If you?re having a tricky time communicating at work, Jason has a solution: he calls it ?bricks and mortar? ? and it is the single most important insight he?s had as a communicator. He explains how to use it next time you need to hold someone's attention at work.

Today, Nicole opens up about how she's been thinking about taking parental leave; from the logistical side of taking time off as a self-employed person to the emotional side of stepping away from your work if you're someone who defines yourself by your work. Jason shares how he and his wife figured out these logistical and emotional questions and how Nicole (and any listeners interested in being parents!) can too.

'Tis the season to set goals for the New Year. But the way we create our goals often sets us up for failure. Today, Jason helps you set goals you can actually reach ? by avoiding the goals that?ll drag you down. And to start, he?ll tell you about the goal he hears all the time? and why he keeps telling people to ditch it.

Today, you're going to hear a new segment Nicole and Jason are calling The Smartest People We Know In Business, where they ask the most brilliant people they know what they're doing that's working, so you can use their winning strategies. Today, Nicole and Jason talk with Stephanie Latham, VP of Global Brand Partnerships & Advertising of the super popular gaming platform Roblox. Stephanie shares tips on how to successfully engage Gen Z, building meaningful partnerships, what to prioritize if you're a startup with a small marketing budget, and more! Read more about what Stephanie and her team is working on here!

You have too much to do. Too many tasks, too many deadlines, too many things to track. Jason has the same problem ? and today, he shares a simple solution that?s helped him. It?s called a list funnel, and it?s something he learned from Google?s in-house productivity expert. The list funnel helps you get things done and reduces your stress. Today he shares how it works ? but first, he explains why our current solutions don?t.

On the show, Jason and Nicole read a lot of bad emails. Today, you're going to hear a good one? featuring the person who sent it, Julie Griggs, cofounder of the app Fourplay (a social platform where single friends match with other pairs and go on double dates). In this episode, Jason and Nicole explain why Julie's email was so good that they're still talking about it two years later. Learn more about Fourplay here: https://www.fourplaysocial.com/ To keep up with Julie, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliegriggsfourplaysocial/

A few years back, Nicole created a course and... it flopped. Now, she's thinking about giving it another go, but wants to understand what went wrong the first time so she doesn't make the same mistakes again. Today, Jason and Nicole are joined by Abi Prendergast, an expert on marketing and sales strategy for courses. Abi diagnoses what she sees as the problem with Nicole's first course, and gives advice anyone can use if they want to make? and more importantly, sell? a course. For more on Abi, visit her website here: https://www.aptcontent.co.uk/

Are you dreading a conversation because you know it will be awkward? Today, Jason explains how to use awkwardness as its own solution? and to do that, he shares a story from this very podcast!

If someone says the wrong thing, is it actually helpful to tell them? Today's caller, Jeff, got a message from an acquaintance asking if Jeff could secure an internship for his son. Jeff told his acquaintance that it would have been better if the son had reached out directly... should he have said that? Today, Jason and Nicole help you find the line that separates helpful feedback from overkill.

Today, Jason teaches you how to chill out? while getting everything important done. Because for all the wild stories out there about hustlers hustling, there?s something important you need to know. Jason explains.

Can challenges socializing at work stunt your career growth? It's possible - but if small talking and networking aren't your jam, don't worry! Today, Jason and Nicole share strategies you can use to connect with colleagues? whether you're an introvert or an extrovert.

Maybe you started a business. Or pursued ambitious goals. You set the bar high, which meant that your life is often busy and complex ? and sometimes you wonder: Did I do this wrong? Here?s Jason?s answer: Don?t question your past. Instead, take what you need from it. Today, Jason tells you how to do that? which will lead you to the right path.

Want to attract new business? Or just build valuable relationships? Here?s one of the best ways: Give away your knowledge. This may sound like a bad idea. Won?t people just steal your work and not pay you? In fact, the opposite is true: When you give away knowledge, you build trust and authority ? and then people want you more! Today, Jason will show you how this works, and how to use it to your advantage. But to start, he?ll tell you about someone who did not do this ? and how it led to the most awkward interview of Jason?s career.

Today, Jason and Nicole dig into two stories that seem very similar. Both stories center on couples who are fighting because one spouse makes more than the other? but the premise of the individual fights are very different. Jason and Nicole play Judge Judy and give their verdict on which spouse is right? and share their advice for couples navigating the emotional side of a pay disparity.

No. Why is that teeny word so hard to say? Today, Nicole helps Jason craft the perfect response to someone who won't take no for an answer and gives you the framework to say no in a way that is kind, but that also sticks.

Here?s a secret hack to improve performance: use less of your brain. It?s a counterintuitive idea Jason stumbled upon, then discovered has deep roots in psychology. Jason will explain how to do it ? but first, he?ll show you how it helped him.

Today's caller has a problem: ever since she was promoted, her coworkers? who now report to her? have been giving her the cold shoulder and stalling on their deadlines. Today, Jason and Nicole help her plan a conversation that will repair the relationship, which hinges on an often overlooked superpower in leadership.

Jason has a formula to build trust in any conversation. It?s a formula that deepens personal conversations and advances professional ones. It is: Their thoughts + 1. Today, he'll explain what this means and why it works.

There are some bizarre headlines making the rounds in business news... but, beyond the headlines, there are some important lessons on knowing your customer, personal branding, and how to collaborate meaningfully. Today, Jason and Nicole mine those lessons from the weirdo headlines.

There are lots of resources for taking care of your career after you've been laid off, but there are far fewer resources for taking care of yourself after a layoff. Today, Jason and Nicole call up podcaster and emotional investigative journalist Yowei Shaw to talk about exactly this. Yowei talks about how surprised she was by how bad she felt when she was laid off and what she did to make herself start to feel better. Listen to Yowei's awesome podcast Proxy here: https://www.proxypodcast.com/ Watch Yowei's epic Kleenex pole dancing video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7Uhu3OOxaj/

Your comfort zone can also be a trap. It?s too easy to stick with what you know. Why make yourself uncomfortable? Today, Jason will give you the trick that he has used to propel himself into the unknown.

There are some wild stories in business news right now: a guy is suing a company because he misses his wife, a beer company blamed its stock performance on the weather and an airline is throwing it back to third grade and making a doctor's note a prerequisite for sick days. But these stories are not just weird headlines? there are business lessons too, if you know where to look. Today, Jason and Nicole find the unexpected advice and give you the diamonds from the rough.

You can't say yes to every opportunity, which begs the question: When should you say no? Today, Jason will give you an answer. It?s a simple framework that he learned from Brian Lee, the cofounder of LegalZoom. And he learned it by accidentally almost killing the company. Now you can benefit from his mistake.

Today, Jason tells Nicole a story of a very recent? and very public? failure. He explains what happened, how he panicked, and ultimately, what advice he got from a friend that made him feel better.

You have the right stuff: You?re talented, smart, and good at what you do. But the right people aren?t noticing. So here?s a difficult truth you must take seriously: you are a high-quality person, but you can?t compete on quality alone. Today, Jason shows you how to get noticed another way. 

Jason and Nicole got a wonderfully crafted piece of constructive criticism from a listener: they swear too much on the show! Today, Nicole and Jason explain how they decided where to draw their line when it comes to swearing? and they teach you how to calibrate the trade-off between raw personality and professionalism.

Have you ever asked for something ? but were misunderstood? This happened to Jason recently and it triggered an an ah-hah moment. His mistake was that he didn?t ask for what he wanted. Instead, he asked for bad examples of what he wanted. Today, he gives you a better way to ask questions, give answers, build relationships, solve problems, and become someone?s hero.

Today?s caller has been slowly increasing her rates over time with market trends?except for one of her earliest clients, who's still paying the same old low pricing. She knows it?s time to raise those rates, but the thought of having that conversation is totally stressing her out. Today, Jason and Nicole give her strategies to help her feel more comfortable with having the conversation successfully.

Today Jason shares two strategies he uses to stop obsessing over small mistakes. He calls them Thinking Downward, and the Grading Curve. They?ve helped him bounce back from his imperfect moments ? and he thinks they can help you too.

Today Nicole and Jason break down all things introductions? how to ask for one, how NOT to ask for one, and what to say if someone asks for an intro you don't want to give. They give you the steps you should take every time you make an intro, and they start by talking about the weirdest intro Jason has ever been a part of.

You?re trying to solve a problem. But you?re stumped. So you keep asking the same question: How do I do this one thing? But what if you?re asking the wrong question? Today, Jason will show you how to back up and ask the ?earlier question.? And he'll start by showing you how he just used this trick? and helped a big company solve a big problem.

Today, Jason and Nicole explore a taboo topic: the give-and-take struggle between a demanding career and parenthood. Jason and Nicole have noticed a reticence in others to talk about this experience for fear of judgment or misunderstanding. But in this conversation, Jason and Nicole speak honestly. Plus, what's the best way to tell your coworker you're expecting?

Trust is not binary, it's a gradient ? and once you appreciate how it works, you can build (and maintain!) trust in smarter, more careful ways. It?s a concept called the trust battery. Today, Jason will show you how to use it ? and how it can help you build better relationships, professionally and personally.

When the check comes at the end of a business dinner, who should pay? The bigger company? Does that even matter? These are the questions on our Executive Producer Morgan's mind after an awkward fumble at the end of a business dinner with a big tab. Jason gives a framework you can use to assess when you should throw your card down, and what to say if you can't.

Jason got a cold DM on LinkedIn that included a common ask that often creates friction. Today, Jason and Nicole call up the guy who made that ask to talk through his networking strategy and give him some tips on frictionless outreach.

You want to do something new... But you?re hesitating, because you?re not sure if it?s the right thing to do. Today, Jason will introduce you to a concept he calls the ticket. It?s a way to stop thinking about what you should do, so you can think about what you can do. And to see how it works, he?ll first tell you about a friend who?s in this situation right now ? feeling stuck, at a crossroads, and searching for courage.

Today's caller is fighting with her fiancé; he didn't include her in a business deal, but she feels *strongly* that he should have. Today, the caller is joined by her fiancé to explain the situation so Nicole and Jason can determine which of them is right, and how couples should handle joint opportunities.

You?re trying to do something but don?t have? enough money. Enough time. Enough resources. Enough something. Today, Jason will reveal a resource you didn?t know you have: It?s the stuff all around you ? but with a twist.

The Paris Olympics are over, but Jason says that three surprising business lessons from viral Olympics moments live on. Today, he shares those moments with Nicole (and yes, pommel horse guy sleeping is one of them).

If you want to earn people's trust and respect, ask yourself: how are you using their time? Today, Jason explains how he learned an important lesson about other people's time ? and how he learned that lesson from an unexpected cautionary tale.

Listener Melissa calls the Help Line today because she's experiencing some analysis paralysis (haven't we all). Jason gives her a formula to help her determine which parts of her work she should change; plus, he shares how to failure-proof her pivot by making it into an experiment.

When we solve problems, we often start with the easiest part? But that?s often the wrong approach. Every big problem has one fundamental challenge ? and if you don?t start there, then you?re just wasting your time. We?ll call this thing the monkey. You must know your monkey. Today, Jason introduces you to it.

Today?s caller is watching his company go through a big change... and as a result, his work is feeling less meaningful. Jason and Nicole help him realize that he's been looking for a solution in all the wrong places, and give their tips on how to make your voice heard at work.

Jason is dealing with some haters right now. Here is how he's handling it, and how you can too.

What happens when you hire someone, and they charge way more than you expected? That happened to our caller, Kassi Underwood, whose babysitter handed her a steep bill. (So steep, a screenshot of it went viral on LinkedIn!) Jason and Nicole give advice on how to course-correct, and how to prevent making this big mistake in the first place. Want one-on-one business and money coaching from Jason or Nicole? Email [email protected] with a question, or book them for coaching here: intro.co/moneynewsnetwork  Want a personalized investing portfolio from an AI investing assistant? Check out moneyassistant.com

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Try this.

Some people might think that a personal brand is only important for entrepreneurs who are the face of their companies, but that?s not true! Think of a personal brand as a strong reputation rooted in your strengths? who doesn?t need that? When Jason and Nicole get a caller question about building a personal brand, they decide to phone-a-friend: Aliza Licht, an incredible marketing guru. Jason, Nicole and Aliza take today's caller through an exercise that you can use to build your reputation, get recognition for the work you love and secure the opportunities you've always wanted. Find Aliza's latest book, On Brand, here: https://alizalicht.com/on-brand

Does self-promotion make you uncomfortable? Today, Jason tells you how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Because if you don?t tell everyone how awesome you are, nobody else will.

Today's caller is tired of getting underpaid for gigs she doesn't even like. Jason and Nicole give strategies for finding? and securing? opportunities to make a living out of doing what you love. 

In every partnership, there will be disagreements. The key is to know how to find a path forward when there's resistance, and how to reevaluate whether that path forward is getting you anywhere. Today's caller is trying to crack this code with a disagreement that's very close to home. Jason gives him a script to tackle the conversation. Want one-on-one business and money coaching from Jason or Nicole? Email [email protected] with a question, or book them for coaching here: intro.co/moneynewsnetwork