Flying Solo

Attention is one of the most valuable resources in a solo business, yet it’s constantly being pulled toward emails, notifications, scrolling, and other low-priority tasks. In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby speaks with Adam Williams, author of Mega Focus, about the “attention tax”: the cost of giving your focus to the wrong things.. Adam explains why multitasking is really rapid task-switch...

Difficult conversations rarely improve with age. Whether it’s scope creep, late payment, missed deadlines, or a client relationship turning sour, avoiding the issue can turn a small problem into an expensive dispute. In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby talks with workplace lawyer Jennifer Bicknell, the “un-lawyery lawyer,” about how to tackle uncomfortable conversations with clarity and empa...

If you’ve ever spent hours circling the same business problem, this episode is for you. Cec Busby speaks with organisational creativity expert Ken Hudson, author of Switch Thinking, about breaking familiar thought patterns and getting unstuck in just a couple of minutes. Ken explains how switching perspectives, questions, focus, assumptions, and creative modes can open up new possibilities. From f...

Avril Henry shares her inspiring journey from South Africa during apartheid to becoming a leading advocate for gender equity and women in leadership in Australia. She discusses the importance of questioning authority, influence, soft skills, and challenging societal norms. Key topics Avril Henry's early life in South Africa and her anti-apartheid activism The importance of questioning authority an...

When you run a business that depends on you, it’s easy to let it consume every aspect of your life.   In this conversation with psychologist Faye Evans, we explore the pitfalls of entrepreneurial life and how to maintain a sense of self amid the chaos. "We fuse with a business and we become it," Faye explains, highlighting the dangers of tying our self-worth to our business successes or...

Being good at what you do doesn’t help much if nobody knows you exist. In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby speaks with visibility mentor, author and communications specialist Bec Sands about putting your work in front of the world without becoming someone you’re not. Bec Sands explains why capable people wait for permission to feel ready, how to work through judgment and rejection, and why v...

How easy are you to fool? Andy Nunn, an Australian mentalist and TEDx speaker, has spent more than 25 years studying attention, persuasion, and human behaviour. In this episode, Andy explains why intelligence doesn’t always protect us from bad decisions, how confirmation bias helps us defend our assumptions, and why a nine-year-old can sometimes see through a trick more clearly than an engineer An...

Julie-Anne Whitfield is the Workplace Program Manager at R U OK? She sits down for a chat about building genuine wellbeing and connection into small businesses all year round, not just on R U OK? Day. Julie-Anne explains why supportive workplace cultures matter, especially when business owners are carrying financial pressure, isolation, and responsibility for everyone else. We cover the four-step...

On this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby sits down with trailblazing entrepreneur Lisa Messenger, founder of The Collective Hub. Known for her fearless approach to reinvention and disrupting the status quo, Lisa Messenger has built an extraordinary career, from launching a globally celebrated print magazine at the height of “print is dead,” to growing her business from three staff to 36, traversi...

Matt Jones is  co-founder of Four Pillars Gin—the brand that launched from a $30K crowdfunding campaign and rose to become Australia’s most awarded craft gin before being sold in 2023. Since then, Matt has authored a bestselling book, advised business leaders, and created the new podcast “Storywork,” which explores howa compelling story is a business’s greatest competitive advantage—especiall...

Amir Rodnia is a licensed financial planner, wealth strategist, and author of the new book Freedom Game Plan. Amir shares his personal journey from working long hours as a kitchen hand—risking his life for $100 during a Brisbane flood—to achieving true financial freedom. Amir introduces practical frameworks like the “Freedom Score” and the “RICH Trifecta” to help business owners shift their mindse...

Nick Bendel is the author of The 500 Lunches Effect. Nick  transformed his life and career by inviting 500 strangers to lunch over six years. Despite identifying as an introvert, Nick challenged himself to step out of his comfort zone in an experiment he calls “social courage.” In this episode, we dive into what he learned from hundreds of conversations with people from all walks of life—entr...

Jessica Spendlove is a high-performance coach and author whose new book For the Long Run explores how sustainable success depends as much on rest, daily habits, and energy management as it does on ambition. Drawing on over 15 years’ experience working with elite athletes, military personnel, and business leaders, Jessica shares practical strategies for soloists and small business owners to avoid b...

Jayne Robinson is a former primary school teacher who redefined her life and career after asking herself the critical question: Is this all there is? Jane shares her journey from a career crossroads to becoming a personal transformation coach, international speaker, and author. In this episode they explore what happens when the business you built becomes a cage instead of freedom, how self-limitin...

At 62, Jason Dunn is a pretty remarkable individual. He has completed more than 14 Ironman events, multiple ultramarathons, and built several successful businesses along the way; and he’s still chasing new challenges, In this episode of Flying Solo, Dunn shares insights from his latest book, Greatness Doesn't Care, arguing that real success relies less on talent and more on the everyday choices we...

Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist, founder of Inventium, and host of the acclaimed How I Work pHodcast. Despite years spent teaching leaders how to work smarter, Dr. Imber found herself burning out, leading her to question whether time management is really the answer to sustainable high performance. In this episode Cec and Amantha explore the importance of managing energy—not just...

Liz Nable is a former television journalist turned business owner who now specialises in helping entrepreneurs and small businesses to secure media coverage, build their public profiles, and position themselves as experts. Drawing on 15 years in newsrooms, Liz shares insider tips on what journalists look for, how to craft a compelling brand story, and why being the face of your business is a power...

Declan Edwards is the founder of BU Happiness College,  a positive psychology researcher, and author of the book How to Be Happy. In this episode of Flying Solo, Declan explains why happiness isn’t just a lucky outcome or the reward for success—but a practical skill that anyone can learn and practice. Declan shares insights from more than a decade of happiness research, unpacks the myths around wh...

Work futurist Cherie Mylordis explores the powerful role purpose plays in helping soloists and small business owners thrive—especially when times get tough. Drawing on her transformative experience as part of the founding team for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Cherie Mylordes shares insights into how a shared sense of purpose can energize teams, guide decision-making, and act as an antidote to bu...

Salena Kulkarni  is a chartered accountant, property investor, and the founder of Freedom Warrior . In this episode of Flying Solo,Cec and Salena sit down to unpack one of the biggest blind spots for solopreneurs: building personal wealth outside their business. With over 25 years of experience helping entrepreneurs make smarter financial decisions, Salena shares essential insights into common mon...

This week, we dive into the perils of hustle culture and ask: what happens when your drive for success starts to derail your health, energy, and happiness? Our guest is Andrew Horsfield—author of Better: Escape Average, Beat Burnout, and Own Your Life. Once a high-flying corporate achiever himself, Andrew hit burnout hard and was forced to radically rethink how we define success and pace ourselves...

 In this episode, leadership coach Tamsin Simounds shares insights from her book 'The Experiment Mindset' on how to ditch perfection, take smarter risks, and make sustainable progress in personal and professional growth. Discover how to reframe your approach to goals, overcome imposter syndrome, and embrace a learning-focused mindset. Key topics The concept of the experiment mindset and its applic...

Bernadette Schwerdt is a copywriter, ghostwriter, business book coach, and founder of one of Australia’s leading copywriting schools. She’s spent years uncovering what makes entrepreneurs turn million-dollar ideas into thriving businesses … insights she’s compiled in her book, Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs. In this episode, Bernadette takes us through her unconventional career journey fr...

Does the thought of sales and selling make you squirm? You’re not the only one. Yet, selling a part and parcel of doing business, so how can you get over the ick? To help us reframe our thinking and banish that cringe factor for good  we're joined by Kate Toon. Kate is an ,award-winning business mentor, digital marketing coach,and author of the bestselling "Six Figures" series, including her lates...

In this episode of Flying Solo, Jeff Purser, communication strategist and author of Yes Yes Yes, shares insights on modern persuasion techniques. He emphasises the importance of timing, empathy, storytelling, and listening skills for soloists and small business owners to influence effectively without manipulation. Key  topics The shift from hard sell to empathetic influence The importance of timin...