The Friday Habit

CEO and serial entrepreneur Chris Meroff helps companies build an employee-centric culture where team members are valued for who they are, not just for what they contribute. A leadership coach, inspirational speaker, and best-selling author, Chris draws on his personal experiences from over 25  years in business. He began working in the family business where he built a strong foundation for account management and problem-solving systems. When he stepped out on his own in 2011 to start his own company, he learned valuable lessons through his successes and failures. When his friend and business partner resigned unexpectedly, Chris used the challenging time for self-reflection and personal growth. He shifted his management style from client-centered to focus more on the happiness and wellbeing of his employees. Throughout this process, he discovered the power of leading with vulnerability. He realized that many leaders struggle to share their challenging emotions, especially in a professional setting. From his own healing journey, Chris now utilizes powerful tools such as the Enneagram to help teams communicate and interact with empathy. This approach leads to happier employees and sustainable success.Main TopicsChris’ love for rural Maine and Texas BBQ (01:55)Chris’ early start in the family business (07:45)Building a sense of intrinsic value (10:55)Launching his own business (12:40)Organizational unity (14:45)Chris’ business partner resigned unexpectedly (16:00)Using the Enneagram in business (17:45)Leading with empathy and vulnerability in relationships (23:27)Lack of vulnerability creates feelings of loneliness (27:00)  Episode Linkshttps://chrismeroff.comhttps://enneagramuniverse.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

In part two of the conversation with leadership coach and team building expert David Burkus, he offers more practical tools for creating efficient and autonomous teams. Supported by forward-thinking research, David zeroes in on the importance of psychological safety as a pillar for any organization. Psychological safety is a combination of respect and trust, especially when team members are taking interpersonal risks by sharing ideas or issues with leadership. In conversations with team members, a strong leader listens thoughtfully, summarizes what they heard, and asks clarifying follow-up questions. Research also shows that people are more invested in their output if they know who is impacted by their work. Telling human stories about a company’s effects on the larger community and offering consistent and specific gratitude increases motivation. Intentionally investing in the relationships that keep a business running smoothly ensures a culture of connection and overall job satisfaction. Main TopicsBuilding an organization to run on its own (01:25)Definition of psychological safety (04:56)Julian Treasure’s RASA approach (08:07)Building relationships with clear communication (10:45)Prosocial motivation as a basic human desire (11:35)Celebrating positive impact as a team (14:10)It’s a Wonderful Life test (15:27)David’s book Best Team Ever (18:55)  Episode Linkshttps://davidburkus.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

As a leader in innovative business thinking and the author of several best-selling books, David Burkus specializes in helping organizations build powerful teams. His most recent book, Best Team Ever, explores the science behind what allows certain teams to thrive while others struggle. In a post-pandemic world, David believes success comes from addressing microcultures within an organization versus analyzing the business as a whole. Three components that support cohesive team building are a foundation of common understandings, psychological safety, and a unified prosocial purpose. One of the best ways to create buy-in is to include team members in the decision-making process. Today’s entrepreneurs find themselves working on several different teams, each one with a unique project and group of people. Therefore it’s essential that leaders acquire skills for navigating dynamic cultures at play within the organization. Main TopicsShifting from single company culture to microcultures (01:25)The discussion around autonomy in business culture (04:25)The science behind productive team building (06:45)David’s 3 components for successful team building (08:50)Creating a team charter (11:35)Using questions to support team building (13:25)Collaboration in creating a team’s culture (15:57)  Episode Linkshttps://davidburkus.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

In his book Hope is Not a Business Strategy, thought leader Chuck Knabusch offers practical advice for turning business dreams into reality. Traditional business plans are evolving to a point where entrepreneurs and creatives are designing their own processes for scaling the business and measuring growth. Planning and documentation are important, but even more impactful are the steps a leader takes towards the end goal. Some of the best lessons are learned through taking action, making mistakes, and revising the process for future success. As businesses grow, founders begin hiring other people to take on increasing responsibilities. This can be a challenging time of transition as they learn to let go and trust their team to preserve the established culture. One pitfall to avoid is micromanaging. Rather than telling a team member how to do their tasks, it is more effective to clearly communicate desired outcomes. Chuck specializes in creating processes that best serve a company’s needs. He reiterates the importance of building these processes so that the business continues to thrive even after key players are no longer there. The most successful enterprises are those that adapt to change and use cyclical trends to their advantage. Consistent execution is the only guarantee for growth and sustainability.   Main TopicsMistakes to avoid when building a team (01:10)The importance of creating processes (04:44)Breaking through growth edges (07:15)Moving beyond the traditional business plan (10:00)Executing great ideas (14:30)Good business ideas for current culture (17:15)Planning in light of AI evolution (18:45)   Episode Linkshttps://www.13ten.comhttps://soulver.apphttps://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Business-Strategy-Control/dp/B0BFVKL9K8 Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

Chuck Knabusch is the founder 13Ten Business Solutions, LLC where he helps organizations design specific solutions for their individual needs. After his years in the military, Chuck worked for La-Z-Boy in systems management and various other applications within the company until his retirement. Now he runs his own LLC where he applies a variety of lessons learned from decades of leadership to help others maximize their potential. Chuck also wrote and published a book where he explores strategies for results-driven management based on his own experiences working with contractors. Building the foundation for any business begins by establishing core values that guide decision-making. Values lead to purpose, which then brings clarity in regards to the target audience. Clearly defining the ideal customer creates helpful parameters for marketing and outreach. It’s important to spend time working on the business, not just in the business, especially for entrepreneurs.   Main TopicsChuck’s journey to becoming a thought leader (02:40)His various roles working at La-Z-Boy (06:30)Writing his book Hope is Not a Business Strategy (08:14)Building a business based on values (09:45)Start by defining the target audience (14:30)Specifying the audience based on evolution of the business (17:30)   Episode Linkshttps://www.13ten.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

Entrepreneur and marketing expert Aditya Varanasi continues the conversation about advertising strategies for extending a company’s reach. Successful businesses are constantly looking for new ways to improve and grow. Powerful marketing is one tool for evaluating data and using creative problem solving skills to expand the business. What makes Aditya’s services so unique is that he uses his experience from working with a large, global corporation and converts it into strategic guidance for small businesses. Part of his mission is to provide up and coming organizations with visibility at a cost they can afford. By utilizing his micro campaign approach, he is able to individualize a business’s marketing needs in ways larger agencies cannot. Aditya’s biggest tip for current marketing trends is to look at the big picture in terms of awareness and reach. Cost per conversion is a helpful data point, but it is not the only type of marketing worth the investment. Main TopicsAddressing the financial risks of starting a business (02:15)How Awarity uses banner ads (05:30)Marketing through streaming services (07:16)Attracting large businesses to Awarity (08:43)Common mistakes in marketing (09:53)   Episode Linkshttps://www.awarity.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

As a wildly successful author of science fiction novels and short stories, Hugh Howey pushes himself to explore new creative horizons on each project. A lover of classic dystopian novels such as Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451, Hugh loves multi-layered storytelling that pushes our understanding of what it means to be human. In a world that’s looking more and more like the apocalyptic settings in his novels, Hugh takes a more positive perspective on the impact of technology. Instead of subscribing to sweeping fears around the rise of artificial intelligence and the impending annihilation of the human race, he sees these developments as progress. Because of AI programs such as ChatGPT, human creations and contributions to the world have the potential to live forever, long after humans are gone. For this reason, Hugh sees AI as a path to immortality, not through the physical body but through a legacy of art and information. His stories frequently explore the boundaries of the human experience, especially as humanity itself is transitioning into something new. His timely and best-selling trilogy Silo is now a television series on AppleTV.Main TopicsSuspend expectations when it comes to creating art (02:45)Hugh’s favorite authors (05:03)AI and the future of humanity (07:20)Immortality becomes possible through AI (11:55)Human legacy lives on through our creations (13:49)Hugh’s top 3 science fiction movies (18:10)Turning Silo trilogy into a television show (20:35)Executive producing on the show (23:57)  Episode Linkshttps://hughhowey.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

In this two-part episode of the podcast, Mark Labriola II and Benjamin Manley have an exclusive conversation with Hugh Howey, the New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books, including the hit "Silo Series" (FKA Wool") and Apple TV+'s upcoming series "Silo" based on Hugh Howey's New York Times bestseller trilogy. Howey shares his insights into what it takes to be a successful author and how reading novels every day played a pivotal role in his writing journey. Listeners will be inspired by Howey's advice on following their passions instead of chasing trends or money. Tune in to this podcast to gain valuable insights from one of the most successful authors of our time!Fans of dystopian dramas won't want to miss Apple TV+'s series "Silo". The show features a star-studded cast led by Rebecca Ferguson (“Dune," “Mission: Impossible"). Get ready for an engrossing new world full of mystery and intrigue!Links: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jicehttps://hughhowey.com/https://a.co/d/5Q9uvw6

When Aditya Varanasi chose to leave the corporate world to start his own brand awareness company, he knew it was a risky move. But he recognized an unaddressed need in the small business world for affordable and effective marketing. This led him to found Awarity, a digital advertising company that drives visibility for independently owned businesses at sustainable rates.  Though he displayed entrepreneurial tendencies as a child, Aditya didn’t plan on getting into marketing. While studying pre-med at Purdue University, he followed his interest in chemical engineering which landed him a job at Frito-Lay. As he learned more about the marketing side of running a company, he realized he could provide a much needed service for other entrepreneurs. So he took the marketing strategies he learned from a large corporation and adapted them for smaller businesses. Now he works with clients to expand their reach by creating consistent brand awareness primarily through banner advertisements. He attributes his success in marketing to building persistent presence and telling a brand’s story through an emotional connection to the consumer. Main TopicsAditya’s early entrepreneurial spirit (03:45)Early career at Frito-Lay (05:58)Lessons in marketing at a large corporation (08:24)Noticing an opportunity in marketing for small businesses (12:11)Using banner ads (15:17)Aditya’s strategy for scaling his business (17:30)Applying big business strategies to small business (19:00)Pivoting during the pandemic (22:56)   Episode Linkshttps://www.awarity.com Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts

For Cole Rodgers, the truest measure of a person is the level of impact they have on the people around them. After years of struggling with his own inner demons and witnessing the death of a close friend, Cole recognized his opportunity to convert his pain into forward progress. By consistently showing up to do the healing work on himself, he made positive changes to his personal and professional life.Now Cole uses his experiences to coach men who are seeking to step into their fullest potential. Many people are quick to focus on what they are lacking in their lives, but Cole trains men to embrace abundance. Comparison to others will only breed discontentment. Through his programs that support brotherhood and mentorship, Cole creates powerful experiences where men can build community and push themselves beyond what they believe is possible. By attending to both soul and body, community members strengthen their resolve and move toward their dreams with clear direction. Main TopicsCole’s turning point through the Navy SEAL’s civilian course (01:35)The freedom of speaking our truth (04:40)Converting pain into progress (06:40)The trap of seeking validation from others (09:15)Choose your network wisely (12:40)Abundance over scarcity (14:00)Cole’s legacy through School of Man (14:45)Tips for tapping into your highest potential (17:00)  Episode Linkshttps://schoolofman.live Go to TheFridayHabit.com to find show notes for this episode. There you can also find links to our websites and ways to get in touch. At the bottom of the page you can download our guide to the Friday Habit system that will show you how to set aside one full day each week dedicated to working on your business instead of in your business.If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app.If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover don’t forget to record us a quick voice memo and send it to hello@thefridayhabit.comThanks for listening to The Friday Habit.Until next time. Live every day like it’s Friday.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts