100 Cups MicroPod

Referrals are great. In fact, referrals are one of the best ways to build a business. But what happens when referrals become your only source of business? In this episode, Jason talks about a contractor friend who has...

Sometimes great customer service is as simple as letting someone know there's a human on the other end. We're a dog family, and keeping a couple of our dogs groomed is a regular project. We've tried several sets of...

Sometimes a new process feels harder than it should. We recently bought my father-in-law a set of hearing aids. They seemed simple enough, but within a few days he had lost one, struggled with the case, and was...

Trust isn’t built in one big moment. It’s built through the small things we do consistently over time. In this episode, Jason Elkins talks about what it really takes to build relationships where people know, like, and...

How do you turn a coffee meeting into a real relationship? For me, it starts with listening. I've found that the best way to make connections is to listen about 70% of the time and talk about 30%. That sounds simple...

A lot of client relationships don’t fall apart because the work isn’t good. Sometimes they fall apart because the client stops seeing the value. Early in my business, I learned this the hard way. I could bring in new...

What happens when your biggest client suddenly disappears? A friend called me frustrated after one of his anchor clients told him they loved everything he was doing, but budget constraints meant they were ending the...

Have you ever stayed quiet because you didn't want to interrupt someone? A few years ago, I was producing a podcast on an entertainer coach bus with a legendary musician as the guest. The conversation was incredible...

Do you know your client's pet peeves? I had a client who cared a lot about being on time. I didn't. Sure, I knew being late wasn't ideal, but I figured I made up for it. I'd stay late, overdeliver, and give the client...

How many priorities can you actually have at one time? A friend of mine, Josh, has a lot going on. He runs two nonprofits, has a consulting business, a big family, and somehow still makes time for the relationships that...

Sometimes the most important conversation happens before the meeting even starts. After getting invited back by a former client, I found myself catching up with employees we'd worked alongside years earlier. We talked...

Sometimes the conditions aren't ideal. The deadline is tight. The client is waiting. The weather is miserable. The solution isn't elegant. You still have to get the work done. This episode started with a memory of one...

Every new business relationship begins with an invisible question. Are we on the same side of the table? I've been working with a lot of contractors during our recent move, and I've noticed how small gestures can...

Anxiety has a way of trapping us in the same conversation over and over.A client hasn't called back. A project has stalled. A decision feels bigger every time we think about it. Before long, our minds are running laps...

We recently packed up and left the Nashville area for a mid-century modern home in the country where three generations of our family now live under one roof. The house has a sunken living room, four dogs, and plenty of...