The 7% Club

JOANNA OAKEY
Managing Partner Award-Winning Commercial Law Firm, Aspect Legal

Podcast Host - The Deal Room Podcast & Talking Law

Best-selling Author - Buy, Grow, Exit: The Ultimate Guide to Using your Business as a Wealth Creation Vehicle

Joanna Oakey is an award-winning commercial lawyer, and Managing Partner of Aspect Legal.  The firm is the top boutique law firm for business sales and acquisitions (and has been for 2 years running). 

Joanna has worked with thousands of businesses and business owners (and their advisors) as they acquire, grow and exit. 

With more than 2 decades  of experience, she has worked as a trusted legal partner for businesses of all sizes and industries, from small startups as they catapult in value, through to large national and multinational brands.

Joanna is the host of two top-rating podcasts (The Deal Room Podcast & Talking Law) and author of best-selling, award-winning business book Buy Grow Exit. She is a sought after speaker and commentator, featured by numerous national media outlets, and industry publications, and has been recognised as an industry leader for her commitment to innovation and supporting businesses as they Buy, Grow and Exit.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and incredible insight into 

• the mistakes that businesses commonly make when acquiring, growing and exiting; 
• what drives really great business sales and acquisitions
• legal landmines to avoid along the way.

If you'd like more info on anything Joanna has discussed in this podcast, get in touch with Joanna via  LinkedIn, Email ([email protected]) or visit AspectLegal.com.au 

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode, I interview Warsha Joshi: Business Scaling Coach for founder CEOs, Family Business Succession Coach, Best-selling Author and Non-Executive Director.

Warsha’s Core Purpose? To help turn small and medium-sized enterprises into successful legacy businesses; the life-blood of strong and sustainable economies.

Warsha is an established business scaling coach in the region successfully helping 7-figure businesses break-through scaling ceilings while coaching entrepreneurs turn into strong business leaders. Being an entrepreneur herself for close to four decades, she understands that early-stage scaling is tough and she is driven by a relentless and result-driven passion for enabling business leaders to achieve their milestones, especially second-generation CEOs of family-run businesses.

Warsha’s expertise lies in her ability to tackle challenging business scenarios with a creative, analytical mindset. Possessing the rare ability to think big-picture and being able to zoom into the detailed view, she has helped founder CEOs through the balancing act which is scaling.

Certified as a Business Exit Planning and Scaling Advisor, Warsha co-founded the business coaching and mentoring company, Dare To Scale to bring the detailed Five Elements Framework to for high-growth companies.

She has called UAE her home for close to three decades and lives in Dubai with her husband, four cats and a horse.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/warshajoshi/
Insta: @warshajoshi

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of The 7% Club, I introduce Your Numbers Story™, a powerful insight for scaling your business by asking 'What Are Your Business Numbers Really Telling You?'

Why Understanding Your Numbers Matters
I highlight alarming statistics: over 80% of businesses fail due to cash flow issues, and only 1 in 10 small business owners truly understand their financials.

The Fundamentals: Key P&L Numbers
Breakdown of sales, direct expenses, margin, overheads, and profit. I explain why margin is crucial and how it funds your overheads.

Margins vs Overheads: A Real Example
I walk through an example where overheads exceed margin, leading to a loss. I show how percentages tell the true story and are more useful than raw numbers.

When Sales Growth Can Be Misleading
Case study: a consulting firm grows from $750K to $1.5M in sales, but profit and team burnout tell a different story. I emphasise manageable and profitable growth over volume.

Client Value vs. Client Volume
A business with 1,000+ customers had only 164, generating most of the revenue. I show how refocusing on high-value clients can dramatically improve performance.

Product Profitability Breakdown
Example from a $13.5M product business: Product 4 contributes just 8% of sales but takes up 50% of warehouse space. I explore margin, contribution, and hidden costs of holding stock.

Final Thoughts
Understanding your numbers beyond top and bottom lines is key. I urge founders to dig into trends, percentages, and strategic insights—not just revenue growth.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Profitability isn’t just about growing sales—it’s about managing margins and overheads.
• Percentages tell the real story. Always look beyond the surface numbers.
• Don’t overextend your team chasing unrealistic growth targets.
• Focus on your most valuable clients and products, not just the volume.
• Strategic insights come from understanding the story behind the numbers.

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of The 7% Club Podcast, I sit down with Tarynn Hatton-Jones, a trailblazing leader who’s creating her own version of success, initially against the odds. Tarynn shares:

✅ Lessons on resilience and in leadership
✅ The power of representation and how it shapes industries
✅ Actionable strategies for carving your own path to success

Whether you're looking for a dose of motivation, inspiration or interested in building a global business —this episode is full of insights you don’t want to miss!

🎧 Listen now!

🔗 Don’t forget to share if you’ve enjoyed this episode!

Tarynn Hatton-Jones: Chief Executive Officer

W: burntoringe-intl.com

FB: Burnt Oringe Design

Insta: Burnt.Oringe.Design

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of The 7% Club, I introduce The CORE Strategy Model, a powerful framework for scaling your business by focusing on your existing client base.

Many founders waste time on low-value clients while neglecting high-value relationships that drive real business growth. I break down how to strategically evaluate your client portfolio and optimise your offerings for long-term success.

🔹 What CORE Stands For:
✅ Clients – Identify and prioritise high-value, profitable clients
✅ Offers – Align your services with what your best clients truly need
✅ Relationships – Strengthen client relationships to build loyalty and referrals
✅ Expansion – Achieve sustainable business growth through strategic focus

🎯 Key Takeaways:
✔️ How to assess the profitability of your clients and eliminate resource-draining ones
✔️ Why less is more when it comes to the right clients
✔️ The importance of offering premium services to your best clients
✔️ How to nurture strong client relationships for repeat business and referrals

Action Step:
Take 30 minutes this week to review your client base, offers, and pricing, and strengthen your key relationships.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow business owners looking to grow!

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of The 7% Club Podcast, Jenny Stilwell speaks with Kate Toon. 

Kate is an award-winning entrepreneur and the bestselling author of Six Figures in School Hours. From her humble backyard shed on the Central Coast of NSW she masterminds an ambitious business universe, helping thousands of other humans to build their own version of success through digital marketing and business know-how.  

Kate is a renowned speaker, mentor, educator and podcaster. She’s been named Australia’s Most Influential Small Business Woman, one of Australia’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders and Businesswoman of the Year and was a finalist in the Australian Business Book Awards.  

In her spare time Kate can be found taking gym selfies, trying to master roller-skating, or curled up with a good book in her very own bookshop - the Umina Beach Book Nook. 

Book shop: www.uminabeachbooknook.com.au 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katetoon/ 

Website: https://www.katetoon.com/ 

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

The 7 Percent Club Podcast – Episode 35: Who, Not How

Episode Overview

In this episode, I explore the powerful concept behind the book Who, Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. I break down how shifting from asking "How can I do this?" to "Who can help me?" can accelerate business growth, improve efficiency, and free up time to focus on strategic goals.

Key Takeaways

🔹 The Core Concept: Instead of figuring out how to do everything yourself, focus on finding the right people (your “Whos”) to help you achieve your goals.
🔹 Why It Matters: Asking who leads to results, while asking how often creates problems and slows you down.
🔹 Applying the Concept:

• When setting business goals, don’t immediately ask how—ask who can help make them happen.
• Examples:

Expanding internationally? Find experts who have done it before.

Need to grow your business? Surround yourself with high-level mentors and collaborators.

🔹 The Power of an A-Team: Having the right people in your business allows you to focus on what you do best while they handle execution.

🔹 Let the Who do the How: A key phrase from the book that emphasises delegation and collaboration for greater success.

Favourite Quotes from the Episode

✨ "Asking who creates results. Asking how creates problems."
✨ "Richard Branson doesn’t start his visionary projects by asking how—he gathers the right Whos."
✨ "If you have an A-team in your business, they are the Whos who will help you grow while freeing up your time."

Episode Resources

📖 Who, Not How by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
🌐 Learn more about me: jennystilwell.com.au

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode, Jenny talks with Irene about 'Growth Through Scaling Internationally'. Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable journey of Irene Bennett, a university dropout who transformed obstacles into opportunities to become the dynamic CEO and founder of Admin Army. Irene’s story is a testament to the power of leveraging one's skills in admin and accounts while pursuing a passion for business development and strategy. She candidly shares her experiences of starting a business amidst the challenges of relocating to a new town, highlighting the importance of proactive networking to build essential connections. Irene's journey offers invaluable insights into overcoming hurdles and relentlessly following one's passion to achieve business success.

Listen as Irene takes us through Admin Army’s strategic transition to an offshore model, a move that led to its acquisition by Streamline Business Group. Initially resistant to offshoring, Irene shares how this shift enabled greater scalability and growth, proving that maintaining high-value local roles and facilitating client business expansion can positively impact the domestic job market. The conversation sheds light on the complexities of maintaining a cohesive company culture and effective communication across geographically dispersed teams, revealing the need to adapt perspectives and methods to achieve business goals.

Finally, we explore the dynamics of managing an international team across New Zealand, Fiji, and India, where overlapping work hours enhance seamless communication and productivity. Irene shares her insights into fostering a strong company culture through fun team activities and intentional cultural development, emphasizing the importance of finding the right fit for each region through a structured recruitment process. As Admin Army looks towards future growth, particularly in Europe, Irene provides a glimpse into the ambitious expansion plans while ensuring genuine interest from applicants and maintaining trust in her team's recruitment abilities. Don’t miss this episode filled with entrepreneurial wisdom and global business strategy insights.

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of The 7% Club Podcast, Jenny Stilwell speaks with Janine Sudbury, a former broadcast journalist for BBC and National Radio. Janine has transitioned from a career in media and politics to creating one of the most unique leadership training centers in New Zealand. She developed Impact Leadership, a groundbreaking program that uses horses to teach leadership skills in a highly experiential and transformative way. 

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

In this episode of the 7% Club podcast, host Jenny Stilwell interviews Nicola Taylor, a pioneering tax tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Tax Traders and Taxi. Nicola shares her journey from a challenging start, including selling her home and bootstrapping her business while raising three young children, to building a thriving company focused on equity in the tax system and creating an innovative, inclusive work culture. Nicola discusses the importance of core beliefs in sustaining a startup, the concept of tax pooling, and how she and her team have made complex tax benefits accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The conversation also delves into the unique management structure at Tax Traders, where shared leadership and employee autonomy play key roles in maintaining a strong, mission-driven culture as the company grows. Nicola's insights provide valuable lessons on leadership, business ethics, and the power of creating a supportive workplace environment to make a big difference in the world.

Connect with Nicola:

Website: https://www.gotaxi.co.nz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-raffills-taylor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotaxinz/


Let’s connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennystilwell/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennystilwellAustralia/

Website: https://jennystilwell.com.au/

Email: [email protected]


Free copy of The 7% Club book

If you would like a free copy of The 7% Club book or access to an audio version of the book, click on these links:

Paperback book: https://jennystilwell.com.au/the-7-percent-club/free-copy-offer/

Audio version: https://jennystilwell.com.au/the-7-club-audiobook/

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch [email protected]

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!