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Ambitious Lifestyle Business

Are you a small business owner who likes to think BIG? Then this podcast is for YOU. It's a place where AMBITIOUS business owners learn and share SIMPLE, PRACTICAL tips and advice to help their businesses GROW with ONE purpose... TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE LIFESTYLE THEY WANT. Whatever that means for YOU... Maybe you want to earn £100k a year? Maybe you want to spend more time with friends and family, or travel more? You might want to give up the Day Job, or completely change direction in your business. Perhaps you want to retire in X years? Remove yourself from doing the jobs you HATE? Sack your problem clients? This monthly podcast is 100% FREE. There's no ads. No spammy upsells. No fluffy, woo-woo BS. Just simple, practical help to grow YOUR Ambitious Lifestyle Business.
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Now displaying: 2017
Dec 1, 2017

John shows us what we can learn from Heston Blumenthal's restaurant "The Fat Duck" - in terms of customer experience, attention to detail, and pricing.

We also look back at last month's book of the month "Money", by Rob Moore - a title that really polarised listeners, who seemed to either love it or hate it - Jason of course didn't read it as usual!

We do a debrief from Black Friday - sharing what's worked, and what hasn't worked from our clients businesses - and our own. There's a crucial point in there too about not needing to wait a year to repeat a successful Black Friday campaign...

Finally, we show you why it's really important not to just ask for feedback from your customers, but to actually LISTEN to what they're telling you too!

 

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every month, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Nov 1, 2017

In this episode:

John tells us why he decided to switch from Apple, just two months before the launch of the iPhone X, and why he's already regretting it - this is more than just another "Apple v Android" war of words though - there's some real business lessons in there.

This month's book of the month was "The Everything Store" by Brad Stone, which looks at the meteoric rise of Jeff Bezos, and Amazon.com, which leads John to the conclusion that "he's a bit of an evil b*****d really isn't he?"

Jason once again tells us how simple running a successful business is - and it all comes down to doing "what you say you're going to do."

John shares some of his strategies for curing overwhelm ("getting rid of your phone" is one of them, though that may simply related to his Samsung woes this month)

John also tells us what he learnt meeting Charlie Mullins, the "millionaire plumber" from Pimlico Plumbers last month.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every month, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Oct 4, 2017

Doors are open for the One Percent Club! We've got just 12 spaces for ambitious, lifestyle business owners to work more closely with John and Jason to grow their businesses.

In this episode:

We review "Shoe Dog", the memoirs of Phil Knight, the founder of Nike (and Jason gives us a memorable lesson in how to pronounce Nike "correctly"...)

We look back on a very successful month of our "Bring me Sunshine" challenge - and how forcing ourselves to think positively on a daily basis has led to the habit of positive thinking coming much, much easier to us.

It's Jason's turn for a rant this month - as he laments the lack of follow-up from several people he's had dealings with recently.

John shares his simple 3-step process for "the ultimate marketing strategy"

We look at the importance of giving value as part of a content marketing strategy.

John looks forward to meeting Charlie Mullins, the "millionaire plumber" from Pimlico Plumbers later this month, and also manages to get in a dig at used car salesmen...

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every month, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Sep 10, 2017

John has a bit of a rant this month (just for a change!) - This time the focus of his rage are those "experts" who have never run a real business in their lives, yet charge people who DO run real businesses thousands of pounds for their "expertise".

What's that got to do with "stuffing envelopes"?

You'll have to listen to the podcast to find out...

Also in this episode:

John gets excited about a Direct Response advert in a football programme (only to get his hopes dashed spectacularly).

John and Jason go all "Morecambe and Wise", and ask you to Bring Them Sunshine for the month of September.

We look at why people don't think BIG enough when setting long term goals.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every month, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Aug 15, 2017

In this Bumper Summer Special episode of the Big Idea Podcast, John and Jason discuss:

 How to implement "Summer Mode"

 The key ways to balance working from home during the school holidays

 How to write a bestselling book.

 More importantly... How to SELL a bestselling book.

 How "getting off the treadmill" for 6 weeks could 10x your thinking.

 Why EVERYONE needs to be the "Head of Marketing" for their business, even if you HATE marketing.

 John's mind is blown by the "magic fairies" that work at Amazon

 John and Jason discuss the marketing strategies for Donald Trump, Facebook, and the Catholic Church.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Jul 12, 2017

Welcome to the July episode of the Big Idea Podcast - summer is here!

In this episode, John and Jason discuss:

  • The launch strategy for John's new book "Big Ideas... for Small Businesses - Simple, practical tools and tactics to help your small business grow"
  • How John crashed his car at 120mph (there may be some exaggeration in this statement.. John is a Marketer after all)
  • How to increase your prices without losing all your customers.
  • The time that "they" appeared on Have I Got News For You.
  • How to deal with missing deadlines.
  • What happened when the guys were interviewed by the local newspaper, and why YOU need to be doing PR.
  • The importance of monitoring the effectiveness of your Marketing.
  • Why you shouldn't devalue your small business with tiny pricing.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Jun 14, 2017

John and Jason have been devouring the 700+ pages of Tim Ferriss' epic MONSTER of a book "Tools of Titans" over the last few months, and have managed to fit no less than 14 of their key takeaways into a 40 minute podcast.

From "keeping it simple" to intermittent fasting, "copywriting your flaws" to knowing what to say NO to - the hardest part was whittling literally hundreds of gems that we COULD have used down to just 14!

For those not familiar with Tim Ferriss or Tools of Titans, Tim's the author of best-selling books like the Four Hour Workweek, Four Hour Chef, Four Hour Body, and host of the Tim Ferriss show - a weekly podcast where he interviews industry leaders, geniuses and billionaires.

Guys like Tony Robbins, Triple H, Derek Sivers, Jamie Foxx, Scott Adams, Kevin Costner, Noah Kagan, Shay Carl, Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, Naval Ravikant, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Morgan Spurlock, Peter Thiel, and many more over 200+ epsiodes.

Tools of Titans is the condensed version of those interviews. Yep, you read that correctly - the 700+ page book is the CONDENSED version. Trust me - you're never more than 4 pages away from your next "nugget"

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Jun 1, 2017

We're working to rather a tight deadline at the moment, with John's new book "Big Ideas for Small Businesses" coming out on the 21st June.

With that very deadline much in mind for the whole team at the moment, it's only natural that this week we talk about deadlines - how to set ambitious, yet realistic ones, as well as the effect that a good deadline can have on your own business, and how they can be deadly when deployed in your marketing.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

May 25, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

May 9, 2017

Find out what happens when John spends a few days in the company of Ryan Deiss and Gary Vaynerchuk. As well as the main lessons that John picked up from Ryan and Gary Vee, he also has a rant about trying to buy a jar of pesto, and a very important lesson about margins.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

May 3, 2017

In this week's show Helen asks "What's the most effective form of marketing  to reach my target audience which are schools and businesses looking to increase staff skills? I provide training to businesses and schools on supporting mental health and improving 'soft' people skills"

Kane asks "I'm the general manager of a new restaurant in Blackpool, and want to make sure my launch is as successful as possible - how can I make the most of the launch?"

John tells us how a school residential trip for his seven year-old re-affirmed his "why", and gets us all posing as Wonder Woman for two minutes in the name of science.

Sophie asks "I have started my small business trying to sell handmade painted glasses and mugs through Etsy and also via Facebook. I would like to have some sales and be able to work from home and make a nice little business for myself. I have had no sales as yet but have been making items for friends and family as presents and gifts." - something John describes as "Kevin Costner Syndrome"

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Apr 26, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Apr 19, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Apr 12, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Apr 5, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Mar 29, 2017

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Mar 22, 2017

"Your network equals your net worth"

A cliche, for sure. But like many cliches, there's some truth to be had there - and that's been our experience of networking. There's no instant return, but the more quality we add to our network, the more success we've encountered.

For this episode, we've roped in our very first guest. We were adamant from the start that we didn't want the Big Idea Podcast to be an endless procession of guests, leaving us asking the same banal, generic questions each week, but we will bring one in where they know a lot more about a subject than we do.

And that's clearly the case for the "King of Networking" in Plymouth, Mike Turner. There's very few people in Plymouth who don't know who Mike is - on a recent visit to his office, we popped out for lunch which involved a 2 minute walk to a local cafe, during which at least 10 people said hello to Mike by name - that's the power of networking.

Enjoy this episode - it's a long one, but a good one!

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Mar 15, 2017

It's not your customers job to remember to do business with you - it's your job to remind them.

And there's no better way to do that than to send them a printed newsletter in the post. In this week's episode, we'll show you exactly how to do that, as well as the mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when sending a printed newsletter.

We also walk you through a selection of newsletters that we've either sent or received ourselves to give you some ideas about how you could implement a newsletter into your small business.

Newsletters are the best retention tool I know, but they're also pretty good at cross-selling, up-selling and securing referrals if done correctly - which is without overtly selling!

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Mar 8, 2017

All businesses dictate your lifestyle, it's up to you to design it.

In this episode, John has a bit of a rant about Peter Jones from Dragons Den fame, and doesn't even mention his stupid stripy socks once (though the pinstripe suits get a bit of a bashing!)

We show you that if your small business isn't currently giving you the lifestyle you want, that:

1. That's YOUR fault.

2. You CAN change things.

3. We can HELP.

We look at what a lifestyle business actually is, and why it certainly doesn't mean small or unambitious. We see why NOT shooting for the moon can mean owning a less risky business, with an almost guaranteed level of success.

And who wouldn't want to own a business that guarantees them success, whilst also giving them the lifestyle they want?

Other than Peter Jones of course...

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Mar 1, 2017

Grab the popcorn, and put your phone onto "silent" - we're off to the cinema! Well, actually, John and Jason have been to the cinema, and are back with their take on one of Hollywood's latest blockbusters.

No, they haven't been watching 50 shades of Grey.

No, they haven't given up talking about Marketing and small businesses, to go into film reviews.

What they have done is taken some of the greatest lessons that YOU as a small business owner can take away from "The Founder", a movie all about the story of McDonalds.

From humble beginnings as a single burger shack in California to the behemoth that we know today, The Founder chronicles Ray Kroc, and his transformation of a tiny owner-operated business into a corporate giant, and the world's largest land-owner.

We'll talk once again about the importance of aligning your goals with your desire (and ensuring that your business partner's desires are the same as yours too!), and show why it's crucial to know your numbers.

What business are McDonalds in? The answer might surprise you (unless you've read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, or seen the trailer!).

Ray Kroc didn't take "no" for an answer, and we'll show why neither should you.

We'll talk about the importance of being disruptive, optimisation of your systems & processes, and tell you how McDonalds ensured consistency of their product, and their brand, even when expanding to 65,000 restaurants around the world.

And you won't want to miss John's biggest "take away" (even bigger than a Big Mac with large fries and a jumbo coke!) that EVERY small business owner needs to implement in their business if they don't want to suffer the same fate as the McDonalds brothers...

If you can call walking away with a cheque for $3.6 million suffering...

Oh bugger, I've just given away the ending.

That's why we don't do film reviews...

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Feb 22, 2017

In today's episode we expose the myth of "luck", and show you how "luck happens" - good and bad. We ban Rob from attending any future Plymouth Argyle matches, and demonstrate correlation versus causality using a pasty.

We'll also show you to win raffles, and buy your house cheaper. We'll look at how everything is YOUR fault, and cure you of "excuseitis" once and for all.

We hear about people who lost a million dollars, were born without arms and legs, and who were given a terminal cancer diagnosis (not the same person - that WOULD be unlucky!) - and how they each consider themselves to be lucky - mainly by creating their own luck.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Feb 15, 2017

Hiring your first member of staff is the leverage you need to stop owning a job, and start owning a business. In this episode, we'll dive into how to recruit good members of staff (tip: you won't find them at the Jobcentre!), how to go through the recruitment process effectively so that you weed out the crap, leaving yourself with the best of the best.

What do you do once you've got a good member of staff? We look at how to actually KEEP them, and perhaps surprisingly, "pay them more money" doesn't get mentioned once.

But everyone's got some horror stories about hiring staff gone wrong, and we're no exception - there's a good 20 people who have worked for us over the last 17 years, who no longer do - some left, some were made redundant, and one or two were sacked - if you're worried about firing employees, then this episode is worth a listen just for our war stories and tips on how to get rid of bad employees from your small business.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Feb 8, 2017

Ever wondered if the grass is greener on the other side? Not sure if you're in the right business for you?

If so, then you're not alone - many small business owners don't actually choose their business - it chooses them! Many inherit a family business, or work with a partner or loved on who then leaves / dies.

Others leave the "security" of a day job (often by being made redundant), only to start up as a self employed version of what they did to get a paycheck. In this episode we'll dive into why you don't HAVE to do what you've always done, and how to find something that you'd be happy to do for the rest of your life.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Feb 1, 2017

What are you afraid of? What keeps you awake at night?

Public speaking? Picking up the phone?

Closing a sale? Hiring staff? Firing staff?

Doing the accounts? Dealing with technology?

Running out of money? Clowns?

Whatever it is, we've got a tactic to help you conquer your fears. It involves a hula hoop, eating beans on toast, and jumping out of an aeroplane at 15,000 feet. (thankfully WITH a parachute!)

But if the thought of skydiving gets you trembling with fear, then we've got quite a few more sedate methods that you could implement in your life (or your small business) to increase your self confidence and expand your comfort zone.

We tell you (AGAIN!) why reading the newspapers will only serve to make you more scared (that's their job!), and we tell you why talking to random strangers in the street (or at the gym like John does!) can help you build your self confidence, and be good for your business.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

Jan 25, 2017

This week Jason is relegated to the subs bench, and instead John is joined by Rob Rowe, who works within the team here at Big Idea Media, looking after the marketing for our sports betting brands.

Rob's a really switched on marketeer, with a strong passion for writing copy, and putting big sales campaigns together. He's worked for the likes of Skybet, NetBet, and Agora Publishing, so we're very pleased to have him as part of the Big Idea family.

In this episode, John and Rob dissect a recent marketing campaign that was (in John's words) "the most successful campaign we've EVER run" - We'll give you a checklist of all the elements that you need to run a successful campaign in YOUR business, and give you real-world examples of exactly WHY this all came together so well.

For links to everything we talk about, including the video recording of the episode and transcription of everything we talked about, head over to the show notes at bigidea.co.uk/podcast.

And to watch the LIVE recording of each episode of the Big Idea Podcast, join our Facebook Group for FREE - you can then watch our ugly mugs in glorious technicolour every Monday lunchtime, as well as get BONUS in-between-isodes, and direct access to both of us to ask any questions about this, or any other episode.

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