The Biz Book Broadcast

Fancy reading something slightly surreal perhaps with a side order of beautiful weirdness? For today’s Fiction Pop-Up I'm joined by Biz Book regular Rachel Allen. We discuss the joy of venturing into unusual literary territory + discovering entire new genres. And why it’s always worth following up a friend's book recommendation even when it doesn't quite land.  For more great recommendations - loo...

What if your customer research is missing the emotional truth because you're stuck on surface facts? Kathryn McGarvey joins me to discuss the kid’s book, Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse + why sometimes the "lies" customers tell reveal more than cold demographics. We discuss how to dig past the first answer + why one client's sweary customers led to 900% signup increases. Plus, why being kind b...

What happens when millions of wasps invade your village?  Community expert Tonya Kubo is back to discuss kids’ classic, The Giant Jam Sandwich + what it teaches about solving problems you can't tackle alone. We discuss why overwhelm is really about isolation, how courage looks when you suggest a ridiculous idea + why communities need clear purpose combined with a big promise to actually work. Look...

Ever wonder why people stay with coaches long-term? Biz Book regular, Rachel Allen has been my client for eight years + she's here to explain why she keeps coming back. We discuss the difference between one-to-one coaching + masterminding, why she once thought she was "uncoachable" despite years of working with other coaches + why being seen over time matters more than you'd think. Plus, the year...

Find yourself avidly scanning the end of year Best Books lists? I'm addicted. Publisher Todd Sattersten is back with us, today sharing his annual analysis of every major end-of-year list to reveal which books actually rose to the top. We discuss the two books that dominated 2025 in the US, why one of them is uncomfortably obsessed with death + mortality + why book nerds like us love a good list. ...

What did people think before the concept of "science discovery" existed? Ron Tester is back for our end-of-year History Pop-Up where we discuss fascinating books about science, society + some truly dark moments in history. Ron has been reading about how science as we know it didn't exist until the 1570s + why Newton spent more time studying the Bible than thinking about gravity. I discuss the less...

What happens when book reviewers completely miss the point? Ron Tester joins me for our holiday special where we read the most baffling book reviews we could find. We discuss readers who don't understand how fiction works, demands for warning labels on perfectly normal books + one truly spectacular misunderstanding about a Holocaust book. Plus, the most audacious demand of a publisher you've ever...

What if getting funded means losing yourself? Kym Medina is back to discuss the problematic colonial 'classic' Babar the Elephant + what happens when someone else's money changes everything about who you + your business. We discuss how external funding disconnects you from your roots, how authority based on dazzle rather than competence creates imposter syndrome + the ongoing issue of entrepreneur...

How do you know when it's time to stop figuring everything out alone? Fan fave, Ron Tester joins me to discuss the specific signs that scream you need a coach right now. We discuss why strategy matters more than just working harder, how to work out when you need a thinking partner versus a course + why hiring the wrong people repeatedly means something's wrong inside your biz. This is part 2 of ou...

Random book browsing at airports makes me genuinely concerned for the nation's reading habits. Rachel Allen joins me to discuss fiction that’s so good, it’ll have you planning your reading list ahead of your vacation wardrobe. We nerd about books that make you feel complicit in the story, split timelines done right + why authors sometimes need therapy instead of publishing. For more great recommen...

Tired of false scarcity marketing that treats you like an idiot? There's an ancient fable that perfectly explains why this approach backfires. Tim Brownson joins me to discuss The Boy Who Cried Wolf + how it mirrors the always-on-sale mentality that's destroying marketers' credibility.  We explore why mattress stores have perpetual "biggest sales ever" + why launching back-to-back courses trains y...

What's the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Rolex? Or Volvo? Or McDonald's?  Those instant thoughts are brand associations - and today I speak to Uli Appelbaum - the man who's written the only science-based book about them. We discuss how most marketing books aren't based on actual science, how a friendly bakery counter person can boost daily sales by 50%, the 95-5 rule + how...

Those gorgeous English country houses you see on Downton Abbey? Turns out they were built on the backs of enslaved people.  Aneeta Madhavan joins me to discuss The Countryside by Corrine Fowler - which takes us on walks through Britain's most "English" places + reveals where the money actually came from. Spoiler: sugar plantations, slavery + colonial exploitation. We chat about how this book made...

What if the key to surviving cutthroat office politics was mastered in 1536?  Juliet Corbett joins me to discuss Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall + Bring Up the Bodies - and the business lessons from Thomas Cromwell's rise at Henry VIII's court. We discuss how Cromwell mastered managing up to volatile leaders, why his network crossed every level of hierarchy + why mentors are meant to be outgrown. Plus,...

Why do smart leaders torpedo their own success? Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't your competition - it's you. Tamika Stewart joins me to discuss The Mountain Is You + how internal blocks show up at work. We discuss perfectionist managers who demoralise their teams, leaders who avoid difficult conversations + why "everyone has trauma" might be oversimplifying things. Plus, why you can't just re...

What if chasing your passion is actually keeping you stuck? Terri Trespicio's TED talk has 8 million views and her book on the same subject challenges everything you've been told about finding work you love. Terri shares why waiting to find your passion delays action, why you should expand your comfort zone rather than step out of it + why you shouldn't monetize everything you love. Plus, did you...

What if your local business could become the unofficial welcome guide for your neighborhood? Ron Tester joins me to answer a listener’s question – his was focused on churches – we expand it out to any local business dependent on their local community for business.  We discuss Rick Warren's 40-million-copy success that filled his church, how to use the book to build relationships, maybe even with l...

Ever been hounded by a salesperson who just won't take no for an answer?  Oddly enough, there's a centuries-old folk tale that perfectly captures why pushy marketing makes everyone want to run away. Rachel Allen joins me to discuss the spectacularly annoying Gingerbread Man. We discuss what six inches of overconfident dough can teach us about boundaries + the difference between being present versu...

Need a break from the endless parade of mediocre business content? Sarah Benvenuti joins me to discuss the fiction books that remind us what good writing looks like.  We geek out about magical realism, world-building done right + why sometimes the setting matters more than the plot. Plus what happens when authors get the balance between explanation + mystery just right. Look for more Fiction Pop-U...

What if someone really smart read hundreds of business books + curated only the ones that actually work? Well, as it happens… Todd Sattersten returns to discuss his beautifully designed guide to the biz books worth your time. Todd discusses his three criteria for inclusion into his list of lists, why Tiny Habits beats all other habit books (you’ll be nodding too) + how the best biz books often blu...

What if your customers are screaming feedback at you but you can't hear them? If we listened as carefully as Horton the Elephant we might hear more clearly. Kathryn McGarvey joins me to discuss the Dr Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who. We discuss why being truly heard is so rare + how to listen for the small, quiet insights that matter most. Plus, why the quietest signals often tell you everything...

Why do some communities create genuine belonging while others feel like mandatory meetings with snacks? Jeffrey Davis joins me to discuss three books on building actual community rather than just collecting people in a room. We discuss the five types of conversations that create belonging, why isolation literally damages your genes + how starlings only sync with their seven closest neighbours. Rel...

The publishing industry has a rule of thumb that if a book can sell 10,000 copies in the first year - it'll make steady sales. Todd Sattersen of Bard Press shares his research - does the number hold up? Todd discusses why 90% of books get trapped after launch, the difference between launch plans + sales plans + the three buyer archetypes. Plus, why seasonality matters more than you think + the rea...

Think slow and steady is boring? Tim Brownson joins me to discuss why the tortoise's approach is actually the secret to business success. We dig into Aesop's classic fable about persistence versus instant gratification - why 90% of podcasters quit before episode three, how Tim built his business through years of blogging + why you should double whatever timeline you think your business will take....

Ever wondered what actually happens in a coaching session? Whether it's worth the money or just an expensive way to get advice you could probably Google? Emily Hitchcock joins me for the first in a new series where we discuss what coaching actually feels like from the inside. We discuss why she avoided coaching for years, the difference between resistance + the idea being wrong, + why she now actu...