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Digital Marketing That Puts People First

Business & Economics Podcasts

Demystifying the ever-changing world of digital marketing. In every episode, we’ll bring you content and conversations designed to build clarity around digital marketing. We want to help you build a deeper understanding of how it works within your business and why it’s important that your marketing puts people first. You’ll get to know James, our deep-diving Managing Director and Jess, our many-talented Sales and Marketing Manager. Be a fly on the wall as they swap stories and fun-facts while sharing valuable marketing advice. Plus, from time to time you’ll hear from other experts within TheOnlineCo., as they share their own wisdom and experience in their particular areas of digital marketing.

Location:

Australia

Description:

Demystifying the ever-changing world of digital marketing. In every episode, we’ll bring you content and conversations designed to build clarity around digital marketing. We want to help you build a deeper understanding of how it works within your business and why it’s important that your marketing puts people first. You’ll get to know James, our deep-diving Managing Director and Jess, our many-talented Sales and Marketing Manager. Be a fly on the wall as they swap stories and fun-facts while sharing valuable marketing advice. Plus, from time to time you’ll hear from other experts within TheOnlineCo., as they share their own wisdom and experience in their particular areas of digital marketing.

Language:

English

Contact:

1300651527


Episodes

Ep 10 | Cold, Warm, Hot – Introducing The Marketing Funnel.

2/28/2023
Episode Summary: Are you aware of the ‘Marketing Funnel’? This episode of Digital Marketing That Puts People First explores the process of bringing potential customers down the funnel and making a sale. Are you best utilising the Marketing Funnel? And what does this look like with a digital application? The ‘Marketing Funnel’ is a consumer-focused marketing model developed by Elias St. Elmo Lewis. It illustrates the customer journey towards the purchase of a product or service. Throughout this episode, we talk about the implementation of this model in your own marketing strategies, and the importance of bringing your customers on a purchase journey. This means we must continue to understand the intent of the customer. How easy is it? Well, if you keep people first in this process you simplify things significantly. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. As well as Strategic Manager, Christie Mcdougall. We want to ensure you feel confident in your digital marketing and that you see results. *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of

Duration:00:27:23

Ep 09 | Keyword Strategy Made Easy

1/18/2023
As we step into 2023, we believe that this is a great time to start looking at or start updating your keyword strategy. And keyword strategy is exactly the focus of this episode. Are you being strategic in your approach to your keywords? If you want people to find you on Google or any other search engine, you need to understand which keywords they are typing into the search bar. This ensures your brand and services/products are found. Throughout this episode, we talk about including those keywords on your website, and trusting Google’s algorithm to show your website. This means we need to understand the intent of the customer. We need to do keyword research to find out which keywords are most valuable & we need to cluster keywords that are similar and then create content that genuinely helps people. How easy is it? Well, if you keep people first in this process you simplify things significantly. We hope these tips help you create a successful keyword strategy for 2023! As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. As well as our SEO Manager of TheOnlineCo, Rich Brown. We want to ensure you feel confident in your digital marketing and that you see results. *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/digital-marketing-playbook/https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:25:56

Ep 08 | Planning for Next Year - 12 Days of Christmas

11/30/2022
The end of the year is upon us, and soon it’ll be 2023. As the year wraps up, it’s a good time to reflect on what 2022 has been for you and your business and what next year could look like. Christmas is around the corner, and there is no better time to go through the 12 days of Christmas for digital marketing. TheOnlineCo team has put together 12 easier steps you can do in December to help you start 2023 off with a bang. These steps will help you analyse this last year and plan out a strategy for 2023 Take some time to reflect on your achievements over the past year. What went well? What didn’t go as planned? What lessons did you learn? This information will be helpful as you begin to plan your goals for the following year. Once you have your goals in place, it’s time to create a plan of action to achieve them. This plan should include specific tactics and strategies that you will use. We hope these tips help you create a successful marketing strategy for 2023! As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and TheOnlineCo team, Rich Brown, Heidi Jones and Kelista Puddle. We want to ensure you feel confident in your digital marketing and that you see results. *** Key Moments: 02:14 – 1st day of Christmas – Take a moment to dream about what you want your business to look like in 2023 03:05 – 2nd day of Christmas – Get your website loading faster 04:08 – 3rd day of Christmas – Looking at what worked in PPC this year and what next year might look like. 04:55 – 4th day of Christmas – Test your customer’s online experience 06:20 – 5th day of Christmas – Automate your CRM 07:42 – 6th day of Christmas – GA4 08:54 – 7th day of Christmas – Video In digital marketing 10:23 – 8th day of Christmas – Optimise your LinkedIn profile 13:26 – 9th day of Christmas – Understanding your customer 14:37 – 10th day of Christmas – Google updates 17:27 – 11th day of Christmas – How to stand out to your customers 19:32 – 12th day of Christmas – Enjoy the holidays *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/digital-marketing-playbook/https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/ https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:22:05

Ep 07 | 4 Stages of the SEO Exploration Process

10/31/2022
SEO is an essential component of digital marketing, helping your clients find you in search engines like Google and Bing. At first, SEO can seem overwhelming, and we often find that our clients who have tried to use SEO in the past, have found it confusing and have struggled to find success in it. As the foundation is essential to the structure of a house, we need a rock-solid SEO plan. We can then spend the following 12 months putting together the SEO processes to help more people find your website, getting you more leads so you can grow your business. SEO exploration is the work that must be done to create a solid foundation to build your SEO and help you develop a strategy. In this episode, we will discuss those four stages of SEO exploration; keyword mapping, siloing, the 50+ checklist and the 12-month rollout plan. We will go through how to find the best keywords to help you find clients and ensure your website is correctly set up. We also discuss how to structure a 12-month rollout plan. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and Rich Brown, our SEO Manager at TheOnlineCo. We want to make sure you feel confident in your SEO and digital marketing and that you see results. *** Key Moments: 03:28 - Stage One – Keyword Mapping 13:41 - Stage Two – Siloing 21:40 - Stage Three – The 50+ Point Checklist 25:48 - Stage Four – 12-Month Rollout Plan *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/digital-marketing-playbook/https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:32:10

Ep 6 | The Digital Marketing Playbook

10/10/2022
All digital marketing needs a plan, and the best strategy is specific to your business. Unfortunately, we often hear of businesses who want to follow a marketing plan because another company found it successful. While this can be an excellent start, what works for one company may not work for another. *** An ideal digital marketing plan is strategic and should consider a company's individual needs. A great way of doing this is by looking at your competitors and customers. Analyzing your business's competitors allows you to see what worked before and if there are any gaps your company could fill. Probably the most crucial thing a digital marketing plan should consider is the customer. Doing this will allow you to utilize better marketing tactics with a higher chance of interacting with your customers. *** The Digital Marketing Playbook is our digital marketing plan. We make sure we truly understand the business and the industry before we start developing a digital marketing plan and consider different marketing tactics. This includes social media, SEO, google ads and email marketing. *** As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and Christie McDougall, our Digital Strategy Manager at TheOnlineCo. We want to make sure you feel confident in your digital marketing and that you see results. *** Key Moments: 3:44 Competition Analysis 6:09 Brand Voice 11:38 What is SEO? 14:18 Google Ads 16:47 Social Media 24:25 Email *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/digital-marketing-playbook/https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:30:51

Ep 5 | 3 Components of an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy

8/31/2022
We often see digital marketing that just doesn’t work. They have the right idea, investing in Facebook Ads or utilising SEO, but it just falls short. In this episode of Digital Marketing that Puts People First, we talk about an effective digital marketing strategy that can help you achieve your business goals. An effective digital marketing strategy requires three components: strategy, tactics, and execution. Strategy is about your customers and how best to serve them. Tactics are the specific platforms you are going to use, i.e. Facebook Ads, and Google Ads. Finally, execution ensures everything is in place, and you have a plan. The reason many digital marketing strategies fall short is that they don’t take people into account. People are the key to a successful digital marketing strategy. Understanding what your audience whats and needs will help you create a strategy that works. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and Jess Colusso, our Sales and Marketing Manager at TheOnlineCo. We want to make sure you feel confident in your digital marketing and that you see results *** Key Moments: 0:57 Story of Disaster Digital Marketing Strategy 3:16 First Component – Strategy 5:40 Boiling Strategy Down to One Question 12:25 Second Component – Tactics 16:01 Third Component – Execution *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:26:44

Ep 4 | 6 Steps to Understanding your Customer

8/9/2022
Have you ever tried marketing to “get some leads?” And did it perhaps not work out so well? One of the most common reasons for this is because your marketing didn’t resonate with actual humans. So don’t go looking for “leads”, go looking for “people” that you can genuinely help with a fair exchange of trade. Marketing is a people business first, technology comes second and in this episode of Digital Marketing that Puts People First we talk about possibly the most important part of any marketing effort and that is understanding your customers. This is where our tagline of Digital Marketing That Puts People First comes in and if you want to grow your business you first need to have a deep understanding of who your customers are, what their problems are, and how your product or service is going to solve that problem. The better you know this the better your marketing will be. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and Jess Colusso our Sales and Marketing Manager at TheOnlineCo. If you've ever struggled to truly understand who your customer is then this episode is worth listening to! Key Moments: 1:46 A great example of ‘icky’ marketing – what NOT to do! 5:09 The Story Theory 9:24 The story theory applied to business 11:27 A example of a customer story we have written for one of our customers 16:24 Breaking down the customer persona 22:26 Combining the big picture and little picture for maximum effect Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:26:55

Ep 3 | Should I DIY Facebook Ads?

7/12/2022
Have you ever considered running your own Facebooks ads? Maybe you’ve already given it a shot and thought that they weren't very successful, or perhaps they are performing well and you’re wondering if they could be doing better? In this episode of Digital Marketing That Puts People First we ask the question ‘Should I DIY Facebook Ads?’ Now we know we’re an agency that provides this service, but we promise to give you an unbiased perspective on when you can and should DIY your Facebook Ads, as well as when you should get a professional involved as there are cases to be made for both. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. and Jess Colusso our Sales and Marketing Manager at TheOnlineCo. As well as Christie McDougall, Head of Strategy at TheOnlineCo. and a Facebook Ads expert! It’s fair to say that Facebook and the social media advertising landscape in general is constantly changing. From the targeting options available to the actual layout out and interface of the platforms, it can be hard to keep up let alone be ahead of the game and have new ads ready to go quickly and so we want to talk through 5 key things you should consider when deciding whether or not to DIY your Facebook Ads or if you should get an expert involved. We’ll look at the size of your business and why that even matters, we explain the time involved with managing campaigns and if it’s worth your time. We’ll also unpack the reasons why you need to be able to track results correctly, we’ll look at what all the changes mean for small to medium businesses and how to keep up with them and we explain what to do when ads just don’t work. *** Key Moments: 1:00 Meet Christie McDougall – Facebook Ads pro and Head of Strategy at TheOnlineCo. 5:18 Consideration #1 - What is the size of your business? 10:56 Consideration #2 - How much time does it take to set up and manage campaigns? 13:28 When does the chewing gum lose its flavour and what to do about it. 14:50 Can’t I just ‘Boost’ posts? 20:27 Consideration #3 - Can you set up tracking to measure results properly? 24:46 What does not measuring results and dieting have in common? 26:27 Consideration #4 – Are you willing to keep up with all the changes and what do they mean for small to medium and businesses? 32:39 Consideration #5 - What if the ads don’t work? Are you able to problem solve? *** Learn More: More about our Digital Marketing Playbook https://theonlineco.net/digital-marketing-playbook/ More about our Digital Marketing Workshops https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/ Explore all episodes of Digital Marketing That Puts People First https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:45:39

Ep 2 - Are Your Competitors Beating You?

6/16/2022
How do you truly know who your competitors are and whether or not they’re out performing you? In this episode of Digital Marketing That Puts People First we ask you the question ‘Are your competitors beating you?’ And what we mean by that is, do you know who your actual competitors are and do you know what their strengths and weakness are? Over the years we’ve developed a process for identifying and assessing the competition and today we want to share that process with you so that you can assess the competition in your industry and give yourself a clear picture of how you are positioned against them. We’ll explain to you how to find who your competitors are (not just the 2 or 3 main ones you know of), show you how to use a traffic light system to get a 10,000 foot (big picture) overview of them all, we’ll talk you through how to identify what opportunities and conversely what threats are in your industry based on the research you’ve done. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. As well as Jess Colusso our Sales and Marketing Manager at TheOnlineCo. *** Key Moments: 1:13 How do you find your competition 3:45 How to get a 10,000 foot (big picture) overview of the competition 4:14 The traffic light system 9:14 How to see what Facebook and Instagram ads your competitors are running 20:30 Can you identify opportunities in your industry 27:57 Can you identify threats to your business *** Learn More: More about our Digital Marketing Workshops https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/ Explore all episodes of Digital Marketing That Puts People First https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/

Duration:00:33:25

Ep 1 - 3 Tools To Keep People On Your Website Longer

5/24/2022
Do you know if your website actually gets you any business? In this episode of Digital Marketing That Puts People First we ask you the question ‘Is your website telling people to bugger off?’ And by that we mean, is it clear to visitors to your site exactly what it is that you do? If it isn’t then perhaps your site is (accidentally) telling people to go elsewhere. As a rule of thumb, you have less than 10 seconds to convince people to stay on your website, and there are 3 psychological triggers you need in order to get people to stay. If you don't fulfil these three things, then visitors to your site will leave and go and visit your competitor's sites instead. If, however, your site convinces people to stay longer than the first 10 seconds, then what happens is that people stay longer, much longer on your site and only then does your website stand a chance of generating you any business. So, in this episode, we’re going to give you three tools to use in assessing your website. And then we'll talk through some examples of how to fix your homepage so get more people to stay and turn into leads. As always, you’ll hear from James Parnwell Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. As well as Jess Colusso our Sales and Marketing Manager at TheOnlineCo. *** Key Moments: 1:11 - New name for the Podcast 6:00 – The 10 second rule 8:06 – Think, Feel, Do test – does your website pass? 22:10 – The clarity test? Do people understand what it is that you do? *** Learn More: https://theonlineco.net/getting-to-the-heart-of-business/https://theonlineco.net/free-workshops/

Duration:00:34:52

Bonus Ep. 3: 7 SEO Action Items To Do Today

3/20/2022
Have you ever thought of SEO as a bit of a mystery? Have you ever wanted to know which SEO tasks you should be doing? In this episode, we talk about the hugely important and mysterious topic that is SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and is the process of making your website friendly to Google (and other search engines). As always, you'll hear from James Parnwell Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. - plus our special guest Rich Brown, Head of SEO here at TheOnlineCo. SEO is a big topic and with so many tasks to be done, it's hard to know where to start. So together, James and Rich are going to give you a list of seven things you can do today. If you've been doing SEO on your website for a while, this may act as a checklist, however, if you're new to SEO, then these seven items are the perfect place to start. One of the things we pride ourselves on here at TheOnlineCo., is not using jargon where possible. The problem with SEO is, that's a bit hard, because some things only have a technical name. So in this episode Rich will give a technical answer in as clear English as he possibly can and James will give an analogy of how that works. This way you get two perspectives on the action point and fingers crossed, you'll then be able to anchor both the technical and the real world. *** Key Moments: 4:18 – Action Item #1: Make your homepage clear as crystal 8:48 – Action Item #2: Optimise the meta titles of your webpage 12:54 – Action Item #3: Make your website load more quickly 17:52 – Action Item #4: See what Google is showing for your website site: ’yourwebsite’ 20:45 – Action Item #5: Submit a properly formatted site map to Google 25:07 – Action Item #6: Write an article that answers a customer's question 28:03 – Action Item #7: Keyword is the most important part of SEO but it’s massive *** Learn More: Lighthouse chrome extension Squoosh Free Google Tools Search Console Check what pages Google is showing for your site: Site:’yourwebsite’

Duration:00:35:32

Bonus Ep. 2: The Top 15 Mistakes to Avoid Making in Google Ads

2/1/2022
Ever made a mistake running Google Ads? Wish you knew how to avoid making those mistakes? We've been running Google Ads for clients for well over a decade now and so it's pretty safe to say we know what makes for a successful campaign. In today's episode, we discuss the top 15 mistakes people usually make when running Google Ads, and how you can avoid making them. Learn more from Heidi Jones (Google Ads expert and SEM manager at TheOnlineCo.) and James Parnwell (Founder and Managing Director at TheOnlineCo.) Heidi and James bring their expert gold to the conversation and will help you to define success for your Google Ads campaign by taking you through some of our experiences with Google Ads over the past 12 years. *** Key Moments 1:55 - Mistake #1: Having all keywords bunched together in the one ad group. 3:45 - Mistake #2: Conversion tracking is not set up or set up incorrectly. 5:58 - Mistake #3: Incorrect match types, everything is broad match. 7:42 - Mistake #4: Having a budget which is too small 9:42 - Mistake #5: Not using negative keywords 11:03 - Mistake #6: Sending people to the wrong page 13:08 - Mistake #7: Using manual bidding strategies 15:48 - Mistake #8: Positioning yourself as position #1 17:56 - Mistake #9: Not using extensions 20:01 - Mistake #10: Incorrect location targeting 21:32 - Mistake #11: Not giving the campaign enough time 24:10 - Mistake #12: Too many optimisations 27:35 - Mistake #13: Assuming the wrong search intent 30:36 - Mistake #14: Focusing on the wrong metrics 32:37 - Mistake #15: Not following up your leads and turning them into sales 33:57 - Bonus - Searching for your own ads *** Learn More Digital Marketing WorkshopsGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:37:22

Bonus Ep. 1: The Top 7 Questions About Google Ads

10/14/2021
What’s the fuss about Google Ads? In true marketing fashion, we did a whole stack of keyword research to answer the internet’s top seven most Googled questions about Google Ads. At TheOnlineCo, we've been running Google Ads for clients for about 12 years now, so it’s safe to say we know all the ins and outs of running a successful campaign. In this episode, we demystify all the things you're wondering about Google ads, including when to use it and when not to use it. Learn more from Heidi Jones, Google Ads expert and SEM manager at TheOnlineCo, and James Parnwell, Founder and Managing Director of TheOnlineCo. Heidi and James bring their expert gold to the conversation and will help you to define success for your Google Ads campaign, take you through some of our experiences with Google Ads over the past 12 years, as well as unpack the misconceptions around the link between SEO and Google Ads. And as a bonus, we explain the Google Ad grant program for not-for-profits! Yes, you read that right, there is a specific Google Ads program for not-for-profits. *** Key Moments 3:52 – Working with Google Ads expert, Heidi Jones 7:04 – Is Google ads, the same as AdWords? 7:45 – Does Google Ads really work? Is Google Ads worth it? 12:20 – Are Google Ads effective? 16:28 – Does Google Ads improve SEO? 19:37 – Is Google Ads for free? 22:50 – Should I use Google Ads? 25:49 – Can I do Google Ads myself? *** Learn More Digital Marketing WorkshopsGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:29:04

Season Finale: 9 Business Gems - James & Jess Roundup 9 Lessons Learnt in 22 Interviews

7/3/2021
When we embarked on launching a podcast, we had no idea just how diverse and fascinating the stories of our interview guests would be – or how much wisdom we would glean from them! In this episode, the finale for Season 1 of the podcast, James and Jess roundup the 9 biggest lessons they learnt across 22 interviews with Aussie business owners from around the country. The 9 Big Lessons We Learnt 1 - Formal Education is NOT Linked with Business Success Our interview guests varied wildly in their levels of formal education – some had a Masters or a PhD; others left school at Year 10. But ALL of them were on a path of lifelong learning. 2 - Everybody Hurts REM were right when they wrote the famous song – and it’s definitely true for business owners! None of our podcast guests had gotten through business without catastrophes and pain. 3 - Partnerships are Like Marriage For those we interviewed who are in a business partnership, this was a common theme: that being in a business partnership isn’t easy, and takes a whole lot of trust, co-operation and compromise. 4 - Everybody’s Story is Fascinating From circus performers to executive coaches; from academics to inventors and self-made entrepreneurs – all of the 22 business stories featured on Season 1 were fascinating in their own way. 5 - Business Owners Often Work Too Hard! If you found yourself saying “Yes and Amen” to the above statement, you should probably head straight to Episodes 11 and 12 for some advice on burnout prevention! Many of the people we interviewed spoke of the stress and strain of business, and times of exhaustion. That’s why we got a burnout expert in for a double-episode focusing on the importance of taking care of yourself! 6 - Adversity is the Birthplace of Breakthrough For nearly every story of adversity, there were silver linings, and growth that came after the “storm’’ was over. 7 - Uniqueness is Vital to Successful Marketing As we interviewed our guests we saw a pattern emerging: businesses tend to do well once they really knew their niche, or their lane, and stick to it! 8 - Business Takes Passion, Courage and A Dream For every story of adversity in business, there was also a basic foundation of a driving passion and dream, that keeps our interview guests getting up in the morning to take on another day. 9 - Word of Mouth is Marketing 101 Time and time again our interview guests confirmed one of the basics of marketing: if your product or service is good enough to spread through word of mouth, chances are you’re onto a winning formula. *** Learn More Getting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:27:47

Transforming Lives Through Confidence: Jodie & Anastasia at ‘Rise Women’ Share their Inspiring Story - Ep 22

6/27/2021
If you’ve ever had that little voice in your head saying, ‘I can’t’, Jodie Bruce-Clarke and Anastasia Adams are here to tell you, ‘You can!’ They’re the two women behind the business ‘Rise Women’ – a confidence coaching agency built around a philosophy that confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something everyone can learn. In our interview with the pair, you’ll not only gain valuable business insights. You’ll also learn how Anastasia used to struggle with her confidence and self-worth, and how her self-belief has blossomed in the process of building the business…. As well as the childhood experiences that shaped Jodie’s passion for self-improvement; and the life-changing book she wrote, that almost never made it to the bookshop shelves. With the confidence principles this pair share, by the end of the episode you’ll be ready to take on the world. Key Moments 03:16– A family crisis opens Jodie up to the world of personal transformation. 05:00 – While working as a life coach, Jodie discovers the untapped market for women's confidence coaching. 06:40 – Jodie and Anastasia meet – and a powerful partnership is formed. 16:37 - Time to publish that book! 22:30 – An unexpected outcome of COVID-19: Rise Women goes global! 26:47 - Plans for the future - more online courses. 34:12 - When their publisher went bankrupt; it was make or break time for Rise Women. 37:31 – It's vital to have confidence in your brand, your voice and your message. *** Learn More Rise WomenGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:54:52

Rebranded and Reborn: Zedu, the Training Co that Faced Down its Giants & Rose from the Ashes - Ep 21

6/20/2021
If there was ever a podcast episode that resembled War and Peace, this one has got to be it. For the ultrasound training company Zedu, there were a few years where it seemed like everything was against them. They faced detractors in the medical industry; identity theft by a competitor; a business ‘divorce’; the 2019 bushfires; and the impact of COVID. But owners Suean Pascoe and Michael Duncan are not quitters. All of these trials have helped them to refine their business, and build a vibrant, energetic brand that stands out in the market like a beacon. *** Key Moments 04:00 – A personal tragedy highlights the vital importance of ultrasound training. 09:50 – Backlash from industry professionals. 10:50 – Identity theft forces a company name change. 20:04 – Family health crisis, cashflow troubles and business ‘divorce’. 24:06 – COVID hits and forces Zedu to be closed for 292 days during lockdown. 26:20 – Zedu goes online: “Trying to pivot education is like trying to turn the Titanic on a dime.” 34:30 – Strength through hardship: “A tough sword has to go through fire – and they’ve put us through fire so look out!” *** Learn More ZeduGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:41:36

Leverage, Optimise, Focus, Thrive: Day Spa Industry Innovator Vanessa Main Shares Principles that can Turbo-Charge Your Business - Ep 20

6/14/2021
In the early 2000s, as day spas and health retreats were exploding in popularity, Vanessa Main was at the forefront – living a glamorous yet high-pressured, jet setting life, setting up day spas in hotels around the world. These days, she’s back on home turf, applying everything she learned in the first half of her career, to educating business owners in the beauty, wellness and day spa industry. Her business is called LOFT Inc. It stands for Leverage, Optimise, Focus, Thrive; and that’s exactly what she helps business people do. The principles she shares in our interview are rich in wisdom, and applicable to all business owners, regardless of what industry you’re in. *** Key Moments 05:00 – Vanessa flunks her HSC, discovers her passion for health and wellness. 07:06 – “I slept in my office in Homebush ...I took in a mattress for the Olympics and Paralympics.” 09:37 – Travelling the world, managing day spas takes its toll. Time for sabbatical. 13:56 – LOFT Inc. is born, to support day spa owners around Australia. 15:22 – Leverage, Optimise, Focus, Thrive - breaking down the four ingredients. 24:43 – Learning to focus and productise her business. 36:24 – The importance of self-care. *** Learn More LOFT Inc.Getting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:52:53

Bite the Bullet and Specialise: How Financial Planner Phil Thompson went from ‘Just Making It’ Generalist, to Rapidly Growing Specialist – Ep 19

6/6/2021
Phil Thompson has had two career paths that couldn’t be more different: Circus Performing, and Financial Planning! He's the owner of a company called Skye Wealth, specialising in life insurance. You’ll hear why he made such a radical career change; how his first few years in the financial game were spent working very hard, with little reward…. and how a few brave decisions made all the difference! *** Key Moments 03:20 – After a dramatic career change, Phil saw an opportunity and took the plunge, with help from family. 08:46 – Laser focussed on caring for existing clients 10:32 – 3-years of feeling stuck in a rut. 13:21 – Phil finds his niche. 15:00 – Skye Wealth goes online. 19:37 – Covid hits -- and Phil was in the perfect position. 24:38 - Lessons in hiring. 31:06 – Future plans: the digital nomad life. *** Learn More Skye WealthGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:37:56

Ending Slavery in Australia: How Sally Irwin’s Cafe & Social Enterprise, The Freedom Hub, is Restoring Survivors – Ep 18

5/29/2021
When Sally Irwin moved to Berlin with her husband’s diplomacy work, she had no idea how much it would change her life. There, she came face to face with modern day slavery and the sex trafficking trade, working as a volunteer to help enslaved, abused and traumatised young women. On her return home, she founded The Freedom Hub – a social enterprise that helps survivors of human trafficking, who find themselves trapped in modern day slavery in Australia. Through a Survivor School, young women are being restored to health and independence. And through businesses such as cafes, online retail, and event spaces, The Freedom Hub raises its own funds to do it. *** Key Moments 06:55 – Sally is challenged, early in her career, by the poor integrity often found in big business. 09:40 – Sally comes face to face with modern day slavery for the first time. 10:54 – "I literally watched girls dying... They were selling themselves for 2 Euros.” 12:32 – Once home from Europe, Sally is devastated to learn that modern day slavery exists here in Australia as well. 13:45 - How people become trapped in slavery in Australia; the role of The Freedom Hub. 22:34 – The Freedom Hub is funded through its own business enterprises. 30:41 - The challenges of being a startup. 34:00 - HR for start-ups: it’s important to get right. 40:10 - Practical ways you can make a difference - individually, and as a business. 45:20 – Plans for the future: helping survivors across Australia and internationally. *** LEARN MORE The Freedom HubGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:56:28

When a Hobby Takes Over: How Campsmart Grew from a Maternity Leave Project, to a Serious Aussie Brand – Ep 17

5/23/2021
Justine Lightowler isn’t the first woman on our podcast who ‘birthed’ her business while she was on maternity leave! It was a family camping trip, and a need for some extra income, that drove Justine to start buying and selling camping gear on eBay. That became a hobby… which turned into an online store… which grew into a business… and today, Campsmart is a serious player in the online caravanning and camping market. In our interview Justine talks about the joys of serving Australia’s active community of caravanners and campers; the challenges of growing a business while raising little ones; and the frightening experience of launching a brand-new product—days before the COVID pandemic hit! *** KEY MOMENTS 04:50 - It all started with a camping trip... and a little purchase on ebay. 08:31 - With a business underway, Justine's range of products expands, and she hires a warehouse and some staff. 13:38 - Justine designs and launches her first original product - and then COVID hits. 19:00 - Digital marketing is what has built Campsmart’s reputation. 22:43 - Justine’s advice on running a business and a family? “I just do the best I can, with everything. I don’t aim to be perfect at anything.” 24:00 - The rewards of the business. *** LEARN MORE JustineCampsmartGetting to the Heart of Business

Duration:00:29:30