Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast

A few weeks back, I had my left knee sliced open, and was signed off work for two weeks.   Upon being handed my sick note, I laughed out loud.   Because I run my own business.   "If I don't work, I don't earn"   Only that's not strictly true...

Not long after I started my first business, I was interviewed by my local newspaper. It makes me cringe to read it today:   I genuinely don't recognise the person I was back then.   I was thinking WAY too small.   And 24 years later, I'm lamenting how much that has cost me.   Especially TWO crucial mistakes I made - that I see others making today...

Do you use vision boards?   Are they "woo-woo", or a scientifically-proven way to make achieving your ambitious lifestyle business goals more likely?   I'm VERY much in the second camp.   Here's why...   (btw, the One Percent Club doors are open right now for our September intake. Click here for more info)

What's the One Percent Club, and why should you care?   I explain everything (including our "no dickheads" policy) in this week's podcast..   (btw, The One Percent Club doors are open RIGHT NOW >> https://bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club/)

The One Percent Club includes access to more than 65 hour-long Masterclasses - deep dive seminars into topics such as pricing, SEO, copywriting, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn, podcasting, book writing, time management etc. In today's episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, we're sharing one of those Masterclasses for FREE - our "90-day plan Masterclass". All new One Percenters start with making a 90-day plan - figuring out where they would like their business to be, three months from now. This Masterclass walks you through the process, and helps get your first 90-day plan up and running. The One Percent Club is OPEN NOW >> https://bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club/

Last weekend, I actually had to do some WORK.   (I know, please send cards and sympathy)   But in working my first Saturday morning in 9 years, I discovered something that may well save the guy who usually does the Saturday AM shift a good 10 hours a month...

  When I was a kid, I always wanted Wile E Coyote to catch Road Runner. And then one day, he did - prompting a question that business owners ask themselves every day: "Now What?" A question that can be both incredibly powerful - and incredibly dangerous!

  This summer, I'm revisiting my ideal job description:   What I want When I want Where I want How I want If I want...

The ten questions I ask myself every week: What have you learned this week? What's gone well this week? What's gone badly? How did you respond? How have you turned the flywheel this week? How have you been ambitious? How have you focused on your lifestyle? Who has inspired you this week, and how? How are you feeling? Are you on track right now? What's the ONE thing that "Old John" needs to remind you of? What would/do you ask yourself each week?

Are neurodivergent people more likely to become business owners? And crucially, do neurodivergent business owners actually make BETTER business owners than their neurotypical counterparts? In the summer episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, Jason and John discuss this theory, along with AI overwhelm, the power of doing hard things, and the culture of mediocrity in this UK. The Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts...

The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch has a BRILLIANT exercise, called "Happiness Islands" Thanks to this exercise, I've spent more money on gigs than I have on cars. Why? Because they give me more "smiles-per-gallon" - the fuel that drivesevery ambitious lifestyle business. What are your "happiness islands" (and "unhappiness deserts"?)

Every week, I encourage you to improve your business by 1%. But why are you improving it? And are you improving the WRONG things - for the WRONG reasons? Find out in today's episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast.

Running a small business in the UK is tough if you're a one-person band. But letting go of control to others is tough too - so what do you do? Last month, I fulfilled a 30-year dream, and finally saw Pulp live in concert. They were absolutely AMAZING - but there was one moment where the gig was almost ruined - by ONE person (and no, that person wasn't frontman Jarvis Cocker). (You can watch this moment as it happened here...)

In this episode of Ambitious Lifestyle Business, we dive into effective customer retention strategies specifically tailored for UK businesses.  You'll hear how improving your approach to existing customers can significantly boost your revenue without the need for increased effort. Recently, my second-favourite Australian (and host of the Oz version of the 1% Club - not to be confused with the One Percent Club!) Jim Jefferies, announced that he's coming to Plymouth. Aside from the obvious question (how bad is your career going if you're playing Plymouth Pavilions?), there's a lesson we can ALL learn - and implement in our businesses THIS WEEK.. Tune in to learn how to turn your customer base into loyal supporters that will heolp you build your ambitious lifestyle business.

  Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were independently asked to sum up the secret to their success in one word. They ALL chose the same word... Can you guess what it is?

Are you looking to take your side hustle full time? Chris Spencer founded Peak Media Marketing after three decades in corporate work, and together with his wife Sarah, they aimed for a better work-life balance and less stress. They focused on a diverse client base to stabilise income, and believe that authenticity is key in business relationships. Caring for clients leads to loyalty, and ambitious lifestyle businesses can out-care larger corporations. Chris also advises against too much reliance on AI tools, which he calls "Microwave Marketing", and lacks authenticity and depth. AI should enhance, not replace human creativity. Finally, Chris shares his thoughts on how an ambitious lifestyle business offers flexibility and personal fulfillment.

For the past ten years (and three months), I've built my businesses 90 days at a time - setting three BIG challenges to work on every 90 days. This quarter, I achieved... NONE of my goals. I made some schoolboy errors: 👷 Underestimating how much work was involved. ⌛ Overestimating how much capacity and resources (especially time) I had at my disposal. 🎯 Setting goals that were outside of my control (they relied almost entirely on other people) In this solo epsiode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, I explain what I'm going to do about it over the next three months. What's YOUR plan for the next 90 days?

No Hurry, No Pause?  How does that fit with an ambitious lifestyle business mindset? What ambitious lifestyle business owner wants to "never pause"? At least that's what I initially thought - then I spent two hours pondering the question, while hiking in the countryside with my dog - and I reached a VERY different conclusion - which I share in today's episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast. Could you live by the mantra No Hurry, No Pause? 

Feedback loops in business are a great way to uncover 1% improvements.  In this solo episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, bestselling author John Lamerton shares the FOUR questions he uses to get high-quality, actionable feedback from his clients.  

In Big Ideas... for Small Businesses, John Lamerton wrote about the Team GB Men's Eights Rowing team from the late 90's and early 2000's - and how they've inspired him to "make his boat go faster". In this solo episode of the ambitious lifestyle business podcast, John tells the story in full, and asks the question: what makes YOUR boat go faster?