When your phone isn't ringing, it's almost never bad luck. It's one of two things: people can't find you, or they don't know why they should call you.

I've been out training owners on AI, and I keep watching the same arc: connected, competent, then curious, right about when it starts feeling like a video game. That's the fun part, and it's why I do Claude training for small business owners. Then we get into the AI price war heating up between OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, and a Chinese open-source model that's up 27 times in a week, and why that competition is good news for your budget. In the main event, I answer the question I hear constantly: why isn't my phone ringing? It comes down to whether people can find you and whether you're selling the transformation instead of a laundry list of services.

In this episode:

00:00 - The AI adoption arc: connected, competent, curious

06:23 - The AI price war heating up between the big labs

10:15 - Why Claude Fable going pay-as-you-go matters

12:48 - When you actually need a business lawyer

15:08 - Why your phone isn't ringing

17:15 - Sell the transformation, not your list of services

19:51 - Bring your problem to the Idea Slam

Resources mentioned:

- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Automation Bird Dog: automationbirddog.com (code OWNIT)

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Marketing #LeadGeneration #AI

Firing someone is a skill, and nobody teaches it. After 20 years of managing people, here's exactly how I do it, whether it's for cause or for performance.

This one starts personal. I got a once-in-a-lifetime call to take my son David to a World Cup game in Seattle, and I said yes without blinking, because that's the whole point of building your own thing. Then David Belman from Belman Homes joins me to explain something strange in the housing market: for the first time, new homes are cheaper than existing ones, and why about $131,000 in regulations is baked into every new build. We get into the new strikes on Iran, the news that Claude Cowork is finally coming to your phone, and Claude Fable getting extended to July 12. Then we close with the Idea Slam every owner needs: how to fire someone the right way.

In this episode:

00:00 - Why owning your business beats a paycheck

01:29 - Cashing in your freedom for a World Cup trip with my son

10:01 - Why new homes are now cheaper than existing homes (David Belman)

21:48 - When you actually need a business lawyer

23:53 - New strikes on Iran and what they do to oil prices

25:04 - Claude Cowork is coming to your phone

28:41 - Claude Fable extended to July 12

29:45 - How to fire someone the right way (Idea Slam)

Resources mentioned:

- David Belman, Belman Homes

- Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com

- Automation Bird Dog: automationbirddog.com (code OWNIT)

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Leadership #Hiring #AI

In-person connection is king, and you just can't get the same connection online as you get in a real room. I spent this week with two mastermind groups in person, and the difference wasn't even close.

This episode is for every work-from-home business owner who packs the calendar so tight that putting on real pants and driving across town feels inefficient. I'll walk you through why the before and after of an in-person meeting is where the real relationships get built, and why you leave those meetings recharged every single time. Then we get into the AI conversation nobody saw coming: AI is saving us 20 hours a week and somehow we're all busier than ever. And I answer a Reddit question that hits home for a lot of you...is it worth leaving corporate if you'll only replace your salary? Your assignment for next week is simple. Leave the cave.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome and today's show rundown

00:56 - Why in-person networking beats Zoom meetings (Big Story)

13:59 - Small business optimism hits a 2026 high

20:04 - Free small business legal risk assessment (sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions)

22:04 - Why AI makes business owners busier, not less busy

27:26 - Claude's Fable model returns and pay-as-you-go AI pricing

31:59 - Leaving corporate to start a business (Idea Slam)

40:13 - Small business community events and SBOC Conference update

Resources mentioned:

- Athena Legal Solutions and the Complimentary Legal Confidence Review (Carolyn Jahnke and team)

- Crown Room Live with Elzie Flenard: https://crownroomlive.com

- The Daily Crown: https://joindailycrown.com

- Claude by Anthropic, including the Fable model

- WhisperFlow dictation software

- Live check-in map: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com

- SBOC Conference in September (prices go up August 1st)

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Networking #ClaudeAI #InPersonConnection