Electronic Gentlemen Podcast

Eric and Derrick discuss responding to criticism and the most productive way to confront clients and customers who aren't happy with your work.

Eric and Derrick are back with a new episode about the need to find balance in so many aspects of running a consulting business. After a particularly hectic couple of months, it seemed like a good way to jump back in. Work vs family, casual vs professional, valuable vs high-maintenance - always walking a tightrope to try and keep everyone happy and keep your business moving in the right direction.

In this episode, Eric and Derrick do their best to offend almost everyone with their take on business communication processes and procedures. Voicemails? Unhelpful emails? Small talk chats on business calls? There are a few rants, a few laughs, and hopefully laced throughout - there are some helpful tips for making the most of your day-to-day business interactions.

The topic this week is what to expect when you first start working with a remote team you don't know, and how to establish an effective work routine right off the bat.

Eric and Derrick discuss the infamous corporate ladder and provide their take on the differences between advancing at a large company versus a small one.

In a somewhat holiday-themed episode, Derrick talks with special guest and colleague, Kim Levine, about her key role in creating a close-knit culture at Core. They discuss the importance of trying to maintain that vibe as the company grows, and how fortunate they are to work with such a great team.

Special Guest: Kim Levine.

Eric and Derrick rattle off their opinions on management styles and philosophies - including employee handbooks, vacations, and sitting around doing nothing - and how that helped inform the way they interface with current employees.

Also, Eric confirms that there are indeed bad questions that you should not ask a potential employer during an interview. Sadly, he doesn't tell you what they are.

Eric and Derrick talk through the tendency for new businesses to try and save money by doing everything themselves, and why that is often a mistake. They discuss the idea of building a support structure of experts who understand the way your company operates, and how much more cost effective that can be in the long run.

Our first guest, Nancy Schlaifer, joins the EG Podcast as we simultaneously send get-well-vibes to an ailing Eric.

Nancy recounts her experiences working for a remote company while providing insight into how she balances work and home life. She also shares her views on isolation, the pros and cons of not speaking to people for days at a time, and why she ultimately thinks it's worth it.

Special Guest: Nancy Schlaifer.

The conversation this week revolves around deciding to fund the new business with emergency funds and a few generous short-term loans from family.

Armed with limited funds and some relationships that weren’t really accessible, the countdown began to see if there was enough money to make Core work.

Eric also discusses his love of paperwork - particularly as it relates to banks, and Derrick talks about the single most important thing you need to do to get paid. It involves invoicing, and yes, it does seem pretty obvious.

Derrick and Eric discuss their personal experiences with leaving their full time jobs. Eric did so voluntarily; Derrick, not so much. They talk about the catalyst for each of them deciding to be part of a startup company - which apparently has something to do with some deep-seated authority issues. Who knew?

They each chime in on some basic management philosophy, and touch on how their families felt about them leaving so-called 'secure' jobs at established companies.

Finally, Eric explains what an Electronic Gentlemen is, and why they chose the name for the podcast. Spoiler alert: it's based on a funny story, and not much else.