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Join us for Shakespeare Summer!On the last episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, we talked about why Shakespeare is not a school subject. I hope we were able to convince you!But if we know that Shakespeare isn't a school subject or an item on a checklist, how do we actually do it? And how do we make Shakespeare not just doable in our homeschools, but delightful?Today, we'll talk through a simple framework your family can use to experience one of the richest and most rewarding literary treasures in the world in a way that is absolutely magical and a whole lot of fun.I'm willing to bet that if you implement the framework that we discuss in this episode, you won't mistake Shakespeare for a school subject ever again!In this episode, you'll hear: Why we don't start teaching Shakespeare with the original textSimple, easy ways to build connections with Shakespeare's works and with each otherHow incorporating performance makes Shakespeare come alive for the whole familyLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-shakespeare

Who is Karen?Karen Rands is a dedicated advocate for entrepreneurs and investors, striving to bridge the gap between innovative ideas and financial support. With a strong belief in strategic, world-changing initiatives, she leverages her expertise to instill confidence in investors and guide them towards impactful investments. Through her podcast, Karen addresses the common challenges faced by startups, providing insightful advice to entrepreneurs who often venture into capital-raising without fully understanding the nuances. Her mission is to equip emerging businesses with the knowledge they need to start on the right foot and succeed in their entrepreneurial journeys.Key Takeaways00:00 Misjudging Capital Needs Hinders Growth07:25 Understanding Early Customer Acquisition10:18 Investment Readiness Assessment12:32 Emotional Investing for Impact17:14 Strategic Board Structure for Control19:34 Free Consultation and YouTube Webinars23:01 Discovering Angel Investing's Exclusivity26:59 Entrepreneurship Challenges and Misconceptions28:51 Investing in Startups for Profit_________________________________________________________________________________________________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 KEYWORDScapital consultancy, entrepreneurship, capital raising, investors, angel investors, compassionate capitalist, business podcast, startups, scaling business, venture capitalists, reg a plus, crowdfunding, valuation, financial independence, market validation, revenue generation, investor confidence, competitive marketplace, emotional investment, strategic investment, due diligence, incubation, acceleration, product market fit, financial forecasting, convertible notes, safe agreements, entrepreneurship challenges, angel investing, financial education, investing risk.SPEAKERSKaren Rands, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, five questions over coffee. I am truly honored today to be in the presence of a real expert in their field. Someone who spent, their dedicated their career to helping entrepreneurs raise capital and guiding investors to make smarter, more respectful in and impactful investments. And that's Karen Brands who brings with her over twenty years of experience in capital consultancy. She consults entrepreneurs, advises to angel investors and networks. She's a leader of the compassionate capitalist movement. And this is a top ranked business postcaster as well. So I'm really, really grateful that Karen has been able to spend a few minutes with us.Stuart Webb [00:01:21]:Karen, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions for coffee. I'm really looking forward to this discussion because I think you've got some really valuable things to tell us. So welcome to the show.Karen Rands [00:01:32]:Thank you so very much, Stuart. And and I have been, since we got reconnected on LinkedIn, looking at some of the podcasts and the different interviews that you've done, and it really are some true golden nuggets out there for entrepreneurs to be able to, like, get in there and and, like and I love the way that you do it with just the five questions. So, you know, you chop chop, we get to it, and get good stuff going there.Stuart Webb [00:01:56]:We're only gonna ask the five questions, but, obviously, you know, we are really interested. If anybody is watching on the livestream, they need to pop something in. Please post questions in the chat. We'd love to have this interactive. So but let's start, Karen. Karen, talk to me a little bit about the sort of, investor or entrepreneur you're trying to reach, the sort of person who needs the help that you could give them in order to guide them in the right direction towards the capital they need to raise.Karen Rands [00:02:25]:Okay, Stuart. That so I saw that question before. You paved with a little bit different. It's always a struggle for me because you have two sides of the coin, right, with entrepreneur entrepreneurs and investors and different problems. So one is strategic change the world kind of thing with what I do with investors and bringing in this, you know, to get confidence and confidence in investing. But, you know, the there is a challenge, and part of the big reason why I do my show, my podcast show itself is for those entrepreneurs out there, it they startups always know about, seems like raising capital, and they'll get out there and they'll they'll get some good advice. They they get a lot they oftentimes don't know what they don't know. So they get started wrong.Karen Rands [00:03:16]:They get started with wrong perceptions of what it's gonna take to raise capital and actually get to scaling their business. And as a result of this, you find both sides of that table, the angels and the entrepreneurs find themselves in the same problem spot. And that problem spot is the fact that they raise an early round of capital. They are successful in getting to that point, but they underestimate how much capital they're gonna need in order to fully go all the way to the end, to be able to get to a profitable exit, to be able to continue on their life cycle of growing. And by the time that they figure out that they need to go raise more capital, they oftentimes are now not attractive to the next round of potential capital people like venture capitalists. You know, they find out that they need more money than a bank is gonna be. Let's just so let's say somebody raise give me an example. They raise a million dollars as a technology company, let's say, And they and they think that because of the way they calculated their numbers, that's gonna be enough to get them into making $10,000,000 in revenue.Karen Rands [00:04:28]:But in reality, they end up making 3 or $4,000,000 in revenue with that. They might have a little bit of cash flow and some money that they keep putting back into their business to try to get it to grow. And they struggle with scaling because they really need another 5 to $10,000,000 to become the $50,000,000 or the $70,000,000 company that they originally forecast that they would be when those angels put that million dollars in. So they look around and they go, wait. Okay. I I I'm too I'm wrong industry or too slow quote VCs. I'm not big enough for private equity funds. I need more money than a bank will give us, and I'm too big and stale.Karen Rands [00:05:06]:And I didn't do what I said I was gonna do, so the angels aren't gonna give me any more money. Where do I go? And the angels are looking at them going, this is what the every you know, everybody knows about the ten ten companies in a portfolio. I call the three in the middle of the Midlands. 3 go out of business, three do one does really well, three do pretty good that make up for the others, and the three just sort of putter along the Midland companies. Well, those Midland companies have a great opportunity to be able to use some of the new programs available with the jobs act like reg a plus that's designed for growing companies to go out and raise tens to, you know, up to $75,000,000 in a year. It gives the angels an exit. It gives them access to capital to grow and eventually create a, potential exit way into a Nasdaq small cap. So biggest problem, they don't know what it's gonna take to get all the money to get all the way, and they have no idea that there's a program out there like reg a plus that could solve the problem.Stuart Webb [00:06:10]:And I think that's a really critical point that you've made there, Karen, which is so often people haven't thought through enough what they're gonna do with the capital in order to be able to really properly scale, isn't it? That's one of the major issues. And it's an issue for an angel as well because they're looking at the plan and going, well, they're asking me for this much, but I know they need more. But why aren't they asking for it? What is what is wrong that I have that they haven't actually come to me with the right ask? And, you know, that gives you that gives angels and investors a problem as well because they really want people to ask for the right amount. They don't need somebody coming back for two, three different different asks. It gives them all sorts of problems. We could talk about dilutions and things like that. But the fact of the matter is an angel needs somebody to be on the ball and understand what they wanna ask for as well, don't they?Karen Rands [00:07:00]:Yeah. And it's a sequence. You know, you build value that they it's really down to the numbers. I dig into the numbers deep because then I know whether they have any idea what they're doing and if they're gonna be successful at doing it because and I had a call earlier in the day. A guy was like, yeah. If we just get 1% of this giant market, it's gonna we're gonna be we'll be like, whatever. And I said and I laugh. I always have to laugh.Karen Rands [00:07:25]:It's like, do you understand that that's not the issue? It's how are you gonna get your how are you actually gonna get your first hundred customers that pay you money? Not some euphemistic 1% of a big marketplace. There's a hundred companies chasing after that 1%. You know? So that is such a it's so understanding. And and I and and, yeah, I could we get it. We could probably spend the whole thing talking about financials and how they do the financials, but that's really is the secret of their success is understanding their marketplace, how they're gonna generate revenue, what's gonna cost them to do it, how much time and money is it gonna take them to get to that point so that and and then how much money do they need to get to that point? Right? And if they if you and and not get over into this this bogged down to this percentage thing, because if you get your shares at 25¢ a share, if that's what you're selling, when when Amazon first, you know, started raising capital, they raised a little, and then they go another round at 50, another round at a dollar, another round at a dollar 50, another round at $2 and raising incremental money as their value went up and they delivered on it. And if an investor says to an entrepreneur, okay. Come back to me when you finish this round or come back to me when you have those hundred customers. It's not because they're it's because they don't believe that entrepreneur has the ability to do it, and they don't wanna shoot them in the foot.Karen Rands [00:08:51]:They just wanna, like, put a caveat out there because if they believe that they had the ability to do it, wouldn't they want the stock at 25¢ and not a dollar a share? It's because they don't think they're gonna ever get there. That's why they say that.Stuart Webb [00:09:04]:Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. And it is it is you know, it's in everybody's interest to get it right first time, isn't it? It's absolutely the right thing to do to get it right because you then you then save yourself a whole lot of trouble. We could talk for many hours about this, and I'm gonna try. Because you also do as well with with angel investors and helping them to make the right sort of choices and to make the right sort of calls. So is there is there anything you sort of turn around and and and think about in terms of how you help, investors as well to understand how they make their smart investments.Karen Rands [00:09:37]:Well, it's the offering the due diligence. So when I ran my angel investor group for about a decade, you know, I got really, really good at screening companies to see who was worthy of being able to pitch to my investors, which ones I thought the investors would be most likely to invest in. Right? So when you have reviewed a thousand some odd business plans and models and ongoing, you know, you start to pick up a few things here and there. And also in preparation when I was, you know, writing the book, I probably interviewed a hundred investors and I and on my podcast. Right? So it's like, what worked for you? What was your biggest mistake? All that kind of stuff. And it kinda ties right back into what we were talking about. It's the red flags. Right? I I have a program.Karen Rands [00:10:18]:I take companies through an analysis and identify their red flags and give them a red light, green light, yellow light, whatever to go forward to investors. And the, and it really comes down to truly understanding the problem, the solution, why they're the only ones who deliver the solution, and, you know, how are they gonna get there? Do they understand their marketplace well enough to know, like, how they're gonna how they're actually gonna get there and put money in the register? And it's you know, people talk about that, like, incubators and accelerators will sort of talk about the product market fit. That's kind of a thing that people like to throw in there. That's just really catchy little words that came out of a book that, you know, are are do you have do you know where your product fits, and does the market want it willing to pay you the money you need in order to make a profit?Stuart Webb [00:11:13]:Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah.Karen Rands [00:11:14]:It's still common sense sometimes, but it it's it it because here's the thing. Emotion. So I call it subjective and objective. Emotion so way too often onto investors, buy based off of emotion. And this is when I wrote the book, it was really an anticipation because of crowdfunding that, you know, angel investing has a black eye in a lot of financial sectors for lots of different wrong reasons, not valid reasons, but it's still out there in this in the ethersphere. Right? And the and I was afraid that these people would be like, oh my god. Now I can invest in entrepreneurs. I better go do this.Karen Rands [00:11:54]:And they would see a video. They'd fall in love with the company. They wouldn't look at any of the things that you would need to look at, you know, for buried entry or ability to perform. And they would invest and then lose their money, and it would continue to give angel investing a black eye. And so it was one of those things that you just it there the so I have in my course, I you it's a very disciplined process that you go through and a scoring system so that you can know where if it's between it on a scale of one to 10. Seven to 10, write in. It's your industry. It's your stage.Karen Rands [00:12:32]:It's your the structure of the offering. It, you know, it's it you know this marketplace. It fits it checks about enough of the boxes. And then a five would be like, oh, it's not really perfect, but I just love this entrepreneur. Oh, I love what they're doing. So you consciously are making a decision that says, I know this is riskier. I might lose my money on this, but I'm willing to do it because I just I'm giving credit to my emotion of wanting to do this because it's gonna feel good. Because one of the main reasons why I figured out why millionaires that have the ability to be an angel investor in this sector that is considered, like, so risky, right, is because of the good that they feel when they make an investment with their dollars, and they're having an impact not only to potentially change the world with the problem that that company that founder is solving, but they just like that founder.Karen Rands [00:13:31]:They wanna see that founder be successful. So they if they can balance it properly with objective reasons why this is good a good investment with their emotional reasons why I just really like this and it makes me feel good, then hopefully they get a win win. But they've got to be conscious of that. If they're not conscious that they're making those choices, they will invest on emotion almost all and I've done it. I I have I have broken my own rules and invested on emotion that I'm still, you know, ten years later for waiting for that return on investment. So, you know, it is easy to go down in that slippery slope of doing that, but that's really it's it's it's understanding and really thinking through common sense logic. Do they have what is necessary to succeed?Stuart Webb [00:14:18]:Yeah. Brilliant.Karen Rands [00:14:20]:Sipping my coffee.Stuart Webb [00:14:23]:Karen, I mean, we've we've we've just started started the the talking about this. So so and you've started explaining a little bit about how, investors are and, and and business people sort of end up in these situations. What are the what are the problems that you've seen some of these investors, some of these, some of these, business people get into before they come across somebody like you? And and and and what is it, that you see them do that you can sort of try and help them sort of steer away from those problems before we even get there?Karen Rands [00:14:54]:So we talked we touched on it a little bit with valuation. Valuation is one of those that I think they oftentimes can make mistakes. And then I they come into me and they're struggling with raising capital. I'm sort of like the fixer when it comes to entrepreneurs. A lot of times they're like, oh, I don't know where to go. Karen, can you help? And then I'll look at this stuff and I go, this is why you're having a problem raising capital. And and then and then hopefully, they haven't spent too much money with the wrong people at that point in time so that they can fix themselves to get fixed so they have their odds of being able to raise the capital increases. But if you you know, there used to be a pretty steady rule of thumb that if you were an idea stage, you might be a million dollar valuation.Karen Rands [00:15:37]:Right? And then once you got past that and you had an MVP and you, you know, kind of had some market validation, you might be able to go to 5,000,000. And then based off of actual forecast, you would do some sort of like a net present value of a higher valuation, but you would be raising money along the ways. And that's when convertible notes and safes became all the rage because it got out of that conversation of what are you a million or $5,000,000 company in the beginning, and it would just convert or give you some kind of sweetener for putting money in now for when, an institutional round that set the valuation happen. And so I think that's probably one of the areas. And entrepreneurs will be like, oh, if I'm 1% of the marketplace, I'm gonna have a hundred million dollar business in five years. Therefore, I'm a $75,000,000 valuation. It's like, no. Not really.Karen Rands [00:16:31]:You know what I mean? It's like, no. Because and they're like, well, you know, they just they just have this Pollyanna approach to it thinking that because they believe it, they see it, it will happen, and that's not the case. It's it's always stair stepping your value and getting out of that scarcity mentality of a percentage of. Because if you understand how to structure the company, you're gonna have preferred and common. So common are the voters. Preferred gets the fur VCs all want that because that's the first right of the technology if something happens. Right? And you can end. And also once you get their board of directors are the ones that actually make most of the operational decisions of things.Karen Rands [00:17:14]:And so you set up from the beginning that you're gonna have your core executive as three people on the board, and then you give two seats up. But you put in your your stockholders agreement and in your formation that add certain amount of revenue or a certain amount of capital raise, you add two more seats. So you you can you always you keep control of your company through the structure of it and how you go about raising that capital having to feel like, oh my god, I've gotta have 51% of a $75,000,000 company when you will never raise the capital on that valuation. Because just real quick, I've the reason why is investors think this and I learned this from some of my key investors. When I say, well, how come you didn't like that? I love that company. What do you mean? And they were like, their valuation is too high. I'll never make my money. How do you mean? Well, if they came in at, let's say, 25,000,000, well, that means that in order to get the typical minimum five times the investment, they have to have a revenue number and stuff and such that they will sell for a hundred million, 5 times that valuation.Karen Rands [00:18:24]:And if they raise any more capital, that valuation continues to go up. And it's they can't get to where they can get an exit. That's why you see all of these unicorns imploding because they're not really that value. It's just the money that got put in.Stuart Webb [00:18:39]:Yeah. Yeah. Karen, we talked a lot about some of the the valuable advice. Is there a a a valuable piece of advice, a a free offer that you have? And, this will go in the the the notes, but just describe it. I'll I'll make sure this goes into, into this vault that we have where all of our free stuff is available. But is there is there a free, free piece of advice, an offer you're gonna sort of present people here that we could put into the vault for them.Karen Rands [00:19:10]:Okay. So so I'm gonna three kind of three things. Right? So the Wow. The pure free thing is I have a an ebook. It's called, 12 secrets of innovation. That is, me explaining 12 there's 47 inside secrets in the book, inside secrets to angel investing. And so I explained 12 of them to an investor and an entrepreneur perspective. And that's, you know, a pretty short one.Karen Rands [00:19:34]:I'll put that I'll I'll give that link will be in your with your free stuff. And then, I do offer up a, you know, a free initial twenty minute kind of get to know you, you know, give you some little snippets of of stuff. Happy to talk to people. Give them some quick feedback. You know, they can then sign up for a full hour if they want. And then the thing is on my YouTube channel, this is the re a resource is that I've been making these webinars and talking about how to raise capital and what do you need to do in great detail, interviewing lots of different people about that. And they're all on their video. Some of some of them been lost over time in migration of the RSS feeds for the audio, but the videos are there.Karen Rands [00:20:20]:And the video, there there's a a playlist that says for entrepreneurs. So they go to YouTube, search on my name, Kiera Rance, get the link in your show notes. They can go to the playlist for entrepreneurs, and there's a lot of content there that they can just, at their leisure, learn and digest and, you know, submit questions or whatever.Stuart Webb [00:20:44]:That is a fabulous resource. And I have gone on looked and had a look at that, and I will make sure that link is you get free stuff. Go to systemize at systemise.me/freestuff. You free hyphen stuff, that is. You will go to that link. You can then click on the stuff that Karen has just said, and we'll make sure that those links are all working. And you can go and get that from and that resource that you talked about, those those videos, they are really, really interesting. And you have spoken to some very, very interesting people, Karen.Stuart Webb [00:21:17]:So, I really encourage people to go look at that one. Let's let's just understand a little bit about more more about you as a person that can. Was there a particular book, of course, anything that brought you to the vast knowledge you've got now about how to how to become, a revenue, or a a a capital raising machine? The the sort of person that does that, but also the way that you're helping us to become the the compassionate capitalist.Karen Rands [00:21:49]:So, I would say it's an oldie, but it changed the way I reference it a lot in my book itself. And I, and that would be, thinking well, Robert Kiyosaki's, cash flow quadrant, which was was the the the subsequent to Rich Dad Poor Dad. Right? His first book was Rich Dad Poor Dad. Yeah. And I read that long time when I was still an employee, at IBM, but it was it the whole idea of the white quadrant versus the left quadrant and how you go from being chain changing hour trading hours for dollars to become a custom business owner that could run a business without being there, and it made them money and then taking that money and putting it into other investments. That was profoundly changed my I didn't know ain't about angel investing out there. One of the real ironic things out there, Stewart, and it really it took me I did not unpack this until probably, like, just a few years ago, even though I've been working with angels and entrepreneurs for a long time. I had never heard the term angel investing.Karen Rands [00:23:01]:And then in IBM, I was a I was like a person that package companies up to go get venture capital and come back and spend it with IBM and get our capital money. But I had never heard the term angel investing until I left IBM to help one of my clients raise capital in the middle of the .com bomb, mind you. That's my own little bubble that I was in. And I got invited to this angel group, and I tell them my story that it was like I was walking into a secret society where the people in this room, because we had to close doors back then, you couldn't general solicit. Next big thing because they put their money into it. Right? And it and in any way, it was so it was that piece of it, why more people didn't hear about, know about angel investing, particularly when crowdfunding happened. And then the second piece of it was this perception that 20 people in that room picked one company, the other two weren't worthy. Well, no, you when going through with my process, you might review six companies, pick three that you think are are the best for your particular audience doesn't mean those other three aren't good.Karen Rands [00:24:09]:And the one that they pick doesn't mean the other two aren't fundable. It's just that's the scarcity of capital. Right? So that was my that was the book that really set me on a journey of thinking different about money and looking at, you know, how you put money to work for yourself. That one, and then, you know, there's been, when I'm first learning about angel investing, there wasn't any book out there about it. I was one of, oh, wait. The guy that was starting New York angels, he he wrote his book a little bit before me, but it was really about how angel groups should do. And then there was, Jason Connes' book came out at the same time line. It's really about his own personal experiences.Karen Rands [00:24:50]:But I wrote my book because people were coming to me saying, hey, Karen. How how do I learn how to be an angel investor? I've got clients that wanna be an angel investor, and they don't know how to be an angel investor, and I can't advise them. I work for Maryland. I'm not allowed to talk to him about that. So where where can I send them? And so all the entrepreneur books I read about how to raise capital and all the sessions I had gone to, like, talk people talking about their experience, I started reverse engineering it to be how what should investors look for in companies and how to be a good investor. And that's where I, you know, wrote the book, my book, to be the step by step guide for how to go about should you would you could you be an angel investor.Stuart Webb [00:25:33]:And, Karen, you are now an absolute, an expert on this. This is this is a valuable resource because, you know, there are people who wanna get into this but just don't understand the value of increasing their capital by putting it into the right place safely and in a sensible way. And, you know, thank you for being that resource. We're we're kind of coming up to, coming up towards the end of this. And and I wanna give you the opportunity of sort of telling me the question I should have asked, which I have not yet done. So it's not a question I haven't yet asked. And if there is, you know, please, tell me what is it you would have liked me to have asked? And obviously, when you ask that question, you're gonna have to answer it becauseKaren Rands [00:26:19]:Well, I know the answer. I'm not sureStuart Webb [00:26:23]:Tell us the question and the answer.Karen Rands [00:26:27]:So you you maybe you can fit tell me what the question would have been for this answer. So, it would be like why I mean, would I'm gonna do a simple version of the answer, but why is it that more people, aren't investing in entrepreneurs? Okay. Yeah. TheStuart Webb [00:26:45]:because they should.Karen Rands [00:26:46]:That the answer the so the US Treasury and the SEC commissioned a report last year, and their findings were pretty much the same. Lack of awarenessStuart Webb [00:26:58]:Mhmm.Karen Rands [00:26:59]:Lack of tools and lack of of education. Right? So I solve that's my trifecta. I'm solving that. But I also think that there, we have a deep rooted sort of like very deep roots in our American psyche that says to be financially successful, to be financially independent, you need to be a successful entrepreneur. And the reality is that not everybody's cut out to be a successful entrepreneur. You know, if you're doing a market participant, may you're opening up another restaurant, you're opening up another thing that other people do, then you've got a whole different set of challenges and competition to deal with. If you're being a market maker where you're saw you're creating a solution that nobody's done before, it's a one off or wedging into an existing marketplace, You know, that's a whole other set of things. Right? And both of them take you know, one of the things when I first started teaching about entrepreneurs, I say, if you can't figure out how you're gonna make double the amount of money you make in your day job right now in the next two years, don't even get started.Stuart Webb [00:28:03]:Yeah. Yeah. It's a start. Yeah.Karen Rands [00:28:04]:Because you got you know, you you keep your job. And now I say, so it is a misnomer to say the best way to create to be create financial independence to be an entrepreneur. Because the reality is for ninety years when it was illegal for everybody else to be involved in in for entrepreneurs to raise money from somebody they didn't already know, that wasn't already a millionaire before the jobs act. And for people that weren't already millionaires to invest in those companies. Okay. During that period of time, we, the, we created this, this myth that it's super, risky. It's not super risky if you know how to do it because millionaires could they don't choose to just throw their money away. Oh, wait a sec.Karen Rands [00:28:51]:I got an extra million bucks. Let me just throw it into some companies so I can lose it. No. They're putting a million dollars into those companies because they expect to get $10.15, $2,030,000,000 back. And the you know? And so you don't have to be the successful entrepreneur that sacrifices everything, your family, your your you know, seeing your kids' football game, your benefits from your job, you can take that extra money that you have, liquidity, the $50 you were gonna invest in the real estate that you got shut out of, or the $50 you were gonna use in your savings to start putting, you know, into starting a business and put that into 50 companies. Put it put 5,000 into 10 companies. Whatever. You know what I mean? There's so many ways that you can share in the success of those entrepreneurs that are solving a problem that you love, that have the gumption, the real desire to work those eighty, ninety hours a week that they have to work, and you they need your money to be successful.Karen Rands [00:29:55]:So it's a win win. When When you figure out how to do that, not only do you get to invest in entrepreneurs that you believe in that are doing something that you're also passionate about, but you share in their success without all the risk of being that entrepreneur.Stuart Webb [00:30:09]:Karen, that is absolutely the right way to end this because you've talked about some things which I'm really passionate about myself, and that is do not start going down the path of starting your own business unless you love what you're doing. Find find ways of supporting those people who do love what they're doing and work with them because so many I find so many business owners who aren't ready to do that. And they do what I call the path of least assistance. They don't look for the assistance they need. They battle out on their own, and they get tired, and it becomes difficult. And I just want to help get out of that problem. But that's another podcast which we will not start now because that's gone for another two and a half hours. So let me just finish by saying, Karen, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us.Stuart Webb [00:30:57]:Really appreciate it. Love the energy. Love what you've done. I'm just gonna ask everybody who's who's watching at the moment, please go to this link, which is systemize, systemise.me/subscribe. Please put your name, email address into that. It's a very simple just to form your first name, your your email. What I do is I send out an email once a week with who's coming onto the show so that you can hear the true gems that these people bring onto the show and really educate you on the way in which you could, one, get the sort of capital or whatever it is you need into your business to grow it, and two, how you can be more successful in your life. So Karen, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us.Stuart Webb [00:31:41]:Really appreciate you spending a few minutes with us today. I just hope everybody goes to the, to the vault and gets that free stuff that you've been asked me about because they need to hear this great stuff from you. And I really, really want them to hear more from you. So thank you so much for spending some time with us.Karen Rands [00:31:56]:Yeah. Absolutely. I look forward to continue our conversation when I'm recording you and asking you the questions.Stuart Webb [00:32:02]:I'm looking forward to it as well. Thank you, Karen, and speak to you again soon.Karen Rands [00:32:07]:Alright. Thanks, Stewart. Bye bye. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!When most of us hear the name “Shakespeare,” we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by line—“wherefore art thou” and all that.But here's the truth: Shakespeare was never meant to be dissected like a frog under a microscope. His work, in fact, was never meant to be read AT ALL. He meant for his plays to be experienced. To be performed, seen, heard, and felt.We tend to think of Shakespeare as a school subject. Or that we should read it as part of a rich literature curriculum in order for our children to be well-versed academically.While Shakespeare's plays are part of a rich literary heritage, I want to make a case today that Shakespeare is not a subject at all. It's not a thing you “should” do in your homeschool to have well-educated kids. Today, I want to talk about why experiencing Shakespeare with your kids might be one of the most joyful things you ever do together. And one of my very favorite people, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright, fellow Shakespeare nerd, and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, joins me to help me make my case.In this episode, you'll hear: What traditional classrooms often get wrong when introducing ShakespeareWhy Ken recommends having kids start with reciting and memorizing passages How Shakespeare provides an entry to point to learning and loving complex languageLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes: readaloudrevival.com/shakespeare-is-not-school

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

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!Why should we read the classics? So many of us want to read and enjoy them, but we don't want to spend our precious free time feeling like we're incompetent because we just don't get it or that the internet has completely ruined our brains (is this just me?).This winter in RAR Premium, we did a whole retreat about falling in love with your reading life again, and today I'm sharing one of those sessions, called How to Read Classics (and Actually Enjoy Them). RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I talk all about how to find your way into the classics and *really* begin to relish them.Most of this translates to reading classics with your kids, but this session really is for you. We want you to discover the fun and enjoyment in classic literature because it makes your life richer and better. It also makes you a more peaceful and joy-filled mama to those sweet kids of yours. In this episode, you'll hear: Helpful entry points to reading the classics How to approach classics as an invitation to learning and enjoyment (not like homework)Why watching the movie first will not get your Homeschool Mama card revoked (we promise!)Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/read-the-classics

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

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!In this episode, RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I sat down to tackle some of your listener questions. We put our heads together to answer questions about loved ones who don't support your choice to homeschool, curriculum overwhelm, reading aloud with older kids or a wide age range of ages, how to encourage your kids to read high quality literature, and more!In this episode, you'll hear: How to make peace with your choice to homeschool even when loved ones misunderstand Ways to keep connecting with older kids through reading aloud even with busy schedules The importance of “fun” books in developing your child's reading lifeLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/growing-in-confidence

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

Today, one of my very favorite authors returns to Read-Aloud Revival. You know him as the author of Sweep, The Night Gardener, the Peter Nimble series, and The Fabled Stables. That's right–Jonathan Auxier is back!This time, we're talking about the much-awaited conclusion to the Peter Nimble series, The War of the Maps. In our conversation, we delve into the guiding questions he explores during the writing process, and how each of these questions becomes a doorway for discovering who we are, whose we are, and what our work is here in the world.In this episode, you'll hear: Why Jonathan often explores the tension of the end of childhood in his books How trying to solve a guiding question shapes the narrative of Jonathan's works The best way to write a story Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/jonathan-auxier-is-back

One of my favorite reads of 2024 was The Myth Makers by John Hendrix.This gorgeous graphic novel tells the story of the remarkable friendship of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought I already knew quite a bit about these Inklings, but there was even more to uncover.Today, I'm delighted to share my conversation with the author and illustrator of The Myth Makers, John Hendrix. We dive into his research and writing process, exploring how the threads of the story came together. In this episode, Jon shares a better definition of myth, and illustrates the differences between a myth, a fairytale, and a story. I even make him choose which series he'd rather bring to a desert island, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. In this episode, you'll hear: John's creative process for creating graphic novels How choose-your-own adventure stories inspired the The Myth Makers Why John chose the Lion and the Wizard as his main characters Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/john-hendrix

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 comes to mind when you think of C. S. Lewis's Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings?There's a good chance a lot of us are seeing very similar pictures. We're seeing images that swept us into the whimsical world of wonder beyond the wardrobe (and into the Shire). The beloved images of these childhood stories remain with us. But it's likely we don't know much about the woman who created the iconic illustrations of the White Witch, Mr. Tumnus and Lucy, and the Pevensie children having tea with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.Her name is Pauline Baynes, and her artwork brought the worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien to life.Today, author and illustrator Katie Wray Schon is here to share her gorgeous new book, Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. This stunning picture book biography tells the story of the woman behind the pictures of Narnia that we know and love so much. You're going to want to add it to your shelves!In this episode, you'll hear: How Katie's own creative journey led her to Pauline Baynes's story The joys and challenges of illustrating a book about an illustrator Katie's advice for holding onto creativity as a source of enrichment in your life, even as a busy mamaLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/woman-behind-narnia

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

Today, I'm thrilled to share a peek at the riches inside RAR Premium, our online community that helps you make meaningful and lasting connections with your books and helps homeschool mamas become the peace-filled, joyful mamas they're called to be.Last summer, our Family Book Club selection was On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, the first book in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. And we were lucky enough that Andrew agreed to join us to answer kids' questions about the books.  This episode is spoiler-free, so listen in even if you haven't read the books yet. I'm pretty sure by the end you'll want to! We talk about the inspiration for the Wingfeather Saga, Andrew's ridiculous made-up words (that we actually use in my house), developing a rich fantasy world, and even which Wingfeather character is most like him!In this episode, you'll hear: How reading aloud C. S. Lewis to his children inspired Andrew to go after his dream of writing stories for kidsThe tons of tiny, often behind-the-scenes choices that go into creating a fantasy worldWhy Andrew doesn't write with a specific message in mind, but wants readers to connect with his books in their own wayLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/wingfeather

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

Have you ever read a book and felt like you'd actually been to that place?Me too. Once, while standing in line at an amusement park, I met a couple who told me they were visiting from Maine. And I almost said, “Oh, I was just in Maine!” Except I've never actually been to Maine. I had just read a book that was set in Maine, and it was so immersive, it felt like I'd been there.That's the power of books. They take you places.Books help us experience different narratives and cultures from all over the world and throughout history. They give us a taste of places and people we might not otherwise encounter. Reading books can enhance our real travel experiences, too.Today, I've invited RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis to join me to talk about how books take us places. Plus, we'll share a very fun new booklist we've created and plans for a whole new series of lists that will be coming up! In this episode, you'll hear: How stories help us forge connections to placesOur perspective about the way reading can inspire family adventures, big and smallTips for tailoring travel reading around your child's interests and your destinationLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/books-take-you-places

Who is Endre?Endre Hoffmann is a dynamic thought leader and aspiring author dedicated to exploring the intersection of beliefs and skill development in achieving personal and professional success. Through his writing, including his upcoming book "How to Become a 6 Star Business," Endre reflects on his own journey of self-improvement and discovery. Initially caught in repetitive cycles of behavior, he sought answers through a diverse array of self-help strategies, including meditation, reading extensively, and attending transformational events led by renowned figures like Tony Robbins and John Demartini. Endre's personal exploration underscores his belief that one's life is ultimately shaped by the depth of their beliefs and the refinement of their skills.Key Takeaways04:31 Found mentor after years; now help others.09:47 Struggles with commitment due to parental divorce.13:15 Commit, research, follow the process, ensure results.14:29 Commit to processes for desired results. Resources available._________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/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 KEYWORDSself-doubt, potential to freedom, change lives, guiding people, doctor of self doubt, relationships, self worth, transformation, personal development, mentor, meditation, books, past life regressions, hypnosis, psychologist, Tony Robbins, John Demartini, self development, limiting mindset, unlocking potential, resource, personal growth, self-discovery, symptoms, problems, solutions, commitment, results, money back guarantee, success.SPEAKERSEndre Hoffmann, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over. Well, it's, it's actually I'm just finishing, fruit tea rather than the coffee at the moment because I probably had far too much coffee today. So So I'm just gonna try and do my best to, to not overwhelm my guest today, Andre Andre Hoffmann, who is the, he calls himself the doctor of self doubt. Andre guides people from being trapped in self doubt to potential to freedom, change their minds to change their change their lives. And I'm delighted, Andre, you're here with me today, and thank you for making a few minutes, available to speak to me on my 5 questions over coffee.Endre Hoffmann [00:01:12]:Thanks for the invitation. I'm so happy. Hopefully, it will inspire people to step into their power. All in. Ask the questions.Stuart Webb [00:01:20]:Always good. That's always good. So let's start with the question. Yeah. The the first question that I have is, so so who is the person that you're trying to reach with this? What is the what is the doubt that they have, and, and how are you how are you, how do they how do you identify them? How do they identify themselves?Endre Hoffmann [00:01:40]:What a good question. Now I really need to go back to my old version of self, and I had a lot of doubts. It's it's having self doubt about why you're here for, what's your role or purpose in life. That was a big one for me. I wasn't feeling good enough, and I tried things that I never finished them. I I never felt that I deserve success. And I I thought I would just play small for for the rest of my life. And I felt I need to compare myself to others most of the time.Endre Hoffmann [00:02:19]:And my relationships have been, well, down the toilet at times because I I even even my investments, then not not feeling good enough. The the lack of self worth has put me into situations where I invested money where I've never seen it again. The the quick reach schemes, I have to say. And, then my life basically collapsed at the age of 42. So I was about to lose my health because I was driving trucks in Australia. It was not a happy time. I had 2 children. They were quite disconnected from me.Endre Hoffmann [00:02:53]:I worked 247. And my wife one morning said, well, is it time for us to divorce? And and this is when I usually get the call when somebody is has tried everything, and now it's it's time for a new mind to take over and, and reset them for life.Stuart Webb [00:03:17]:And what is it that you find that the people that you're talking to like this have tried before? What is it you tried before they come across an expert like you who can help turn around their their their self doubt, their their inability to break themselves free of these problems?Endre Hoffmann [00:03:34]:I believe results and I think I there's a quote, in one of the books that I was writing is called how to become a 6 star business. The quote said, your life never outperforms your, beliefs and your skill level. And and I was unconscious. I was, bringing things from the past, and I've been just, going in circles. And these circles have been well, I tried meditation. I was reading hundreds of books because I was always hoping in the next book, there is the holy grail to unlock myself. I've been doing past life regressions, seeing hypnosis, psychologist, Tony Robbins events. I've seen, record live, John Demartini.Endre Hoffmann [00:04:31]:So so the biggest names in personal development, but I didn't realize I was not specific enough about knowing figuring out what my problem is and then find a specialist to then solve it for me. So I spent over a $100,000 on things that didn't actually work, and I spent 13 years trying to find the answers in 75 countries while I was roaming around this planet. I just needed the right mentor that I found in Australia, and it took us, what, 6 to 12 months to to almost uncover who who I am. And this brand came out of that that transformation. I realized my 43 years of struggle of finding, looking for myself worth has has now started to make sense. Now now I know why I have gone through that struggle with my dad, and I'm never feeling loved, never feeling good enough now. I can help others to to do the same job, and I'm hoping it won't take 40 years.Stuart Webb [00:05:48]:So I understand you've got a a great valuable piece of advice, valuable free offer, for the people who are who are watching us today. And this, link will be in the, show notes, so I don't necessarily have to read it all out, but it's on screen at the moment. That's, if you go to the website of doctor of self worth.com and then look under doc self worth resources, doctor of self worth, and then how to discover. Tell us, what's the resource? What is it that you'll find at that link?Endre Hoffmann [00:06:20]:I'm giving your name my methods. AndStuart Webb [00:06:23]:And that's excellent.Endre Hoffmann [00:06:25]:And and and I think it would be too easy to to use because, you know, the biggest obstacle to personal transformations is the fact that if you are stuck in a certain limiting mind or mindset or thoughts or emotions, then unfortunately, as you are the person reading that resource, you are the person attending that event. You are filtering out most of the the stuff that is confronting you and that you probably should be doing. AndStuart Webb [00:07:01]:Mhmm. AndEndre Hoffmann [00:07:01]:this is why reading books is giving you more IQ, but what you really need is a new experience of yourself. And that usually does not just happen by reading books. So please use that resource. I want you to understand where you might be stuck if you're listening to us, and and do the exercises as much as you can. What what I found after 200 books on personal growth self development that I always find a way to sell some of that.Stuart Webb [00:07:38]:Tell me, what you you've mentioned some of these books. Is there a particular book or a course, you've mentioned some great speakers you've been to see, that really helped you to sort of come to this point now where you now now understand yourself, you understand how you can help people to discover their own self worth?Endre Hoffmann [00:07:57]:I I believe Anthony Robbins is a great and fine example. Yet these events where there are thousands and thousands of people, you will not necessarily be confronting your own specific problems. It won't be solved unless you are called on stage, which is almost like the lottery ticket to win. So so they really I think the best course of action is to to get a specialist. And and this is why I give away free sessions for a whole one hour, one and a half. I don't care because whether one works with me or not, there must be big revelations, big, you know, light bulb moments, at least someone gets it. Not trying to treat the symptoms of, oh, I haven't got money. My relationships are not working, or, my health is deteriorating.Endre Hoffmann [00:08:59]:Sometimes these are the areas of lives that are reflecting self worth, challenges. So so once we've got the root, then at least you will work out who you need to see or you need the specialist who can deal with that. And then this is why probably people are going to the dentist states if they have a tooth problem. We're not going to see our lawyers. Right? And and these days, I believe we have wonderful, wonderful specialists, and and this is why I want to offer anyone the chance to to have that discovery call where we can, work out what's been. It's about connecting the dots. That's what people tell me usually. To connect the dots like, I had this wonderful lady about 3 weeks ago.Endre Hoffmann [00:09:47]:She said, well, it doesn't seem like my businesses are going well. She's started 4 and and never went and finish become successful. And what we found out, it was interesting. She was telling me all of these symptoms, and I said, well, what's been like before? Like, where did you get this behavior that you don't finish things or don't commit? And she realized when we I started to ask about the pattern, and she said, well, my parents divorced at the age of 2. And from that point, she had to these two parents had really different habits and beliefs, and she started to sort of be loved by both of them. So she she built this dual personality. And and and they wanted to be loved each other, and and she could never go one way in her in her life because it was not she's she was hope feeling that she could lose the love from the other person and and the other parent. So so she's been trying to struggle and survive with 15, 20 years of in between the 2, and they were always confronting, conflicting each other.Endre Hoffmann [00:11:03]:So interesting pattern.Stuart Webb [00:11:06]:Yes. Yes. That that's a a fascinating story, and and and I trust you you were able to help out. And I put on screen, the the link that you've just mentioned where you can get this free, consultation to in order to to really sort of help people to understand exactly how they can, they can overcome some of this, and that's at calendly.com, doctor of self worth slash meet the doctor. Andre, you've given us some great insights into into ways in which people are currently trying to to to struggle with some of these issues. But is there a question that you think I haven't asked? One that you feel I should have have asked by now that you would you would really like to sort of to to emphasize as one of the things that, that that you think is an important issue?Endre Hoffmann [00:12:02]:I believe that each each one of us who's listen listening now and and and looking for solutions, like, really, really simplified. And this is one of the resources on that page. If you click there, I think it's called sort your s**t out so you can get what you want. Because, like, make it so simple. Don't complicate it. Think of what are the symptoms? What are the problems that I'm dealing with in my life? And if I have all of these problems, how have I created them? What what must I been believing? Or what thoughts and emotions I might have that have created these problems. Then then all you need to do is look for someone in the world who has had the same or very similar problems. And that person with consistent results are helping others to solve the same, and they come through resolved and with wonderful break shoes.Endre Hoffmann [00:13:15]:Don't don't waste your time and money on anything else because why? Why would you do that? And if they have consistent results, if they have raving 5 star reviews, like, I don't know how many I have, but still 5 star standing, then commit to the process. Like, that commitment is a must have. So take every advice, follow the process, and, and I believe if you've done your research. Right? Maybe not the first one, but maybe the second or the third one will will help you. And this is why I have in that resource a few advices for you to check-in how much your results matter to these people because I do have money back guarantee for specifically that purpose because I spend over a $100,000. So the last for my mentor, I said, well, is there money back guarantee? Because I'm kind of having enough of my IQ is over the roof. Yet, I'm stuck in a life where I'm working 60 hours a week and, and I'm losing my kids in life.Stuart Webb [00:14:29]:Mhmm. Mhmm. Andre, I think that's a a wonderful way to to to finish this, which is, you know, the look for the person that has the results and commit to their process, which is the secret that you need in order to be able to sort of move yourself forward rather than spinning and watching other people and and then just trying to emulate it. It is about sticking with that process that you know will produce the results that you're looking for. And so, I just go back to your link and say, if you go to doctor of self worth and look for self worth resources, doctor of self worth, and then look for the how to discover, you will get the resources I believe you'll need. I'm gonna finish with, a a link of my own, where, if you would like to get on a a mailing list so that every week you get an email that tells you about the people that are coming up on these, live in, discussions where you can hear this sort of wisdom and hear this sort of, amazing content which allows people to to move forward in their business, in their life, go to this which is httpscolonforward/forward/link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk. That's link.thecompleteapproach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. Get onto that, onto that, form.Stuart Webb [00:15:56]:It's a simple form. It just asks for your first name, your email. That's it. You'll just get an email once a week, which basically just explains who's coming on, what they're about so that you can join in and listen to some really great wisdom. And I wanna thank Andre, the doctor of self worth, for making a few minutes with us this evening to just talk a little bit about what exactly he does and how he helps people. So, Andre, thank you so much for your time.Endre Hoffmann [00:16:22]:See you very soon.Stuart Webb [00:16:27]:Thank you, Andre.Endre Hoffmann [00:16:28]:Thanks. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Lately here at RAR we've been talking about reading for refreshment—reading for the pure joy of it—and how our own reading lives can be a source of energy and joy even in the throes of the busiest seasons of motherhood.This week on the podcast, we're revisiting an episode that dives into why reading isn't just good for us and our kids, but why reading for fun is also an important part of our jobs.In this episode, we talk about why it's so important and what it does for our kids and for us. I hope you'll be inspired to ramp up the reading for fun in your own life, no matter what else you have on your plate.In this episode, you'll hear: How modeling your own love for reading helps your kids fall in love with reading for lifeWhy even short reading breaks are beneficial Tools and resources to help you step away from the laundry and make time to readLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/reading-for-fun

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

Dear Duck, Please Come! is the most fun I've ever had writing a book. But writing the words is only half the story for a picture book. Which is why today, I'm delighted to share my conversation with the illustrator of Dear Duck, Please Come!, Charles Santoso.Charles was born in Indonesia, raised in Australia, and now lives in Singapore. He's illustrated tons of books we love here at Read-Aloud Revival, and I was over the moon that he agreed to illustrate Dear Duck.In this episode, we're diving into the collaborative process of creating a picture book, the inspiration behind Dear Duck, Please Come!, and how illustrations tell a story. In this episode, you'll hear: How Charles decides on the tone and style of his illustrationsThe way the world of Dear Duck developed from first sketches to the final illustrationsCharles's best advice for aspiring illustrators Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-illustrations-tell-half-the-story To join us for the "Reading as Refreshment" Retreat on 1/31-2/1, sign up at circlewithsarah.com!

Who is Kim?Kim Morgan is a dynamic individual driven by a profound desire to facilitate change in people's lives. Through introspection and thoughtful inquiry, she discovered a unifying theme among those she engages with: a shared aspiration to transform aspects of their lives, careers, and relationships. Kim is passionate about helping others break free from repetitive patterns and Groundhog Day scenarios that hinder personal growth. Whether it's boosting confidence, altering behaviors, or achieving health and well-being goals, Kim is committed to empowering individuals to make meaningful, lasting changes. Her insightful approach inspires others to break the cycle and embrace a renewed sense of self as they strive for improvement.Key Takeaways05:33 Insightful analysis of targeting business offerings effectively.09:08 Unintended consequences complicate scientific research processes.12:50 Self-consistency theory explains resisting personal change.17:22 Discussed reluctance to chase clients for payment.20:18 Choose between unchanged future or transformation chair.23:00 Properly planning takes time, also benefits business.24:50 Visualize failure to prevent project mistakes._________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at https://TCA.fyi/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 KEYWORDSKim Morgan, coaching journey, personal development, NLP, Freudian psychotherapy, Carl Rogers, humanistic therapy, coaching course, Nancy Cline, Time to Think, active listening, team communication, family estrangement, research, podcast, Stuart Webb, It's Not Rocket Science, client transformation, CEO coaching, relationship change, confidence building, behavior patterns, mindset shift, technical difficulties, payment reluctance, leadership style, vision chairs exercise, premortem technique, business planning, neurobiological patterns.SPEAKERSKim Morgan, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I better not show you the logo on this particular mug it's advertising. Kim, have you got something refreshing in front of me or isKim Morgan [00:00:43]:it just I'm sorry. I forgot it was meant to be coffee.Stuart Webb [00:00:48]:Oh, wellKim Morgan [00:00:48]:water. It's 5 questions over water.Stuart Webb [00:00:52]:It's 5 questions over water or any other drink, gin, is also acceptable, I'm sure. But anyway, I'm really delighted to be today in front of Kim Morgan. Kim is an exceptional, coach. She has over 25 years of experience in working in coaching, and and she believes that, that her using the coaching methods that she's been working, she's she's worked with CEOs. We've worked with parents. She's worked with families, and she believes in the power of coaching. It has a unique, insight into coaching. So, Kim, I'm really delighted to to be here in front of you today talking to you about this.Stuart Webb [00:01:28]:So thank you for make making a few minutes to come onto It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over whatever drink you have in front of you.Kim Morgan [00:01:37]:Thank you, Stuart. I'm thrilled to be here. We made it after a coupleStuart Webb [00:01:42]:of boardKim Morgan [00:01:42]:starts, didn't we?Stuart Webb [00:01:43]:We did. We did. Pim, let's start with let's start with that coaching. Let's start with, who it is you're trying to help. We've mentioned CEOs. We've mentioned families. We've mentioned parents. You know, what is the sort of the the thing that that brings those people? What's the the problem they have, the the issue that they have that that you are looking to help them to to resolve?Kim Morgan [00:02:08]:Do you know, Stuart, this is such a good question. Yeah. I, yeah, I had advanced warning of this question, and and it just threw me actually because I immediately went to you're right. We provide coaching in so many contexts. We provide it in house. We provide it to individuals. We we teach coaches how to coach. So I was like, well, there isn't a client.Kim Morgan [00:02:33]:But it was just a really good business question because it forced me to think, yeah, what do they all have in common? What do they all share that brings us? So so thank you for that. It was it was really helpful. So I I came to the conclusion that it is they all want to make a change. But, you know, it's it's as general as that, but they all want to make a change which will improve their lives, their career, their relationships, how they feel about themselves. And those changes include, you know, anything you could think of, but confidence changed their behaviors, their repeating patterns, those things that go, oh, here I I am again. You know? It's Groundhog Day. I thought I sorted this, but I'm back again in this familiar place. Might be health, well-being, that sense of, you know, every new year, we write those resolutions that we aren't gonna walk 10,000 steps a day, and then it's the 31st December and we haven't.Kim Morgan [00:03:39]:So, finances, levels of assertiveness, their leadership style, how they manage, their business performance. It can be anything, but they want to change it for the better. That's what Kim,Stuart Webb [00:03:52]:I love that.Kim Morgan [00:03:53]:Unifies all of them.Stuart Webb [00:03:55]:I'm so glad you've done that. Thank you. I'm so glad you were able to clarify it.Stuart Webb [00:05:33]:I'm delighted you can hear me again. Let me just go back to what you're saying, Kim, because I think it's brilliant insight. And it's one of those things that I I spent I spent a lot of my time with business owners who who tell me they can they can work with anybody or they tell me their their product is absolutely, appropriate for everyone. And they don't do what you've just done, which is actually truly drill down and think of the one thing that they're trying to do to understand exactly therefore how they can make their pitch, make their service or product really, appropriate for the person they're trying to fit people. Yeah. And so glad that you you were able to show how effective a question that one was by actually sort of doing that analysis.Kim Morgan [00:06:20]:So thank you. I'm nothing if not obedient. I take questions very seriously.Stuart Webb [00:06:27]:I like that very much. Okay, Kim. So let's get back on track. You've done a great job of of identifying what it is that who it is that you're trying to to talk to. So let me just understand now. You've got this this this person. What is it they've tried to do, before coming to an expert like you to try to, understand what it is that you can do to help them?Kim Morgan [00:06:52]:So I think they've tried to change. I think they've tried all the usual things. You know, maybe they've bought a self help book or a business book. Maybe they've been on some training courses. Maybe they've just set themselves some goals and bought a journal, and and I'm not knocking any of those things. Those things are all valuable things to do in the process. But I think what they don't know is just how complex and sophisticated and challenging making real lasting change particularly to our very ingrained sort of beliefs and behaviors can be. And I I think most people kind of assume that if we decide to make a change, we follow the required steps, and the change will follow.Kim Morgan [00:07:50]:But you know what we know, and this is where I think coaches really come in, and certainly, I hope most coaches operate in this way. I know barefoot coaches do because this is what we really sort of major on, a deep understanding of how change happens and how it doesn't happen. So the factors that bring about change and also the complexity of our kind of neurobiological, psychological, familial, physical, historical patterns of behavior that just become entrenched. And despite the best of intentions, like I said before, we just, like, find ourselves reverting in, like, simp you know, in the most simplest ways, trying to brush our teeth with the other hands is almost impossible. So think about trying to completely change your leadership style from, like, very people pleasing to slightly more authoritative or vice versa. It's really hard to do without knowing everything you need to do to be able to do it. So that I think that's where we come in.Stuart Webb [00:09:08]:And I think that's a really great summary of what some most people find themselves in because, you know, the the the problem that we all face, of course, is as you've said. You know, I look back at my history, my history as a a scientist. When I think about some of the experiments that I was trying to do when I was still a simple simple scientist working my way through the the various bits of the the cell that I was working on and the the interactions, you can never see quite what the unintended consequences of certain actions are, can you? No. You you make one simple change and it was the basis of sort of scientific research. You make a change and you go, well, I didn't expect that. That's just completely, completely blown me. And now I've got to think of a reason why that's happened then, test whether that's going to happen again. And that's quite a complicated thing when you're dealing with just, you know, what I was dealing with, which was simple bits of cells and DNA and viruses.Stuart Webb [00:10:02]:But Yeah. But you're dealing with an entire human being and the way that they interact internally and with the whole of the world.Kim Morgan [00:10:08]:Yeah. And it it's really huge. You've just made me remember a client years ago who had, a strong regional accent, and this was a long time ago back in the day when organisations used to say, if you want to get on around here, young man, you're gonna have to get some elocution lessons. So he did. He trotted off to get some elocution lessons and gradually sort of practiced and came home, to his family and started speaking in a really plummy voice. But, actually, they all fell about laughing. They didn't support it at all. None of his friends did.Kim Morgan [00:10:48]:A simple example like that, made him just give up because he didn't want his family treating him in that way. You know, even something that was quite easy to change, there are external forces that oppose it, but there are also so many internal forces. As a scientist, you probably know the term homeostasis, do you? I do. Which you can probably explain it better than I can, but it's been adopted by coaching, which is any kind of systems' tendency to revert to a set state. So is that about right?Stuart Webb [00:11:31]:That's about right. That's about right.Kim Morgan [00:11:33]:Thank you. So my best example is our temperature. Whether it is boiling hot outside or in the Arctic, our body will be looking to maintain our temperature at at, you know, that, ideal temperature. And exactly the same happens with our behaviors. In spite of all the kind of actions that we do, we will find ourselves reverting to what's familiar. And I've worked as a therapist. I've worked with families. I've worked with families where there have been year long kind of interventions to stop the patterns of behaviors in the families where they all have their role, you know, the placator, the the kind of aggressor, the person who just sits there and doesn't participate in it all.Kim Morgan [00:12:25]:Lots of work. Lots of times after all that intervention, they go home and almost as if by magic, they slot back into those places that are so familiar. So this is what we're battling against, really. It's often also called self consistency theory. And if I can just, like, share a few more examples fromStuart Webb [00:12:49]:research Please do.Kim Morgan [00:12:50]:Research from self consistency theory. There's there, are, you know, there are lots of studies of people who've won the lottery. Not all of them do this, but there's a real been a real tendency for people who've come into lots of money to suddenly, you know, go about losing it, almost unconsciously wanting to get back to what they know, the world that they know. I there was a study out recently about, weight loss in, weight loss programs, and there's a 97% recidivism rate. So after doing all that, 97% of people go back to where they once were, and some and some even put on a bit more weight than that too. Couples and family therapy, you know, the same thing. I've already mentioned it. So so this is what we're battling against, and that's why even if you're trying to make a change, you you just don't know that all this stuff is going on inside you, and a coach will be able to help you.Kim Morgan [00:13:55]:I I often say that a coach when people say, how do you describe coaching? There's lots of there's lots of sort of, you know, fairly dry, explanations of coaching. But the one that I landed on years ago was, like, being a business book or a self development book that's come to life that actually holds your feet to the fire. That tells you, you know, and makes you do those exercises.Stuart Webb [00:14:22]:Yes. And it's so important, isn't it? And you you talk about weight loss. I mean, it there are so many factors which actually begin to sort of play into that space. You you know, there's evidence that it's not only your psychology, but your body. There are so many things which are fighting against you making that progress. So you you can you you need to you need to have some some way of reflecting on that. You need to have somebody who's helping you to see the unseen. There's a concept that you'll probably know but far better than me, the Johari window, which is where you don't see your own behaviors unless somebody actually sort of points them at you because they're hidden to you.Stuart Webb [00:15:00]:And and and it's that where I think so often there's people who are sort of saying, well, don't worry about we we can get through, but we don't actually see, the the the sort of the thing the impacts we have. And I was saying about, you know, the unintended consequences. So much of what we do have these unintended consequences that we don't even notice, and we do need somebody to help us find them. We do need help somebody to help us work back towards how those, impact upon not only yourself, but on the people that you're hoping to affect.Kim Morgan [00:15:28]:Yeah. Definitely. Definitely. And, you know, these play out too. I I was thinking about coming on to this, podcast today. I was thinking about something that's happened really recently in my own business, actually. Because I would say that, generally, we at, therefore, are people pleasers. We have really strong people pleasing traits.Kim Morgan [00:15:52]:I guess that's why we got into this business. We wanna make people feel better, and we want people to feel good. And that has tremendous advantages in our business because, you know, we build rapport and empathy easily, I hope. But it has downsides too. And this week, the downside really hit me because our, accountant sent me the usual kind of monthly management accounts. And I and for the first time, I really looked at our accounts payable, and our accounts receivables. And I've noticed that we pay people really quickly, and we get paid really slowly. And and and that's not you know, that that's a great example.Kim Morgan [00:16:43]:That's really nothing to do with knowing about accounting because we do. Our own sort of desire to kind of put other people's needs before ours is even showing itself in that way. And and and in addition to that, I noticed that my accountant had mentioned that, you know, quite a few people have owed us money, and she'd said, I I've given them a gentle nudge. And I thought, gentle nudge? Isn't that telling that here we are, our sort of beliefs and behaviors manifesting themselves even in that organizational context?Stuart Webb [00:17:22]:Kim Kim Kim, you you've you've hit up on a you've hit up on a spot that we could spend the rest of this this this week discussing, but I had a discussion with a client recently who turned around to me and said, almost exactly what you've said, which is one of those, oh, I do hate chasing people for money. And I said, would you prefer to just put a note at the bottom of your invoice with keep your money, I don't really want it. And they went, oh, good grief. No. I don't mean that. And I said, you've just told me that's exactly what you've said. You basically said you don't chase them. You would prefer to let them keep the invoice and just not pay it.Stuart Webb [00:17:55]:And and I have to ask the question, where would your business do if everybody did that? And they looked at me as if to say, well, you're just being silly now. But it's exactly what people do, isn't it? They they turn around and go, I've given you my time. I've given you my skills. I've given you my expertise, but I don't really want to charge you for it because that feels dirty. Yeah. I it's nice. Somehow that money is dirty.Kim Morgan [00:18:16]:Yeah. It's really rife, particularly in the sort of helping professions. But but that point that point is really valid for what we're talking about here in terms of, you know, just changing a behavior, doing some training, or reading a book about how to run a business isn't enough unless unless you have somebody help you examine the beliefs and the patterns that are driving your behaviors. And that's where the challenge really happens.Stuart Webb [00:18:48]:Let's turn, I hope, to the thing where we can give some people some, some some free advice. Now, I've put on here a a link to your your podcast and webinars where I believe you've got some fantastic free webinars. That's on barefootcoaching.co.ukforward/podcasthyphen and hyphen webinars. But I believe you've got other giveaways that you are keen to sort of talk to people about. So tell us about the exercise that you are hoping to walk people through.Kim Morgan [00:19:20]:Great. Thank you. So first of all, I'm gonna talk you through this exercise as as sort of carefully and as quickly as I can given the time limitations. But if you want to contactStuart Webb [00:19:33]:I will I will cut I will cut you off when eventually I get bored of listening to you. So I'll try and wrap it up by, try and wrap it up within an hour.Kim Morgan [00:19:42]:Alright. I'll do the same. But, yeah, if people want me to send them the instructions for this, kim@barefootcoaching.co.uk. Well, just write to me. I'll I'll send you a free sort of download of how to do this. But this is one exercise that you can use for yourselves, you can use for others that just really, really works and then and sort of engages you with the consequences of your everyday decisions and behaviors. We call it vision chairs. It's as simple as this.Kim Morgan [00:20:18]:You put I like to put 2 actual chairs in front of myself at some distance away. 2 chairs, and you have in your mind the change that you'd like to make. And you, determine which of those chairs represents a chair of no change. A chair where in 3 or 5 years' time, actually, you never got around to it and things are just as they are today, or a chair of change. The chair that says, I did it. I'm somewhere else. I'm do I'm behaving differently. And you simply look, you know, you first of all, you look at that future chair in 3 years' time where there's no change, and you see what you see.Kim Morgan [00:21:04]:You notice what you notice. Very often, you know, some people go, that'd be okay. You know, I'm fine. But very often, people will go, actually, it hasn't stayed the same. It's got worse. It's got worse because I haven't done anything about my fitness, and therefore, it wouldn't stay the same. If I want to be really kind of brutally challenging to people, I'll keep putting another chair behind that one and another chair behind that one. So, okay, let's look at 10 years' time what the impact will be.Kim Morgan [00:21:35]:I I want to say I've used this really successfully with, sort of things like smoking cessation, and I've also used it highly successfully when working with police forces who wanted women victims of domestic abuse to actually go to court. Because it's challenge it can be challenging in those situations to see where I might be if I don't do anything. But, you know, coaching is about empathetic provocation. It's about ruthless compassion. It's no good going, oh, you're doing really well. It's sometimes we have to, like, show people where their behaviors might take them. So do that. You know, whatever it is, you might go, you know what? It doesn't matter that much or actually, I don't wanna be there.Kim Morgan [00:22:22]:Then come back, look at the other chair, the chair of where you want to be. Not exactly sort of, you know, a a chair of dreams, but a a chair of what could be really possible. See what's different about that future you, go and sit in it, and talk back to yourself today about the steps that you took to get there. So what did you do? Who helped you? What resources did you need? What support? How much, you know, extra learning did you have to do? And how does it feel to be there?Stuart Webb [00:23:00]:Mhmm.Kim Morgan [00:23:00]:And then and and, basically, you know, it takes a long time to do it properly, but the the the you know, that's what you do. You come back to the chair. You look at the 2 chairs and go, what am I gonna do? You know? What am I gonna do? Because I'm kind of seeing my future a bit here. And, it also it doesn't just necessarily work for a change. Can I tell you one more thing? I don't know how much time we've got. But it also works for business planning really beautifully. There was one occasion when I went to exhibit, one of these sort of learning and development conferences early in Barefoot's history. And I just had a few of bits of, like, 84 papers stuck to the stuck to the sort of screen behind us.Kim Morgan [00:23:49]:You know? The I can't remember what it's called. You know, that exhibition stand. And and everyone else had all these products, and it was so colourful. And I was just mortified. And when I came back, I said, I don't wanna be I don't wanna be in that situation next year. Actually, my, at yeah. The my PA at the time did this with me and said, come on then. You know, do your own exercise.Kim Morgan [00:24:16]:And and I said, and when I sat in that chair, I said, we've got products set about £10 because people, they don't wanna spend a lot. They want something small that they can pick up, something that's colorful. And that gave rise to a whole range of, little boxes of coaching cards that we sell, that whole exercise. So I I will send you downloadable instructions to do it if you want to. It's just something I do every year to go, am I going in the right direction as the years tick by in my life?Stuart Webb [00:24:50]:That's a very interesting exercise, and it reminds me of one that I do with clients, which is what I call the pre mode premortem, which is when you're embarking upon a project, you actually ask yourselves, okay. Let's imagine it's gone horribly wrong because we're all very capable of catastrophizing. So you imagine just how horribly it's gone wrong, and now now you've got yourself to that. What happened to make it go so horribly wrong? Tell me everything which could possibly have gone wrong to get you to this mindset of where everything's gone so horribly wrong and people will come out with all sorts of things. And you just put all of those on a list and you go right those are all the things we're not going to do, now let's talk about the things we will. You do have to put yourself in a different mind, don't you? You have to get into a different mindset in order to actually explore those possibilities and work out what you need to do.Kim Morgan [00:25:32]:You do. In my experience, people do it really easily. First of all, they go, oh, I'm talking to chairs now. Yeah. Exactly what I feared would happen when I came to see a coach. But, actually, it's it's, it's so powerful. And many years ago, I can remember watching a television program where it was about, parents whose children were obese, and they they actually did something like this. They sort of, did a sort of reconstruction of the a construction of the future where they had what their child would look like and be like and feel like in 10 years' time if they hadn't done something about their diet and it hadn'tStuart Webb [00:26:17]:Oh, what a lovely example.Kim Morgan [00:26:20]:Powerful powerful impact. KimStuart Webb [00:26:24]:Kim, let me come come come to my 4th question before, before I let you go back to your world of helping people who really need it. What is it that brought you here? What's what is the what is the one book or or course or or program or whatever that that truly brought you from who you were to to where you are today?Kim Morgan [00:26:49]:That's a that's a really good question. And I don't I I don't think there was one that brought me to coaching because I because I was just on a journey of devouring everything I could about personal development. I was a therapist, and then I did every course and book available. And then I I think back now, and I was I was only young, and I, obviously, had a lot of confidence. And I just thought, you know what? I think I can write a coaching course based on everything I've done. So it was a a whole mix of lots of different people. I studied NLP. I studied Freudian psychotherapy.Kim Morgan [00:27:30]:I studied Carl Rogers' humanistic person's sense of therapy, and I thought took what I thought were the best bits of all of it and created this course. The book that has made the biggest impression on me and on, students on our coach training program is called Time to Think, And it's written by a wonderful woman called Nancy Cline who I I had the privilege of getting to know really well, and she actually taught on our course for many, many years. She stopped teaching because she won't work online because she's so much about that humans human interaction. But I think everyone should read this book, time to think, which is just about the power of listening actually and giving people your really full attention.Stuart Webb [00:28:26]:I love it.Kim Morgan [00:28:28]:Have you read it?Stuart Webb [00:28:29]:I have. You have. It's it's lovely.Kim Morgan [00:28:32]:It's an amazing book, isn't it?Stuart Webb [00:28:34]:And And it does make it does make you realize the importance of being present, because you are so much more able to affect things if you're truly present. And I think that's that's a lesson that we all need to learn.Kim Morgan [00:28:50]:Yeah. And and also sitting in it is like the mind that holds the problem also holds the solution. And if you give people the right conditions to think, not be interrupted, Somewhere inside, they'll come up with the right solution for them. And it, you know, it seems to be a really, really powerful philosophy. In our team, we sometimes just do everyone has, like, 5 minutes each to say something, go around the team, and no one and we all have to keep our eyes on them, and we all have to listen intently. And every time we do that, we're sort of mind blown by how in those 5 minutes we we've learned so much more about that person than we have in the previous, like, month Yeah. Of chitchat.Stuart Webb [00:29:45]:Active listening. Kim, I'm gonna come to my 5th question and this is the question which is, which is the one that I I enjoy asking the most actually if I'm gonna be honest with people, and that is what is the question that I haven't asked you that you wanted me to ask? And this is obviously the where I really learn about, what it is that's currently on your mind and how you're thinking about what you're trying to do to affect those people that really resonate with what you're talking about at the moment.Kim Morgan [00:30:14]:I, yeah, I had so many thoughts about this, but I think the question that I would like you to ask is, yeah, what's next? You know? What's next? I was a kind of pioneer. I was a pioneer of of coaching, and I'm still passionate about it. But I'm really always looking for the next thing that's gonna help people.Stuart Webb [00:30:44]:And so, Kim, what is the next thing for Barefoot Coaching and for Kim Morgan?Kim Morgan [00:30:49]:I think it's more for Kim Morgan than Barefoot Coaching. It's, I I I I think I said, I do a lot of work with grief and loss. And it's a kind of offshoot of grief and loss that I'm really noticing in in clients and people in the world, and that is like family estrangement. There are more and more children divorcing their parents and parents divorcing their children. And I just think it's something that is, you know, people is gonna need a lot of help with.Stuart Webb [00:31:29]:Yeah. SoKim Morgan [00:31:29]:that's the I'm doing a bit of research into that right now.Stuart Webb [00:31:34]:Kim, I wish you every success with that. I love to hear the fact that you're gonna address that. And that's the father of a current 23 year old who still seems to be clinging on like a limpet, showing no signs of divorcing me. I'm sure he won't need your help, but he'll need help from people like you to do so much, in his life. Kim, it's been an absolute pleasure. I mean, a real, real pleasure to have you spend a few minutes with us, and thank you so much for sharing so much intimate knowledge of what you do. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna do the, the quick outro, which is, look, if you would like to get an email so that you actually know who's coming on to these things and gonna spend some time listening to people like him, giving huge amounts of value and and, and wisdom. Just go to this link, which is link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter.Stuart Webb [00:32:28]:That's link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter. It's a simple form. You'll get an email once a week, which basically says this week coming up is whoever it is. Tune in and watch the Wisdom Roll. Kim, thank you so much for spending some time with us. I appreciate this is, we had a little technical difficulty, but but we got through the technical difficulty, and we heard you brilliantly throughout it. And and you've really poured wisdom, and I really appreciate the time you spent with us. So thank you so much indeed.Kim Morgan [00:32:59]:I really appreciate you inviting me here. Thank you. I've really loved talking to you. And whoever else is here, thank you for being here.Stuart Webb [00:33:06]:Yeah. We've had we've had some wonderful people, like, and I know Therese Baptist has been here. She's a fantastic fantastic person. I love I love I love Therese. Sally Sally Alou Richards, Andy Chandler. We've had people listening to you, and I know they're gonna enjoy listening back to this, and and hearing what you've been having to say. So thank you so much for spending some time with us.Kim Morgan [00:33:30]:It's been a real pleasure. Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

At the start of a new year, we are overwhelmed with the phrase “New Year, new you!” And of course, we want to be better wives, better mothers, and better people. This desire to improve ourselves filters into our reading lives, too. It's easy to justify a lot of our reading if it helps us be better for our families and communities. But what about reading for fun? What about reading fiction? When you're a busy mom, is it worth it to carve out time to read just for the fun of it? And how would you even make that time?But reading for delight is like stopping for water on a long, dusty hike. It's a lifesource for us mamas. Today, RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy joins me to talk about how to be refreshed by your reading life.In this episode, you'll hear: How stories nourish us in essential waysWhy you have to give yourself permission to quit books that aren't working for youThe way reframing reading for pleasure will help you make time and model a rich reading life for your kidsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/you-can-be-refreshed To join us for the "Reading as Refreshment" Retreat on 1/31-2/1, join RAR Premium. 

Who is Dale?Dale Young is a dedicated coach and guide for Christian entrepreneurs, passionately supporting them from the very inception of their business ideas through to the stage where they may have up to 10 employees and generate revenues between $500,000 and $1,000,000. He understands the unique challenges these entrepreneurs face as they strive not only to grow their businesses, but also to deepen their mindset, enhance their business acumen, and integrate their faith into their professional endeavors. Dale is committed to aiding them in laying a solid foundation to achieve sustainable success while making a meaningful, eternal impact through their ventures. His mission is to help these entrepreneurs realize their higher calling beyond personal gain, nurturing a sense of purpose and significance in their work.Key Takeaways00:00 Helping Christian entrepreneurs grow mindset, business, faith.04:41 Business owners should transition from technician mindset.09:21 Transitioned from IT to full-time coaching career.12:25 Coaching: Aligning mindset with entrepreneurial faith.14:04 Consider entrepreneurship carefully; it's not for everyone.Some free resources at https://coachdale.com/firststep_________________________________________________________________________________________________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 KEYWORDSChristian entrepreneurs, business coaching, mindset growth, practical business steps, aligning faith and business, growing a business, eternal impact, business sense, entrepreneurial journey, spiritual gifts assessment, mindset coaching, IT industry experience, digital marketing agency, virtual administration industry, building a business foundation, overcoming stress and overwhelm, building a team, hiring contractors, solid foundation, practical results, eternal impact, business assessment, entrepreneur journey, start-up company, Soul searching, coaching practice, creating a company, entrepreneur seizure, business owner role, business growth.SPEAKERSDale Young, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hello, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions over coffee. I have in front of me my coffee. I hope coach Dale has his coffee in front of him. He has. That's excellent. Welcome once again to, to my guest today. Coach Dale is a, a leader who tries to to align, and give you practical business steps aligned with your faith and to grow your business as a result. So, Dale, I hope, we're gonna have a great conversation today.Stuart Webb [00:01:03]:And welcome to It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over coffee.Dale Young [00:01:07]:Well, thank you, Stuart. I'm honored to be here, and I'm honored to be a guest on your show.Stuart Webb [00:01:12]:Oh, you're too kind. Dale, let's let's start with, with who it is you try to help and and what is the the problem, the the issue that they have that they're that they're that they're seeking to solve.Dale Young [00:01:24]:Well, Stuart, I'm really called to help, Christian entrepreneurs all the way from the start up, from even maybe into the genesis of the idea stage, all the way up to maybe 5 to 10 employees, maybe, you know, maybe revenues of 500,000 to a $1,000,000, something like that. So that kind of range, and that covers a pretty wide range. But all the thing that all of these people have in common is they're still working on growing their mindset, growing their business sense, growing their faith, and getting it all integrated and getting everything done. Because at this point, everybody is so busy that it's like it's just too hard to get anything really accomplished and accomplished right with a solid foundation. And so they really, are working towards building a business that's going to last, and they really want to make an eternal impact with their business. They may not even realize that themselves yet, but deep down inside them, they they have that feeling that I'm doing something more than just creating a life for myself.Stuart Webb [00:02:35]:You you sort of alluded to it there, Dale, that that that that the the problem that these people have before they come across somebody such as yourself. Can you can you build a little more upon what that that problem how it might manifest itself? Give me some examples of some of the the people that you've worked with with the problem they had, the issues they had before you you got involved.Dale Young [00:02:54]:Well, one of my best clients, her name was Sam. She basically had done all this magazine publishing, and she thought she was a writer. And she was just overwhelmed and overworked and stressed, and it just wasn't working for her. And so just working with her, I got her to shift her focus and realize she wasn't using her god given talents and god given gifts. And so she was actually trying to work in the wrong industry. And she actually shut that down and created a virtual administration industry. She's like, the head of the VA, club, so to speak now. And she's thriving.Dale Young [00:03:36]:She you know, it's 5 years in, and she's doing great guns. Got 30 clients nationwide, and she's got, I don't know, 16 people that work for her in a in a contractor type capacity types though. So, you know, just getting the mindset, what should I be doing? Who am I really at my core, and what should I be doing? What is God calling me to do? And for her, that was a tremendous change. There's another guyStuart Webb [00:04:02]:after that. Yeah. Sorry. And I'd say sorry. Carry on.Dale Young [00:04:06]:Yeah. I I was just gonna say there's another guy. He had a digital marketing agency, and he was, you know, he he didn't know whether God was calling him to grow or not. You know, it was him and one other person. And now we've been working together about 3 years, and he's now up to, I think, 4 4 employees or something like that. So, you know, just getting it right and understanding how to work together with other people was a big key for him. Really getting to the point where you have to realize you can't do everything all by yourself. It really takes 2 to do it.Stuart Webb [00:04:41]:Yeah. I'm I'm often coming across many business owners who have forgotten that they are no longer the the technician or the person that does. They need to shift their focus and understand their role is different as a as an owner, as somebody that's using their talents in order to bring bring other people into the business, in order to provide them with with the livelihood they need. And that's a that's that's something we should all be doing is to look around and go, well, should I be doing this or should I be looking to help, other people be part of my business and bringing them on? And I know that's a lot of the time fear stops people from doing that because they don't know that they've got the the necessary wherewithal to do it.Dale Young [00:05:24]:Well, exactly. And, you know, the thing is you can always start small. You can start with contractors, and you can start by hiring out certain pieces of your business and such like that. You know? For instance, I've got a bookkeeper for myself, and I've got my I've got the VA peep people that I work with. You know, I've actually spent a lot more money with her than she ever did with me. You know? So it's it's really interesting, but but we got a great relationship. And, you know, it's you know, we're we're good friends, in addition to to being that. And the the whole thing is we're called to help each other.Dale Young [00:06:01]:You know? God is a God of love, and God is, somebody that wants to do better. And he did better for us. We need to be doing better for him, and that includes, you know, everybody around us. So I'll just put I'll just leave it there with my face, but for today, but, but that's my basis of what if I do everything with Pai.Stuart Webb [00:06:21]:That's it's it's good to hear. I mean, do I mean, you you've got a a great valuable piece of advice that I know that you you you you're offering at the moment. So I'm gonna put the the link to this on on the screen, and it's a coachdale.comforward/firststep. Tell us, what is that valuable first step that you're that you're telling people they should take during during today's discussion?Dale Young [00:06:46]:So this is especially for Christian business owners, from start up to to growing up to their first for few employees. It's really the first step to aligning your faith and your business, because it's when you build your business together with your faith, you're building on a solid foundation. And when you do that, you're gonna set the business up right and it's going to go. So, going to go going to grow. But, anyway, the first step here, it's really a series of questions for me to help assess where you are in your business, but then it goes into a really detailed spiritual gifts assessment. And through that spiritual gifts assessment and those questions, I'll create a video response to you. You'll get the results of the spiritual gifts assessment immediately. But then I'll also send you a video saying, okay.Dale Young [00:07:39]:Based on your questions and based on the, what I see in the spiritual gifts, here's how you're using them or here how you're here's how you're not using them. Here's where you might use them better. You know, I'll look at your website and and everything else and just kinda give you some expertise advice. And then if you're willing to connect after that, we can connect after that, for a free, complimentary session.Stuart Webb [00:08:05]:Do you find that the video helps you to build a better relationship with those business owners, David? Is that is that the reason for the for the video? Because it's quite a a lot of effort you're giving to to help people to to see that and to to start that journey.Dale Young [00:08:19]:Well, sometimes people are reluctant to, get too honest and too open in just the first session. And so this is a way to get a little bit of valuable advice back and forth. You get to see how I interpret things, and you get to see, you know, does that fit up with your beliefs and does that match up, and does it give you an If I can't give you an in a 5 or 10 minute video based on everything I've looked at here, maybe I'm not the right guy for you. Okay? And that's okay. I don't need to be serving everybody. I need to be serving the people that I need to serve.Stuart Webb [00:08:57]:I love the I love the approach. I absolutely love the approach. I mean, Dale, it it may be may be obvious, but what what what's your history? How did you get from here? What was the the the the program, the course, whatever that brought you to where you are in terms of helping those business owners who really do need to do what you're you're asking them to do?Dale Young [00:09:16]:Well, that could take a whole 30 minutes all by itself. But PleaseStuart Webb [00:09:20]:take the time you need.Dale Young [00:09:21]:I I will I will try and shorten it quite a bit. So I actually grew up in the IT industry and served for more than 4 decades in the IT industry. Was exposed to coaching and got into it in 2011, but I was still working full time in IT until 2016 and, then part time in IT until 2021. And so through that time, I was building up my side gig, so to speak, on my coaching practice. And then I got into that intermediate time between 2016 and 2021 where I was working part time on IT, full time on coaching. And I found that I was really not focused on what kind of client was I trying to serve. I wasn't nearly as focused as what I am now. And so I did a lot of praying and a lot of soul searching, and I put some of the tools together, and I tried a few different things.Dale Young [00:10:20]:And just in the last couple of years, it's really come together that I really need to be focusing on Christian, startups up to, you know, about 20 employees, something like that. I need to be focused in that area, and I need to be focusing on helping them build that solid foundation that will deliver those practical results so that they can have those eternal impacts. That's really that's really has come together. Just been a lot it's been my own journey of, you know, how do I how do I go further? How do I impact more people? How do I, you know, actually actually impact the world and get to those eternal impacts that I'm trying to get to? This seems to be the vehicle that I'm going to be using.Stuart Webb [00:11:06]:And given given your your experiences and given what you've gone through, that's some really relevant experience to bring to those people because you you know how they're feeling, you know what they're doing, and you can you can speak directly to them.Dale Young [00:11:17]:Absolutely. And and I've been through the entrepreneurial journey back in, 2000 to 2004. I was part of a start up company that went really, you know, rocket science up, talking about science, but we we rocket ship it up. We we in our 1st year, we were number 10 on the entrepreneur hot 100 fastest growing companies in the US. And then 4 years later, we're, declare almost declaring bankruptcy. So, but the primary thing I learned through that time is you can't you can't do it by yourself. You have to have a team around you.Stuart Webb [00:11:58]:Yeah. Great advice. Great advice. Dale, I I I I'm sure there is a question at the moment that you are, wishing that I'd asked you, and I haven't done it. So, here's the here's the opportunity you've got to to answer the question that I haven't yet asked, but, obviously, you need to you need to tell me what that question is before you do it. So what is that question that you would have liked me to ask, which I haven't yet?Dale Young [00:12:25]:If I can phrase it as a question, it would be something along the line of, what do you actually do when you coach? And, you know, what I'll come back to do is, coaching is a little bit more of an art than a science still. It's one of those things you you look and see what people need. But, basically, I help people get their mind right. Okay? There's a lot of people that call themselves mindset coaches. But, the the one that really stands out to me is you've got to get your mind right around how does your faith work in your business. You gotta get your mind right around what is this whole entrepreneur journey. Okay? What what's it all about here? Why am I even going on this journey? Is this even a journey I'm supposed to be going on? Really going into questions like that and really just saying, okay. Now that you're now that you're on this journey, now that you're stepping through these things, what what are you going to do about it? What kind of eternal impacts are you trying to make? You know, and how do you build a foundation that you can build on and get some results? Because if you can't get results, you're not gonna be in business.Dale Young [00:13:46]:So, you know, so there's a lot of things around just the mindset. And then, you know, have coming out of an IT background, I can help people with, you know, oh, you need to build this list or you need to build that thing or you need to get a CRM or you don't need to get a CRM. It all just depends on their circumstances.Stuart Webb [00:14:04]:I will I will say that the the one thing that you said in there which really resonates, and I think is is such an important thing that people do need to consider before they before they start. I mean, a lot of people, and we we've sort of talked a little bit about this, they they they they're they're good they're good managers, they're good contributors, and then they feel that they need to start a business for whatever reason because they think it will be easy. It'll be easy money. It'll get them get them what they want. And so often that's not the path for many people. They're not the they're not the entrepreneur they think they are. And so having somebody like you to sort of double check that, to have a think about whether or not that is the journey they should be on, I think is a great step, as you start to try and build a business because it isn't for everybody. You really do have to have a certain mentality and a certain calling as you put it in order to be able to actually do that because it's not a it's not an easy journey as you've demonstrated it.Stuart Webb [00:15:04]:It can take take effort. It can take time. It can be can be difficult. So, getting that getting that step right is a very very, very good first step to do it.Dale Young [00:15:14]:And, certainly, I'm not trying to discourage anybody from being an entrepreneur, but I think you do have to weigh the cost ahead of time too. Mhmm. It it is gonna be a long journey, especially if you're gonna build something that is going to have an eternal impact.Stuart Webb [00:15:28]:Yeah. Yeah.Dale Young [00:15:29]:So, you know, but, I think everybody before they actually open up a business, they need to go read the E Myth revisited, you know, and where it talks about the whole, technician and entrepreneur and manager and all the all the roles that you have to play when you're when you're a solo business. And, you know, be sure that that, what they call it in the book, they call it the entrepreneurial seizure. Right? You know, you're a technician that lives bigger job, and you wanna create a a company so that you can do your job. Well, creating a company has a whole lot more aspects to it than just doing your job. And so you gotta have that gotta have that mindset. And, you know, I wish I had read that book before I jumped into starting my coaching business here. SoStuart Webb [00:16:19]:I love that recommendation, Dale. I think that's absolutely fantastic. You need to go get that book. You need to you need to go to, to dale's coachdale.comforward/firststep. That's coachdale.comforward/firststep, and get to see how he can help you to align what you're trying to do with who you really are. So, if you're ready to, to see more of these, if you wanna get on to my newsletter list so that you see, who's coming up in the next couple of, weeks and you can connect, watch us live on LinkedIn, and then later on get it as a podcast, you need to go to this link. You go to to link dot the complete approach dotco.uk. That's link dot the complete approach dotco.ukforward/newsletter.Stuart Webb [00:17:06]:That takes you to a form. You fill it out. You get an email once every couple of weeks, and it's as simple as that. Coach Dale, Dale Young, I really appreciate you spending, a few minutes with us today. Thank you very much for giving us these insights, and, bless you for coming on. Thank you very much.Dale Young [00:17:22]:You're quite welcome. I was honored to be here. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

Gather your aspiring writers and littlest book lovers for this episode. I am so excited to welcome back author Millie Florence to talk about the beautiful book we created together, Beyond Mulberry Glen.Millie and I are chatting about the making of the book from inspiration to final draft with a series of fun questions from what scene was the hardest to write to what character she'd want to hang out with for an afternoon.Beyond Mulberry Glen is a read-aloud novel for the whole family, featuring a gorgeous cover and illustrations by Astrid Sheckels. It's Waxwing Books's very first middle grade novel, and we can't wait to share it with you. In this episode, you'll hear: Why Millie describes her inspiration for the story as a collage of influencesThe challenges of editing the novel with the perspective of age and development as a writerWhat she loves most about middle-grade fictionLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/millie-florence-is-back Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

What do happy homeschoolers have in common?Over the years, I've spoken with thousands of homeschoolers from all over the world. When I asked experienced moms what they do to cultivate peace and joy in their homeschool lives, I discovered there are five habits happy homeschool mamas often share.The good news is that YOU can adopt these habits, no matter what kind of homeschooler you are, what method or curriculum you use, what your budget is, or how many kids you have. You don't need a new curriculum, schedule, or homeschooling philosophy. You don't need to become a new person. It's possible to feel happier about your homeschool, exactly as it is right now.Today, I'm sharing a recording of a talk I gave at several homeschool conferences last year about the five habits of happy homeschoolers and how they can help you have a happier homeschool today.In this episode, you'll hear: Why building and nurturing relationships is central to a happy homeschoolHow getting clear on your real priorities will help you simplify and do lessThe way comparison–to others, to strangers on Instagram, to public schools–sucks the joy out of our homeschoolsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/five-habits-of-happy-homeschoolers Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

What if I told you there's an Icelandic Christmas tradition where the whole point is to spend an evening sitting around, sipping hot cocoa, and reading books?Sign me up, right?Today, we're talking about Jolabokaflod, which loosely translates to “Yule Book Flood,” how it started, and how you can bring the magic of this bookish tradition into your home this Christmas.In this episode, you'll hear: Where the Icelandic Yule Book Flood first beganHow Jolabokaflod is an invitation to slow down and connect with each other during the busy Christmas seasonThe only three things you need for your Jolabokaflod, plus tips from RAR members on how they celebrate Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/icelandic-christmas Get Christmas SchoolOrder a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

Who is Suzanne?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano is an accomplished leader specializing in guiding organizations within highly regulated and complex industries. With a focus on efficiently managing numerous initiatives, projects, and products, Suzanne excels in promoting services and ensuring their successful execution. Recognizing the challenges posed by limited internal resources, she adeptly maintains organization and drives progress by seamlessly developing and executing both internal and external communications. Her strategic approach and expertise enable leaders to stay on a growth trajectory, hit milestones, and achieve their goals effectively.Key Takeaways00:00 Forethought aids leaders in complex, regulated industries.06:14 Overcoming fear of new initiatives in teams.09:08 Critical free offer differentiates key marketing messages.10:39 Request "magic coffee" session via email now.14:13 Forethought doubled revenue in under 2 yearsFREE MAGIC hour for two senior Executives by emailing (Subject : MAGIC Hour) to info@forethoughtmarketing.com_________________________________________________________________________________________________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 KEYWORDSMagic Hours, regulated industries, marketing strategy, CEO, compliance, legal, healthcare, financial industries, education, internal communications, external communications, growth trajectory, customer support, patient caregivers, new product launch, communication strategy, target audience, operational issues, communication experts, business leaders, scalable business, virtual company, communication challenges, systems and processes, entrepreneurial operating system (EOS), business growth strategy.SPEAKERSJeff Standridge, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:30]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science, 5 questions over coffee. Really glad today that I'm joined by and I'm gonna get this wrong, Suzanne, so apologies. It's it's a tongue twister. Suzanne, Sarsfield Scurano. Did I get it right?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:00:46]:Correct. Thank you, Stewart.Stuart Webb [00:00:48]:First problem solved. Let's let's not do that one again because I should get it wrong next time. But Suzanne is the president and CEO of Forethought Marketing. I'm really excited to have Suzanne here today. She's already just warned me that she's bouncing off the walls with coffee already. I've had some I've had some coffee. So we are gonna have a great time. We're gonna talk about, marketing and how things like magic hours can help you.Stuart Webb [00:01:13]:So, Suzanne, welcome to the podcast. Really looking forward to our conversation, and thank you for spending some time with us.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:01:20]:Thank you for having me. I'm excited to share and and learn from you as well, Stuart.Stuart Webb [00:01:25]:Oh, well, we we try our best. We try that. So, Susan, just let's start by sort of talking about the sort of customer that you you're trying to help. You know, what is the the problem that they've got and how are you sort of addressing that with them?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:01:40]:So at forethought, we're perfectly aligned for leaders in primarily highly regulated and highly complex industries Because these individuals, you often have a plethora of initiatives and projects, products to promote and services to put out there, and keeping all of them on task and ensuring that there are efficiencies can often be one of the challenges. Sometimes there are insufficient resources internally to handle everything that's going on that they're on this growth trajectory for. Maintaining all of the tasks in an organized fashion in order to hit milestones and move forward is a big one. And at the end of the day, it really comes down to seamlessly developing and executing on both internal and external communications.Stuart Webb [00:02:41]:Yeah. And it regulated industries are tough, aren't they? I've done some work with regulated industries and, you know, you can't just say anything you want. Marketing has to be a very controlled and very tightly thought through strategy. You just can't launch into just anything, and that often provides a lot of constraints, but also it adds in many more wheels of sort of, you know, admin before you can actually start doing the marketing that the CEO is often desperate to get out there.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:03:10]:Exactly. We we really pride ourselves on playing well in the sandbox, not just with marketing teams, but with compliance, legal. You know, there's there are many nuances when you're working in health care and financial industries that education where you really wanna make sure that you're doing everything accurately and correctly according to the different regulations out there.Stuart Webb [00:03:33]:Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. So what have you found, Suzanne? Because, obviously, you know, being the expert and being the sort of person that sort of is helping with this. What have you found those leaders have been trying to do and have sort of found themselves unable to execute? And and and where do you sort of really differentiate what you do to help them?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:03:52]:Thank you. First of all, one of the mistakes I see is not prioritizing communications early on. Yeah.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:04:01]:You know,Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:04:01]:as we talked about with compliance, if they're, establishing a new entity within an organization or they're launching a new product, everybody's focused on a lot of the operational issues and thinks, oh, well, we're not ready to communicate just yet. The problem with that is we don't just throw something out there. Right? There's some quite a bit of planning. There's quite a bit of strategy. Having us in those communication early on really supports us in understanding the nuances of what this is gonna be operationally. It helps us understand how customer support or patient, you know, caregivers will be affected by this. The other thing that oftentimes I find leaders lose sight of is stretching our teams too thin. Right? This is new, and there probably are funds allocated for it, but we've got great resources in house, and we have people who understand what we're trying to accomplish, but they may not necessarily be communication experts.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:05:00]:And they may have a lot on their plate already. So we're really stretching them thin. The third thing I find is focusing only on external. Oh, well, when this is up and running, you know, we'll look for the students or we'll let all the clients know. What about our internal teams? It's very important to maintain internal communication in order for our teams to galvanize behind these really imperative initiatives and new business, you know, revenue generators. So how do we include the internal team for communication is critical to the success. And last but certainly not least, probably most importantly, is the idea of not aligning and listening to the point of view of multiple departments. So when an organization is about to embark on a very important new initiative, they may seek the advice of a small group.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:05:56]:It's critical to understand that everybody or various different departments leaders will have points of view that are relevant. And although differing, it's important that we all align on what is the end goal here, and that's where our magic sessions come in. AndStuart Webb [00:06:14]:I'm I'm gonna come back to the magic session in just a minute, but you sparked a whole load of thoughts. I just wanna sort of a very interesting you know, one of the things that I've seen in the past, and as I've done I've done work within regulated industries, you know, teams are often so focused, on business as usual if you like. They're focused on the thing, the initiatives that are already going that when you come along and say there's new initiative, they're almost afraid. They almost don't wanna take it because it's one of those well, as you say, it's it's new. It's something which we haven't done before or this one is gonna be different, and we've got a lot that we wanna avoid. So how do you help them to overcome that sort of, you know, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the new, and push them into that space where where they need to sort of grasp this and take it then once they've got it rolling back into the the the the the the the the new business as usual sort of flow.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:07:06]:That is a great question. You really teed me up perfectly here, Stuart. I love it.Stuart Webb [00:07:12]:We try our best. We really do.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:07:16]:So you're right. A lot of there could be pushback, There could be concerns. There could be just the regular. I've got too many other things to do here. So we like to do is listen. We believe at forethought that 50% of communication is listening. And if we don't take the time upfront on initiative to bring in the appropriate team members and have a session where we can explore and, discuss that which is of fear to them, how can we overcome it? And, I I share this one story. I remember when I first launched forethought about 15 years ago, I was at a health care system, and I had various people in the room.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:07:59]:Amongst them was the CFO and the director of physician relations. Right? So I asked the question about this. We were about to launch a clinically integrated network. And when I asked the question, who is our target audience? Simultaneously, the CFO said the patients, and the director of physician relations said the the physicians. So I said, okay. Great. Let's talk about this. And, clearly, they were both right.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:08:26]:It was a matter of having a conversation together as a team, identifying how we were gonna prioritize these audiences, what the key messages were for them. Right? Had we not had that session and I just came with one specific communication strategy for one of those target audiences, it would have been a failure. So it is important that we overcome these fears, that we share, that we listen, and that we respect everybody's point of view because everybody is bringing something to the table contingent on their roles and responsibilities in the organization. And that that really is key to to this is having a safe space where everybody feels comfortable sharing, chatting, and bringing it up.Stuart Webb [00:09:08]:I love it. I love it. And and I think that really does bring us into the next thing, which is I think you've got a really critical, valuable free offer that you'd like to sort of put out. And I think this is a really good one because for me, you've just given a great illustration, and I've been involved in something like it where I did something with with a with a a supplier of of health care products in this country. And exactly the same thing came up, which is where one person was saying we're talking to the health care providers and one person saying we're focused on the customers, the the end the end clients, the patients. And the and the problem is you need 2 different marketing messages. You need 2 different thing. And it's doing some something like what you're about to tell us about that actually sort of gets you to the point where you recognize that.Stuart Webb [00:09:53]:So tell us about your valuable free offer.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:09:57]:Thank you so much, and thank you for this platform. I think it's important for leaders to share and for us to understand the nuances of each other's businesses so that we can move forward. I've heard some of your other guests' offers, and I love them. So I went out on a limb and I said, we're gonna do a free magic hour. At forethought, when we believe that there is an opportunity for someone to learn and really have a takeaway of what it is that we do, we dedicate 1 hour with only 2 leaders. Right? So often a magic session will involve multiple leaders. And magic is actually an acronym. It stands for marketing alignment, goal implementing collaboration.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:10:33]:That's what it's all about.Stuart Webb [00:10:34]:I want you to put that in uppercase letters, shouldn't I? You'll correct that on the on the notes.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:10:39]:So for your listeners today and leaders out there, if you send us a message at info info at forethoughtmarketing.com, and in the subject, put magic coffee. We would like to know the leader's name, the business URL, so we have some familiarity what industry we're talking about, and a phone number so we can reach out and schedule a magic hour for you. We have several to choose from, so we would have a preliminary conversation to understand what the needs are, whether it is, coming up with more actionable core values, or perhaps you're looking at identifying a sales process, or maybe it is, a little bit more. We would just identify which one fits best your needs and provide you with a magic hour. So if you type in magic coffee in the subject, send us an email with the leader name, business URL, and phone number. We will get that scheduled for you.Stuart Webb [00:11:37]:I will ensure that that is all in the notes so that if anybody hasn't managed to type all of that and write all that down, they will get access to that in the notes. So just to repeat, that is magic coffee to info at forethoughtmarketing.com, and you're just looking for the URL, the name of the, business leaders, and that's 2, I think you've just said. 22 leaders.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:11:57]:Maximum of 2 leaders, and it would be for 1 hour.Stuart Webb [00:12:00]:Mhmm. And 1 hour, and, that's a pretty valuable offer for 2 leaders to get clarity in an hour about what they've tried to do with that. That's that's incredibly valuable. And and thank you, Suzanne, for doing that. So let's just understand a little bit more. Is there a particular book or a course? When you said that you set forethought up 15 years ago, was there something which led you to this? What was the what was the driving force that sort of took you to this?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:12:26]:That's a great question. So it's a two part answer, I guess. Back in the day, I worked at aSuzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:12:33]:traditional is it okay? Do we have a little bit of time? Those who know me know I didn't talk for aStuart Webb [00:12:38]:for a while. What have you got?Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:12:42]:So, I started my career at a traditional advertising agency. That is to say, 28 years ago, right, prior to the digital, the .coms, all this excitement. It was very traditional, and I loved what I did. I love communication. I love meeting with clients. I felt that there was a better way of doing things. And I had this vision where we can sit in a room and have leaders discuss the target audience, who they see themselves as, what benefit they will provide their target audience, and what features do they have to truly collab corroborate those benefits. Right? And that was sort of the beginning of, I see this and I see it differently.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:13:27]:Also, forethought launched as a 100% virtual company in 2009. So I saw the future with a little crystal ball. I said, you know, I feel there's a better way. I shouldn't have to be tethered to a desk and fight traffic and go all the way to this office when I can work from anywhere. I'm going to embrace technology and work from home, have team members who can work from anywhere. Because especially in the creative space, I believe that great ideas don't necessarily come from an office chair or a boardroom. They might might come from a beach chair or a family room. And so since 2009, we had that, and it it was it was just really exciting and different and provided a great space for team members to be truly happy with what they do.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:14:13]:But when you asked me about what is most impactful, so when I launched back in 2009, we were in business for about 12 years, and things were going good. But then, of course, it was after the pandemic, and I said, gosh, my clients are in health care, education, and financial services. We didn't have to pivot. What am I doing right here? What's next? And how can I make the business even more, scalable? So we embarked on EOS. I'm hoping that many of your listeners know about the entrepreneurial operating system that Gino Wickman developed so many years ago, and that made a tremendous impact. Why? Because we were always so focused on our clients and doing such great work for them that we didn't have the systems and the processes in place to take us more scalable. And in less than 2 years, we doubled our revenue with EOS. So it was real it made a huge impact, and we we live and breathe EOS at forethought.Stuart Webb [00:15:12]:Wow. And I do wish more companies like you took on board that message of the fact that it's it's systems processes that actually allow you the time to turn your good work into great work and take you double because I'm working with a number of organizations now that really haven't got that message yet. We're try I'm trying to get to to that message. So I shall have to introduce them more to somebody who's been through the journey of getting processes. Susan, this has been really valuable, and and I and I don't I don't want to sort of miss a great opportunity to get a great question, in. But the trouble is I don't have the last great question. You have the last great question. So I'm gonna turn it over to you.Stuart Webb [00:15:53]:I'm gonna get you to do even more work. What's the question that I should have asked you, which I have now failed to do? And, obviously, once you've asked some question, you need to answer it for us.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:16:05]:Well, I wanna thank you for that question because I think it is very, generous of you and wise, and I appreciate that. What I did in preparation for our show today, I saw that the mission of it's not rocket science is to bring a new idea for building business to growth hungry business leaders and owners who wanna double their profits in under a year.Stuart Webb [00:16:26]:Yeah.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:16:27]:That is a mission. And I did some introspection for myself, and I was like, what did it really take? I think that's a good question to know from someone who's been able to do it. Maybe it wasn't in under a year, but it it's been substantially short in my opinion. And the big takeaway for me was grit. Right? I love that word. It's all about passion and perseverance. And I believe that business owners and leaders, we face so many challenges that it's important for us to have this unyielding courage and this firmness of mind and spirit to get us through those challenging times. For me, I have 5 things that I focus on regularly that I feel your listeners might benefit from.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:17:20]:And the first is limit your negative thoughts and language. Okay? There are words that never come out of my mouth. You would never hear me say something like we can't afford that. Right? I would change and flip that to maybe that'll be in the future. We'll look at this at another time. I'd love to do it. Now is not right. Right? Just just change that psychology in your mind.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:17:41]:Never use anything that's negative. Number 2, stretch your comfort zone. Right? Like our our personal trainers tell us this all the time and we're like, oh no, how much further can we go? But if we get out of our comfort zone, learn a new skill or or a new read a book that you might be something that you're not sure about. Speak with somebody who's taken a lesson that's outside of your industry. Maybe just to, to kind of stretch it. Number 3, take care of yourself. I cannot stress this enough. You know, people burn out so easily.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:18:15]:Like what, what brings you joy? Is it yoga? Is it dancing? Is it gardening? Is it motorcycle riding? Whatever it might be, make sure you are putting yourself first. You cannot help others if you don't put that oxygen mask on you. So take care of yourself, whatever that looks like, nutrition, going to doctor's appointments, getting rest, going to bed early, shutting down the computer, whatever that might be. The 4th one is practice mindfulness.Stuart Webb [00:18:42]:Mhmm.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:18:42]:I meditate every day. You know, being present. When you practice your mindfulness, it supports you for when those unexpected challenges arise. And I can't tell you how valuable it is to have that peace within yourself. And last but not least, as the leader, you are a your people are like a mirror with you. So cultivate hope. Be optimistic. No matter what the situation and we've all been there.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:19:14]:Right? We've all had situations that were very challenging in the career, in the business. But as the leader, it is your most valuable tool with your team to be hopeful, optimistic, and positive to inspire them for the future. You should believe in your soul that you can do it, and you will be able to do it. And those are my my five tips for my grit that has gotten me through the last 15 years.Stuart Webb [00:19:37]:Wow. Fantastic. I and, Susan, I don't know how to finish after those 5 fabulous fabulous messages. In fact, I almost feel bad to start to say what I'm gonna say, but thank you for for bringing bringing such brilliance to that. Listen.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:19:57]:I'm I'm I'mStuart Webb [00:19:58]:I am just gonna just say we have such fantastic guests with such brilliance. I don't know that I can I can top it? If you want to hear more from people like Suzanne, you need to be on our newsletter distribution because then I send you an email, and I tell you who's coming up. And you can get on, and you can watch us live on LinkedIn, and you can comment on this and learn from this. And, to do that, go to this email, which is to go to this website, which is at link.thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward/newsletter. It's a simple form. Fill it out. You will get an email, and you will know about the brilliance that you can hear from people like Suzanne and participate and ask questions and get the sort of wisdom that Suzanne brought to us. Suzanne, I'm a blown away.Stuart Webb [00:20:47]:Thank you so much for those questions. Thank you for everything you've said in the last 5, 5, 10 minutes. It's been it's been so good to hear from you and to hear about what you're doing with forethought, and I really look forward to seeing how it's gonna grow.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:21:01]:Thank you. And, Stuart, thank you for your show. I know it's a lot of work. You're so organized. You've got a great team. I appreciate how smooth it's been. It was really a joy, and thank you for providing this to the community, the business community. We need it.Stuart Webb [00:21:14]:Thank you so much, and we'll see you again soon.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano [00:21:17]:Yes. Bye. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

"Marley was dead, to begin with."That is one of the most famous first lines in English literature. It comes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which is perhaps the greatest Christmas ghost story ever told.What is it that speaks to so many of us about this story of Scrooge and his ghosts?Today I want to talk about what makes this story so beloved and enduring–from its original bestselling release in 1843 through countless adaptations–to the place of fondness and tradition it has in so many of our homes today. In this episode, you'll hear from RAR Premium members; Joe Sutphin, who did the beautiful illustrations for Little Christmas Carol; Samantha Silva, author of Mr. Dickens and His Carol; and some RAR kids on the lasting impact of Dickens's tale and what they love so much about A Christmas Carol.In this episode, you'll hear: Why we love A Christmas Carol as a read-aloud for the whole familyHow Joe Sutphin illustrated and populated Scrooge's world for Little Christmas CarolThe real backstory of why Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, which inspired Samantha Silva's novelLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/all-about-a-christmas-carol Get Christmas SchoolOrder a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

How do you know a good book when you see it?I remember walking into the big, beautiful children's section at the library with my oldest, who was a baby. I wanted to find books to read aloud to her, but it was hard to know which ones we would love. That longing to find good books for my children was the spark that eventually became the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and RAR Premium community, where we're always trying to find and share the very best books to read aloud with your family.Today, RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis joins me to chat about how we select the books for our booklists here at Read-Aloud Revival. We're also going to share our best advice for being more confident in choosing books to bring into your home, whether it's at the bookstore or the library.In this episode, you'll hear: How our booklists can help you choose quality books to share with your familyThree quick questions to help you decide if a book is worth a longer lookThe qualities we look for in books we recommendLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-we-choose-books Get Christmas SchoolOrder a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

Who is Jeff?Jeff Standridge is a seasoned business strategist and consultant with a strong focus on innovation and strategic growth. He is the founder of a company that serves two distinct customer segments - startups in the state of Arkansas, and larger companies worldwide. With sponsored funding from the federal and state government, he provides resources and support to startups in Arkansas. For larger companies, he helps them challenge the status quo through innovation exercises and assists in creating and implementing strategic growth plans. Standridge is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes achieve their goals and drive success.Key Takeaways00:00 We serve startup and larger company markets.03:42 Transformed insurance group achieved significant growth.09:25 Team commitment, empowering communication, accountability, organizational agility.13:26 Subscribe for podcast updates, transcripts, and resources.Some free resources at https://jeffstandridge.com/free-resources_________________________________________________________________________________________________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 KEYWORDSInnovation Junkie, strategic growth, business operation, start up segment, larger companies, federal government, state government, revenue growth, profit growth, business growth, sustained growth, systematic approach, growth plan, strategic planning, cultural fit, accountability, leadership, organizational behavior, mergers and acquisitions, global operations, organizational success, corporate troubleshooting, organizational agility, business owners.SPEAKERSJeff Standridge, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:22]:Hi and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science 5 questions of a coffee. Get my hand into the camera properly so you can see the 5 questions. I'm Stuart Webb, the the host, and I'm here today with Jeff Standridge. Jeff is an Innovation Junkie. He's founder of Innovation Junkie. He's helping his customers to to be more innovative and to help them to produce innovation in their businesses. I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Welcome to, It's Not Rocket Science 5 of question 5 Questions Over Coffee.Stuart Webb [00:00:54]:Jeff, I hope you're there with a drink in front of you.Jeff Standridge [00:00:56]:Yes. Thank you so much, Stuart. It's great to be here today. I appreciate it.Stuart Webb [00:01:00]:No problem. So, Jeff, tell me a little bit about, the sort of customers you help and how you help them to be more innovative, but how you also help them to sort of, you know, standardize that as part of their business operation?Jeff Standridge [00:01:13]:Sure. So we we actually serve 2 different segments of of, customers. 1 is the start up segment, and and we do that in a specific geography, the state of Arkansas, within the United States because we have sponsored funding to be able to provide that, that types of resource to them, funded for federal government and the state government, to be able to provide that kinds of work. We work with larger companies, call it 5,000,000 to 500,000,000 independent of location all around the world, and we help them challenge the status quo through some very focused innovation exercises, but also to help them build out a a, strategic growth plan and implement a system around the actual execution of that plan.Stuart Webb [00:01:59]:Mhmm. Mhmm. And and what are the things that some of your customers I mean, let's let's look at those those people that you have to to challenge the standard, the the status quo at the moment, Jeff. What is it they tried before which which maybe hasn't worked and that you bring as a different way of thinking to them and make them, look at things in a different way?Jeff Standridge [00:02:21]:Well, generally, you know, everyone says they want to grow, and they either wanna grow their revenue or they wanna grow their profit or they wanna grow their cash flow. But many times, they don't have a system to actually execute on that growth. And and so that's one of the challenges is is they wanna generate sustained growth, but they don't they don't really know where to start.Stuart Webb [00:02:43]:Yeah. It's often a problem, isn't it? I do a a lot of that sort of work with customers as well, and, not only do they not know where to where to start, but but some of them have this belief that somehow it's it's it's magic. It just happens when it happens, and and, actually, it it it doesn't just happen when it happens. You have to be systematic about it, don't you?Jeff Standridge [00:03:02]:You you absolutely do have to be systematic, and and, you know, if if we're not planning for that growth, the likelihood that we're gonna be successful in spite of ourselves is not very great.Stuart Webb [00:03:13]:Yeah. Deliberate deliberate strategic action is is really important, isn't it?Jeff Standridge [00:03:18]:For sure. For sure.Stuart Webb [00:03:20]:And and sometimes that deliberate deliberate action is is very often sort of founded on people sort of maybe not knowing where they're going, but deciding they're gonna go somewhere anyway.Jeff Standridge [00:03:33]:That's right. I completely agree with you.Stuart Webb [00:03:35]:Can you can you give us an example of somebody you've helped to, who's been in that situation and how you've how you've helped to move them forward?Jeff Standridge [00:03:42]:Sure. So, worked with an insurance group, an insurance agency, and, independent agency representing multiple insurance carriers. I actually became an investor in this group. And, you know, the the organization had been in existence for over a decade, when we first started working with them, and, but they really haven't hadn't hadn't grown. They were really just paying the bills, paying the people, and continuing to kinda trade sideways, so to speak. We implemented a strategic growth system with them, and, they now have 3 locations. They're growing at double digits. They own the real estate under all three of those locations, and they also just over the course of the last, oh, I don't know, probably 2 years, they have been able to transform their employment environment such that they've got, multiple top talent in the industry coming to them saying, I wanna go to work for you.Stuart Webb [00:04:38]:Yeah. And that's a really important part of anybody's growth strategy, isn't it? It's having access to those people that are gonna help you to grow. They've got the behaviors that have got the got the the the the attitude. And I often think that's one of the things that as business owners, we fail to do often. We we hire for skill, whereas we should be hiring for attitude and behaviorJeff Standridge [00:04:59]:That's right.Stuart Webb [00:05:00]:And training and for skill because skill can be taught, but behaviors, attitudes can't be taught that easily.Jeff Standridge [00:05:06]:You know, it's interesting. Jack Welch, who who headed up GE a number of years ago, said that if you've got someone who is a cultural fit for the organization, but they're struggling to be successful, then you probably have the wrong combination of skills and job role. But if you've got someone who is successful in their job, but they're a cultural mismatch, you never should have hired them in the 1st place, and you're gonna have to get rid of them because they'll go bad at point, and they'll take a lot of people with them.Stuart Webb [00:05:34]:Yeah. Yeah. You're absolutely and and he was a he was a great he was a great thinker in that way. So, Jeff, I I know and I'm hoping that I've got this right. You've got some you've got some great resources that we can pull up on. So so talk to us a little bit about some of that free resource that we can get. And I'm gonna put the link here at the moment, and it's it's just simply your name, Jeff standridge.com/freehyphenresources. To to tell us a little bit about what we can Yeah.Jeff Standridge [00:06:00]:So we'veStuart Webb [00:06:00]:got aJeff Standridge [00:06:00]:get there and howStuart Webb [00:06:01]:to use that.Jeff Standridge [00:06:02]:We've got a description of our strategic growth system there, and, and they can download the the the strategic growth system that we use with clients, that to really take them from where they are to where they ultimately wanna go. It's not just a planning document. It's an actual implementation of a system. It systematizes the execution against that strategic growth. Be glad for them to pick that up.Stuart Webb [00:06:24]:Terrific. Jeff, there there must have been something in terms of a a course, or or something which started you down this journey. What was that what was that that that course or that journey that actually sort of made you realize that you could help companies become more strategic about their innovation and about their growth?Jeff Standridge [00:06:45]:You know, years ago, I read a book by Jim Collins called Good to Great.Stuart Webb [00:06:49]:Oh, great book.Jeff Standridge [00:06:51]:That book, Good to Great, and the the rigor of the research behind that book, was really impactful to me. So I, you know, I have an, a a doctorate in in leadership and organizational behavior, and and, and so I kinda come at things a little bit academically or I used to, not so much anymore. But the the the science behind his research really, really impressed me, and, and so, I began implementing some of those things in the in the work that I do. And, over the years, it kind of evolved. You know, 25 years of doing mergers and acquisitions and running global operations, for a publicly traded US technology company in the UK, across Europe, and Asia, the Middle East, etcetera. And, you know, just I decided about 8 years ago that I'd spent the first half of my life making a living. I wanted to spend the second half making a difference, and so I stepped out on my 50th birthday to do what I do today and have it looked back one day.Stuart Webb [00:07:50]:That's brilliant. I love I love that. And it really takes me to what I think is probably the best and last question that I can ask you, and that is, what's the question I've currently failed to ask you to now that mess must be the burning one that you think I just need to get this out of? So what is the question that I should have asked you? And, obviously, once I've asked you that question, you really do need to answer it.Jeff Standridge [00:08:14]:Sure. So, you know, what are the patterns that you see in organizations that do achieve sustained strategic growth? So that's the question that that, I would say that that we should have asked. And we talked a little bit about culture a few moments ago. And one of the things I've had the privilege of doing is working with with hundreds of companies over the years. And my my colleagues and I have identified 6 specific components that organizations that do achieve sustained strategic growth demonstrate, and those components really we've organized those into a framework we call the culture of excellence. You wanna hear about them?Stuart Webb [00:08:51]:I certainly do. I was hoping that you were gonna say that.Jeff Standridge [00:08:54]:Very good. Very good. You know, it starts with strong leadership. Strong leaders, a team of strong leaders who are committed to the direction of the company, who are committed to systematizing the actual strategic growth plan that they have, and who are committed to surrounding themselves with people who are also bought into that direction. Yeah. Number 2, they ensure clarity and focus in the organization. Yeah. They know precisely where they're going, who they are, where they're going, how they're going to get there, and they make sure that their employees also understand how they contribute to that direction.Jeff Standridge [00:09:25]:They surround themselves with engaged and committed teammates, and and number 4 is they engage in empowering communication. Empowering communication is communication that helps people become the word empower stronger and more confident in dealing with the circumstances they're facing. So they may have to have tough conversations, but they don't stop just at tough. After they have the tough conversation, they then try to convert that conversation into helping someone feel stronger and more confident in dealing with how to move forward. The 5th element is 100% accountability. In other in other words, everyone knows what they're responsible for, and they are 100% held accountable and submit themselves to being held accountable to deliver it. And then finally, the last item, really comes from a a, comment by the great management philosopher, Mike Tyson, who said everybody has a plan until I punch him in the mouth. Organizational agility is the 6th element of a culture of excellence where an organization can be knocked down, but they can get up more times than they've been knocked to the mat.Stuart Webb [00:10:29]:Jeff, those are some really powerful messages there. I mean, the those six things are I absolutely identify with those. The the number of organizations that I've come across who, you know, the the leadership might wanna sort of embed a culture of of excellence, but when it comes to the accountability, they shrink away. It just destroys everything unless you have all of those 6, and I think you're absolutely right. Although, I must admit, I use a different planning, a a plan which is no no plan survives for his contact with the enemy, which I guess is what Mike Tyson is telling us.Jeff Standridge [00:11:03]:That's exactly right.Stuart Webb [00:11:05]:But, you know, it's that accountability and clarity and communication. And those are the things that I've always thought are absolutely critical to every organization. And unless you get accountability, clarity, and communication, no plan is ever gonna work and nobody's ever gonna be agile because nobody's gonna tell you something's gone wrong, and you're gonna carry on working as if everything was okay. That's the secret to organizational success, isn't it?Jeff Standridge [00:11:29]:It really is. And and, a lot of leaders make a mistake of assuming that clarity exists in the organization.Stuart Webb [00:11:36]:Yeah. They do. They do. I spent a lot of time, like you in sort of corporate troubleshooting, and nearly every organization I walked into to try and understand where things have gone wrong, somebody somewhere hadn't been clear. Somebody somewhere hadn't told somebody else what was wrong. And as a result, somebody was either not being held accountable for something or being held accountable for something where the planner drastically changed and nobody could work out what was going on. And in every single case, all that needed to start the process was for somebody to actually start the well, can we be clear about what we're trying to do? And it's those conversations which eventually lead to great growth and great innovation, isn't it?Jeff Standridge [00:12:19]:Yeah. I've, you know, I've seen so many times where someone came up with a great idea in an organization, and and they rallied throngs of people around that idea to try to implement it. And no one took the no one took the step to say, what's the problem we're trying to solve here, or what's the opportunity we're trying to seize? And and and if they did answer that, they didn't really try to quantify it to see if it was going to be worth the effort.Stuart Webb [00:12:43]:Yeah. Absolutely. Oh, I love that. Jeff, we could and probably should spend many, many hours talking about this, but I have a feeling that, business owners need to actually just go back and reflect upon some of this. And then, obviously, they can go back to jeffstandridge.comhyphen sorry, slash free hyphen resource, resources and pull that information down to start doing that. And, obviously, we'd we'd welcome further conversations from anybody who's watching at the moment that wants to actually sort of get in and understand how that, that their organization can take advantage of some of those resources to grow. Jeff, thank you so much for spending just a few minutes with us talking us through that stuff. It's been brilliant.Stuart Webb [00:13:26]:I just wanna just point us towards one thing. If if you want to get on to the, the mailing list, which allows us to tell you about when we have such brilliant guests like Jeff coming up and to, to make sure that you can get the transcript that's gonna be coming out of this podcast, in the future, please go to this link, which is httpscolonforward/forward/link.thecompleteapproach.co.ukforward/newsletter. Get on to that. You will then get notification of when this comes out as a transcript. You can read some of the great stuff that Jeff's just given us. You can find out once again where that resource is and go to that resource and pull it down and read some of the great ideas that Jeff has got. Jeff, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. Really appreciate you spending a few minutes today, and I sincerely hope that we've got a few people out there that have rethought what they're trying to do with their business because they haven't got clarity or they're not holding somebody accountable for something which has gone wrong in the organization.Jeff Standridge [00:14:27]:I appreciate it, Stuart. It's been a pleasure. And if any of them wanna reach out to me, I'm very active on LinkedIn as well. So thank you so much. It's been an honor.Stuart Webb [00:14:35]:I will make sure that we get that LinkedIn, that LinkedIn that the LinkedIn link. Yeah. I think that's a word. Yeah. That LinkedIn link in the in the show notes. Jeff, thank you very much.Jeff Standridge [00:14:45]:Yes, sir. Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

A library should be a kind of paradise, don't you agree? Author and illustrator Barbara Cooney certainly thought so. Barbara Cooney was an extraordinary author and illustrator of over 100 children's books with stories that span the world, from the shores of Greece to the mountains of Appalachia. The more I learned about Barbara, the more I wanted to tell the story of this beautiful artist who, in every aspect of her life–from raising four children to traveling to gardening to winning awards for her illustrations–was committed to capturing the beauty in (and for!) the world.Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World has been nearly six years in the making. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the team that made it happen, from the very first draft to the final, beautiful book you'll hold in your hands.In this episode, you'll hear: The many drafts, revisions, critiques, and edits that brought me to the throughline of Barbara's wonderfully full and creative lifeHow the art team took on the daunting task of styling and illustrating the book to echo Barbara's style without directly imitating itHow sound design and animation bring the audio and video books to life Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/making-because-barbara Order a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

Raising creative kids is a beautiful, worthwhile endeavor, but not one that is always neat and tidy! In today's episode, I've invited two of my good friends and fellow creatives—authors S. D. Smith and Carolyn Leiloglou—for a conversation on how our creative work as adults impacts our kids. We discuss everything from the challenges of nurturing creativity in our families to the influence of stories on our hearts and minds.  S. D. Smith is the author of the wildly popular and perennial Let the Kids Speak favorite Green Ember series and is a father to four imaginative children. Carolyn Leiloglou is the author of the middle-grade fantasy series The Restorationists and a homeschool mom to four creative kids.In this episode, you'll hear: How connecting with the wonder in our kids fuels and enhances creativityThe value of boredom (a best-kept creative secret!) The nuances of how we measure creative successLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/fostering-wonder-and-creativity 

What if I told you that your homeschool could be relaxed, bookish, and ordinary? If you're anything like me, that's music to your ears. Our kids thrive–and we do too–when our day-to-day homeschool is relaxed, bookish, and ordinary. In fact, that's what over 726 experienced homeschool moms told me were the three most important qualities. Today, I'm sharing a recording from a session I did at a series of homeschool conferences  earlier this year called “Relaxed, Bookish, and Ordinary”.If you're hoping that your homeschool can be any or all of those things, listen in–I bet you're closer to it than you think.In this episode, you'll hear: How a relaxed approach impacts your child's ability to learn and your peace as a homeschoolerThe academic, personal, and relationship benefits of having a bookish homeschoolWhy you don't need to strive for an extraordinary homeschool to do it wellLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/relaxed-bookish-ordinary Order a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

What if we get it right? That's today's big question, and my returning guest is Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist. She is a policy expert, a writer, and a teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She co-founded and leads the Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College.Ayana authored the forthcoming book, What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures, co-edited the best selling climate anthology, All We Can Save, and co-created and co-hosted the Spotify slash Gimlet podcast, How to Save a Planet. Lastly, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean, what an idea, into climate policy.This is a special one for me. Ayana was guest number seven or eight on the show a long time ago. She took a chance on us. And almost 200 episodes later, a pandemic later, a few degrees of warming later, a lot has changed.But Ayana's passion for nature, her influence on U.S. and global policy and our one wonderful habitable planet has not. I am such a huge fan of hers, and I am so thankful she came back to spend time with us. If you have been trying to find your way into this whole thing, today just might be your day.-----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.-----------INI Book Club:What If We Get It Right by Ayana Elizabeth JohnsonAll We Can Save by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine WilkinsonFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Subscribe to Ayana's What If We Get It Right? newsletterFind climate action resources to pair with What If We Get It Right?Join and donate to the All We Can Save ProjectDonate and check out the Resource Hub at Urban Ocean LabKeep up with more of Ayana's workFollow us:Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGet our merchFollow us on Twitter:...

Which of these two activities would be easier for you? Describe the best life you could achieve over the next twenty years.Describe the best things that have happened to you over the past twenty years.I know that as a busy wife and mama, dreaming for the future can feel daunting. As I was reading Jon Acuff's book, All It Takes Is a Goal this summer, I was struck by how this exercise can shift our perspectives as homeschool mamas and mentors of our children. In today's episode, New York Times bestselling author and speaker Jon Acuff is joining me to discuss how to actually achieve those goals amidst the busyness of daily life (hint: you're probably already doing more than you think!). We'll also chat about the book he wrote with his teenage daughters, How Teens Win: The Student's Guide to Accomplishing Big Goals, which comes out September 10, 2024.In this episode, you'll hear: How looking back at our best moments, big and small, can help us create a vision for the futureWhy it's okay that your imagination for your kids is bigger than your calendarHow auditioning small goals helps you successfully transition from optimism and realism for yourself and your kidsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/best-moments-in-homeschooling Get a free sample of RAR Premium: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample

Do you have a child who dreams of being a writer? Or maybe it's your dream? How do you support those dreams and foster creativity while also raising kids and running a household?Today, I'm delighted to welcome back author Laura Martin, who's giving us her very best advice for how to nurture your child's creative dreams and your own.Laura Martin is the author of some of my very favorite page-turners for kids, including The Edge of Extinction series and Glitch, and she has a new book out, Wander Lost, that I know you'll love too. We talk about the importance of capturing ideas as they come, what creative writing curriculum gets wrong about being a writer, and lots more.In this episode, you'll hear: Why Laura says that ideas are like lightning bugsHow Laura nurtures her daughter's creativity with time, space, and access to materialsHow Laura honed in on what she needs in order to write while juggling four childrenLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/nurturing-creative-dreams Get a free sample of RAR Premium: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample

We recently took a poll in RAR Premium about favorite reading genres, and it turns out that historical fiction isn't just my favorite genre, but it's the favorite of many of you as well.Today, I've invited historical fiction lover and award-winning author Anna Rose Johnson to join me to discuss just what it is about historical fiction that draws us in. We're also chatting about the inspiration for her stories, her research process, and what her parents did to support her as a budding writer. In turn, she shares a ton of recommendations for her favorite historical fiction for young readers.In this episode, you'll hear: How historical fiction sweeps readers through a portal to another worldHow Anna Rose breaks down her research process into stages so it doesn't get overwhelmingHow re-reading helped Anna Rose develop her ear and voice as a writerLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/why-we-love-historical-fiction/

The Circle with Sarah Retreat begins August 2nd. Join us!If you're a homeschooling mom, chances are good that you're familiar with Sally Clarkson. She is one of the most beloved names in homeschooling worldwide, and it's no wonder why. She homeschooled her own four kids to adulthood and has been writing and encouraging homeschool moms for decades. She also happens to be one of our most frequently requested guests here at Read-Aloud Revival.So we have a treat for you today! A few years back, Sally Clarkson joined us in RAR Premium and shared the advice she wished she could have given to her younger self. With the gifts of hindsight and experience, she tells us what she would have said if she could rewind the clock and whisper a few sage words to her younger self. She even broke it down into the advice she wishes she'd had at different phases of parenting and homeschooling! Now we're sharing her valuable wisdom with all of you.In this episode, you'll hear: Why you and your unique gifts and skills are the most essential part of your homeschoolThe key to a successful homeschool experience (hint: it's all about you, mama!) How to cultivate trusting, open relationships with your teenagers that will get them through the hard timesLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/advice-to-younger-self

In the last couple of episodes, we've discussed the importance of fairy tales, especially in the development of the hearts and minds of our children.And you might be wondering . . . now that you know about the Gospel connections and symbolism of fairy tales, do you need to dissect every story and present all of the details to your kids?Experts say no. But it can be incredibly edifying for you as an adult!Today, we'll discuss how to bring these “truer than true” stories into your kids' lives and how deepening our own understanding of their symbolism and meaning enriches our reading lives too.In this episode, you'll hear: Why your children don't need you to point out the deeper meanings and connections in fairy talesHow fairy tales provide us an opportunity to shape our child's lovesWhy simply reading fairy tales aloud to your kids is enoughLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/how-fairy-tales/

Join us this week as we sit down with Betsey from @HerAlaskaTravels to chat about Alaska Airlines. We cover topics like achieving status, finding award sweet spots, and maximizing your points by flying partner airlines. Betsey also shares her incredible life story, from flying as an unaccompanied minor at age five to working in the Alaska oil fields as an adult. If you're interested in visiting Alaska, Betsey offers invaluable tips and tricks for touring her beautiful home state. This episode is packed with insights from a fascinating and inspiring woman. Don't miss it!Join our Facebook CommunitySign up for our newsletterFind us on Instagram:Podcast InstagramJoMary EllenBetseyMentioned In This Episode@Emilyeatsandexplores@Onegirlwandering@SologirlstravelguideAlaska Airlines Partner ListAlaska Tour SaverReferral LinksWorld of Hyatt Business Credit CardSouthwest Airlines Credit CardChase Sapphire Preferred or ReserveChase Ink CardsVenture X CardAmex GoldAMEX Platinum

On today's episode we sit down with Ben from @BensBigDeal to chat about how American Airlines status program stands apart from all others. For example, you don't even have to FLY on an AA flight before you can earn top tier status! Using tools like the AA Advantage Shopping and Hotel Portals can help you travel like an elite. We learned so many fascinating details about Ben and his background and how he became the points and miles guru that he is today. We can't wait for you to listen to this episode and learn more about the American Airlines program. Join our Facebook CommunitySign up for our newsletterFind us on Instagram:Podcast InstagramJoMary EllenBenMentioned In This EpisodeBen's WebsiteBen's PodcastFind Flights For MeThe Miles CouplePoint and Miles DocReferral LinksWorld of Hyatt Business Credit CardSouthwest Airlines Credit CardChase Sapphire Preferred or ReserveChase Ink CardsVenture X CardAmex GoldAMEX Platinum

How can our families cultivate healthy relationships with technology? We're all trying to impose limits on how, when, and why our kids interact with technology. But in our increasingly tech-driven world, it can be hard to navigate.Writer Erin Loechner is joining me on the podcast to discuss her new book, The Opt-Out Family, and to offer her life-giving take on building lasting connections with your kids. We discuss everything from the importance of boredom to Erin's practical and easy-to-implement advice for becoming unplugged. I hope this conversation leaves you inspired to pursue a life less documented and more delightful!In this episode, you'll hear: What we can learn from tech about capturing our kids' attention Why our kids need more space for curiosity, wonder, and boredom (and how our phones tend to get in the way)Why you don't have to be all-or-nothing with technology Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/opt-out-family/

Fairy tales are the stories that shape so many of our childhoods, but they are more than just whimsical tales for children.They can hold deep, gospel truth and offer profound insight into the Christian life. They have the power to inspire hope, ignite courage, and spark delight in not only our children, but in us, too. Fairy tales aren't merely stories, they're vessels of light in our modern world. They have the capacity to become companions to us, to buoy us along the journey. In today's show, I talk about why fairy tales are worth sharing with our families, as they shape our understanding of the world and our own part in it. Don't miss our brand-new fairy tale book list! Text “fairytale” to 337777 or visit readaloudrevival.com/243 to see the lists. (They're separated by age groups, and there's something for everyone!) In this episode, you'll hear: What makes fairy tales “truer than true” How fairy tales teach children about hope and confronting fearsWhy you probably need to worry less about “the weird stuff” than you think, and trust your gut on what your child is ready forLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/why-fairy-tales/

A picture book is an art gallery for the lap.

Are you intimidated by the thought of teaching Shakespeare? You're not alone. A lot of people struggle to connect to Shakespeare's work, even if they really want their kids to be familiar with his plays. What if I told you there's a way to make teaching Shakespeare to your kids enjoyable for them……AND delightful for you? In today's episode, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, argues that the reason so many of us feel like we don't get Shakespeare is because people don't know why (or how!) to teach it. But figuring out how to teach Shakespeare well is worth it, because not only was he groundbreaking in his time, but he has so much to teach us about what it means to be human. Don't miss this replay of our live conversation where Ken shares all his best tips on teaching Shakespeare to your kids and answers audience questions. Plus, Sarah shares her favorite resources for helping kids get excited about Shakespeare. In this episode, you'll hear: How to break down passages for young kids one at a timeIs it possible to teach Shakespeare with a wide range of ages?What do we do with Shakespeare's—ahem—thornier content? (After all, there is a lot of it)Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-teach-shakespeare Join Sarah for the FREE Workshop: 3 Simple Steps to A Fairy Tale Summer

Can you believe it? The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast is ten years old!!That means it's time for a party!

When you hear the name Max Lucado, what comes to mind for you?Max Lucado is best known as a pastor, speaker, best-selling inspirational author, and, in many Christian families, he's a household name.His books are written for everyone—especially those who are hurting, lonely, and discouraged. In his writing, he constantly points his readers back to the truth: that God loves you and you should let Him love you. Max is also an author of children's books, several of which are favorites around here.

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more time to read?  Oh, every day? (Yeah, we get that.)We're pretty confident that every mom wishes she had more time to read. Carving out a little time to enjoy your own reading life is worthwhile, even in those seasons when you think it's impossible. (Sarah has six kids, and when three of them were babies age one and under, it definitely felt like an impossible season!)But reading makes us better humans, better mamas, and better women. It also makes us happier. And that matters. Why? Because the key to a successful homeschool is a peaceful, happy mother. When you know you can count on your reading life to be a source of joy and refreshment regardless of how tough the day is, you just might find yourself being a little happier. A little lighter. A little more joyful.On today's show, we're talking about how to make time for your own reading life, even when it feels like you don't have five minutes to spare. Listen in for:Ideas for sneaking in time to read (even on your busiest days)How to make the most of surprise pockets of timeStrategies for handling interruptions, prioritizing your reading, and finding time to pick up a book even when you're exhaustedLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/make-time-for-reading Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample

We all want our kids to read, right?If you're listening to this podcast, it's probably safe to say that you want your kids to grow up to read more often than the average adult does. We want them to be lifelong learners and avid readers who read for pleasure.So it's worth considering how we can cultivate the habits of real adult readers in our kids so that they grow up to be the readers we want them to be. And it turns out some of those skills are actually in direct opposition to how we tend to approach reading with our kids.In this episode, you'll hear: How choosing what to read is a skill you can help your kids developEight habits of avid adult readersPractical tips for cultivating the skills of adult readers in your kidsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/lifelong-reading-habits Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample

This year at Read Aloud Revival, we're focusing on reading for joy.It's so easy for reading to become another thing on your to-do list, but when we make reading a source of joy, of respite from our busy lives, it's like running into a clear creek on a hot, dusty hike. Nurturing your reading life nurtures you, which in turn helps us be better moms, better homeschoolers, better parents, better women.Today I'm joined by Jennifer Pepito, creator of The Peaceful Press, which offers fabulous curriculum for homeschoolers, and she is the author of our spring RAR Premium Mama Book Club pick, Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy.In this episode, you'll hear: How fiction can teach us as much about parenting our kids as a bevy of parenting manualsWhy connecting with your kids is the heart of homeschoolingFinding the balance between giving your all to mothering and letting go of the outcomesLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-books-make-us-better-moms