You're busy — but is your side hustle actually making you money? There's a big difference between being booked solid and being profitable. If you've been afraid to raise your rates, this episode gives you the exact framework to know when it's time, how to do it, and how to silence the inner voice that says you're not worth it.HighlightsWhy being "busy" is not the goal — profitability isHow to calculate your conversion rate with a dead-simple formulaThe 30–50% conversion rate sweet spot and what it means for your pricingWhy a high conversion rate (above 50%) is actually a warning sign you're underchargingThe math that shows how raising prices and working less can earn you the same incomeWhat to do when your conversion rate is too low — and why slashing prices is the wrong moveHow to define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to command higher ratesHow to ask clients who say "no" for feedback (without it being awkward)Using your "evidence folder" — testimonials and reviews — to overcome imposter syndromeWhy pricing is not permanent and iteration is part of the processChapters0:00 – Why Raise Prices1:31 – Measure Conversion Rate4:20 – Healthy Benchmarks5:20 – When Yes Is Too Easy9:08 – Test Higher Rates9:57 – Fix Low Conversions14:26 – Imposter Syndrome Proof16:50 – Final ChallengeBe sure to subscribe and leave us a review!For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dadRemember, build the business, but be the dad!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

What if the biggest barrier to improving the health of an entire state isn't a lack of medicine, money, or expertise, but a failure of leadership? In Chapter 7 of Leading Health, we tackle one of the most provocative ideas in the book: Kansas can't climb the health rankings without first confronting the reality that we don't agree on what caused the problem or what the solution is. That makes it a leadership challenge before it's a health challenge.This episode features a special guest — Ben Hutton, President and CEO of Hutton Company — who brings a private-sector perspective to a conversation typically dominated by the public sector. We explore what it means to lead with both humility and bold experimentation, and why getting people focused on the right problems might be more important than having all the right answers.HighlightsKansas has improved its health rankings for three consecutive years, a meaningful milestone that deserves more attention.Leadership is an activity, not a position and authority and leadership are two distinct things.The role of those in authority isn't to proclaim solutions; it's to center the problem and create alignment.Every person in the "30,000" has a part of the mess — defining your part is often the most actionable first step.Goals and strategies are not the same; confusing them is one of the most common traps when tackling adaptive challenges (Medicaid expansion is a strategy; ensuring Kansans have adequate health insurance is a goal).The Hutton Company implemented the Dream Manager program — helping employees name and pursue personal dreams, from climbing Machu Picchu to buying a first home.Discuss why businesses need to think about both  Capital H health (everything we need to thrive) vs. little h health (healthcare).The "$50,000 experiment" framework: big enough to matter if it works, small enough to survive if it doesn't.Third-grade literacy as a leading indicator: solving upstream problems prevents a cascade of downstream challenges.Two people — and two ideas — can both be right at the same time. The tragedy of our era is that we've shifted from advocating for our ideas to advocating against our opponents' ideas.Purpose-driven businesses that invest in capital H health tend to be more profitable in traditional measures too; the data bears this out.Chapters0:48 — Introduction & Chapter 7 Overview4:49 — Leadership vs. Authority: Lessons from COVID11:51 — Introducing Ben Hutton13:27 — Capital H vs. Little H Health in the Workplace15:24 — The Dream Manager Program19:18 — Finite vs. Infinite Games & the Case for Experimentation25:23 — Disrupting Entrenched Narratives35:46 — Goals vs. Strategies: How to Create Alignment37:09 — Closing TakeawaysResources MentionedThe Dream Manager by Matthew KellyThe Infinite Game by Simon SinekMaslow's Hierarchy of NeedsHuttonLeading Health is an invitation to move the needle on Health in Kansas, and we invite you to join us in leading the way. Don’t have a copy of Leading Health? Claim your copy and learn more about the movement at kansashealth.org/leadinghealthAnd be sure to subscribe, and drop a comment to let us know what you think.

Did you file your taxes and think you were done? Think again.Most business owners treat April like the finish line — but the entrepreneurs keeping the most money in their pockets know that's actually where the real work begins. Your 2026 tax bill is being built right now, and whether it's a painful surprise or a manageable number depends entirely on what you do in the months ahead.HighlightsTax season ending in April is a myth for wealthy entrepreneurs — it's actually a scorecard, not a deadlineSeven-figure business owners plan their taxes immediately after filing, not at year-endYour current-year tax liability is being shaped right now, based on your baseline from last year's returnWaiting until December to plan taxes is damage control — not strategyEntity structure matters because each business type is taxed differently, and the wrong one could cost you significantlyMessy books mean missed deductions — clean bookkeeping is a direct path to tax savingsGetting a large refund isn't always a win; it may mean you've been giving the government an interest-free loanChapters0:00 — Tax Season Isn't Over1:12 — Returns Are a Scorecard2:02 — Plan Right After Filing3:38 — Mistake #1: Waiting Until Year-End4:13 — Early Year Planning Moves (Entity Election & Retirement Contributions)6:41 — Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments9:37 — Mistake #2: Never Reviewing Your Entity Structure5:44 — Mistake #3: Ignoring Bookkeeping Until Next Tax Season7:35 — Mistake #4: Never Looking Back at Prior Returns8:41 — Four Mistakes Recap9:19 — Proactive Tax Strategy MindsetWant to keep more of what you earn? If you’re a 7-6-5 business owner ready to move from financial chaos to CFO-level comfort, visit www.simplifymynumbers.com to schedule a call with our team. Subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help us grow the community, and be sure to share this episode with a fellow founder.This show is designed to be used for educational and informational purposes. For your own situation, be sure to contact a tax professional directly.This show is part of the ICT Podcast network. For more information, visit ictpod.net

What happens when a kidney stone saves your life and challenges you to chase your dreams? That's exactly what happened to James Bobetsky — known to most of Wichita as DJ Carbon. After 21 years in the corporate world, a cancer diagnosis, a surprise reconnection with his biological family, and a pandemic, Carbon made the leap to full-time DJ at 40. And he hasn't looked back since.HighlightsOak Grove Radio 98.5 out of Minneapolis now airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM — a shoutout to the station for helping expand the show's reach beyond the podcast worldDJ Carbon (James Mlavsky) has been a full-time DJ for seven years, based in Wichita — doing events, weddings, corporate gigs, and deeply embedding himself in the city's cultural sceneCarbon grew up on Long Island, NY, immersed in vinyl records, hip-hop, punk, and ska before moving to Wichita his senior year of high school — a move he initially hated and now wouldn't trade for anythingHe breaks down what it really means to "know your audience" and "read the room" — and why a DJ who shows up with a pre-planned set isn't really DJingA kidney stone led to a cancer diagnosis in 2018 — and while waiting for surgery, he discovered his biological family through 23andMe. Within six months: cancer surgery, meeting blood relatives for the first time, and getting marriedHe went full-time as a DJ in November 2019 — right before COVID — and pivoted to selling robot lamps to survive the shutdownCarbon has donated his time to dozens of nonprofits including Tallgrass Film Festival, American Cancer Society, Blood Cancers United (Wine About Cancer), Wichita's Littlest Heroes, Wichita Animal Action League, and the Humane SocietyFive days after kidney surgery — gauze, scars and all — he showed up to DJ a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society because he personally needed to be thereHis "DJ 101" social media series shares life and business lessons under the guise of DJ wisdom, and has generated more response than almost anything else he's postedHe names Carry Nation & The Speakeasy, Rudy Love Sr. and Jr., and the late Jenny Wood as the soundtrack of KansasChapters0:03 – Radio Shoutout: Oak Grove Radio 98.5 airs the podcast1:27 – Show Intro & Tease: Introducing DJ Carbon2:44 – Meet DJ Carbon4:03 – Life as a Full-Time DJ5:35 – Music Roots and Influences8:39 – New York to Wichita11:14 – Keeping Up With Music16:04 – Know Your Audience21:39 – Going Full-Time After Cancer26:35 – Origin of DJ Carbon27:58 – Aux Cord Versus DJ29:47 – Nonprofit DJ Impact31:54 – Surgery Gig Dedication35:50 – Branding and Visibility38:37 – Family Life Balance37:57 – Consistency and Corporate Bookings38:37 – DJ 101 Mentorship41:09 – Kansas Soundtrack Picks44:32 – Where to Find DJ Carbon46:06 – Hosts Reflect on DJs47:40 – Where in the Rectangle? (State Parks Edition)48:05 – Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park50:38 – Mushroom Rock State Park52:15 – Elk City State Park54:38 – Final WrapResources MentionedOak Grove Radio 98.5 (Minneapolis) – oakgroveradio.com (airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM)DJ Carbon – Facebook, Instagram and  https://djcarbon.com/Wichita River Festival – https://wichitariverfest.com/Tallgrass Film Festival – tallgrassfilm.orgWichita's Littlest Heroes – wichitaslittlestheroes.comWichita Animal Action League – https://waalrescue.org/Humane Society of the United States – https://kshumane.org/Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy – https://www.cnsict.com/Rudy Love Sr. & Rudy Love Jr. – https://rudylove.com/Jenny Wood – https://jennywoodmusic.com/Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if the path that didn't work out was actually the one preparing you for exactly where you're supposed to be? Career and leadership coach Jenna Bottolfsen joins me for a conversation about the unexpected pivots, restarts, and pauses that shape us — and why the thing you thought was a setback might actually be the most important step in your story. Jenna went from 25 years in corporate HR to a failed first attempt at entrepreneurship right as COVID hit, back to corporate, and then into the unexpected opportunity of purchasing an established business. She now runs Wallace Associates, helping people navigate career transitions, clarify their value, and take confident next steps. This conversation is full of practical tools and permission-giving perspective for anyone sitting with uncertainty about what comes next.HighlightsWhy "detours are signs too" — and how Cleo Wade's poem frames the entire conversationThe difference between a failure and a learning opportunity, and why Jenna refuses to use the word failureHow letting go of a corporate title is often the hardest — and most necessary — first stepThe role values and purpose play when someone feels stuck or out of alignment in their careerWhy Jenna starts every client conversation with, "What got you into this field in the first place?"The power of "five seconds of insane courage" — and how you don't have to be brave for long, just long enoughTwo practical tools: the "You Are Here" exercise and the Worst Case Scenario spiralWhy "expectations are the killer of joy" — and how loosening them opens the door to forward movementThe mindset shift from "this has to be forever" to "what's my next right step?"How a friend's grief over a missed promotion led to the realization that the job she didn't get was actually protecting what mattered most to herChapters0:00 — Introduction & About Jenna2:02 — Detours Are Signs (Cleo Wade poem)2:44 — Milestone Catch-Up3:44 — Jenna's COVID Leap & Return to Corporate4:52 — Buying Wallace Associates6:07 — Resilience After Setbacks8:10 — Five Seconds of Courage10:26 — Audra's First Business Lesson12:35 — Detours & Alignment15:39 — Questions for When You're Feeling Stuck20:09 — Letting Go of Identity24:55 — The "You Are Here" & Worst Case Scenario Tools28:19 — The Next Right Step Mindset31:33 — Closing: Loosen Your ExpectationsResources MentionedIn a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade — the book Audra references and from which she reads the "Detours are signs too" poemWallace Associates — Jenna Bottolfsen's career and leadership coaching businessThe Next Right Thing podcast Want to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.