The Climb with Cherie Clonan

Small business feels incredibly hard right now so we sat down with Mel Browne (ex financial adviser, accountant, entrepreneur, host of the Uncensored Money Podcast, and author of Dare to Be Wealthy) to talk about what to do when money feels tight, messy, and emotional.

We get practical about the levers you can pull when you cannot afford to wing it anymore. We also dig into the money myths that keep capable people stuck, plus the spending traps baked into modern life that quietly drain confidence and clarity.

If you want a smarter, calmer approach to small business finance, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share it with a business mate, and leave a review so more founders can find support when they need it most.

This episode was proudly sponsored by PocketSmith.
Get 50% off your first two months of PocketSmith’s Foundation plan here.

Mentioned in this episode:
The Digital Picnic's viral post, 'Australia is bleeding small businesses dry' 

Follow Mel on Instagram & find resources on her website 
Also listen to Uncensored Money wherever you get your podcasts. 

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We share our content creation hot takes for anyone trying to build something great with limited time and big standards.

We argue for quality over quantity, ditching perfect-looking feeds, and choosing formats and tools that actually earn attention and trust.

This episode was proudly sponsored by PocketSmith.
Get 50% off your first two months of PocketSmith’s Foundation plan here.

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

If you’ve ever opened social media, hovered over “post”, then talked yourself out of it because personal branding feels a bit icky or gross, you’re not alone.

We’ve seen the same pattern over and over: brilliant people stay invisible, then wonder why the opportunities keep passing them by. Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s strategy, and it can accelerate your career or your small business faster than almost anything else.

In todays episode we break down what a personal brand actually is and you’ll walk away with practical personal branding tips you can use straight away.

If you want to get more discoverable online, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a mate, and leave a review so more climbers can find the show.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kinso App
Jony Lee
Soph Work Baby
Stardust Squad 

This episode was proudly sponsored by PocketSmith.
Get 50% off your first two months of PocketSmith’s Foundation plan here.

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We answer the awkward questions people are quietly holding about neurodiversity at work, from what you can ask to what you should never assume. We share the small, practical accommodations that make work feel better for everyone, plus how we handle language slip-ups and performance with clarity and care.

This episode was proudly sponsored by PocketSmith.
Get 50% off your first two months of PocketSmith’s Foundation plan here.

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Read more about The Digital Picnic's neuroinclusive policies here.

Find out more about the 4MAT Learning Styles through Craft Coaching and Development

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We sit down with Azure Antoinette to unpack how a leap from corporate life into poetry led to career-defining moments.

If you’re a marketer, business owner, or anyone navigating a career change, press play for a story that’s equal parts bold & practical [plus it involves Oprah]!

Join Cherie, Azure and Steph at the 2027 Comeback Conference. 

Check out Azure's website and her work in AI with SyMbAio.io & iMpatient™

This episode was proudly sponsored by PocketSmith.
Get 50% off your first two months of PocketSmith’s Foundation plan here. 

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We wrap season one by breaking down what makes a truly great social media specialist. 

For business owners, we tell you how to spot the real deal when you’re hiring. 

And for marketing professionals and freelancers, we share the mindset shifts and practical tests that separate culture-led strategists from trend-chasers.

Key Takeaways: 

• Great social media specialists are immersed in online culture, not just chronically online.
• The best social media managers spot patterns, shifts, and emerging formats before others do.
• Strong social media specialists are tinkerers who keep improving content after it goes live.
• A great social media specialist balances creativity with analytics, not aesthetics alone.
• Top social media managers focus on audience needs, not proving how clever or trendy they are.
• The best social media content makes people feel something and earns their time and attention.
• Business owners should hire social media specialists who can explain why content works, not just make content.
• Exceptional social media specialists combine taste, curiosity, judgment, and community-building skills
  
  

Mentioned in this episode:

Kinso App
Empathy Canvas Map
Jony Lee 

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We unpack what actually helps you succeed in your first 90 days at a fast agency and why “dazzle” often backfires. We share the boring basics that build trust, how to handle culture shock, and what to do if your probation period ends with a no.

Key Takeaways:

• The first 90 days in a new job are about risk reduction, not trying to dazzle
• Reliability is the fastest way to build trust
• Strong new hires ask thoughtful questions
• In a new role, accuracy should come before speed
• The first 90 days are easier when you observe first and challenge later
• A move from brand side to agency side often comes with culture shock 
• New employees should bring past experience without constantly comparing their old workplace.
• A successful probation period is often built on boring things done brilliantly.

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We pull back the curtain on what actually gets someone hired at The Digital Picnic. We share the practical steps that help you stand out, plus the mindset shifts that keep you grounded when you’re applying to a workplace you admire.

Key Takeaways: 

• To get a job at The Digital Picnic, tailor your application instead of mass applying.
• A good resume should be clear, relevant, and submitted as a PDF.
• Creative job applications only work when they are backed by real technical skill.
• If you want to work at TDP, explain exactly how your experience fits this specific role or business.
• Parasocial enthusiasm is not the same thing as job readiness or culture add.
• Strong candidates ask thoughtful interview questions and show how they would add value in the first 90 days.
• In a job interview, confidence matters.
• How you handle job rejection can shape future opportunities with that employer.

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We break down what it really means to hire people who protect a neurodivergent founder’s energy. We share the frameworks Cherie uses to spot friction early, set boundaries and build a team culture that supports performance and wellbeing. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Hiring the right team means hiring people who protect your energy, not just fill a role.
• Energy raisers reduce friction, support momentum, and make leadership feel lighter.
• Energy drainers create conflict and unnecessary mental load for founders.
• A quarterly team energy audit helps founders spot green, amber, and red dynamics early.
• Strong hiring decisions should measure friction removed, not just work produced.
• The best hires bring solutions, systems thinking, and lower executive function strain.
• Do not get seduced by charm or a polished CV while hiring.
• Brilliant jerks and chronic conflict cost more energy than their output is worth.

This episode was proudly sponsored by Graham Psychology.
Receive an ongoing discount of 20% off all appointment types [therapy and assessments].

Listeners can book directly via the website and enter ’THECLIMBPODCAST’ into the booking notes or call or email and mention the podcast. 


Mentioned in this episode: 

• The Instagram carousel Cherie shares 
• Disc profiles 
• Patrick Lencioni definition of charmers
• Shelley Johnson from Boldside 

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too. 

We break down how to grow on LinkedIn in 2026 without chasing daily posts or virality, and why the platform still rewards real thinking over polished noise. We share practical ways to choose a single topic, add a true thought leadership angle, and use comments, carousels, and social SEO to get discovered. 

Key Takeaways:

• LinkedIn growth in 2026 starts with one clear thought leadership topic.
• LinkedIn rewards people of influence.
• The best LinkedIn posts teach something, not just share an update.
• One high-quality LinkedIn post a week can outperform high-volume posting.
• Human LinkedIn content stands out more than polished AI-generated content.
• LinkedIn comments can drive reach, impressions, and connection requests.
• Text posts and LinkedIn carousels usually outperform video content.
• An optimised LinkedIn personal profile supports SEO, GEO, and discoverability.

Send this to someone who needs a little push to start their own LinkedIn.
 

Follow us on LinkedIn:
Cherie Clonan
Stephanie Clifford

Stepps Framework Explained

Ryan Kelly on LinkedIn

Hosted by Cherie Clonan [@cherie_thedigitalpicnic] and co-hosted and produced by Steph Clifford [@stephssocials] 

Follow us on Instagram @theclimbpod_

Check out our agency @thedigitalpicnic > we teach digital marketing, and we can manage yours, too.