E25: UK's luxury networking club that thrives on shared experiences instead of sales

Speaker A: I think for, uh, all business owners, your mindset is everything. It's hard to hear any kind of negative feedback or, you know, not protect your baby because you've spent so much time sort of trying to build it up. It is all about making mistakes and learning from those mistakes and also celebrating your successes.

Speaker B: Mrs. Tori Blythe Richards, who is the founder and MD of the Partnership Collection.

Speaker A: I spent 25 years in corporate blue chip. Oh, uh, really? And before I started my business. Yeah. And I've always been very much into communities. Yeah, everyone wants to be part of something. So, you know, you try something that works, you try something else, it doesn't work. And you evolve your business as it goes. Sometimes that's naturally from things that have become popular, feedback that you've had from customers, and things that, uh, have made money foreign.

Speaker B: Hello and welcome to Founder Stories, the podcast for small business owners. I'm your host, Simon Kalu, and I created this show not only to motivate and inspire, but to give you actionable strategies to take back into your business, shortcutting your route to success.

Speaker A: You.

Speaker B: Each week I'll sit down with real and relatable business owners, uncovering how they've created a business that gives them freedom, creates impact, and makes money. So let's get started. Welcome back to Founder Stories. We are back with a bang, as always, bringing you relatable, inspirational business owners. The one thing that I wanted to make sure that this podcast continues to do is bring you business, uh, owners that really are not as it's kind of, you know, on some of the podcasts we talk about, subscribe and like, and then the size of the guest can get bigger. And in my opinion, what that does is make that podcast more and more unrelatable as, from your perspective as our ideal listener or viewer. Uh, you're a business owner. You're a small to medium business owner, and what you really need is inspiration, but action. So you can go away from this podcast, take some of the things you've learned from today back into your business and improve, whether that for you is making more money, having more of an impact, or generating more freedom in your life. So today we've got a very special guest, Mrs. Tori Blythe Richards, who is the founder and MD of the partnership Collection.

Speaker A: Morning, Simon.

Speaker B: Thank you for coming.

Speaker A: Thank you for having me.

Speaker B: Yeah, no worries. It's a pleasure. Um, we will start, we'll get straight into it. Tell me what you do, what is the Partnership Collection? And then we'll kind of reverse back to, uh, to how you got to where you are now.

Speaker A: So predominantly we are a private members club. Uh, but rather than offering a bricks and mortar venue, uh, which is very location based, uh, we offer our members 35 luxury experiences a year.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And they come together through the experience.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So they, they, our members come from all over the uk.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And it might be a, a, a day out on a private yacht. So they'll travel from all over the country and then they come together because they want to enjoy that experience. Yeah, enjoy it with like minded people, great service, um, and doing something predominantly different.

Speaker B: So is it for the purposes of networking and sharing business and people selling to each other, or is it social? Like what's the.

Speaker A: Yeah. Couldn't be further from the truth. I think that there are so many ways these days that you can do business, get business, network, meet people through, uh, business forums. Yeah. There's not that many, um, avenues for my particular type of member to meet new people.

Speaker B: Yeah. It is a very lonely world. Right. Like.

Speaker A: It is. It is.

Speaker B: Hence why I started this podcast originally was to sit with an actual human being and have a conversation. Like, I get that you're speaking to actual human beings when you're on email or you're behind Zoom, but it's not the same thing, right?

Speaker A: Not at all. Not at all. I think my particular type of member are all self made entrepreneurs and business owners.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So they've started a business from scratch and they spent years building it up. Particularly, I think what people tend to forget is, um, there are always two people. One which, uh, is predominantly the entrepreneurial driving force.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And the other one which is I called the Wind Beneath the Wings.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: The one that drives that person forward, looks after everything, perhaps at home or, you know, behind the scenes.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And they're such busy people. They look after everybody from customers, team, colleagues, but they're not very good at rewarding themselves.

Speaker B: Yeah. And also, I guess spending time with that person. Sometimes I find myself.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: You're on the business, on the business, on the business. And maybe you've got a growing family or, uh, you know, you sometimes then find it difficult or feel guilty if you're spending time just the two of you.

Speaker A: Social life becomes bottom of the list. So the club allows people to have something that's really nice in the diary two or three times a year that's completely organized for them. So one hasn't got to have the hassle of sourcing it, organizing it. We do all that. So it makes it an enjoyable experience. Yeah. And then they Turn up and there's other like minded people that um, they can socialize with and make friends. Um, what I tend to find is that a lot of my um, types of clients or members, they, um, they in the uk, when we're not very good at uh, giving people pats on the back.

Speaker B: Yeah. 100%.

Speaker A: Um, it's almost that you have to apologize for being successful. Hide it. You can't let people know that you've done, you know, really well, that you've bought a new car or you've been on a nice holiday or you've got a nice home. You have to apologise for it. And the club provides an environment where everybody's really pleased for you and celebrates the success and you feel comfortable enough to be able to do that. And the sort of last thing really that people talk about um, is business. They find that they share their journeys, the struggles. You know, most m, people have been there, uh, in any entrepreneurial story, they've been perhaps to almost the brink of bankruptcy and back a couple of times because of risk taking, you know, or the opportunities. And then people often see the end result. They don't actually see the journey.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And the struggles that people have had to go through. So it's nice for them to be able to share that as a couple with other, other couples that are the same as them. Um, and it's very sociable and they make friends. Um, and, and, and so I'm very um, sort of prescriptive with people. If you're joining the club to do networking.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It's not the club for you.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Because that's, that's not what we promote. Yeah. Um, we don't sell things to people. I don't allow other members to be sold to. But actually what you do find is when you take that pressure off people at ah, that level, more business gets done outside of the club than anything else.

Speaker B: Yeah. And people buy from people.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And I think that is not like you said, there's more than enough uh, ways for one to go and look at client acquisition strategies.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: However, um, you know, Tony Robbins has this example of where when he was first starting out he had the opportunity to go and meet with all these billionaires. I think it was ah, founder of uh, LinkedIn, maybe some others. But he'd have to get a credit card basically to pay for. Because the only way you could get there onto this private island. He'll tell the story better than me. I'm probably butchering the story. But the only way he could get to this private island was to get a credit card to pay for a helicopter to take him because that's the only way he could get there. But he knew if he went there and it wasn't a situation where people were selling to each other or doing business, networking, it was just a case of meeting people at that level and he knew something would come of it.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: He went there, he had a relationship. You know, a few weeks or a few months later, someone phones him up and says, hey, Tony, can you run this event for me or can you do this? And it was like a hundred times return. But I think the key is he didn't go into it looking to sell his services to those people. He just knew that having a network of people that are, um, at the same level as you or further ahead is always going to be beneficial, whether it's socialization or it's support or inspiration. You know, a lot of the time I best. I bet your entrepreneurs lose touch with some of their friends because they've gone and I find this. They've gone to a certain level and either you can't then relate to your old friends.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Or sometimes they're jealous of you. Which my wife and I have found it difficult sometimes to form long term relationships with other couples that we've met, maybe through football or school or wherever.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Because you know this, maybe it's wrong, maybe they just don't like us. But, you know, I doubt that they'll follow you on social media and see that you're on holiday quite a lot. They come around the house and see you've got this and that. And then I just find like it's difficult to maintain a relationship. And the only thing I can think it is is that it makes them potentially feel uncomfortable. Like we spoke about not drinking. I don't drink. They. Maybe they drink every weekend. They've got a 9 to 5 job and they're stuck in that routine and you're making them feel uncomfortable.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Whereas if you were with other people that were in the same situation, they're not. They're making you feel good about your achievements and good about yourself.

Speaker A: Yeah. I think one of the challenges in any sort of entrepreneurial journey anyway is isolation.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I think you are naturally isolated because you are on a different journey to other people. Naturally isolated because you're perhaps working longer hours. Um, and you know, m. Isolated because anyone in your own business, apart from your own, your partner, your wife, you know, you can't share everything that's going on in Your business. Yeah. And I think people spend that long on this journey when they sort of look round because they are now successful and they can start, start enjoying it. Actually. They've outgrown a lot of their family and friends. And I mean that, I don't mean that in a derogatory way in any way, shape or form, but they then find themselves in a situation where they either, uh, always have to pay for what. For everyone else to do what they want to do. So for example, you know, we're having a box or we're having a chef's table and then that becomes embarrassing for everybody.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And people become resentful or they end up doing things that they don't particularly want to do socially because that's what everyone else can afford to do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so the club gives them this beautiful platform to do, you know, some really cool things. I'm a massive believer there's no such thing as money can't buy, because money can buy anything these days.

Speaker B: Tell me about some of the experiences that, that you've had over the last few years.

Speaker A: I mean, both my husband and I have been so incredibly lucky not only to have done some of the most phenomenal experiences, but also to share that with the members. Yeah, I mean our most popular experience, um, that we do, which is the only one that we do year after year are our, our yacht trips.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So, um, you know, day out in a private yacht.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Out from Southampton over to the Isle of Wight. We go to a really lovely cosmopolitan, beautiful open air restaurant with a live dj, gorgeous food. And it gives people that ability. On a boat, you're stuck with 12 people. You've got to get to know people. Of course there's a few drinks involved and. But when people get out there, they cannot, they cannot believe that we're actually in the uk.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: This year we're doing that for the very first time in Marbella. But we try and do things that perhaps not so much other people can't get hold of, but they just can't source or sort of do themselves. We, this November, we're taking over the whole of Royal Yacht Britannia for a full blown garlic Scottish dinner.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And they will be able to sit and be in the Queen's living room where she, uh, sat Queen Elizabeth II and served by the people that serve the royal family with all tales of, you know, the King and Princess Diana and things like that. Well, that's not something that you would go and organize on a Saturday night just for you and your spouse. No.

Speaker B: Uh, and you wouldn't even think to organize it. Not that you could organize it, but maybe you could organize a yacht and maybe you could invite people along. But the amount of time, effort and process that have to go into it, I wouldn't even start the process. And not that I grant myself with the skills to actually do a good job of it. So my wife would love that. She watches this show, uh, or watch this show below deck.

Speaker A: Yes, I know the very well.

Speaker B: And her, uh, thing is because we're all about saving at the moment, you know, and economizing and everything that's happening in the uk and bills going up and all of these things and kids going to school and school fees going up and all of these things. But our goal obviously is in the next few years to, you know, accumulate wealth and provide generational wealth for our kids so they can choose to do what they want to do, but then also not just hoard and save the money to spend some of that money on experiences. Like you said, you don't know how long you're here for. For some people, they might not be in a situation yet to be able to do these things, depending on the cost of the club and all of these things, but they can still take the same principle and go and have experiences themselves and go backpacking or whatever it might be and create their own network. Um, but for us to be in that fortunate position, that yacht trip sounds amazing and Marbella sounds even better because you've got guaranteed weather then, haven't you? How did you. I mean, you're effectively. You know, a lot of people start a business because they are a technician or they're really good at something and they end up being chained to their business and they haven't designed their business around the life that they really want. But it sounds like you made a conscious decision to go into a business that would give you a dream life. Like, what was your process when you started this? How did you, like, how did you do your first event and get into the process and then scale from there? Did you consciously make a decision? This is where I want my life to be in 10 years running this business. Because I can sit see that I'm making a profit. However much that is, doesn't really matter because you're getting to do all the things that you would spend your money on anyway. Yeah, that makes sense. Like, how did you do your first event? How did you, how did it evolve?

Speaker A: I mean, I would like to say it was a massive 10 year plan, but anyone that knows me Knows that, um, I'm not that kind of a person. Yeah. And I think like all, uh, businesses, it evolves. So you know, you try something that works, you try something else, it doesn't work. And you evolve your business as it goes. Sometimes that's naturally from things that have become popular, um, feedback that you've had from customers and things that have, that have made money. Um, so you know, it is all about making mistakes, um, and learning from those mistakes and also celebrating your successes. It, it evolved. When we very first started, I spent 25 years in corporate blue chip. Oh really? Um, and before I started my business.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And um, I've always been very much into communities.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Everyone wants to be part of something. Now that might be something like being part of a big family. It could be being part of a team team. Um, but everybody, your local quiz club. But everybody wants to be part of something. Yeah. And so it's really important to found communities. People like to flock together. Birds of a feather flock together. And so everything that I've ever done and I've done lots and lots of things over the years has been about creating like minded communities. And when I very first started the club, um, I wasn't sure whether it was going to be a business club, whether it was going to be higher networking, social. And I had some people that were founders, some people that were corporate directors, but work for other people. And I found that people had very different agendas. So some people came to the club, they wanted to do business, they wanted to give out their business card and connect with people. And then other people just wanted to enjoy the experience.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And slowly but surely people were saying, could I bring my wife to this? She'd love this. Or I've seen that on the calendar. It's something that my mom has always wanted to do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Could I bring them? And so after probably about 18 months, I had to make a decision whether the club was going to be business orientated or social orientated.

Speaker B: But you got to that decision by listening, I guess, active listening to. Did you just talk to people and have conversations or did you give people feedback surveys or how did you come to the conclusion that people, uh, did have those differing viewpoints and it was not working? Were some of the, uh, founders and entrepreneurs that had made it coming back with negative feedback about the employees or team members that were giving their cards out? Like how did that loop?

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I mean it was very much, you know, know, um, um, I'm not coming to the events to be sold to. So could you do you. Would you mind not sitting me next to that person again?

Speaker B: But you have to be listening to that. Right. And you have to be open to it and not just think that you've had this original business plan and this business idea and that's how it has to stay.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: One big lesson for people, you know, listening or watching is your idea may not work and you may have to evolve the idea over time and you have to be open to getting feedback from your customers.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Give them what they want, not what you think they need.

Speaker A: I think, I mean I'm a massive believer in the more technology driven that the world becomes.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: The more that, um, people in particular successful, high net worth individuals crave personal service.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I just want to talk to someone. So our, uh, members come to the events, however many experiences that they choose a year, but I actually go out and see them two or three times a year on a personal basis.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: Because I'm a massive believer in whenever I'm with that particular member, I want them to feel as if they are the most important member in the club.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so it is all about communicating and trying and finding out, you know, who did you sit with? Did you like them? You know. Oh, uh, they were wonderful. They were absolutely brilliant. And actually, you know, people use the club. So if that couple comes from Yorkshire and that couple comes from London, they'll say we want to go on whatever David and Tori are going on or we want to go on whatever Simon's going on. Can you say?

Speaker B: Yeah, because so they don't do all of the events. They can pick the ones they want and you can help connect people if they've made a really good connection with another couple.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: To reconnect. That's really interesting and a lesson for me actually because I'm always thinking about, and I do do this to a certain extent, but now you've reinforced how important it is. Look, we've had clients, um, who've been with us for 10 plus years and some of them, when we were in London, I used to go and visit once a month to go through their financials with them. But maybe now I haven't seen them face to face for five or six years. But really based on what you've said, actually in 2025 I'm going to make it a point to go through those probably bigger clients because it has to warrant taking the trip and sitting down with them and all of these things and go and actually sit with them and get face to face feedback. And what do they want from us over the next year and is there anything we can do to improve and all of that stuff because very different to just pinging off an email. It shows that you are making an effort and you really care.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Which is another lesson for anyone running a service business or I guess even if you're selling a product, picking customers that maybe are some of the, you know, I buy all my clothes from represent this UK brand because just like your members like you to create events for them. I want simplicity and efficiency in buying clothing. So I know this brand, I trust this band I bought, they have a reward system and I've got all the way up to platinum. But what they could do uh, is pick the platinum people that spend more than say five grand a year on their clothes and go and get them together and ask them what do they think do. So if you're selling a product it can still apply.

Speaker A: I mean I think the thing is, is sometimes we're asked for feedback in a digital way.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: By everyone out there. You know you're asked to rate your every driver when he delivers your parcel. Um, you know, constantly. And I think it, it's people are asking for reviews and things like that. Um, we have to be very discreet. I don't disclose who were members. You know, we've got a small testimonial video on the website but it's, it, it's not really there more than anything to endorse us and the product because everything that we do is um, is word of mouth and customer referral. For us it's more about um, people. Am I going to fit in? Are they going to be my kind of person? You know most of our customers will say things like well that's a calendar for posh people but I'm not posh. So it's making sure that there's going to be relatable people that like I said, have been on the same journey as them. Like the same things as them.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Because people automatically think that just because the events are luxury that there is going to be really posh people there.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And anyone.

Speaker B: Or snobbery.

Speaker A: Absolutely. Yeah. Anyone that's met me knows that I'm definitely not posh and definitely not like that. Um, and I've tried to pick like I said, you know, birds of a feather flock together. So um, you know it's for me it's been about trying to find those like minded people. And um, and like I said, you know we've uh, I've been rewarded with lots of referrals and word of mouth myself.

Speaker B: So, yeah, there's no one that I know. I'm sure there is, but there's no one that I know in the UK at least, doing what you do with the focus of it not being primarily to pass business. And it's actually as identified a gap, which is another lesson for people to try and not create a product or service because you think that it's there. You have to prove that there is a gap for people. And I guess. Well, one of my questions actually, to come back totally unrelated is if you've been 25 years in blue chip and being a team member.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Uh, how did you make that decision to then go and work for yourself and be an entrepreneur?

Speaker A: Uh, I mean, I've always been very sort of entrepreneurial, don't fit the mold, sort of, you know, what's the saying, Round peg in a square hole, that type of thing. Um, and working in any environment that's been entrepreneurial and creative driven. So you, in other words, you're allowed to have an opinion. I've always been really good. Yeah, but. And perform really well. But if you try and put me m in a very political environment where, you know, everybody says what they think people want to hear. Yeah, that's not proxy environment for me. Um, don't get me wrong, is really, really hard. I mean, I can remember getting to the end of the first year and sort of saying, what do you mean, I'm not a millionaire? I couldn't quite believe that I hadn't made it after the first year.

Speaker B: Yeah. How many years have you been running this?

Speaker A: 10 years, actually. I celebrated 10 years last week.

Speaker B: Congratulations.

Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. So, yeah, it's like everybody, it's been a tough journey.

Speaker B: I think once you get outside of that 10 years as well, you're almost that gladiator that's in the ring that nothing can kill. Because 97% of businesses, I think, fail within the 10 years now.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: And I don't believe it's a case of, okay, after that point, the longer you stay in, the likelihood goes up. I think there's a certain point that you can get past where you've got the foresight to your future cash flows. You understand, based on what's happened in the past. I mean, it's all about financials in my view. You know, you know what's happened over the last 10 years, you know how many members you've got, you know what your outgoing costs are. You've learned to not spend too much money, to balance your books. And if things happen and change, you adapt to them much more quickly. You become much more resilient by that point. Um, so I think that stat almost makes it seem like outside of the 10 years you get more and more and more likely to fail. Um, but I don't think that is the case. I think there's a tipping point where those businesses then go on and succeed. But they have to keep evolving. Like it sounds like for me, you're always listening for how you can make things better.

Speaker A: I think. I mean it's like anybody, isn't it? Your business is your baby. Um, and you know it's, it's hard to hear any kind of negative feedback or you know, not protect your baby because you've spent so much time sort of trying to build it up. I mean I'm so incredibly lucky to um, have a very loyal um, following of members. You know, we, I've still got my original two members that uh, opened the club with me 10 years ago.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker A: And that's real testament. In fact. Actually I only went to see him in his office in Edgbaston this week.

Speaker B: That's so rare because I know uh, my first ever client was probably my wife actually and I've still got her. So technically I've got her. But the other two, one sold up and moved to Australia and the other one sold their business recently. I won't say who uh, it is but uh, moved away from us over a period of time just because, because we became friends. And then sometimes you want to separate friends and being your accountant.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: But to have the first two just shows.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Because they're not going to keep paying you even if they are affluent and wealthy. Probably people who are affluent and wealthy want to account for return on investment even more than people that aren't. They're less likely to waste their money. Right.

Speaker A: Yeah, they, they, they are uh, very value driven.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I think that people are looking that people don't mind paying for good service as long as they feel as if they're getting value for money. The, the challenging thing for sort of me and my team is to constantly. Because we've got so many long term members.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Is to constantly keep finding new things to do. Yeah. Um, and sort of keeping on evolving the business. I think that um, the last 12 months for any business has been incredibly challenging.

Speaker B: Yeah. Especially in the uk.

Speaker A: Yeah. It doesn't matter who you talk to in what industry. I certainly believe that um, business has changed more over the last 12 months than even it did over Covid.

Speaker B: I, uh, I totally agree. We're finding it, uh, for us and I believe we have a unique service offering and our clients, it's never been this hard to convert prospects to bring them on board. People have never been this driven to understand the return on investment and not lent more into trust and testimonials, um, for whatever reason. And it's weird, isn't it, because you'd think that around Covid time, whenever, or post Covid, when everyone was really pinching the pennies, it would be then. Now there's some economic growth, one would have thought that, uh, it would become easier. I don't know. I don't know whether it's actual reality of the economic situation or people's perception of this fear of all things right now, whether it's like personal safety or the economy or millionaires leaving the UK or what's going to happen. It's just general uncertainty, isn't it?

Speaker A: I think since 2007, I think most people, people that have been. Been in business a long time, I think that they understand that there are recessions every 19 or 20 years, changes to the economy, but since 2007, it's been relentless. So, Covid, um, the crash, uh, the, the, the Ukraine and Russian war. There's always a blame on something.

Speaker B: Yeah. The government right now and the change in taxes and then entrepreneurs leaving and, and stuff.

Speaker A: Absolutely. And I think what people, you know, we've very recently changed the, um, the membership. Because what I think people are looking for, this is across every age group M and every walk of life is people don't want to commit to things. They want flexibility in everything that they do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And they don't want to commit to things because just in case something changes or just in case business doesn't go as well or just in case something else happens.

Speaker B: Yeah. They move maybe out of the UK and most of your events.

Speaker A: So I think if you can be as flexible and as adaptable as you can to your customers.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, you know that that's the key. And never, ever, ever lose sight of the fact that without custom you're nothing.

Speaker B: Yeah. Um, and actually, and we've done this before, not now, but if you do, especially, especially if you're running a service business, just focus on your customers, constantly getting feedback, constantly trying to improve. There's a really good article by Kevin Kelly called one, ah, Hundred Raving Fans, I think, or A Thousand Raving Fans. But really you only need to get to maybe a hundred clients.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: And if you just focus on your clients, they will grow your business for you.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Assuming, you know, each one pays you enough money to generate a viable business, et cetera, et cetera. But the principle of it applies to any business. I think what a lot of people do is they focus on their attention then on client acquisition and forget about the service delivery to their existing clients. Because a business should be able to attract new clients, convert those, or attract new prospects, convert those prospects into paying clients at an effective conversion percentage, but then retain those clients. So it's almost like this triangle that goes around and around. And if you are not retaining your clients and you focus too much on one side, I'm drawing a triangle out with my, uh, hand on the table for those that aren't watching. But you have to have them all in balance. Right. But if you're going to focus on one, it'd probably be your clients.

Speaker A: I think the thing is, is that the longer that people are with you, the more they trust you. Yeah, the more they trust you, the more that they'll spend with you. Um, and so I, I find that, um, you know, as long as you're, you're doing activity, so as long as you're talking to the people out there that aren't your clients with, whether that be through social media or your website or newsletters or you know, whatever it is, you're doing, some, uh, you know, I do a lot of face to face networking and things like that. So as long as you're doing some sort of activity and as long as you're looking after your, your customers, like I said, you know, in year one, you know, I'll find that people will join the, the club on a small membership and then they get a few more friends and they get used to you and they know what to expect and then they'll upgrade. And then all of a sudden it's. You couldn't. Do you know that, you know that yacht day. Could you do that for my clients? I'd uh, love to take my clients out like that.

Speaker B: Okay, so it's not just the. To tell me what you do then other than the membership. So you do the membership and you can, um, buy credits, I guess, for a certain number of events through the year or opt into a certain number of events. But you can also, you can organize events for companies.

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, we, we've, we, we do a lot of private events and we do a lot of corporate events. So you know, we've done everything from celebration birthdays and stuff for people's kids. I don't mean like Young kids, you know, 21st, 30th, 40th that kind of thing. So private parties, because a lot of my clients are very private about their home life. And also lots of stuff for companies from great big awards ceremonies down to, to, you know, I think because I'm quite creative.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It's about understanding how you can get the best return on investment for, uh, um, out of a private event. Because, um, there's lots of corporate hospitality out there.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I was talking to somebody yesterday at an event and they'll find that they might go and buy, I don't know, a box, say, uh, a premiership football match or rugby or cricket or something like that. And because of the level of people that they're inviting, they'll invite them perhaps at a weekend, um, on a Saturday or, or that kind of thing. And because those people are getting invited to lots of things from charity events and golf days and all sorts of things, all of a sudden, then they'll get to the week before and they'll send out the reminders and they'll say, oh, I'm sorry, I can't make it anymore. Or, you know, and um. Because obviously they're also asking that person, that CEO, uh, or that founder or that client to come and spend their outside of work time doing something that's business related.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And then they end up with either an empty box or having to invite people off the hoof and not quite having the people in there. And it's been a complete waste of time. What we tend to do is, I've always said, is everything's based around friendship.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: The best client relationships you'll ever have. The best, you know, those relationships in a family where you really want to be with that person. Um, the best marriages, the best colleague relationships are all based on friendship. Yeah. And so therefore, if you can get into somebody's, um, sort of personal life, then that's. That's brilliant. So if you put on an event, for example, a private yacht day, or for example, a chef's table or a celebrity, um, cookery course, and invite the client and his wife or the client and her husband when they're going together on a Saturday morning, you've got to make your invitation completely different to everybody else's. And so we specialize in coming up with that solution that is completely different to what anybody else is offering.

Speaker B: Okay. And then they're most likely to get

Speaker A: the yeses and to get and to come to your. Yeah. And then they spend quality time with their clients.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And they don't have to do any hosting or anything because that's ah, all what we do.

Speaker B: That's cool. And so do you take the whole thing over for them or do they still manage the budget of the event? Like, I'm really interested in how you learned. What were you doing in blue chip? Were you doing a similar thing?

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean I've always been in. I was a national entertainment manager looking after events and trying to get people back into venues. I've uh, always done a lot of live events and, and that sort of thing.

Speaker B: So you had experience basically in budgeting, understanding how. Because to me it's really complicated. You've got so many moving parts. You've got a budget for all the costs of the event.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Which there must be hundreds.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: For certain events.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Then you've got to make sure you put enough of a margin on to make your profit.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: If costs come in different, what they'd originally quoted.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: How do you account for that, all of that stuff? Who's responsible for that now in your business?

Speaker A: Me.

Speaker B: Okay. You just use spreadsheets and things like that to. On top of it.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I, ah, I mean I've got Emily, um, and she keeps me on the straight and narrow and I keep the client on the straight and narrow. You know, it's, and it's, it is one of the biggest challenges with the club these days. We, our calendar goes 12, 18 months in advance.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And maybe we've um. Because costs have gone up so much, the hospitality industry has changed so much over the last 12 months. Dynamic pricing, um, increases like everybody has, but increases in service charges. So you know, when you go out and you and your wife go out for something to eat on a Saturday night, the bill might be a couple of hundred quid to 20% of that. Okay. You know, you can, you can swallow that.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But when you're dealing with an event that's perhaps 7, 8, 9, £10,000, 20 of that is an awful lot of money.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, and so there, uh, if you're not careful, you can get tripped up with things that you perhaps didn't anticipate.

Speaker B: And what does that come through? Obviously, having a good financial model for each event, then building your overall financial model with all the events feeding into it and then the experience, I guess, comes into it. What's happened in the past and what's likely that.

Speaker A: Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: And I guess it's. You started off with one event and then you've gone to two, and then you've gone to three.

Speaker A: You've built it up.

Speaker B: You've not bitten off more than you can chew?

Speaker A: No.

Speaker B: Okay, that's cool. Um, have you sought out a mentor at all or had any help? Do you utilize the network to ask members for their advice or help sometimes on your own business or have you just got it alone for the last time?

Speaker A: I have been, I mean, I'm a self development junkie.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So I am, um, constantly reading, learning on courses, watching podcasts and buying courses and things like that.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But I have been so incredibly lucky over the years. Whether it be a higher power, the universe, someone looking out for me to have so much support, it's been unbelievable. Probably I'm a little bit guilty of react, not just listening, but reacting to, um, an opinion. So if somebody might give me some feedback, I will react straight away. And some of my team, and I have a coach every week and my team will go, whoa, it's one person's opinion. If it was all of the people's opinion.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So I'm, I'm launching something new in April and one of the things that I've learned is, uh, we're putting in a focus group.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So that we can try out ideas and prices and branding and all sorts of things to a bigger audience. Because I, I will react quite quickly to things. Like I said, if I perceive your

Speaker B: baby and you take it personally and it's a reaction of you and all of these things. Right?

Speaker A: Yeah. But because a lot of the members have got such much bigger businesses than me, I automatically, I, uh, suppose put them on a pedestal and think that their opinion might be the right opinion instead of sometimes going with my own gut feeling.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But like I said, you know, the support and the mentoring that I've had over the years has been phenomenal.

Speaker B: And you do. So you do have a business coach every week now?

Speaker A: I do, yes.

Speaker B: Does that, what does that give you? Is it primarily insight or is it actually accountability or a bit of both?

Speaker A: I think it's a bit of everything. I mean, I'm not a naturally habitual person.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And my, the first thing that my coach did with me was that, uh, I call him at 8:30 every Monday morning. Now that's not 8:29 and it's not 8:31. It's 8:30 every Monday morning and it's now automatic. Yeah. Um, and it gives me focus. Um, he brings me down to earth sometimes because obviously I have probably 20 ideas a week. 19 of them might not be so good.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And, and, and also as well, I'm a very hypercritical person of myself.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So sometimes he'll say, you know, I think you need to celebrate your success a little bit, celebrate what you've done, what you've achieved. Um, and so it's just been, you know, very, very supportive.

Speaker B: Yeah. I think for everyone, they should have a coach of some sort or a mentor. You can go for periods in between having them. Like we were a part of a mastermind in the US and we'd fly to the US Three times a year, and we got to the point where we'd learned so much, we didn't have enough time necessarily to implement, I think. So now I'm having a gap in between. And that was a group coaching model.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Actually, um, while you're talking about it, though, I'm thinking to myself, even in the gap of learning things, just having a coach for accountability and what are you doing this week? And what did you get done this week and what could have been better? And talking to someone. So I have a therapist through BetterHelp for my, you know, personal issues, problems, whatever it is, and I can speak with them every week.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Then what I find I do is I'm able to debrief the week. What went well, what didn't go well, what do I want to talk about on that particular therapy session? Um, once I've been through all the main things, I can then get help from them, like cognitive behavioral therapy, coaching, things like that. But just having that checkpoint, and I have that for my personal, like bodybuilding as well. So even if that coach isn't bringing the ideas to the table, just the framework of what's your plan for the week? How was last week? What are you going to do differently? Instead of just writing it in my journal like I do now.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Probably would be good to actually force yourself always into speaking.

Speaker A: I think you should have different coaches for different things. Yeah. So, M. My Monday coach is my mindset coach.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So he, you know, brings me back, um, works on my mindset.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: Because I think for all business owners, your mindset is everything.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: You know, then you perhaps need somebody. I think it's about trying to understand what your weaknesses are. Um, so my weaknesses are, um, finances, discipline, spreadsheets, or, you know, that kind of thing. So making sure that you've all. You've got somebody that. That supports your weaknesses.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: M. You know, you might want. I don't know, I've. Over the years, I've had hypnotherapy, um, members of female groups Female masterminds, all sorts of things. So I think on your business journey. Journey, just keep learning. That's what I would say. You can never learn enough about yourself and about others.

Speaker B: That's why I love these episodes, actually. I invite people, guys on the podcast that, uh, secretly I just want to grill for my own benefit and I learn these lessons. And then after the podcast and you go away, I'll go into my office and I'll write down all the things that I've learned and the changes that I want to make. One of those will be putting in place a coach. Actually, for me the gap won't be strategy or tactics because I have that. It will be mindset, uh, consistency in mindset. I think entrepreneurs, especially driven ones like us, uh, and self critical because you want to be always successful and doing things perfectly and optimizing your time and optimizing your effort. You can go, go, go, go, go. And then I find sometimes then you'll crash down for a bit.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And then you can come back up and then you can crash down for a bit. Well, I'm always searching for consistency. I'd rather be at 80% all the time for the whole year than at 100% and then at 0 and then at 100 0. Because that's, you know, draining after a while.

Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, my, um, coach is Terry Gormany from the Mindshaper Academy.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And the one thing that he constantly drills into me, which I, I hope 2025 is going to be one of my learnings because it hasn't been for the last four or five years. Yeah. Is, um, that you have to take breaks. You have to reward yourself, you have to take breaks. Um, and I've recently read, um, a book probably four or five times, which is Shine by Gino Wickman.

Speaker B: Oh, I haven't read that. I know Gino Wickman though. He did Rocket Fuel, didn't he?

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: Really good book. Actually. All of his books are good. Yeah.

Speaker A: Yeah. So this is all about being driven and it's all. And, and um, and 10 disciplines. And one of the disciplines is, is about taking time off.

Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. That's interesting.

Speaker A: I'm not brilliant at taking time off and I, um, will, I think, I think like all entrepreneurs, you think you're a superhero.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Which you are in your own mind. And I will go and go and go with, without any kind of holidays, um, breaks, that sort of thing. And then I find, not only do I become exhausted, but I actually find my creativity dries up 100%.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I took the whole of December off.

Speaker B: Okay. Nice.

Speaker A: Which was the very, very first time that I'd ever done anything like that. Yeah. Um, and that was driven by my husband and by Terry. Together, y and I have come up with the most fabulous idea for 2025. Re. Launched. Remolded the club for 2025.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Based on what's happening in and around the world.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I feel, um, you know, much, much better. Uh, and I certainly won't be making that mistake again.

Speaker B: Yeah. I think I. Well, I totally agree with you. What I've done in the past and the changes I made, just in case they're helpful for either you or anyone, is, um, I'll make a plan for the year using a one page business plan, very similar to the Gino Wickman, uh, entrepreneurial operating system plan, but just a simplified version. Then I pick three projects for each three months on the business to work on. So one of mine, for example now is to hire a marketing manager rather than that being my responsibility. So that's a project that I want to get done in the next, uh, 12 weeks. Another one might be launching, or is actually launching a course for real early stage startup business owners that can't afford maybe a virtual cfo. They want to learn themselves though, some of those business skills. Almost like a mini MBA with a focus on finance.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But what I'll do is instead of working, which I used to do for the 12 weeks, and then going straight into the next set of projects.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Is our work for 10 weeks.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Then I'll debrief the progress on the projects. Does it need rolling forward to the next quarter? Did I complete it? What could have gone better? Da da da da da. And then in the last week of the 12 weeks, that's totally off from on the business stuff. So I might not take a holiday. I might just do an hour or two a day on the critical things. But I don't do anything above and beyond. In an ideal world though, I'm taking a holiday every three months. So that worked great. But then what I realized wasn't working great. My kids are 10 and nine.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Is that that didn't necessarily fall in with the school calendar. And so I'd be, you know, a week seven in my project, wanting to work nine to five and my kids are off on half term. My wife's taking them out to all these, you know, doing all these cool things and I'm not a part of that.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So what I've decided to do now and I've started doing. Is actively block out the half terms as well. You can't mean you can't take the whole summer. I mean, the more you pay for kids schooling, the more holidays they have. This is what I found. So you can't take the whole summer holidays off.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But in a way, I want to get to the point where every time they're off school, I'm only doing a couple of hours in the morning and then I'm off for the rest of the day.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And then when they're at school, maybe I'm working longer hours.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And I'm working Friday again, uh, which I never used to. And there's a trade off there. So I think it depends, you know, if your kids are, uh, if you have no kids, you can do the simple quarterly system or some other system that works for you. If you've got kids actually, uh, you're trying to work from home and they're on holiday and you run your own business. Why not just work harder when they're at school and then take a bit of time off if you can?

Speaker A: Yeah, I think. I mean, our son is 28.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So.

Speaker B: Wipes his own bottom.

Speaker A: Oh, I'm, um, not quite sure. Actually. I believe you and me, it doesn't get easier. No, we, I mean, we've just helped him to set up his own business in the last year.

Speaker B: What does he do?

Speaker A: Um, he's a structural landscaper.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So he does big garden makeovers and things like that. Ah. Uh, I know more about construction and groundworks and that sort of thing now than I ever did. But it's, it's been incredibly rewarding to, uh, to support him, help him, um, and sort of, you know, he's certainly done a lot better than I did in my first year of business.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But when you. We've only got one. One son.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I've almost been, I suppose, child free, you might want a, uh, better word, for probably 10 years.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, and actually you need to be more disciplined because you can just work all the time. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Like, I find that if my wife has gone on holiday or she's taken the kids off for a few days or whatever.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: You just go in the office and never come out.

Speaker A: Well, the other thing is, obviously we've got an incredibly sociable business.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So when you're doing lovely things like Michelin star dining and supercar events and all of that sort of thing, you know, um, they're lovely things to do and it kind of feels like you're on a permanent holiday. But actually you do need to take time to remove your head, put it on a sunbed next to you somewhere and take that time out that you don't think about business at all.

Speaker B: Yeah. And I think people are becoming more aware of this. But there'll still be probably the majority of people listening to this, this that aren't aware of it and do feel guilty. So don't. And take time off and actually then come back and realize how many great ideas you had. All the best ideas come like the founder of Nike. I watched the film with my kids, try and watch inspirational things with them, and then my wife balances it off by watching like Traitors and not Love island with the kids. But you know, those kind of reality TV shows, which is good. It's good for them to have a balance. And he would go out running the Nike founder and then that's where he'd get all the ideas and then come straight back into the office in his running gear and write all his ideas down and things like that. So, yeah, it's a really good bit of advice. Now, what's your routine like then, from a work perspective? Do you work five days a week? Does your, do you, do you try and create a structure for your day? Do you go to the gym? What do you do to stay mentally healthy? What does that look like now? And how has it changed?

Speaker A: Maybe, I mean, um, I spent more time working from home. Home this year. Yeah. As I said, because I'm looking to launch something else in April.

Speaker B: What's happening in April then? Because you. So you've teased us with it three or four times, but we don't know what it is yet.

Speaker A: So as I said in the beginning, I'm a massive believer in, in building communities. Yeah. And, um, over the last three years that the, the, the club is predominantly couples.

Speaker B: Okay. Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, I'd probably say it's 95% couples. Yeah. We have the, the, the odd single person, um, who doesn't mind turning up at the events, um, themselves. It's perhaps very extrovert. Um, but about three years ago, I started to have a look at Single Market. Yeah. And I've spent the last three years researching into it. It's incredibly technology driven. It's very seedy, it's very sexualized. Um, and, um, it's, uh. When I've been chatting to people, um, it's quite strange because, um, the dating world is certainly not, um, now like it was before.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, and what I want to do is go back to basics. So on the 12th of April, we're launching and it's called Not a Date.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So it is exactly what it says.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It's a club for single people.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: That's based in and around friendship because as we spoke about, that's the basis of everything. And if people come to the club and they find the love of their life, I think that'll be absolutely amazing.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But like with, um, the club, we say don't go. Don't come for networking.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: This is don't come for dating.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So if you end up finding a group of really nice friends that you can end up going away for the weekend or, you know, your lifelong friend. Brilliant.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But actually all good marriages, the basis is friendship. Yeah. So if you start from there, then that's what it's all about.

Speaker B: And is it for entrepreneurs specifically?

Speaker A: I think it is aimed at professional, uh, or entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial market, probably slightly older market.

Speaker B: Yeah. Which is really nice because actually, you know, you want probably, if you're an entrepreneur, uh, to find someone driven, intelligent, you know, wants to be their best self. It doesn't have to be that they're also running a business. Like my wife retired, was a dentist, retired at, uh, I don't know, 30 or something. But she has the hardest job to look after the kids, to shape them, to build them up too. Like you said, she's the one that the win.

Speaker A: Win.

Speaker B: Yeah, I wasn't going to say that. Yeah. Don't want to give her too much credit. Um, and also though, when I've got things running around in my head, I'll go and ask her and she always has something really intelligent to think about and she'll think of things that I haven't thought about. So it's not like if I was single and I went to that, it would have to be an entrepreneur or someone running a business or working, but I'd want someone that was that type of person.

Speaker A: Actually, you'll find a lot of the time opposites attract.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: So, you know, a very driven alpha male.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Doesn't. Isn't always looking for a very driven alpha female.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And vice versa.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: Um, you know, it's. I, I think the thing is, like I said, it's just about putting people, giving people a platform to meet.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I think one of our USPS is going to. It will be um, our, ah, vetting process, our application process, which will be incredibly, um, rigid. One of the things that questions are

Speaker B: you going to ask people?

Speaker A: Well, there'll be a soft application in which they'll be uh, told that they will have to uh, have uh, uh, ID verification.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: We will ask them to submit their social media details. If they haven't got a social media account and they don't want to do that. I'm sorry, but you won't be um, eligible to be part of it.

Speaker B: Would it be like when I went to Dubai to get my residency visa and they made me have like four different blood tests just to check I'm not infected with anything?

Speaker A: I'm not quite sure on that, but it certainly will be rigid.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And then we will, once they've passed that process, then we will invite them to a discovery zoom call. Yeah. And then we will invite them to a secondary. So it's like a three step just

Speaker B: to make sure that they are uh, looking for genuine relationships as well, I guess. And not just short termism and other people. You know, the majority of the people you want coming in, like you said, you want them to create relationships, whether that's friendships or whatever, but it's with the right intentions.

Speaker A: Well, I think the feedback that I've got is that there is a, um, there's a, an acronym um in dating world which is called cba, which is can't be asked.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It. It. People have become so disillusioned with going

Speaker B: all these hundreds of dates because there is no vetting process. It's just a swipe left or a swipe right.

Speaker A: Yeah. I think it gen General human behavior now it's catfish scamming. And if you can get past that and you actually have a conversation with someone, someone, it's whether they're going to send you an explicit picture.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And then when you actually get to go on a date with them, you know, uh, stories about spending all afternoon getting ready and then you get halfway to the date and someone has ghosted you or text you to say that they're not coming or they've left you sitting in a pub somewhere.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Well, that chips away at your own self esteem. Ghosting has become this phenomenon I think in every area of life business. You know, just say no, say it's not for you.

Speaker B: Totally, totally.

Speaker A: M. But um, you know that particularly in the dating world and it chips away at people until the, in the end they go, do you know what? I'd love to find the love of my life, but actually I can't be asked.

Speaker B: Yeah. People are like you said that the whole point of your creation of the partnership collective originally is that people aren't doing that physical networking, it's not as easy anymore.

Speaker A: It's about taking all the hassle. Everything that we do is about taking out the hassle and then giving them something really enjoyable, a platform to enjoy it. So that's what we're going to be doing with. And so, yeah, so that's going to be launching over the next couple of weeks.

Speaker B: So not a date. Uh, private events and the partnership collective.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So sit underneath this umbrella. Is there anything else that you do within that business, uh, wise? No, those are the main three things, right?

Speaker A: Yes. Yeah.

Speaker B: Yeah. Cool. Um, I'm going to force you back to my original question. So what's your routine like now? Um, you know, when you wake up on a Monday, obviously at half eight, is it you phone your coach, uh,

Speaker A: wake up, uh, 10. I tend to be very, a very early bird.

Speaker B: Okay. What time do you get up?

Speaker A: Always before six.

Speaker B: Okay, that's good.

Speaker A: Always before six. Um, I, I don't like rushing around in the morning.

Speaker B: Yeah. I've enjoyed getting up early as well. And you just feel like you can approach things a bit more slowly and methodically to get yourself ready for the day.

Speaker A: Absolutely. And, um, you know, as driven as I am, I'm actually quite a traditional mom and wife.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So, um, you know, I like to make sure that the boys are off to work and you know, everybody, we've got a clean and tidy home and all of that sort of thing before I, I start. And then I'm, I presume, you know, the same as everybody else. I'll have a, a catch up with my team, make sure that everybody knows what direction that they've got to go in, what the tasks they've got to do, what we're trying to achieve for the week, what are the most important things that we need to get done. Yeah. Um. And, um, my newsletter. Yeah. Yeah, I write my newsletter every week. So I spend, that's my sort of Tommy's become a hobby time spending researching and, and that sort of thing. And that's my clarity time as well.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And, um, you know, just, yeah. Being, being a lot more structured. I try to be out on the road perhaps two or three days a week. Yeah. And make sure that I'm working, working from home, you know, a couple of days a week. So I'm probably more structured than I've ever been for a creative.

Speaker B: Yeah. It sounds like you're actively mixing up the location so you're not getting stuck in one place. You've got the team meeting. So everyone, including you, Gets to verbalize their priorities for the week.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Probably a check in at the back end of the week or if it happens on the Monday. What did we get done last week? What can we learn? What can we do differently?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Do you have a business plan and sort of like quarterly projects like I spoke about in terms of things that you're working on, projects that you're working on or is it more, uh, free flowing than that? And you just discuss, these are the goals for 2025. Like what do you, in terms of what you want to achieve in 2025? Is that written down anywhere or is it just.

Speaker A: Absolutely, yeah, of course, of course. If it's not written down, it's just a dream, isn't it? Yeah.

Speaker B: And do you break that goal back down into, okay, this is what I want to achieve and these are the things I need to do in this 90 days and that kind of thing. Have you learned that from books or how do you have your own method of doing that?

Speaker A: I think one of the things for me is that although I will be kicking and screaming against process, process is um, it's the key to business really.

Speaker B: Discipline equals freedom.

Speaker A: Absolutely. And one of the things I mean with the knotted date. Yeah, it's brilliant because um, it's almost given me a clean sheet of paper

Speaker B: to say a new business plan.

Speaker A: If I was going to start again, what are the things that I would do differently? And the difference with this business is there is a five year plan to sell it. So right from the word go.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Who do I want to sell it for and what do I want to sell?

Speaker B: Yeah. So you're working backwards from evaluation, model number.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: And everything can be built out. Like I believe in building out your financial plan first and then saying, well, if these are the financial targets that I want to hit, what are the strategies? So for that business. Let's talk about that. Or generally actually for either of them, a business has to attract, which we spoke about, convert and deliver. How did you originally. And is that the same method that you'll use for not a date. How will you attract potential clients?

Speaker A: I think it's going to be quite different because, um, it's a much bigger market.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: There's, you know, a lot of single people out there. Um, whereas with the club, it's quite a unique sort of proposition and quite a unique customer.

Speaker B: Okay. So the club might have been more physical networking.

Speaker A: Yeah. I mean with the club you've got to attract a couple. So you've got to have two people that want to say yes.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: Whereas with the, the not a date, it is, um, obviously you've only got one person. Yeah. I think there's a lot more, um, digital, digital communication. Everything will go through a CRM system.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, so that we can understand people's behaviors, likes. And there's much more of a matching process. I don't mean to individuals, but to specific events and things like that. There's lots of social media that we can do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Video, that sort of thing. And so it is, it's, it's quite a different model.

Speaker B: How did you originally, um, get your first four or five couples to come into the partnership collective?

Speaker A: Well, I said to you that I've still got my very original, original member. So we'd had sort of lots of conversations and, and I, I kept on getting feedback and things like that. So I sort of went away and I came up with this business model and I went to see, um, my, my customer. Uh, I'm sure he won't mind me saying who it is. His name's Ammo.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And um, I said, you know, I've come across the. Put, put this all together. And I pushed an application form towards him and he said, um, brilliant. He said, how many members have you got? And I went, you. And he went, oh, okay. Um, and. And he sort of signed away on the dotted line. And then like we're doing with the. Not today, we had a launch.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So there's um, there's a, uh, uh, a guy called Jeff Walker.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I follow his product launch. He's got a very specific, um. And it's a pre, pre launch. A pre launch. A launch. And then the car is open.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: And there's quite a specific model.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And again it's, it will be following the, the same things you've. The one thing with starting a membership organization is you've got to have members. Yeah.

Speaker B: And you've got to get that ramped up pretty quick.

Speaker A: But some people like to be in at the beginning. Some people like to be founders, they like to be part of focus groups, they like to give their opinion, they like to support you.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, in the, in the beginning. Um, and so that's what you do. And then obviously the.

Speaker B: Okay, so you ran a big physical launch event, presumably invited all your network and then you started getting momentum and then do you have a referral scheme where you're actively asking them to refer you? And is that how it's then organically grown? Or have you continued to run events to get brand new prospects in I

Speaker A: mean, it's, it's a mixture of activity. So with the, with the. Not a date. Yes. We will run referral schemes and things. With the club, it's, it's tended to be more organic.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: People don't like to be pushed into. Um, because the other thing is, is that when they join the club, if they join one of their friends or, you know, business associate, they feel like as if they've got to spend time with that person or if that person doesn't work out, it's their fault.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So, um, so they tend to join. It might be business partners or family, that kind of thing. People will naturally say, I've got somebody that's interested in the club.

Speaker B: Yeah. So just. You get a certain number, you do a really good job for them and it naturally evolves.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: I guess if you wanted to, you could invite people, which is. This is what. Uh, there's a guy called Taki Moore who's a business coach for Business Coaches, but probably the biggest one in the world. What they mostly do, along with content marketing, ads and all the rest of it, is they'll run a mastermind somewhere and they will invite people to that one event for free.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Yeah. So we're to experience it. The thing.

Speaker B: I'll come to the yacht event, please.

Speaker A: The, the thing is, is that it? It is that thing of, uh, am I going to get on with people? Are they going to be my kind of people? Yeah, it's nothing to do. You know, if you present people with a calendar, they know what a yacht is, they know what a Michelin star restaurant is. They. You don't need to sell the events, you need to sell the people. And everybody that comes says, I just can't believe they are the most phenomenal bunch of people. But that's difficult to put into marketing.

Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah, I guess. And then allowing them to come and experience it, uh, potentially then they can see. So that probably is the best way to sell things like this, which can apply to any kind of business. A coaching business. I mean, I don't know yet how you'd apply it to an accountancy business, but I guess you could run an event, get them to come to event. An event. Meet some of your clients.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: I was at a Mastermind yesterday doing a talk. Um, I had two clients in the room. Uh, one of our niches that we've worked with, which again, most of our niches have come about by picking up a client, doing a really good job. They've Referred us to five or six other businesses and then it goes from there. So these are uh, childcare providers, Nurseries.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And so I went and did a talk about, you know, just what your financial structure should look like, how do you minimize your tax, how do you do business planning? And at the start, the, the guy that was running the event, uh, running the mastermind, asked my clients to do an introduction of me and they literally spoke. I didn't realize how much we'd actually done for the them and how much they really valued our service. The first time I'd met them in person, I met them through Tony Robbins, uh, event. They signed up, they've been with us for about a year. But it was really rewarding to hear them speak about us. And actually for them to speak so glowingly about us in a room full of other prospects is the best thing that could ever happen because it's just validation.

Speaker A: Of course it is.

Speaker B: And I think I heard um, a really good LinkedIn reel by someone who said, you know, sales is not about going through every single minute detail of what you do, like running someone through an event. It's about just talking to them about the end result. What's that big concept? It's, this is what you're missing. A community of people that are like minded, like you, that you can socialize with and pre organized events that you have to put no time into.

Speaker A: I think as well, it's, it's about treasured memories.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: You know, I think over the last few years, um, people are becoming particularly really since COVID less materialistic. Yeah. And more about memories.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Because actually I found certainly with my customers, what good is a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Lamborghini on the drive when you can't wear it anywhere and you can't drive it anywhere?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It is all about, like I said, treasured memory.

Speaker B: I totally agree. I'm trying to teach my kids that as well. Now we had a Range Rover, uh, outside and I had a 911 Turbo S and I sold both of them to get Teslas because putting them through the business, it saved me about three grand a month probably.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, which I can put back into now. Taking my family away, having holidays, doing trips, having activities, all of these things. And my little one is really materialistic. He's constantly saying, when are we going to get a mega mansion in Dubai, when are we moving to Dubai and when are we going to buy a Lamborghini? And then I have to remind him that, you know, you don't get fulfillment from material objects. We would be just as happy if we weren't in this big house on a private road and we were back in the house we used to live. Uh, you know, we were happy there because it's a roof and it's warmth and it's heating and it's space and a nice communal family table and all of these things. And those are the things, the relationships that you make, other things that you'll remember, right?

Speaker A: Absolutely, 100%.

Speaker B: Um, so, yeah, I totally, I totally get that.

Speaker A: I think, though, these days, you know, there is such a pressure to be perfect in every way.

Speaker B: Yeah. And, um, do you know what? Yeah. I couldn't agree with you more. I, I put a post on LinkedIn about people catfishing you on LinkedIn now, in terms of they're taking pictures, changing their fake, not just making them look really nice. Like, everyone wants a nice studio picture with nice lighting and stuff. On LinkedIn, they're changing the shape of their face, making themselves look like a different person. And then when you jump on a zoom call, it's not like, oh, you look like a slightly rougher version of your picture, which I definitely look like a rougher version of my linkage. I'm sure you don't, but you don't even look like the same person. And that is the first thing that started off this whole conversation on LinkedIn about this is what is changing now. Uh, people are creating this alternate reality for themselves where their life online is perfect.

Speaker A: I, But I think, you know, I feel, I feel sorry for, empathize, sympathize with the younger generation because every area of their life is supposed to be perfect. They're supposed to have the perfect home from day one. Uh, if they're not a, uh, influencer, uh, a sports star, you know, a reality star, a model, it's not good enough. It's not good enough to be a hairdresser or a, um, a chippy or, you know, it is good enough.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, and like I said, you know, every area of their social life's got to be perfect as well as them being perfect physically.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, that doesn't make you perfect inside. Um, and so because they're under this pressure to, to, to be perfect, they're actually looking for the perfect relationship partner. Ah. And it doesn't exist. And I think that's why so many relationships fail, uh, because they're looking for perfection. Someone said to me once, sometimes good is good enough. You know, I think was the same same in, with, um, in business. As entrepreneurs. I can't do that till my website's perfect. I can't do that until the podcast's perfect. I can't do that until I get here or get there. Sometimes just do it.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Just launch it. Just do it and learn along the way. It won't. Or you don't need to wait until it's all perfect. But unfortunately, that's, you know, with social media and everything, that's how kids are taught these days that mater material things. And as you get older, you realize that's not what life's about.

Speaker B: Yeah. I think you still have to go through the process of. Of having them. I definitely went through the process when I met my wife, I had 40 grand of credit card debt and she had 100 grand in the bank. Yeah. That's another story for another day. But I was into buying material things that I couldn't afford.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: In order to create perception to other people that I didn't even know.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: That I was successful. You know, and this is even at university before I've even got a job. You know. Crazy. Where does that come from? I'm not sure. But, uh, you get through that. And then you get to the point that I don't care what car I drive to school for the pickup, but I see people driving in their Ferraris to pick their kids up from school, going over the speed bump so slowly because you can't really drive that car around here. And you can't speed anywhere. So it's a total waste of time. Other than the fact you get to show off. But what you're really doing is showing people that your ego is driven by those things. And actually, it's the people that turn up in Teslas or just couldn't care less that actually probably more likely are the ones that have been through that and then made it to the other side.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: What have been some. Or what's probably your number one? Um, I mean, we could talk all day, but I'll try and start wrapping up. Um. What has been probably your number one struggle over the 10 years that you've had to work through in your business?

Speaker A: I think. Well, I think there's a couple of things. I think cash flow is always a struggle for entrepreneurs.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: You know, and it's one thing that I'm trying to teach Joe at the moment. Um. Because you can have the best business in the world, but if you've run out of money.

Speaker B: Is that your son?

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. 100. Yeah. That is. Why?

Speaker A: Because absolutely.

Speaker B: They can't See accurately what's coming down the road. Enough, something comes. They weren't, uh, it wasn't foreseeable. They don't have maybe the. The right financials or the right credit rating or whatever to go and get funding.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: To get out of the hole. And then they're done, basically.

Speaker A: And, and, um, you know, I think I said it in my newsletter, um, last week. In every 10 years of being in business, you get two good years, two terrible years, and six average years. So if you get that in your head, that that's what. What's going to happen. You need to be out, have enough money to ride through the two terrible years, have enough money to celebrate the two really good years, and be putting the money away in the six years that are just average.

Speaker B: Okay. So, yeah, you need to. Let me just unpack that a sec. So you need money aside to take advantage of the good years. Because let's say in those good years might be the first years when Facebook ads came out. And, uh, you need money to invest in that thing that works to get the momentum. Then you've got the momentum. Facebook ads start not working or they become very expensive. But you've already built up cash reserves. Now you need to hold on to that for the bad years.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And then the average years, you just need to manage your cash flow effectively.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: How have you done that, then? Have you just learn to get on top of your numbers and forecast cash flow rather than just looking at what has happened in the past? Like, what. What have you changed?

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I had a mentor that came on board with me, um, a couple of years ago. And every conversation, you know, I'd want to talk about the ideas and the sales and all that sort of thing. And the first question you go is, how's the cash in the bank? Yeah, how's the cash in the bank? And I'd say. And you go, no, no, no, no. How is the cash in the bank?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So it's constantly keeping on top of that and not getting ahead of yourself too much when times are good, you know, and somebody comes along and says, do you want to sponsor this event for three grand? Or, you know, um, do you want to take on board a social media guru or whatever it is all of a sudden, actually, lots and lots of those little things mount up, and then all of a sudden, you know, you're out of cash.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So, yeah, so it is keeping. Keeping on top of it. Yeah. And, um, and having some really good financials in there.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But definitely not getting Ahead of yourself and spending when the times are good.

Speaker B: Totally agree. I mean, I've done that. I don't take my own advice. So I've had really good years and then gone and spent it all by building the team up too fast or engaging in things, uh, multiple things at once. So my advice would be it's okay to take the social media guru, but don't take them and this ad funnel person over here and this LinkedIn strategy over here and this thing over here. Do the one thing, get a positive return on investment, get that working and automated and then move on to the next thing.

Speaker A: Yeah, I think naturally, I think you only analyze your business when times are tough.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So, you know, you'll get, oh, um, what's. And it's the little things. So you might sign up to something that's only 50amonth or, you know, you've got, I don't know, a few Adobe, uh, licenses and an extra mobile phone that you're not using and those sort of things. And then actually when you add it up, it comes to sort of 5, 600 pound a month. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So I think it's analyzing what you're spending all of the time, time and

Speaker B: staying as lean as possible. Yeah, it's really interesting because over the last. So for the first 10 years of our business, we grew by between 10 and 30% revenue growth every year. The last two years we have not grown revenue really. No, it's, it's gone up a little bit, but not by 10%. What we focused, um, on was operational efficiency, getting ready to scale, redoing our products. And we did exactly what you did, line by line. How can we get as lean as possible? We restructured the team now, so 80% of our team is offshore. So only the client facing senior people that are in the UK got rid of our offices, just everything. How can we be lean? How can we be lean? How can we be lean? And our net profit margin went, uh, up by 25%. Same business.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Clients are happier. So. Yeah, totally agree. Um, and what would be your three keys to success? You've been very successful. You've got a great business, you're launching new things, really great work, life balance. Like it can be a repeat of something you've already mentioned, like have a coach, for example. Doesn't have to be something new. But what will be your three keys to success?

Speaker A: I think don't beat yourself up. Like I said, good. Sometimes good is good enough. You haven't got to be perfect.

Speaker B: Yeah, the 80, 20 rule.

Speaker A: Absolutely. Never, ever, ever give up.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And that's tough. Honestly, every entrepreneur, you need to accept that there are times that you will fall completely out of love with your business.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, as nice or as glamorous as it is, you know, it's tough. Um, and share it. Share the good times and the bad times. Yeah. Um, you know, be honest. You know, we live in a very superficial world and you meet people, networking. How's business? Oh, so busy. So busy. Actually, they're not, they're probably on the knees. Um, so there's a quite a fine line between being negative.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But actually it's okay to be honest. It's not always good because sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And you know, you'll get good advice and you'll be able to pick each other up.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And find somebody to share things with.

Speaker B: You know, just having a network. Right.

Speaker A: Yes. Yes.

Speaker B: And if people, I mean, if people. We don't. We haven't spoken about, you know, the cost of investment of the collection. Obviously I'm assuming that this is for people that have success and have a reasonable amount of money to do these things for them. And for me, for example, it's obvious why this would be a good thing. If you've got people that are at an earlier stage, maybe their business is only making them 5 to 10k a month in profit. What would you suggest they do to create a network in the meantime? If, say, the partnership collection isn't something that they can afford right now? What would you recommend to business owners to build a network?

Speaker A: There's. There is so much out there. I think it depends on whether you want to be part of a network that's industry related. Is it something that you want? Is it a business focus or is it a social focus? So, you know, um, there's lots of female networking groups out there. I'm not sure if there's as many all male networking groups out there, but I think find out what it is. What's important to you.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: Uh, what makes you tick and what do you actually want to get out of it.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Because you can do anything from masterminding to local networking groups to breakfast clubs, to gender orientated, to interests. But just be part of something because you never know that person that you're talking to. You don't know who they know.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And they always say if you dig deep enough, you're never more than five people away from the person that you want to get to.

Speaker B: Okay. That's interesting. Yeah. And I do Think it's about having conversations. I've been having more and more conversations recently and being more open like we spoke about off camera. Actually I started the podcast and it still is primarily to create human connection. But now I'm saying to people who come on, this is what we do, this is how we can help. If you ever need help in that area, please let me know. If you know someone because we're looking to grow with the right type of prospective, uh, client, please recommend them to me. Here's the referral system that we have and just being open about it instead of not asking because if you don't ask, you never get. And I did that on two calls yesterday. Today, one of them actually then is booked in for a tax review because we found out that they're overpaying taxes. Another one, we realized that we both work with businesses that turn over between 505 million. That's our ideal client. Yeah, they're in the E commerce space and we can cross refer business. Yeah, but if I'd have not been open like you said, be truthful, I'm looking for new clients, we would have never had that conversation.

Speaker A: No, I think it's, it's quite easy to look at people's social media and uh, you know, people say oh my gosh, you know, it's fantastic and all of that sort of thing. But I always say that if you're gonna ring someone, get in touch with someone and you can't say to that person, is there any chance you could do me a favor?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And be confident that they'll say, of course, what can I do for you? Yeah, your relationship needs to work.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great bit. That is, I really love that. And actually it's not, I've been thinking in my head of this, I must have got it from a movie or somewhere where the person says, always be closing. For me, I'm not salesy, so it's not about always be closing, but I want to change in 2025 to maybe always be opening. Always be opening a conversation and putting it on their radar. Can they recommend anyone or do they need help?

Speaker A: I think, um, I mean, I try not to be, even though I'm naturally salesy. Everybody says, oh my God, you know, you could sell sand to the Arabs and that sort of thing. I try not to be salesy because the last thing that people need, they're constantly bombarded with buy my stuff, buy my stuff, buy my stuff, buy my stuff. I think if you go about it in quite a Bit a natural way.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But like I said, you know, I mean, I do lots of work with charities and all sorts of things. You should be able to. Could you do me a favor? Yeah. What?

Speaker B: You.

Speaker A: You wouldn't buy a ticket for this. You wouldn't donate to that. You wouldn't come and give me a hand doing this. You wouldn't give up your Saturday m. Whatever the favor is, unless it's, can you lend me a million pounds? You should be confident in that person. If you're not confident, confident in being able to ask that person, you need to look inside and think, how can I get that relationship to that. To that level that I can say, could you do me a favor?

Speaker B: Yeah. And a lot of it is about giving. Don't go into a relationship at the start. So we're moving into Dubai. We want to enter that local network. We want to be the number one accountancy firm for entrepreneurs over there and in the Middle east and use it as a hub to attract global clients. One of the things we do is coach people on their numbers. Like, you understand cash flow and the importance of it, but lots of business owners don't, and they don't know where to start.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So it doesn't matter if they're in America or Mexico or Canada or Dubai, for example, especially places where they don't need to file taxes, they don't tend to pay any attention to it. So they're trying to run their business from their bank statement. But over there, it's all about physical networking. It's still a lot of we have to meet face to face. And so I'm messaging people on LinkedIn, connecting with them, and my first message is, hey, I just want to add you to my network. Primarily, all I'm, um, focused on doing, at least for the first six months, is creating a network where I can give value. So you tell me what you're looking for, how I can help you, and I'll do my best to do that because I know that if I just give, give, give, give, give, give, give, eventually it will start to become a reciprocal relationship.

Speaker A: Yeah. I think, uh, the problem is, again, we've. We've built a culture where people take, take, take, and don't give. Yeah. So then actually, when you are a genuine person and you give, people think that it can't be for real.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So there is a challenge there, I think. Just be yourself.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I think it's just be yourself. And if you're a natural, you know, opener of doors for want of a better Better word, you know, I. How can I help you? Yeah, what can I do to help? And you can physically see people go back and they say oh well, uh, nothing. And then further in the conversation they'll say actually there is something you can help me with.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: And then you give to give to them. And actually what I always find is, is that never uh, give somebody so something because you think they, they, that they personally are going to give back.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But what you will find again is from whatever is up there, naturally you'll get back. Yeah, give us, yeah, you'll get um, you know, leads, opportunities, good luck from all sorts of places that you never ever expected to.

Speaker B: I was going to wrap up but I want to ask you two selfish questions for me which hopefully be useful. Um, how do you prioritize? Okay. I want to build my network. I know now that I need to keep in touch with people. I'm a good conversator naturally. Good at ah, sales, good at connecting and I'm happy to give. How do I prioritize If I've got 100 people in my network? Let's use Dubai as an example that I've built up as good connections. How do you stay in touch with them? How do you prioritize how to keep in touch, how to keep, you know, how to keep in touch and when to keep in touch. Like what's your. Or is it just natural?

Speaker A: I think it is natural but I also think as well it's understanding how people communicate best. So in this day and age I'm still one of those people that pick the phone up.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I get incredibly frustrated where I might have a five minute conversation and then I get to the end and the person is. Particularly if they're younger.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I'll say, can you put it on an email? I think so. It.

Speaker B: So you want me to repeat. Yeah, exactly what I said.

Speaker A: Exactly. One of my um, one of my questions is always how do you like to be communicated with? Some people find like, like WhatsApp. Some people like text, some people like phones, like video. So it's trying to find, find that out. But I still am a massive believer in you will build more relationships face to face.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: The more time you spend with people, the more trust comes and start with a friendship.

Speaker B: But is it random? Like there's a book that I read that says say get 100 people, uh, have your platinum category which is 1 to 10, you text them every week or you call them, then you have 10 to 30 who are like your gold network members. You might say text those or email them once a week, then 30 to 100, you just invite them to your monthly event that you're having. For example. Because you can't phone everyone, can you?

Speaker A: No, you can't. You can't phone everyone. But.

Speaker B: Or is uh, that too process driven for you?

Speaker A: It's, I mean I use all my time in the car, so, so I'll start at a. And work my way down.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: You know, and just, just randomly. Oh, I haven't spoke to them for ages. Okay.

Speaker B: So yours is much more natural. Right. I'm a very process driven person so I need a system. Okay, you answered my question. Second question. Uh, we're going to Dubai. We want to enter this market. There's only two accountancy firms that are really delivering to, you know, English speaking entrepreneurs that have gone out there to start a business. How would you launch over there so that you get to the forefront of the mind of as many entrepreneurs out there as possible? My idea was start with a mastermind dinner. Like in a room like this. You guys can't see the whole room, but there's 1, 2, 3, 8 chairs. Have eight entrepreneurs that have really good networks. Invite them to a mastermind dinner. You share the cost of the dinner. It's just a case of making connections like a mini version of what you're doing. Would you do that or would you follow this launch strategy and have a full on launch where grow factor. We're into buy now.

Speaker A: I think what I probably would say with big launch, um, events, sometimes it's a bit like a wedding. You can spend five minutes with everyone and no time with anyone.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And actually what you'll find is you're not you, you're better with a smaller event.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: So picking those people that you want to do business with or you think that are going to be ambassadors.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But what I would say is take them to do something fun.

Speaker B: So don't sit them around and just have a dinner.

Speaker A: No, because um, they'll be invited to that kind of thing that people aren't. They know that you want something out of them and it's quite structured and all of that sort of thing.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So throw the reins off and make your event stand out.

Speaker B: That's great advice.

Speaker A: Instead of to do something so like

Speaker B: there's a place where you can go and shoot handguns, for example, which is.

Speaker A: Yes, go and do that. Yeah, definitely.

Speaker B: Brilliant. Thank you. Get a bit of free coaching.

Speaker A: I'll come and do it for you. How's that?

Speaker B: Okay, done deal. Um, is there anything that you wanted to mention that we haven't spoken about? I mean, for me it's been a brilliant, uh, restart of the founder stories. I guess this is season three. So much value in there for people and for me, if there's value for me, I know there's tons of value in there. I'm going to go back once the editor's done her thing and re watch and re listen to this one for my own purposes. But is there anything that you wanted to mention, um, that we haven't spoken about?

Speaker A: I'd just like to thank you and everyone that's listening. You know, thanks for the opportunity to be able to, you know, talk about me, talk about my customers, my business journey. Um, you know, and if there's anything I can do to help you, you know that this is going to go out on my newsletter, my socials, but if there's anything I can do to help you or at anyone that's listening.

Speaker B: And how do people get in touch with you?

Speaker A: Well, my number's on the website. My.

Speaker B: Okay, what's your website or socials?

Speaker A: The partnershipcollection.com.

Speaker B: okay, that's easy. And then from there they can find everything, your LinkedIn and all of that stuff's on there.

Speaker A: Reach out if there's anything, ah, at all, even if it's just some advice or brain picking.

Speaker B: Awesome. Thank you.

Speaker A: You're welcome.

Speaker B: Thank you for coming on.

Speaker A: Thank you.

Speaker B: Thanks guys. That's been another episode of Founder Stories. I think you'll agree it was a brilliant one and I'll see you next time.