High Frequency Fridays

This week I’m joined by one of the top business thought leaders and leadership development experts in the World - John Spence, live from the US.

At 26 years old, John was appointed CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation, overseeing projects across 20 countries. Just two years later, Inc. Magazine named him one of America’s Up and Coming Young Business Leaders.

He went onto being named by the American Management Association as one of America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch along with Google’s Larry Page and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Just recently, John was recognised as one of the ‘Top Biggest Voices in Leadership to Watch’, acknowledged alongside Simon Sinek and Gary Vaynerchuk.

Sought-after as an executive coach and leadership development consultant, John was also the owner or CEO of six companies and currently serves as a board member or adviser to several organisations.

John’s author of bestselling book Awesomely Simple which is all about turning ideas into positive action to achieve lasting business success.

Listen to Learn:

For more information visit www.johnspence.com or drop John an email to his PERSONAL account at [email protected].

This week we’re delving into the world of sport because there are so many parallels with business: from leadership and culture through to setting up systems, measuring success and managing multiple stakeholders.

So, today's guest is Ian Macleod, Head Coach of Newcastle Eagles basketball team. For those of you who may not be aware, Newcastle Eagles play in the top-tier British Basketball League and are the most successful British basketball team of all time.

Last summer, I had the pleasure of spending some time down the pub with Ian talking about business, his role, and what he’s achieved so far at the Club, which is way more than just about bouncing a basketball.

And our 10-year-old daughter Lily has been lucky enough to have attended a few basketball camps that Ian has helped coach at Yateley Silverbacks Basketball Club that we sponsor. (And she regular watches Ian’s interviews on TV!).

Listen to Learn:

- How sport is a business.

- Taking stock of what’s working well…even better if...

- Understanding the strengths and the needs of your team.

- Don’t try and improve what is already 10/10.

- Why you need to avoid rubbishing the past when talking about the future.

- How little, incremental changes can make a big difference.

- How to avoid major cultural problems with your team.

- Why you should clearly lay out your expectations and their expectations for new team members at the Recruitment stage, and not on their first day.

- Managing multiple stakeholders.

- How to put yourself in the best position as a Leader to achieve the expectations and results.

- How to get your team to own their individual performance and impact.

- The key Alerts, Alarms and Measures Ian and his team use.

- How to plan for - and celebrate - the ups and withstand the downs.

- Why it’s okay (and essential) to make mistakes.

- How to let go and stop fixing everything yourself.

For more information on Ian and Newcastle Eagles:

Follow on Twitter at: @CoachMacleod and @NewcastleEagle

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at > https://www.youtube.com/NewcastleEagles

I’m so excited about today’s guest because his book is one of a handful of books that I constantly refer to and recommend to all our clients – and I read hundreds and hundreds of books.

So, a warm welcome to Marcus Sheridan, author of ‘They Ask, You Answer’and acclaimed international keynote speaker, who I was lucky enough to listen to end of last year at Nigel Botterill’s Entrepreneurs Circle National Event.

For those of who don’t know Marcus’ back story, Marcus saved his swimming pool company, River Pools and Spas, from the economic collapse of 2008 and took it from a humble three-man company to one of the largest manufacturers and installers in the United States. River Pools and Spas has the most visited pool website in the world, with over 750,000 hits a month.

Today, Marcus has taken all his experience as an entrepreneur and business owner and is co-owner of digital sales & marketing agency IMPACTas well as an acclaimed international speaker.

Listen to Learn:

· Why you should always choose a business partner that is NOT like you.

· Identifying early on who you are, and who you’re not.

· Why most business are too generic and why this leads to bad choices.

· How business works simply by paying attention.

· How to build trust with prospects and buyers (the opposite of what most sales training tells you).

· The 4 metrics Marcus measures in his businesses.

· The importance of telling your story and why you should never tire of telling it.

· How to stop your inbox and phone constantly blowing up.

· Which article became Marcus’s Cash Cow.

· The 2 elements that drive the way we communicate.

· Why most people can’t step away from their business.

For more information:

Follow Marcus on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/marcussheridan

If you want to reach out personally to Marcus, email him at [email protected].

This week I’m joined by fellow coach and author who I originally met five years ago at Daniel Priestley’s KPI program, and we’ve kept in regular contact ever since - Robin Waite.

Robin is founder of Fearless Business and bestselling author of six books, including ‘Online Business Startup’, ‘Marketing Machine’ and the recent popular release ‘Take Your Shot’.

He puts his two decades of business experience to work, coaching clients to reach their goals, create more time and increase their revenue.

From the age of 18, Robin spent four years as a systems analyst for a medical devices company, increasing their turnover by 50 per cent. And from 2004 to 2016 Robin led a successful marketing agency serving over 250 clients. During this time delivering workshops and masterclasses that helped over 1,000 business owners improve their marketing, product architecture, pricing, websites, and digital advertising.

Robin holds a Guinness World Record for participating in the largest ever speed networking event, has raised over £5k for a local Children’s charity, and has a goal to help remove 100kg of plastic from the World’s Oceans within the next 12 months.

Listen to Learn:

· Why not having a business plan, or not referring to one, will lead to failure.

· Why Passion, Energy and Belief are the three essential ingredients you need to run a business.

· The ONE thing most people are afraid of, and why it’s the best catalyst.

· The important questions you need to ask when setting pricing.

· What is your Business Model telling you?

· Why entrepreneurs are the worst people to get a business to a certain point.

· Failing Fast, Failing Forwards Vs Perfection.

· Why most people miss the ‘V’ in MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

· Change just ONE thing and measure the outcome.

· Why most business owners get stuck on assumptions, and how to avoid this.

· The impact of your work on culture, people, and ethics.

· Why marketing is SO complicated and NOT about just generating content.

· Reverse engineering all your numbers to see if you’re winning, or on the right track.

· Why 97% businesses don’t get above one member of staff, and the challenges it brings when you bring people on board.

· Sticky Plaster Better Vs Long Term Better.

· Stop focussing on yourself and start focussing on the outcomes of your customers.

· Get Specialised, Get Focussed, or Get Out.

· The power of incremental gains.

· Wants Vs Need.

· Robin’s best piece of advice on Leadership.

For a FREE signed copy of Robin’s book ‘Take Your Shot’, visit: https://fearless.biz/tys

For more information about Robin:

Website: https://robinwaite.com/ & https://fearless.biz

I worked closely with Monty during my time in Singapore, and I’ve seen first-hand his practical experience in growing teams and scaling businesses.

But more important to Monty, are the wisdom and insights into how entrepreneurship can be used as a catalyst for creating an era of new possibilities for humanity.

Monty’s the Founder of The Exponential – a Business Consulting & Offshore Staffing company with offices in three countries, as well as being a Board Member, Mentor and Investor to several other companies.

Now fully residing in Indonesia, he’s building ‘Lighthouse’ – the world’s most inspiring Podcast and Video Studios for entrepreneurs and change-makers.

Finally, Monty is Host of ‘The Rabbit Hole Podcast’, so he’ll be more than at home today!

Listen to Learn:

- How to get an exponential growth pattern.

- Why giving ownership early on will carry well beyond YOU.

- How to do half the work and get the same result.

- The two numbers you need to know in business.

- Why purpose drives profit and how to implement this in your business.

- The Romanticism of setting up a business Vs the Reality of running it.

- How to remove yourself from the day-to-day with confidence.

- The Entrepreneurs Bet – are you willing to make it?

- Why a business is bigger than any one person.

- The importance of having the courage to cut ties.

For more information check out Monty’s Instagram at @montyhooke and @lighthouse.studios.bali 

Today’s guest is Paul Dunn, and I cannot wait to catch up with him again. Paul is a 4-time TEDx speaker, and a Senior Fellow in one of the World’s Leading Think Tanks and consults to and mentor’s leading-edge businesses around the world.

He was honoured as a Social Innovation Fellow in his new home of Singapore; something he shares with film-star and philanthropist Jet Li and Walmart Chairman, Rob Walton.

He was one of the first 10 people in Hewlett Packard in Australia. He then created one of Australia’s first computer companies and then The Results Corporation where he helped develop and grow 23,000 small and medium scale business enterprises.

His programs are used by an estimated 226,000 companies around the world and he continues to push the boundaries. He featured in Forbes Magazine alongside Sir Richard Branson in a global piece on ‘disrupters’ in business.

He is the co-founder of B1G1: Business for Good, the history-making Global Giving Initiative that’s already enabled businesses to create over 246 Million giving impacts globally.

He is a genuinely giving and humble man who I was privileged to spend a bit of time with during my time in Singapore.

Listen to Learn:

For more information contact Paul on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulb1g1 or visit b1g1.com (Company Website) or pauldunn.global  (Personal Website).

This week I’m joined by one of the world’s experts in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the field of SMEs, Jeremy Harbour, live from Dubai. I’ve known Jeremy for a few years now, having been part of his Harbour Club, via opportunities in Singapore, and have enjoyed his books.

In the late 1990’s, Jeremy acquired a competitor of the telecommunications he owned – without cash or involving a bank. Proving that necessity truly is the mother of invention, he figured out a deal structure that worked for the company he wanted to buy. In a single afternoon, he grew by a year’s worth of sales – and that solidified it – he became a deal junkie.

Since then, Jeremy founded Unity Group, a firm specialising in attracting investments and creating opportunities for SMEs to scale, he has advised on more than 300 acquisitions of both distressed and solvent businesses.

Jeremy’s passion for changing the mindset of wealth creation fuelled the birth of Harbour Club where he teaches real tactics for buying, fixing, and selling businesses with no experience and no cash up front. With new members every month it has become a change engine for good – helping entrepreneurs excel at wealth creation so they can be problem solvers in their local communities.

Listen to Learn:

- Why M&A is a great way to grow quicker, and why it’s the solution for everything

- How it’s easier working ON a business you’ve bought, rather than one you’ve started

- Be the buyer, not the seller

- Why having Capital to buy can make you lazy

- Why you must be a MOTIVATED buyer or seller

- Be realistic on your valuation

- The 3 key drivers of value

- Why a big business can be a group of smaller businesses

- The importance of leaving the entrepreneur in charge

- Why you must start before you’re ready

- How M&A is life-changing and will give you time & financial freedom

- Getting rid of the ego!

For more information contact:

https://www.harbourclubevents.com

Twitter: @JeremyJHarbour

Instagram: @harbour.jeremy

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremyharbour

Buy Jeremy’s book and get a free email course: GoDo.Deals

Here’s Martin Norbury's latest Podcast with Mike Antoniades, Founder of The Running & Movement School.

Mike left corporate life to pursue his passion, and in 1994 set-up the first Rehabilitation and Speed centre in the UK to help elite athletes, world-class teams, adults, and children.

Since then, Mike’s methodology has helped over 65,000 athletes and non-athletes, and has been rolled out to over 30 organisations and Franchises around the world.

Not only is this a great listen on how to turn a hobby into a scalable business, it’s also a masterclass in how having a great product, and knowing what pain it solves, means you need to do very little, and spend very little!

Listen to Learn:

· How to create assets so the business can run without you

· Why you shouldn’t be afraid to turn down big deals if they don’t fit with your Values or Culture

· The importance of empowering your team to make mistakes

· Long-term problems can’t have short-term fixes

· How to avoid the Entrepreneur’s Curse

· How Mike took 10 months out to work ON the business

· How good leaders create other good leaders

We can personally vouch for Mike’s transformational methodology! Here’s our 9-year-old Lily, just 6 sessions with Mike’s son > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmvhe4M2078

For more information on The Running & Movement School visit > https://runningschool.com/ 

This week we have a guest who is uniquely placed to share experiences from both a business and sporting perspective: Ben Gotting. Ben spent 10 years as a professional sportsman playing rugby for London Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Welsh, as well as England U21s.

After finishing his Rugby career, Ben entered the world of Personal Training, and in July 2015 opened “The Foundry” in partnership with Dave Thomas.

Just one year later they were voted "one of the best gyms in the world" by Men's Health magazine.

Today, they’ve added two additional London sites, a fully employed team of over 25, a fully operational online coaching platform and an exceptional community.

Listen to learn:

· Why you need clarity on whether you want a Lifestyle Business or a Scalable Business

· The leadership lessons Ben learned from his coaches / teammates from Lawrence Dallaglio through to Warren Gatland

· How is Ben no longer stuck IN the gym or office Monday to Sunday

·  ‘Don’t be a Dick!’ – the importance of values in business

· How Ben has done the OPPOSITE to commercial gyms and the benefits this continues to bring

· The importance of having a strong team around you & the benefits of being the dumbest person in the boardroom

· How to keep on track

· Why you can’t scale what’s in one person’s head

For more information on The Foundry, head on over to www.foundryfit.com

This week I’m joined by a guest from the world of technology with big ambitions – Nick Redding, Co-Founder and Managing Director of SEO Agency Reddico.

Nick started Reddico with his brother Luke back in 2012 and has grown it from a team of two to 30+ professionals, a turnover of £3.5 million, and are trusted by global brands like Direct Line and Groupon.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked closely with Nick and his team for several years as part of their Scale journey, so I’m really looking forward to reflecting and sharing numerous learnings.

- Listen to Discover:

- Knowing what he knows now, what’s his biggest advice for setting up a company.

- Key things Nick wishes he’d done earlier on in their scale journey.

- How to deal with Overwhelm

- How a shift in mindset & creating thinking space for yourself is the only way to scale effectively and successfully

- Why strict fixed budgets will hamper your growth, and what to do instead

- Why you need to look Out-In, not In-Out

- Why milestones are better than timed deadlines

- The role of an MD in today’s changing environment

- Why culture isn’t about table tennis and a fridge full of beers in the staff room, and what Culture really means

- How to get people to want to work for you, be productive and stay with you

- Why Reddico have moved from Transparency to Open by Default

- Why celebrating mistakes and failing faster is good for a business

- Nick’s top tips on Leadership

For more information please contact Reddico or Nick on LinkedIn.