Ep #1 | The Roadmap to Business Success: Unveiling Our New Framework, The Thriving Business Wheel

Introducing the Thriving Business Wheel: An 18-Episode Framework for Growth Without Burnout

Hosts Kate De Jong and Sam Morris share a new 18-episode plan for the Thriving Business Podcast built around the “Thriving Business Wheel,” a four-quadrant framework that encompasses:

1. Earn (revenue generation)
2. Keep (profitability)
3. Grow (capacity and scaling)
4. Lead (leadership). 

In this episode, Kate and Sam excitedly talk through the preview of their upcoming curriculum and why business owners need an all-encompassing framework like this. 

Over the next 4-5 months, Kate and Sam will be sharing everything they've learned in their combined 30+ years of business experience on the topics outlined below.

QUADRANT 1: REVENUE 

Earn Money | Market & Sell Powerfully

• Business identity
• Craft an Irresistible Offer
• Everything you need to know about Marketing
• How to become great at Selling

QUADRANT 2: PROFITABILITY

Keep More | Operate Efficiently

• Money mastery
• Charge what you're worth
• AI systems for maximum efficiency
• When to outsource and delegate

QUADRANT 3: CAPACITY

Grow Smart | Powerful Business Model

• Your business model: Plan strategically
• To hire or not to hire? Build a strong team
• Deliver a remarkable client experience every time
• Design a business that doesn't break you

QUADRANT 4: LEADERSHIP

Lead with Impact 

• Getting up when you're knocked down
• Self-awareness, the most underrated business skill
• Emotional Intelligence: The missing piece in most business leaders
• Lead from your values: Align your business with you who you are

SERIES FINALE

Your Thriving Business: The Full Picture

At the end of each quadrant they will run a live workshop, culminating in an August 2026 BALI RETREAT, with details to be shared on their website.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Podcast Relaunch Plan

01:23 Thriving Business Wheel

04:02 Live Workshops and Retreat

07:29 Quadrant One Earn

07:49 Business Identity Basics

10:26 Branding That Builds Trust

12:04 Irresistible Offer Design

14:05 Marketing Channels Made Simple

17:15 Sales Without the Ick

19:05 Quadrant Two Profitability

19:20 Money Mastery and Profit First

21:39 Pricing for Profit

23:16 AI Systems for Efficiency

25:35 Outsource and Delegate Right

25:57 Hiring Before You’re Ready

26:51 Delegation Ego and Talent

27:59 Outsourcing Virtual Assistants

28:52 Capacity Quadrant Overview

29:16 Business Model and Scaling

31:13 Building a Strong Team

32:41 Remarkable Client Experience

33:25 Social Proof and Reviews

35:26 Business That Doesn’t Break You

37:38 Leadership Quadrant Begins

38:02 Resilience Through Setbacks

41:14 Self Awareness and Feedback

45:23 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

46:21 Leading From Your Values

48:37 Thriving Wheel Wrap

Connect with Your Hosts:

Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business 🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/ 📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness ✉️ Email: kate@katedejong.com

Sam Morris | The O8 🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/ 📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew ✉️ Email: sam@theo8.com

Thriving Business Podcast 🌐Website:   https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/ 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Thriving Business, the podcast for ambitious business owners who want systematic growth without the burnout. Hosted by Kate De Yong and Sam Morris, these business powerhouses bring you proven frameworks and real strategies to help you build a business that actually thrives.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Hello, everyone. We are back with the Thriving Business Podcast. I'm here today with my amazing co-host, Sam Morris. Hi Sam. Hello, Kate. Now we've been um working away behind the scenes because we got to a point with our podcast after two and a half years of thinking we want to really turn this into something valuable for our listeners. So we have a new plan that we're excited to share today.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

I'm so thrilled about this, Kate, because this is giving everything that we're doing some real purpose and real value to the listeners. The way we've mapped this out, I think people are just gonna love it.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

I hope so. So the point of today was to share with everyone what the plan is and what they can expect to hear from us over the next 18 episodes, because we have a bit of a framework and a um structure mapped out that we believe is what every new business owner needs to hear and to learn. And also people who have been in business for, you know, five plus years, even this information is still really helpful. Yeah, so we have what we call our thriving business will, which is separated into four different quadrants. And yeah, these are the these are the pillars of work that we believe need to be focused on to build a business that actually thrives and goes the distance. And yeah, Sam and I thought about well, who who is our audience? Who are the people that listen to you know to to our podcast? And we know from from feedback that people who listen to us, they're ambitious business owners and they want systematic growth without the burnout.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

Um without the burnout is a really, really important part of this. And I think that using that as the basis for this whole structure and and having a step-by-step process we're going to take people through. I think this is really gonna shift things for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

I hope so. Yeah, and we've had fun pulling it together because it's made us structure our thoughts and how we think about business and how you know we help other help people to grow thriving businesses. So yeah, we we really want to bring you proven frameworks. And I know this is um something that Sam and I are quite passionate about because we've been in the coaching, business coaching game for many years now, and we've seen a lot of stuff out there that while it might have its day in the limelight, it doesn't actually become a tactic that lasts, you know. And so we want to share with you the things that actually make a difference, that actually help you earn money, keep the money, grow the money, and then lead your business. So that's the four words that we're focusing on, and they're the the sort of the themes of each quadrant. The first quadrant is earn, so revenue generation. The second quadrant is about profitability. So that's keeping the money that you make and using it really well and making it work for you. And then the third quadrant is grow. How do you then grow the money, the revenue that you're making, but also how much you're keeping and how much profit you're putting away and how do you then build wealth? So we're sort of shifting focus there to growth. And then the final quadrant is lead. How do you become a business leader that actually runs a thriving business? And that's a that's one that we're quite excited to get into as well.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yes, yes. And I think that what I'm really excited about, Kate, is that the expertise that we both have. There are some areas where we're both pretty, pretty good, but also there are areas where this is really gonna help people see where you shine and also help people see where I can really help them. Where you shine. Yes. I'm gonna I'm gonna drop in here right now and say the most exciting part, I think, for me is that not only we do this podcast, but the little interjections at the end of each quadrant opportunity for listeners to join us live, live in person, live on Zoom, yeah, for the first three, and actually do some work with us.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Correct. Yes. So that is the very exciting bit, and it's quite different than what we've been done previously, which is just share our knowledge. Now we're sharing our knowledge in a structured way. Um, and then at the end of each pillar, a quadrant. So the first one being revenue generation, making money. At the end of those four episodes where we've shared everything that we feel is useful, then we're going to um be announcing the details of a live workshop where you can come and join Sam and I and get coaching on this topic of revenue generation. And then if we will do a workshop at the end of each quadrant, so there'll be four in total. And then at the grand finale, those of you that get through the 18 episodes and all the um business wisdom with us will be invited to a retreat. So that's going to be happening in August.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

I am so excited about this retreat. And I this this is going to be the real game changer, and I'm very excited to be doing it with you, Kate, because you know, we've spoken before about the retreats that you were running and how much impact they've had for people. So being able to sort of ha hang on to your coattails and help with the retreat and help people, I'm super excited about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yeah, me too, Sam. And excited to be doing it with you because it's always um so much more powerful to have a partner in crime and to that's for sure. Yeah, so keep um your eye out for all the details that we will be sharing in terms of dates and the schedule will be on our um website, which we'll um share with you. So, yeah, all that wonderful information's coming. But just know that in August 2026 we will be running a retreat in Bali, because Sam and I both happen to love Bali very much. And it's accessible for everyone here in Australia, and it's in terms of value for money, so good, in terms of what you can get from a retreat experience for everyone. And yeah, yeah, so more to come on that, but for now, we're excited to introduce you to the Thriving Business Wheel, which as we we believe are the secret ingredients to long-term business success. And this is based off our personal experience. Sam's been in business for 20 plus years, um, all her wisdom. Um for me, I came up to my 10-year anniversary in 2024. So 10 years or 12 years in business this year, and I've learned a lot of things the really hard way.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Haven't we all? Haven't we all? And I think that's the problem is that we tend to learn the hard way before we get the help to do it the easy way. Yeah, yeah. So our message, I think, is you know, stick with us and let's start doing things the easy way before you have to learn the really hard lessons.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Yeah, yes. And that's the intention for us behind these episodes, is that we share all the stuff that we've learned over our combined 30 plus years of experience, the nuggets of wisdom that we've learned in each of these areas of business. So um, as I said, the first the first topic we're going to be looking at, which is under that pillar of revenue, earning money, and it's all about marketing and selling powerfully, which is the revenue generation piece. That is where all business starts. You've got to have money coming in before you have a business. So the very first episode that Sam and I will be delving into is business identity, which, and this is all about deep diving into values, mission, market research, and why marketing fails when the business doesn't know its own soul.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Yes. And do you know what, Kate? I think what's really going to be important for people to learn about business identity is that it can change. And you know, you're supposed to put thought and effort into figuring all of that out at the very start. Yeah. But as you learn and as you grow, it it can change, it can tweak, it can evolve. And I think too many people think that they have to stick with what they first created rather than keeping that updated as you learn more about who you are as a business owner, who your audience is, more learn more about your product as it gets more defined. So that's going to be really important information for not only new businesses, but established funds as well.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Yeah, for sure. Because we do evolve as business owners and our products and services evolve. And it's an ongoing journey of getting really clear on who am I, what does the business stand for? What are we selling? Who are we helping? What's the problem we solve? All that stuff, which is the foundation of everything else. And Sam and I had quite an in-depth conversation around is that marketing or is that branding? Or is that, you know, we've decided to land on the on the name business identity because that's actually what it is underneath everything else. If you don't know what your business identity is, how can that translate into branding or a marketing plan and everything that hangs off that? So yeah, and I don't, I know that you, Sam, also the majority of clients that come to you struggle with business identity and therefore struggle with marketing, struggle with revenue generation.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Yeah, absolutely. And do you know, Kate, even you know, this morning when I was doing some work with Steph on the 08, we even today we had a revelation about our target audience that gave us even more clarity about who we were speaking to. So, you know, and and any point these little things can drop in your mind, and but you've got to act on it.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Yeah. That's right. And it is all about clarity. That's the key word here. It's getting clear on who you are, who you're serving, what you stand for, what the problem is you solve in the market. So I can't wait to share with everyone what we know on that topic because it's so, so important. And you and I spend a large chunk of our time helping people do that part of business. And branding is a is a great topic that you know, there's the good, the bad, the ugly, and things have changed so much since AI has come on board. And, you know, what how what can you do these days in the world of branding yourself and should you, and all those sort of questions that um, you know, that you and I have experience with in working with brand branding designers and people that that really specialise in branding.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Yeah, and I think people underestimate how much goes into branding. I really do.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Yeah. It is possibly the most under mis, sorry, under what misunderstood or uh yeah, like you say, underestimate branding, isn't it? Yeah. Because it is so important, but you almost don't notice it. If something's well branded, you don't necessarily notice it. You just know that you feel implicit trust or credibility in the brand. Whereas if someone doesn't have good branding, immediately you're turned off and you don't really know why. But that's branding. If it's done well, it just works. If it's not done well, it just doesn't work. But yeah, so that'll be a fun topic next week.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

It will be. And I think too that the key to great branding is alignment. All of the things that you've mentioned with the vision statement, you know, that the mission, the audience, the product, all of those things have to have branding that runs seamlessly through it all.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yeah, consistently.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Yeah, people people miss that. So I can't wait to dive into how you pick up all of those threads and connect them together. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Yeah, that'll be fun. Then the next episode we move into after business identity, which is a foundation, then we walk, then we um start talking about how to craft an irresistible offer.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Yes, this is a great topic because a lot of people miss the mark here because they don't know what they've got to think about in order to create that irresistible offer.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Yeah, and we it's it's about packaging your expertise so the right m people immediately are drawn to you and want to say yes. It's we're talking about pricing strategy, market positioning, the difference between selling what you do versus selling the transformation you create. And you and I talk about this a lot.

SPEAKER_02 12:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Yeah, and there's just so much that goes into again, it's clarity, but when you are putting an offer out to the market, it's got to be so clear to people what you're offering, what the problem you solve, uh, what is the problem you solve, and who is it for? And so again, all that business identity stuff feeds into that. And for service-based businesses like you and I, Sam, we get into the field of productization, which is how do you take a service business and turn it into products that people can easily choose and buy from?

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Yes, yes. It's a very exciting world, prioritizing services.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

And it's necessary. So you can think of um, you know, just um like a bookkeeping company, for example, might have, you know, basic just BAS compliance, that's tier number one. Tier number two might be BAS compliance with some with some extra bells and whistles, and the VIP might is all of that plus monthly financial oversight and advice. You know, so it's the way you the client can see which thing they need, which thing they can most afford right now, and they could see the path that if they start adding more money, that they can invest more as they go along. So all of that good stuff we shall be sharing. And then so that was um today's episode one. Business identity was episode two, episode three is crafting an irresistible office offer. Then we move into episode four, which is the wonderful world of marketing.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

Yes, that's a very big bull to try and grab by the horns. Yep. But it is absolutely essential that you do that because if you don't market your business, and by marketing, another word we can use is communicate. Yep. You can't communicate what you've got for people to buy where are your sales coming from.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

That's right. How do people know that you exist? That's about taking your offer and putting it out into the market, giving it lots of exposure. And that is such a big ball to grab by the horns. And how do you make sense of it when you're, you know, as new as business owners, we come in with a craft that we're really good at. And we we haven't gone to uni and studied marketing. And so there's a lot that you need to learn. And but most importantly, it's not that complicated. I think it's about, you know, we will be distilling it down for people, but it's about understanding where your target audience is most likely spending their time, you know, which platforms, which channels are they on, and how do you reach them on those channels? You know, for some for some businesses, traditional print marketing and fly letterbox drops is the best option, you know. Um, and now in in the online world, we've got is it a B2B service? Is it LinkedIn or is it TikTok? Is it a more e-commerce consumer product? It's or yeah, so it's just how do you figure out where your audience is most likely to be? How do you figure which channels to invest your time and energy into? How do you show up there in a way that's meaningful, get in front of the right people with the right message, all of that good stuff?

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Yeah, I think the reason that marketing is so challenging for so many people is that you know, we spend so much time on social media, and social our feeds are overwhelming us with people telling us that this one way here is the only way to get sales, and this one way here is the only way to do it. That there is so much noise out there about how to market. Yeah, we want to address filtering out that noise and figuring out the right way to market for your business.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Correct, yeah. And you know, there's there's three different types of marketing. There's the traditional print, you know, advertising that we know of, billboards, signage, all that stuff. Then you've got online digital marketing now, which is such a huge realm. But then you've still got the old-fashioned networking uh and relationship people, relationship building marketing, which is referral partners and strategic partners and networking. So uh, and sometimes, well, in the most cases for new businesses, that's where I always advise people to start because social media is a long game and takes a long time to build up a platform on social media unless you've got a lot of money to invest in it. But marketing, as you and I know, Sam, can become a very quick money burn and a very easy way to lose lots of money if you don't do it right. And yeah, you've got to be really careful. So we'll be sharing what we know on that on that topic.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Now, moving on to episode five, we're going to be talking about sales, how to sell efficiently, how to build a consistent pipeline and revenue stream, taking the awkwardness out of sales and creating a process that feels natural, ethical, effective to you. And that's another big ball to take by the horns.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

So many people have a very huge fear of sell of sales, of selling, of sitting down in front of someone and asking them to pay them for their services or their product.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Yeah. Yeah, that whole ick factor around selling. Um and so many people that you and I have dealt with in the past, business owners that say, Oh, I don't like to sell. I don't want to sell. And it's like, well, if you're in business, then you're in the business of selling. So yeah. Right. Um, unfortunately, it's something we have to become comfortable with. And so we'll do a deep dive into that topic because each of these things that we've mentioned so far, particularly branding, that's a whole specialist field that people go to university for, right? Marketing is a whole degree, a whole, and sales is a whole profession on its own. It's a specialist skill set. So all of these as business owners, we're just trying to understand the fundamentals so we can make it work for us in a good way. And another big reason why you know we're passionate about sharing this information is so that people don't get ripped off by agencies that charge them a fee. I am constantly baffled.$60,000 was the client that came to me most recently, having spent$60,000 on a marketing agency without a single sale. So we want to save you from those mistakes by sharing this information, making sure you're armed with this knowledge before you go out and because it's it's when you don't have enough understanding of how this works that you end up wasting money like that. Because you just don't know what you don't know. That's exactly right. So, Sam, quadrant two is where you really shine, which is um all about profitability, keeping more of the money that we make and running efficient operations. And this is really your area. Starting with money mastery, know your numbers, grow your business.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Yes. Money is like my my ball pit, my fun playground, whatever you want to call it. I I do love playing with the numbers. And I do, I don't know. I have this thing, I've always been the same. I have this thinking where I love to watch money grow. So the only area of my life I feel I'm a real hoarder is when it comes to money. I'm very addicted to watching that number increase. And, you know, I can remember way back when we first started business, you know, even on a personal level, having a spreadsheet where I plotted out, you know, like the income every week and watching the impact of like, oh, I spent an extra$50 on grocery, the impact on that bottom line. So I've been doing this way too long. I like it too much. But too many people cake, too many people out there don't know how to manage money. They don't understand how to do it, they don't know what to look at, what to watch out for, and how to structure things so that they can see very clearly where they're losing money and where they're making it.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Correct. And that's where your approach using profit first is so helpful, which I've been embracing in the last year or more. And it's a game changer. So yeah, it's a really great structure for helping you keep more of the money that you earn. And as Sam said, watching that profit number grow can become quite addictive. And that's how you start building wealth is when you start making profit, growing the profit, and then investing it in the right way into things that make money for you. So yeah, that's the real game changer shifting from just a business owner stuck in churn into actually building wealth and enjoying the fruits of being in business.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Yeah, and that's a real mind shift, mind can't even talk now, mindset shift as well. Because it's pulling you out of having your head down, doing all of the things that you've got to do in business to lifting up and really considering what's on the horizon, you know. Like I know that there's a hundred things that you've got to get done between A and B, but it helps you shift your focus to the reward that B is going to give you. Yeah. So it makes it a lot easier to take.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Yeah, and that's the whole reason we're in business, isn't it? To create that for ourselves. So yeah, episode six is all about money mastery. Um, episode seven is about charging what you're worth and pricing for profit. So this is where we look at where business owners are leaving money on the table just by pri poor pricing strategies and how to price based on value rather than time.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

So yeah, we've got to stop that right now. Thinking. That you just need to charge an hourly rate. That is thinking that you're bringing from being an employee. And it's not stop. Because what you're doing as an employee is being paid by somebody else for an hour of your work. What you're being paid for as this business owner who's providing a product or service is something far more valuable to the consumer. It's a direct relationship, and the money that exchanges has to have an equal exchange value.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

That's right. Yeah. And yeah, we will touch on that when we talk about pricing back in crafting an irresistible offer. You know, it's it's all about yeah, pricing for the value you give rather than the time you're giving. And that's such a really important mindset shift as well. And that's where you really start um shifting from that trading time for money into growth and and um revenue, proper revenue generation. Yeah. Yeah. So um the next exciting episode that we move into, because this quadrant is all about profitability, which is keeping more of the money we make and operating efficiently. Another area where Sam shines, it will be episode eight, which is AI systems for maximum efficiency.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Woohoo. Oh, it's our favorite topic, isn't it? AI.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yeah, I think we've done at least five episodes just on the topic of AI. Yeah. We have. And I'd love to listen to the ones we did two years ago when all the chat GPTs just came out. And BARD was new, and then it became Google, um, what is it now? Um Gemini. Gemini. Yes. So that's been an evolution. But Sam uh is someone who actually loves spending her time figuring out which AI tools work and how to work smarter, not harder.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

Yes. And look, I I'm at the point, Kate, where I'm using AI to help me streamline systems, investigate tools, and develop step-by-step processes that combine tools and and all of that sort of stuff. I I'm not even doing that work myself anymore, but I'm prompting the AI to give me the information.

SPEAKER_01 24:16

Yeah. And Bruce, back in the day it was it was revolutionary that we had virtual assistants, you know, that you could pay$10,$20 an hour instead of$50,$60 an hour in Australia. Now we've got AI, which can do in a lot of cases what virtual assistants can do. And, you know, it's just about how do you harness all those tools in the right way to actually help you work meaningfully and efficiently. So um, and we're actually, you've been using our podcast as a playground to test out a lot of these tools and pull them all together.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

I've I've had AI's creating the most amazing things. And because that's something that I'm really excited about is that um, you know, listeners are going to have the opportunity to pick up some worksheets and things like that from these episodes. Yes. Maybe I'll give in the gang away that AI is going to create out of the episode.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Yeah. Yeah. So the the world is limitless now that we what you can do from creating one piece of content like you and I do, and how with how AI can help you turn that into a whole content strategy. So that's going to be an exciting because even between now and episode eight, when we talk about AI, stuff will evolve and change, and it's happening so fast.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

So episode nine, which is still under the profitability quadrant, is about when to outsource and delegate and how.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Yes. This is this is one that most people first time get wrong. They've they just do.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

Yeah, and I've done the same in the past. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

100%. Yeah. So we're not only speaking from personal experience, but you know, speaking from the learning that we've had from clients. But uh yeah, I think we'll be able to share some really important things to look out for and things to have in place before you step in the world of hiring.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Exactly. And I had a guy come to me recently and he's turning over great money, 300,000 plus, and and said, All right, I'm ready to hire someone. So he said, Okay, well, let's just look at at where you're at with your business. And just, yeah, there was so much he needed to do before he was in a position to hire. And that would have been a really expensive exercise, and it would have failed because the person wouldn't be set set up for success. He had no systems in place, no oversight of his business processes, and wasn't managing his money well. So there's a whole lot of stuff we had to do before he got to the point where he was ready to hire or outsource or delegate. Even just delegating in business can be a huge thing, right?

SPEAKER_02 26:56

Oh. Yes. Handing of work when you've been so invested and you've done everything yourself for whatever period of time you've been in operation, handing that over to somebody else is a real challenge because it's challenging the business owner's identity, it's challenging their ego. And honestly, if you are not hiring people that are smarter than you and better than you at what you're hiring them for, you're probably hiring the wrong staff.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Yeah, and it is really challenging this day and age, as you know, Sam, trying to find people who are smarter than you in that area. Or it's a real challenge out there in the labor market. So it is, and that's something you're dealing with daily in your the business you run with your husband.

SPEAKER_02 27:39

Yeah, yeah, we are. And I've learned a lot about the hiring process, having gone through it so many times and made so many incorrect hiring decisions, having to learn to shift focus and on to different things in order to find better quality people and better fit for our business.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah. And even just on this topic, like outsourcing to virtual assistants, that's another area where so many first, you know, people that haven't outsourced before really don't set up their virtual assistant to succeed. And yeah, when people say to me, Can you give me the contact details of your virtual assistant? I have to always preface it with, you're welcome to, you know, have her details. However, if you don't set her up to succeed, it will fail. And it usually does. And then I I know some very good, you know, you can just go on to Upwork and Fiverr these days and find a freelancer, but you've also got to have a way of managing them, quality control, all that stuff. And so we'll be we'll be looking into that and some of the pitfalls that people make when they first try outsourcing, and it inevitably fails unless you know what you're doing. Yes. So moving on to quadrant three, which is all about capacity. So this is the gross part. We've or we've already looked at earning the money, revenue generation. Part two is keeping the money through efficient mastering your money and efficient operations. Now we're moving into growth. So grow smart with a powerful business model. This is about your capacity to grow and scale. So episode 10 is all about your business model and planning strategically. So being intentional to create big results. Yeah, again, scaling and growth requires intention and a plan, right, Sam?

SPEAKER_02 29:30

It does, absolutely. And this is also, you know, you talk you talk about your business model. I think that we have to also include in that discussion your business structure, because that can also very heavily influence how you grow and scale.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Yeah. Yeah, that's right. And sometimes scaling might not be the answer at that time.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

That is true. Sometimes it's about figuring out how you can just sit where you are in the marketplace without falling off. Because, you know, like they always say, if you're not growing, you're dying. You know, then they don't, there is no one out there that's saying that there is a happy medium where you can just sit where you are. Well, you can, but that still requires work to maintain your market position.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Yeah. And I know some businesses that deliberately don't grow because if they do, they'll be in the higher tax bracket and therefore working a whole lot harder to pay the tax man a whole lot more money. So those things need to sort of be considered as well. I guess, yeah, you've really got to have the lot, the big plan, the long-term strategy in mind, and sitting in that sweet spot where you feel like you're you're making good money for the hours you're investing and you know that your your team feels the same. So yes, that will be be interesting. So yeah, the idea there is to refine your business model so that it generates sustainable revenue, serves your ideal clients well, and supports the life you want to live. So it's back to what you said, Sam. Growth is not always the ultimate goal. Sometimes it can just lifestyle. A lot of people we work with, they want to run a business for the lifestyle, the freedom, the financial freedom, the time freedom, the flexibility. So yeah, that's not always about 10x growth sort of thing. That's right. And then moving on to um episode 11 is about building a strong team. So if you have got to the point where you building a team is necessary and it's the way to grow your business, which is the case for like your business with your husband, Sam, you need people to deliver the work. So you've got to build a strong team.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Yes, unfortunately, our business isn't one where we can get computers or robots or AI to do the work.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

No. So it's a um a business in the automo in automotive industry manufacturing cast.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Yeah, maintenance. So maintenance. Yeah, yeah, you've got to have people human beings to get in and do that.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Yeah, so that's about how to make smart hiring decisions, leading effectively, building a business that doesn't depend entirely on you. So yeah, some personal experiences that you can share on that front, Sam.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

Absolutely. And I think too, you know, we need to talk about leverage because we did we did just say that it isn't about, you know, scaling to, you know, eight figures or you know, whatever that growth. Um, some people don't want their business to get that big, but if you want to have the freedom that business affords, you have to be able to leverage yourself. So you've got to have a really great team behind you to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

Yes. Yeah. And you've I know you've got personal experience with the challenges with that. So, you know, it's not easy always, but yeah, we can share what we know on that front. So episode 12 is then um again under capacity and growing smart, it's about delivering a remarkable client experience every time. So the idea here is that you can't actually grow. If you start suddenly taking on a whole lot more clients, but you can't deliver a good experience, there's no point.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

I think that once you figure out what that ideal experience is for your customer, if you can't replicate that consistently, that's where your business is going to fall over.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Yeah. So this is about systemizing your customer delivery so that clients get consistent high-quality results, whether it's just you as a solopreneur or you or your growing team. But yeah, it's all about client onboarding, communicating with them, feedback, turning clients into fans who will then refer you on because we all know that reviews are um gold in marketing, social proof, testimonials, credibility. That's all, yeah, I was working with a client last week and she has 120 positive Google reviews on her clinic that she runs and amazing social proof. But then she was trying to launch a supplement brand on the side that she hadn't linked to that clinic with all the good social proof. So trying to sell something without social proof and credibility is impossible because people see it and then they go and check you out online. And she'd set up a completely separate business for this, but no Google reviews, no, you know, social proof on anywhere to be found. And people just don't trust trust you enough to pull their wallet out if they can't see good social proof these days.

SPEAKER_02 34:22

So look, the world is so full of scammers and reports of people being ripped off and people, you know, online saying don't order from this company because they didn't supply. They took my money. Buyers are savvy and they're very aware these days, and they don't want to easily part with their money and being made a fool of. So, yeah, should I am confident that you have helped her see the error of that way.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

Yeah, well, and it's someone asked me last week, oh, are Google reviews actually that important? Why does everyone focus on them? And I'm like, yes, they are extremely important. You can't afford to ignore that. And you know, there's some you occasionally I we come across business owners, and I'm guilty of it myself sometimes, where you don't want to follow the system, you don't want to do what everyone else does because that's just the expected thing, you know. But I think what you and I've found, Sam, there are certain things are just a not negotiate non-negotiable in business. Building Google reviews is one of them. Yeah. Absolutely. Um, that was episode 12, is all about a great client experience and good social proof. Episode 13, which is the last one in that capacity quadrant, is about designing a business that doesn't break you. How to protect your energy, design for longevity, make sure that as your business growth, your life gets better, not worse. Um, this is the conversation many people avoid, but every founder needs to have, as you and I know, Sam.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, because capacity isn't just about how many products can I pump out this week or how many clients can I serve? Capacity is also about your mental and emotional capacity to be present in your business.

SPEAKER_01 36:01

Yes. Yeah, and burning the candle at both ends is a, you know, we've both been there and realized it doesn't, um, you can't sustain it. It's not good for you or your clients. And so, yeah, how do you build a business that doesn't break you? How do you build a business where you can actually thrive, which is our ultimate goal?

SPEAKER_02 36:21

Yeah. Do you know that there is an industry that I think does this very well, and that is the massage industry. Many therapists, you know, like professional massage therapists that I speak to, they do work limited. I'm talking about, you know, in like a physiotherapist's office and places like that, have very limited hours that they're available for massage because it does take quite a toll on them physically. That's a great example of understanding how much capacity you have to give to your clients before you can't perform as well. Yeah. So they understand that and they're like, you know, I can only do so many hours a day because physically they end up feeling very sore.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

Yeah. And a friend of ours is a is a pilot as well for a commercial airlines. And the same thing, they are limited to the number of hours they can fly because their ability to focus and concentrate while while carrying 300, 400 people on board is extremely, you know, high. So yeah, and it's the same as business owners that we um, if we want to thrive, it's about actually being in a zone of optimal health and well-being and working the hours that we can sustain. So we've we've been both on the good and bad side of that, Sam, over the years. So definitely talk to that. Yeah. Finally, the exciting part. Yeah, the final quadrant, which is about leading, leading with impact. So this is about leadership. And whether you're a solopreneur or a business with 20 plus staff, you are a leader. Um, because if you're out there in the market and you're offering a product or service, people look to you as an expert, as a leader in your field. Otherwise, they're not going to trust you to, you know, to spend money with you. So I love this um whole section because the first thing topic we talk about in episode 14 will be getting up when you're knocked down. And we've often talked about business being like a game of whack-a-mole where you get whacked down and then you just pop up again. And the key is often just surviving and keeping on going because sometimes the you and I've talked about this a lot, Sam. Business is often about staying in the game and go, and because because the statistics are so high around business value rates, if you just stick at it, the chances become more and more higher and higher that you are actually going to do well just by staying around and staying in business and getting better and good at what you do and getting more well-known. Because all of this stuff that we're teaching you gets easier with time.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

It does. And I think true, yeah, all of these things are not one and done things. They're things that you con and this is why it's a wheel, because you constantly have to revisit and you'll iterate and you'll you'll update, you'll learn. And and this is what I said earlier. You'll learn a lot more about yourself and your business. And that, you know, the all the time you keep learning and you keep making nice small tweaks to improve your business, yeah. Like you say, the chances of success are going to increase.

SPEAKER_01 39:27

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And things like SEO search engine optimization take a long time to get traction. So once those things start working in your favor, business does get easier. But you've just you've got to get through the valley of death, you've got to get through those tough first years and first three to five years. And it does get easier as your reputation starts, you know, getting stronger. And yeah, it's about managing the fear and the uncertainty without letting it control you. And you and I know that fear can play a big part. You know, we're uh we are responsible for the money coming in as business owners. And so sometimes that feels really scary and overwhelming. And yeah, the idea of a salary is just so appealing sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

Yeah, it is. But I think if I use the garden analogy where you've planted a seed, you know, then your business is that seed that's sitting underground. Now, every different seed of all the different types of plants will have a different germination period. And the problem is that all that effort you put into fertilizing and watering that seed while it's sitting underground, you can't see how close it is to bursting.

SPEAKER_01 40:41

That's so true. That's a great analogy.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

So, yeah, for some it, you know, and it's really hard to watch people that may have started around the same time as you, their business seem to take off a lot quicker. You you've just got to focus on your own little seed.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

Yeah, yeah, because not all businesses do germinate at the same time. And yeah, does not mean that it's not a good idea or there's no market for it.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

It's just doesn't mean it's not happening, just wearing to burst through.

SPEAKER_01 41:09

So yeah. Yeah, so that'll be an interesting episode 15. One of my favorite topics is self-awareness, the most underrated business skill.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

So I cannot wait to hear everything you have to say upon this topic, Kate.

SPEAKER_01 41:25

Yeah, well, I think we all have worked with people who might not be self-aware, right? It's really hard because they don't understand the impact they have on other people. They're just not aware, you know, maybe of the way their emotions affect others. Or it's I always love to share the fun fact by Dr. Tasha Urig. She did the TED talk on the self-awareness gap. And if you go into a room, a workshop, and you say to everyone in the room, who in this room thinks that they're self-aware? And and everyone puts their hand up and then you share with them that do you know research shows that only 10 to 15% of all people actually are truly self-aware? And I'd I'd include myself in that because we're all it's it's a g it's an evolution and a learning, isn't it? We're always learning stuff about ourselves. But the reason why so many people are not self-aware is they're afraid of the feedback. Um, you know, I remember my first 360-degree assessment back in the engineering days. All as managers, every year we had to do a 360-degree feedback assessment, which meant all the people underneath me, which is there was eight at the time, had to give their feedback about me, and the and managers above me had to give their feedback. And it was one of the most uncomfortable documents I've ever had to read. Because that and and there was a point where I could feel the I mean, firstly I bursted a tears. There was so there was so much good stuff in there, but of course that we always go to development needs, you know, where and then and then some of the feedback that people gave was really harsh and it was all anonymous, so I um which was you know a good thing, but you don't know who said what. But I had a choice in that moment. I can either defend it, deflect it, say it's you know, and um, well, that's just their opinion, or I can actually take this on board and go, yeah, I can see I do that, and I need to work on that. And it's really uncomfortable, but the majority of people are not able to take feedback or even request it in the first place. Like it's quite rare that people request feedback, right? And and that other people have the opportunity to give it freely and without fear of retribution. So, but you can't be self aware without feedback from others. And that was the main point of Urick's study was that all of us need feedback from others to be self aware. And it's not something that we encourage in society. So, anyway, that is that's all about knowing your strengths, your values, and your blind spots, is I guess what we've been talking about. And Exploring that self-awareness gap. And this is really important as business owners because I've worked with a lot of business owners where they lose deals or they lose clients because they have a way of behaving that's quite off-putting, or they can't manage conflict, or but they're so unaware that they're doing that thing, or that that's the impact they're having on others. And they're losing business, you know. And I've actually pointed it out to a few of them, and and the ones that can embrace it and say, Oh shit, you're right, or they stay on and they really grow and they do well. I've had others turn around and say, Who the hell are you to think that you can tell me about myself, piss off, and then leave, you know. So, and they're the ones that will never grow because as as tactfully as I try to bring that feedback in their best interest to say, Do you realize that this is what's happening as a pattern? I can see it. Um, and and I'm saying this because I want to help you grow. Quite often people can't accept that. They won't look at it, don't want to look at it. It's not their fault, it's my and who am I to dare to give them that feedback? And then they leave.

SPEAKER_02 45:04

Yeah, that's really feeding into uh Carol Dwerg's work on the fixed and growth mindset.

SPEAKER_01 45:10

Yes, yes, yeah. And she's also the one that's talks about imposter syndrome, isn't she? Where she's got the different types of which is another layer of self-awareness. So yeah, she's a great person in this field with a lot of good stuff. So episode 16, we're we're moving from self-awareness into emotional intelligence. So self-awareness is the first layer of emotional intelligence, and then we've got the Daniel Golem layers on top of that, which is interpersonal relationships, self-management, learning how to manage your emotions. So that's always really interesting. And people underestimate this in business, how important it is for actually succeeding and for leading. You know, leaders, leaders with high IQ really are able to develop and retain good, strong teams. Ones that are low on EQ, unfortunately, churn and burn employees and don't deploy them.

SPEAKER_02 46:00

I think um for anybody that's ever been asked or or told read the room. So they need to listen to, right?

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Yes, yeah. And for some people, that's a natural skill. Some people can naturally read the room, others can't. And but it's something you need to try and be aware of and develop as a skill if you if you can. So yeah. And so for the final episode of that quadrant about leadership is about leading from your values and aligning business with who you are. And we know how important this is. And we're actually going to be bringing in some of our favorite tools, which are human design, the Enneagram, and other, you know, these might border on, but as you and I have discovered, Sam, we are as left-brained as it comes when it comes to our background from the Navy and engineering and so on. But there is a lot to come from these ancient systems, like human design, which is actually a lot of ancient systems brought together, to help you understand yourself and how you best operate in business.

SPEAKER_02 46:58

Yes. And I think that the smartest business owners and the ones that are most likely to succeed if that if you know, if you could give give them that kind of title would be the ones that are willing to learn about themselves and grow and take the feedback. So yeah, this final quadrant is so important for those that are the ambitious business owners that we like to we like to work with.

SPEAKER_01 47:24

Yeah. And I know for us personally, human design's helped us a lot in terms of understanding why some forms of marketing feel authentic and good and others just do not at all. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:37

Yeah, and even down to, you know, the way, you know, like because we're we're working in partnership here. And we do you even said to me the other the other week, Kate, how this feels like your year of collaboration. Going on. Understanding yourself and how you operate with others and how you fit in and and the work that you do best and the environments in which you perform the highest. If you can understand all of that about yourself, and then you seek out collaborators that can align with that.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Yes. They're on the same page. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:10

Yeah. And really that's the where you can support each other in that. Um they're the most, that's where you find real success, I think.

SPEAKER_01 48:19

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So that is going to be a super fun episode to finish on. And I can't wait to do that workshop, the end of the leadership quadrant about self-awareness, EQ, leading from your values and knowing uh getting up when you're knocked down. So that the growth mindset and how to overcome fear and uncertainty and all of that. So yeah, we are going to have one final episode at the end, which is we call it's called your thriving business, the full picture. So that's when we'll be keeping it all, sorry, bringing it all together, covering off on earning money, keeping money, growing the money, and leading with impact and then thriving overall. So, and then as we said at the end of each quadrant, we will be running a live workshop. So the first one will be revenue generation, then we'll do one on on uh cap uh sorry, profitability, which is so important. And then the third one will be on capacity, and the final one on leadership. And then the grand finale of the retreat in August. So I hope you're all as excited as we are to explore this whole entire thriving business wheel. Yes. Yeah, Sam, what are your closing thoughts now that we have to wrap up?

SPEAKER_02 49:29

I'm just excited that I this whole concept is thrilling to me, and I'm excited to be going on this 18 18-week journey. That that's a very marketing word, isn't it? But um again, spinning the wheel with people, let's call it that. Spin the wheel, spin the throwing visit to you. You know, in Bali with people and do these workshops at the end of each quadrant online and really interact with people this year.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

Me too, I'm excited. Yeah. We've um we've had the year of the shedding, wasn't it? The uh Chinese um into the year of the horse. It's all about momentum and galloping forward, but doing it armed with the right knowledge. And you know, we yeah, our sole purpose in doing this is to share everything we know to make the journey slightly easier and more efficient for everyone listening. So we thank you for still hanging in there with us on the Thriving Business Podcast, and we look forward to starting off with the next episode next week, which will be about your business identity. Yes. So stay tuned, everyone, and we uh will be sharing all the ways you can engage with us very soon. Thanks so much. Bye for now.

SPEAKER_02 50:51

Bye bye.

SPEAKER_00 50:53

You've got the strategies. Now let's build the systems. Whether you're joining our workshops or transforming at our barley business retreat, we're here to help you scale without the burnout. Visit Thriving Business Podcast.com to join our community. Until next time, keep building a business that thrives.