Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast

"I'm sorry, that price is for new customers only" A guaranteed way to get my blood BOILING... 😡 In this snippet from my forthcoming book Retention First, I share the story of a completely fictional broadband company, called "Emerging Media", who decide to tax the loyalty of their best customers, and give the best offers to those people who've never spent a penny with them...

Some of my "favourite" 1-star reviews: "smug look at how awesome the author is" "no help for small business owners unless they're already millionaires" "my god you have to wade through an awful lot of pointless rambling to get there" My books have attracted more than 2,000 five-star reviews.. yet it's the handful of negative ones that stick with me...

Here's what happened when I tried to get up at 5am and follow Hal Elrod's "miracle" morning routine: It'd take a miracle for me to follow it again! THE morning routine doesn't matter. What matters is that you HAVE a morning routine - one that's 💯 designed for YOU...

Time happiness is about enjoying your work and life. It's essential to be proud of what you do, and understanding what makes you tick is crucial for happiness. In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, One Percenter Neil Symonds introduces us to "Time Happiness" - the guiding principle that Neil uses to run his business - and TRULY enjoy his life.

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:

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.