Business Wingmen Podcast

Sometimes, your business doesn't need a full-time person to do a particular task. And, some professionals who provide the service you want, don't want full time employment. This is what's known as independent contractor services. So, how do you find the right fit for your business and how do you work with them once you hire them? In today's episode of the Business Wingmen, your co-hosts, Steve Smi...

Want to be viewed as more than an employee who does a good job? Start networking and establish your credibility and occupational knowledge with people outside your company. Networking is about creating and building relationships; the same relationships that could lead to future clients, quality referral partners or your next great job opportunity! In this episode of, 'Boost Your Professional Value...

Making a great first impression shortly after you've been hired make your new job so much more rewarding. So, whose responsible for doing this? You are! Companies do their part by orienting, training and introducing you to everyone around you. It's your job to demonstrate that you were the best choice. Not sure how to do this? Listen in as your Business Wingmen co-hosts, Steve Smith & Travis S...

What do you say when someone asks you what makes your business different? Are you clear about your unique position or point of distinction or do you just say waht everyone else says about your selection, customer service and number of years you have been in business. Verbalizing a genuine point of difference is not easy but you can find what makes you unique by listening to today's episode of the...

What makes your business special? Products? Services? It's neither of these. It's your customer service! That experience that lets people know you care and appreciate their patronage. The experience of dealing with you and your team is what makes people come back and tell their family and friends. On a professional level, the experience of working with you leaves colleagues with the same feeling....

Are you a rule breaker? Sometimes, it feels good to do what you think and feel is right and thumb your nose at legacy policy and procedure. But, is rule breaking smart, especially when your job might be on the line? In today's episode of the Business Wingmen Show, your podcast co-hosts, Steve Smith and Travis Smith talk about their own experiences in rule breaking. Depending on the situation and t...

Every job has expectations. Some are written down, many are not. So, what do you do if your role is top level and your assignment is vague? Waiting to your annual performance review to discuss it is a bad idea. On today's Business Wingmen episode, your co-hosts, Steve Smith and Travis Smith walk you through the many scenarios for establishing clear expectations with your boss or your team. If you...

You are at the top of your game! You own the company. You have significant responsibility for everything and more to accomplish than you have time for. Why aren't you delegating? In this week's episode of the Business Wingmen, your co-hosts Steve Smith & Travis Smith wade into the complexities of delegating and share tips for doing it successfully. Delegation is a critical skill for leaders an...

Layoffs are no fun! Sometimes, they are necessary for the business to survive but many times, they simply create problems for all involved. So, what do you do if you are laid off? What are you facing if you survive the ax? In this episode of The Business Wingmen, your co-hosts, Steve Smith and Travis Smith reveal the tips and heartaches of enduring a company layoff. What you learn could keep you f...

What do you do if you start to see reviews about your business taking a negative turn. Most times, the business ignores them or tries to cover them up with better ones. There may be some valuable learning that could point you in the direction of uncovering problems in your business that affect the customer's experience. Whatever you do, don't ignore these. In today's episode of the Business Wingme...

As the entrepreneurial axiom goes, hire people that love doing what you can't do. So, what about hiring 3rd party vendors to do work you can't or don't want to do? This is always a good decision as long as you know what outcome you want. You don't have to know how to get there, that's why you hire an expert who does. But not knowing what you want can lead to misunderstandings and disappointments t...

Having to let an employee go is never a pleasant experience. But, as a manager or company leader, you will be faced with this duty at some point. There are respectful, professional ways to deliver this news and ways that render a bad experience for all involved. In today's Business Wingmen Show, your co-hosts Steve Smith and Travis Smith separate what works and what doesn't. Join us for a energeti...

So much time and effort goes into finding and vetting the right hire for your job that it's hard to think about changing direction once you make a job offer. But, sometimes, things happen and information comes to light that might make your choice a poor one for your company, your team and you! In today's episode of the Business Wingmen, your co-hosts Steve and Travis Smith discuss situations where...

Nothing can add more stress to your thoughts about where your career is headed than being asked to take on a special assignment or special project. These temporary responsibilities have traditionally been seen as career killers. The place people go to live out their time with the company they work for. But special assignments can also be hidden gold mined just waiting for the right person with a s...

What does it mean to be 'professional'? This term gets applied to many people who are in professional occupations but does it mean they are all 'professional' in how they operate? Professionalism is a unique way of being. It's how you think, how you see others, how you show up and how you behave. It's a distinction worth having! In this episode, your Business Wingmen co-hosts, Steve Smith & Tr...

Have you ever sat back and thought about how you go to where you are today? If you a business profesional, the thought has probably come up once or twice. One of the best ways to develop the the vision and confidence to continue to succeed, is to think about how you got this far in the first place. In this episode, your Business Wingmen co-hosts take turns reflecting on how they both became succes...

Management is the secret sauce of a well run, profitable business. But not all companies have capable managers or know how to development them into confident, credible authority figures. Management skills deficiencies can go from poor communication skills to decision making, delegation and organization. Without these basics, your core operation will struggle. In this episode of The Business Wingme...

Have you heard? AI is taking over the world and it's starting with ChatGPT. This new AI tool has taken the industry and everything else by storm. Try it and you'll be astounded at how fast and 'human' the results appear. But will this new software, and the many more sophisticated tools that are sure to follow, be a blessing or a curse? On today's Business Wingmen Show, your co-hosts, Steve Smith a...

Every business professional faces problems. How you approach them determines how well you solve them. If your behavior is to avoid problems hoping they will go away, this episode of the Business Wingmen is for you. Join your hosts, Steve Smith and Travis Smith and learn what may be causing you or others on your team to shy away from effective problem solving techniques.

Job performance and satisfaction can be elusive to attain and to keep. So, what do you do if you've lost your mojo and are afraid others will find out? This happens to lots of professionals, whether you are starting a new job, moving up the company latter or have been in the same role for a long time. Struggling on the job should not be something you hide from. In this episode, your Business Wingm...

Every time you bring someone new into your company, your culture is affected. Question is, are you considering cultural fit when deciding to hire someone? Can you even describe the culture in your company now? Knowing what your culture looks like and being able to ask the right questions of a prospective employee are essential to insuring your company culture is preserved, even improved. In today'...

This year, don't fall in the trap of thinking a few resolutions will change things. If you are serious about continuing on your path for success, take the time to think about the kind of course corrections that could yield big results. In this episode of the Business Wingmen podcast, your co-hosts, Steve Smith and Travis Smith reveal their most effective ways of changing what you normally do to ge...

Communicating effectively means getting your message delivered to the people you speak to. If they walk away thinking you meant something different than you said, your message did not go through effectively. Today's Business Wingmen Show talks about what goes into being an effective communicator and how to clearly convey your message and the meaning behind it.

There are a whole host of lessons we can all learn from Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. His moves were monumental and far beyond the reach of this listening audience. But there are things every business professional who has ever bought, sold, merged or acquired another company can learn. This episode diggs through those lessons.

Comfort zones! We all have them. They make you feel safe and stress free. They also hold you back from doing some of your best, most existing work. Is your comfort zone keeping you in a nice cozy space, free from your true potential? This episode explores how comfort zones get created and what you need to do to keep yours from delivering you an uninspiring career. Join your Business Wingmen, Steve...