Biz Bros Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby on how to be co-founders that make a difference in the world | PoP 668

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A photo of Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby is captured. Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby are the BizBros. Best friends, business partners, co-founders, and most importantly; doer's, Kyle and Eli joined forces to share their experiences from past and current ventures. Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby are featured on Practice of the Practice, a therapist podcast.

Are you suited to working with a business partner? Would you consider being a co-founder? How can you create a co-founding business partnership that works?

In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks with Biz Bros Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby about how to be co-founders that make a difference in the world.

Podcast Sponsor: Noble

A an image of Noble Health is captured. Noble Health is the podcast sponsor to Practice of the Practice, a therapist podcast.

Our friends at Noble believe in using technology to enhance, not replace, human connection.

With Noble, your clients will gain access to between-session support through their automated therapist-created Roadmaps, assessments to track progress, and in-app messaging. These tools help you and your clients gain a better understanding of their progress between sessions – how they are feeling, and what areas may need more focus – so you can tailor your one-on-one sessions to their needs more effectively.

Not only will Noble help you offer your clients the most transformative experience possible, but you can also earn passive income while doing so. Learn more and join for FREE at noble.health/Joe.

Watch the demo video of the app here! Connect with Noble on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Meet Kyle Nelson & Eli Libby

A photo of Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby is captured. They are the co-founders of Results Imagery and the BizBros company. Kyle and Eli are featured on the practice of the practice, a therapist podcast.

Kyle Nelson and Eli Libby are the BizBros. Best friends, business partners, co-founders, and most importantly; doer’s, Kyle and Eli joined forces to share their experiences from past and current ventures. They are dedicated to helping others grow in their entrepreneurial journey through their BizBros podcast, speaking engagements, and recommendations.

Kyle and Eli are also the Co-Founders of Results Imagery, A Product Branding and Photography company. Results Imagery plant one tree for every photo taken and for every second of video captured. Find out more about  Snap One Plant One!

Visit the BizBros website and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

In This Podcast

  • How to be good at running a business with a partner
  • Fostering good relationships
  • Go solo or be co-founders?
  • Kyle and Eli’s advice to private practitioners

How to be good at running a business with a partner

I think it’s rare to have a healthy business relationship and personal relationship. Being able to turn off that switch quickly and easily and be able to not offend the other person and not take things personally [is important]. (Kyle Nelson)

Set the ground rules and expectations early on so that each person knows they have their needs communicated and feels understood.

Fall back on those expectations and practice excellent communication to navigate those two worlds of friendship and business more easily.

We let each other have the floor and we know the other one is going to be the devil’s advocate, but you have to understand that that’s from the business perspective and not the personal perspective. (Kyle Nelson)

Consider conducting personality tests with your co-founder to learn more about them and how they best receive and give feedback.

It is vital to learn how your partner communicates and accepts information to make your negotiations and decision-making processes run more smoothly.

Fostering good relationships

To have a great business partnership, you have to enjoy being around your partner.

You will be spending a lot of time with that person, so find similarities and ways that you connect and make sure they are strong enough to carry you through difficult times.

I believe it’s the same thing as going into a business [for work]. You want to go to a business that you are passionate about and every day you go you are excited to be there, it’s the same thing with a co-founder. (Eli Libby)

Go solo or be co-founders?

Co-founding might not be for everybody but even if you work alone it is a good idea to have someone who is a soundboard for your ideas.

Consider having an advisor or mentor on your board who you can discuss big decisions if you prefer to work solo and if co-founding does not feel like the best path for you.

Your idea might be amazing to you but bouncing it off another person’s perspective can help you to flesh it out better and make it more suitable.

Kyle and Eli’s advice to private practitioners

Kyle: Owning a business “can feel like a mistress” but do not let your work get in the way of your personal life.

If you have more clarity in life and in what you do in your personal time, that will find its way into your business, and that is better than the other way around.

Eli: Building a strong culture in your business is important because as the leader and the owner, you set the tone for the company.

Remember to listen to those around you, your staff and clients, and structure your business around fulfilling their needs.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Image of the book Thursday Is The New Friday written by Joe Sanok. Author Joe Sanok offers the exercises, tools, and training that have helped thousands of professionals create the schedule they want, resulting in less work, greater income, and more time for what they most desire.

Useful Links mentioned in this episode:

Check out these additional resources:

Meet Joe Sanok

A photo of Joe Sanok is displayed. Joe, private practice consultant, offers helpful advice for group practice owners to grow their private practice. His therapist podcast, Practice of the Practice, offers this advice.

Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners that are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.

Thanks For Listening!

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Podcast Transcription

[JOE SANOK]
This is the Practice of the Practice podcast with Joe Sanok, session number 668.

I am Joe Sanok, your host and welcome to the Practice of the Practice podcast. I hope your new year is going great for you and whatever goals you set for yourself in January that you’re still kicking them. You’re kicking it forward. I know that in February of 2021, I started doing a one minute plank each day and for the most part I’ve kept that up. That was my little way of making sure I got at least a little bit of exercise and figured a minute a day I could do, I hit five minutes the other day, which was pretty, I was listening to Rage Against the Machine and my brain was just like, I cannot get to five minutes. I just started like screaming while I was planking and made it happen.

So whatever your thing you’re working on be nice with yourself. We’re just taking steps in the right direction. It doesn’t have to be pass fail. If you fall off the wagon who cares, just start eating salad again, it’s not a big deal. So we’re talking about some big things today and I’m really excited. I have Kyle and Eli who are known as the BizBros. They’re serial entrepreneurs who focus media startups and are dedicated to helping others grow in their entrepreneurial journey. They bring years of startup experience. They love to share the ups and downs of starting and growing a business. So Kyle, Eli, welcome to the Practice of the Practice podcast.
[ELI LIBBY]
What’s up, Joe.
[KYLE NELSON]
Hey Joe.
[JOE]
Man, you guys had me on your show when I was doing the Thursday is the New Friday book launch, and it was like brothers from another mother and I just loved it. You guys are so fun. It’s interesting about when you’re getting interviewed by two people. Lots of times they don’t really have their back and forth down, but you two really, you got it down. So tell, how do you guys know each other?
[ELI]
Oh man. Here’s a good story. Started on that.
[KYLE]
Grab the drinks, coffee, or beer while we were recording.
[ELI]
Yes, Kyle and I met a dinner party for one of our best friends today and just across the table, first time I’d ever met Kyle. He was always just cracking off jokes and definitely a guy that loves to laugh. I think that’s a huge part of life, was always laughing —
[KYLE]
Especially when I got some juice in my veins.
[ELI]
Yes, exactly. We had a super fun night and Kyle was just across the table, cracking jokes and nobody was laughing and I was the only one —
[KYLE]
He was the only one cracking up. So I’m like, so we can this energy. I’ll kick it with this dude.
[ELI]
Synergy just got back and forth and then started to get to know each other a lot more, set up and worked on a really cool business together, our first startup that, I was a part of, Kyle had been a part of a couple before and we hit it off from there. So we were part co-founders in this other company called SoIDs, a startup that we were part of and that’s where it started.
[JOE]
What business was that, that you guys started?
[ELI]
It was a social network for action sports, Ashton adventure sports. So every different sport category had its own network. So we were into snow, for action sports, we were into snowboarding. You saw nothing but snowboarding content in this social network. You liked BMX, same thing. Advertisers were able to drop in specific ads to those demographics. But athletes loved it because they didn’t see their grandma’s cat being posted in their feet. They got to see nothing but snowboarding content. That’s what they loved. So it was super fun. Phenomenal. Such a blast.
[JOE]
Well, one thing I wanted to specifically talk to you guys about is how did you do co-founding? Well, because in general, I would say my advice when I do consulting is don’t have a co-founder; for when you’re splitting the profits one person might be like, I want to run full tilt and the other person’s like, I just want to like pace it out a little bit. It’s really hard sometimes to find that synergy and to make it worth it. Usually I say just hire someone at a percent and then you get to decide if they go or are there, or whatever. Talk about co-founding and you guys are doing this together. How are you doing it well? How do you think through co-founding companies together?
[KYLE]
I think it’s really rare to have a really healthy business relationship and personal relationship, being able to turn off that switch very quickly and easily and be able to not offend the other person and not take things personally. I think we’ve just had a very good relationship in terms of going into setting expectations, understanding, and keeping each other accountable but at the same time, knowing like all of this that we’re doing is not worth putting our relationship on the line. When we are talking and we have conversations, like yesterday, we had a very, very, he had one idea and I had the other, but we just let each other have the floor.

We know the other one’s going to be the devil’s advocate, but you have to understand that’s from the business perspective and not the personal perspective. And I think a lot of people that aren’t able to hold onto that respect, it’s pretty hard and pretty difficult. And I think since we’re younger, if you’re co-founding with someone and you’re in your fifties, like you have 30 plus years of business experience where we’re going into it with maybe 10 years of business, five years of business experience. So you don’t have all this like tons of biases and experiences and wisdom that’s been built up where you’re away on the highway. With us, it was, we were really lucky to step into thing and be, okay, this is a good fit
[KYLE]
Hundred percent. I think there’s a deep level of respect and trust, understanding what he’s better at, what I’m better at and then really, really respecting when somebody says something and being extremely open-minded. The example yesterday, he just brought up was a phenomenal one because we both had kind of polar opposite. I’m not going to say polar opposite views. We were running each side of the spectrum and by the end of the conversation, because we were both open-minded we met in the middle and we came to a conclusion that, he came closer to the middle, I came closer to the middle after that convo and I think that’s what the decision’s going to be moving forward. So I think if we were not open-minded and we were closed off and very centric to our decision, we would’ve just never gotten anywhere. The last six years of this business, we’ve been able to do that.
[JOE]
In yesterday’s example, would you say that you got to a better quality decision because you each came from different perspective or did it feel like you each had to give something up and maybe it was lesser than your ideal?
[ELI]
No, it was definitely a very solid decision. Both of us, both of you come in with this guard on. You got your bullhorns ready. You’re ready, like, this is my idea and I’m very passionate about it, just because you’ve been thinking about it and you’ve been like, I know this is going to work. But then you have to let that guard down. Like, okay, let me hear where my ideas need improvement. I think it really comes down to being like self-aware and understanding how you operate and your behaviors and how he operates and his behaviors.

If you can’t take that step in taking some of those behavioral tests, personality tests and really dive deep for a couple days and understand who he is at his core, what makes him tick, what makes him happy, how I can communicate correctly to him is huge. Because at the end of day, it’s all communication with a co-founder and if you can’t understand how he needs to be communicated at, it’s not going to go anywhere.
[JOE]
And which personality did you guys do that were helpful for that?
[ELI]
Many. The list goes on.
[KYLE]
Myers Briggs, obviously, but that’s like one of the smaller ones. Crystal and then the TriMetrix EQ was like the most eye-opening 65 page report that you get back. When you’re reading through this, you are like, holy crap, this is literally who I am, why I do things and operate and behavior. That was the big eye-opener.
[ELI]
It really was. It was like, who’s watching? Where’s the webcam. Where’s the mic? Every day because this thing spits out report that it speaks literally to you, calls you out every single stressor or motivator, how to communicate the most effectively to me for me to be receptive of that message.
[JOE]
That was trimetric EQ, TriMetrix EQ, you said?
[KYLE]
You can’t just go take it. You have to have a facilitator help you through it and to take the test. There’s coaches through this company that you can go through to take it. It’s pretty pricey. It’s like 2,500 bucks or something but that’s the type investment you have to put into yourself and your business. The only way a company’s going to grow and operate, especially as an executive team. You have to be on the same page. If you don’t understand that person at the core, there’s no way to have respect in a conversation and be able to communicate correctly. I’m a visual person. He knows every time when he’s reading something to me, he’s like, “Here, Kyle. I know you need to read this.” That’s very small, but we understand that about each other. So if he wants to really let me absorb everything, I have to read it rather than being told.
[ELI]
That’s a very small example.
[JOE]
So being effective co-founders how much of it would you say is just that you naturally enjoy each other, that there’s a natural connection there versus, maybe not versus, and how much of it is you’ve developed, you’ve have specific skills and you work on the communication?
[ELI]
It’s a great question. I think it all has to deal with enjoying being around that individual. I think when you’re finding a co-founder, if you find somebody that compliments or has a skill that you don’t have, that’s only one little tiny step of the puzzle and where you’re trying to go. You really have to enjoy every single day because you spend more time with that person than you do technically with your spouse. For the most part you’re with them all day, every day. I believe it’s the same thing as going into a business, as you want to do a business that you’re passionate about, that every day you go and you’re excited to be there. It’s the same thing with a co-founder. You want to be doing this business and doing this journey and this path with that individual that you enjoy being around. I think that is one of the most important things of what we have.
[JOE]
So who shouldn’t be a co-founder with somebody? Who should go solo and run their own business and who might consider that they should have a co-founder?
[KYLE]
I think it comes down to your personality and who you are and your past. I think it might not, co-founding might not be for everybody, but I do think having another individual as a sound board and being able to drop ideas on is very important. So we label it as co-founding because that’s what we do but if it’s not co-founding then having an advisor or a mentor or someone that’s able to hear your questions and hear your ideas and really analytically break it down and then ask you questions on have you thought of this, have you thought of that; because we do that to each other all the time, I think is really more where we’re preaching at.

It’s like have someone there that you can talk to. Because your idea might be amazing to you, but there’s a lot of things you’re probably not thinking about. I don’t care how many years of experience you have. If you’ve been the CEO of the largest company for the past 30 years, there’s still things that you’re missing out and not really thinking about because we’re all human. We’re all like, my idea of the highway, so having that person poking and prodding you, I think is super important.
[ELI]
I agree. I think the people that are probably not suited for co-founding or that mentorship type of ability I think is somebody that is stuck in their ways, very close-minded big and big ego.
[KYLE]
Always a bad thing. It’s always a bad thing. Having a hard time with a co-founder.
[NOBLE]
Our friends at Noble believe in using technology to enhance, not replace human connection. With Noble, your clients will gain access to between session support through their automated therapist-created roadmaps, assessments to track progress and in-app messaging. These tools will help you and your clients gain a better understanding of their progress between sessions, how they’re feeling and what areas may need more focus so you can tailor your one-on-one sessions to their needs more effectively.

Not only will Noble help you offer your clients the more transformative experience possible, but you can also earn passive income while doing so. Learn more and join for free at www.noble.health/joe. Again, that’s www.noble.health/joe.
[JOE SANOK]
Have you guys ever had times where like on one side, one person wants to work more and the other wants to work less? Or how have you navigated some of those potential conflict?
[ELI]
For sure.
[KYLE]
I mean, I think naturally he’s a longer day person where with me I’m more condensed and I can work harder. I think it’s also having a respect for each other in terms of what’s going on in our personal life. He loves going on hikes and going snowboarding and if he wants to take the day off, go snowboarding, I could care less. He knows I’ve got kids so I need to leave early or come late to drop them off, whatever it is. I think at the end of it all, if you have your lists of tasks that you need to get done by specific dates and you’re being held accountable, it doesn’t really matter when you get it done or how you get it done as long as you’re getting it done. You have that mutual respect of, cool, he got it done. After six years we know how each other operate. We know he’s grinding at 11:00 PM where I’m sleeping, because I’m fricking exhausted because I just spent another three hours with my kids. I haven’t been able to, whatever, or like he gets up super early and goes to the gym where I’m like, no man.
[JOE]
I’m already as fit as I need to be.
[KYLE]
So it’s just we know how each other operates.
[ELI]
I think it comes back down to the foundation of the business and setting the core values and the culture, is being a hardworking culture and a culture of accountability, ownership and trust. So there’s a task at hand. It needs to get done by this date. Do whatever you need to do. Take the time, good healthy work life balance, but get the task done when it needs to get done when you said it’s going to get done. Aside from that, do what you need to do to have mental clarity, to be able to focus. That’s a really big thing.
[KYLE]
That’s huge for us.
[ELI]
It really is big. I think for other people listening that are thinking about co-founder establishing core values in a good, solid foundational culture of hard work and accountability is a great way to start.
[KYLE]
Come to think of it. We’re preaching with the choir. Thursday is the New Friday.
[ELI]
It’s huge, man. It’s like you can be more efficient and effective.
[JOE]
Well, I’m glad you bring up values because one thing that I respect about what you do is you two are very intentional on not just making money from the world, but how you’re going to impact it, how you’re going to improve society, how you’re going to change things for the better. How did that form within your company? What do you guys do on a regular basis that helps improve the world in some way through your business?
[ELI]
I think we started, the core of why we started the program. Well, the program’s called Snap One Plant One. We’ll let’s start there. The program, we’ll talk about the program and then we’ll go back to the evolution of it. But the program called Snap One Plant One, we plant a tree for every photo and second of video that we take and we deliver through our company Results Imagery. We do that with our partner, one tree planted and 1% for the planet. The goal behind that and where that started is to create legacy, to create impact in places that we love. So we live in Central Oregon and to be able to replant the tree canopy that’s been devastated by wildfire, that’s a really big part of some of the legacy, but it stems back to more of the origin story. That’s why we started.
[KYLE]
Yes. So it’s pretty personal for me. I lost my fire in the campfire in 2018.
[ELI]
He lost his house by the fire.
[KYLE]
Oh yes, my house. I talk about it, anyways, so yes, I lost my fire. I said it again. I lost my house in the fire and so for me that was like, there was millions of trees that were burnt down, 18,000 homes. I wanted a way to be able to give back and regrow and be resilient and help towards the community. So the best way to do that is to help replant these trees rebuild the tree canopy. It’s been really cool. We’re like up to 10,000 trees now or something like that and for me to be able to somehow give back in a way that’s fruitful for the community and help this urban growth that’s happening, that’s killing the tree canopy, let’s at least try to go help these other forests that have been totally destroyed by these fires. And here in Central Oregon, it’s just like California. There’s fires every summer. We know it’s going to happen. It’s super smokey like for a month straight, two months straight. So knowing that we can help out with that is huge. Then your perspective in terms of loving the outdoors.
[ELI]
Yes, it’s just a really deep rooted love and passion for the outdoors and being able to give that to future generations has been huge. And me knowing, and Kyle knowing that as individuals, we can’t really contribute as much as the company can do so we can get that snowball rolling a lot bigger with the company and we can just create larger impact with a company versus an individual, then that’s a legacy we want to pass down to other founders.
[JOE]
So walk me through how the actual flow goes. So there’s photos and that’s connected to planting trees. Break that down a little bit more.
[KYLE]
So, maybe it’s more clarity into our business. So we focus on e-commerce, product photography and video production. So for every transaction that’s made, there’s a photo behind that when it comes to e-commerce. So we’re the people, one of the companies out there that are creating those images, whether it’s a lifestyle product on creating those videos for Amazon listings that people are watching or maybe ad campaign, social media. So we have clients that order, let’s say 50 photos and 60 seconds of video. After their order’s complete, we commit 50, 110 trees planted in the company’s name.

So with companies being able to work and partner with us, they’re able to also make an impact through our company through the tree planning. Then once a year there’s a very specific time of year that you want to plant these trees here. Here in Central Oregon it’s in mark in April. So once a year we have a community event where as many people as they want can come out, plant a hundred trees, five trees, however many you want to plant as a family and go out and plant where these areas need new trees. So it’s a really cool way for us to also bring a community together, have some clients out, have some companies out that we’ve done partnerships with. We’ve got a ton of companies. Super excited for this spring to come out and help us plant these trees, because we’re going to have over 10,000 trees. That’s a lot of trees to plant
[JOE]
That’s a lot. Well, and that you’re not just like giving it to some online organization that then they go do the work. You’re actually creating community as part of it.
[ELI]
Exactly. That’s a really, that’s a big, actually foundational cornerstone of our company and our business mentality, local business and community. That’s a huge part of what we’re trying to do coming into this community. We weren’t just trying to be another photography company, agency. We wanted to come in and actually create impact within the community and be community leaders. This program really helps to do that, I believe it.
[KYLE]
It’s like, we love it, the whole purpose behind it but at the same point with any sustainability program that a company has, it is great for PR. It shows that you’re making a difference and you’re really trying to do good with the money you’re making. Because that money could easily be put back in the company’s pocket, the owner’s pocket. But we’re saying, no, we’re letting go of 10, 15, $20,000 a year to go plant some trees on top of all the travel and putting the events on. So it’s really cool. It’s really exciting to be able to do that and try to take like a selfless act in our life on behalf of the world and just say, “Hey, let’s do something different.
[JOE]
When you see other companies do this sort of thing, do you feel like by them it and getting some PR around it actually helps their businesses grow faster?
[KYLE]
I think it helps build it faster. I think it’s more of just showcasing an authority in the space. It’s like you’re making, maybe you can answer this better.
[ELI]
No, I just think —
[KYLE]
Lost m train of thought.
[ELI]
I think it does help them grow faster in today’s business environment. Shoppers, really anybody transacting, they want to work and do business with a company that’s doing good. That’s how they want to do business. That’s how the new generation work.
[KYLE]
People buy Tom’s shoes. They’re not the greatest shoes, not that comfortable, but for every shoe you buy, he donates one. That’s really cool. I want to make a difference every day I take a step I know that is —
[ELI]
Exactly. So I do think it does help with business growth. I do think it does, but, and hopefully that’s not the only reason that they’re doing it. But it is a big, I do think it is an accelerator.
[KYLE]
It’s a huge reason. That is a big reason why companies have sustainability problems.
[JOE]
Yep. And does that feel, like when people are getting PR and growing their company by doing good, do you feel like, well, that’s great that that happens? Or do you feel like, well I mean, there’s a lot of times that it’s like, you just do good for the world and nobody knows also. How do you guys find that balance so it’s not like, look at us, we’re so awesome with trees, which is awesome. It’s needed. We want people to be inspired by it. Also I think that it can move into like a little too much showcasing. How do you find that balance?
[KYLE]
We’re super loud about it, but I wouldn’t say we’re overly, you know we just drop it every so often, but I think it’s more in terms of how you’re educating through your program. I think it’s less of, you know the companies that are being super like [inaudible 00:21:37], like we’re doing this and we’re really good because we do that. You should love on us. It’s almost like an ego thing, but I think if you’re taking it as approach of educating and providing information and like, this is what we’re doing, and this is why, because check out the amount of impact that this will do and help and change, I think if you focus more on that rather than the actual doing then the actual education, I think could be a great way to promote your project.
[ELI]
I would just say, to add to that would be, we do a good balance of it, but I think it is creating awareness around the program and awareness around what is actually happening. I think some people are shielded to that. So creating awareness on what things that are happening that are good and positive, I think is a thing that’s just needed in society today. It’s just positivity. So I think building awareness around that is really impactful.
[KYLE]
And allowing our clients to understand that the impact isn’t done through us. It’s done through them. The only way that we can actually do this program is through you working and partnering with us. So understand that the dollar to purchase this tree or whatever it is, $2, $3 yet is through your pocket, not ours. We’re just the movers. We’re just the ones just making it move forward, but it’s not us. It’s these companies. So these companies, we send them certificates, so that can put in their office and say we planted 500 trees, a hundred trees, whatever it is. So that’s really cool. It’s really trying to educate, letting the clients know that it’s them, not us. We’re just the ones just putting it into motion.
[JOE]
It’s got my wheels turning in regards to different things I care about, whether it’s like the great lakes, a friend of mine, she is the attorney for Flow, which stands For the Love of Water. I mean, we have 20% of the world’s fresh water in the great lakes and there’s people that always want to take a straw to it and send it all over the world. But it’s like, we need these great lakes for a number of ecosystem things. So even just thinking about like, what would that look like in my company? Or even mental health issues. We’re all mostly therapists and coaches, to find national organizations to do either donations or grants and say, what would that look like within Practice of the Practice. You got my wheels turning.
[ELI]
Nice.
[KYLE]
That’s the whole goal, man. If any way we could touch anybody in some way like that, that’s impactful for us.
[ELI]
And we love being a soundboard too. It’s kind of mentors for other startup founders, as whether they’re looking to do some type of impact through system inability. We’ve had some really good conversations recently about that.
[JOE]
Super cool. Well, the last question I always ask and I’ll have you each answer it, but the last question I always ask is if every private practitioner in the world were listening right now, what would you want them to know?
[KYLE]
I think for me, it’s, there’s some different topics that we could share on, but at the end of the day, I know business. When you’re owning your own practice or your own business, it feels like it’s the other mistress almost. Don’t let your business get in the way of what’s really important in your life. Because if you’re able to really work hard on your personal life an live and love what you do and not let your business be that other mistress, it’s going to domino effect into your business. So if you have more clarity in life, you’ll become more of an effective, more efficient individual like in the business, but just don’t let your business take over your life. Because it happens. It’s like for a month, me and him will be like, oh my gosh, we need to make more and more and that’s all we’re thinking about.

It’s like, but you have to be able to train your mind and understand when that type of thought is appropriate when it’s not. So many business owners let it take over their lives and being able to stop that and say what, there’s nothing I can do right now. I can write it down. I can write some notes and take note to those tomorrow but right now, let me be in my space, spend time with my kids, my wife, my husband, whatever it is that you have and just enjoy life. Because business isn’t everything. It’s just a part of our life. Then that’s the hard part, I think a lot of business owners can’t get over because they get so excited about their business and then it becomes who they are when really the business is not you. Your identity is something different.
[ELI]
Yes, this is why we’re co-founders because that was literally very, very similar to the message that I would —
[KYLE]
It’s an easy thing to say.
[ELI]
Yes. That’s my easy cop out right there. On top of that I think building a strong culture is one of the best things that you can do in setting those foundational core values, like I said earlier. But I think as a leader, as a practitioner or a type of leader, I think listening to people and being empathetic to people is the best form of leadership. I think you can stand there and try to have this ego. It’s your show, but really the people that are within your team and your culture, those are the people that are really pushing things forward.

I think the best thing to do as a leader is really just to listen and let them have an outlet to talk and really be receptive. And actually take things, the last point on that is to actually take the things that you’re listening about and execute on that and really put them into play to show them that you’re not only just listening, but you’re actually taking their advice into play. I think that’s really helpful. People just want to be, they just want to be heard. I just want to be heard.
[KYLE]
A combination of those two things.
[JOE]
That’s awesome. So awesome. Well, if people want to follow your work and hear more about what you’re doing what’s the best place for them to check you out?
[KYLE]
We’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn. Just type in Kyle Nelson or Eli Libby and you’ll find us. Google the BizBros, go to bizbros.io. That’s our podcast and our brand. We love sharing the ups and downs of business and interviewing people just like you, Joe, how you were on our podcast. Then if you’re in the e-commerce space, more importantly, you need some photos and video that are live. You need to elevate your brand? Let us know at resultsimagery.com. That is the space and place to go.
[JOE]
Awesome. Well, Kyle and Eli, thank you so much for being on the Practice of the Practice podcast.
[ELI]
Thank you so much.
[KYLE]
Thank you. That was amazing, great conversation, Joe.
[ELI]
Love the energy.
[JOE]
Well, go take some action on this. If you need images or videos, if you are thinking about being a co-founder or even just saying, “Hey, I want to impact the world,” go take what you learned today and put it into action. Don’t just consume. Go actually do something with it.

We’re doing this podcast three days a week, every Tuesday and Thursday. We have interviews just like this and on Wednesdays we have the Ask Joe show. You can submit your question over at practiceofthepractice.com/askjoe. Our first day when we released that we got 26 question. So a half a year of content. So we are ready now for some more questions. Drop that in over at practiceofthepractice.com/askjoe.

And we could not do this podcast without our friends at Noble. Noble believes in using technology to enhance, not replace human connection. With Noble, your clients will gain access to between session and support through their automated, therapist-created roadmaps, assessments to track progress and in-app messaging. To learn more and to sign up for free head on over to noble.health/joe. That’s www.noble.health/joe. You can learn more about that there.

Thank you so much for letting me into your ears and to your brain. Have a great day. I’ll talk to you soon.

Special thanks to the band Silence is Sexy for your intro music. We really like it. And this podcast is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. This is given with the understanding that neither the host, the publisher, or the guests are rendering legal, accounting, clinical, or other professional information. If you want a professional, you should find one.