The Growth Business: Recent Episodes
Lucy Thorpe
Business is in the grip of a mental health crisis with employees reporting record levels of stress, worry and even sadness.
Are you ready to build compassion into your business processes.and win back productivity as a result?
This month Lucy talks to the Champion of Compassion Nigel Kilpatrick about the Gallup survey findings and what we can do about it...
Contact Nigel on LinkedIn
Listen to The Compassion Show
IT professionals are a powerful knowledge community but post-covid, some of us have been left isolated.
In this episode of The Growth Business the founder of The Channel Community talks to Lucy Thorpe about pulling together, overcoming confidence issues and promoting equity.
Useful links
Coachere - www.coachere.com
The Channel Community - www.thechannelcommunity.com
As AI comes of age - will anything ever be the same again?
ChatGPT is being hailed as a major turning point - set to sweep away everything from Google to a whole bunch of familiar jobs. And while we're all familiar with hype cycles this seems to be the real deal.
In this episode of The Growth Business, Lucy Thorpe talks to former senior BBC tech journalist Jane Wakefield about AI, the technology economy and as International Women's Day approaches they chat about the on-going issues with gender bias and equality in the tech sector.
Creating an inclusive workplace is more important than ever as we embrace diversity within teams.
In this month's episode of The Growth Business podcast, Lucy talks to Change Optician Dr Emma Langman founder of BAKERFISH about conflict, allyship and leadership goals as well as why your boss could be bad for your health!
Emotions are part of the buying process whether we like it or not - so why aren't more B2B tech companies seeking to understand how to grab our audience from the get-go? It takes only nano seconds to makes an impression so how do we make it count?
Consumer psychologist and founder of the consultancy Humanising Brands Kate Nightingale is Lucy's guest this month - together they look at how improved brand communication can make all the difference to sales.
Kate Nightingale is on Linkedin
Humanising Brands Behavioural Retail Consultancy
From the fuel crisis to the trust crisis, it's certainly been a tumultuous year! Luckily another 11 guests have taken the time to talk us through it and reflect on some of the lessons learned.
So here we have it, the 2022 best of... episode of The Growth Business in which Lucy looks back over what her guests have revealed about the world we do business in today.
We all want to work effectively and live our best possible life - but what are the rules and principles you use to guide you?
In this month's episode I uncover the 7 habits of highly effective people - a set of guidelines which have truly stood the test of time!
As fresh today as they were in the 80s when this mega block buster business book was first written - I'm joined by Naomi Martell-Bundock to unpick what makes them work.
Find Naomi on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomimartell/
What are the 7 habits all about - further information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
The buyer’s journey is a highly successful framework for helping sales and marketing think about the complex purchases typical in B2B.
In this episode of The Growth Business, Lucy Thorpe talks to the man who coined the phrase, Hugh Macfarlane,.founder of align.me
Listen in as they break down the journey into stages and get to grips with the fascinating topic of buyer psychology...
Just 19% of jobs in technology are taken by women – so how can we persuade more women to get involved and feel more supported in the sector?
Abigail Allman chief marketing officer and director at ERP Dynamics has just set up Women in ERP – a LinkedIn support group and podcast.
In this episode of The Growth Business Lucy and Abigail chat about how to support women in technology from quiet quitting to supporting parents. Enjoy!
LinkIn with Abigail Allman here
Find the Women in ERP page and podcast here
Find out more about ERP Dynamics here
Is your company a super-connected enterprise or an on-line corporate ghost town? My guest this month is Steve Watt, director of market insight at Seismic. Steve is a master at leveraging the power of social media to make authentic connections. He pinpoints 3 key areas for the win - buyer centric social selling, client centric social advocacy and talent centric social recruiting. Do listen to this episode - you will learn a lot!
Lucy Thorpe
You can connect with Steve on Linkedin here
Find out more about the Seismic global sales enablement platform here
Neurodiversity has become a "hot topic" - especially when it comes to supporting neurodiverse people in the workplace. But how do we avoid jumping on the latest bandwagon and make serious change happen?
This episode of the podcast is deeply personal as I live with these issues every day and I was delighted to speak to Lucy Smith from Inclusive Change who has had a similar experience.
We chat about how to move forward on this important issue from a position of mutual knowledge and respect - which is always so important when you are dealing with sensitive issues. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Useful links
Neurodiversity in Business
Dan Harris who set this group up can be found on Linkedin here
National Autistic Society
Additude - an online magazine with excellent ADHD content
British Dyslexia Association
12 million lessons in happiness is a Ted Talk delivered by Matt Phelan of the Happiness Index - it also pretty much sums up his life's passion which is helping companies make the business case for happiness.
In this episode Matt and Lucy chat about what makes us happy at work and the freedom to be ourselves and form meaningful connections with our co workers.
Find the Happiness Index website here
Find the Happiness Index Crowd Funding page here
Ted X meet the speaker Matt Phelan
Get Freedom to be Happy Matt Phelan's book here
Happiness and Humans podcast
With ever deepening division in society - how did the relationship between people, their governments and the media get so broken?
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer - carried out by the world's largest comms agency - has once again found that business is the final frontier of trust.
This month I speak to Tim Weber Executive Director and Head of Editorial at Edelman about how we got trapped in this downward spiral and how we can get out.
You can access the latest Edelman Trust report for 2022 here
Businesses are stuck on legacy mountain and can’t get off. That’s the message from my guest on the Growth Business podcast this month, which has migrated to a new home at Sapphire Systems. Thanks for having me!
Tech leader Maureen Blandford tells me how CIOs and their departments are struggling to make the right digital decisions while failing to make the most of the huge volumes of data they now control.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. With strong leadership and a human attitude to change management she argues that we can get businesses off the mountain and onto the path that leads into the future. Listen to our chat here and remember, the right partner can make all the difference to your digital future! Just saying.
Best Wishes, Lucy
(The Growth Business podcast is presented by Lucy Thorpe, Head of Communications at Sapphire Systems)
Links
You can find Maureen on Twitter here @MaureenB2B
And on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenblandford/
Her website is here https://www.maureenblandford.com/
Maureen also mentions thought leader and industry analyst Dion Hinchcliffe who can be found here https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhinchcliffe/
My guest this time round is an academic who studies business systems at Royal Holloway University just outside London. She is a fascinating guest who talks about ERP as a system of potential and begs you to seek out technology partners whose qualities start with creativity. This is excellent advice! Join Amany Elbanna as she chats to me about change management, unlocking potential and how you won't get integrated systems without an integrated organisation. You can find out more about Amany here This podcast is sponsored by the new owners of InCloud Solutions - Sapphire Systems So pleased to be working alongside these guys, providers of frictionless digital operations platforms, to carry on bringing you interesting business chat that covers a wide range of fascinating topics! .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
Male suicide figures go through the roof at this time of the year - it can be a really bleak time - which is why I'm talking to Mark Kozminski about men's mental health. Mark has developed The Blue Mind Approach to helping men like himself and his friends navigate some of the hardest circumstances we have ever had to deal with.
In this chat we discuss why men's mental health is a business issue and how we can work together without division to elevate both men and women who are facing difficult conditions inside and outside the workplace.
If it's not for you then look away, but honestly I think we could ALL benefit from making time for honest conversations like this one, especially if you believe in purpose driven business.
Find Mark on Linkedin here and The Blue Mind Approach on Instagram @thebluemindapproach
Enjoy the podcast!
Digital content marketing is now the bedrock of smart marketing practice for any size of business including SMEs. But who invented it and what was it like to be ahead of that curve? This month my guest is a real hero of mine, one of the original content marketers, the world renowned marketing and business author David Meerman Scott. When David started out, a lot of this stuff didn't exist and he had to invent it. We sit down together to discuss the destructive algorithm which is tearing social media apart, how to carry out "newsjacking" for effective real time marketing and the merits of storytelling versus counting leads. We also discuss his latest book on how to create a fanocracy. Plus we get into the details of how to make the most of Linkedin - the one good social media platform left to business! You don't have to be a marketer to get loads out of this episode, which is both a fascinating listen and a practical guide for anyone wanting to communicate their message in business today. If you want to know more about David then you can get his latest book Fanocracy here. "The relationship we build with our customers is more important than the products and services we sell them." .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-4{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-4 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-4{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-4 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-4{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-4 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-5{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
What were the biggest business themes of the year? In this episode I look back over the past 12 months to see how work, life and business responded to change and the environmental crisis. New technologies like RPA offered lots of opportunities but came with a warning - look after your people, their mental health, their work life balance and the company culture you offer them. Lots to dig into there - so please enjoy this reflective episode, my review of the year... Do subscribe, like and comment if you enjoy the podcast! You can find all the episodes in full here .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-8{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-8 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-8{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-8 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-8{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-8 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-9{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
My guest this month is a leading tech player, change agent and one of the first people to break the disability glass ceiling to become an executive and a leader. David Dame is head of accessibility at Microsoft - born with cerebral palsy his parents were advised to put him in an institution. Luckily they didn't listen and their tough love has helped shape the leader he is today. David's strengths are extensive and his experience of living in an environment that doesn't meet his needs has made him a powerful advocate for many groups, including those outside his immediate experience of disability; like the elderly, those with hidden disabilities and stressed mental health. What's brilliant for us, is that in his role at Microsoft David is in a position to do something about it. Listen in as we talk about the invisible tax people with a disability must pay as they struggle to use technology, how leadership needs to change to accommodate the needs of the post-covid workforce and the issues around caring for today's valuable knowledge workers. You can find our more about Dave on his website here which includes a link to his Ted Talk. .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-12{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-12 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-12{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-12 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-12{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-12 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-13{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-16{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-16 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-16{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-16 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-16{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-16 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-17{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}Anyone who is buying anything needs a straight talking champion - especially in the hype-filled world of technology - and that is exactly what Jon Reed and the team at Diginomica are to thousands of readers. I was so pleased to catch up with Jon for some great chat around SAP Business ByDesign and the importance of a modern take on ERP technology for today's post-covid business. Find out what Jon thinks is top of the "over-hyped" index and what Intelligent should really mean when it comes to today's smart technology. "Progress is something we can't take for granted, we have to work towards it everyday and not expect technology to just deliver." If this speaks to you then click play and listen in - it's a real treat! Read it for yourself Diginomica - Business Insights for the Digital Enterprise. .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-17{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-17 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-17{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-17 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-17{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-17 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-18{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
Start when you're happy! That's the powerful mental health message from this month's podcast guest Matt Champion. Matt is an SAP mindfulness coach and wants people to feel comfortable bringing new skills - like mindful moments - into the workplace to help deal with stress. As globally we all continues to wrestle with issues around the return to work, there has never been a better time to chat mindfulness with Matt. If you'd like to find out more about the SAP mindfulness practice or if you would like to explore setting up something mindful in your own company then here are some links you might find useful. www.sap.com/mindfulness www.championofyou.com https://insighttimer.com/en-gb https://www.headspace.com/ .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-24{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-24 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-24{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-24 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-24{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-24 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-25{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
ESG - what is it and what's changed since the days of Corporate Social Responsibility? These were the questions I sought answers to when I met Janice Phayre who works on responsible business initiatives at the Sapphire Systems group.
With many boards now asking for ESG reports and investors examining company track records, now is the time to get your environmental, social and governance activities on point.
Janice also happens to be a cracking guest, a former stand up comedian, she takes what life throws at her, even though these days that's more likely to be a pencil sharpener than a pint of lager...
Do we need new ways of thinking about business technology? With the next 30 years set to bring about massive change, this episode of the podcast goes "Beyond ERP" with Chris Gabriel. Chris is the head of IT at Sapphire Systems but in reality he is much more than this. He is a visionary and a futurist - imagining how we can use technology to do exciting things - today. Chris talks to me about technology which not only makes people's lives better, but which is already available, consumable and with innovation built in. No business too small - so press play and let's go. Keep on top of the Beyond ERP presentations from Sapphire by visiting this page to sign up for the next masterclass. .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-28{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-28 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-28{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-28 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-28{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-28 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-29{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
Hello! Our podcast this month celebrates one of our best customers - the successful British company Aspen Pumps. Aspen won the coveted Queen's Award three times in recognition of its ongoing and notable growth in overseas markets. And it was no accident, Aspen set out with big plans and needed the technology to support that growth. Step forward Jonathan Phillips who took the big decisions to select SAP Business ByDesign. He liked it so much he went on to implement it at least 7 times for Aspen companies all over the world. No wonder I wanted to talk to him about his journey (watch out for news of a new role!) He spoke to me amidst the usual family chaos we have all had to contend with over the past few months so please bear with the occasional background noise! .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-32{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-32 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-32{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-32 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-32{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-32 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-33{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
Do you have the gift of the gab? If not don't worry - you can still succeed in the cut throat world of sales, make useful connections and help people with your products. In this episode I've discovered that natural extroverts don't necessarily have the edge over their more reticent counterparts when it comes to business. Introverts make great sales people and networkers - they just have to think a bit harder about how to do it. That's the subject of our podcast - What gives Introverts the Edge with Matthew Pollard. He reminds us that story is at the heart of good sales and that fostering good relationships is something everyone has a shot at. Do give it a listen and pick up some valuable tips! Get more from Matthew here www.introvertsedge.com .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-36{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-36 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-36{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-36 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-36{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-36 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-37{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}
Company Culture - what it is and how to change it. In a world dominated by data, today we're talking about things you can't put in a spreadsheet - namely company culture - what it is and how to shift it. For those who think it's a soft topic I have news. Company culture is now measured by investors, it's a key factor in attracting talent and it wins the best clients. Every company has one, but it's not always healthy. That's why I'm talking to Kirsty Bashforth who wrote her book Culture Shift - a step by step guide, for anyone looking to bring about healthy and lasting change. She is experienced in working with companies who want to change and her 24 years at BP didn't hurt, when she was tasked with organising cultural change in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. There's a link to her book here Culture Shift - a practical guide to managing organisational culture Now - without further ado here's Kirsty and 25 minutes of conversation anyone running a company can not afford to ignore. If you enjoyed this episode you might like to listen to Andrew Sherman talking about the Crisis in Employee Engagement.
Here's some good news for recruiters - there's a huge pool of talent out there, qualified, experienced and ready to take a bite out of the jobs market. Who you say? This months the podcast is all about women returners - super qualified women who are seeking to return to work after a career break and ready to make their second act even more powerful than their first. Their champion is Lisa Unwin, a big 4 management consultant who found herself stuck (briefly) after kids, now determined to tackle the issue. Lisa talks to me about this waste of talent as well as the tragedy brewing around home schooling and the power of becoming a Linkedin influencer. You can find Lisa on Linkedin or at the Reignite Academy Enjoy. P.S. If you admire talented women then you can catch up with our own women in tech founders here.
What does a sustainable business future look like? Anyone paying attention right now can't fail to see the way capital is flowing away from old school industries towards green alternatives - look at the money being invested in plant based "meat" for example.
In this episode I am joined by futurist and passionate sustainability advocate Tom Raftery to discuss the future of business from a green perspective.
Tom and I discuss the need for companies of all sizes to monitor and report on their carbon emissions and the way big tech companies like SAP are helping them do that. Plus we dig into the "everything as a service" economy to find out how it is serving the sustainable business future.
And if you like cars, there's a lot of chat about what they are going to look like in the future. Did you know that your car company will pay your tolls and fines for you? Too good to be true? Listen in to find out!
You can hear more from Tom at tomraftery.com/podcasts
Recoding Business in 2021 We're kicking off the new year with a great guest - which is just as well because new lockdown restrictions are very triresome! Nonetheless the rapid changes we've witnessed lately are all part of a piece - from health crisis and climate emergency to rapid technology change, the rise of small business and the creation of totally new markets. These are all addressed by thought leader and bestselling author Peter Fisk in his new book Business Recoded.
I've been following Peter for several years, ever since his last book, Gamechangers came out. He has a way of distilling the essence of business change while drawing on an encyclopedia of examples and his new book is just as brilliant.
We talked about a lot of things, from his beginnings as an astro physicist, to the coming of age of digital technology. We deviated via Einstein's wife who did all his maths for him to the idea of small businesses as speed boats circling the supertankers of big business. It was a great ride and I hope you will listen all the way to the end!
You can contact Peter at his consultancy The Genius Works.
He's a great business speaker as well as business author and thought leader. Follow him on social media!
If you liked this episode of the podcast please subscribe or look at some of the past episodes like;
From Disruption to Opportunity with Timo Elliott
Barriers to Adopting New Technology for SMBs with Laurie McCabe
The Growth Business Podcast is a year old I'm so happy to bring you this Christmas Special. It's nearly a year since I started it in conjunction with InCloud Solutions and we certainly picked the year to do it! I set out with the intention of exploring business issues in a relatable way, looping back towards business technology and its benefits as we went. What transpired was a year in which rapid digital change needed no introduction. It crashed onto centre stage like a toddler bursting through the door while you're on a zoom call. Rapid Change For some it was a time of rapid change as 6 years of digital advancement was forced on us almost overnight. For those of us already taking an interest in digital change it was an exciting time. For others it was scary as they struggled to get everything in place AND keep their customers lights on. Charting a course Hopefully we've helped you chart a course through this turbulent year or at least been there to chat about everything from how to market in a crisis to humorous cartoons. I've chatted to some great guests offering their advice, their ideas and often just sharing their experiences as we all tried to work it out. Being human Many of them talked about how much they'd enjoyed seeing business develop a more human face, allowing space for compassion and humour and the fact that we all make mistakes.
So here is a 15 minute edit of our best bits from episodes throughout the year - I hope you enjoy it and plan to join me in 2021!
Hi! My guest this time is so inspiring I couldn't wait to bring this episode to you. Hear us get excited by the magic of data and the message that, "nothing is impossible anymore!" You can go from disruption straight to opportunity! Timo Elliott is the innovation evangelist for tech giant SAP, with a passion for analytics and Artifical Intelligence. In this episode he brings us the good news about the benefits of great technology for business of all sizes but in particular SMEs. What makes Timo such a good listen is that he always backs up his ideas with real life business examples. So when he says, "you no longer need to be a big company to have big ideas" - we listen. For Timo, cloud technology is heralding a golden age for SMEs with our ability to move quickly and seize opportunities. So have a listen and get on board! PLUS - if you want to see and even use Timo's sharp, funny, cartoons for yourself then visit his website here.
The Show Must Go On!
That was the message from "Funny Women" founder Lynne Parker, who came on the podcast to talk about keeping up morale and staying cheerful in a crisis. She is a brilliant woman who has championed women in comedy for many years and as well as running the respected Funny Women awards, also takes her wisdom into the workplace to help businesses and business people "perform".
Her advice was timely because it feels as though we've been battling through adversity for a long time now and whether it is in business or at home (the same place for most of us!) there is more of this to come.
So how do you stay cheerful in a crisis?
Lynne suggests we dress the part, speak up for ourselves and try to help others. So get out of your pyjamas and have a listen!
You can book her for your business at Herlarious
If you want to know more about my sponsors - InCloud Solutions - you can read about getting smart with business software here.
Social Advocacy - Engaged Employees and Having Fun! People listen to people and when your employees are singing your praises you are on to a winner! That's why we are talking all things social advocacy in this edition of the podcast. Sarah Goodall, is the founder of Tribal Impact, a social media consultancy which was celebrating its 5th birthday when she joined me for this chat. She is such a great guest! We talked about how engaging employees and helping them find their purpose is vital to persuading people to create great social media, as well as the importance of trust, having fun and parental guilt. Yes - a wide ranging discussion! I hope you enjoy listening, I promise you it will be 20 minutes well spent! You can find Sarah at Tribal Impact here.
Learning from customer mistakes Many people are coming out of lockdown determined to streamline their business processes and make the move to cloud. But ERP implementation can be a worry and some customers get nervous. I'm here to tell you that there is no need for concern if you follow a few simple pieces of advice.
For this episode of the podcast I've turned to the wisdom of our consultants.
They are such a great resource because they work on ERP projects all the time and are very familiar with the issues that can throw a project off course. They are a busy bunch and quite shy, so I've summarised the findings in just 10 minutes of chat from me today!
Give it a listen and be re-assured that your ERP project can be a huge success if you overcome the challenges and learn from common customer mistakes!
You can send any questions to me here Lucy.Thorpe@incloudsolutions.co.uk
Hi - great to talk to you again. It feels like a lot has changed since we last posted an episode of The Growth Business. Restrictions are easing and for a lot of us it has been a busy time getting ready to re-open closed offices, shops and trading spaces. I'm going into the office briefly this week which will feel odd after months at my kitchen table. But I think we have proved beyond doubt that it is possible to connect with customers wherever you are - especially if you are set up to tap into your digital connections. Social media has been invaluable for keeping us connected as have the networking groups we belong to. That's where my guest comes in. Maggie Berry is the European lead for the group WEConnect International who bring together women owned businesses with leading international companies to promote supplier diversity in procurement. Maggie is passionate about promoting opportunities for all which is timely. PLUS as Maggie point out - it seems madness in the current climate for any supply chain to rely heavily on one big global supplier rather than several smaller ones. I hope you enjoy our chat and if you want to connect with Maggie she can be found on Linkedin here and at WEConnect here and here
Digital, Corona Virus & Business Change "Don't be caught out like this again!" - that's the message from my guest Charles Bennett who speaks for everyone who did not have their digital ducks in a row when Corona virus hit. Anyone who had to scramble to get their home working set up may have wished they'd looked at digital sooner. Now what was merely a trend to digital has become an avalanche. As a global cloud development expert for SAP and very knowledgeable business coach, Charles is well placed to talk about the speed of business change we are now witnessing and how best to do something about it. I loved talking to Charles about connecting with customers, necessity being the mother of invention and his superstar turns on YouTube with an interactive whiteboard. He also introduced me to a fabulous quote from Thomas Lah Helping sells. Selling doesn't help. Please enjoy the podcast - it's short but full of really useful information! And if you feel that the time is now for digital - we can help!
Doing Business in Lockdown Some are winning, many are losing as we continue to navigate the strangest trading conditions we have ever known. Lockdown has been going on for 6 weeks now and none have suffered more than retail with high streets and shopping malls closed. Yet many shops have done well and it's not just supermarkets. Retail organisations with strong e-commerce arms are weathering the storm and learning valuable lessons about themseleves. In this epsiode e-commerce veteran David Kohn talks to Lucy about what's going on at high end furniture store Heals. What has surprised him about trading in lockdown and how do we get back to something that resembles normal? Will high street shopping ever be the same again. In this wide ranging conversation we find out how a major retailer manages when their stores are closed, we look at the future of fast fashion and what Project Re-start might look like. As usual we thank InCloud Solutions for making the podcast possible, I hope you enjoy this chat with David Kohn.
Doing good business in lockdown is a tough test of leadership - that's the message from my latest guest - business advisor Andrew Ford. Andrew and I sat down on either side of a Zoom link to talk about what the best business leaders are doing now during Covid 19 - how they are adjusting their business plans and motivating teams to work well together. It's clear that Andrew thinks getting digital is a MUST and that if you haven't made moves yet then it is not too late! This lockdown has only served to accelerate the trend towards digital platforms and now is the time to research providers. You can look around at our Express digital technology here. You'll also get advice on how to capitalise on a tricky situation so you come out strong plus a look at the really important issue of keeping up morale and good mental health. In the end we decided the best thing was to be ourselves - authenticity rules! So sit down with a coffee or similar for 15 minutes and enjoy our chat. Stay safe, Lucy You can find out more about my guest Andrew Ford here; at Customer Gig and you can Linkin with him here
How to do Sales and Marketing in a crisis: Your Questions Answered I've spent the last few days wondering how to do my job! I work in social media marketing and I have colleagues in sales and customer service all thinking the same thing. If you have too then this podcast chat will be pretty useful. I hooked up with Kate Bradley Chernis and Lauren Turow from one of the smartest small business start-ups I know - the social media scheduling platform Lately. We spent just under half an hour chatting about everything from how to do sales and marketing in a crisis to how to be a start-up in a slow down - oh yes and how to get hold of hair dye! They are great business people, full of ideas and advice on how to relate to your customers when no one really knows what's going on. They are also great people and that seems to be the message. The more human and empathetic we can be the more we can help one another. So here it is - do check out Lately - I use it and its pretty good!
The Growth Business talks to SMB tech expert Laurie McCabe Are you spending way too much time just trying to get stuff done? Want to let technology free you up to focus on the big picture, but not sure where to start? Laurie McCabe from the SMB group is genuinely one of the best people I've heard on this subject. (She was recently named number one in the 30 Must-Follow Small Business IT Influencers in BizTech magazine.) She is clear about the benefits of technology and guess what? She says it has never been a better time to be a small or medium sized business (SMB) looking to buy into greater business efficiency from tech. Find out why Automate, Organise and Integrate should be your new mantra and why you don't need to be frightened of the buzzwords digital transformation, machine learning and AI. We packed a lot into this 20 minute episode - so I hope you enjoy it. To find more from Laurie Visit Laurie at her website www.smb-gr.com or her blog lauriemccabe.com More about us In case you were wondering - I’m your host Lucy Thorpe and I’ll be dropping more of these chats monthly to help business leaders think through some of the key issues facing business today including leadership – employee engagement, new technology and social media. In my day job I help spread the word about SAP Business ByDesign as the head of content and social media at InCloud Solutions. See you next time!
Two thirds of your workforce is disengaged - can you afford to do nothing? This is the stark warning from my guest on the Growth Business podcast today, Andrew Sherman, who has written a book warning business leaders of the stark reality out there - your employees may well hate you! So what can we do about it and how can we build an atmosphere of trust and good leadership? Listen in to hear more by clicking on the player below and use the buttons to subscribe so you never miss an episode... If you want to hear more from Andrew you can get his book - The Crisis of Disengagement: How apathy, complacency and selfishness are destroying today's workplace on Amazon. In total he has written 27 books - count em and has a Wiki page here . I'm your host Lucy Thorpe and I'll be dropping more of these chats monthly to help business leaders think through some of the key issues facing business today including leadership - employee engagement, new technology and social media. In my day job I help spread the word about SAP Business ByDesign as the head of content and social media at InCloud Solutions. See you next time!
I'm so chuffed to introduce you to my brand new podcast. It's called the Growth Business and it's a chance to dig into some of the issues that come up when you're running a business or even simply working for one. In my daily life as a marketer for tech company InCloud Solutions I am constantly wondering what makes a company a great company - what makes a good boss and what's the difference between that and a leader? And honestly - why are so many employees disengaged - that's going to be a great episode I can't wait for you to hear. One issue close to my heart is what stops companies doing more to replace boring tasks with technology - does anyone know? To stop my head fizzing with all this stuff and making me unproductive I decided to go out and find some answers. The great people I've met and the interviews I'm still conducting as a result have formed the basis for this podcast. I'll tell you a secret - I didn't set out to make a podcast but I am so glad I did. If you don't know me already and quite frankly why should you - I am Lucy Thorpe - I write all the blogs for InCloud Solutions who are the UK's experts in SAP technology for mid size companies Business ByDesign. It's great to have you along. Please do subscribe to The Growth Business podcast so you can get hold of the first episode when it drops.