Mean Business
If you're a business owner you're going to love the Mean Business podcast. You'll get the knowledge you need to find new customers. Serve those customers at the highest level. And grow your business to whatever heights you wish. Let's go!
Episodes
13 episodes
Let's Talk About ChatGPT Replacing Word-of-Mouth for Local Businesses
Discussion about how ChatGPT recommendations drive real traffic and what it means for local service businesses trying to stay visible in the AI era.Read the full blog post:
ChatGPT Ads Are Beating Google - First Real Conversion Data Is Here
The first real ChatGPT ad conversion benchmarks just dropped across 19 industries. HVAC converts at 2.2% on ChatGPT vs 1.9% on Google Ads. Construction matches at 3.4%. Legal beats Google at 2.8% vs 2.3%.Kathy & Keith break...
Agentic Commerce Is Here - What Walmart's Sparky AI Means for Small Business
Walmart's new AI assistant Sparky just increased online orders by thirty five percent. In this discussion we unpack what agentic commerce is, how AI agents are changing the way customers buy, and why small businesses actually have an advantage ...
Let's Talk About Google's New Review Warning Banners
Google is cracking down on fake reviews harder than ever - and now they're putting public warning banners right on business profiles for everyone to see. In this discussion we break down the new four-step enforcement process, which common revie...
Walmart AI Boosts Orders 35 Percent - What Your Business Can Learn
Walmart just rolled out an AI assistant called Sparky that boosted online orders by thirty five percent. But here is the thing. The same technology that powers Sparky is available to small businesses right now. In this episode I break down what...
Google Local Finder Drops Pagination - Top 20 or Invisible
Google just removed pagination from Local Finder results. If your business is not in the top 20, customers will never see you. The change is live now.In this episode, we cover what changed, who gets hurt the most, how Google decides the...
Google Is Publicly Shaming Businesses With Fake Reviews
Google just changed the rules on reviews - and the punishment is way worse than it used to be. If your business gets caught with fake or paid-for reviews, Google now puts a public warning banner right on your listing. Every customer sees it. In...
AI Phone Agents Cut No-Shows by 40% - The Data Every Service Business Needs
New 2026 data shows AI phone agents cut no-shows by 35-40% and recover $15,000 to $45,000 per year for service businesses. Plus they save 8 hours per week on scheduling.In this episode, we dig into the numbers, explain why voice beats t...
92% of Sales Teams Drop Leads Every Month - Here's What to Do About It
A new Zapier survey found that 92% of sales teams lose qualified leads every single month. But it's not because the leads are bad. It's because the follow-up is broken.In this episode:- 68% of reps waste 3-10 hours/week on CRM busyw...
Google Is Silently Rejecting Your Review Replies - What to Do Now
Google is rejecting business review replies without telling anyone. A Sterling Sky study found that owners think their replies are live, but customers never see them. We break down what triggers rejections, how to check your replies, and the ne...
ChatGPT Ads Are Open to Every U.S. Business - What It Means for You
OpenAI just opened self-serve advertising to every U.S. business with zero minimum spend. No agency needed. No massive budget required. Just you, your business, and a brand-new way to reach customers at the exact moment they're asking AI for he...
Stop Wasting $4 to Make $1 - The Budget Mistake 63% of Businesses Are Making
In this episode, we break down exactly what's happening, why it matters if you run a local service business, and the simple fixes that can turn this around fast. A 5% bump in retention can boost your profits up to 95%. We'll show you how.
Why 50 Fresh Reviews Now Beat 500 Old Ones on Google
New data shows that a plumber with 40 reviews who gets 3 new ones every week will now outrank the plumber with 400 reviews who hasn't gotten one in months. Google's algorithm now evaluates reviews on rolling 30-day and 90-day windows instead of...