BusinessManagementEntrepreneurship

2Bobs—with David C. Baker and Blair Enns

David C. Baker and Blair Enns

Conversations on the art of creative entrepreneurship with David C. Baker and Blair Enns

Play

Open in

25 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 23 min
English

Episodes 25

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

#252
Wednesday · 25 min
Get Your Freak On!
Blair has been thinking about how, as AI continues to streamline more administrative tasks over time, we will be left to focus on the things we humans are good at – interacting with other humans. Because of this, the interesting people will win in selling their services and expertise. Links "The Interesting People Will Win" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com "The Fertility Crash Will Make the World a Small Town" by Tyler Cowen for The Free Press Jesse Ratner's March 27 LinkedIn Post about AI
#251
September 23 · 16 min
Do You Need an Advisory Board?
We all know how valuable external input from trusted advisors can be for our business. But what does that look like for independent agencies who don't have investors to answer to? LINKS "Do Independent Firms Need A Board?" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#250
September 9 · 20 min
A Proposed AI Contribution Scale
Categorizing AI-generated copy as "human vs AI" is not as binary as with AI-generated images or video. So Blair has developed an AI Contribution Scale to help us all be more transparent when using LLMs in the creation of written communication intended for prospects, clients, and peers. [This episode's notes are AI-0] ‍ ‍ Links AI Contribution Scale "The Coming Collapse of 'Thought Leadership'" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com Curt Jaimungal's 5-minute YouTube video on why you shouldn't let AI write for you
#249
August 26 · 22 min
How Sellable Are You?
In a recent article, David discloses the questions all creative agency principals need to answer whenever they are ready to find the right buyer and successfully navigate the merger and acquisition (M&A) process to complete the sale. LINKS "How Sellable Is Your Firm?" by David C. Baker for Punctuation.com
#248
August 12 · 26 min
Positioning, Strategy, and AI
Blair and David are hearing all kinds of people talking about how their positioning needs adjustment because of AI. Blair does see an issue developing for many creative firms, but more with business strategy instead of positioning. Links Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout Good Strategy / Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt Playing to Win by Roger L. Martin The Lords of Strategy by Walter Kiechel, III
#247
July 29 · 20 min
Employee Retreats for Remote-First Teams
David recommends regular in-person company-wide gatherings for remote workers as an opportunity for creative agencies to help build their organization's culture in our post-pandemic economy where online video meetings continue to fill our calendars and working from home is the new norm. LINKS "Investing in Ee Retreats at Remote Firms" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#246
July 15 · 23 min
Productization (Again)
Blair changes his mind on productized services. Again. And AI is the reason. LINKS "The New Age of Consulting" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com
#245
July 1 · 20 min
Thirteen Signals Your Website Should Send
David shares a quick list of website elements he sees is missing from a lot of creative firms' websites which could help them attract more new business. Links "13 Signals Your Website Might Send" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#244
June 17 · 24 min
Embrace the Marketing Mess
Blair shares what stuck in his mind about marketing success from listening to a recent podcast interview with Rory Sutherland on Liam Curley's Undisputed Authority. Links "Embrace the Marketing Mess" article by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com Rory Sutherland podcast interview on Liam Curley's Undisputed Authority
#243
June 3 · 26 min
Firms Most at Risk
Which segments of our field will thrive in the near future and which ones will slowly lose relevance, and why? David wants creative entrepreneurs to continue being resilient and reinventing themselves every two years while keeping a watchful eye on constantly evolving industry practices and technologies (including AI). Links "Most At-Risk Shops" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#242
May 20 · 20 min
Pricing Resentment
Blair sees creative entrepreneurs opening themselves up to pricing resentment from their clients when the value of their contributions diminishes over time, especially when they've created significant economic value at the beginning of a long-term engagement. LINKS "Is Your Pricing Creating Resentment?" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com
#241
May 6 · 21 min
People vs. Profits
Prompted by a recent trip to Europe, David considers how the differences between worker protection laws in Europe compared to North America affect starting and running an agency in this fast-changing global economy. Links "Employment Law + Economic Flexibility" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com 2Bobs in Tuscany Join David, Blair, six other business owners and their spouses for four days and nights of creative business exploration in an intimate countryside villa designed for long meals, deep conversations, and unhurried thinking. Learn more and apply at 2Bobs.com/events
#240
April 22 · 29 min
Three Patterns of Lost Opportunities
Blair identifies three recurring categories of lost sales in creative firms and offers solutions to each. Fixing two of these patterns can reap the dividends immediately, and adjusting your sales approach for all three will pay off for years. LINKS "Three Patterns of Lost Opportunities" article by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com Brigadoon.live "Slapping Down Your Childlike Glee" 2Bobs episode "Debriefing After a New Business Call" 2Bobs episode "Assume an Advantaged Player" 2Bobs episode "The Rungs You Can Reach on the Ladder of Lead Generation" 2Bobs episode
April 8 · 19 min
Why Clients Come, Stay, and Leave
David sees a lot of creative agencies making bad assumptions about their client relationships by not making the distinction between the reasons why clients come to them in the first place, why they choose to continue working with them as time passes, and then why they ultimately move on. LINKS "Distinguishing Between Why Clients Come, Stay, and Leave" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com "The Waterfall of Differentiation" 2Bobs episode
#238
March 25 · 27 min
Is AI Going to Kill Labor-based Pricing?
Blair is stunned that he still encounters so many advisory businesses like ad agencies, consulting firms, legal and accounting practices — large and small — that are still selling time. So he and David discuss what new revenue models should look like as we all adapt to how AI is changing our businesses. Links "Time's Up, Babycakes" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com Time's Up!: The Subscription Business Model for Professional Firms by Paul Dunn and Ronald J. Baker The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry by John Warrillow The Forever Transaction by Robbie Kellman Baxter Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company's Future – and What to Do About It by Tien Tzuo and Gabe Weisert
#237
March 11 · 34 min
If I Were Starting a New Firm
Blair interviews David about a recent article he's been receiving a lot of feedback on, in which he lists all of the things he would try to incorporate into a brand new creative agency, based on what he's seen and learned from working with thousands of firms over the years. Links "If I Started A New Firm, Now" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#236
February 25 · 21 min
Decoy or Anchor?
Blair differentiates between decoy pricing and price anchoring, which are two different techniques that are often confused for each other, and can increase your average proposal value in multi-option pricing when used appropriately. Links "Decoy or Anchor?" article by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com "The Perils of 'Good/Better/Best' Pricing" 2Bobs episode
#235
February 11 · 20 min
We Are All Closet Socialists
Despite the fact that many entrepreneurs hate people telling them what to do, they end up running their own agencies using a "central planning" model. Instead, David encourages entrepreneurial leaders to set clear standards, give staff more freedom, and institute kind accountability, for them and ourselves. Links "Countering Your 'Central Planning' Tendencies" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com
#234
January 28 · 20 min
Shower Your Way to Sales Success
David interviews Blair about his recent article in which he gives us methods to cope with our own natural emotional and physiological responses that can be triggered when unforeseen events unfold within sales conversations. LINKS "Can Improv and Cold Plunges Improve Your Sales?" by Blair Enns for winwithoutpitching.com Blair's interview on the Undisputed Authority podcast with Liam Curley What Doesn't Kill Us by Scott Carney
#233
January 14 · 23 min
Why Entrepreneurs Are Unemployable
Blair interviews David about a recent article in which he argues that the very traits that make entrepreneurs successful also make it hard for them to give up being their own boss and join someone else's company. LINKS "What Makes Entrepreneurs Unemployable" by David C. Baker for punctuation.com

Showing 1–20 of 25 episodes