Bad Business with Bryan Laurel

Admit it. You've had an idea for a book in your head for YEARS. Maybe you feel you don't have enough time to write it. Perhaps you feel like you're not a "writer". Maybe you have too many ideas and don't know which one to pursue. In this episode we talk to Angela Lauria of The Author Incubator and host of the writing podcasts PAGE UP and BOOK JOURNEYS RADIO.  Angela helps people become first time authors, walking them through a process that makes writing efficient and effective, getting the book to publish in just weeks - not years. Angela's team also helps get your book out there, most importantly, in front of buyers. If you're looking to write a book to strengthen your brand or business or have a fictional story you've wanted to tell - stop screwing around and listen to this episode.  Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com

We ad-libbed this episode. Enjoy. Or don't.     Melissa and Bryan can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com

Hey!  Look at us!  Fifty episodes! Validate us on Twitter @badbizpodcast Easy steps to remember someone's name and how to go about naming your company, product, website, blog, etc, etc etc... Melissa Rich and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

Voicemail. Some love it, some hate it.  Some companies like Coca-Cola and JP Morgan Chase are eliminating voicemail company-wide to save money and inefficiencies. Listen to hear how killing voicemail could actually help your business. We also dabble in why the open-concept office is already a dying fad. Killing voicemail. Dying office concepts... it's a dark episode.  Not really. Relax. Oh, also... this episode has some unusually strong language in comparison to just about every other episode. Really. You've been warned.  Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com  

Caryl Peters owns a small shop in Scottsdale, Arizona that sells licensed college football merchandise, specifically, Nebraska Cornhusker merchandise - and only Nebraska Cornhusker merchandise. Her shop Big Red of the Desert is a truly unique small business and certainly a one-of-a-kind in Arizona. We talk to Caryl about her unique business, her devotion to Nebraska football and her business and hear advice for budding small business owners. Hosts Bryan Laurel and Melissa Epstein can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com

The term "startup" is thrown around a lot, but what exactly IS a startup? It may not mean what you think it means. Also, Bryan presents the Great Slogan Quiz and you at home are invited to play along! Host Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatemktg.com

On this communication-centric episode we ask the question: Do you talk too much? If so, we have the reasons why and what you can do to keep others focused and engaged without making them want to gouge their ears with a spork.  Then we talk about what to do and what not to do when you are supposed to speak for an extended period of time in a public speaking scenario. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com

This episode we sit down with entrepreneur, investor and author Kim Kiyosaki (and her dog Cutie). We dig into Kim's story from humble beginnings to how she has become a source of sound financial information and business leadership to millions worldwide. Kim's books, Rich Woman and It's Rising Time are available now at Amazon and we invite you to learn more about her programs and coaching at www.richwoman.com and www.richwomancoaching.com. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com

So you've started your own business and you're getting a little too big to be working out of your house. You've worn out your welcome working out of several Starbucks in your area... maybe it's time to get some office space.  While that notion may be stress-inducing and seems like taking a HUGE leap, we discuss ways to get an office up and running on the cheap(er). Also are standing desks worth the effort or just a bunch of hype? Have questions or topic suggestions you'd like to hear on an upcoming episode? Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

In this episode we cover a variety of topics including a new website www.twenty20.com that enables to people to buy and sell photos as stock photos... the unique angle here is it's Instagram photos.  We talk about how to sign up if you're looking to sell rights to your Instagram photos for use in advertising/websites, etc. and the benefits if you are looking to buy stock photos. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

In this short episode we make Bryan take a Mad Men quiz to see if he's really the Mad Men know-it-all that he claims to be. Melissa then talks about McDonald's continued efforts to shake free of some of it's past by... bringing back an old character and giving him a makeover. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

First up we discuss phrases that almost all of us have said at one time or another in the workplace, phrases that may at one time been acceptable, but now - we all need to band together and stop using them. We then look at two ends of the Twitter marketing spectrum: a successful and a terrible campaign. Domino's Pizza gains attention for a new service in a clever, albeit strange, way while T-Mobile's campaign blows up in its face. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

In this episode we talk about the business of using music in marketing and, specifically, the return of a particular, popular 70's song. YMCA by the Village People has retuned to the status of being availble to license for use in advertisements and we talk about the kind of money a single song like that can make annually. We also delve into a little lesson on why you should buy all iterations of a website domain name (.com, .net, .org) if you are starting a business, launching a product or... running for President of the United States. You'll also discover, at the beginning of the episode, that Melissa likes to talk about poop when we're not on-air. Hosts Melissa Rich and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

With the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight just days away, we discuss the incredible amount of money that stands to be made and just how Mayweather spends his millions. Apple also had their quarterly earnings call this week, and as per usual, skeptics were proven wrong again. Will Apple become the first $1 Trillion company? Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

It was only a matter of time, but Instagram users are surprised to find adversting in their feed now.  We discuss the pros and cons of the Instagram Carousel and if people really should be upset about it. We also may or may not digress into discussions of dogs on Instagram. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

With only a final few episodes of Mad Men remaining we've brought in two veteran ad men for a round-table discussion about the state of advertsing today as well as give us a glimpse into how the agency business was in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Marty Laurel and Win Holden have won Addy Awards, each have been named AdPerson of the Year by AdClub and have worked with clients like: Phoenix Suns, Taco Bell, 20th Century Fox, PetSmart, McDonald's, Honeywell, Jiffy Lube/Minute Lube, Continential Homes, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and many more. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com Or hit them up on Twitter at @badbizpodast  

Look at you, listening to another episode... Good for you.  Good FOR you.  We talk to Olympian, Marketing Executive, Motivational Speaker - Mechelle Lewis Freeman. If you're finding yourself in need of a little pick-me-up to go out and do something completely different. Something difficult. Something incredible. Then take the time to listen to this episode. Hosts Bryan Laurel and Melissa Epstein can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com  

In this episode we talk about some dos and don'ts when sending business emails.  We also talk about steps to maybe, possibly, getting a little closer to "Inbox Zero". We don't mention it in the show, but check out www.sanebox.com for a pretty smart way to eliminate the clutter from your inbox and relieve the stress that goes with it. Melissa also reads an old email Bryan wrote to a business colegue who kept calling him by the wrong name.  Eventually Bryan had enough and had to respond. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

We talk about about how complaining and negativity greatly impacts business and success when entrepreneurs (or anyone really) do it all the time... and most of us do. From work to traffic to family obligations... we complain - a lot. Melissa and Bryan decide to go a whole month without complaining. We'll see how that goes. Then we flip it and discuss simple steps to stay positive and keep your business and career on-track. Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be reached at info@syndicatepr.com

It's that time of year again. The time of year when big brands spend lots of money and time to "fool" us into thinking they're rolling out a new product or service that is so incredibly outlandish that there's no way they could be real - and there is no way we would ever fall for their tomfoolery.  Yet they try. It's so expected every April 1st that the element of surprise is pretty non-existent.  Some are entertaining and others are complete duds.   We discuss them in this episode. Hosts Melissa Epstein and Bryan Laurel can be contacted at info@syndicatepr.com