What One Thing?

Do you really know what’s going on in your business financially? In this episode of What One Thing , Hayley and Phil are joined by Marc McCardle , who shares how a post-Covid shock forced him to get much closer to the numbers behind his family business. After years of growth, rising costs and squeezed margins started to have an impact. The problem was, relying on year-end accounts meant Marc didn’...

What happens when the very thing that makes you good at running a business starts costing you outside of it? In this episode of What One Thing ? , Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport are joined by Ben McManus , founder of BM Civil Engineering , to talk about what Ben calls his “superhero complex” — his drive to solve problems, do things properly and deliver for his clients, whatever it takes. It’s an...

What makes a manufacturing business the one customers trust, recommend and keep coming back to? It isn't a new logo. It isn't posting more on LinkedIn. And it definitely isn't creating content simply because somebody told you that you should. In this episode of What One Thing ? , Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport are joined by Lucy Rennie to unpack what building a genuinely trusted brand looks like...

Most manufacturing businesses spend their time chasing new leads while overlooking one of the biggest opportunities already sitting in front of them. In this episode, we are joined by Rene Power , an industrial marketing specialist with more than 30 years' experience helping manufacturing and professional service businesses attract, convert and retain high value clients. CIM qualified and self emp...

AI is everywhere, but are small businesses actually using it to save time and improve the way they work? In this episode of What One Thing , hosts Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport are joined by AI specialist Marie Piercy to explore how business owners can move beyond experimenting with AI and start building practical, repeatable systems that make a real difference. From creating AI-powered ideal c...

Everyone says you need a USP. But what if that's the wrong place to start? In this episode of What One Thing , hosts Phil Davenport and Hayley Baxter are joined by sales consultant Alastair Ruston to explore one of the most powerful concepts in sales and marketing: People don't buy what you do. They buy the result of what you do. From the famous phrase "People buy holes, not drills" to practical w...

Running a business isn't just about writing a business plan... it's about continually evolving it. In this episode of What One Thing ? , Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport are joined by structural engineer and business owner Laura Holland to explore why business planning should be a living document, not something you complete once and forget. Laura shares the honest reality of growing an engineering...

The Most Underrated Business Growth Strategy with Daisy Ferns In a world obsessed with algorithms, followers, and going viral, what if the real secret to growing your business was much simpler? In this episode of What One Thing ? , Hayley Baxte r and Phil Davenport sit down with lead generation specialist Daisy Ferns , whose one thing is refreshingly straightforward: talk to people . Daisy shares...

What One Thing AI Podcast Everyone is talking about AI. But what if most businesses are approaching it completely the wrong way? In this episode of What One Thing AI, Phil Davenport and Hayley Baxter are joined by Richard Geary and Scott Evans from the AI Foundry to discuss one of the biggest mistakes business owners make when implementing AI. Instead of starting with ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or t...

Phil Davenport and Hayley Baxter reflect on their attempt to implement a 30-day relationship-building challenge inspired by their own podcast advice. What started with good intentions — outreach messages, networking coffees, introductions, and accountability — slowly became overwhelming as real business life got in the way. In this honest conversation, they unpack: why consistency is harder than m...

Marc’s What One Thing is: Be real. In this episode, we explore the pressure many business owners feel to look successful, polished, and “together” — even when reality feels very different behind the scenes. Marc shares his experience growing up in a family business, the pressure to prove himself, and how networking changed once he stopped trying to project perfection and started having more honest...

Why do some deals close instantly… while others drag on forever and go nowhere? In this episode of  What One Thing , we sit down with Diyar to break down a different way of thinking about sales, marketing, and lead generation. Instead of focusing on your product or service, this conversation explores how understanding  data, timing, and buyer intent  can completely change how you win business. We...

In this episode of  What One Thing , we sit down with entrepreneur and author John Lamerton to explore the single shift that transformed his business — and his life. After years of running multiple businesses, working long hours, and trying to do everything himself, John hit breaking point. A health scare forced him to rethink how he was working and led him to a powerful realisation: You don’t nee...

If you’ve ever listened to business podcasts and thought “this is great… but I’ll never actually do it” — this episode is for you. In this special episode of the What One Thing podcast, Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport do something different. Instead of just discussing the ideas shared by successful founders, they commit to implementing one — properly. The focus? Building better relationships as a...

There’s a lot of noise around AI — but most small business owners don’t need more hype. They need practical ways to reduce pressure, improve customer experience, and scale without adding unnecessary cost. In this episode, Ian Lockwood shares how he implemented an AI chatbot across multiple websites to reduce inbound calls, automate parts of the quote process, and improve the customer journey — wit...

If you’re bringing in revenue but still not seeing the profit you expect, this episode is for you. Debbie Porter (Destination Digital Marketing) shares how COVID forced a hard reset — and why ‘knowing your numbers’ became the habit that protects profit, reduces risk, and helps you lead your business with clarity. In this episode we cover: • Moving from gut feel to numbers-led leadership • Pricing...

What does it actually take to build a business (an accountancy practice in Bev's case) that doesn’t rely on you 24/7? In this episode of What One Thing?, we’re joined by accountant, coach and international speaker Bev Flanagan . Bev shares how she went from being constantly “on” for clients — even while supporting her sister abroad — to building a fully systemised, cloud-based accountancy practice...

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted — and still feel unfulfilled? In this episode of What One Thing , we’re joined by Lisa Johnson , who built a multi-seven-figure business, topped the charts, and was invited into the most elite entrepreneurial spaces — before realising the “more” mindset no longer worked for her. From turning down Necker Island to choosing a £6.99 Chin...

What really changes after another year of running a business? In this end-of-year reflection episode of What One Thing, Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport look back honestly on the past year — what surprised them, what challenged them, and what genuinely shifted how they now run their businesses. This isn’t a highlight reel or a list of wins. It’s a real conversation about growth, visibility, accoun...

What’s one thing about starting a podcast that you thought would be easy… but wasn’t? In this behind-the-scenes episode of What One Thing , hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) reflect honestly on what it’s really like running a weekly podcast alongside two busy businesses. They share what surprised them, what took far longer than expected (editing, capti...

What do you do when your business looks successful on the outside… but the numbers tell a very different story? In this episode of What One Thing , Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) talk to Jo Simpson , an accountant who grew multiple businesses – including two multi–seven-figure ventures – before the 2008 crash exposed just how fragile things really were. ...

Can you really scale from 4 to nearly 40 people and keep a calm, positive, nice culture? In this episode of What One Thing , hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbarr Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) talk with former MSP owner Neil Shaw about growing an IT business fast – without losing your values or your mind. Neil shares how he: Grew an MSP from 4 staff and 25 clients to nearly 40 staff a...

Traditional recruitment is broken – especially for small businesses. In this episode of What One Thing , hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) talk with Rebecca Morris from Benchmark Recruit about why “bums on seats” hiring is costing businesses far more than they realise. They dig into: How commission-led recruitment encourages poaching and churn Why valu...

In this episode of What One Thing , Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) sit down with entrepreneur Stuart Mason to unpack a business collapse that no one saw coming—until it was too late. This conversation isn’t about doom and gloom. It’s about the real risks small and medium-sized businesses face, especially around discounting, cashflow, pricing pressure, and...

This week on What One Thing, we sit down with leadership consultant Angela Hodgson (Ignite Improvement Ltd), who went from leading a global team through Barcelona riots, burnout and personal loss… to rebuilding her career with clarity, courage and a brand-new purpose. It’s a powerful conversation — but as always, Phil and Hayley bring it back to what really matters for small business owners across...