Grow A Small Business Podcast

Troy Trewin
undefined
Aug 8, 2023 • 52min

Best-Selling Author, Organizational Leadership Solutions Facilitator, and Founder of Uniquely Normal now inspiring small-medium business owners to grow faster by maintaining their levels of excellence and commitment to relationships. (Matthew Lesser)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy asked Matthew Lesser, the founder of Uniquely Normal based in Fort Wayne, United States of America, the final five questions: What does Matthew believe is the hardest thing when growing a small business? Matthew believes that managing and hiring people is not an easy task. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right people that can come alongside you that get your vision will support you and be with you and help you grow it. Matthew's favorite business book is "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey. However, he highlights the significance of learning from other business owners to cultivate effective and healthy leadership which inspired him to write his two books called "Unsatisfied" and "unEngaged Building Flourishing Organizations". It also shows his life perspective based on his personal experiences as a business owner. When it comes to professional development, Matthew finds immense value in listening to thought leaders when it comes to anything to do with leadership and anything about business. He also added that sacrificing excellence in order to go faster is essential, including learning how to maintain their levels of excellence and commitment to relationships. Damian suggests an effective tool for small business growth is taking time to ask for advice and mentorship from different business coaches with enough various experience inside the industry and creating a big impact on other people. Finally, if Matthew could go back to day one of starting out, he would advise himself to worry less, have less anxiety, and enjoy the journey. The journey at times can be laborious, especially when a business keeps on growing. Matthew found out through the years that the special key to a successful business is to keep the people you love to become part of your celebrations in life. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 Quotes: "Get Good people to build an amazing team." —Matthew Lesser "Build relationships with employees, customers, and competitors." —Matthew Lesser "Constancy is the consistency of purpose." —Matthew Lesser "You've got to learn the importance in business of shared leadership" —Matthe Lesser "The faster you grow, the easier it is to make mistakes." —Matthew Lesser
undefined
Aug 6, 2023 • 31min

Founder and CEO of Block2 and The Skill Xchange, now working with 21 FTEs to link entrepreneurs with the best people to meet their needs in order to improve the transparency of the business world. (Eden Spencer)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy asked Eden Spencer, the founder of The Skill Xchange based in Brisbane, Australia, the final five questions: What does Eden believe is the hardest thing when growing a small business? Finding product-market fit is crucial, especially for businesses in the technology sector. Eden emphasizes the value of devoting a lot of time to both communicating the message and spending time with customers to help them find solutions to issues and improve processes. Eden's favorite business book is "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek. However, he emphasizes how important it is to take the time to discover people who can help you learn and come up with a better solution for every issue by providing you with a different viewpoint or object. When it comes to professional development, Eden believes that using a business coach on a regular basis—someone who will invest in him personally by providing him with a large amount of time—is extremely valuable for his professional development. Eden suggests that mastering time management tools, such as Microsoft Planner, which serves as the foundation for the majority of daily chores, is a beneficial tool for small business success. Finally, if Eden could go back to day one of starting out, he would advise himself to Focus on the small things and avoid trying to transform the world all at once. Starting small but concentrating on getting the proper product may assist you avoid having false expectations. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 Quotes: "Pay attention to your users and your customers." —Eden Spencer "Being in a startup, you're acutely aware that there are some challenges that are against you from day one." —Eden Spencer "It's important that you take the lead when it comes to bringing salespeople in." —Eden Spencer "Don't try and change the world overnight." —Eden Spencer "You can really learn a lot if you talk less, and listen to other people." —Eden Spencer
undefined
Aug 4, 2023 • 20min

QFF: An adviser and the Host of the Quick Fire Friday Podcast itself; now helping small-medium business owners evade the mistakes in recruitment and hiring team members with their Ultimate Recruitment Toolkit course. (Rob Cameron)

In this week's Quick Fire Friday (QFF) episode, Troy interviews Rob Cameron, the host of most episodes of the Quick Fire Friday Podcast. Turning the tables as Rob takes the hot seat to discuss recruitment for small businesses. Recruiting the right team members is crucial for any business, but it can be challenging, especially for small-medium business owners. That's why we've launched "The Ultimate Recruitment Toolkit," a 10-day short course designed to help you become a more effective hiring manager. This course includes a playbook with templates, phone scripts, email templates, and behavioral questions to guide you through the hiring process. We recognize that hiring A players can make a significant impact on your business's growth and success. On the other hand, making a bad hire can lead to financial and emotional costs that no one wants to deal with. That's why investing in your own learning and development as a hiring manager is crucial. Our course covers everything from creating clear job descriptions to conducting effective interviews and reference checks. Using a professional recruiter is an option, but it comes with a cost. While they can bring in a pool of great candidates, it's essential to remember that the final decision lies with you. You should be confident in the person you're hiring, as you'll be living with the consequences. So, if you're ready to take your recruitment skills to the next level, check out our Ultimate Recruitment Toolkit on growasmallbusiness.com. With the knowledge and resources provided in this course, you'll be on your way to building a strong and effective team that will drive your business to success. Ready to dive deeper into this topic? Tune in to this week's podcast episode, where we tackle the pain and mistakes small-business owners make in recruitment and hiring team members. Link to listen now! Don't miss out on this game-changing insight. 👇 ___________________________________________________________________________ Quotes: "The hardest thing in business is the people, but it's also where most of the value is." — Rob Cameron. "The impact that having an A player in your business can make on the growth and success of the business." — Rob Cameron. "The source of most of the pain and frustration in business is people when you've made a bad hire." — Rob Cameron. "The more people you can bring in at the top of the recruitment funnel, the better the odds that you're going to be able to find that A player that's really going to make a difference." — Rob Cameron. "Help people design a process that's going to give them relevant information on the A players that they want to choose from." — Rob Cameron. __________________________________________________________________________
undefined
Aug 2, 2023 • 1h 15min

Fueled by the desire to champion Product Stewardship, reducing the negative environmental impact of marketable products; earning $500,000 last year, averaging 50,000+ in sales with 8 FTEs. (Oscar Langoulant)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy asked Oscar Langoulant, of We Assist Co based in Melbourne, Australia, the final five questions: Oscar emphasizes that the hardest thing about growing a small business is learning to say "no" to opportunities that may seem financially appealing in the short term but do not align with the true value and sustainability of the business. He advises business owners to focus on long-term growth and charge what their goods or services are truly worth, even if it means selling higher-priced packages. Trusting in the value they provide will yield positive results and attract customers who appreciate that value. Oscar recommends "You, Inc." by John McGrath, which provides valuable insights into a new perspective. Additionally, he mentions "Playing to Win" by Roger Martin, the former CEO of Procter and Gamble, which discusses strategy and decision-making, mindset, and personal growth. Oscar suggests the GASB Podcast and the "Neil Patel Podcast," which likely cover marketing and business-related topics. He also enjoys "Living 4D" with Paul Chek, and although he focuses on learning Chinese currently, he encourages others to explore podcasts that align with their interests and professional development goals. Uber and Upwork are valuable tools for outsourcing tasks to cost-effective freelancers. Additionally, Google offers a wealth of resources for website development, SEO, and other aspects of running an online business. Utilizing Google's technical documents and the Facebook ad library can provide valuable insights into competitors' strategies. Finally, Oscar's advice to himself on day one would be to charge more for the goods or services provided. He realized the importance of valuing his offerings appropriately, trusting in their worth, and not undervaluing his business. Charging what the business truly deserves contributes to long-term success and growth. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 ___________________________________________________________ Quotes: "We try to create the relationship, create the trust." — Oscar Langoulant. "There is nothing that we can't do because what really happens is we specialize in the first instances of research." — Oscar Langoulant. "Success probably looks like walking into larger organizations growing that market understanding of how we can do this differently." — Oscar Langoulant. "Create a business that has a good NPS so that people want to refer." — Oscar Langoulant. "Trust what the cost of your goods is." — Oscar Langoulant. ___________________________________________________________
undefined
Jul 30, 2023 • 44min

An Entrepreneur, Purpose-led Coach, & Founder of Wyseminds, now supports female entrepreneurs to find purpose-led growth on their own terms by eliminating the complexity and concentrating on the best course of action for progress. (Julie Perkins)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy Trewin asked Julie Perkins, the founder of Wyseminds based out of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the final five questions: What does Julie believe is the hardest thing when growing a small business? Damian emphasizes keeping things relevant, and exciting, and keeping it curious and moving towards purpose is what makes running a business difficult. So he states the importance of having a strong network so you have to position yourself in this beautiful niche and be very clear about what you do and who you fit into and who you support. Julie's favorite business book is "Digital Darwinism" by Tom Goodwin. And the thing she liked about it was it places digitalization in a specific way in a business. She also said that his writing could help you start to get it in perspective by getting you to question where, what for, and also about the history of innovation. When it comes to professional development, Julie finds immense value in making herself redundant on a continual basis. One of her favorite platforms is 'Mind Valley' which provides broad viewpoints going back to the accessibility of education. Juli suggests an effective tool for small business growth is learning the power of the network. This includes taking their network very seriously, investing in it, cherishing it, and celebrating it. And associating yourself with others in the industry, by making a particular niche out of yourself. Finally, if Julie could go back to day one of starting out, he would advise himself to be prepared and enjoy the ride. And that is going to be the most important thing that keeps her going day and night because it's going to be a very tough journey. Making sure to be super geared up for those good times and not good times to keep her eyes on the vision and the purpose. Keep her eyes on it and keep fitting well. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 ___________________________________________________________________________ Quotes: "Keep great ideas alive in the community." —Julie Perkins "​​Put yourself back in and make yourself redundant because that space for a founder of a small business is priceless." —Julie Perkins "If you get a purpose and you live an embedded purpose, the financial success side also will sort itself out." —Julie Perkins "Protect others, protect yourself, and ensure that your value is not just for today." —Julie Perkins "Don't be afraid of niche. It's not small. It's nesting to Nesler to discover." —Julie Perkins __________________________________________________________________________
undefined
Jul 27, 2023 • 15min

QFF: A successful radio show host and publisher of the Ultimate Achievers Magazine, now helping small-medium business owners master effective communication and leverage social media to cement their identity in the industry. (Brian K Wright)

In this week's Quick Fire Friday (QFF) episode, Rob Cameron interviews Brian K Wright, an esteemed host of Success Profiles Radio and publisher of Ultimate Achievers Magazine. He's based in Northwood, Iowa, United States. He also helps people write their books. Brian shared his journey from being a teacher to working in call centers before pursuing his passion full-time. He emphasizes the importance of effective communication through writing and speaking and believes anyone can improve these skills with practice. Brian's main clientele consists of established entrepreneurs who want to amplify their message. He advises against merely writing a book about one's life and suggests focusing on how the book can benefit the reader. Instead of writing a car manual-type how-to book, Brian first asks important questions to his clients, which can make the content more relevant and engaging. By addressing specific issues, even a seemingly mundane topic, like gutter cleaning, can be transformed into an interesting and informative book. One of Brian's key pieces of advice for small business owners is to create and repurpose content consistently. He recommends leveraging social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to reach a broader audience. By repurposing content from previous posts or leveraging ideas from a book, one can maintain a strong online presence and increase authority in the industry. Ready to dive deeper into this topic? Tune in to this week's podcast episode, where we tackle the importance of business structures and the implications for tax. Link to listen now! Don't miss out on this game-changing insight. 👇 ___________________________________________________________________________ Quotes: "With a lot of practice, you can get good at whatever you want to get a lot of good at." — Brian K Wright. "How can you move them from not knowing you at all very well to Yes, I trust you?." — Brian K Wright. "It's about having a structure for your book and fitting the stories within that structure." — Brian K Wright. "Don't make the reader work that hard." — Brian K Wright. "A confused customer will never buy anything from you." — Brian K Wright. __________________________________________________________________________
undefined
Jul 25, 2023 • 40min

A Program Coach, Digital Sales Manager, and CEO of Thriday, now inspiring small-medium business owners to continuously improve by adopting technology and maintaining a positive attitude towards obstacles with 30 FTEs. (Michael Nuciforo)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy Trewin asked Michael Nuciforo, the founder of Thriday based in Melbourne, Australia, the final five questions: 1. What does Michael believe is the hardest thing when growing a small business? Michael feels that overcoming your fears can be quite tricky, particularly if one is building a business while being a perfectionist. To stay focused, he emphasised the significance of understanding how to cope with obstacles and the be a constant positive force for the team. 2. Michael's favourite business book is "The Great CEO Within" by Matt Mochary as it hits all the key points regarding running a company of any size. For individuals who aren't avid readers or podcast listeners, he also suggests watching YouTube videos on the subjects they are interested in. 3. Michael believes that having optionality can de-risk the business and ensure good progress. This involves avoiding doing everything yourself and utilising collaborations, as some excellent companies could complement what you are providing your clients. 4. Michael suggests an effective tool for small business growth is mastering ChatGPT and AI. In terms of describing how they launch their products, those tools, in Michael's opinion, made their lives a lot easier. And with the aid of artificial intelligence, time consuming processes like blog writing or creating email copy has significantly been reduced. 5. Finally, if Michael could go back to day one of starting, he would advise himself to not feel sorry for himself when things go wrong. If you always look at things as a learning experience, you can examine what you could have done differently the next time. One of the last things you should have to do is spend hours each week managing financial administration, typically after hours. To address this issue, Grow A Small Business and Thriday have teamed up. Thriday automates banking, accounting, and tax using artificial intelligence. Take advantage of Thriday's special offer today for all listeners of Grow A Small Business, and you'll save $100 on your yearly subscription, reducing the cost from $299 to $199 with one-month free access. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 Quotes: "Don't go too fast too quickly and make sure that everything you do is working." —Michael Nuciforo "Even if bad situations come up, if you actually try to twist it to focus on the positive, you will learn from it." —Michael Nuciforo "Leaving a legacy of building business that employs people, treats them well, and that they can actually grow in the company is highly motivating" —Michael Nuciforo "Don't limit yourself to your strength or an area that you feel comfortable with, really explore what's out there." —Michael Nuciforo "If you are a good communicator and can inspire people, you can probably cover a lot of cracks." —Michael Nuciforo
undefined
Jul 23, 2023 • 56min

Recognized internationally in Canada, New Zealand, and expanding to the US; pioneered Australia's most unique, sought-after foil brand. Earning 30,000 in its first year to 5 million by the end of 2023. (Emily Ciardiello)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, Troy asked Emily Ciardiello, Co-founder of Foil Me based in Adelaide, Australia, the final five questions: Question 1: What is the hardest thing about growing a small business? Emily believes the biggest challenge is not allowing the business to consume every aspect of one's life. In the early years, she found herself completely absorbed by her business, neglecting her health, family, and personal life. She emphasizes the importance of being present and avoiding being overwhelmed by the business. While not a traditional business book, Emily recommends Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" for personal growth, which she found to be valuable in her business journey. Emily mentions Troy's podcast as a valuable resource for professional development. She also recommends "Diary of a CEO" by Steven Bartlett, which features guests with diverse perspectives and insights. In terms of online learning tools, Emily finds marketing-related emails from Shopify and social media insights from Later to be helpful. Emily suggests utilizing social media as a powerful tool for business growth. Emily's mantra is "GSD" - Get shit done. She emphasizes taking action and getting things done right away. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 Quotes: "Our brand was built on relationships and trust." — Emily Ciardiello. "You got to be consistent and you have to engage, you can't just expect to post and then disappear." — Emily Ciardiello. "It's not like you've failed because you have to reach out to banks to help you fund your business. It's just what you need to do in order to grow." — Emily Ciardiello. "A squeaky wheel will come off if you don't fix it straight away." — Emily Ciardiello.
undefined
Jul 20, 2023 • 19min

QFF: 20+ years of experience as an accountant, an individual well-versed in business structures. Now helping small-medium business owners handle the difficulties of establishing the right business structure and tax implications. (Nathan McGrath)

In this week's Quick Fire Friday (QFF) episode, Michael Denehey interviews Nathan McGrath, the Head of Accounting and Tax at Collins SBA, based in Hobart, Australia. Nathan shares his 20 years of experience in public practice, helping small and medium business owners with their accounting needs. The main focus of the discussion is the importance of business structures and their tax implications. Nathan emphasizes the significance of proper communication with clients to understand their goals and objectives, which is crucial in setting up the proper business structure. He also highlights the need to consider asset protection when choosing a suitable structure. Nathan highlighted the importance of reviewing business structures regularly, especially as businesses grow and change. He recommends business owners ask a lot of questions to their trusted professionals to ensure their structure aligns with their goals and that they're not paying unnecessary taxes. It's essential to have the right business structure in place; a feat that can be achieved by asking lots of questions of the pros. The more questions you ask, the better insight you're going to have. Ensuring their desires are granted. Ready to dive deeper into this topic? Tune in to this week's podcast episode, where we tackle the importance of business structures and the implications for tax. Link to listen now! Don't miss out on this game-changing insight. 👇 __________________________________________________________________________ Quotes: "Whenever you're talking about any business structure, you need to get an understanding of who the lawyer is for the client." — Nathan McGrath. "Most people are setting up a structure or going into business with a short-term view." — Nathan McGrath. "Having the right people in the right room at the right time." — Nathan McGrath. "The best option is to get the structure right in the first place." — Nathan McGrath. "The more questions you ask, the better insight you're going to have." — Nathan McGrath. __________________________________________________________________________
undefined
Jul 18, 2023 • 36min

Started with just himself, now covering over 70-80% of Oostas' expenses over the past 2 years by building the business through recurring revenue; working with over 200 different clients with 7 FTEs. (Adam Kirk)

Exciting opportunity for small to medium business owners employing 5-30 team members. Are you ready to learn, grow, and invest in your ongoing development? Don't miss out on our latest podcast featuring a special guest who shares invaluable insights for business success. In this episode, we asked Adam Kirk, the CEO of Oostas based in Lancaster, United States, the final five questions: What is the hardest thing about growing a small business? According to Adam, making decisions alone as the owner and CEO can be a significant challenge. He shares his experience of building a small leadership team, which proved to be an incredible decision for their business's growth. Adam recommends several great books, including "The Millennial Whisperer" by Chris Tuff, which offers insights on effectively leading millennials. Other notable mentions are "E-Myth," "Built to Sell," and "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. He highlights three valuable resources. Firstly, he mentions the Grow A Small Business Podcast. Additionally, he recommends "The How of Business" with Henry Lopez and "Agents of Change," offering practical interviews and insights beneficial for small business owners. While not a physical tool, he emphasizes the importance of having a business mentor. He highlights the value of having someone who can walk alongside you, providing guidance and acting as a sounding board throughout your entrepreneurial journey. Adam's response is simple yet powerful—don't give up. He acknowledges the challenges and tough moments that all small business owners face but encourages perseverance and resilience to overcome obstacles. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. 👇 Quotes: "Build it on recurring revenue." — Adam Kirk. "There was a lot of revenue made, let's invest it back into the business." — Adam Kirk. "Utilize social media." — Adam Kirk. "It's a challenge managing people, there's a lot of joy in it." — Adam Kirk. "Ask for help and have a business mentor or a business coach or something like that." — Adam Kirk.

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app