Topics Covered In This Episode

• New Beginnings: Mercer and Jeff kick off February by reflecting on Mercer's New Year's resolutions and the idea of reinventing oneself.
• Personal Growth Journey: The podcast delves into the concept of reinvention, which involves transforming one's identity, skills, and habits to achieve new goals in both personal and business life.
• Breaking Free: Mercer shares his insights on reinventing oneself, stressing the importance of breaking away from past versions of oneself to embrace growth.
• Time Management: Mercer's reinvention journey involves a shift in mentality towards effective time management, leading to fresh ideas and implementation strategies.
• Adaptation in Business: This discussion highlights the necessity for businesses to reinvent themselves in response to changing times and external factors, advocating a reinvention cycle every two years.
• Self-Awareness and Authenticity: The podcast emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, self-improvement, and being authentic rather than trying to emulate successful figures, both in business and personal growth.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Mindset Shift: Mercer and Jeff delve into the crucial difference between viewing business expenses as investments rather than mere costs.
• Sales Perception: They explore how this mindset shift affects how expenses and investments are perceived during the sales process.
• Business Growth: Shifting from an expense to an investment mentality can drive successful sales and overall business growth.
• Time Management: Mercer and Jeff discuss the importance of reevaluating productivity, resource allocation, and prioritization to prioritize growth.
• Abundance Mindset: They emphasize adopting an abundance mindset in business, particularly concerning investments and sales.
• Real-World Insights: Mercer shares practical examples of how changing one's perspective can transform a business, touching on pricing strategies and personal growth investments.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Defining Failure: Mercer and Jeff Sauer distinguish between failing, which is a natural part of life providing feedback, and being a failure, which is a final identity and emotional burden.
• Impostor Syndrome: Both speakers share their experiences with impostor syndrome, emphasizing the negative impact of comparing oneself to others and the importance of focusing on personal growth.
• Personal Growth: Jeff discusses his motivation for success and the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone to reach your goals while emphasizing the role of mindset in defining failure and success.
• Masterminds for Growth: Mercer seeks growth through mastermind groups, embracing discomfort as an opportunity to learn from others, and emphasizing the value of substance and profit over revenue.
• Using Data for Success: Mercer underscores the significance of collecting data from micro failures to inform decisions, and Jeff emphasizes the importance of gathering data from various sources, including masterminds.
• Embracing Failure: Both speakers encourage listeners to embrace failure as a necessary step towards progress, be open to feedback, explore alternative paths, and adapt marketing strategies to connect with the target audience.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Mercer and Jeff discuss the challenge of staying current in business.
• They highlight the importance of adapting to new technology while preserving old methods
• Jeff and Mercer explore the decision to embrace new technology (with a focus on automation and AI)  or stick with tried-and-true methods. 
• They discuss strategies for evolving business approaches and team management. 
• Mercer emphasizes staying up-to-date in the digital marketing industry through resourcefulness and networking.
• They touch on the significance of data-driven marketing, analytics, and using feedback to improve decision-making, and conclude with insights on business growth and adapting to change.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Defining Financial Runway: The podcast kicks off by explaining what financial runway means for businesses, referring to it as the duration a business can function with its existing funds and expenses. Mercer and Jeff Sauer both measure it in terms of time, like months or weeks, to assess the business's resilience in case of zero revenue.
• Evolution of Financial Runway: Jeff delves into how the concept of financial runway has evolved. The aim is to have enough funds to invest in the business without being overly cautious, emphasizing the importance of calculated risks in business growth.
• Financial Planning and Emergency Funds: The discussion shifts to financial planning, with Jeff using a 3-6-12 month guideline for hiring as payroll expenses can be a significant factor. Mercer prioritizes having enough runway to navigate uncertainties, aiming for at least two weeks of payroll coverage.
• Mindset and Risk Management: The hosts emphasize maintaining a conservative financial mindset even when success seems certain. Jeff underscores the balance between caution and acknowledging the potential for unexpected events, such as black swan events.
• Challenges and Solutions: Mercer and Jeff discuss managing expenses during crises, such as a pandemic. Jeff highlights the need to shift the mindset from "it's going to zero" to "there's always a chance it could go to zero." Mercer agrees, especially emphasizing the difficulty of handling big expenses like payroll during uncertain times.
• Financial Discipline and Success: Both agree that financial discipline is a key to success, as it allows for controlled spending and revenue growth. Jeff draws parallels between business and sports, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and adapting to unpredictable revenue growth.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Mercer and Jeff discuss the importance of time management, with Mercer emphasizing efficiency and Jeff questioning the need for time hacks due to time scarcity.
• Both agree that time is a precious resource and share strategies for gaining control over it, although Mercer acknowledges complete control is unattainable.
• They emphasize the need for a "mental reset" by listing tasks, deciding what to continue, stop, or delegate, and finding ways to increase efficiency.
• They address the shift from a "maker schedule" to a "manager schedule" and the need to rebalance tasks to boost productivity and happiness.
• Jeff and Mercer provide tips for managing meetings effectively, with a focus on clear agendas and essential topics to eliminate wasted time in tangential discussions.
• Finally, they  emphasize strategic thinking in time management, including delegation, AI, and automation, and recommend periodic off-the-grid breaks for personal growth and problem-solving

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Mercer and Jeff Sauer embark on a journey to set and execute their 2024 goals.
• They categorize goals into financial, business, and personal buckets, and plan to share progress throughout the year.
• They emphasize continuous goal execution and personal growth, breaking the cycle of setting new goals each year.
• Personal and Business Balance: Jeff strives to promote his brand, improve relationships, and embrace self-reflection. Mercer seeks to relinquish control and enhance personal connections.
• Strategies for Productivity: Jeff’s 10x idea revolves around "service stacking" with a book and coaching programs. Mercers’ focus is on lower-ticket offers and improved targeting for marketing success.
• Monetization and Audience Connection: Both speakers aim to simplify, be more accepting, and shift their business model to offer more free content. The goal is to provide value, be genuine, and connect with their audience while exploring new revenue streams.
• Business Growth and Brand Development: Mercer explores innovative revenue options and plans to launch a new brand: Automated Profits.io.
• Podcast Goals and Alignment: Jeff prioritizes relationship-building over monetizing the podcast. Both speakers are aligned in their goals of audience growth and meaningful content.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Economic Challenges and Recovery: 2023 presented economic challenges with layoffs and reduced spending. Hope for 2024 as signs of economic recovery emerge, albeit with a potentially slightly weaker economy. Large companies are preparing for potential downturns by stockpiling resources.
• Optimism for Economic Turnaround: Jeff is optimistic about a turnaround as the 2023 recession did not materialize. He believes in the possibility of the economy returning to pre-2019 levels.
• Impact of Rising Interest Rates: Jeff shares concerns about rising interest rates negatively affecting businesses and consumers. There is the expectation that businesses may invest if rates stay low or decrease, with potential waiting periods if rates rise. He expresses confidence that people will adapt to higher interest rates over time.
• Adapting to the New Normal: Discussion on business acclimation, emphasizing resilience and long-term decision-making. Jeff shares personal experiences in building a company during challenging economic conditions.
• Business Strategies in an AI-Driven World: Emphasis on long-term thinking and strategic adaptation to changing markets. Predictions include AI-driven consolidation and new business models in AI and automation industries. Recommendations to embrace AI for cost savings and pivot business models accordingly.
• AI's Impact on Workforce and Industries: Predictions of AI replacing lower-level positions, leading to cost savings and efficiency. Integration of AI into digital marketing for analysis and decision-making. Anticipation of AI reducing the need for certain job positions in 2024. They express concern about job displacement by AI and expectations of shifts in job roles and industries.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Leveraging Cash for Operational Improvements: The podcast kicks off by highlighting the power of cash in enhancing business operations, covering investments in systems, advertising, and employee retention as key areas of focus.
• Strategic Cash Flow Management: Mercer and Jeff delve into the importance of managing cash flow effectively. They stress the need for maintaining cash reserves to address unforeseen challenges, challenging the notion that cash is merely an expense, and emphasizing its role as an investment for long-term growth.
• Optimizing Cash Flow and Payroll: The podcast advocates prioritizing a 3-month reserve account to ensure stability in handling unexpected expenses and payroll. It explores lessons learned from past investment mistakes and delves into how payroll structure can impact team performance and overall growth.
• Smart Cost Savings through Prepayment: Strategies for saving money, such as prepaying annual expenses and negotiating vendor discounts, are discussed. The financial advantages of forward-thinking approaches are highlighted.
• Leveraging Cash Reserves for Strategic Growth: The podcast explores the concept of overfunding a reserve account to provide founders with financial stability and leverage for future expenses. It touches on the importance of personal financial comfort and investments in higher-risk assets.
• Investing in Business Efficiency: The podcast underscores the significance of investments in AI and automation tools to enhance business efficiency and forecasting accuracy. They emphasize the role of proper tax planning, including the involvement of a CPA and bookkeeper, for financial stability.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Defining Outside Investment: Mercer clarifies outside investment as external cash infusion in exchange for equity, setting the discussion's foundation.
• Equity vs. Non-Equity Investments: Mercer and Jeff delve into various outside investment forms, stressing the preservation of equity for new entrepreneurs and cautioning against premature equity relinquishment.
• Investing in Private Companies and Non-Traditional Methods: Jeff and Mercer explore the pros and cons of lending to businesses, with an emphasis on early-stage private investments and the recognition of non-cash contributions as valuable.
• Entrepreneurship, Investment, and Growth Strategies: They advise building a profitable business before seeking outside investment, considering potential drawbacks for small businesses, including the importance of product-market fit and nuanced angel investments.
• Investment for Business Growth and Timeline: Next they discuss investment's impact on goal timelines, emphasizing understanding business operations and planning for successful investment acquisition.
• Investing in Businesses and Cash Flow: Finally, they explore investment strategies, focusing on visionary companies, diversification, trust-based investments, and evaluating conversion rates.

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