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In order to grow your business as an entrepreneur, you must have a clear answer for these three questions: What are you doing to reach into new markets? How are you build a strong reputation for providing value in those new markets? How are you inviting people to buy? Finding the answer to these questions is a lot about experimentation in the beginning. You begin with a hypothesis, which says: "I think that if I turn up here, in this way, and offer this service, people will buy". This is not only about making informed decisions between multiple options, it's about going out and testing your hypothesis in real life, in the market. You test that hypothesis, get feedback, tweak and go again. You keep doing this until you have the answer, then you repeat that. This video was filmed at a recent DARETOGROW / Live event. I introduce the model, explain each stage, and encourgage business owners to find and test the three levels in their own business. What's Covered in This Episode: 00:00 – The only three things required to turn on sales 00:45 – What "Reach" actually means (and why strangers matter) 02:30 – Why shouting in the wrong room kills sales 04:10 – Brand is not logos, PR or aesthetics 06:00 – Why unclear websites repel buyers 08:30 – Sales as a separate, deliberate activity 11:20 – The signature programme model 14:30 – Selling without a fancy website 17:00 – "Whatever it takes" and finishing the thing 19:40 – The one exercise every business owner must do – REACH: Why Strangers Are the Only Way You Grow Lisa is very clear about this: If strangers are not finding you, your business will not grow. Full stop. Reach means breaking into new markets — getting in front of people who have never heard of you before but already want what you sell. There are people right now: Searching Asking Enquiring Buying And if they're not buying from you, it's not because they don't want your solution. It's because they didn't find you. Lisa uses a simple metaphor: A man on a market shouting "Potatoes! Two dozen!" That's business. But: A food market for that product beats a general market Saturday beats Monday (more footfall) 9–5 beats 3am (when people are shopping) Yet most business owners keep "showing up" in rooms where their customers aren't even there — because it feels cosy, familiar, and safe.   BRAND: How do you Build Trust, Quickly? Brand isn't just: Logos PR tags "As seen in" badges Brand is what someone experiences after Reach has worked. It's what happens when they: Click your Instagram Click your YouTube Visit your website Watch something Read something They should instantly understand: Your approach Your methodology What makes you different Who you help How you think The brand of trust you build should do the heavy lifting before the call. For example:   SALES: Inviting Customers to the Next Step Sales is a separate activity from reach and brand building. Sales is where you say: "Here's the offer" "Here's what it is" "Here's the price" "Here's how to begin" Lisa believes every business should have: One signature programme A clear upsell A clear downsell Everything else is: A lead magnet A paid trial A micro-offer An innovation This is because of the time involved in producing these offers. A lot of early entrepreneurs make the mistake of spreading themselves too thinly and never having the time to truly focus on learning to sell one thing well.   A Challenge: Can you write one sentence or one short paragraph for each of these: 1. REACH How are new potential clients finding you? Examples: "I attend six networking events a month." "I speak at two events every month." "I post Instagram Reels (trial mode) and reach 500 new people weekly." "My impressions are growing month on month." If you can't show this – growth will not happen. 2. BRAND What can people click, watch, or read to understand you? What explains your process? Where do they hear  what you think? What demonstrate how you work? What makes you you? 3. SALES What pulls new customers to the front of the room? It could be: A webinar A discovery call A programme start date An invitation to talk   Final Thought Sales don't turn on by accident. They turn on when: Strangers find you People understand the value you offer You invite them to buy Reach. Brand. Sales. Three separate skills. Three separate activities.  

A few weeks ago I did something I've never done before. I put on my first ever theatre-style business show: Laugh or You'll Cry. A full script. Lighting cues. Sound cues. Slide timing. Jokes I had to actually write and rehearse. For someone whose speaking style is usually "a few bullet points and make the rest up as you go along", this pushed me right to the edge of my ability. But what surprised me the most wasn't the logistics of putting on a show… it was what it did to my nervous system. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the experience and sharing a huge lesson about business, dreams, and how the commercial side of your business actually funds the life you want to create. Because here's the truth most entrepreneurs need to hear: Your business funds your dreams… until your dreams can fund your life. At the start of business, you don't have a reputation. You don't have proof. You don't have a community behind you yet. So you can't trade on reputation. You have to trade on value. You have to do the thing first, gather the evidence, and then use that evidence to grow the opportunity. That's why you can't cheat the process. And why chasing a big dream will always take you to the edge of what you think you're capable of. Most people turn away from that edge. But if you can sit in that discomfort and see it through… you don't walk away the same person who started. What's Covered in This Episode (Timestamps) 00:00 – Why I decided to put on a theatre-style business show 00:30 – The idea behind Laugh or You'll Cry and what I wanted the audience to feel 01:15 – The reality of producing a scripted show (lighting, sound, slides and timing) 02:18 – Why this pushed me far outside my normal speaking style 02:36 – The unexpected impact it had on my nervous system and business focus 03:14 – Writing jokes for the first time and the pressure of not knowing if they'll land 04:05 – Why pushing your dreams will take you beyond anything you've experienced before 05:00 – The moment you become a different person after doing something hard 06:06 – Why failure becomes less scary when you change the story you tell yourself 06:55 – The biggest business lesson from putting on this show 07:02 – The difference between your commercial model and your dream 07:29 – Why you can't trade on reputation when you're just starting out 08:05 – Why you must gather evidence before opportunities grow 08:29 – How small audiences are actually the path to bigger stages 08:57 – Why following your dream will always take you to the edge of your ability If you're building a business and trying to balance what makes money with what really matters to you, this episode will help you understand why the two don't always align at the beginning — and why that's completely normal. Subscribe for more honest conversations about building a business, making money, and doing work that actually means something.

Being in business is hard. It's full on. It's busy. This is especially true when you're winning clients and working hard to deliver behind the scenes. For all those reasons, the balance of creating content and delivering what you've promised to clients is a hard one to maintain. Personally, I've found producing content daily impossible. It's a different energy, and it takes a while to get things set up. That's why we don't do it! We create a lot of our content in key filming days, where we get everything set up, plan our content, and film 4/5 videos in one day! It's effective. It's productive. And if you do it well, it means you can get back to work! In this video, come behind the scenes as we film a whopping five videos and five additional Reels in one day! We talk about: How to systemise your content creation to stay in front of your audience How to approach 'batch filming' so your content is effective Tools and set ups to consider, along with what kit to consider ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome & behind the scenes: prepping 5 videos in one day 0:52 – What a filming day really is 1:17 – Block it in your diary or it won't happen 1:49 – Setting up the next video & letting go of control 2:16 – Systemising to scale your business 3:03 – The honest truth about starting without fancy gear 3:49 – Hooks & first seven seconds: relax into the plan 4:58 – Planning content sets & next row of videos 5:13 – Tools, dependency & diversification 7:10 – Advice for anyone starting videos: cameras & mics 8:06 – Bulk filming = weeks of content, creating sets 📌 Key Takeaway: Consistency isn't about discipline. It's about designing your system. Batch filming, repeatable setups, and removing daily decision fatigue make posting content a natural part of scaling your business.

"If it feels harder than it should… you're probably on the right track in the beginning." In this episode, let's tackle the questions business owners are typing into Google. From doing everything yourself, to charging your worth, burning out, fearing failure and feeling like an "imposter", let's look at what it really takes to make money in business - and why most people quit just before it starts working. 🎥 Watch the episode on YouTube What's Covered in This Episode (Timestamps) 00:00 – Why "doing everything yourself" is normal (at the start) 00:25 – The structure chart no one ever writes (but should) 01:10 – "I have too many ideas" and why creativity is both a gift and a curse 02:13 – Why starting new ideas keeps resetting your success 02:37 – Charging your worth: confidence vs competence 03:20 – Burnout: why it happens and how to stop it 04:25 – If your products aren't selling, it's a marketing problem 05:53 – Fear of failure and why business is only ever a hypothesis 07:22 – What Lisa actually teaches (no vegan recipes involved) 07:46 – Imposter syndrome doesn't exist (according to Lisa) 09:03 – What really stops people achieving their goals 09:47 – The biggest opportunity in business right now "I'm Doing Everything Myself" — Why That's Not Actually the Problem One of the most common frustrations business owners raise is: "The problem with my business is I'm doing everything myself." Lisa's response is refreshingly grounded. In the beginning, that's not a failure - it's reality. Before you can delegate, you need enough margin to: Pay yourself Pay the business Pay another human being That's the order. The mistake? Assuming you should already be outsourcing before the business can sustain it. Try this to inspire yourself:  Write a structure chart, showing: Who you'll hire in 12 months Who you'll hire in 2 years What their role is What their objectives are "Is something about that that makes it real," Lisa says. In the meantime: Use freelancers Hire VAs Use platforms like People Per Hour Leverage technology (schedulers, AI tools, content repurposing) But until you can afford to pay someone properly? "Do the work. Do the frickin' work." The Real Cost of "Too Many Ideas" Another Google favourite: "The problem with my business is I have too many ideas." Lisa doesn't see creativity as the enemy. In fact, she links it directly to entrepreneurship — particularly for neurodivergent founders. Creativity is the gift. Lack of completion is the curse. Here's the hard truth Lisa delivers: You cannot have all of these ideas and hope to be successful. There is a straight line between: A vision A project Delivery Repetition If you keep changing the course, the offer, the format, or the idea - you keep starting from zero. This is the teachable moment most people avoid: Every time you start a brand new idea, you reset your progress. Lisa explains that success comes from: Repeating the same course until it sells Using the same social media platform / format until it works Letting creativity sit within the project — not outside of it If you stop, start again, and never finish — you never build momentum. Charging Your Worth: Confidence or Competence? "I'm scared to charge my worth." Lisa's take is controversial — and necessary. If you can't fill your diary at your current price, raising your rates won't fix that. Instead: Fill your diary Build confidence Gain experience Collect testimonials Then raise your prices And here's the uncomfortable question Lisa asks: "Are you genuinely worth that amount?" If the answer is yes — then it's mindset work: Therapy Coaching Money beliefs Self-worth But if the answer is no? That's not mindset. That's competence or marketing. And those problems require different solutions. Burnout Isn't About Working Too Hard — It's About Reward Lisa is blunt about burnout: People don't burn out because they're working hard. They burn out because the reward doesn't match the work. Living at the edge of your ability for years without enough return will break you. Her solutions are practical, not glamorous: Slow down Extend timelines Get support Get a job if needed Sell a "bucket and spade" service you're already good at to get cash flowing again There is nothing wrong with stabilising yourself while you build. Burnout happens when: You can't recalibrate You can't remind yourself what it's worth You never get to breathe and refresh  If Your Products Aren't Selling, It's Marketing. Full Stop. That is the problem with everyone's business. If your products aren't selling, you don't understand marketing yet. Marketing starts with one question: Who is the customer that will give me money for this? Not: "My customers are broke" "My customers are burnt out" Because if they can't buy — they're not your customer. Then you ask: What are they really buying? What problem is this solving? Lisa explains that people don't buy "business coaching" — they buy: Confidence Direction Accountability Someone who sees their blind spots That's what gets marketed. And whatever your strategy is — networking, Instagram, YouTube — Lisa's rule is simple: Whatever you're doing, find a way to times it by ten. More conversations. More content. More repetition. That's how sales happen. "Imposter Syndrome" - what is this?  Lisa doesn't use the phrase imposter syndrome at all. Her word? Alien. When you do something you've never done before, of course you feel strange. That doesn't mean you're a fraud. Her reframe is powerful: You're not an imposter. You're rehearsing being a new version of yourself. To get a new result, you have to become a new person. If you can sit in that discomfort, you grow. If you can't, you retreat. But retreat isn't failure — it just means you try again. The Biggest Opportunity in Business Right Now It's not AI. It's not trends. It's not hacks. Lisa's answer is simple — and unpopular: Hard work. Specifically: Doing the work other people won't do. Learning the skills. Filming the videos. Showing up consistently. Doing the hard thing because it's hard. "If it's hard, very few people are going to do it." And that's where the opportunity lives. Final Thought;  Business is hard in the beginning.  It takes longer than you want. It requires discomfort most people avoid. But if you're willing to: Finish what you start Market relentlessly Sit in the unknown Do the work others won't You don't need luck. You need stamina. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube And if you haven't already — subscribe. These questions are being unpacked in depth over the coming weeks. Because this is what it really takes to make actual money in business.

Everyone's talking about AI — but most business owners are using it all wrong. In this episode, Lisa Bean breaks down the three AI tools that have had the biggest practical impact on growing her businesses. From generating publish-ready content in minutes to multiplying your visibility across platforms, these tools will save you time, boost engagement, and help you make more money. Lisa shares her exact workflows, including: How to use ChatGPT properly — and why most prompts fail Her voice-note workflow for creating client-ready stories on the go Turning one long video into 20+ short clips using Opus Clips Using Adobe Podcast Enhancer for crisp, professional audio A pro tip for generating short videos from a single photo ✨ Key Highlight: The quality of your prompt determines the quality of your output. Lisa's example: "I was just at this event. The vibe was this. The main point I want to make is this. Leave space for three customer quotes. Highlight these three key elements." The result? High-quality, ready-to-publish content that's useful for clients — and optimized for SEO. Whether you're creating content, running webinars, or building your online presence, this episode shows exactly how to turn AI into a revenue-driving tool — without wasting time on the stuff that doesn't work. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – 01:03 | Everyone's obsessed with AI — but most people are using it wrong 01:03 – 02:24 | How Lisa writes full news stories while walking down the street 02:24 – 03:47 | Using ChatGPT as a 'thinking machine' 03:47 – 04:34 | The secret to powerful show notes (most creators skip this) 04:34 – 06:12 | Tool #2: Opus Clips — the ultimate clip machine 06:12 – 07:11 | Tool #3: Adobe Podcast Enhancer 07:11 – 07:45 | Pro Tip: Create missing shots with Envato's Photo-to-Video Generator 07:45 – End | Lisa's final question to you Follow Lisa: Lisa Bean is a UK-based online business coach and mentor, teaching purpose-driven entrepreneurs how to build and scale their businesses (properly). Her videos focus on marketing, sales, and the mindset work needed to succeed. Learn more about Lisa: https://lisa-bean.com/about/ Follow Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabeanuk/ Get started with 6 core lectures on 'Marketing to Sell': https://lisa-bean.com/online-marketing-course/ Join Lisa's signature business programme – Straight Line Through: https://lisa-bean.com/online-business-course/

[WATCH THIS if you want to make more money in 2026] There are hundreds of books about money… but today, we're not talking about any of the usual ones. In this episode, I'm sharing three lesser-known but life-changing money books that completely transformed how I think, earn, keep, and relate to money...and I want you to read them. If you're building a business, changing your money story, or changing the way you relate to money and wealth…I'd take a look at these. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Why most money books won't help you 0:10 — Three books that will actually change your relationship with money 0:21 — Book #1: The Success Principles by Jack Canfield 0:30 – 1:34 — The uncomfortable truth: jealousy, blame, and why this blocks money 1:34 – 2:24 — Radical responsibility and how it unlocks earning 2:24 – 2:40 — Celebrating others as a money strategy 2:44 — Book #2: Rich As Fck* by Amanda Frances 2:55 – 3:34 — Borrowing belief and thinking like wealthy people 3:34 – 4:25 — Adopting rich thoughts + the question that will change your life 4:25 – 5:27 — Clarity, specifics, vibration, and the action required 5:41 — Book #3: Money On Your Mind by Daniel Crosby (the psychologist) 6:03 – 7:34 — The psychology of keeping money + the compound effect 7:34 – 8:17 — Why you overspend, undercharge, avoid selling, or sabotage 8:17 – 8:50 — Rewriting the blueprint that keeps you broke 8:50 – 9:00 — The belief that changed everything for me 9:00 – 9:39 — BONUS: My book First Sh!t Version — for entrepreneurs on the edge 9:39 – end — Comment your best money book + tell me which one you'll read next! 📕 THE BOOKS MENTIONED 1️⃣ The Success Principles — Jack Canfield The book that forced me to stop blaming my past and start building my future. Radical responsibility. Radical ownership. Radical action. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Success-Principles-Where-Canfield-Switzer/dp/0007195087/ref=asc_df_0007195087?mcid=4a413b4cc90b3143b75458c2adb226ab&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697276890946&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3444399286975351553&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006649&hvtargid=pla-469236201013&psc=1&hvocijid=3444399286975351553-0007195087-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1 2️⃣ Rich As F*ck — Amanda Frances If Canfield is the "reality," Amanda is the "possibility." Borrow her belief until you build your own. Do not skip the journaling questions. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rich-As-More-Money-Than-ebook/dp/B08QY57GFY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3F59IOKUF8VBV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9M5Txui9d2PSKPl4h0QR0ZpPBtLgHyu4EVDhQu3mR8g.M6X6uf3v3N1FKLF35sV2h72yrhTIKqjO6TBgdMX_Sjc&dib_tag=se&keywords=rich+as+f**k&qid=1763533345&s=digital-text&sprefix=rich+as+fuck%2Cdigital-text%2C102&sr=1-1 3️⃣ Money On Your Mind — (Psychologist) The psychology of why you overspend, undercharge, avoid selling, or can't keep money. This book changed my behaviour - not just my mindset. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Money-Your-Mind-Psychology-Financial-ebook/dp/B0DJB1JP8Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G7ENCW0PYFX0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f-4ib8sHGtawHl9L_z_KECyU9iyL9O3U1xT7wojr3UQvxJviM7rXaDtLaD_kd4f6XD7ZS5uGxDlhRI1ihXBDivt3c2yj5IKsr-alO7NuF2U.9LhXJkzT8yuTchv27eyqWrYza9L_ZRAmqmczf7ZkCXU&dib_tag=se&keywords=money+on+your+mind&qid=1763533356&s=digital-text&sprefix=money+on+your+mind%2Cdigital-text%2C101&sr=1-1 BONUS: First Sh!t Version - by me, Lisa Bean For anyone wanting to start the business, launch the product, or finally go all-in. Honest, gritty, funny, real. Do not read it at 10pm. https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Sh-Version-purpose-entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B0842X4ZG7   🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS You can't make more money if you're secretly blaming your past for where you are. Jealousy blocks wealth - celebration invites it. To grow, you must adopt the thoughts and beliefs of people who earn more than you. Clarity creates momentum — especially with money goals. Making money is one skill. Keeping money is a different skill. Your financial behaviours are driven by psychology, not logic. When you fix the blueprint, the money stops leaking.   📣 COMMENT BELOW   👇 Tell me: What is the best book you've ever read on money, mindset, or making money? And which of these three are you reading next?   ✨ WANT MORE SUPPORT?   📩 Join my email list for weekly business, mindset + money content - https://lisa-bean.com/mailing-list/ 🎧 Listen to the podcast - https://daretogrow.libsyn.com/lisabean 🎥 Subscribe for new videos every week   #money #moneymindset #booksonmoney

Let's have a bit of fun! Answering the most Googled questions! Including: Am I A Millionaire? Does Money Really Buy Happiness? & How YOU Can make money fast in 2026 and beyond!   In this brand new YouTube and podcast episode, UK Business Coach Lisa Bean sits down to answer Google's most searched questions about business, marketing, sales, and success. Expect honesty, straight lines, and zero fluff: why money can buy happiness (but only if you know your number), why you don't need money to start (you need time and grit), and why a tiny audience can still power a multiple six-figure business when you tell the truth and have an opinion. Lisa also reframes "original ideas" ("you don't need one — you need a point of view"), explains who shouldn't start a business (and who absolutely must), and shares the quickest way to make money now: finish the product, put up the sales page, run the webinar, ask for the sale. If you've ever wondered how to make money without a big audience, what stops entrepreneurs from reaching their goals, or why business coaching costs what it does — this episode is your roadmap to the truth behind the buzzwords in business and online sales! â±ï¸ Timestamps & What You'll Learn 00:00 – 00:09 | What this episode covers Answering the internet's most-googled questions about Lisa, business, marketing, and sales. 00:09 – 00:25 | Is Lisa a speaker? "Yes — it's my dream to stand in front of thousands and change lives." (Something exciting is coming) 00:25 – 01:05 | Is Lisa an author? First Sh!t Version took ten years; Am I Healing? is in progress. Purpose, change, and making a living doing what you love. 01:05 – 01:24 | SEO & ranking #1 for "business coach" (UK) "I'm the queen of SEO. It's a huge revenue driver — worth the time." 01:24 – 02:00 | Millionaire mindset & fear "Vibrationally, yes." Also: Lisa's real fear (medical procedures) and a nod to past serious illness — radical honesty included. 02:00 – 02:36 | Does money buy happiness? Yes — up to your number. Clients say "enough to be happy" or "retire my partner." Lisa: What's the number? Clarity creates momentum. 02:36 – 03:34 | Too late to start? No. Many successful founders start in their 40s. One purposeful day at 60 can change your reality. 03:34 – 04:27 | Do you need money to start? No. Lisa started with £3k (gone in a month), then with nothing, then £100k in debt. You need time and work ethic. Use free trials, your phone, and go meet people. 04:27 – 05:22 | Do ideas need to be original? No. You need an opinion. If you're purely transactional, you're replaceable. Market your nuance and prove it with clients. 05:22 – 06:08 | Is business for everyone? No. If you're here for "work-life balance," don't do it. Early years = more hours than you're paid for. You build a business because not doing it feels terrible. 06:08 – 06:47 | Making money without a big audience You can't make money without any audience — but it doesn't need to be big. Lisa's multiple six-figure education business runs with 2k IG followers and less than 2k on the list. Key: content + opinion + truth. 07:06 – 07:25 | Digital products Fastest path to cash is 1:1. Build the product after results. Prove outcomes upfront. 07:25 – 08:07 | Make money fast (2026 mindset, applied now) Finish the product. Is the sales page live? Run a webinar. Add value. Ask for the sale. Stop "selling without selling." 08:07 – 08:52 | Make money when you have none If you're frozen by fear: get a job/freelance to cover basics. Then: finish one product, sell 1:1, network, build content, ask for the sale (webinars, masterclasses, discovery calls). #businesssuccess #mostaskedquestions #businesscoach

Competence is the result you get when you something hard, over and over, until (a) you learn how to get the hard result; and / or, (b) it becomes part of who you are. Competence isn't an empty sales promise. It's an unshakable skill no-one can take from you and people want to buy from you! Here's the truth: No one's coming to your door to stop you making sales. No one's blocking your progress. Business rewards the entrepreneur who build this kind of competence by pushing themselves beyond what they know to be comfortable, by taking a risk, by practicing a new skill until they own it. In this live talk, I share the raw, funny, and (often!) humbling stories that taught me the true meaning of competence, which became the foundation of every business I went on to build. 💡 In this episode, you'll learn: What competence really means, and how you can become unshakable no matter what happens. The difference between knowledge and wisdom: How true thought leadership is born from lived experience, not theory. The role of repetition in mastery: The hidden power of showing up weekly, refining your craft, and building real evidence of skill. Why social media has sold you a lie: The myth of "easy business" and what it actually takes to build success from scratch. How to turn experience into leadership: Using your journey, insights, and failures to create value and impact in your industry. 🧠 Key insights from the episode: "Competence comes from practising a skill that is difficult and getting so good at it that it doesn't matter what happens — you're still competent." "You're not an entrepreneur until you're on the journey of developing competence." "When you've lived it, you can speak the truth. That's what people feel – that's wisdom." "Business isn't easy. You're making up an idea and trying to convince people to buy it. That's the hardest and most beautiful thing in the world." 🎧 Watch next: 👉 Do THIS to turn on marketing in your business 👉 The brutal truth about building a business you need to hear 👉 How to stop playing small and play big! 💌 Join the weekly mailing list: https://lisa-bean.com/mailing-list/ 📘 Work with me inside Straight Line Through 📸 Follow on Instagram: @lisabeanuk  

You're not struggling with sales - you're struggling to have an impact at a big enough scale to make sales. In this week's video, I'm breaking down what's really going on when you're not making enough money in your business — and how to fix it. This is not another "sales hack" video. It's about learning to have a real impact on people, before they ever pay you. That's marketing! If people can feel the impact you can have on them i.e if you've already helped them see themselves differently, think differently, or take new action, then you'll won't have to convince them to buy. They'll already know there's value in what you do and they'll want to find out more. In this episode we cover: The two real reasons you're not making sales (and they've got nothing to do with your offer). Why impact at scale is the real metric you should be tracking — not just reach or clicks. What it actually means to "change someone's life before they pay you." How to build trust by delivering real transformation through your free content. The role of YouTube, Instagram, and events in scaling your impact. Why your marketing content must have soul — and how audiences instantly know when it doesn't. How to collect real feedback ("data") by testing your ideas live — not hiding behind PDFs and webinars. The truth about YouTube growth: what I learned when my editor Chris showed me the data (spoiler: 60% of my views come from people who've never seen me before). Why repeating your key stories matters more than inventing new ones every week. Quote moments from this episode: "If you can change someone's life before they pay you, you'll never have to sell." "We can feel when content has no soul — that's why AI-written posts fall flat." "Your hook isn't something invent. It's just the content people react best to." - Lisa Bean is a UK-based online business coach and mentor, teaching purpose-driven entrepreneurs how to build and scale their businesses (properly). Her videos focus on marketing, sales, and the mindset work needed to succeed. Learn more about Lisa: https://lisa-bean.com/about/ Follow Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabeanuk/ Get started with 6 core lectures on 'Marketing to Sell': https://lisa-bean.com/online-marketing-course/ Join Lisa's signature business programme – Straight Line Through: https://lisa-bean.com/online-business-course/

Business can be awful! Let's be honest. Some days, it feels like it's never going to work; like you're never going to make it. You're going to want to quit. You'll get tired of waiting for the 'lucky break'. You'll wonder if you should have stuck in that earlier career. If you're feeling like this today, this episode is for you. In this raw conversation, I want to share the "terrible advice" that will turn things around for you, help you fall back in love with business, and get you back on the path to success. We'll talk: What you're waiting for Why you should stop romanticising the "lucky break." How to reframe your story to embrace the pain Accepting that discomfort is the path. Growth = discomfort. How to get out of your head and back into the work. Download the free one-page worksheet I mention in the video here: [insert link] Print it, fill it in, and keep it on your desk. You are more capable than you realise. You already have the resources you need. You just need to take the next step with courage. 🔗 Looking for the worksheet I mention in the video? Here it is: Get Back on Track Worksheet – Lisa Bean is a UK-based online business coach and mentor, teaching purpose-driven entrepreneurs how to build and scale their businesses (properly). Her videos focus on marketing, sales, and the mindset work needed to succeed. Learn more about Lisa: https://lisa-bean.com/about/ Follow Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabeanuk/ Get started with 6 core lectures on 'Marketing to Sell': https://lisa-bean.com/online-marketing-course/ Join Lisa's signature business programme – Straight Line Through: https://lisa-bean.com/online-business-course/

If you were to ask me how to make more sales in your business I'd say: stop trying to cheat the process and just market better. Marketing is the simple act of adding value to someone's life before you ask them for anything in return. Examples of marketing done well: You're a guest on a podcast of someone your future clients listen to. You're talking about your journey, you're sharing your wisdom, you're helping people believe they can do it to. You write a LinkedIn post sharing the 3 biggest mistakes people make when approaching [your industry/topic], and you explain how to avoid them. You run a live networking working and walk through a key process you teach to your clients. You make a YouTube video explaining the best way to solve a problem your clients have, and break it down step by step. On your sales page, you explain why you've set up your offer in that way, rather than just list the features. You write a blog post walking through the reasoning behind a trend or decision in your industry, helping your audience feel informed. You go live on social media and answer the top three questions you get asked most often, but you actually share useful insights.   The mistake most people make in marketing: The mistake most people make in marketing is that they focus on the hooks, gimmicks and 'promise' of the offer. It is important to know what the one big promise of your offer is, but you will find it so much easier to sell if you spend time explaining or showing how your approach will help you to deliver on that promise. For example, I could say: "When you join Straight Line Through, you get access to weekly calls", or I could say: "Each Wednesday in Straight Line Through I go live at 12pm. Often I lead with a live teach on a core topic around sales, marketing, and mindset, but there is always room for your questions. You could bring me your sales page for review. You could think out loud about a problem you're struggling with. You could get advice on how to market your new offer. The purpose of these calls is to give you somewhere practical and inspiring to go each month, to make sure you have somewhere to get your questions answered, and to introduce you to other entrepreneurs in our community." Which of those two is more compelling and more likely to lead to a sale? The same is true of marketing in general. You could talk about the big six figure year, or talk broadly about how you turned your luck around in business, or you could try to articulate the process you mastered, or the five biggest things you've learn on your journey, or how you overcame the biggest obstacle in your sector. People are looking for mentors, coaches, guides, leaders all the time. The difference between the ones that sell and the ones that don't is that good leaders show people how they can get there too. That's all marketing is, done well, and compounded over time. Seth Godin's Approach to Marketing in 'This is Marketing' Seth Godin's book This is Marketing had a profound impact on me as a marketer because he put into words something I knew intrinsically to be true: marketing isn't about shouting the loudest or tricking people into a funnel. It's about earning trust over time through consistency, generosity, and empathy. That means: Consistency: showing up over and over again so people know they can rely on you. Generosity: giving away your best ideas and insights, not holding back until someone pays. Empathy: taking the time to really understand the fears, hopes, and struggles of the people you want to serve. This isn't fast. It isn't flashy. And it won't give you overnight results. But what it does give you is longevity in your market. It builds a loyal audience who actually want to hear from you, who share your work, who want to consume all your content, and who eventually buy with confidence – because you've already proven, over and over again, that you can help them. That's the essence of good marketing. Not hooks. Not gimmicks. Not tricks. Service. That's what we explore in this week's episode.

In 18 months, you won't know if that image, video or news clip is real or AI so be smart: start finding ways to show your clients just how real you are, and you'll win more business. ↓     Before we came to Italy, I showed Lucy's daughter a photo of Lake Como. She said "No, that's AI", and I laughed. "Wait till you see it in real life", I said, "and then you'll know - that's real." I think it's happening already... We're doubting that content is real. Whilst this was once limited to photos and maybe some dramatically staged social media clips, it's now extending through to full videos, AI generated courses, entire scenes fabricated by code. We used to say 'that's fake'. Now we say 'that's AI'. The remedy is simple. We need to start mixing in more 'proof of life' content into our marketing mix: content that shows we are undeniably real, we are human. In this week's episode - Human vs AI: Why Being Real Will Be Your Superpower in 2026 - I discuss this concept and show you the three types of content I'm running at the moment to find balance between showing I'm real, positioning myself as a leader in the field, and making sure the efforts are scalable for growth. This is an interesting watch, one that will change the way you think about content in the coming months and help you realise just how important 'proof of life' content really is. P.s. I've added a list of ten proof of life content ideas to the write up of this video. You can read them + watch the video here: ​10 examples of 'proof of life' content >>

Most people are still writing SEO optimised content for Google… but the way we search is changing. Five key take aways for ranking in ChatGPT: ➔ AI responds to real prompts, rather than vague keywords and search terms. Think about full questions your clients would be asking ChatGPT and write questions to answer those more human prompts. ➔ Consistency builds authority — ChatGPT "reads" your homepage, bios, blogs, and news stories. Say the same thing across all of them to help create a consistent narrative about your business. ➔ Structure matters — Use clear H2s and H3s with long-tail search phrases like "how to attract clients through Instagram", rather than e.g. "Key points". (Look at the title of this section as an example!) ➔ Transcripts and show notes boost discoverability — AI can't watch your video, but it can read everything around it. Use show notes to 'tell' ChatGPT what's in your video and use it as a chance to create content that ChatGPT could return in answers. ➔ You can check your rankings — Tools like SEMrush now show where you appear in ChatGPT results. This is real-time visibility. If you want to build a business through inbound discovery – watch this video on how to show up in Chat GPT. This approach says goodbye to chasing down followers and hello to creating content for the people searching for you right now. In this new episode, I break down: Why ChatGPT is changing search behaviour The difference between Google vs ChatGPT prompts How to appear in ChatGPT responses for your ideal search terms The surprising way one client found me via ChatGPT Why your homepage, blog and video titles matter more than ever A simple system I use to write searchable show notes How SEMrush now tracks ChatGPT keyword rankings How to turn Instagram posts into SEO-ready blog content   To learn more about this, read the latest post I made about ranking in ChatGPT: https://lisa-bean.com/business/marketing/showup-in-chat-gpt/   

"Stop playing small" is terrible advice because no-one really knows what it means to play big, or how to approach it! When people talk about playing small, they usually mention things like: Not charging their worth Self-sabotaging Avoiding key projects and actions Not being visible Not going for their dreams!   Does that mean that playing big is the opposite of this: Charging your worth Letting yourself have the win! Tackling key projects and taking difficult actions Being visible and building your brand Going for your dreams!   Probably! But, I think we can go further. In today's episode, I'm going to break down the psychology of playing small and offer a very specific approach for showing up differently. 1. Grit vs. Campaign Thinking: The Danger of Living in Crisis Mode We often celebrate "grit" – the ability to push through, keep going, get it done. Angela Duckworth even made it famous in her work on success, showing that grit (passion + perseverance) is a better predictor of long-term achievement than IQ or talent. But grit without vision is just survival. If you wake up every day thinking, "What's broken? What needs fixing?" – that's reactivity, not strategy. It's a common pattern I see in entrepreneurs: Hustling for last-minute sales. Overbooking and over-delivering. Staying up late to make ends meet. That's not bad – sometimes it's necessary. But if you live there for too long, you'll build a business around firefighting, not future-building. The Science:  This is partly driven by your brain's amygdala — the centre for fear and threat detection. When we're uncertain or under pressure, it activates your fight-or-flight response. That's when you default to solving immediate problems instead of building long-term solutions. But playing big requires prefrontal cortex thinking – the part of your brain responsible for planning, reasoning, and imagining the future. It's not activated when you're constantly stressed. The Shift: Playing big means stepping back to ask: "Where am I going? And what do I need to build this quarter, this year, to get there?" That's campaign thinking. That's strategy. Grit might get you out of a hole, but campaign thinking builds your true vision.   2. Passive vs. Directive Thinking: Who's Really in Charge? One of the hardest ways we play small is by letting our emotions and beliefs steer our decisions. You know it's happening when you say things like: "I just wasn't in the right headspace today." "I've always struggled with that." "I just didn't feel like it." As someone who's been prone to depressive episodes most of my life, I know what it's like to feel low, unmotivated, even hopeless. But I also know this: You are not your thoughts. You are not your feelings. You are the person who notices them – and chooses what to do next. The Science: In cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), there's a powerful concept called cognitive distancing – the ability to observe your thoughts without attaching to them as truth. This is a cornerstone of emotional regulation and personal change. Instead of "I am overwhelmed," you say, "I'm experiencing overwhelm." That tiny shift gives you space to choose a different response. The Shift: A passive thinker lets the day happen to them. A directive thinker observes what's happening – then acts anyway. They don't wait to feel motivated. They create motivation using little tricks like going on a walk, promising yourself a reward in exchange for the work, creating a lovely environment to work just so you can get started. Sometimes that means waking up at 5am to do the hard thing first. Sometimes it means scheduling joy, like a movie or coffee out, just to trigger some dopamine and keep going. Motivating yourself to do the hard job is a skill. And it is a skill that can be learned.   3. Tasks vs. Projects: Are You Creating or Just Completing? Let me ask you this: If I opened your calendar for next week… Would I see tasks? Or would I see projects? Would I see time blocked out for: Writing your book Filming your course Preparing your TEDx talk Building your funnel Practising your speaking Or would I see: Meetings Admin Zooms booked in by other people "Reply to emails" "Post something on Instagram" The former moves your life forward. The latter keeps it ticking over. The Psychology:  This is the difference between being busy and being effective. Our brains are wired to love "completion" – every time we tick off a to-do item, we get a dopamine hit. That's why it feels good to stay in action mode. But it's short-lived. Creative, meaningful work – the kind that actually grows your business – is messy. It's nonlinear. You don't get a hit every 15 minutes. You sit in discomfort. You wrestle. And you often feel like you're failing right before you break through. The Shift:  Playing big means prioritising outcomes over checklists. Not "What do I need to get done today?" But: "What am I building this month? And have I protected the time to do it properly?" Final Thought: Playing big isn't louder. It isn't shinier. It's not about showing off. It's about being honest with yourself: Are you building what you really want? Are you leading your own thoughts? Are you creating space for the work that matters? Playing big requires discipline. Not in the punishing, productivity-obsessed way – but in the "this is who I'm becoming" kind of way. It's showing up when it's hard. Doing the work you don't yet feel ready for. And backing your dreams with action – not just ideas. So if you've been stuck in the busyness, the feelings, or the inbox… This is your reminder to come back to your power. What does your version of playing big look like? And what are you going to do about it this week?

I wish I could convey this one thing about marketing. MARKETING = IMPACT MARKETING = IMPACT MARKETING = IMPACT Posting isn't marketing if it doesn't open someone's thinking, influence a new behaviour, or challenge an old behaviour. Marketing is marketing when it has an impact on someone's life, and you become associated with that impact.  If we can get someone's attention, get them to pay attention to us, and share something that truly changes their life, then we're marketing. For this reason, simply posting isn't marketing. Marketing is more about building a connection between your brand and value that your clients want.   Examples of things clients might say about your content are: "I follow them because they inspire me" "I follow them because they tell the truth about [XXX]" "I follow them because they're funny and help me tune out of my life" "I follow them because they share technical details on how to [XXX}" "I follow them because they're helping me to face the truth about how I [XXX]"   When you think about your marketing, what do you want clients to say about you; why do they follow you; what do you give them? Put another way, we can ask about the impact we're having on someone's life. I think when someone comes across your content for the first time, they don't actually want to follow you. They're following too many people already. To get the follow, you've got to share something novel, new, insightful, truly helpful. When I challenge people on their marketing, I often ask them if they're posting what it really takes or a more palatable version. Are they really running the steps they're sharing in their own lives, or are they doing something different? In my marketing, I've always told the truth about how hard business is, about how much time it takes to build a brand, about the steps required up front to make sales. There was a fear for me that the process was too hard for people and they'd not do it, so not follow me. But honestly, I couldn't see another way? I had to tell people the truth because I had to get them turned on to the real work as quickly as possible. I therefore focused on a mix of 'how to' marketing content and the mindset work needed to do that difficult work in the first place. As you watch (or listen to) today's episode, I want you to consider seven key questions: What is the real problem I solve - not just the surface symptom, but the deeper challenge they're facing? What does it truly take to solve this problem - and what honest content can I make around this? What questions are my high calibre clients searching out and how can I make content to answer those questions? How can I 'show' more of my expertise, rather than just talk about it? What's the emotional shift you want your content to create in someone - from stuck to hopeful, from confused to clear, from overwhelmed to decisive? What's one truth you've been holding back from sharing because you're afraid it's too much — and what would happen if you shared it anyway? If someone binge-watched your last 10 pieces of content, what would they say your brand stands for? If you enjoy this episode, don't forget to hit like and subscribe for more.