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Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of the Thriving Business Podcast!
Over the next 18 episodes, we're walking you through all the essential elements of business building in a structured way, based on our Thriving Business Wheel, with the following four quadrants:
Quadrant 1: Earn (Revenue Generation)
Quadrant 2: Keep (Profitability)
Quadrant 3: Grow (Capacity and Scaling)
Quadrant 4: Lead (Lead with Impact)
Today's episode begins in quadrant one (revenue generation) by covering the foundational topic of Business Identity.
"Marketing fails when a business doesn’t know its own soul."
You'll discover why it's essential to clarify your brand values, mission, vision, and “why”, even if you've been in business for a while now. These foundational elements flow into your branding, marketing and sales, which all create your ability to bring in the money.
Tune in as Sam and Kate help you strengthen your business identity, the engine of your revenue generation machine.
00:00 Revenue Generation Kickoff
00:51 Business Identity Matters
02:57 Branding Foundations
04:17 Personal vs Brand Persona
05:36 The Oh Eight Story
07:31 Brand Vision Board Exercises
09:30 Audience First Branding
11:42 Start With Why
16:27 Because Taglines Work
17:59 Premium Branding and Design
22:11 Messaging From Your Why
23:31 Vision Mission Values Framework
25:17 Values as Verbs
26:41 Clarity Before AI Messaging
27:51 One Clear Offer
28:56 Market Research Mindset
31:54 AI and Competitor Gaps
33:02 Ads as Research Tools
35:09 Specificity Wins Clients
37:40 Brand Bar Exercise
41:30 Identity Evolves Over Time
46:40 Final Wrap and Next Episode
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
Introducing the Thriving Business Wheel: An 18-Episode Framework for Growth Without Burnout
Hosts Kate De Jong and Sam Morris share a new 18-episode plan for the Thriving Business Podcast built around the “Thriving Business Wheel,” a four-quadrant framework that encompasses:
In this episode, Kate and Sam excitedly talk through the preview of their upcoming curriculum and why business owners need an all-encompassing framework like this.
Over the next 4-5 months, Kate and Sam will be sharing everything they've learned in their combined 30+ years of business experience on the topics outlined below.
QUADRANT 1: REVENUE
Earn Money | Market & Sell Powerfully
QUADRANT 2: PROFITABILITY
Keep More | Operate Efficiently
QUADRANT 3: CAPACITY
Grow Smart | Powerful Business Model
QUADRANT 4: LEADERSHIP
Lead with Impact
SERIES FINALE
Your Thriving Business: The Full Picture
At the end of each quadrant they will run a live workshop, culminating in an August 2026 BALI RETREAT, with details to be shared on their website.
Episode Timeline:
00:00 Podcast Relaunch Plan
01:23 Thriving Business Wheel
04:02 Live Workshops and Retreat
07:29 Quadrant One Earn
07:49 Business Identity Basics
10:26 Branding That Builds Trust
12:04 Irresistible Offer Design
14:05 Marketing Channels Made Simple
17:15 Sales Without the Ick
19:05 Quadrant Two Profitability
19:20 Money Mastery and Profit First
21:39 Pricing for Profit
23:16 AI Systems for Efficiency
25:35 Outsource and Delegate Right
25:57 Hiring Before You’re Ready
26:51 Delegation Ego and Talent
27:59 Outsourcing Virtual Assistants
28:52 Capacity Quadrant Overview
29:16 Business Model and Scaling
31:13 Building a Strong Team
32:41 Remarkable Client Experience
33:25 Social Proof and Reviews
35:26 Business That Doesn’t Break You
37:38 Leadership Quadrant Begins
38:02 Resilience Through Setbacks
41:14 Self Awareness and Feedback
45:23 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
46:21 Leading From Your Values
48:37 Thriving Wheel Wrap Up
49:24 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In our first episode of 2026, Kate sits down with Donna West, founder of Donna's Balcony Views and resilience expert to talk about ‘Life Quakes’: those unexpected and brutal events or situations in life that crack your world open and force you to rebuild from the rubble.
Life Quakes include things like workplace trauma, death of a loved one, miscarriage, illness, divorce, survival of traumatic events like tsunamis or bushfires, just to name a few. Having suffered her own ‘life quake’ in recent years, Donna now helps people through the aftermath of life quakes to find solid ground, and to eventually rebuild.
What We Cover
If you're going through a life quake, or you feel like you're holding it together with duct tape and sheer will, we hope you find this conversation helpful.
👉 Listen now. Share it with someone who's silently carrying their own quake.
👉 Subscribe to our podcast for real talk and real strategies that help you build a business that thrives.
👉 Connect with Donna West to learn more about navigating life quakes and rebuilding resilience here: https://donnasbalconyviews.com.au/
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode of The Thriving Podcast, Kate and Sam sit down with special guest Maria Sandy from Bits Web Design to unpack what really makes a small business visible, trusted, and profitable online. Maria shares how she went from designing buildings in her previous career as an architect to “architecting” websites through design, local SEO, and reviews that actually work for real-world businesses.
Maria explains why a website has to be both beautiful and functional because if it doesn’t look good or doesn’t work, it’s costing you leads both ways. She dives into the “brushing and flossing” of marketing: getting consistent reviews so Google and future clients see you as a real, active, trustworthy business. Maria also demystifies local SEO, Google Business Profiles, and how AI tools like ChatGPT actually use your reviews and authority signals to decide who to recommend.
This conversation is especially helpful if you’re a local or service-based business owner who feels overwhelmed by websites, SEO, and all the noise about “AI replacing everything.” Maria shows that the basics, clear messaging, solid foundations, reviews, and an alive-looking online presence still matter more than hacks or tricks.
Episode Highlights:
If this episode gave you an “aha” about your own online presence, take one small action today: choose one thing, update your Google Business Profile, ask three past clients for a review, or refresh a key page on your website so it’s clearer and more human. Then, share your win with us:
Find Maria Sandy here - https://bitswebdesign.com.au/
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode, Kate and Sam welcome special guest Joanne Ross Wells, founder of JRW Bridal, an established custom couture bridal brand in Perth, WA. Joanne shares her journey as a global citizen from growing up in Rhodesia, spending time in London and the USA, being born in New Zealand and immigrating to Australia eight years ago. Jo then built her successful business from the ground up.
Joanne opens up about the significant curveballs life has thrown her way in recent years, including major health setbacks and family challenges. She reveals the crucial business shifts she was forced to make, like outsourcing production and learning to delegate, which ultimately led to unexpected freedom and growth.
This conversation is a must-listen for any entrepreneur struggling with work-life balance, the fear of outsourcing, or tying their personal identity too closely to their business success. Joanne offers powerful lessons on shifting your mindset from "sales" to "service," embracing continuous learning (especially in social media and AI), and the importance of finding your purpose beyond the bottom line.
Episode Highlights:
Are you ready to stop wearing all the hats in your business?
Joanne’s journey proves that delegation is the key to scaling and surviving challenges. If you're ready to outsource and streamline your systems, connect with our co-host Sam!
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business 🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/ 📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness ✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | Digital Systers 🌐 Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/ 📱 Instagram: @sammorris.businesscoach
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode, Sam Morris and Kate De Jong dive deep into the fast-evolving world of AI agents, intelligent digital assistants that don’t just generate ideas, but take action on your behalf.
From their earliest experiences experimenting with ChatGPT and Claude.ai to their recent exploration of agentic platforms like Sintra AI, Kate and Sam unpack how you can integrate AI into day-to-day business operations. They discuss the hype, the practical challenges, and the genuine benefits for entrepreneurs who want to scale in an efficient and effective way. Their early trials provide some interesting insights for small business owners.
Highlights:
Key Takeaway:
AI isn’t here to replace your creativity or intuition, it’s here to amplify it. With the right systems and a curious mindset, tools like Sintra, Claude, and ChatGPT can become not just assistants, but collaborators in building a truly thriving business. Tune in now!
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode, Sam and Kate explore the five different types of small businesses—a framework Kate has been developing after nearly a decade of personal experience with different types of business owners. If you've ever felt like traditional business advice doesn't quite fit what you're building… you're not alone.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Kate shares her "aha" moment after attending a seminar steeped in Gerber-style advice—and the honest conversation she had with a fellow high-performing consultant who felt completely alienated by it also. Together, Kate and Sam unpack the assumptions behind mainstream business support and why they don't always reflect the modern business landscape.
If you don’t know what kind of business you’re running, you don’t know which game you’re playing—and every type has different rules.
Which of the five business types are you building?
➡️ Tune in now to discover the model that fits your vision—and stop trying to squeeze into a framework that doesn’t work for you.
📩 Got thoughts or questions about today’s episode?
DM us on or email us. We’d love to hear where you see yourself in this model—and how it’s helped (or hindered) your growth.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review if this episode resonated with you.
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business 🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/ 📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness ✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | Digital Systers 🌐 Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/ 📱 Instagram: @sammorris.businesscoach
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode, Kate sits down with leadership expert and global Executive Coach Kim Lancer, founder of Tall Poppies Leadership, who is on a mission to help one million leaders lead confidently and "stand tall."
Growing up in Australia, Kim experienced firsthand how the country's notorious "Tall Poppy Syndrome" encourages high achievers to downplay their success. After spending most of her career overseas in the UK and USA—where this cultural phenomenon is less prominent—Kim returned to Australia determined to flip the script. She founded her business to help leaders embrace their achievements and develop authentic, powerful leadership styles.
Now Kim empowers executives across five continents to confidently own their success rather than hide it. Her signature "Know, Trust, Be Yourself" methodology is transforming leadership development by turning a culture of cutting people down into one that lifts everyone up.
If you've ever felt pressure to downplay your wins or shrink to make others comfortable, you'll enjoy this conversation.
Key Highlights & Takeaways:
🌍 From Exchange Student to Global Leadership Expert Kim's 20-year international career journey—from Dutch exchange student to NYC executive—shaped her culturally aware, human-centric approach to leadership development.
🎯 The Confidence Crisis in Leadership
💡 The "Know, Trust, Be Yourself" Framework
🌺 Tall Poppy Syndrome Decoded
⚖️ The Gender Confidence Divide
🧠 Strategic Self-Awareness
🚀 Leadership as Personal Growth
Ready to lead with more confidence and authenticity?
Connect with Kim Lancer at Tall Poppies Leadership: https://tallpoppies.us/
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business 🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/ 📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness ✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | Digital Systers 🌐 Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/ 📱 Instagram: @sammorris.businesscoach
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
What happens when you combine crocodile encounters, buffalo hunting, and a submerged 4WD on a broken bridge in the middle of an outback river - with business ambition? You get Angus Dicker's incredible journey.
Sam and I had so much fun in this episode! Angus Dicker is not your typical business owner. He’s managed to carve a life for himself in which he gets to do work he loves, in places where most people don’t go. From early beginnings in the military to becoming a Masters of Business graduate, Angus Dicker, owner of Home Filtration Systems, turned his love for the extreme outdoors into a unique business model. His company doesn't just provide clean water systems – they reach the places his competitors won't go in the remote corners of Australia. Which is perfect for Angus. Because adventure is his game and for him, the more remote and adventurous the location, the better. And luckily for him, all remote locations need clean water.
If you have an adventurous spirit and a love of autonomy, you’ll love this episode! You’ll hear Angus’ stories of outback adventure combined with business ownership. Angus shared how a random concrete driveway job ended in an unexpected mentorship, leading him to build a niche business that services remote communities across Western Australia. If you’ve ever dreamed of building a business that aligns with your values and thirst for adventure, this is for you.
Angus’s story is a masterclass in grit, growth, and unconventional entrepreneurship.
Highlights:
👉 Like what you heard?
Subscribe to Thriving Business Podcast for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs who are doing business their way.
👉 Want to connect with Angus?
Check out Home Filtration Systems and learn more about their work in regional and remote water solutions. https://homefiltrationsystems.com/
Connect with the Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
Website: https://katedejong.com/
Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusiness
Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | Digital Systers
Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/
Instagram: sammorris.businesscoach
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Send a question or message to Kate & Sam
In this episode, Sam and Kate delve into the sensitive and often tricky topic of business partnership failures. Globally, around 70% of business partnerships end up dissolving. In a candid and honest conversation, Kate and Sam explore the challenges that arise in business collaborations, acknowledging that while “failure” is possibly an unfair term (because often our biggest learnings come through these experiences), many partnerships naturally come to an end or evolve over time.
Sam and Kate offer insights based on their personal experiences and those of their clients, sharing that while business failure can feel discouraging, it often leads to valuable personal growth and important lessons. The pair discuss the key reasons behind these failures, and what you can do to prepare yourself when entering a business partnership. You’ll walk away with actionable insights to navigate the complexities of business partnerships.
Key Takeaways:
This episode offers valuable perspective for entrepreneurs navigating or considering business partnerships, emphasising that failure isn’t the end but often the beginning of valuable learning.
Thanks for tuning in!
Connect with the Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
Website: https://katedejong.com/
Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusiness
Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | Digital Systers
Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/
Instagram: sammorris.businesscoach
Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/
Thriving Business Launchpad 🌐Website: https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/thriving-business-launchpad
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business
🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/
📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness
✉️ Email: [email protected]
Sam Morris | The O8
🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/
📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew
✉️ Email: [email protected]
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