Adapt or Get Left Behind: Why Change Is the Only Option | Episode Twenty Two

Episode Summary

Something is changing at Paragon. Rob isn't ready to say exactly what yet — it's still too fresh, too raw — but this episode is his way of processing it out loud. A reminder to himself, and to anyone listening, that staying still is its own kind of risk.

What We Cover

Change Is Coming — Details To Follow Rob is candid from the off: there are decisions being made in the business right now, some already done, some in progress. He's not ready to spell them out. But he knows they're overdue. Eight and a half years in, the core of what Paragon does and how it does it has stayed largely the same. And while that's not failure, it's starting to look a lot like stagnation.

The Kilner Family Warning The story that brought it into focus came from Clarkson's Farm. It turns out Jeremy Clarkson is related to the Kilner family — the famous glass jar makers who once dominated their market. Their mistake wasn't bad products. It was failing to embrace technology while competitors did. They went from market leaders to irrelevant. A warning Rob takes personally.

Paragon Sales Solutions has been a market leader in telemarketing and lead generation for nearly a decade. But leading in a market that's shifting under your feet isn't enough. The current climate — economically and politically — is making that clearer by the day.

Why Business Owners Resist Change Rob gets honest about the psychology of it. Fear of what clients will think. Fear of what the team will think. Fear of what family will think. But the world is big and your business is small — and if you're so worried about outside perception that you won't evolve, you're already losing.

Nervous, but Excited That's where Rob lands. The change is happening. He's not sure how it'll look from the outside yet, but he knows it's necessary — and there's something energising about that, even when it's scary.

Key Takeaway

Every business either changes or gets left behind. The Kilner family didn't fail overnight — they just didn't move fast enough. What's the change you've been putting off in yours?

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Can Rebuild a Business. You Can't Get This Time Back | Episode Twenty One

An unplanned, slightly chaotic episode — recorded at 4pm with the England pre-match build-up on in the background, because Rob left the original recording on the SD card at the studio. Classic. But amid the chaos, a genuinely honest reflection on what being your own boss is actually for.

What We Cover

The Accidental Home Studio Rob forgot the SD card. So he's cobbled together a setup at home — microphone straight into the laptop, sitting by a sunny patio door — and is recording with England kicking off at 5pm. The irony isn't lost on him.

Why He's Working From Home More Often Rob's partner returned to work a couple of months ago doing two days a week in clinic. To avoid paying for childcare until funded hours kick in September, Rob looks after their daughter — now nearly 11 months old — one day a week. His partner's mum covers another day. Between them, they've carved out a solution that saves money and, more importantly, gives Rob time with his daughter that he'd otherwise miss.

When she's awake, the laptop is closed. He's fully present. Work happens in the nap windows. He admits it adds some stress — his output is lower on those days — but the trade-off is obvious to him.

The Real Reason to Own a Business Rob pushes back on the culture of bragging about absence. The business owners who wear it as a badge of honour that they haven't seen their families, missed bedtimes, skipped breakfasts for meetings. His take: that's not success. That's a priority problem.

His daughter won't remember these days — but he will. She'll see the photos and the videos and know he was there. And that, to Rob, is a bigger flex than any business win.

You can rebuild a business. You can restart a career. You won't get the first year back.

What Entrepreneurship Is Actually About Not just money. Not just growth. Time. Flexibility. The ability to solve a childcare problem by showing up. That's the real upside of being your own boss — and it's easy to forget when you're buried in the doing.

Key Takeaway

Being present isn't a weakness. It's the whole point. If your business can't survive you being a parent for a day, you've got a leadership problem — not a family problem.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Company of Giants: Why You Should Always Hire People Better Than You | Episode Twenty

Rob's back from holiday and keeping this one short. But the topic is anything but small. A principle he once believed in, drifted from, and is now recommitting to: always hire people who are better than you. Two stories — one from Henry Ford, one from David Ogilvy — and one honest admission about where drifting from this has cost the business.

Key Takeaway

Stop hiring people you have to carry. Hire people who make you faster, sharper, and more dispensable — in the best possible way. A company of giants starts with the courage to admit you don't need to be the best person in the room.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're Allowed to Switch Off: A Holiday Reminder for Busy Fools Everywhere | Episode Nineteen Short one this week — Rob's on holiday. And that's exactly the point. This is your reminder that stepping away from the business isn't weakness, it's essential. Recorded before he left, with his phone already cleared of emails and LinkedIn.

Before You Go Away A few practical suggestions from Rob:

• Remove email and LinkedIn from your phone
• Use a VA or PA service to handle admin in your absence
• Get a call answering service to cover incoming calls (Paragon Sales Solutions offers this, by the way)
• Build the team and systems that mean the business doesn't need you for a week
• 
  

Key Takeaway

Humans come first. Work comes second. Send this episode to the busy fool in your life who needs to hear it.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stand Your Ground: The Invoice Dodgers Who Will Always Lose in the End | Episode Eighteen.

Rob opens this one at full volume — and for good reason. Two companies are currently refusing to pay their invoices, and he's not staying quiet about it. No names, but plenty of detail. If you've ever been stiffed by a client, this one will feel very familiar.

Key Takeaways

• Invoicing someone and not receiving payment doesn't exempt you from paying VAT — HMRC treats a raised invoice as income. Know this before it catches you out.
• Watch for the red flags: changing goalposts, complaints that only appear when you chase money, sudden silence, Companies House changes.
• If you're struggling to pay a supplier, have the honest conversation. Most business owners will find a solution. What they won't forgive is being lied to.
• Fight your corner. Court exists for a reason.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The BNI Hypocrisy Problem | Episode Seventeen

BNI has wound Rob up again. In this week's unfiltered episode, he takes on the hypocrisy at the heart of some BNI chapters — not the concept itself, but the behaviour that contradicts everything the network claims to stand for. Two specific incidents this week brought it all to a head.

Key Takeaways

• BNI works for plenty of people, especially those in trade. Rob isn't disputing that.
• What he won't accept: using your platform to devalue other businesses, or ignoring your own members to use AI instead.
• If you're in BNI and you refer Rob business that converts, he'll pay you properly. No gold star required.
• There's more to business growth than one networking group; keep your eyes open.

Got Thoughts?

Are you a BNI member? Does Rob have a point, or is he being unfair? Drop a comment on Spotify — he's genuinely up for the debate.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give

them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A slightly scrappier episode this week — Rob forgot to record and wasn't letting that stop him. Hunched over a laptop with a mic, he talks about reigniting his passion for content creation, launching a brand new TikTok channel, and the business lesson that ties it all together: if you don't do, you'll never learn.

Key Takeaways

• Content creation is a skill that compounds — the earlier you start experimenting, the faster you improve.
• Combining two existing interests (reselling + content) is a smart, low-friction way to build something new.
• Creators build; voyeurs consume. Which one are you?
• You don't need perfect equipment. This episode was recorded on a laptop and a mic, and it still went out.
• 
  

Find Rob on TikTok

Search Animal Spence on TikTok — physical media, reselling, and whatever else Rob decides to throw at it.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Production

This podcast is brought to you by Paragon Creative Studios — a full in-house production team based in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside. Whether you want to hire a studio by the hour or need a complete team to write, produce, record, and distribute your podcast, Paragon Creative Studios has you covered.

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Too Little, Too Late? Starmer's Small Business Bill vs. The Damage Already Done | Episode Fifteen

Rob Spence was doom-scrolling Facebook when a post from Keir Starmer stopped him in his tracks, and not for the usual reasons. For once, something the Prime Minister said actually resonated. In this episode, Rob breaks down Labour's record on small business since taking power, reacts to Starmer's late payments post and the newly introduced Small Business Protections Bill, and gives his honest, unfiltered verdict on whether this is a genuine turning point or too little, too late.

Fair warning: Rob isn't here to do politics. But he is here to do business, and right now, those two things are impossible to separate.

Key Takeaways

• Labour's changes since taking power — NI hike, wage increases, SSP reform, business rate changes, dividend tax — have added thousands of pounds per year to the cost of running a small business.
• Late payments are a genuine crisis for small businesses. The domino effect of one unpaid invoice rippling through the supply chain is real and damaging.
• The Small Business Protections Bill has some genuinely useful measures, particularly the mandatory payment term limits. But several of these protections already existed in law — the issue has always been enforcement.
• Big firms will feel the pressure of the new legislation. SMEs, already squeezed by the government's own policies, are a different story.
• Rob's bottom line: welcome, but read the room. The business community needs costs to come down, not just another bill to add to the pile.

About From Bedroom to Boardroom

Hosted by Rob Spence, From Bedroom to Boardroom is the podcast for business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone thinking about taking the leap. Raw, honest, and always unplanned. New episodes every Wednesday.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Production

This podcast is brought to you by Paragon Creative Studios — a full in-house production team based in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside. Whether you want to hire a studio by the hour or need a complete team to write, produce, record, and distribute your podcast, Paragon Creative Studios has you covered.

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decide Faster, Win Faster | Episode Fourteen

Eight and a half years into running his business, Rob Spence has identified one of the things that's held him back recently — and it's something he used to be brilliant at. Making decisions fast.

In this episode, Rob gets brutally honest about the fact that slow decision-making has started to stagnate his business. He backs up his gut feeling with research, quotes from some of the world's most successful business leaders, and a tangent about why he genuinely doesn't understand people who hate Amazon. As always, this is unfiltered, unplanned, and real.

Key Takeaways

• Slow decision-making doesn't just delay progress — it actively costs your business through stagnation, missed opportunities, and a compounding backlog of unmade choices.
• You don't need 90% of the information to make a good decision. 70% and moving is almost always better than waiting for certainty that never comes.
• Indecision doesn't give you a free mind — it fills it. Unresolved decisions quietly consume your headspace, even in your downtime.
• Empowering your team to make decisions isn't just good management, it's a speed multiplier. Approval chains kill momentum.
• The worst outcome isn't a wrong decision — it's no decision at all.

Other Podcasts from Rob

• 🎙️ How I Failed in Business — Rob and co-host Megan dig into the world of business failure, what goes wrong, and the lessons that come out the other side.
• 🎙️ The Sales Circle — Focused on sales, sales training, and business growth. Currently on a brief pause, but worth following for when it returns.

About From Bedroom to Boardroom

Hosted by Rob Spence — multi-award-winning entrepreneur and founder of multiple businesses — From Bedroom to Boardroom is the podcast for business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone thinking about taking the leap. Raw, honest, and always unplanned. New episodes every Wednesday.

Production

This podcast is brought to you by Paragon Creative Studios — a full in-house production team based in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside. Whether you want to hire a studio by the hour or need a complete team to write, produce, record, and distribute your podcast, Paragon Creative Studios has you covered.

Ready to start your own podcast? Head to paragoncreativestudios.co.uk or click the link in the show notes for your free consultation.

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Are We Tied Down by our Emails and Inboxes?! | Episode Thirteen

A slightly different episode this week — Rob is recording from home (yes, ironically, the week after the WFH episode) because his partner has just returned to work and baby duty calls. The audio might not be quite up to its usual studio standard, but the conversation is every bit as honest.

The topic? Email. Specifically, the quiet, creeping obsession that turns a simple communication tool into a full-blown source of anxiety. When did we start feeling obligated to reply to emails instantly? When did the inbox become the boss? Rob unpacks his own complicated relationship with email, shares what he's done about it, and makes the case that most of us need to step away from the inbox — and stop apologising for it.

Key Takeaways

• Feeling obligated to reply to emails instantly is a habit — not a requirement. Most things can wait.
• Push notifications are productivity killers. Every coach, every performance expert, every high-performing business owner says the same thing: turn them off.
• Adding friction to your inbox (like Face ID) is a surprisingly effective way to stop mindless checking.
• The best test of email urgency? If it really matters, someone will follow up — or pick up the phone.
• Being an entrepreneur means you set the rules. You don't need to justify your schedule to your inbox.
• 
  

Rob Wants to Hear From You

Are you enslaved by your inbox? Have you found a system that works? Or do you think business owners should be checking emails constantly?

Drop your thoughts in the comments on Spotify — and let Rob know whether you think he's right or wrong on this one.

A Note on This Episode

This episode was recorded at home on a slightly different setup than usual — Rob's partner returned to work today (Wednesday 6th May) and he's on dad duty. Normal studio quality resumes next week.

About From Bedroom to Boardroom

Hosted by Rob Spence, From Bedroom to Boardroom is the podcast for business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone thinking about taking the leap. Episodes are deliberately unplanned — raw, real conversations about business life, leadership, and the things nobody else is saying out loud. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Production

This podcast is brought to you by Paragon Creative Studios — a full in-house production team based in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside. Whether you want to hire a studio by the hour or need a complete team to write, produce, record, and distribute your podcast, Paragon Creative Studios has you covered.

Please don’t forget to subscribe and/or follow so you never miss an episode!

Massive thank you to my partners - make sure you give them some love:

Paragon Creative Studios - www.paragoncreativestudios.co.uk

monday.com - https://try.monday.com/9fu602qtcgca

Xero - https://referrals.xero.com/i5kqkglg3n3w-nx0cim

Apollo.io - https://get.apollo.io/b3kjbubqrsvl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.