Build What Matters

Hosted by Natalie Potts

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322

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Build What Matters with Natalie Potts is designed for mission led founders who want to redefine what success means to them in life and business. The goal of this podcast is simple. I want to give you the strategies, skills and thinking tools to create the life you want and success on your terms.

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August 20, 2026Episode 13128 min

Build Mode: The Slow, Uncomfortable Work Behind a Business Done Properly | Ep 131

I quit corporate after failing a Directors' sign-off. It's the best thing I ever did, and this episode is why. I'm deep in building Business Built Properly right now, but this isn't a pitch. It's about the bigger thing the build is forcing: letting go of the identity that got me up the ladder, because it's not the one that builds this business. In this one I get into: Why the corporate version of me (all control, certainty, performing the role) is a liability now Learning to trust my intuition as a muscle, not a mood, and what "surrender" actually means when you're building something The new rooms and new people I've leaned into on gut instinct alone, and why that's data not naivety My hard no: I won't work with people who won't put the work in, who won't let themselves win, who stay victims of a life they could change. That's not success to me The groundwork behind all of it, because it's easy to say "trust yourself" and harder to do the reps Why saying no to the wrong thing is what makes room for the right one It's hard. It's still scary. I'm in it, not past it. But I feel called to lead the way. If you're a founder near or past £100k and you want to build a business properly, on your terms, Business Built Properly is where we do exactly this. The waitlist is open now: first access and 20% off, and that rate's gone on 18 September. Join the waitlist: ⁠⁠⁠https://nataliepotts.co.uk/waitlist-join⁠⁠⁠ Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

August 13, 2026Episode 13046 min

A Transformative Guide To Designing Your Dream Life | Ep 130

You've been busy. Building hard. And somewhere in the middle of it, quietly wondering whether you're actually winning the right game. This episode is for you. I'm sharing ten of the ideas that have shaped how I think about building a business and a life at the same time, without one costing you the other. This isn't theory. It's about the trap most founders fall straight into, why the number you're chasing might be the wrong one, and how tiny actions, not dramatic ones, are what actually move your life forward. If you've ever felt like the business is running you instead of the other way round, start here. You're not building a business to become the bottleneck in your own life. You're building it so the business serves the life, not the other way round. Your wealthy life will involve money. In the end it will be defined by everything else. Pick the single pillar running on empty right now: you, the business, your finances, your relationships. Do one small thing for it today. Not properly. Just above zero. That's how it starts, every time. Build What Matters is where established founders learn to grow faster, make more money, and stop being the bottleneck. Hosted by Natalie Potts, Fractional CEO and Strategic Business Partner. Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and share this one with a founder who needs to hear it. Join the waitlist: ⁠⁠https://nataliepotts.co.uk/waitlist-join⁠⁠ Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

August 6, 2026Episode 12927 min

You Don't Fix Fear With Courage. You Fix It With a Calendar | Ep 129

Fear doesn't hold founders back as a feeling. It holds them back as reactive operational choices that look like being busy. The fix isn't courage. It's structure. In this episode: Why fear disguises itself as your to-do list and keeps you the bottleneck. Why courage doesn't scale. How a monthly CEO day and five deliberate pillars make the call before fear gets a vote. And two tools to take back your own authority. Fear almost never shows up as fear. It shows up as your to-do list. Courage doesn't scale. Structure does. Structure is what courage looks like when you don't want to depend on courage. You don't build what matters by being fearless. You build it so you don't have to be. Relying on courage means your business is only as good as your worst day. Join the waitlist: ⁠https://nataliepotts.co.uk/waitlist-join⁠ Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 30, 2026Episode 12828 min

How To Run A Monthly CEO Day | Ep 128

Three years ago I put a circle around one day in my calendar and made a rule. No client calls. No exceptions. I call it my CEO day, and it is the single most valuable thing I do for my business. In this episode I walk you through exactly how I run it. The setup, the five areas I go through every single month, and how you can run your first one this month even if your diary is heaving. If you are brilliant at the work but stuck being the bottleneck in your own business, this is the one habit that gets you out of the passenger seat and into the driver's seat. What you'll learn: Why being busy is not the same as running a business, and how to tell the difference How to actually block a CEO day and protect it The five builds I work through every month: build you, build the business, build finances, build with AI, build relationships The honest questions to ask in each one How to run your first CEO day this month with nothing more than a notebook Lines worth remembering: Being busy is not the same as running a business. You cannot ask the big questions at a hundred miles an hour. You have to stop the car. Knowing your money is not admin. It is power. You are building what matters. By design, not default. Join the waitlist: https://nataliepotts.co.uk/waitlist-join Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 23, 2026Episode 12717 min

What Changed in My Business After Becoming VAT Registered: The Numbers, Pricing Decisions and What I Wish I'd Known | Ep 127

Becoming VAT registered isn't just a tax milestone. It changes how you price, how you read your numbers, and how you make decisions as a founder. In this episode, Natalie shares what actually shifted when she registered, what caught her off guard, and what she wishes she'd understood before she got there. This isn't tax advice. It's the commercial thinking behind one of the moments most growing businesses hit and few talk about honestly. What we cover: Why growth, not a wrong turn, is what brings decisions like VAT, payroll and hiring to your door. The moment revenue stopped feeling like revenue, and why Natalie became far more interested in profit, cash flow and margins than turnover. Why pricing is a leadership decision, not an accounting one, and the real question to ask instead of "will people pay another twenty per cent?" How registering brought unexpected clarity on the ideal client: founders who see their business as an investment, not those chasing the cheapest option. Why every expense started earning its place, and how that shift is how CEOs think. The five questions Natalie wishes she'd asked sooner, from ideal client to margins to the business she's building over the next five years. The bigger lesson underneath it all: at some point instinct isn't enough. You need to understand your numbers, your model and who you're building for so you can make confident decisions instead of emotional ones. A note: this episode is about commercial lessons, not tax advice. Speak to your accountant about your own circumstances. If this made you think differently about pricing, growth or your next stage, Natalie would love to hear from you. Keep building what matters. Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 17, 2026Episode 12634 min

Q&A: Leadership, Growth & The Decisions That Build Better Businesses | Ep 126

In this Q&A episode, I answer the questions founders have been asking me about growing a business, leading with confidence, and making better decisions. From the biggest mistakes I made after hitting six figures to what I'd do if I had to start from scratch, this is a practical conversation packed with lessons from both corporate leadership and building my own business. When working harder helps and when it doesn't The biggest mistake founders make after reaching six figures What I'd do differently if I started my business today Why clarity beats logos, websites and shiny tools The habits and traits of great CEOs How to spot when you've become the bottleneck The toughest business decision I've ever made What corporate taught me that entrepreneurs often overlook Why businesses plateau (and how to avoid it) The best investments I've made in myself and my business A quick-fire round on books, AI, productivity and business beliefs Whether you're building your first six figures or leading an established business, you'll leave with practical ideas you can apply immediately. Have a question you'd like answered in a future episode? I'd love to hear it. Send me a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram, or reply to my newsletter, and your question could be featured in a future Q&A episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another founder who'd benefit from it. Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 16, 2026Episode 12521 min

7 Questions every founder must ask at mid-year | Ep125

The Mid-Year CEO Reset: 7 Questions Every Founder Should Ask Before the End of the Year We're halfway through the year. For many founders, this is the point where they either panic because they're behind on their goals or avoid looking at the numbers altogether. Neither helps. In this episode, I share the same mid-year review process I use with my private clients to help them step back, make better decisions and build momentum for the second half of the year. You don't need another strategy. You need clarity on where your business is today and the confidence to focus on what matters next. Why your honest assessment of the business matters more than your January goals. The difference between a demand problem and a supply problem (and why solving the wrong one wastes months). How to review your offers so you know what to grow, improve or remove. Why revenue alone doesn't tell you whether your business is healthy. The simple planning exercise that keeps you focused on what actually moves the business forward. How small, consistent actions create long-term growth. 🎥 Watch the full CEO Reset framework on YouTube here Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

June 30, 202617 min

Nobody is buying | Ep 124

Why Sales Feel Harder Right Now (And What Smart Businesses Do Instead) If you've found yourself thinking, "People just aren't buying anymore," this episode is for you. The reality is people haven't stopped buying. They've changed how they buy. They're taking longer to decide, asking tougher questions, comparing more options and looking for confidence before they invest. Businesses that continue to grow aren't necessarily the biggest or the loudest. They're the ones whose positioning and messaging make buyers feel understood. In this episode, I explore why blaming the economy can keep founders stuck, how buyer behaviour has evolved, why relevance matters more than visibility, and the practical shifts you can make to stay commercially relevant in today's market. If sales have slowed, ask yourself this: Have my buyers changed faster than my business has? That single question could completely change how you market, sell and grow. Join me and Financial Strategist Sam Hoyle for a FREE live 90-minute Zoom session where we'll help you understand where your business really stands, what your numbers are telling you, what's slowing your growth and the priorities that will have the biggest commercial impact between now and December. Monday 6th July | 12:00pm (UK) | Live on Zoom | No replay Register here: https://luma.com/8rb0j7ya Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

May 14, 2026Episode 12312 min

You Will Be Cringe (And Why That's Exactly the Point) | Ep 123

There's a specific kind of founder who is brilliant, experienced, and genuinely has something important to say and yet is almost entirely invisible in their market. Not because they lack positioning. Not because their offer isn't good. But because they're waiting. Waiting until the words come easier, until the content feels right, until they're sure it won't look like they're trying too hard. This episode is for them. And honestly it might be for you. In this episode, I talk about the fear of being seen before you feel ready, what cringe actually means (and why it's a signal you're on the right track), and the real cost of waiting until you feel ready to show up: Why everyone whose content you admire started somewhere far more awkward and why comparing their chapter twenty-five to your chapter one is keeping you stuck What cringe actually is: why it's a defensive response from people who've opted out of caring, and why you should interpret it as a green light The specific cost of invisibility for established founders and who is getting the clients that should be yours Why the clarity you're waiting for only comes from doing it, not planning to do it Practical permission to lower the bar and start, today, with what you have Why is Your Content not Converting Quiz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click here. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

May 7, 202656 min

Bridging Business and Soul: Why Intuition Is Your Most Underused Business Asset with Marlo Gilbert | Ep 124

Marlo Gilbert, soul alignment strategist and former Fortune 500 executive, joins Natalie to explore why the most successful leaders she's worked with are all highly intuitive, and how you can start using yours in business right now. They get into what intuition actually is (and isn't), why reactive mode kills your ability to hear it, the tension between ego and intuition when it's time to pivot, and why the inner work is often the hardest and most important thing you'll do for your business. Intuition is like a muscle already there, just needs training. Tools like human design are useful frameworks, but handing your agency to something external is the opposite of building inner authority. Feel what comes up, but don't get stuck there. A quiet launch isn't failure, it's data. And entrepreneurship demands a certain spirit: healthy ego, real risk tolerance, and the resilience to come back. "The best business people I've worked with are all highly intuitive." Marlo "Are you moving from a place of agency and alignment — or putting all your power into things external to you?" — Marlo "The risk wasn't taking a risk. It was also scary to stay where I was stuck." Natalie Find Marlo at marlogilbert.com and on Instagram and Facebook. Her signature programme is launching soon, and her retreat, designed to strip back the noise and reconnect you to what your business actually wants, is open for a conversation. If this episode landed, share it with someone who's ready to do things differently. Hit follow so you never miss Success on Your Terms. Why is Your Content not Converting Quiz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click here. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Natalie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠