Your Truth Shared

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#73 The Silent Business Killer You Need to Hear About with Susannah Simmons

Your Truth Shared

11/21/23 • 43 min

Are you ready to master your customer retention game? Multi-passionate entrepreneur, software adoption doctor and author Susannah Simmons joins Finola this week to spill all you need to know about elevating the customer experience.

Susannah provides valuable advice on understanding customer needs and how the difference between customers and users can be critical for businesses. She explains how a CRM system can be your knight in shining armour, eliminating firefighting and ensuring a perfect balance with customer interactions. Susannah also exposes the elusive “silent killer” in business and unveils the one pivotal question that will propel your business to new heights. So, get ready to seize missed opportunities, harness the force of data insights, and connect with your customers on a whole new level. Key points throughout include:

How to supercharge customer dedication and loyalty
Seeing beyond the sale: The lasting value of customer relationships
Why communication between sales and customer service departments matters
Mastering customer experience: Harnessing CRM tools and data insights
Susannah’s journey to combating imposter gremlins and becoming an author
The significance of exploration and adaptability in business
The benefit of understanding your customer categories
The motivation of freedom and understanding your own path to success
Finding the right network for you that supports openness and vulnerability

“You can go to the doctor and get them to prescribe you medication. But if you don’t fulfil that prescription at the pharmacy and don’t take it, then you don’t get any better. It is the same thing with a product; you could buy it, but if it just sits on the shelf, you’re not getting any value from it.” – Susannah Simmons.

Get connected with Susannah Simmons:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannahmsimmons/

Order The Mystery of the Lost Customer now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTERY-LOST-CUSTOMER-customer-satisfaction-ebook/dp/B0CKPZ2G42

Get connected with host Finola Howard:

https://www.finolahoward.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thisisfinolahoward

https://www.facebook.com/thisisfinolahoward

https://www.youtube.com/c/howgreatmarketingworks

https://www.twitter.com/FinolaHoward

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#16 Unlocking Speaking Confidence with Maureen McCowen

Your Truth Shared

08/09/22 • 29 min

This episode is dedicated to Maureen’s brother, Johnny McGowan, who was diagnosed with ALS – an aggressive Motor Neurone Disease in September 2021. To help support Johnny and his family, donations are most welcome via the link below:

GoFundMe: Fight for Johnny’s Girls

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-for-johnnys-girls

‘’I can’t imagine going back to the classroom. But this time, four years ago, I couldn’t imagine being out of the classroom. So you know, none of us know what life has in store for us.” – Maureen McCowen.

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. The task of public speaking can be daunting and anxiety-inducing for many, and today’s guest, Maureen McCowen, is here to banish those fears.

Maureen is the proud founder of Soft Skill Success, where she is dedicated to working with individuals and teams to unlock their confidence and flourish as public speakers. In this episode, Maureen takes us along the steppingstones of her professional path from secondary school teaching to coaching the art of effective communication. Interested in improving your communication skills!? Keep an ear out as Maureen kindly shares her top three tips for enhancing your public speaking abilities. Key points throughout the episode include:

- An introduction to Maureen McCowen.

- Not letting the fear of rejection get in your way.

- Unlocking speaking confidence.

- Is confidence building prevalent in education?

- Switching the focus to your audience.

- Having a methodical approach to business.

- The significant turning point in Maureen’s solopreneur journey.

- Adapting and thriving in a rapidly changing environment.

- Maureen’s top three tips for becoming a better public speaker.

- How to master engagement and grasp people’s attention.

Get connected socially with Maureen McCowen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmccowen/

https://www.softskillsuccess.ie/

https://twitter.com/MaureenMcCowen

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/grzegorz-chuchra

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#11 The Value of Meaningful Work with Greg Chuchra

Your Truth Shared

07/05/22 • 41 min

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. Joining Finola this week is special guest Greg Chuchra. Based in Poland, Greg is the proud co-founder and CEO of two technology titans, Predica and Tedee. Predica was included in the Technology Fast 50 and FT 1000 rankings, acknowledging Europe’s fast-growing companies. In this episode, Greg shares his fascinating journey of launching Predica in 2009 and how he scaled the high-growth business and handled its acquisition. We also get Greg’s take on the value of meaningful work, leadership without ego, and business problem solving and learn how he transitioned to launching Tedee, a product-focused business.

Trust us when we say that Greg is a book guru, so keep an ear out at the end of the episode as Greg kindly shares his top 3 bookshelf must-haves for entrepreneurs. Key points throughout this episode include:

- An introduction to Greg Chuchra.- The road to Predica and its business origin story.

- The value of meaningful work.

- Improving lives with the use of technology.

- The benefits of continuous learning in business.

- Designing a company for growth and keeping your ego in check.

- Tackling scalability issues and implementing business change.

- Igniting an authentic business culture from day one.

- Greg’s experience with handling a business acquisition.

- Reinventing the way we work.- Developing and establishing Tedee, a product-focused company.

- Greg’s top three book recommendations for entrepreneurs.

Get connected socially with Greg Chuchra:

https://tedee.com/

https://www.predicagroup.com/

Resources:

Book:

Getting Things Done by David Allen.

https://gettingthingsdone.com/books/

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful-ebook/dp/B01069X4H0

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

https://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard:

https://www.maryannmcgowan.com/

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#1 The Path to Human-Centred Leadership with Mary Ann McGowan

Your Truth Shared

04/24/22 • 32 min

“When we allow people to show up fully, and if as leaders, we recognise the whole of the person at work, then we are in that space where thriving can happen.” – Mary Ann McGowan.

Welcome to the debut episode of Your Truth Shared. Are you a budding entrepreneur ready to ignite your vision and make your business a success!? If so, this is the perfect podcast for you! Intuitive marketer and founder of How Great Marketing Works Finola Howard lives by the mantra that great marketing is your truth shared. Get ready to embark on a journey with each weekly episode alongside your host and her guests of inspiring leaders as they unveil the fascinating stories and learnings behind their businesses.

Joining Finola to kick-start the podcast is leadership development trainer, coach, and founder Mary Ann McGowan who will shine a light on human-centred leadership. Mary Ann also discusses her passion for helping organisations ‘Put Who First’ and unveils how the pandemic has changed leadership styles for the better. Key points throughout the discussion include:

An introduction to Mary Ann McGowan.
An insight into leaders who care.
Creating a psychologically safe workplace.
The impact of COVID-19 on work connections.
Together, we are better: shifting from power over to a power with dynamic.
Root cause analysis -VS- root cause success.
How to communicate with customers effectively.
The art of mindful communication and being present.
Self-sabotage: how to stop getting in your own way.
Handling difficult conversations at work.
How to become the boss of your own mind.
The path to compassionate leadership.
A parting truth from Mary Ann.

Get connected socially with Mary Ann McGowan:

https://www.instagram.com/putwhofirst/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannmcgowan

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard:

https://www.instagram.com/makeitbitesized

https://www.amandagrace.ie
https://www.instagram.com/amandagrace_ie/

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with www.podlad.com

#14 Creating your Masterpiece and the Art of Entrepreneurship with Amanda Grace

Your Truth Shared

07/26/22 • 48 min

Joining Finola this week is the wonderfully brave and inspirational Amanda Grace. Amanda is an artist, speaker, life coach and overall creative powerhouse who opens up about her artistic entrepreneurial journey and the common thread that arises every time.

Trust us when we say, this episode focused on creating your masterpiece and the art of entrepreneurship is packed to the brim with many golden nuggets. Amanda discusses how you don’t owe your decisions loyalty and introduces us to her newfound friendship with resentment and clean decision-making. We also hear Amanda’s take on overdelivering, how to avoid financial exhaustion, the dangers of straying away from the truth and much more. Key points throughout include:

- An introduction to Amanda Grace.

- The concept of finger pointing to the moon.

- The superpowers of an artist.

- Embracing wreckage and tackling anxiety.

- The rise of Pilgrim Soul and the red flag of resentment.

- Facing resistance and putting a cap on growth.

- The power of listening and making changes.

- Breaking artistry stereotypes and disciplining chaos.

- How to avoid financial exhaustion. - The dangers of straying away from the truth.

- Setting goals and the experience of hitting target figures.

- Trying, testing and the process of elimination.

- The value in community and growing your network.

- The failure of living in a hated situation.

‘’No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth’’. - Martha Beck.

Get connected socially with Amanda Grace:

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jane-vincent/

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#74 A Digital Strategy For Outsmarting Your Competitors with Sarah Jane Vincent

Your Truth Shared

11/28/23 • 61 min

Navigating the digital strategy landscape can be a bit overwhelming. Questions like which social media platforms to choose, how often to post, and whether to shell out for Google ads can make your head spin. This week’s guest suggest an alternative starting point. Join us for a conversation with award-winning SEO expert and digital strategist, Sarah Jane Vincent.

Sarah Jane shares her expertise on the critical role of SEO and how larger brands are gravitating towards it for a lasting impact. She takes us through her professional journey and highlights the trials she encountered during the pandemic. Hear more about how understanding a client's long-term objectives is pivotal to sketching an effective digital marketing blueprint.

Sarah Jane provides insightful strategies such as blogging, email marketing, and utilizing platforms like YouTube to drive traffic towards your website. We delve into the significance of keywords and the magic of long-tail keywords in enhancing your visibility in search engine results. Moreover, we uncover the comparison between SEO and ads, underlining that while ads may boost SEO efforts, they don't guarantee the same long-term benefits. Above all, we highlight how SEO can help build trust with potential customers.

Find out how you can leverage various channels like YouTube and Pinterest to attract customers. We also venture into the upcoming trends for 2024.

Ready to take your SEO game up a notch?

Key points throughout include:

Digital Entrepreneurship and Burnout Awareness
Why Niching Down is a Gamechanger
Choosing Keywords for Service-Based Businesses
Recommended SEO Tools for Beginners
Why Your Website is Everything
Exploring Online Platforms for Business Growth
SEO and Content Repurposing for Visibility

“That's what's going to help you outrank your competitors online. That's what's going to be the difference between you coming up appearing in a search and getting the clicks and the sales, versus somebody else down the line who is just trying to cheat the system." - Sarah Jane Vincent

Get connected with Sarah Jane Vincent:

Her free SEO Success Roadmap is available here

https://sarahjanevincent.com/

Get connected with host Finola Howard:

https://www.finolahoward.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thisisfinolahoward

https://www.facebook.com/thisisfinolahoward

https://www.youtube.com/c/howgreatmarketingworks

https://www.twitter.com/FinolaHoward

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#27 The Birthright Of Happiness With Leisha Mcgrath

Your Truth Shared

10/25/22 • 48 min

Are you living the life you truly want to, or is self-sabotage disempowering you!? Joining Finola this week is special guest Leisha McGrath. Leisha is a chartered work and organisational psychologist, transformational coach, shaman, key speaker, and soon-to-be author who reminds us of our birthright of happiness and how we can boost our quality of life by living from the inside out.

Leisha opens up about her chronic illness and reveals how our bodies know how to self-heal. Leisha shares wonderful tips and tools on how we can lead a happier and healthier life by reconnecting with ourselves and discusses the future of work and how transformative changes are happening and how they won’t be stopping any time soon! Key points throughout the discussion include:

An introduction to Leisha McGrath
- Moving forward with a chronic illness
- Healthy living barriers: Are we normalising poor behaviours?
- The danger of normalising the state of stress, overload and busyness
- The key to living intentionally and unlocking fulfilment
- How small steps can lead to significant change
- Why a self-check-in should be part of your routine
- The silver lining effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and driving well-being at work
- Understanding that your staff are people, not just your staff
- The damaging impacts of faulty thinking and non-thinking
- The powerful practice of shamanism and the art of living from the inside out

‘’It’s not rocket science, any of this. It’s actually quite simple to live in a way that’s a lot more authentic and fulfilling, and useful. It’s just a question of seeing it, I think of seeing the fallacy and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.’’ – Leisha McGrath.

Resources:

Book: The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

Podcast: The Doctor’s Farmacy by Dr. Hyman
https://drhyman.com/blog/category/podcasts/

Get connected socially with Leisha McGrath:
https://leishamcgrath.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leishamcgrath/

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/
https://howgreatmarketingworks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HowGreatMarketingWorks
https://twitter.com/HowGMW
https://www.youtube.com/channel/HowGreatMarketingWorks

This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

#3 Aligning Your Career and Personal Values with Aoife O'Brien

Your Truth Shared

05/10/22 • 40 min

"Because we spend so much of our time at work, I think it's really, really important to make sure that you are happy at work because it leaks into every aspect of our lives." – Aoife O'Brien.

Welcome back to Your Truth Shared. Have you ever wondered what the secret is to obtaining job satisfaction or what makes people truly happy at work? Well, wonder no more as joining Finola on this week's episode is Happiness at Work expert and host of the same-titled and booming business podcast, Aoife O'Brien.

Having worked in multiple countries across the globe, Aoife kindly shares many interesting learnings from her extensive professional experience. Finola and Aoife cover great ground in this episode discussing human behaviours, discovering your calling, aligning your career and personal values and much more. So go ahead and dive right in!

Key points throughout the discussion include:

- An introduction to Aoife O'Brien.

- Gaining an interest in employee retention and human behaviour.

- How to identify your strengths and discover your calling.

- Overcoming the fear of data.

- Fitting in at work and understanding organisational behaviours.

- Are company values established and being lived?

- Aoife's approach to hiring.

- The importance of identifying your values and needs.

- The hiring process: aligning recruitment with company values.

- Striking the balance of workplace autonomy.

- Put people first, and the profits will follow.

- Why you should treat employees like customers.

- The human side of the business.

- The key to achieving life harmony.

Get connected socially with Aoife O'Brien:

https://www.happieratwork.ie

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ

https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie

https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast

Get connected socially with host Finola Howard: