I Dropped Everything For a Soccer Match

In my last email I shared that I was offered last minute tickets to see the Team USA World Cup match.

I had meetings and obligations all over my calendar. And, for a moment, my “responsible brain” said there’s no way I can actually go. My clients will get angry at the sudden cancellation, I’ll fall behind during a critical stretch, excuse/excuse/excuse.

But, this was a once in a lifetime chance to see a World Cup match with my son…I dropped what I was doing and went to Seattle.

What actually happened: I reached out to my clients, told them the truth, and every single one of them said some version of “AWESOME! Have the best time, we’ll reschedule.”

Nobody fired me. Nothing broke. On Monday night, I stood in a stadium watching the biggest sporting event on the planet with my son instead of sitting in a pile of meetings that could move.

In my old corporate life, that trip probably doesn't happen. Limited vacation days, approvals, obligations to somebody else's schedule. The invitation comes in and the answer is "I can't."

Remember: You’re building a business to serve your life, not the other way around, and this week I got to cash that check.

What have you been meaning to do, wanting to do, and not giving yourself permission to do?

My son heads to Japan for YEAR this fall and we just spend 3 days laughing, bonding, and spending quality time I’ll never get again. Absolutely priceless.

Please open your calendar today, pick the date, and put the thing on it.
Your clients will understand. Mine did.

Today’s Sponsor

Most owners don't lose sleep over the legal side of the business...the contracts, the lease, the handshake deal with a partner. It's all fine, right up until the day it isn't, and the legal problems that hurt the most are almost always the preventable ones. That's why Athena Legal Solutions built the Business Legal Confidence Assessment, for exactly that moment before the moment. It takes a few minutes, and you walk away knowing where your business is protected and where you've got a blind spot worth closing. Want to find yours first? Take the free assessment, then book your complimentary Legal Confidence Review with the Athena team, both at athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller.

Tweet of the week

We’re focused on automating workflows and recreating the work we already do with AI. What about new capability and creativity to generate new business? Someone actually thought: wait, AI could inventory everything it sees in a home listing and message the seller with a moving quote. What could YOU do with it?

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Dog Days - Everything is obvious when you reflect, so I’m sharing something we realize every AUGUST. We’re in the dog days of summer. The majority of your clients are doing almost everything they can except work. Vacation, lake houses, meetings that become emails, projects pushed for a week or two longer…it’s the time of the year when things slow down. What do we do? Get your work done and get outside. This is YOUR CHANCE, too.

• Getting Found by AI - In my Claude For Small Business Owners AI Mastermind, the group is beginning to take on AEO/GEO (Getting found and recommended by AI). As we are digging in to how it works, it’s a little surprising what is valued versus SEO and traditional methods. One surprise - Google searches that include an AI summary only result in a click on a regular link 8% of the time. A radical shift in discovery! The summary for AEO/GEO: Can AI find you, trust you, quote you? If you’re feeling the nudge to get going with Claude CoWork in your business, let’s get to work.

• SBOC Awards Open for Nominations - Our 6th annual Small Business Owners Conference sponsored by Athena Legal Solutions and Money Masters Bookkeeping is in September and at the event we offer something you just don’t get anywhere else - RECOGNITION FOR YOUR HARD WORK! We host an awards program that is open to any entrepreneur to be recognized in five different categories. The nominations are open on and they’re free to enter. Submit an entry for your business - or - nominate a client/colleague and they can enter. Nominations CLOSE on 7/31!

Today’s Sponsor

Most small business owners are stuck renting their AI and automation from consultants who never hand over the keys, paying month after month for systems they don't actually own or understand. Automation Bird Dog flips that model, teaching you to build and control your own automations so the value stays in your business instead of walking out the door with a vendor. Book your free Automation Readiness Session with code OWNIT and find out exactly where automation can save you time and money starting this quarter.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Magic: I’m GOING TO THE WORLD CUP GAME TONIGHT IN SEATTLE…Story below…

Productivity Isn’t Freedom

On last Wednesday’s show I said something that doesn’t sound like a win. AI is making us busier.

In my Claude mastermind last week, every one of us said the same thing. We’re getting more done than we ever have, and somehow we’re more slammed than ever. Six months ago the business was simpler. Now we can do way more, so we do way more, and the work just concentrates. Same hours, heavier load.

Productivity doesn’t work the way we think. It doesn’t hand you free time. It raises your ceiling. Every hour AI gives back is an hour you get to spend on purpose, and if you don’t spend it on purpose, the work spends it for you. It fills the space every single time.

So you’ve got a choice, and this week is the perfect time to make it. You can pour that new capacity back into more, more, more, or bank some of it as freedom. Take the afternoon or take this Friday Off and mean it.

The robot made you faster. What you do with faster is still up to you.

Today’s Sponsor

Most owners don't lose sleep over the legal side of the business...the contracts, the lease, the handshake deal with a partner. It's all fine, right up until the day it isn't, and the legal problems that hurt the most are almost always the preventable ones. That's why Athena Legal Solutions built the Business Legal Confidence Assessment, for exactly that moment before the moment. It takes a few minutes, and you walk away knowing where your business is protected and where you've got a blind spot worth closing. Want to find yours first? Take the free assessment, then book your complimentary Legal Confidence Review with the Athena team, both at athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller.

Tweet of the week

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Go Team USA! - I tell my kids all the time - be a good guy and treat people right, it will come back to you in the end. This week: IT CAME BACK TO ME. A friend reached out and asked, “Hey, would you like to go to the World Cup Match on Monday - Team USA vs. Belgium.” A calmly answered “ARE YOU KIDDING OMFG< :OAIU {()U }_@)*@!!!!” They worked their magic and boom, my son David and I are in Seattle today to see the USMNT and share a once in a lifetime experience. Businessing with Pat Miller will be off the air until Wednesday while we cheer on the team. ‘Merica!!!! Details and pictures on Friday.

• We’re halfway through 2026…Are you Satisfied with Your Progress? - I cannot believe the second half of the year is here. Did you do the thing you swore you’d do back in January, or did the year just kind of happen to you?There’s a lot of runway left to affect change in 2026.

• SBOC Awards Open for Nominations - Our 6th annual Small Business Owners Conference is in September and at the event we offer something you just don’t get anywhere else - RECOGNITION FOR YOUR HARD WORK! We host an awards program that is open to any entrepreneur to be recognized in five different categories. The nominations are open on and they’re free to enter. Submit an entry for your business - or - nominate a client/colleague and they can enter. Good Luck!

Today’s Sponsor

Most small business owners are stuck renting their AI and automation from consultants who never hand over the keys, paying month after month for systems they don't actually own or understand. Automation Bird Dog flips that model, teaching you to build and control your own automations so the value stays in your business instead of walking out the door with a vendor. Book your free Automation Readiness Session with code OWNIT and find out exactly where automation can save you time and money starting this quarter.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Happy Friday! We’re one week away from a huge 4th of July weekend. Next week will essential for us to move our projects forward before everyone checks out next Thursday. Today, I’ve a miles long honey-do list and some golf balls calling my name. Back on the air Monday - What are you doing today?

Self-Improvement is Crushing Your Business

The fastest way to grow isn’t getting a little less bad at the thing you’re terrible at. It’s assigning somebody, or something, to handle the stuff you hate.

We’ve all been sold the idea that we’ve got to round ourselves out, patch the weak spots, become the complete package. So we spend years grinding to get slightly less awful at our weaknesses, while the thing we’re actually great at sits in the corner, starving for our time.

I try not to fix my weaknesses. I supplement them. For example, I’m not a details guy, so Anne runs the details and the wheels stay on. (Thank God for Anne Hill!)

Focus isn’t my strength either, so I lean on coaches and mentors to stay locked in for clarity and revenue. These are the gaps that used to cost me money, and now I get to spend my time on the stuff only I can do.

So here are the two questions for this week. Where are you weak, and who or what covers it...a person, a contractor, an AI assistant, a dead-simple system? And where are you strong enough that, even with unlimited help, you’d still do it yourself because you’re the best in the world at it?

Find the first one and hand it off. Find the second one and do more of it.
Getting a little less bad at what you hate is just expensive homework.

Today’s Sponsor

Most owners don't lose sleep over the legal side of the business...the contracts, the lease, the handshake deal with a partner. It's all fine, right up until the day it isn't, and the legal problems that hurt the most are almost always the preventable ones. That's why Athena Legal Solutions built the Business Legal Confidence Assessment, for exactly that moment before the moment. It takes a few minutes, and you walk away knowing where your business is protected and where you've got a blind spot worth closing. Want to find yours first? Take the free assessment, then book your complimentary Legal Confidence Review with the Athena team, both at athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller.

Tweet of the week

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Sell What People Want to Buy - Something has happened with my Claude Training for Small Business Owners. I had three training sessions this week and they ALL came from “A-Players” that knew they needed to begin leveraging Claude’s ability to save time and make money. It’s been a blast building this program and it energizes me to help business owners unlock what’s possible. If you feel stuck with AI and don’t know how everyone else is getting the results, let’s get you going on Claude Cowork - a game changer!

• “Time You’ll Never Get Back” - I was out of the office all last week on a golf trip with my Dad. We had SO much fun and so many conversations during the hours and hours of dashboard time. It’s so rare to spend an extended amount of time with your parents and I absolutely loved it. Do whatever you can to find time with your parents. And, get to Central Nebraska to play golf - WOW - The Prairie Club blew my mind!

• SBOC Awards Open for Nominations on Monday! - Our 6th annual Small Business Owners Conference is in September and at the event we offer something you just don’t get anywhere else - RECOGNITION FOR YOUR HARD WORK! We host an awards program that is open to any entrepreneur to be recognized in five different categories. The nominations open on Monday and they’re free to enter. Submit an entry for your business - or - nominate a client/colleague and they can enter. Good Luck!

Today’s Sponsor

When your faith, your focus, and your decisions aren't pulling in the same direction, your business feels heavy — and Elzie Flenard built Crown Room Live for exactly that. It's a live virtual session for Christian business owners who want their faith driving the business...you bring one real issue and walk out with one clear, aligned decision you can act on the same day. Want a taste first? Start your morning with The Daily Crown, free for 7 days at joindailycrown.com, or jump into the next session at crownroomlive.com.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Happy Friday! I’m writing this from last week, because right now I’m recovering from a week of golfing in the Sandhills of Nebraska with my dad and two friends. Back at it Monday with a wicked sunburn and loads of stories.

How to Take a Week Off

This golf trip took a month of prep to make possible, and it was worth every minute. On my last show before vacation I walked through the system, because “I’m too busy to take a week off” is the most expensive sentence in small business. You’re going to take time off whether you like it or not. Skip the rest and your body will schedule it for you, as sick days or burnout.

The system is five steps:

Claim the week...open your calendar, pick it, and the stuff in that week moves, not the other way around.

Clean it out...cancel and reschedule everything, and watch how 99.9% of people respond with “good for you, when should we meet next?”

Keep the story told...my LinkedIn posts and this newsletter were done before I left, so the business stays open while I’m gone.

Volley everything over the net...I spent last week hitting every email and deliverable back to partners and clients so projects keep moving without me.

ACTUALLY TAKE VACATION! No laptop. Gmail and LinkedIn came off the phone.

Abbie says there’s no such thing as a photography emergency. She’s right and there’s probably no emergency in your business that can’t survive five days without you either.

When I take a real vacation, it’s like taking my brain out and putting it on the charger. Turns out it charges faster with beer and golf. Who knew?!?!

Claim your week today...July and August are sitting right there wide open.

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

Tweet of the week

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Gamifying Customer Loyalty - Customer loyalty programs have been around forever. Our wallets are full of coffee punch cards and keychain dongles. Chipotle caught my attention by gamifying their customer loyalty. They’re tracking customer visit streaks, monthly challenges, and even local leaderboards. How could you engage your clients in a FUN way that might reward their loyalty?

• Ride the Wave - During one of our Idea Slams this week, SBOC Member Becca Schmidt shared some advice passed on to her from a previous business coach. She shared that it’s important to “ride the wave” of an exciting new development/opportunity and NOT ACT immediately. Let the decision wait until the rush of excitement passes. You’ll make much better decisions. Great reminder, thanks Becca!

• Never Skimp on Your Audio - I was reminded again recently how important a great sounding microphone can be when making a first impression. Now, I’m an old school radio nerd so you KNOW I’ve gone way overboard with my microphone and office A/V setup. That said, it never ceases to amaze me how engage people are on zoom calls when the audio sounds GREAT. And, if you’re trying to hold someone’s attention with a video the audio still reigns. An OK looking video with great audio will be tolerated. A terrible sounding video is an immediate skip. Review what you’re doing with your microphones and upgrade - it’s important!

Today’s Sponsor

Paul’s Jewelers has been Milwaukee’s trusted Jeweler for almost 60 years. Their dedication to outstanding customer experience and craftsmanship will go to a new level with the opening of the 7C’s Cafe! Inside Paul’s Jewelers you can now experience: Coffee, Chocolate, Cookies AND the four C’s of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carats. SBOC Members get your first drink free! Visit the new 7C’s Cafe at Paul’s Jewelers on the corner of National and HWY 100 in West Allis, WI

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Happy Friday! I’m off today busily preparing for a week-long golf trip with my Dad…It’s going to be a blast. See you in a week…FORE!

The calculator moment has arrived for knowledge work. On Tuesday’s Businessing with Pat Miller, I shared how knowledge work is beginning to decline in value.

The day the calculator showed up, knowing how to do long division started losing value, and it’s lost a little more every single day since. That’s what’s happening right now to anyone who sells knowledge: training, education, how-to, etc. Our AI partners are now junior employees. They can figure out the HOW at an alarming rate.

Think about how your clients behave. If I tell you, “I’m going to teach you how to do something,” what do you actually do next? Most likely you go, “Yeah, that’s great, Pat. Okay Claude, here’s what we need to get done.” The HOW is getting automated out from under us. I watch it happening in real time. For example, it seems like almost every person I know who used to sell social media services now sells social media strategy. They’re training and selling the WHAT to do, they’re out of the HOW business.

If you’re affected by this change, ask yourself this: Where can I teach the WHAT must be done and WHY instead of HOW something should be done? There’s a great value for your clients in being able to manage their junior employees. And, this management is only just beginning. Share and sell your judgment, your process, your way of getting results. That’s the part that holds its value.

Package it, lead with it, and charge for it. The what and the why remain...the how is on the clock.

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

Tweet of the week

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Consumers are Switching Loyalty - 45% of diners have changed their favorite chain restaurant this year. That’s almost half! It’s a reminder that our customers have agency and nobody is a “forever client.” It’s a great time to reach out to your best clients and ensure you’re delivering value and surpassing expectations. 

• Content Diet - What we consume matters. Are you filling your cup with inspirational, thoughtful, intentional material to keep your business brain in the right place? It doesn’t ALL have to be business stuff, but make sure you’re intentional around the content you consume. Take a step away from drama and a step towards the things you need to work on or dream about to get where only you can go!

• The New Claude Fable 5 is Blowing My Mind - You know I’m Claude obsessed. You may know my weekly hours-saved count is now at 22.5 hours (!) each week. Their newest model was released this week and its strength is digesting a huge amount of information and synthesizing it for clear, actionable answers. I fed it the single biggest challenge I have and the answer pointed out something so obvious I was a little embarrassed. Truly a WTF CLAUDE moment. Are you using it? Send me your Claude Stories and I might feature you in an upcoming newsletter. If you’re looking for Claude training so YOU can begin harvesting time thanks to Claude check out my Claude training for small business owners.

Today’s Sponsor

Paul’s Jewelers has been Milwaukee’s trusted Jeweler for almost 60 years. Their dedication to outstanding customer experience and craftsmanship will go to a new level with the opening of the 7C’s Cafe! Inside Paul’s Jewelers you can now experience: Coffee, Chocolate, Cookies AND the four C’s of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carats. SBOC Members get your first drink free! Visit the new 7C’s Cafe at Paul’s Jewelers on the corner of National and HWY 100 in West Allis, WI

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Happy Friday! I’m off on Fridays but this is one of those days I might prefer being in the office. It’s neighborhood Rummage Sale Day! Abbie and I will be slinging old kids clothes and random stuff that has been piling up in the basement for the next 24 hours. Every Friday Off isn’t paradise but this is something that needs to be done. Glad I have the time. What would YOU do if you had today off?

Every morning on Businessing with Pat Miller this week, before anything else, we ran the same three questions to make sure we were ready to work:

What can I quit?
What's the one thing I have to finish today?
Who am I going to ask for money today?

Your business has expenses every single day, which means it has to be sold every single day. If you're not asking somebody for money today, you're already falling behind, and you won't feel it until the slow month shows up and you can't figure out why.

Michael Rampolla was our guest on Monday and he put it perfectly. So many of us fill our days with oddly specific busywork. Should I incorporate in Delaware? What about stock options? And it's usually just a dressed-up way of dodging the only question that pays the bills, which is does anybody actually want to buy this? His advice, word for word: “go fund yourself.” Go sell something and see if anyone cares.

That's Pillar 5 of the Fridays Off Theory. Lead generation isn't luck, and it isn't a someday project. It's a treadmill you climb on every day, whether you feel like it or not.

Today, before you get back to your inbox and the busywork, answer one question:
Who am I asking for money today? Then go ask them.

Today’s Sponsor

Athena Legal Solutions is the legal partner you need for your small business. Carolyn Jahnke and her team specialize in building relationships and growing alongside your business. From contracts and intellectual property questions to non-competes and employee questions, the team is ready to serve you. Call them for your free intro call. Athena Legal Solutions is Approachable, Knowledgeable. Trusted.

Tweet of the week

Ouch. Truth Hurts.

Quit Showing the After Photo

Quick one that might change how you post. There's research on fitness influencers, the ones who put up the perfect AFTER photo to inspire you. Turns out it often does the opposite. The person who's out of shape sees the six-pack, feels how far away they are, gets discouraged, and never books the trainer.

Your marketing might be doing the same thing. If you're a professional organizer posting the flawless, color-coded closet, the person whose closet looks like a clothes blender doesn't think “I should call her.” They think, “well, that's not me”, and they keep scrolling.

So lead with the before instead. Show the messy closet and say, if yours looks like this, I can help. Show the mistake you see all the time. Meet people where they actually are, not where you wish they were.

You're still teaching them what good looks like. You're just doing it in a way that pulls them toward you instead of reminding them how far they've got to go. Relatable beats impressive when you're trying to get found.

Today’s Sponsor

Paul’s Jewelers has been Milwaukee’s trusted Jeweler for almost 60 years. Their dedication to outstanding customer experience and craftsmanship will go to a new level with the opening of the 7C’s Cafe! Inside Paul’s Jewelers you can now experience: Coffee, Chocolate, Cookies AND the four C’s of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carats. SBOC Members get your first drink free! Visit the new 7C’s Cafe at Paul’s Jewelers on the corner of National and HWY 100 in West Allis, WI

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Happy Friday! The Fridays Off Newsletter has moved from Tuesdays to Fridays.
Today, I’m off playing golf with friends (and Brad Herda, lol, love ya Brad!) instead of working. What would you do if you had Friday Off? - Pat

Theresa Wilmot of Wilmot Designs came on a Businessing Idea Slam last week with a real problem. She built a subscription offer called Creative Hours. She’s a graphic designer and for $47 a month you could join a call where you could show her your designs and she would help you improve it. It’s a valuable service for non-designers, but it wasn’t selling as much as she hoped.

During the conversation, I took her out of her own head. I said, pretend you’re teaching a bakery owner how to bake tastier cookies. (Equal to better looking designs) It’s a valuable service but your clients don’t necessarily want just tastier cookies. They’re business owners - they want to sell more cookies. They want to spend less time in the kitchen. Cookie taste is important but not the only outcome they’re hoping to achieve.

It's the same with Theresa. She was leading with features: “look more polished and professional,” “get feedback from me and others,” “fix what feels OFF in your design.” But, the outcomes that might motivate more sales include: “spend less time stuck in Canva,” and “build trust and connect clearly with your ideal customer.”

These benefits are already present when you join Theresa’s Creative Hours. But they were implied not clearly stated and promoted. “What’s In It For Me,” is always the guiding principle for sales language. Express the customer transformation and you’re going to see more sales.

A huge thank-you to Theresa for coming on the show. I’m not doing live Idea Slams every day on Businessing with Pat Miller. You should come on the show - click this link to book your free appearance!

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

Tweet of the week

We’re busy but isn’t that what we hoped for?

Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• One Year From Today - I can’t stop wondering what our daily life will look like once AI Agents are fully deployed in our businesses. I can see a world - SOON - where we don’t have a computer or keyboard on our desk. Just a monitor off to the side and we drive using voice commands. Sounds impossible, but I think it's inevitable.

• You can now talk with the animals? - There’s a new product that promises we can talk with our pets. It’s called Pettichat and it says they’ve analyzed pet sounds with AI to translate what they’re saying. It’s 99% likely this is AI Slop in product form. But, it would be FUN slop, no?

• The World Cup is Here and Nobody Cares? - I’m a huge US Soccer Fan and I was so excited when we were awarded the World Cup. The First US match is 2 weeks from today and buzz is non-existent. I know I’ll be locked in from the first second…am I the only one?

Today’s Sponsor

When your faith, your focus, and your decisions aren't pulling in the same direction, your business feels heavy — and Elzie Flenard built Crown Room Live for exactly that. It's a live virtual session for Christian business owners who want their faith driving the business...you bring one real issue and walk out with one clear, aligned decision you can act on the same day. Want a taste first? Start your morning with The Daily Crown, free for 7 days at joindailycrown.com, or jump into the next session at crownroomlive.com.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Yesterday I read a news story that wages aren't keeping pace with inflation, and when I heard the word "wages," I had a flashback to the bad ‘ol days in corporate.

I remember that life. Working my tail off all year, hoping I'd sit down with my boss and get maybe, if I was fortunate, a 5% raise. Usually it was two or three percent, given with compliments. "You're doing great. All we can afford is three percent." I’m not blaming the bosses, they gave what they could and I was grateful to receive it.

Today’s situation is pretty rough. Real wages are down 0.3% from last year. Energy prices alone were up 3.8% in a single month. That means someone on a salary who received a 3% raise isn’t keeping pace with inflation - they’re going backwards.

Here's my gratitude today: We’re entrepreneurs. We don't have a wage. If we want to make more money, we have the opportunity to go earn more. And more on the bottom line can come in two ways: Increase Revenue or Cut Expenses. You could cut the software you aren't using. Trim contractor hours or increase AI usage. Negotiate with our suppliers, and if they won't play ball, find new ones. Go to the website and press one button to raise your rates. And, of course, you can win more customers by meeting more people and asking them for business.

We are in complete control of our destiny. It’s a blessing and a curse. Let’s lean into the opportunity so we can outrun inflation and take care of the family.

Tweet of the week

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

I Can’t Describe My Business In One Sentence

An Idea Slam question from this week: "I've been in business eight years, and I can't describe what I do in one sentence. Is that a problem?"

Yes. That’s a huge freaking problem. 

I'll assume if you're in this situation, you're smart, you're competent, you actually deliver for your clients, and you deliver so much value you don't even know how to describe it. Here's where we get tripped up. We love to talk about HOW we do things. I do regression analysis, I run research and surveys, I interview stakeholders, I do X, Y, and Z. 

The problem with all of that: Nobody cares about your how.

I get in trouble for this one, but I'm also pretty sure they care about your WHY either. Sorry, Simon Sinek. 

The only thing a potential customer cares about is WHAT. What's in it for me?

Barbara Fausett was on the show talking about the five parts of a P&L most owners miss. But the only sentence I needed from her was, "I'm gonna help you not stress about your books so you can have more money in your bank account at the end of the month." Thank you. Please drive through.

Work on explaining your WHAT to your potential customers and you'll find it so much easier to talk about your business with potential clients. You’ll even be able to get it down to one sentence.

Today’s Sponsor

When your faith, your focus, and your decisions aren't pulling in the same direction, your business feels heavy — and Elzie Flenard built Crown Room Live for exactly that. It's a live virtual session for Christian business owners who want their faith driving the business...you bring one real issue and walk out with one clear, aligned decision you can act on the same day. Want a taste first? Start your morning with The Daily Crown, free for 7 days at joindailycrown.com, or jump into the next session at crownroomlive.com.

#SBOC26 is ON SALE NOW!

The 6th annual SBOC Conference sponsored by Athena Legal Solutions and Money Masters Bookkeeping is on sale now: event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/26conference.

We're locked in for September 15-17 at the Brookfield Sheraton, with a hard cap of 200 tickets available. It’s so exciting to see the room already filling fast.

Mike Michalowicz is on stage with his new book The Money Habit, and eight more speakers are running working sessions on AI, lead generation, SEO, legal protection, and what it actually takes to own a room.

We've also got the AI Super Session, the Idea Slam Lunch, the 3rd Annual SBOC Awards, and the Steak and Champagne Celebration Dinner and so much more.

Stop building your small business by yourself. Don’t Grow it Alone®

See you in September.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Is there anything weirder than having a bit of space on your calendar with nothing to do?

Last Wednesday, I had this beautiful little spot on my calendar from three until five. One meeting earlier in the afternoon, and otherwise the rest of the day was open. Instead of feeling free, I got anxious...what am I missing, what should I be working on, should I get ahead on tomorrow's stuff? My brain refused to let two hours of clear calendar just be clear calendar.

I caught myself out loud on the air. The honest answer wasn't "what new thing should I start," it was "are there tee times available?"

This is the trap I think a lot of us are stuck in, and it's the real reason Fridays Off still feels so far away for so many of us. We've turned what's really a permission issue into something we treat like a time issue. The truth is you could close the laptop at three this afternoon and nothing catastrophic would happen, but some part of your brain has decided that empty calendar space means you're falling behind, so you fill it. Then you wonder why you're tired.

So this week, see if you can let the white space stay white when it shows up. Sit on a patio with a friend, take an hour for whatever it was you used to do for fun, and please do whatever it takes to NOT FILL IT. It’s harder than it sounds.

And, for the record, I got out to have a beer with Steve Glynn and then hit some golf balls. It was GLORIOUS.

Tweet of the week

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

Finally Get the “Out-of-Office Feeling” Even When You Work from Home

I was coaching a stressed out owner this week and I suggested they take their work email off their phone. They run a fast-growing company from home and when I this came out they stared at me like I'd just told them to sell a kidney.

I’ve done this and it was incredible. I deleted email and LinkedIn and I had the true out-of-office feeling for the first time in forever. That freedom that told me “I bet there’s some businessing stuff happening but I don’t need to care right now.” My brain felt free, and I had a real conversation with Abbie at dinner that didn't involve me scrolling through anything.

Your phone does not need to be an extension of your computer. If you work from home, the office is two rooms away and if something is genuinely burning, it'll still be there in the morning. Try it.

Today’s Sponsor

When something happens with your insurance, you don't want a chatbot. You want Tom Gaumond. He's the owner of G2 Insurance Services, a local agency in Brookfield that's been at it since 2004. “Taco Tom” and his team walk you through real quotes from carriers that actually fit you...and they stick with you through claims, billing, and renewals. Get a real quote from a real human at g2insuranceservices.com.

#SBOC26 Goes on Sale TOMORROW!

Tomorrow morning, tickets to the 6th annual SBOC Conference go on sale at event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/26conference, and once we hit 200, we're done. We're locked in for September 15-17 at the Brookfield Sheraton, and the room is already filling fast.

Mike Michalowicz is on stage with his new book The Money Habit, and eight more speakers are running working sessions on AI, lead generation, SEO, legal protection, and what it actually takes to own a room.

We've also got the AI Super Session, the Idea Slam Lunch, the 3rd Annual SBOC Awards, and the Steak and Champagne Celebration Dinner and so much more.

Stop building your small business by yourself. Don’t Grow it Alone®

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Why are we working so hard and not getting anywhere? It’s probably because we’re solving the WRONG PROBLEM.

Michael Rampolla from Fortum Advisors came on Businessing with Pat Miller last week spilled the beans on WHY we charge ahead and end up getting nothing important done.

He shared that when we feel stuck, we don't sit in it. We hate sitting in it, so we grab whatever action is closest and we run. The running feels productive because we're moving and we're not stuck anymore. Except half the time we're running in the wrong direction and we just don't know it yet.

Michael's fix is dead simple:

Before you do X to get Y, write down what Y looks like. Run the experiment.
If X got you Y, do more of it.

If X did not get Y, do not just try harder or "do it tomorrow." Stop.
Check your assumptions about why X was supposed to work in the first place.

Most owners skip that step. We lean in harder, post more, drop the price, work longer hours. Same input, same wrong output, more exhaustion. Trying harder cannot save a wrong assumption.

So pick the one thing you've been working hard at and not getting paid for. Write down what success was supposed to look like. Then ask, honest answer only, did the thing actually do the thing? If not, the assumption is broken, and another week of harder is just gonna make you tired-er. And yes, that’s a word. (at least it is now.)

Tweet of the week

Today’s Sponsor

You started this business to do the thing you're great at...not to be a bookkeeper. The team at Money Masters will sit down with you, walk you through your numbers, and give you three money moves you can make next. They call it the Next Move Review. Family-owned, three generations deep. Know where you stand and know what's next. Book yours at moneymasters4biz.com.

GUEST ALERT - Mike Michalowicz Live TODAY!

Mike Michalowicz, the guy who wrote Profit First, our Keynote Speaker at #SBOC26 is on Businessing with Pat Miller today at 11 CT.

We’ll catch up about his new book, The Money Habit, and get a preview of what he will share at the Conference in September!

This year’s conference is going to be a hot ticket. We have 115 seats and over 275 people standing by to snatch their ticket.

SBOC members get access on Monday, 5/11
Wait List folks get access on Tuesday, 5/12 
(click to get on the free, no obligation wait list)
The general public gets access on Wednesday 5/13

Join me on the show today to chat with Mike and make sure to join us at #SBOC26 in September!

Today’s Sponsor

When something happens with your insurance, you don't want a chatbot. You want Tom Gaumond. He's the owner of G2 Insurance Services, a local agency in Brookfield that's been at it since 2004. “Taco Tom” and his team walk you through real quotes from carriers that actually fit you...and they stick with you through claims, billing, and renewals. Get a real quote from a real human at g2insuranceservices.com.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

If you’re not a designer, you’ve been hacking your way through Canva to try and make logos, landing pages, and social media graphics that (at a minimum) don’t suck.

Fortunately, the two leading AI models are going to war to make our stuff look better. Last week Claude dropped Claude Design and Chat GPT rolled out Image 2.0 (you really need to see that demo.)

Overnight, a few of my own designs went from "clearly made by a guy in his basement" to something I'd actually pay for. I did it in about 90 minutes.

This has a big effect on our business because the floor on how your stuff looks has improved. That’s important because people DO judge a book by its cover. Especially online.

If your graphics, your landing page, your lead magnet look unprofessional, people will be ready to only pay "made in a basement" prices. If they look like a million bucks, people will at least consider treating you like you're worth a million bucks.

Better graphics drives increased trust and the potential for higher rates.

Open Claude Design or ChatGPT Image 2.0 and find one of your designes that embarrasses you a little. Watch what you can charge in just a few moments.

Tweet of the week

The right tweet at the right time…

Expanding on the Tweet of the Week…

I recently did an interview with a professional photographer that closed up her fancy in-person studio and redesigned her life and her business such that she is traveling the country taking pet portraits. By opting out of the traditional structure, she was able to slash her expenses and specialize her work. The result…3x the take home pay and SHE ONLY WORKS 3 MONTHS EACH YEAR.

My favorite quote is from Naval: “The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life.”

So, are you getting what you want out of this entrepreneurial life? If you’re not, what can you change today?

So much of what is on our plate is put there out of fear, control, and our understanding of what “must” be done to win. Like the photographer I shared, what if you started with what you wanted your life to look like and worked backwards from there?

I would bet you’d end up with a different structure, more joy, and something you’re proud to call your life.

Food for thought.

Keynote Speaker: Mike Michalowicz!

If you don't know the name, you know his book. Profit First. The book that changed how hundreds of thousands of small business owners think about their money.

And he's coming to our 6th Annual Conference (September 15-17, 2026) in person! But he's not talking about Profit First. He's talking about what comes next.

His new book is called The Money Habit. Profit First was about how your money handles your business. The Money Habit is about how you and your family handle the money your business makes.

Mike will join us for his talk AND an Idea Slam lunch where we will solve problems and capture opportunities together for our attendees - live without a net…it’s going to be wild!

And, the ticket situation is going to look like an old school Black Friday stampede. We have 115 tickets available for sale and we now have 235 people waiting to get them. The tickets will go on sale on May 13, but the wait list will be able to snag a ticket the day prior (5/12.) If you want a chance to cut the line, I recommend you get on the free, no obligation wait list NOW by clicking here.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

A New Audience Will Probably Hate You

Here's something I learned programming radio stations that I forgot until this week.

Familiarity comes before fondness.

When we'd add a new song, listeners had to hear it multiple times before they even knew it existed. Then, a few more times before there was any chance they’d say they liked the song. It didn’t matter the song or artist. The familiarity scores always ran ahead of the like scores. Always.

I was reminded of this as I’ve started to promote my new show Businessing with Pat Miller on TikTok. First round of comments? Brutal. Some of the nastiest comments you can imagine. I couldn't look. It was crushing.

As the algorithm figured out who my people were, and showed that audience a few of my clips, the likes climbed and the nasty comments dropped.

The takeaway is that if you want to grow your business you need to get in front of people that don’t know you. And at first, you’re not going to get a warm welcome. You may feel ignored or insulted as a “cold” audience rejects the unfamiliar.

If you keep showing up however, you’ll connect with the right people and your opportunities will emerge.

I don’t want to brag or anything, but I have 223 followers on TikTok now - I’m kind of a big deal. (lol) I’m going to keep posting there just to see what happens and so more people can be invited to join the daily show for business owners that I’m hosting.

Wherever you’re meeting people for the first time - DON’T GIVE UP!

The #1 Song in the US is Fake

The #1 song on iTunes right now is by an artist who doesn't exist.

Her name is Ingarose. Her track is "Celebrate Me." (check it out, it’s shockingly not horrible) She has an Instagram and a TikTok but she’s not real. A guy in Greenville, South Carolina fed lyrics through Suno (an AI music tool, about $10/month), wrapped it in a fake persona, and seeded it with AI-generated clips. It sold enough $1.29 singles to top the chart globally.

But wait, it gets worse…Podcast Index says only 44.6% of new podcasts launched in the last 24 hours are "likely legitimate." (Meaning, made by a person) One company dropped 20 wellness podcasts in 75 minutes. Fake hosts. Real "advice."

I’ve been jumping up and down for a long time now that you MUST find your people in person and online. Being a part of a community where you can connect with other humans is more valuable than ever. I’m seeing this with the Small Business Owners Community as we’ve just reached a record-high membership! (I’m grilling weenies this weekend to celebrate. Bring beer.)

The world is getting more synthetic…get real.

Keynote Speaker: Mike Michalowicz!

If you don't know the name, you know his book. Profit First. The book that changed how hundreds of thousands of small business owners think about their money.

And he's coming to our 6th Annual Conference in person! But he's not talking about Profit First. He's talking about what comes next.

His new book is called The Money Habit. Profit First was about how your money handles your business. The Money Habit is about how you and your family handle the money your business makes.

You bring it home...then what? What do you do with it? How do you make sure the money you worked so hard to earn actually serves the life you're trying to build?

Mike will join us for his talk AND an Idea Slam lunch where we will solve problems and capture opportunities together for our attendees - live without a net…it’s going to be wild!

And, the ticket situation is going to look like an old school Black Friday stampede. We have 115 tickets available for sale and we now have 235 people waiting to get them. The tickets will go on sale on May 13, but the wait list will be able to snag a ticket the day prior (5/12.) If you want a chance to cut the line, I recommend you get on the free, no obligation wait list NOW by clicking here.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

The Two Most Expensive Words in Your Business

I talked on the show this week about what I think are the two most damaging words in small business right now. And they’re not “no money” or “more marketing.” They’re “what if.”

What if the economy gets worse. What if I raise my rates and lose clients. What if I hire somebody and it doesn’t work out. What if I quit this thing I’ve been doing for years and the new thing flops. We make decisions based on a future we can’t predict and we can’t control, and the result is that we hold on to things way too long and we don’t take the risks we know we should be taking.

So I asked everybody on the show a question and I wanna ask you the same thing: if you wake up six months from now and nothing has changed in your business...is that success? Because for most of us, the answer is no. And yet we keep choosing the safe play because we’re afraid of a “what if” that probably won’t happen.

You’ve already proven you can survive. You’ve got years of evidence that you can figure things out and stay in business. So stop letting an imaginary future hold your real business hostage. And if the worst thing actually happened...you’d react, you’d adapt, and you’d figure it out. You always do. That “what if” you keep carrying around isn’t protecting you. It’s the thing keeping you stuck.

Tweet of the week

A great reminder when you’re creating content:

Put the Phone Down

We talked about the Masters on Monday’s show and something that really stuck with me. If you watched any of the coverage, you noticed it...the crowds at Augusta are actually present. Phones are banned on the course, and what you see is people watching golf with their actual eyes instead of through a screen. It’s weirdly inspiring.

It got me thinking about what a “no-phone zone” could look like in your business. Your next client meeting with phones face-down. A networking lunch where everyone is fully in the room. Even just an hour of your own work time where you close every tab and every notification and actually focus on the big-picture stuff that keeps getting pushed to “someday.”

We spend so much energy talking about what tools to add to our business. Sometimes the best move is to take one away for a little while and see what happens when you’re actually present.

Select Sponsor Opportunity:
Stage time, huge promotion, and more

I’m looking for a strategic partner for the 6th Annual SBOC Conference that wants to help lead the discussion, include their clients, and take time on stage to share their story with the attendees. Not every partner fits the bill, but maybe you do: Sells a B-2-B product, targeting the business OWNER not employees, established and growing businesses are a perfect fit, knows that getting in the right room is half the battle you also must showcase why they should do business with you and you have enough “game” to get on stage and share a compelling story about why people should do business with you.

If that sounds like YOU, I want to talk with you about our 6th Annual 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026 in Brookfield, WI. I’m looking for a Platinum Sponsor to help lead this year’s event.

REPLY TO THIS EMAIL and let’s build a special partnership that works for you.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Be Like Flea and Have More Fun

I watched great new Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary on Netflix this week. And there's this moment where their bass player Flea talks about how he bounced from band to band until everything just clicked. He said he knew the Chili Peppers were going to work as a band because he looked out at the crowd during their first gig and people couldn't help themselves. They were moving. Shaking. Reacting to something they'd never heard before.

He said the guys in the band were having so much fun creating an engaging new sound that the audience came alive. He shared that you can't just tell people to put their hands in the air. You can’t implore people to dance. When it's right... they just do it.

I think there's something here for us. We spend so much time on positioning and messaging and making sure our offer checks all the boxes. Value? Check. Clear transformation? Check. Right audience? Check.

But does your thing make people want to get up and dance?
Is it exciting? Is it fresh? Are you having fun doing it?

On the show, I was calling it “The Flea Filter.” How can you provide a technically sound product but deliver it in a fun and surprising way. Adding the life and joy to the product will get your prospects reacting the first time they hear it.

When those things click...you stop convincing people and start inviting them. That's the difference between selling and being irresistible.

Run your next offer through the Flea Filter. Are you having fun while being technically excellent?

Drive to 1K YouTube Subscribers

Can you help the show reach 1,000 subscribers? Businessing with Pat Miller is the daily live show where small business owners get real answers to real problems.
New episodes Monday through Thursday at 12pm ET / 11am CT

Every morning Pat covers the news, the latest in AI Tools, business strategies and leads in interactive conversation that can’t be missed.

YouTube

Tweet of the week

Yikes. Accurate.

Your Vacation Time is Unlimited - Let’s Block it Off

We did something on Tuesday's show that I want you to steal. I asked everyone to open their calendar... right there, live... and block off every holiday, long weekend, and dead period for the rest of 2026.

Here's why: No one is going to notice you're gone. Your clients aren't looking for a website pitch the week of Memorial Day. They're not shopping for consulting over Christmas. They're checked out. You should be too.

But if you don't block it now, what happens? One meeting sneaks in. Then another. And suddenly you worked through an entire week you could've taken off. You didn't lose the week to being busy. You lost it to not being proactive.

Take Memorial Day week. Take a full week in summer because it's the freaking summer. Thanksgiving through Monday. Two weeks at the end of December.

You have unlimited PTO. I'm giving you permission. Block it off right now before someone else fills your calendar with stuff that doesn't matter.

Call for Partners and Sponsors

The 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026 in Brookfield, WI. This is a room full of 200 small business OWNERS meaning they’re actual decision makers and people motivated to solve the problems in their businesses. If you’re running a company that serves this group, you need to be in the room inviting them to buy from you!

Each year, we showcase a handful of companies by giving them the opportunity to present certain segments of the conference - An Idea Slam session, the Happy Hour celebration, and our meals.

All partnerships include your conference ticket, program advertising, and time in front of the group to promote your business. The best ones include sponsorship in this newsletter, my new show Businessing with Pat Miller, and more.

Tickets go on sale for the event on May 13 and in the next two weeks I’m finalizing our partnerships for the conference. If you want to be a part of it and drive demand for your business, REPLY TO THIS EMAIL and let’s build the partnership that works for you.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

The AI Toupee Problem

I'm bald. Devastatingly handsome, but bald. And when I was going bald, for a moment I thought about getting a toupee. But I stopped at the same place every guy stops... everyone would know.

That's exactly where we're at with AI-written content right now.

You've seen it. Those choppy one-line sentences. The "99% of business owners don't understand" hooks. The formulaic structure that screams "a robot wrote this." It's the content toupee. You think you're getting away with it, but nobody's fooled.

Now look... I still use AI every single day. But I fight the toupee by feeding it my raw material, not my polished stuff. I do four hours of live talking every week on the show, and all of that trains my AI on how I actually think and talk. The output sounds more like me every week because the input IS me.

If you're using AI to write... and you should be... try this. Do voice chats with your AI while you're on the treadmill or driving. Talk through your ideas out loud. Then tell it to add that conversation to its knowledge about you. Feed it your emails. Your proposals. Your texts to clients. The more raw, unfiltered you it absorbs, the less your content looks like everyone else's.

Use AI. Use it every day. Just don't let it make you sound like AI or everyone will know.

Tweet of the week

Can you hear me clapping for this one?

Cookie Monster - The World’s Best Spokesperson

When talking about your business you need to approach it like my favorite character from Sesame Street. Cookie Monster does not ask for a “bespoke gluten-free organic dessert.” Cookie Monster says "me like cookie." And everybody knows exactly what he wants.

That's the standard. If Cookie Monster wouldn't say it that way, you're overcomplicating the way you talk about your business.

On the show recently, someone asked me to help name a new group program. They called it a "Deep Dive Mastermind Group." Technically accurate. Completely forgettable. Nobody's telling their friend about the Deep Dive Mastermind Group.

So I asked... what's the transformation? What actually changes? More time, less stress, they get their life back. There it is. "Get Your Life Back Mastermind." That's Cookie Monster language. Clear, simple, lands on the first listen.

I've been naming things for decades in radio and here's the framework that works every time. First, speak in Cookie Monster language. If your audience needs a dictionary, you've already lost them. Second, name the transformation, not the process. Third, use alliteration whenever you can... it always sticks. And fourth, look for culturally familiar phrases you can twist and own. That's how "Seal Team 6" became "Sale Team." (the new, free, sales app for small business owners to make selling a daily habit.)

Your product might be brilliant. But if the name doesn't land on the first listen, you're working against yourself.

2026 SBOC Conference Wait List UPDATE:
2x Standing in Line…

The 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026, and this year we're doing things a little differently. Tickets go on sale to the public on May 13th at $399 (the lowest price we've ever offered), and that includes meals, swag, speakers, the welcome event, everything.

Here’s the problem…our conference holds 200 seats, but only 110 seats are available to the public — the rest are already spoken for by pre-registrations, VIPs, and sponsors.

Because of the growth of the SBOC and the momentum of the wait list, we now have 212 people in line for the 110 seats available.

Here’s how the ticket sales will go:

• May 8 - VIP Tickets will go on sale

• May 11 - SBOC Members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 12 - SBOC WAIT LIST members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 13 - The tickets will go on sale to the general public (if any remain)

If you want to get a ticket to our 6th annual small business event, get on the waitlist now! No financial commitment, just your name and email. Last year, people walked away from this conference with joint ventures, new clients, and business-changing breakthroughs — and this year we're bringing our keynote speaker in person. Click here to get on the waitlist so you get a shot at your seat…we’re already deep in planning, it’s going to be a blockbuster year!

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

You Don’t Have a Pricing Problem…

You wanna raise your rates. I know you do. And you haven't done it.

So let me ask you something. Why not? Is it because you genuinely believe your price is fair? Or is it because you're terrified the clients you have will leave... and new ones won't say yes?

Because if it's the second one, you don't have a pricing problem. You've got a demand problem.

If you had 15 qualified leads sitting in your pipeline right now and you could only take eight of them... would you be scared to raise your rates? No. You'd raise 'em without blinking. You wouldn't even think about it. Because you've got people standing in line.

The fear of charging more is almost always a symptom of not having enough people who want what you sell. You're clinging to every client because you can't afford to lose even one. And when that's the math, of course you're not raising prices.

I worked with coach Erin Marcus a few years ago and she challenged me to identify 50 potential customers for a new program. Fifty. I thought she was out of her mind. But I went through my database, dug into old emails, started posting about the concept on social, and engaged with everyone who responded. By the time I had real demand-side pressure, raising the price felt obvious. Not scary. Obvious.

You don't need permission to charge more. You need a pipeline that makes "no" from one person feel like a shrug... not a crisis.

Quit charging too little. Build demand first.

Tweet of the week

What is the most valuable asset in your business and Life?

Speed is your unfair advantage

Americans have eliminated every possible wait from their lives. Streaming killed the video store. Chatbots killed hold music. Your home internet downloads a movie in 30 seconds.

And yet most of us are still delivering our work on the same timeline we did five years ago.

I connected two stories on the show this week. Airlines are literally begging the government to fix TSA wait times because customers are so fed up. And new research says the number one thing customers want isn't better quality. It's not lower prices. It's speed. Faster delivery of the same transformation.

I tested this in my own business. Two clients got massive amounts of work back in 48 hours...work that would've taken me a week before AI. Their reaction wasn't about the quality, which was great. It was the speed. That's what is helping me get closer to the deal. Speed.

So here's your challenge. Find one thing in your business that takes longer than it needs to in 2026 and fix it this week. One thing. Remove an unnecessary step. Automate something repeatable. Your clients might not be able to name why you're easier to work with...but I'm telling you, it’s not helping to make them wait.

2026 SBOC Conference Wait List - Now Live!

The 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026, and this year we're doing things a little differently. Tickets go on sale to the public on May 13th at $399 (the lowest price we've ever offered), and that includes meals, swag, speakers, the welcome event, everything.

Here’s the problem…our conference holds 200 seats, but only 110 seats are available to the public — the rest are already spoken for by pre-registrations, VIPs, and sponsors.

Because of the growth of the SBOC we have also have 160 members standing by to grab tickets, too.

Here’s how the ticket sales will go:

• May 8 - VIP Tickets will go on sale

• May 11 - SBOC Members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 12 - SBOC WAIT LIST members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 13 - The tickets will go on sale to the general public (if any remain)

If you want to get a ticket to our 6th annual small business event, get on the waitlist now! No financial commitment, just your name and email. Last year, people walked away from this conference with joint ventures, new clients, and business-changing breakthroughs — and this year we're bringing our keynote speaker in person. Click here to get on the waitlist so you get a shot at your seat…we’re already deep in planning, it’s going to be a blockbuster year!

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Don't Look to the Media for How Small Businesses are Doing

CNN ran a story this week about how gas prices are crushing small businesses. They interviewed a food delivery guy who drives a hundred miles a week and said the economy is killing him.

Here's the thing. I ran the numbers. Gas prices are up about 40 cents a gallon. At a hundred miles a week, that's an extra eight to twenty bucks a month. Total.

If eight dollars breaks your business, gas prices aren't your problem.
You weren't making money before the first bomb dropped on Iran.

And sure enough — later in the interview, the guy admits he hasn't raised his prices in two years. He runs a food business. Grocery costs have been climbing for 24 months straight, and he absorbed all of it. No wonder he isn’t making any money.

But the media doesn't tell that story. They roll up with a camera, find the most sympathetic small business owner they can, and paint us all as victims of whatever the crisis of the week is. Poor small business owners. How will they survive?

Get out of here with that.

You and I know what it takes to run a business. We eat what we kill. No paid vacation, no company match 401k, no safety net. And while it’s hard sometimes we definitely are NOT victims…we’re making it happen every day because failure is not an option.

The next time you hear someone say the economy is crushing small businesses, or look how terrible the economy is and no small business owner can win, ask yourself: Am I charging what I'm worth and am I adjusting when costs change?

Don’t listen to what people say about “all small business owners,” take care of YOUR business and let’s continue showing everyone that small business owners are the smart, dedicated, engines of the American economy.

This was an epic 15-minute rant from my daily show Businessing with Pat Miller. During the rant, I lean into the media-side of this story and, welp, I got a little loud. If you’d like to see it, here it is!

Tweet of the week

Dickie Bush just solved your small business content problem. Mic. Drop.

2026 SBOC Conference Wait List - Now Live!

The 2026 SBOC Conference is coming in September 15-17, 2026, and this year we're doing things a little differently. Tickets go on sale to the public on May 13th at $399 (the lowest price we've ever offered), and that includes meals, swag, speakers, the welcome event, everything.

Here’s the problem…our conference holds 200 seats, but only 110 seats are available to the public — the rest are already spoken for by pre-registrations, VIPs, and sponsors.

Because of the growth of the SBOC we have also have 160 members standing by to grab tickets, too.

Here’s how the ticket sales will go:

• May 11 - SBOC Members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 12 - SBOC WAIT LIST members will get the opportunity to buy tickets

• May 13 - The tickets will go on sale to the general public (if any remain)

If you want to get a ticket to our 6th annual small business event, get on the waitlist now! No financial commitment, just your name and email. Last year, people walked away from this conference with joint ventures, new clients, and business-changing breakthroughs — and this year we're bringing our keynote speaker in person. Click here to get on the waitlist so you get a shot at your seat…we’re already deep in planning, it’s going to be a blockbuster year!

Now Forming: AI Installation Group

My outlook on AI is simple:

• Using it right means treating it like an employee

• The opportunity is to automate as much of your business as possible - as quickly as possible

• The adoption is not optional. Either you’ll embrace the change or be affected by it later

My outlook on growing your small business:

• It’s better to collaborate with smart, driven people around you so you can move faster and make fewer mistakes.

• We are good at what we do but we’ll never see our complete opportunities because of blindspots and bias.

• Our business constantly changes but our mission will not. We must offer outrageous value at the highest rates possible for maximum growth.

I’m launching the AI Installation Group to unite these two belief areas. This six-month mastermind program will lead you through the most transformative six months we may ever see in small business. By October we will all see:

• AI team members taking on tasks, roles, and complete areas in our business

• Automation reducing our daily workflow and obligations

• Research, outreach, and sales funnel management that will explode our opportunity to serve more clients and sell more of our products

This will come through a flood of new tools, an unlimited amount of potential techniques, and a sinking feeling of “where do I even begin.”

That’s why I’m building the AI Installation Group:

• Monthly 2 Hour Mastermind meeting for education and group collaboration

• A new, exclusive “AI Slam” meeting for “show and tell,” and specific problem solving

• A new, exclusive “AI in Small Business” trendsletter for members to stay up to speed on breaking AI news with a focus on what matters and what we can ignore

• And, text and email support from me and the team when you have specific questions or get stuck with your implementation.

You absolutely can try to make this important transition on your own.
Or, you can get the right people around you and do this the right way.

The first group meetings is on March 25 - CLICK HERE if you want to learn more and reserve your seat.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Where will AI dominate and how can you get there first?

Anthropic just dropped a map that should be taped to your wall.

It shows the theoretical AI coverage across industries…basically, how much of each profession AI could do versus how much it's actually doing right now. The gap between those two lines is enormous. And that gap is your window of opportunity.

If you're in management consulting, office administration, business and finance, or sales, the theoretical coverage is nearly wall-to-wall. AI will soon handle a massive chunk of those tasks. But the red observed coverage area is still just a sliver. Almost nobody is actually using it yet.

We get to read this chart in two ways:

The blue area shows impending doom for your profession.
The space between red and blue shows immense, immediate opportunity.

Because right now, the people who start using AI inside their expertise aren't getting replaced, they're becoming irreplaceable. The management consultant who uses AI to deliver faster insights doesn't lose clients. She takes clients from the consultant who's still doing everything by hand.

Powering up with AI right takes the thing you're already great at and straps a rocket to it. New service lines. Faster deliverables. Premium offerings that weren't possible six months ago.

If you've been thinking "I'll get around to it someday…" someday was last month.
The map is showing you exactly where the opportunity lies.

And, if you need help, I’ll offer you some in the new AI Installation Group (details below)

Tweet of the week

Sometimes I see something beautiful that isn’t business related and I feel called to share. This is SO GOOD:

Kill Your Next Imposter Syndrome Freak Out with Four Simple Words…

We spend a lot of time preparing for bad news. The client canceling. The competitor showing up. The rent going up. But what happens when something GOOD happens and we still panic?

On the show this week, a business owner was panicking about their rent doubling. Turns out, their rent was doubling because they were moving into a massive new space that would explode their revenue.

When good things happen, it’s easy to focus on the negative because imposter syndrome sneaks in and tells you to retreat. Yes, the opportunity was going to grow but the RENT WAS GOING TO DOUBLE AHHHHHHHHH.

Here's the exercise I walked them through: Say It, then Play It.

Say It: get to facts, not feelings. How much is the rent? How big is the space? What will the revenue look like? Put numbers on it.

Play It: model out the new reality. If you wake up with that many more clients and this much more revenue, what does your day actually look like?

By the time we finished, the panic was gone. The math made it obvious: this was the best thing that ever happened to their business because their revenue was about to boom and their rent increase was peanuts in comparison.

Next time something feels too good, intercept the doubt. Say it. Play it.

Now Forming: AI Installation Group

My outlook on AI is simple:

• Using it right means treating it like an employee

• The opportunity is to automate as much of your business as possible - as quickly as possible

• The adoption is not optional. Either you’ll embrace the change or be affected by it later

My outlook on growing your small business:

• It’s better to collaborate with smart, driven people around you so you can move faster and make fewer mistakes.

• We are good at what we do but we’ll never see our complete opportunities because of blindspots and bias.

• Our business constantly changes but our mission will not. We must offer outrageous value at the highest rates possible for maximum growth.

I’m launching the AI Installation Group to unite these two belief areas. This six-month mastermind program will lead you through the most transformative six months we may ever see in small business. By October we will all see:

• AI team members taking on tasks, roles, and complete areas in our business

• Automation reducing our daily workflow and obligations

• Research, outreach, and sales funnel management that will explode our opportunity to serve more clients and sell more of our products

This will come through a flood of new tools, an unlimited amount of potential techniques, and a sinking feeling of “where do I even begin.”

That’s why I’m building the AI Installation Group:

• Monthly 2 Hour Mastermind meeting for education and group collaboration

• A new, exclusive “AI Slam” meeting for “show and tell,” and specific problem solving

• A new, exclusive “AI in Small Business” trendsletter for members to stay up to speed on breaking AI news with a focus on what matters and what we can ignore

• And, text and email support from me and the team when you have specific questions or get stuck with your implementation.

You absolutely can try to make this important transition on your own.
Or, you can get the right people around you and do this the right way.

The first group meetings is on March 16 - CLICK HERE if you want to learn more and reserve your seat.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Change the Camera Angle to Find Premium Opportunities

You know what you do for your clients. But do you know why they need it?

Those are two very different questions, and the gap between them is where your next premium offer is hiding.

My inspiration for this thought is from Stanford University. They just cracked something that vaccine researchers have been chasing for decades…a way to prevent the common cold. But they didn't do it the way everybody expected. Instead of building a vaccine that was trained to kill a virus, they changed the camera angle. (Meaning, the way they thought about the process) They asked: what if we just supercharge the body's defenses so it defends against ALL viruses? This serves the ultimate transformation desire of the patient. It’s not about beating the Flu, it’s about NOT GETTING SICK.

Same energy applies to your business. Most of us are always optimizing what we deliver. A product that works faster, cheaper or easier. But when you change the camera angle to why they want your transformation, you unlock premium offerings you didn't know you had.

• Your event planner client doesn't just want a smooth event — they want their biggest partners to feel celebrated.

• Your public speaking client doesn’t just want to be on more stages — they want the stages to be a springboard for their book and high-end classes.

Once you’ve thought about your transformation in a different way (change angle) you now have a deeper, richer assignment that could be satisfied with a premium offering. The event planning client could add on documentary-style interviews with their biggest donors so they feel like thought leaders and change makers. Your speaking client could be paired with a ghostwriter or course planning expert to accelerate their thought leadership journey.

This kind of thinking puts you on the same side of the table as the client. You’re becoming indispensable and serving the why with premium versions of your standard offerings. You’re really delivering the outcome! And here's the kicker: the cost of delivering some of those enhanced offerings is plummeting every single day thanks to AI and automation.

This week, try this: write down what your clients buy from you. Then ask why they want that outcome. Then design a premium product that delivers what they’re seeking. It will open new doors for your business.

Tweet of the week

I’m pretty sure Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue is a little crazy, but dang, this way of thinking about customer experience is inspiring. Are you being THIS intentional about winning over your customers?

Twitter tweet

Your Tax Pro Is in the Pain Cave

S-corp filings are due March 15th. Everyone else's is due April 15th. Right now, your bookkeeper, CPA, or tax preparer is in what CrossFitters call "the pain cave." That stretch where you're questioning every life decision while your body screams at you to quit.

And you? You dropped off a folder. C’mon, be honest - it was a hot mess. Receipts flying everywhere and half mangled printouts lovingly stuffed in the folder for someone ELSE to deal with?!?!

Let’s show ‘em some love: send your tax person a thank you note this week. Not a card at the end of the season. Right now, while they're in the pain cave. While they're neck-deep in your receipts and everyone else's.

A two-line email. "Hey, I know this is the hardest stretch. I appreciate you."
That's it. They won't forget it.

Businessing with Pat Miller is now DAILY at 11am CT!

It’s the new daily habit for small business owners. The secret: this show isn’t about business. It’s a show about people who run a business and how we can lead a better small business lifestyle. I’ll keep you up to date on the news, tuned in to the latest strategies and tech, and you need get some interaction with your peers even though you’re crazy busy. Put it on in the background and get some stuff done. Pick a morning this week and join the fun.

Watch or listen:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patmillerfridaysoff

• Apple Podcasts: "Businessing with Pat Miller"

• Spotify: "Businessing with Pat Miller"

The full show is off this week b/c I’m in LAS VEGAS…Back Live on 3/9 at 11am CT

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat

Rethinking the Lead Magnet

Your lead magnet isn't working anymore, and it's not your fault.

For years the playbook was simple. Get their attention, give them a free PDF, build trust through education, make the sale. It worked because knowledge was scarce. If you knew 10 ways to do the thing, that was worth an email address.

But your prospects can now ask any AI bot those same 10 questions and get answers in four seconds. The education you're giving away for free is worth exactly what they're paying for it.

So what builds trust now? Actually doing the work for them.

Instead of "download my 10 ways to identify waste in your business," try this: upload your credit card statements and my tool will find where you're bleeding money, show you the impact, and give you one-click links to cancel what you don't need. One approach takes 10 hours to act on. The other takes 10 minutes.

And here's the thing. You're not doing the work yourself. Your AI tools are. The labor cost of actually solving their problem is approaching zero, so why are you still handing out homework?

Give them a taste of the result, not a lecture about how results happen. If the cost of doing the work is going to zero, we should be solving their problems straight away instead of teaching them how to solve it themselves.

But, Pat, I don’t know how to build a landing page that does that or an app that serves to do work as a lead magnet. That is where AI tools like Claude Cowork come in. The power our AI tools possess is so much greater than a simple chat bot.

Your mission now is not “how do I make an app,” but rather “what problem should I solve for my potential customers.” AI will figure out the rest, build it for you, and make it live - for real.

What would happen to your funnel if you gave away the first transformation instead of trying to teach something in order to build trust?

Tweet of the week

What should I post is as simple as What did I do?

What Won't Change? The Jeff Bezos Question

Everything is moving so fast right now. New tools every week. New platforms. New rules. How do you possibly plan a business when the ground keeps shifting?

Jeff Bezos gets asked the same question constantly: what's going to change in the next 10 years? His answer made me think about this challenge in a new way.

He said he doesn't answer that question. Instead he asks: what's NOT going to change?

Nobody will ever tell Amazon they wish it were more expensive. Nobody will wish delivery were slower. Nobody will want fewer choices. So Bezos builds everything around those certainties.

Apply that to what you do. If you're a fitness coach, nobody will ever call you and say they're too healthy. Nobody will say staying on a diet is easy. Nobody will say they don't need accountability to keep their promises.

Those things won't change. Ever.

So instead of panicking about which tool to learn next, ask yourself: what does my client always need, no matter what the technology does? Use our new capabilities and resources to build there - that’s the foundation.

The businesses that survive the next five years won't be the ones that chased every new tool. They'll be the ones that got crystal clear on what never changes and used the new tools to deliver it faster, cheaper, and better.

What about your business won't change in the next 10 years?

Businessing with Pat Miller is now DAILY at 11am CT!

It’s the new daily habit for small business owners. The secret: this show isn’t about business. It’s a show about people who run a business and how we can lead a better small business lifestyle. I’ll keep you up to date on the news, tuned in to the latest strategies and tech, and you need get some interaction with your peers even though you’re crazy busy. Put it on in the background and get some stuff done. Pick a morning this week and join the fun.

Watch or listen:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patmillerfridaysoff

• Apple Podcasts: "Businessing with Pat Miller"

• Spotify: "Businessing with Pat Miller"

See you at 11.

Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

Pat