Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast

Hosted by John Lamerton & Jason Brockman | Ambitious Lifestyle Business Owners

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258

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Could YOU improve your small business by 1% each week? Get more customers, make more money - WITHOUT working harder - with the ambitious, lifestyle business podcast.

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60 recent

October 22, 202611 min

How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps: 7 Small Business Lessons From Sir Richard Harpin

Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uRQj4skw90A Get John's Top 100 Business Books: https://bigidea.co.uk/top-100-business-books Join the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club The Hedgehog Concept Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEKrdrasXFY What can small business owners learn from How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps by Sir Richard Harpin? In this episode, I review How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps and pull out 7 small business lessons from HomeServe founder Sir Richard Harpin, whose company was eventually sold for £4.1 billion. Now, this is not really a book written for normal small business owners. Richard Harpin's mission is to help build more large UK companies, and some of his advice is aimed squarely at founders who want to scale aggressively. But buried inside the book are some brilliant lessons that apply just as well to a six or seven-figure business. In this review, I cover: - Why copying what works can be a smart business strategy - Why boring marketing can produce extraordinary returns - Why customer retention is where the real money is - Why hedgehogs build more wealth than foxes - Why selling the pain often works better than selling the dream - Which of Harpin's 9 steps actually matter for small business owners - Why you probably do not need to build a billion-pound business at all There are also some wonderfully practical ideas in here, including direct mail, retention, hiring your replacement, getting a mentor or coach, building a not-to-do list, and staying ruthlessly focused on the thing your business does best. If you are a small business owner, freelancer, coach, consultant or entrepreneur looking for practical business growth lessons, this episode will help you decide which ideas from How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps are worth stealing for your own business. Because you may not want a billion. But you can still learn a hell of a lot from someone who has built one. In this episode: 0:00 From Schoolboy Salesman to Billionaire Empire 0:49 Why Copying Is Your Greatest Business Asset 2:06 The Unfashionable Secret to Massive ROI 4:38 Foxes vs Hedgehogs: The Wealth Strategy 7:45 The Nine Steps to Building a Billion Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uRQj4skw90A

October 15, 20268 min

How to Deal With a TOXIC Business Partner

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/h0jTgJjudQU Join John and Jason in the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club Watch our interview with Gary about sacking his business partner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBd-z42hak Dealing with a toxic business partner is exhausting. Learn how to manage the situation without destroying your company. When your co-founder constantly vetoes decisions, treats the company account as a personal piggy bank, or simply refuses to pull their weight, the situation quickly becomes unsustainable. Many founders ignore these warning signs until it is too late , but letting partnership problems fester is a fast track to resentment and operational gridlock. This discussion provides practical small business advice for navigating these conflicts. We look at how to protect your assets and your sanity, ensuring that one person's poor behaviour does not lead to total business failure. You will learn how to set boundaries and manage the partnership dynamic before the damage becomes irreversible. Subscribe for weekly business breakdowns In this episode: 0:00 Navigating a Toxic Partnership 0:48 The Importance of Shareholder Agreements 3:09 Identifying the Root of the Problem 5:35 Knowing When to Part Ways

October 8, 20263 min

What Have You Actually Achieved Today? The 80/20 Principle for Small Businesses.

Watch this episode on YouTube Are you wasting time on tasks that do not move the needle? Learn how to apply the 80 20 principle to focus on what actually matters. Most business owners treat every daily activity as equally important, but this approach rarely leads to growth. By identifying the few inputs that generate the majority of your output, you can stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress. This episode explains how to audit your daily workflow to ensure you are prioritising the right areas for your company. We look at why focusing on impactful tasks is the most effective way to improve your overall business results. Whether you are a solopreneur or leading a small team, shifting your mindset away from busywork is essential for long-term small business productivity. It is not about working harder, but about ensuring your energy is spent where it counts. Get a FREE chapter of Big Ideas... for Small Businesses

October 1, 202628 min

He Built A £1.2m Business. Then It All Fell Apart.

Join Ben, John and Jason in the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club How does a £1.2m business simply collapse? We look at why the Hedgehog Concept is vital for avoiding failure. During this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business Podcast, we examine the reality behind building a successful company. One of the biggest reasons for business failure is losing sight of your core purpose, which is why we break down the Hedgehog Concept. It is a framework that forces you to align your passion, what you can be the best at, and your economic drivers. Without this alignment, your marketing and operations departments often pull in different directions, leading to stalled growth. If you are a founder or small business owner, this episode is for you. We discuss the hard lessons learned from a business that grew fast but lacked a sustainable foundation, offering a clear small business strategy to help you avoid the same mistakes. In this episode: 0:00 The Reality of Business Collapse 0:50 The Moment the Clock Ran Out 2:35 Finding Hope on the Kitchen Floor 6:26 Climbing the Mountain of Stupidity 14:02 Steadying the Ship After the Storm 17:14 Focusing on the Hedgehog Concept You can also watch this episode on YouTube

September 3, 202626 min

"Working 80 hours a week nearly KILLED me..."

Watch this episode on YouTube How do you work less without your business falling apart? In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, John Lamerton and Jason Brockman speak to Paul Miller about burnout, delegation, business boundaries, trusting your team, and how small business owners can stop being the central point of everything in their business. Paul's wake-up call was not subtle. After years of working 70 to 80 hours a week, carrying too much responsibility, and being the person everything revolved around, he ended up in hospital. Twice. The first time was meningitis. The second time involved waking up in Charing Cross Hospital after blacking out and having a seizure following a business conference. Paul explains how that served as a work/life balance wake up call, leading him to work fewer hours, delegate more effectively, set clearer boundaries, say no more often, outsource lower-value work and use the 80/20 principle to focus on the things that actually move the business forward. We also talk about why so many small business owners feel trapped by their business, why letting go is so difficult, and why you need to stop doing £10 tasks if you want to spend more time on the £1,000 tasks that really matter. If you are a small business owner, family business owner, accountant, coach, consultant, freelancer or solopreneur who wants to work fewer hours, avoid burnout, delegate properly and build a business that supports your life rather than consumes it, this episode is for you. Because your business should fund and fuel your lifestyle. It should not nearly kill you. In this epsiode: 0:00 Introduction 1:11 Waking Up in Hospital 4:00 Life as a Workaholic Business Owner 7:05 The Art of Delegating and Trusting 11:06 Mastering the Four-Day Work Week 19:02 Five Rules for a Balanced Business Join Paul (and more than 100 other ambitious, lifestyle business owners) in the One Percent Club

August 5, 202629 min

6 Small Business Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner

In this episode: 0:00 - Introduction 1:04 - Prospects Need to Hear the Same Thing Many Times Before Buying 3:18 - Energy Management is Better Than Time Management 8:42 - People Don't Care What You Do - They Just Want The Results 10:51 - YouTube is an Evergreen Asset 17:51 - The Power of Reflection 24:10 - Respect The Audience's Time (From the Very First Second) What are the small business lessons that actually make a difference? In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, small business owners John Lamerton and Jason Brockman share their 6 business lightbulb moments from the year so far, including practical lessons on marketing, productivity, client communication, YouTube, reflection and building a business that works better for your life. These are NOT abstract business theories or guru-style hacks. They are real lessons from working with small business owners inside the One Percent Club , running our own businesses, and making plenty of mistakes along the way. In this episode, we talk about why your clients often need to hear the same message far more than once, why energy management can be more important than time management, and why selling the result matters more than selling the thing you do. We also discuss why YouTube can be a powerful evergreen asset for small business owners, why reflection is an underrated business habit, and why respecting your audience's time might be one of the most important marketing lessons of all. If you are a small business owner, freelancer, coach, consultant or solopreneur who wants to make better decisions, improve your marketing, get more done without burning out, and build a more ambitious lifestyle business, this episode should give you plenty to think about. Because sometimes the biggest improvements do not come from chasing the next shiny tactic. They come from noticing the simple lessons hiding in plain sight.

July 2, 202624 min

"A Sale Isn't a Sale Until The Invoice is PAID..."

Get the Late Payment Calculator: https://chargeservices.co.uk/late-payment-calculator Find out more about the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club In this episode: 0.00 - Introduction 1.04 - What impact does late payment have on small business owners? 2:59 - A sale isn't a sale until the invoice is paid 6.11 - Charging interest on late payments 10.41 - Prevention is better than cure 14.26 - You're not in the wrong to ask for your money! 16:22 - Will the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill actually help small businesses? 18.22 - Paying tax on "profits" you haven't actually received! 20.15 - Sacking off work for a Friday afternoon at the soft play. 23.30 - What does an ambitious lifestyle business look like for Jenni? Late payments are horrible. Not just because they muck up your cash flow. But because of the "ick" attached to them. The awkwardness of chasing. That "am I being too pushy?" feeling. The ridiculous situation where you've done the work, but somehow feel bad asking for YOUR MONEY. There's often a gap between sending invoices and actually getting paid. Jenni Sampson helps reduce that gap - and reduce the "ick" too. In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, Jason and I spoke to Jenni about how she built a simple credit control system that any small business owner can follow. It's a clear, step-by-step process for following up, using templates, scripts and simple confidence-building prompts. The result? Better cash flow. Less stress. No more guessing what to say. And much less of that horrible knot-in-the-stomach feeling when an invoice goes overdue. We also talk with Jenni about charging interest on late payments, whether the government's new "Small Business Protection Bill" will make an ounce of difference, and the importance of chasing debt promptly (and certainly before you pay VAT and Corporation Tax on it! 🤦) We talked about the whole journey on this latest episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast. Available everywhere you get your podcasts.

June 3, 202637 min

"I spend MONTHS outside of the UK - thanks to these 5 steps..."

Craig Jukes spent 37 years in corporate life. Then, on a flight home from a holiday Kefalonia, Craig had one of those moments. Not a "quit your job tomorrow and go and live in a hammock" moment. A PROPER lightbulb moment. 💡 He realised he didn't want retirement to be some vague, far-off prize at the end of another decade of work. He wanted freedom NOW. Freedom to work from anywhere. Freedom to travel. Freedom to spend the grim UK winter somewhere that didn't require a big coat, central heating, and emotional support biscuits. He didn't just dream about it. He designed it. Craig built a portable business. He reduced his financial drag. He invested sensibly. He decluttered the stuff, the costs, and the commitments that were keeping him stuck. Then he quit corporate life and built a digital nomad lifestyle business around work he actually wanted to do. Not because he fancied "quitting my job to start a business" in the Instagram laptop-on-a-beach sense (anyone ever tried actually USING a laptop on a beach??) But because he wanted a business that supported his life, rather than a life that was permanently being sacrificed to support his business. And from that journey, Craig created a simple five-step framework that others can swipe and deploy if they want their own version of financial freedom, and run a business from anywhere in the world. These days, Craig spends months abroad, gets more sunshine than the average Brit should legally be allowed, and runs a business that gives him the freedom he planned for. Not by accident. Not by magic. By discipline, planning, smart decisions, and surrounding himself with the right people. Craig's story is a reminder that your dream lifestyle business probably isn't as ridiculous as your brain keeps telling you it is. You just need to price it up, reverse-engineer it, and start making those 1% improvements. That's what Craig did. You can hear Craig's story in full (including his full 5-step framework) in this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast.

May 6, 202638 min

"I learned to scale my business at the poker table"

Sep Frijia describes himself as a poker player in an entrepreneur's body. Last summer, he was stuck at mediocrity in both his poker and business pursuits, but he decided to flip the script. By shifting his focus to long-term purpose rather than short-term wins , Sep transformed his approach and outcomes. He studied the game-changing strategies of blueprints, reflection, and incremental progress , applying them both at the poker table and in his business. His mindset evolved from chasing immediate results to playing the long game , becoming unapologetically all-in on his purpose and trusted decision-making. This journey culminated in winning his poker league, a trophy, and the One Percenter of the month award - proving that sustained effort and clarity can lead to unstoppable success . ( Read more about how the One Percent Club can transform your approach here ) Want to learn how Sep's mindset and strategies can help you level up ? Tune into the latest episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast - available wherever you listen!

April 1, 202652 min

"I've edited more than 250 books.. and now written my own!"

Jill French is a book coach and editor, who has edited more than 250 books, for fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoirs. And now she's written her own book too - a book that languished at the bottom of her to-do list for years - until she joined the One Percent Club , and made it happen. Jill leaned into the One Percent Club to help make this process easier - she used weekly accountability calls to maintain constant, never-ending progress towards the huge goal, and deal with any road blocks that stood in her way. She attended regular Coaching Calls - and always found a nugget or two to implement (and/or add to her Could Do List - to stay on track and avoid overwhelm!) She tapped into the One Percent Club community, to crowd source her book's cover, and hold herself publicly accountable for her 75-day challenge (to create a new client-relevant tip in evergreen format) - which again, she successfully completed. Oh, and Jill has done all this, while enjoying a long trip to Australia... And her reward? a holiday in Gran Canaria - which prompted her to ask the question on our recent One Percent Club Call, "Could I run my business from Gran Canaria?" If you're thinking of writing a book - or creating a business that you LOVE (and could do forever), this episode is for YOU. The Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts...

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