Ever wonder why some people spend years grinding on side gigs but never seem to get ahead — while others turn the same amount of spare time into a real business that builds wealth? Two dads, same Saturday night, two very different outcomes two years later. One has a lot of miles on his car. The other might have a business that's changing his family's future. The difference isn't effort — it's what you're building. Gig apps and side hustles often get lumped together, but they are fundamentally different paths. Gigs trade your hours for someone else's growth. A side hustle lets you keep the value, the customers, the brand, and eventually, an asset you could sell. I should know — I built my podcast business during a COVID furlough instead of chasing quick dollars, and it's now one of my main income sources. Let's break down why the path you choose matters more than how hard you work. Highlights Whose business are you building? Gig apps own the customer, the brand, the pricing, and the reviews. You bring the labor and the time — that's it. The algorithm sets your ceiling. You can only drive so many hours or complete so many tasks. There's no leverage, no equity, and no asset to show for it. There's always an owner-based alternative. DoorDash errands can become a local delivery service on retainer. Fiverr design work can become your own client roster. Task-app handyman work can become a neighborhood business with repeat customers. Side hustles compound. You own the customer, set the price, collect Google reviews, delegate work, and eventually build something you can sell. My COVID origin story. Instead of picking up gig work during a furlough, I spent that time building a podcast business — pricing, website, logo, outreach. It didn't pay on day one, but it's now a primary income source. The decision framework. If your time horizon is one month, grab the quick dollar. If it's longer, build the side hustle. Gigs can be a transition, not a destination. Weekly challenge. Write down three things people already ask you for help with, circle one, and go talk to a potential customer about it. Chapters 0:00 — Two Dads Two Paths 1:20 — Gig Economy Trap 2:07 — No Control No Leverage 3:50 — Build Your Own Service 5:51 — Side Hustle Compounds 7:22 — Podcast Business Origin 9:10 — Gig vs Hustle Checklist 10:25 — Choose Your Time Horizon 11:53 — Weekly Challenge Action 12:44 — Legacy and Wrap Up Resources The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau 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.

What if the single biggest obstacle standing between your business and its next level of growth is your own current mindset? Your business cannot outgrow your own thinking, and staying locked inside the four walls of your daily routine keeps you stuck using the same lens to solve the exact same problems. Stepping away from the office to invest in intentional education isn't an expense—it is one of the highest-return investments you can make for your leadership and future. From the energy of being in a high-caliber room to turning pages of conference notes into actionable 30-day execution steps, it's time to give yourself permission to get out of the office and unlock a brand-new perspective. Highlights The Reality of Growth: Why your business will never outgrow your own personal thinking and mindset. Investment vs. Expense: Reframing educational costs by asking, "What will it cost my business NOT to learn this?" Intentionality Over Habit: Moving past reactionary learning (like scrambling to catch up on AI) and choosing events aligned with specific goals. The Magic of the Room: Why hallway conversations and peer interactions at conferences often deliver as much value as the stage presentations. Testing Systems: How stepping away from daily operations reveals what breaks in your absence so you can build stronger systems. Real-World Application: How one med spa owner turned conference insights into actionable strategies regarding pricing, vendor relationships, and client engagement. The Post-Conference System: A 5-step framework to organize, prioritize, and execute your notes on the flight home so great ideas don't gather dust. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to Episode 21: Get Out of the Office 00:46 – Core Message: Your Business Cannot Outgrow Your Thinking 01:21 – Lessons from BizX: Coaching Peers and Client Recognition 03:00 – Mindset Shift: Education as an Investment, Not an Expense 03:42 – Asking the Right Questions: Intentional Learning vs. Reactionary Learning 04:47 – Gaining New Perspectives, BFOs, and Fresh Energy 06:03 – Client Spotlight: Karen Tase's Takeaways in Action 07:22 – How to Choose the Right Event for Your Business Goals 08:35 – Why the Room and Network Matter Just as Much as Content 09:40 – Turning Notebooks into Execution: The A/B/C Action Framework 10:55 – Final Challenge: Plan Your Next 90 Days 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.

Have you ever accomplished something big — or even something small — and immediately moved on to the next thing without stopping to celebrate? That's exactly what happened to a group of leaders at a recent learning event, and it sparked a conversation that changed everything. We were all feeling that mid-afternoon slump when someone said, "I've just been running for months straight, and I really just need a day for me." That moment led to creating what I'm calling a Celebrate Me Day — a dedicated day to pause, reflect on your wins (big and small), and intentionally pour into yourself. We talk about why we skip celebrations, how humility and self-pride can coexist, and how a simple weekly practice of tracking three wins can rewire the way you see your life. I also share exactly what my own Celebrate Me Day looked like and how you can make this a quarterly ritual. Highlights The mid-afternoon slump that sparked the idea of a Celebrate Me Day How we move from one win to the next without stopping to acknowledge the good Why blanket advice about "staying humble" can keep us from celebrating ourselves Each and every one of us has things to celebrate — we just have to pause and look back The weekly practice of pulling out your top three wins from the Full Focus Planner What a Celebrate Me Day actually looks like: slow mornings, yoga, a massage, and Harry Potter Making it a quarterly ritual: pick a day at the start of a month and pour into yourself Share your own Celebrate Day in the comments Chapters 0:00 — Midday Slump Reflection 2:20 — Why We Skip Celebrations 3:14 — Introducing Celebrate Me Day 3:24 — Humility and Self Pride 4:43 — Weekly Wins Practice 6:03 — How I Spent My Day 7:16 — Make It a Quarterly Ritual 7:49 — Share Your Celebrate Day Resources Full Focus Planner — mentioned as the tool used for the weekly three-wins practice

What happens when you hand two podcast hosts a 20-sided die and ask them to revisit their favorite conversations from nearly 80 episodes?  You get a highlight reel of Kansas at its most unexpected. We rolled the dice on some of our most memorable episodes and pieces, and what came back reminded us why we started doing this in the first place: Kansans have a tendency to look down on their own state, and every one of these stories proves they shouldn't. Highlights A family road trip tradition of holding your breath at the state border — and the "My Cows" game where you count pasture livestock for good luck Episode 35 with Becky Tanner reframes The Wizard of Oz as a love letter to Kansas and explores what "home" really means Episode 56 with Leland Danes tackles the heavy reality of children as young as six translating adult concepts — from car insurance to cancer diagnoses — for their parents, and the resources Kansas Spanish Speakers provides Episode 14 with Jordan Romerman delivers the ultimate road trip advice: get off the interstate and explore Kansas scenic byways for rolling hills, chalk formations, and wide open skies Episode 29 with Rex Buchanan, former director of the Kansas Geological Survey, unpacks the Cimarron National Grasslands and proves Kansas is far more than flat and treeless Episode 9 spotlighting SB Mowing's Spencer, a Wichitan who mows overgrown lawns for free and turned one act of neighborly kindness into hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for an elderly woman in need Episode 62 with Jim Gray ("Beam Me Up, Kansas") celebrates the quirky side of Kansas, including the Geneseo UFO Festival, the Christmas town of Wakinni, Lucas's Garden of Eden and Bowl Plaza, and Erika Nelson's World's Largest Museum of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things Episode 57 with DJ Carvin reveals the remarkable life story behind the mustache — a New Yorker who found his way to Wichita and chose it as home Episode 51 with Claire Ludus tours the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, named one of the best space museums in the world for telling the complete story of the space race from both the American and Soviet sides Episode 26 with Greg Victors, the Wichita War Dancer, who showed up in full regalia and offered perspective on culture and representation the hosts never could have arrived at on their own Episode 60 with Tanner Johnson closes the dice roll with a story about connection — a violinist and conductor in Manhattan, Kansas, and how the podcast's mission to bring Kansans together actually shows up in real life Chapters 0:00 — Border Breath Challenge 0:37 — Tunnel Luck and Cow Counting 2:07 — Welcome to Ask a Kansan 3:25 — Dice Roll Episode Picks 3:54 — Home and Belonging in Kansas (Episode 35 — Becky Tanner) 6:26 — Language Access and Diversity (Episode 56 — Leland Danes) 9:08 — Get Off the Interstate (Episode 14 — Jordan Romerman) 12:25 — Wild Kansas Landscapes (Episode 29 — Rex Buchanan) 14:59 — SB Mowing Neighborly Kindness (Episode 9) 17:56 — Quirky Kansas and UFOs (Episode 62 — Jim Gray) 21:01 — Wichita DJ Life Story (Episode 57 — DJ Carvin) 22:56 — Cosmosphere Space Nerd Out (Episode 51 — Claire Ludus) 25:09 — Wichita War Dancer Regalia (Episode 26 — Greg Victors) 26:56 — Connecting Kansas (Episode 60 — Tanner Johnson) 29:28 — Wrap Up and Credits Resources Mentioned All Episodes of Ask A Kansan Kansas Tourism Cimarron National Grasslands Cosmosphere Fili Creative  Forge Podcast Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

We're told the secure path is school, a good job with benefits, and a retirement plan. But how much control do you really have over that one income stream? When a single email about "workforce reductions" can upend everything, maybe it's time to rethink what risk actually looks like. This episode reframes the conversation around side hustles and risk. Starting a business on the side isn't about gambling your family's future — it's about diversification. It's about building something that gives you flexibility, options, and a safety net that doesn't depend on one company's quarterly results. We cover why a W2 can be far more uncertain than it feels, how a side hustle cushions you against layoffs and life changes, and practical steps to start lean without putting everything on the line. Highlights The 2008 recession story: living through layoffs as a young engineer and the fear of losing it all Why a W2 job carries hidden risk — you don't control the outcome of the business you work for How loyalty has changed on both the employer and employee sides over the last few generations Side hustle as diversification: even 500–1,000/month in side income changes your options The freedom to fail safely — why running it on the side gives you room to learn and grow You're not starting from zero: customers, skills, and a network outside your day job Negotiating differently when one employer isn't your only option Practical risk management: keep your day job, set a stop-loss timeline, start lean, separate bank accounts, get paid up front A real failure story: the T-shirt drop-shipping business that didn't work out — and why that's okay You don't need 20 hours a week — five hours is enough to start building something real Chapters 0:00 — Intro 0:19 — Why today's topic shifted to the mentality behind side hustles 0:48 — The 2008 recession: fear and uncertainty in a W2 job 4:24 — What if we've been measuring risk wrong? 4:41 — Where the real risk lives: your day job 5:02 — You don't control the outcome at your W2 6:22 — How loyalty has dropped on both sides 6:45 — Capitalism, priorities, and why jobs can be uncertain 8:38 — The side hustle as diversification and room to fail 11:08 — Security isn't one big income 11:25 — How to shrink the risks of starting 12:04 — Create boundaries and a stop-loss number 12:11 — Start lean, separate your money, get paid up front 14:38 — It's okay if it fails: the T-shirt business story 15:23 — Protecting family time while building on the side 18:13 — Wrap-up and what's coming next week 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.