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Friends in Business
Friends in Business episodes
- Episode 39: When and How To Leverage Outsourcing to Grow Your Business and Buy You More TIME
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh unpack the ins and outs of business outsourcing — a key strategy for businesses looking to grow and boost efficiency. Drawing from their own experiences, they offer practical frameworks and tips on everything from working with virtual assistants to knowing when it’s time to bring in the pros. With a focus on identifying low-value tasks and freeing up time for what really matters, the duo provides actionable strategies to help businesses scale.
Key Takeaways:
- Identifying tasks that do not add value or that can be easily outsourced is crucial for business growth.
- Differentiating between reversible and non-reversible decisions can guide which tasks to outsource.
- Protecting intellectual property (IP) is vital when deciding whether to bring functions in-house or to outsource them.
- Assessing the level of expertise needed in a task can influence the decision between in-house hires versus outsourcing.
- Utilizing virtual assistants for repetitive low-skill tasks can be a cost-effective strategy for business efficiency.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:11 Harvesting Honey
2:18 Outsourcing
4:10 Transitioning To Outsourcing
5:45 Jemimah’s Approach To Outsourcing
8:24 Ben’s Outsourcing Experience
14:19 Outsourcing Like Events Management
14:42 Golden Rules in Outsourcing
19:33 Weekly Takeaway
20:38 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
22 min - Episode 38: The Future of How We Work with Andrew Blain
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemima Ashleigh are joined by strategic advisor Andrew Blain for a compelling discussion on the evolving future of work. As the episode unfolds, the trio delves into the pivotal role artificial intelligence is playing in reshaping the modern workplace. Andrew offers a thought-provoking perspective on the diminishing exclusivity of knowledge as a business asset, forecasting a redefinition of the knowledge worker both in Australia and globally.
About the Guest:
Andrew Blain is a highly regarded strategic consultant renowned for his sharp strategic thinking and deep industry insight. He is the co-founder of Elaborate, a successful strategic consultancy that was eventually acquired by a global corporation. With a wealth of experience advising on complex strategic initiatives, Andrew has played a pivotal role in shaping business direction across a variety of sectors. Now enjoying a semi-retired lifestyle, he splits his time between winemaking and the golf course, while continuing to offer his expertise as a sought-after speaker and consultant.
Key Takeaways:
- Knowledge, traditionally seen as a commodity, is becoming more accessible and less valuable due to advancements in AI.
- AI tools will facilitate a seismic shift in white-collar work, moving economic value within companies and countries.
- Embracing AI and augmenting existing skills with technology will open up significant opportunities for business growth and efficiency.
- The sales industry is poised for transformation, but maintaining strong relationship-building skills and emotional intelligence will remain crucial.
- Strategic business leaders must integrate AI technologies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving work environment.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
3:00 Guest Introduction
4:24 Golf or Making Wine
5:53 What Does The Future of Work Look Like
11:32 Practical Application of Experience an A.I.
15:13 Will A.I. Prosper?
19:49 What Does A.I. Mean For Business
27:35 Weekly Takeaways
29:30 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
31 min - Episode 37: How We'd Rebuild If We Lost Everything
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh engage in a dynamic conversation about overcoming business hurdles and building resilience amid economic headwinds. With a focus on the realities of business adversity, Ben and Jemimah unpack essential themes such as evaluating business health, identifying market opportunities, and harnessing the power of personal networks. The episode delivers a wealth of actionable insights—from reducing inefficiencies and boosting profitability to weathering difficult periods by honing in on core strengths.
Key Takeaways:
- Businesses are experiencing a significant rise in liquidation inquiries, emphasizing the need for strategic planning and resilience.
- Understanding and leveraging one’s core strengths and key skills are vital for rebuilding or sustaining a business.
- Identifying high-growth markets and focusing efforts there can assist in reversing business downturns.
- Developing a clear financial and activity plan with measurable metrics is crucial for monitoring progress and implementing corrective actions.
- Seeking guidance and maintaining a strong network is invaluable when facing business challenges.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:04 Jemimah’s Liquidator Girlfriend
3:50 How To Rebuild A Business
6:13 Taking A Look At Your Relative Superpowers
6:53 Picking A Market That Had Growth Numbers
8:03 Going Out To The Entire Network
8:41 Sitting Down With Family
9:43 Jemimah’s Take on How to Rebuild a Business
13:40 Area Around Making Sure The Handbrake Goes Early Enough
20:36 Ben and Jemimah’s Job If They Are No Longer In Business
22:02 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
23 min - Episode 36: Our Lessons From 2 Decades of Working With Coaches That Will Help Supercharge Your Growth
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore the powerful concept of coaches having their own coaches, shedding light on why the right business mentor can be a game-changer for both personal and professional development. Drawing distinctions between effective coaching and general mentoring, Ben and Jemimah examine what truly makes an investment in coaching worthwhile. From elite athletes to their own lived experiences, they share how meaningful guidance has shaped their journeys—with a healthy dose of humour and practical wisdom along the way.
Key Takeaways:
- Seek coaches who have demonstrable expertise and are aspirational figures within your desired field.
- A well-structured coaching program or framework significantly enhances the effectiveness and outcome of the coaching engagement.
- Coaches usually provide paid, structured development focusing on eliciting business growth, unlike mentors who offer occasional advice.
- A good coach not only supports but holds you accountable, crucial for tangible growth and progress.
- Coaches often provide access to their networks, which can be a treasure trove of opportunities in small businesses or specific leader roles.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:10 Coaches
3:55 Coaches vs. Mentors
6:11 Where Did Ben Got Connected With His Coaches
9:40 Why We Should Have A Coach?
13:05 What is A Good Coach
20:12 Advice On How To Look For A Coach
21:44 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
23 min - Episode 35: Taking Care of Your Mental Health When the Pressure is ON
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore the complex and often-overlooked topic of mental health among entrepreneurs and business leaders. Drawing on their own lived experiences, Ben and Jemimah share candid reflections and pivotal moments from their professional journeys, offering practical insights into maintaining a healthy work-life balance amid the relentless demands of entrepreneurial life. The conversation highlights the critical role of consistent daily habits — from quality sleep and nutrition to regular exercise and recognising personal triggers — in supporting mental well-being.
Key Takeaways:
- Establishing and maintaining consistent routines around sleep, diet, and exercise significantly impact mental health.
- Knowing personal triggers and how to manage them can improve stress responses and overall well-being.
- Creating a physical environment at home that supports mental well-being—such as including workout spaces or saunas—can enhance life quality.
- Morning routines and practices like meditation or mindfulness exercises can aid in mental preparation for a busy day.
- Disconnection from digital devices and prioritizing downtime can enhance productivity and mental clarity.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:37 Ben’s Mental Health Haven
4:4 Jemimah’s Mental Health Haven
6:30 Mental Health Management
7:39 Know Your Levers Around Sleep
9:13 Know Your Levers Around Food
9:51 Health and Fitness
11:28 Knowing Your Triggers
13:01 Get Out Of Your Triggers
15:01 Morning Routine
16:30 Disconnection
21:03 Weekly Takeaways
22:11 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
23 min - Episode 34: Dead or Alive, Who Would You Choose?
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore their dream dinner conversations with influential thought leaders and share their vision for ideal business collaborations. They reflect on the profound impact that influential figures—such as renowned sales strategist Alex Hormozi and productivity guru James Clear—have had on both their professional journeys and personal growth. Their reflections offer listeners valuable takeaways and a deeper understanding of the principles that shape successful business practice.
Key Takeaways:
- Ben and Jemimah discuss the influential figures who have shaped their professional journeys, including Alex Hormozi, James Clear, and comedian John Oliver.
- The hosts share their aspirations for collaborations with major brands like Qantas and Spotify, which could significantly expand their audience reach.
- The episode highlights Jemima’s passion for merging entertainment with education, as seen in her admiration for John Oliver’s work on “Last Week Tonight.”
- The episode provides insight into Ben and Jemima’s personalities, as they share humorous takes on potential reality TV show participation.
- Throughout the episode, the importance of learning from diverse perspectives is emphasized, even when you don’t agree with every aspect of someone’s ideology.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:12 Jemimah’s Abode and Paintings
3:37 Dream Person to Collaborate With
4:29 Ben’s Dream Person to Hangout With
7:50 Jemimah’s Dream Person to Hangout With
11:14 Ben’s Dream Collaboration
13:26 Jemimah’s Dream Collaboration
14:30 Ben’s Dream Reality Show To Be On
15:46 Jemimah’s Dream Reality Show To Be On
17:55 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
19 min - Episode 33: How to Fill Gaps in Your Sales Activities To Stop Wasting Leads
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore the critical task of identifying and addressing gaps within business processes. Ben underscores the importance of defining a clear 12-month vision as a foundational step in uncovering areas for improvement. By setting a forward-looking roadmap, businesses can pinpoint inefficiencies and implement targeted actions for growth. Jemimah complements these insights with practical analogies and highlights the need for adaptability and a mindset of continuous improvement.
Key Takeaways:
- Establishing a clear 12-month vision is crucial for identifying and addressing gaps in your business processes.
- Effective change management requires team involvement and collaboration in devising solutions.
- Small, consistent changes can accumulate, leading to significant improvements in business outcomes.
- Measurement and management of progress are vital for accountability and ensuring goals are achieved.
- Leveraging technological advancements like AI can help streamline processes and drive growth.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:04 The United States
2:40 A.I.
4:20 Gaps In Our Offering
6:22 Work Out Where You Want To Get To
11:45 Come Off The Back of Process Mapping Your Business
15:50 The ONE Degree
17:35 Settings Deadlines
18:57 Weekly Takeaway
19:51 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
21 min - Episode 32: Building Your Sales Process To Close More Deals - Part 2
In this episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh discuss how impactful outcomes are achieved by strategically structuring sales activities while remaining agile in the face of shifting market conditions. Building on themes from a previous episode (episode 31), they highlight the significance of ongoing value creation and maintaining strategic engagement with key decision-makers. Throughout the discussion, Jemimah and Ben share proven strategies for sales professionals to boost their success in closing deals. With a strong focus on structured processes and customer-centric strategies, the hosts offer a thorough roadmap for navigating the sales journey from initial lead generation through to seamless onboarding.
Key Takeaways:
- Structuring sales processes around lead generation, meet-and-greet, quotation, closing, and post-sale account management can significantly improve business outcomes.
- Effective sales techniques include ensuring visibility among decision-makers and leveraging needs analysis to address objections and closure.
- Post-closure onboarding is crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction and encouraging repeat business, with salespeople playing a proactive role in follow-up.
- The transition from closing a deal to onboarding impacts both short-term customer experiences and long-term business growth.
- A robust follow-up strategy will address customer needs and potentially uncover opportunities for more extensive engagements.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:14 Episode 31 Recap
3:49 The Closing Process
6:34 Getting In Front of Decision Makers
10:00 Checking Back to the Key Needs Analysis Questions
10:54 Setting Deadlines
14:27 Structured Follow Up
15:10 Booking the Next Steps
16:27 Onboarding
19:15 The Nurturing Campaign
19:34 Weekly Silver Bullet
22:29 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
24 min - Episode 31: Building Your Sales Process To Close More Deals - Part 1
In this insightful episode of the Friends in Business podcast, hosts Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore the complexities of developing a highly effective sales process, underscoring the value of a well-structured approach. The discussion focuses on the first three stages of a comprehensive sales process: lead generation, initial meetings, and quotations. Jemimah and Ben offer a detailed analysis of how to effectively manage these crucial stages, providing practical tips for both inbound and outbound lead generation. Emphasising the importance of early-stage engagement, they highlight the need for personalisation to create value and foster stronger connections with prospects.
Key Takeaways:
- Developing a structured sales process with clear stages can significantly improve business outcomes.
- Creating value early and often in the sales process helps establish meaningful connections with prospective clients.
- Systematic, small changes in sales approaches can lead to a substantial increase in sales closure rates.
- Effective qualification of leads is crucial to ensure sales efforts are directed at the right prospects.
- Personalizing the sales process, such as by presenting quotes through conversation rather than email, enhances engagement and success rates.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:46 Sales Processes
5:30 The Broader Sales Process
5:58 5 Areas of a Sales Process
7:37 Qualifying the Leads
10:45 Meet and Greet
17:30 Give the Customer A Job
19:24 Preparing the Quotation
25:20 What To Watch Out for Next Week
25:55 Weekly Silver Bullets
26:23 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
28 min - Episode 30: The 5 Ways To Leverage Business Awards
In this episode of Friends in Business, Ben Wright and Jemimah Ashleigh explore the importance of business awards and how entrepreneurs can use them to drive growth. As finalists in the prestigious Australian Small Business Champion Awards, both hosts share their excitement and offer valuable insights into the application process. The discussion focuses on the impact of accolades as powerful social proof that can greatly enhance a business’s credibility and growth potential. Ben highlights the significance of strategically selecting awards and adopting a methodical approach to applications. Jemimah also stresses how awards can become valuable tools for fostering long-term business growth and boosting customer trust.
Key Takeaways:
- Proudly share any nominations or awards on social media and other platforms to enhance visibility.
- Engage with other finalists as potential collaborators or partners in business ventures.
- Using these events for networking and capturing social proof provides authentic content and exposure.
- Repurpose and refine applications to fit various awards, maximizing your likelihood of continuing to attain recognition.
- Incorporate awards in marketing collateral, email signatures, and websites to constantly promote business excellence.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:43 Congratulations On Being an Award Finalist
3:14 Process To Being A Finalist
4:52 Awards as Social Proof
6:20 5 Ways to Leverage Awards
6:40 Sharing The Award
7:53 Leverage The Fact That Other People Are Finalist
9:13 Go To The Awards
10:41 Leverage The Award Application
11:51: Put Your Award Everywhere
13:18 Recap
14:13 How to Be A Finalist
19:37 Outro
Be sure to stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Friends in Business podcast. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and leave a review to support us and help others discover these valuable discussions.
21 min
About Friends in Business
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to the *Friends in Business Podcast,* where hosts Jemimah Ashleigh and Ben Wright join forces to become your trusted allies in the world of entrepreneurship. This dynamic duo is dedicated to sharing their extensive knowledge and experience to help you navigate the complexities of business with confidence and clarity.
Jemimah Ashleigh is a renowned PR specialist, business coach, and influential speaker. As the founder of The Visibility Lab, Jemimah has empowered countless women entrepreneurs to master PR, achieve significant media exposure, and build powerful personal brands. With a background in law enforcement and human trafficking, she brings a unique perspective to her coaching, combining strategic insights with a deep understanding of the challenges women face in business. Jemimah is also an accomplished author and media personality, known for her impactful speaking engagements and International best-selling author.
Ben Wright is a leading sales strategist based in Noosa, Australia. With over a decade of experience in transforming sales strategies, Ben is known for his ability to craft tailored plans that drive business growth. His expertise lies in conducting in-depth analyses of sales processes and implementing innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Ben’s collaborative approach and strong communication skills make him a sought-after consultant for businesses looking to improve their sales operations and achieve sustainable success.
On the *Friends in Business Podcast,* Jemimah and Ben bring their wealth of knowledge and practical insights to the forefront. Their goal is simple: to be your friends in business, offering valuable lessons and actionable advice to help you thrive. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business owner, their conversations will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to succeed.
Join Jemimah and Ben as they dive into a range of topics, from PR and sales strategies to personal development and business growth. Their engaging and informative discussions are designed to make complex business concepts accessible and relatable. With each episode, you’ll gain new perspectives, practical tips, and the support of two experienced professionals committed to your success.
Tune in to the *Friends in Business Podcast* and start your journey towards achieving your business goals with the guidance of your new business friends.