It's Not Rocket Science! Five Questions Over Coffee

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It's Not Rocket Science! Five Questions Over Coffee

The mission of It's Not Rocket Science! is to bring a new idea for building business to growth-hungry business leaders and owners who want to do more with less time and so increase their business and influence. We deliver actionable ideas using our “five questions over coffee.” thecompleteapproach.substack.com

  1. MAY 8

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Steve Feld (ep. 122)

    Who is Steve? Steve Feld is a seasoned business consultant known for his keen ability to analyze and understand consumer demographics and psychographics. With a talent for uncovering unexpected market insights, Steve often finds that business assumptions about target markets can be misleading. He has successfully guided clients to reshape their marketing strategies, revealing that the true key to their success lies in the genuine connection they establish with their customers, beyond just their messaging. Steve's own experience in business echoes this lesson, as he discovered that his thriving client base did not align with his original target market, yet his authenticity and expertise kept them coming back. Key Takeaways 00:00 Welcome Steve Feld, business coach, for questions. 05:54 Free advice and book at www/systemise.me/free-stuff 08:43 What's the essential question for your message? 11:09 Prioritize crucial tasks early for business success. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS business coach, small business owners, entrepreneurs, target market, messaging, elevator pitch, customer demographics, marketing strategies, valuable advice, tech startups, networking events, expertise, published author, authoritative figure, marketing piece, business growth, massive results, audience engagement, client engagement, business owners, business plan, business focus, business execution, business career, massive action, business achievements, business clarity, business improvement, business dreams, business goals SPEAKERS Steve Feld, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I have in my hand what is left of, a mug of coffee. It's not quite as full as it was earlier on today, but I wanna welcome Steve Feld. Steve is a business coach, who works with a a range of different organizations, range of different businesses. I think we're gonna get into some interesting conversations about the sort of thing he's trying to do at the moment to help businesses move forward in what we can all describe, I guess, as some interesting times. So, Steve, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over coffee. I hope you're ready for, an interesting few questions, and I hope you too are well fueled up. Steve Feld [00:01:12]: I am well fueled up. I my blood type is coffee, so I am ready for Stuart Webb [00:01:16]: you. Terrific. Steve, let's start with the the sort of, the business owner, the business that you're trying to help. What's the what's the problem that you often see? And I know, we're likely to have a lot of common common common problems, but what are the more common ones that you see, when you start to engage with those businesses? Steve Feld [00:01:37]: Absolutely. Since I work primarily with small business owners, entrepreneurs, the biggest thing I see is they really don't know who their target market is. Stuart Webb [00:01:46]: Mhmm. Steve Feld [00:01:47]: And that starts affecting everything else, and they wonder why no one their messaging isn't working, why their elevator pitch isn't working, why nothing's working. It's because you're trying to be everything to everyone. And reality is you're nothing to everyone because they don't Yeah. Stuart Webb [00:02:06]: It's it's common, isn't it, that so many people desperately don't want to exclude somebody. But the fact of the matter is that by being targeted and very specific, you will attract other people anyway because it sounds as if you know what you're talking about. Steve Feld [00:02:22]: Yeah. It's absolutely it's like putting the red rope up. Right? Get books from get books solid. You put the red rope up, you only let the people you want in. Guess what? People now wanna be in, so they're gonna form a line outside. That's what you want. Stuart Webb [00:02:40]: Yeah. And and so often as well as small business owners, I come across they they very, very rarely actually do their level best to actually screen, and they end up being sort of open to too many people and unable to help the people who really, really need it. Steve Feld [00:02:56]: It's so true. It's the messaging too. It's like, as consumers, we're all the same. If it let's say you don't eat fast food. So if there's a fast food commercial on, you zone it out because you're not their target market, and they know that. So what So, Steve, Stuart Webb [00:03:16]: so so, Steve, what do you find these business owners have done in the past to try and help themselves before they they get somebody like you and to sort of really help them to refine their pitch and refine their their offering so that it becomes targeted at a particular at a particular niche person? Steve Feld [00:03:33]: Absolutely. I mean, the first thing I was telling was, like, well, you have cuss if you have customers now, let's see who they are. Let's look at their demographics, psychographics. And I did that with one of my clients, he thought his market was x y z and when we looked at his clientele it was a b c. He changed his marketing and found out that people still went with him because they liked him. They ignored his message. I mean, it happened in one of my businesses. I'm wondering I was targeting, you know, financial planner CPAs, and then one day I woke up, realized I'm booked to the gills with clients, and not one of them was my target market. Steve Feld [00:04:12]: And so I asked my clients, like, why did you go with me? They go, we just ignored CPA. Everything else in your message really spoke to me. Yeah. So Yeah. Stuart Webb [00:04:22]: I got rid of it. It's surprising, isn't it? And so often, we sort of we look at these things as sort of, you know, that it's gonna it's gonna hurt me, but in actual fact, it absolutely never hurts you, does it? Steve Feld [00:04:33]: No. If your if your message is still in the ballpark, it's okay. You're gonna be alright. But getting it on home plate, you're gonna knock it out of the park all the time. And I I see that with entrepreneurs when I ask them, so what do you do? And they go on and on. Well, we're all the same. We all zone out. But if it's crystal clear, who here's who hires me. Steve Feld [00:04:56]: Here's my market. Here are their problems. Here's how I solve them. Guess what? You have my attention even if I am not your market. Stuart Webb [00:05:04]: Yeah. Absolutely. Steve, I think you've got some really valuable advice that you can give to the audience at the moment that helps focus in on this, and I've got a a link, I believe, that you are you're gonna do, to help us out with. So tell us a little bit about what this valuable free piece of, advice is that you have. Yeah. Steve Feld [00:05:23]: I with my very first book, I've written 9 others since then, but it's 8 simple marketing strategies that you can put in your business right away without spending money. Because since I know my market, it's like they're getting beaten up like you're supposed to buy Google Ads, you're supposed to buy all this. No. Let's hone in on your messaging, get it crystal clear, implement just 1 or 2 of these marketing strategies at a time, and really start seeing some massive results fast. Stuart Webb [00:05:54]: Now that sounds like a valuable free piece of advice, and I'm really glad that you've done that, Steve. So if we go to bizcoachsteve.comforward/100co, so that's, bizcoachsteve.comforward/100k, and that link will be in the show notes. There's a valuable very valuable piece of advice for you, a free book that will help you to put that into your business. So, Steve, what other than you said, there are 9 books in your in your in your repertoire. What was the thing that actually brought you to being a coach with this very simple, specific, really useful message for people? Steve Feld [00:06:30]: Well, I've been there, done it. I mean, unfortunately, I've had highs and lows. I've owned and operated 7 businesses and turned now a 4th my 4th one around. I learned the good things and the bad things in one of the things I learned from being around other business owners is make sure your messaging is spot on. Really know who your target market was. Because I started like everyone else. I actually started writing business plans for tech startups, so it was very, very niche. And I didn't do business plans for anyone else but tech startups. Steve Feld [00:07:09]: And I was swamped. I had a waiting list. So then I started expanding out, and that's when I realized stay in your lane, and everything got better. Stuart Webb [00:07:20]: Mhmm. Okay. Okay. It's back to that simple. You know who you help. You know how you help them, and you know who those people are. You can definitely sort of you where you you you when you start explaini

    15 min

  2. APR 24

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Jamie Toyne (ep. 121)

    Who is Jamie? Jamie Toyne is a seasoned coach who specializes in empowering creatives and entrepreneurs with ADHD, helping them navigate burnout and rediscover joy in their professional journeys. With over 13 years of experience working alongside entrepreneurs, Jamie has developed a deep understanding of the challenges they face. His career began as an M&A adviser, where he honed his expertise in business strategy and growth. Transitioning from consulting to coaching around five years ago, Jamie's unique approach is informed by his firsthand experience running startups and an accelerator program. Today, he is dedicated to guiding his clients towards achieving their goals while maintaining optimal performance and enjoying the process. Key Takeaways 00:00 Coaching ADHD creatives and entrepreneurs overcoming burnout. 06:42 Action as reward: Journey's flow prevents burnout. 07:48 Rebuild brain-body connection for optimal flow state. 12:16 Developed ADHD program, blending flow and neuroscience. 16:05 Clear alignment needed with personal values, actions. 18:52 Jamie's website resource helps counter social media distractions. 21:00 Looking forward to your help improving flow. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS ADHD business coach, entrepreneurial journey, burnout symptoms, energy levels, executive function, adult ADHD, business scaling, business exit, inattentive ADHD, hyperactive ADHD, flow state, focus improvement, alignment, self-esteem, creative entrepreneurs, business motivation, coaching strategies, flow research, internal family systems, VAST, social media distraction, mergers and acquisitions, neuroscience of flow, mindset, business performance, energy management, cognitive overload, high performance program, true nature, ADHD diagnosis, flow blockers. SPEAKERS Jamie Toyne, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi there, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I have my, mug in front of me here filled with what I could only assume is coffee. It's looking a bit brown and sludgy now because it's been made a while, so, it won't be so so good. But it keeps me awake. And I'm delighted to be joined today by Jamie, Jamie Toyne. Jamie Toyne is a a a certified ADHD business coach. He helps you to unlock your ADHD superpowers and soak your Purna. And I know he's been involved in starting, scaling, and exiting businesses. Stuart Webb [00:01:06]: So I'm really looking forward to a great conversation with Jamie. Jamie, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science 5 Questions Over Coffee. Jamie Toyne [00:01:13]: Thanks, Stuart. Nice to be here. Stuart Webb [00:01:16]: So, Jamie, let's start with the obvious question. Look. Tell us a little bit about the sort of business person you're trying to help. What's the what's the sort of problems they're probably noticing in and around their business, their life? How do they recognize that they're the sort of person that you're trying to help? Jamie Toyne [00:01:37]: Yeah. So I work with creatives and entrepreneurs who have ADHD and generally starting from a place of burnout. And they're basically sort of struggling to, a, enjoy the journey of reaching their goals and, b, sort of perform at their best, and enjoy the process of getting towards their goals. So, that's sort of the target audience of people that I work with. It took me a little while to, get there. I've been working with entrepreneurs for 13 years. I was a m and a adviser for many years, and have run a few startups myself and, and run an accelerator program. And, I moved from consulting into coaching, like, 4 or 5 years ago. Jamie Toyne [00:02:27]: And then really only in the last 2 years that I sort of really narrow down on working with people who specifically struggle with burnout and specifically have ADHD. Stuart Webb [00:02:38]: And and tell me, what do you think are the the major symptoms of something like burnout, Jamie? What what are what are people sort of because it it manifests very differently in a number of different people. So what is it you're looking to sort of point people towards to say, you know, this might be you if you're feeling this? Jamie Toyne [00:02:55]: Yeah. So one is like energy. So if you're, like, feeling constantly physically, emotionally, or mentally exhausted, that's a big that's a big one. If your performance is, like, significantly below your sort of baseline or your average, another one is, like, your sort of self esteem and attitude, like, if you're easily frustrated or easily irritable or have a lot of negative thoughts about yourself or other people, that's another big symptom. So what what have we got? We got motivation, energy, you know, sort of attitude, self esteem, and I guess motivation is the other really obvious one if you're really struggling to get motivated. Stuart Webb [00:03:38]: And and what sort of things are you likely to have found, these people do to try and resolve these issues before they they come and speak with an expert such as yourself? Jamie Toyne [00:03:50]: Well, the obvious one, you know, a lot of people, you know, there's, you know, been a big, like, surgeon surgeons of, surgeons surge of, of, like, adult ADHD diagnoses. A lot of people Stuart Webb [00:04:04]: Yeah. Jamie Toyne [00:04:05]: Didn't get picked up for ADHD in childhood, which is for a number of reasons, but a lot of people, you know, there's 2 main types of ADHD. 1 is, hyperactive and the other one's inattentive, and then there's the the combo, the delicious combo of hyperactive, inattentive, which I'm so lucky to have. But, yeah, a lot of people that had inattentive ADHD didn't really, you know, show those, like, very classical a d a ADD symptoms back in, back in the eighties, nineties, and early 2000. So, you know, an obvious thing is to see a psychiatrist and, you know, get medicated that's, you know, has has some efficacy with focus and ability, you know, to improve their executive function and stuff like that. The obvious other one is, like, you know, taking a break, going on a holiday, and and doing all those types of things. What other things do people do, when they're feeling burnt out? Well, some people actually push harder. Some people double down and sort of go like, whoop. I'm feeling like I'm sort of stuck in the mud here. Jamie Toyne [00:05:10]: I need to push even harder to just, like, get through this bit. And, you know, once I reach the top of my my mountain, then I'll be able to relax. So, yeah, people approach it differently. Stuart Webb [00:05:20]: And you never quite get to the top of that particular mountain, do you, Jamie? That's the problem. Like, you know, you you climb a mountain, you think to yourself, this is the peak, and you see a further peak. It's like being sort of, you know, up in the the mountains of any any location. You sort of you push a peak, and there's another peak further on. You can never quite see the top of the mountain, can you? Jamie Toyne [00:05:39]: That's usually what happens. Yeah. Stuart Webb [00:05:42]: So tell me, is there a piece of advice, a a a valuable sort of, something that you would offer people to sort of say, look. Here's one thing that you could do, one one way of getting out of this, or or, you know, here am I. Come talk to me. Jamie Toyne [00:05:56]: Sure. Yeah. I I really when I when I started researching burnout, I really wanted to come up with, like, what, you know, what is no one likes to enjoy the, experience of burnout. What's the opposite of burnout? What's the antithesis of burnout? And and the best answer I can find to that question is is flow. And, you know, we all sort of understand what flow is. It's when you're sort of totally absorbed or wrapped in the in the present moment, and, you know, every sort of action and decision sort of flows effortlessly and and sort of clicks into place. Right? And that's when we feel intrinsically motivated. And I think I think the interesting thing about flow is that it's an autotelic experience. Jamie Toyne [00:06:42]: So the action becomes the reward in and of itself. So talking about that that journey, the entrepreneurial journey, you know, a lot of people struggle to enjoy the journey, and they're so focused on getting to the top of their mountain that they'll do anything to get there. And the journey's usually a lot of suffering and and and and pain, and grit and, and hustle, basically. And so, you know, really the idea is, you know, I I sort of think of burnout on one end of the spectrum and flow on the other. And so if we can get into flow, where we sort of become immune to burnout is is is what I've found personally and what I've found for for my clients as well. And so, the advice or the the tip I could give, is really thinking

    23 min

  3. APR 3

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Lauri Smith (ep. 120)

    Who is Lauri? Lauri Smith is a visionary in the realm of authentic communication. With a deep understanding of the constraints imposed by traditional speaking models, she recognizes the dissonance felt by individuals striving to convey their genuine selves. Whether addressing audiences through a TikTok video or a TED Talk, Lauri is committed to helping people break free from outdated molds and masks crafted during the industrial era. Her mission is to empower speakers to transform the ambiance of any room, helping them step into their roles as true leaders and change-makers without compromising their authenticity. Through her innovative approaches, Lauri offers a path for those eager to leave a genuine impact, guiding them to speak and gesture in a way that truly aligns with their unique essence. Key Takeaways 00:00 Inauthentic speaking inhibits true self-expression. 05:08 Practice presentations early; familiarize with location. 10:17 Authenticity in acting: shedding protective masks. 12:18 Embrace authenticity to expand personal presence. 16:21 Sign up for podcast updates via email. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS soulful speaking, speaking coach, visionaries, empaths, soul driven vision, authentic speaking, impact, transform vibe, TED Talk, TikTok, mainstream speaking solutions, industrial era, mask, leader, change maker, alignment, true selves, inauthentic speaking, PowerPoint, script, presentation practice, networking meeting, inner critic, hope, intention, oneness, charismatic presence, flow, energetic hug, raising consciousness, primal and purpose. SPEAKERS Lauri Smith, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 Questions Over Copy. And I'm delighted to be joined by Laurie Smith, who I'm thinking this is gonna be an interesting conversation because Laurie is a soulful speaking coach. Now if that doesn't sound like the most interesting conversation you're gonna have today, I don't know what is. Laurie is, somebody who helps visionaries, empaths, people who are on a soul driven vision to share their magic, share their story on stages, big, small, podcasts, etcetera. So I'm really looking forward to hearing Laurie's stories and Laurie's, advice. And welcome to It's Not Rocket Science 5 Questions Over Coffee, Laurie. Lauri Smith [00:01:12]: Thank you so much, Stuart. I'm so excited to be here with you today having this conversation. Stuart Webb [00:01:18]: Well, let's get into it. Let's start by speaking about those those visionaries, those empaths, those those people who are on that soul centered, journey, and how you how you how they how they are trying to reach what they're trying to do. Lauri Smith [00:01:34]: Well, the thing that can sort of steer them off course is they're wanting to speak in a way that is authentic, wanting to speak in a way that has an impact and transforms the vibe in the room, whether that's a TikTok or a TED Talk. And a lot of the mainstream speaking solutions out there are putting them in a box that was created in different waves of the industrial era. That's one way of speaking, one way of gesturing so that it's creating sort of a mask that doesn't feel like it fits them. And sometimes as a result of that, they go into those rooms and they feel the dissonance and they feel like there's nothing that can help them, or they go into those rooms and they they hide their true selves and they try to fit into the mask or the mold that they're being given as what a leader or a change maker quote, unquote, should be. That Stuart Webb [00:02:37]: Should be. Lauri Smith [00:02:37]: It's supporting this era that we're now in where people really need to be authentic and to be in alignment with themselves and their 1 in 8,000,000,000 way of showing up. Stuart Webb [00:02:52]: And and and how have they tried to address this before they come across somebody like you, Laurie? What are the what are the things they they tempted with, you know, presumably is everything from speaking in an inauthentic way through to not speaking at all. Lauri Smith [00:03:06]: Yeah. Speaking in in that inauthentic way that they think they should. So, they might try to be hyper intelligent in a left brained way when that's not fully their that's not really their true inner radiance, or they might someone might have told them that they needed to be peppier, or that they needed to work harder or be funny and make the audience laugh and they might have gone to places like toastmasters and not not felt an alignment with that. They might have decided, I'm not a speaker. I'm not a leader, so they're not doing it like you said. Some people have gone to solutions like yoga and mindfulness, and on their own, they're trying to take the wisdom from yoga and mindfulness and having it translate onto the stage. A lot of them will spend a lot of time creating the PowerPoint, trying to come up with the script, the what am I going to say so that they've got the whole entire thing mapped out moment by moment, and they're essentially reading because they think that saying that there is an absolute perfect thing to say and that saying it is gonna get them the impact that they're looking for when it really isn't. It's much more effective to have an outline and to get up from your chair unless you're actually preventing presenting from your chair like I am right now. Lauri Smith [00:04:46]: To get up on your feet, so to speak, and to practice out loud just like a basketball player will practice their free throws again and again and again so that when they go into the game they can make the shot in the high stakes circumstances of the game rather than just thinking about the free throw. Stuart Webb [00:05:08]: Yeah. I often talk to leaders that I work with about important presentations, and many of them, like you have said, are the sort of person that will have a a PowerPoint deck of 50 slides and just put them up and read them. And so often I turn around and say, well, how many times have you actually practiced that? And I'll get practice. I didn't get it until 2 minutes before you start. Yeah. And and I've often said to them, you know, the thing is you should have it 2, 3 days before and get to know it, and then stand in the room where you're actually going to give the speech so that you're used to the place where you're gonna do it. So you're used to the site because it will change, and practice to not get it right, but fail to get it wrong. You know, I'm a I I I I sing when, in the, on on evenings, and we we compete. Stuart Webb [00:06:02]: And and the idea is that we don't sing and get it keep getting going until we get it right. We keep going until we can't get it wrong. You don't forget words because they're ingrained. And that's what speaking has to be as well sometimes. It has to be something which is just coming out of your soul. Isn't it? Lauri Smith [00:06:19]: Yeah. And with speaking, I think of it a lot like Saturday night live, where for Saturday night live, they create a thing, and then they've got a list of scenes and moments that they wanna hit in the scenes backstage and then when they go to do it live, it's semi scripted so they can do it fresh in the moment and speakers, they know their stuff more than they believe they do and they need to practice that structured improv enough to look down, see a bullet point, and know what do I wanna say with this bullet point? And what do I wanna say in the next bullet point? And it can be their same messaging, the thing that they know really deeply and are passionate about and slightly different every single time. Stuart Webb [00:07:13]: Yes. Yeah. So that you hit that audience connection, don't you? Lauri Smith [00:07:16]: Yeah. Absolutely. Stuart Webb [00:07:18]: I think you've got a very valuable, piece of, free advice that you're you're offering, which I'm showing on screen now, which is, voice hyphenmatches.comforward/sorryforward/podcast. Tell us what what we'll find there, Lori, and and how it can help. Lauri Smith [00:07:37]: That is the Soulful Speaking podcast. When you go to that site, you'll get to listen to the podcast for free. A quiz will pop up that you can take that will tell you which mask you're using and hiding behind, probably unconsciously, and then there's a whole bunch of resources and tips that are gonna come back after that. That's the the free free offer to start moving forward. And, I think you also wanted a tidbit of advice that they could put into action right away. Stuart Webb [00:08:11]: That would be great. Lauri Smith [00:08:13]: Yeah. The the advice that I would give to people is to set an intention for what you want the audience to experience emotionally or energetically. And i

    19 min

  4. MAR 20

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Dr. James A. Robertson (ep. 119)

    Who is James? James Robertson is a seasoned consultant specializing in diagnosing and resolving organizational challenges related to business information systems. His expertise encompasses a wide range of systems, including ERP, CRM, AI, WMS, and TMS, which are integral to the operations of many organizations. James's ideal clients are CEOs who are frustrated with their substantial investments in these systems, which often fall short of delivering the intended value. Within just two days, James guarantees to pinpoint the root causes of performance issues, articulating them in clear, understandable language. He emphasizes that, contrary to common belief, these problems are rarely technology-related, helping CEOs navigate and overcome obstacles in a non-technical fashion. Key Takeaways 00:00 Help CEOs frustrated with underperforming business systems. 05:56 Hour's diagnosis, then deeper two-day analysis. 09:33 Robust RFP process ensuring accurate, fixed agreements. 12:10 Executives poorly define and start projects strategically. 16:11 Join newsletter for updates and participation opportunities. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS rocket science, coffee, ERP systems, CRM systems, engineering, human side, business information systems, CEO, technology issue, operational level, executive level, ERP configuration, information systems, management information system, desktop PCs, strategic decision support, strategic requirements, procurement process, IT service providers, strategic view, diagnostic consultation, system remediation, IT manager, system upgrade, cloud, SaaS, business disruption, newsletter, LinkedIn lives, strategic business value. SPEAKERS James Robertson, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I'm delighted to say I have my coffee in front of me. I probably had far too much of this already today, but we keep going because that's the name of the show so I must drink it. But I'm delighted to be joined by James Robertson. James is an engineer, with 30 years experience who now is applying his massive engineering skills to understanding the human side of things like, the systems, these ERP systems, CRM systems that we all have to use, and trying to understand exactly how the human side sometimes interacts with those hard IT things, which don't always work. So, James, welcome to the show. Looking forward to our conversation enormously. James Robertson [00:01:23]: Thank you, Stuart. I'm looking forward to it. Stuart Webb [00:01:26]: So tell me a little bit about the sort of person you're trying to help with these problems that they've got. James Robertson [00:01:33]: Stuart, my ideal customer is the CEO of an organization that is frustrated with the business information systems. And as you said, that could be e r e ERP, CRM. It could be even AI for that matter. WMS, TMS, any any of these big business information systems that run part or all of an organization. If the CEO has just not getting the value that they expected when they signed up for what is generally a very substantial investment, I can come in and in 2 days, I guarantee that I will tell you exactly why it's not performing, and I'll tell you that in language that you understand. And I will tell you that 99% of the time, it will not be a technology related issue. Although most people would see it as a technology issue. Stuart Webb [00:02:27]: That's that's that's quite a it's it's quite a, well, it's an it's a it's a fascinating area to dive into, James. It's quite a quite a a bold claim to say that you can do it in 2 days. So I wonder what is the what is the problem the the the thing that the CEO has probably been trying to do? How long have they been wrestling with this issue before they come across somebody like you? James Robertson [00:02:50]: Sometimes for years. Stuart Webb [00:02:52]: Yes. Yes. James Robertson [00:02:53]: Just to just to elaborate on the point that you made, the reason I'm so bold about my claim, if you go to a general practitioner, doctor, medical doctor, they'll ask you 2 or 3 questions. They'll take your pulse. They'll maybe mesh measure blood pressure. They might take your your your temperature, and they will they will stack those, readings up against years of experience and massive knowledge, and they will say, okay. Take your aspirin and call me in the morning, or don't do anything. I'm calling an ambulance now or anywhere in between. I'm much the same. I will come in. James Robertson [00:03:29]: I will ask you some key questions. I will listen very attentively for some key words that you may use, and I will then say, right, this is how you fix it or it can't be fixed at all and we need to set about, procuring a new system and anywhere in between that. Stuart Webb [00:03:47]: And and the and the as you say, the CEO, the CFO, many of the key leaders in the organization probably struggled with these issues for many years in an attempt to sort of get to the bottom of things, and they're doing it, well without the knowledge you have and from a a position of, well, this thing was supposed to do this, so let's keep trying until it starts to do it. And that's often a a highly detrimental state to be in, isn't it? James Robertson [00:04:13]: Well, absolutely. I mean, I'm just thinking now of, an investigation I did for a major listed company. And chatting to the CEO, he said, you know, we've got this big ERP. It was under the big brands. And it says at the operational level, it's doing 90% of what we want. At the executive level, it's doing 10% of what we want. And he had 5, senior chartered accountants. When I say senior, the company cars were in the CDC class, and they were spending all week all month, every month preparing the board back because the he couldn't get what he wanted out of the ERP. James Robertson [00:04:51]: And the reason he couldn't get the information out of the ERP was that the ERP was just so badly configured. So he could've he could fix that problem. It would've probably taken 6 to 9 months to fix the problem, but the problem was fixable. But he was looking at the technology and blaming the machine when it was the people using the machine that was the problem. Stuart Webb [00:05:12]: Interesting insight. James, I think you excuse me. I think you've got a, an offer that might be useful for some of the, some of the people who are currently listening to or watching this. And I'm showing that on screen. This is a free consultation you offer, and I don't know if you wanna give us some details of this, but it's, if you email james.robertson@thehyphenerphyphendoctorsontcom. That's james.robertson@the hyphenerphyphen doctor.com, and those, that email address will be in the show notes. James, do do you wanna just tell us a little bit about, you know, the sort of thing that happens during that consultation so that, you know, hopefully, we can encourage a few people to take that offer? James Robertson [00:05:56]: Stuart, it absolutely would. What I'm thinking in terms of is probably about an hour. It could be more. It could be less. I'm not stuck on the hour. And I will ask some of those questions that I just mentioned to you, and I will make an initial headline diagnosis of what I think probably are the issues. It'll be a tentative diagnosis. I would then need to come in and spend a day or 2 days with your people, look at the system, look at the data, talk to a few people who are experiencing the problems at the level of the c suite, and I will then either be able to confirm that diagnosis or refine it or maybe find that the the initial diagnosis was off the mark, although I'd be surprised if that happened. Stuart Webb [00:06:41]: Brilliant. James, tell us I mean, you're you're obviously a huge amount of experience. You're an engineer with with great qualifications. What what brought you? Was there a particular program, a a book, a course? What brought you from, from an engineer to somebody who's now hooking at much more human centered issues and systems? James Robertson [00:07:05]: Have you got all day? Stuart Webb [00:07:08]: We have as long as you need. James Robertson [00:07:10]: Stuart, the there are couple of key milestones in getting to what I do now. First was, when I finished my PhD research, I had a lot of data. I'm talking now 1981. My dad bought me one of the first desktop PCs on the market. I learned how to use it. I computerized his business, and in the 1st year, he was able to double his turnover because he could do things that nobody else could do. He was an investment consultant. So from that, I learned that, a, I had an apt to do for doing clever things with computers, and, b, that you could add huge valu

    19 min

  5. MAR 6

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Len Bruskiewitz (ep. 118)

    Who is Len? Len Bruskiewitz is a seasoned advisor specializing in strategic exit planning for small to mid-sized business owners. With a focus on businesses generating between $1 million and $15 million in revenue, Len understands the critical importance of having a written exit plan. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of succession planning, especially given that approximately 60% of business owners lack a formal plan. Len emphasizes the necessity of being proactive, as waiting until a traumatic event or a sudden desire to exit can often be too late. Through his expertise, he guides his clients to ensure a smooth and profitable transition when they decide to leave their businesses. Key Takeaways 00:00 Founders can't scale businesses without delegating decisions. 05:00 Failure to document and lack of guidance. 09:04 Evaluates current business value and improvement areas. 11:19 Found "why" through "The E Myth Revisited." 15:53 Dependence on one entity risks business stability. 17:30 Daily practices essential for business innovation, diversification. 20:43 Subscribe for guest updates and podcast replays. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS Business coach, certified exit planning adviser, business owners, exit plan, business life, retirement, traumatic event, crisis, business challenge, independence, salable company, scaling, founder, decision-making, documentation, systems, automation, business valuation, free advice, business valuation calculator, industry, revenue, profits, readiness, business innovation, Michael Gerber, The E Myth Revisited, recurring revenue, customer base, business buyer, business value, strategic buyer. SPEAKERS Len Bruskiewitz, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over coffee. Delighted this afternoon to be joined by Len, Len Bruskewitz. I'm gonna get that wrong. Aren't I, Len? But, that Len Bruskiewitz [00:00:43]: was a good That was a pretty good run. Pretty good run at it. Stuart Webb [00:00:48]: Len is a business coach, and he's a certified exit planning adviser. That's a conversation I'm really interested in having because so many business owners don't think about their exit nearly early enough in their business life. You start a business and then you suddenly realize, there's a crisis in life or there's a time to think about retirement. And then you ask the question, well, how long is it gonna take you to get out of this business? It's nearly always longer than you think. You need to start thinking about this much earlier in your business life. Len Bruskiewitz [00:01:15]: So I think this is going to be a really excellent conversation. And I'm really delighted that Stuart Webb [00:01:15]: Len has made a few minutes in his day to join us to have this discussion. So welcome to It's Not Rocket Science 5 Questions Over Coffee, Len. Len Bruskiewitz [00:01:29]: Great. Thank you, Stuart. I'm I'm, I'm really happy to be here and and, looking forward to sharing some information with, with your viewers and listeners. Stuart Webb [00:01:38]: So I may have sort of cited, already to sort of tee you up on who the person is that you help, but let's just let's just let's just fully understand exactly sort of what the business owner is that you help, how you how you sort of how they should be identifying themselves. Len Bruskiewitz [00:01:55]: Yeah. You you absolutely hit it. You know, if if I think about who my ideal client is, it's a business owner, probably 1 to $15,000,000 in revenue. And the the challenge that they're facing is what you hit upon. About 60% of business owners don't have any kind of written exit plan. And that's a big challenge because as you said, once a traumatic event happens, you know, a death, divorce, disability, it's too late. And it's also too late when you say, I wanna be out of this business in a year. Right? That's it's too late. Len Bruskiewitz [00:02:36]: You need you need some time. Right? And and so that's the biggest challenge I see. Right? But if you think about when when I start working with a client, the biggest challenge that that I have is helping them get independence from their business. Right? You know, if it's the case where every decision runs through them, everything to run the businesses up in their head, nobody else can can do anything, that ends up leading to a company that's worth next to nothing, unfortunately. So that's, yeah, that's the biggest challenge. Once I start working with somebody is to get them to back away, from the day to day and and, you know, let make the company salable. Stuart Webb [00:03:22]: Yes. Interesting interesting line. You've you've used a couple of real key terms because I deal with businesses who are sort of really scaling, and they have the same image. You have the same problems. You know? You have a founder who's there making every decision, and you cannot scale a business if the only person in the business that can make a decision is the founder. And when they go on holiday, they don't make a decision. In fact, so many of them don't even bother to go on holiday because they know it's a problem. So you've just started me into the sort of the second bit of this discussion, which is, so what are the things they've tried to do themselves before they sort of suddenly come across somebody like you that sort of changes all of that? Len Bruskiewitz [00:04:01]: Yeah. I think I think there are a couple things they they think they do or or, make an effort at. Stuart Webb [00:04:07]: Up, please. Len Bruskiewitz [00:04:09]: One of the first ones is they think they've communicated well, to their family, to their employees, and in in in essence, they haven't. Right? I'll I'll just use an example of some data around succession. Right? So the idea of of a older generation with the idea to pass along the business to a younger generation. Data says about 50% of the older generation think that the younger generation is going to take over. In reality, that only happens about 25% of the time. So you've got a big gap there. And what does that do to? It's because the 2 parties haven't communicated well enough and it's the same to employees. Right? Am I going to sell this business? Am I going to sell it to you, the employees or the management? So communication is definitely one of the biggest things that they do. Len Bruskiewitz [00:05:00]: The other is just waiting too long. You've hinted at it before. You know, they know they need to document everything that's going on in their business, but, you know, it's just easier because I know it in my head, I, you know, I'll just do it and then something happens and and it's really a a can be a pretty traumatic experience. The final thing is that, they try things but they don't have any kind of sounding board. Right? Running a business is pretty lonely, and, they just don't have the the background and what it takes to get to get a business ready because for most business owners, this is their one and only time that they are transitioning out of a business. So they just don't know what they need to do and they're, you know, there shouldn't steps you need to take. And so that's a big piece of what they think they've tried but haven't really done all that well. Stuart Webb [00:05:53]: Then you you hit about something very interesting there, which is documentation. And and once again, in my work, I spend an awful lot of my time working with people with documentation and systems to automate things largely because once again, it makes a business scalable, but it also ensures these businesses don't run into those repeated errors, which so often the full cause business valuations to crash. But but I read, and I I don't know whether or not this is your experience, but a business is is often 2 to 3 times more valuable if it's just got simple documentation which tells other people how to run the business so that somebody else can step in and start running it fairly immediately. And I don't have to go through the pain of trying to work out how on earth everything works around here. Len Bruskiewitz [00:06:36]: I completely agree with that data. And if you think about the the things if you if you think about the other side, what what absolutely crushes the value of a company? It's that lack of independence, lack of documentation, and bad accounting. Right? Those three things, are are the killers. But but I agree with you. Documentation feels like such an important thing for many reasons. You know, exit aside, just making the business run better, but but there isn't that rigor. I think it's always a, I mean to do this, but the status quo is just easier to, to maintain. Stuart Webb [00:07:16]: And

    23 min

  6. FEB 20

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Endre Hoffmann (ep. 117)

    Who is Endre? Endre Hoffmann is a dynamic thought leader and aspiring author dedicated to exploring the intersection of beliefs and skill development in achieving personal and professional success. Through his writing, including his upcoming book "How to Become a 6 Star Business," Endre reflects on his own journey of self-improvement and discovery. Initially caught in repetitive cycles of behavior, he sought answers through a diverse array of self-help strategies, including meditation, reading extensively, and attending transformational events led by renowned figures like Tony Robbins and John Demartini. Endre's personal exploration underscores his belief that one’s life is ultimately shaped by the depth of their beliefs and the refinement of their skills. Key Takeaways 04:31 Found mentor after years; now help others. 09:47 Struggles with commitment due to parental divorce. 13:15 Commit, research, follow the process, ensure results. 14:29 Commit to processes for desired results. Resources available. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS self-doubt, potential to freedom, change lives, guiding people, doctor of self doubt, relationships, self worth, transformation, personal development, mentor, meditation, books, past life regressions, hypnosis, psychologist, Tony Robbins, John Demartini, self development, limiting mindset, unlocking potential, resource, personal growth, self-discovery, symptoms, problems, solutions, commitment, results, money back guarantee, success. SPEAKERS Endre Hoffmann, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over. Well, it's, it's actually I'm just finishing, fruit tea rather than the coffee at the moment because I probably had far too much coffee today. So So I'm just gonna try and do my best to, to not overwhelm my guest today, Andre Andre Hoffmann, who is the, he calls himself the doctor of self doubt. Andre guides people from being trapped in self doubt to potential to freedom, change their minds to change their change their lives. And I'm delighted, Andre, you're here with me today, and thank you for making a few minutes, available to speak to me on my 5 questions over coffee. Endre Hoffmann [00:01:12]: Thanks for the invitation. I'm so happy. Hopefully, it will inspire people to step into their power. All in. Ask the questions. Stuart Webb [00:01:20]: Always good. That's always good. So let's start with the question. Yeah. The the first question that I have is, so so who is the person that you're trying to reach with this? What is the what is the doubt that they have, and, and how are you how are you, how do they how do you identify them? How do they identify themselves? Endre Hoffmann [00:01:40]: What a good question. Now I really need to go back to my old version of self, and I had a lot of doubts. It's it's having self doubt about why you're here for, what's your role or purpose in life. That was a big one for me. I wasn't feeling good enough, and I tried things that I never finished them. I I never felt that I deserve success. And I I thought I would just play small for for the rest of my life. And I felt I need to compare myself to others most of the time. Endre Hoffmann [00:02:19]: And my relationships have been, well, down the toilet at times because I I even even my investments, then not not feeling good enough. The the lack of self worth has put me into situations where I invested money where I've never seen it again. The the quick reach schemes, I have to say. And, then my life basically collapsed at the age of 42. So I was about to lose my health because I was driving trucks in Australia. It was not a happy time. I had 2 children. They were quite disconnected from me. Endre Hoffmann [00:02:53]: I worked 247. And my wife one morning said, well, is it time for us to divorce? And and this is when I usually get the call when somebody is has tried everything, and now it's it's time for a new mind to take over and, and reset them for life. Stuart Webb [00:03:17]: And what is it that you find that the people that you're talking to like this have tried before? What is it you tried before they come across an expert like you who can help turn around their their their self doubt, their their inability to break themselves free of these problems? Endre Hoffmann [00:03:34]: I believe results and I think I there's a quote, in one of the books that I was writing is called how to become a 6 star business. The quote said, your life never outperforms your, beliefs and your skill level. And and I was unconscious. I was, bringing things from the past, and I've been just, going in circles. And these circles have been well, I tried meditation. I was reading hundreds of books because I was always hoping in the next book, there is the holy grail to unlock myself. I've been doing past life regressions, seeing hypnosis, psychologist, Tony Robbins events. I've seen, record live, John Demartini. Endre Hoffmann [00:04:31]: So so the biggest names in personal development, but I didn't realize I was not specific enough about knowing figuring out what my problem is and then find a specialist to then solve it for me. So I spent over a $100,000 on things that didn't actually work, and I spent 13 years trying to find the answers in 75 countries while I was roaming around this planet. I just needed the right mentor that I found in Australia, and it took us, what, 6 to 12 months to to almost uncover who who I am. And this brand came out of that that transformation. I realized my 43 years of struggle of finding, looking for myself worth has has now started to make sense. Now now I know why I have gone through that struggle with my dad, and I'm never feeling loved, never feeling good enough now. I can help others to to do the same job, and I'm hoping it won't take 40 years. Stuart Webb [00:05:48]: So I understand you've got a a great valuable piece of advice, valuable free offer, for the people who are who are watching us today. And this, link will be in the, show notes, so I don't necessarily have to read it all out, but it's on screen at the moment. That's, if you go to the website of doctor of self worth.com and then look under doc self worth resources, doctor of self worth, and then how to discover. Tell us, what's the resource? What is it that you'll find at that link? Endre Hoffmann [00:06:20]: I'm giving your name my methods. And Stuart Webb [00:06:23]: And that's excellent. Endre Hoffmann [00:06:25]: And and and I think it would be too easy to to use because, you know, the biggest obstacle to personal transformations is the fact that if you are stuck in a certain limiting mind or mindset or thoughts or emotions, then unfortunately, as you are the person reading that resource, you are the person attending that event. You are filtering out most of the the stuff that is confronting you and that you probably should be doing. And Stuart Webb [00:07:01]: Mhmm. And Endre Hoffmann [00:07:01]: this is why reading books is giving you more IQ, but what you really need is a new experience of yourself. And that usually does not just happen by reading books. So please use that resource. I want you to understand where you might be stuck if you're listening to us, and and do the exercises as much as you can. What what I found after 200 books on personal growth self development that I always find a way to sell some of that. Stuart Webb [00:07:38]: Tell me, what you you've mentioned some of these books. Is there a particular book or a course, you've mentioned some great speakers you've been to see, that really helped you to sort of come to this point now where you now now understand yourself, you understand how you can help people to discover their own self worth? Endre Hoffmann [00:07:57]: I I believe Anthony Robbins is a great and fine example. Yet these events where there are thousands and thousands of people, you will not necessarily be confronting your own specific problems. It won't be solved unless you are called on stage, which is almost like the lottery ticket to win. So so they really I think the best course of action is to to get a specialist. And and this is why I give away free sessions for a whole one hour, one and a half. I don't care because whether one works with me or not, there must be big revelations, big, you know, light bulb moments, at least someone gets it. Not trying to treat the symptoms of, oh, I haven't got money. My relationships are not working, or, my health is deteriorating. Endre Hoffmann [00:08:59]: Sometimes these are the areas of lives that are reflecting self worth, challenges. So so once we've got the root, then at least you will work out who you need to see or you need the specialist who can deal with tha

    18 min

  7. FEB 6

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Catrina Clulow (ep. 116)

    Who is Catrina? Catrina Clulow is a seasoned business consultant renowned for her meticulous approach to market segmentation and customer persona development. With a focus on empowering her clients to achieve precise targeting, Catrina advocates for an in-depth understanding of potential customers by creating detailed personas. She encourages businesses to go beyond surface-level insights by identifying characteristics such as age, job titles, earning potential, and qualifications. By understanding where personas gather information—be it on social media platforms like Threads or X—and their roles within decision-making units, Catrina helps companies tailor their messages effectively. Her strategic guidance enables businesses to position their products successfully, ensuring they meet the unique needs of users, budget holders, and technical advisers alike. Through her expertise, Catrina Clulow has become a trusted advisor for companies striving to refine their target market strategies. Key Takeaways 00:00 Need detailed client personas for targeted messaging. 05:59 Technical experts struggle with effective communication skills. 08:33 Free resource for identifying target customers available. 11:59 Katrina provides foundational insights for impactful change. 14:51 10 minutes boosted their order without cost. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way https://scientificvaluebuildingmachine.online/ ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS marketing executive, fractional marketing director, small businesses, medium sized businesses, international technology marketing, start-up technology businesses, tech founder led, ideal customer, marketing services, target market, decision making unit, engineering side, defining client, marketing budget, marketing journey, commercial side, technical adviser, marketing budget effectively, technology sector, customer experience, verbiage explanation, product marketing, promotional aspects, marketing process, sales process optimization, software as a service, order completion, purchase process, buyer drop-off, marketing foundations. SPEAKERS Catrina Clulow, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over, coffee. This is my coffee, which I have in front of me. I shall need this today to keep me, caffeinated. I'm here, and I'm delighted to be joined by Katrina Clulo. Katrina is a, marketing, executive and and fractional marketing, director for small businesses, mid medium sized businesses. She's got over 30 years of experience in international technology marketing. So I'm really looking forward to having a discussion with Katrina about how she helps those small and medium sized businesses really make a difference and understand how to use their marketing budget effectively. So welcome to the podcast, Katrina. Catrina Clulow [00:01:14]: Many thanks, Stuart. Glad to be here. Stuart Webb [00:01:17]: Terrific. So, Katrina, let's start by, the obvious question. So to to who is the sort of, ideal customer that you are trying to help with your marketing services? Catrina Clulow [00:01:29]: Yeah. My ideal client tends to be start up small technology businesses. That's why I've got my 30 years experience. They're typically between seed and series a, and they are typically a tech founder led. So on the engineering side, they're very well defined. But on the more commercial side, they find they have an issue really defining who their ideal client is. Stuart Webb [00:01:55]: Mhmm. Catrina Clulow [00:01:55]: They don't have the budget for full time CMO. They may be flirting with the idea of a fractional CMO. But at the time I start to work with them, they typically start off with a target market of everyone or all b to b businesses, and that is just not gonna give them the knowledge of the hurdles that their clients face and they won't know where to place the messages or the type of language to use. So it's those companies that are just starting out with their on their marketing journey. Stuart Webb [00:02:29]: It's a it's a it's a common problem, isn't it, Katrina? Too many people think they could be all things to all people, and yet Yeah. Effectively, what they're doing is they're diluting their marketing budget by throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping that some of it sticks. And Yeah. You know, I know from, I know from from from experience that, you know, spaghetti, unless it's properly cooked, doesn't stick at all, or, you end up in a situation where it's just a mess and you can't actually work out what you're supposed to be doing. So it is a it is a problem to try and market to everybody, which too few people recognize as a problem and think of it as a strength. Catrina Clulow [00:03:06]: Yeah. Yeah. And it as you say, it just dilutes everything. They just really need to get into the nitty gritty of who they're targeting. And I tend to suggest to my clients that they really go down into detail as in the so far as that they'll actually give a name to the persona. And once they've got that name, they can visualize in their minds, they know their age range, their job titles, their earning potential, their qualifications. Do they are they on threads? Are they on x? Are they on blue skies? You know, where are they sitting? Where are they getting their information from? What are the main issues that they face? And where do they sit in that decision making unit? Are they a user, a budget holder, technical adviser? Because everybody needs slightly different messages so that you can get your product in in front of them and successfully ordered. So a lot of companies don't go into enough detail on building these ideal clients. Stuart Webb [00:04:19]: And it's so important to understand the language they use as well, isn't it? Otherwise, you're talking to them in a language which they don't recognize. They they don't recognize themselves in the way that you're they're with the way that you are projecting to them. Catrina Clulow [00:04:32]: Yeah. And I've consistently said even when I was working as an IT reseller back in 19 nineties, I remember turning around to the MD and saying, look, I translate your technical speak into finance director speak. I make it more commercial. They understand it because if you just do go off with your technical jargon, they switch off, you've lost the sale. Actually, work out how you're making their lives easier, how you're making their business more profitable, they're going to listen, they're going to invest. So, yeah, there's a lot of that translation needs to happen, especially in the technology sector from bits and bytes into what that actually means. Nobody really cares if you've written the back end in c plus plus or Python or whatever. Yeah. Catrina Clulow [00:05:30]: They just wanna know that it's gonna do the job that you say it's gonna do. And you so that's why you really need to know your ideal clients inside out. Stuart Webb [00:05:41]: And and what are the things that you found that these business owners that you were speaking to, these these founders, these excellent engineers that you come across that that are they try to do for themselves and have somehow failed to manage to make make real until you've you you come look up come along and help them. Catrina Clulow [00:05:59]: Yeah. Yeah. I tend to find because my background's really weird. K? My first degree is in German. That's an arty farty subject, isn't it? My master's is in computing. It's like, okay. That's a sciency person. And I tend to find that those that are the technical don't necessarily have the skill set to do the the verbiage, to do that ex explanation because they understand it inside out, but they don't know how to put that across and that's, a bit of a a bit of an issue and that's why they need somebody or they're too close, too up close to the what they're dealing with that they forget to take the step back and see it from their customer's point of view, because they get so down in the dirt making sure that the tech's working, they forget to take that step back to work out how they're actually gonna take this to market. Catrina Clulow [00:07:11]: Brilliant. Stuart Webb [00:07:12]: Katrina, I think you've got a a a an offer that you've you've made available to people watching us that that's gonna help them with this, Yeah. This problem. And that's to understand who it is that they're trying to work with. And and as you say, the the incredible value behind actually understanding who it is you're talking to and and what the solution that you have for them so that you can explain this in their language is is is the basis of all of marketing. Catrina Clulow [00:07:43]: Yeah. Yeah. And so the, URL that's flying across the screen at the moment, people go th

    16 min

  8. JAN 23

    Five Questions Over Coffee with Kim Morgan (ep. 115)

    Who is Kim? Kim Morgan is a dynamic individual driven by a profound desire to facilitate change in people's lives. Through introspection and thoughtful inquiry, she discovered a unifying theme among those she engages with: a shared aspiration to transform aspects of their lives, careers, and relationships. Kim is passionate about helping others break free from repetitive patterns and Groundhog Day scenarios that hinder personal growth. Whether it's boosting confidence, altering behaviors, or achieving health and well-being goals, Kim is committed to empowering individuals to make meaningful, lasting changes. Her insightful approach inspires others to break the cycle and embrace a renewed sense of self as they strive for improvement. Key Takeaways 05:33 Insightful analysis of targeting business offerings effectively. 09:08 Unintended consequences complicate scientific research processes. 12:50 Self-consistency theory explains resisting personal change. 17:22 Discussed reluctance to chase clients for payment. 20:18 Choose between unchanged future or transformation chair. 23:00 Properly planning takes time, also benefits business. 24:50 Visualize failure to prevent project mistakes. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletter Find out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguest Subscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcast Help us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt! Here's how you can bring your business to THE next level: If you are a business owner currently turning over £/$10K - £/$50K per month and want to grow to £/$100K - £/$500k per month download my free resource on everything you need to grow your business on a single page : It's a detailed breakdown of how you can grow your business to 7-figures in a smart and sustainable way https://scientificvaluebuildingmachine.online/ ————————————————————————————————————————————- Transcript Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast) SUMMARY KEYWORDS Kim Morgan, coaching journey, personal development, NLP, Freudian psychotherapy, Carl Rogers, humanistic therapy, coaching course, Nancy Cline, Time to Think, active listening, team communication, family estrangement, research, podcast, Stuart Webb, It's Not Rocket Science, client transformation, CEO coaching, relationship change, confidence building, behavior patterns, mindset shift, technical difficulties, payment reluctance, leadership style, vision chairs exercise, premortem technique, business planning, neurobiological patterns. SPEAKERS Kim Morgan, Stuart Webb Stuart Webb [00:00:31]: Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I better not show you the logo on this particular mug it's advertising. Kim, have you got something refreshing in front of me or is Kim Morgan [00:00:43]: it just I'm sorry. I forgot it was meant to be coffee. Stuart Webb [00:00:48]: Oh, well Kim Morgan [00:00:48]: water. It's 5 questions over water. Stuart Webb [00:00:52]: It's 5 questions over water or any other drink, gin, is also acceptable, I'm sure. But anyway, I'm really delighted to be today in front of Kim Morgan. Kim is an exceptional, coach. She has over 25 years of experience in working in coaching, and and she believes that, that her using the coaching methods that she's been working, she's she's worked with CEOs. We've worked with parents. She's worked with families, and she believes in the power of coaching. It has a unique, insight into coaching. So, Kim, I'm really delighted to to be here in front of you today talking to you about this. Stuart Webb [00:01:28]: So thank you for make making a few minutes to come onto It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over whatever drink you have in front of you. Kim Morgan [00:01:37]: Thank you, Stuart. I'm thrilled to be here. We made it after a couple Stuart Webb [00:01:42]: of board Kim Morgan [00:01:42]: starts, didn't we? Stuart Webb [00:01:43]: We did. We did. Pim, let's start with let's start with that coaching. Let's start with, who it is you're trying to help. We've mentioned CEOs. We've mentioned families. We've mentioned parents. You know, what is the sort of the the thing that that brings those people? What's the the problem they have, the the issue that they have that that you are looking to help them to to resolve? Kim Morgan [00:02:08]: Do you know, Stuart, this is such a good question. Yeah. I, yeah, I had advanced warning of this question, and and it just threw me actually because I immediately went to you're right. We provide coaching in so many contexts. We provide it in house. We provide it to individuals. We we teach coaches how to coach. So I was like, well, there isn't a client. Kim Morgan [00:02:33]: But it was just a really good business question because it forced me to think, yeah, what do they all have in common? What do they all share that brings us? So so thank you for that. It was it was really helpful. So I I came to the conclusion that it is they all want to make a change. But, you know, it's it's as general as that, but they all want to make a change which will improve their lives, their career, their relationships, how they feel about themselves. And those changes include, you know, anything you could think of, but confidence changed their behaviors, their repeating patterns, those things that go, oh, here I I am again. You know? It's Groundhog Day. I thought I sorted this, but I'm back again in this familiar place. Might be health, well-being, that sense of, you know, every new year, we write those resolutions that we aren't gonna walk 10,000 steps a day, and then it's the 31st December and we haven't. Kim Morgan [00:03:39]: So, finances, levels of assertiveness, their leadership style, how they manage, their business performance. It can be anything, but they want to change it for the better. That's what Kim, Stuart Webb [00:03:52]: I love that. Kim Morgan [00:03:53]: Unifies all of them. Stuart Webb [00:03:55]: I'm so glad you've done that. Thank you. I'm so glad you were able to clarify it. Stuart Webb [00:05:33]: I'm delighted you can hear me again. Let me just go back to what you're saying, Kim, because I think it's brilliant insight. And it's one of those things that I I spent I spent a lot of my time with business owners who who tell me they can they can work with anybody or they tell me their their product is absolutely, appropriate for everyone. And they don't do what you've just done, which is actually truly drill down and think of the one thing that they're trying to do to understand exactly therefore how they can make their pitch, make their service or product really, appropriate for the person they're trying to fit people. Yeah. And so glad that you you were able to show how effective a question that one was by actually sort of doing that analysis. Kim Morgan [00:06:20]: So thank you. I'm nothing if not obedient. I take questions very seriously. Stuart Webb [00:06:27]: I like that very much. Okay, Kim. So let's get back on track. You've done a great job of of identifying what it is that who it is that you're trying to to talk to. So let me just understand now. You've got this this this person. What is it they've tried to do, before coming to an expert like you to try to, understand what it is that you can do to help them? Kim Morgan [00:06:52]: So I think they've tried to change. I think they've tried all the usual things. You know, maybe they've bought a self help book or a business book. Maybe they've been on some training courses. Maybe they've just set themselves some goals and bought a journal, and and I'm not knocking any of those things. Those things are all valuable things to do in the process. But I think what they don't know is just how complex and sophisticated and challenging making real lasting change particularly to our very ingrained sort of beliefs and behaviors can be. And I I think most people kind of assume that if we decide to make a change, we follow the required steps, and the change will follow. Kim Morgan [00:07:50]: But you know what we know, and this is where I think coaches really come in, and certainly, I hope most coaches operate in this way. I know barefoot coaches do because this is what we really sort of major on, a deep understanding of how change happens and how it doesn't happen. So the factors that bring about change and also the complexity of our kind of neurobiological, psychological, familial, physical, historical patterns of behavior that just become entrenched. And despite the best of intentions, like I said before, we just, like, find ourselves reverting in, like, simp you know, in the most simplest ways, trying to brush our teeth with the other hands is almost impossible. So think about trying to completely change your leadership style from, like, very people pleasing to slightly more authoritative or vice versa. It's really hard to do without knowing everything you need to do to be able to do it. So that I think that's where we come in. Stuart Webb [00:09:08]: And I think that's a really great summary of what some most people find themselves in because, you know, the the the problem that we all face, of course, is as you've said. You know, I look back at my history, my history as a a scientist. When I think about some of the experiments that I was trying to do when I was still a simple simple scientist working my way through the the various bits of the the cell that I was working o

    33 min
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The mission of It's Not Rocket Science! is to bring a new idea for building business to growth-hungry business leaders and owners who want to do more with less time and so increase their business and influence. We deliver actionable ideas using our “five questions over coffee.” thecompleteapproach.substack.com

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