What if the reason you feel constantly overwhelmed in your business isn't about time management at all, but about never realizing you're actually playing three completely different jobs? Every entrepreneur — even a side hustler — is really the owner, the manager, and the technician all rolled into one person. Today I'm breaking down what each of those roles actually means, why bouncing between them creates so much chaos, and the practical guardrails you can put in place to switch between them without losing your focus or your flow. Highlights Every business owner unknowingly plays three roles: the entrepreneur/owner, the manager, and the technician.Constantly flipping between roles without structure is what causes stress, overwhelm, and disorganization.A rough time breakdown for an early-stage side hustle: 1–3 hours/week as owner, 2–5 hours/week as manager, and 7–15 hours/week as technician.It's natural (and necessary) to default to technician work early on, but neglecting the owner and manager roles keeps your business on a "feast or famine" rollercoaster.Block your time into dedicated 60+ minute sessions for each role instead of mixing them together.Set guardrails for each role (e.g., turning off email notifications during technician time, staying out of project software during owner time).Use the last few minutes of each block to jot notes for your next role so information transfers smoothly between "yourself as owner," "yourself as manager," and "yourself as technician."Closing out tabs, notebooks, and open loops before switching roles helps you get back into flow state faster. Chapters 0:00 — Welcome Entrepreneurs0:42 — E-Myth Seizure1:33 — Three Business Roles3:15 — Role Switching Stress4:14 — Time Constraints Plan4:47 — Owner Manager Technician Hours6:40 — Avoid Technician Trap8:42 — Block Your Roles10:26 — Guardrails Against Distraction11:23 — Smooth Role Transitions13:39 — Wrap Up and Next Steps15:25 — Closing and Teaser Resources Mentioned The E-Myth Revisited by Michael GerberEpisode 3 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.

Are you living above the point... or below it?   If you catch yourself blaming traffic, making excuses, or just flat-out denying a problem exists, this one's for you.  I'm breaking down a simple but powerful tool I use with my own team and clients to instantly diagnose whether we're operating from ownership or from excuses — and how you can use it starting today, with your team, your family, or yourself. HIGHLIGHTS The "BED vs. OAR" framework: Below the point is Blame, Excuse, Denial. Above the point is Ownership, Accountability, Responsibility.A real-world example of someone arriving late and blaming the city — and how to coach them toward taking responsibility instead.Why denial is actually the lowest, most dangerous level of being below the point.How this tool works in workplaces, production facilities, and team settings — not just one-on-one coaching.Why this concept is so effective: it's simple, non-threatening, and gives people an easy way to self-diagnose. CHAPTERS 1:23 – BED vs OAR2:25 – Blame: The Late Arrival3:50 – Taking Responsibility4:26 – Above the Point Sales Mindset5:29 – Using the Tool with Others6:17 – Denial and Empathy7:06 – Workplace and Team Applications8:02 – Take Ownership Daily8:24 – Next Steps Want to get more help from Lee with your business? Visit her website: https://leegray.actioncoach.com/ Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a second actor with our comprehensive Second Act Assessment. https://secondact.scoreapp.com This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. For more information, visit ictpod.net.

Do kids even want to learn a skill like playing the guitar? This week we sit down with Matt Gerry, the guitar and music teacher at South Middle School in Salina, whose 24-year journey has taken him everywhere from a Weezer-sponsored trip to Chicago to a Radio Disney commercial — and even a Grammy Music Educator Award nomination. Before we get to Matt, Sydney shares a heartwarming (and a little ironic) story about a Kansan TikToker helping out a fellow Kansan stranded far from home, and Gus reminisces about the Hanks and Joshes of the world who keep our cars running. Then Matt takes us through how he fell in love with guitar via his dad's old Gibson, built a guitar program from scratch against school-system red tape, won contests with Weezer and Mozart-inspired performances, got his students backstage with Collective Soul, and shared the stage with his own wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's School of Rock.  Highlights: A Kansan TikToker (Weston, from Winfield) pulls over to help a stranded fellow Kansan in Colorado — without realizing it at firstMatt Gerry shares how he fell in love with guitar playing his dad's Gibson from Kalamazoo, Michigan while performing in a school production of GreaseThe step-by-step story of building South Middle School's guitar program — from a grant-funded classroom set of guitars in 2003 to a dedicated guitar class in 2010, now serving 250 students a yearWinning a Weezer video contest that led to a trip to Chicago and new classroom instrumentsWinning the Midwest region of a Mozart-themed contest, earning $7,500 for new guitars, followed by a Radio Disney Channel visit and commercial shootMatt's involvement with the Stiefel Theatre's School of Music and getting students backstage with bands like Collective SoulSharing the stage with his wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's production of School of RockBeing nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award and making the quarterfinalsWhy Matt believes learning guitar in a group setting beats learning solo from YouTubeMatt's big goal: becoming a clinician who trains other guitar teachersA nostalgic tangent about Salina radio stations, Weird Al Yankovic fan mail, and shared music memories from middle school Chapters: 0:00 – Scrolling TikTok Finds Weston0:45 – Kansans Helping Kansans2:32 – Brake Pads and Hank Stories3:23 – Ask a Kansan Intro4:52 – Meet Music Teacher Matt6:04 – How Matt Found Guitar7:42 – Choosing Music Education9:04 – First Classroom Memories11:47 – Building a Guitar Program14:07 – Why Guitar Hooks Students18:06 – Weezer Contest Goes Viral19:30 – Fame and Disney Tease20:16 – Mozart Contest Win20:51 – Disney Channel Visit21:42 – Family Support Grounding22:18 – Stiefel Music School24:03 – School of Rock Family25:01 – Awards and Humility25:52 – Church Music and Benefits27:40 – Middle School Mindset28:47 – Guitar Program Expansion31:38 – Big Goals and Training34:01 – Radio Nostalgia Tangent35:41 – Teaching Dream Job37:31 – Stories from a Hat Twist42:22 – Episode Wrap and Merch Resources Mentioned: Salina Education Foundation: https://www.salinaeducationfoundation.com/ Teaching Guitar Workshops: https://teachingguitarworkshops.org/Stiefel Theatre: https://www.stiefeltheatre.org/KMEA (Kansas Music Educators Association): https://ksmea.org/ 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 way you think about self-trust is actually keeping you from it? Audra breaks down a coaching conversation that flipped her thinking on self-trust — and shares the real definition that's helped her stop abandoning herself every time she falls short of a goal. Then she walks through five practical habits she's built over the past few years to strengthen that trust from the inside out. Highlights Why self-trust isn't about always making the right decision or hitting every goalA reframe: trusting yourself to make the best decision with what you have right now — and not abandoning yourself when it doesn't work outFive ways to build self-trust: self-compassion, knowing how you operate, tracking your wins, surrounding yourself with mirrors, and coachingWhy forgiving yourself and giving yourself grace is the foundation of confidenceThe power of a weekly practice of recording 3–5 winsHow working with a coach helps you access answers you already have Chapters 0:00 — Back to School Setup0:22 — Redefining Self Trust1:40 — Self Trust Means Staying3:08 — Five Ways Overview3:34 — Self Compassion First4:59 — Know How You Work6:46 — Track Your Wins8:09 — People Who Mirror You9:08 — Coaching Builds Trust10:13 — Quick Wrap Up Resources Mentioned Emily StevensSusan DavidAshley Watkins 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.

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.