The Rising Professional Podcast

Have you hit an income ceiling in your business? There's no doubt service-based businesses can be tricky to scale, because in essence, you're exchanging time for money - and there are only so many hours in the day. In today's episode, we reveal ways you can dial up your income and increase profitability by making some carefully planned moves in your business. Leveraging your existing c...

Starting a business is exciting but GROWING a business is a whole other skillset. It's not until most businesses hit the 2 year mark that challenges begin to present. This episode identifies what those challenges might be and ways you can navigate them so your business moves through its infancy phase with ease. EVERY business owner goes through growth pains at different phases of their busines...

It's no secret that most successful service based businesses are built on partnerships and alliances the business owner has managed to create and nurture over the long term. In today's episode, we discuss ways you can best nurture your existing relationships with referral partners but also, how making the wrong moves can turn a partner off or potentially ruin a relationship before it's even had a...

Here's what you do when you have $0 to spend on marketing in your service business. Marketing is crucial to success and longevity but what happens when you don't have the big budgets the bigger players do - or perhaps you just don't WANT to spend up big. Today's episode is all about ways you can leverage your marketing effort for FREE. Yep, we love a good freebie, and if you're...

2024 saw a downturn for many businesses but not all. Today we pick apart the ones who have seemed to thrive during this time versus those who have struggled. Our resident financial planner, Cara is privy to the financials behind various businesses and today's episode is an insight into why some businesses have continued to boom during an economic downturn, whilst others have experienced tougher ti...

People buy from people. If you work in service, personal branding should be at the top of your priorities if you want to create a successful and sustainable business. In this episode, Wendy leads the discussion on what you should be doing to ensure you're putting the right building blocks in place to create a personal brand that leverages You as the go-to person and service provider in your field...

As we approach the end of 2024 we look back on what the year's most significant highs and lows were and take stock of how these are impacting our next moves for 2025. This episode is a very personal insight into Cara and Wendy's personal and professional journey's throughout 2024 - what happened / how it impacted us / and how we are setting ourselves up for continued growth in 2025. Subscribe to u...

The last thing on most business owners' minds when they start a business is what the end game will look like. But as savvy professionals, it's up to us to think ahead and consider what the long term future of the business might be. This means planning your exit strategy, or in fancier terms - considering your Business Succession plan. Today's episode is all about Business Succession and what this...

Ever wondered what other people's finances look like? As a professional Financial Advisor for over 10 years, our co-host Cara Brett has the privilege of seeing behind the curtains to how people manage money and approach decisions - both in their personal lives and in business. In this week's episode Cara is sharing the common factors she sees on the regular when it comes to money, and the way in w...

Nothing grows a service based business faster than word of mouth and referrals. Building a tribe of raving fans that talk about your service (even years after you've worked together) is the secret to success in the world of service. But how do you do it? In today's episode we walk you through the steps you can take to amplify your service offering and take your client experience to another level....

Early in her career, Courtney Lockett realised the unlimited potential of becoming your own boss, and rather than working for the man - becoming the man (or woman should we say)! Courtney is Owner and Principal Lawyer at Lockett McCullock Lawyers, a full-service law firm with offices throughout Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and today she shares her story on building a business through acquiring...

You could say our co-host Wendy is a serial entrepreneur, particularly in the property space, and today she is sharing all the intimate details about her business journey so far - including why she started another business this year. Wendy shares the very personal reasons behind why she founded The WENDYRUSSELL Institute - an online education hub, mentoring service and community for driven women i...

What is micro-niching? We talk a lot about micro-niching on this podcast and that's because it WORKS, especially for service-based businesses. Refining your customer profile down to a very specific person who you serve allows a business to have laser-like clarity, especially when it comes to marketing the business and attracting a very specific client who instantly knows they've come to the right...

If you think you don’t have time to start that passion project or side hustle, Natalie’s story will inspire you to take that next step and get moving — literally! Natalie Orola isn’t your average mum. She’s a commercial litigation lawyer, wife, mum to 2 boys, and founder of The Balanced Dancer 💃🏻 - a private dance lessons coach for brides and grooms to be. Today we interviewed Natalie on how she...

What is your Life Number and why is it so important to know exactly what it is when you're in business? Knowing how much money we need to live AND operate our business is crucial and today we're explaining the concept of your Life Number - the amount you need to make each year in order to cover your expenses. In today's episode, our resident Financial Planner, Cara, takes you through the (very sim...

Is it time to venture out on your own? In business that is. When we started our businesses there were critical signposts that led to all systems go, and today, we're sharing what they were. It can be incredibly daunting taking that leap of faith and moving from paid employment to starting your own business. But many have done it before you... and never looked back. Including us! Today we unpack th...

Could your finances be better managed in your business? Running a business is complex and there are many moving parts that founders must learn and navigate if we want our business to thrive — and the Financial stuff is up there on the top of the list.  But how many of us are neglecting to manage, or even fully understand this side of the business? Knowing your numbers and being financially savvy i...

Today we interview International Artist and Fashion Illustrator, Kerrie Hess on how she turned her passion for art and painting into a profitable global business. Kerrie shares her story on how she went from working as a creative to building an internationally acclaimed personal brand and business, all from her home studio in Brisbane Australia. Today's interview uncovers the challenges creatives...

As we head toward the end of 2024, it's tempting to move into holiday mode quicker than we should, and whilst Christmas seems close, we still have three whole months to navigate. In today's episode, we share some of the things business owners can do NOW to finish 2024 on a high note whilst at the same time, ensuring the transition into the new year is a seamless and strategic one. As business owne...

The world of business is constantly evolving and as savvy business owners wanting to stay ahead of the game, you need to keep your eye on how the landscape is changing. AI is but one of the major advancements that will impact business but what else is silently evolving in the background that you could take advantage of to improve your business? This week's episode lists the opportunities we are se...

Ever wondered what it’s like to go full circle ⭕️ in your business? That is - the initial idea — the build — growth and then exiting (for a profit). Our featured guest on today’s episode has done exactly that and she’s ready to spill the beans on her experiences and what she would have done differently so you can gain an insight into what it’s like to build, grow and sell a service-based business...

This week we're taking you inside our group chat where we posed the question - "why did you start your business?" And specifically, give the top 3 reasons that instantly come to mind when you think back to that start up time. Interestingly, we all had very similar driving factors that led to the big leap of faith and today we're sharing these with you. So if you're thinking a...

If you're the only business servicing a particular type of client in your industry, then your competition becomes zero. This is the power of niching. Identifying a niche for your business gives you the ability to set yourself apart and put you in a league of your own, and in today's episode, we're looking at ways you can find or identify your niche. Niching leads to clarity and an oppo...

Good businesses are run off efficient systems and great business owners know that by implementing consistent, systemised practices into their day to day operations, the business has the power to grow and scale. One of the very first processes you should implement is your client onboarding process and today, we're going to break down, step by step, how you can go about creating this in your own...

"Your network is your net worth". In part, this is true, and especially for service-based business owners who rely heavily on word of mouth and referrals to fuel the client pipeline. Your personal network is one of your greatest assets and forms an integral part of your business ... so that's why we're putting the spotlight on simple, practical and somewhat effortless ways you ca...