Local businesses to start with NO startup costs

Join us for an insightful conversation with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into the mindset required for entrepreneurial success and we reveal two promising startup ideas. At the beginning of the episode, we discuss strategies to avoid burnout and my productivity system that maximizes efficiency. We explore the challenges of entrepreneurship and why it can be tough, sharing the benefits of being a multipreneur to address some these common stresses. Toward the end, we delve into how to leverage the growing trends of shopping local and the desire for a "third place" to build a couple of great businesses. We outline how to build these businesses and why they are ideal for first-time founders. Whether you're looking to start your first million-dollar business or are curious about entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: [gregisenberg.com/30startupideas](gregisenberg.com/30startupideas)
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Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
02:15 How to deal with Burnout
22:31 Should you hire a CEO?
26:10 Benefits of being a HoldCo Entrepreneur
35:46 The most difficult thing about entrepreneurship
39:32 Ideas vs Execution?
42:18 Startup Idea 1: Farmers Market Management Company
52:29 Startup Idea 2: Event Management as a Service

[@vadim_sharapov]

The thing about burnout, in my experience, is that it depends on the activity I am doing. I was working in a company-great success, great employee, did great work, very active. Almost every three months, I felt burnout and a few times went into a cycle of depression. Now I started my own business-0 success, 0 clients, $0, working 16 hours a day + weekends (except maybe sometimes Sunday-Sunday is a whole day with the dog) from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.-I feel great! The last 3-4 months, I would say, have been the best months of my life almost. But it also depends on different factors; for me, that works like that.

[@theunscheduledceo]

Oh yeah id be burned out immediately if i worked for someone else :D

[@vadim_sharapov]

@@theunscheduledceo yep, but for some people, they are even happier, and uncertainty just scares them too much.

[@theunscheduledceo]

@@vadim_sharapov absolutely!

[@GregIsenberg]

JICECREAM IS BACK

[@theunscheduledceo]

Who ME

[@vadim_sharapov]

@@theunscheduledceo @GregIsenberg Finally! Let’s Jiceng (or Jicing) - I think we can make Jicecream in something like Mozi Nation or how Hormozi calls his fans (myself included LOL).

[@danebauerle1]

Jonathan- with no sarcasm- rewatch the 1-hour sales video you send to potential clients. Let it revive your soul! You say: "It's Fun! I Love it! It's amazing! It gets me excited!...and it pays really well!" Wishing you a revial!

[@maureenoleary8988]

Love the show and listening to real conversations like this reminds me of the days of working in an office. Disagree with the comment on farmers resistance to tech. Farmers know and use more tech than most people. Most farmers appreciate and have always welcomed anyone that can help market, advertise and get their products sold directly to the people. Would love to see if ‘new’ people were to take over ‘the established’…. Perhaps those margins might also increase?

[@metroknow]

To clarify, I don't mean resistance to tech. I mean resistance to 'tech bros' who see the opportunity as a systems problem, not a people problem. I agree on the tech adoption side - having been a vendor myself, that is absolutely true. But having somebody who knows nothing about the life of vendors at markets sweep in and say "well that's easy - you just need somebody to get adoption in other towns" is what would create resistance. That said, I could be wrong - it could be my own resistance to change :).

[@theunscheduledceo]

Me: Greg, Im feeling tired and burned out Greg: Nah dude, its a vibe

[@GregIsenberg]

hello jicecream

[@theunscheduledceo]

@@GregIsenberg hello gbouche

[@theunscheduledceo]

@@GregIsenberg my heart has been broken by paperwork

[@CraigRourke]

Thanks for sharing your conversation, ideas, advice, and or keeping real. I recently left a 20 year position working as a senior manager in a developmental services organization and one thing I constantly struggled with (especially during the pandemic and immediately afterwards) is maintaining a culture where people feel engaged, appreciated, and valued. Out of curiosity, how do you approach employee recognition, satisfaction and engagement in your companies. If you typically interface with your teams when problems arise or a crisis is looming, how do you ensure that the people that you truest to do what they do best feel engaged, committed and part of the overall mission? I understand that this may not be a high level question that is on your radar at the decision making levels. It was just a question that I wrestled with myself when my role was mostly to appear when their were "problems" that needed solved. I understand that my decision making level was a lot lower level than yours and that the answer may be that you hire really good HR type positions that address this, but I thought I'd ask (and I couldn't ignore your requests to leave a comment any longer).

[@viktorbezic]

Love the candid nature of the convo Jonathan. Also a fan of workshopper.

[@GregIsenberg]

just a couple homies having a convo

[@viktorbezic]

@@GregIsenberg totally dude, I appreciate it

[@rossmccabe1016]

I enjoyed the discussion about the realties that you guys face as business owners.

[@davidl3428]

I love Jonathan on this podcast

[@theunscheduledceo]

Thats nice of you to say, thanks!

[@kkhdelivery6208]

Best episode so far! Thank you being to transparent both of you

[@theunscheduledceo]

Thank you!

[@thomaspuget]

Great conversation! Truly helpful

[@edgarasben]

Enjoyed the rawness and honesty, thanks guys! 👍 My fav pod currently:)

[@GregIsenberg]

ahhh thank youuuu

[@jaimevelez4692]

This episode was a lot like the "Beard After Hours" episode of Ted Lasso. Weird AF. You have no idea where it's going for the first 35 minutes while JICECREAM is having an existential crisis, but then he brings it home gracefully with "Execution is Everything". LOL! Overall, it was a great pod! If you want to hear real-life shit that real entrepreneurs go through, then listen to whole thing. But if you just want to learn about local businesses you can start with no startup costs, then jump to 42:24.

[@theunscheduledceo]

hahaha thanks jaime!

[@jaimevelez4692]

@@theunscheduledceo you are welcome! Please hire a CEO then come back to the pod a year later to tell us all about it. 😁

[@raydiog]

One of my new favs. Great pod

[@GregIsenberg]

Thank youuuu

[@markcurranforever]

love this show

[@garye729]

Excellent as always. Thank you both

[@theunscheduledceo]

Thank you!

[@sionsmith]

What do you use to record your podcasts?

[@GregIsenberg]

Riverside FM, shure mv7 mic

[@nathanward4654]

New intro is dope!

[@thatbusinesstrainer1414]

He is your best guest for sure!

[@theunscheduledceo]

Thats very kind of you to say!

[@roscobee4358]

31:15 "Abstract away complexity" Problem: "Always comes back" Solution: "Just Build Redundancy"👍

[@metroknow]

I generally like the market idea, but this role is already well established for every farmers market, so really the idea is to swoop in and somehow do it better. I suppose you could be a service company that helps the market administrators, but the problems start with the very small margins of businesses who are at markets. Additionally there is significant cultural resistance to this, as farmers markets do not want tech people taking over - it’s one of the reasons they are using this business model in the first place. Not that tech people would have to do it of course, but the strong resistance to outsiders taking over this particular lifestyle business space is going to be a huge people problem vs a technical or systems problem.

[@4rtivist]

Events... Got it. I love events!

[@SterlingSells]

You guys are awesome. Greg, at what point did you start your holding company? Like when did you decide that that was the right move for you? Maybe you’ve already talked about it in another video. Just curious! 🎉☕️

[@GregIsenberg]

Left my corporate job in 2020 to start holdco!

[@giordanolugo]

I've been burnout since like 2018. still not a millionaire

[@alex34212l]

Greg where about do you live in Canada?

[@GregIsenberg]

Live in Miami mostly, I’m in Quebec sometimes

[@_taishi]

love the honest jicey talk

[@theunscheduledceo]

just me complaining :D

[@SheldonMB]

We love Jicecream

[@GregIsenberg]

jicecream sundae

[@Rampareekartt]

Hi Greg! Awesome values from the video. I have done some stuff for this channel. Just confused whom to send?? If you don’t mind than Can you please provide me any Social in “reply” who manages your KZbin channel?

[@conformist]

15:20 for sure. all i want is just financial freedom lol. im soon 30, need some goddamn money in the bank.

[@asystematec]

I work for Jon. I think he’s a cool boss. He didn’t make me say that.

[@GregIsenberg]

classic jicecream

[@quantumpotential7639]

Here's a business. Put jicecream on every billboard in America. Then watch what happens. That's my business idea for the day. I'm now clocked out.

[@ReaLpeej]

Jonathan’s idea for this podcast: A Jonathan’s execution of the idea: C- Which I guess means I side with Jonathan in the debate 😂 In all seriousness though, love the pod!

[@theunscheduledceo]

hahahha shit you're so right :D Forget what I said, it's all about ideas!

[@MosesSaxton]

You do not respond to every comment, prove me wrong 😂

[@MosesSaxton]

Ps love the pod

[@GregIsenberg]

Hi

[@theunscheduledceo]

EVERY COMMENT

[@GregIsenberg]

@@theunscheduledceo cant stop wont stop

[@GGTanguera]

@@GregIsenbergDo you live in the Philippines or India?

[@ethanl955]

Jicecream stop being a pick me boy

[@GregIsenberg]

!!!!

[@Pastpageshistory596]

Is this a therapy channel now?

[@GregIsenberg]

Haha just a quick therapy break but we’re back on 100% ideas next Monday

[@theunscheduledceo]

@@GregIsenberg nah its 100% therapy from now on

[@divine7223]

man this guy needs to stop hopping on this pod... boring

[@sammyb1651]

😂 I can see you have mixed feelings on the subject.

[@theunscheduledceo]

fair enough! I can def see why someone would find this boring.

[@sammyb1651]

@@theunscheduledceo I suspect its cos you came in heavy with the "execution" vibe.😂 People don't like a cold, German reality check. It was an important point though and one well worth making. I'd nip home for a weekend in Ireland all the same before it becomes a habit.

[@GregIsenberg]

@@theunscheduledceo lollllll

[@theunscheduledceo]

@@sammyb1651 hahahha hell yeah!

[@lawncaretoamillion]

Burnout. Fk I’m trying to just survive

[@jesseiscamping]

So jicey 🧊

[@GregIsenberg]

jiceyyyy