Richly Told

Richly Told Media
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Richly Told shares honest, messy and practical stories about life, work and the lessons learned along the way. Richard and Lee have built businesses around the world and know things rarely go as expected. Each episode brings real stories and insights from Lee’s book Once Upon a Time in Small Business" - plus a few they left out. If you like true stories, useful takeaways and hearing how different people handle life’s curveballs, come along for a bunch of tales - richly told and always real.

  1. 6 days ago

    Ep51: Prioritise Your Health First - A 15-Year Wake-Up Call

    This week, the hosts tackle a trap that catches almost every new business owner: sacrificing your health for your business. They're not here to lecture you. They're here because they fell into it themselves, and it took 15 years to realise what was happening. When you're starting out with a mortgage, a newborn, and barely any income, health goes out the window. Richard worked four or five years doing the computer repair business during the day and software development at night, while the hosts lived on service station food and whatever cash flow allowed. The pressure was crushing, the stress was real, and their bodies paid the price. But here's what changed: one small shift. Two and a half years ago, Richard started karate twice a week, even though he couldn't fit into the largest belt and couldn't do a push-up. He kept going. He added more sessions. They started changing what they ate. His doctor told him his blood pressure was dangerously high and his cholesterol was through the roof. He decided to try fixing it himself instead of medicating. Fast forward to today, and Richard has lost 50 to 60 kilograms. This episode is a raw conversation about what it costs to build something, how easily health becomes collateral damage, and why one small change at a time is the only way forward.

  2. 28 July

    Ep50: Are You Listening or Just Waiting to Speak - Reclaiming Curiosity

    Are you listening, or are you just waiting to speak?On this episode of Richly Told, the hosts tackle one of the most vital yet overlooked skills of our time: communication. After years of travelling globally and navigating boardrooms across different cultures and continents, Richard has learned that real communication isn't about winning arguments. It's about curiosity, learning, and understanding why people believe what they believe.But something has shifted. The world feels meaner. People are more defensive, more self-interested, more willing to be aggressive online and in person. The hosts explore why this is happening, how internet culture has changed us, and what it means that we've collectively lost the ability to be curious about each other. They also get real about their own struggle with this: one host admits to becoming meaner in the last five years, abandoning old patterns of putting everyone else first. They've had to learn to protect themselves while still staying open to understanding others.This isn't a masterclass in communication. It's a conversation between two people actively working through these challenges themselves, asking hard questions about where we're headed and what it takes to stay human in a world that feels increasingly hostile. They talk about asking better questions, hearing versus listening, and what happens when you pause mid-episode to actually work through disagreement together.If you've felt frustrated by conversations that go nowhere, exhausted by conflict, or worried about the state of human connection, this episode is for you. Plus, there's a new release schedule, new merch, and Richard's birthday to celebrate.

  3. 20 July

    Ep49: The Crossroads Trap - Why Procrastination Costs More Than Risk

    Making a decision is harder than it sounds, especially when you don't know what lies ahead. In this episode, the hosts explore what happens when you're stuck at a crossroads in business and life, and why staying still might be more costly than taking a risk. They talk through the paralysis that comes with tough choices, the weight of loyalty in business, and the real impact of procrastination on your resources, your health, and the people around you. Along the way, they share stories about a friend who finally made a decision and immediately felt lighter, a customer dilemma that forced hard truths about pricing and boundaries, and their own recent crossroads moment with Richly Told Media. The episode touches on how the universe has a way of making decisions for you if you don't make them yourself, and why one small step forward can shift your entire mindset from trapped to excited. They also announce the soft launch of Richly Told Media, a new venture focused on writing, media, and business (hello@richlytoldmedia.com and richlytoldmedia.com). If you're feeling stuck, scared of the wrong choice, or caught between loyalty and survival, this one speaks directly to that tension. The message is simple but hard: make a decision. Get going now, get good later. And if you need help seeing clearly, talk to someone. Find Richly Told on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or richlytoldmedia.com.

  4. 2 July

    Ep48: Customer Loyalty - Why it's not what you think

    Does loyalty actually exist in business? When a long-time customer leaves, it stings. Business owners often feel betrayed, wondering where the loyalty went after all they've invested. But what if loyalty in business isn't really a thing at all? What if what feels like betrayal is actually just business working the way it should? In this episode, Richard and Lee explore what loyalty really means when money's involved. They challenge the assumption that customers owe you their business, examine why loyalty programs don't actually create loyalty, and dig into the emotional toll of expecting something that was never promised. They also unpack the uncomfortable truth about how loyalty language can become manipulative, turning clients into people who feel entitled to special treatment. The conversation shifts to a more grounded view: what keeps clients coming back isn't loyalty. It's a genuine need for your product or service, combined with exceptional work and clear boundaries. If you enjoy it, they'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment on the episode - or get in touch via Instagram: @RichlyToldPodcast This is a Podvan Media production.

  5. 25 June

    Ep47: Timing and Challenges - Don't let setbacks stop you

    What if the only thing stopping you isn't timing, but your own belief about timing? Lee recently got back into freelance writing after years away from it. Within days of putting the word out, two publications came knocking. But it made her wonder: why do so many people in his industry say there's no work, when doors are opening for her right now? In this episode, Richard and Lee revisit a kitchen conversation that sparked something bigger. They explore the story of a woman who opened a coffee shop in New York by doing something completely different: a yearly membership model that secured her customers, her rent, and her utilities before she even opened the doors. And they connect that to the larger truth they keep bumping up against in their own businesses. It's never the right time to launch anything. There are always economic headwinds, industry challenges, and reasons to wait. But creativity and action don't care about timing. They talk about the gap between saying you want something and actually doing it. About the difference between hard work that feels like a battle and hard work that flows. And about a simple test Richard uses to know if he's on the right track... If you enjoy it, they'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment on the episode - or get in touch via Instagram: @RichlyToldPodcast You can find the Richly Told Podcast on Substack: https://richlytoldpodcast.substack.com/ This is a Podvan Media production.

  6. 19 June

    Ep46: Different Brains, Same Problem - How to actually understand each other

    What happens when two people process the world in completely different ways, but neither stops to ask why? Richard and Lee started their week exhausted! One just off night shift, the other not quite well. But in the fog of fatigue, they stumbled into a conversation that revealed something bigger than either of them had realised: they approach every challenge from opposite ends of the spectrum. And they almost never talk about it. In this episode, Richard and Lee explore what happens when partners, business collaborators, spouses, or even customers come at problems from fundamentally different angles. Lee verbalises her thoughts as they form. Richard processes internally before speaking. One looks for what could go wrong. One looks for what could go right. Neither is wrong. But when communication breaks down, both feel misunderstood. They talk about why curiosity has become an expensive use of time in modern life, what happens when we stop asking questions, and how a willingness to actually listen could transform not just your closest relationships but your entire approach to conflict. The conversation circles back to a simple truth: being curious about people removes the assumptions you carry about their motivations. It's not about understanding every detail of how they think. It's about understanding that they think differently than you do. And that takes time, intentionality, and a genuine desire to learn. If you enjoy it, they'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment on the episode - or get in touch via Instagram: @RichlyToldPodcast This is a Podvan Media production.

  7. 11 June

    Ep45: The Comfort Trap - Constant Movement vs Settling In

    What happens when you stop moving? Richard and Lee explore a timeless parable about a rat that falls into a container full of rice. The rat is happy, safe, warm. Everything it needs is right there. But as it eats and sleeps, eats and sleeps, the pile of rice slowly diminishes - while the distance between the rat and the exit grows. Eventually, the container is empty. The rat has trapped itself. In this episode, Richard and Lee grapple with what happens when comfort becomes a trap in business and life. They talk about the cycles they've experienced over two decades, the temptation to rest once you've hit success, and why the most successful people they know never actually stop moving. They also explore what burnout really is, how it feels different for each of them, and why constant evolution isn't something you do temporarily until you're comfortable. It's a lifestyle. The conversation touches on fear, momentum, complacency, and the counterintuitive truth that safety can imprison us just as easily as struggle. If you enjoy it, they'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment on the episode - or get in touch via Instagram: @RichlyToldPodcast This is a Podvan Media production.

  8. 4 June

    Ep44: Testing Your Own Process - Do You Actually Like Buying From You?

    Are your policies and procedures making it harder for people to do business with you? Richard and Lee have had a frustrating week dealing with multiple businesses across different sizes. Their phone systems don't work. Their booking processes have too many barriers. And somewhere along the way, the policies designed to protect the business have become obstacles to selling. In this episode, Richard and Lee explore what happens when businesses stop looking at their procedures from the customer's perspective. They discuss the gap between policies that make sense on paper and the lived experience of trying to buy something. They also ask the uncomfortable question: do you find your own customers annoying? And if so, why? Because the answer might reveal something important about how your business is set up. If you enjoy it, they'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment on the episode - or get in touch via Instagram: @RichlyToldPodcast You can find the Richly Told Podcast on Substack: https://richlytoldpodcast.substack.com/ This is a Podvan Media production.

    Ep44: Testing Your Own Process - Do You Actually Like Buying From You?
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About

Richly Told shares honest, messy and practical stories about life, work and the lessons learned along the way. Richard and Lee have built businesses around the world and know things rarely go as expected. Each episode brings real stories and insights from Lee’s book Once Upon a Time in Small Business" - plus a few they left out. If you like true stories, useful takeaways and hearing how different people handle life’s curveballs, come along for a bunch of tales - richly told and always real.

Information

  • Creator
    Richly Told Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Richly Told Media
  • Show Website
    Richly Told