Working On It
What if growing your business didn’t mean sacrificing your time, your health, or your freedom? Working On It is the podcast for service-based founders who want to scale without burning out. Each episode brings you honest conversations with experts, operators, and mentors - the same kind of people who’ve helped shape successful businesses from the inside out. We dive into the systems, strategies, and habits that drive performance - and show you how to build a company that works without you always having to be there. It’s about clarity, leadership, and reclaiming control - of your time, your te...
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3x Your Prices Upselling "Experiences" & Increase Valuation Before sell, Get High Quality Employees
<p>James Ashford shares powerful lessons on sales psychology, emotional control & What Should You Do 18–24 Months Before Selling Your Business?</p><p>Get business help from me personally: https://bradstaines.com/</p><p>We Covered: </p><p>↳ How to 3x Your Prices Upselling "Experiences", handle price objections, build customer certainty, and increase sales without lowering your prices</p><p>↳ How to Increase Valuation Before sell & Get High Quality Employees</p><p>↳ How to overcome business failure, build a strong team culture, and turn setbacks into opportunities for growth</p><p>You are going to learn:<br /><h3>Chapters</h3>00:00:00 How to Build...
Selling Is Service: James Ashford on Closing Deals, Building Culture, and Exiting to Sage
<p >Brad sits down with James Ashford, founder of GoProposal, who built and sold a proposal software business to Sage for millions. From navigating business failures and personal guarantees to building a world class culture and creating a moat around his business, James shares the raw truth about what it takes to grow fast, exit big, and do it all without losing yourself in the process.</p><p >Discover why selling is the highest skill you can develop, how to kill the founder in your business so it can grow without you, and why the best entrepreneurs focus on the...
From £5 Petrol and a Battered Fiesta to Financial Freedom: Aaron Knightley on Escaping the 9-to-5
<p >Brad sits down with Aaron Knightley, a serial entrepreneur who became a father at 20 and turned workplace betrayal into the catalyst for building multiple successful businesses. From silently building his first venture while working a toxic 9 to 5, to launching logistics startup HODL and operational platform Exit Nine, Aaron shares the raw reality of what it takes to escape employment and create a life on your own terms.</p><p >Discover why knowing your financial "North Star" matters more than chasing endless income, how Aaron survived on three to four hours of sleep for five years while replacing his salary...
Hairdresser Build a Beauty Brand Selling Emotion in a Dominated Market: Hair Fall, Business to Start
<p>Craig shares the lessons behind his journey from cutting hair in his father’s salon to becoming a world champion, building a 200+ product beauty brand, and eventually selling the company. He also reveals what he learned from business failures, building strong company culture, using AI to create new opportunities, and understanding what customers really want.</p><p>Get help from me personally:<br />https://bradstaines.com/</p><p>We Cover:<br />↳ How Craig went from hairdresser to building and selling a successful beauty brand<br />↳ Why strong business culture starts with hiring the right people and putting people first<br />↳...
From World Champion Hairdresser to £50M Exit: Craig Hubert on Building a Beauty Empire
<p >Brad sits down with Craig Hubert, a former world champion hairdresser who built a multi-million-pound beauty brand and sold it to a Canadian group 12 years later. From cutting hair in his father's barber shop to owning commercial property across Chelmsford, Craig shares the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the power of emotional intelligence in business, and why he still cuts hair two days a week despite building multiple successful ventures.\n\nDiscover why hiring people better than yourself is the best investment you can make, how asking the right questions can transform your service business, and why understanding what...
Stop Looking at Your Bank Balance: The Financial Mistake Costing SMEs Thousands
<p >"</p><p >In this episode, Brad sits down with a former JP Morgan analyst who traded the corporate world for helping small business owners master their finances. From seven years in investment banking to building a consultancy focused on SMEs, this conversation unpacks the most dangerous financial mistakes entrepreneurs make and why so many are unknowingly spending money that isn't theirs.</p><p > </p><p >Discover why tracking your numbers isn't optional, how to avoid the VAT trap that nearly cost Brad £95,000, and the simple system that prevents cash flow crises before they happen. This is a masterclass in f...
From One Boring Photo to a Colourful Running Brand: Pete Goldie on Ultras and Building Happy Stride
<p >In this episode, Brad sits down with Pete Goldie, ultrarunner and founder of Happy Stride, to explore the intersection of endurance sport and entrepreneurship. Pete shares his journey from completing 75 marathons and ultras including a grueling 103-mile race to building a thriving running apparel brand with his wife from a single parkrun photo where he noticed everyone's shorts were boring.</p><p >Pete reveals the mental strategies that got him through 24 hours of continuous running, how he breaks down impossible goals into manageable checkpoints, and why he believes time will pass is the most powerful mindset for overcoming adversity...
From Bedroom to £50M Exit: Building a Facilities Empire in Your Pants with Andrew Holbert
<p >Andrew Holbert, founder of Pareto FM, shares the unfiltered story of how he went from starting a facilities management business in his bedroom (in his pants) to building a £50 million operation with 550 staff and exiting for nine figures at age 37.</p><p >Andrew reveals the strategic decisions, brutal work ethic, and unconventional sales tactics that allowed him to achieve profitability levels two to three times higher than industry competitors, all while maintaining an 8 in 10 win rate on major contracts. From winning London Zoo as a £1.5 million turnover business to sitting in client offices with trays of donuts (including vegan an...
From Being Extremely shy to Speaking to Thousands: Kirsty Carden on Overcoming Fear and Building Confidence
<p >From the kid who wouldn't raise her hand in class to speaking confidently in front of thousands, Kirsty Carden reveals how she built a thriving coaching business helping women find their voice, attract high-ticket clients through speaking, and create the freedom they actually want.</p><p >Kirsty shares her journey from corporate life at Sky Broadcasting to becoming a sought-after speaking coach, NLP master practitioner, and hypnotherapist. She breaks down the practical steps that transformed her from terrified of public speaking to commanding stages worldwide, and why she believes communication is the foundation of every successful relationship and business.<...
Rob Moore’s Unfiltered Truth: Parenting, the Financial Matrix, and Monetizing Authenticity
<p >In this week's episode of Working On It, entrepreneur and wealth educator Rob Moore breaks down the realities of authentic personal branding and why navigating social media criticism is a mandatory part of modern business.</p><p >Rob and Brad dive into the urgent need for financial literacy outside the traditional education system, the incoming wave of AI disruption across all sectors, and why self-investment remains the ultimate safety net. Emphasizing practical parenting and leading by example, Rob offers a no-nonsense look at why ditching hero worship, adapting to new technologies, and building your own independent financial knowledge base...
