Today I’m speaking to John Lamerton.
John and I have known each other on and off for many years but it was only recently, on the publication of my best-selling book 'Hitting the Wall', that we reconnected, discovering a number of value connections and shared experiences.
John is the author of three books, which only makes my slightly jealous! He is someone I’ve long admired for his business skills but also his skills as a human being.
John talks about his journey from Civil Servant to entrepreneur and the "moment" that made him realise that success from him was very different to what people said he "should" do. We look back on his moments of failure when the assets he didn't control destroyed his ability to generate customers and chat about why playing the long game, with basic principles trumps the quick win.
We also talk about the pain of losing our respective sisters, only three months apart; and how it has given us both a perspective on what's important to us - now.
This is an episode with practical marketing insight as well as simple business principles, valuable to anyone on the entrepreneurial journey.
In this week’s episode I talk to Sarah Coetzee. Sarah and her husband run Roast Lab coffee, a family-based speciality coffee roasting company. If coffee could be champagne, this would be it!
We talk about starting the business to get away from the inflexibility of corporate life with a new-born baby. Sarah shares her story about dealing with mum guilt, why setting boundaries in business is so important and how good things have come out of rejection.
We also discover how her first career as an England footballer has given her a 'never give up and I’ll always find a way' attitude.
Today I'm joined by Chris Cortopassi, a professional coach and mentor who works with men whose lives look great on paper but, in reality, are feeling a bit frustrated, dissatisfied, unfulfilled and generally, pretty flat.
Chris and I talk about all sorts, including:
- Managing and preventing your own mental health in order to adjust the course that you are on.
- Why allowing other people to define your own success is a poor thing.
- Understanding who is influencing you, the principle of keeping up the Jones'.
- Not assuming that the people you always rely on for support will be there.
And, most importantly, about why putting your hand up is a strong thing to do and shouldn't be seen as a sign of weakness.
This week, Ash talks to Dr Noel Rousseau, a PGA Advanced Fellow Professional Golf Coach who has a PhD in Motor Learning & Performance.
We hear about the importance of ‘purposeful practice’ and how that relates to our businesses. Noel also explains why he still has mentor sessions himself to ensure that he stays on top of his game and adapts in a constantly changing environment, and we look at why we need to be passionate about the mundane.
Whether you’re a golfer or not, this week’s episode gives a great insight in to how we all need to focus on what’s important if we’re to make those game-winning putts, whether it's the game of life, business or golf!
This week we're talking mental health: a topic that is often shied away from, particularly in men, but a very important one nonetheless.
Ash is joined by Dan Harrison from WP Doctors, Robbie Richardson from Richardson & Paige, John Peddie from Fearless Video, and Darren Finley from PTSD Journals, who are brave enough to share their personal journeys and top tips of how they manage their mental health.
They also discuss how you can support someone who you think may be going through a difficult time.
Whether you're male or female, you'll find the discussion thought provoking with a gentle challenge to how you view your own mental health.
This is one not to miss!
In this week’s episode we meet Ash Smith.
Ash is a coach, consultant and speaker with over 20 years’ experience of helping people make permanent behaviour changes. He’s worked with some of the world’s best practitioners in performance psychology and leadership, working towards his philosophy of building "adaptable experts": people who can think on their feet and deliver under pressure.
Listen in to find out more about this philosophy and how it could help you in your business.
If you don’t want your sales process to make you rival Del-Boy this week’s conversation with Simon Lunt is a must listen!
Having spent over 20 years working in sales for companies in a variety of sectors, Simon’s experience and knowledge speaks for itself.
Hear why it is so important to be authentic and inquisitive if you want to secure those sales and why it’s also important to get the basics right.
In this week’s episode, Brady talks about why taking a risk and leaving the security of a well established employer behind was easier when she focused on her why, even though she often felt like an imposter!
We chat about why it’s important to build good foundations for our businesses on which we can build and why appreciating ‘the moment’ can be so powerful.
This week we hear how Bradley Hatchett’s experience of working for Brighton and Albion Football club combined with a life-long love of sport, led him to start a business specialising in providing networking opportunities for people from a diverse range of businesses.
We also hear why having a vision and being able to articulate it was key to helping Bradley bring his ideas to life and why, during lockdown, the virtual networking sessions they provide have been invaluable in supporting their members around the country.
Why is managing your fitness like running a business? And how can increasing your fitness can help you to be a better business owner?
Find out by listening in to this week's conversation with physical training coach and owner of Coactive Health, Matt De'Ath.
From selling a business twice, dealing with personal heartache and discovering their passion for helping other families build a business on their terms; Martin and Jacki Norbury share their vast experience and knowledge in this episode.
We learn what TERMS can mean for you and your family, why Everest basecamp is not all it's made out to be and why not working Fridays is a movement anyone can get involved in.
Martin and Jacki also talk about why most people spend time driving profit when that time should be used to greater effect.
When lockdown saw all her clients cancelling overnight, Nutritional Therapist Evie Whitehead (DipION) was forced to rethink how she delivers her services and the results have been far better than she ever expected. Listen in to find out how she changed things around and turned a situation that could have been the end of her business into something positive.
Evie also gives us a fascinating insight in to why we should take our gut health more seriously and how it can be impacted by so many things other than just what we eat, it might just leave you wanting to know more!
In this week's episode we get to know entrepreneur Chris Dadd, and find out how he has aligned the vision and values of his businesses with his passion for supporting a variety of charities.
Chris' fascinating insight into how to get the best from your customers whilst improving your own profitability is not to be missed!
Turning The Business Clubhouse podcast on its head this week, our 'guest' is none other than Ash Taylor himself! Talking about what it's like on the other side of the fence, we learn why Ash feels so passionately about business coaching being accessible to all.
From Boxer to Barber, hear how Luke fell in to the trade that led him to opening his own Barber's shop where the emphasis is on making his customer's feel like they are his only client (even though they're not!).
Luke also shares his thoughts on why you should never be afraid to ask for help when running a business and making sure that you prioritise what's important.
This week, we hear how Ron's experience on both side of the 'debt' fence means that he understands the difficulties business owners face when trying to overcome their financial struggles.
Ron also gives us some great tips on how to deal with debt, whether it's money your business owes or money owed to your business, and how to avoid some of the common pitfalls when taking out loans.
From radio presenter to recruitment consultant with a difference, Helen's career path has taken some unexpected turns which ultimately helped her to build a business that she is exceptionally proud of and which makes a difference to people's lives.
In this week's episode Helen tells us why she used to be embarrassed by her role, and how she's taken all the things she dislikes about recruitment and turned them in to positives. She also shares her thoughts on why you shouldn't get so hung up on job descriptions and CVs when you are looking for the perfect employee for your business.
In this week’s episode, I chat with Chris Bantock, founder of Agency Local, a community for Agency Owners in the Thames Valley.
Chris explains why he believes that businesses need to understand their customers’ individual situations to enable them to hone the services they offer and rise above their competitors.
We also chat about why business owners need to be able to ‘sack’ themselves from the day-to-day operations in the business in order to move it forward. Finally, we hear what business owners should have in place if they are considering selling the business and why getting these things in place from the start of the business will help in driving it forward.
In this week's episode, I am chatting with Martin Gladdish, whose ability to tell a story is second to none!
We hear how Martin, who “wasn’t particularly good a writing” at school, broke free of the daily grind of commuting in to London that was dragging him down, and ended up building a thriving business writing stories for other people! Martin also shares his thoughts on why it’s not always the actual words he writes that are most powerful but the implied message they convey.
Finally, we chat about why making yourself ‘comfortably uncomfortable’ is essential if you want to grow your business, and why sometimes you just need to be brave!
Emma tells us how winning a national photography award at just 16 years old was the catalyst for her becoming a professional photographer and owning her own business. We chat about how research was the key to helping her develop a service that people really want and identifying where there were gaps in the market that needed filling, and Emma also explains how she helps people to understand how to use the images they have had taken in order to best meet their needs.
Finally, we discuss how realising that she needed to put her camera down helped Emma shift her mindset, expand and develop her team, and drive her business forward.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with award-winning author and branding consultant extraordinaire, Sapna Pieroux of InnerVisions ID Ltd.
We talk about why a logo is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your brand and why it’s more about your values and what you stand for in your business. Sapna explains why it’s so important to get the whole package right in order to build brand-loyalty and help make your business indispensable to your customers/clients.
We also discuss why it’s important to be consistent with your brand and how having the right branding can give you the confidence and drive to help elevate your business to new levels. Finally Sapna shares her thoughts on why you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things in your business and why you shouldn’t give up when things are a challenge.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Jane Stewart of Mint Decisions.
We talk about how failure is an essential part of success and why it is important that we structure our failures so that we can learn from them and not see them as a cost to our business. Jane explains why we need to measure on input or output but not both at the same time, and why she believes we need to experience the painful parts of life to help make us better.
Finally, we discuss why it’s important to remind yourself of your goals and be prepared to evolve and adjust over time, and Jane tells us about her ‘not bucket’ list!
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Rachael Naylor of The VoiceOver Network
Rachael shares her journey from Voiceover Artist to becoming the founder of an international Voiceover network and editor of the only magazine dedicated to the industry, as well as being an award-winning entrepreneur and motivational speaker, all whilst being a mum to her two young girls! She explains why loving her roles and ensuring she plans her time properly is essential to making sure she can fit everything in.
We also hear Rachael’s very moving and inspirational story of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis two years ago, and how that experience has left her stronger than ever, despite all the challenges it brings.
Finally, we discuss why it is hugely important that we all ensure we take time for ourselves and listen to the messages our bodies are telling us, and why embracing our vulnerabilities should be celebrated not feared.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Sean Taylor of The Forces Group Ltd.
Sean shares his thoughts on why he believes the brain is our biggest obstacle in business and life, and why we need to change what we believe by taking action, rather than trying to believe in something before we’ve tested it. We also learn about we need to compartmentalise our mistakes so that they don’t eat away at us and to enable us to approach tomorrow in the best form possible.
Finally, we hear why it’s crucial that we consider the mental health of both ourselves and our team members, nurture those who need it and help everyone to pass over the difficult times so that they can see the sun is shining on the other side.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with John Peddie of J Productions Media Ltd.
John tells us why he gave up his dream job as a cameraman on a shopping channel when he realised that the culture of the company didn’t live up to expectations, and we talk about why having integrity is important as it can help your to determine your value as a business owner.
We also discuss the importance of ensuring that you surround yourself with people who can mentor you in business and challenge your thinking in a positive way to help you move your business forward.
Finally we hear about John’s experiences as the leader of a successful Christian Punk Rock band (sharing the bill with the likes of Pulp and James!) and his subsequent role as a Youth Leader, and he shares how these roles developed his natural ability to mentor and guide young people, skills he now wants to put to good use through his business in order to benefit the young people in his community.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Sarah Watt of Sarah Watt Fitness.
Sarah shares how open-heart surgery in her last year of University was the turning point for her to end an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise stemming back to her teenage years, and prompted the start of her journey in using them to helping her body feel stronger, which became the foundation for her business.
We learn about how the steps we take to improve our bodies can be similar to the steps that we need to take to develop our businesses, and why sales shouldn’t always be thought of in terms of numbers.
Finally, we hear why business owners should never be afraid to ‘sack’ their client!
This Episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations is the first in a series of short stories and anecdotes based on experiences that I wanted to share with you.
These short and sweet episodes are just me, without a guest and will offer you something a little different to listen to
Let’s start by going back in time about 10 years or so when I thought I was the best dad I could be...
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Lorraine Ashover of Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Ltd.
Lorraine tells us about how her experience of working with educational settings as an employee of a high street bank helped her to identify that there was a need for helping schools to save money and how, by taking inspiration from her husband’s experience in procurement, she found the perfect solution.
We talk about why it is essential to put the customer at the centre of everything you do in business and Lorraine explains why she insists that her team work to the same ethos. She also tells us about how doing this led to customers being confident enough to put their trust in her from day one.
Later, we chat about how having effective procurement processes can help any business to reduce their costs and maximise their profit, and how being on top of your finances can be the difference between success or failure during those difficult periods.
In this week’s episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I chat with Neil O’Brien of Accentis Ltd.
We talk about how Neil made the leap from working 60+ hour weeks as an employee and having very little time with his family to being the owner of not just one but three successful businesses, and being able to enjoy life! There’s an insight into how Neil’s experiences at Hillsborough and, later, an accident that left him in Intensive Care followed by a recovery that took two years made him appreciate the need to take risks and seize every opportunity.
Neil also explains why it’s so important to understand what your customers want and attune your services to help them achieve their goals, whilst also understanding what makes you happy and making sure that you do more of it!
Finally, we talk about getting to know what makes your team tick and why it’s essential to get inside their heads in order to get the best from them and ensure that everyone pulls together to get the best for your customers.
Neil can be contacted at [email protected]
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Deborah Fielding.
Deborah's Journey is an inspiring one, full of professional and personal resilience. Deborah takes us through the discipline of being a dancer in her younger years and how she grabbed hold of an opportunity that led to a business that lasted 26 years.
We discuss why having a system and habits for your life is so important, and why just turning up is 80% of all success.
Deborah takes us through taking one day at a time, doing one thing at a time and how this saw her through her recent battle with Cancer.
We talk about how changing priorities led to Deborah closing her 26 year old business, and why she believes being selfish has given her a new lease of life and purpose.
This is a fascinating journey of overcoming adversity, authenticity and Go-Giving.
Deborah can be contacted at www.deborahfielding.co.uk
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Ollie Denhard from IT Trouble Free.
We chat about his journey in taking over an IT business and making it his own. There's an insight into the challenges of leading a team whilst learning to be a leader and why processes are so important to ensure the growth and success of a business.
Olly shares his views on why malicious software is so important to protect against and how easy it is to do.
We talk about why decision making is key, why expectations are critical and why asking for help is something all business owners should do, more often.
Olly can be found at https://www.ittroublefree.co.uk/contact-us/
In this episode of the Business Clubhouse Conversations, I talk to Liz and Chris Baranov from Baranov Associates.
Liz and Chris work with business owners who aspire to greater things and want business growth support. We talk about the importance of defined roles in your business, how not being an accountant makes it easier to grow their business and the value of partnership.
Liz and Chris shared their fascinating journey of buying the business they worked for and building it to saleable size whilst realising it was taking from them more than they were getting. We discussed how walking away enabled them to start again on their terms.
A great insight into understanding how to build a business based around your values of what you want and also how understanding what you don't want makes decision making simpler.
Liz and Chris can be found at https://baranovassociates.co.uk/
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Gary Fullwood of Gary Fullwood Designed living.
We chat about his journey from warehouse boy to the owner of a successful and unique brand. We find out how being told "you'll never be clever enough" as a child affected the way he approaches life and business.
Gary discusses why being a better version of yourself is so important and how we can't let our past define our future. We also discuss how his habit of bouncing out of bed at 4.30 is the anchor around which he builds his success.
Gary is a fireball of energy and enthusiasm - an episode not to be missed!
Gary can be reached through multiple channels. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and of course Google!
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations, Mark and I talk about a range of subjects from running a seasonal business to the power of deliberate practice. We get into training habits and what drives people to want to be better, when for others good is good enough.
Mark owns Abacus Marquee and Event Hire. It provides anything from fully themed events such as casino or Love Island experiences. They also do weddings to a marquee in your back garden and everything in between.
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations, I talk to to Pieter K De Villiers from Macanta.
Pieter and I talk about how business owners are frittering their time away with cancerous two minute tasks. We discuss how to create systems and automate them giving you, the business owner more time and freedom to focus on what's really important.
We get deep into what it is that makes people tick and why they choose to spend their time the way they do. A fascinating insight into behaviour from our perspective.
Pieter is the co-founder of Macanta, a CRM designed around you and your business.
He is also the author of the best selling book Barefoot Business.
www.macanta.org/clubhouse
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Sally Hindmarch of Partners with you.
People often struggle with standing up in front of others, whether in large groups or small. Sally and I talk about all things confidence, dealing with the fear of presenting and talk about some great tips you can use to overcome those "freeze" moments.
Sally Hindmarch, Author of "Step out from the shadows" joins me to share 25 years experience of helping people appear more confident in front of others.
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Charlie Hicks from EI Insurance.
We dicsuss all things business insurance. What you should have it. What it will cover and how it can benefit your business. Perhaps a dry subject on paper but some really interesting insights into a world that many of shy away from because... well, because it's boring. Charlie is nothing but boring however and brings anecdotal advice and information to this conversation.
Charlie has run his business for many years and is keen to make sure people have access to the right advice for their situation.
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations I talk to Graeme Beever from Insight6.
Graeme is a customer experience specialist. We delve into the importance of understanding your customer journey and the important moments of truth that your potential client or customer will face in your business.
So many businesses can say they offer great customer service, very few achieve, Graeme lets us into the world he's been a part of for all his life and shares stories from household names that let you know, even the best get it wrong sometimes.
He also shares how to make sure you do stand out from your competitors using the customer experience journey as a map for excellence.
Graeme can be found at https://www.insight6.com/region/berkshire/
In this episode of The Business Clubhouse Conversations, I talk to Sharon Cook of Choice Business Loans,
The world of business finance is a complex one and has seen many changes in the past several years. New lenders are popping up and challenger banks are offering all sorts of finance opportunities for your business.
Sharon and I talk about the do's and don'ts of getting finance, including the must haves to acquire lending. We discuss the different types of lending available and give you a simple picture of how to get the best investment package for your growing business.
Sharon is part of Choice Business Loans https://www.choicebusinessloans.co.uk/
