Podcast – Not a Real Job

NARJ148: Fake it ‘Til You Make It

Lindsay Doebler — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:00:21 +0000

After interesting (but not exciting) visits to their local faires and parks, Chris and Joel sit down for a chat about Apple products. They also dig into a discussion about confidence rebuilding and the importance of being social about business.

And don’t panic, this is the correct episode number.

Quotes

“A podcast about two guys podcasting.”
“Interesting without being exciting.”
“That’s the thing about anxiety, if it works it works.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ146: Business is Personal

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 10:00:32 +0000

Chris is back from WordCamp Chicago, so it’s time to record a new podcast. Things haven’t changed a whole lot for Chris or Joel since last episode, but they do dig into some real talk about hiring. Are you ready to be a manager?

Quotes

“Always 100%… fun?”
“We’re not things more often than we are things.”
“When I’m writing and I’m on a roll, it’s one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have.”
“Inertia is probably the shittiest thing we have to deal with.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns

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NARJ145: A Desire to Not Disappoint

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 10:00:16 +0000

This week the kingly content for your ears comes from Chris, who is contemplating cutbacks. Everyone makes mistakes in life, and it’s no different in business. But the best thing to do is acknowledge them and learn from them.

Quotes

“Consistency is key and content is king.”
“Learn to be honest with yourself.”
“Get the robots in your house.”

Gear Picks

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NARJ144: Cold Open

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:00:31 +0000

Chris and Joel do one of those pre-show things… a trailer? Foreplay? You know, the talking before the show. Joel also interviews Chris about Gutenberg, the new WordPress editor that is currently in development. Chris talks about why it’s happening and what it can bring to WordPress.

Quotes

“I feel so much more in tune with my own exhaustion than I ever have before.”
“Anything where you’re hiring an agency, absolutely Gutenberg should be part of your plan.”
“Right now you’re building to a moving target.”
“It is absolutely designed to simplify a lot of those experiences and make it so you don’t need a developer, but it also does make it necessary to hire a developer if you want to step outside those confines.”

Talking Points

Gutenberg

Gear Picks

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NARJ143: Slippy to Slippery

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 10:00:34 +0000

Lindsay apologizes for getting this one up a bit late! But now you can finally listen to Joel’s review of the incredibly fresh and never-before-reviewed iPhone X!

Quotes

“I’m increasingly old, I’ve noticed.”
“If by ‘partying’ you mean watching episodes of Fraiser on Netflix, then the answer is profoundly yes.”

Talking Points

iPhone X

Gear Picks

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NARJ142: Plan The Thing

Lindsay Doebler — Wed, 16 May 2018 10:00:33 +0000

This week, Chris calls in Joel from Moncton. They talk about how best to harness your motivation, enthusiasm, and energy for a task or project. Rather than just doing the dang thing, plan the dang thing first!

And just a heads up – no episode next week! But if you have questions please feel free to send them in for the following week.

Quotes

“I am extremely comfortable with losing grip on the things I once loved and cared about.”
“Use that energy to plan rather than to execute.”

Gear Picks

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NARJ141: Finding Balance

Lindsay Doebler — Wed, 09 May 2018 10:00:45 +0000

Finding the balance between work and rest is much more difficult than it sounds. This week Chris and Joel pick apart this topic to discuss what they’ve done right and wrong in the pursuit of balance and why it is so important to business and entrepreneurs in particular.

Quotes

“I don’t want it to be 90 degrees anywhere. That’s too many degrees, everyone knows.”
“I balance it by not balancing it and just constantly overworking and burning myself out.”
“If it’s something you’re not doing but it’s bothering you, is it possible you just shouldn’t worry about doing it?”
“Do the things that matter and divide the work evenly.”

Talking Points

TMBA podcast

Gear Picks

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NARJ140: 20 Minutes

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 10:00:10 +0000

Chris and Joel are recording this episode extra early in the day so it’s… a little short while also… stretching for… time. 20 minutes is a good minimum, right?

Quotes

“When I push the button, it’s not the only thing that’s depressed.”

Gear Picks

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NARJ139: Quarterly Update

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 10:00:13 +0000

We’re into Quarter 2 now, so it’s a good time to look back to Q1. What went well? What could be improved on? Chris and Joel go over the highs and lows of their respective businesses and what the hope to achieve going forward.

Quotes

“The only people I talk to now are you, my wife, and clients. Maybe I should talk to more people.”
“New York is the third character of this podcast.”

Talking Points

2bobs Podcast

Gear Picks

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NARJ138: Look After Me

Lindsay Doebler — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:00:55 +0000

This week we welcome on Dr. Julia Charity! She stops by to talk to us about career changes, the many hats of an entrepreneur, and the challenges of working in the tourism industry.

Quotes

“I wished I wasn’t quite so ballsy and brave.”
“The place where sensibility meets innovation.”
“Will you regret not doing it?”

Talking Points

Look After Me

Gear Picks

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NARJ137: The Business of Disappointment

Lindsay Doebler — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 10:00:46 +0000

No guest this week because we had to re-schedule some stuff, sorry! Instead, Chris and Joel talk about business positioning. Why is it important in marketing and yet why is it so undervalued? Joel also loses hope in his own words part way through but things work out.

PS, I will be posting a screenshot of the much-discussed Google Doc on Twitter, so check for it there. – Lindsay

Quotes

“I lost my train of thought three words in there.”
“Saying no more often is really difficult.”
“You and I are the Ubitter of good taste.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ136: Less Than Perfect

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 21:39:24 +0000

Chris is sick again and Joel is busy setting blogging goals. The two sit down this week to talk about common WordPress mistakes made by small businesses. They also delve into general advice for website building and being honest with your needs.

Quotes

“No good goal goes by without revision.”
“We tend to undervalue the time we spend doing things.”
“Be honest about the solution you need at that stage.”

Talking Points

The Family Knife – Market Positioning: Who is your product for?

Gear Picks

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NARJ135: A Good Audio Experience

Lindsay Doebler — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 11:00:07 +0000

There’s audio issues all around in this episode, but Stephen does a great job smoothing things over with music. Because of the audio problems, everyone’s a little out-of-sorts and not much business talking gets done.

Quotes

“Humans are a gas and will expand to fit the time given.”
“Every podcast is a vore podcast.”
“It’s just a bad conversation recorded between two people.”

Gear Picks

Set of 6 Essential Oils
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

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NARJ134: Couch Episode

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:00:53 +0000

We’re breaking new ground here – Joel is recording from his couch rather than his desk. These are exciting times, indeed. Joel and Chris also have a discussion about the value of cost-cutting versus purely trying to increase revenue. While costs can only be decreased, so much and revenue has a near-infinite ceiling of possibility, there’s a lot more evaluation that should be done on whether you really need to be spending as much as you are.

Quotes

“Two business buds in a bod.”
“It’s much easier to cut costs than grow revenue.”
“How much business are we doing to impress other people and how much are we doing to meet our own goals?”
“You heard it here first, folks: Joel thinks that’s lame.”
“Stop listening, ya dinguses.”

Gear Picks

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NARJ133: The Business of Despair

Lindsay Doebler — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 11:00:20 +0000

Joel wants to do another show-in-a-show. But he’s spent too much energy this week fighting a certain Canadian postal service provider to do that, so let’s talk about management, leadership, and emotions instead!

Quotes

“We’re all part of the royal family up here in Canada.”
“Come-at-all-angles Kelly”
“It’s my fault for having expectations.”
“Solicit feedback from your team but don’t take it personally.”

Talking Points

Ask a Manager

Gear Picks

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NARJ132: Awful Awful Squad Squad

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 11:00:39 +0000

Oh, you thought NARJ was going to be 100% about business 100% of the time now that it’s back to a weekly schedule? Well, you thought wrong. This episode is mostly about Chris and Joel watching other people play a video game. But don’t fret, it does circle back to business eventually.

Quotes

“What makes the video series beautiful is that they’re bad at it.”
“I am definitely in the camp that there’s nothing weirder about watching someone play a video game on the internet than watching someone play a sport on the TV.”
“It tends to be better to be known and judged for the things you contribute to the world than the things you take from the world.”
“How much do you want to stake your happiness on the decisions of others?”
“Don’t negotiate on price, negotiate on value.”

Talking Points

Awful Squad – YouTube Playlist

Gear Picks

From a Certain Point of View Star Wars short story anthology
iHome ISP6W Smart Plug

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NARJ131: Homeopathic Feedback

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:00:08 +0000

Chris and Joel are keeping good on their promise to record regularly and talk about their experiences as business boys. Joel, specifically, has also increased his abilities at being a web boy and now has a shiny-new updated website. But is including pricing on your site a good idea? It’s certainly not common practice, and these two business boys discuss why!

Quotes

“My strategy for avoiding obligations was to not take any on.”
“The earth is one big hill and we all die on it.”
“What really sucked was telling a client they can’t afford us.”
“The drive to build something is so strong, it still requires thought and effort every day to avoid building a large company.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks
Eleanor Roosevelt Vol 1 by Blanche Wiesen Cook
Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss

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Photo Credit

NARJ130: Season 2, Episode 1

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:00:41 +0000

No time for fanfare or announcement, Season 2 of NARJ starts right now! Chris and Joel have big plans to get back to weekly ‘casting, and this week they are starting things off right with lots of business talk. What’s the deal with blockchain? What’s the best way to set achievable goals for your business and life?

Quotes

“We kinda forgot to talk about business for like 100 episodes.”
“If everyone thinks this is the secret to get rich, you’re being duped.”
“It’s a thing that’s built by humans so it’s just as fallible as anything before it.”
“My imagination often exceeds reality.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition
Grant by Rob Chernow
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth by Gabriel Wickman and Justin Wickman

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NARJ129: The Biggest Company

Lindsay Doebler — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 11:00:13 +0000

Things have been quite busy lately for Chris and Joel, hence the long absence of episodes. As it turns out, running a business is difficult and requires a lot of emails. And what better way to relax and catch up than to discuss all the successes and failures of Apple? But as business owners, there’s a lot to learn from Apple’s methods – both good and bad.

Quotes

“You’re a known email pervert.”
“Not all islands are in Canada, Joel.”
“Stability isn’t sexy, it’s not a ‘cool’ thing to work on.”
“Coming out with 2 new phones in 1 year just screams there’s no way this stuff is gonna work as well as it used to.”
“You don’t accidentally become the biggest company.”

Talking Points

iPhone X

Gear Picks

HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Strategy
Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance by Michael E. Porter
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors by Michael E. Porter
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

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NARJ128: Inquisition Intermission

Lindsay Doebler — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 10:00:19 +0000

It’s time for your very regularly scheduled video game discussion podcast! Chris and Joel have a little talk about Dragon Age: Inquisition and then have a very off-topic conversation about marketing and entrepreneurship. I mean, no one ever talks about those things, especially on this podcast. iOS11 is also briefly discussed even though Apple products are also definitely never talked about on this show.

Quotes

“Make everyone a romance option. Including the dragons.”
“When do you become a serial killer?”
“The runway is never as long as you hope it is.”
“My prediction is that computers will be that shitty thing you have to use at work.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ127: Non-canonical

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:00:50 +0000

This week Chris is back from visiting Joel in Canada! And you better believe they went treasure hunting…

They also discuss Apple’s recent WWDC reveals like HomePod, iOS11, HomeKit changes, and AR.

Quotes

“I don’t get AR at all but that’s because I’m an old man.”
“I have a certain je ne sais quoi… I don’t know.”

Talking Points

Apple WWDC 2017 announcements

Gear Picks

Street Tribe collapsible water bottle
Satechi Bluetooth media button
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

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NARJ126: Gender is Weird

Lindsay Doebler — Wed, 17 May 2017 10:00:27 +0000

Don’t have any expectations about this episode and everything should go great! Lindsay (you know, the one writing this intro summary) is on the podcast this episode to talk about being genderqueer. Chris and Joel have some questions and learn more about not being straight cis dudes.

Just for the record – I went with the general LGBTQ rainbow pride flag as the featured image for this episode because the “official” genderqueer flag is purple/white/green and I think it’s ugly.

Quotes

“Gender is a social construct and nothing matters.”
“Do you ever wear pants?”
“I’m just trying to exist.”
“Is it just me being an anxious awkward person? Or is it a gender thing?”
“Don’t have any expectations.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

Gender and Sexuality for Beginners by Jaimee Garbacik (old pick but relevant)
Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed American Women’s Lives at Work by Gillian Thomas
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ducky One fullsized mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Red switches

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NARJ125: Overthinking

Lindsay Doebler — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 10:00:32 +0000

Joel is about to go through a transition period of his life as he makes a job-related change. This brings out a discussion on the lasting impacts of “major moments” in one’s life and how we remember things later in life. What is career-related moments overshadow the smaller, warm and fuzzy moments of day to day life? Chris thinks Joel is maybe overthinking things before they even happen. One thing is for certain though: this podcast is continuing to get more and more philosophical as the episodes go by.

Dear listeners, is that what you want? We are super desperate for any kind of input from you. Let us know you exist and are listening. Recommend us some cool guests, while you’re at it.

Quotes

“New York is the greatest city in the world and always will be.”
“I feel like you’re putting the cart before the horse here.”
“I don’t want my life story to be one of career moments.”
“If there is a moment for reflection, now is the time.”
“Everyone read some books, they’re good for you.”

Talking Points

Narrative Fallacy

Gear Picks

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NARJ124: It’s a Little Cattywompus

Lindsay Doebler — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 10:00:36 +0000

Carrying on from our recent trend, this episode is heavy on the philosophy. How does stoicism and Buddhism fit into today’s world and political climate? Should we be trying to disengage from our emotions and situations or embrace them? Joel and Chris have two different takes on these ideas, but they are both feeling some anxiety and guilt around non-productivity lately. This all manifests into a very thoughtful episode, even if it does start off with TV show pun names and video games.

Quotes

“You get swept up in the lack of drama.”
“I’m always feeling that I’m not as productive or as focused or that I’m not putting enough work into my future.”
“I wonder if removing yourself and unengaging in a situation is the best course?”
“It’s okay to be angry and not do anything about it.”
“We’re going to do this anyway so it may as well be something you enjoy!”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ123: Stay Strong, Good Vibes

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:00:59 +0000

It’s a tough time for everyone these days. Should we discuss the bad things happening in the world? Or should we try to bring some lightness and escapism for those whose mental health is suffering under the weight of all the terribleness? It’s a fine line we all have to tread, including NARJ. In light of this, Chris and Joel discuss airpods and language processing in technologies like Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and chatbots.

Quotes

“Our most sexual episode yet!”
“Are you a dirty jean boy, Joel?”
“Understanding intention is at an infant stage in technology.”
“Hang on to your butts.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 1) by Ursula K. Le Guin
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

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NARJ122: Philosophy Podcast

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 11:00:42 +0000

In a post-2016 US Election world, Chris and Joel get philosophical. What is morality? Is it possible to understand, empathize, and fine common ground with others without legitimizing views we find immoral? Why are these people spending so much damn money digging up Oak Island?! All of these questions are thoroughly discussed for your listening pleasure. And if you need some last-minute gift ideas for this holiday season, we’ve got you covered with this extra long Gear Picks this episode!

Quotes

“What a major bummer.”
“Like if Lost Season 3 was a documentary.”
“That could be any of us about anything!”
“The world is not necessarily the way you always want it.”
“How can I be the best person I can be?”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ121: Forming Habits

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:00:37 +0000

Since the last episode, Chris and Joel have been through some stuff. Joel is giving not-drinking a try and Chris has just plain had the worst week ever. Habit formation and replacement is the big topic of discussion because of it. How much of our actions are just deeply ingrained habits? Are cultural habits part of why China is dominating the manufacturing industry?

Quotes

“We’re just doin’ a show about stuff and we’re people.”
“It’s just like any part of your diet. If some one goes gluten-free and then eats bread 10 weeks later we don’t hate them.”
“If you hear something that makes you pause, apply a mitigating balm to it.”
“When I do have a drink again, it’s not out of habitual action but with a purpose.”
“Go out and support capitalism.”

Talking Points

Rise of the RoboMasters – the Verge
Behind the Crash of 3D Robotics, North America’s Most Promising Drone Company – Forbes
Repeater podcast

Gear Picks

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NARJ120: Like No One Ever Was

Lindsay Doebler — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:00:24 +0000

Chris and Joel are back again this week with a new episode. Sorry again for Ep 119’s delay! In this episode they discuss the controversial iPhone 7 and its removal of the headphone jack. Is it merely a herald of a more streamlined technological advancement? Has Joel caught all of the Pokemans?!

Quotes

“Whiskey is the love of liquids.”
“Regular people bring a nostalgia to the headphone jack that Apple underestimates.”
“Read your Twilight and play your Pokemons.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

Pokemon Moon (or Sun)
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

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NARJ119: Spritzin’ All Over the Place

Lindsay Doebler — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:00:08 +0000

It’s been awhile, friends. But never fear, NARJ was just sleeping for a bit. Well okay, what actually happened was we all kind of forgot to mention it was recorded and then we didn’t edit it and then we didn’t do show notes. So this episode has been delayed. Originally recorded in early May you could say it’s a bit overdue. In this one, Joel and Chris talk about soda wine, Hawkeye, and Canadian radio. They also discuss tech evolution in the new Tesla and iPhone models. Enjoy!

Quotes

“Hold on to your butts… and never let go.”
“Marshal is Joel’s dog-” “HE’S MY SON.”
“Buying a car is like buying a computer – it’s always the wrong time.”

Talking Points

Gear Picks

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NARJ118: Is This The Real Life?

Lindsay Doebler — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 10:00:42 +0000

After a maximum of three years, NARJcast finally has its triumphant return! In this extra long episode, Chris and Joel give everyone an update on the State of the NARJcast as well as what they’ve been up to with Firsthand. They also discuss travel anxiety and their latest creative endeavors.

Quotes

“I don’t remember anything else that we typically said.”
“You’re going to hear episodes that are a bit more different but also less frequent.”
“I’d challenge the idea that anxiousness makes you less inclined to travel. I think it directly correlates to me wanting to travel.”
“I think [Amazon Echo] is the future.”

Talking Points

Firsthand Website

Gear Picks

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