An unexpected positive that's happened over the last few months is that I've been forced to get creative with how I record this podcast and it's been fun to mix things up and try out different ways to record and different episode lengths. That said, it's been about a year since I relaunched this podcast with a new format of high / low, conversation starter and quick fire Q's and whilst I've loved it feels like a good time to add in something new. So, we're going to start including some behind th...
Jun 15, 2020•32 min•Season 3Ep. 118
This is by no means a conclusive list but some of the resources I've found educational over the last week... Listen The Stories of Five Protesters 1619 This isn't a trend - Laid Bare Real talk on race and how to be a better ally - EmpowerHer Watch Dear White People - Netflix When They See Us - Netflix Is The Coaching Industry Inclusive - Simone McNish Sign Justice for George Floyd Other Petitions Donate Black Lives Matter Minnesota Freedom Fund The Bail Project _____ STAY CONNECTED Alice (aka me...
Jun 08, 2020•3 min•Season 3Ep. 117
I‘m often asked how my team mate Emily, and I have built a good dynamic, and while it’s not completely accidental it’s something that I want to ensure continues and develops as the business grows. While I can say from my experience what I think has helped contribute to that working relationship I asked Hanna, founder of As We Are, to join me to share some of her expertise as a leadership coach. We dig into what creates a good company culture and how to implement it to make a positive work place ...
Jun 01, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 116
Welcome back to the podcast, today I am answering more of your questions and today’s is quite a hot topic in the service based world. That question is, am I afraid of giving away my expertise for free? and I mean putting it all out there, not giving a little bit for free leading to a sales pitch, I’m talking about the content where you are showing up, being of service, giving value and giving your expertise in a free capacity. The misconception is that by giving expertise away for free your disc...
May 25, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 115
As service based businesses we often have multiple offerings varying in price point and topic, and creating that variation in my business has been key for me in moving my business forward. I am so happy to be joined for the second time by Steph of The Creative Shed, who is just a genius in all things operations and strategy. In this episode we discuss the value that smaller or new offerings can bring to your business complimenting what you already have, not cannibalising it. If you're in a place...
May 18, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 114
You all know I LOVE big picture work. I talk a lot about my approach to business and the power I see in working on , not always working in my business. When I learnt about this differentiation it really clicked in my brain and ever since then I've explored what this looks like for my business. I got really clear on that big picture goal, and how I can always be moving towards it. I know where I want to go and while I do set annual intentions, I know for me, I have to have the freedom to act spon...
May 11, 2020•13 min•Season 3Ep. 113
We've been mixing it up a lot on the podcast over the last six weeks, but I'm very excited to announce we have now landed on a new format going forward! I know in this time it's not easy to consume long form content, and it's hard to find the time or energy to soak up all the information that's out there right now, but I also notice lots of you, myself included, who want to use this time to move your business forward. So, to meet that need I will be bringing you short, to the point episodes that...
May 04, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 112
Welcome to the first of two episodes that I'm super excited to share with you. If you are a long time listener of the podcast you will know I have been focusing on the topic of money in my business over the last few months. This has partly been because my business has transitioned from sole trader to a limited company, which, let me tell you came with so many question marks. It's safe to say I could not have done it without the help of my accountant, Ben, who joins me in today's episode to break...
Apr 27, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 110
The way I manage money in my business has really evolved over the last two years. From spending everything in my account to now, finding a method of managing money that works for me. This change really came about from discovering Profit First and it's approach is now something I'm such an advocate for. If you've never heard of it, this episode will give you a great intro. As an incredibly human way of managing money, it's helped me feel in control and confident with my money. Joined by my accoun...
Apr 27, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 111
Today's episode is something a bit different but after this coaching session with my business mentor Jo, I thought it might be interesting to share with you all what this current season is teaching me and how things are looking for me as a business owner. As you know this year I am making some shifts in my business and Jo is playing a really vital role in helping to fill in the gaps in that transition and ensuring that the new business that I'm stepping into, has me thriving, not just surviving ...
Apr 20, 2020•59 min•Season 3Ep. 109
My relationship to launching has changed a lot in the last year, so I wanted to share with you my process from having an idea, to launching a new product in a way that feels good. Part of this shift came for me came from realising that launching should be simple, and it actually only comes down to a few things. It's showing up, speaking louder and speaking clearly. Joined by Emily we share how we work together when launching, how we test an idea, through to how we support each other and what we ...
Apr 13, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 108
This weeks' Small Talk episode is super practical, so if you're currently trying to figure out how you can move you business forward, let me walk you through 5 things that you can do to level up your digital marketing right now. They are 5 things that never feel like a priority, but can make a big difference. If you have some time in the coming weeks, or are able to do this big picture work now I really encourage you take some time to work through these. Here is a recap of the 5 points so you ca...
Apr 06, 2020•25 min•Season 3Ep. 107
This weeks episode is one that I get so many questions about, so given the circumstances, it was the perfect opportunity to let you all in and share how I recruited for a part time team mate. Joined by Emily, my team mate, we chat about the hiring process, what that looked for both of us, onboarding and give you more of an insight into Emily's role and how we work together. Over the last year Emily's role and our working relationship has evolved and grown, so enjoy this behind the scenes look at...
Mar 30, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 106
Whilst it's been a weird old week for everyone, it felt right to bring you a podcast episode on a Monday morning as usual. As this podcast is recorded weekly with a guest I've kept to that format as much as possible, but my guest this week (and for at least the next 4 weeks) is my team mate, Emily. So, join us for a chat about how we are feeling and how we are responding to the situation. We've included some book and podcast recommendations below if you have some extra time over the next few wee...
Mar 23, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 105
This week's conversation starter is one that has been explored before on the podcast, but it's something that's so relevant that I’m really interested to delve into it more with the fantastic Heather. That topic is how starting out young in business impacts your relationships, be that with friends, family, work friends. When I started working for myself I was so focused on what I was doing, I isolated myself from a lot of my friends. So it was interesting to hear Heather’s experience of this tim...
Mar 16, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 104
It's time to start talking about MONEY. We all have a different relationship to money and, for me this has changed a lot over the last 3 years. Joined by Ellie, founder of This Girl Talks Money, we share how we've moved from being quite passive about money to gaining awareness to now being intentional with how we spend and what money means in our business. Managing money really is an ongoing journey and no one's perfect! But it's my hope that by opening up the conversation you can start thinking...
Mar 09, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 103
My business is going through a big shift at the moment. Whilst it's not visible yet, I wanted to share a behind the scenes look at what is happening in my business right now. As business owners it's easy to get in a routine of how we do things because they've worked so far. But, as you know, for me working big picture is so key. For me there are three stages when it comes to making shifts within my business. It starts with a question, or a niggling feeling. The next stage is finding the answers,...
Mar 02, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 102
A '£10k month' is presented as a measure of success, with courses out there selling blueprints of how you can make this amount of money. But what does a £10k month actually look like? Does reaching that financial goal mean you are established or successful? Chatting with Steph from The Creative Shed we look at the noise around this £10k phenomenon and break down what's actually behind this figure and the sacrifices that go into achieving something that sounds shiny but doesn't automatically mean...
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 101
Well here we are! The 100th episode and the 2nd anniversary of Starting the Conversation. I hope you all enjoyed the 7 days of Q&A series - it was a lot of fun to put together, if a little exhausting. To mark this special episode I will be sharing 5 things which when I look back, have made the biggest difference in growing my business. And what would a celebration be without some gifts! Go check out the giveaway over on my Instagram. There 10 brilliant products from past guests up for grabs ...
Feb 17, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 100
https://www.alicebenham.co.uk/retreat For the final day of this mini series, it only felt right to bring on a guest who has made a huge difference within my business. Sophie French, if you aren't familiar, is a genius when it comes to crushing the 'can't' in your head. After having Sophie as a guest coach on the first Gather + Grow retreat last year I knew that other business owners needed to experience her impact. Which is why I'm not only bringing her on the podcast to discuss how to become aw...
Feb 16, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 99
I’ll be the first to admit I can end the week, knowing I’ve worked all the hours, but not really feeling like I’ve moved my business forward. The solution? Getting intentional about how I set up my week. Something todays guest is oh so familiar with. Faye is a business coach with a SUPER intentional approach to how she sets herself up for a successful week. And let me tell you, it shows. From using a Sunday to prep the week ahead and putting boundaries around your time to matching your actions u...
Feb 15, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 98
Welcome to a very special instalment in the 7 Days of Q&A mini series where I am sitting down to ask a question to my Dad! If you've been listening to this podcast for a while you will have heard me quote my Dad a few times, as his wisdom has definitely contributed to the growth of this business. One of the many things I find inspiring about my Dad is the intentional relationship he has built with rest, balance and rhythm. Like many of us he has experienced burn out, so he has lots to share ...
Feb 14, 2020•22 min•Season 3Ep. 97
We're at half way point of 7 Days of Q&A and I really hope you're enjoying it so far. Today's episode is with my most frequent guest and good friend, Fiona Grayson, founder of She Can She Did. I've always admired the way Fi has built She Can She Did, giving it her all and making really strong relationships along the way. It was great to have the opportunity to ask Fi more about how she's formed connections and to dig into what building business relationships looks like for her. _____ STAY CO...
Feb 13, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 96
Day 3 of 7 Days of Q&A - I'm so excited to share this one with you. After some months of trying, I have persuaded my team mate and podcast editor Emily to join me for this mini episode! Emily is going to give you a behind the scenes look at the creation of this podcast, sharing the side of the episodes that you don't see. This was a really fun episode to record after a long day of big-picture planning! I really hope you enjoy listening in to this conversation, and as always I'd love to hear ...
Feb 12, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 95
Welcome back to the second instalment of this mini series, 7 Days of Q&A. Today I am joined by photographer and friend Chloe Williams. My question to Chloe was all around investing in your business as this is a process Chloe has been through and I'm sure you can all relate. Starting out, investing in yourself or your business can feel really scary. So it was interesting to speak with Chloe about this topic as her attitude around investing in her business has really changed and grown to a pla...
Feb 11, 2020•15 min•Season 3Ep. 94
Welcome to the first instalment of 7 Days of Q&A! Everyday this week I will be sitting down with a different guest to ask them one big question. These are people I admire, people I'm very close to and people who have played a big part in this podcast, fast approaching it's 2nd birthday. I know, I can't quite believe it either. First up is Sapphire, who needs little introduction as the founder of The Coven. Sapphire is someone who always has loads of ideas for her business and lots of places ...
Feb 10, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 93
I talk a lot about different elements of my story on this podcast but I realised that I've never actually shared the full story of how I took my business to where it is today. So while this might be a bit of a different episode, I wanted to share my whole journey in one place, for those of you who are curious. From being 15 years old selling wooden signs to my mum's friends to leaving school, to working for myself and burning out to transitioning to coaching, launching this podcast, hosting a re...
Feb 03, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 92
This question has been raised before on the podcast but I'm interested to give a real chunk of time and space to the idea that being busy all the time, equals success. With the amount of time you put into your business being glamourised I wanted to explore this conversation with Jo, founder of Mad & Sad Club, who's mission is to show that you can be successful without burning yourself out. As someone who's has done the long hours building my business I am realising that now that hard work is...
Jan 27, 2020•59 min•Season 3Ep. 91
I have never *ever* scheduled a social media post. My posts and stories are mostly spontaneous, and for me that works. However, everything I put out is very intentional and works towards my goals and big picture intentions. Joined by Lucy Hitchcock we dispel the attitude that to be successful you need to have a packed content plan, have all your posts scheduled for the year and have every detail considered. Both me and Lucy are super clear on how we want our business to feel and the impact we wa...
Jan 20, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 90
Failure is an inevitable part of life, but it can totally suck, right? When you're in midst of the struggle, everyone telling you it will get better just doesn't change how you're feeling, and it's hard to see how things will ever turn around. Chatting with Anna we share our experiences of times when things haven't gone to plan, and how in hindsight having to shift and adapt has had a big impact on our businesses. So you might be in that challenging time now, or relate to circumstances taking yo...
Jan 13, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 89
