Business Advisor Podcast

Amanda C. Watts
  • 5.0 (13)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Business Advisor Podcast, the go-to show for accountants, bookkeepers and CFOs tired of the grind of client work and eager to step into the role of a business advisor.  This podcast is designed for those looking to increase their income and impact by transforming businesses and lives. Each week, we bring you practical, workshop-style episodes, insightful conversations, and a good dose of humor to equip you with the confidence, clarity, and cash flow strategies you need.  So, hit that subscribe button and join us on this journey to becoming a successful business advisor. New episodes every week, and you won’t want to miss what we have in store!

  1. 110. The Vampire Client Trap: How to Protect Your Energy and Boundaries

    6 DAYS AGO

    110. The Vampire Client Trap: How to Protect Your Energy and Boundaries

    I once had what I thought was a dream client. They signed quickly and paid well, but the dream soon turned into a nightmare. Midnight emails followed by 7 a.m. follow-ups. Constant scope creep disguised as "just one more thing." I was on call 24/7, drowning in their demands, and it got so bad they started to chip away at my confidence, making me doubt my own abilities. In the end, after I had bent over backwards for them, they left me a bad review. This was my first true "vampire client," and it taught me a lesson I’ll never forget: no amount of money is worth your energy, your boundaries, or your sanity. We're taught how to win clients, but rarely how to choose the right ones. In this episode, I'm giving you the playbook to vampire-proof your business. We'll uncover the subtle red flags that scream "trouble ahead," from haggling over fees to disrespecting your process. I'll share the exact boundaries and non-negotiables I use to protect my time and energy—and give you the scripts to enforce them politely and professionally. We'll also cover the four-step "Vampire Detox" for dealing with the bad-fit clients already on your roster. It’s time to stop letting one bad client ruin your day and turn your business into a monster. Let's create space for the clients who energize you, respect you, and make you remember why you started this in the first place. Key Takeaways: The True Cost of a Vampire Client is Energy, Not Time: The most significant damage from a bad client isn't the hours they consume, but the emotional and creative energy they drain, which impacts your ability to serve your best clients. "One vampire can undo the joy of hundreds of radiators. You can finish a day having worked with three amazing clients and one vampire. And you will remember only the vampire." - Amanda C. Watts Learn to Spot the Red Flags Early: Recognizing the warning signs of a potential vampire client during the sales process is the most effective way to protect your business before they are on your books. "If the first question out of their mouth is, 'Can you do it cheaper?' then that's 100% a red flag because they're price shopping." - Amanda C. Watts Boundaries Protect Your Ability to Deliver Your Best Work: Setting clear, firm boundaries around communication, scope, and payment isn't about being difficult; it's a professional necessity that allows you to maintain the high standards your good clients deserve. "You're not putting boundaries in to be mean. You're actually there so that they protect your ability to do your best work." - Amanda C. Watts Have a Clear Process for "Detoxing" Bad-Fit Clients: If a vampire client is already in your business, you need a professional and structured plan to either reset the relationship or let them go, so you can reclaim your energy. "Every vampire teaches you something, and the faster you learn the lesson, the fewer vampires you will attract." - Amanda C. Watts Saying No to Vampires Creates Space for Radiators: Every time you turn away a bad-fit client, you create the capacity to find and serve a "radiator" client—one who values you, respects your work, and makes your business enjoyable. "The more you say no to vampires, the more space you create for radiators." - Amanda C. Watts Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    14 min
  2. 109. The Secret Maths Behind a Freedom Business

    27 OCT

    109. The Secret Maths Behind a Freedom Business

    If you've ever thought, "I just need more clients," I need you to listen to this. In my early days, I chased that exact goal. I was getting 33 new clients every six weeks, and on paper, it looked like I was crushing it. But behind the scenes? It was complete chaos. I was stretched thin, serving underpaying clients, and drowning in stress. It was my wake-up call: it's not about how many clients you have, it's about having the right ones. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the counterintuitive truth about scaling your advisory business. We’ll do the simple math that proves you can build a thriving, profitable business with half a million in revenue from just 15-20 clients. Forget the hustle of chasing hundreds. I'll introduce you to the two types of clients that exist in every business: the life-giving "Radiators" and the soul-sucking "Vampires." More importantly, I'll give you the exact filters to attract the former and repel the latter. This isn't just about changing your business model; it's about reclaiming your life, your energy, and your joy. Stop chasing more and start choosing better. Key Takeaways Stop Chasing More; Choose Better: The default belief that growth requires a higher volume of clients is a direct path to burnout. True freedom comes from working with a smaller number of high-quality clients. "I realised it wasn't about how many clients I had. I needed better clients, I needed fewer clients. I needed the right clients." - Amanda C. Watts The Math to Freedom is Simple: You don't need an army of clients to reach significant revenue goals. A small, dedicated roster paying for high-value advisory is enough to build a profitable, low-stress business. "You don't need 100 clients, you don't even need 50. You can hit your revenue goals with 10, 15 or 20 well chosen clients." - Amanda C. Watts Identify Your Radiators and Vampires: Not all clients are created equal. "Radiators" energize you and value your work, while "Vampires" drain your resources and blame you for their lack of results. "Radiators give off warmth, they energize you... Vampires suck the life out of you. They haggle over fees, they push your boundaries, and they demand more for less." - Amanda C. Watts Use Filters to Protect Your Business: Actively filter potential clients based on values, mindset, and practical fit. Being selective is not a luxury; it's a critical defense against the chaos one bad client can create. "One vampire can undo the joy of five radiators. And actually, in all honesty, one vampire can undo the joy of your entire client roster." - Amanda C. Watts Deliver Emotional ROI: Clients aren't just buying your time or strategies; they are buying confidence, clarity, and peace of mind. Focusing on this deeper value allows you to charge more and deliver a greater impact. "They're not buying hours... What they're buying is ROI... they need to buy peace of mind. They need to buy clarity. They need to buy confidence because they need someone that has their back." - Amanda C. Watts Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    13 min
  3. 108. Your Playbook For A Business Built For Freedom

    19 OCT

    108. Your Playbook For A Business Built For Freedom

    In this episode, I get raw and real about the five critical mistakes that turn a dream into a nightmare. We’ll expose the difference between being a busy “doer” and a high-value advisor. I’ll show you how selling your time traps you, why saying “yes” to everyone is a recipe for burnout, and how a lack of boundaries invites chaos. But more importantly, I’ll give you the escape plan. We’re flipping the script to design a Freedom Business—one that runs on your terms, attracts dream clients, and serves the life you actually want to live. It all starts with one powerful tool: your Playbook. Are you ready to stop feeding the monster? Key Takeaways Shift from Doer to Advisor: The foundation of a freedom business is guiding clients, not executing tasks for them. This positions you as a strategic partner, not an expensive employee. "What most advisors are doing is giving men fish... you're doing the work rather than being a strategic advisor." - Amanda C. Watts Sell Transformation, Not Time: Tying your income directly to your hours creates an unbreakable ceiling on your earnings and freedom. Focus on the value of the outcome you provide. "You're trapped in the time for money equation. And there's only so much time for you to work, which means that your earnings are completely limited." - Amanda C. Watts Choose Your Clients Deliberately: Not all revenue is good revenue. Working with "vampire clients" who don't respect your value will drain your energy and kill your passion faster than anything else. "These bad fit clients drain your energy. They demand constant attention, and they very rarely value what you actually bring to the table." - Amanda C. Watts Your Playbook is Your Map to Freedom: Without a clear plan detailing your numbers, business model, and priorities, you will drift off course and accidentally build the very business you were trying to escape. "If a pilot sets off from London aiming for New York, but the plane is just 2 degrees off the whole way there, they're not going to land in New York... And that's what happens in business when you don't have a playbook." - Amanda C. Watts Design Your Business to Serve Your Life: Your business should be a tool to create the life you desire, not the other way around. Define your non-negotiables and boundaries first, then build your business around them. "What I'm asking you to do is ask yourself what you want your life to look like and how you want your business to serve the life that you want to have." - Amanda C- Watts Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit. Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    23 min
  4. 107. How To Double Your Profits Today

    12 OCT

    107. How To Double Your Profits Today

    Welcome to this episode of The Business Advisor Podcast and in this episode, I’m tackling a subject that makes even the most confident advisors crumble: pricing. I know that feeling—the sweaty palms and tight throat when you have to state your fee, terrified of hearing a "no." I see so many people undercharging or stuffing their offers with extras, confusing being affordable with making an impact. In this episode, I'll show you that pricing confidence isn't about tricks; it's about remembering the tangible results you deliver. I’ll break down the four biggest pricing mistakes I see advisors make, from pricing like a mechanic to getting trapped in the exhausting Ascension model. We'll explore how to shift your focus from hours to outcomes and anchor your price to the transformation your clients truly desire, so you can finally charge what you're worth with confidence. Key Takeaways Your clients don't obsess over your price as much as you do. "Your clients don't think about your price half as much as you do." - Amanda C. Watts Focus on selling outcomes, not a list of deliverables. "Clients don't want weight, they want clarity, they want outcomes." - Amanda C. Watts Don't judge a client's ability or willingness to invest in a solution. "Never assume what someone will or won't pay or can or can't pay." - Amanda C. Watts Higher prices lead to more committed and effective clients. "The more people pay, the more they pay attention." - Amanda C. Watts True confidence comes from focusing on the value you create. "The wobble that you feel when you say your price disappears the moment you focus on the results you deliver." - Amanda C. Watts Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    19 min
  5. 106. How To Get Clients Without Slimy Sales Calls

    6 OCT

    106. How To Get Clients Without Slimy Sales Calls

    For years, I followed the gurus' advice on sales calls, and I hated every slimy, scripted minute of it. The multiple calls, the hidden pricing, and the high-pressure tactics felt awful for me and my prospects. So, I flipped the entire process on its head and created what I call the 'Champagne Close.' Instead of holding back information, I give my prospects everything upfront: the program structure, case studies, testimonials, and even the price, all before our call. This transforms the conversation from a persuasive battle into a relaxed discussion about mutual fit. On this episode, I explain how this simple shift eliminated no-shows, attracted better clients who are ready to invest, and allowed me to build a business that truly serves my freedom by protecting my time and energy from the very first interaction. Key Takeaways 1. Give All Information Upfront, Including the Price.Stop hiding details until the final moment. By sharing the program structure, proof, and price before the call, you ensure that only serious, qualified prospects show up, already leaning towards a "yes."  "Instead of holding everything back, I decided that before I even had a sales conversation... I was gonna give all the information upfront... And yes, I also gave them the price." - Amanda C. Watts 2. The Call is a Two-Way Audition, Not a One-Way Pitch.The sales call isn't just for the prospect to see if they want to hire you; it's your opportunity to determine if they are the right fit for your business. This mindset shift protects you from taking on draining "vampire clients." "...we have to audition clients as much as they audition us to see whether we are a good fit... because we're only gonna get results when we work with the right clients." - Amanda C. Watts 3. Don't Solve Their Problems on the Call.Your goal is not to offer free consulting during the call. When a prospect shares a problem, listen and ask them to elaborate. Allowing them to sit with their pain helps them recognize the true value of your solution. "When you do that, you rob them of a reason to hire you... Let them sit in their pain... because the only way you can help them is if they understand that there is a gap between where they are and where they want to be." - Amanda C. Watts 4. Embrace the Power of Silence.After you ask a question, stop talking. Silence gives the prospect space to think, feel, and articulate the truth of their situation. It keeps you in control and encourages them to open up honestly. "At first, it can feel really awkward, but silence is so powerful because what it does is it draws the truth out of your client on this call. It gives 'em space to think." - Amanda C. Watts 5. Protect Your Freedom by Saying No to the Wrong Clients.Every client you accept shapes your business and your life. The "Champagne Close" process is designed to filter out mismatches, so you can confidently say no to those who aren't aligned and create space for your ideal clients. "Freedom doesn't come from saying yes to everyone. Freedom comes from saying yes to the right ones."- Amanda C. Watts Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    20 min
  6. 105. How to Say No Without Guilt (And Make More Money)

    29 SEPT

    105. How to Say No Without Guilt (And Make More Money)

    Welcome to this episode of The Business Advisory Podcast and today, I'm getting brutally honest with you. Have you ever felt that creeping dread, that little whisper in your gut telling you "this isn't it," even as you nod and smile and say "yes"? I know I have, and I bet you have too. We've all been there – taking the meeting we don't need, saying yes to the client who doesn't quite feel right, joining that program that doesn't light us up. We tell ourselves it's "just one yes," but soon, it becomes a slow leak, one yes turning into five, then ten, until suddenly, you're suffocating under a mountain of polite agreements. Your dream business, the one that was supposed to give you freedom, has become a prison. I call it "death by a thousand polite yeses." This episode isn't about productivity hacks; it's about reclaiming your precious life. It’s about a simple, powerful filter that can transform your business and your personal life: If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. "Maybe" is often just a lie we tell ourselves because we're afraid to say no, silently draining our joy. Every "yes" comes with a cost – your time, your peace. The most expensive things in your life aren't your mortgage or your car; they're the "yeses" that keep you tied to things you no longer want to do. I'll share the "Three Fs" to help you make aligned decisions. Imagine the clarity and confidence to say no, and watching as the right opportunities show up. If you're ready to build a business and a life that truly feels like yours, this episode is your wake-up call. Key Takeaways  1. Saying "yes" to misaligned opportunities, even small ones, can lead to overwhelming dissatisfaction and turn a dream business into a prison. 2. Genuine freedom comes from consciously choosing what aligns with your goals and having the courage to decline everything else. 3. Using "maybe" often masks a fear of saying "no" and allows unwanted commitments to drain your energy and joy. 4. Implementing a "hell yes or hell no" filter in decision-making enhances clarity, boosts confidence, and attracts ideal opportunities. 5. The "Three Fs" – Freedom, Fit, and Future Value – provide a clear framework for evaluating opportunities to ensure they support your personal and business aspirations. Want more? Join THE FREEDOM TRIBEHere's all the FREE BONUSES you'll receive when you join our exciting community on Skool; The Freedom Tribe Global Community Of Peers: CPAs, accountants, fractional CFOs, bookkeepers and finance professionals from all over the world sharing ideas, best practice and innovations with each other.Digital copy of Amanda's NEW BOOK, the Business Advisor Playbook: 300+ pages that will transform your approach and share the strategies you need to create, sell and deliver business advisory services.Digital copy of 500:200 Model™ Guide: My tried-and-tested formula for taking home at least 200K with business advisory revenue of 500K.12 Days Of Business Advisory video series: that walks you through creating the perfect advisory offer.Hand Picked And Categorised episodes of the Business Advisor Podcast to accelerate your journey from a compliance-led to an advisory-led practice.PLUS: There are a few other surprise bonuses that can be UNLOCKED once you are inside the community: Get Clients Course and 5 Day LinkedIn Challenge. Super excited to see you there, and looking forward to helping you achieve all that you want in life. -Speak to you in the next episode...

    15 min
  7. 104. How To Stand Out Online And Attract Ideal Clients

    22 SEPT

    104. How To Stand Out Online And Attract Ideal Clients

    In this episode, I pull back the curtain on the single most powerful shift you can make in your business: leveraging your unique intellectual property (IP). For too long, I've seen brilliant accountants, bookkeepers, and CFOs stuck in the "trading hours for money" trap, feeling like they're just one bad month away from panic mode. The constant hustle is exhausting, and let's be honest, it's not why you started your firm. Many of you are turning to AI, hoping for a magic solution, only to get generic, "beige" content that doesn't sound like you. The secret isn't just using AI; it's what you feed it. I share my own "aha" moment when I went from getting crickets on my posts to creating content that truly connected. I break down how to stop selling time and start building a scalable, profitable business by combining your unique expertise with the power of AI. This is how you move from being an overworked service provider to a sought-after, in-demand business advisor. Key Takeaways: 1. Intellectual Property is the Foundation of a Scalable Business. Without documenting and packaging your unique expertise, you are stuck in a cycle of customized, one-off work that prevents growth. "In every single business I've helped grow, IP is the turning point. It's the moment you stop selling time and start building something that lasts." - Amanda C. Watts 2. AI's Effectiveness is Determined by the Quality of Your Input. "AI follows the oldest rule in computing. Garbage in, garbage out. And if you put in weak, vague, generic input, you're going to get weak, vague, generic output." - Amanda C. Watts 3. Your IP is the Key to Authentic and Powerful AI-Generated Content.  "The difference between garbage and gold is your intellectual property, your ip, your frameworks, your process, your proof. It's the ingredients list. And without it, AI is just stirring an empty pot." - Amanda C. Watts 4. Leveraging IP with AI Streamlines Every Aspect of Your Business.  "Your assets are your ip... AI is the tool that takes these assets and turns them into content proposals, tools that you use, reports, all of your marketing, all of your client delivery." - Amanda C. Watts 5. AI is a Tool for Amplification, Not Replacement.  "AI isn't here to replace you. It actually enables you to be amplified, but you can only amplify what you give it." - Amanda C. Watt Want more? Join THE FREEDOM TRIBEHere's all the FREE BONUSES you'll receive when you join our exciting community on Skool; The Freedom Tribe Global Community Of Peers: CPAs, accountants, fractional CFOs, bookkeepers and finance professionals from all over the world sharing ideas, best practice and innovations with each other.Digital copy of Amanda's NEW BOOK, the Business Advisor Playbook: 300+ pages that will transform your approach and share the strategies you need to create, sell and deliver business advisory services.Digital copy of 500:200 Model™ Guide: My tried-and-tested formula for taking home at least 200K with business advisory revenue of 500K.12 Days Of Business Advisory video series: that walks you through creating the perfect advisory offer.Hand Picked And Categorised episodes of the Business Advisor Podcast to accelerate your journey from a compliance-led to an advisory-led practice.PLUS: There are a few other surprise bonuses that can be UNLOCKED once you are inside the community: Get Clients Course and 5 Day LinkedIn Challenge. Super excited to see you there, and looking forward to helping you achieve all that you want in life. -Speak to you in the next episode...

    12 min
  8. 103. My 6-Step System for £500k Revenue, 200k Profit and a 10-Hour Work Week

    17 SEPT

    103. My 6-Step System for £500k Revenue, 200k Profit and a 10-Hour Work Week

    Are you trapped in the belief that growing your financial advisory business means more clients, more hours, and more stress? I'm here to tell you that is a story you've been sold, and it’s not the truth. You can scale without the burnout, and in this episode, I'm showing you exactly how. I’m pulling back the curtain on my proven "Scalable Six" system—the exact framework I use to help financial professionals hit the 500-200-10 target: that’s £500k in revenue, £200k take-home pay, and just 10 hours a week on client delivery. I’ll walk you through all six essential steps: Profile, Productize, Price, Position, Promote, and Profit. Each step is a link in a chain that, when connected, creates a smooth, predictable, and highly profitable business. Forget the hustle culture. It's time to build a smarter, leaner business that gives you both the income you deserve and the freedom you crave. This episode is your practical roadmap to transforming your practice from a source of stress into a vehicle for your ideal life. Let’s dive in and build the business you've always dreamed of. Key Takeaways Stop Selling Hours; Sell Outcomes: Productize your service into a repeatable package with a clear transformation, then price it based on the immense value and results you deliver. "You charge for the outcome, not the hours that you're working, because hourly rates keep you stuck." - Amanda C. WattsDefine Your One Ideal Client: Stop trying to serve everyone. "Profile is about knowing exactly who your best client is. We're not talking about working with everyone. We're working with one clear type of client." - Amanda C. WattsPosition Yourself as the Expert: Create your own named methodology and a powerful one-line statement (“I help X achieve Y without Z”) to stand out as the go-to specialist in your niche.  Implement a Weekly Conversion Event: Stop posting randomly and start promoting strategically. "The best plan that you can have is one conversion event every single week. If you don't have a conversion event, there's no way for people to buy from you." - Amada C. WattsProfit is a Habit, Not a Leftover: Implement the Profit First system to pay yourself, your taxes, and your profit before your business expenses.  "Profit First has a core principle and it is: profit is not what's left." - Amanda C. WattsWant more? Join THE FREEDOM TRIBEHere's all the FREE BONUSES you'll receive when you join our exciting community on Skool; The Freedom Tribe Global Community Of Peers: CPAs, accountants, fractional CFOs, bookkeepers and finance professionals from all over the world sharing ideas, best practice and innovations with each other.Digital copy of Amanda's NEW BOOK, the Business Advisor Playbook: 300+ pages that will transform your approach and share the strategies you need to create, sell and deliver business advisory services.Digital copy of 500:200 Model™ Guide: My tried-and-tested formula for taking home at least 200K with business advisory revenue of 500K.12 Days Of Business Advisory video series: that walks you through creating the perfect advisory offer.Hand Picked And Categorised episodes of the Business Advisor Podcast to accelerate your journey from a compliance-led to an advisory-led practice.PLUS: There are a few other surprise bonuses that can be UNLOCKED once you are inside the community: Get Clients Course and 5 Day LinkedIn Challenge. Super excited to see you there, and looking forward to helping you achieve all that you want in life. -Speak to you in the next episode...

    25 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Business Advisor Podcast, the go-to show for accountants, bookkeepers and CFOs tired of the grind of client work and eager to step into the role of a business advisor.  This podcast is designed for those looking to increase their income and impact by transforming businesses and lives. Each week, we bring you practical, workshop-style episodes, insightful conversations, and a good dose of humor to equip you with the confidence, clarity, and cash flow strategies you need.  So, hit that subscribe button and join us on this journey to becoming a successful business advisor. New episodes every week, and you won’t want to miss what we have in store!

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda C. Watts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    110
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amanda C. Watts
  • Show Website
    Business Advisor Podcast

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