Ditching Hourly

Learning and development facilitator Nikki Cross joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how she turned business books into a private podcast book club that helps members apply what they read.

Nikki explains the mechanics of her Inner Work Business Book Club, how she uses a private podcast to turn book ideas into implementation, and why structure matters when business books are trying to change behavior instead of merely transferring information.

Learn more about Nikki Cross and her work at The Inner Work.

Founder of Upshift, Shawn Yeager, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how AI is killing the billable hour and what professional services firms can do about it. 

Jonathan and Shawn dig into judgment versus execution, what firms should commercialize after AI, why cost-cutting is only the first move, and how agent workflows change what small and midsize firms can do.

Angular expert Alain Chautard rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he scaled his certification business through partnerships and automation.

Jonathan and Alain talk about turning niche expertise into a certification business, reducing support demands, using expert partners across time zones and languages, negotiating a licensing-style partnership, and what happens when a soloist plugs their business into a larger organization.

Data science consultant and podcast host Genevieve Hayes joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about podcasting as a boost for an expertise-based business.

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In this episode of Ditching Hourly, host Jonathan Stark welcomes Carl Franklin, co-host of the .NET Rocks podcast, to discuss the intricacies and benefits of value pricing. Listeners will gain insights into how value pricing can transform their business approach, moving away from the traditional hourly billing model.

The conversation covers key topics such as the differences between fixed pricing and hourly billing, the importance of the "why" conversation with clients, and strategies for handling project changes. Carl shares his experiences with proposal options, client negotiations, and overcoming resistance to value pricing.

Pranav Kale returns for another reverse interview — this time grilling Jonathan about his personal productivity and time management system.

Jonathan walks through the system he's refined over two decades and used with his private coaching students: from consolidating all your to-dos in one place, to creating SOPs for recurring tasks, to the "event loop" that drives his day. The core idea: when you have the right things on your list and the right things in your calendar, you can just do whatever you feel like — and your business still moves forward.

Topics covered include why your...

Best-selling author, speaker, and management adviser Joe Pine joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his new book, The Transformation Economy, why it applies especially well to consultants, coaches, and advisors, and gives some tips on how to price transformations.

Joe's Bio

B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management adviser to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial startups alike, and he is the cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP. He is the coauthor of the bestselling book The Experience Economy with James H. Gilmore, as well as Infinite Possibility with Kim C. Korn...

Jason Staats joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his progression from being an employee in an accounting firm to running the top accounting community on the planet.

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Rural planning advisor Ben Kettle joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his transition from hourly billing “nonsense” to risk-based project pricing.

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Co-founder of Conversion Factory, Zach Stevens, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to give us an update on how he's growing his subscription SaaS marketing agency in year 3.

Links We Mentioned

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Charles Miller of Platoon joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss “good” taste, how you get it, why you might want it, and what to do when your clients don’t have it.

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Author of No BS Strategy, Alex M H Smith, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to help define a very important word that few business people understand correctly.

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Professor-in-residence at StoryBrand and host of the new podcast Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how to strike a balance between authority and empathy.

And be sure to stick around to the end to hear J.J.'s take on AI's impact on professional services and how to avoid creating ‘louder garbage’ :-)

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Solo data advisor Shachar Meir (ex-Meta, ex-PayPal) joined me on Ditching hourly to share the details of his transition from being a manager in massive corporate environments to becoming a successful solo consultant.

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(NOTE: this ep was recorded in October 2025, but I didn't get around to publishing it until March 2026. It was WILD listening to the AI portions of the conversation five months later - post OpenClaw.)

Old friend and self-described “workaholic” developer Tim Dietrich joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from FileMaker freelancer to the undisputed SuiteQL expert in the NetSuite ecosystem — a niche so specific that the platform itself became his marketing engine.

We also dig into what happens when AI comes for your platform and how to think about the next wave.

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Big Idea archaeologist Pranav Kale joined me on Ditching Hourly for a reverse interview about my journey to the center of the solar system.

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Laravel expert Joel Clermont joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he and his co-founder run their successful dev subscription business. 

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Digital marketing strategist Eleanor Mayrhofer joined me on Ditching Hourly to describe exactly how she productized her web design services.

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Founder of The Upside, Erin Halper, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share her pro tips on creating and sustaining a premium online community.

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Communications consultant Lynn Safranek joined me on Ditching Hourly to learn how to apply value pricing to an industry where the consultant can't control the outcome.

Brand strategist and founder of SwayRise Creative, Diane Whiddon, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how adding a discrete - and legitimately useful - AI-based productized service to her branding business tapped into a longstanding demand in her client base.

Diane's Links

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Author, speaker, and human-first AI strategist, Alastair McDermott, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his new book and how experts can use AI to enhance productivity, decision-making, and learning.

Author of Leaving The Casino, Jessica Lackey, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the importance of understanding different business models, pricing strategies, and the concept of the 'zone of enoughness' in building a sustainable business.

Author Robin Bonn joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the importance of differentiation as described in his book Market of One.

About Robin

Robin Bonn is the CEO of Co:definery, one of the world's leading consultancies specialising in agency positioning. From renowned global networks to the world's top independents, he’s repositioned close to 150 agencies and coached dozens of senior leaders. He’s the author of Market of One, the host of The Immortal Life of Agencies podcast, and a columnist for Marketing Week.

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Do you have ques...

Ed Kless joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about what he and his Threshold co-founder Ron Baker think is the next big thing (spoiler alert: transformations).

Talking Points

And here's the link to the document we discussed on the show:
THRESHOLD - A REVELATION for the Transformation Economy

About Ed

Ed...

Geraldine Carter joined me on Ditching Hourly to give us a behind-the-scenes recap of what went into her pivot from selling one-time $9,500 mastermind programs to selling a $995/mo ongoing subscription model.

Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state and potential future of podcasting as a medium for building trust with your audience.

AI Summary

In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, about the evolving landscape of podcasting. They discuss the shifting definitions and formats of podcasts, the importance of different content strategies, including private and hybrid podcasting, and the impact of new technologies like AI. Craig also shares insights on leveraging platforms such as YouTube and podcasting for trust-building and...

Jason Lengstorf, founder of Code TV, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he is successfully navigating the transformation of the video production business.

Jason's Links: 

AI Summary:

In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark is joined by Jason Lengstorf, founder of Code TV, to explore the current landscape of the video production industry, especially within the tech sector. Jason shares insights into his career journey from being a web engineer to running a successful video production business for tech companies. The discussion delves into i...

Author/creator of Sales for Nice People, Martin Stellar, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about sticking to your guns in a sales meeting and how to build the confidence to do so. 

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Yuval Yeret, founder of Yeret Agility and OG Agile expert, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state of Agile as a platform, how it has evolved over the years, and what practitioners should consider when pivoting their careers as the platform matures.

About Yuval

Yuval Yeret is a Product/Scaling/Agility Coach focused on helping product/tech leaders scale their organizations without slowing down, improving outcomes by leveraging flow, agility, and product orientation. (while avoiding the dogma and process BS of Agile Theater). Yuval is a globally recognized expert on scaling w...

Ex-java developer and CoffeeSprout founder Barry van Someren joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the surprising alignment between “Ditcherville ethos” and the government of the Netherlands.

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AI SUMMARY

In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Barry Van Someren about his transition from hourly work to value-based services, the implications of new tax laws in the Netherlands for independent contractors, and the importance of having multiple clients. They discuss how these changes affect client relationships and the necessity of shifting to resul...

The handsome and talented Louis Grenier joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the strategy behind writing, publishing, and launching his new book, Stand The F*ck Out. 

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AI Summary:

In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews Louis Grenier about his journey in marketing, the insights from his new book, and the strategies behind its launch. Louis discusses the importance of standing out in a crowded market, the principles of effective marketing, and the challenges he faced while writing and publishing his book. H...

The author of “Going 1099: How To Become Solo Federal Sub-Contractor”, Dale Davidson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the journey of becoming a solo federal subcontractor.

Advisory CFO, daily emailer, and podcast host Lauren Pearl joined me on Ditching Hourly to unpack the nuances of the pricing framework she uses with her start-up and small business clients.

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Andrew Croasdale, a former police officer turned consultant, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his transition from policing to consulting.

Author, founder, and CEO Barry LaBov joined me on Ditching Hourly to geek out about niching down - while walking me through the five-step process he describes in his book The Power of Differentiation.

Barry's Bio:

Barry LaBov is the founder and CEO of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training. He is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient and an inductee into the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame. He is also a Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethics recipient. Under his leadership, LABOV Marketing Communications and Training has received the...

Guest Russ Waddell joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he successfully went out on his own for the first time after more than a decade as a full-time employee.

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Zach Stevens, co-founder of Conversion Factory, came back on Ditching Hourly to give an update about how things are going with his “all-you-can-eat” subscription-based service business after two years in business.

Zach's Links

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Author of Ditch The Billable Hour!, Shaun Jardine, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he transitioned his 240-person law firm off the billable hour. 

Shaun's Links

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The author of No Bullsh*t Strategy and founder of Basic Arts, Alex M H Smith, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss what business strategy is, why it matters, and how to get started.

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