Discover how AI is revolutionizing the business landscape and becoming your new teammate rather than just a tool. Shift your focus from effort to results as AI takes on heavy lifting, allowing more time for passion projects. Explore the changing dynamics of branding in a polarized marketplace and learn actionable strategies to create exceptional brands. Embrace the AI revolution with simple prompts to enhance engagement and clarity in communication. It's time to level up your thinking and thrive in this new reality!

Explore the essential shift to an AI-first business mindset, crucial for staying relevant in today's landscape. Discover how AI enhances productivity and becomes a collaborative team member, transforming traditional job structures. Delve into the rise of the gig economy and new specialized roles, as well as the importance of human oversight in AI integration. Gain practical strategies for effectively managing AI within your operations to not just survive, but thrive in an AI-driven world.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Handling Tension On Your Team. Identifying Tension: Mercer and Jeff discuss various signs of tension within a team, such as missed deadlines, unmet expectations, and individuals feeling nervous about their roles.   The Importance of Setting Clear Expectations: They emphasize clearly defining results and expectations to reduce tension and ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.   Accountability and Commitment: The hosts stress the need for team members to take accountability for their work and commit to achieving results, rather than simply focusing on completing activities.   Leadership vs. Autonomy: It’s crucial to balance providing autonomy and demonstrating leadership to guide team members and address performance issues.   Embracing Tension: A certain level of "good tension" can be beneficial, pushing individuals to grow and improve their skills.   The Role of External Perspectives: Seeking out external groups and perspectives can help teams break out of their comfort zones and identify areas for improvement.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Executive Assistants - Do You Still Need One? Executive Assistants (EAs) vs. Systems: The hosts revisit their differing opinions on the necessity of EAs in today's business world, considering the rise of AI and automation.     The Changing Role of EAs: They discuss how the traditional tasks of an EA, such as scheduling, email management, and travel booking, are increasingly being automated or replaced by systems.     Capability and Capacity: Jeff and Mercer explore matching tasks with team members based on their skills and available time to optimize workflow and eliminate the need for a dedicated EA.     The Value of Defined Processes: Both stress the importance of clearly defining processes and systems as it allows for more straightforward automation and eliminates the need for an EA to "fill the gaps."     AI as the New EA: The hosts propose that AI and automation tools effectively become the new "executive assistants," enabling individuals to accomplish more efficiently.     Evolving Roles and Opportunities: The conversation concludes by acknowledging that while the traditional EA role may diminish, the skills and knowledge of individuals who previously served as EAs remain valuable and can be utilized in other organizational capacities.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Social Media Strategies for 2025. Discover why a results-oriented approach is key to social media success.     Learn to define your desired social media outcomes and identify your current results.     Understand the importance of using existing content to fuel your social media machine.     Explore strategies for creating a consistent social media presence without burning out.     Learn how to leverage AI to optimize your social media content and strategy.     Gain insights into building a two-tiered social media system that combines brand building and direct response.  

The discussion dives into the complexities of defining intelligence in AI and why we should prioritize 'usefulness' over 'smartness.' User interaction is key to maximizing AI's potential, while effective communication is essential for desired results. The hosts explore the societal impacts of AI on work and education, sharing insights on the evolution of human-computer interaction. Embracing technological change and adapting to advancements are highlighted as crucial for future growth in various industries.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is How to Increase Prices Gracefully. Learn how to increase prices gracefully without losing customers.     Understand the importance of clear communication and transparency when raising prices.     Explore the impact of price increases on different buyer modalities.     Discover strategies for mitigating customer resistance to price hikes.     Gain insights into successful price increase strategies used by companies like HubSpot and Canva.     Learn how to implement a "reverse flash sale" to incentivize customers to buy before prices go up.  

Dive into the intriguing world of buying modalities and their impact on sales. Discover the four key types: competitive, spontaneous, methodical, and humanistic. Each modality shapes buyer behavior and decision-making in unique ways. Learn how to tailor marketing strategies to engage diverse audiences effectively. Gain practical tips for optimizing your sales process to resonate with varying buyer preferences. Understand the significance of adapting communication styles to enhance engagement and conversion rates.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is MeasureU - The Origin Story. Jeff and Mercer share how they transformed two successful brands, MeasurementMarketing.io and DataDrivenU, into a unified platform called MeasureU. The merger initially started with cross-selling products between brands, but customer confusion over multiple logins and support systems prompted a need for consolidation.  Their experience launching ProfitSchool on the Circle platform served as a testing ground, proving the viability of a unified community-based approach. Instead of forcing one brand to dominate, they created MeasureU as a fresh entity, incorporating the best elements from both original brands while adding new features. The transition happened gradually, starting with new courses on MeasureU, allowing them to test and refine the platform with a small group before full implementation. The new brand structure enabled additional revenue streams, simplified customer experience, and created opportunities for partnerships and expansion that weren't possible with separate brands.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Mergers and Partnerships - Our Perspective After 12 Months. After 12 months of partnership, Jeff and Mercer share honest insights about their business merger, including the importance of pre-partnership relationships and testing compatibility through smaller projects. They emphasize how specialization has been key to their success, with clear divisions of responsibility allowing each partner to lead in their areas of expertise while remaining flexible in overlapping domains. Both partners acknowledge the challenging learning curve of their first year, including managing expectations, having difficult conversations, and creating new systems that work for everyone. The transition from individual thinking ('I') to collective decision-making ('we') proved essential, with both partners learning to understand and respect each other's perspectives. Creating a new brand rather than merging existing ones helped establish a fresh culture that combined the best elements from both partners' previous experiences. Continuous communication and expectation adjustment are crucial to maintaining a healthy partnership.