A secret field that summons lightning. A massive spiral that disappears into a salt lake. A celestial observatory carved into a volcano. Meet the wild—and sometimes explosive—world of land art, where artists craft masterpieces with dynamite and bulldozers. In our Season 2 premiere, guest Dylan Thuras, cofounder of Atlas Obscura, takes us off road and into the minds of the artists who literally reshaped parts of the Southwest. These works aren’t meant to be easy to reach—or to explain—but they just might change how you see the world. Land art you’ll visit in this episode: - Double Negative and City by Michael Heizer (Garden Valley, Nevada) - Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson (Great Salt Lake, Utah) - Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt (Great Basin Desert, Utah) - Lightning Field by Walter De Maria (Catron County, New Mexico) - Roden Crater by James Turrell (Painted Desert, Arizona) Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.…
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محتوای ارائه شده توسط Chris Cooper. تمام محتوای پادکست شامل قسمت‌ها، گرافیک‌ها و توضیحات پادکست مستقیماً توسط Chris Cooper یا شریک پلتفرم پادکست آن‌ها آپلود و ارائه می‌شوند. اگر فکر می‌کنید شخصی بدون اجازه شما از اثر دارای حق نسخه‌برداری شما استفاده می‌کند، می‌توانید روندی که در اینجا شرح داده شده است را دنبال کنید.https://fa.player.fm/legal
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How to Reboot Your Business
Manage episode 381353356 series 3418332
محتوای ارائه شده توسط Chris Cooper. تمام محتوای پادکست شامل قسمت‌ها، گرافیک‌ها و توضیحات پادکست مستقیماً توسط Chris Cooper یا شریک پلتفرم پادکست آن‌ها آپلود و ارائه می‌شوند. اگر فکر می‌کنید شخصی بدون اجازه شما از اثر دارای حق نسخه‌برداری شما استفاده می‌کند، می‌توانید روندی که در اینجا شرح داده شده است را دنبال کنید.https://fa.player.fm/legal
What do you do when your system crashes, or gets really slow, or spins around when doing normal tasks?
You reboot it. You clear the memory and start from scratch.
When you reboot a computer, you shut down all the programs that are running in the background. You clear its memory. When the computer reboots, it starts with the basics: just the systems that are required to run, and nothing else.
If your business is slowly going backward and you can't figure out why; if you feel like you're just spinning your wheels, working harder and not growing, then you might need more than a new tactic or MORE stuff to do: you might need a complete reboot.
A reboot kills the stuff that is slowing you down, starts over from the basics. And builds up from there. It's not a blank slate. More like digging down to bedrock and repairing the damage from the ground up.
Here's how to do it - and how I did it in one business I own (my gym).
Connect with Chris Cooper:
Website - https://businessisgood.com/
101 قسمت
اشتراک گذاریManage episode 381353356 series 3418332
محتوای ارائه شده توسط Chris Cooper. تمام محتوای پادکست شامل قسمت‌ها، گرافیک‌ها و توضیحات پادکست مستقیماً توسط Chris Cooper یا شریک پلتفرم پادکست آن‌ها آپلود و ارائه می‌شوند. اگر فکر می‌کنید شخصی بدون اجازه شما از اثر دارای حق نسخه‌برداری شما استفاده می‌کند، می‌توانید روندی که در اینجا شرح داده شده است را دنبال کنید.https://fa.player.fm/legal
What do you do when your system crashes, or gets really slow, or spins around when doing normal tasks?
You reboot it. You clear the memory and start from scratch.
When you reboot a computer, you shut down all the programs that are running in the background. You clear its memory. When the computer reboots, it starts with the basics: just the systems that are required to run, and nothing else.
If your business is slowly going backward and you can't figure out why; if you feel like you're just spinning your wheels, working harder and not growing, then you might need more than a new tactic or MORE stuff to do: you might need a complete reboot.
A reboot kills the stuff that is slowing you down, starts over from the basics. And builds up from there. It's not a blank slate. More like digging down to bedrock and repairing the damage from the ground up.
Here's how to do it - and how I did it in one business I own (my gym).
Connect with Chris Cooper:
Website - https://businessisgood.com/
101 قسمت
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The Art of Business War: Applying Sun Tzu’s Strategies to Modern Service Businesses Description: In this episode of BusinessIsGood , we delve into the timeless wisdom of Sun Tzu's The Art of War and explore how its principles can be applied to today's service-based businesses. Discover how to: Leverage strategic deception to outmaneuver competitors. Prepare thoroughly to ensure victory before entering the market. Seize opportunities proactively to multiply success. Achieve victories without direct confrontation. Gain deep self-awareness to navigate business battles effectively. Tune in to learn how ancient military strategies can provide a competitive edge in the modern business landscape. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Podcast Summary: Just Do It Over the last six months, I’ve worked with five different business coaches to simplify my company and refocus on what matters. I’ve talked to experts, mapped out plans, brainstormed strategies—until yesterday, when executive coach Dennis McIntee said something that stopped me cold: “You already know what to do. You just have to do it.” In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I unpack the hard truth: 👉 Knowing what to do isn’t enough. 👉 Learning and planning can become avoidance strategies . 👉 Change only happens when you act. You’ll learn: The two-part process of change: decision + action The sneaky ways entrepreneurs avoid action (even when they know better) Why the smarter you are, the easier it is to rationalize waiting Five tactical tips to move from stuck to started How to stop circling the hard decisions and just do the thing If you’ve been circling a big decision, this episode is your call to break the loop. The opportunity is there—but only you can act on it. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you think: “To grow, I need to do more—more marketing, more ads, more promotions.” But Keith Cunningham, author of The Road Less Stupid , has a smarter answer: Not all growth strategies are equal. You need to prioritize the right moves in the right order. In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I walk you through Cunningham’s Growth Funnel —a five-step roadmap to growth that puts your energy where it matters most. We cover: ✅ Why keeping more customers is your #1 growth priority ✅ How to increase referrals and repeat purchases without adding overhead ✅ Why your success rate (certainty of outcome) matters more than you think ✅ Where to tighten your sales process before dumping more money into ads ✅ When it’s finally time to scale lead generation—and when it’s not This episode is about simplifying your focus and multiplying your results by doing the right thing at the right time. And if you want to go deeper, I highly recommend reading The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham—it’s one of the best entrepreneur books out there. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Most entrepreneurs know they should do more of what works. But very few realize they also need to stop doing what doesn’t. In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I walk through how to identify the things in your business that are wasting your most valuable asset: your time . I share stories—from my own businesses and from our mentorship clients—about how much time, money, and energy are lost doing things that feel “good” but don’t actually produce results. I explain: Why 98% of entrepreneurs aren’t tracking any metrics when they join us How to reverse-engineer your revenue goal based on your Net Owner Benefit target How your business data can tell you exactly what’s working, and what’s not A simple process to prune tactics that aren’t moving the needle Why not measuring your impact is the biggest risk you’re taking right now You’ll leave this episode with a clear framework to focus on what matters—and permission to stop doing the rest. Because growing your business isn’t just about adding things. It’s about subtracting the stuff that doesn’t work. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
You’ve probably heard the saying: “The rich get richer during a recession.” But here’s the truth: It’s not the crisis that makes people successful—it’s their preparedness . In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I share one of the best lessons I’ve learned from Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach: “Give half the credit to luck—and the other half to your ability to take advantage of it.” Luck will come. Opportunities will show up. The real question is— will you be ready? Using real examples from the COVID lockdowns, I talk about how some entrepreneurs didn’t just survive—they came out stronger. They grew their businesses by: Focusing in on their core clients Trimming unnecessary expenses and complexity Adding new services that created lasting revenue streams Finding themselves with less competition and more market share after the dust settled I also talk about the opportunity sitting right in front of us today, during the current financial squeeze—and how those who are prepared (with cash reserves, low debt, and a clear plan) will be the ones who grow while others retreat. If luck is where preparation meets opportunity , then this episode is your invitation to get prepared—because opportunity is coming. The only question is: Will you come out stronger… or set back? Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I talk about one of the biggest mistakes business owners make: running their business by story instead of by numbers . The problem with stories—especially the ones we tell ourselves—is that they’re often wrong. We tell ourselves things like: “My clients can’t afford to pay more.” “I’m working as hard as I can.” “I’m doing everything right, but it’s just not working.” But those are stories, not facts. If you’re not running your business by numbers, you’re running it by feelings—and feelings are a terrible business strategy. In this episode, I share: Why we avoid numbers (and why that’s dangerous) The six key metrics every business owner must track (from my book The Simple Six ) How to build a scoreboard that tells you exactly where your biggest problems—and greatest opportunities—are hiding How to break down these metrics into simple, actionable steps for yourself or your staff Why tracking numbers creates fairness, clarity, and real progress If you want to grow your business without guesswork or stories, this episode will show you how to build your scoreboard—and use it. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
We’ve all heard that we should “have a growth mindset.” But what does that actually mean in business—and how do you practice it? In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I break down the difference between a growth mindset and a scarcity mindset, and explain how most of us were raised to believe in competition, limitation, and fear of loss. The truth? Business isn’t a zero-sum game. Success isn’t finite. And when we focus on collaboration instead of competition, everyone wins. I’ll give you: A clear definition of what a growth mindset really is 3 ways service-based entrepreneurs can “grow the pie” with their staff, their peers, and their clients Practical mindset exercises to apply during moments of jealousy, frustration, or fear Daily practices to help you build a growth mindset like a skill—not a slogan If you want to shift from fear to abundance, from turf wars to teamwork, this episode will show you how.…
Culture Is What You Tolerate In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I give full credit to Keith Cunningham, author of The Road Less Stupid , for one of the clearest insights I’ve ever heard about culture: “Culture is what you tolerate.” It’s not about nap rooms, Red Bull in the fridge, or inspirational posters. Culture is shaped by what we allow, what we ignore, and how we interact with each other—especially when things get uncomfortable. Here’s what I cover: Why most companies unintentionally build a culture of mediocrity How to tell if your “rules” are just suggestions The real drivers of culture: accountability, clarity, consistency Why culture is built one relationship at a time—not between people and “the business” What to do about that top performer who’s killing your culture This episode will help you reframe what culture actually is—and give you the tools to rebuild it from the inside out. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Podcast Summary: Chicken and Rice In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I talk to business owners who feel like they’re pushing harder than ever but getting the same—or worse—results. Maybe your sales have plateaued. Maybe retention’s dropping. Or maybe your business just doesn’t feel fun anymore. It feels heavy. Slow. Like you’re pushing a rope uphill. You remember when it used to feel easier, and you’re wondering what changed. Here’s what happened: your business got bloated. As businesses grow, we tend to add staff, rules, services, pricing tiers, processes, platforms—until we’ve got a mess of well-meaning ideas that are actually slowing us down. The solution isn’t to work harder. It’s to simplify. It’s time to go back to chicken and rice . Just like an elimination diet helps reset your body and identify what’s causing harm, simplifying your business helps restore momentum. In this episode, I share: Why simplicity scales faster How complexity creeps in and slows you down Real examples from my own companies A simple system you can use to “reset” your business Five things you can do today to identify inefficiencies Why Tinker-phase entrepreneurs need this more than anyone If you feel stuck, tired, or over-complicated, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and rebuild momentum—without burning yourself out. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I talk about how it feels to take one step forward in your business—only to get pulled one step back. Most entrepreneurs think they have a growth problem. But the real issue? Shrinkage. You make progress… and lose it. Over and over. I share why that happens and how to fix it. The solution is to hit "Save Game"—by building a staff playbook made up of clear, repeatable SOPs. That way, when the unexpected happens—and it will—you don’t lose all your progress. I share 5 examples of how this works in real businesses, walk through a step-by-step method to write your first SOP, and tell the story of how creating one simple SOP (a cleaning checklist) helped me finally start moving two steps forward . If you’re tired of starting over, listen in. It’s time to hit Save Game . Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
In this episode of BusinessIsGood , I talk about one of the most common breakdowns in founder-led businesses: lack of clarity. Too often, CEOs and founders assume that once is enough when it comes to communicating vision, expectations, or processes. But the truth is, if your team doesn’t seem to "get it," it’s not a people problem—it’s a clarity problem. I share why founders need to repeat their message often, in multiple ways, and constantly work toward clarity instead of novelty. I draw from my experience coaching athletes and building teams to explain how repeated, clear communication builds confident, capable staff—and how the absence of it creates fear, mistakes, and burnout. If you're constantly frustrated that no one "gets it," this episode is for you. Say it again. Say it louder. Say it differently. And keep saying it until your team can say it back to you. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Podcast Script: Why Business Leaders Should Be Coaches, Not Captains Intro Music Fades In Host: Welcome to BusinessIsGood , the podcast where we explore the ideas and practices that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create lasting success. I’m your host, Chris Cooper. Today, we’re tackling a big question: should you lead your business as a “captain” or as a “coach”? To illustrate this, I want to start with a story from hockey. Bobby Hull, nicknamed “The Golden Jet,” was one of the greatest players to ever lace up skates. Known for his blazing speed and powerful slap shot, he dominated as a player in both the NHL and WHA. But Hull also took on a rare challenge: he tried to be both a player and a coach at the same time while leading the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA during the early 1970s. He had incredible success as a player and later achieved even greater success as a coach, but his tenure as both didn’t work out the way he—or the Jets—had hoped. Segment 1: The Player-Coach Dilemma Bobby Hull’s time as a player-coach highlights an important leadership lesson: you can’t do both jobs effectively at the same time. As a player, your focus is on performance—executing plays, scoring goals, and being in the action. But as a coach, your role is to oversee the big picture, strategize, and make tough decisions to guide the team to success. Even some of the most celebrated names in hockey, like Larry Robinson, achieved greatness as both players and coaches—but never at the same time. Why? Because these are two fundamentally different roles that require completely different mindsets and skill sets. Segment 2: The Captain vs. Coach Paradigm in Business This same distinction applies in business. Many entrepreneurs try to lead as captains when they really need to be coaches. Let’s break this down: Limited Perspective on the Ice: When you’re in the trenches with your team, you can only see what’s directly in front of you. You don’t have the big-picture context that a coach has from the bench. In business, this means getting too caught up in day-to-day operations and losing sight of long-term strategy. Emotional Proximity: As a captain, you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with your team. This camaraderie can make it hard to make tough decisions—like moving someone to a different role or cutting an underperformer. A coach, however, has the necessary distance to prioritize what’s best for the organization as a whole. Distraction by Small Tasks: Captains are busy tying their skates, taping their sticks, and focusing on their personal performance. Coaches are busy drawing up game plans, scouting opponents, and thinking about how to improve the team. In business, staying stuck in “captain mode” means you spend too much time on the wrong things—handling tasks that someone else could do instead of focusing on growth and vision. Segment 3: Why Being a Coach Wins in Business Here’s the truth: real leadership isn’t about scoring the most goals. It’s about enabling your team to win. As a coach, your job is to: Make hard decisions that benefit the whole organization. Delegate tasks and trust others to execute them. Hold your team accountable and provide constructive feedback. Focus on strategy, vision, and the next big opportunity. Many entrepreneurs default to being captains because it’s what they know—it’s comfortable. They’re great at doing the work, but they shy away from the harder, more abstract job of coaching. But this mindset limits growth. Your business can’t scale if you’re always on the ice. Think about it: players are replaceable. You can hire someone else to score goals. What you can’t outsource is your role as the strategist, the decision-maker, the one who guides the organization to bigger wins. Segment 4: The Difference Between Playing Hard and Winning In hockey, every team plays hard. Every team wants it. But the teams that win consistently are the ones that have: Clear goals and alignment. The right players in the right roles. Strong chemistry and leadership. The same is true in business. As a leader, you can spend all your time working hard and feeling like a hero. Or you can step back, guide your team, and lead them to success. Conclusion So here’s the question I want to leave you with: are you trying to be the best player on your team, or are you committed to being the best coach? Bobby Hull’s story reminds us that even the greatest players can’t do it all. To truly lead and win, you have to get off the ice, step behind the bench, and focus on guiding your team to victory. Thanks for listening to this episode of BusinessIsGood . If you enjoyed it, please subscribe, share it with a fellow entrepreneur, and leave us a review. Until next time, remember: your job isn’t to play the game—it’s to coach your team to win. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe . Abraham Lincoln You're buried in work. Who has time to work out? Being a good entrepreneur doesn't just mean making money. It doesn't mean out-grinding the competition, or even loving your work every day. But it does mean: Selling your service Negotiating Leading others Focusing Thinking with a clear head Overcoming procrastination ...and more. These are all entrepreneurial skills. No one is good at all of these when they start their business; they must develop their skills with practice. But there's a reason almost every successful entrepreneur has a workout routine: exercise can make you instantly better at all of these skills. Immediately after a workout, it's easier to focus. Medium-term, a workout can calm you down and help you make objective decisions. Long-term, working out builds your confidence. But what workout should you do? Your workout prescription will change over time. But here's a solid starting point. Get yourself a heart rate monitor. Chest strap is best, watches are better than nothing. This is the watch I use . Yours doesn't have to be that fancy. Calculate your max heart rate. Here's a video from my gym on how to do it. Three days per week, exercise in heart rate Zone 2: about 65-76% of your max heart rate. Here's a video from my gym explaining why Zone 2 is so important. For entrepreneurs, Zone 2 is great for helping you calm down; work through problems in your mind; and regulate your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is under control, you'll have fewer mood swings, and make decisions with a clearer head. You won't get "Hangry"--which is just a side effect of riding a carbohydrate roller-coaster. If you can metabolize fat for fuel more easily, you won't get "hangry" anymore. Once or twice per week, go as hard as possible. This is heart rate Zone 5. Here's a video from my gym explaining what Zone 5 is, and why it's important. For entrepreneurs, Zone 5 is a mental break. It's so hard that you literally can't think about anything else. It's important for longevity, but I have to be honest here - I use Zone 5 workouts to "clear the decks". When I'm stressed out or feeling overwhelmed, a really hard workout gives you a mental break. It also triggers all of those calming endorphins you read about. And, long-term, I swear it gives you perspective on what 'hard' actually means. As often as possible, go for a walk. This is heart rate Zone 1 , and it's really the entrepreneur's secret weapon. This is really easy exercise - just enough to distract your body and let your mind float. Many experts would call this "flow state", but you might call it "being in the zone". You know how your best ideas come while driving, or cutting the grass, or in the shower? That's zone 1 exercise. Get a coach. As my business coach says, "If it's important, it gets an appointment." Workouts are the meta-catalyst that make you better at everything else. You can't skip them...but you'll always have more than enough reasons TO skip them. My only solution is to make appointments with coaches at my gym. I train in a semi-private setting (there are 3 or 4 of us in the gym at a time, each following our own program, and sharing a coach.) I don't have to think about what to do, or when to show up, or how much effort to put in. Other entrepreneurs at my gym show up for group training, and still others do 1:1 for max accountability. I've been doing this long enough that semiprivate coaching is just enough accountability with a mix of seeing my friends. If you have three hours per week to exercise, do this: Two Zone 2 sessions and one Zone 5 session. If you have four hours per week to exercise, do this: Two zone 2 sessions, one Zone 5 session and an outdoor Zone 1 activity. If you can squeeze out 5 sessions per week, do this: Three zone 2 sessions, one Zone 5 session and an outdoor Zone 1 activity. And, if you're lucky enough to have a dog, get at least a half hour of Zone 1 every single day when you go for a walk. Taking the 6:30am walk time with my dog has been an amazing addition to my health--and made me a better entrepreneur. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
How To Calm Down Every entrepreneur gets triggered sometimes. The reasons might be obvious: a late employee, a missed detail, a poor customer experience. Or they might not be: we could show up to work escalated; we could be carrying dread or guilt around; we could have a fight with our spouse before we left for work. Many days, our emotional meter is already cranked up to 9 before we start our day, and one little thing pushes us up to MAX 10. Then we have an over-the-top response to some little thing; our staff thinks we fly off the handle; and we feel guilty about it later; and then we overcompensate. That makes us feel even worse, and we keep escalating. We need to calm down. I’m not going to tell you to start meditating or get into shape – those won’t help you TODAY, and you already know that you *should* be doing both. Here’s how to do it in the short-term, long-term and medium term. Short-term (the quick deescalation): Box breathing. Breathe in through your mouth, as deeply as you can, for 4 seconds. Hold your breath. Breathe out through your nose, trying to empty your lungs, for 4 seconds. Hold your breath. That’s 1 round. Repeat for 10 rounds. Watch this: 2. Imagine the worst-case scenario. can you live with that? Put yourself in the scenario for a few seconds. Then come out of it. This is a Stoic process of acceptance. It doesn’t calm your unconscious right away, but it will calm your conscious mind quickly. 3. Tell yourself that you’re excited instead of nervous or angry. Your body can’t tell the difference. 4. Break the rumination cycle. Go have a conversation about something else, or distract yourself with a story. Rumination just escalates you. Here’s a quick meditation that will break the rumination cycle for a few seconds. 5. Think of the next step instead of what might happen later. Break the problem down into “what will I do in the next minute?” instead of “what might happen if/then?” See the ‘domino’ analogy later. 6. Go outside, eat a banana and have a walk. This is my wife’s advice whenever I’m stressed. Medium-Term Adopt a meditative practice. I start the day by writing 750 words. That’s a ‘brain dump’. You can do this forever, but you’ll start to see the benefits within a week. Slow down your thoughts. One reason we stress is because our thoughts line up like dominoes, and we quickly amplify the worst-case scenario. “If I say this, she’ll say that. And I’ll respond with this other thing. She’ll get mad, but I can’t back down. So she’ll walk away and not speak to me for a day. I’ll have to address that. It’s not acceptable in a workplace. I’ll deal with it Monday.” Then you spend all weekend ruminating, imagining Monday’s confrontation. Imagine each of these thoughts as a separate domino. Space the dominoes out, so that each doesn’t automatically push the next one over. “I will say this.” – full stop. You can’t predict how people will react, and trying to do so just escalates your stress. My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened. ~ Michel de Montaigne Long-Term Watch your thoughts. In “Drive”, Daniel Pink says that most people never have a single positive thought all day. It’s a constant cycle of judgment, guilt and resentment. “That guy shouldn’t have made a turn without signalling!” – and then the domino effect happens: “He must be a jerk! Since he’s a jerk, he probably treats everyone disrespectfully! I bet he did that on purpose! He clearly doesn’t care about other people!” When this happens, don’t judge yourself: just shift your thoughts to something you like. Stop keeping score. We tend to remember the bad things people do forever, but forget the positive stuff immediately. We store up reasons to dislike them. But there’s no cosmic scoreboard, and holding onto the actions of others just creates more stress and overwhelm for you. The danger of wrestling with a pig is that you just get dirty…and the pig likes it. Stop “should”-ing yourself. Just as you keep score on other people’s behavior, you assume they’re doing the same to you. And so you do it to yourself. Your biggest critic, who knows everything about you, all your weaknesses, all of your sore spots…that person lives in your head. They’re going to say “you should have done X!” or “You should do more Y!” and you’ll feel bad about yourself. “Should” is a falsehood – it doesn’t exist. There is no “should”; there is only what you do. “Should” is judgment, not action. Get into shape. You know this already. But when you get off the couch and off the sugar, you’ll walk away from the emotional roller-coaster caused by your underperforming body. Your metabolism, your confidence, your endurance, your patience…all of these are rooted in your physicality and manifest in your brain. Go for a walk. Get off the couch. Pass by the carb closet. Avoid boredom. If you’re stressing right now, follow the short-term suggestions. But if you don’t start practicing the medium-term and long-term habits, you’ll be right back in this position in a few hours. Stress will never go away. The way you handle stress can change – but it’s up to you to change it. Do you really want to feel this way for the rest of your life? Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
In this episode of *Business Is Good*, I explore the concept of self-leadership and why it’s the foundation of all other types of leadership. I share that while a business's efficiency helps it survive tough times, it’s the strength of its leadership that determines its success in the good times. Often, the biggest limitation to growth is the founder or CEO—their personal knowledge gaps, emotional control, or mindset can be what holds the business back. I walk through different forms of leadership, including team, brand, and niche leadership, but emphasize that self-leadership is the one we must master first. Drawing from my own experiences, I talk about the importance of financial literacy, staying emotionally disciplined, and confronting uncomfortable realities in business. For example, I share how I navigate challenging employee situations and manage my own emotional responses when faced with overwhelm. Many gym owners, like those I work with, struggle with distractions and the excitement of novelty, which can pull them away from proven growth strategies. To counter this, I talk about the power of building focus-driven habits, such as setting aside a dedicated hour each day for high-priority work, to create lasting momentum. To help you practice self-leadership, I’m introducing a 30-day challenge with daily prompts for self-reflection and actionable growth. I’ll provide questions and exercises to encourage honest self-assessment. Whether you’re writing in a journal or just taking a few moments to reflect, this is your opportunity to improve your self-leadership skills and build the discipline and focus that lead to lasting success.…
This November, join me for a 30-day GOLDEN HOUR Challenge to grow your business! To participate: Commit to participating in our Facebook group (join here) Post "done!" under each daily GOLDEN HOUR CHALLENGE post when you've completed the work for the day! Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
Why Get Rich_ Chris Cooper discusses the motivations and challenges of gym owners, who often sacrifice higher-paying careers to pursue their passion despite low earnings. He argues that wealth creation is essential for personal and societal progress, emphasizing that wealth enables freedom, problem-solving, and opportunities for others. Cooper highlights the importance of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and democracy, noting that wealth creation is necessary for job creation and tax generation. He advocates for building wealth to solve personal financial issues, compound wealth, create opportunities for others, and ultimately, to give back through philanthropy. Transcript https://otter.ai/u/gI_vGIJuGHfXY77z5D1AzbS4MD0?view=transcript Action Items [ ] Develop the skill of making money. [ ] Aim to have a personal net worth of $20 million to be able to give away $1 million per year. Outline Why Gym Owners Aren't Interested in Becoming Millionaires Chris Cooper discusses the low earnings in the fitness industry, with average wages for trainers at $28,000 and gym owners at $42,000, unchanged in recent years. Despite the low pay, gym owners often leave lucrative careers in banking, teaching, or firefighting to pursue their mission-driven work. Gym owners are willing to sacrifice personal financial stability to help others improve their lives, even going hungry to keep their gyms running. Chris Cooper emphasizes that gym owners are less interested in becoming millionaires due to their mission-driven mindset and the challenges of their profession. The Importance of Wealth and Entrepreneurship Chris Cooper argues that wealth creation is essential for prosperity and peace, driving our way of life and democracy. He explains that entrepreneurship, not government or unions, creates jobs and wealth, which in turn support the economy and democratic processes. Cooper highlights the historical context of wealth creation, noting that even 100 years ago, many Americans were still struggling with poverty and poor working conditions. He stresses that wealth creation is a fundamental driver of human progress, allowing for improvements in healthcare, education, and other essential services. Wealth as Freedom and Time Chris Cooper defines wealth as the freedom of resources and time, not just money, and explains that true wealth involves balancing both. He shares that solving money problems is crucial for entrepreneurs, as financial struggles can follow them home and impact their personal lives. Cooper provides a personal example of how solving money problems allowed him and his wife to afford Christmas presents and other necessities. He emphasizes that wealth solves many problems in Western society, such as access to clean water and child brides, though some issues like boredom and addiction are more complex. Compounding Wealth and Eliminating Debt Chris Cooper explains how wealth compounds over time, using his own experience of paying off a mortgage in seven years instead of 25. He describes the snowball effect of eliminating debt, where extra money saved from debt repayment is applied to other debts, creating more financial freedom. Cooper shares a story of buying a car with cash, highlighting the long-term benefits of wealth compounding. He discusses the importance of setting up opportunities for others, such as creating jobs and investing in the future. Creating Opportunities for Others Chris Cooper argues that wealth creates opportunities for others, contrasting bureaucratic jobs with entrepreneurial jobs that add value to the economy. He shares an example of a successful equipment manufacturer in Ohio that creates jobs and opportunities for its employees and the local economy. Cooper highlights the importance of creating better jobs that pay well and allow employees to build wealth. He emphasizes that wealth creation is essential for creating sustainable opportunities for others, rather than just redistributing a fixed pie. Wealth and Carryover Opportunities Chris Cooper discusses how wealth creates carryover opportunities, where high earners use their wealth to support local businesses and create jobs. He explains that high earners often use their wealth to buy services like personal training, which in turn supports local businesses and creates more jobs. Cooper shares that wealth flows through the economy, benefiting various sectors and creating a ripple effect of opportunities. He emphasizes that wealth is transitory and must be passed on to others, ensuring that it continues to create opportunities and support the economy. The Skill of Making Money Chris Cooper argues that making money is a skill that can be developed and is essential for solving personal and societal problems. He explains that many people lack the skill of making money, which is why they struggle despite having opportunities. Cooper provides examples of how people can develop entrepreneurial skills, such as driving for Uber or selling handmade products. He emphasizes that learning to make money is not a sin or a crime, but a necessary skill for creating wealth and supporting others. Giving Back and Wealth Creation Chris Cooper discusses the importance of giving back and using wealth to support others, contrasting Mother Teresa's selfless work with Bill Gates' philanthropy. He argues that both types of contributions are valuable, with Mother Teresa providing direct care and Bill Gates funding solutions through his wealth. Cooper shares his personal goal of achieving a $20 million net worth to support charitable causes and help as many people as possible. He emphasizes that wealth creation allows individuals to make a significant impact by giving back and supporting others. The Four Reasons to Become Wealthy Chris Cooper summarizes the four reasons to become wealthy: solving personal problems, solving future problems, solving others' problems, and solving societal problems. He argues that wealth creation is essential for personal and societal progress, and that it should not be seen as a negative or selfish pursuit. Cooper emphasizes that learning to make money is a valuable skill that can be used to help others and support the economy. He concludes by reiterating the importance of wealth creation for personal and societal well-being. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
why you want the hard times Dave tate: business is a battle of attrition what determines who lasts and who doesn't? the hard stuff nobody wanted covid lockdowns, but when they reopened there was far less competition Tadej Pogacar - I want the steepest, hardest climbs becuase they're the separator when you ahve stafff quit - so do they when your rent goes up - so does theirs maybe not the same day, but over the 3-year span, everything that happens to you will happen to your competition They might not survive it You also don't have to create hardship by attacking them or running them down. They have enough. eVen if they don't show it, they're facing the same stuff you are. and many won't survive also, you need the reps you want to practice the hard stuff when the stakes are low there are reasons things tget hard. one is they're new. one is they're personal. one is the stakes are high. Break them apart. If the hardship you're going through is because you've never faced that problem before, get a mentor. Don't take advice from someone else who's never done it before. If it's hard because it's personal, get an objective perspective. don't ask your mom or your bff or your husband. ask a mentor. if it's hard because the stakes are high, you might need a different kind of mentor to help with perspective, but you still need a mentor After the trouble is over, you have two jobs: one - never repeat it two - learn what you can from it. You've heard the term 'if I win, I win, if I lose, I learn' - or some variation. But most people don't actually learn becaues they don't pick apart the elsson. They keep repeating the same mistakes. so here's how you do an AAR Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Episode Summary: In this episode, we’re talking about how business owners—especially gym owners—often make the mistake of overcomplicating their businesses. It’s easy to add unnecessary options, details, and management layers, but that can slow down growth, create confusion, and reduce profit. Many of us became entrepreneurs to flex our creative muscles, but there’s a point where experimentation becomes a barrier to success. We’ll dive into why simplifying back to a minimum viable product (MVP) is essential for increasing profitability and reducing stress. Key Takeaways: How business owners complicate their businesses by adding unnecessary features. The importance of going back to a minimum viable product (MVP). Why every product you sell should be easy to explain and fulfill with minimal resources. How complexity takes you further away from product-market fit. Practical steps to simplify your business. Episode Outline: Introduction Today’s topic: How overcomplicating your business is costing you time, money, and stress. Entrepreneurs often treat their business as a creative outlet, adding options or details that hurt growth. We’ll talk about how to get back to your core product and maximize profit by simplifying. Story 1: Back to Basics – Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) A gym owner struggled with offering too many services, confusing clients. Solution: They stripped the business down to focus on 1:1 personal training, which was the highest-margin service. Result: Simplifying increased their revenue per client and reduced operational headaches. Problem: Complexity Hurts Product-Market Fit Adding more services, features, or options may feel creative, but it confuses buyers and slows purchasing decisions. Imagine you’re starting from scratch—what is the one product that solves a clear problem? Your core offer should be easy to sell, easy to explain, and require minimal resources to deliver. Story 2: Unnecessary Features Example of a business owner who kept adding services and packages, hoping to appeal to more clients. The result: More complexity, slower sales, and clients were unsure of what to choose. Lesson: Simplifying the offering brought more clarity and increased client retention. Avoiding Unnecessary Management Layers Many owners add managerial staff too early because they think it’s a sign of growth. This adds extra work for the owner (training, managing) and cuts into profit. Story 3: A gym owner added a layer of middle management that created bottlenecks and made decisions slower, instead of solving problems. The result: They ended up with more tasks on their plate and less profitability. Once they scaled back, their business ran smoother and profits increased. Practical Exercise: Designing Your MVP Take a step back and imagine you’re building your business from scratch. Ask yourself: What would the minimum viable product look like? It should solve one clear problem, be easy to explain, and maximize profitability without adding complexity. Tips on how to focus on the core offering, eliminate unnecessary layers, and create a more streamlined operation. Closing Thoughts Complexity kills growth. Simplify your business down to what really matters: solving your clients’ problems. Reminder: The goal is to focus on what drives the most profit with the least stress. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
This week, we're going to build entrepreneurial resilience: the ability to just keep going when things go wrong. Listen to this episode, and then visit the Daily Directives section at BusinessIsGood.com to complete daily exercises for resilience all week. I'm Chris Cooper, and today I'm discussing strategies for overcoming adversity in business. Setbacks are inevitable, but they can be managed by spreading them out over time and making them less impactful. I've found that taking a long-term view, recognizing small wins, and maintaining a practice mindset can prepare us for future challenges. It's also crucial to evolve and improve with clients, staff, or products, and to view departures as opportunities for growth. Every challenge is a stepping stone to greater opportunities, so it's essential to stay resilient and see setbacks as part of the journey. Understanding Adversity in Entrepreneurship I kick off the podcast by emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and sharing those lessons with other entrepreneurs. I introduce the concept of "$13 days," those times when progress feels like a step backward. This is a normal part of the entrepreneurial journey. The goal is to spread out these backward steps over time, making them smaller and less catastrophic. I share a personal anecdote about my mentor asking me about the last significant setback, which highlights the importance of perspective. The Long View and Bright Spots I advise taking a long-term view. Look back at past rough weeks, and you'll see that they happen less frequently and with less impact over time. I introduce "Bright Spots Fridays," where we reflect on our achievements to train our minds to focus on positive outcomes. Recognizing and celebrating small wins helps us stay resilient and better handle adversity. The purpose of Bright Spots Fridays isn't to brag; it's to acknowledge and learn from our successes. Practice and Preparation for Future Challenges Every challenge is practice for a bigger but similar challenge in the future. Each setback is a learning opportunity. I use the example of a staff member quitting as a rehearsal for handling more significant departures down the line. By preparing processes to prevent similar issues, we become better equipped to handle adversity with less impact. This cycle of audit and improvement is crucial for continuous growth and resilience. Client Relationships and Successful Exits I talk about the natural end date for client relationships and how important it is to view client departures as a success rather than a failure. I share my criteria for a successful client exit, like the client continuing their fitness habit or achieving significant life changes. By focusing on the positive outcomes of client departures, we can feel more confident and prepared for future changes. This concept extends to our staff, products, and services, underscoring the importance of continuous improvement and evolution. Creating Opportunities Through Adversity I suggest seeing every challenge as an opportunity to create a seat at the table for something better. I share Emerson's quote, "Heartily no, when demigods go, the gods arrive," to illustrate how removing one challenge opens up space for a greater opportunity. Examples include replacing a damaged company car with a better one or using a staff departure to attract a more suitable candidate. I emphasize the importance of a linear approach to growth, where overcoming one challenge paves the way for the next opportunity. Top Tips for Working Through Adversity To sum up, here are my top tips for working through adversity: take the long-term view, maintain a practice mindset, recognize that nothing lasts forever, and see challenges as opportunities. Count your wins, prepare for future challenges, and evolve with your business. Remember, setbacks are part of the journey. Stay resilient by focusing on the positive outcomes. I invite you to join the private Facebook group for entrepreneurs for additional support and discussion. Let's continue this conversation and work through these challenges together. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Why founders don’t make money They are product oriented -inventors not investors They quit too soon - in the product crew successful, they have done its job They failed to scale - They are irreplaceable in their business. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/
I'm a product guy. I want to believe that if I keep making my product better, I'll make it more profitable. Unfortunately, that almost never works - we get caught in the Technician's Curse and never stop iterating on our product, tweaking it, improving it...and never having time to market it. But there are SOME ways that improving your product CAN make it more profitable: Being the best in class creates a huge advantage, because the best clients will ascend to your service (if they know about it.) Tactically, you can also try: Outcome-based pricing Pursuing greatness as a marketing strategy. Improving client retention by improving client outcomes. I walk through all of this on today's episode! Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/
Characteristics of Missionaries and Mercenaries Missionaries: Purpose-Driven: Focused on the company’s vision and values, often motivated by making a meaningful impact. Long-Term Commitment: Likely to stay with the company through ups and downs, seeing their work as a calling or part of a larger mission. Team-Oriented: They prioritize collaboration and the overall success of the team over personal gain. Mercenaries: Outcome-Focused: Driven primarily by personal benefits such as compensation, bonuses, and other perks. Short-Term Commitment: Their loyalty is as long as the benefits last; they may quickly move on if a better offer appears. Individualistic: Tends to prioritize personal achievements and recognition over team success. 2. Identifying Missionaries and Mercenaries in the Workplace Missionaries: Look for employees who advocate for the company’s values and are enthusiastic about company-wide goals and missions. They often go beyond their job descriptions to help colleagues and advance the organization’s objectives. Mercenaries: Identify those who frequently negotiate for higher pay or better titles without corresponding increases in their contribution to team goals. They may exhibit high performance but are less interested in collaborative projects unless these directly impact their personal targets. 3. The Strategic Use of Mercenaries in Business When You’d Want a Mercenary: Special Projects: For short-term, high-impact projects where specific skills are crucial, and the commitment is finite. Scaling Operations: When rapid scaling is needed, mercenaries can accelerate growth given their focus on outcomes and deliverables. 4. Encouraging Missionaries to Thrive Stoking Up Missionaries: Align Roles with Passions: Ensure that their roles are closely aligned with what they are passionate about within the context of the company’s mission. Recognition and Empowerment: Recognize their contributions in meaningful ways and empower them with the autonomy to lead initiatives. Foster a Purpose-Driven Culture: Strengthen the company’s mission-oriented culture, making the collective mission a central part of daily business operations. If you want to join the conversation with other entrepreneurs, click here. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
I get between 30 and 300 messages on FB every single day. Usually, I ask, "what are your goals for the business?" and the entrepreneur answers, "I need more clients." But in many ases, they have lots of clients, and that's not ht eproblem. They're chasing the wrong metric. In fact, they're chasing the hardest metric. They should be chasing profit. How do you get more profit and impove that metric? Getting more revenue and cutting unnecessary expenses. You improve those 2 metrics. How do you improve the revenue metric? More clients, maybe...or maybe more rev per client, or maybe less churn. You improve those 3 metrics (headcount, ARM and LEG) But what if you just improved one of those metrics right now? Like ARM? well, every client goes up $10/mo. If you have 100 clients, that's 1000 more/mo. So you improve revenue. Since that revenue doesn't come with additional expenses, the new revenue is all profit. Bingo - you've improved hte metric you actually want to improve. Now let's look at the alternative. You want to improve revenue so you increase client headcount. Well, more clients comes with some expenses: staff, equipment, etc. A good benchmark is that 44% of your revenue, per client, goes to staff. So you bring on 10 clients paying $100/mo...and you have to add coaches and equipment. So maybe about $550 goes to the bottom line. You've improved revenue by $1000, but profit by only $550. Obviously there are a lot of factors here. BUT the key is identifying the right metric to improve. Professionals can actually grow a lot faster by increasing the frequency and value of their services than by increasing their client count. This is where a mentor helps: You start with the end in mind. If your mentor is asking "why do you want that?" it's because they're trying to guide you to the endgame - the picture of success that you have in your head. You might not even have taken the time to craft this picture, which is why you're chasing the wrong metric. Or maybe you know where you want to go, but haven't 'considered all sides of the coin. THat's where a mentor can help too: they can show you the easiest ways to get to your goal once you have it. It's up to you to track these metrics. and when you become a very good business owner, you can identify these opportunities for yourself. Until then, though, if you think that 'more clients' = success, I'd seek an outside perspective. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
When most entrepreneurs get their business running smoothly, they turn their eyes to the next thing: the next level, the next opportunity, the next location, or the next big idea. This means they no longer spend all of their time caring for, feeding and protecting the Golden Goose. They might entrust its care to someone else...but that person doesn't have all of the context, experience or knowledge of the business owner. We call this "moving from Farmer phase to Tinker Phase". When you leave your farm in the hands of someone else and start tinkering, you have to mentor the new farmer. In this episode, I talk about the step that most successful founders skip: mentoring their team. I tell you why it's important, and how to do it step by step. If you want to join the conversation with other entrepreneurs, click here. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
No matter what kind of service business you own, you must carefully consider their first 3 visits into your service. These first 3 interactions set you up for long-term client retention...or early washout. Here's how to do it. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/
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Business is Good with Chris Cooper
Last week I shared the story of the Smokejumpers, and the horrible tragedy that happened in Mann Gulch, Montana in 1949. But as in all tragedies and all business setbacks, there's a lesson that we can learn and take from this. In this lesson, the foreman of the Smokejumpers--Wagg Dodge-- did something that seemed counterintuitive and didn't make sense to his team: he lit an escape fire. And this brave act ultimately saved his life, and it shares profound lessons for businesses facing their own kind of wildfires. Connect with Chris Cooper: Website - https://businessisgood.com/…
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