On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…

SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: There’s no lack of people out there telling you to go find your passion and dream big. But why does it seem like when we try, we end up feeling more lost and overwhelmed than when we started? Liz Forkin Bohannon, founder of Sseko Designs, wants you to rethink everything you’ve been told about finding your passion and following your dreams. As she says, you’re never going to find your passion because your passion and purpose are something you build–actively–day by day. If you prefer to read the transcript of Liz’s segment, click here.

SEGMENT 2, starting at 19:45: One of the technologies that will affect your small business the most every day is artificial intelligence (AI). Here to explain how it will impact your business is Chris Duffey, the Head of AI Innovation and Strategy at Adobe.

SEGMENT 3, starting at 37:45: With all the changes to the economy and the presidential tariffs, what is the state of small biz in rural America? My guest, Becky McCray, is the leading expert in this area. She is a lifelong small-town entrepreneur and is the co-founder of Save Your Town.

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More on each segment below.

Segment 1: Liz Forkin Bohannon is the founder of Sseko Designs and the author the book “Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose, Passion and Impact Now”. Liz and the Sseko story have been featured in dozens of publications including: Vogue Magazine, Redbook Magazine, O Magazine, Inc, and Fortune. Sseko has appeared on national broadcasts including ABC’s Shark Tank and Good Morning America.

2:15 – Why tell people that they need to look at pursuing their passion differently?

4:30 – Why Liz says “passion is not a preexisting condition”.

7:25 – The four stages of learning and why it’s important to embrace your inner beginner.

9:15 – Why the message of “dream big” is not working, and why you should “dream small” instead.

11:30 – How choosing curiosity over criticism will move you closer to your purpose and passion.

13:15 – How is “owning your average” good advice for realizing your potential?

15:30 – The difference between praising someone’s inherent gifts versus praising someone’s behavior, and how this affects how this person pursues success.

Read the transcript of Liz Forkin Bohannon’s segment here

Segment 2: Chris Duffey spearheads Adobe’s Creative Cloud strategic development innovation partnerships across the creative enterprise space. Chris and his work have been profiled by The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Inc., Adweek, Adage, Cheddar, The Mirror, The Drum, Campaign, and CMO.com. He is the author of the book “Superhuman Innovation”.

19:45 – What is your definition of artificial intelligence?

21:30 – Are Siri and Alexa considered artificial intelligence?

23:45 – You wrote the book SUPERHUMAN INNOVATION with an AI. How did this work?

26:45 – What are the various roles AI can take in a business environment?

30:30 – Where should small businesses start with incorporating AI into their company?

31:30 – How should we handle the privacy concerns with AI tools such as Amazon’s Alexa?

33:15 – How will AI affect the roles you need to hire for in your company?

Segment 3: Becky McCray is a lifelong small-town entrepreneur. As co-founder of Save Your Town, she shares insights from her real-world experience as a business owner and cattle rancher. Her practical perspective is featured in her award-winning book, “Small Town Rules”, that she co-authored with the host of The Small Business Radio Show, Barry Moltz. Her common-sense views have been quoted in The New York Times. She makes her home base in Hopeton, Oklahoma, a community of 30 people.

37:45 – What did your Survey of Rural Challenges show? Why are rural and urban areas so divided on their thoughts and opinions of the world, and of each other?

40:00 – What are the top challenges for small town business owners?

43:15 – How are rural businesses dealing with the challenge of customers buying from big online retails rather than buying local?

44:30 – How can rural businesses become better locally connected?

46:45 – Why simply extending your hours to bring in more business is not necessarily a good idea.

48:45 – Are rural businesses taking sides on social and political issues?

Sponsored by Nextiva, LinkedIn, vCita and Blue Summit Supplies