Flying Solo

On this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby sits down with Leanne Faulkner, a small business mental health expert, researcher, and former entrepreneur. Leanne shares her inspiring journey from building Billy Goat Soap—a business sparked by her son's eczema—to becoming a leading advocate for the mental health and wellbeing of soloists and micro business owners. Leanne offers fresh research insights a...

In this episode, Cec Busby sits down with negotiation whiz Glin Bailey. Glin's a coach, author, speaker, and all-around professional who has helped everyone from big-name executives to small business owners sharpen their negotiating skills. Today, Glin is sharing all her best advice from her book, The Negotiation Playbook, and breaking down simple, practical ways you can get better results in your...

In today’s episode, host Cec Busby sits down with Brad Giles—business coach, entrepreneur, and author of the new book, "Bigger Isn’t Better, Better is Better." Brad brings over 25 years of experience, having founded multiple companies and created more than a thousand strategic plans with CEOs and owner-led businesses. In this conversation, Brad challenges the common narrative that business growth...

[Trigger warning] This episode of Flying Solo discusses depression and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised. On this episode of Flying Solo, host Cec Busby dives deep into a topic that too often remains in the shadows: men’s mental health. With Are You OK? Day around the corner and financial, emotional, and social pressures weighing heavily on solo business owners, now is the time for...

In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby sits down with Chris Green. Chris has over two decades of experience helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses to success. So if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the chaos of running your own business, Chris brings practical advice and tried-and-true strategies to help you shift from a stressed-out, overloaded operator to an effective leader with a scala...

Cec Busby sits down with Renata Squario, an expert with over three decades of experience in learning and development and the founder of MaxMe. After 30 years in the corporate world, Renata made it her mission to democratise the development of “human skills”—the personal and interpersonal strengths we need to thrive in business and life, but rarely get taught. Cec and Renata dive deep into the true...

Melissa Laurie is the founder of Oysterly Media—a fast-growing social video agency that’s making big waves across Australia, Asia, and beyond. With over 1000s of followers on TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn, plus brand collaborations with giants like Hilton and Microsoft, Melissa is redefining how brands use short form video to connect with their audiences. Together, Cec and Melissa dive deep into t...

Leanne Shelton is an AI coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Human Edge AI Training. Leanne’s journey from content marketer and copywriter to AI advocate proves that you don’t need a tech background to harness the power of AI in your business. If the thought of AI makes you feel overwhelmed or worried about losing your “human touch,” this episode is your perfect antidote. Leanne shares her missi...

With hustle culture running rampant and burnout becoming all too familiar, Tim Jack Adams is on a mission to help Australians flip the script on stress, reconnect with ourselves, our communities, and nature. Drawing from his new book, "Energised," Tim shares science-backed strategies and simple daily habits that actually work to recharge our batteries and move from exhaustion to sustainable wellbe...

Jenny Stillwell is a renowned business strategist, former CEO, and author of "The 7% Club." Jenny brings decades of experience guiding businesses through the ups and downs of growth. In this epsidoe of Flying Solo she dives deep into why the $2 million mark is such a crucial tipping point for scaling up. Cec and Jenny explore everything from mindset shifts and delegation challenges to the power of...

Daniel Murray is a leadership expert, speaker, and author of the game-changing new book, The Empathy Gap. Daniel shares his personal journey from a highly analytical thinker who struggled with empathy, to an advocate who believes that empathy isn’t just a “soft skill”, it’s a strategic superpower every business leader can learn and harness. Daniel breaks down why empathy is so crucial in today’s c...

In today’s episode, host Cec Busby sits down with Vinisha Rathod—Sydney-based branding specialist, keynote speaker, and founder of P3 Studio. Vinisha isn’t just flipping the script on personal branding; she’s rewriting the whole playbook. Drawing on her 15 years of experience helping leaders and businesses make a real impact, Vinisha shares her unique approach to building a personal brand that goe...

In this week's episode of Flying Solo Cec is joined by Mark Chapman, Director of Tax Communication at H&R Block, to break down everything you need to know about end-of-financial-year preparation. Find out everything from how to get your paperwork in order, to avoiding common mistakes. Make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table when it comes to deductions. Mark offers practical advice on e...

Cec Busby sits down with Luke Achterstraat, CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), for a discussion about the current landscape for small businesses. With a major decision from the Fair Work Commission to raise the minimum wage by 3.75% set to take effect, Cec and Luke unpack what this change—and a host of other pressing issues such as rising business costs, increas...

If the mention of AI makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone—but what if AI could actually make your business smoother, more efficient, and free up valuable time? To help unravel the mystery (and bust a few myths), Cec is joined by Tracy Sheen, award-winning business tech expert, speaker, founder of The Digital Guide, and bestselling author. With over 30 years spent in the tech trenches—and a...

Roxanne Calder is a recruitment expert, business founder, and author of the eye-opening book "Earning Power." In this episode Ce and Roxanne unpack the core moments that shape our financial futures, from pay negotiations and navigating maternity leave to the small, everyday decisions that can make a big difference over time. With the gender pay gap costing women a million dollars over their lifeti...

Amy Jacobson is a human behaviour and emotional intelligence specialist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. She has made it her mission to help leaders and organisations embed emotional intelligence into their workplace culture—something she believes is often overlooked, yet crucial for business success. In this conversation, Cec and Amy explore what emotional intelligence really is, why it’...

Cec Busby sits down with Gary Waldon—a true master of transformation, whose career has spanned an incredible 44 different jobs, from teacher to topless waiter to CEO advisor, and now bestselling author. Together, they dive deep into the topic of reinvention and the inevitability of change, whether it comes by choice or crashes into your life unexpectedly. Gary shares stories from his colorful care...

In this episode of Flying Solo, we chat with Fiona Campbell – founder of Thought Penny and the VA Lead Network – about how she turned redundancy on maternity leave into a booming remote business. Fiona shares her journey from C-suite EA to virtual assistant queen, her top tips for setting up systems that scale, and how she gets a whopping 70% open rate on her emails. If you’re drowning in to-dos,...

This week's episode of Flying Solo focuses on the often overlooked yet crucial aspect of being a solo entrepreneur—our personal wellbeing and resilience. Melli O'Brien, renowned coach, mindfulness educator, and author of Deep Resilience has aided over a million individuals worldwide in finding inner calm and clarity. She shares her personal journey from dealing with mental health crises to becomin...

Shani Taylor is an award-winning business coach, speaker, best-selling author, and even hailed as the Global Coach of the Year by the Duchess of York. Her passion lies in empowering everyday Aussies to become masters of leadership, sales, and human behaviour, ensuring they can scale their businesses without facing burnout. In this episode, Shani shares her unique journey from a challenging upbring...

Todd Polke, is an investor, entrepreneur, and international educator in wealth creation. With over two decades of experience assisting thousands in mastering their finances, Todd is here to share insights from his new book, "Escape the Middle." This episode promises to equip you with strategies to tackle financial stagnation and construct a future tailored to your financial goals. Whether you're j...

Emma Lagerlow, a wealth and mindset coach, entrepreneur, and author of Worthy and Wealthy. In this episode of Flying Solo, Emma shares her journey and insights on building a life of abundance by aligning self-worth, purpose, well-being, and time. Listeners can expect to learn about the five pillars Emma believes make up a truly wealthy life, how self-worth influences financial empowerment, and why...

In the episode, we're joined by the incredible Ingrid Maynard, a renowned sales performance expert and founder of The Sales Doctor. Ingrid is here to revolutionise the way you think about selling! We'lll dive into Ingrid's game-changing approach that turns your entire business into a sales engine without the usual pressure. Ingrid shares why simply being customer-centric isn't enough anymore and h...

Melissa Browne, an award-winning former accountant and financial advisor who has built three seven-figure businesses in different industries. In this episode of Flying Solo Melissa shares her journey from an accidental business owner to a strategic entrepreneur, She discusses why now is the perfect time to start a business and offers practical insights for soloists and small business owners on man...