2022 Interview Recap 3

Biggest 2022 Podcast Takeaways Pt. 3

In this three-episode series Julie breaks down her biggest takeaways from each interview she did in 2022 for this podcast.

We’ve saved the best one-liners for last! In this final installment recap of podcast episodes from 2022, learn Julie’s biggest takeaways.

Hey there, this is Julie Bee, and you’re listening to They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School. I’m so glad to have you with me today, as I finish up the three-part podcast series on the lessons I learned from my 2022 guests. Next week I’ll get back to interviewing business owners, but let’s take one final look back at some insights from the 2022 interviews.  

This last grouping had a lot of one-liners that were particularly insightful, so let’s get into it. 

Brandon Crumpton’s interview caused me to re-evaluate my own self-care practices. As Brandon puts it,  – “Every day is a new day. Every day it is you versus you.” He practices yoga and meditation every morning to help him stay focused, on track, and calm. Every day – you versus you. I left this interview thinking, “How will I win tomorrow?”

When I interviewed Scott McIntosh, we talked about energy management. He said, “You’ve only got so much space in your jar to fill it with rocks, sand, and water. Pick what you put in that jar carefully.” It’s not necessarily about time, because something that takes five minutes to do can take up so much more energy than you ever imagined. It might take up six weeks’ of energy to do that five minute activity. Pay attention to your energy, and try to fill your jar with things that energize you instead of draining you. 

When Cass Ward and I were talking about the flexibility of being a business owner, he said, “Making our own hours is a curse. That flexibility comes with handcuffs.” If you’re a business owner, you get this right away. There is a perception that business owners make their own schedules and are their own boss. When in reality, we often have several bosses (aka clients or customers) who all have different needs and demands. That perceived flexibility that is supposed to come with business ownership often does feel like handcuffs, as Cass mentioned. The way you address this is boundaries around your schedule and rigorously defending those boundaries. 

During Robb Wolf’s interview, he said something that stopped me in my tracks. He said he might be committing career suicide by following his passion. We talked more about what he meant by that, and why he’s still willing to pursue that passion in the interview. Upon further reflection, I think what he’s actually doing is passion-lead diversification, or perhaps closing a chapter and opening another. Many business owners I spoke with last year were at a sort of crossroads, trying to decide to either stay the course for what they’re known for, or make massive change towards what the really want to do. Robb’s phrase of career suicide succinctly described what most of us business owners at this crossroad feel – the fear that if we let go of what we’re known for, and often what pays us, to pursue what we really want to do, that we may fail at the new thing and not be able to go back to the old thing. I have no sage advice here other than this little secret – if you’re already at the crossroads to make this decision, you’re most likely already too far towards your new, passion-driven career to turn around and go back. 

And finally, if you’ve ever struggled with culture and core values in your small business, do yourself a favor and listen to Michelle O’Connor’s episode. It’s a masterclass in how to get your team to embody the culture of your small business. But the one-liner I took from Michelle’s episode was one of the first things she said. She talked about how once she and her husband opened their business, they have been in growth mode ever since. They have not taken their foot off the gas pedal. There have been ups and downs, but they have been in growth mode since they started their business over two decades ago. I left that interview thinking to myself, “How often have I taken my foot off the accelerator?” Life happens and sometimes we must slow down, but I think it’s easy to become complacent in business. My goal for 2023 and beyond is to always be growing in some way – education, profit, self-development, team development, relationships. But in some way, I want to always be in growth mode to combat complacency.  

Alright folks, that’s it for this 2022 interview wrap-up series. I hope you’ve gleaned some wisdom from my own summaries and major insights I took away from each guest I had on my show last year. I would encourage you to go back and listen to the interviews because they were all inspiring in one way or another. Be sure to tune in next week as we jump back into interviews with business owners – I can’t wait to learn from the guests we have lined up!

I’m Julie Bee, and They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School