Winning At Business with Ash Taylor

A year ago today, my first book, "Hitting the Wall", made it to number 1 in two Amazon bestseller categories.  I took some time earlier this week to chat over what it was like to write and launch the book with Shirley. It was quite interesting to reflect on the last year and lessons that I've learnt from writing the book in the first place, including why it took me 7 years to get it written, why having a team was crucial to the books success and what I think my next TWO book topics will be. This is a short but fun episode - enjoy!

Welcome to another episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this episode, we hear Ash talk to Sachin Pabari, CEO of Olivia. Are you aware of how much distraction affects your productivity level? Do you understand the importance of being in the 'flow', and how this benefits your business? Do you struggle to remain resilient, even why crossing huge hurdles in your business? Then this episode is perfect for you, helping you to reach maximum productivity within your work. 

In this episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast, Ash talks to Terry. B. McDougall, Founder of Terry B. McDougall Coaching. Are the rules of work static, or is it okay to break them? Do you struggle to see the importance of understanding a colleague or client's motivation and perspective, and how this can benefit work flow? Do you find yourself listening to other people's advice, and possibly losing motivation as a result? Well this episode clearly breaks each one of these questions down, helping you to see that only you can define your success. 

Welcome (or welcome back) to the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this episode, Ash talks to Gemma Edwards, Co-Founder of So Contented. Do you understand the importance of scaling, and why it should be done sooner rather than later? Do you acknowledge that having a set process within your business is crucial for stability and work flow? Do you have the awareness to help clients set up and grow their businesses in a way that would make life easier for the both of you? This episode dives deeper into each of these topics, and much more, demonstrating that sometimes, it's best to go with your gut and take a leap of faith. 

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this episode, Ash talks to Eddie Ray, founder of Progressive Sports. Do you understand the importance of having a growth mindset and how it can change your business for the better? Do you have clear goals to focus on within your business? Do you struggle to acknowledge that employing and surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial? This episode breaks all of this down, demonstrating that like truly does call to like and that striving to grow and move forward is fundamental for success.

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this week's episode, Ash talks to Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto, about everything time management and scoping within your business. Do you tend to underestimate the time it takes to complete an action? Do you understand the importance in scoping and the effect it could have on your business? Do you acknowledge that managing your time and managing your business is absolutely fundamental? This episode discusses all of this, demonstrating that managing your time better may lead to a higher profitability. 

Welcome back to another episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this week's episode, I talk all things leadership with Angel Ribo, CEO of Confidant and the connector of the unconnected. Do you understand the importance of showing your employees who they need to become? Do you acknowledge that taking the leap and investing in your team can be incredibly worthwhile? Do you understand the importance of becoming the best you can and how that can affect your business? This episode covers all of this and more, demonstrating that at the core of great businesses are strong leaderships.

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this week's episode, I talk to David Horne, founder of Kehorne. Do you struggle to make time for doing the things you love? Do you understand the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone? Do you limit yourself due to your fear of failure? We cover all of this throughout the episode, demonstrating that following your gut and taking risks are an essential for running your own business.

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this week's episode, I chat to Daryl Cygler, Founder of Smartphone Video Marketing. Do you find yourself battling with your inner critic? Do you struggle to recognise imperfect action as progress? Or do you simply want to promote you business through video marketing, without the expense or need for professional equipment? Well this episode covers all this and much more, helping you see that action and growth doesn't always come with perfection.

In this week's episode, I talk to Dean and Marie Haywood, Owners of 5 Star Furnishing Care. Do you know when and how to ask for help and the importance of doing so? Do you struggle to identify those that you can trust and seek advice from? Can you confidently say that you are focused and have the drive to move forward? This episode discusses all of this and more, demonstrating that, as business owners, it's okay to not have all the answers.

In the final episode of the Mental Health Awareness Week podcasts, I chat to Tamzin Hall, Owner of The Interview Cheerleader. Do you recognise why resilience is crucial to master? Do you want to be able to turn overwhelm into success? Are you familiar with the tools and techniques to overcome struggles and build resilience? The final episode of the week emphasises the importance of validity, its effect on resilience and why sometimes having to rely on our own internal validity is key for development.

In the second episode of our mental health awareness week podcasts , I talk to Olga Frankow, Founder of Olga Frankow Coaching. Do you understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress? Can you identify the main triggers of you stress? Do you want know how to deal with your stress in a way that works best for you? This episode explores all of this and more, whilst showing you the importance of recognising that our commitments and the expectations we set ourselves can sometimes be too much.

As this week is mental health awareness week, I'm talking to three expert guests about mindset and mentality as well as how business owners can help their own mental health. In this episode, I chat to Ian Thomas, Founder of Cognisant Training and Development. Are you happy with the value you've set for your product or service? Do you want to know how to deal with impostor syndrome? Are you still listening to your inner critic? In this episode, find out the importance of not allowing old and limiting beliefs to hold you back from creating the life you want and deserve.

In this week's episode, I chat to Gary Fullwood, Founder and Owner of Gary Fullwood Design Living. Do you understand the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people? Do you find it hard to give yourself recognition for success and development within your business? Do you constantly strive to improve yourself and your business? Then this episode is perfect for you, demonstrating how crucial it is to recognise that your future is in your hands and that you're the creator of your own success.

This week's guest is Jane McDowell, founder of Jane McDowell Migraine and Headache Solutions. Jane and I discuss her journey, from starting her business to present day, as well as her own battle with migraines, many of which held her back from living her life the way she wanted. We hear how Jane decided enough was enough, and used her negative experience to start her own business, using non-medicinal methods that worked for her.  She shares how she has adapted to work more efficiently during lockdown, and how being able to work with clients remotely has improved her business.  This week's episode gives a great insight into how small-business owners can change the way they work for the better when put under large amounts of pressure. 

In this week's episode, I talk to Alasdair MacLaine, Founder and Chief Designer at Wingback.  Ali shares his experience in starting his own business, from leaving his innovation job at Dyson, to launching products that have reached 5000% of their initial sales target.  We hear how he struggled with sales traffic, particularly through his website, and how going back to basics helped him to discover what worked best for the business. We also discuss how Ali expanded his business by employing a small team and taking a step back to focus on his strengths and passions, which has been instrumental to Wingback's growth. This episode demonstrates how crucial it is to reflect on your successes and failures, as well as the importance in accepting your own strengths and weaknesses.

In this week's episode I chat to cheese connoisseur and fellow QPR fan about business and his mission to help save British cheese (but not QPR)! We discover why taking the first step is courageous and being persistent is key to success.  We also explore the value of vision and stubbornness in overcoming barriers and how even tiny steps give you a sense of progress. Leo also shares how deciding and sticking to KPI's early on has given him vital direction in growing his venture. This is great episode with fewer cheese puns than you'd expect! You can connect with Leo at https://fetaccompli.uk

In this week’s episode I chat to Danny Denhard from Focus who’s on a mission to change the world of work. We discuss all things culture and leadership, digging into how businesses thrive when they put culture in the workplace first. You’ll learn about the power of creating personal eco-systems, and why enabling conflict in the workplace is a good thing. We talk about business being a badge of honour, prioritising culture before the workplace collapses, and why gossip is so important. Danny also takes through his personal manifesto for change, why being back-to-back is damaging productivity and whether the new habits we’ve created in the last 12 months are beneficial to people and businesses A fascinating discussion Weekly digest Of the best articles from the week you likely haven’t read - https://mustreads.substack.com Weekly inspiration every Monday on improving leadership - https://blog.focus.business/leaders Focus aka fixing the broken world of work Website https://www.focus.business/ Manifesto - https://www.focus.business/manifesto Connect on social media with me https://dannydenhard.com/linkedin https://dannydenhard.com/twitter

Another week, and another episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast! In this week's episode, I chat to Jan Cavelle, Writer and Entrepreneur. Do you understand the importance of prepping your business? Do you struggle to recognise the difference between the roles of Founder and CEO? Do you know what qualities make a good leader and how they are developed? This episode discusses all of this, helping you to see that growth and self belief are key when running your own business.

Increasing the prices within your business is essential over time as your business grows. Not only are they a reflection of the quality of your services and your business, but necessary for the survival of them and our livelihoods. However, there are many things to consider when going about this that make the process difficult. Ensuring that the prices are still reasonable and a fair reflection of your work, retaining a good percentage of your client base afterwards, and dealing with both the guilt and the imposter syndrome that can sometimes follow is off-putting for many. This question is one that Ash gets a lot when talking to clients, so here's his advice to you when implementing price increases.