Spilling the Tea on Business

In this episode, I chat with Ray Dodd, a Money Mindset Coach who helps business owners transform their relationship with money and unlock their true potential. Ray dives into the conditioning and beliefs that shape how we think about money, showing how these narratives can hold us back or propel us forward in business.

We explore how self-worth, societal expectations, and past experiences influence the way we approach pricing, sales, and financial growth. Whether you’re struggling to confidently charge for your services or feeling stuck in scarcity thinking, this episode is packed with insights to help you create a healthier, more empowering relationship with money.

Key Takeaways:

1. Money and Conditioning: Ray explains how societal and cultural narratives impact our mindset around money and success.
2. The Link Between Self-Worth and Pricing: Learn how recognising your value can help you confidently set and stick to prices that reflect the worth of your services.
3. Breaking Free from Scarcity Thinking: Ray shares strategies to shift from a scarcity mindset to one rooted in abundance and possibility.
4. How to Reframe Your Money Story: Understand how examining and rewriting your personal money story can create space for financial and business growth.
5. Sustainable Money Practices: Discover how aligning your financial goals with your values can create long-term success and satisfaction.

Action Steps:

1. Reflect on your current relationship with money. What beliefs or stories might be holding you back from charging your worth?
2. Consider one change you can make to your pricing or sales approach that aligns with your self-worth and values.
3. Journal about your ideal financial goals and what stories you need to rewrite to achieve them.

Connect with Ray Dodd:

1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ray_dodd
2. Website: www.raydodd.co.uk
3. Listen to Ray's podcast: https://www.raydodd.co.uk/podcast

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

In this episode, I chat with Emma Donnelly, a Social Media Manager and Agency Owner. Emma knows how overwhelming social media can feel, especially for business owners balancing multiple responsibilities, and she’s here to share her secrets to simplifying the process.

Emma breaks down her approach to creating content that aligns with your brand without taking over your life. She shares tips on planning, staying consistent, and cutting through the noise to focus on what really matters. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to take control of your content strategy, this episode is packed with practical advice to make it feel doable and even enjoyable.

Key Takeaways:

1. Simplify Your Content Strategy: Emma explains how to avoid over-complicating content by focusing on what truly matters to your audience.
2. Quality Over Quantity: Rather than feeling pressured to post constantly, Emma encourages entrepreneurs to prioritize quality content that resonates.
3. Batch Creation and Planning: Emma shares her go-to method for planning content in advance, which makes consistency much easier and less stressful.
4. Repurpose Content: Make the most of what you create by repurposing key messages across multiple platforms, saving time and amplifying your impact.
5. Set Realistic Goals: Emma talks about the importance of setting achievable goals for social media, allowing you to show up consistently without burning out.

Action Steps:

1. Identify your audience’s core needs and focus on creating content that directly speaks to those needs.
2. Set aside time each month or week to batch-create and plan your content to stay consistent.
3. Review your existing content to see where you can repurpose or expand on topics for other platforms.

Connect with Emma:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/askemmasocial
2. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askemmasocial/
3. 30 Days of Social Media Prompts - https://subscribepage.io/30daysofsocialmediaprompts

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

In this episode, I sit down with Laura Robinson, a Copywriter and Marketing Expert who helps business owners create sales pages that feel authentic and actually work. 

Laura shares her approach to sales copy - focussing on clarity, connection, and building trust with potential clients. 

Forget the “hard sell” approach; Laura explains how you can craft copy that guides your audience naturally through the sales journey and makes them feel confident in their decision.

Laura offers actionable advice for creating content that resonates with your ideal clients, serves their needs, and ultimately gets results.

Key Takeaways:

1. Sell by Serving: Laura explains how to shift your mindset from “selling” to “serving.” When your focus is on helping your audience understand your offer’s value, your copy naturally feels more genuine and less pushy.
2. Start with a Rough Draft: Laura encourages starting with a “scrappy” first draft to get your ideas out there, then refining your message with clarity and simplicity.
3. Speak Your Client’s Language: To create copy that resonates, use words and phrases that your ideal clients would use, showing them you understand their needs.
4. Lead with Benefits, Not Features: Highlight how your service benefits the client directly—what’s in it for them? This helps them envision the transformation your offer provides.
5. Iterate and Improve: Laura stresses the importance of experimenting and listening to feedback to refine your sales copy over time, ensuring it continues to speak to your audience’s needs.

Action Steps:

1. Draft a “scrappy” version of your sales page, focusing on getting your ideas down without overthinking.
2. Revisit your existing sales pages and ask yourself, “Am I speaking my client’s language? Am I leading with benefits?”
3. Gather feedback from trusted clients or colleagues, and make adjustments based on what resonates most.

I really want you to take action in your business and would love it if you share the action you've taken after listening to this. Please tag us in your stories or posts and let's celebrate progress together!

Connect with Laura:

1. Website: https://worditude.co.uk/
2. Free Resource: Humble Mumble Queue Training - A free training to help you make your voice heard in a crowded market https://worditude.co.uk/humble

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

I sit down with the incredible Danny Clark, entrepreneur and founder of Easy Peasy Business. Danny is an expert in simplifying business processes and helping entrepreneurs build businesses that don’t rely on them working all the time. 

We dive into the importance of automation, strategy, and how to make your business run more smoothly, so you can focus on what matters most.

Danny shares his journey, from the frustrations of being overwhelmed in business to discovering the power of automation and strategic thinking. Whether you’re looking to scale or just make life easier, this episode is packed with insights on how to get more done with less stress.

Key Takeaways:

1. Leverage Automation: Danny talks about the importance of automating repetitive tasks to free up your time and focus on higher-level business activities.
2. Systems for Success: Learn how setting up the right systems can save you time and reduce overwhelm, allowing you to focus on growth rather than day-to-day tasks.
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder: Danny shares practical tips on how to streamline your business operations, so you’re working more efficiently, not harder.
4. Creating a Sustainable Business: A business should support your life, not the other way around. Danny emphasizes the importance of building a sustainable business that works for you.
5. Building for Scalability: Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or scaling up, Danny explains how setting up the right processes early on can make growth much smoother and less stressful.

Action Steps:

1. Identify repetitive tasks in your business and explore automation tools that can handle them for you.
2. Review your current systems and see where you can streamline or improve efficiency.
3. Consider what’s taking up most of your time and evaluate whether it’s something that can be delegated or automated.

I really want you to take action in your business and would love it if you share the action you've taken after listening to this. Please tag us in your stories or posts and let's celebrate progress together!

Connect with Danny Clark:

1. Website: https://easypeasybusiness.com/go?am_id=lucyjohnstone7335 (affiliate link)
2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/easypeasybusiness

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

In this episode, I'm joined by the amazing Sarah Cook, founder of Come Network with Me and the Tribe Membership, and we dive deep into the art of networking specifically tailoured for female entrepreneurs. 

Discover how to build meaningful business relationships, leverage your network for growth, and overcome common challenges faced by women in the business world.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding Networking: Learn why networking is crucial for business success and how it can be strategically used to empower female entrepreneurs.
2. Building Relationships: Tips on creating authentic and lasting connections that go beyond mere transactions.
3. Navigating Challenges: Insight into overcoming the unique obstacles that women may face in networking environments.

Action Steps:

1. Evaluate Your Current Network: Take stock of your existing connections and identify areas where you can expand or deepen relationships.
2. Attend Targeted Events: Focus on attending networking events that are likely to attract fellow entrepreneurs or potential mentors.
3. Practice Your Pitch: Refine your personal and business pitch to communicate your value quickly and effectively in networking scenarios.

I really want you to take action in your business and would love it if you share the action you've taken after listening to this. Please tag us in your stories or posts and let's celebrate progress together!

Connect with Sarah

1. Instagram: @comenetworkwithme
2. Website: https://comenetworkwithme.co.uk/
3. LinkedIn: Sarah Cook 

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: @lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: Lucy Johnstone

In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful tools every business owner should be leveraging - market research. I’m joined by Katie Spreadbury, an expert in understanding market trends and customer needs. 

Katie walks us through how market research can help you avoid costly mistakes, better understand your audience, and make informed decisions that can take your business to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand Your Audience: Katie highlights how knowing your target audience inside and out through market research will help you craft services or products that truly meet their needs.
2. Make Informed Decisions: Market research allows you to move away from guesswork and base your decisions on real data, reducing the risk of costly mistakes.
3. Identify Opportunities: Learn how market research helps you spot trends, opportunities, and gaps in the market, giving you a competitive edge.
4. Avoid Costly Mistakes: Without proper market research, you could be investing time and money into products or services that won’t resonate with your audience.
5. Build Trust with Your Audience: By consistently understanding and adapting to your audience’s evolving needs, you build stronger relationships and trust with your customers.

Action Steps:

1. Start by conducting basic market research—survey your current customers or use tools to learn more about your ideal audience.
2. Look at industry trends and see how your business fits into the larger picture. Use this data to shape your business strategy.
3. Make sure you're staying up to date with your audience’s changing needs by regularly engaging with them and analyzing their feedback.

Connect with Katie:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/orangesheepkatie/
2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/orangesheepresearch
3. Upside-Up Marketing Podcast: The Upside-Up Marketing Podcast Podcast Series - Apple Podcast

Three techniques to validate your offer BEFORE you launch -  www.orangesheepresearch.co.uk/validate

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

I’m joined by the brilliant Alice Benham, a business strategist and self-proclaimed accidental entrepreneur. Alice shares her journey from burnout to building a thriving business that focuses on intentional and sustainable growth. We dive deep into the reality of entrepreneurship, from the confusing early days to balancing multiple hats and the importance of celebrating wins along the way.

Alice and I explore what it means to be an “accidental entrepreneur,” how to build a business with intention, and why taking messy action is often better than striving for perfection. Whether you’re in the early stages of your business or already established, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiring stories to help you take your next steps with clarity and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

1. Accidental Entrepreneurship: Alice shares her story of how she fell into entrepreneurship at the age of 17 and the unexpected lessons learned along the way.
2. Burnout to Balance: Learn how Alice experienced early burnout and rebuilt her business with a focus on intentional, slow growth.
3. Building Strategy with Intention: Alice offers actionable tips for creating strategies that actually work for you, without the pressure of doing what others are doing.
4. Taking Messy Action: Perfectionism can hold us back. Alice encourages us to take small, messy steps forward and reflect along the way to keep growing.
5. Celebrating Wins: The importance of acknowledging progress and celebrating your achievements, no matter how small, as part of sustaining long-term motivation.

Action Steps:

1. Reflect on your internal and external "why"—why are you in business for yourself, and who are you helping?
2. Review your current marketing strategy: Are you doing things out of habit or because they align with your business goals? Focus on actions that bring real value.
3. Take some time to celebrate your wins—big or small. It’s easy to focus on what’s next, but looking back at what you’ve accomplished keeps you grounded and motivated.

Connect with Alice:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/alice_benham
2. Website: www.alicebenham.co.uk

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

Listener Challenge:

What’s one small, messy action you can take this week to move your business forward? It doesn’t need to be perfect—just take that first step and learn from it. Don’t forget to tag me in your stories and let’s celebrate progress together!

In this episode, I chat with the wonderful Clair Stevenson, a Content Marketing Coach who helps service-based business owners, especially women, refine their messaging and connect authentically with their audience. Clair shares her journey from starting her business in 2018 to navigating challenges like recessions and the pandemic, all while staying committed to her goals.

We discuss the importance of being yourself in your marketing, how to craft content that speaks directly to your ideal client, and how to stay consistent without burning out. Clair also shares her personal mindset strategies to overcome fear, judgement, and imposter syndrome, and how to build a business that aligns with your values.

Key Takeaways:

1. Be Yourself in Your Content: Clair emphasizes the importance of writing in your own voice and not falling into the trap of sounding like everyone else. Authenticity builds trust and sets you apart.
2. Consistency vs. Constancy: You don’t need to be posting constantly. Instead, focus on being consistent in your messaging and showing up in a way that feels right for you.
3. Know Your Ideal Client: Understand the pressing problems of your ideal client and how you can help solve them. Focus on their needs and the transformation you can provide.
4. Repetition Builds Trust: Don’t be afraid to repeat your core message over and over again. Clair explains how repetition strengthens your reputation and builds trust with your audience.
5. Mindset is Key: Clair talks about the importance of having a strong mindset, the power of a supportive network, and the need to continuously work on your mindset as your business grows.

Action Steps:

1. Review your content and ask yourself: Does this sound like me? If not, work on writing in a way that feels authentic to you and your voice.
2. Focus on what you can control. You can’t control how others perceive you, but you can control your message and how you show up.
3. Identify who your ideal client is, what problems they’re facing, and how you can help them. Centre your content around solving those problems.

I really want you to take action in your business and would love it if you share the action you've taken after listening to this. Please tag us in your stories or posts and let's celebrate progress together!

Connect with Clair Stevenson:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairstevensoncontentstrategy/
2. Instagram: www.instagram.com/upwriteltd/

Download Clair's guide - 101 Social Media Post Ideas for Coaches - https://upwrite.activehosted.com/f/31

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Janine Friston, founder of the Female Business Network. Janine shares her inspiring journey from managing a global call centre to creating a thriving community that supports introverted female entrepreneurs. We talk about how to build confidence, network effectively without burning out, and grow your business in a way that aligns with your personality.

Janine explains how she went from feeling disconnected to building a network that empowers introverted women in business. She also gives practical advice on how to approach networking, overcome challenges, and find your unique way of growing your audience and business.

Key Takeaways:

1. Find Your Networking Style: Janine shares the importance of doing your research and choosing networking events that align with your personality and business goals.
2. One Conversation at a Time: Don't feel pressured to meet everyone. Focus on building genuine connections, one conversation at a time.
3. Leveraging Online Networking: Make the most of online platforms and social media to network and build your audience without overwhelming yourself.
4. Growing with Confidence: Janine talks about how to approach networking with confidence, especially as an introvert, and how to stay authentic to your true self.
5. Taking Time to Recharge: As an introvert, Janine stresses the importance of balancing your energy and giving yourself time to recharge after events or meetings.

Action Steps:

1. Do your research and find networking groups or events that fit your personality. Take small steps to ease into the networking world.
2. Focus on building genuine connections rather than trying to meet everyone. Quality over quantity!
3. Explore online networking options like social media groups or virtual events to connect with people without leaving your comfort zone.

I really want you to take action in your business and would love it if you share the messy action you've taken after listening to this. Please tag us in your stories or posts and let's celebrate progress together!

Connect with Janine Friston:

1. Instagram: @femalebusinessnetwork
2. Website: www.femalebusinessnetwork.co.uk

Connect with Me:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial
2. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial

Well, here we go...!!

Welcome to Spilling the Tea on Business!  I’m Lucy Johnstone, your host and entrepreneurial confidant, here to chat about all the highs, lows, and everything in between when it comes to building a service-based business online.

In this trailer I give you a taster of what to expect from this podcast, and who it's for. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, and let me know topics you'd like me to cover, then you can find me over on Instagram -  www.instagram.com/lucyjohnstonesocial or connect with me on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonesocial 

Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep spilling the tea on business!