With more people out there searching for work right now, it’s important to make sure we give ourselves the best chance possible. With this in mind, Lee talks this week about how you can optimise your LinkedIn profile, in order to stand out in a crowded marketplace. KEY TAKEAWAYS Endeavour to tailor your LinkedIn profile to the job for which you’re applying. Consider the type of job you’re looking for, and then adjust your profile accordingly. The sentence below your name is your opportunity to t...
Jul 19, 2020•12 min•Ep. 90
When was the last time you read something, or learned something, about marketing? Marketing is something that we all need to know more about, and yet many of us don’t spend the time developing this vital business skill. In this week’s show, Lee talks about why it matters so much, and how you can follow the advice of an ancient philosopher in order to make your marketing strategy more dynamic. KEY TAKEAWAYS The principles of Aristotle’s Pyramid Of Persuasion is still being used by marketers today...
Jul 12, 2020•11 min•Ep. 89
One of the more fascinating concepts being discussed today is that of “humble curiosity”, the act of learning with humility, in order to directly benefit another. In this week’s episode, Lee discusses this invaluable concept, and talks about the ways in which it can instantly enrich your life. KEY TAKEAWAYS The definition of being humble is showing a moderate or low estimate of one’s importance. Curiosity’s definition is a strong desire to know or learn something. Humble curiosity is the art of ...
Jul 05, 2020•9 min•Ep. 88
Jazmine Wolf is a business and life coach who’s gained an incredibly empowering viewpoint upon life and success through a series of setbacks that may well have derailed the ambitions of a less resilient spirit. Jazmine joins Lee today to talk about the power of trust, empowerment, positivity and the force of will that has led her to founding a highly successful business that seeks to embolden others. KEY TAKEAWAYS Empowerment comes from surrounding ourselves with the people who can vitalise the ...
Jun 28, 2020•46 min•Ep. 87
Today’s special guest is a specialist side-splitter, and pioneer of the revolutionary idea that laughter can help to turn your workplace into a far less stressful environment. Lee is joined by Laughing Yoga expert and founder of Canned Laughter, Mr Pete Cann, who talks about why laughter is the best medicine, not just for individuals, but for businesses! KEY TAKEAWAYS By practising laughter yoga, we effectively trick our bodies into thinking that we are laughing authentically, and trigger the sa...
Jun 21, 2020•38 min•Ep. 86
As we begin the transition from lockdown back to the workplace, Lee takes this opportunity to answer a vital question: how can we hope to work as a close-knit team without being able to huddle and get together regularly in the same way? KEY TAKEAWAYS The first step in developing new ways of working is to ask ourselves why the old practices were in place in the first place. If you do plan to take action, consider what you’d like people to know, how and what do you want them to do, and how you wan...
Jun 14, 2020•9 min•Ep. 85
One of the main reasons for employees leaving their positions within companies, is that they’re not enjoying their job. With that in mind, Sunny Sandwell, the Managing Director of Fun At Work, is on a mission to bring the culture you need in your workplace, in order to retain and inspire the people you worked hard to assemble. In this week’s show, Sunny talks through her philosophy around keeping fun as a central part of any business, and what companies can gain from keeping their workforces hap...
Jun 07, 2020•46 min•Ep. 84
Your story is incredibly important. No matter where you’re from in life, you’ve overcome far more than you may even remember to get to where you are today. As Lee discusses in today’s show, the sum total of your life experiences may be the key to building successful relationships, and to overcoming the hurdles of the future. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recognising that you are already the veteran of many challenges in life, can help people buy into your story. We build relationships by connecting our stories ...
May 31, 2020•9 min•Ep. 83
As a change agent, it’s crucial to develop and nurture your personal brand, and your approach in bringing people along with you on the journey towards change. Peter Brodie, known as THE Sales Coach, is a man who specialises in coaching the best of the coaches and consultants, and joins Lee today to talk about the ways in which change agents can evolve and expand to become true innovators. KEY TAKEAWAYS Work carefully to build credibility and brand. Provide clarity in who you are, who you serve, ...
May 24, 2020•54 min•Ep. 82
For change agents or leaders working in business, one of the greatest challenges can be in how to differentiate yourself. How do we make ourselves stand out? As Lee discusses in this week’s show, the best way of standing out can be in the way we communicate, and by maximising the significance of each interaction, through using a simple formula. KEY TAKEAWAYS Impact means many things, but most importantly, it represents the outcome we aspire to receiving after any communication. Lee’s formula for...
May 17, 2020•9 min•Ep. 81
It’s a return engagement for Damian Hughes, best-selling author and Professor Of Organisational Psychology & Change. Damian has returned to Business Problems Solved to guide you through how to unlock the secrets of high-performance in people, so that you can invigorate your business journey! KEY TAKEAWAYS High performers are generally blessed with a rare humility. It is this humility that allows them to see the potential of external change. Everybody has the capacity to be a high performer i...
May 10, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 80
It’s a time for reflection, and due to popular demand, Lee has decided to share his own highly personal story; the powerful advice that has brought him here, as well as the emotionally-charged lesson that drives him forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes it takes the darkest moments of tragedy in life to wake us up to the missing components in our own lives. Always be yourself. Make good friends. Time is limited. These are the lessons that mean the most. It’s vital to achieve your goals on your own te...
May 03, 2020•12 min•Ep. 79
Lee talks to Paul McGee, also known as "The Sumo Guy”, the author of many books that have had a transformative effect on the way we think, and which have helped many in the business industry to adopt a new, more empowering way of operating. Paul joins Lee today for a very special conversation in which he discusses the message of inspiration he lives by, how evolution can be more powerful than revolution, and the importance of looking forwards. KEY TAKEAWAYS SUMO is an acronym for “Shut Up, Move ...
Apr 26, 2020•52 min•Ep. 78
Geoff Ramm is the owner and creator of Celebrity Service, a professional speaker, author and customer service and marketing specialist. Geoff is the architect behind Celebrity Service, a system designed to give your business a customer service experience that will radically alter the way your customers see you. It’s a system that can create a paradigm shift in the way you operate; which can give you an insurmountable lead over your competitors today! KEY TAKEAWAYS We can learn and develop oursel...
Apr 19, 2020•50 min•Ep. 77
Now may be a time for self-reflection, and to examine the many pathways that have merged to form our own unique journeys. Lee has been considering his own story as a change agent, specifically examining the sometimes loneliness of change and its implementation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Being a change agent means that often we are the sole voice of innovation. It takes a certain mental fortitude, as it’s not always a happy place to be. Leaders of organisations often attribute stagnancy and failure to its pe...
Apr 12, 2020•9 min•Ep. 76
Lee is with Trish Wilson - Continuous improvement specialist and professional Network Catalyst from New Zealand who has successfully built international networks over the last 6 years. As a curator of networking Trish knows how to develop the right culture and the importance of learning from each other in smart inspirational conversations where an initial spark can take a conversation on an unexpected journey that provides everyone involved with something special. This is a great conversation wi...
Apr 08, 2020•59 min•Ep. 75
Lee talks to motivational speaker, communications expert and self-professed “Zookeeper”, Nigel Risner, a man who’s been on both sides of success, and who’s since devoted himself to helping businesses and their leaders improve in over seventy countries. Nigel joins Lee to discuss his formula for success, and to talk about his incredible “zookeeper” theory, designed to allow leaders to unlock the potential in their teams. KEY TAKEAWAYS Speak with authenticity. Speak from the heart. Share your mess...
Apr 05, 2020•54 min•Ep. 74
Lee is with Gavin Preston Business Strategist and Growth Expert who has extensive expertise and experience helping businesses to scale and grow. In this time where for many small businesses it’s all about survival, they discuss the ways this can be achieved successfully with Gavin’s ‘Keep Your Boat Afloat – A Business Survival Guide for COVID19 Times’ We are all in a period of enforced change and the most important thing for any business is to be able to make it to the other side. There is great...
Apr 01, 2020•39 min•Ep. 73
Today on The Business Problems Solved Podcast, Lee Houghton explains the 4 C’s of communication and how they can help us during these difficult times in business during the COVID-19 outbreak. It can be hard to get the team together and to promote productivity whilst we are all working from home, Lee suggests some key ways that we can keep positive and maintain team spirit. Lee also applies the 4 C’s to people who are living in isolation, working on relationships and supporting your friends and f...
Mar 29, 2020•8 min•Ep. 72
Daniel Priestley is an author, speaker and entrepreneurial mastermind, as well as the founder of Dent Global, one of the world’s leading strategists in ensuring your business is able to tap into the wealth of expertise and value that sometimes isn’t used to its full potential. Daniel’s here to talk about the importance of becoming the “key person of influence” in business, and the value in treating business as your passion, and as a game we all play. KEY TAKEAWAYS Daniel has been hooked on entre...
Mar 23, 2020•58 min•Ep. 71
If you want the best processes, results and people think about the BEST model. In this episode Lee explains what the BEST model is and how it can have a positive impact on your business. He also discusses the importance of creating a positive environment. KEY TAKEAWAYS The environment that people work and the results that people get are driven by the leaders. B – Leadership behaviour. What are the things that you can do to influence leadership behaviour? Leaders have a direct impact and influenc...
Mar 16, 2020•10 min•Ep. 70
‘It’s about getting young people ready for the real world’ Lee is in conversation with Kamal Ellis-Hyman founder of ‘Aim a Little Higher’ Kamal has a passion for helping young people get ready for the real world and works with them to build their aspirations based on their potential, not their circumstance. They discuss the journey Kamal has taken and the very different aspirations of young people and the ways they interact with the world. Kamal is working towards a world where the ‘playing fiel...
Mar 09, 2020•42 min•Ep. 69
There are two elements to become a high-performance team. Celebrate success and Self Reflection. Lee identified that having two small Team huddles, 10-15 minutes in length, can turn your team from average to high-performance. The first Team Huddle should look to identify and celebrate the things that went well. Small and big wins, things that succeeded and should continue to persist with as well as the continued success of previous wins. The second Team Huddle commences after, later in the week....
Mar 02, 2020•9 min•Ep. 68
Lee talks to executive coach, Mike Dennison, about the role of an executive coach. There’s a huge difference between being a consultant, a coach and a mentor, and Mike breaks it down one-by-one. Mike is an incredibly successful guide for businesses and individuals alike, who are seeking to develop themselves and their staff, and in this week’s episode, he tells you exactly how he goes about it, as well as the secret to making businesses understand why they should begin. KEY TAKEAWAYS An executiv...
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 67
A lot of businesses forget about the process of learning and only focus on getting the tasks they’re set to do right first time. However, in this episode Lee reminds us of how important it is to remember how we learn and how we can use failures to improve. KEY TAKEAWAYS When we learn to walk we don’t just walk, we fall, get back up, fall, get back up and fall until you’re able to walk consistently. Allow people to fail in a safe environment and encourage them to get back up and learn from their ...
Feb 17, 2020•9 min•Ep. 66
David Bovis is a management consultant, and the originator of the "psychology of change”, dealing with organisational transformation, and lee has most definitely not been stalking him for some time on LinkedIn… David has kindly joined the podcast today to discuss why change must always begin with people, how to make real, sustainable change, the science behind brain development and learning, and why it’s vital that we get people to “fall in love” with change. KEY TAKEAWAYS David quickly came to ...
Feb 10, 2020•51 min•Ep. 65
If you’ve got a team or a business you always need a vision! In this episode Lee explains how to create and pursue a vision for your team or business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Think back to the DUSK model (Desire) is what creates a vision. If you want to create a vision, then you need to include everyone who is involved. Think back to where you are then where you want to be. Decide whether your vision is going to be a picture, words or both. Pictures can be a great way to help people understand what your v...
Feb 03, 2020•8 min•Ep. 64
‘If you break down your life into 4-minute sections and keep at it you will become one of the 2% of truly happy people’ Lee is with Dr Andy Cope, Author, Teacher, Speaker, Happiness expert and a keen learner. He is the UK’s one and the only doctor of happiness so if he’s having a bad day then the nation is having a bad day. They are discussing the science of well-being and positive psychology. Andy explains how he trundled through life being fairly average before he discovered positive psycholog...
Jan 27, 2020•29 min•Ep. 63
How much time do you think you spend in the past? How much time do you think you spend in the future? How much time do you think you spend in the present? In this episode Lee explains why it’s so important to live in the present and how it can help you achieve your goals. KEY TAKEAWAYS Consider how much time you’re actually consciously aware of what’s going on right now. Disney, as an example, do an amazing job of getting you to think in the present time because of all of the experiences they gi...
Jan 20, 2020•7 min•Ep. 62
This week, Lee talks to former BBC Breakfast presenter, Penny Haslam, who’s become one of the country’s most sought-after motivational speakers, helping others to achieve their optimal confidence levels and providing them with the boost they need in order to succeed. But can Penny’s inspiring message help those looking to succeed in business? And how? Find out in this fascinating, empowering conversation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Penny left broadcasting because she felt as though she could never truly be h...
Jan 13, 2020•47 min•Ep. 61
