The Start Up To Grown Up Podcast

Are you working hard on follow-up but still losing work you thought you were close to winning? Do you sometimes wonder if the real decision was made before you ever got on a call? If your firm is invisible during the months when potential clients are quietly deciding who to shortlist, this episode is for you. I share what I've learned from losing a £50,000 to £100,000 contract that I genuinely tho...

Are you putting in the networking hours but the referrals just aren't coming? Do you have introducers who seem keen to help but somehow never actually send you work? If you're doing everything right and still waiting for referrals that never materialise, this episode is for you. I share what I've learned about why referral relationships so often fail to deliver, and why it's rarely about whether p...

Are you still the person every client comes to, even though you know it's holding your firm back? Do you find yourself saying you'll delegate more, but somehow you're still reviewing every piece of work and answering every client question? If the thought of handing over your longest-standing clients feels genuinely terrifying, this episode is for you. I share what I've learned about finally lettin...

Is your website quietly losing you clients every single week? Do you know you need to do something about your firm's digital presence but can never quite find the time to prioritise it? If you're not sure whether your website is actually working hard for your business or just taking up space on the internet, this episode is for you. I share what I've learned from digging into the real data behind...

Are you leaving tens of thousands of pounds on the table with your existing clients? Do you find yourself exhausted from chasing new business whilst opportunities with current clients slip through your fingers? Are you so busy firefighting that you miss the buying signals right in front of you? I share what I've learned about turning routine client meetings into profitable new work without adding...

Do you keep starting projects that fizzle out after a few weeks? Have you thought about launching a podcast but worry you won't keep it going? Are you one of those business owners who's brilliant at starting things but struggles with the follow-through? I share what I've learned from publishing 53 consecutive weekly podcast episodes in my first year. In this episode, I talk about why 90% of podcas...

Do you start Monday with a clear plan only to reach Friday wondering where the week went? Are you constantly firefighting instead of moving your business forward? Do you know exactly what you should be doing to grow, but somehow those tasks never seem to happen? I share what I've learned about why our weeks disappear into client work and admin, and what actually works to break the cycle. In this e...

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...

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...

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 pi...

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 counteri...

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 episod...

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...

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...

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 f...

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 tra...

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 s...

Do you feel like you're constantly battling setbacks in your business? When things go wrong, do you find yourself stuck in worry mode instead of taking action? Are you running on empty because you're not making time for proper rest and recovery? I share what I've learned about building genuine resilience as a business owner. This isn't about toxic positivity or just "powering through". In this epi...

Do you struggle to take proper time off? This is how it could be damaging you and your business. Are you already planning to "sort of" take time off over Christmas, checking emails here and there, catching up on work between family obligations? Do you tell yourself you'll finally get time to work ON the business, only to spend the break half-working, half-guilty, and completely exhausted? If your...

Are you finding it harder to stay positive when the numbers keep slipping? Do you feel like you’re constantly holding everything together for everyone else? If your business feels like it’s stuck in survival mode and you’re running on empty, this episode is for you. I share what I’ve learned about staying mentally strong when the market is unpredictable, trading conditions are tough, and the press...

Are you finding it harder to stay positive when the numbers keep slipping? Do you feel like you’re constantly holding everything together for everyone else? If your business feels like it’s stuck in survival mode and you’re running on empty, this episode is for you. I share what I’ve learned about staying mentally strong when the market is unpredictable, trading conditions are tough, and the press...

Are you finding that winning new clients is hard? And when you do get a new lead it is often for a poor quality or wrong type of work. This is easily fixable. It's a step that many professional service firm owners miss out when thinking about their marketing or business development as a whole. In this episode, I talk about why so many small firm owners struggle to attract the right kind of clients...

Is your business stuck? Are you finding that you are your own worse enemy? My physio session this week was brutal. If you’re imagining twenty-five minutes of intense, borderline torturous, pain, you’re not far off. But it was a timely reminder: I have to take responsibility for my own health. A meeting later on that day reminded me how much we all have to take responsibility for our own business f...

Are you working long hours, stressed and the worst paid in your business? Has the game changed, but no-one told you? One of the things I have found is that business owners accidentally go from ‘me, myself and I’ into growing a firm with a team. You know, you get a run of good luck with projects or retainers landing and suddenly you know you need more pairs of hands. Whether this is a Virtual Assis...

What happens when the bad days don't end? When you are feeling well and truly burnt out and nothing is working? Nearly 6 months ago I recorded a podcast episode for when you are feeling a bit 'meh'. https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/not-just-a-bad-day-6-tips-for-when Whilst the advice I shared back then was very valid and still valid, it wasn't deep enough for what was going to take me from...