Are you stuck doing everything in your business — and wondering why you never seem to have any time left over? If you feel like busyness has become your full-time job, it might be time to take a hard look at where your effort is actually going. I break down a simple framework called the "Easy Ates" — eliminate, delegate, and automate — that helps you find the 20% of your work that's driving 80% of your results, and cut or offload the rest. By the end, you'll have a clear, ten-minute exercise to start freeing up real capacity in your business. Highlights The 80/20 rule (Pareto's Principle): 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort — find that 20% and double down.The "Easy Ates" framework: Eliminate, Delegate, Automate.Eliminate non-revenue-generating busywork like endless website tweaks and excessive content consumption.Delegate tasks to freelancers, admins, coaches, or a CPA — even if they only do it 80% as well as you, that frees you up for higher-value work.Automate repeatable processes: scheduling links, email templates, and intake forms can turn multi-step tasks into a single click.A real example of using a website form + Zapier automation to pre-qualify leads before ever getting on a call.Use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to help identify what in your business could be automated.The assignment: take 10 minutes to list what you did this week, then sort it into eliminate, delegate, or automate. Chapters 0:00 — Stop Doing Everything0:48 — 80/20 Focus1:38 — The Easy-Ates Framework3:15 — Eliminate Busywork5:21 — Delegate for Growth10:02 — Automate Repeats12:02 — Forms and Zapier15:37 — Recap and Assignment17:17 — Use AI to Streamline18:37 — Final Takeaways Resources Mentioned Calendly — scheduling tool mentioned for automating meeting bookingsZapier — used to automate email responses based on form submissionsChatGPT — recommended for identifying automation opportunitiesClaude — recommended for identifying automation opportunitiesGemini — recommended for identifying automation opportunities Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dad Remember, build the business, but be the dad! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

In this bonus episode, we’re transitioning from Part Two in the book Leading Health and setting up Part Three, which introduces nine mindsets that the 30,000 need to hold if Kansas is going to lead the nation in health.  In Part One, we describe the symptoms of Kansas, ranked #29 at the time of writing this book. In Part Two, listeners learn that the diagnosis isn’t a health challenge, but a leadership challenge. Now, in Part Three, we give the prescription through nine mindsets that help develop the culture we need to get Kansas to #1 in America’s Health Rankings.  Highlights Part one covered the health reality in Kansas and introduced the "30,000" — the Kansans in key civic roles who can move the needle.Part two revealed that the real issue isn't a health challenge; it's a leadership challenge.Part three shifts to nine mindsets (not nine solutions) because closing the health gap is an adaptive challenge, not a simple problem to solve.The 30,000 don't need to generate the solutions themselves — communities facing the greatest health disparities often already know what's needed. The job of the 30,000 is to create the conditions for those solutions to emerge.The book's three-part structure is explained simply: Part one = symptoms, Part two = diagnosis, Part three = prescription. Chapters 0:00 – Intro1:15 – Recap Parts One and Two2:09 – Why Mindsets, Not Solutions3:59 – Adaptive Challenge and ALICE4:54 – Conditions for Community Solutions7:07 – Mindsets in Practice8:12 – Creating Collaboration9:17 – Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prescription10:16 – Wrap Up and Next Episode Leading 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/leadinghealth And be sure to subscribe, and drop a comment to let us know what you think.

Ever wonder why you made three hundred thousand dollars last year but don't have three hundred thousand dollars anywhere to show for it? That gap between what you earn and what you keep trips up more business owners than you'd think — and it usually comes down to confusing profit with cash flow with actual wealth.  I break down where the money really goes: taxes, debt payments, and owner's draws you don't even notice creeping up on you. Plus, I share the framework that finally made this click for one of my clients, and a book that lays it all out in simple terms. Highlights Why "profit" and "cash in the bank" are two completely different thingsThe layers of taxes that quietly eat into a business owner's incomeHow paying down debt can make you feel broke even when you're profitableThe owner's draw trap: how personal spending drains cash without touching taxable profitA simple framework for separating profit, cash flow, and wealth so you can actually track your numbersHow working with a tax strategist can turn expenses into real tax savings Chapters 0:00 – Why You Feel Broke1:27 – Profit Versus Cash2:41 – Taxes Eat Cash3:57 – Debt Payments Drain4:54 – Owner Draw Trap6:13 – Fixing The Formula7:28 – Profit First Method8:53 – Closing Thoughts & Resources Resources Mentioned Profit First - Amazon Want 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 if the Federal Reserve wasn't just a boring government agency setting monetary policy, but a mission-driven storyteller trying to make sense of your household budget? On this episode, Julie and Sydney sit down with Jeremy Hill, regional executive for the Kansas City Federal Reserve, to unpack what the Fed actually does, why manufacturing is quietly booming across Kansas, and how inflation is hitting some households harder than others. Jeremy breaks down the Fed's three core functions, explains the K-shaped economy squeezing lower and middle-income families, and shares surprising stories from the Kansas City Fed's money museum, the shredded-cash vault, and the fly-fishing origins of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Plus, stick around for a fun round of Kansas Penny Pinchers, where Sydney and Julie swap money-saving confessions. Highlights The Federal Reserve has three main functions: monetary policy, bank supervision/regulation, and managing how cash physically moves through the economy.The K-shaped economy is splitting households into two groups — some doing better every year, others falling further behind due to inflation eating into fixed costs like rent, insurance, and car payments.Kansas's GDP is currently growing faster than the national average, driven largely by a manufacturing boom (aerospace, machinery, fabricated metals).Agriculture and energy sectors in Kansas are struggling, while manufacturing is picking up steam and creating wage pressure as firms compete for labor.The Kansas City Fed operates a free, public money museum where visitors can see the history of currency and even watch cash being shredded.The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, which draws central bank leaders from around the world, originated because a former Fed chair loved fly-fishing in Wyoming.The Fed is a semi-private organization with a public mission — it doesn't receive funding from Congress and instead earns revenue through banking services and its asset holdings.Jeremy describes economics as more art than math — piecing together abstract, nebulous signals to tell a bigger story about where the economy is heading. Chapters 0:00 – Kids Freezer Obsession0:39 – Frozen Fruit Cup Logic1:51 – Do Your Kids Do This2:47 – Podcast Intro & New Co-Host3:24 – Meet Jeremy Hill4:20 – Jeremy's Role at the Fed5:37 – Why Economics Clicked6:41 – The Fed Explained Simply7:36 – How Banks View the Fed9:07 – Which Businesses He Visits10:49 – Backbone Industries in Towns12:08 – K-Shaped Household Strain14:27 – Where the Data Comes From16:29 – Money Museum and Cash Vault18:18 – Why Money Gets Shredded18:57 – Counterfeits and Secret Service19:41 – Back to the Third Bucket19:51 – Fed Mandate Explained20:15 – Rates: Buyers vs. Savers21:05 – Kansas Bootstrap Spirit22:43 – Inside the Fed Culture23:53 – How the Fed Funds Itself25:10 – Kansas Roots and Career Path27:26 – Economics as Art28:34 – Kansas Economy Snapshot30:52 – How Manufacturers Adapt31:33 – Jackson Hole Symposium Story33:23 – Where to Learn More34:14 – Post-Interview Takeaways34:51 – Kansas Penny Pinchers Game40:25 – Wrap Up and Next Month Resources Mentioned Kansas City Federal ReserveKansas City Federal Reserve's Money Museum — a free, public museum highlighting the history of currencyFetch app — a receipt-scanning app for earning points/gift cards 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 story you've been told about the teenage years is just... wrong? My guest today, Megan Saxelby, founder of Wild Feelings, spent 15 years teaching middle school and 4 teaching high school before becoming a parent coach — and she's here to make the case that adolescence isn't something to survive, it's a season to actually enjoy. We get into what parents misunderstand before the tween years even start, what it really costs us when we buy into the "terrible teens" narrative, and how to stay close to our kids as they pull toward independence. Highlights The "terrible teens" narrative is a socially constructed story — and believing it primes you to see your kid's behavior through a negative lens.Adolescence, by current research, spans ages 10–25 (early adolescence 10–14, adolescence 14–17/18, late adolescence 18–25).Believing the bad narrative costs you connection and self-trust as a parent.Separate "connection" from "administration" (logistics) — they are not the same relationship currency.Happiness isn't the goal — resilience and contentment matter more than chasing a feeling.The research-backed parenting style that works best: high expectations + high support (authoritative parenting).Anxious kids need validation of their feelings paired with high expectations — not accommodation of the anxiety.Little-kid connection tools (playfulness, silliness, jokes) still work in the teen years — you just have to apply them differently.A single family "anchor behavior" (like a weekly dinner or movie night) is linked to a 20% reduction in anxiety and depression in youth.Family shorthand phrases (inside jokes, references) become powerful emotional shortcuts that last for decades.A "family care chart" — a shared, visible list of everyone's comfort items and needs — is Megan's top back-to-school tip. Chapters 0:00 — Meet Megan Saxelby2:11 — The Teen Myth4:30 — Beyond 18 Summers6:03 — Happiness Isn't the Goal9:26 — Defining Adolescence Ages10:17 — Cost of the Bad Narrative10:32 — Connection vs. Logistics12:10 — Trust Your Kid14:54 — Boundaries Without Shame17:55 — High Support, High Expectations19:29 — Helping Anxious Kids Grow20:20 — Holding the Line21:02 — Discomfort Isn't Failure21:17 — Capitalism and Parenting Pressure22:09 — Tween Parenting: A Second Act22:58 — Keep the Playfulness23:43 — Stay a Full Person26:38 — Build Connection on Purpose27:36 — Weird Questions and Anchor Rituals30:25 — Family Shorthand Moments34:11 — The Story You Tell Yourself35:55 — High Expectations, High Support (Revisited)37:48 — Back-to-School Encouragement38:50 — Family Care Chart Tip39:46 — Wrap Up and Where to Follow Resources Mentioned Wild FeelingsMegan Saxelby on Instagram, LinkedIn and Substack Want to learn more?The Thread Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn This 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.