Rise and Shine: Your Dose Of Business Tech Inspiration

Deloitte used AI to help produce a government report — and it backfired badly. From fake quotes to non-existent references, this “trusted” report cost them a partial refund and a reputational hit. But this episode isn’t about politics. It’s about what happens when we stop asking, “Does this make sense?”

📌 In this episode, Charly breaks down:

✅ Why AI confidently delivers incorrect info (aka “hallucinations”)

✅ How trust erodes when no one verifies AI-generated content

✅ The efficiency trap: speed vs. accuracy in business tools

✅ A clear mindset: AI helps you think faster — not for you

🛡️ Final takeaway? AI is your assistant, not your decision-maker. Review everything.

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Spam bots are getting smarter — filling out contact and newsletter forms with realistic names and fake emails. Even CAPTCHA, honeypots, and double opt-ins are failing to stop them. In this episode, Charly unpacks why spam is worse than ever and what business owners must do now to protect their websites and email deliverability.
📌 You’ll learn:
✅ Why junk leads hurt your deliverability and can get you banned from Mailchimp or AWeber
✅ What tactics bots are using to bypass traditional spam filters
✅ Why CAPTCHA might be hurting your conversions more than helping
✅ How to layer multiple protections like honeypots, time-based filters, and dynamic form tokens
✅ Why Cloudflare Turnstile is Charly’s top new tool for smart bot filtering
✅ How to keep your site fast and secure without annoying users
🔗 Tools mentioned: Cloudflare Turnstile, Zero Spam, Fail2Ban
🛡️ Don’t wait until your list is full of junk — secure your forms before bots do.
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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham
LinkedIn Company:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/
Spotify:
https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721
iHeartRadio:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/
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Selling or merging a business isn’t just about contracts and bank accounts — your digital assets need attention too. In this episode, Charly lays out a clear and practical roadmap for what to do with your online accounts, domain names, emails, and web tools when handing over the reins.

📌 You'll learn how to:

✅ Audit all digital assets before a sale or merger

✅ Securely transfer domains, hosting, and email services

✅ Avoid forgotten logins, expired domains, and costly oversights

✅ Handle shared tools like CRMs, Google Analytics, and newsletters

🛡️ Why registrant names and MFA updates really matter

🛡️ How to prep your digital “handover kit”

🛡️ Tips to prevent confusion, downtime, or security breaches post-sale

Whether you’re selling your company now or planning ahead, this episode gives you the digital due diligence checklist you didn’t know you needed.

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Free WordPress themes sound like a great deal — until they start hurting your brand, slowing your site, and costing you sales.

In this episode, Charly explores why “free” often comes with hidden costs and what to consider when building your website.

📌 Here's what you'll learn:

✅ Common issues with free themes: poor mobile design, slow speed, lack of support

✅ Why outdated code can break your site after updates

✅ The hidden SEO risks of built-in links and developer credits

✅ How premium themes and page builders like Thrive can reduce risk and boost ROI

🔗 Recommended: Thrive Themes – https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/thrivethemes

(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)

🛡️ Build your site with purpose, not just pretty colors

🛡️ Keep accessibility, conversion, and future updates in mind

🛡️ Weigh the real cost of time lost troubleshooting vs investing upfront

If your website is part of your business, this episode could save you time, stress — and money.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Ever received one of those urgent emails claiming someone’s registering your business name in Asia? It feels serious — but is it legit?

In this episode, Charly breaks down:

✅ What domain variations are and which ones really matter

✅ The truth behind scam emails pressuring you to “protect your brand”

✅ Simple ways to guard your business name without wasting money

✅ How to handle domain impersonation or fraud attempts

📌 You’ll also learn:

🔗 Which domain extensions to register (and which to ignore)

🛡️ How to spot and shut down domain scams fast

🛡️ Steps to monitor your domain name for potential threats

🛡️ Why maintaining trust matters more than owning 20 domain names

This is a must-listen for small business owners who want to stay safe online without falling prey to fear-based tactics.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Website speed scores can feel like a tech report card — but do they really matter? In this episode, Charly unpacks what those numbers from Google PageSpeed, GTMetrix, and others actually mean, and why obsessing over them might not be worth your time.

📌 Here’s what you’ll learn:

✅ What speed test tools measure (and what they don’t)

✅ Why results vary wildly between tools and locations

✅ The difference between synthetic scores and real user experience

✅ How caching and CDNs skew speed results

✅ Why chasing a perfect score can be a waste of time

🛡️ Charly also shares a real client story where speed optimization delivered minimal metric gains but huge improvements in user satisfaction.

🔗 Use speed test tools for guidance, not gospel. Focus on user happiness, not just numbers.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager

Ever found your images or PDFs showing up on someone else’s site — but still hosted on yours? That’s hotlinking, and it could be quietly draining your bandwidth, costing you money, and weakening your brand.

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ What hotlinking is and why it's considered bandwidth theft

✅ The difference between innocent hotlinking and malicious abuse

✅ Real costs and risks: server load, copyright issues, broken images, and SEO

✅ Practical ways to stop hotlinking using server rules or CDNs

✅ Why reaching out to small bloggers might work better than fighting them

🛡️ Whether you’re running a blog or a big e-commerce site, Charly recommends blocking hotlinking by default — before it becomes a problem.

🔗 Want help setting up server rules to protect your content? Reach out or ask your IT team.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Are cookie banners just annoying popups or a legal necessity? In this episode, Charly breaks down what cookie consent really means for Australian businesses, and why even local websites are starting to display those GDPR-style notices.

📌 Inside this episode:

✅ The difference between essential and non-essential cookies

✅ Why GDPR impacts websites globally — even in Australia

✅ What Australian law actually requires for cookie tracking

✅ Two clear choices Aussie businesses have when it comes to EU visitors

✅ How cookie banners can build trust, not just tick a box

🛡️ Charly explains how the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles apply, and what you must include in your privacy policy.

🔗 Want to avoid legal headaches and show visitors you care? Consider adding a cookie banner — even if you're not legally required to.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager

Looking for a way to cut Zoom out of your business toolkit without losing functionality? In this quick episode, Charly explores free and low-cost alternatives for video meetings that won’t compromise your workflow.

📌 In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Why Google Meet is a solid option with any Gmail or Workspace account

✅ How Microsoft Teams works as a free replacement for Skype

✅ What Zoho Meeting offers at the free tier (and why it’s Charly’s go-to)

✅ The differences between personal and business-level features in each platform

✅ Questions to ask yourself before ditching Zoom

🔗 Explore Zoho Meeting:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/zohomeeting

(Charly receives a commission for purchases made from this link)

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

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Social media might feel like the best place to grow your business — but what happens when the platform changes the rules or disappears overnight? In this episode, Charly unpacks why your website should be your true digital home, not just an afterthought.

📌 You’ll discover:

✅ Why social media is risky “rented land” for business content and customer data

✅ The long-term benefits of owning your website and controlling your messaging

✅ How SEO and email signups create stability and direct reach

✅ Tips to repurpose social posts into evergreen website content

✅ A smart strategy to balance both website and social for sustainable growth

🔗 Treat your website as the hub — social media is just the spokes.

🛡️ Protect your digital business by investing in what you truly own.

📢Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com

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www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham

LinkedIn Company:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/

Spotify:

https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/rise-and-shine

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager