#GBBBTV
GOOD BUSINESS //
BAD BUSINESS TV
with illana burk & Rachel allen
NOW ON YOUTUBE!
#GBBBTV is a rad show where Rachel and Illana put their collective 20 years of content, business, and brand-building experience together to take all the stuff that’s good and bad about brick and mortar business and use it as a lens to learn better ONLINE business. So like ripped from the headlines. Law and Order Style. [Bum Bum.]
*With swearing.
THE
Good
business
Podcast
with illana burk
MOUTHY NONSENSE IN YOUR EAR HOLE.
The Good Business Podcast is Illana’s solo show where she offers bi-weekly lessons (you know, the REAL actionable kind) in your ear on the regular. If you care about values-based business AND want to make great money (without feeling like you need a shower afterwards), this show is for you.
Not all business education is created equal.
Business is not just one thing and neither are you. Creating, marketing, selling – it all comes down to the who behind the how. You do not have to follow what everyone else does. You have ALL the power. We are the courageous few who aspire to greatness AND goodness. We give. We earn. And we fuck with paradigms that crush our goddamn souls.
Integrity. Quality. Rebellion.
Business is the most powerful force in the modern world. Use it well.
About
Hi! I’m Illana. I’m your friendly potty-mouthed host of the Good Business Podcast. I also run Your Life’s Workshop, where we coach, teach, lead, and offer full digital creative services.
I have spent 10+ years helping people find and create their life’s work. From flower shops to marketing consultants, coffee shop owners to world-changing leaders – and just about everything in between – I work with rad people who are looking for ways to do great work without destroying the world around them.
Pretty soon, we’ll be adding The Good Business / Bad Business YouTube Show to the lineup and with it the downright wizard-like content development skills [and one-in-a-million smarts] of the one and only Rachel Allen of Bolt from the Blue Copywriting & Noun Meet Verb.
Together, we want you to know that The Good Business Co. is for people who want to learn how to have sustainable, enriching, and profitable livlihoods. We make good learning for good people to have good businesses.
And we help you make more money.
So there’s also that.
Find the pod in all the usual places:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Play
Stitcher
LibsynFind the YouTube Show:
Learning + ARTICLES
A bunch of rad experts weigh in on how to get your shit together online ASAP
Communication: What to say and how (and where) to say it One of the very first things people complain about when they try to create a fresh online presence is that they have no idea what to say or where to say it. Here’s what you need to know. Talk about more than...
Recent podcast Episodes & other snazz stuff
“Listen to Illana to understand, earn, and impassion your place in the timeless little niche of Good Business. Her teachings and hand-holdings are the required hugs and nudges that get you to that special place of financial success that feels good.”
-Apple Podcasts review from Memriseisgreat
Avoid the piles of bricks | GB28
Today, we talk all about that craptastic feeling of being buried. Underwater. Crushed by the weight of big ideas, neverending task lists, and elephant-sized goals. First, we’ll talk about what this really means and the ways in which this feeling tends to show up, along with a little on how we tend to behave as a result. Then we’ll talk about a simple way to handle these moments better. And finally, we’ll wrap up with a healthy pep talk.
When you’re failing, learn how to ask the right questions | GB27
Today’s episode is all about how to not shoot yourself in the foot right out the gate. I’m gonna break down one very common mistake that newbies (and non-newbies) make and how to fix it. Today, we learn how to ask for help and guidance in a way that doesn’t completely fuck up your chances of getting what you ACTUALLY need, which is respect.
Why overdelivery is the enemy of getting rehired | GB26
Today’s episode is all about why over-delivering is a really good way to not get asked back for more work. We all think doing our best and giving more than people asked for is a good thing. And in some ways, it is. Things like adding extra value to something you do is fine. What I’m talking about is when you completely blow the scope of what was asked of you out of the water. It’s one of the hardest things to identify when you’re trying to figure out why no one seems to hire you twice.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. | GB 25
Today’s episode of The Good Business Podcast is all about my very favorite quote in the whole world. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” by Arthur Ashe
Why impact matters as much as marketing, sales, or strategy. Maybe more. | GB24
Today’s episode is less of a lesson than recent episodes. Instead, today we’re making a case for a topic we’ll be talking a LOT more about in the future: IMPACT. What it is. Why it matters. And how to pay attention to it.
Market visibility for people who care about other people | GB23
Today is a branch off of our stakeholder conversation. If you listened to that episode, you should have a clear picture of exactly who matters to you and your work and why, as well as how much time you have for your work without sacrificing what those VIPs need and expect from you. Next up, we talk about exposure, protection, and the responsibility you have to those who matter most.
Know Your Stakeholders | GB22
In this episode, I’m going to walk you through how to think about establishing your stakeholders, the steps you need to take to do so, and how to make decisions based on who they are without compromising those big fat dreams we’ve been talking about.
Pricing Basics: Why discounts are almost never a good idea | GB21
Today’s episode dovetails on our last one, where we talked all about how your value isn’t determined by your price tag. Today, we’re talking about discounts. First, we’ll talk about why businesses offer them, what their purpose is and when they ARE a good idea. Then we’ll talk about why they are probably a bad idea for you and what to do instead.
Pricing Basics: Your value is not attached to your price | GB20
This episode breaks down the popular trope that if you don’t charge a lot, people won’t value your work. First, we talk about the conditions that make this a common piece of advice. Then I lay out why this is complete crap for certain kinds of businesses. Finally, the episode wraps up with a brief primer on how to think about pricing in a way that serves your people AND your bigger dreams for yourself.
Why trust-building beats list-building every day of the week | GB19
Today’s episode is all about why focusing on listbuilding as your primary focus in client acquisition is the very best way to feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. It’s also the very best way to make the people you MOST want to connect with feel like the only think that matters to you about THEM is their email address.
CEO Mindset: Looking into the dark | GB18
Today’s episode is on one area of what people call the ‘CEO Mindset’. First, we’ll dig in a little to what people THINK this means. Then, we’ll talk through what it ACTUALLY means. And finally, we’ll wrap up with some simple truths about how to do this better and why doing so is necessary to actually grow.
What to do when you just can’t get fired up about a great idea | GB17
Today’s episode is all about what to do when you’re working on something that you love but you can’t figure out why it just. isn’t. working. First, we’ll talk about what it feels like to love something but not be lit UP by it. Then we’ll talk about what to do about it and how to fix it. And finally, we’ll wrap up with some inspiring examples of how this works in action.
Recent lessons from #gbbbtv
Creating a positive power dynamic (or why making people feel like shit won’t save the polar bears.) | #GBBBTV11
Are you doing your bit to save the polar bears? Well, the good folks riding the Metro DC are — at least if the transport hub’s latest ad campaign is to be believed. Only, it’s not the polar bears we need to save. That’s so last decade, y’all. Apparently it’s all about...
Are you sacrificing soul for scale in your business? | GBBBTV10
We see it all the damn time with solopreneurs and small business owners. You’re doing some great work for some great people and the money is flowing. Conventional wisdom tells you now’s the time to scale. That little voice in your head pipes up: “We gotta do a...
How to over-deliver without terrifying your customers (because you can be too helpful). | #GBBBTV09
We’re living in dramatic times, folks: climate change, political upheaval…and mattress wars. Seriously, I would not want to be in the mattress business right now because there is soooo much competition. You have all of your online retailers — Casper, Nectar, Purple,...
How to avoid making your customers feel like they’ve entered The Hunger Games. | #GBBBTV 08
Picture the scene… Headache inducing lighting; dirt everywhere. People herded into waiting areas or running around in a panic, all trying to race each other to the finish line. It’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Either you’ve been entered into The Hunger...
Play like it’s the Superbowl (no matter how much you’re charging!) | #GBBBTV 07
18 bucks a ticket, low-key venue, mid-week…any musician would be 100% forgiven for phoning it in for a show like that. So Rachel wasn’t expecting toooo much when she went to see Andy Grammer play in DC on a random Tuesday night. Get this, guys, he played like it was...
Values-based marketing: will your business pass the BS test? | #GBBBTV 06
In business, what do you stand for? If you don’t already know then you’d better figure it out like yesterday. Because if you want to sell people your stuff, you’re going to have to decide what your values are and market the hell out of them. Having a kickass product...
Feeling lonely in your business? Try hosting instead of just serving. | #GBBBTV 05
Captain Obvious time: running an online biz can be pretty damn lonely. All day, every day, it's just you and the cat. Instead of seeing Sally as your neighbor you start wondering how she fits into your target market. When you ask your local barista about his hobbies...
“Don’t be the most enthusiastic fuck up anyone’s ever hired!” | #GBBBTV 04
“Don’t be the most enthusiastic fuck up anyone’s ever hired!” This is quickly turning into Rachel’s favorite saying because, guys, it’s starting to become a thing. We’re all constantly bombarded with the message that we can be whatever the hell we want to be — forget...
Is your company culture making people feel gross? | #GBBBTV 03
Have you seen the ad with Zoey and Chris? Illana has become absolutely obsessed with it — mostly because it makes her feel icky. It’s an ad for high speed internet (she thinks…), created by one of the giant telecom companies (she can’t remember which) and it features...
The art of over-delivering — how to go above and beyond without burning out. | #GBBBTV 02
Are you making grand promises in your business? Well good! You damn well should be. Because there’s a ton of competition out there and if you’re going to stick around long enough to do all of the spectacular things you have whirling around that gorgeous brain of...
You can’t fuck up ice cream (or why your USP might actually be a terrible idea) | #GBBBTV 01
You can’t fuck up ice cream, right? All we wanted was a small cone with strawberry ice cream for Illana’s kid. But when we rocked up to the ice cream place, they had nothing but huuuuuge waffle cones the size of a small country. And no strawberry flavor. Oh, and the...