Flying Solo

Are you tired of wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work? You’re not alone. Fortunately, this week’s guest, Amy Miocevich, has the answer. Amy is a sought-after marketing expert, founder of Lumos Agency and the author of The Very Good Marketing Guide. On this episode, Amy shares her advice on building your marketing strategy, turning strangers into loyal superfans, and identifying and overcoming bottlenecks in your business. She reveals the importance of prioritising consistency and relationship-building to maximise the value of customers, and also explains why you should always position the customer as the hero. Tune in to learn how to apply these easy marketing strategies to your own business. Episode notes: [02:24] The biggest marketing mistake small businesses make [04:42] Understanding the linear journey from stranger to superfan [08:06] Building your marketing strategy into day-to-day business [10:42] Choosing the right marketing professional – questions to ask [13:46] Measuring marketing success – it’s NOT all about sales [17:52] How much of your budget should you spend on marketing? [20:12] Identifying bottlenecks that are letting your marketing down [23:54] Consistency over exceptional: The key to success [28:00] The power of positioning your customer as the hero [32:52] Strategies for turning strangers into superfans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to crack seven figures and beyond, then having a strategy for growth is imperative, and today’s guest knows all about that.Jenny Stilwell is the author of The 7% Club: How to be one of the 7% of businesses that make it beyond $2M in turnover and she has helped hundreds of business owners through the challenges of growth. As a mentor to CEOs and as CEO of her own and others’ companies, she knows first-hand what it takes to grow a business. In this episode Jenny reveals the secrets to a sustainable business, her top tips for managing risk, and the role of culture and leadership in business success. Plus the blockers that might be inhibiting your growth!Episode notes:In this episode, Jenny unpacks: 2:30 – The bumpy road to burnout: How letting go can be the catalyst for change 7:00 – Honouring the value of your time to create a business you love 11:20 – How to avoid stalling at the million-dollar mark 15:20 – Quality over quantity – are all of your customers or clients worth it? 20:40 – “Go different, not harder”: How to grow beyond $2 million 25:30 – Empowering your people: Culture is the key to business growth 29:30 – Steps to cracking your first million-dollar profit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacqui Clarke is a seasoned business executive and personal wealth expert. With over three decades of experience helping high-net-worth individuals and business owners build and preserve their wealth, Jacqui joins us today, before launching her new book Stop Worrying About Money to share her insights on a range of financial topics.From practical advice on avoiding common money traps to tips on managing cash flow, reducing cost bases, and dealing with scope creep for small business owners, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable tips for listeners.Whether you're an individual looking to make smarter financial decisions or a small business owner looking to grow and thrive, Jacqui's expertise and experience can help guide you on your journey to financial success.Episode notes 02:39 - Learning about money at a young age 04:18 - 3 big money mistakes to avoid now 08:49 - Identifying behaviours: The key to saving and investing 10:07 - How scope creep and expense creep differ 12:56 - Supplementing income: Side hustles and saving goals 15:14 - The importance of building a financial network 18:45 - Blended families' unique relationship with money 23:57 - Managing financial realities for young adults 25:54 - Aligning payment cycles and strategic planning tips 27:28 - Record high business insolvencies in first quarter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Flying Solo, we dive into the world of innovation and how it is crucial for businesses to embed innovation into their culture to succeed long term. Today's guest, Zoe Aitken, is an innovation and customer engagement expert with decades of experience. Zoe unpacks the importance of customer engagement, and prioritising customer needs as a platform for achieving business innovation.Join us as we explore the key habits, cultural aspects and processes involved in successful innovation and how you too can use an innovation mindset to see your business take flight.Episode notes:In this episode, Zoe explains: 01:27 - Why customer-centricity is the key to profitability and innovation 05:10 - How a curiosity mindset solves customer problems better 10:17 - The simple definition of innovation: Change that adds value 12:43 - Implementing everyday innovation in your business 15:23 - The power of quick customer feedback loops for building your business 17:37 - Why leadership alignment is crucial for innovation success 19:20 - Lessons learned from COVID-accelerated business innovation 22:51 - Real innovation requires habitual practice and customer conversations 25:31 – Data can only get you so far - why you need to experiment, test and learn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Lauren Stokoe. Lauren is a Director at IP Australia. She’s an experienced product manager working across public and private sectors on digital transformations and the implementation of new products. She’s also the Venture Manager for Trade Mark ™ Checker.If you’ve ever considered trademarking your business IP, TM Checker is an AI-assisted tool created by IP Australia that makes it simple for small businesses to check trade mark availability and complete the application process in literally minutes.If you're curious about the ins and outs of Intellectual Property and trade marks and want to know more about how they can protect your business from competitors, then this episode is for you.Episode notesIn this episode, Lauren unpacks: 1:10 – What is intellectual property and why it’s important to protect it 5:30 – Types of IP and trade mark protection for small businesses 6:55 – How to check a trade mark’s availability using IP Australia’s TM Checker 10:00 – How to apply for a trade mark with IP Australia 14:05 – Why have only 4% of Australian businesses registered a trade mark? 16:30 – Why would you need to trade mark your business? 18:00 – What you need to know about the patents process 19:15 – Enforcing a trade mark – disputes and examples 22:40 – What can be trade marked? 23:55 – Top tips for small businesses on registering trade marks and intellectual property 26:00 – Intellectual property in overseas markets – the Madrid Protocol 28:55 – The costs of trade marking your business *This podcast is intended to provide general information regarding intellectual property and does not constitute legal or professional advice. It is not intended to take the place of legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Toon is an award-winning entrepreneur, digital educator, SEO and copywriting consultant, coach, speaker, podcaster AND the best-selling author of Confessions of a Misfit Entrepreneur.She’s crafted a career as a digital mastermind while working from home and raising her son as a single mum. She about to jet off to Europe for a series of speaking engagements – she really is living the good life! But before she does she’s joining us to chat about her new book, Six Figures in School Hours – which is chock-full of valuable advice for how you can get over parent guilt, run a business and live a great life!Episode notes: 1:05 – Introduction to the new book, Six Figures in School Hours 3:20 – Starting a business and a family at the same time 7:04 – The 5 basics of running a business as a parent 10:45 – The power of mindset to eradicate parent guilt 14:30 – Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others 18:10 – It takes a village to raise a child – and a business 19:30 – Getting your kids involved in your business 22:50 – Breaking out of inbuilt money mindsets 26:30 – Understanding your numbers + billable hours to reach money goals 30:20 – Understanding the value of your time – what are your priorities right now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Milton Collins a man of many talents. He’s the former CEO of Federation Square, where he spent his days running the Transport Hotel Group. He’s headed up an importing and distribution business, and even spent time as the owner of a horse and cattle stud.He’s renowned for his business nous and is a sought-after and award-winning business coach and CX expert. Most recently he’s turned his hand to writing – and his new book, Delight, Disrupt Deliver, is chock-full of great advice for small business owners looking to create a great customer experience to attract more sales.Episode notesIn this episode, Milton unpacks: 1:08 – Why customer experience is so important to business success 3:00 – First steps to a great customer experience 6:15 – Important customer service tips for eCommerce businesses 9:45 – Training your staff to be great at customer service 12:45 – Milton’s extensive business experience – what he’s learned 15:20 – How to utilise chatbots for customer interactions 17:35 – How to personalise the customer journey and convert first-time visitors 20:30 – Building strong customer/client relationships 23:05 – Practical examples for taking customer service to the next level 26:15 – Dealing with negative reviews and learning from mistakes 28:50 – How emotional intelligence training boosts customer experience 30:05 – Appreciating + rewarding repeat customers/clients 31:55 – Benefits of a customer relationship management system (CRM) 32:50 – Building the ‘wow’ factor into your customer interactions 34:00 – Why customer experience is all about trust 37:50 – Creating a customisable, personalised experience for each customer 40:35 – How solopreneurs can build customer loyalty and word of mouth referrals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Money! How to manage it, how to make the most of it, and how to attract more of it, are questions we’d all like answered and this week’s guest, Clare Wood, has some practical solutions. Clare is a sought-after money mentor, author, speaker and CPA-qualified accountant who helps service-based businesses to scale. She also runs The Profit Academy, an online school created to help business owners increase their profits exponentially.When it comes to money management, Clare knows just what it takes to help business owners make more money and create a life of financial freedom and fun.Episode notesIn this episode, Clare unpacks: 1:00 - From 2nd-gen numbers nerd to corporate finance 4:03 – Why helping small businesses make more money is her passion 8:44 – The basics of small business finance + key metrics to know 11:50 – The difference between profit and loss, cash flow + budget 13:55 – Cash flow tracking: Excel vs accounting software 17:40 – How to keep reaching your profit goals 19:10 – Why you DON’T have to tell your customers why you’re raising prices 22:20 – Understanding your money mindset – and how to change it 28:05 – The power of a growth mindset for entrepreneurs 29:05 – Sales strategies – growing your existing clients/customers 31:40 – Unlocking your money dreams and desires Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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