Are you sitting there at the end of January wondering where the month went and why nothing's actually changed? Did those optimistic plans to finally delegate more, work fewer hours, and get out of the weeds disappear faster than your New Year's resolutions? If you're back to being the busiest person in your firm, firefighting the same problems you promised yourself would be different in 2026, this episode is for you.

I share what I've learned about why our best intentions fail and what's actually happening in your brain when you revert to old patterns. In this episode, I talk about the real reasons you keep getting pulled back into client work despite knowing you need to work on the business. You'll hear the brain science behind why change is so difficult and the one practical step that will actually break the pattern.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why defaulting to old patterns isn't a failure of willpower or discipline, but a predictable brain response

- The certainty trap: how your brain chooses the immediate dopamine hit of client work over the uncertain outcomes of working on your business, even when you know what needs to change

- Why the transition from growing to scaling creates a survival response in your brain that pulls you back to billable work, especially during light revenue months

- How your identity as a successful firm owner has been wired to equate being busy with client work as important, filtering out the strategic work that actually matters

- The planning fallacy that keeps you bumping business development to 'next week' and why that mythical quiet period never arrives

- The one non-negotiable practice that breaks the pattern

Related episodes:

You’re not running a business, you’re running an expensive job (and how to change this): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/182867523?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

Working harder won’t get you there (here’s what will in 2026): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/182227399?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

Why we feel the compulsion to overwork (and how to stop): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/171535895?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

Why I can’t stop doing the one thing that’s limiting my business: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/180334311?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) as your business moves from growing to scaling https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/175091214?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

4 micro habits to stop burnout (before it starts): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/167596494?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Do you send proposals that never get a response? Have you had clients go silent after saying "looks good, we'll get back to you"? Are you losing work to competitors even though you know you're technically better?

I share the six evidence-based principles that consistently get clients to say yes faster.

In this episode, I talk about why most professional services firms lose pitches or new business not because their offering isn't good enough, but because they haven't thought about how to influence the decision-maker.

You'll hear practical tactics for communicating in ways that actually land and make it easy for clients' brains to say yes.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why clients disappear after saying "let me think about it" and how thinking like a professional advisor rather than like your client is killing your conversion rates.

- The biggest mistake professional services firms make in proposals (talking about process, credentials and methodology instead of the outcomes clients actually care about).

- How to use visual communication to shrink complex proposals into something clients grasp in thirty seconds, not thirty minutes.

- Why one clear message repeated relentlessly beats ten brilliant ideas mentioned once, and how to identify your core message that matters most.

- The critical difference between being brilliant in one conversation versus being visible everywhere

- How to restructure your proposals so clients' attention is grabbed immediately

Related episodes:

The introverts' guide to networking: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-introverts-guide-to-networking?r=l8khy

What it really takes to get a referral (it's not what you read on social media) https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-professionals?r=l8khy

How to put your marketing on autopilot https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-put-your-marketing-on-autopilot?r=l8khy

From 0 to 1000 subscribers in 9 months: my exact playbook https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/from-0-to-1000-subscribers-in-9-months?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Are you wondering why LinkedIn isn't bringing you the clients you need? Do you invest time networking on the platform but feel like you're doing something wrong when the work doesn't materialise? Are you confused about what's changed with LinkedIn and why the tactics and content that used to work aren't delivering results anymore?

I share what I've learned about LinkedIn prospecting after being pitch slapped and watching the platform fundamentally change how it works.

In this episode, I talk about the common mistakes that are actively damaging your ability to win business on LinkedIn, from pitch slapping new connections to delegating your engagement to AI-powered assistants.

You'll hear practical tactics for using LinkedIn effectively in the age of the new algorithm, and why relationship building beats formulaic prospecting every single time.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- How LinkedIn's new 360brew algorithm has fundamentally changed the platform from signal-based to semantic-based, and what this means for your content strategy and prospecting efforts

- Why the pitch slap (approaching new connections with an immediate sales pitch) kills opportunities before they start, and the simple networking event test to avoid this mistake

- The fatal flaw of only prospecting when you're hungry for work

- How to spot AI-generated engagement on your posts and why delegating your commenting to assistants armed with AI will get you blocked by the very prospects you're trying to reach

- Why staying within your zone of expertise matters more than ever under the new algorithm, and the line between helpful personal stories and coming across as inauthentic

The relationship building timeline that actually works on LinkedIn, including when it's appropriate to move from small talk to suggesting a call

Related episodes:

The introverts' guide to networking: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-introverts-guide-to-networking?r=l8khy

What it really takes to get a referral (it's not what you read on social media) https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-professionals?r=l8khy

How to put your marketing on autopilot https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-put-your-marketing-on-autopilot?r=l8khy

From 0 to 1000 subscribers in 9 months: my exact playbook https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/from-0-to-1000-subscribers-in-9-months?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Are you setting goals to do more in 2026, even though working harder hasn't got you where you want to be? Do you find yourself stuck at the same revenue level despite putting in long hours? If you're still the most chargeable person in your business, cherry-picking the work you love, and feeling like everything runs through you, this episode is for you.

I share what I've learned about the counterintuitive truth of scaling: the exact behaviours that got you to £100k or £250k are now the ceiling preventing you from growing beyond it. In this episode, I talk about the five critical things that worked brilliantly when you were growing but are now keeping you stuck. You'll hear honest reflections from my own struggles with delegation, how a chronic fatigue diagnosis forced me to change, and the costly recruitment mistake that set my business back 6-12 months.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why you need to stop cherry-picking the work you love and go from being the most chargeable person to the least chargeable person in your firm

- How keeping yourself as everyone's first port of call creates bottlenecks that cost you months of growth

- The critical importance of documenting your intellectual property and processes so the magic isn't locked in your head

- Why hiring when you're desperate leads to expensive mistakes and toxic team dynamics

- How underpricing because you're scared to lose work actually attracts the most demanding, energy-draining clients

Related episodes:

This question could solve your frustrations with scaling your business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/this-question-could-solve-your-frustrations

The real reason you keep hiring the wrong people https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-real-reason-you-keep-hiring-the

The tough love I keep giving clients (because it works)

https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-tough-love-i-keep-giving-clients

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

Why I can't stop doing the one thing that is limiting my business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/why-i-cant-stop-doing-the-one-thing?r=l8khy

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) when you go from growing to scaling https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/15-ways-your-life-will-unexpectedly?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Are you pushing through exhaustion while telling yourself you just need to try harder? Do you feel guilty for not being able to work at the pace you used to? Are you afraid that slowing down means giving up on your business ambitions?

I share my most personal story yet about being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in July 2025 and completely redesigning my business around chronic fatigue. In this episode, I talk about how this year of debilitating fatigue and therapy became my most profitable year ever. You'll hear honest reflections about learning to lean into who you truly are and building coping strategies that actually work.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why conforming to expectations drains energy you can't afford to spare

- How reducing conversion rates from 90% to 50% actually improved profitability

- Simple AI and automation strategies that remove cognitive load from daily tasks

- The Friday rule that prevents flare-ups and protects weekend recovery time

- Why scaling yourself down creates space for sustainable business growth

Related episodes:

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

The 7 habits that keep me standing when most business owners give up: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-seven-habits-that-keep-me-standing?r=l8khy

Why I can't stop doing the one thing that is limiting my business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/why-i-cant-stop-doing-the-one-thing?r=l8khy

What I did next when my rheumatologist told me I was broken: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-i-did-next-when-my-rheumatologist?r=l8khy

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) when you go from growing to scaling https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/15-ways-your-life-will-unexpectedly?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Are you pushing through exhaustion and telling yourself you'll rest after this busy period? Do you find yourself being the bottleneck in your own business, with every decision landing back on your desk? If you're wearing busy as a badge of honour whilst secretly knowing your business can't run without you for more than a week, this episode is for you.

I share twelve hard-won lessons I find myself repeating to clients and, if I'm honest, to myself. These aren't theoretical business principles but the tough love truths that come up time and again when you're actually trying to grow and scale a firm. You'll hear the lessons I've learned through my own fibromyalgia diagnosis, building The Accountants' Growth Club, and finally learning to take proper time off for the first time in years.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why every crisis in your business is actually a gift

- How your own behaviours determine the business, clients and team you get

- Why staying in your own lane matters more than copying competitors

- The warning signs that you're the bottleneck and how to recognise when your business is running you instead of the other way around

- Why taking proper time off isn't optional if you've built a real business, and how ignoring your body's signals will eventually send you a bill you can't ignore

Related episodes:

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) when you go from growing to scaling your business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/15-ways-your-life-will-unexpectedly?r=l8khy

What to do when your team wouldn't step up? https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-to-do-when-your-team-wouldnt?r=l8khy

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

Lost your mojo for running your firm, here's how to get it back: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/feeling-the-post-summer-slump-how?r=l8khy

Which one of these excuses are you using for your business growth being stuck? https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/which-one-of-these-excuses-are-you?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Are you the highest biller in your firm? Do you get a rush from personally closing deals and winning clients, even though you know you should be delegating?

Have you built a business that's stuck at £250-300k because you can't stop being the star player?

I share something uncomfortable in this episode: my own addiction to winning clients. That dopamine hit when they say yes, when I personally find and sign up the large client, nothing quite matches it. But while I'm chasing that next high and being the most chargeable person in the firm, my business stays stuck.

In this episode, I talk about the specific revenue trap that catches firm owners who are too good at what they do, and why the skills that got you to £250k are completely different from what you need to reach £500k.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why the £250-300k revenue band is where so many firms get stuck, and how being profitable enough to be comfortable actually keeps you trapped working 50+ hour weeks whilst doing exactly the wrong work for business growth

- The painful identity crisis nobody talks about

- How every time you swoop in to win a client or fix a problem, you're creating learned helplessness in your team and sending the message "I don't trust you to do this as well as I can", even when that's not what you mean

- Why "I don't have time to delegate" is never the real issue

- The harsh exit value reality: if the business can't run without you being the star player, everything you've built is currently worthless to anyone else

- What the transition from 'being the business' to 'leading the business' actually requires

Related episodes:

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) when you go from growing to scaling your business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/15-ways-your-life-will-unexpectedly?r=l8khy

What to do when your team wouldn't step up? https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-to-do-when-your-team-wouldnt?r=l8khy

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

Lost your mojo for running your firm, here's how to get it back: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/feeling-the-post-summer-slump-how?r=l8khy

Which one of these excuses are you using for your business growth being stuck? https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/which-one-of-these-excuses-are-you?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Do you start each year with ambitious plans, only to find yourself swept along by urgency instead of intention?

Have you ever looked back at the year wondering where all your energy went, yet feeling like you achieved everything except what truly mattered?

Are you running a business that's meant to give you freedom, but instead it's controlling you?

I share my process for choosing three words to focus my year, and why this simple practice has become essential for staying grounded when running a business gets overwhelming.

In this episode, I talk about my journey through 2025, from health challenges to landing my biggest contracts, and how it all led me to completely rethink what I need from 2026.

You'll hear why happiness before duty became my new mantra, how I'm finally addressing my decades-long struggle with planning, and what freedom really means when you're building a sustainable business.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why choosing three words each year creates more focus than lengthy goal lists, and the simple reflection process I use to identify where I need different energy in my business and life

- How the mantra "happiness before duty" has helped me put in place the right boundaries

- The real reason planning keeps failing as a goal (even after years of trying), and why switching to "control" as my word for 2026 addresses the deeper issue of being reactive rather than strategic in how I run my business

- What freedom actually looks like when you're scaling a professional services business: the specific income targets, workload boundaries, and structural changes I'm implementing to support a house move whilst working just 3-4 days a week

- How health challenges and business growth can coexist: the systems I'm putting in place (from monthly content planning to building an employee-owned trust) that reduce my business risk whilst managing fibromyalgia and building energy reserves

- Why optimism paired with intentional words beats positive thinking alone, and how keeping three focused words top of mind helps you make better daily decisions when you're juggling client work, health, family, and growth

Related episodes:

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

Lost your mojo for running your firm, here's how to get it back: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/feeling-the-post-summer-slump-how?r=l8khy

What I did next when my rheumatologist told me I was broken: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-i-did-next-when-my-rheumatologist?r=l8khy

15 ways your life will unexpectedly change (and not always for the better) when you go from growing to scaling https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/15-ways-your-life-will-unexpectedly?r=l8khy

How AI has broken 2 of my businesses marketing and here is what I am doing about it: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-ai-has-broken-2-of-my-businesses?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Do you lie awake worrying that if a team member left, they'd take your clients with them?

I share what I've learned about the moment a team member tried to break my business by walking out with our clients.

In this episode, I talk about the false power dynamic that emerges when you become emotionally dependent on specific team members, and why that fear of losing them is exactly what keeps you trapped. You'll hear how calling their bluff changed everything and what I learned about building a business that's resilient enough to survive anyone leaving.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- Why the fear of losing a key team member creates a power dynamic that undermines your business, and how your emotional dependence is often a choice you're making without realising it

- The exact moment I called their bluff and told them "this business is bigger than any single one of us" - and why having the courage to let them go was the turning point

- How to spot when you're building a house of cards rather than a scalable business, and why being overly reliant on one or two team members means you don't have a business problem, you have a resilience problem

- The six practical systems we put in place after rebuilding

- The real test of whether you're ready to scale

Related episodes:

What to do when your team wouldn’t step up: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-to-do-when-your-team-wouldnt?r=l8khy

How to deal with your firm’s Dysfunctional Star (without losing your sanity): https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-deal-with-your-firms-dysfunctional?r=l8khy

The real reason you keep hiring the wrong people: https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-real-reason-you-keep-hiring-the?r=l8khy

How to stay mentally strong when your business is under pressure and trading conditions are tough https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-mentally-strong-when?r=l8khy

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.

Has your software bill crept up? Are you tempted by the Black Friday offers?

In this episode I discuss what the 8 pieces of software that I couldn't run my business without.

In fact, there is some new entrants to the list that I've only added in the last 24 hours. That's how good a new piece of software is!

For full transparency, some of the links in the show notes are affliate links. That means sometimes you get a great deal, particularly as it’s Black Friday week (when recorded). Sometimes I get some commission. But I am only recommending software that I’m using and that I love.

What you'll learn in the podcast episode:

- What software I have ditched (that includes ChatGPT!)

- Why I love Riverside.fm because it has helped me replace three other pieces of software.

- Why I tend to pay by month, not by year for my software unless they are absolutely key to the business

- My 8 software recommendations for your business.

Software links:

Thrivecart: https://hjtownsend--checkout.thrivecart.com/thrivecart-ultimate-package/

Claude.ai https://claude.ai/

Riverside.fm https://riverside.sjv.io/e1MXvg

Kit.com: https://partners.kit.com/9o6wgcwpcmpw

Stanley: https://stanley.stan.store/?ref=heathertownsend

canva: https://www.canva.com/

Sanebox: https://www.sanebox.com/signup/da9071da05/c

Wisprflow: https://wisprflow.ai/r?HEATHER220

Useful links:

- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown Up

Welcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth Club

Each episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again.