In this Business Brain episode, Dave Hamilton celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first podcast, Mac Geek Gab, reflecting on how a direct email to Steve Jobs led to Apple featuring his show on the launch day of their iTunes podcast directory. This moment serves as a springboard for a broader discussion with Shannon Jean about the importance of building Read more…
In this episode of Business Brain, Shannon Jean kicks off the discussion by highlighting the importance of experimentation through a simple product called the Brain Press—a tactile fidget toy created by a fellow entrepreneur he follows on X. The segment uses the Brain Press as a springboard to emphasize the entrepreneurial value of trying new things, escaping the daily grind, Read more…
In this Casual Friday episode of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon kick things off with a light-hearted celebration of National Donut Day before diving into a deeper conversation inspired by a post from Dr. Julie Gerner: “If I was a stranger stepping into this person’s life, what would I immediately fix or change?” The hosts explore how objective self-evaluation—or using Read more…
In this episode of Business Brain, Dave Hamilton kicks things off by sharing a standout customer service experience with FMPHost, a FileMaker Pro hosting company. After years of reliable service, Dave moved his FileMaker database to a self-hosted Docker container to save costs and consolidate resources. He praised FMPHost for making cancellation incredibly easy—a rarity that left a lasting positive Read more…
In Episode 653 of Business Brain, Dave Hamilton shares a candid story about a business deal that fell apart after 18 months of negotiations. Despite the initial disappointment, Dave felt unexpected relief—realizing that the deal would have meant giving up control of the business and taking on fixed employment terms. The failed acquisition ultimately rekindled his excitement for rolling out Read more…
In Episode 652 of Business Brain, Shannon Jean shares reflections from a recent trip to St. Lucia, highlighting the stark contrast between poverty and wealth on the island. He emphasizes how entrepreneurship there is a means of survival, with locals creatively hustling to sell everything from handmade goods to rum punch. The experience reminded him of the privilege and opportunity Read more…
In Episode 651 of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon dive into the concept of a “credibility funnel”—a precursor or complement to the traditional sales funnel. Shannon emphasizes how today’s AI tools can elevate a business’s professional image, especially through visual storytelling. He shares how he uses Napkin.ai to visualize abstract business ideas like credibility, customer service, unfair advantage, and storytelling, Read more…
In Episode 650 of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon welcome guest Michael Greenberg from 3rd Brain to explore the essential but often overlooked world of digital operations. Michael explains that before companies dive into AI and automation, they need to establish solid foundations—clear processes, documented operations, and organized data. His firm focuses on getting businesses “AI-ready” by standardizing internal workflows, Read more…
In Episode 649 of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon focus on the power of consistency and content creation in modern business. Kicking off with a listener email about the value of handwritten thank-you notes, they stress the importance of thoughtful outreach and relationship-building. From there, they segue into a deeper discussion on how every business is now in the content Read more…
In Episode 648 of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon dive into the evolving landscape of education and its impact on entrepreneurship and the workforce. Shannon shares a conversation with a colleague who helps businesses start trade schools—not just for profit, but to solve hiring challenges. These businesses leverage trade schools to train workers in-house, tap into government retraining grants, and Read more…
In this FridAI episode of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon dive into the evolving future of pay-per-click advertising in a world increasingly dominated by AI tools like ChatGPT, noting how AI is replacing traditional search behavior and potentially reshaping monetization models. They discuss Shannon’s creation of a custom GPT trained on his own content to produce more personalized, on-brand outputs, Read more…
In this episode of Business Brain, Dave and Shannon dive into the value of creating a “working agreement” before starting any business partnership. They discuss how this simple, non-binding document can clarify roles, expectations, and accountability—helping partners avoid misunderstandings and preserving friendships if things don’t work out. Framed as the first true project partners tackle together, the agreement surfaces potential Read more…