Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud

Taz Thornton and Asha Clearwater
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Entrepreneurship

🎙️ Awesomely Off-Topic is the podcast that dives headfirst into the business of being brilliantly, messily, unapologetically you. Hosted by award-winning speaker trainer and business and personal empowerment coach Taz Thornton, alongside publishing powerhouse, book mentor and content coach Asha Clearwater – expect bold conversations about building a business and life that actually fits you, not the other way round. We’ll talk personal brand, visibility without the ick, microbooks with major impact, ADHD-friendly approaches, messy launches, business flops, spiritual sidequests and all the stuff no one told you you were allowed to say out loud. We’re doing this on a shoestring – raw, unedited and totally unscripted. No fancy studio, no big budget, no gatekeeping. Just hit record and go. Real talk. Tangents. Swearing (probably). Useful insights. And a whole lot of permission to do it your way. It’s chaos. It’s clarity. It’s Awesomely Off-Topic.

  1. 2d ago

    🎙️ S2 E28: FRANKENSTEIN’S MESSAGE MONSTER: What Does Your Content Say About Your Brand?

    A single overheard conversation in a waiting room turns into a perfect warning for anyone who communicates for a living. Two people try to explain why we are “being told to stock up”, and within minutes the story becomes a Frankenstein mash-up of sea temperature, war, sugar beet, price rises, and dread. That confusion is not just funny, it is a live demo of broken telephone, information drift, and how quickly “I think” becomes “everyone knows”. We take that idea and pull on the thread: why messages get mangled in transmission, why misattributed quotes and old myths stick around, and how even a joke can trigger real-world behaviour (including shortages). Then we bring it home to business, marketing, and personal branding. If your audience only catches a screenshot, a Reel, a headline, or a second-hand quote, would your core message survive without you there to explain it? We also give you practical exercises to tighten your message discipline without turning you into a walking slogan. You will learn how to define the three to five things you want to be known for, run a “message memory test”, ask three people what they think you do without prompting them, and audit your next ten posts to spot the real pattern. The goal is consistency without repetition: content that feels human, varied, and still unmistakably you. If you try the exercises, tell us what you discover, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Awesomely Off Topic. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E28: FRANKENSTEIN’S MESSAGE MONSTER: What Does Your Content Say About Your Brand?

  2. Sep 22

    🎙️ S2 E27: What’s Woo Got To Do With It? Stone Circles, Shamanism & Business

    We swap the office for Devon and find ourselves learning as much from stone circles, wild lanes and quiet cabins as we do from teaching workshops at the UK Shamanic Gathering. Along the way we explore what it means to be an elder, why ancient sites still matter, and how landscape can unlock better creativity for writing and business. • teaching at the UK Shamanic Gathering and running a firewalk safely  • the mindset shift from “getting older” to becoming an elder who gives  • reading Matt Haig and noticing how place shapes the lessons you take  • visiting Dartmoor sites like Merrivale and tuning into the land  • the contrast between peaceful moorland and busy city energy  • using ancient landscapes for mental health, calm and creative flow  • linking neurodivergence, ADHD and vocation to older ways of living  • printer delays and dynamic QR codes as real-world business lessons  • a sat nav detour, a ford at night and what it teaches about stress  • planning the Content Oracle workshop  • deciding what to do with Caller of the Week and asking for listener feedback  Do you want us to run The Content Oracle before before Christmas 2026? Please let us know.  Do you want us to keep Caller of the Week? Do you enjoy that section of the podcast? Tell us if you love it, tell us if you hate it, because we need a steer from you.  If you've enjoyed this, hit follow and subscribe. And if you want more, come and find Awesomely Off-Topic on social media. That's where all the extra bits live. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E27: What’s Woo Got To Do With It? Stone Circles, Shamanism & Business

  3. Sep 15

    🎙️ S2 E26: Writing Your Book Isn't The Hard Part... Getting Anyone To Notice It Is

    Your book is finally published. The edits are done, the cover looks great, launch day brings a burst of attention… and then the silence creeps in. We see it all the time: brilliant authors stop talking, the algorithms move on, and a hard-earned title ends up lost on Amazon among millions of other books. We get practical about what keeps a book visible long after the launch hype fades. We dig into Amazon categories like nested Russian dolls, how to think about niche versus “looks niche”, and why keyword research matters for real-world discoverability. We also share the unglamorous bits authors forget, like tracking rankings yourself and grabbing screenshots as proof when your book climbs the charts. Then we tackle the tempting shortcuts. We challenge the trend of dropping prices to pennies just to chase an Amazon bestseller badge, and we talk about alternatives that protect the value of your work. We also cover smart release planning across formats, plus simple visibility habits that compound: Zoom backdrops, books on the shelf, email signatures, banners, QR codes, events, reviews and even using the occasional bad review as marketing fuel. There’s also a quick hotline moment with Kelly from NTP that takes a hilarious detour into arrests and desert island survival. If you want your book to have a longer life, press play and pick one idea to implement this week. Subscribe, share the episode with an author friend, and leave us a review so more writers can find the long game. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E26: Writing Your Book Isn't The Hard Part... Getting Anyone To Notice It Is

  4. Sep 8

    🎙️ S2 E25: Please, Monetise Your Hobby

    We challenge the growing trend that says getting paid for what you love automatically destroys it, and we argue the real joy-killer is obligation created by poor boundaries and the wrong business model. We share personal examples from books, podcasting, crafting and coaching, then answer a listener’s question about staying grounded and finding stillness with an ADHD brain and a busy life.  • backlash against hustle culture and the rise of “don’t monetise your hobby”  • why payment is not the problem, and where joy actually gets eroded  • protecting values so money does not dictate creative choices  • practical examples from books, microbooks and podcasting without chasing sponsorship  • how crafting costs make monetisation sensible, not “icky”  • common joy-sappers: unwanted commissions, inventory pressure, deadlines and access expectations  • boundaries around time, clients and scaling, plus the case for portfolio careers  • finding stillness and balance with journalling, time outside, reading and diarised rest  • who benefits when artists and makers feel guilty charging, including gendered judgement in “craft” spaces  Call our hotline on 033-0027-2871. Remember to add plus 44 if you're outside the UK.  If you've enjoyed this, hit follow and subscribe.  Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E25: Please, Monetise Your Hobby

  5. Sep 1

    🎙️ S2 E24: Room 101: The Great Hate Debate

    If you could banish one thing from modern life forever, what would it be? We take the Room 101 concept, let AI generate the prompts, then answer separately and debate live, which means you get the full range: petty annoyances, big moral lines, and the moments where we surprise ourselves by getting far deeper than planned.  We start with ethical “no brainer” nominations like foie gras and the wider realities of meat and dairy farming, then swerve into language and culture: phrases that keep people trapped, the baggage around “influencer”, and the social media behaviour that turns desperation into profit through fake scarcity and undeliverable promises. Along the way we rant about busy supermarkets, self-checkouts that make you feel like a suspect, and why Microsoft Teams feels like it was designed to test our patience.  The second half gets spicy and thoughtful: poorly researched documentaries and unbalanced journalism, the uncomfortable money trail behind Harry Potter, and a surprisingly big conversation about forgiveness. We dig into what forgiveness actually means, why “forgive and forget” is a trap, and how sometimes the person you need to forgive to move on is yourself. We finish with our golden ticket nomination that sits above everything else: getting rid of cruelty in all its forms, and what political ignorance has to do with it.  If you enjoyed this, subscribe so you do not miss next Tuesday, share it with someone who loves a good debate, and leave us a review. What would you put into Room 101, and why? Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E24: Room 101: The Great Hate Debate

  6. Aug 25

    🎙️ S2 E23: ADHD, Meltdowns And Getting Through The Next 10 Minutes

    ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes open and honest conversation around mental health, ADHD meltdowns and suicidal thoughts. Please look after yourself while listening and skip this one if those subjects feel too close to home right now. Support resources are included in the show notes below. A long, critical situation can strip the dopamine out of everything and leave you feeling like your brain has crashed, even when you’re doing your best to hold life together. We take a listener question from Tracy and get painfully honest about what an ADHD meltdown can feel like, from the “glitch” where everything pauses to the full-body overwhelm where noise hurts, decisions become impossible, and tiny demands are the final straw. We talk through what helps when the stressor is not going away: shrinking the time horizon to the next ten minutes, reducing input before you add strategies, and using “body first, brain later” check-ins (food, water, sleep, heat, screens, the loo). We compare our different regulation needs, including when one of us needs movement and the other needs escapism, and why that difference matters in relationships. We also share practical supports like safe dopamine, gentle state-breakers, body doubling, and tools such as weighted blankets or compression clothing, all with the reality that you may not be able to access the same solution every day. If this resonates, share it with someone who needs a softer, more practical way through ADHD overwhelm, and please follow, subscribe, and leave a review so more people can find the support. NEED MORE SUPPORT? This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts and mental health crisis. If anything we've talked about has hit close to home, please don't struggle alone... there are people you can talk to: 🇬🇧 🇮🇪 UK & IRELAND Samaritans Free, confidential emotional support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 from the UK or Ireland. Samaritans Shout - UK Free, confidential 24/7 support by text. Text SHOUT to 85258. Shout NHS urgent mental health support - England If you need urgent help for your mental health, call 111 and select the mental health option. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. NHS urgent mental health help PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 - UK Suicide prevention support for young people, and for anyone worried about a young person. Available 24/7. Call 0300 102 2470 or text HOPE to 88247. Online chat and email support are also available. PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 Pieta - Ireland 24-hour crisis support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and people concerned about someone else. Freephone 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444. Pieta 🇺🇸 USA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Free, confidential support 24/7. Call or text 988, or use online chat. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 🇨🇦 CANADA 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline Free support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call or text 9-8-8. Canada 9-8-8 🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA Lifeline Australia 24/7 crisis support. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, or use online chat. Lifeline Australia 🌐 ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD Befrienders Worldwide An international network of emotional-support and suicide-prevention services. Their website can help you find support available in your own country. Find support through Befrienders Worldwide If you believe that you or somebody else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services or go to your nearest emergency department. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E23: ADHD, Meltdowns And Getting Through The Next 10 Minutes

  7. Aug 18

    🎙️ S2 E22: The One-Week Book Sprint

    We’re sat in the sunshine doing what should be a calm planning day, and we somehow decide to set the most ridiculous deadline imaginable: write, finish, and upload a stack of new books in a single week, ready for a September speaking event. Not next month. Not “when things quieten down”. A week. We talk through how we got there, why we’re using back-planning (with a little help from AI), and what the real timeline looks like once you factor in Amazon upload time, production delays, and getting author copies in our hands.  Then we go deeper into the real reason we’re tempted by impossible targets: the dopamine. Both of us come from journalism, where deadlines don’t negotiate and “squeaky bum time” is basically a working style. We unpack what that does to your brain, how hyperfocus can be a superpower, and why creative standards still matter, whether you’re writing a book, laying out a page, or publishing online. Expect newsroom stories, craft nerdiness about how people read a page, and a reminder that teamwork can carry you through pressure when you commit to the process.  The heart of the chat is accountability for self-employed people, especially with ADHD and time blindness in the mix. We’re honest about how easy it is to “just nudge” a deadline, and why that can quietly train you not to trust your own promises, affecting everything from health goals to content creation. We share practical ways to hold the line: break the work into smaller steps, set micro-deadlines for prep and drafting, choose quality over quantity, and plan recovery so you don’t burn out.  We also answer a listener hotline question that turns into a surprisingly personal debate: would you rather arrive 30 minutes early or 30 minutes late, and when do you message to say you’re running behind? If you enjoy candid talk about productivity, ADHD, self-publishing, and real-life planning, hit subscribe, share this with a mate, and leave us a review. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E22: The One-Week Book Sprint

  8. Aug 11

    🎙️ S2 E21: THE CALENDAR HAS LOST THE PLOT

    The calendar is telling us to celebrate everything, everywhere, all at once and it is getting ridiculous. One day we are meant to read books and co-work, the next we are meant to do nothing, then we are juggling elephants, left handers, financial awareness, geocaching, roller coasters and rum. We ask the real question behind the jokes: has the awareness day calendar become content noise, or can it still be a smart tool for small business marketing when you use it with intent? From there we go properly bookish. We share the business and mindset books we actually rate, why audiobooks count, and how reading can be part of your work when you are researching, editing, proofreading, or writing. We also talk about books that challenge your view of modern power, including an insider account of Meta, plus the harder ethics of platforms and creators: where you show up online, what you fund, and how you make values-based choices without disappearing from the places your clients hang out. Then we get personal about burnout and creativity. We explore why escapist fiction can be a genuine reset for your brain, how writing “just for fun” can unlock new ideas and new offers, and why co-working and body doubling help when motivation is low, especially for neurodivergent people. We finish by turning the silliest prompt of all into something practical: how “lizards” can become content about environment, resilience, focus, and growth. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review. And if you want to be part of the conversation, call our hotline and tell us which awareness day you would delete first. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater 🔥☎️ 🔥 ALL NEW AWESOMELY OFF-TOPIC HOTLINE: +44 (0)33 00 272871. Please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

    🎙️ S2 E21: THE CALENDAR HAS LOST THE PLOT
See All (72)

About

🎙️ Awesomely Off-Topic is the podcast that dives headfirst into the business of being brilliantly, messily, unapologetically you. Hosted by award-winning speaker trainer and business and personal empowerment coach Taz Thornton, alongside publishing powerhouse, book mentor and content coach Asha Clearwater – expect bold conversations about building a business and life that actually fits you, not the other way round. We’ll talk personal brand, visibility without the ick, microbooks with major impact, ADHD-friendly approaches, messy launches, business flops, spiritual sidequests and all the stuff no one told you you were allowed to say out loud. We’re doing this on a shoestring – raw, unedited and totally unscripted. No fancy studio, no big budget, no gatekeeping. Just hit record and go. Real talk. Tangents. Swearing (probably). Useful insights. And a whole lot of permission to do it your way. It’s chaos. It’s clarity. It’s Awesomely Off-Topic.

Information