Berko & Beyond

Many small business owners find themselves as "accidental leaders" burdened by the immense pressure to micromanage and have every solution ready for their team. In this episode, leadership expert Ben Morton reveals why flipping your organisational chart, letting your team speak first, and showing genuine care are the real secrets to empowering staff and driving business success.

1. [00:00] Intro: From the military and Tesco to local leadership expert.
2. [05:30] The crucial difference between business administration (MBAs) and true people leadership.
3. [10:15] The Accidental Leader: Why your duty of care directly impacts your employees' families at home.
4. [15:45] Flipping the Org Chart: Why leaders belong at the bottom of the hierarchy.
5. [19:20] Why leaders should always speak last in meetings and ditch the pressure to know everything.
6. [25:00] The "Two-Man Sniff Test": Building ultimate trust and connection under pressure.
7. [36:00] Finding community in Berko and the "Man Up and Talk" walking group.

Key Takeaways

1. Speak Last in Meetings: If you share your opinion first, you will unintentionally bias your team to simply agree with you. Ask for their input first to show you value their intelligence and to gather the best ideas.
2. Flip Your Org Chart: Instead of viewing yourself at the top of the pyramid delegating downwards, draw yourself at the bottom. A true leader's job is to support and enable the rest of the team so they can effectively execute the work.
3. Schedule "Leadership Time": Step away from the daily grind and allow your mind to wander; neuroscience shows this is exactly when you tap into the brain networks responsible for generating fresh ideas and problem-solving.

Subscribe: Like and follow wherever you get your podcasts and hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.

Follow: Berko & Beyond on Instagram | Facebook Web: https://berkoandbeyond.com/

Be a guest on the show: Drop us an email [email protected]

Guest Links:

Ben Morton LinkedIn Tiktok Instagram https://www.ben-morton.com/training/leadership-training/

Host Links:

Ben Baldwin LinkedIn Chuffed Productions LinkedIn | https://chuffed.video/

Welcome back to Berko and Beyond, the podcast celebrating the local business community in Berkhamsted and the surrounding areas.

In episode three, host Ben Baldwin sits down with a guest mentioned lots of times in our first two episodes: Leigh Cohen from Sales Geek. Leigh brings over 25 years of diverse sales experience, from running his own IT business and working with corporate giants like Virgin Media, to building sales teams for Silicon Valley startups. Now, through the Sales Geek franchise, he brings that wealth of corporate knowledge to help local small businesses.

If the word "sales" makes you picture a pushy, secondhand car salesman and leaves you feeling a bit "icky," this episode is for you. Leigh breaks down why we need to change our perception of selling, explaining that it is actually 80% science and problem-solving, and 20% authentic personality.

Whether you are a sole trader or running a scaling B2B company, Leigh drops incredible value on how to grow your business, including:

1. Ditching the Ego: Why the biggest mistake businesses make is talking too much about themselves, and how to shift your focus to the customer's pain points.
2. The Power of the ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): Why niching down to a specific audience doesn't mean losing business, but actually allows you to speak their language and become highly relevant.
3. The Four Pillars of Sales: A breakdown of Proposition, Pipeline, Process, and People to help you systemise your revenue.
4. Professional Persistence & Follow-Up: Why you should stop sending "just checking in" emails, how to add value in every interaction, and why every meeting must end with a diarised next step.
5. Introverts Make Great Salespeople: Why "the gift of the gab" is a myth, and how the ability to actively listen and ask the right questions is the true superpower in sales.
6. Dacorum's Den & Pitching: A behind-the-scenes look at the pitching bootcamps Leigh ran to help local businesses tell their stories to the "dragons".

Leigh also discusses his free local networking and training events, the Sales Club, which runs every six weeks in Watford, Hemel Hempstead, and soon, Berkhamsted.

Subscribe: Like and follow wherever you get your podcasts and hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.

Follow: Berko & Beyond on Instagram | Facebook Web: https://berkoandbeyond.com/

Be a guest on the show: Drop us an email [email protected]

Guest Links:

Leigh Cohen - Sales Geek - LinkedIn |https://www.salesgeek.co.uk/franchise/south-and-west-hertfordshire/

Sales Club Booking Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1984826226674?aff=oddtdtcreator

Host Links:

Ben Baldwin LinkedIn Chuffed Productions LinkedIn | https://chuffed.video/

Welcome back to Berko and Beyond, the podcast celebrating the people who live, work, and do business in Berkhamsted and the surrounding areas.

In this week's episode, host Ben Baldwin sits down with two brilliant local creatives and recent winners of the Decorum's Den competition: Illustrator Debbie Shrimpton and Makeup Artist Becky Brotherton.

Both Debbie and Becky share their unique journeys of navigating the leap into running their own businesses. Debbie discusses transitioning from a fashion background into launching a thriving illustration business during lockdown, while Becky shares her passion for providing empowering makeup lessons and tutorials specifically tailored for women in midlife.

If you are a local entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable insights! Debbie and Becky pull back the curtain on the Decorum's Den experience, discussing:

1. The Power of a Business Plan: How the application process forced them to step out of their comfort zones, set clear goals, and stop "floating around".
2. Pitching with Confidence: Behind-the-scenes details on practice pitches, overcoming nerves, and the invaluable mentorship they received from local experts.
3. Levelling Up: How they utilised their grant money to stop doing it all themselves and bring in experts for web design (Shopify), SEO, and marketing.
4. Community & Collaboration: The unexpected networking doors that opened simply by entering the competition.

Important Deadline: Applications for Dacorum's Den 2026 close on March 25th. As both of our guests advise: "Just do it!". www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/business/business-services/dacorums-den

Subscribe: Like and follow wherever you get your podcasts and hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.

Follow: Berko & Beyond on Instagram | Facebook Web: https://berkoandbeyond.com/

Be a guest on the show: Drop us an email [email protected]

Guest Links:

Debbie Shrimpton Illustrator on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | https://debbieshrimptonillustrates.co.uk/

Beccy Brotherton MUA on Instagram | Facebook | https://www.beccybrothertonmua.com/

Host Links:

Ben Baldwin LinkedIn Chuffed Productions LinkedIn | https://chuffed.video/

Episode Resources:

Bloom with BB www.bloomwithbb.co.uk Leigh Cohen - Sales Geek www.salesgeek.co.uk

Christy Evans, the Place Officer for Economic Development at Dacorum Borough Council, joins Ben Baldwin on this episode of Berko & Beyond to shed light on the resources available for local businesses.

First up is Maylands Business Centre, a fantastic hub offering support from workshops to flexible office spaces, perfect for those just starting out or looking to expand.

Listeners will get a glimpse into Dacorum’s Den, a unique competition designed to help small businesses secure funding, which has distributed over £114,000 in grants to local entrepreneurs over the past 12 years. Christy touches on the current challenges facing businesses, from rising costs to recruitment hurdles, while emphasising the importance of community collaboration.

This episode is a goldmine for anyone interested in the local business landscape or seeking support in their entrepreneurial journey.

Takeaways:

1. Christy Evans discusses the importance of fostering local businesses through initiatives like Dacorum’s Den, which provides funding for small enterprises.
2. The Maylands Business Centre offers flexible, affordable office space that is crucial for startups and small businesses looking to grow.
3. Evans highlights the significant challenges businesses face today, particularly rising costs and recruitment issues, stressing the need for supportive measures.
4. Free business support workshops at the Dacorum Business Centre empower local entrepreneurs with practical skills and knowledge to thrive in their ventures.
5. Collaboration among local businesses is key to success, as evidenced by partnerships that form within the community, leading to shared resources and mutual growth.
6. Christy emphasises the value of creating a strong local economy by supporting both micro and larger businesses, ensuring sustainable development in the area.

Subscribe: Like and follow wherever you get your podcasts and hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.

Follow: Berko & Beyond on Instagram | Facebook Web: https://berkoandbeyond.com/

Be a guest on the show: Drop us an email [email protected]

Links:

Ben Baldwin on LinkedIn Chuffed Productions on LinkedIn Web: https://chuffed.video/

Episode Resources:

Dacorum’s Den Application: www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/business/business-services/dacorums-den

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 25 MARCH 2026

Maylands Business Centre: www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/business/business-services/maylands-business-centre Tel: 01442 531002

Dacorum Business Support Workshops: www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/business/business-services/workshops

Herts Opportunities Portal: https://www.hopinto.co.uk/ University of Hertfordshire: https://www.herts.ac.uk/

West Herts College: https://www.westherts.ac.uk/

Dacorum’s Den Sponsors:

Sureserve Compliance Central: https://www.sureserve.co.uk Beeches Group: https://beechesgroup.uk/

West Herts College: https://www.westherts.ac.uk/ Cardo: https://cardogroup.co.uk/

Dacorum’s Den Business Support Providers

Bloom with BB: http://www.bloomwithbb.co.uk/ Sales Geek: https://www.salesgeek.co.uk/

Connect Dacorum: https://www.communityactiondacorum.org/local-business/