Expensive Lessons: Recent Episodes
Conseq Group
This week we’re joined by Yaw, a serial entrepreneur whose skincare brand Ava Estell has achieved amazing success during lockdown.
We explore the factors that led to Yaw serving thousands of astounded clients, making £2m in revenue in less than 12months and how this has changed his life
This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kwaku Dapaah, the Co-founder of Dapaah Chocolates, a family-run Artisan Chocolate brand. Kwaku is a man of many talents, as well as being a business owner himself, he supports other start-up founders as Digital Learning & Content Lead for YSYS (Your Startup, Your Story). He is also one quarter of the “Over The Bridge” podcast where he shares his experiences as a Cambridge University Graduate,.
In this episode discuss his approach to starting a business from scratch, the importance of social impact, the learning curve he experienced when entering into the world of artisan chocolate, some of his expensive lessons and much more.
...we're back!!!
This week we are joined by Patrick Adom, the co-founder and CEO of Very Puzzled who's mission is to provide children and young adults with a platform that allows them to explore and learn about the richness of the African continent.
We talk about finding the right balance between confidence and humility, getting your children involved in entrepreneurship and building a business that last for generations.
Following on from our last discussion, this week we talk about the importance of Joy! We talk about the difference between joy and happiness, why joy is so important, and where joy comes from.
As please attempting to be highly effective, one of the questions we regularly get from people is “why are you always so serious?”
This week, we interrogate that criticism and consider our approach
We discuss how our life experiences have impacted our characters, how important “joy” / “fun” are, whether we are out of balance and whether we need to change our perspectives
This week, we are joined by Claudine Reid MBE, an extremely accomplished businesswoman who has been at the helm of multi-award winning Social Enterprise for over 25 years, providing essential services to enhance and transform communities. Claudine has distilled her wealth of experience into valuable insights which she shares on various platforms as a coach, mentor and educator.
We talk about the importance of mindset when striving for success, what it takes to achieve financial freedom, her most expensive lesson and loads more.
In this episode, we discuss how it feels to be maxed out and talk about some of the ways we can meet our commitments without having to work 24/7.
We talk about hiring staff, using technology, working how much our time is worth and loads more
This week we continue our discussion about seeking financial freedom and are joined by very special guest to help us navigate the world of cryptocurrency.
Dami, a creative with a background in website design, was unfortunately furloughed during the Global pandemic and found that developing a portfolio of digital assets was they key to his financial freedom.
In this episode we discuss what cryptocurrency actually is and talk about some of the very expensive lessons that new investors make. Cryptocurrency is a HUGE subject so we'll definitely be revisiting this
This week we have a very special episode. After over a year of podcasting, we record our first ever podcast in the same room.
We’re talking all about financial freedom in this episode; why it is important, why it took us so long to really understand what it means and how you can start your financial freedom journey today.
We hope you enjoy it and as ever, get in touch with us - we’d love to hear from you!
We're back! After a short break from Podcast world, we've returned to share an Expensive Lesson about the importance of Leadership.
Leadership is one of the broadest topics we can think of and evidently, seriously important right now. In recent years, we've all seen just how detrimental poor leadership can be and this episode is our attempt to get discussion going.
This week we're joined by two very special guests. Shaun and Craig McAnuff are not only two very talented entrepreneurs who have built their business, Original Flava, a company that helps people from all backgrounds cook amazing food, they're also family.
In this episode we talk about their plans for the future, the importance of being intentional and what is was like working with one of the UK's largest book publishers.
This week, we are joined by Jonathan and Hannah-Ruth Moore, co-owners and lead coaches within Sayaw, a subscription-based online service which gives users access to both live and pre-recorded instructor-led fitness content. Their mission is to strengthen their communities’ mental and physical wellbeing through dance, martial arts and fitness.
We have a great conversation where we discuss the duos upbringing, the experiences that moulded them, humble beginnings and their ambitions for growth.
This week we begin to tackle one of the most important questions business owners ask: “How do I stand out from the crowd?”
In the first what will likely be many discussions about marketing, we talk about identifying your audience, effectively reaching potential customers and some of the core principals behind branding.
Amongst start-ups and entrepreneurs, the terms ‘Agile’ and ‘Lean’ get used regularly and sometimes interchangeably. But what do they mean and why is it important for you to adopt a Lean and Agile mindset? In this episode we aim to demystify these terms and discuss how entrepreneurs can adopt a 'Fail Fast' mentality and win in business.
Modern Day Superpowers: Communication - part three: This week we continue our series looking at modern day superpowers where we detail the skills and qualities that set high-performing individuals apart from their peers. In this episode, we conclude are discussion on communication
We explore the third part of Dale Carnegie’s "How to win friends and influence people" which looks into how we can persuade our stakeholders. We discuss, handing over control, emotional intelligence and the importance of telling compelling story
Modern Day Superpowers: Communication - part two: This week we continue our series looking at modern day superpowers where we detail the skills and qualities that set high-performing individuals apart from their peers.
In this episode we use Dale Carnegie’s classic book, ‘how to win friends and influence people’ to explore the section ‘How to make people like you’. We delve into the controversy behind the title of this section and discuss some of the key principals.
Modern Day Superpowers: Communication - part one: This week we kick off a new series looking at modern day superpowers where we detail the skills and qualities that set high-performing individuals apart from their peers. These are qualities that many possess but very few people have mastered. We start off with what might be the most important of all, communication.
In this episode we use Dale Carnegie’s classic book, ‘how to win friends and influence people’ to explore techniques in handling people.
This week we conclude our 'Starting a New Project' series by looking at the 'Performing' stage of the Tuckman Model. At this stage your team is in flow and performing to its full potential. With hard work and structured processes, the team is likely to achieve its goals efficiently.
In this episode we discuss: Identifying new areas to add value, giving additional responsibility to junior team members and exceeding stakeholder expectations.
So you’ve gone through the pain of forming a team and managing conflict between its members, now what?
This week we discuss the third stage of the Tuckman model, Norming. This is the phase where the team really starts to function and work together. Individuals start to understand each others work habits and ethic and everything seems much more natural. Responsibility and roles are much more clearly defined, expectations are set, and collaboration is in full swing
In this episode we share examples of well-run teams and identify the qualities they have. We talk about some of the steps you can take to move past the Storming stage and the importance of continuous improvement.
Happy New Year! This week we tackle the second stage of launching a project (according to the Tuckman model), STORMING.
We discuss the importance of having a diverse range of thinkers in your team, how to manage conflict and how to facilitate your team meetings in order to innovate effectively
This week we look a new series which looks at how to successfully launch a new initiative.
This episode looks at FORMING, the first in a four-stage process called the Tuckman Model. We discuss building your team, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, understand their motivations, removing poor performing team members and more.
In this episode Afolabi shares an account of his tumultuous upbringing taking us through all of the notable addresses that he has had over the years. We discuss the importance of structure and parental accountability for a child’s development, how having a vision helps us overcome significant challenges and how “working Smart” has become much more important than "working hard"
This week we are joined by a special guest. Stuart Munnich is a former corporate high-flyer turned successful entrepreneur. Not only has he built a successful events business, he has also started his own coaching company aimed at helping his clients reach their potential.
In this episode we discuss how he gained the confidence to 'take the leap' into entrepreneurship, the key challenges he sees in the clients trying to level up and his most expensive lesson in business.
You've probably noticed that virtually every store slashes their prices during the last week of November. In this episode we discuss the global phenomenon that is Black Friday and the psychology that has lead to it.
We discuss the different strategies companies use to get us to part ways with our money, the pros and cons of cutting your prices and the importance of having a good understanding of your finances before executing a sale.
This week we are Joined by a very Special Guest. Mehnaz Khan is a Lawyer, tech enthusiast and regular Expensive Lessons podcast listener. She is also one of our oldest friends.
In this episode Mehnaz challenges us to delve deeper into the concept of mental health and address some unanswered questions brought about by a previous episode. We talk about what mental health means to us, how to develop resilience and how to establish firm emotional foundations
This we answer some more of your questions around the theme of 'Networking'. We discuss how and where to onboard a co-founder, How to enhance your professional network and How to make the most of the people in your existing network.
We are back!
After a few weeks off to celebrate his honeymoon, Abi discusses some of the major milestones in his life to date and we delve into the key lessons that have been learned along the way.
We talk about the importance of communication in leadership, recognising/ nurturing your potential and some of the lessons we’ve learned in the pursuit of marriage.
In honour of Mental Health Awareness week, we answer a listener question about how we monitor and maintain good mental health when running a business
We discuss the importance of surrounding ourselves with healthy people, being self-aware and seeking out medical/ Expert help.
In this week’s episode we talk about the significance of personal growth when aiming for a fulfilled life. We share our thoughts on what it means to live up to your potential and how important it is to hold on to some youthful traits as we get older.
Food for thought:
https://www.today.com/health/biggest-regrets-older-people-share-what-they-d-do-differently-t118918
This week we have a great conversation about purpose. We discuss how we can identify our purpose and the importance of ’thinking outside of the box’ when trying to fulfil our purpose. Abi Also goes off on how much he hates MLMs.
This week we talk about the importance of knowing when to walk away. Although we talk a lot about the importance of hard work and determination to overcome challenges, there are some instances where the best decision you can make is to refocus your energy somewhere else.
In this episode we discuss the similarities between running successful business and maintaining a successful relationship, How we can work out whether we should call it quits, how we can learn from our failures and what to do after walking away.
This week we discuss the incredible response to a recent job post of ours and why it's significant.
We share advice for people hoping to stand out in their fiercely competitive job market and offer some suggestions to anyone who wants to make the most of this uncertain time.
In this week's episode, Abi talks about the 'nightmare' he had when recently buying a new pair of clippers and we use that to illustrate some the lessons that we've learned from poor customer service experiences.
We discuss the difference between sales and marketing , our customer service pet peeves, the importance of customer retention and a whole lot more.
This week we are joined by the prolific creator, Chrissie Milan.
Chrissie is Lifestyle YouTuber and social media expert. She has a podcast called The CEO table focusing on personal development and has recently published an ebook, ‘So you want to be an influencer?’, which provides guidance on how to build a profitable personal brand online.
This conversation touched on a number of really interesting topics including, the importance of humanising your brand, dos and dont’s when working with influencers, how to recover from set backs in business and staying humble.
Stakeholder engagement is one of the most overlooked elements of business management. It can be the secret to unlocking growth, stabilising sales and optimising processes. In this episode we talk about how you can get the most out of the people and organisations that can affect your business.
This week we have an amazing discussion with Jessica Aryee, founder and Managing Director of Jess and The Beanstalk, a coffee shop with a focus on the family. The company’s ethos of coffee, community and connection has seen it thrive, even during a global pandemic. With her heart set on global domination, you could soon find a Jess and the beanstalk near you.
We discuss Jess’ “Do it now” philosophy, how she has cultivated a diverse community of fanatics and the importance recruiting the right people to represent her brand.
This week, we have a more philosophical discussion about being a consumer in today’s society. We share our experiences growing up as poor kids from South London, we talk about some of the tactics companies use to get us to buy more stuff and we also talk about how entrepreneurs can use those same tactics to help their businesses grow.
This week, we tackled a very popular question: “How do you build a successful e-commerce business?” we talk about a range of things, from choosing the right e-commerce business, building a digital marketing strategy, segmenting your offers and purchasing plug in apps. If you know anyone who wants to start an ecommerce business, tell them to give this episode a listen.
This week we’re joined by Diane Tuffuoh, Founder and Managing Director of The Afro Beauty Company. The Afro Beauty Company is a one-stop-shop for curly hair, it offers personal consultations to help its customers care for their hair and provides a range of natural, organic and vegan hair care products
We discuss how she created a compelling brand story and secured a retail location in Westfields London, how she pivoted her business model in the midst of a global pandemic and how she overcame some other challenges along the way.
This week we take a trip down memory lane, discussing how we practically built a brand new business whilst still holding down our 9-5s. Afolabi provides a detailed account of a day in his life from two perspectives, past and present. We also share some of the practical and emotional skills that we believe will help anyone maintain and grow their side-hustle whilst working full-time.
This week our special guest is Tunde Babs, co-founder and Managing Director of Eloise Beauty, an online beauty brand with a vast international customer base.
Tunde offers up some serious gems about a successful product life cycle, developing a design on a piece of paper into an award winning product. We also discuss the challenges of managing two careers, the importance of testing your value proposition and breaking into the US Market.
This week we have a special Guest. Aasiyah Abdulsalam, the founder of both Alerojasmine (An Africa-inspired fashion brand) and The Renatural (a pioneering beauty company) joined us for an amazing conversation. We interrogate her on how her businesses came to be and whether the entraprenurial spirit is a gift we are given at birth or something we can learn.
Set in the late 90's, The Last Dance follows the NBA team, the Chicago bulls as they pursue a record 6th NBA Championship title. In part two of our review we do a deep dive on the G.O.A.T. himself, Michael Jordan. We look at his work ethic and how that made him one of the most successful sportsmen of all time. We also discuss the cost of greatness and whether the sacrifice is always worth the prize.
THIS IS STILL A BUSINESS PODCAST! But In this episode we dissect one of the best sport's documentaries we've ever seen. The Last Dance, follows the legend, Micheal Jordan and the Chicago bulls as they pursue a record 6th NBA Championship title. In part one we look at MJ's team members, how they were crucial to his success and how we can take some great lessons from their journey.
The death of George Floyd at the hands of US law enforcement has escalated the anger felt by the black community regarding systematic oppression and unfair treatment by the state. His death resonated with people all over the world and this week has seen a number of protests and counter protests take place in North America, England, Scotland, Canada and Australia. The western world is again forced to address the role that racism plays in our lives; a topic which has so many conflicting views. In this episode we share our candid thoughts about the problems faced by the black community and what we can do about it.
This week we answer some of your questions about entrepreneurship. We go on a few unexpected tangents on this one, talking about everything from different personality types to GOLA trainers! Hope you enjoy!
This week we’re joined by Micheal Williams, Founder and CEO of FlakeBake, a Caribbean catering business. Each year, FlakeBake serves tens of thousands of their famous patties in just two days, during the Notting Hill Carnival. He’s supplied patties to a number of restaurants in London, including high profile clients such as Levi Roots.
In this episode, we discuss how his business started, how he scaled operations to supply hundreds of thousands of patties a year and some of the biggest challenges he has faced in his 6 years of business.
Can you start a business in 30 days whilst working full time? In this podcast we breakdown the 10 steps that you need to follow in order to transform your idea into a sustainable, income generating business. We really enjoyed this one, hope you do to.
This week we’re joined by Nathan Adabadze (@Nathan_Kwesi and @smashedscreenfilms on Instagram), a multi-talented entreprenuer and one of the producers behind ‘Alpha and Omega’, a touching film exploring love, identity, and faith from a black female Rastafari's point of view.
In this episode we talk about; using film to explore different perspectives, how to secure funding in the indie-film industry, balancing your passion with your day job and loads more.
We're back and finishing off our discussion about teams. This time we talk about the lessons we learned when trying to manage and motivate a high-performing team.
In this episode we talk through some of the lessons we learned after deciding it was time to recruit new members of the team.
In this episode we talk about, identifying your 'why', the pros and cons of entering beast mode and some of the most important books we've read.
We talk "influencers" and how businesses can develop an effective influencer marketing strategy.