Terrible Business Advice

DR. ROCHELLE HAYNES is a HR and work transformation specialist, based in the UK. She is the founder of Crowd Potential Consulting and Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University. 

Rochelle has just published a book with Jeremy Blain (our guest on episode 1) called “Open HR: The Human Capital Framework for the Blended Workforce”.

In this episode, we discuss the dangers associated with saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes your way. 

On the surface, saying ‘yes’ is an exciting and thrilling prospect – the embodiment of true entrepreneurship. But it can also lead to burnout and overpromising. So, what should you do instead? 

DENNIS AKKERMAN is a transformational coach, speaker and author of the best-selling book about modern leadership, intriguingly named “The Naked Leader”.
 
Based in Malaysia, he’s been on quite a journey since moving to the country from the Netherlands a few years ago and setting up Orbis Business School.
 
In this episode, we talk about the safe option of always having a contingency plan, in case your plan A goes wrong. 
 
But does this actually hamper an ambitious entrepreneur? Is it a distraction rather than a help? Could the best plan be to ditch Plan B altogether?

ANDY FISHER describes himself as the Co-Founder and Chief Happiness Officer at The Happy Consultancy Group – a global training company with a difference.
 
Andy’s mission, he says, is to “help inspire happier workplaces around the world using the drivers of happiness and positive psychology as the foundation of all our work”.
 
But one thing that certainly does not inspire happiness is the boss that sticks by the mantra ‘never show weakness’. In a world where the strong man is once again king, are we in danger of forgetting why this is such terrible business advice?
 
We discuss why the hubris might not be all at seems. And for those feeling the brunt from true believers of this idiocy…a little hope. 

The guest for this episode is KAMAL HASAN, Founder and CEO of animation company Prolific Studio and digital transformation firm Kamsoft Technologies.
 
A serial entrepreneur and thought leader based in Palo Alto, California (AKA ‘Silicon Valley’), Kamal took his animation company from startup to one that now employs almost 200 people. 
 
However, his journey has not always been a smooth one. At the beginning, Kamal took the advice of ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ more seriously than he should have. The result was a pitch that soon got out of control…and you can learn more about that if you listen!
 
Together, we discuss why a small bit of fakery can be acceptable. But if you follow the mantra too closely, you could get burned. 

The guest for this episode is KATE JACKSON, an award-winning leadership, learning and development consultant as well as very savvy entrepreneur. 

Currently based in London, Kate has shared her expertise all over the world, especially in Thailand where her agency Andragogy helped clients manage talent, develop great leaders and build employee engagement.

Kate remembers being told to know her value and stick to it, no matter what. But knowing you value is one thing. Refusing to budge on pricing is another and Kate shares an experience she lived to regret. 

Together, we look at how you can apply a good pricing strategy for your business…one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face. 

The guest for this very first episode is JEREMY BLAIN – CEO of PerformanceWorks International, Transformational Leadership & Digital Acceleration expert, and author of #1 bestseller 'Unleash the Inner CEO' 

He also hosts the Rethink Leadership podcast, ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally. If this wasn’t enough, he’s co-founder of social enterprise @DiversITy-talent and an international keynote speaker.

Jeremy harks back to early in his career as a rookie salesman, where he was told by his boss: “remember, the customer is always right”. The consequences were not what he – or his boss – had in mind, proving what truly terrible business advice this really was. 

Together, we look at the origins of this mantra and discuss how we can take its essence and make it more meaningful in today’s volatile world.

In this preview episode of Terrible Business Advice, host Neil Stoneham gives you a sneak peek into what’s coming. He’ll walk you through what to expect, from cringeworthy advice to the insightful lessons hidden within. 
 
It’s your first taste of how bad business advice can sometimes lead to brilliant outcomes. Make sure you subscribe to catch the first episode!