DesuckifyWork®

Most agencies are in survival mode right now.Hell, the entire world is in survival mode right now.It's a crappy place to be.We're defensive. On edge. Reactionary.Nervous systems fully engaged all day long. Good luck being creative when you're crouched under your desk all day. And yet, creativity is exactly what we need right now.To build a new reality instead of being cowed by the current one.To see something beyond mere survival. It's a leap of faith. Faith in the one thing—creativity—that we've hung our hat on since folks actually wore hats to work. Sam Littlefield took that leap in 2021, when he told his agency, "it's time to gather again." Mid-covid.Barely a year into his role as agency president.His peers thought he was nuts.He didn't care.He saw what was on the other side,locked arms with his team and said LFG. They freakin' went, and they've spent the last 5 years doing what many in our industry can barely remember doing. Growing. Building. Dreaming. They turned LFG into an agency rallying cry: 🐱 Littlefield Team First🐱 Freaking Go to the Edge🐱 Got to Adapt or Die For Sam and the team, being back in the office was the necessary catalyst to make all of this happen. For your team, it may be something else. But whatever that thing is that you know in your gut is needed more than anything right now, do it. The world needs more leaps of faith. Let's freakin' go. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Sam on LinkedIn. And check out littlefieldagency.com to learn more about their work, their culture and their POV on this nutty business. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type "meow" in the calendar invite and I'll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus question from Sam:Are you getting full fulfillment in what you're doing every day? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

Want the secret to running a successful agency? Stalk your clients. Not in the creepy, quite possibly illegal way. But in the over-the-top, can't stop being curious about who they are way. This is what the teams at Inspira Marketing and Enthuse Marketing do—two agencies run by today's guest, Kim Lawton. Who has time to dig into that kind of detail on every client? The folks who work in a culture where relationships—with clients and fellow team members—are the most critical KPI. Of course Kim cares about profit and all the other financial stuff that keeps agencies afloat. But she doesn't aim there. She focuses upstream on the stuff that consistently leads to great numbers. And more fulfilling work. When you know your clients in ways you may not even know your own friends, you come up with better, more relevant ideas. You sell those ideas more often. And you enjoy the crap out of those successes together. When you know your teammates deeply, you collaborate better, because making things work with folks you know, like and trust just matters more. So, who should you be stalking more? Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Kim on LinkedIn. And check out her agencies at enthuse-marketing.com and inspiramarketing.com. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type "meow" in the calendar invite and I'll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus question from Kim:Is there is something you track in your business or agency that has nothing to do with the work? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

We've all dreamed about it. Ditching the 9-to-5, moving to an exotic location and traveling the world. Derek Baron actually did it. And is still doing it, 27 years after he called his parents from Southeast Asia and told them he's never coming home. Now, before you send out an FU email to your boss and start scanning flights to Bali, you're gonna want to listen to Derek's take on his nomadic life. He has no regrets. But he also warns… this life is not for everyone. Living out of a suitcase ain't easy. And maintaining close relationships when you're never in one place for more than a few weeks is a full-time job in itself. But man, what a ride he's had. Derek lives in a way that seems deeply connected to who he wants to be. He's curious, loves human connection and has built two tourism businesses under the name Wandering Earl that not only support his lifestyle, but share his passion for unconventional adventures with the world. Sign up for one of his tours and you won't be seeing the typical sites. You may catch a glimpse of a levitating car or spend an afternoon snooping through Saddam Hussein's old palace though. The takeaway I got from all of this? Do the thing your soul calls you to do. Even if your brain (and the brains of your friends and family) are screaming at you to do something else. You never know where things may lead. And if you're wondering where the name Wandering Earl comes from? You'll just have to listen to find out. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Derek on LinkedIn. And check out his site at wanderingearl.com to learn more about his life and the adventures he has in store for you. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type "meow" in the calendar invite and I'll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus question from Derek:If you're facing an obstacle or something that's challenging and preventing you from doing what you really want, what would actually happen if you just stopped thinking about that challenge altogether and moved on (and did the thing)? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

The posters on the wall. The words on the website. The sizzle real that you share with every prospect. Are they b******t? You know who knows? Your team. Take a look next time you reference your mission or your values. How far back into their heads do their eyes roll? Slick messaging may help land a client or two, but I can guarantee you it's turning more folks off if it doesn't ring true. And if your team ain't feeling it? Good luck delivering work that actually lives up to those lofty promises. If you're ready to lead like a grown up and live up to your words, it's time to heed the words of Sandy Sullivan and ask better questions. Sandy is an executive coach and co-founder of The Alchemy Group with a low tolerance for BS and a high bar for leaders. The quality of your questions will directly impact the way your teams perform. And the harsh truth? Most of our questions just kind of suck right now. The best questions are what Sandy calls "Level 8 Questions." And there are 4 simple ways to know if yours are hitting the mark: * Use "what" or "how" questions. Never "why." Why not? Because "why" is loaded with judgment. "Why aren't we winning more business?" Because you suck, presumably. * Add calibration & timeframe: Include qualifiers like most, least, highest and a specific timeframe (e.g., last quarter, next 30 days). * Ask with Pure Curiosity: Listen without judgment or a pre-determined answer. * Generate New Thinking: The answer should create white space for reflection, not just recycle old thoughts. Great questions show you care. And showing you care invites everyone else to do the same. That's all most of us want, really—a reason to give a damn. Less sizzle. More stake. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Sandy on LinkedIn. And check out her site at thealchemyleaders.com to learn more about great questions and leadership transformation. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type "meow" in the calendar invite and I'll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus questions from Sandy:What is the most persistent and pervasive complaint you have about others? (And are you ready for what this will tell you about yourself?) Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe

You can tell a lot about a culture by who it celebrates. But you may learn even more by who it vilifies. Who are the bad guys right now when it comes to making work suck? How much time do we have? 😾 Meta laying off 15,000 people via mass email after telling everyone to work from home that day. 😾 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman casually speaking about AI gutting white-collar employment. 😾 Elon Musk tweeting (X-ing?) about everyone living on a universal basic income as if this would be a joyful existence. Have any of these leaders met people before? This undercurrent of disdain for humanity from these bullies needs to stop. Listen, it's not easy to run a business. And hard decisions need to be made every day. But how we make them is everything. And it's time to start calling out the ones who don't get this. Jeff Harry is bringing this message to the forefront every day with his work. He is as pro human as it gets, helping companies tap into our collective humanity through play. He's also done with giving anti-human leaders a pass. We need to be louder in our condemnation of the worst offenders. And we need to be relentless in our praise of those who lead the desuckifying charge—like Patagonia, Costco and others. (FYI: I'm working on a "Desuckified Places to Work" award thing for the agency world… stay tuned). How does play bring all of this together? Because it is a massive humanity amplifier. It connects us, energizes us, reminds us of how we can be someone our 8-year-old self would be proud of. And it makes us way more productive, btw. So all you bean counters can rest easy. More fun. More humanity. More profit. That doesn't sound bad to me. Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way. (If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.) Let the desuckifying begin. You can follow Jeff on LinkedIn. And check out his site at rediscoveryourplay.com. Find him just about anywhere @jeffharryplays. If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to explore what a more human work culture could look like, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type "meow" in the calendar invite and I'll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt! Bye, everyone! Bonus questions from Jeff:Who is that toxic person in your workplace, and what are you going to do about themWhen was the last time you played? Get full access to DesuckifyWork® at tjbennett.substack.com/subscribe