Flying Solo

While the idea of networking might set many of us a-quiver, our next guest is here to tell you it’s time you expand your horizons and take the leap.Shivani Gopal has spent the last six years perfecting successful mentoring programs for women in business via The Remarkable Woman. And in 2022 she pivoted her database of 25,000 women to a new digital mentor marketplace, Elladex. It’s  a super-app, which combines the latest in data-matching and machine learning technology to create tailored education programs for women at all professional levels.If you’ve yet to make mentoring and networking part of your life – Shivani is here to explain why it’s an essential part of business growth for all business owners.Episode notesIn this episode Shivani unpacks: 1:50 – How being dismissed as ‘too young and pretty’ was a career catalyst 5:15 – The birth of the Elladex networking and mentoring platform 8:55 – Helping women invest in themselves for success 11:00 – The power of networking and mentoring for small and solo businesses 14:00 – How everyday learning helps you get ahead 16:40 – The importance of social interaction for isolated business owners 18:35 – Ditch the to-do list and make a ‘joy list’ instead 20:40 – What if your mentor is not a great fit? 24:35 – Addressing your weaknesses to play to your strengths 26:15 – Where to find mentors and networks in real life, not just online 28:05 – Top tips for making networking a success 32:10 – Why you should surround yourself with a community 35:45 – How to be the driver of your own success 38:20 – The truth about imposter syndrome 40:50 – How to reach out to a potential mentor or network connection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are struggling with exhaustion or overwhelm and wanna kiss that feeling goodbye, today's guest, Vesna Hrsto may have the answer. Vesna is a naturopath, executive wellbeing coach and mind-body peak performance specialist.Over the past decade, she's helped thousands of business owners improve their health and wellbeing so that they can do their greatest work and live a fulfilling life. Vesna joins us today to provide some fantastic advice on how to say bye-bye to burnout and hello to your best life.Episode notes: 1:15 – Vesna’s early naturopath business journey 2:00 – Hitting burnout as a young entrepreneur 5:07 – Tips to build resilience 7:42 – Taking control of your nutrition 9:10 – From naturopath to executive coach 10:33 – The power of the mind to overcome stress 13:40 – Balancing work and life 16:00 – What’s driving the epidemic of stress 18:30 – Early warning signs of burnout 21:15 – First steps to take if you’re burnt out 23:00 – The importance of good sleep 25:10 – Morning routine tips to start the day refreshed 27:00 – How hormone imbalances affect stress levels 28:45 – How to stop burnout recurring Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know that keeping up with the latest marketing trends is a small business essential, and today’s guest has got you covered.Tom Willis is the chief marketing officer and co-founder of Lawpath. He’s also the founder of Marketing Trends – an agency that specialises in keeping the industry informed on the latest fads. And he’s spent most of the past decade helping upskill Australia’s marketers and business owners on digital marketing as a lecturer at General Assembly. He joins us today to reveal the must-know marketing trends of 2023 and his top tips for small business owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn Donovan is a legend in the small business sector. She’s the host of a slew of brilliant small business podcasts – Stories from the Bush, Small Business Made Simple and Along the Murray as well as being the founder of Social Media and Marketing Australia. She also founded Buy from a Bush Business and is the cofounder of regional and rural business marketplace, spendwithus.com.au.But she’s not here to talk about any of that today. Today, Jenn will be giving us the lowdown on the findings of the Big Small Business Survey.Episode notes: 00:56 The idea behind the Big Small Business survey 03:12 How small business has changed since the pandemic 04:25 Initial findings from the survey 04:50 How to grow in the current economy 07:27 Small business and mental health challenges 11:26 Mental health and regional businesses 16:15 Money matters; regional versus city businesses 17:21 Small business and marketing spend 22:04 The impact of technology on business 28:39 Small business and cash flow challenges Want to learn more about the state of play of small biz? Download the report: https://bit.ly/SurveyReport2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Téa Angelos is the founder and CEO of Smart Women Society (SWS), one of the world’s largest and fastest growing online education platforms helping a community of literally hundreds of thousands of women get smarter with their money, careers, wellbeing and love lives.She’s also the author of the new book, Smart Moves which dishes up actionable tools to help you navigate all areas of your life. She joins us today to share her top hacks for business and life.Episode notesIn this episode, Téa unpacks: 5:22 - Taking Smart Women Society from side hustle to full fledged business. 6:40 - How influencers helped grow the business 7:30 - Empowering women in business 9:07 - What international women’s day means 9:52 - The role of mentors and mentorship to success 10:50 - Writing Smart Moves 11:50 - Re-evaluating your life and career 12: 39 - Understanding your relationship with money 14:40 - The importance of why to goal-setting 15: 35 - Having an accountability buddy 16:47 - Understanding your money beliefs 18:27 - Communicating about money habits 20:27 - What to do if you are at a career stalemate 22:18 - When to make the leap from side hustler to business owner 25:07 - Managing burnout 27:15 - Letting go of control and outsourcing 30:46 - Take action … Messy action is better than no action! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re feeling crazy-busy, stressed or overwhelmed then my next guest may be able to help. Melo Calarco is a renowned mindfulness and performance coach who teaches others how to stay energised, perform their best, and conquer burnout.With over three decades experience, his results-based work is grounded in neuroscience, mindfulness, human behaviour, leadership training and other unique tools to help his clients find self-awareness, clarity, focus and ultimately, success. Melo’s lessons also uniquely draw on his life of cycling and trekking more than 30,000 kilometres across five continents.He joins us on Flying Solo today to share his top advice to set your mind right for success. Episode notesIn this episode, Melo unpacks: Caught in a cyclone: How meditation saved Melo’s life (2m50s) The science behind mindfulness and meditation (5m45s) Melo’s book: Beating Burnout, Finding Balance (8m35s) How self-awareness helps defeat burnout – signs and symptoms to watch for (11m) Everyday mindfulness practices to calm and focus your mind (15m45s) The importance of making self-care non-negotiable (20m15s) Techniques for silencing negative thoughts and anxiety (27m) Mindset tips to help you be ready for success and opportunity (29m50s) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hemi Hossain is a sought-after business coach, digital entrepreneur, international speaker, author, investor and Best Business Award winner.Hemi’s passionate about helping people make the leap to entrepreneurship, and he’s recently put all his advice into a new book called Fire Your Boss, which chronicles how you can go from day-job-side-hustler to digital entrepreneur. He joins us today to share some of the lessons he’s learned along his entrepreneurial journey and his best advice for anyone hoping to go into business for themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natasha McNamara is a vocal coach and communication specialist who assists everyone from politicians and CEOs to business leaders and small business owners to communicate more effectively.Whether it’s tackling a difficult conversation, learning how to present with more confidence or understanding the importance of active listening … Tash has can teach you the communication skills you need to succeed.She joins us today to share some of her secrets …Episode notesIn this episode Natasha unpacks: How the pandemic has impacted our communication skills (1m30s) The importance of active listening and soft skills (5m10s) Presentation skills – preparation + storytelling (7m50s) Difficult conversations – creating a safe space (13m40s) Tips to become a more active listener (19m30s) The power of building rapport (23m) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Christie is on a mission to change how people think about time. As one of Australia’s leading time management experts, she knows just what it takes to get the most out of your day.With small business owners being amongst the most time stressed in the country, Kate has some great advice for setting up good habits to make the most of the year ahead. Her timely advice will help you understand how to successfully prioritise your time.Episode notesIn this episode Kate unpacks: Why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions (and what to do instead) (1m) When (and what) to start outsourcing to free up time (5m) How to map out your annual calendar (10m) The biggest time-thieves for business owners (16m) Tactics for minimising interruptions and distractions (20m) Are you really a night owl? Working when you’re most productive (25m) Dealing with distractions when working from home (31m) The problem with multitasking (36m) Setting big-picture goals + staying accountable (41m) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever succumbed to that little voice inside your head that says you’re not good enough or fronted up to an important event and felt like a fraud, my next guest has something to tell you … Annette Densham is a journalist, PR and sought-after brand awareness specialist who knows just what it takes to silence that inner critic and put an end to imposter syndrome. She’s here today to share some advice and strategies around putting that little voice to bed once and for all! Episode notes: The battle with imposter syndrome: Annette’s story (1m 30s) Tips to quiet your inner critic (4m) Finding the confidence to self-promote + expanding your network of cheerleaders (10m) Building confidence to enter business awards or ask for testimonials (17m 45s) Identifying the right awards for you (and spotting dodgy ones!) (23m 45s) – Click here for Annette’s list of legitimate business awards in 2023. Tips to create a great awards submission (28m 10s) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices