The Business Owners Podcast

Clive Enever & Linda Reed-Enever

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The Business Owners Podcast, brought to you by Business Business Business and Enever Group, is a podcast for business owners of all sizes. In each episode, hosts Linda Reed-Enever and Clive Enever interview business owners about their experiences, challenges, and successes. They also share tips and advice on growing your business and achieving your goals.

21h ago

Garima Singh on AI Ethics, Innovation, and Practical Implementation

Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate, but knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. With new tools and technologies emerging constantly, business owners need more than enthusiasm for AI. They need clarity about their processes, an understanding of where technology can add value and a practical approach to implementation. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Garima Singh, co-founder of AI2Easy, to explore how businesses can adopt artificial intelligence without unnecessary complexity. Drawing on her background in software engineering and her transition from corporate employment to entrepreneurship, Garima shares how she and her husband built AI2Easy to help businesses understand and implement AI solutions. She explains why understanding your existing business processes is essential before introducing automation and how smaller, measurable projects can deliver more meaningful results. Garima also discusses responsible AI adoption, protecting sensitive business information, maintaining human creativity and the importance of building relationships in an increasingly technology-driven world. Key Takeaways from This Episode Understand Your Business Before Implementing AI Garima explains that one of the biggest challenges businesses face is not understanding where their time and resources are being spent. Before introducing AI, business owners need to identify repetitive tasks, inefficient processes, potential errors and areas where employees or customers experience frustration. Creating a clear roadmap helps businesses prioritise opportunities where AI can deliver genuine value rather than investing in technology without a defined purpose. Start Small and Measure the Results Rather than committing to lengthy AI implementation projects, Garima recommends breaking initiatives into smaller, manageable stages. At AI2Easy, projects are often structured around eight to twelve weeks, allowing businesses to test solutions, evaluate improvements and determine whether the technology is saving time or improving quality. Once a solution demonstrates value, businesses can confidently explore additional opportunities. Keep Humans Involved in AI Processes AI should support human decision-making rather than replace it entirely. Garima encourages business owners to use AI as an assistant for tasks such as drafting emails, summarising meetings, preparing reports and creating marketing content. However, a person should remain responsible for reviewing the output, checking accuracy and ensuring the final result reflects the business's values, creativity and intentions. Protect Your Business Data and Establish Clear AI Guidelines Responsible AI adoption requires clear boundaries around how technology is used. Garima highlights the importance of protecting sensitive business and customer information, understanding data sovereignty risks and establishing guidelines that employees can follow. Businesses should know what information can be shared with AI platforms, which tools are approved and where human oversight is required. Combine Technology with Human Relationships Despite working in artificial intelligence, Garima believes personal connections remain essential to business success. Networking, meeting other business owners and learning from different experiences have played an important role in growing AI2Easy. While technology can improve efficiency, genuine conversations, creativity and relationship-building remain valuable skills that businesses should continue developing. Garima's Advice for Business Owners Identify One Task Where AI Could Help: Start by reviewing your daily operations and identifying repetitive or time-consuming activities. Choose a task you understand well and explore whether AI could help complete it more efficiently. Implement AI Gradually and Review the Results: Avoid trying to automate your entire business immediately. Test one process, measure improvements in time or quality and maintain human oversight before expanding AI into other areas. Create Clear Rules for Responsible AI Use: Establish guidelines for employees covering approved tools, sensitive information, data protection and reviewing AI-generated content. Make sure everyone understands what AI can and cannot be used for within your business. Keep Learning and Building Relationships: AI technology is evolving quickly, making continuous learning essential. Stay informed, develop your skills and continue connecting with other business owners and industry professionals to discover new ideas and opportunities. The Bottom Line Successful AI adoption isn't about using every new tool or automating every process. It's about understanding your business, identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing technology in a way that delivers measurable value. By starting small, protecting sensitive information and keeping people involved in decision-making, business owners can use AI to improve productivity while maintaining the creativity, relationships and human judgement that make their businesses unique. Your Next Step Conduct a simple AI opportunity review to identify where technology could make a practical difference in your business. Identify Repetitive Tasks: List three activities that regularly consume time in your business, such as preparing reports, drafting emails or responding to common customer enquiries. Choose One Opportunity: Select the task that could benefit most from improved efficiency. Consider how much time it currently takes and what a successful outcome would look like. Test and Measure: Explore an appropriate AI tool, establish clear guidelines for its use and test it on that task. Review the results for accuracy, quality and time savings before deciding whether to expand its use. Connect with Garima Singh Website: AI2Easy LinkedIn: Garima Singh Instagram: @ai2.easy Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:00 Meet Garima Singh 01:00 Moving to Australia and Building a New Life 02:00 From Corporate Careers to Entrepreneurship 03:00 Launching AI2Easy and Growing the Business 04:00 The Biggest Challenges Businesses Face with AI 05:00 Identifying Repetitive Tasks and AI Opportunities 06:00 Creating a Practical AI Roadmap 07:00 Starting Small and Maintaining Human Oversight 08:00 Measuring Results Through Short AI Projects 09:00 Balancing AI Efficiency with Human Creativity 10:00 Quickfire Getting to Know Garima 12:00 Learning Through Networking and Relationships 14:00 Finding Motivation Through Entrepreneurship 15:00 Encouraging Business Owners to Keep Going 16:00 AI Ethics, Data Protection and Business Guidelines 17:00 Managing Business and Family Priorities 19:00 Making Time for Health and Wellbeing 20:00 Why Business Owners Don't Need Technical AI Expertise 21:00 Embracing AI and Developing New Skills 22:00 Where to Find Garima Singh
21h ago · Bonus

You Might Like This Interview with Robert Greene: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Introducing Robert Greene: The Surprising Reason You Feel Unhappy Even When Life Is “Good” from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power and The Law of the Sublime, Robert Greene, joins Jay to explore why so many of us feel unfulfilled, even when we're achieving everything we thought we wanted. He opens up about the life-threatening stroke that changed his perspective and inspired his new book, and shares how reconnecting with our childhood interests can help us discover our true purpose. Robert also explains why boredom, struggle, and confronting our mortality can lead to a more meaningful life, how to turn envy into gratitude, and practical ways to navigate workplace politics, complicated relationships, and the feeling that life has become stagnant. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the Personal Price Plan®. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there®. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What I Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 02:18 Why We Feel Disconnected and Unfulfilled 06:27 Pursuing The Right Goals 11:32 Near-Death Experience And Writing The Sublime 13:13 Uncovering Your Authentic Self 19:51 The Looking-Glass Self 22:20 Overcoming Boredom Through Slow Disciplines 27:38 What is The Difference Between Happiness And Fulfillment? 32:15 Resisting Modern Culture And Embracing Difficulty 36:08 Building Confidence Through Small Steps 41:03 The Anxiety of Feeling Behind in Life 48:00 Connection To Others vs. Chasing Wealth 51:17 Turning Envy Into Gratitude 55:12 Real Fulfillment Beyond Financial Success 58:32 Money As Oxygen, Not Fulfillment 01:00:13 Workplace Politics And Power Dynamics 01:02:46 Why We’re Drawn to People Who Send Mixed Signals 01:04:53 Breaking Out of Repetitive Life Patterns 01:07:23 Confronting Mortality To Feel Alive 01:14:45 Transcendence, Evolution, And Spirituality 01:19:37 The Anti-Sublime Vs. the False Sublime 01:25:02 Robert On Final Five Episode Resources: Pre-order The Law of the Sublime https://sites.prh.com/lawofthesublime Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/robertgreeneofficial YouTube | https://youtube.com/@robertgreeneofficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.
Oct 27

Redefining Beauty Standards with Naomi Browner

Building a successful business means knowing when to adapt, trusting your values and creating an environment where your team can thrive. It also means recognising that growth isn't always about doing more yourself, but about building a business that can operate without relying on you every day. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Naomi Browner, founder of Bare Beauty House, to explore her journey through entrepreneurship, changing business models and creating a values-driven hair and beauty salon. From opening her first salon in her early twenties to launching Bare Beauty House during the uncertainty of 2020, Naomi shares how she has navigated business challenges, motherhood, staffing changes and evolving industry expectations. Naomi discusses the importance of hiring for personality and work ethic, empowering employees through flexibility, understanding your business numbers and staying true to your values. She also explains how her commitment to low-tox beauty treatments has helped differentiate her salon while creating a more conscious approach to hair and beauty services. Key Takeaways from This Episode Hire for Personality and Work Ethic, Not Just Skills Naomi believes finding the right people is one of the most important decisions a business owner can make. While technical skills can be developed through training, personality, attitude and work ethic are much harder to change. Hiring people who share your values creates stronger communication, encourages collaboration and helps build a workplace culture that naturally attracts your ideal customers. Build a Business That Doesn't Depend on You When Naomi opened Bare Beauty House, she knew she wanted to spend more time working on the business rather than constantly delivering services herself. With a team of 10 and systems that support daily operations, she can now manage much of the business remotely while spending time with her family. Her experience highlights the importance of creating a business model that supports your lifestyle and long-term goals. Stay True to Your Values and Be Willing to Pivot Naomi's commitment to low-tox hair and beauty treatments began with her first salon, but she initially experienced resistance from customers. When she launched Bare Beauty House, she chose to fully embrace those values, creating a full-service salon focused on reducing chemical exposure while still delivering results-driven treatments. By aligning her services with the needs and priorities of her community, she developed a clearer business identity. Give Your Team Flexibility While Maintaining Accountability As more hairdressers choose self-employment and flexible working arrangements, Naomi has adapted her approach to managing staff. Her salon combines employees with independent chair renters, while offering team members greater control over their schedules. By establishing clear expectations, KPIs and performance targets, she creates an environment where flexibility and accountability can work together. Understand Your Numbers and Prioritise What Matters Naomi emphasises the importance of understanding business finances, performance indicators and operational systems. With guidance from mentors and business advisers, she developed greater confidence in managing the financial side of her salon. She also uses a simple daily productivity approach, identifying three important tasks, often covering finances, communication and systems, to maintain focus and make meaningful progress. Naomi's Advice for Business Owners Choose the Right People for Your Business: Prioritise personality, work ethic and shared values when hiring. Technical skills are important, but a team that genuinely connects with your business vision can make daily operations and long-term growth much easier. Embrace Change and Learn to Pivot: Business rarely follows a predictable path. When circumstances change, focus on what you can control, adjust your approach and continue moving forward rather than becoming overwhelmed by uncertainty. Create Flexibility with Clear Expectations: Give your team opportunities to take ownership of their schedules and responsibilities while maintaining clear performance standards. Trust, communication and accountability help create a workplace where people feel supported and motivated. Make Time for Yourself and Focus on Your Priorities: Running a business alongside personal responsibilities requires boundaries. Identify your three most important tasks each day, tackle challenging priorities early and protect time for your own wellbeing. The Bottom Line A successful business should support the life you want to create, not consume every moment of it. By building the right team, understanding your numbers, staying true to your values and embracing flexibility, you can create a business that grows without depending entirely on your personal involvement. Your Next Step Take a closer look at how your business operates and identify opportunities to create more freedom, flexibility and focus. Review Your Responsibilities: Write down the tasks you currently handle and identify one responsibility that could be delegated, streamlined or supported by better systems. Evaluate Your Team and Culture: Consider whether your current working arrangements encourage trust, collaboration and accountability. Identify one improvement that could help your team work more effectively. Set Three Daily Priorities: At the beginning of each day, choose three meaningful tasks that will move your business forward. Focus on completing these before becoming distracted by less important activities. Connect with Naomi Browner Website: Bare Beauty House Instagram: @barebeauty_house LinkedIn: Bare Beauty House Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:00 Meet Naomi Browner 01:00 Running a Salon While Working Remotely 02:00 Opening Bare Beauty House During COVID 03:00 Building a Team and Balancing Motherhood 04:00 Hiring for Personality and Work Ethic 06:00 Creating a Collaborative Workplace Culture 08:00 Lessons from Naomi's First Salon 09:00 Returning to Australia and Starting Again 10:00 Building a Low-Tox Hair and Beauty Salon 11:00 Quickfire Getting to Know Naomi 13:00 Navigating Motherhood and Entrepreneurship 14:00 Learning to Embrace Change 15:00 Building a Business That Doesn't Depend on You 16:00 Adapting to Changing Employment Models 17:00 Creating Flexibility and Accountability 19:00 The Importance of a Unique Business Identity 20:00 Learning from Mentors and Understanding Business Numbers 21:00 Balancing Business and Personal Life 23:00 Setting Three Daily Priorities 24:00 Supporting the Next Generation of Hairdressers 25:00 Raising Standards in the Beauty Industry 26:00 Where to Find Naomi Browner
Oct 20

Building Community Through Dance with Mark Cherrett

Building a successful business takes more than a great idea. It takes passion, a strong sense of purpose and the ability to create meaningful connections with the people you serve. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Mark Cherrett, co-founder of Fitesque, to explore how a passion for performing arts, fitness and community can become the foundation of a growing business. From starting dance classes with just six participants in a hall to expanding across Australia, Mark shares how he and his wife, Melanie, have built businesses centred on helping people rediscover confidence, connection and the joy of movement. Mark discusses the importance of staying passionate about your business, recognising opportunities in customer feedback, investing in new skills and building a team that genuinely believes in your vision. He also explains how storytelling, community engagement and a playful approach to business have helped shape their growth. Key Takeaways from This Episode Passion Creates Longevity in Business Mark believes genuine passion is one of the most important ingredients for building a sustainable business. While systems, processes and strategies matter, having a strong connection to your purpose helps you remain motivated through challenges and changes. When your team shares that passion, it becomes easier to build trust, maintain momentum and work towards a common goal. Build a Community, Not Just a Customer Base For Mark, business is about more than transactions. Through dance and fitness, he has seen how creating welcoming environments can help people reconnect with themselves, build confidence and form meaningful relationships. When customers feel emotionally connected to an experience, they become part of the business's story and naturally share that experience with others. Listen to Your Customers to Identify Opportunities Fitesque emerged after Mark and Melanie noticed growing demand for accessible, follow-along dance fitness classes. Rather than simply expanding their existing dance school model, they recognised an opportunity to create something different. By listening to what their community wanted, they developed a licensed fitness concept that allows instructors to bring the experience to their own local communities. Invest in Skills That Support Business Growth Recognising the growing importance of video marketing, Mark took a year away from his businesses to study film directing and production. This investment helped him develop high-quality marketing content and strengthen the storytelling behind the brands. His experience highlights the value of identifying emerging trends and developing practical skills that can give your business a competitive advantage. Build a Team That Shares Your Values As the business expanded to approximately 65 dance school locations, maintaining a consistent culture became increasingly important. Mark explains how understanding personality types, recognising individual strengths and developing existing community members into instructors helped create a team aligned with the business's values. For him, the right people are those who genuinely believe in making a positive difference. Mark's Advice for Business Owners Stay Connected to Your Purpose: Build a business around something you genuinely care about. Passion helps sustain motivation, particularly when circumstances become difficult or unpredictable. Pay Attention to What Your Community Needs: Listen carefully to customer feedback and look for opportunities to solve problems. Your next business idea or growth opportunity may come directly from the people you already serve. Keep Learning and Developing New Skills: Identify the capabilities your business needs to grow and invest time in developing them. Whether it's marketing, technology or leadership, continuous learning can open doors to new opportunities. Take Your Business Seriously, But Make Room for Fun: Creating a positive, playful workplace doesn't mean ignoring responsibilities. Build a culture where people can enjoy their work, express themselves and contribute to a shared purpose while still delivering results. The Bottom Line Sustainable business growth comes from combining passion with purpose, listening to your community and investing in the people who help bring your vision to life. When you focus on creating meaningful experiences rather than simply making transactions, you can build a business that grows while making a genuine difference. Your Next Step Take a closer look at how your business creates connections with its customers and community. Identify Your Purpose: Write down why your business exists beyond generating revenue and how it makes a positive difference to the people you serve. Listen to Your Customers: Review recent feedback, conversations or recurring requests to identify one unmet need or potential opportunity. Take One Action: Choose a practical way to strengthen your community, whether that's improving an existing service, introducing a new experience or creating more opportunities for customers to connect. Connect with Mark Cherrett Website: Fitesque LinkedIn: Mark Cherrett Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Mark Cherrett 01:00 Moving from the UK to Adelaide 03:00 From Performing Arts to Fitness and Business 04:00 Why Passion Drives Business Longevity 05:00 Building a Team Around Shared Values 06:00 How Customer Feedback Inspired Fitesque 07:00 Bringing Playfulness Back Through Dance 08:00 Creating Confidence and Community Connections 09:00 Moving Beyond Transactions Through Storytelling 10:00 Getting to Know Mark Cherrett 11:00 Staying Grounded While Growing a Business 12:00 Navigating Business Challenges During COVID 13:00 Creating a Playful Workplace Culture 14:00 Investing in Video Marketing and New Skills 15:00 Expanding Dance Classes into Local Communities 16:00 Understanding Personality Types and Team Culture 17:00 Turning Participants into Instructors 18:00 The Fitesque Licensing Model 19:00 Supporting New Instructors and Building Communities
Oct 13

Discover AI Customisation for Business with Belinda Irvine

Artificial intelligence isn't about letting a computer run your business blindly, but about combining decades of human expertise with customised AI agents to eliminate administrative drudgery and scale your productivity. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Belinda Irvine, founder of Bel Digital. Renowned for her expertise in Google Ads, Belinda shares her journey of going all-in on AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude and ChatGPT to build tailored, business-specific AI agents. Belinda breaks down the 5 levels of AI maturity, explains why generic AI outputs sound robotic, and demystifies how business owners can safely build custom memory files and guardrails without risking sensitive financial or client data. Key Takeaways from This Episode The 5 Levels of AI Maturity Most people start at "chitty-chat" (asking simple questions and receiving simple answers). From there, users progress through skills, task automations, custom AI agents, and ultimately complex workflow orchestration. The Power of Decades of Human Experience + AI AI is probabilistic, meaning it can guess or attempt to give pleasing answers even when wrong. Combining deep, real-world industry experience with AI tools creates an unmatched competitive edge, because seasoned professionals know how to verify outputs and keep the tool on track. What is a Custom AI Agent? Unlike a basic chat prompt, a custom agent is a collection of structured text files containing explicit guardrails, style guides, brand voice parameters, and memory files. These rules instruct the AI on how your business operates (e.g., "Draft emails only, do not send," or "Do not make up facts"). Keeping AI Away from Money and Security Keys Building safe AI systems means keeping tight boundaries. Avoid connecting raw AI tools to your bank accounts, contracts, or financial APIs without proper human review layers. Automating Admin to Empower Your Team Implementing AI agents isn't about replacing team members, but about eliminating repetitive admin tasks that nobody enjoys. Automating tasks like client reporting frees up human hours for higher-value, creative work. Belinda's Advice for Business Owners Bake in Strict Guardrails First: When setting up an AI assistant or agent, explicitly instruct it not to guess or invent details when it lacks exact information. Build a Living Memory File: Continuously feed client notes and business updates into a designated memory file so your AI agent's contextual accuracy snowballs over time. Calculate ROI on the Way In: Whether investing in Google Ads or new technology, calculate potential returns before spending money, and never get locked into unproven long-term promises. Be a "Good Egg" in Business: Stand out in your industry by operating with radical honesty, integrity, and transparency. Key Takeaway AI is only as good as the human effort and rules you feed into it. Combine your real-world business expertise with tailored AI guardrails, and you'll build an ecosystem that delivers genuine peace, efficiency, and scale. Your Next Step Execute an "Admin Time Audit": Identify one repetitive administrative task in your business that takes multiple hours each week or month (e.g., drafting campaign reports or meeting summaries). Write down the step-by-step rules, tone of voice, and guardrails for that task. Test using an LLM (like Claude or ChatGPT) as a drafting partner for that single task, making sure a human conducts the final review before anything goes out. Connect with Belinda Irvine Website: bel.digital Instagram: @belinda.irvine LinkedIn: Belinda Irvine Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:28 Meet Belinda Irvine 02:02 AI Basics Explained 03:06 LLMs and How They Learn 05:30 Trust but Verify AI 08:28 What Are AI Agents 10:00 Memory Files and Guardrails 12:28 Custom Agents and Brand Voice 14:18 Quickfire Getting to Know Belinda 20:04 AI for Productivity and Teams 21:56 Automation Case Study Numbers 22:59 Jobs Future and Opportunity 24:15 Mentors and Career Shifts 26:18 Integrity in Digital Marketing 29:19 Where to Find Belinda
Oct 6

The Role of Reviews and Reputation with Elise Balsillie

In today's AI-driven search landscape, online reviews are no longer just optional feedback, but a primary currency that search engines use to determine who gets recommended to your ideal clients. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever chats with Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia. Having spent over two decades evolving with the company, from the iconic print Yellow Pages days to modern digital CRM and marketing solutions, Elise brings a wealth of practical experience in helping small businesses build credibility and scale. Elise breaks down why two-thirds of small businesses avoid asking for reviews, how AI search platforms (like Gemini, Copilot, and Claude) define who is "the best," and how responding to a 3-star review with empathy and accountability can actually win you more customers than a wall of unverified 5-star ratings. Key Takeaways from This Episode The Evolution from Print to AI Search Small business marketing used to mean putting an ad in the local paper or the Yellow Pages. Today, search engines and AI platforms scan local review profiles across the web to answer direct queries like "Who is the best plumber near me?" Having current, high-rating reviews directly controls whether AI recommends your business or your competitor. The Power of Real, Accountability-Driven Reviews A profile with only 5-star ratings and zero context can look disingenuous to consumers. Potential clients often look for how a business owner handles a 3-star review. Responding with empathy, taking accountability, and offering to make things right shows real integrity and builds immediate trust. The Cost of Ignoring Feedback Over 50% of small business owners never respond to customer reviews, missing a massive connection opportunity. Meanwhile, 21% of consumers check reviews every single time they make a purchasing decision. Acknowledging positive or negative feedback shows future buyers that you genuinely care. Managing Remote Teams with Local Human Touch Thryv supports tens of thousands of Australian and New Zealand businesses using a 400+ person remote team. Combining digital tracking tools with local, face-to-face account management creates strong, long-term growth partnerships. The "Post-it Note" Decision Strategy Making knee-jerk decisions in a state of panic usually leads to poor outcomes. When faced with a business catastrophe, write down the issue on a Post-it note, take a breath or a walk, and address it once your mind is calm and objective. Elise's Advice for Business Owners Build Reviews into Your Process: Don't hesitate to ask every customer for feedback. Send a follow-up link right after an invoice is paid, or a project is completed, to make leaving a review effortless. Respond to Every Review: Acknowledge both glowing testimonials and critical feedback publicly to demonstrate active, caring leadership. Set Clear Boundaries When Working from Home: Start and end your day with an intentional ritual, like a morning walk, to separate your work persona from your home life. Leverage AI for Draft Responses: If you struggle to find the right words to address a difficult review, use AI tools to help craft a professional, unemotional first draft. Key Takeaway Managing your online reputation isn't about avoiding negative reviews, but about demonstrating consistent accountability, keeping your feedback current, and giving AI search engines a reason to rank you first. Your Next Step Execute a Local AI & Review Audit: Open an AI assistant (like Gemini or ChatGPT) and search: "Who are the best [your industry] in [your local suburb]?" Check if your business appears in the results and look at what review platforms the AI cites. Set up a simple automated email or SMS template today to begin regularly asking your recent happy clients for reviews on those key platforms. Connect with Elise Balsillie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-balsillie-8aa1a892/ Thryv: https://www.thryv.com/ Listen to Elise's Previous Episode: Cultivating Curiosity and Resilience in Business with Elise Balsillie Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Step into the Business Wisdom Vault, your one-stop hub to scale, strategise, and succeed in business. https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Or book a 1:1 discovery call with Clive, and let's bring your next business move to life https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive We'd love to hear your takeaway from this episode. What stood out for you? Jump into the group and share your lightbulb moment. Highlights: 01:41 Thryv Origins and Evolution 03:49 Digital Marketing Support Model 04:43 Remote Team and Local Relationships 07:40 Why Reviews Matter Now 11:04 Asking for Reviews and Handling Negatives 13:07 Responding to Reviews and SEO Benefits 15:23 Work From Home Balance Tips 17:27 Quickfire Personal Questions 20:36 Turning Bad Reviews Into Growth 25:59 Using AI for Review Responses 27:24 AI Search and Competitive Insights 29:18 Leadership Lessons Under Pressure 32:04 Mentors and Challenging Networks 34:05 Future of Supporting Small Business
Sep 29

Di Geddes on Values and Compassionate Care in Business

True business success isn't measured solely by profit margins, but is built on living your values, delivering genuine compassion, and prioritising human relationships. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Di Geddes, founder of Exceptional Care For You. Drawing from her 40-year career as a registered nurse, Di shares her journey of leaving a corporate care system to build an in-home aged care and NDIS support business centred entirely around kindness, dignity, and quality of life. Di provides a transparent look at the personal resilience required to launch a business in her mid-50s, the importance of aligning recruitment with core values, and why small business owners must redefine success on their own terms rather than conforming to traditional corporate moulds. Key Takeaways from This Episode Service Over Dollars While a business must remain financially sustainable to pay its team and bills, keeping profit as the sole focus dilutes the quality of care. When you focus unyielding attention on delivering exceptional service, financial returns naturally follow. Recruiting for Heart and Values Skills can be taught, but genuine compassion cannot. Effective recruitment requires thorough screening that prioritises why an applicant wants the job over their technical resume. Applicants driven purely by penalty rates or convenience don't align with a values-first organisation. The Importance of "Day-One" Impressions Whether for clients or new staff, the culture of a business is felt immediately on day one. Authentic, polite, and transparent communication sets a foundation of psychological safety that directly impacts long-term retention and engagement. Redefining the "Businesswoman" Identity Business owners don't have to fit into a rigid, traditional corporate box dictated by external coaches or metrics. You have the power to define your own success criteria, focusing on happiness, high-quality delivery, and ethical integrity. Personal Resilience as an Anchor Overcoming severe personal adversity, such as illness, divorce, or loss, often uncovers deep internal strength. Using those life lessons to anchor your business values gives you the clarity to stay true to your mission during hard times. Di's Advice for Business Owners Ask the "Why" Question Early: During hiring, look past technical qualifications and listen for emotional authenticity and true alignment with your mission. Implement Circuit Breakers: Operating a 24/7 or high-demand business can easily lead to burnout. Recognise when you are getting reactive, and step away for a short break to recharge. Stay Grounded in Real Feedback: Avoid relying solely on staff or inner circles for validation. Seek candid perspectives from outside sources who don't depend on you financially. Lead with a Smile: Simple human connection breaks down barriers, builds immediate trust, and establishes comfort in any professional environment. Key Takeaway Don't let traditional corporate expectations dictate how you run your company. Stay true to your core values, deliver the exceptional service you promised, and let the money take care of itself. Your Next Step Execute a "Values Alignment Check" in your current business. Review your primary customer-facing promises or mission statements and compare them against your team's day-to-day operations. Identify one area where operational tasks may be overshadowing human connection, and implement a small change this week to put service back at the centre. Connect with Di Geddes Personal Website: digeddes.com.au Company Website: exceptionalcareforyou.com Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Di Geddes and Exceptional Care For You 02:30 Why We Ignore Quality of Life 05:30 From 40 Years of Nursing to Launching a Business at 55 08:30 Why Financial Returns Follow Values-Driven Service 10:30 The Secret to Hiring: Screening for Compassion Over Convenience 13:30 Early Mornings, Mindset Books, and Finding Strength in Adversity 17:30 Inheriting Maternal Resilience and Navigating Life's Curveballs 21:00 Setting Boundaries and Managing On-Call Stress with Circuit Breakers 24:00 What the NDIS and Care Industries Need to Change 26:00 Rejecting Corporate Stereotypes and Defining Success on Your Terms
Sep 22

Why You Need an AI Plan Before an AI Tool with Adrienne Allaway

Adding artificial intelligence to your business without a strategy is like building an addition on a house without architectural blueprints. It creates mess, risk, and misaligned outcomes. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever chats with Adrienne Allaway, a software solution architect with 20+ years of experience and founder of Clear North AI. After moving from Seattle to Melbourne to pursue a master's degree in sustainability, Adrienne brings a refreshing, long-term perspective on applying AI in the small business ecosystem. Adrienne explains why business owners must map out their workflows and establish clear boundaries before turning on AI tools, the data privacy risks of public LLM interfaces, and how to create a practical, one-page AI strategy focused on measurable business value. Key Takeaways from This Episode Strategy Over Shiny Object Syndrome Plugging in AI tools or chatbots without a plan can severely damage customer relationships and operational flows. Business owners must define their end goals, whether saving hours or driving revenue, before selecting software. Understanding Data Privacy & Ownership When using free public AI tools (like ChatGPT or Claude in a browser), you grant those platforms broad rights to your inputs. Never input sensitive client data or non-differentiated branding assets into public tools without stripping out identifying details or utilising business-grade API connections. Identifying "Automation Candidates" AI should handle tasks that are repeatable, time-consuming, and manual. If a task is constantly changing or requires non-standardised decisions, it is a poor candidate for early automation. Keeping the "Human in the Loop" Automation is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Critical business steps, such as contract approvals, final legal reviews, and invoice validation, should always retain human oversight, even if drafted by AI. The One-Page AI Framework Set the Objective: Are you saving money or driving sales? Audit Manual Processes: Map out inputs, operational steps, and final outputs. Select AI Touchpoints: Identify where AI assists and where humans remain in charge. Calculate ROI: Confirm that the time or cost savings justify the automation effort. Adrienne's Advice for Business Owners Start Small with Business Systems: Don't get overwhelmed by massive tech Overhauls. Take small, intentional steps toward automating tedious manual tasks. Never Jump Without Blueprints: Stop bolting AI tools onto broken manual processes. Map out your business steps on paper first. Be Adaptable to "Curveballs": Treat unexpected business curveballs or disruptions as opportunities to jump through new, creative windows. Focus on Enablement, Not Replacement: View AI as a tool to boost human productivity and eliminate tedious tasks, not a replacement for human connection. Key Takeaway Don't throw AI at a process just because everyone tells you to. Map your inputs, decide where the human stays, and calculate the real value before picking up a tool. Your Next Step Execute a Process Mapping Exercise. Choose one repetitive task in your business that takes up significant human time each week (e.g., onboarding emails or spreadsheet updates). Map out its inputs, step-by-step actions, and final outputs to determine if it's a strong candidate for AI enablement. Connect with Adrienne Allaway Website: clearnorth.ai LinkedIn: Adrienne Allaway Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Adrienne Allaway and Clear North AI 02:00 Applying Sustainability Principles to Tech and Data Centres 04:10 Data Privacy: Public LLMs vs. Business APIs 07:00 The Cost of Turning on AI Without a Plan 08:50 The One-Page AI Plan: Inputs, Steps, and Human-in-the-Loop Points 12:40 Rescuing Software Projects That Have Gone Off the Rails 15:30 French Press Coffee, Early Mornings, and Brandon Sanderson Fantasy Books 18:50 Moving to Australia and Embracing Business Surprises 23:00 The "Business in a Box" Vision and the Future of AI Enablement 25:30 Where to Find Adrienne

The Business Owners Podcast, brought to you by Business Business Business and Enever Group, is a podcast for business owners of all sizes. In each episode, hosts Linda Reed-Enever and Clive Enever interview business owners about their experiences, challenges, and successes. They also share tips and advice on growing your business and achieving your goals.

Creator

Clive Enever & Linda Reed-Enever
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

110
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2025
Show Website

The Business Owners Podcast