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Welcome back to the Small Business Summary…We are 7 Sundays away from Chicago Bears Football. I simply couldn’t be more ready for Italian Beef in the crock pot, a crisp fall afternoon, and Da Bears on my TV Screen. While I know so many of you are somehow NOT Bears fans, I still hold out hope for you to come to your senses. 😉 

In this week’s episode:

• Economy: Inflation is down, but uncertainty is spiking

• Gen Z: Eight myths about the generation that has everyone confused

• Networking: Why not meet some of the coolest readers and SBOC Members on Wednesday?
  

Last Bit: the #SBOC25 Awards presented by Enji are open for nominations until FRIDAY, July 25. And, we’ve just announced a NEW Award - INNOVATION OF THE YEAR. If you’re tired of not getting the recognition you deserve then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and apply to win an award. It’s fast, free, and could change your current and future client engagements. Good Luck!

Booking Mel Robbins Didn’t Change Everything…Here’s What Did.

There have been moments in my business where I thought, “This is it. I’ve made it.”

Like the time I booked Mel Robbins for #SBOC21.
Or, when I built and hosted the syndicated radio show.
Or, the first real speaking gig that had a spotlight, a nice paycheck, and a green room.

Each one felt like I was entering a new level. Each time, I honestly believed I had crossed some kind of invisible threshold. That I was in. That the hard part was behind me.

But, it never quite worked that way.

Monday still came.
And I still had to find the next client.
And build the next offer.
And figure out what the business needed next.

I’ve spent a lot of years waiting for that one big thing to fix it all. One deal. One event. One idea. I thought if I could just land that, then the rest would fall into place.

What I’ve learned—slowly, and a little stubbornly—is that there isn’t one moment that changes everything. There are moments that look like tipping points, and they matter, but they don’t replace the daily rhythm of doing the work. They sit on top of it.

So, I’ve come to embrace the steady stack of activities that will push the business to new heights: the conversations, relationships, ideas, follow-ups, mistakes, adjustments and pitches.

What’s clear to me now: I “arrived” when I accepted that I must do the damn work and watch where it takes me.

It also feels like it’s something I can control. Put in the reps, stay focused on my goals, and live my purpose of doing what I’m called to do. 

Do you know what you’re called to do and what daily actions can be put into a system so you end up in the room of your dreams? 

If you don’t, let’s dig into it in an upcoming Idea Slam.

Tweet of the Week

Virtual Networking: Don’t Grow it Alone®

The Small Business Owners Community hosts a free monthly virtual networking event to connect you with other driven small business owners. I host a few rounds of speed networking and then an interactive discussion where you’ll contribute with the other guests in the room. It’s fast, interactive, and HELPFUL. Join us for free.

This Friday: Why Productivity is Killing Your Business

This Friday, I’ll continue the conversation from the lead of this newsletter: The only way to make your business dream come true is to focus on the crucial tasks that move the needle and quit as many of the meaningless ones as possible. Would it shock you to know that your ability to GSD is probably the thing that is tripping you up? I’m working on a BRAND NEW talk that I will debut on July 25 (9am-3pm CT) and you can attend for FREE!

The Choose Your Business Adventure Summit presented by the Time Machine Agency will help you discover how to avoid the “quicksand of overwhelm” so you can focus on what matters.

My piece is an exploration into your workload, choices and burnout.

You’ll learn:

• Why your effectiveness might actually be limiting your growth

• How to evaluate your time and make intentional choices that create more space

• How to redirect your actions to break through business plateaus and drive real progress

Also on the agenda are talks from my good friends Brad Herda, Jennifer Frye and Talmar Anderson.

It’s easy and free to attend…see you FRIDAY!

#SBOC25 Keynote Clip of the Week -
The Obnoxious Offer

At #SBOC24 I invited business consultant Carl Gould to the main stage for TWO workshops. After the smoke cleared, our attendees walked out of the room with his “Obnoxious Offer” that has already made our members thousands of dollars. He’s back at #SBOC25 presented by Horicon Bank and he’s going to present “BIZDEV Done Right.”

Check out this clip of Carl dropping bombs and ask yourself: What if my Business Development was fixed? How might that help me build a record year?

BUILD YOUR RECORD YEAR AT #SBOC25
Presented by Horicon Bank
September 16-19, 2025
Brookfield, WI

See the full lineup and get your ticket here: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/25conference

A HUGE thank you to our major sponsors: Horicon Bank, Money Masters, Athena Legal Solutions, Magnolia Tax, and Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative

NOMINATIONS END ON FRIDAY!!
GET YOUR ENTRY IN NOW
Behind the Scenes of #SBOC25:
SBOC Awards presented by Enji
Call for Nominations!

The second annual SBOC Awards are now open for nominations. That means it’s your chance to nominate yourself or someone in your professional network for one of five categories, including Small Business Owner of the Year. All nominees will be invited to join us at the SBOC Conference on September 18 to see the results, and five winners will be announced live on stage.

Here’s the link to enter or nominate someone. It only takes a few minutes, and yes, nominating yourself is absolutely allowed. It’s completely free to enter. You don’t need to be a member of the SBOC. You can even nominate a friend with one click.

Take five minutes to put in your name or someone else’s. You never know, you might be walking across that stage, shaking hands, receiving a trophy, and finally getting the recognition you’ve earned. Good luck. We’re cheering for you.

Thank you to our Awards sponsor Enji! Enji is marketing software for small business that BUILDS your marketing plan and then consistently executes so you can stop worrying about leads. I’m using Enji right now and it has radically simplified my social media marketing and content creation. We’ve actually built a pretty slick system to take over this task that has always annoyed me to death. LMK if you’d like to learn how we’re doing it so you may steal it.

Check it out now: https://www.enji.co

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