Business, Beer & BS with Mike & Blaine

Send us Fan Mail What? You read that right. There is a new trend among businesses to add a side hustle to their core business activity. In a lot of cases it doesn’t make sense, but every once in a while you run across an idea that just fits. Mike and Blaine discuss this issue in this week's episode. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entrepreneurship, s...

Send us Fan Mail What is it that drives us to want to be entrepreneurs? Underneath all the stress and happiness is the addiction to achievement. We drive ourselves toward an endless pursuit of perfection with the confidence and state of mind of a warrior. But what’s behind the drive? Mike and Blaine tackle the entrepreneur's brain in this episode. Don't miss out on the latest insights an...

Send us Fan Mail Every once in a while you hear about the craziest thing someone has turned into a business idea. At times, you laugh. Other times you’re impressed. Especially if you are struggling in what we consider a traditional small business. Mike & Blaine talk about strange businesses you didn’t know existed. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entr...

Send us Fan Mail We asked ChatGPT: “What do you think will happen to small businesses in 2023?”  Being it’s politically correct self, ChatGPT said it couldn’t predict…but made five predictions anyway!  Mike and Blaine discuss what our Robot Overlord told us. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entrepreneurship, small business, and random BS. Subscribe, follow...

Send us Fan Mail The idea of a 4-day work week is becoming popular. The benefits are obvious. More retention, better employee engagement and happiness, lower burnout rates, and fewer sick days. Join us as Mike and Blaine discuss the 4-day work week. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entrepreneurship, small business, and random BS. Subscribe, follow, and lik...

Send us Fan Mail What took Netflix 3 ½ years to do, ChatGPT acquired a million users in 5 days.  But is ChatGPT really all it’s cracked up to be.  Mike and Blaine are going to take a totally uneducated look at AI and how small businesses may be able to take advantage of this technology, now and in the future.  This episode is sure to haunt us later as we are proven right or wrong down the road.  L...

Send us Fan Mail Seriously, restaurants are trying to get into the subscription business model.  I mean why not?  Who doesn’t want pizza on a regular basis?  But is there a limit to which businesses can successfully use a subscription based business model.  Mike and Blaine take a closer look at our subscription based lives in this episode. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertainin...

Send us Fan Mail It’s rare that we’ve seen a social media platform take the world by storm so quickly.  What started out as a dance craze for teens, seemingly became a small business owner's dream overnight.  Micro influencers popped up everywhere selling everything, and became millionaires.  Now that the US Government is on the verge of banning the app as a Chinese spy apparatus, what become...

Send us Fan Mail If there is one thing that is painfully obvious this week, it’s that fact that cash flow problems aren’t restricted to small and struggling businesses.  Even the so-called “smartest guys in the room”, are prone to making decisions that can kill a company quickly.  In this episode, Mike & Blaine stay on the topic of cash flow and how the recent bank collapse made it even worse....

Send us Fan Mail I remember my first boss, Dale - the chef, had a variation of this quote. He’d say, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”  The whole premise here is that solutions and productivity are just as time consuming as complaining or wasting time. In this episode, Mike and Blaine explore the challenges of staying focused on results opposed to being distracted with negativity...

Send us Fan Mail This is super interesting – most of the companies that appear to be an instant success are really just building on the past. It’s true that we are more likely to accept something that we already use or connect with that holds the promise of being better. In this episode, Mike & Blaine look at the difference between a new idea and just a new look at an old idea. Don't miss...

Send us Fan Mail You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take and sometimes the moment to transform your life passes you by.  That is the premise for Meg Whitman’s quote on not taking action has a higher price than making a mistake.  Mike and Blaine take on the challenge of knowing when to pull the trigger on an idea, even when you think it might fail. Don't miss out on the latest insights and e...

Send us Fan Mail We all know that feeling you get when something just doesn’t feel right.  Sometimes we can’t place our finger on it, but we know something isn’t right.  That’s when you should trust your instincts.  But what about when you feel that something could be awesome, should you trust it then?  Mike and Blaine debate this issue caused by a quote from Estee Lauder. Don't miss out on t...

Send us Fan Mail Bill Gates is credited with the quote that “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”  Let’s face it.  Nobody likes to deal with customers who are mad at you.  Especially when they are emotionally charged.  In this week’s episode, Mike & Blaine discuss the challenges of dealing with an unhappy customer and how you can turn this situation into a win-win...

Send us Fan Mail Ideas are everywhere. You can’t help but stumble on an idea everywhere you turn. If you’re a business owner, it triples the amount because everyone you talk to has something for you to consider. The problem is executing on the idea. In this episode, Mike and Blaine talk about what happens when an idea runs into obstacles. Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining...

Send us Fan Mail One of the most difficult skills to master as a small business owner is advertising.  What drives a person to first look at your ad, be inspired to act, and then take action.  That is the secret that most businesses have to figure out.  One thing is for certain, if you don’t advertise, chance are that you won’t have much business.  Mike & Blaine talk advertising in this week’s...

Send us Fan Mail On the heels of a brand redesign, Mike & Blaine tackle getting the opinion of the market for your idea.  What’s the right thing to do?  Should you gather input from the market or do you know better because they haven’t been exposed to the idea yet.  Henry Ford said “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”  We unpack the quote in this week’s...

Send us Fan Mail Season 3 starts off with a bang!  You can’t begin a new year without a new set of expectations for yourself and your business.  Nobody said it better than the founder of Wal-Mart himself, Sam Walton.  Check out this episode to see what Mike and Blaine have in store for Season 3, and 2023 for themselves personally, and professionally.  Don't miss out on the latest insights and...

Send us Fan Mail What probably should be required reading for any business owner, The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, is full of wisdom about confronting an opposing force.  In this episode, Mike & Blaine consider how to spot the opportunity that is created in chaos.  They even discuss whether or not chaos exists, or is it just an order that you don’t understand.  Don’t miss the last episode of Season...

Send us Fan Mail There is something magical about being able to set your mind to achieve something.  Henry Ford made the title quote a reality when he believed he could change the world by producing a car.  We all have things that we have been able to achieve that we never thought we could.  We’ve also been victims of failing, mainly because we just didn’t think we could do it.  In the episode, Mi...

Send us Fan Mail Tony Hsieh once said to chase the vision, not the money, the money will follow.  If there was ever a quote that hits the nail on the head, it’s this one.  You can’t chase money is the topic of today’s episode, where Mike and Blaine talk about their attitudes toward how success and fortune connect.  Don't miss out on the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entrepre...

Send us Fan Mail The first way to get known in business is to advertise. Not surprisingly, without advertising nobody will know you're in business.  When you say it out loud it makes so much sense, but why do so many small business owners avoid buying advertising or promoting their business.  Mike and Blaine discuss their experience with advertising and why some people avoid it in this episod...

Send us Fan Mail Looking back, this quote by Sheryl Sandberg, of Meta Platforms, is almost prophetic.  It's interesting to consider the reasons we don’t take advantage of opportunities.  In most cases there is a fear associated with the decision.  In this episode, Mike and Blaine tackle the question of limiting fears and shifting beliefs.  Find out what may be holding you back from changing t...

Send us Fan Mail It’s Thanksgiving, so we always take a little time to reflect on the things that have brought us joy, happiness, and success.  This Thanksgiving we dive into Lolly Daskal’s quote about falling is really the stepping stones for our journey.  Mike and Blaine discuss the things that had the most impact on their future.  It’s retrospective, but super cool to draw the connections.  Don...

Send us Fan Mail In a variation of “none of us is as smart as all of us”, Mike and Blaine discuss the importance of building a good team.  We would all like to think of ourselves as the smartest guy in the room, but when push comes to shove, the individual has limitations that don’t affect the team as much.  The point is to surround yourself with world class people and you’ll create a world class...