Starting the Conversation

Looking at other business owners it's easy to assume everyone knows what they're doing and you're the only one figuring it out as you go, but the more business owners I meet the more I realise we're all trying things out, seeing what works and learning as we go.  Joined by Kay, founder of Leafage we chat about how there is no magic formula when it comes to building a business and we're all making...

Welcome to other BTS episode with me and my team member Emily. I'm so glad you enjoyed the first one of this new episode style and I'm excited to share this episode with you, where you're going to get an inside look at us reflecting on Q2 and setting goals for Q3. As you know, I am big on setting intentions, setting goals and then making these into weekly actions steps. If you want to know about h...

After mixing things up on the podcast for a few months I'm so excited to be back with a co-host for a big old conversation on a really juicy topic!  Joining me today is Ashleigh Frater, mindset coach and all round genius when it comes to self sabotage and why we all get in our own way when it comes to setting and achieving our goals.  So what does self sabotage actually looks like? How does it sho...

I don't know about you, but I find the words 'digital strategy' so intimidating. Those words put together just make me freeze up and what does digital strategy even mean? Well in this episode I want to break this down and walk you through how your digital strategy is simply, the plan you have for how your business is going to show up and grow online.  You will have multiple platforms and touch poi...

As quizzes have become a staple of our social lives over the last few months join Emily and I quizzing one another about this very  podcast to see how knows the show better. There are 12 questions and I would love it of can play along, let me know on Instagram how you do. There's a very good chance you'll score higher than us two!  So I hope you enjoy the quiz and let me apologise now for all your...

An unexpected positive that's happened over the last few months is that I've been forced to get creative with how I record this podcast and it's been fun to mix things up and try out different ways to record and different episode lengths.  That said, it's been about a year since I relaunched this podcast with a new format of high / low, conversation starter and quick fire Q's and whilst I've loved...

This is by no means a conclusive list but some of the resources I've found educational over the last week...   Listen The Stories of Five Protesters  1619   This isn't a trend - Laid Bare Real talk on race and how to be a better ally - EmpowerHer   Watch Dear White People - Netflix When They See Us - Netflix  Is The Coaching Industry Inclusive - Simone McNish   Sign Justice for George Floyd Other...

I'm often asked how my team mate Emily, and I have built a good dynamic, and while it's not completely accidental it's something that I want to ensure continues and develops as the business grows. While I can say from my experience what I think has helped contribute to that working relationship I asked Hanna, founder of As We Are, to join me to share some of her expertise as a leadership coach.  W...

Welcome back to the podcast, today I am answering more of your questions and today's is quite a hot topic in the service based world. That question is, am I afraid of giving away my expertise for free? and I mean putting it all out there, not giving a little bit for free leading to a sales pitch, I'm talking about the content where you are showing up, being of service, giving value and giving your...

As service based businesses we often have multiple offerings varying in price point and topic, and creating that variation in my business has been key for me in moving my business forward.  I am so happy to be joined for the second time by Steph of The Creative Shed, who is just a genius in all things operations and strategy. In this episode we discuss the value that smaller or new offerings can b...

You all know I LOVE big picture work. I talk a lot about my approach to business and the power I see in working on , not always working in my business.  When I learnt about this differentiation it really clicked in my brain and ever since then I've explored what this looks like for my business. I got really clear on that big picture goal, and how I can always be moving towards it.  I know where I...

We've been mixing it up a lot on the podcast over the last six weeks, but I'm very excited to announce we have now landed on a new format going forward!  I know in this time it's not easy to consume long form content, and it's hard to find the time or energy to soak up all the information that's out there right now, but I also notice lots of you, myself included, who want to use this time to move...

The way I manage money in my business has really evolved over the last two years. From spending everything in my account to now, finding a method of managing money that works for me.  This change really came about from discovering Profit First and it's approach is now something I'm such an advocate for. If you've never heard of it, this episode will give you a great intro. As an incredibly human w...

Welcome to the first of two episodes that I'm super excited to share with you. If you are a long time listener of the podcast you will know I have been focusing on the topic of money in my business over the last few months. This has partly been because my business has transitioned from sole trader to a limited company, which, let me tell you came with so many question marks. It's safe to say I cou...

Today's episode is something a bit different but after this coaching session with my business mentor Jo, I thought it might be interesting to share with you all what this current season is teaching me and how things are looking for me as a business owner. As you know this year I am making some shifts in my business and Jo is playing a really vital role in helping to fill in the gaps in that transi...

My relationship to launching has changed a lot in the last year, so I wanted to share with you my process from having an idea, to launching a new product in a way that feels good. Part of this shift came for me came from realising that launching should be simple, and it actually only comes down to a few things. It's showing up, speaking louder and speaking clearly.  Joined by Emily we share how we...

This weeks' Small Talk episode is super practical, so if you're currently trying to figure out how you can move you business forward, let me walk you through 5 things that you can do to level up your digital marketing right now.  They are 5 things that never feel like a priority, but can make a big difference. If you have some time in the coming weeks, or are able to do this big picture work now I...

This weeks episode is one that I get so many questions about, so given the circumstances, it was the perfect opportunity to let you all in and share how I recruited for a part time team mate.  Joined by Emily, my team mate, we chat about the hiring process, what that looked for both of us, onboarding and give you more of an insight into Emily's role and how we work together.  Over the last year Em...

Whilst it's been a weird old week for everyone, it felt right to bring you a podcast episode on a Monday morning as usual.  As this podcast is recorded weekly with a guest I've kept to that format as much as possible, but my guest this week (and for at least the next 4 weeks) is my team mate, Emily.  So, join us for a chat about how we are feeling and how we are responding to the situation.  We've...

This week's conversation starter is one that has been explored before on the podcast, but it's something that's so relevant that I'm really interested to delve into it more with the fantastic Heather. That topic is how starting out young in business impacts your relationships, be that with friends, family, work friends.  When I started working for myself I was so focused on what I was doing, I iso...

It's time to start talking about MONEY. We all have a different relationship to money and, for me this has changed a lot over the last 3 years.  Joined by Ellie, founder of This Girl Talks Money, we share how we've moved from being quite passive about money to gaining awareness to now being intentional with how we spend and what money means in our business.  Managing money really is an ongoing jou...

My business is going through a big shift at the moment. Whilst it's not visible yet, I wanted to share a behind the scenes look at what is happening in my business right now. As business owners it's easy to get in a routine of how we do things because they've worked so far. But, as you know, for me working big picture is so key. For me there are three stages when it comes to making shifts within m...

A '£10k month' is presented as a measure of success, with courses  out there selling blueprints of how you can make this amount of money.  But what does a £10k month actually look like? Does reaching that financial goal mean you are established or successful?  Chatting with Steph from The Creative Shed we look at the noise around this £10k phenomenon and break down what's actually behind this figu...

Well here we are! The 100th episode and the 2nd anniversary of Starting the Conversation. I hope you all enjoyed the 7 days of Q&A series - it was a lot of fun to put together, if a little exhausting.  To mark this special episode I will be sharing 5 things which when I look back, have made the biggest difference in growing my business.  And what would a celebration be without some gifts! G o chec...

https://www.alicebenham.co.uk/retreat For the final day of this mini series, it only felt right to bring on a guest who has made a huge difference within my business. Sophie French, if you aren't familiar, is a genius when it comes to crushing the 'can't' in your head.  After having Sophie as a guest coach on the first Gather + Grow retreat last year I knew that other business owners needed to exp...