Podcast My Business

AI is changing the way people search for businesses.In this episode, I speak with Elise Balsillie from Thryv about how quickly search behaviour is changing, what AI means for small and medium businesses, and what business owners can do now to improve their chances of being found.Elise points out that people are no longer always typing a short keyword into Google and clicking through a list of websites.They are increasingly asking much more detailed questions and letting AI recommend the answer — and sometimes the business. elise-tony-take-02That means traditional SEO still matters, but it now sits alongside AI search and answer engines.We talk about practical things small businesses can do, including testing how their own business appears in AI search, improving ratings and reviews, answering the questions customers regularly ask and making sure their online presence is accurate and useful. How AI is changing search behaviourWhy SEO and AI search now need to work togetherHow to test whether AI can find your businessWhy reviews and ratings matterWhy directories are becoming relevant againUsing AI to solve real business problemsWhy FAQs can help businesses get cited in AI answersUnderstanding how your brand appears onlineHow AI can help smaller businesses compete with larger companiesWhy the best place to start is simply to have a playOne of Elise’s strongest points is that business owners do not need to treat AI as a mysterious black box.You can actually ask it why it recommended a particular business and learn from the answer. elise-tony-take-02And the opportunity is still there for businesses prepared to start making small changes now.In this episode

Get your bum off the chair.That is Lisa Llewellyn’s advice after more than 25 years of working from home.The flexibility of working from home is great, but Lisa says it is also easy to spend the whole day — and sometimes the evening — sitting behind a screen unless you deliberately make time to get out, see people and connect. lisa-tonyWhen Lisa and her partner moved from Sydney to the Northern Rivers, they only knew a couple of people locally.Their dogs changed that.Daily walks became conversations.Conversations became coffee and dinner.And over time, those small interactions became a genuine local support network. lisa-tonyIn this episode, Lisa talks about:working from home and the risk of becoming isolatedwhy connection has to be deliberatedogs as natural icebreakersbuilding the Wag Stars dog-walking communitywhy coffee, walks and small conversations matterthe value of getting outside and into naturehow small business owners can become overwhelmedknowing when to step away, talk to someone and seek supportLisa also talks about the impact those simple interactions can have on other people. Members of the Wag Stars group dealing with depression and anxiety have told her that regular conversations and being welcomed into the group made a profound difference to their lives. lisa-tonyFor anyone working from home, running a business or simply spending too much time behind a screen, the message is simple:Get your bum off the chair.Go for a walk.Have the coffee.Say g’day.You never know where the conversation might lead.

Positioning, AI slop and knowing what your business stands for with Krista PattersonIn this episode of Podcast My Business, Tony Skinner speaks with Krista Patterson from The Positioning Collective about positioning, leadership, AI-generated content and why businesses need clarity before they create more content.The conversation starts with the idea of champion teams and why talented people do not always create a strong team on their own. From there, Tony and Krista move into positioning, AI slop, shortened attention spans, startup clarity, sales, personal brand and why more content is not always better content.Krista makes the point that AI can help produce content quickly, but if a business is not clear on its audience, message and market position, the output can easily become scattered, generic or irrelevant.Tony and Krista discuss:why a group of talented people still needs a shared visionwhat business teams can learn from sportwhy shortened attention spans make clarity more importanthow AI can create more content but not necessarily better contentwhy AI slop often starts with unclear positioninghow businesses can use AI without losing their voicewhy founders need to understand the position they want to hold in the marketthe importance of knowing the one idea you want to hold in the customer’s mindwhy selling can take different formswhy every person and business has a brand, whether they work on it or notwhy going viral is not useful if you are attracting the wrong audienceAI can create content, but it cannot create clarity.If a business does not know who it is trying to reach, what it wants to be known for and what message it wants to own, more content may only create more noise.Krista’s point is simple but important: before businesses produce more posts, articles, videos or AI-generated content, they need to understand their positioning.Clarity comes before volume.Krista PattersonThe Positioning CollectiveWebsite:https://positioningcollective.com

Mental health access, self-care and support with Garrett HoustonIn this episode of Podcast My Business, Tony Skinner speaks with Garrett Houston from Psychology South and Wellbeing Services in Tasmania.Garrett talks about the need for better access to mental health support, especially in areas where services can be limited and waiting lists can stretch for months.The conversation covers how Psychology South has expanded its clinic capacity, why face-to-face support still matters, the challenges of delivering mental health services in Tasmania, and the practical role of self-care, connection, exercise, sunshine and getting outside.Tony and Garrett discuss:why access to mental health support mattershow Psychology South has expanded its service capacitywhy some people wait months to see a psychologistthe mental health challenges faced in Tasmaniathe role of face-to-face support and telehealthwhy online search matters when people are looking for helpsimple self-care habits that can support mental healthwhy connection, movement and getting outside still matterthe importance of helping people before things get worseMental health support should not take months to access.When people are struggling, waiting too long can make things harder. Better access, earlier support and practical self-care can all play a role in helping people get through difficult periods.Garrett also makes the point that self-care does not fix everything, but the basics still matter: connection, movement, sleep, food, sunshine and time outdoors.Garrett HoustonPsychology South and Wellbeing ServicesTasmania

Loneliness, social prescribing and real-world connection with Davis LemkeIn this episode of Podcast My Business, Tony Skinner speaks with Davis Lemke, CEO of Clarity Health Care, about loneliness, social prescribing, green prescribing and the role real-world connection can play in supporting mental health.The conversation looks at why people can feel more disconnected even when they are constantly connected online, and why activities such as bushwalking, exercise, community groups and shared interests can help people build healthier routines and stronger social connections.Davis also explains how health care is starting to look more broadly at wellbeing, not just disease treatment, and why connection, physical activity and community participation can all form part of better mental health support.Tony and Davis discuss:why loneliness has become such a serious issuewhy online contact is not always the same as real connectionhow bushwalking and green space can support mental wellbeingwhat social prescribing and green prescribing meanwhy community groups and shared activities can help reduce isolationhow workplaces and business owners can think more deliberately about connectionwhy wellbeing support should be proactive, not only used when things go wrongBeing connected online is not the same as feeling connected in real life.Social media can create contact, information and interaction. But real connection often needs something deeper: conversation, shared activity, community and repeated human contact.For business owners and workplaces, that matters too.If more work and communication are happening online, connection needs to be planned more deliberately.Davis LemkeCEO, Clarity Health CareWebsite:https://www.clarityhealthcare.com.au/In this episodeKey takeawayGuest