Answering The Top 10 Business Questions

0:01So ask yourself, you know, who is paying? Why are they paying for your services and how often? Because validation beats perfection every single time.

0:15Jeannette L. Brown:So welcome to this live episode, this live chat that I'm going to be talking to you. So if you are trying to grow your business right now and you've ever thought, am I doing this right? Then this live is absolutely for you. So let's get into this. Now, you might be a business owner, You might be new in your journey or you might actually be already well progressed with where you are in business. But it's not easy being on your own. So I'm going to share with you the 10 questions that I'm asked more than any other questions. So we're going to get into the detail. And these are questions that are from leaders of large business, founders and entrepreneurs.

1:07Jeannette L. Brown:that ask behind closed doors. So we are opening up the locker here. And if one of these resonates, then, you know, drop a like in the comments. Let me know where you're tuning in from as well, because that's always really nice for us to be able to know where you're coming from. So let's get into it. The 10 most asked business questions. And each question is really going to give you the insight that you need in order to actually move forward with your business. So the first question is, where should I actually focus my time as a business owner? Now, if you're busy all day, but you're not moving the needle, this is why.

1:57So you don't

2:00Jeannette L. Brown:have to do everything and you absolutely shouldn't. You've got to really prioritise your time and put your effort and brain work into the right things. So the things that you need to do, you've got to focus on strategy, people and revenue driving activity. And if you're busy, but you're not getting the results, you're likely in the wrong work, you're focusing on the wrong things. So if you find that you are a busy fool, it's really important that you declutter, you stop, you take a breath, and you really look at what you're spending your time on and ask yourself, are you spending time on the right things?

2:49Are you focusing on the strategy? Are you building a high performing team? Are you driving revenue into the business? Because if you're not, then you need to make a change. So that's where you need to focus your time and not be a busy fool. The second question that I get asked all of the time is why am I working harder,

3:13Jeannette L. Brown:but I'm just not seeing the results? Okay, so it's kind of linked to that first question, actually. but effort without direction is just exhaustion. You know, have you ever felt that you are putting so much effort in, but you're just not seeing the results from all of that hard work? Because certainly I have been in that position myself. Now, if you're finding that that is the case for you, you know, you've got to really take stock, you know, hard work does not equal smart growth. Okay, and I'm going to say that again, hard work does not equal smart growth. So you have to be very, very focused and clear on what you're spending your time.

4:02Jeannette L. Brown:And most people often confuse use activity with progress. But it is not the same. It is not the same thing at all. So it's very important that you're honest with yourself. You know, are you just kidding yourself and spending time on the wrong things? And then, you know, the reality is that results come from clarity. And what I'm talking about here is clarity, not chaos. Because if all you're doing is adding more and more things into your to-do list, then you're not actually going to get the results. So as I say, pause, take a breath. I have ran multi-million, multi-billion pound businesses globally.

4:50Jeannette L. Brown:And you have to be focused. You have to be super careful with your time. But the principles are the same, even if you're a sole opener. And I would argue, actually, it's even more important because there are only 24 hours in the day and there's only one of you. So you've got to absolutely be super, super disciplined. Now, the third question, how do I know if my business idea is actually viable? Well, if no one's paying, it's not a business. It's a hobby. And this is what I see a lot. You know, people put their problems before passion. So ask yourself, you know, who is paying? Why are they paying for your services and how often?

5:38Because validation beats perfection every single time. The fourth question, when should I hire and when should I absolutely not? Now, hiring too early can break your business faster than hiring too late. It's so important that you hire for impact and not relief.

6:05Jeannette L. Brown:Don't outsource your own confusion and always think systems first, people second. But actually, the other really big piece of advice that has helped me throughout my career is hire slow, fire fast. If you have people in your business that deep down, you know, are not right, they're not performing at the level you want them to do. Maybe they're not actually, you know, they were right for a certain time in the business, but they're not right for what you need going forward. then you must make those decisive decisions. You absolutely must deal with it. And that can often mean having a difficult conversation.

6:48But if you don't, that one person or that group of people can actually ruin your entire team. So this is something that is hugely important. And most businesses, the strongest asset, the biggest asset you have are your people. so you need to put particular attention to that. The fifth question that I get asked behind closed doors is how do I price without undercharging or feeling guilty? Now this is something that often evolves over time. The right clients aren't looking for the cheapest option. All right. Now, your pricing reflects confidence and value.

7:33Jeannette L. Brown:And I've seen this a lot where maybe people give their services for free and then people don't appreciate that. They either think it's not of a high value, it's not of a high quality. If it's cheap, it must be rubbish. Also, when people pay for your services or your product, they are making a commitment. They have put money down on the table. And that means that they are much more likely to show up. So if, for example, you are selling, I don't know, a training course, and you put it out there for free or for a very, very low price, The perception in the market could be that that is not very good.

8:17Jeannette L. Brown:It's not very good quality. OK, so you've got to really choose the right level. But cheap, being the cheapest is not is often not the right way to go. You know, I remember you're not paid for time. You're paid for outcomes. And cheap pricing attracts expensive problems. When I work with people, whether it's directly through our one-to-one business mentoring, whether it's with our executive edge program, whether it's with our leadership masterminds, or indeed our Rise Academy, which is the ultimate leadership development program. I always say, you are not buying my time or my colleague's time. You are buying 30 plus years of deep rooted business experience.

9:05And that's what really counts. So what about the other questions that we've got? Well, number six, coming in at number six. What's the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make in year one? Well, most businesses don't fail. They actually get distracted. They chase too many opportunities.

9:28Jeannette L. Brown:Lack of focus really does kill momentum and simplicity scales. So as an entrepreneur, you may find that you're very creative. You're able to pivot and change. But that also means that at times you can get distracted, chasing the shiny penny, the next new thing and never actually following through or adding so many things into the business that you lose sight of what's really important. So over complexity to be avoided. Question number seven. How do I stay motivated when growth feels slow? I love this question because we're all impatient, aren't we? We all want immediate gratification, immediate results.

10:15Well, let me tell you, life and business is not like that. It never has been and it never will be. But consistency beats motivation every single time.

10:29Jeannette L. Brown:And motivation follows momentum, not the other way around. You know, there are times when you will not feel motivated. You will not feel motivated to pick up the phone and do another sales call. You will not feel motivated to go and do some development with your website. You may not feel motivated personally to get into the gym, for example, to do that hard training that you know you should really do. But when you have momentum and you build habits into your daily routine, that momentum will carry you through, even when you don't feel like taking the action. So it's so important to build habits, not hype.

11:13And long-term thinking beats emotional decision-making. So that's question seven for you. Question eight. How do I stand out in an overcrowded market? Now, if you try to speak to everyone, no one listens.

11:34Jeannette L. Brown:Now, I interviewed a fantastic business leader for my podcast, Barbara Muckerman. OK, she is the CEO of Kempinski Hotels. At the time, she was the CEO of Silver Sea Cruising. and what Barbara said we had a really good conversation about brand and when we were talking about brand what she said was you don't want to be a plain vanilla yogurt you need to stand for something a different flavor and not everyone will like that flavor but that's okay because if you're a plain vanilla yogurt you stand for nothing okay and maybe you don't actually appeal to anyone really. So if you try to speak to everyone, no one listens.

12:19That's the big lesson. So you don't need to be louder. You need to be clearer.

12:26Jeannette L. Brown:Specificity builds trust. And story, storytelling, your story is your differentiator. And that could be the story of your brand, the story of your product. It could be the story of your own leadership journey. And let me tell you, I've been in business for 30 plus years. I've been a corporate CEO, an entrepreneur, an investor, and I advise global clients all over the world today with our business Brave Bold Brilliant. And we have our Rise Academy where we are so fortunate to help managers, high potential groups and entrepreneurs scale up. And storytelling is so powerful. So what's the stories that you tell yourself as a leader?

13:11Jeannette L. Brown:And what's the story that you tell your clients? What's the story of your brand? Because in my experience, people do business with those businesses, those companies, those individuals that they know, like and trust. and storytelling, your story, your authenticity is so important to that. So then number nine, how do I stop my business from running my life? Oh my gosh, what a great question that is. It's all consuming, isn't it? It can be all consuming, but a business that owns you isn't success. So I'm going to say that again, a business that owns you isn't success. That is often complete overwhelm.

14:02Jeannette L. Brown:So some of the things that you need to do to avoid this are set boundaries, set boundaries. And that is a skill in itself. So you will be 100%, you know, maybe focused on your business and being really passionate about what you're doing, or the team that you're leading, if you're in a larger organization, you're running a department, maybe. And that is wonderful. But you have to have boundaries. So otherwise, if you aren't able to put your own oxygen mask on, then you will not be successful as a leader. You will not be able to turn up in the best shape for your teams. And you certainly will not be able to deliver the business results that you know you're capable of.

14:47Jeannette L. Brown:So setting boundaries are really, really key. And another part of that is systems. Systems create freedom. Now, that sounds completely contradictory. I know that. But it's the systems, the processes, the structure that actually will set you free. So as a business leader, as a business founder, as an entrepreneur, as someone that's leading a team, be careful. Burnout isn't a badge of honor. I have been there personally with this. So I'm talking from the heart. You know, last year I ended up in hospital. I had to have surgery. I was rushed in. Now it wasn't anything life-threatening in the end, but I was so focused on building our businesses, pushing for growth, that I forgot that I'm not invincible.

15:42I'm a human being. And I pushed the boundaries too far. And I paid the price with my health. So that is a lesson that I'm sharing with you, because I've been there. But when you get those boundaries in place, when you create the right systems, and when you recognize that burnout isn't something to be proud of, it's actually something to be very, very treat very seriously, then you can set yourself up in the right way. You can set yourself up for success, and to make sure that your teams are in the best place possible as well. So let's get to question number 10. What would you tell someone who's doubting themselves right now?

16:24Well, every successful entrepreneur and leader you admire once felt exactly like this. You are not alone. Let me tell you, self-doubt is normal at every level. You know, if anyone has ever felt feelings of self-doubt, not good enough, I'm going to get found out.

16:43Jeannette L. Brown:You know, often that has a badge. Often it's called imposter syndrome. I have 100 % suffered with imposter syndrome through my entire life. And I still have to work at it today. But here's the thing. You can recognize it. You can take action. It's normal to feel fear, to be worried about things. You're human. It means you care. But actually, you have to work on your own mindset all of the time. Self-belief, pushing out of your comfort zone, surrounding yourself with the right people. Because it's these things that are absolutely going to help you on your leadership journey. And remember that confidence is built through action, not certainty.

17:29Jeannette L. Brown:Life is uncertain. Business is uncertain. We can't control everything. But actually, when you are taking consistent action, you gain confidence, you gain momentum. And the power of incremental gains, remember the power of 1%. If you improve by just 1 % every day, by the end of the year, you will be 37 times better. It's huge. So progress beats perfection. You know, baby steps, always moving forward. This is what's important. And this is how you can be really successful in business. So, you know, actually, what's really important is to just really take a look at yourself. Let us know, drop your comments in the chat, send us an email.

18:22Jeannette L. Brown:You know, let me know which questions of these 10 questions would you like me to go deeper on? Because my purpose in life is very, very clear. I'm here to help as many people as possible unlock their greatness. By being brave and bold is when you will get to brilliant. And that's why I do the mentoring. It's why we have our Rise Academy. It's why we work with executive boards on high performance and growth. It's why we work with senior leadership teams on Mastermind. It's why we do bespoke advisory work. That purpose drives absolutely everything that we stand for at Brave Bold Brilliant. So if you want help, if you want to learn more, if you want me to go into more detail, let us know.

19:08We're very, very happy to do that.

19:11Jeannette L. Brown:And save this video. Save it. You'll need it later. You can listen back. That is the power of social media. You know, and just remember, if these questions sound familiar, it's because no one teaches this stuff early. But let me tell you, inside Rise Academy, which I'm so proud of, we help managers, entrepreneurs and high potential leaders build clarity, confidence and capability without that burnout or overwhelm. so I ask you this if you're ready to stop guessing and start growing then the link is in the bio do not wait you only have one life and we're here to help you step up and be the best version of yourself so whatever it means for you remember we only have one life let's make it count and it is by being brave and bold that you will unlock your brilliant.

20:11Jeannette L. Brown:I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant. Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow. So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliant. Thank you.