Flying Solo

Today, we're joined by Leigh Morrison, leadership coach and author of Recalibrate. This episode dives into the challenges of being your own boss—the freedom and flexibility that draw so many to self-employment, but also the pitfalls of overworking, perfectionism, and the ever-present inner critic. The discussion explores how childhood beliefs and early life expectations can shape the way we run our businesses, often leading to guilt, unrealistic standards, and difficulty setting boundaries. Leigh focuses on practical strategies for breaking unhelpful habits, building energy and wellbeing, and learning to manage client relationships and workloads more effectively. Listeners will discover tools to identify limiting beliefs, transform guilt into growth, and build healthier habits for both business and personal life. If you’ve ever struggled with setting boundaries, switching off from work, or being too hard on yourself, this episode offers invaluable insights to help you recalibrate and thrive as a business owner. Time-stamped overview 00:00 Being your own boss struggles 04:22 Balancing passion with business skills 08:17 Balancing Work and Personal Life 13:21 Finding work-life balance 16:41 Balancing tidiness with family life 20:42 Time management and prioritization strategies 23:24 Prioritizing self-care and daily routines 27:22 Improving customer service skills 29:25 Improving employee onboarding process 32:02 Prioritizing Tasks and Deadlines 35:40 Promoting Lee's new book Key topics The Challenges of Being Your Own Boss The conversation focused on how soloists and small business owners often leave traditional work seeking freedom and flexibility, but can end up working longer hours and being harder on themselves than any previous boss 00:22, 01:20. The significant responsibility that comes with self-employment, from financial security to client satisfaction 01:46. The struggle to balance passion for the business with the overwhelming range of tasks required to run it successfully 04:06.  Limiting Beliefs and Childhood Rules The discussion explored how deeply ingrained beliefs—often formed in childhood—can unconsciously influence business behavior, such as overworking or feelings of guilt 09:46, 10:30. The impact of early family rules and community influences, which can manifest as beliefs like "rest is lazy" or "hard work wins out" 11:11, 12:08. The process of identifying, unpacking, and consciously challenging these beliefs was highlighted as crucial for positive change 13:21, 13:56. Managing Energy, Priorities, and Boundaries Practical approaches for soloists to direct their care and energy, including batching emails, prioritizing tasks, and building supportive systems 20:42, 21:19. The importance of setting clear boundaries with clients, such as establishing contracts and communicating expectations up front 25:27, 25:46. The importance of self-care—scheduling personal time, movement, hydration, rest, and proper nutrition—was emphasised as foundational for sustained wellbeing and productivity 24:38, 24:54. Preparing to Grow and Leading Others How to shift from being self-critical as your own boss to becoming a supportive leader when hiring the first employee 29:10. Onboarding practices, the value of understanding employee strengths and preferences, and the impact of early feedback in building trust and effectiveness 29:41, 30:15. The importance of vulnerability, clear communication, and adapting leadership styles to support employee success 31:10, 31:29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doing brilliant work won’t help much if nobody knows you’re doing it. In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby talks with Leanne Hughes, author of Work Fame, about building a reputation that attracts the right opportunities without resorting to cringey self-promotion. Leanne Hughes explains why “work famous” has little to do with follower counts and much more to do with substance, relationships, clear communication, and making your value visible. She shares practical ways to identify what you want to be known for, use listening tours to understand your audience, build a network from the people you already know, and document your work without turning every post into a sales pitch. The conversation also covers pivoting when people know you for something else, earning trust by delivering what you promise, and staying recognisably human in an age of AI-generated content.  Key Topics Becoming work famous Leanne Hughes distinguishes “work famous” from internet or celebrity fame: being known by the right people for the right reasons 02:01. Strong reputations come from the quality of your service and contribution, not just polished personal branding 03:38. The goal is to create enough trust and relevance that opportunities come inbound, rather than relying only on cold outreach 02:12. Leanne Hughes warns against “big hat, no cattle”: self-promotion without substance quickly becomes “work infamous” 03:43. Making your value visible Leanne Hughes recommends a “work fame field trip” to step outside your usual environment and decide what you want to be known for 06:35. A listening tour can reveal what people care about and the exact language they use to describe their problems 08:28. Repeating clients’ own language helps them feel recognised and makes your marketing more relevant 09:10. Instead of claiming how good you are, document your work, spotlight client outcomes, and share what happens behind the scenes 12:46. Building relationships beyond follower counts Leanne Hughes suggests starting with people you already know, rather than immediately chasing new contacts 20:27. Her network exercise sorts contacts into “your best, your test, your quest, and the rest” 20:52. Asking existing contacts for relevant introductions is often more effective than beginning with cold content or cold messages 21:37. Low-friction requests, such as asking for a book recommendation or a referral, help build confidence and strengthen your “rejection muscle” 24:36. Trust, reputation, and AI Leanne Hughes says reputation is “the only thing” that differentiates providers in an AI-heavy world 27:12. Trust grows when your behaviour matches the message you promote and you consistently deliver what you promise 25:22. Leanne Hughes recommends writing online as if you’re texting one person, using natural language rather than corporate-sounding copy 28:39. Cec Busby and Leanne Hughes discuss how genuine, human content cuts through the “tsunami of slop” produced by AI 28:01. Time-stamped overview 00:00 Reevaluating Personal Branding 06:21 Self-discovery and career goals 07:44 Initiating Conversations for Networking 12:38 Sharing Behind-the-Scenes Content 15:08 Balancing passion and profitability 20:52 Building high-impact relationships 22:10 Challenges of Networking in 2026 25:22 Walking the Talk in Life 31:47 Encouragement to grow and share 33:22 Reflecting on Life Goals     Host: Cec Busby Sound: Abu Baker Guest: Leanne Hughes. Find out more about Leanne. Leanne's book   Work fame is out now   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Procrastination can feel like a heavy weight, especially when you're juggling the demands of solo work. In this week’s episode of Flying Solo, Lizzie Williamson, motivational speaker and author of Just Two Minutes, shares her journey from feeling stuck to empowering others to take action, no matter how small the step. Lizzie discusses the prevalent mindset that keeps us waiting for the perfect conditions to act. "We think we need a certain amount of time or energy or motivation to get started," she explains. This leads to a crippling cycle of postponement. "We're waiting for the conditions to be perfect to do the thing that would so often change the actual conditions."The core idea of Lizzie's approach is simple: just start with two minutes. This concept emerged from her own struggles with postnatal depression, where even small actions felt monumental. By committing to just two minutes, she found momentum. Lizzie advocates for utilising little pockets of time throughout the day to foster productivity. Whether you’re waiting for a kettle to boil or in line at the grocery store, these moments can be transformed into opportunities for action. As soloists, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the long to-do lists. Lizzie reminds listeners that these feelings are normal and not a reflection of personal failings. Instead, she encourages using biochemistry to shift your state and spark motivation. A simple walk can trigger creativity and clarity, helping to break the cycle of inaction. We can use our own biochemistry to help shift our state and get us into a place where we are feeling more motivated. Key topics The concept of 'just two minutes' to start action Overcoming the all-or-nothing mindset The role of body movement in shifting mental states Strategies for solo entrepreneurs to manage overwhelm The importance of sharing struggles and building community Reframing failure and embracing small wins The impact of comparison and how to rewire your brain Practical tips for starting when scared or overwhelmed Time-stamped overview 00:00Introduction to Lizzie Williamson and episode overview 00:28 Why we wait to take action and the all-or-nothing mindset 02:14 The concept of perfect conditions and how they hold us back 04:10 The origin of the 'just two minutes' idea from Lizzie's personal story 08:01 Lizzie's transition from dancer to motivational speaker and author 10:35 Using movement and mindset to shift states and overcome stuckness 12:44 The importance of taking small steps and celebrating progress 14:41 Managing overwhelm and the power of biochemistry in motivation 18:23 Overcoming fear and stepping out of comfort zones 21:07 The value of sharing struggles and community support 23:20 The superhero mindset and power poses for confidence 24:48 Turning the all-or-nothing mindset into all-or-something 27:08 Celebrating small wins and building momentum 28:48 Reframing comparison and social media triggers 38:55 Dealing with the excuse voice and procrastination 42:03 The importance of two-minute actions as an anchor 43:11 Final encouragement to start with just two minutes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-switching, how distraction trains the brain toward easier work, and why willpower alone won’t protect your focus. The conversation covers practical ways to “remove to improve,” identify what deserves your attention, protect your energy, and create more space for meaningful work, creativity, and the life you want to build. The attention tax Adam Williams defines the attention tax as “paying attention to the wrong things,” especially when something less important displaces what matters most 03:17. The cost isn’t only lost time. It’s what that time could have become if directed toward your goals, relationships, or business 24:34. Adam Williams illustrates the idea through his struggle to put down his phone and give his daughter his full attention 02:02. Attention is a personal choice, even when technology is competing aggressively for it 17:02. The brain’s “architect” and “builder” Adam Williams describes the deliberate mind as the architect, designing the life you want, and the automatic mind as the builder, carrying out familiar behaviours 06:39. The builder seeks to conserve energy, avoid discomfort, and find immediate rewards 07:13. Easy emails, notifications, and small administrative tasks can feel productive while merely creating activity instead of meaningful progress 08:15. Repeatedly switching tasks trains the builder to keep returning to whatever is easiest and most comfortable 09:12. Why multitasking damages focus Adam Williams says multitasking can lower IQ by 10 points and makes people slower, less creative, and more prone to mistakes 10:53. The brain doesn’t truly process two tasks at once. It switches rapidly between them 12:02. An interruption can take only a few seconds, but the recovery period may stretch to around 23 minutes before full focus returns 09:39. A short interruption often leads to checking email, following links, and losing track of where the original task was left 10:04. Building an environment for better attention Willpower won’t hold up for long. Adam Williams recommends changing the environment so distractions are harder to reach 22:39. His “remove to improve” approach focuses on subtracting distractions instead of adding more productivity tools 23:16. Treating a smartphone like a wall phone, keeping it in one place, and using a computer where possible can reduce unnecessary checking 17:58. Writing down unfinished thoughts at night helps with “cognitive offloading” and makes it easier to close the day and sleep 34:26. 00:00 Balancing work and family mornings 04:48 Managing Priorities and Focus 09:12 Training the builder mindset 12:44 Intelligence vs. Attention and Focus 17:02 Personal responsibility with technology 19:39 Managing Attention and Self-Identity 23:16 Understanding subtractive wisdom 25:15 Introducing the attention tax calculator 30:35 Exploring Personal Happiness and Desires 34:26 Prioritising sleep and focus 35:41 Adam Williams' book release     Host: Cec Busby Sound: Abu Baker Guest: Adam Williams. Find out more about Adam. Adam's Book Mega Focus is out October 28 2026, through Wiley. Key topicsTimestamped overviewListen now: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 empathy. Jennifer Bicknell shares her six W’s for planning a conversation, explains why “help me understand” can change the tone, and offers practical ways to set boundaries without damaging the relationship. Start with the problem while it’s still small, she says, before it becomes a volcano. 1. Why difficult conversations get avoided Jennifer Bicknell says conflict avoidance is normal, but allowing problems to continue creates bigger consequences. She compares avoidance to trying to will away a toothache at 01:24. Her analysis of workplace disputes found three recurring reasons: people don’t know what to say, want to be liked, or fear something bad will happen at 02:13. Avoidance can lead to poor sleep, increased legal costs, and small disputes that grow into “a little bit like a volcano” at 03:42. Jennifer Bicknell advises dealing with problems while they’re still small, when humour and a lighter approach may still be possible at 31:54. 2. Handling scope creep and late payments Scope creep often begins with small requests that business owners accept because they want to please the client or protect the relationship at 05:16. Instead of framing additional work as letting a client down, Jennifer Bicknell recommends presenting it as an opportunity to create more value, then discussing the new price at 06:48. For unpaid invoices, she suggests finding out whether the issue is financial dissatisfaction or something else before deciding what to do next at 08:06. If a client hasn’t paid, Jennifer Bicknell recommends pausing further work and saying, “we need to settle our outstanding accounts” before continuing at 08:56. 3. A practical structure for difficult conversations Jennifer Bicknell teaches the “6 W’s” for planning: define what winning looks like, identify who you’re speaking with, clarify the what and why, choose when to speak, and consider where the conversation should happen at 12:01. The issue should be explainable in one or two sentences. Otherwise, she warns, people risk delivering “verbal vomit” instead of a clear message at 12:54. Her execution framework starts with a little small talk, followed by a clear statement of the topic, then space for the other person to respond at 18:43.After listening, move into solution mode, agree on an outcome, and review it later if needed at 20:09 4. Staying clear without escalating conflict Jennifer Bicknell recommends focusing on behaviour rather than labelling the person. Saying “you are a bully” shuts down the conversation, while describing the behaviour keeps it open at 15:57. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt and use the phrase “You may not have realised it, but…” to create room for them to acknowledge the impact of their actions at 17:09. Keep feedback short and explain why the issue matters instead of using a confusing feedback sandwich at 22:06. When emotions rise, stay calm, speak privately, and return to the relevant contract, terms of service, or position description rather than making it personal at 27:18. 00:00 Reasons for workplace disputes 05:57 Navigating client requests 08:06 Handling client payments and issues 13:20 Discussing timely work delivery 17:09 Discussing communication and conflict resolution 18:43 Starting a conversation with ease 22:06 Effective feedback delivery 27:18 Handling disagreements thoughtfully 30:37 Avoiding Free Work Pitfalls 32:44 Trusting Your Business Instincts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices