The Start Up To Grown Up Podcast

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...

Is your firm's growth a success, or is it slowly drowning you? You’re winning clients and the work is piling up, but it feels like you're hanging on by your fingertips. This feeling of being trapped is the scaling crisis, a predictable stage where your methods become a bottleneck and you, the owner, can’t escape client work. In this episode, we’re giving you the playbook to break free by shifting...

Do you wish your team would step up? Do you believe your team is seriously punching below it's weight? Have you found this? You know they could be doing more, and you desperately need them to be doing more, but instead, you’ve become their ultimate security blanket. Every problem, every tricky bit of work, ends up back on your desk. This traps you in the day-to-day grind of client work, leaving no...

Does the thought of going out to network fill you with fear? But you know you need to network to generate more business? In this episode, I'll explore how you can network on your terms in a way that works for you. What you'll learn in the podcast episode: - What effective business networking really is (and isn’t) - How to manage your energy levels when networking - The importance of having a goal...

Do you get good referrals? Enough to fuel the growth of your firm? Most professionals don't... Here's what they do wrong. In this episode, I'll explore why the common advice to just 'ask for referrals' often fails and can feel awkward for everyone involved. Instead, I'll walk you through a framework to make referrals a predictable and consistent part of your business growth, removing the guesswork...

What happens when you achieve your biggest business goals, only to find you’ve completely broken yourself in the process? This year, my businesses are on track to have their best-ever year for both revenue and profit. At the same time, my body finally gave up, leading to a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia which has forced a complete lifestyle change. This episode is my honest reflection on how my ambitio...

The summer is ending, and it's a time for reflection. But what if you've lost your mojo for running your firm and are dreading getting back to the daily grind? If that sounds like you, this episode will help. In this episode, I get personal about my struggles with burnout and the health diagnosis that forced me to re-evaluate my work-life balance. The episode will challenge you to answer a really...

Is employing experienced hires expensive? What if you could grow your own? In today's podcast episode I am doing something different. My good friend, Susan Heaton-Wright's Tedx talk came out this week:"How to unlock brilliance in others" - https://youtu.be/mQ-0Z8v9gMg?si=nu7-h3kwoDXAf94S (It's a quick 8 minute listen and do stay until the last 10 seconds where you are in for a real treat) On my su...

Have you ever gone deep to discover why your not-so-healthy habits and behaviours are holding back your business growth? And what it is going to take to change them? I had my first session with my therapist last week. This episode is some of the reflections that has come out of the first session. The concept of 'Choose Your Hard'. I've realised that changing my habits is difficult, but so is stayi...

Does Business Development drop to the bottom of your to do list? Here’s how to fix the problem (and its not what you think it is) What you will learn from this episode: - What committing to Business Development really means - The 5Ps to always make time for Business Development - The true cost of those low fee and needy clients Related episodes: Steal my top idea to consistently generate new busin...