It is Thursday, February 5th — the last day of the work week if your Fridays off.

We're opening with the stat that'll stop you cold: 99.9% of all businesses in America are small. That's 36.2 million of you. US small business employs 45.9% of all private sector workers. So why do small business owners feel so alone?

Then we're diving into the consumer confidence paradox. Confidence is down 10 points — lowest since 2014 — but retail spending is UP 10% and luxury is UP 15%.

Plus: hyper-personalization trends from Upwork's 2026 report, two Idea Slam questions on nightmare clients and proposal ghosting, and the Clever Collector segment.

Sponsored by GenHead and Enji.

One in three Americans want to start a business this year. Half of them will fail.

Today I'm sharing four things I wish someone told me before I started—lessons I learned the hard way so you don't have to.

Rule 1: You're not in the product business. You're in the sales business. Your success is directly proportional to how often you ask for money.

Rule 2: Start lean. The study says you need $12K. People think they need $28K. I say start with a farmer's market table before you open the coffee shop.

Rule 3: Don't start with a partner. Every decision becomes a negotiation. You lose all your autonomy before you even get started.

Rule 4: Don't do it broke. Little financial packages—good and bad—will drop on you every single day. If your family finances are already on fire, it will get worse.

Plus: Two Idea Slam questions on surviving chaos and getting started with AI. And I share exactly what Claude Cowork has been doing for my business—including optimizing my Google My Business page while I watched.

In the news: Government shutdown ends (kinda). We almost sent people to the Moon yesterday. Disney has a new CEO. And the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is tomorrow.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Open

09:00 - 4 Rules for New Business Owners

27:30 - Idea Slam: Chaos & AI

37:00 - Claude Cowork Deep Dive

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Sponsored by:

Genhead — https://www.genhead.com

Enji — https://www.enji.co/sboc

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The lead story hits on differentiation. James Caan's quote "Observe the masses and do the opposite" sparked a guided exercise: What's the hot trend everyone's following? What best practice drives you crazy? What do you wish people would stop doing? Those visceral reactions aren't immaturity—they're your gut talking. Your negotiator helps you fit in. Your gut helps you stand out.

The first live Idea Slam brings Rebecca Bryan to the show—a personal stylist who helps introverted business owners stop dressing to be invisible and start dressing to attract clients. Together we developed her positioning: turning wallflowers into lead magnets. The quick win? Wear a t-shirt that shows your passion. It's the cheapest networking hack that actually works.

News highlights: JP Morgan Chase's Business Leaders Outlook shows 60% of small businesses feel more positive now than any time in five years. 74% are optimistic about 2026. 53% plan to hire. And only 27% expect a recession—down from 40% last year.

Meanwhile, Lindsay Vonn announced she'll compete in the Olympics despite tearing her ACL: "As long as there's a chance, I will try." The government shutdown hits day four.

Final segment: Super Bowl commercial predictions. Expect nostalgia, generational mashups, heartwarming animal moments, and 85% of brands trying to be funny.

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00:00 - Open / Welcome

01:30 - News: JP Morgan Business Leaders Outlook

05:15 - News: Government Shutdown Day 4

06:45 - News: Lindsay Vaughn Olympic Update

08:30 - Lead Story: Observe the Masses, Do the Opposite

11:00 - Guided Exercise: Finding Your Differentiator

14:00 - Negotiator vs. Gut

16:30 - What Would You Do If You Ran the Company?

18:00 - Sponsor: GenHead

19:30 - Idea Slam Intro

20:00 - Rebecca Bryan: Styled with a Twist

24:00 - Wallflower to Lead Magnet Positioning

26:30 - T-Shirt Networking Strategy

31:00 - Lead Magnet & Pricing Discussion

34:00 - Sponsor: Enji

35:30 - Super Bowl Commercial Predictions

38:30 - Madison Meetup Promo

39:30 - Close

Genhead — https://www.genhead.com

Enji — https://www.enji.co/sboc