Podcast

February 20th, 2025

The Apple Cart, S1, E6: Creative Solutions and Peer Support for Better Business Sparkle

In this episode of the Apple Cart, I’m joined by Susanna Reay to talk about how you can have more business sparkle business sparkle.

Susanna is an award-winning authority business mentor, author and speaker who brings creative, streamlined solutions into SMBs. Trained in both design and business strategy, she is able to decode complex ideas into profitable, scalable offers.

Susanna is the author of The Introvert Way® Roadmap, with a second book in the works. She developed the Sparkle Frameworks® which form part of her programmes and serve as a catalyst for growth for clients who integrate them into their businesses.

Listen to the Interview

Creative Solutions for Business Sparkle

With her own clients, Susanna talks about finding creative solutions. But what does that mean? “So, it’s about stepping away from trends and in-the-box solutions. And instead, think about how their goals can be aligned to them. But also in a way that disrupts the marketplace as well.

“For me, the essence of creativity is you think outside the box. ‘How can I be different, what is unique and where can I go with this?’ So I ask my clients, ‘What are you the ‘only’ one of? What’s unique about you?’ That’s so important, especially for service-based businesses.

“No matter what you do, you bring your whole experience, qualifications and passions to your business. So there’s always something unique about everyone. And that’s why I’m not a fan of cookie-cutter solutions. Instead, I help my clients to find that bespoke element of their business.”

Why You Need to Listen to Your Peers and Ask for Help

Everything in business evolves, so you need to pay attention to what people ask you about. And, Susamma says, take advice from your trusted peers so you can really play to your strengths.

“I didn’t get coaching until my business started to take off. We can’t do it alone, but we often try. Because if I’m honest, I was convinced that I could do it all myself. I has a mantra that I didn’t need anyone. But as soon as I got a bit humble, I realised it would be beneficial to talk to someone.

“You don’t know everything. And it makes no sense to try to do design, website updates and all the rest yourself. But one thing you can rely on is your intuition. That’s not something ‘woo’ – it’s the sum of your past experiences and expertise fast-tracked by your brain to help you.”

business sparkle

Positioning to Improve Your Business Sparkle

If you want to have more business sparkle, you need to be clear on your positioning and how you pitch yourself. Susanna explains: “Even if you’re new to business, I doubt you’re new to the world your business is in.

“So, for instance, if you’re a copywriter, you worked for another company before you decided to do it on your own. But it’s a mistake most business owners make – going for a pity vote. ‘Oh, I’m new. Please give me some work.’ How could anyone trust you if you’re brand-new to business?

“But if you said, ‘I worked with these top brands; I’m a specialist in this area; I’ve got 10 years’ experience.’ Those years before you started your business still count. So position yourself as an expert from the beginning and people will want to work with you.”

Susanna’s Disruptive Online Conference, Super-Fast Authority

At the time this podcast was recorded (November 2024), Susanna had just hosted her digital event: “Superfast Authority, the Think Tank Summit for Expert Business Owners.” As she says herself, the aim was to disrupt the conventions of online conferences.

“Back in the summer of 2024, I kept hearing that online was dead and people preferred going to in-person events again. And I was convinced that online did work. The issue was simply that people were doing it wrong and being lazy with it.

“So I decided to disrupt the online summit scene. Because I knew from being an attendee and an organiser that it’s not exciting when people record one-hour talks which are accessible for 24 hours, a Facebook group and an all-access pass on upsell.

Same old where you record a talk and then you deposit one at one hour and then another, and they sort of disappear in 24 hours. And you might have a Facebook group and then there’s going to be an all-access pass, basically that you have to pay for.

“And the whole thing became a list-building exercise for the organiser. So I tapped into my network to create an event that was about interaction, connection and collaboration. The speakers got 15-20 minutes for a pre-recorded talk, which was then broadcast to the attendees.

And I facilitated break-out rooms for people to discuss what they’d heard, sometimes with the speakers themselves. The aim was to give people reflection time and to answer questions I posed to them. And it went down a storm.”

Timestamps

  • 00:45 – 02:20: What Susanna means by creative solutions
  • 03:00 – 05:44: How Susanna came up with her particular business model
  • 07:44 – 10:03: Why you need to listen to your peers and ask for help
  • 11:37 – 16:47: Why you need to be discerning when looking for a business coach
  • 19:45: 24:30: The importance of positioning
  • 27:41 – 38:01: Susanna’s disruptive online conference, Super-Fast Authority
  • 44:20 – 45:25 : Susanna’s advice to someone wanting to more creative in business

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