Topics Covered In This Episode

• The Nature of Top Performers: Mercer and Jeff delve into the contentious discussion of whether top performers are born or cultivated, emphasizing the role of an organization in nurturing and utilizing the innate capabilities of top talent. The Minneapolis public school district is highlighted as a beacon of top-performance.
• Identifying a Top Performer: The podcast sheds light on the traits that define a top performer - an individual who elevates your business to unprecedented heights. Mercer and Jeff also share insightful tips on hiring techniques, including the significance of behavioral questions and pre-interview tests to identify a true 'A player'.
• The Importance of Accurate Job Descriptions: The hosts discuss the critical role of a well-structured hiring funnel and job description in attracting top performers. They stress on the necessity for candidates to be detail-oriented and honest about their capabilities.
• Avoiding the Pitfall of Hiring for Potential: The podcast warns against the common mistake of hiring based on potential rather than the candidate's current skill set and alignment with the desired role. They stress on using purpose-built questions during interviews to ensure the candidates are as proficient as they claim.
• Strategies for Multiple Role Hirings: Mercer and Jeff analyze the challenges of hiring for multiple roles simultaneously compared to a single role, highlighting the risks of settling for candidates who seem good only on paper. They advocate for seeking candidates who can perform exceptionally from the onset without requiring nurturing.
• Maintaining Relationships with Top Candidates: The hosts recount personal experiences with keeping the lines of communication open with strong candidates who might not have been hired initially. The story of Julie Brody, who transitioned from a DMA to a director position, underscores the benefits of maintaining relationships with potential top performers. They further emphasize the importance of surrounding oneself with top performers, fostering a network of excellence and growth.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Defining Roles vs Job Descriptions: Mercer advocates for distinguishing between a person's individual talents and the role they fulfill within a company. This approach aids in crafting a business structure that aligns with proven MBA teachings and successful business models.
• Concept of Minimum Viable Resource: Discusses the "unicorn" employee who can undertake multiple roles efficiently. A thorough understanding of roles vs job descriptions helps in optimizing the organizational chart and achieving business objectives more efficiently.
• The Significance of an Organizational Chart: Mercer emphasizes a systems-oriented approach to developing a detailed organizational chart. This chart serves as a blueprint for company operations, highlighting the roles necessary for the business and facilitating easier transition and training for future employees.
• Value of a Business Partner: The episode underscores the importance of having a business partner who can wear multiple hats, especially in the early stages of a business, thus accelerating the company's growth.
• Roles within Marketing Department: A closer look at roles in marketing reveals the efficiency of hiring specialists over generalists. The podcast discusses the realization that time spent creating offers was not translating to monetary gains, stressing the necessity for leadership to guide team focus and strategy.
• Approaches to Filling Roles Amid Limited Resources: Discusses strategies for fulfilling roles effectively when resources are scarce. It touches upon the challenges in balancing innovation with imitation in marketing strategies, and the often contentious relationship between sales and marketing teams.
• Ranking Success and Management Training: The segment discusses the importance of focusing on high-level successes and implementing management training to foster effective team management. It highlights the CEO's dedication to continual improvement in management skills.
• Fostering Better Business Owners: The final segment advocates for training individuals to be more proficient business owners, emphasizing the role of management in career progression. It recommends the "One Minute Manager" book as a starting point for enhancing business management conversations and skills.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Introduction to AI in Business: Mercer and Jeff discuss the advent of AI in businesses. Focus on Generative AI’s role in brainstorming and content creation. Mention of Bart's utilization of chatbot for various tasks including code rewriting.
• AI Implementation Strategies: Team's positive approach to incorporating AI tools in operations. AI's role in generating ideas which are then refined by humans before going to market. Mention of the initial draft being significant in the process.
• Utilizing AI for Technical Tasks: AI aids in identifying and filling gaps in technical work. Mention of BigQuery as a tool for gap analysis and educating individuals on API construction. Emphasis on businesses increasingly adopting data analysis tools.
• Google's Contribution to AI Integration: Google's ongoing developments in becoming a comprehensive AI assistant. Discussions on how Google is gradually replacing traditional office suites.
• Advancements in Prompt Engineering: Importance of prompt engineering in progressing business operations. Noting the obsolescence of Microsoft Office suite due to Google's advancements. Introduction of a new tool called "Notebook LM".
• Training AI and Database Utilization: Steps for making AI more efficient include gathering and segmenting email lists. Concerns about AI working independently and possibly disseminating incorrect information. The potential of databases like Google Drive to train AI models for better understanding of language nuances. Encouragement to use AI as a secondary opinion to foster business growth, emphasizing its role in creating new jobs and efficiencies without replacing human roles.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Understanding Bookkeepers: Mercer highlights the essential role of bookkeepers, who manage and organize a company's financial records. Mercer's journey from freelancing to managing his business's finances until 2013 is shared.
• Cost of Running a Company: Discussion revolves around the monthly service costs of companies, and the value of having a bookkeeper to oversee expenses and financial organization.
• The Importance of Professional Bookkeeping: The risks of self-managing business finances are presented. Bookkeepers play a pivotal role in monitoring and classifying financial transactions, especially for recurring and regular expenses.
• Managing Company Divisions: The differentiation between various company divisions is explained. Bookkeepers act as financial advisors, ensuring proper financial management across different divisions.
• Maximizing Benefits & Virtual CFOs: The episode delves into understanding if one is leveraging their bookkeeper's full potential. The distinction between a bookkeeper and a CFO is explored, emphasizing the broader role of a CFO. Jeff introduces the concept of a virtual CFO and its significance in modern business operations.
• Locating the Right Bookkeeper: Emphasis is placed on the expertise and skills required of a bookkeeper. For those seeking bookkeeping services, Jeff recommends local resources and platforms like Econbalance or the Mom Project

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Definition and Importance of Contracts: A contract is a formal agreement between two parties. It's essential as it offers clarity and protection, especially during disagreements when emotions might run high.
• Contract vs. Proposal: A contract formalizes all initial discussions while differentiating itself from marketing proposals. A pitch proposal is distinct from a contract proposal, with contracts signifying the onset of a more legal relationship.
• Master Services Agreement: This is an agreement between two companies, acting as an addendum to their existing relationship. Using it with exhibits can improve client retention.
• Involving Attorneys in Contract Creation: It's advised to involve legal professionals rather than using free internet templates. Though lawsuits can be costly, having a robust contract minimizes risks.
• Contracts Prior to Litigation: Contracts can serve as tools before any legal actions. For any service, the specifics can be detailed into several sub-services, aiding clarity. Incorrectly written contracts can lead to unintended extra work.
• Improving Contract Use: While most contracts undergo minimal changes, ensuring payment for completed tasks remains a challenge. Successful contract negotiations usually mean a sealed deal. The educational aspect of contracts is invaluable, as understanding them can lead to better business evaluations.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Understanding Pricing Mistakes: Jeff and Mercer delve into common pricing errors, emphasizing the clarity in price display and the pitfalls of misaligned product-market fit.
• Art and Science of Pricing: Pricing incorporates both artistic intuition and analytical thinking, exemplified by measuremarketing.io's 47-hour course strategy and the value-based pricing approach.
• Differential Pricing for Varied Clients: The nuances of offering similar services at different price points based on client size and the intricacies of client negotiations.
• Small vs. Major Business Dynamics: While the majority of product offerings remain consistent, there are distinct differences when catering to small businesses versus large enterprises. This includes challenges faced and the impact potential.
• Incorporating Profit Margins: Pricing is a confluence of margin, time, and effort considerations. Jeff's personal experiences with price adjustments underscore the importance of refining pricing strategies.
• Navigating and Learning from Pricing Mistakes: Emphasizing the growth mindset, the session underscores the importance of iterative pricing adjustments and viewing mistakes as learning opportunities. Jeff concludes with actionable takeaways for listeners and a call to engage further with "Business Unfiltered".

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Introduction to Managing for Profit: The podcast begins with Mercer and Jeff discussing the concept of profitability and the critical role of the team in ensuring a profitable business. They emphasize the importance of generating a profit surplus through value exchange in the marketplace.
• Setting Expectations & Expense Management: This section covers how Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be used to manage expectations and performance. Jeff and Mercer introduce the 'five-for-one' marketing approach for a 20% profit margin on every $5 in revenue. They also explore ways to reduce expenses, such as eliminating unnecessary recurring subscriptions, to manage for profit rather than just covering costs.
• Reviewing Tools & Profit Margin Goals: Mercer and Jeff emphasize the need to assess operational tools and discontinue those that are redundant. They also underline the importance of setting profit margin goals, suggesting that an ideal profit margin for an agency should be around 15% net profit.
• Planning for Profitability amid Reinvestment: Mercer and Jeff discuss the challenges of sustaining profitability during substantial reinvestment phases in business. They stress the importance of time-bound forecasting and proactive planning to mitigate sunk costs.
• Managing Business Risks & Failures: This section explores the implications of a business bet not panning out. They emphasize the need for an exit plan in the face of negative market response to new offers. They also differentiate between experiencing failure and being a failure, underscoring that failure is part of the learning process. They wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to stay forward-focused and heed the signs that guide the next steps.

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Topics Covered In This Episode

• Defining an Executive Assistant: We begin with a discussion around the role and value of an executive assistant, the differences between a virtual and an executive assistant, and common misconceptions about having an assistant. Exploring how having an assistant could exponentially enhance your life by freeing up time and resources.
• The Need for an Executive Assistant: Dive into why executives may require an assistant, how it differs from other roles, and the level of trust and vulnerability required to effectively work with an assistant.
• Onboarding an Executive Assistant: Discussion on the effective onboarding of an executive assistant including email and calendar management strategies, like the email GPS system. Importance of setting up processes for daily and weekly tasks is also highlighted.
• The Value of an Assistant: We explore the significance of an executive assistant in managing workloads like sales pipeline, calendars, and tasks. The concept of the "zone of optimal genius" and how an assistant can help an executive stay in this zone is discussed.
• Building Trust with your Assistant: Discussion around the unique relationship between the executive and assistant, noting the personal nature of this working relationship.  We provide tips on how to offload tasks and how to avoid feeling unimportant when delegating tasks to an assistant.
• Email Management and Communication: We elaborate on the difference between personal and non-personal emails, rule-based approach to manage them, and the importance of clear communication. Then we take a look at how investing time in onboarding an assistant can result in more efficient email management.
• Involving the Assistant in Team Calls: We discuss the importance of having the assistant on team calls, and the utility of having a private, back-channel email for direct communication. The session concludes with a discussion on the importance of reassessing tasks that need the executive's direct involvement and the increased productivity that can be achieved by effectively using an assistant.

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Topics Covered In This Episode:

• Defining project management: In this episode, the hosts delve into the concept of project management and how it can be defined. Jeff shares his perspective on project management and its importance in achieving business goals.
• Project management learnings: Mercer and Jeff discuss their own experiences working together and share insights into the idea of the ideal workday. They challenge the notion of completing tasks and offer a hack to change the language around task completion.
• Creating a virtual desk: The hosts explain how they established a virtual desk system for their team, including implementing a productivity reporting system. They highlight the benefits of using project management terms to enhance communication and create an organized and evergreen environment.
• Addressing the stigma of project management: Mercer and Jeff address the misconceptions and stigma associated with project management. They share their experiences with different tools, including ClickUp, and discuss simplifying the project management process to overcome barriers.
• Status hacks and transitioning to a digital file system: The hosts explore status hacks within project management, such as using specific terms to indicate the progress of tasks. They also discuss the transition to a digital file system, using Google Drive as an example, and how to organize folders effectively.
• Leveraging working on dates for improved productivity: Mercer and Jeff highlight the significance of using working on dates to prioritize tasks and improve productivity. They emphasize the importance of being willing to adjust plans, having backups, and conducting regular weekly meetings to ensure smooth project management.

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Topics Covered In This Episode:

• Planning out your ideal workday: In this episode, Mercer and Jeff Sauer discuss the importance of planning out your ideal workday to maximize productivity and accomplish your goals.
• Balancing time and energy: They explore how to evaluate yourself and be productive by balancing your time and energy throughout the day, aiming to end the day with a sense of accomplishment and energy.
• The importance of planning for the end of the day: Mercer and Jeff emphasize the significance of planning for the end of the day and how it can be a challenge to plan for more than just one task. They share strategies for managing energy ebbs and flows throughout the day.
• Consequences for procrastination: The hosts discuss the concept of procrastination and suggest giving yourself consequences to combat it. They also provide insights into scoping goals realistically and getting better at time management.
• Breaking down time blocks: Mercer and Jeff explain the Pomodoro technique and the benefits of time blocking. They delve into the idea of warm-up time before diving into tasks and share their approaches to allocating time blocks for different activities.
• Delegating and prioritizing tasks: The hosts highlight the importance of having an assistant to help prioritize tasks and delegate smaller projects. They discuss the significance of setting up a schedule and implementing positive constraints to enhance productivity.
• The $5,000 rule and blocking off time: Mercer and Jeff introduce the concept of the $5,000 rule, which involves blocking off time for tasks that can potentially generate $5,000 or more in value. They emphasize the value of effective time management in achieving productivity goals.

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