The Better Mondays Podcast

Never work with children, animals… or family? Rochelle Dallas disagrees with that last one. From childhood market stalls to multi-million-pound businesses with her siblings, working with family has been behind some of her most rewarding projects.

In this episode of The Better Mondays podcast, Rochelle shares what makes a family business work: honest communication, trust and the maturity to make difficult business decisions without ruining Christmas. She explores the benefits of working with relatives, navigating stressful periods together and building something that raises the whole family up.

In this episode:

• Why working with family can be a strength in business.
• How communication, trust and honesty support successful business partnerships.
• Making tough business decisions while respecting family relationships.
• The benefits of shared goals, understanding and celebrating success together.
• What to consider before starting a business with a family member.

Is there someone in your family you’d love to work with, but you’ve held back because everyone says it’s a bad idea? This week’s check-in might give you a reason to rethink it.

Follow The Better Mondays podcast for more straight-talking check-ins with Rochelle, your personal, virtual line manager.

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When life hits hard, being self-employed doesn’t come with compassionate leave.

In this deeply personal episode, Rochelle shares what has actually helped her keep her business ticking over while grieving the loss of a very close friend. From stricter contact hours and longer turnaround times to pausing growth, delegating more and deliberately lowering the pressure, this episode explores how to create breathing space when there’s nobody else there to protect it for you.

Rochelle also talks about accepting the emotional ups and downs, communicating what’s needed without explaining everything, and making proper space to process what’s happened.

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#BetterMondays #SelfEmployment #BusinessBoundaries #GriefAndWork #BusinessOwner

Keywords: grief and self-employment, running a business through bereavement, business boundaries, compassionate leave for business owners, managing work during grief

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Grief doesn’t stop because you’re self-employed. And unfortunately, neither does the work.

In this episode, Rochelle talks honestly about working through bereavement when there’s no compassionate leave, no one to cover your workload, and bills that still need paying.

She shares what’s helped her through two devastating losses while running a business, including communicating with clients, working with your energy instead of against it, getting out of the house, using work as a healthy distraction, and resisting the pressure to make huge life or business decisions while you’re deep in grief.

This isn’t about pushing through. It’s about finding a way to keep things moving while giving yourself space to grieve.

Next week, Rochelle shares how to create your own version of compassionate leave when you’re self-employed.

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Keywords: grief and self employment, bereavement at work, working through grief, self employed business owner, compassionate leave for freelancers, running a business through hard times, freelancer wellbeing, grief and productivity.

#BetterMondays #SelfEmployedLife #GriefAndWork #FreelancerLife #BusinessOwner

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That "quick job" that definitely won't take long? We both know how this ends.

In this episode, Rochelle shares one of her favourite time management tricks: buffer time. The rule is simple. Double the time you think the work will take, and give yourself more turnaround time than you think you'll need.

It's a small change that protects you from overcommitting, manages client expectations and gives real life somewhere to land without throwing your entire week off course.

Because the aim isn't to cram more into your diary. It's to stop your diary running you.

Take the Friday Feeling Scorecard at thebettermondays.club and follow Better Mondays so you never miss an episode.

#BetterMondays #TimeManagement #ProductivityTips #BusinessOwner #WorkingSmarter

Keywords: buffer time, time management for business owners, realistic scheduling, client turnaround times, self-employed productivity, business efficiency

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Busy isn't your personality. Stressed isn't your permanent state. It's a phase.

In this episode, Rochelle shares one of the simplest reframes she uses in business and life: everything is just a phase. Busy periods, quieter periods, growth, pressure, family demands and those weeks where every plate seems to be spinning at once.

When you stop treating the way things feel right now as the way they'll feel forever, you can plan around the peaks and troughs instead of panicking about them.

Your tweak this week? Acknowledge the phase you're in, then look ahead and deliberately make room to recharge.

Take the Friday Feeling Scorecard at thebettermondays.club and follow Better Mondays for more straight-talking Monday check-ins.

#BetterMondays #BusinessLife #WorkLifeBalance #SelfEmployed #Productivity

Keywords: managing a busy business, work life balance, business overwhelm, self-employed life, energy management, business productivity

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The best boundary is the one you set BEFORE you're annoyed you didn't have one.

In this episode, Rochelle talks about setting client expectations before problems appear, and why your autoresponder can do far more than tell someone you're out of office.

From response times to protecting your actual working capacity, this is about deciding how you want to work, communicating it clearly and letting the boundary do its job without constantly having to defend it.

Your tweak this week? Check your autoresponder. Does it reflect how you actually want to work?

Take the Friday Feeling Scorecard at thebettermondays.club and follow Better Mondays so you never miss an episode.

#BetterMondays #BusinessBoundaries #TimeManagement #SelfEmployed #WorkingSmarter

Keywords: client boundaries, business boundaries, email autoresponder, time management, self-employed productivity, client expectations

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Want to earn more? First, you need to know what "more" actually means.

In this episode, Rochelle breaks down the three money figures every business owner should know: your survive number, your thrive number and your strive number.

You'll learn how to get clearer on your real monthly outgoings, manage cash flow without constantly second-guessing yourself, set income targets based on the life you actually want, and work out whether your current business model can realistically produce them.

Because vague money goals create vague decisions. A specific number gives you something real to work towards.

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#BetterMondays #BusinessMoney #CashFlow #BusinessGrowth #SelfEmployment

Keywords: business income goals, cash flow management, money mindset, revenue targets, business finances, self-employed income

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What do you do when the work HAS to get done, but every part of you really doesn’t want to do it?

In Episode 18, Rochelle shares three practical ways to get through the harder patches of self-employment without pretending you’re a robot. You’ll hear how to get overwhelm out of your head, work with the energy you actually have, communicate when life lands, and use the Joy of Done to pull yourself through the tasks you’d rather avoid.

This one’s for the business owner white-knuckling their way through a rough week and still needing to keep things moving.

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#BetterMondays #SelfEmployment #BusinessProductivity #TimeManagement #BurnoutPrevention #JoyOfDone

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If you’re suddenly struggling to make even tiny decisions, it might not mean you’ve lost your edge. You might just be mentally done.

In this episode, Rochelle talks about decision fatigue, why running your own business can drain your mental energy faster than you realise, and how hundreds of tiny choices can leave you completely stuck by the end of the day.

You’ll hear why the fix isn’t becoming “more decisive”, but creating fewer decisions in the first place. From default meals and outfits to batching emails, setting boundaries around scrolling and creating a default diary, Rochelle shares practical ways to protect your brain space for the decisions that actually matter.

Your tweak this week? Pick three everyday decisions and turn them into defaults for a month. Then notice what that frees up.

Follow The Better Mondays Podcast and check out The Better Mondays Club at thebettermondays.club.

#BetterMondays #DecisionFatigue #Productivity #WomenInBusiness #TimeManagement #BusinessOwner

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You don’t need the whole thing to start feeling the benefit of it.

In this episode, Rochelle explores the power of taking the small, real version of what you want now, instead of waiting until you can do it perfectly. From luxury purchases and proper rest to business growth, content creation and outsourcing, this is about replacing all-or-nothing thinking with practical momentum.

You’ll learn how to spot the things you keep delaying, choose the miniature version that still feels meaningful and start building the life and business you’re aiming for today.

Your tweak to the week: find one thing you’re waiting to do “properly” and take the small version now.

Follow The Better Mondays Podcast and check out The Better Mondays Club at thebettermondays.club.

#BetterMondays #BusinessGrowth #AllOrNothingThinking #Productivity #SelfEmployed

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