Learning More vs Doing More

Welcome back to Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer today's topic is Learning More vs Doing More 0:00: Balance between learning and doing in business. Mercer and Jeff discuss the balance between learning and doing in business. They emphasize the importance of practicing skills after learning new information. 2:37: Balancing learning and doing to achieve growth. Jeff suggests quarterly priorities are ideal for learning and implementing new skills, rather than monthly priorities. The synergy between learning and doing is key to growth and staying ahead of the curve. 5:07: Learning and growth through revisiting and applying knowledge. Mercer discusses how he used to prioritize being right over taking action, but now prioritizes being a little bit less wrong. He finds it helpful to reframe his approach to learning and improvement by focusing on being a little bit better than before. 9:40: Entrepreneurship, learning, and growth. Jeff emphasizes the importance of gradual progress (leveling up) rather than rapid growth. Both learning and doing are key to achieving inflection points in business. 12:31: Managing team members who only learn but don't take action. Jeff reflects on past experiences with team members who appear to be learning but not taking action. 15:45: Managing team members, setting goals, and providing constructive feedback. Jeff uses humor to encourage personal development and set expectations for roles within the company. Identifying root problems (e.g., perfectionism, busyness) is key to learning and growth. 22:02: Mastering paid traffic for business growth. At a recent Mastermind Mercer and Jeff realized they struggle with implementing this basic step in their business. They overcompensate with other skills, neglecting paid traffic. 24:59: Overcoming fear and underinvesting in easy opportunities due to past financial challenges. Jeff identifies fear as the root cause of underinvesting in easy opportunities and seeks to overcome it through mastermind support. 27:05: Overcoming fear and taking action to grow a successful business. Mercer shares insights on embracing uncertainty and taking action.

Topics Covered In This Episode

Foundation of Growth: Mercer and Jeff delve into the crucial balance between learning and doing in business, both agree it is necessary to apply newly acquired skills. They advocate for setting quarterly priorities for both learning and implementation to foster business growth and maintain a competitive edge.
Continuous Improvement: Mercer highlights a transformative approach to business learning—shifting from a focus on being right to prioritizing being "less wrong." He discusses the benefits of revisiting and applying knowledge continuously to enhance skills and insights, underscoring the importance of action and feedback in the learning process.
Entrepreneurial Learning Curve: Mercer and Jeff explore the concept of gradual progress and leveling up in business. They stress the importance of having robust internal systems and processes to handle the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship and to reach significant inflection points in business development.
Team Management Challenges: The duo reflects on challenges with team members who learn but fail to take action, sharing strategies for encouraging ownership and proactive behavior. They discuss setting clear goals, providing constructive feedback, and the delicate balance between personal and company objectives.
Mastering Essential Skills: The discussion touches on common pitfalls in business growth, such as neglecting essential areas like paid traffic due to a lack of action or fear of failure. They emphasize the need to confront these fears and engage in areas outside of one’s comfort zone to maximize growth opportunities.
Overcoming Personal Barriers: The podcast concludes with personal stories from Jeff and Mercer on overcoming fear and embracing uncertainty. They encourage listeners to challenge their limitations and take decisive steps toward business success.