Fail Forward

Welcome to episode 27 of the Fail Forward podcast.

Do you have empathy for others?

I confess that I haven't always been the most empathetic person. I may have thought I was, But in reality, it was my wife, Sarah, who really taught me about empathy.

I'd come home in a bad mood, venting about people at work I believed had let me down or done something I considered to be unbelievably stupid.

I'd shout in the car when someone cut me up.

I'd be offended when someone bumped into me in the street and didn't apologise.

The negative energy was high, there was a blame culture going on and my performance was "below the line" (blames, excuses and denial in case you're wondering!).

And when Sarah asked me, "have you looked at things from their perspective?" or, "do you know what's going on for them?" it felt like Sarah was taking their side, which also made me cross.

She was my wife, why wasn't she supporting me?

In this episode I reflect on how I learned to have more empathy for people and to see other perspectives. I also share how approaching a problem with empathy and understanding resulted in an unintended huge business win.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 26 of the Fail Forward podcast.

I've talked before about the importance of mindset and its role in finding your winning formula. Your mindset is arguably the most critical factor in achieving your goals, which means it is vital to understand how to manage your mindset for the best possible outcomes.

Having always considered myself a positive person, I was surprised when a mindset coach quickly picked-up on my subconscious habit of negative self-talk. Once it was pointed out to me, I became proactive about catching myself and changing the habits. Which helped me see that mindset is another muscle we have to exercise regularly.

In this episode I share some of the mindset tips I'ver learned over the years, the harmful impact of negative self-talk, and reflect on the importance of remembering to work on your mindset in the same way we work on our health and fitness.

Listen now to find out how to distinguish between fixed, negative and growth mindset, the danger of reverting to old habits when times are tough and the link between mindset and mental health.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 25 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In this episode, I'm talking to Rob Bryer, founder of multiple property businesses including The Good Estate Agent. (https://openmoov.co.uk)

Over the course of the next 50 minutes, Rob will take you through the fascinating story of how he went from selling horse manure to a houses, before losing his family home, business and ultimately suffering a personal breakdown.

Rob's positive outlook on his business journey gives an inspiring insight into the importance of taking time out, recognising when things need to reset and why he believes contentment can be a dangerous blocker to growth.

During the interview, I explore how Rob recovered from his early failures to create his highly successful estate agency business and property portfolio. Rob shares how a single sentence from his 8 year old son has such an impact that he changed his perspective and it remains, to this day, a lasting reminder of prioritising what's important in life.

Throughout this episode, Rob is candid about his own successes and failures, sharing how he has used them to build lean and agile businesses resilient to the ebbs and flows of life and the economy which he is using to help others achieve their business goals.

Rob's story demonstrates the importance of taking a philosophical view of life's cycle of ups and downs, learning from every experience and always asking "What's next" (as well as why every business owner should have a burner phone!).

Join me for a fascinating 50 minutes that is sure to leave you inspired and encouraged to seize opportunities, take risks and perhaps even make you curious to explore your own "what ifs", because if all else fails - you will always learn and can always start again!

If you enjoy listening to Rob's story, you can follow him on LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter. Alternatively you can contact him via his website.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 24 of the Fail Forward podcast.

On the days you feel like you're paddling upstream, what is it that keeps you going?

Whether it's your business or your personal life, we all have something that gets us out of bed even on the days we least feel like it, and makes us keep moving forward towards our goals.

In this episode we take a look at how to understand what your true why is and how you can use it to be consistent, determined, focused and persistent about working towards your goals.

Taking inspiration from Simon Sinek's renowned book, Start With Why, I explore how you may have multiple whys for different aspects of your life and work. And I share the techniques I apply every day to stay focused on my true purpose.

If you're not already familiar with Simon Sinek's book, I'd highly recommend you give it a go, or take a look on YouTube to watch him talking about the concept.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 23 of the Fail Forward podcast.

What does loneliness mean to you?

For most people the word evokes negative emotions and memories; sadness, childhood trauma, isolation, depression, failure. And I can't lie - I would have said the same until I listened to Steven Bartlett's podcast (Diary of a CEO) with Jay Shetty.

If you haven't heard it, I'd recommend you give it a listen. That episode completely changed my perspective of loneliness and what it means to do things alone. Here's why.

As a child we moved around a lot with my parents' work. That meant I was frequently changing schools and having to make new friends. On the upside, it meant I developed great people skills which have stayed with me for life. I'm naturally able to talk to and connect with new people I meet. But on the flipside, it meant I spent a lot of time alone and that's what I hated.

Until Jay Shetty enlightened me that it's OK to do things alone. In fact, time spent alone is a positive place of solitude and respite in an otherwise busy life. It's an opportunity to collect my thoughts, to think creatively, to meditate and to allow the noise to go silent for a while.

In this episode I share how embracing solitude, peace and respite of time alone is a great opportunity that offers you decompression time enabling you to be a better boss, spouse, parent and friend.

If you're someone who feels a little strange about spending time alone, have a listen and let me know if it helps you change your perspective.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 22 of the Fail Forward podcast.

Stop! In the inimitable words of Tina Turner, we don't need another hero!

I employed people for a long time before I realised that I didn't actually have a clue how to manage them. Sure, I'd built a great culture, I knew the names of all my staff, their families, kids and pets, but I was disempowering them. And in turn, I was undermining my business!

In this episode I share the mistakes I made that meant whenever I took time off or tried to go on holiday my business would implode and complaints would start pouring in. My team were good guys who were good at their job, but my approach to leading them had set them, and myself, up for a fall.

I also share what happened when I recognised what I was doing and stopped feeding my own ego.

If you take one thing away from this episode I hope it will be that you don't need to have all the answers and be the fixer. You don't need to swoop in with your cape and save the day. In fact - you need to do just the opposite!

If this episode resonates with you and you'd like to chat through the strategies you can implement to change how you manage your teams, in turn empowering them whilst giving you more freedom, please reach out. My inboxes are open and I'm happy to help.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 21 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In this episode, I talk to 3 times martial arts world champion Gordon Burcham.

Gordon has been training, teaching, and working in the martial arts industry for more than two decades. After earning his first black belt, he went on to win three consecutive world titles against competitors half his age.

In 1998, in the midst of his competitive career, he launched his own dojo which still runs today. After retiring from the competitions, he decided to focus more on helping others in industry while still running his club.

Over the next hour, you'll hear Gordon's journey from bullied schoolboy to world champion, how he responded when he lost everything and what's behind his infectious joy to live life to the max.

During the interview, I ask Gordon searching questions about what it means to be successful and what he considers was the biggest turning point in his life.

We explore the benefits of mentoring and masterminds, and learn why we should all say F@$% perfection and seek to fail at least 20 times a day.

Throughout this podcast, you'll be struck by Gordon's passion for personal growth, learning and development whilst learning of the gut-wrenching fear he experienced when he thought he'd fallen prey to a scam losing thousands of pounds that weren't his to lose.

The true magic of Gordon's story is in the absolute commitment to doing what makes you happy, being utterly unafraid and knowing when to let others step in to help you achieve your goals.

Having consistently grown his own business and helped hundreds of martial arts business owners achieve success, Gordon is know on an exhilarating franchising journey,

Join me for a fascinating 58 minutes that will leave you with three vital tips that are certain to change your perception of perfection and energise you to Fail Forward every day.

If you enjoy listening to Gordon's story, you can connect with him via his various profiles here.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 20 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In previous episodes I have talked about the iceberg effect and why comparison is an unhelpful distraction because what you see on the surface is only a fraction of someone else's reality.

When I talk to people I don't know well and tell them I have five businesses, the first reaction is almost always, "How do you do it all?"

Well, it's that iceberg again! I don't - and can't - do it all myself. I have built a core team of skilled individuals around me that means I can focus on what I'm good at whilst the things I'm not good at, or dislike, still get done.

Whether you have one business or multiple, you need to know one thing. Truly successful people don't do it all by themselves!

Trying to do everything yourself is stressful, leads to burnout and is unsustainable. You need to learn to identify your strengths, weaknesses and skills gaps. And plan your activities accordingly.

In this episode we explore:

How to value your time and use it to the best effect

Why you should outsource the £10 tasks

Ways to be resourceful and creative if outsourcing is outside your budget

The art of delegation

Who not how by Dan Sullivan is a great book on this subject.

If this episode resonates with you and you'd like to chat through the challenges of creating a team to support you, please reach out. My inboxes are open and I'm happy to help.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 19 of the Fail Forward podcast.

I always say failure is only a negative if you do not learn from it and give up.

However, as with any 'rule' there is always an exception. And in this episode I talk about the importance of recognising when to say no, or to stop doing something.

I'm not talking about giving up on your hopes and dreams, business or personal. I'm talking about stopping repeating the behaviours that aren't serving you.

There's a famous saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results. And that's when it's vital to recognise it may be time to stop, or say no, or do things differently.

Saying no, changing tack or taking a few steps backwards in order to move forwards isn't a negative. In fact it can reduce stress and empower you to make better long term decisions. By contrast, if you repeat behaviour patterns that haven't delivered in the past you put yourself under increasing levels of stress, risk your health & relationships and often only delay the inevitable.

In this episode we explore:

The difference between saying no in order to move forward versus giving up

How the 4 pillars of a sustainable business help you make sound decisions based on facts, not emotions

How to harness the power of the compound effect

If this episode resonates with you and you'd like to chat through any repeating patterns that aren't giving you the results you crave, please reach out. My inboxes are open and I'm happy to help.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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Welcome to episode 18 of the Fail Forward podcast.

If you have ever caught yourself comparing your life, business or situation to others, this episode is for you.

Comparisonitis is possibly one of the most dangerous activities we can engage in when it comes to damaging our feelings of self-worth or our mindset. And the explosion of social media platforms over the last two decades has only exacerbated the problem beyond measure

Yet - if we are honest about our own social media habits - most of us only share the good stuff. So why do we think other people aren't doing the same?

The reality is, you only ever see a fraction of the time, effort or dedication it takes anyone to achieve anything that you aspire to. Like an iceberg, the most telling detail is below the surface.

The "it's alright for them" thought pattern is negative, unhealthy and takes real effort to escape from. And it's a distraction from you achieving your goals and dreams.

In this episode we explore:

How long it takes to get good at something new

Why there is value in the learning process

How to enjoy the journey, not just the end goal

The truth about people who are brilliant

If this episode resonates with you and you'd like to find out how I have broken out of negative thought patterns please reach out. My inboxes are open and I'm happy to help.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

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