Rise and Shine: Your Daily Dose Of Business Tech Inspiration

Ask Charly Leetham

Where small business tech meets plain English. Charly Leetham brings decades of hands-on experience helping business owners harness technology - without drowning in jargon or wasting time on fluff. Whether you're a DIY'er trying to make sense of your website, emails, or software, or you just want to know if your IT team is talking sense, this podcast is for you. Each episode is packed with practical advice, real-world tips, and insights from the trenches. If you've ever thought, "There’s gotta be a better way to do this tech stuff" - you’re right. Charly is here to show you how.

  1. Meta’s AI Support Assistant - Allegedly a Security Risk? (2026/725)

    2d ago

    Meta’s AI Support Assistant - Allegedly a Security Risk? (2026/725)

    Over the weekend, a run of high-value Instagram accounts - including brand accounts and a former White House page - were hijacked and resold within minutes. According to reports from those affected and footage posted by the attackers themselves, Meta’s own AI Support Assistant may have changed account recovery emails without verifying ownership, allowing hackers to reset passwords and take full control. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ How the Instagram account hijackings allegedly occurred via Meta’s AI Support Assistant ✅ Why your email address is the nucleus of your entire online identity ✅ What a full account takeover really means - content loss, linked payment details, and ID theft risk ⭐ Why strong security hygiene may not be enough when the platform itself allegedly has a gap ➡️ What to do now: back up what you own, platform by platform, and build your email list If your account is on a platform, plan for what happens if access is taken from you. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. "Paradise Found" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    17 min
  2. How Do You Disconnect Sign In With Google? (2026/724)

    4d ago

    How Do You Disconnect Sign In With Google? (2026/724)

    Ever wondered which accounts you're using Sign in with Google with, and how to disconnect them? Following on from Monday's episode about whether you really want to use Sign in with Google as an option, today's walkthrough shows you how to find and unlink those accounts. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ How to find every account linked to your Google login at myaccount.google.com ➡️ Using the Linked Apps menu to see which accounts use Sign in with Google ⚡ A practical Pinterest demonstration, from settings through to security ⭐ Why your linked email address might differ from the one you sign in with ❗ Checking your password and email access before you disconnect ✨ Setting an alternate login so you keep access if your Google account is lost It doesn't need to be difficult. You just follow the process one step at a time. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    13 min
  3. What Happens If Google Terminates Your Account Tomorrow? (2026/723)

    6d ago

    What Happens If Google Terminates Your Account Tomorrow? (2026/723)

    If you use “Sign in with Google” to access other tools and websites, have you thought about what happens if that account is taken away from you? Google now uses AI to continuously scan accounts for policy violations, and since October 2025, accounts can be terminated in a single automated step with no warning. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ How your Google account connects to every service you sign into with it ➡️ Real examples of accounts terminated by automated AI enforcement, including a manga artist, a developer, and a father cleared by police ⚡ Why the appeal process is largely a dead end, with first appeals routinely rejected within minutes ✨ Charly’s own experience with a client’s paid Workspace account being terminated after a hack ❗ The mindset shift: treat your provider like infrastructure you rent, not a relationship you have Start auditing what you log into with your Google account today, because if that single point of failure goes, everything connected to it goes with it. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    18 min
  4. What Does France’s Digital ID Hack Mean For Your Business? (2026/722)

    May 28

    What Does France’s Digital ID Hack Mean For Your Business? (2026/722)

    Full names, dates of birth, places of birth, passport numbers, government account IDs - some of this data can never be changed. You can reset a password, but you cannot reset your date of birth. France Titres, the national digital ID system, was hacked in April, and the attacker was a 15-year-old. Now imagine what a nation state with serious money could do. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ How France Titres was compromised and what data was exposed ➡️ Why some of that data is permanent and can never be reset ⚡ The whack-a-mole reality of keeping systems secure ✨ How patch notes meant for developers also give hackers a roadmap ⭐ Why de-identification does not protect centralised data sets ❗ Practical steps to reduce your blast radius as a business owner Build it and they will come. When you centralise sensitive data into one system, you create a target worth hitting. The same principle applies at every scale, including your business. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    13 min
  5. What Is Google Tracking In Your Activity Log? (2026/721)

    May 26

    What Is Google Tracking In Your Activity Log? (2026/721)

    Your Google account keeps a detailed log of your activity - from map searches and phone calls to what you have been watching on TV. If you have not checked your privacy settings, there is a good chance all of that data is being collected right now. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ How to access your Google activity log at myactivity.google.com ➡️ What Google tracks across Maps, Android TV, Assistant, and more ⚡ How to filter your activity by product and date ✨ Turning off web and app activity and deleting old data ☑️ Setting up auto-delete so your history does not build up forever ⭐ The trade-offs between privacy and useful features like timeline ❗ How to turn off personalised ads in your Google account Take control of your Google privacy settings and make informed decisions about what you allow to be tracked. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    17 min
  6. What Happens When Private Equity Buys Your Plugins? (2026/720)

    May 24

    What Happens When Private Equity Buys Your Plugins? (2026/720)

    If your favourite WordPress plugins have changed hands in recent years, you may have noticed something shifting. Higher prices, slower support, and founders walking away from the products they built. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ Why private equity companies acquire plugins for profit, not passion ➡️ What you actually receive when you pay for a WordPress plugin licence ⚡ The difference between founder-led support and PE-backed help desks ⭐ How to audit your site and assess the risk profile of your plugins ❗ Evaluating your return on investment on the tools your business depends on This is about making informed decisions. Know what is on your site, who owns it, and whether you are still getting value for what you are paying. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    21 min
  7. Are Scammers Hacking Your Biology with Robert Siciliano (E38,S2026)

    May 24

    Are Scammers Hacking Your Biology with Robert Siciliano (E38,S2026)

    Cybercrime is on track to become a $12 trillion problem by 2031, and the criminals behind it are not just targeting your technology - they are targeting your brain. In this episode, Charly sits down with cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano to unpack how organised crime exploits our natural instinct to trust, and what you can do to become a tougher target. In this episode, Charly and Robert discuss: ✅ What the “human blind spot” is and why scammers use it against you ➡️ How organised crime uses human trafficking to run global scam operations ⚡ Why manufactured urgency in emails, texts and calls bypasses your logic ⭐ The difference between security awareness and security appreciation ✨ How to become a “strategic human firewall” in your business and life ❗ Practical steps you can take right now to protect yourself and your team Criminals want you to do nothing - so do something. Start with a password manager and two-factor authentication today. Check out Zoho Vault: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/zohovault Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    1 hr
  8. Should You Remove Google reCAPTCHA From Your Website? (2026/719)

    May 21

    Should You Remove Google reCAPTCHA From Your Website? (2026/719)

    Google has quietly rolled out its new Cloud Fraud Defense system, replacing reCAPTCHA on over 14 million websites without notifying site owners. Instead of solving a puzzle, flagged visitors now have to scan a QR code with a Google-approved phone, tying their browsing session to a tracked account. In this episode, Charly covers: ✅ What Google's Cloud Fraud Defense system is and how it replaces reCAPTCHA ➡️ Why flagged traffic now requires a QR code scan from a Google-approved device ⚡ How this ties anonymous browsing sessions to tracked Google accounts ⭐ The 2023 Web Environment Integrity proposal that Mozilla and the EFF opposed - and how Google shipped it anyway ❗ Why this means Google is now deciding who can visit your website ✨ Alternatives like Cloudflare Turnstile that protect your site without restricting your visitors If you are using Google reCAPTCHA on your website, now is the time to look at your options and consider removing it. Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me (1 per person only) *** Follow us: Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4 YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/ Spotify: https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager Music and Credits to: Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons. “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/

    17 min
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About

Where small business tech meets plain English. Charly Leetham brings decades of hands-on experience helping business owners harness technology - without drowning in jargon or wasting time on fluff. Whether you're a DIY'er trying to make sense of your website, emails, or software, or you just want to know if your IT team is talking sense, this podcast is for you. Each episode is packed with practical advice, real-world tips, and insights from the trenches. If you've ever thought, "There’s gotta be a better way to do this tech stuff" - you’re right. Charly is here to show you how.

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