 2: get in person

07:51 - Beat burnout step 3: take a road trip

14:26 - Why business owners wait too long to call a lawyer (Athena Legal)

18:43 - Urgent vs important in your contracts

20:22 - What jurisdiction and venue clauses really mean

21:59 - What AI means for your contracts and terms of service

23:02 - The free Legal Confidence Review

26:13 - Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe

28:17 - Idea Slam: how a wedding DJ books more gigs (Alex Perez)

31:01 - Sell the transformation, not the service

35:28 - Positioning AMP Events: it's all about you

39:35 - QR codes, reviews, and recording the mix as a gift

46:59 - SBOC update and weekly Idea Slams in July

Resources mentioned:

- Athena Legal Solutions, free Legal Confidence Review with Carolyn Jahnke: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller

- Paul's Jewelers and the 7C's Cafe, West Allis WI: paulsjewelers.com / 7cs.cafe

- Alex Perez, DJ AMP / AMP Events (Houston wedding and event DJ)

- Gig platforms discussed: The Knot, The Bash, Thumbtack

- Prairie Club, Nebraska (the golf trip)

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 #Burnout #Solopreneur #SmallBusinessTips

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