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SummaryIn this candid and compelling conversation, Australian pop artist TIN returns to In The Key of Q to discuss his musical journey since his previous appearance. From opening for Bright Light Bright Light to releasing deeply personal tracks that resonate with fans in unexpected ways, TIN offers a raw look at navigating the gay music scene as a person of colour. With characteristic wit and refreshing honesty, he unpacks the complexities of privilege, racism within queer spaces, and how his experiences have shaped his creative expression. Perfect for listeners seeking authentic LGBTQ+ perspectives on music, identity, and the sometimes absurd realities of gay nightlife.Key Takeaways00:00:50 - TIN reveals how he came to open for Bright Light Bright Light through connections with EQ Music00:02:11 - His EP "Sex, Cologne and Cigarets" performed well, with "Weasel" becoming an unexpected fan favourite00:06:14 - TIN shares the deeply personal story behind his vulnerable track "Dear Matthew," which explores racial privilege in the gay community00:10:30 - An important discussion about the additional obstacles faced by people of colour in queer spaces00:14:25 - TIN reflects on internalised racism and its impact on self-worth and relationship expectations00:17:02 - The origin story of TIN's new single "Trust Your Touch," originally written about a fantasy involving Troye Sivan and Olly Alexander00:19:57 - Behind-the-scenes challenges of filming the "Trust Your Touch" music video, including shooting cruising scenes in freezing Burgess Park00:23:33 - TIN discusses his evolution from primarily a performer to developing his skills as a recording artist00:25:02 - How entering the circuit party scene unexpectedly forced TIN to confront deep insecurities about race and body image00:31:35 - Upcoming releases including a Pride single called "Kid Pig" and remixes celebrating the one-year anniversary of "Dear Matthew"Guest BioTIN is an Australian queer pop artist currently based in the UK. Known for his energetic performances, candid lyrics, and exploration of LGBTQ+ themes, TIN combines catchy pop melodies with raw personal narratives. Find his music and social media at TIN Official Music.ResourcesSex, Cologne and Cigarets EP - TIN's EP featuring the fan-favourite track "Weasel"Dear Matthew - TIN's personal song about racial privilege in the gay communityTrust Your Touch Music Video - TIN's latest release featuring Lost Child and JanisHouse of Air by Brendan Maclean - The NSFW music video about hanky codes mentioned in the podcastBright Light Bright Light - Artist TIN opened for on tourEQ Music - The collective that booked TIN for showsCall-to-ActionFind the podcast on Apple,

Who is Anne?Anne Bland is an insightful and compassionate advisor dedicated to helping individuals who haven't fully received the support they need. With a keen understanding of the challenges people face, Anne empowers them to recognize their own struggles and the steps they've already taken to address them. She guides her clients to see when it's the right moment to seek further assistance, offering innovative solutions and encouraging them to take notice and make meaningful changes. Anne's unique approach ensures that people feel understood and equipped to tackle their problems more effectively.Key Takeaways00:00 Compartmentalization and Self-Care Importance07:47 Inner Wellness and Happiness Connection10:50 Balancing Personal Space in Relationships14:35 Developing Stress Management Tool Library15:49 Smiling as Stress Relief21:55 Mindfulness Techniques for Anxiety24:45 Creating Meaningful, Purpose-Filled Lives27:30 Access Free Resources Online_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSselfishly happy, business people, work-life balance, compartmentalization, burnout, leader, self care, happiness, stress management, communication, personal development, mental health, professional growth, emotional well-being, self-awareness, mindfulness, nervous system, energy, relaxation techniques, positive psychology, neuroscience, self-mastery, transformation, leadership, organizational culture, parasympathetic nervous system, breathwork, inner smile, meaningful life, stress response, relationship managementSPEAKERSAnne Bland, Stuart WebbAnne Bland [00:00:31]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I'm delighted this afternoon to be joined by Anne Bland. Anne is a coach and mentor with a range of experience, but mostly, she's gonna be talking this afternoon about how selfishly happy you, which I think is gonna be a really fast paced topic. It's how do business people become selfishly happy. So, Anne, welcome to It's Not Rocket Times, 5 questions over coffee. Looking forward to talking with you enormously today.Stuart Webb [00:01:02]:Thank you so much, Stuart, for having me. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.Anne Bland [00:01:07]:So can we just start by sort of, helping to define or, people to understand the sort of person that you're looking to help?Stuart Webb [00:01:18]:Right. My clients often are professionals who are leaders in their fields, either as entrepreneurs or working in an organization who kind of balance try to balance the work and life and not quite succeeding in that. So maybe there is a there is a there is, you know, one of them is well, managed, but the other one is not. So it's like kind of that compartmentalization that we all kind of, resort to as, as a go to method when we try to struggle too many things. It's easier to put things in a box, if you see what I mean. Mhmm. And not realize that they're interlinked.Anne Bland [00:01:58]:I did. And they are interlinked as well, aren't they? There's no doubt about it. Even though we want to all pretend that somehow we are, superheroes, we are human beings at the end of the day.Stuart Webb [00:02:09]:Yeah. And we are really not super, beings, I think. What's the the question? We're we're we're supposed to be human beings, not human doings and definitely not super doers. So I I definitely have a lot in my CV as you said. And I think that's the, that's the culprit why I've burned out myself few times in my life. And it's not really something that I take pride in, cause you, everybody's about to in, in modern stressful life to burn out or get exhausted once in their lifetime, but not three times. I mean, you know, you start thinking, what's gone wrong there? So I think I've learned my lesson and really got my teeth in over the last 5, 6 years to understand what makes us happy, joyful, pleasure filled human beings.Anne Bland [00:03:03]:So we'll come onto that, I think in a minute, Anne, because I think there's some really good stuff you've got to say. But let's start by talking about sort of things that people have done Mhmm. Who are perhaps not quite getting the help they need that you can provide. What is it that they've done themselves to try and resolve some of these issues? How would they recognize themselves and go, oh, wait. They're talking about me. Perhaps this is this is the time when they should really start to take notice.Stuart Webb [00:03:34]:I think it is that compartmentalization I said earlier, you know, where you want to kind of put things in particular boxes and, okay, I I leave that there. You know, my marriage is not very good or my work life, I'm struggling in in particular relationships. And I try to kind of just avoid that. The other thing is, because there is some other aspects in life that are bringing fulfilment and joy and, and a sense of achievement. The, the other thing I see is that people just tend to plough through stress. So there is this kind of magical thinking that if I just get into the Christmas or if I can just get into the, before the summer holiday starts, if I can get through this week and then it's the weekend and I can catch up and relax or I can, I, but, but it doesn't happen that way, unfortunately? And then the other thing is that I see a lot is that people don't think, especially in men, that self care is something that one ought to be, investing in. And if, if, if they ask their, family, they say, yeah, why don't you just look after yourself a little bit, demon? There is that kind of, opportunity to actually learn what makes each one of us more calm, happier, more pleasure filled, and peaceful, and also joyful to be around with. And I think it's that kind of understanding that self care is not just for women or self care is something that actually needs to be one of those pillars that we invest in and get tremendous return on investment.Stuart Webb [00:05:15]:I'd say, regardless who you are, regardless of your status, regardless of your, agenda.Anne Bland [00:05:23]:So let's talk about some of those things that you you do to help people understand that self care, that, that ability to, as you put it in your your bar lines, to be selfishly happy. And it's got a bad reputation, hasn't it? But actually, you know, a bit like when you're here when you're on a flight, it tells you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping anybody else because how can you possibly help somebody else if you've fallen unconscious or, and you are unable to sort of do anything. So let's talk a little bit about what does it mean to be selfishly happy. Let's talk a little bit about that. And then perhaps you could sort of I know you've got some some some things, some valuable advice, some valuable free things that you'd like to sort of bring to the audience. So perhaps you could describe those, and and talk a little bit about that.Stuart Webb [00:06:13]:Yes. So putting that oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others is, is is something that I talk a lot about because I feel that, again, it's embedded in my own experience. I'm very passionate person. I want to change the world. I want peace and happiness all around. And then I realized that, you know, when you work in that kind of social impact or environmental impact, scene, you tend to burn out very quickly because you can't control the external externalities. And the only thing I can change is how I react, how I feel and how, what kind of energy I bring into any table, any situation, any relationship, any work. And, and I think that's the, that's the key is really kind of going in.Stuart Webb [00:07:03]:And that's why I call it selfishly happy because it is putting that oxygen mask on yourself first. And also if you become selfless, like we're all told, especially women that, oh, you just need to serve others. You need to be helpful. And, you know, you know, don't put yourself, you know, it's, it's bad. It's egoistic. And I'm not talking about ecocentricity. I'm talking about, becoming more of you becoming self full in a way because selfless can, can become quite toxic eventually. You know, it can become a person can become bitter or, or, or, or a doormat or people pleaser or, or, you know, that there is, there is a balance to be had.Stuart Webb [00:07:47]:And I believe if we are in good health, if we are in good energy, we are happy, we have so much more to give out to others and to the world at large. So there is this kind of understanding that it starts from within and more we can regulate our own nervous system, just talking about sort of neuroscience spiel it's, speak it's, it's, it's more important to actually regulate your own nervous system so that you don't come across as aggressive or, or you don't come across as, as somebody who is just, there for themselves or, or, you know, just avoiding situations that actually benefit from having frank discussions, for instance. So it is, it is that kind of play with words if you like. And I do know that lots of people are, well, you can't say selfish. And I said, well, let's just, you know, really understand what's behind it as opposed to, you know, getting to the, preconceived idea. So it is kind of deliberate to stop people to think and kind of what do I actually mean by that? What is it to become happy truly? It is to know what you need. It is know how to get what you need, and it is understanding what your fears and anxieties are and taking care of those.Anne Bland [00:09:08]:So we've got a question from Mark. And perhaps this leads into some of what you're gonna talk about in terms of the valuable free advice you've got for our audience. But but Mark asked, in your opinion, what does self care look like for a man? And I suspect it probably isn't just going to the the nail spa and getting your nails done. Although, you know, let's face it. It could be that. But I mean, what is it that you would say men, in particular, should be looking for in terms of what they need to do to care for themselves to make them, efficient and effective human beings?Stuart Webb [00:09:45]:Thank you, Mark. That's a that's a very good question, and I really appreciate, you, raising your hand and asking that question. It looks very different to different people, of course, regardless what gender you are, but there is a lot of energy that men have that, that I think for instance, exercise is something that often men don't do because it is something that, you know, that there is there, there are responsibilities at home, there's responsibilities at work. So it is very easy to stop that. And maybe then just sit down when you're exhausted and open the telly, open a can of beer And, and nothing, no judgment there, but it is, it, it could be something that, what is it that, and I think whoever you are is to really ask that question to do that pausing and kind of do the list. What is it that really makes me feel good? You know, it's for somebody it is, you know, have a good, male friend who loves art. You know, he just goes to the art classes on every Saturday morning. You know, he just goes off and does art.Stuart Webb [00:10:50]:You know, whether it's, painting flowers or painting nudes, I don't know, but it is, you know, amazing that you can just kind of realise that, okay, what makes me happy? What is the time when I can, you know, play chess with somebody on the other side of the world or, or do a game of some sort? You know, it is, it is that, but also it is the need to, to spend time on your own. And I think one of the biggest things I've noticed with relationships is that often, especially if one of the, one of them in the relationship is, is a home maker. They often feel very, isolated or they, they just yearn for having an adult conversation. And the other one comes from work and just yearns for solitude and yearns for having, oh, I just, let me just get my coat off. And, you know, let me just, you know, have 5 minutes to actually state those boundaries and saying, look, can I just have my 10 minutes? And I'll just go to the bedroom, get changed, and I just lie down for a while. I just need to empty my head and land into the home life. And I think this is very important that people learn to communicate what they need so that they don't become begrudged and and oppressed and suppressed just because we tend to please people that we love.Anne Bland [00:12:16]:Just a small insight from my own life, which I think sort of illustrates the difficulties with this week. Then in my household, there were 2 busy very busy professionals both, you know, pushing hard at their career and a child. And it was a rule that the one that picked up the child from nursery or school got home, did childcare, and the other one would spend 10 minutes on the drive before they came in. Because the minute they walked through the door, responsibility passed to the other one because they haven't had their downtime. And so therefore, there was this sort of an it was, it's unwritten. We had discussed it, but it was the rule that you spend the 10 minutes in the car decompressing because the minute you walk through the door, I haven't had my 10 minutes to decompress. Yeah. And immediately, you've got you've got the responsibility for making sure that nobody's nobody's doing anything silly because I need to just go away for a few seconds.Anne Bland [00:13:07]:And it was quite difficult to balance because sometimes they'd look and go, I I may have had my 10 minutes in the car, but frankly I could do with another 10 minutes in the house. And it's like, I don't care. I'm sorry. I need the time. So we you've gotta learn to communicate these things and balance them, haven't you?Stuart Webb [00:13:24]:Yes. Absolutely. And congratulations for that awareness and that practice because that again is it's not just about yourself, but it is starting from yourself. What do you need? And asking for it, communicating it with a with a kind of nonviolent loving way and making the, making the, the, plan and whether it's outspoken, whether it's a practice, but it is, it is important to actually, have that understanding. And I would always, always, champion talking because we often think that, you know, oh, they understand, but often they don't. So it is good to actually spell it out and, and talk about it. I've got so many ideas that I could share here, but I wantAnne Bland [00:14:08]:to, I want to keep it to, to your time limit. So over to you.Anne Bland [00:14:12]:Oh, we have no, we have no time limit. If you wish to talk for the next hour, we will let you out.Anne Bland [00:14:18]:You don't know what you're leashing here unleashing here.Anne Bland [00:14:22]:Oh, maybe it can. Maybe 45 minutes. So but there is there there's obviously some stuff on your website which which we could go and have a look at. Can can you describe some of the stuff that we'll find there and and and some and how we might access, you know, what what we what we'll access it?Stuart Webb [00:14:35]:Well, my my website is not actually very much geared towards, things yet. It's, it's something I it's under development, but, I really want to create a library of tools that people can start practising because I strongly believe that there is, there is this culture at workplaces where people are demanded to push through that stress. Then the organisations are wondering, well, why the hell do we have such a staff turnover? And we all know how much staff turnover costs for organisations. Well actually not everybody understands the wider impact. You know, you might kind of look at the recruitment costs and, and, you know, teaching somebody to, to land in their new job, but actually it's not just that it's somebody else working 3 to 4 jobs at the same time whilst they are recruiting a new person or somebody is learning. So, so it is also impacts on their health and so on and so on. So it's just lots of ripple effects. So do you have a kind of, library anywhere where we can actually drop in, for instance, I was just teaching today, in another call, in another group, and an old Taoist practice called the inner smile.Stuart Webb [00:15:49]:And this is something I definitely want to put on the website is how a busy person, even during the work day can just take 2 minutes or even just 2 seconds and just practice in a smile. It's one of the most effective ways of getting your nervous system, which is often at work days during work days in, in this kind of, reactionary, you know, stress response of, of fight flight, which is important. Otherwise we don't get anything done. But we are also designed to be more a human being in that rest digest parasympathetic nervous system response where we can sleep without needing to take sleeping pills or your, your normal whisky or whatever. So it is, it is important to, not, not knowing whether you have whisky. So I'm not saying, well, I'm, I'm, you know what I mean? It's very easy to think that in the morning we need coffee in the evening, we need an alcohol, you know, drink to, to, to calm us down. So it is, it is kind of things like breath work. It is meditation.Stuart Webb [00:16:51]:It is about, doing, embodiment practices, just like, you know, sport is, you know, exercises or just, you know, shaking and dancing a little bit, to let that tension go and stretching, you know, just very simple things like this and just learning how to breathe so that you can access that parasympathetic nervous system. So it is interesting how people think of, well, of course I can breathe. Of course I can smile, but how many actually do it? You know, we could when we are in that stress response, even our breathing becomes like kind of, we hold breath a lot. And we just but when you actually get into that parasympathetic nervous system response, what I observe is that people start, oh, there is that sigh and there is, oh, isn't it delicious just to be and just just relax. And you could just do this like a microsecond, and it will be money in the bank, in your energy bank and well-being and and happiness bank. So things like that. It's quite simple things I'd like to offer to people.Anne Bland [00:18:04]:Indeed. And and I know the power of breathing, myself because I've been doing I've been learning better breathing techniques myself, for for other reasons other than standing here doing this. And one of the things that we've been trying to learn how to do is the fact that when you breathe in rather than sort of doing this with your shoulders, which is, you know, how we're able to breathe bring immediately bring the whole music tension is to just breathe deeply from down into the diaphragm down low. And then you don't hold it. You just suspend. You just relax and allow the air to be there rather than thinking about it. And it's quite difficult to sort of turn your mindset to this ability to think, well, I'm just gonna allow the breath to be in me. But it's actually really powerful because it stops you trying to sort of do.Anne Bland [00:18:53]:You learn how to sort of just enjoy the experience of saying, okay. I'm now standing. I'm completely relaxed. I'm not actually holding my my my my tension anymore. Nothing's happened. The air hasn't just suddenly disappeared. It's it's still there, and then you can breathe out later. And it is a mindset thing, isn't it? Learning how to control your feelings, learning how to control of that.Anne Bland [00:19:15]:And and it brings a sense of calm as you do it because otherwise, you're sort of fighting your body.Stuart Webb [00:19:21]:Yeah. And have you ever heard, you know, this expression that any any place, any organization is a reflection of the leader?Anne Bland [00:19:28]:Absolutely. And I'm watching it with an organization now and just Yeah. Aware of just we can talk a little bit about this. There is toxicity, and the suggestion from the management was shut down the office. We'll never we'll never change this culture. And I went, I think the culture starts here. Oh, really? And you can change the culture at the bottom if we just change 1 or 2 things around the management. And yet, there was this sort of, oh, no.Anne Bland [00:19:53]:We just sack everybody. It will solve the problem, which was a very disappointing thing to hear.Stuart Webb [00:19:59]:Yeah. I don't think transformation organizational transformation works quite like that. But just as a as a simple example, just taking your breathing, ex example. And you were saying that how it's so easy to kind of be like this, you know, and just hunch, you know, just, you know, your shoulders are 10 tense and all that. But the studies show that a person, in terms of body language, you know, just the idea that who do you trust is somebody who has a long, distance from ear to their shoulder. So when people were shown pictures,Anne Bland [00:20:38]:I was thinking, oh, I've got, shoulder pad you know, pads in this jacket. So, oh, dear. Should have chosen a different jacket or or blouse.Stuart Webb [00:20:47]:But but but it is it is that kind of when when somebody's like this, you kind of, you know, people were shown pictures. And when they were looking at people who were like this, you know, it's kind of, oh, I don't trust that person. So if there is that kind of energy that somebody is going to launch at you, you know, from the management, you know, like you said, you know, there is that toxicity. It's not going to change by changing the, the people who are below them. It is about, okay, how can we relax this, this, this boss or this, this C suit, in this organisation so that they can learn like you just demonstrated how you're breathing differently and how you can just, you know, and it's it's simple as that because we are animals in so many ways. We have that primitive, you know, ancient brain. And when we see somebody who actually holds themselves with esteem and has that posture of calmness, and I'm you know, we feel that, okay, they are in control. You know, it's not like, you know, you need to kind of because they are reflecting this fight flight, you know, all the time.Stuart Webb [00:21:55]:It's quite fascinating how this all kind of links together. And there are so many tools we can use in organizations where we kind of, okay, just mini, micro, micro pausing, just become aware, and then use habits like breathing, like in a smile, like just being present with your with your physical body through your 5 senses. What can you hear? What can you see? What can you feel? Just doing this, you know, for for, 10 seconds. Just trying to feel the ridges of your fingers with your, if if this people can't see the picture, you know, the video. It's it's just putting 2 fingers like your thumb and your, first finger together. And for 10 seconds, which is about 3 breaths to to just move your fingers and just really focus on on feeling the ridges of your skin in on on on those fingertips. And even that simple 10 second, 3 breath exercise will put you into your body, out of your thinking mind where the anxiety often lives, you know, and just fall into your body and kind of, you know, it doesn't have to be. Even if you're in a meeting in a boardroom and you can just do that when you start feeling anxious.Stuart Webb [00:23:14]:You know, it will help you to calm down and get into that, parasympathetic nervous system. And there's so many other things.Anne Bland [00:23:22]:And was there a particular book, of course? I mean, you have a a a a very, very wide career, but, obviously, this is this is this is this is something that's that's that's come to you. Is there a particular book, of course, that you, read or took that actually started this journey for you?Stuart Webb [00:23:39]:Well, I think 10 years ago when I burned out last time and I I decided to to resign and and divorce and all sorts of things happened, and started, learning everything. You know, it was I was like a sponge. I I realized that I didn't have joy and pleasure in my life. I just been on that kind of autopilot. Oh, you know, just one more day, one more week, one more month, and I'll make it through or, or whatever it is that we tell these quite toxic stories to ourselves. Which is fine because we're just trying to cope. You know, it's okay. I'm not judging here.Stuart Webb [00:24:18]:It's just that we the society hasn't taught us how to look after ourselves. So I can't pinpoint. I'm really sorry. I can't, I know you asked this and I can't just choose 1. You know, I can't choose 1 because I've studied positive psychology and intelligence. I've studied breathwork. I've studied, how pleasure works for our favor. I've studied Taoism.Stuart Webb [00:24:45]:I've studied, so many things, neuroscience, you know, neuroplasticity, all these kinds of, how do we create positive habits so that we can look after each other ourselves and then, you know, each other, because like we said, the energy and the, the nervous system, emits to others is going to impact other people just like in that organizational structure, but also at home. So I've learned tantra as well. I've learned so many different things in terms of philosophies, practices, and, ways in which, you know, I feel that if we have the self awareness that, okay, this is what I need, how am I going to get it? So what are the tools and processes and practices? So having that self mastery. And then eventually, how do we express ourselves in the world, in our relationships in a more balanced, constructive way so that we can actually have that impactful, passionate mission, purpose filled life? Because that's what every human being in the end of the day is looking for is to have a meaningful life.Anne Bland [00:25:56]:So that leads me, I guess, to the last question I have for you this afternoon. I'll let you get along with something. I know you're not you need to get on and do and that Yeah. Is there a question I haven't asked you? Is there something that you're thinking, well, he's missed the point. He's just completely misunderstood what we're trying to do here. Is there a question that I should have asked, which you would like me to have asked? I don't know. And you have to answer it.Stuart Webb [00:26:22]:Well, I don't know. I mean, in terms of the Not really. I think we've discovered quite a lot of things, and, and it's it's as long as piece of string, isn't it? It's like kind of we can talk about this much. And when you said, oh, you have an open mic, I said, you don't want that because I will talk. You know, I will talk for England. I will talk for the world. So, now I think I would I would perhaps invite people to ask questions if there is anybody in the audience that, I don't know if Mark has already letAnne Bland [00:26:58]:Well, we well, I'd say we have Mark who asked. And the only question he's he has made it, the third comment is, it's hard to be there for someone if you're going through stress and you're struggling to deal with it. So my my sympathies, if, if that's your situation. I know how difficult it can be. And, Mark has just given us a compliment. So that's very kind of you, Mark. Thank you very much for for enjoying it. And I hope I I don't think I've done very much to contribute other than ask Anne the right questions, but Anne, you've got a huge amount of knowledge, a huge amount of value that you've added this afternoon.Anne Bland [00:27:30]:I really appreciate how much effort you've put into this, and I thank you very much for coming on and speaking to us. I just one thing. If, Anne is in the process of, of of of of building things, so, you will continue to be able to see, a lot of the free stuff that we have at, for this website where people give away free advice. But if you go to go.systmise.comforward/freehyphen stuff, you'll find a list of all the free things that, people have given away. And if you would like to get an email every week, who just will tell you exactly is coming up so that you can join as Mark did today and spend some time asking questions of people I can. Go to go.systmise.comforward/subscribe. It's a simple form. First name, email address, all we want, just so that you get an email, which basically says, who's coming up this week? And you've got the opportunity to join in the live and ask questions as Anne has been here answering your questions.Stuart Webb [00:28:33]:Anne, thank you so much for spending 20 minutes with us and talking about this. Really appreciate some of the advice. We'll all be touching our fingers in meetings in future, try to learn how to be more relaxed as we are presenting and and talking to the boss. So thank you for those tips, and I really appreciate the time you spent with us.Anne BlandThank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed this discussion. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez interview Joe Cohen as he shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings to becoming a thriving real estate investor and entrepreneur. From working in construction and music to flipping high-end properties and leveraging business credit, Joe opens up about the wins, the setbacks, and the mindset that kept him moving forward. He also discusses his involvement in real estate mentoring, upcoming book plans, and the Think and Grow Rich Legacy tour. Joe dives into how to structure deals creatively and use business credit as a powerful tool for growth. His story is a masterclass in grit, strategy, and staying focused on the long game. Tune in now to learn how resilience, strategy, and vision can turn adversity into opportunity!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:01:24Joe's Background and Early Life00:05:29His Journey into Real Estate00:08:00Sales Skills and Early Career00:14:59Transition to Corporate Life00:21:58Challenges in the Corporate World00:34:42The Turning Point: Real Estate Epiphany00:35:55COVID-19 and Real Estate Opportunities00:37:30The Cost of Real Estate Mentorship00:45:18Building a Real Estate Business00:48:16Flipping and Wholesaling Strategies00:55:12Navigating Financial Challenges01:05:36Leveraging Networks and Partnerships01:08:06Introduction to Business Credit01:11:05Understanding SBA Loans01:16:13Crypto Scams and Financial Losses01:22:55Writing a Book on Perseverance01:28:02Current Market Challenges01:31:53Exploring Short-Term Rentals01:37:08Connect with JoeResources and LinksThe Inspired Show https://www.youtube.com/@theinspiredshowJSC Real Estate Investments, LLC https://jscrei.com/The Cohen Property Group https://www.thecohenpropertygroup.com/Connect with Joehttps://www.instagram.com/joecoheninspireshttps://web.facebook.com/joecoheninspires/https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredshow/Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

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 Takeaways00:00 Welcome Steve Feld, business coach, for questions.05:54 Free advice and book at www/systemise.me/free-stuff08:43 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSbusiness 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 goalsSPEAKERSSteve Feld, Stuart WebbStuart 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 forStuart 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 explaining the things that you can do, you definitely find yourself in a position where those other people, see the advice you can give. But by knowing exactly how you help somebody, you can reach out and help them, can't you? I often say to people that are well, small business owners who are very afraid of selling, they'll say to, you know, they say, well, I don't really like selling myself.Stuart Webb [00:07:50]:And I sort of I can often turn around and say, well, stop thinking of it as being somebody that sells anything. Just think of being some somebody who's very helpful. And you just know how you help and why you help them. And people will pay you for the privilege of helping them. And that's all you need to do.Steve Feld [00:08:06]:You're a 100 spec spot on. I always call it sell without selling. Serve first. What can I do for you? And watch the the results versus we've all been to these networking events where someone is hawking I call it hawking your junk because you're you wanna build a connection, but if I can come to you and say, hey, Stewart. Is there something you need? Someone I can connect you with? Some kind of resource I can provide you that's gonna help you in your business? I don't want anything in return. What can I do for you? I think it's more valuable than buy my junk.Stuart Webb [00:08:43]:That's a brilliant that's a really brilliant piece of advice. Steve, I I guess we've I I've asked you I've asked you some some interesting questions. I guess you've thought that I probably asked you the wrong questions. So here's my opportunity to throw over to you. There must be one question that you would like me to ask or one question you would like me to have already asked that that is gonna help people to sort of really understand what your message is here. So what's that one question that you want me to ask? And, obviously, once you've asked it, well, you're gonna have to answer it for us as well. So tell us, what's the question that I needed to have asked?Steve Feld [00:09:19]:One thing I see with entrepreneurs is they when they start a business or even have an existing business, It's what can I do to get myself out there? And out there is marketing their name recognition. And one of the biggest things I see, it depends on the industry too. So if I, can go to networking events, maybe like insurance or something like that, that's the way they build their network. That's how they get out there. But there's other ways too, because you could be the expert in something. We're all experts in something. Use it your expertise. Get on a stage.Steve Feld [00:10:00]:Get on a podcast. Get on a summit. Share your knowledge. Write a book. I kid you not, I used to have a publishing company. I was cofounder of it, and we had a publishing company for entrepreneurs. So we wrote their book, and it was all done in less than 1 week.Stuart Webb [00:10:20]:Wow.Steve Feld [00:10:20]:So now they become a published author, they're an authoritative figure, and they can give this book away as a marketing piece. And we saw these businesses skyrocket just by telling their story.Stuart Webb [00:10:36]:It sounds so simple. It sounds so simple, but it's not that easy to execute, is it?Steve Feld [00:10:42]:Because being, you know, business owners, it's do you have a laundry list of things to do? Yeah. And I'll get to that one day. Well,Stuart Webb [00:10:51]:if youSteve Feld [00:10:51]:have some there's plenty of people like me out there that can help you. All they have to do is sit down with you. I swear to god, in 1 hour, you're gonna see massive results, and you're gonna start taking action right away. Guess what? It's gonna be done before you blink.Stuart Webb [00:11:09]:Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant. I think the the the the most important piece of advice that I was given many, many years ago when I first started with my business career was somebody sat me down and said, remember, if you can achieve the one thing that moves your business forward today before 11 o'clock, the rest of the day is free for you because you've already done the massive action. If you leave it until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, you've wasted the whole day. So get it done. Get the one thing you know you've gotta get done that day, get it done, and everything else is a bonus. If there's one thing I've taken away from it, it is sit down and do that one thing, which actually moves the business forward and get it done.Steve Feld [00:11:52]:I couldn't agree with you more. It's you know, eat that frog. Get that big audacious goal out of the way. Although others will fall into place, and you're gonna love it.Stuart Webb [00:12:04]:Brilliant. Steve, I think this has been a brilliant discussion. I hope everybody takes you up on the offer of getting that book, and I hope that they understand the the focus that you've given them. I'd just like to to point you in the direction of the newsletter we produce, which is, we we send out a newsletter once a week, which basically says who's coming up on the podcast. So you can really tune in on the valuable advice these, these great podcast sets we have. So if you would like to just know exactly who's coming up in the next week, go to this link, which is link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. That's link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. That's just the HTTP thing before that, and you will get a newsletter.Stuart Webb [00:12:49]:It just says once a week, basically, who's coming up, who what their specialty is, and just come and join us on LinkedIn and YouTube and the other places that we broadcast this so that you can see exactly the sort of valuable advice people like Steve bring to you, and you can move your business forward by doing that one thing and being really focused. Steve, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Really appreciate you bringing that clarity, that focus, and that message so simply and so directly to what we've been talking about.Steve Feld [00:13:19]:Well, thank you for having me, and I just hope everyone out there find that one thing in your business. Take action on it, and live your dreams. Achieve your dreams and your goals.Stuart Webb [00:13:31]:I love that. Thank you very much indeed, Steve.Steve Feld [00:13:34]:Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez welcome Imer Bauta, owner of Empress Builders, who specializes in custom residential homes in Laguna Beach and Malibu. He shares his journey from growing up around Brooklyn multifamily properties to leading high-end residential projects. Imer shares how his father's values of quality and hustle shaped his path, and how he transitioned from large commercial builds to bespoke coastal homes. From building strong client relationships to navigating market trends and ensuring transparency in every phase, Imer offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed in the luxury construction world. Don't miss this deep dive into real estate, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurial grit. Listen now!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:01:20Growing Up in a Real Estate Family00:06:08His Father's Journey and Values00:17:48Starting a Business in Laguna Beach00:25:52First Project Challenges and Successes00:28:49Career Transition and Early Struggles00:36:25Success Stories in Custom Residential00:39:36Challenges in Hiring People00:41:04Strategies on How to Hire Effectively00:47:43Personal Real Estate Investments00:52:40Family and Business Decisions01:07:22Expanding the Business to Malibu01:11:48The Problem with Inflated Meetings01:14:28Discussing Multifamily Market Trends01:16:43Incentives in Construction Projects01:25:39Impact of Tariffs and Lumber Prices01:40:49Connect with ImerResources and LinksEmpress Builders https://www.empressbuilders.com/Connect with Imerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/imer-bauta/https://www.instagram.com/empressbuilders/https://www.empressbuilders.com/imer-bautaNeed Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

Have you ever heard a voice inside you whisper, “You're not good enough”? This episode is a gentle and powerful reminder that your inner critic is not who you really are. It explores how that harsh inner voice—the one that tells you you're not ready, smart enough, or worthy—can sound convincing, but it isn't the truth of your being. That voice comes from fear and old patterns, not from your deepest self.Using both yoga philosophy and neuroscience, the episode explains the idea of Asmita (false identity), which is when we mistake our thoughts, labels, or past mistakes for who we are. But underneath the noise is your true self—calm, compassionate, and clear. The path forward isn't to silence the critic completely, but to stop letting it run your life.With reflection prompts, breath practices, and mantras, you'll learn how to shift your focus from fear to inner wisdom. This episode is an invitation to come home to yourself—one small breath at a time.Episode Chapters:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:06 The Inner Critic Speaks00:04:54 The Idea of Asmita00:05:47 Fear and the Brain00:07:00 You Are Not Your Thoughts00:10:55 False Identity vs. Inner Wisdom00:13:18 New Neural Pathways00:16:04 Breath + Mantra Practice00:18:48 Reflective Journaling Prompts00:22:51 Key Takeaways00:25:34 Closing Mantras00:27:50 Final Reflections—-------—-------—-Concepts from Yogic Philosophy:Asmita (false identity)Purusha (pure consciousness)Atman (soul)Referenced Book or Movie:Inside Out (Pixar film about emotions)Reflective Prompts Shared in the Episode:“What roles or thoughts am I mistaking for my true self?”“Where has my inner wisdom already guided me?”“When does my inner critic speak the loudest?”“What evidence do I have that I am growing—even with fear present?”“If I trusted my true self 5% more, what small choice might I make?”Michael Henri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelyoga.pt/ Going Pro Yoga's Instagram: https://www.instagram/com/goingproyoga/—-------—-------—-Tags: inner critic, self-worth, yoga philosophy, asmita, self-doubt, identity, imposter syndrome, true self, self-compassion, self-awareness, personal growth, inner wisdom, breathwork, mindset, confidence

Forget "Grow at All Costs" — Here's How to Build a SaaS Company That Lasts | Richard Walker, CEO of Quik!

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 Takeaways00:00 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSADHD 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.SPEAKERSJamie Toyne, Stuart WebbStuart 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 peopleStuart 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 about the way that we approach, manage the management of ourself, like, the that almost our relationship with ourself. And so I'll give you an example. You know, there's there's a part of ourselves which I might call the higher self or the or the general who's you know, that's sort of the prefrontal cortex.Jamie Toyne [00:07:48]:That's the part of the brain that's, coming up with strategy and setting the vision and setting goals and tasks and and organizing everything, and writing your to do list and things like that. And then you have, you know, your lower self or the or the workhorse as I call it, or what Tim Go away would refer to as second self, which is sort of the intuitive body and also the the part of you that actually has to sit down and do the work, and actually execute. So when I was a tennis player, you know, that'd be a part of me that would be deciding where I'm gonna hit the ball and how I'm gonna structure the point, and then there'd be the actual part of me that actually has to swing my racket. And, usually, what I see is when we are burnt out, that relationship between those two parts is completely disintegrated and broken down. And so, what I really focus on with my clients is helping rebuild that relationship, and so that those two parts are working together as a team. And that's when we start to get into flow. So it's almost like designing our environment and our systems and the way that our business operates to be aligned with what I would call our true nature. Right? Because I think flow our our flow state or our our state of flow is essentially our natural state of being, And it's the conditioning and the stress and the, you know, all the things that we complicate our lives with that block us from flow.Jamie Toyne [00:09:12]:And so what I really would recommend is, like, trying to identify the things that are blocking you from flow and removing them, and that's the quickest way to resolving burnout. And so an example of things that would be blocking you from flow would be things anything that you're putting energy into where that energy seems to leak out and it drains your energy. So if you're putting the energy into something and it rebounds back to you and it's energizing, it's in alignment. And if that energy's flowing out, and flowing one way, it's probably out of alignment. And so that could be a relationship in your personal life. It could be a business partner, an investor. It could be a customer type. It could be some way that you're structuring your business or the hours you're working.Jamie Toyne [00:09:50]:It could be anything. And so really doing a bit of an audit of everything that you think might be zapping your energy and really looking at that and looking at ways that you can either remove that or optimize it or modify it so that, you know, it's, it's more in alignment and it's, it's not blocking you from flow, but it's creating space for flow to emerge, your natural state of being.Stuart Webb [00:10:13]:So I've just dropped a link into the bottom of the, the screen that anybody can see here, which is where you offer a free coaching call for somebody who perhaps wanna wants to go back and discover that state of flow. And I know what you mean by flow. It's something which, well, obviously, you as a former professional sportsman, really sort of appreciate the the ability to sort of get into that point where the the point in where in your business, for instance, you are no longer thinking about everything that has to happen. It's happening, and you're able to move your your thoughts to sort of, you know, the future, the strategy, rather than having to be thinking about what happens next in this business in order to just keep it alive, which is kind of, you know, my level of tennis. I don't know. Yours is probably slightly better than that. My level of tennis is how do I manage to keep this ball from actually sort of just dropping on this side of the net, and I never see it again. But, you know, you need to get to that state, don't you, with your business, which is where, you know, the you the the racket swing is happening.Stuart Webb [00:11:08]:It's moving the ball to where you want your opponent to be, and you're thinking about sort of right what you know, when I finish this game, I'm gonna have a really nice dinner because I'll I'll reward myself having having beaten this guy. So that is the state that we need to get our business to. Jamie, let's let's move on to something which I hope is is gonna sort of give a bit of an insight into is there a is there a a a course, a program, a a book, something which actually brought you to the point at which you understood maybe your own h ADHD, maybe the way in which you can sort of sort of conquer some of these ADHD feelings. And at this point, I'm just gonna I'm just gonna flash up the fact we've got Therese Baptiste who is a I love Therese. She's watching in. So, Therese, hi. I know you're somebody that really understands this sort of thing. You have so much energy yourself.Stuart Webb [00:11:58]:I'm not even gonna try and sort of compete with you. So hello, Therese. Jamie, let's get back to the to the point, you know. Is there a particular book, of course, or something which helped you to understand flow, helped you to understand how you recover flow in your life, how you started to sort of bring this into your own coaching practice?Jamie Toyne [00:12:16]:Yeah. I I so I was I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, so I've I've always known I've had it. I I was never medicated, so I've I've sort of learned different strategies and techniques just by through trial and error and a lot a lot of suffering and and three pretty significant burnouts throughout my life. But I did recently the most recent training I've done is a ADHD training program done with a woman called Brooke Schmidtman, who's fantastic. So that was a really cool I've done a bunch of study on sort of the neuroscience of flow states and and and burnout. So it was really cool to, you know, I sort of developed this high performance program for entrepreneurs and then to really marry the the the neuroscience of flow with the neuroscience, and psychology of of of ADHD, was was was really sort of what allowed me to develop the curriculum for this program that I run, which is called FlowJo. I was talking about the relationship between different parts of ourselves. You know, I wanna credit, internal family systems or parts theory, as, you know, it's a sort of a 50 year old, psychotherapy practice that has been, you know, pretty transformational for me personally.Jamie Toyne [00:13:26]:I've been working with an IFS practitioner for years, and I've done a short training on that. Also, the Flow Research Collective, I'd love to, you know, credit them. I did their program 0 to dangerous, which sort of really talks about the mechanics of flow and how to cultivate flow states, and sort of in sort of the biohacking and, you know, hacking the sort of biology in the mind for flow. So that was that was pretty pretty amazing as well. And then, you know, all the coaching training that I've done in those courses have been massive. I got so much out of that for for myself, and it's allowed me to, you know, really feel confident, working on a month with clients as well.Stuart Webb [00:14:10]:Brilliant. We're we're kinda getting towards the end of this, time now, Jamie. I'm thankful that you that you know what to sort of, you know, bring yourself to sort of just spend a few minutes with us. But I kinda wanna ask you one final question, but the the question that I wanna ask you is is probably one that I would prefer that you sort of, you know, ask of of yourself. And and what is that question that I have not yet asked that you think is the most important one that you think that we should be we should be hearing? And and, obviously, now that you've asked yourself the question, you need to answer it. Just my way of not actually doing all the work here on the podcast and making you do it more.Jamie Toyne [00:14:51]:What question would I would be most useful? Well, I talked about burnout and flow and how flow is sort of the the antidote to burnout. So I guess and I talked about removing the blockers. I guess, maybe the next practical question that people would have is, like, what are those blockers? What are and, you know, how what's an example of how you could remove them? So I'd be happy to answer that.Stuart Webb [00:15:16]:Good good question, Jamie. What are those blockers? What is it that we should be we should be looking at?Jamie Toyne [00:15:22]:Well, I mean, they can be anything as I mentioned before, but I like to categorize them into sort of 5 main areas. The first one is clarity, and so that's really, you know, as I mentioned, flow is your natural state of being. So really what you're trying to do is connect back with your true nature. And so being really clear on who you are, what your passion, your your your purpose, your values, your vision for the future, your mission, all of those things, having that really crystal clear. A lot of people have done exercises like that, but often when I ask people, describe what your purpose is in a single sentence, or what's your what's your mission in a single sentence? A lot of people really don't know how to answer that, and they need about 10Stuart Webb [00:16:03]:sentences toJamie Toyne [00:16:03]:answer it.Stuart Webb [00:16:04]:So Good point.Jamie Toyne [00:16:05]:I think being really clear on that. Once you're really clear on that, the second blocker is, alignment. And so, we I talked about the two way energy flow, so I won't go back into that. But, essentially, once you're really clear on who you are and what your true nature is, it's very easy to identify things that are out of alignment with you. Right? And so an example for me is, when I was running my mergers and acquisitions company, we were an all commissioned business, and it meant that we had a negative cash flow cycle. So we're always doing the service up front, and it just meant that and and my employees were, were on a heavy commission basis. And so just just the ups and turns, you know, the ups and downs of the market and whatever, it just meant that when there was volatility in the market, there was volatility in my my team and my company and my my whole life, and it didn't really align with the way that I wanted to live my life. And so that business model was just not aligned with with me and my what my values were in the way that I wanted to create sort of safety for my team.Jamie Toyne [00:17:04]:So, I I mean, that's one of the main reasons I burnt out in that business that I I ended up exiting a few years later. So, that's an example. 3 is focus. That's a really obvious one. Attention, like, you know, we live in an ADHD world now, so even if you don't have ADHD, a lot of people are struggling with variable attention stimulus trait, which is, basically, you're experiencing all the symptoms of ADHD, but it's not a permanent neurological disorder of the brain like I have. It's just, basically an environmental thing that's been created through cognitive overload, which is being caused through the way that we integrate you know, interact with, with digital media and and wherever else. So that's the other really big one. The 4th, sort of blocker of flow or culprit of flow is mindset, and that's pretty self explanatory, but limiting beliefs and all the rest of it.Jamie Toyne [00:17:56]:And then the 5th and final one is just energy. You know, if we're if we're burning the candle at both ends, we're just, you know, we there's there's there's no resources there to to to flow, to get into flow. Your rivers run dry. So there's some of the 5 areas. And, yeah, like I said, the audit is probably, you know, just auditing everything and and and realizing, like, where where are my blockers. And, actually, on my website, I have a free diagnostic tool. You can answer a bunch of questions, and it will give you an analysis of where you sit on the spectrum of burnt out to flowing. There's sort of 7 levels, and it will also give you a breakdown of those 5 blockers.Jamie Toyne [00:18:35]:So it'll tell you, you know, whether your mindset's closer to burnout or blocking, and you can sort of start to identify what areas, might be causing blockages, you know, that keep you at risk of burning out, and stop you from sort of performing at your peak, and flying.Stuart Webb [00:18:52]:Useful. Useful. And I think that's a really useful resource. If people wanna go to Jamie's website, there will be notes in the, in the show notes where we'll put a link to that so that people can see that, get on there, and have a look at that. Jamie, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Personally, I am really aware of the very dangerous nature sometimes of social media that can that can prevent that flow state, the ping, the dingle from the phone, the side of the desk, that constant reminder that we should be looking at it because it's not in our interest. It's in the, interest of the social media companies that run those platforms to keep us engaged on that. It doesn't help our flow state at all.Stuart Webb [00:19:29]:So turn off those pings. Turn off that thing that sort of pops up at the bottom of your screen that tells you you've got a new email. You don't need to worry about that email. If you're in a flow state, forget the email. It'll wait for several hours quite often, honestly. So turn off your phones, turn off those pop ups, focus on what you're doing. I know they're the things which really present me prevent me from getting into flow. So I'm I'm really big into what some of what Jamie mentioned in that third part of his what can prevent your flow, for you there.Stuart Webb [00:19:58]:So I'm really, really hopeful that people learn how to do that in the coming year. Jamie, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Really appreciate you spending a few minutes here. I'm just gonna sort of put out the appeal that if, if you'd like to be able, like Therese was today, joining in with the conversation, watching these things live on LinkedIn each Tuesday that we do them, if you go to this link, which is httpscolonforward/forward/link.thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward/newsletter, I've gotta make something shorter than that soon in order to get that. But if you go to link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforwardsmash newsletter, there you will find a very simple form. It just asks for your first name. It asks for your email address. That's all it is.Stuart Webb [00:20:42]:You give you put that in. I will then send you an email once a week, which says this is who's coming on. This is what they're gonna talk about. This is where you join us. Come on. Join. Have a really great conversation with the guests that we have coming on to this podcast. Jamie, thank you very much for spending a few minutes with us.Stuart Webb [00:21:00]:Really appreciate it. And I look forward to watching what you do to help those of us who are struggling with flow to get better again, in the coming months.Jamie Toyne [00:21:11]:Thanks, Stuart. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Is 3D printing the future of housing? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Lance Thrailkill — third-generation CEO of All Metals Fabricating and co-founder of Print3d Technologies. Lance shares how he's merging AI, automation, and 3D printing to disrupt the construction industry and solve the affordable housing crisis. From scaling legacy businesses to building $100K homes faster and cheaper, this is a blueprint for SaaS founders and innovators looking to reshape entire industries.

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez interview Eric Lawson, a mortgage veteran who pivoted into short-term rentals and outperformed traditional investments. Eric left behind a successful mortgage career to dive into the world of Airbnb with incredible results. He walks us through his journey from multifamily properties to discovering the explosive cash flow potential of vacation rentals, starting with a skeptical first deal and quickly expanding into high-demand areas. Eric shares the systems and mindset shifts that helped him scale, along with actionable tips on financing, getting pre-approved, managing remotely, and maximizing tax advantages through cost segregation. He also provides valuable insight into current market conditions and offers a forecast on where mortgage rates may be heading in the coming years. Tune in now to learn more!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:02:45First Airbnb Investment Experience00:09:24The Pandemic and Some Market Insights00:23:57How to Manage Multiple Properties00:33:06Tips on Managing Remote Properties00:34:51How to Facilitate Bidding Wars00:37:46Property Value and Performance00:39:04Financial Strategies and Savings00:40:03Multifamily Investment Insights00:44:23Challenges in Multifamily Investments00:58:04Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis01:02:22Reflecting on Property Investments01:04:02Short-Term Rental Regulations01:11:24Economic Insights and Mortgage Rates01:24:04Connect with EricResources and Linkshttps://www.bizprofile.net/ca/walnut-creek/lawson-lending-llcConnect with Erichttps://www.instagram.com/ericlawson73/https://web.facebook.com/eric.lawson.7549/Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

Is your SaaS business truly built to last—or are you growing a leaky bucket?In this episode of SaaS Fuel, we dive deep into retention, innovation, and customer-centric scale with Mohan Rao, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Knownwell. Mohan shares battle-tested strategies for building future-proof SaaS companies by focusing on retention before acquisition, solving churn proactively, and aligning teams around customer success.Key Takeaways00:00 - Why retention is the real goal of product-market fit03:00 - Welcome back to SaaS Fuel: growth ≠ scale07:19 - Mohan Rao joins the show11:10 - What founders get wrong about early product strategy14:27 - Avoiding the “hammer looking for a nail” trap18:05 - Preventing churn: retention as strategy, not support22:17 - How Knownwell is applying AI and LMS to fix it28:02 - Intervention signals: when a customer asks for a contract32:47 - Lessons from holding multiple C-level roles36:55 - Leadership evolution: empowering your next layer43:05 - Why customers must be part of your M&A strategy45:32 - Overlooked tech factors that kill acquisitionsTweetable QuotesProduct-market fit isn't about how many customers you can get—it's about how many stick around."– Mohan Rao Churn isn't a number. It's a warning sign your product isn't delivering value fast enough.” – Jeff MainsYou don't need 20 customers—you need 4 that never leave.” – Mohan RaoFounders obsess over acquisition, but real growth comes from retention.” – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsIf users don't stick, you don't have product-market fit. Period.Validate the market need before building the product—market-product fit matters more.Not all feedback should make it into your roadmap—choose based on vision alignment.Retention is proactive—train your team to spot signals before customers churn.The fastest-growing SaaS companies obsess over activation, not just acquisition.Guest ResourcesEmail - mohan.rao@knownwell.comWebsite - http://knownwell.com/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raomohan/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez sit down with Linda Kim, a former tech professional who made the leap into high-end short-term rentals with remarkable success. Linda shares her journey from leveraging mentorship programs to setting up profitable properties at lightning speed. She shares invaluable insights on the power of design, strategic market choices, and the differences between buying and renting properties for Airbnb. She also reflects on the business models, discussing Airbnb arbitrage, property management strategies, and the benefits of high-quality interiors. If you're new to short-term rentals or looking to level up your investment strategy, this episode is surely for you. Tune in to get all the helpful details!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:02:05The Mentorship Experience00:04:42Designing High-End Rentals00:06:19Managing Properties with Quality00:13:23Financials and Profit Margins00:31:42How to Expand to New Markets00:33:39Building Relationships with Agents00:34:07Property Repairs and Contracts00:37:20Setting Up Properties Efficiently00:38:56Financial Strategies and Mentorship00:42:07Future Plans and Market Exploration00:48:56Tax Strategies and Ownership00:51:47Connect with LindaResources and LinksLinda Kim Designs https://www.lindadesignsart.com/Olive Gold Collective https://www.instagram.com/olivegoldcollective/Connect with Lindahttps://www.instagram.com/itslinda.kim/https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-kim-43937b10/https://www.youtube.com/@lindakimmNeed Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

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 Takeaways00:00 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSsoulful 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.SPEAKERSLauri Smith, Stuart WebbStuart 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. ThatStuart 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 it's not something like I want them to like me. That's an inner critic driven thing and with the intention we're trying to take the reins away from the inner critic and give it back to that highest most confident part of yourself. So it might be something like I want to give the audience hope. If you're going into a networking meeting instead of thinking I hope they hire me or I hope I don't screw up. I hope I don't say the wrong thing. Those are all soul suckers trying to protect us.Lauri Smith [00:08:57]:I'd like to give the audience a glimmer of hope either for themselves or for a friend they've got that is struggling. It might be something like I wanna see people expanding or opening as if they're opening their heart which is a little bit more of an energetic or a physical thing and when we do that instead of looking for what might go wrong and then that becoming a self fulfilling prophecy we're connecting with that soul driven mission that we're here to do and then aligning with, a mile marker of that and we'll start to notice shifts toward people feeling more hope rather than shifts toward, oh, I think I might said I think I just said the wrong thing.Stuart Webb [00:09:50]:That's a really wonderful tip. That's a really wonderful tip. And it it's you're right. We all need to sometimes learn to silence that inner critic, don't we, and take away the oxygen.Lauri Smith [00:10:00]:Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:10:01]:What is it? What is it, Laurie, that got you, to become the soulful speaker? Was there a particular moment in in your career or your your journey? Was there a a book, a course, something which sort of took you from where you are to where from where you were to where you are now?Lauri Smith [00:10:17]:The the key there have been a lot of different bread crumbs along the way that I followed, and the key that I talk about a lot was in an acting class that I took. Many people think that acting is about lying. It's actually quite the opposite. It's about authenticity and mirroring things back to humanity. And in my favorite acting class ever, there was an exercise one day where I was up there by myself instead of being up there with a colleague or 3. And I kept pulling myself together between these little bits of the exercise, very similar to these masks that industrial speaking is consciously or unconsciously asking us to wear. And Richard, my teacher, stopped the exercise and said, whatever that is that you're doing in between, stop doing that. And I said, I'm not that comfortable having everyone's eyes on me.Lauri Smith [00:11:21]:And he took off his glasses and he said, well, then you've picked a strange set of careers for yourself. You're an actor, a teacher, a speaker, a leader. Part of you wants this. In fact, part of you knows you're meant to be here. And that really struck me. And even my protectors and inner critics deeply trusted him, so it was like my heart and soul knew he was right. And because I trusted him and the space that he held, I jumped back into the exercise and was actively releasing those masks, and it felt like decades of protection were melting away in a kind of combination of fire and ice and when the exercise was over I looked out at my classmates and I felt completely in sync with them. I felt like I could see and feel what kind of a day they were each having.Lauri Smith [00:12:18]:And I now say it was my first moment of being in flow or in oneness that lasted beyond the sport or beyond the acting. I had had them while acting before. I had had them while playing basketball in high school where time just doesn't seem to exist. And when it's over, people ask you about a certain play or a moment, and and you're you kind of don't know what they're talking about because you were so in it. And what I realized from that is that our charisma, our one of a kind presence comes from allowing ourselves to be seen while also holding the room in kind of an energetic hug. And that's at the root of how I work with speakers today. It's the same way that that acting instructor worked with me. Instead of thinking that you need to reach for something other than what you are, It's about letting go of everything that the world has told you that you should be and then learning how to expand your energy from there.Stuart Webb [00:13:32]:That's a wonderful story, and I think we all we all need a Richard. Don't we? We all need we all need that somebody who looks at you and tells you how it is and helps you to uncover the truth behind what you're hiding. And I know I have had Richards in my life who have been exactly the same, not with acting, but with with with other things. Yeah. Laurie Laurie, there must be one question that I have not yet asked, which you are really itching, witching an issue that I could could ask you. So what is what is the one question that you think I should be asking? And, obviously, when you ask it, you need to give us the answer.Lauri Smith [00:14:15]:Yeah. That's always the rub, isn't it? I I lead networking groups, and I will come up with great questions and forget that I have to answer them. The the question that popped into my mind when you asked that was theStuart Webb [00:14:28]:why. Mhmm.Lauri Smith [00:14:30]:Why am IStuart Webb [00:14:30]:Love the question.Lauri Smith [00:14:32]:Yeah. I and the short answer is it's my calling. And the longer part of that that I that I've kind of lived into or I am living into is I believe that speaking soulfully is actually part of raising consciousness on the planet. That is the biggest why. So the more soulfully our leaders and change makers can speak, the more it's gonna have a ripple effect. I see there's that image that we also in, like, a science class of evolution of humans, where they're hunched over, little bit taller. And to me, the way most of the western world is speaking is a generation or 2 back. It's actually not aligned with our our highest selves, our most courageous selves, and helping us to oddly, not oddly, recapture the kind of expressiveness we had as babies while marrying that to our sense of purpose or our intention or our mission as an adult.Lauri Smith [00:15:48]:Primal and presence coming together, primal and purpose coming together and creating a more resonant presence is it's it's a it's a huge thing, and it can also be paired down to tiny, small moment by moment things.Stuart Webb [00:16:06]:Brilliant. I love I love the message. I love the way that you put it. And I think you're right. We all need to, we all need to grasp those moments. We all need to find those moments. Even if we're not in front of a stage, we need to grasp them for ourselves anyway. Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:16:21]:Laurie, it's been wonderful having you speaking to us. I'm just gonna take a moment now and beg, people to just go to this link, which is link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. If you fill out the form there and only ask for an email address and your name, you will get an email once a week who and it all it really tells you is who's coming on the podcast this week so that you can get and listen to the sort of advice that you get here and also ask questions, on on the podcast of the, of the authors and people that we have speaking. So, Laurie, thank you for coming and spending a few minutes with us. I appreciate that you've, got a busy day ahead of you, so I'm gonna let you go and get on with it and get more of those, people that really need to make TikToks, TED Talks, and other connections. Make them soulfully.Lauri Smith [00:17:14]:Thank you so much for having me, Stuart. You have a great day and a great week as well.Stuart Webb [00:17:19]:Thank you. Oh, no Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

What if your MVP isn't the starting point, but the midpoint?This week on SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains is joined by David Hirschfeld—founder of Tekyz and the creator of the Launch First framework—to challenge the traditional startup playbook. Instead of building first and hoping customers show up, Launch First flips the script: sell a high-fidelity prototype before writing a single line of code.David shares how he learned this lesson the hard way, after his second startup failed by trying to build critical mass before generating revenue. Through Techies, he's worked with 90+ startups and uncovered why most fail: they wait too long to validate product-market fit.This episode dives deep into why most founders fall in love with their product instead of the customer's problem, and how that mistake leads to wasted time, money, and effort. You'll hear how to identify root-level problems, avoid the “Black Robe Syndrome” (a founder's belief-based delusion), and why loving the problem—not the solution—is key.Key Takeaways00:00 – 03:00: Why pre-launch sales work and how to get highly invested beta customers03:00 – 08:00: SaaS Fuel intro + common startup pricing pitfalls08:00 – 15:00: David's origin story — success, failure, and lessons learned15:00 – 25:00: Why MVPs often miss the mark and how high-fidelity prototypes change the game25:00 – 35:00: The psychology of pre-launch buyers and how to close early sales35:00 – 43:00: The real purpose of MVPs: product-solution fit, not product-market fit43:00 – 49:00: Common scaling mistakes and the problem with feature-chasing49:00 – 53:00: A step-by-step niche analysis and how to find your early adopters53:00 – 59:00: Tech stack, team dynamics, and why execution beats visionTweetable Quotes“If you're not selling your product yet, you don't have a business — you have a dream.” – David Hirschfeld“Don't fall in love with the product. Fall in love with the problem.” – David Hirschfeld“Your MVP is for product-solution fit, not product-market fit. Validate the market before you code.” – David Hirschfeld“High-fidelity prototypes close deals. Click-through mockups close questions.” – David Hirschfeld“Fail fast and cheap. If you can't prove your product doesn't work, congrats — you have a business.” – David HirschfeldSaaS Leadership LessonsSell Before You Build Launch First flips the MVP model—use high-fidelity prototypes to validate your idea and sell before writing code.Love the Problem, Not the Product Successful founders obsess over customer pain, not their solution. Talk less about your product, more about their struggles.High-Fidelity Prototypes Are Game-Changers Animated prototypes help customers visualize the full product and build belief, boosting pre-sales and reducing dev iterations.Product Solution Fit Comes After Product Market Fit MVPs are better used to test engagement and usability, not just market demand.Data Over Gut Launch First helps founders make decisions based on actual customer feedback and perceived value, not assumptions.Find One Niche, Solve One Pain Start narrow. Identify your early adopter niche by mapping perceived impact and cost of specific problems.Avoid the Feature Trap Don't build everything customers request. Validate whether new features improve sales or retention before adding them.Guest ResourcesEmail - david@tekyz.comPodcast -

What happens when a failed musician turns into a SaaS sales powerhouse? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Collin Stewart, CEO of Predictable Revenue and host of the Predictable Revenue Podcast. Collin shares raw, real stories from his journey—including early startup failures, the brutal truth about product-market fit, and what founders get wrong when scaling too fast.We dive deep into customer development, outbound sales strategies, and how AI is shaping the future of SaaS. Whether you're pre-revenue or pushing past $10M ARR, this episode will sharpen your go-to-market strategy and help you build a predictable, scalable revenue engine.Key Takeaways00:00 - The harsh truth about product-market fit02:00 - Why customer validation is key to success04:00 - Meet Colin Stewart: failed musician to SaaS leader07:00 - Early startup mistakes and lessons learned12:30 - The danger of scaling before understanding your customer16:00 - Why niching down beats going broad21:00 - How to leave bias out of customer interviews26:30 - Why founders get go-to-market strategy backwards30:30 - Introducing Champion Leadership Group34:00 - Signs you're not ready to scale39:00 - The Market Fit Matrix explained44:00 - What makes outbound actually work47:00 - The real reason AI SDR tools fall short51:00 - Where SaaS sales is headed with AI56:00 - Why AI won't kill sales—it will upgrade it58:00 - Where to find Colin + free founder resourcesTweetable Quotes“The biggest mistake founders make? Scaling before they really understand their customers.” — Colin Stewart“AI won't kill sales—it'll just kill bad sales processes.” — Collin Stewart“Customer interviews aren't for validation. They're for revelation.” — Jeff Mains“You don't need perfect messaging if you have the perfect list.” — Collin Stewart“Most teams are doomed or blessed before they're even built—because of strategy.” — Collin Stewart“SaaS isn't about growth hacks. It's about solving real pain for real people.” — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership Lessons"Strong product-market fit is a spectrum" – You might not be at zero; you just need to strengthen your understanding of the customer.Scaling before validation is a costly mistake – Don't throw gas on a fire that's not even lit yet.Customer discovery is not for confirmation – Go in with curiosity, not to validate what you already believe.Your ICP needs laser-focus – “Accountants” isn't narrow enough. Be specific: left-handed accountants using QuickBooks.Build strategy before team or tools – Most sales orgs fail due to poor upfront go-to-market planning, not bad reps.AI can supercharge sales—but only if your fundamentals are solid – Garbage data and vague targeting make even the smartest tools useless.Guest ResourcesEmail - collin@predictablerevenue.comWebsite - https://predictablerevenue.com/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinstewart/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code...

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez discuss recent developments in their real estate ventures, including property acquisitions, management strategies, and ongoing rehab projects. They emphasize the importance of quality in property management and share insights from their Airbnb experiences. This episode also touches on marketing strategies, customer engagement, and future goals for growth in the real estate market. They talk about the shift in goals toward a more balanced lifestyle, focusing on more strategic investments, particularly in Tennessee. The importance of seeing properties, building authentic relationships, and evolving sales skills are highlighted. They also share insights on market predictions and the economic landscape, encouraging listeners to take action and invest wisely. Don't miss this episode packed with insights. Listen now!Key Takeaways00:00:00 Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:01:56 Property Acquisition & Management Strats00:05:31 Rehab Projects and Enhancements00:09:50 Lessons from Airbnb Experiences00:17:30 Marketing and Customer Engagement00:21:49 Future Goals and Vision for Growth00:24:10 Shifting Goals and Lifestyle Changes00:27:32 How to Build Authentic Relationships00:30:52 Understanding Passive Income00:32:43 Pros and Cons of Solo Investing00:34:08 The Importance of Taking Action00:35:32 Coaching and Group Programs00:36:29 Market Predictions and Economic InsightsQuotes"If it's not excellent, it's out. We're putting our money where our mouth is spending $100,000 in 60 days." (00:02:24)"I was just tired of losing money and tired of being underserved in every aspect. So I finally said, you know what? Let's just get it right." (00:07:47)"You have to stand out. We followed a lot of great advice—choosing high-quality mattresses, incorporating plants, and focusing on design. But one thing we didn't do well was differentiating ourselves. Find a niche. Do something different." (00:20:20)Resources and LinksYelp https://www.yelp.com/aboutNeed Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

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 Takeaways00:00 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSrocket 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.SPEAKERSJames Robertson, Stuart WebbStuart 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 value to an organization by doing those clever things.James Robertson [00:07:52]:I then moved on. I worked for an engineering company. And as a side hustle, if you wanna call it that, I took over the IT function, and I project managed and partially architected the design and development of what in those days we called a management information system. I'm talking 19, 87. Today, that product is an ERP, and, again, very dramatic benefits to the business. I then went out on my own because I thought I'd got this attitude. I started speaking at conferences, and what started happening was chief executives, presidents, etcetera, would come up to me during the break and say, doctor Robertson, we're having problems with our systems. We really like what you're saying.James Robertson [00:08:34]:We're not getting anything like that. And I would start going in, and I found that in in 1 to 2 days, I could tell them why, the the system was not working, and I could tell them how to fix it. And I've been doing it ever since. And then I've developed, other things in terms of strategy, etcetera, and helping, rigorous procurement process and and so forth that go hand in hand with that.Stuart Webb [00:08:59]:Do you know the, the concept of the rigorous process for procurement, I think, is probably as important as anything, isn't it, James? Because one of the problems that we often find with these things is it's it's the expectation at the beginning that has been set which causes the issues. I I've been involved in a number of these situations where people will say, well, we thought it was gonna do this, or we had asked for this. And, unfortunately, it's very often the case that that was never going to be possible, and that's where the the problems came in and came from.James Robertson [00:09:33]:Absolutely, Stuart. So the process that I've got, I've got a a very robust request for proposal document about, depending on the client. It's sort of 45 to 60 pages, and it closes all the loopholes that are traditionally used by IT service providers to negotiate change in scope. I then do a strategic definition of what the requirement is, and I take the the the the the process through a rigorous process of scanning the market to find the most appropriate software and to find the most appropriate implementer and then lock that down into a very watertight contract and a very strong, achievable fixed price. And I then manage that whole process through that. But part of it is, again, knowing what the typical shenanigans are, if I can use that word, that are used by implementers to go in with a low price and then push the price right up, and and, to also to make sure that the definition of what's required is properly documented because so many people go out to procurement with just a long wish list of anything that they can think of. And what I do is I bring it down to 7 critical requirements weighted in terms of the relative importance, and then I design the entire project around those seven factors. And those factors are determined in consultation with the, the CEO and the rest of the executive suite.Stuart Webb [00:11:07]:That's brilliant. I I think JamesonJames Robertson [00:11:09]:I think one of the things that's different about what I do is I always start with the CEO, and I work top down from the executive suite. So I make sure that I understand the strategic view of what this thing is supposed to do. And the same with diagnosing the problems. Yeah. Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:11:27]:That's great news. James, there must be one question at the moment that you're thinking. He hasn't asked me about this, which is the real key thing. And so, therefore, I'm just gonna sort of ask at this stage if there is a a particular question that you think I should have asked by this stage. And, obviously, as you know the question, you then have to answer it for us. So what's the key question that I haven't yet asked you?James Robertson [00:11:50]:Why is it that so many systems work fine at an operational tactical level, but are absolutely useless from a point of view of supporting strategic decision support?Stuart Webb [00:12:06]:Interesting question.James Robertson [00:12:08]:And I've WhatStuart Webb [00:12:09]:is the,James Robertson [00:12:10]:what is the answer? I've touched on that I've touched on that fleetingly a couple of times already in this in this talk. It's basically that people do not know how to start a project at the executive level and define the strategic requirements at the start and then build the entire solution from that point of view. Or if you're remediating a situation, if the things that I've talked about, the same applies that you go in at the executive level, you understand from an executive point of view what the issues are, and then you cascade that down into the nuts and bolts of how the system runs. Mhmm. And one of the thing one of the things that goes horribly wrong with so many projects If the CEO says, I don't understand IT and delegates to the CFO or the CIO or the COO or the IT manager or whatever, and those people do not have the it's not their responsibility to have the overarching strategic view of the business. So they start with a finance bias or an IT bias, and I and I hate to say this, but a lot of IT people are so focused on the g wiz of the technology that they do not have any comprehension of what strategically so you'll find a an IT guy saying, yes. We must go with the latest upgrade. We need correct answer from a strategic point of view is, you know what? This is doing the job.James Robertson [00:13:45]:We don't need to go with the latest upgrade, for example. And that's a that's a hot topic at the moment.Stuart Webb [00:13:53]:And I think you're referring to the fact that certain systems at the moment are now getting to the stage where they need to be upgraded to the latest version, which in call which involves quite a lot of cost and quite a lot of effort, but may or may not end up delivering the value that the business requires.James Robertson [00:14:11]:Absolutely. You know, the technology now is very mature. The bulk of the systems out there, the ones that have been around for the last 20 years, are mature. They're stable. They're getting the job done. We're now going into a mode where those vendors are coming and saying, well, we've got the new latest and greatest, biggest, and best, and it's we're gonna move to cloud, and we're gonna move to SaaS, and we're gonna do this, and we're gonna do that. Oh, and by the way, it's gonna cost you a £100,000 or £1,000,000 or whatever the case may be, and it's gonna take, 9 to 18 months to to implement it. And we don't really wanna talk about it, but there's gonna be a whole lot of business disruption while you do that.James Robertson [00:14:56]:Profits are gonna take a bit of a knock while we do it. And at the end of the day, we're not actually sure what the strategic business value is going to be. And I'm now saying to people, you know what? There's a little known legal principle which allows you to say to that vendor, you know what? I'm not gonna take that upgrade. And, that's, the secret sauce that we can talk about on that call.Stuart Webb [00:15:26]:That's a really brilliant cliffhanger on which to end this series. I presume, it's series 2. We'll start with that answer and move us on to other answers. James, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us and giving us those insights. I really appreciate you spending some time with us. I'm gonna take a little moment now just to sort of, do a bit of a plug for myself. I send out a a newsletter every week, which just says who's coming up on the podcast in order for you to join these LinkedIn lives and to be able to ask questions of people like James, and I'd love you to join that newsletter. So, would you please go to this this link, which is httpscolonforward/forward/link.thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward/newsletter.Stuart Webb [00:16:11]:That's link.thecompleteapproach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. Join the newsletter. Get an email, just, once or twice a week with who's coming up, what they've got to say, and at least, be able to get in on the conversation so that you're able to get the answers to the questions you've got. James, in the meantime, whilst we wait for people to, get all of that down and to, to reach out, I'd really like to thank you for coming on to the show today and talking about this very important topic. And I do hope that you're able to, once again, help more businesses get more value out of the systems they've invested a lot of money into, but somehow don't quite manage to do everything they need them to do. So thanks for coming on and telling us about it.James Robertson [00:16:57]:Stuart, it's been a great pleasure. And the interesting thing about it is you can take a system from down there to up there sometimes quite easily. So, I look forward to hearing from your listeners.Stuart Webb [00:17:10]:Terrific. Thank you, James. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

How do you do more without growing your team substantially? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share how they're expanding their product lineup while keeping their team lean. They reflect on how their approach to building software has evolved, and how pushing into the unknown makes the work more exciting. Key Takeaways00:28 – How 37signals' product lineup has evolved over time08:00 – Why the company is adding a product designer to the team15:07 – Finding the “fun” in creating new products18:50 – Challenging yourself by stepping into the unknown23:16 – Using real products as a way to do research and developmentLinks and Resources:We're hiring a Product Designer!Find out about future job openings at 37signalsGet Basecamp for free at Basecamp.comBooks by 37signalsHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer  listener questions in this episode of The REWORK Podcast. They discuss the roles 37signals hires for (and the ones they don't), the importance of staying accessible as a founder, and the thought process behind choosing a business structure.Key Takeaways00:16 – Employee roles at 37signals 04:33 – How non-programmers contribute to programming16:44 – Techniques for writing job descriptions18:47 – Tips for being an accessible founder25:22 – Deciding on a business structureLinks and Resources:We're hiring a Product Designer!Find out about future job openings at 37signalsGet Basecamp for free at Basecamp.comBooks by 37signalsHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

What does it take to turn adversity into success? In this episode of Case Studies, Casey Baugh sits down with entrepreneur Asim Hafeez to explore his journey from growing up in Pakistan to building a thriving business empire in the U.S.Asim's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and strategic thinking. From arriving in Brooklyn at age 10 without knowing English to leading high-growth sales organizations and ultimately founding his own companies, Asim has mastered the art of reinvention. He shares powerful lessons on financial independence, leadership, and the mindset needed to navigate life's toughest challenges.The struggles and sacrifices of his immigrant journeyHow early setbacks fueled his drive to succeedThe shift from sales leader to business ownerThe importance of financial literacy and passive incomeWhy gratitude, faith, and mentorship shape long-term successChapters & Key Takeaways00:00 – 01:10 | Introduction•Casey welcomes Asim and shares their history of working together01:10 – 05:23 | Immigrating to the U.S.: A Crash Course in Resilience•Moving from Pakistan to Brooklyn at age 10•The emotional and cultural shock of adjusting to a new country•First-day school challenges and learning English through cartoons05:23 – 10:30 | Family Sacrifices & The Power of Hard Work•Asim's father: A cab driver with a vision for a better future•Working tirelessly to support his family despite hardships•Lessons in humility, perseverance, and long-term thinking10:30 – 15:40 | Overcoming Financial Struggles & Life-Changing Moments•The family's move to Connecticut after his father's health crisis•How seeing his father battle illness shaped his mindset on financial security•Developing an appreciation for hard work and risk-taking15:40 – 22:05 | The Path to Entrepreneurship: Sales, Leadership & Growth•Starting with Cutco and learning the fundamentals of sales•The importance of mentorship and personal development•How investing early in himself led to long-term financial success22:05 – 27:50 | The Vivint Transition: A Humbling Career Pivot•Why he left a stable, high-paying job to take a bigger risk•Learning door-to-door sales and rebuilding from the ground up•How adaptability and mentorship transformed his career trajectory27:50 – 36:00 | Mastering Money: Why Passive Income Matters•The mindset shift from making money to securing long-term wealth•How Asim structures his finances for financial freedom•The power of investing and why traditional jobs limit financial growth36:00 – 45:47 | Launching a Business: Hard Lessons & Big Wins•How he was forced to start a solar company after a major financial setback•The challenges of building from scratch and learning from failures•Developing a lean, scalable business model that ensures profitability45:47 – 54:42 | The American Dream: Grit, Gratitude & Legacy•How his father went from driving a taxi to becoming a multi-millionaire•The real meaning of the American Dream and financial independence•Why gratitude, humility, and smart risks matter more than luck54:42 – 01:08:45 | The Power of Mentorship, Faith & What's Next•Why investing in mentorship has been Asim's biggest return on investment•How faith and values guide his decisions in business and life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the RE Social Podcast, hosts Andrew McCormick and Vince Rodriguez talk with Skylar Romines, Insurance Specialist and Founder/Owner at ATW Advisors, to break down the biggest challenges facing property investors, particularly in California, where wildfires and government policies are reshaping the landscape. Skylar shares expert insights on proactive insurance management, the cyclical nature of the industry, and how investors can protect their assets. They also dive into entrepreneurship, the power of personal branding, and the role of social media in business success. Plus, they discuss the importance of empowering women in business, real estate as an inflation hedge, and strategies for diversifying investments. Don't miss this value-packed episode. Tune in now!Key Takeaways00:00:00 Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:03:01 The Rise in Insurance Costs00:05:53 The Impact of Wildfires on Insurance00:09:09 Advice for Investors in High-Risk Areas00:11:57 Insurance Policies for Property Owners00:17:54 The Future of Insurance in California00:24:01 The Importance of Property Insurance00:32:54 Business Growth and Future Plans00:43:19 How to Fight Against Inflation00:49:07 Diversifying Investment Strategies00:52:12 Empowering Women in Business00:56:21 How to Build a Personal Brand01:01:36 Connect with SkylarQuotes"Building a really strong insurance team and being proactive about your insurance are two of the best ways to reduce operating expenses and improve your NOI." (00:02:44)"One of the biggest issues I see is that people buy insurance without realizing that not all insurance is created equal." (00:31:22)"You want people to feel like they know you while also remembering that you're the insurance person. This helps build a more natural networking arc, where you're not just talking about insurance all the time." (01:01:27)Resources and LinksSO SHE DID by Skylar Romines https://a.co/d/4Tq8CrjConnect with Skylarhttps://www.instagram.com/skylarromines/https://www.linkedin.com/in/1skylar/https://x.com/skylarromineshttps://atwadvisors.com/Need Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

Why Leadership, Cash Flow & Emotional Intelligence Are the Keys to SaaS Growth | Marcus Hamaker, CEO of Boost USA

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 Takeaways00:00 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSBusiness 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.SPEAKERSLen Bruskiewitz, Stuart WebbStuart 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, thatLen 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 thatStuart 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 it's it's true, isn't it, that you, you know, you find yourself fighting fires everywhere. And and then when somebody turns around and says, we should write down what happens is, well, we're never gonna get into that problem again, so why should we? So, you know, it becomes just one of those self fulfilling prophecies, doesn't it?Len Bruskiewitz [00:07:33]:It absolutely does. So, you know, this is a I think this is a human problem. Right? I I mean, everybody deals with this in their personal life, in their business life. It's hard to take the time even though, you know, the data will tell you that 5 minutes here is going to save you, you know, 50 minutes down the road or 500 minutes, whatever the multiple is.Stuart Webb [00:07:56]:Brilliant. Brilliant. Len, now this is where we get to the the really valuable thing for people who are watching or listening or, coming back to this recording, and that is I think you have got a very valuable piece of free advice that you can you can have. And I I think I've put on screen here the place where to you go in order to to get that piece of free advice. It's greater heights coaching dot com. That's greater heights coaching dot com. That that'll be in the notes. But tell us, what will we find at greater heights coaching dot com?Len Bruskiewitz [00:08:27]:Well, that's my personal website. So you'll find a fair bit of information about the exit planning process, about some of the options that are out there for people. But what I process, about some of the options that are out there for people. But what I really like everybody to check out is I've got a free business valuation calculator. There's a link up at the top right of the site. It takes about 15 minutes and what it does is gives you a basic idea of what your business is worth today. That's based on your industry, your location, your revenue and your profits today. And then it asks you a set of questions that really get to how ready is your business.Len Bruskiewitz [00:09:04]:And so what it does is it comes out with a valuation of what your business is worth today. And then based on your answers to those kind of readiness questions, it gives you an idea of how much more value is missing, and the basic areas that you need to work on in order to, you know, to close that gap between what your business is worth today and what it really could be. So it's a, you know, it's not gonna answer every question for you. But in 15 minutes, it gives you a pretty good feel for what the areas are that you could really improve upon to increase the value, should you cut to that point where you wanna turn around and sell your business down the road.Stuart Webb [00:09:45]:Great great piece of, great piece of of work, and I sincerely hope people go and take advantage of it because, you know, knowing the first step to knowing where you have to go is having some sort of map. And, a simple document like that, which just points out where things are missing, is the first step to a really good map.Len Bruskiewitz [00:10:04]:Yeah. And it's simple. Like I said, it's this isn't a this isn't a a challenging thing. It's 15 minutes, and you get some really great, really great feedback there.Stuart Webb [00:10:15]:Brilliant. So, Len, what what what was it in your in your in your past history? What was it that sort of brought you to this? Was there a particular experience or a program, a book, which sort of started you thinking about how do businesses or business owners exit from their business as well?Len Bruskiewitz [00:10:33]:Yeah. I think I I'm gonna bring up 2 points, not to cheat on the question here. The the first was an experience. I started out doing kind of generic business coaching. Right? I was helping small business owners. And one of my first clients was a 72 year old woman who had run her business with her husband for over 50 years. And, he unfortunately passed away. And as much as she was involved in the business, she really didn't have a good feel for what was going to happen to it.Len Bruskiewitz [00:11:01]:You know? She's 72. She said, hey. I need a plan here. So, when we first started talking, she said, Len, I can't sleep at night because I don't know what's going to happen to my business. We sat down. We worked through options. We came up with a plan. She's implementing that plan now, and she said, Len, I can sleep at night now.Len Bruskiewitz [00:11:19]:So to me, that was a huge, you know, kind of I think I found my why. So that was the first event. And then the the piece of of literature around that was a book by by Michael Gerber called The E Myth Revisited, which I think is just an unbelievable way. He he does a great job of laying out why most businesses aren't successful, and the hint is we've already talked about it. The the business owner is too much in the business, in the weeds of running everything and not stepping back and looking at the big picture. But to me, that book is really excellent at laying out the things that, you know, that a business owner needs to do. And that's really, you know, keep innovating, document everything. Have we talked about that before? And really understand what your metrics and business drivers are.Len Bruskiewitz [00:12:18]:Those are kind of the 3 key pieces to take you from, you know, a a single business to something that can scale.Stuart Webb [00:12:27]:I love it. Okay. We've had a really interesting discussion, but I I sense there is a question that you think I should have asked, which I haven't asked yet. This is my get away from the get away from it and not do too much work on these things, questions. So then there's a there's a question that you're thinking I should have asked by now. So come on. Tell me, what is the question you want me to ask? And then, obviously, you know the answer to the question that you've just posed.Len Bruskiewitz [00:12:53]:Yeah. I think a lot of people who are who are, watching this, listening to it are saying, well, how does the business get valued? So I think that's the question I would like you to ask me and and let me take a run at it. So this is really you know, it it's a bit of a loaded question because businesses are valued depending on a number of factors. So one of the factors is, you know, ultimately who the buyer is. So there are buyers that are going to ultimately pay less for a business that might be your children, right, or your employees. Or it may be somebody who just wants to kinda run come in and run the business. They're they're gonna probably pay a little bit higher. The highest, value payers are those who this business is strategic to them.Len Bruskiewitz [00:13:39]:So they can take what you're doing and leverage it with what they're doing. Right? Maybe it's an opportunity for them to sell additional things, your product to their customers or their product to your customers, whatever. So that usually yields the highest value. So so that's a big it depends answer on who the buyer is. But I wanna go one level below that and say, how is value driven regardless of who they are.Stuart Webb [00:14:03]:Great question. Great question.Len Bruskiewitz [00:14:05]:Yeah. And so this is this is one that I think will surprise some people. Only about 20% of the value of a company is are the things that you can see externally. So what's the status of the market? What's the company's kind of position within that market? Only about 20% of the value is driven that way. Fully 80% of the value of a company is driven by what are called the intangibles. Right? And these are we I I think about this in 4 big categories. Right? So we call them the 4 c's. They're different kinds of capital.Len Bruskiewitz [00:14:41]:The first one is the structural capital. So are your processes documented? Do you have metrics in place that you understand? Right? So those that's one big piece. And again, that's that translates really well to somebody else who wants to buy the business. The second one is the customer capital. So do you have recurring revenue? Is all of your revenue dependent on 1 or 2 customers? That's a huge risk if it is. Right? So how dependable is your future revenue? How dispersed is it amongst different customers? That's customer capital. The third one is social. This is really what's the culture of your company.Len Bruskiewitz [00:15:20]:Is there owner independence or not? Right? And the final one is the human capital. So do you have a great team? Is there some know how within your company that nobody else has? That again, if you do, that's a huge value adder. If you don't, that doesn't add a ton of value. So I think about those those intangible things that are built into your company that are only visible from the inside, really. And that's what drives the vast majority of the the value in a business.Stuart Webb [00:15:53]:Do you know it's, it's interesting you you've you've made 2 comments, in the last couple of minutes, which I think, is not well enough understood. Maybe I'll just expand that to 3, having said that then. But let's say, the power of 1 is something which I worry about a lot with with businesses. They are often dependent upon 1 business, 1 customer, 1 supplier, 1 route to market. I was in a position like that with one of my businesses where I had one very large customer and when they canceled that contract, you can imagine the devastation that had upon the business. It it meant basically restarting from scratch trying to build a customer base. We had relied upon this customer for a very, very long time, and they just seem to be reliable until eventually it was one day, yeah, we're canceling. We're no longer needing 35, 40, 50%.Stuart Webb [00:16:44]:I think it was something about 75% of my workforce. We're all dedicated to this one customer. That can be a huge risk. But it's equally, you know, one person in your business who knows everything. You know, that can be the founder, but it can also be one key person that's been there from day 1, and you're there thinking to yourself, Joe's always been hugely reliable. They're never gonna leave, and then they do, and everything suddenly falls apart. So the power of 1 is hugely important. And the other thing that I think you just basically alluded to, which I think is really important, you know, you need to keep innovating.Stuart Webb [00:17:19]:If you haven't got a team that are empowered and ready to innovate, you're stymieing your own growth and causing yourself more issues than you can think of.Len Bruskiewitz [00:17:30]:I completely agree. And and what's what's important to to realize is that these are all daily things. Right? This isn't something you do in an annual planning process. This is these are things you have to live every day. And, you know, not not to steal too much thunder from my valuation calculator, but some of the questions some of the things you just brought up are questions. You know, are you innovating? Do you are you getting ideas throughout your organization? Are you reliant on only 1 or 2 customers? And and I think this also gets back, Stuart, to, you know, that timeline we talked about early on. Right? So if you're trying to innovate and if you're trying to to diversify your customer base, You can't do that in 30 days. Right? So my timeline when I when I talk to clients is, you know, a minimum of 2 years, and it's really 3 to 5 years, before your business is ready.Len Bruskiewitz [00:18:25]:And then once it's ready, now it's maintenance mode. But the reason I say that is if in in many transactions, it just once you, agree to sell your company, it's 9 months to a year before that Yeah.Stuart Webb [00:18:39]:That's the that's the you know? Yeah.Len Bruskiewitz [00:18:41]:Right? So if you take 1 year, then now, okay, that's a year out. Now you've gotta get ready. If you've got, you know, some accounting maybe that's not so pleasant, you know, that takes another couple years to work its way through. Documenting all your processes. Right? Leveraging, you know, figuring out what you're really good at and going for that. It all takes time. So can you sell a company in less than 3 to 5 years? Yes. You can.Len Bruskiewitz [00:19:07]:But it's probably not gonna be for the value that you want because some of these things just have to happen and they take time.Stuart Webb [00:19:15]:And I think you've hit upon a couple of good things as well then, which is, you know, doing these things means that when somebody knocks on the door, that strategic customer that sort of, you know, you've been working with that says, you could be a really key part of my organization. I'd like to buy you. If you then turn around it's a bit like, you know, oh, I've got an opportunity. I now need to put together the document, the sales document. If if it's not there ready to go, you spend the next I don't know how long putting together your sales document, and then the opportunity is gone. So be ready at every time by putting these processes, these thinking, this stuff in place from day 1.Len Bruskiewitz [00:19:49]:Exactly right. You know, you you hit upon the exact, example I give. Somebody could walks in the door, and it does happen. Somebody walks in the door and says, hey. I wanna buy this business. If you say, hang on. Come back in 18 months when I'm ready. They're not coming back.Len Bruskiewitz [00:20:08]:SoStuart Webb [00:20:08]:Yeah. Agree. Agree. Len, it's been absolutely brilliant having this, conversation with you. We we could obviously talk far too long and probably would if we didn't bring it to a whole and bore quite a lot of people. But I think the important thing is we've left them with just enough information to think to themselves. I think I better go and have a look at greaterheightscoaching.com and see what, the valuation of my business could be. And I'm also gonna put in a plug for, my own newsletter, where I talk about the sort of brilliant people like Len, who are coming up on this podcast in in a few days.Stuart Webb [00:20:43]:Normally, it comes out on a Tuesday morning about that Tuesday's guest. And if you wanna go to link.thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward slash newsletter, link. Thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward slash newsletter. You can get, that newsletter delivered to your inbox just twice a week. Once with the who's coming up and you can immediately get on and ask questions of people like Len when they're here live. And then also hear them when we replay them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all the other usual Pod places. Len, thank you so much for coming and spending some time with us. Really appreciate the effort you put in and I think if people haven't by now realize selling your business is not gonna happen if in the next 5 minutes.Stuart Webb [00:21:28]:You really have to prepare and think about it in the most strategic way, then, then they've they've not been listening properly. So I thank you for coming on to tell us about it.Len Bruskiewitz [00:21:36]:Thank you. I appreciate the time. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

What if influencer marketing wasn't just for fashion brands and B2C companies? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Yuliya Gorenko, an influencer marketing expert at Mischka Agency, to uncover how B2B SaaS companies can leverage influencers for sustainable growth.Yulia has built influencer programs for SaaS brands like SE Ranking, Hack Chinese, and UnaCheck, scaling them from 0 to 8 figures. In this episode, she reveals how to find the right influencers, build lasting relationships, measure ROI, and avoid the biggest influencer marketing mistakes in the SaaS space.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: Influencer marketing for SaaS—does it work?03:20 – B2B vs. B2C influencer marketing: What's the difference?06:45 – How to pick the right influencers for SaaS marketing12:10 – Why influencer marketing is a long-term game18:30 – Finding the right platform: LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter?25:50 – How SaaS companies can create viral influencer campaigns32:40 – Best metrics to track ROI on influencer marketing41:15 – AI influencers: Future of marketing or a total gimmick?49:30 – Why human influencers outperform AI-generated influencers56:20 – How to balance brand messaging & influencer authenticity1:03:10 – How SaaS founders can start an influencer campaign todayTweetable Quotes"B2B influencer marketing isn't just a campaign—it's a long-term strategy." – Yuliya Gorenko"SaaS buyers need multiple touchpoints. Influencers can accelerate that journey." – Jeff Mains"AI influencers might be the future, but human trust is irreplaceable today." – Yuliya Gorenko"Measuring influencer ROI is more than sales—it's about trust, visibility, and conversions." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership Lessons

What if scaling a company while raising a family was your biggest challenge—not funding, competition, or product-market fit? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Kasper Pihl Tornoe, CEO & Co-Founder of Question Base, to discuss the real-life struggles of entrepreneurship, family life, and scaling AI-powered documentation tools.Kasper and his wife have been building companies together for over a decade, from launching a consumer app to scaling Swipes (a #1 task manager on the App Store with over 1M users). Now, with Question Base, he's revolutionizing knowledge management with an AI-powered Slack bot that turns everyday team chats into actionable documentation.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: Entrepreneurship & Family – Can You Have Both?03:20 – The real struggles of building a business while raising kids08:45 – Lessons learned from moving from Denmark to Silicon Valley12:10 – How AI-powered documentation eliminates team knowledge gaps17:30 – Communication strategies for co-founders & family life22:40 – Hiring & firing lessons every founder must learn28:00 – How Question Base turns Slack into an automated knowledge hub34:50 – The biggest mistakes in knowledge management (and how to fix them)41:15 – Why most SaaS founders fail at product-led growth (PLG)49:30 – How to stand out in a crowded SaaS market56:20 – Why the investor story ≠ the customer story (and why that matters)1:03:10 – Best founder productivity hacks for busy entrepreneursTweetable Quotes"Scaling a business while raising a family is next-level entrepreneurship." – Jeff Mains"Poor documentation is an invisible growth killer—fix it before it's too late." – Kasper Pihl Tornoe"Product-led growth (PLG) is an experiment, not a formula—adapt constantly." – Jeff Mains"The investor story is your future. The customer story is your now. Focus accordingly." – Kasper Pihl TornoeSaaS Leadership LessonsCommunication is everything – In business & family, assumptions kill productivity.AI-powered documentation is the future – Stop losing knowledge when employees leave.Product-led growth (PLG) isn't one-size-fits-all – Experimentation is key.The right customers = faster adoption – Focus on the right user persona, not everyone.SaaS success = simplicity – The best products remove complexity, not add it.Guest ResourcesWebsite: https://www.questionbase.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktornoe/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group –

What if hiring the right people and making sound investments were the biggest factors in scaling your business—not just strategy or revenue? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Chris Ball, Managing Partner at Hoxton Wealth, who has grown the firm from $35M to over $2.1B in assets under management.Whether you're a SaaS founder, entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode is packed with wealth-building strategies, tax-efficient investing tips, and insights on scaling a high-performing team.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: How people & investments drive business success02:15 – Why hiring the right people in the right roles is critical for scale06:30 – Lessons learned from scaling $35M → $2.1B in AUM12:20 – The growth mindset that separates top leaders from the rest18:45 – Financial mistakes most business owners make23:10 – How to build financial freedom while scaling your company29:00 – The right way to manage personal & business wealth35:40 – How to optimize taxes when growing or cashing out42:00 – Best jurisdictions for entrepreneurs looking for tax advantages49:20 – How to reinvest capital for long-term wealth & financial stability55:10 – Alternative assets: Real estate, crypto, & commodities01:02:30 – Financial trends for 2025-2026 & preparing for market shifts01:10:15 – How to prepare your SaaS business for M&A or exitTweetable QuotesYour success isn't just about strategy or revenue—it's about who you hire and how you invest." – Jeff Mains"Smart tax planning isn't just for billionaires—entrepreneurs need to optimize wealth too." – Chris Ball"Where you live and how you structure your business can make a massive difference in your wealth-building strategy." – Chris Ball"Growth at all costs is dead. Focus on capital-efficient growth and sustainable scaling." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsHiring the wrong people can cost you millions – Build a team that fuels growth, not friction.Financial clarity = business success – If you're not tracking the right numbers, you're flying blind.Smart tax strategies matter – Don't leave money on the table—optimize your wealth plan.VC money isn't always the answer – Growth at all costs can lead to failure if not done wisely.Location matters – Some jurisdictions offer major tax benefits for entrepreneurs.Guest Resourceschris.ball@hoxtoncapital.comWebsite: https://hoxtonwealth.com/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite -

Do your relationships tend to develop at a romantic comedy pace, only to get messy fast and fall apart dramatically? If you've struggled to find sustainable, lasting love, then this episode is for you. Learn about common pacing pitfalls that prevent couples from building stable partnerships, including red flags such as love bombing, how pacing can help you work skillfully with the “addiction” of love, and what to do when your pacing doesn't match your partner's.Key Takeaways00:00 - Intro02:38 - What is pacing in dating? And why should we care?19:23 - How can we pace the development of a new relationship for long-term success?36:43 - What are signs that pacing is off in a new relationship?50:11 - What if your pacing doesn't match your partner's pacing?Resources and linksFor full show notes with links, visit relationshipcenter.com/podcastEp. 1 - You Aren't Crazy, Dating is Hard (Especially for Anxious Folx)Ep. 2 - What to look for in a long-term partnerEight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman Ph.D., Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams M.D.Natalie Lue's blog Baggage Reclaim

What if poor financial management was the biggest risk to your SaaS business—not your competitors or even AI? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Dan DeGolier, founder of Ascent CFO Solutions, to dive deep into the financial strategies that separate thriving SaaS companies from those constantly struggling with cash flow, compliance, and scalability.If you're a SaaS founder, CFO, or executive looking to improve financial efficiency, cash flow visibility, and revenue recognition, this episode is packed with actionable insights you don't want to miss!Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: The biggest financial risks SaaS founders face02:45 – Why cash flow management can make or break your business06:20 – Revenue recognition: What SaaS founders need to know10:30 – When to hire a fractional CFO vs. a full-time CFO15:00 – Building financial systems right the first time20:20 – The biggest financial mistakes SaaS companies make25:40 – Metrics that matter: MRR, ARR, CAC, and more30:15 – Capital-efficient growth: Why it's replacing “growth at all costs”35:50 – Preparing for fundraising, M&A, or an exit40:00 – Financial forecasting & risk management45:20 – Next steps: How to optimize your SaaS financial strategy todayTweetable Quotes

In this episode of theRE Social Podcast, hostVince Rodriguez chats withBen Spiegel, founder ofRedwood Capital, to uncover his unique approach to real estate investment. Ben shares how his firm focuses on cash flow and risk-adjusted returns, staying asset-agnostic while building a diverse portfolio that includes multifamily buildings, mobile home parks, and RV parks. He takes us through his journey from Barclays Capital Investment Banking to launching Redwood Capital and offers invaluable insights on sourcing off-market deals, managing properties, raising capital, and navigating market shifts. Tune in for expert advice on how to break into real estate, the power of partnerships, and his views on home ownership vs. renting. Don't miss this episode. Listen now!Key Takeaways00:00:00Welcome to the RE Social Podcast00:01:32Early Investments and Strategies00:05:25Challenges in Real Estate00:08:54Crazy Eviction Laws00:19:05Asset Management and Team Structure00:24:00Property Management and Incentives00:29:47Asset Agnostic Approach00:32:03Implementing Chat Bots for Efficiency00:34:51Advice for New Investors00:35:30Finding Off-Market Deals00:39:10How to Partner for Success00:40:11Leveraging W2 Income for Investments00:42:07Special Situations and Unique Deals00:49:29Home Ownership vs. Renting00:54:49Connect with BenResources and Linkshttps://rwcapitalinvestments.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/redwoodcapital/https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Private-Capital-Building-Peoples/dp/1947200984 Connect with Benhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-spiegel/operations@rwcapitalinvestments.combspiegel@rwcapitalinvestments.comNeed Help? BOOK A CALL:https://anviinvest.com/consulting/ Learn more about AnVi Invest

What if your story was the key to unlocking massive growth in your business? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Blair Nichols, founder of BBN Creative Management, to explore how SaaS founders and business leaders can use speaking engagements, storytelling, and personal branding to elevate their industry authority, attract ideal clients, and drive business growth.If you're a SaaS leader, entrepreneur, or coach looking to stand out in your industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you leverage speaking opportunities and build a thought leadership platform that attracts high-value customers.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: The power of speaking for SaaS founders02:30 – Why SaaS leaders should prioritize public speaking06:15 – How to craft a compelling speaking topic and message10:45 – Finding the right speaking opportunities for your business15:30 – The role of storytelling in building audience trust20:10 – Monetizing speaking engagements without being "salesy"25:40 – Measuring the ROI of speaking & audience engagement30:15 – Personal brand vs. company brand – how to balance both35:50 – Avoiding common mistakes in public speaking40:00 – How to stand out as a speaker in a crowded market45:20 – Next steps: How to build your speaking platform todayTweetable Quotes"Your voice is a business asset. Use it wisely!" – Blair Nichols"People don't just buy products, they buy into stories—including yours." – Jeff Mains"Speaking isn't about selling; it's about serving your audience first." – Blair Nichols"The right stage can transform your brand—choose wisely!" – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsSpeaking = Business Growth – Your voice is a powerful tool for authority, client attraction, and brand loyalty.Speaking ≠ Pitching – The best speakers educate, entertain, and inspire without pushing a hard sell.Monetization Matters – You don't always get paid to speak, but a well-placed talk can drive massive business revenue.Track Your ROI – If you're not measuring leads, conversions, and audience engagement, you're leaving money on the table.Find the Right Rooms – A small, engaged audience of decision-makers beats a huge, irrelevant crowd.Guest ResourcesBBN@BBNCREATIVEMANAGEMENT.COMwww.BBNCreativeManagement.com Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter -

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 Takeaways00:00 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/newsletterFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp 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 wayhttps://scientificvaluebuildingmachine.online/————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSmarketing 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.SPEAKERSCatrina Clulow, Stuart WebbStuart 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 there. That's a PDF downloadable workbook that actually takes people through step by step. Some bits are b to c related, some bits are b to b related. There is one page which is specifically for technology companies, but you do all these relevant sections for you and so it ends up so that in your head, you'll know that you're actually marketing to Katie and Steve, but the other campaigns out there for for Ricky and James or whatever. So it is it's there. Free of charge.Catrina Clulow [00:08:26]:Go download it. What have you got to lose? It'll help you walk you through that process.Stuart Webb [00:08:33]:And I'll just give you the URL, which will be in the show notes for this, for this for this podcast, but that's www.cutthrough, and that's c u t t h r o u g h dot marketing slash ideal hyphen customer hyphen profile. So that's www.cutthrough.marketingidealcustomerprofile. Go down, go download that, an excellent free resource which can help you to really get clarity on who it is you're trying to speak to so that you can get your service or product in front of them. Katrina, I mean, is there a particular I mean, you've given us a very interesting sort of background to your to your to to your journey to how you became this chartered marketer. But, tell me, what is it? Is there a particular book or a particular course or something which took you from German student to science, computer science graduate through to, through to somebody that actually now helps organizations to do their marketing?Catrina Clulow [00:09:37]:Well, there are a variety of people, and they tend to be the people that tell me something is not possible. So for example, I wanted to study computing at school, and my headmaster, mister Hague, sat me down and told me that I couldn't study computing at school, and this is going to date me because it was only available as a CSE, not an o level, and I needed to select another o level. And, it was anyway, it was a subject for boys. He literally said that. We are talking in the mid eighties. I was the only girl in the computing club, the school. And I never got that out of my system. So when I graduated from my German degree, it was in that 1991, 1992 lovely recession and there weren't a lot of graduate jobs around.Catrina Clulow [00:10:37]:So I was offered a conversion masters into computing, and I went and did it. But what I found was I really enjoyed computing. I really enjoyed what computing could do for us. I really hated the actual programming bit. It was just translating from English into computing speak. So that's why I went into the marketing side and used my computing knowledge so I developed a CRM before CRM was a term that people had heard of for the first company I worked for. So that is I have had a variety of people through my life. I've had careers advisers at university tell me, you know what, Katrina? You should women aren't list literally said to me early nineties, women are not successful in business.Catrina Clulow [00:11:34]:Why don't you go into teaching? So when somebody tells me something that's not possible, then I just go out to prove them wrong, and I really enjoy the work I do with marketing. It's translating from text speak into people speak, and it's actually helping the organizations I work with be successful, but also their clients be successful.Stuart Webb [00:11:59]:Fantastic. Fantastic. Katrina, you've given us a a great insight into the importance of, well, I was gonna say niching down, but that's a that sounds like it's a bit of a bit of jargon. So I'm gonna avoid saying that immediately because, I don't want people to think as we're talking talking jargonization. But you've given an an insight into to the real foundations of how you you make a a difference. But, there must be one question that I haven't asked, which you would have really liked me to have asked at this point. So is there something that you're saying to yourself at the moment internally? Gosh. I wish you'd get to the point or I wish you'd get to this question so that I can answer it.Stuart Webb [00:12:39]:And and, obviously, now that you've got I've externalized that, you're now gonna have to ask that question and then answer it for us, please.Catrina Clulow [00:12:45]:Yeah. I think that there's a lot of confusion about marketing. A lot of people think that marketing has to cost a lot of money. They equate marketing with advertising and promotional activity, but the answer is definitely not. Marketing doesn't have to cost you a lot of money. There's an awful lot that you can do with the various marketing piece for wanting for an a bit of jargon there that doesn't cost any money. And getting those elements right, whether it's the people, the processes, the physical evidence, how you're going to market, which route you're going to market your product and plan it. Okay.Catrina Clulow [00:13:30]:I that's a p I tend to slip in these days. If you get all of those right, you don't need to spend as much money on promotional aspects. But all of that builds on the customer experience and they don't cost any additional money. So I can give you one example of a client I work with. Typical engineering company. They've developed this software as a service. People were starting the purchase on that website but then were dropping off before they got to the end of it. I took a very quick look at their process and they got 14 steps.Catrina Clulow [00:14:07]:No no buyer is gonna go through 14 individual steps. And then to just to buy the software. And then they, they've got about 7 drop off points. So I reworked their process, got rid of anything that really didn't need to be there, automated as much as I could so that we got down to a process of 5 steps. There were 2 drop off points. The first one was the company name that was making the purchase, and you can't get away from that. The second one was the credit card details or invoice numb or purchase order number. And again, you can't get away from that.Catrina Clulow [00:14:51]:But me spending, and it was literally was 10 minutes of my time, me spending that 10 minutes increased their order take. Didn't cost them any money. There was no great big Google Ads campaign out there. It just was what Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

What if your voice could power your business, drive customer engagement, and revolutionize how you connect with clients? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes Alex Levin, co-founder and CEO of Regal.ai, to discuss how voice AI is transforming the way businesses interact with customers.From automating customer support to enhancing personalization, Alex shares insights on leveraging voice AI to scale operations while maintaining an authentic, human touch.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: The rise of voice AI in business02:00 – Alex Levin's journey: From Handy to founding Regal.io05:20 – How voice AI is reshaping customer interactions10:00 – Challenges in scaling AI-powered customer experiences15:30 – Strategies for delivering personalized customer journeys20:05 – Measuring the success of voice AI initiatives25:40 – The future of voice AI and what businesses should expect30:00 – Key lessons learned in scaling a SaaS businessTweetable Quotes"Your voice isn't just a way to speak; it's a tool to power your business." – Alex Levin"Automation should enhance the human experience, not replace it." – Jeff Mains"Voice AI is rewriting the rules of customer engagement and efficiency." – Alex Levin"Personalization at scale is the real game-changer in customer interactions." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsVoice AI is More Than Just Automation: Businesses can use it to build meaningful, personalized customer interactions.Scalability vs. Human Touch: Striking the right balance is crucial to customer satisfaction.Measuring Impact: Success is not just about reducing call times but enhancing customer loyalty.Challenges of Scaling AI: Adoption and integration require the right strategy and patience.Future Trends: As voice AI evolves, businesses must stay agile and innovative.Guest Resourcesalex@regal.aiWebsite: https://www.regal.ai/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlevin1/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

Struggling to streamline your operations and scale effectively? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Michael Greenburg, founder and CEO of Third Brain Digital Operations, to explore how automation and AI can revolutionize your business processes and drive sustainable growth.From hiring smarter to leveraging digital workflows, Michael shares his expertise on optimizing workflow teams and tools using cutting-edge technology.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: Rethinking hiring with a performance-first approach02:00 – Why firing fast can save your business06:20 – The five levels of automation and how to scale effectively11:15 – Common roadblocks in automation and how to overcome them15:40 – How to optimize workflow without disrupting your team20:05 – Leveraging AI to improve sales and marketing processes25:30 – Measuring success and tracking key automation metrics30:50 – Hiring globally: Pros and cons of remote workforces35:15 – Security concerns with automation and remote teams40:00 – The future of digital operations and what's next for businessesTweetable Quotes"If you're not automating, you're falling behind—AI is here to stay." – Michael Greenberg"Hiring right is good, but firing fast is even better." – Jeff Mains"Your digital operations should work for you, not the other way around." – Michael Greenberg"Automation without strategy is just chaos at scale." – Jeff Mains"Scaling with AI is not about replacing people; it's about empowering them." – Michael GreenbergSaaS Leadership LessonsFire Fast, Hire Smart: Michael discusses why quickly identifying misfits in hiring saves time and resources in the long run.Automation Levels Matter: Learn how to evaluate your business's automation maturity and move up the ladder effectively.AI Doesn't Replace, It Enhances: The right balance between automation and human intervention leads to better business efficiency.Global Hiring is the Future: Discover how hiring globally can bring in top talent at a fraction of the cost without sacrificing quality.Security is Key: Implementing automation without compromising data security should be a top priority for businesses.Guest Resourcesmichael@3rdbrain.coWebsite: https://www.3rdbrain.co/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gentoftech/X: https://x.com/gentoftechEpisode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn -

Training your team doesn't have to be boring! In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Luis Garcia, President of Pete Learning, to explore how AI-driven training solutions are transforming employee development.Corporate training often feels like a chore—but with the power of AI and personalized learning, businesses can now engage employees like never before. Luis shares his expertise on creating impactful, customized learning experiences that truly stick.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: The challenges of corporate training01:45 – Why traditional training methods fail04:20 – How AI is revolutionizing personalized learning08:10 – The impact of AI on real-world training scenarios12:30 – Measuring success: How to track training effectiveness17:00 – Overcoming resistance to AI in corporate environments21:15 – How Pete Learning helps businesses scale their training programs25:40 – Future trends in AI and workforce training30:00 – How to start implementing AI-driven training in your company35:20 – Where to find more resources and insightsTweetable Quotes"Training should empower employees, not bore them." – Luis Garcia"AI isn't here to replace trainers; it's here to enhance the learning experience." – Jeff Mains"Engaged employees are productive employees—AI helps bridge that gap." – Luis Garcia"Personalized learning is the future, and it's happening now." – Jeff Mains"If your training isn't evolving, neither is your workforce." – Luis GarciaSaaS Leadership LessonsEngagement is the Key to Learning: Traditional training methods often fall flat, but AI allows for personalized, interactive learning experiences.Real-World Application Matters: AI can simulate real-life customer service scenarios to prepare employees effectively.Measuring Success is Crucial: It's not just about completing courses; businesses must track and analyze engagement and retention.AI Supports, Not Replaces: AI enhances human training efforts, offering insights and automating repetitive tasks while keeping the human touch.Scalability is Possible: Companies can now scale training initiatives without sacrificing quality or personalization.Guest Resourcesluis@petelearning.comWebsite: https://www.pete.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisegarcia/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter -

Is your CRM just an expensive contact list? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with John Golden, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Pipeliner CRM, to reveal how businesses can turn their CRM into a revenue-driving machine.Your CRM should work for you, not against your team. John shares expert insights on aligning CRM with your sales process, embracing automation without losing the human touch, and getting your sales and marketing teams to collaborate effectively.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: Is your CRM working for or against you?02:00 – The common pitfalls of CRM adoption04:30 – Why your CRM needs to align with your sales goals08:15 – How AI and automation can enhance your CRM experience12:40 – Practical steps to increase CRM adoption in your team17:05 – Sales and marketing collaboration: A winning strategy22:30 – Real-world case studies of successful CRM transformations27:50 – The future of CRM: Trends and technologies to watch33:20 – Actionable tips to make your CRM your secret sales weapon38:00 – Where to learn more and get free resourcesTweetable Quotes"Your CRM should feel like an ally, not an obstacle." – John Golden"If your team hates using your CRM, it's time for a change." – Jeff Mains"AI in CRM? It's all about balancing automation with personalization." – John Golden"A well-used CRM is the secret weapon of top-performing sales teams." – Jeff Mains"Success isn't about the tools; it's about how you use them!" – John GoldenSaaS Leadership LessonsCRM Alignment is Key: Your CRM should fit seamlessly into your sales process, not the other way around.Adoption is Everything: A CRM is only valuable if your team actually uses it. Focus on usability and training.Automate Without Losing the Human Touch: Use AI to enhance efficiency, but remember that relationships still drive sales.Sales + Marketing Collaboration = Success: A well-integrated CRM helps align both teams for better revenue outcomes.Track the Right Metrics: Move beyond vanity metrics and focus on KPIs that impact growth.Guest Resourcesjohn.golden@pipelinersales.comWebsite: https://www.pipelinersales.com/X: https://x.com/JohnGoldenFRREpisode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter -

Cold email isn't dead—it's evolving! In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Nikita Bykadarov, founder of MailDoso, to uncover the secrets to sending cold emails that land in inboxes (not spam folders). With 8,000+ customers onboarded in just one year, Nikita shares his top strategies for optimizing email infrastructure, improving sender reputation, and driving real B2B results.Whether you're struggling with low response rates or worried about damaging your email reputation, this episode provides actionable tips you can implement right away to get better inbox placement and higher engagement.Key Takeaways00:00 – Intro: Why cold email still works in 202502:00 – Understanding mailbox reputation: What Google and Microsoft think04:15 – The biggest mistakes that land emails in spam07:40 – Why sender reputation matters more than open rates10:30 – How to warm up a new domain properly14:50 – Spam filters are evolving – Here's how to stay ahead18:20 – The key cold email metrics to track22:45 – Personalization strategies that drive engagement26:10 – How MailDoso helps companies optimize email deliverability30:30 – B2B vs. B2C email strategies: What's different?35:50 – How Google's “Hide My Email” impacts cold outreach40:05 – Final tips to avoid spam traps and improve response rates43:30 – Where to learn more and get free resourcesTweetable QuotesCold email isn't about clever subject lines; it's about reputation and timing." – Nikita Bykadarov"Stop focusing on open rates. Instead, track replies and inbox placement." – Jeff Mains"Warming up your email domain is the key to long-term deliverability success." – Nikita Bykadarov"One bad campaign can tank your entire domain's reputation—email smart!" – Jeff Mains"The key to cold email success? Quality over quantity—always!" – Nikita BykadarovSaaS Leadership LessonsReputation is Everything: Your email success depends on your mailbox reputation. Avoid sending from low-reputation inboxes to prevent permanent damage.Domain Warming Matters: Proper domain warming ensures a gradual increase in sending volume, helping to build trust with email providers.Avoid Spammy Tactics: Emails loaded with generic sales pitches are bound to fail. Focus on value and personalized messaging.Metrics That Matter: Track positive engagement (replies, clicks) over vanity metrics like open rates.Cold Email is NOT Dead: When done right, it remains a powerful tool for lead generation and B2B growth.Guest Resourcesnikita@maildoso.teamWebsite: https://getmaildoso.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-bykadarov-2b6a6755/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group –

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Casey Stanton, founder of CMOx, to discuss how fractional CMOs are redefining modern marketing. Learn how to align your marketing strategy with clear revenue goals, leverage AI-powered tools, and build a nimble marketing team that outperforms your competition.From SEO mastery to lead magnets and creating scalable marketing systems, this episode is packed with actionable insights for scaling SaaS companies. Don't miss Casey's game-changing advice for building a cost-effective marketing department that delivers real results.Key Takeaways00:00 – Introduction: Building a high-performing outsourced marketing team02:00 – The role of fractional CMOs in scaling SaaS businesses03:30 – Are bloated marketing teams becoming obsolete?06:10 – Casey's journey: From 2008 crash to building a marketing empire09:50 – Why consulting isn't enough: Transitioning to fractional CMO roles12:30 – Solving marketing problems with AI and automation15:45 – Why SEO strategies fail without clear goals18:30 – The #1 rule for dominating Google search rankings20:45 – Awareness stages: How to convert problem-unaware customers23:10 – Lead magnets that actually work: What SaaS founders get wrong26:00 – Gamifying customer acquisition and the power of data30:20 – How to outspend competitors and dominate your niche34:15 – Agencies vs. in-house teams: What's the better long-term play?37:40 – Building marketing systems that increase company valuation41:25 – Thought leadership: The underestimated growth driver46:15 – Using fractional CMOs to lead nimble, AI-powered teams51:30 – How SaaS companies can leverage low-cost marketing technicians55:40 – The future of SaaS marketing: Small teams, big impactTweetable Quotes"Your competitive advantage is your ability to outspend competitors on customer acquisition." – Casey Stanton"Fractional CMOs align strategy with growth while freeing up budget for scaling." – Casey Stanton"Stop trying to rank for everything—dominate one keyword and own it." – Casey Stanton"AI isn't replacing marketers—it's augmenting them to be faster and smarter." – Jeff Mains"Lead magnets should solve a real problem, not just sound good in a boardroom." – Casey Stanton"Thought leadership builds trust and authority beyond your brand." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsFractional CMOs Free Up Capital: A fractional CMO provides high-level strategy and leadership without the cost of a full-time executive, allowing more budget for customer acquisition.AI Supercharges Marketing Efficiency: Use tools like ChatGPT and Claude to produce quality content faster and optimize your marketing workflows.SEO with Clear Goals Wins: Focus on dominating one keyword rather than spreading efforts thin across multiple terms.Awareness Stages Define Your Strategy: Tailor campaigns to customers at different awareness levels—from unaware to ready-to-buy.Lead Magnets Need Specificity: Create hyper-focused lead magnets that address a unique, pressing problem.Small, Agile Teams Deliver Big Results: Replace large, bloated teams with smaller groups of skilled marketing technicians using AI to scale...

What makes a good long-term partner, according to science? And why is it important to be mindful when we are choosing who to settle down with? In this episode, we dig into the research about what to look for and — equally important — what not to look for in a long-term partner. Plus, how do you clarify what you need in a partner? How can you differentiate between dealbreakers and “nice-to-haves” so that you can more effectively date?Key Takeaways00:00:00 - Intro and episode overview00:02:42 - Why be mindful of who we choose as a long-term partner?00:06:14 - What science says about what makes a good long-term partner00:25:19 - What doesn't make someone a good partner, according to research00:51:21 - How to clarify what you need in a partner01:04:40 - How to clarify what you want vs. what you needResources MentionedFor full show notes with links, visit relationshipcenter.com/podcastDownloadable Guide: What to look for in a long-term partner (includes the Relationship Inventory and the Ideal Mate Exercise)Warren Buffett says the most important decision you'll ever make has nothing to do with your money or careerStudy from Tel Aviv: Dissatisfaction with Married Life in Men Is Related to Increased Stroke and All-Cause MortalityHarvard Study of Adult DevelopmentPlays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong, By Eric BarkerThe Gottman InstituteHow to Not Die Alone, by Logan UryDeeper Dating, by Ken PagePeople Are Dating All Wrong, According to Data ScienceHave a question or comment? Email us at podcast@relationshipcenter.com. We love hearing from you!If you'd like to work with one of the talented clinicians on our team, go to relationshipcenter.com/apply-now to apply for a free 30-minute consultation.To get a monthly email with our best content, go to relationshipcenter.com/newsletter.If something in this episode touched you, will you share it with a friend? That helps us reach more sweet humans like you.Lastly, we'd love it if you would leave us a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. And be sure to hit subscribe while you're there so you never miss an episode!

Join us in this episode as we chat with Andrew Menter, founder of Physmodo, a groundbreaking SaaS platform revolutionizing injury prevention and performance enhancement. Discover how his journey from a Division 1 athlete and Ironman competitor to a tech entrepreneur shaped his perspective on tackling physical health challenges.Andrew shares insights into leveraging data for measurable progress, gamifying fitness, and adapting SaaS solutions across industries like fitness, military, and healthcare. This episode is packed with actionable advice for SaaS founders, leaders, and anyone looking to build a business of significance.Key Takeaways00:00 – Intro: Why measurement matters05:14 – Introducing Andrew Menter: Athlete turned SaaS founder09:45 – Why movement tracking is critical for injury prevention13:40 – The convergence of health and technology14:50 – The convergence of health and SaaS technology17:00 – Gamifying fitness: How to drive user engagement through tracking21:40 – How Fizz Moto identifies market opportunities in fitness and military sectors24:00 – Addressing pain points in physical therapy with SaaS solutions26:15 – Prioritizing market focus: Fitness, healthcare, and beyond29:10 – Competing in the fitness SaaS market32:30 – Balancing value and pricing in SaaS technology35:50 – Lessons learned: Listening to market feedback and pivoting41:20 – Lessons learned: Passion, execution, and resilience51:30 – Where to learn more about Andrew and PhysmodoTweetable Quotes"You can't manage what you can't measure." – Andrew Menter"Gamifying fitness keeps users invested in their progress." – Andrew MenterTailored SaaS solutions for diverse markets create lasting impact." – Jeff Mains"Love the problem you're solving, not just the product." – Andrew Menter"Execution is everything—great ideas without action go nowhere." – Andrew Menter"The secret to growth isn't working harder, it's working smarter." – Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsMeasure to Manage: You can't improve what you don't track. Accurate data is key for decision-making.Gamify User Engagement: Incorporating competition and progress tracking boosts motivation and retention.Segment Focus for SaaS: Tailor messaging and solutions to specific markets for maximum impact.Stay Passionate About Solving Problems: Love the problem you're solving, not just the product you're building.Learn from Feedback: User input helps refine features and uncover unmet needs.Value Over Price: Don't compete on price—focus on delivering unique value to stand out.Guest Resourcesandrew@physmodo.comWebsite: https://physmodo.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-menter-a5a229/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond –

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Ken Lundin, to uncover the secrets behind scaling sales teams, bridging the CEO-sales divide, and transforming pipelines into revenue powerhouses. From avoiding the "junk drawer pipeline" to actionable strategies for consistent growth, Ken shares decades of expertise to help SaaS founders master the art of sales.Key Takeaways00:00:00 - Introduction to the episode00:00:02 - Ken London's journey: Scaling revenue from $10M to $60M00:00:07 - Selling during COVID and strategic decisions00:00:12 - Why “next steps” are critical in your sales pipeline00:00:47 - Introducing SaaS Fuel: Bridging the CEO-sales gap00:01:12 - Why CEOs struggle with sales leadership00:02:31 - The secret to creating consistent growth00:05:00 - Breaking down Rev Heat sales methodology00:10:26 - Fixing broken pipelines and improving sales metrics00:22:17 - How accountability changes sales outcomes00:32:09 - Building a scalable SaaS sales playbook00:45:36 - Why structured discovery is key to successful demos00:50:00 - Closing thoughts and resources for SaaS leadersTweetable Quotes"The best sales processes aren't built on hope—they're built on next steps and accountability." - Ken Lundin"A cluttered sales pipeline is just a junk drawer of missed opportunities." - Jeff Mains"The best products don't always win—marketing and sales make the difference." - Ken Lundin"CEOs who delegate outcomes without accountability are setting their teams up for failure." - Jeff Mains"Fixing bottlenecks upstream multiplies your revenue downstream." - Ken Lundin"Structure your sales process to uncover real needs—not just surface-level problems." - Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership LessonsPipeline Discipline Matters: Every opportunity in your pipeline needs a clear next step to prevent stagnation.Accountability Drives Results: CEOs must delegate outcomes but stay accountable for sales performance.Playbooks Aren't Plug-and-Play: Tailor sales frameworks to your company's unique needs and challenges.Prioritize Discovery: Separating discovery and demos ensures your sales team fully understands client needs.Focus on Scalability: Build systems and processes that scale, not personalities or one-off successes.CEOs Must Lead Sales: Even non-sales CEOs need to grasp sales mechanics to guide teams effectively.Guest ResourcesEmail: ken@revheat.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kglundin/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kglundin/X: https://x.com/kglundinEpisode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond –