Episodes

Episode 30: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has returned from his vacation in Africa. During his trip, he got to experience rich culture and world-class service. It was the break needed to acquire a new perspective on his company, Storyarb. While most shy away from spending time away from their business, a substantial vacation can reveal any holes or gaps in your processes, or validate the ones that are working. Next time you’re thinking about taking some time off, take it. Timestamps: (00:4...

Episode 29: Disagreements and conflicts are bound to happen. They can either make you stronger as a team through resolution and understanding, or become detrimental that can hurt the business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares this two-part playbook to handle big disagreements at work, making sure the conflicts you have among colleagues help strengthen your relationships, not break them. Timestamps: (00:24): Intro (01:01): The 6 ground rules to a good disagreement (04:52): The 6 steps...

Episode 28: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) runs through 8 biases that affect all business leaders and decision-making. He ties real-life examples during the early days of Morning Brew to each bias and the reflections from those experiences. By acknowledging these potential blindspots, this will help prevent making poor decisions based on feeling and more on tangible evidence. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com Links: https://twitter...

Episode 27: In another edition of a guest entry for Founder’s Journal, Sam Parr (@thesamparr) shares the secrets of how he built The Hustle, a wildly popular newsletter covering business and tech that was acquired by Hubspot in 2021. In this episode, learn all the tools that will provide the necessary data to make informed decisions. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com Links: https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ https://joinhampton.com/ h...

Episode 26: Mistakes happen. But it can be difficult knowing which mistake is the right one or the wrong one. Depending on the type of mistake, they can either help solidify a foundation for your business or create a structure of bad habits. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about an employee’s first mistake and reflects on the mistakes he’s made over the past. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepr...

Episode 25: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has hired the first employee for his business. It’s a pivotal moment and crucial time as it can set the tone for future success. If you’re trying to look beyond the resume, your top, early talent should have these 4 key characteristics: critical thinking, obsessive brain, self-awareness, and a force of nature. Timestamps: (00:57): Reflecting on how to hire (02:01): The first employee resignation (03:52): The interview process (07:50): 4 characte...

Episode 24: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) does his temperature for the week where he shares what went well, what didn’t, and what he learned. Multimedia has grown tremendously at Morning Brew and Alex celebrates the big steps it’s taken. Social media is a constant distraction — that’s why Alex is hiring a productivity coach. Alex learns the origins of how the idea of Pokémon turned into a $100 billion business Timestamps: (01:21): Getting over the multimedia hump (04:41): Hitting revenue ...

Episode 23: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has insecurities and he wants to share it with the world. Leaders are often perceived as being impervious to any shortcomings they may have in their business, personalities, or abilities. Here are the reasons why you should consider being more open about your insecurities. Timestamps: (01:14): Should you share your insecurities to investors? (02:52): 4 skill sets of daring leadership (05:09): My own insecurities (08:10): Why share at all? Send ...

Episode 22: Often the most successful people have an inner circle that they trust and can turn to when they need support. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares this quick 9 step exercise to identify, audit, and elevate your inner circle to make sure you are surrounding yourself with the right people to enable your success. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to Founder’s Journal here: h...

Episode 21: Did you know that 90% of the world’s data was created in the last two years? There’s an abundance of content out there. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares his tips on how to cut through the noise and find content that interests you and helps your business. Timestamps: (00:26): The state of content on the Internet (03:56): My curated list of content (07:03): How to cut through the noise Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew...

Episode 20: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares his takeaways from Bob Iger’s memoir The Ride Of A Lifetime. Considered one of the most prominent CEOs of all-time, his journey is filled with peaks and valleys. While there are multiple lessons every entrepreneur can learn from in his memoir, this episode highlights the skill of compartmentalization for leaders during times of tragedy. Timestamps: (01:18): Intro (02:11): Orlando shooting (06:12): Learn to compartmentalize (09:04): How to...

Episode 19: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) was never trained in sales, yet forced to become a salesperson through the journey of his business building. Why? Because it’s the skill that will ultimately grow your business. Here are 8 strategies that any person can use regardless of your sales level. Timestamps: (01:55): Tip #1 - Do your homework (03:08): Tip #2 - Offense vs. defense (04:07): Tip #3 - Use weaknesses to your advantage (05:22): Tip #4 - Anticipate questions or concern (07:02...

Episode 18: When it comes to an idea, we naturally try to identify the solution to any problems we inevitably encounter. In the world of Chess, amateur players tend to resort to this solution-centric thought process. However, grandmasters spend time falsifying their idea before they make their next move. This is called the falsification ratio. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) breaks down what the ratio is and how it can relate to the world of business, but also why it can be impractical in real...

Episode 17: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) runs through 10 startup ideas and determines why he would (or wouldn’t) take an investor meeting. These are real ideas that’s been pitched to him, and while some seem like viable businesses, he has to consider if they are solving a problem and have a substantial market. This is a great exercise to get into the minds of investors…it’s Startup Crossfit! Timestamps: (01:14): Idea #1 - 1 million kids climbing (02:21): Idea #2 - Business coaching firm ...

Episode 16: Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) share the story of how they started Our Future, the #1 source of business for GenZ. After building a massive following on TikTok and garnering millions of views on their short-form explainers, they were acquired by Morning Brew. But post-acquisition life only brought a new set of challenges. Learn about the considerations and consequences of selling your business from these young and talented entrepreneurs. Timestamps: (0...

Episode 15: It’s our first ever mailbag episode! Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) answers questions that cover whether you should be worried about someone stealing your idea, what to do in the first 90 days of starting a business, how to leverage your network whether big or small, and knowing when to pivot. Timestamps: (01:01): Intro (02:21): How quickly should you have investor convos? (09:25): Do you have a playbook in your first 90 days? (16:42): Can you build a business without a big n...

Episode 14: So you’ve just hired your first employee. You’re excited. It’s a big milestone for your business. Now what? Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares his tips to making sure your first (and future) employee is bought-in from day one. He’ll be sharing how you can establish the “why” and solidifying the “how” in your onboarding process so that they can hit the ground running. Timestamps: (01:01): What’s wrong with onboarding today (04:21): What does good onboarding look like (06:15)...

Episode 13: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) gives an update on his ghostwriting content agency business, Storyarb. Perhaps the biggest step in any business is hiring its first employee and Storyarb will have a new content strategist. The most important next step is onboarding – which is the stage that can set the standard for both the employee and company. Next, Alex shares some of the initial numbers of Storyarb to give you a clear picture of the progress he’s making. Timestamps: (01:30): T...

Episode 12: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) breaks down the biggest news of the Internet: Threads. It’s been dubbed the “Twitter-killer”, but did you know Threads existed and failed the first time? Here are the 4 takeaways you can think about when you’re building your business. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to Founder’s Journal here: https://link.chtbl.com/OV4W93_W Watch Founder’s...

Episode 11: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares the inevitable throughout your career: getting advice. Whether you’re starting your journey or a seasoned veteran, you’ll likely be receiving advice from other professionals along your career path. And while seeking advice is generally a good thing, not all advice can be helpful. Here are the 4 types of advice you’ll get and how to identify them. Timestamps: (01:30): Advice coming in from everywhere (03:11): Getting advice about Morning Bre...

Episode 10: It’s a Founder’s Journal takeover! Bolt Storage founder Nick Huber (@sweatystartup) talks about how he built his business and the biggest lessons to take home for entrepreneurs. The biggest mistake founders make is trying to do everything when they should be reframing their minds to trying to find people to do the necessary tasks for your business. Timestamps: (01:30): Intro (04:01): Reframing your mind (06:06): Take small steps (09:15): Surround yourself with the right people ...

Episode 09: Ryan Seacrest has been named the new host of ‘Wheel of Fortune’. If you haven’t been paying attention, Ryan Seacrest is an example of the entrepreneur who stops at nothing to achieve success. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 3 lessons founders can learn from his career, but also the costs it takes. Timestamps: (01:30): Ryan Seacrest’s career (05:56): Lesson 1 - Focus on one thing (08:33): Lesson 2 - Prepare for the trade-offs (11:02): Lesson 3 - Be smart about diversifyi...

Episode 08: When you’re ready to hire an employee for your business, you might feel accomplished that you’ve reached the level to build a team. However, that means hiring the wrong person could potentially set your business back. Evaluating talent is one of the hardest functions of a business at every size. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 5 little known tips to interviewing to find the right person for the job. Timestamps: (02:30): Rule #1 - send questions in advance (03:56): Rule #2...

Episode 07: Clock it. It’s time to lay The Plunge to rest. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) closes the books on the backyard plunger game. Any entrepreneur knows, it’s not easy making the tough decision to end a business. You end up questioning your ability, your confidence, and your vision. But Alex is here to walk you through all of it and why it shouldn’t discourage you from your next venture. Timestamps: (01:54): When is it the right time to quit? (05:20): Why didn’t The Plunge work (09...