Help Wanted

You can't say yes to every opportunity, which begs the question: When should you say no? Today, Jason will give you an answer. It’s a simple framework that he learned from Brian Lee, the cofounder of LegalZoom. And he learned it by accidentally almost killing the company. Now you can benefit from his mistake.

Today, Jason tells Nicole a story of a very recent— and very public— failure. He explains what happened, how he panicked, and ultimately, what advice he got from a friend that made him feel better.

You have the right stuff: You’re talented, smart, and good at what you do. But the right people aren’t noticing. So here’s a difficult truth you must take seriously: you are a high-quality person, but you can’t compete on quality alone. Today, Jason shows you how to get noticed another way. 

Jason and Nicole got a wonderfully crafted piece of constructive criticism from a listener: they swear too much on the show! Today, Nicole and Jason explain how they decided where to draw their line when it comes to swearing— and they teach you how to calibrate the trade-off between raw personality and professionalism.

Have you ever asked for something — but were misunderstood? This happened to Jason recently and it triggered an an ah-hah moment. His mistake was that he didn’t ask for what he wanted. Instead, he asked for bad examples of what he wanted. Today, he gives you a better way to ask questions, give answers, build relationships, solve problems, and become someone’s hero.

Today’s caller has been slowly increasing her rates over time with market trends—except for one of her earliest clients, who's still paying the same old low pricing. She knows it’s time to raise those rates, but the thought of having that conversation is totally stressing her out. Today, Jason and Nicole give her strategies to help her feel more comfortable with having the conversation successfull...

Today Jason shares two strategies he uses to stop obsessing over small mistakes. He calls them Thinking Downward, and the Grading Curve. They’ve helped him bounce back from his imperfect moments — and he thinks they can help you too.

Today Nicole and Jason break down all things introductions— how to ask for one, how NOT to ask for one, and what to say if someone asks for an intro you don't want to give. They give you the steps you should take every time you make an intro, and they start by talking about the weirdest intro Jason has ever been a part of.

You’re trying to solve a problem. But you’re stumped. So you keep asking the same question: How do I do this one thing? But what if you’re asking the wrong question? Today, Jason will show you how to back up and ask the “earlier question.” And he'll start by showing you how he just used this trick… and helped a big company solve a big problem.

Today, Jason and Nicole explore a taboo topic: the give-and-take struggle between a demanding career and parenthood. Jason and Nicole have noticed a reticence in others to talk about this experience for fear of judgment or misunderstanding. But in this conversation, Jason and Nicole speak honestly. Plus, what's the best way to tell your coworker you're expecting?

Trust is not binary, it's a gradient — and once you appreciate how it works, you can build (and maintain!) trust in smarter, more careful ways. It’s a concept called the trust battery. Today, Jason will show you how to use it — and how it can help you build better relationships, professionally and personally.

When the check comes at the end of a business dinner, who should pay? The bigger company? Does that even matter? These are the questions on our Executive Producer Morgan's mind after an awkward fumble at the end of a business dinner with a big tab. Jason gives a framework you can use to assess when you should throw your card down, and what to say if you can't.

Jason got a cold DM on LinkedIn that included a common ask that often creates friction. Today, Jason and Nicole call up the guy who made that ask to talk through his networking strategy and give him some tips on frictionless outreach.

You want to do something new... But you’re hesitating, because you’re not sure if it’s the right thing to do. Today, Jason will introduce you to a concept he calls the ticket. It’s a way to stop thinking about what you should do, so you can think about what you can do. And to see how it works, he’ll first tell you about a friend who’s in this situation right now — feeling stuck, at a crossroads, a...

Today's caller is fighting with her fiancé; he didn't include her in a business deal, but she feels *strongly* that he should have. Today, the caller is joined by her fiancé to explain the situation so Nicole and Jason can determine which of them is right, and how couples should handle joint opportunities.

You’re trying to do something but don’t have… enough money. Enough time. Enough resources. Enough something. Today, Jason will reveal a resource you didn’t know you have: It’s the stuff all around you — but with a twist.

The Paris Olympics are over, but Jason says that three surprising business lessons from viral Olympics moments live on. Today, he shares those moments with Nicole (and yes, pommel horse guy sleeping is one of them).

If you want to earn people's trust and respect, ask yourself: how are you using their time? Today, Jason explains how he learned an important lesson about other people's time — and how he learned that lesson from an unexpected cautionary tale.

Listener Melissa calls the Help Line today because she's experiencing some analysis paralysis (haven't we all). Jason gives her a formula to help her determine which parts of her work she should change; plus, he shares how to failure-proof her pivot by making it into an experiment.

When we solve problems, we often start with the easiest part… But that’s often the wrong approach. Every big problem has one fundamental challenge — and if you don’t start there, then you’re just wasting your time. We’ll call this thing the monkey. You must know your monkey. Today, Jason introduces you to it.

Today’s caller is watching his company go through a big change... and as a result, his work is feeling less meaningful. Jason and Nicole help him realize that he's been looking for a solution in all the wrong places, and give their tips on how to make your voice heard at work.

Jason is dealing with some haters right now. Here is how he's handling it, and how you can too.

What happens when you hire someone, and they charge way more than you expected? That happened to our caller, Kassi Underwood, whose babysitter handed her a steep bill. (So steep, a screenshot of it went viral on LinkedIn!) Jason and Nicole give advice on how to course-correct, and how to prevent making this big mistake in the first place. Want one-on-one business and money coaching from Jason or N...

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Try this.

Some people might think that a personal brand is only important for entrepreneurs who are the face of their companies, but that’s not true! Think of a personal brand as a strong reputation rooted in your strengths… who doesn’t need that? When Jason and Nicole get a caller question about building a personal brand, they decide to phone-a-friend: Aliza Licht, an incredible marketing guru. Jason, Nico...