The Business Owners Podcast

The Business Owners Podcast, brought to you by Business Business Business and Enever Group, is a podcast for business owners of all sizes. In each episode, hosts Linda Reed-Enever and Clive Enever interview business owners about their experiences, challenges, and successes. They also share tips and advice on growing your business and achieving your goals.

The Business Owners Podcast is a news podcast hosted by Clive Enever & Linda Reed-Enever, with 103 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Clive Enever & Linda Reed-Enever hosts The Business Owners Podcast, a news show with 103 episodes published.

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  The Business Owners Podcast

  Trust, Reviews, and Online Reputation with Shane Barker

  Sep 1, 202636 min

  A negative review isn't the end of your business, but an opportunity to refine your product, build authenticity, and demonstrate real accountability to your audience. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Linda Reed-Enever sits down with Shane Barker , digital marketing veteran and founder of TraceFuse . With over 30 years of experience across SEO, influencer marketing, and conversion optimisation, Shane unpacks why trust is the absolute core of modern business, and how online reputation management can make or break a brand. Shane demystifies Amazon's review ecosystem, explains how critical reviews (1, 2, and 3 stars) can actually serve as a product's "v1.0 to v2.0" roadmap, and shares a raw, personal story about overcoming a multi-million-dollar legal battle that transformed his approach to health and business boundaries. Key Takeaways from This Episode Not All Bad Reviews are Bad News Getting critical feedback or facing a hater is often proof that your business is making waves. Instead of reacting emotionally, view legitimate negative feedback as a valuable, real-world development tool to evolve your product or service. Understanding Amazon's Review Ecosystem Amazon categorises 1-, 2-, and 3-star reviews as "critical". Buyers consistently check these before purchasing. Automated systems like Amazon's AI assistant (Rufus) analyse consumer sentiment across these reviews, making it essential that false or policy-violating reviews are legitimately removed. The Dangers of Gaming the System Attempting black-hat tactics, such as review exchanges, paid positive reviews, or incentivised feedback, will eventually trigger AI detectors and get your seller account banned. Focus on building an authentic foundation of reviews through official channels like Amazon Vine. De-escalating Online Conflicts When responding to a negative review or public comment, never react out of anger or get defensive. Address the situation calmly, offer to take the conversation offline, and consider using AI tools (like Claude or ChatGPT) to strip the emotion out of your draft before publishing. Mental Health & Boundaries for Business Owners Sustaining a long-term career requires intentional daily routines. Whether it's prioritising 8 hours of sleep or going on daily walks to defrag your mind, protecting your mental well-being is crucial when navigating business storms. Shane's Advice for Business Owners Build a Foundation First: Ensure your product or listing has a strong base of legitimate positive reviews. When an inevitable critical review arrives, it won't crush your overall rating. Cool Down Before Responding: Never reply to a negative review in the heat of the moment. Step away, write an objective response, and have a trusted peer or AI tool review it for tone. Address False Claims Strategically: If someone posts an illegitimate claim, respond politely by stating you can't locate their customer record in your database. This subtly signals to other readers that the review may be fake. Prioritise Real-World Boundaries: Set physical and mental boundaries between work and home life to keep big business stressors in perspective. Key Takeaway Negative reviews sting the ego, but they don't mean defeat. Treat feedback as a roadmap for growth, handle criticism with calm accountability, and remember that real trust is built on transparency. Your Next Step Execute a "Review & Sentiment Audit." Search your business name or main product listing online to review your recent public feedback. If you find a negative comment, draft a polite, constructive response offline using an AI tool to remove any emotional tone before addressing it. Connect with Shane Barker Website: TraceFuse tracefuse.ai LinkedIn: Shane Barker https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanebarker/ Resources Mentioned in the Podcast How Do I Ask For Reviews? Plus A Few Ways To Use Them https://enevergroup.com.au/how-do-i-ask-for-reviews-plus-a-few-ways-to-use-them/ Amazon Vine Program https://www.amazon.com/vine/about Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 01:15 Meet Shane Barker 02:21 Bad Reviews as Feedback 03:07 Quickfire Questions 05:46 Handling Negative Reviews 09:43 Amazon Reviews Explained 11:45 Review Removal Rules 13:21 AI and Review Ethics 16:23 Fake Reviews and Defence 18:47 Trace Views Approach 20:57 Online Reputation Basics 23:17 Responding Without Emotion 26:23 Final Tips and Mindset 27:59 Biggest Lesson Learned

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  The Business Owners Podcast

  Effective Delegation and Business Growth with Tricia Ong

  Aug 25, 202623 min

  Scaling your business isn't about working harder or doing everything yourself, but making conscious choices, letting go of the micro-admin, and leveraging offshore talent. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever chats with Tricia Ong , co-founder of Mintrix Virtual Assistance . From her office in Melbourne, Tricia shares how sourcing virtual assistants empowers small business owners to buy back their time, streamline operations, and transition out of administrative overload. Tricia breaks down why business owners struggle to delegate, how to audit your daily tasks, and how building a structured relationship with a VA turns routine support into proactive business growth. Key Takeaways from This Episode The Trap of "It's Faster If I Do It Myself" Small business owners frequently fall into the habit of wearing every hat, from sales and quoting to scheduling and data entry. This "context switching" between diverse tasks creates mental fatigue, lowers productivity, and keeps leaders trapped on a hamster wheel of busyness. Buying Back Your Time Business owners should focus their energy exclusively on high-level strategic work: culture, leadership, and team growth. Administrative tasks, like after-hours paperwork, email sorting, Xero uploads, and FAQ messaging, can easily be delegated to a virtual assistant. Building Trust Over Time Delegation doesn't mean blindly handing over critical keys on day one. Trust is established through a phased checking process: reviewing a VA's work for the first 5 iterations, then dropping to every 3rd, and eventually auditing only occasional samples as mastery is proven. The Shift from Legwork to Growth Partner A great VA relationship evolves past simple execution. Once recurring tasks are streamlined, VAs begin asking proactive questions and bringing simple "yes/no" ideas to the table to help scale the business. Tricia's Advice for Business Owners Conduct a Time Inventory: Audit where your hours are actually going. List every task you handle and categorise them into: what stays with you immediately, what can be delegated now, and what can be handed off in 3 to 6 months. Batch Similar Activities: Stop context-switching between emails, text messages, and field work. Group similar admin tasks together to preserve your focus and energy. Make Decisions Simple for Your Team: Train your staff or VA to present solutions as simple A/B or yes/no options so you aren't overwhelmed with multi-layered decisions. Focus on Niche Mastery: If you're building a service business, systemise something you are exceptional at before attempting to expand into 20 different offerings. Key Takeaway Delegation is not an all-or-nothing leap, but a progressive relationship built over time that frees you from micro-admin so you can focus on leading and growing your business. Your Next Step Execute a "Context-Switching Audit." Download Mintrix's free task checklist or write down every 2-to-5-minute administrative task you complete this week. Select just one recurring task (like invoice follow-ups or bill uploads) and outline a simple step-by-step process so you can delegate it to a support team member. Connect with Tricia Ong Website: Mintrix https://mintrix.com.au/ LinkedIn: Tricia Ong https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciaong1/ Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:57 Why Delegation Matters 02:16 Meet Mintrix and VAs 03:46 Quickfire Personal Questions 04:35 Habits and an Adventurous Journey 08:07 Learning, Ads, and Growth 09:43 Work-Life Balance Tips 10:24 Time Audit and What to Delegate 13:49 Building Trust and Reducing Context Switching 16:53 The Real Impact of a VA 19:02 Future Vision and Scaling Mintrix 19:44 Advice, Contact, and Wrap-Up

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  The Business Owners Podcast

  Gamifying Growth, Supply Chain Curiosity, and Merchandise Branding with Charles Liu

  Aug 18, 202634 min

  Business success isn't built on grand overnight leaps, but is created by gamifying the process, learning from every rejection, and focusing on genuine customer service. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever chats with Charles Liu , founder of Cubic Promote . Charles shares his journey from arriving in Australia from Hong Kong as a toddler to starting a B2B branded merchandise powerhouse while recovering from a sporting injury. Charles breaks down how a simple curiosity about a branded pen led him to engineer cold calling into a video game, why tactile physical products are surging in an age of "AI fatigue," and how small business owners can leverage ethical, customer-first principles to scale sustainably. Key Takeaways from This Episode The Power of Curiosity & Tinkering Charles started his business out of sheer boredom while recovering from an Achilles tendon injury. By asking how a branded pen got onto his desk, he reverse-engineered the entire supply chain and made cold calls to learn the B2B sales landscape from scratch. Gamifying Sales & Rejection To overcome the friction of cold calling, Charles treated sales like a video game where a "no" was simply a chance to respawn and try a new strategy. Breaking large goals into tiny micro-habits, like making five calls at a time, builds massive long-term momentum without burnout. Physical Products in an "AI Fatigue" Era Despite the rapid rise of digital tools and AI, consumers are seeking tactile solace. The resurgence of vinyl records, push-button phones, and physical branded merchandise proves that people still crave touchable, real-world connections. Selling Service Over Product Cubic Promote views itself as a customer service company that happens to sell merchandise. In B2B markets, clients pay for reliability, trust, and speed rather than just the lowest cost per unit. Ethical Capitalisms & Environmental Legacy True business sustainability means operating within strict ethical boundaries: choosing high-quality items with a longer usable life, maintaining carbon neutrality, paying fair supplier prices, and being a good corporate citizen. Charles's Advice for Business Owners Gamify the Grind: Shift your mindset away from intimidating targets. Treat everyday challenges like a game, chunk big goals into small tasks, and iterate based on feedback. Protect Your Mornings: Establish clear boundaries between work and life. Leave your work physical equipment at the office, use standing meditation or reflection to clear your mind, and protect your early morning focus. Focus on Execution First: Strategy is useless without action. Utilise modern, low-cost digital tools to take one small step forward every day, whether posting an idea or reaching out to a prospect. Operate Unbiased and Fair: Always refund overpayments, pay your taxes cleanly, and don't squeeze suppliers to the point where workers suffer. Long-term trust is built on quiet, ethical choices. Key Takeaway A business doesn't exist purely to make money. It exists to contribute to society. When you solve problems with reliability and ethical service, financial growth naturally follows. Your Next Step Execute a "Five-Call Chunking Session." If you have a list of prospects or clients you've been avoiding contacting, commit to reaching out to just five people first thing tomorrow morning. Treat it purely as a curiosity exercise to gather feedback and refine your message. Connect with Charles Liu Website: https://www.cubicpromote.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/charles-liu-042b9124 Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 01:29 Meet Charles Liu 03:01 Cubic Promote Overview 05:08 From Injury to First Sale 10:14 Cold Call Mindset 15:33 Routines and Switching Off 18:32 Books and Core Values 20:42 Resilience and Industry Shifts 23:53 Service First Merchandise 26:51 Legacy Ethics Sustainability 29:24 Advice for New Founders 32:03 Where to Find Charles

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  The Business Owners Podcast

  Kylie Long on Workplace Health and Safety Solutions

  Aug 11, 202631 min

  Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) isn't just about ticking boxes, but about creating a holistic, risk-managed environment where employees feel safe, supported, and motivated to perform at their best. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, host Clive Enever sits down with Kylie Long , founder of Support Safety Solutions . Leveraging her background as a registered nurse and her postgraduate qualifications in WHS, Kylie brings a deeply empathetic and holistic perspective to workplace safety. She breaks down what psychosocial risks actually mean for small-to-medium business owners, how to move from a reactive "box-ticking" mindset to a proactive safety culture, and why managing mental safety directly impacts a business's bottom line. Key Takeaways from This Episode WHS is a Business Strategy, Not Just Compliance True health and safety goes beyond basic tick-and-flick compliance exercises. Taking a holistic approach, evaluating emotional and social impacts alongside physical risks, improves retention, employee engagement, and overall business culture. Demystifying Psychosocial Safety A major misconception is that psychosocial safety is solely about managing an individual employee's personal mental health. In reality, it involves big-picture organisational factors: work design, leadership development, workload demands, and organisational support. The Power of an Actionable 12-Month Plan Business owners facing WHS requirements don't need to do everything overnight. The best approach is taking a snapshot of the business's current state, identifying gaps, prioritising risks, and executing a manageable 12-month strategy. Safety Sits with Leadership, Not Just the Safety Team Safety consultants and internal WHS officers are there to advise, coach, and mentor. Ultimately, safety responsibility sits with everyone and must be actively driven by the business leadership team. Addressing Naivety & Sourcing Mentorship Relying solely on an existing network when starting a business can lead to early roadblocks. Finding the right industry networking groups and connecting with a trusted mentor is vital for long-term growth and accountability. Kylie's Advice for Business Owners Stop and Take a Snapshot: Evaluate where your business stands today to uncover hidden WHS gaps before a major incident occurs. Break it Into Bite-Sized Chunks: Don't get overwhelmed by new regulations. Focus on what needs to be done first, and tackle compliance step-by-step. Involve Your Whole Team: Build a culture where safety is shared across all levels of the organisation, starting from the top down. Lean on External Expertise: If your business lacks the bandwidth to handle specific WHS projects internally, engage external coaches and consultants to guide your team. Key Takeaway Psychosocial safety isn't just about managing individual wellbeing. It's about designing a workplace culture that mitigates risk, empowers leaders, and protects your business's bottom line. Your Next Step Stop trying to tackle compliance all at once. Identify your top 2–3 WHS or psychosocial risk gaps today (e.g., role ambiguity, high workloads, or lack of leadership support) and sketch out a realistic, 12-month strategy to address them step-by-step. Connect with Kylie Long LinkedIn: Kylie Long https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyliealongsafetysupportsolutions/ Website: Support Safety Solutions https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyliealongsafetysupportsolutions/ Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 01:48 Meet Kylie Long 07:09 From Nursing To Safety 08:55 Starting The Business 12:30 Holistic Safety Mindset 14:04 WHS Compliance First Steps 17:08 Psychosocial Risk Explained 19:48 Mentors And Proactive Safety 26:11 Work Life Balance Tips 27:22 Advice Networking And Mentors

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  The Business Owners Podcast

  Mindset, Nervous System Regulation, and Scaling Your Business with Sasha Eburne

  Aug 4, 202625 min

  Building a successful business isn't just about having a monetisable idea, but about having the mindset and nervous system stability to support true growth. In this episode of The Business Owners Podcast, Clive Enever sits down with Sasha Eburne , founder of Sasha Eburne Business & Mindset Coaching . After spending 25 years in high-level corporate hospitality across Australia and internationally, Sasha transitioned into entrepreneurship during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Today, she helps business owners break through limiting beliefs, step into the role of CEO, and scale their businesses sustainably. Sasha breaks down why mindset is the primary bottleneck to business success, how breathwork can ground your decision-making, and why asking for help is the ultimate strategy for creating true time and location freedom. Key Takeaways from This Episode Mindset as the Ultimate Bottleneck Many entrepreneurs struggle not because of a bad idea, but because of underlying limiting beliefs around worth, value, and pricing inherited from past corporate or childhood experiences. Without addressing these beliefs, business owners often default back to a safe 9-to-5. Sustaining Performance Through Breathwork & Nervous System Regulation Breathwork provides practical tools for self-regulating the nervous system, allowing leaders to approach challenges from a grounded place rather than spiralling into overwhelm or burnout. Shifting from "Busy-ness" to Business (The CEO Mindset) To truly scale, business owners must step out of the daily grunt work and transition into strategic CEOs. Staying chained to a desk just creates another version of the corporate 9-to-5. The Power of Outsourcing & Asking for Help True leverage comes from knowing your numbers, identifying your core strengths, and outsourcing tasks you dislike or that drain your time, both at home (e.g., laundry, cleaning) and in business (e.g., bookkeeping). Overcoming the Fear of Showing Up Clients don't fall from the sky. You have to put yourself out there. Overcoming the fear of judgment on camera comes through repetition, showing up authentically to connect with the people you are meant to help. Sasha's Advice for Business Owners Ask for Help Early: Break the habit of trying to do everything yourself. Seeking support, whether hiring a cleaner or bringing in a mentor, frees up time to focus on revenue-generating tasks. Align Your Business Model with Your Life: Design your business around the life you desire, rather than forcing your life to fit around a rigid corporate-style business model. Invest in What You Don't Know: When you hit a growth ceiling, find a mentor who is further along the path to help fill in your knowledge gaps. Don't Let Fear Keep You Hidden: Get uncomfortable, get on camera, and show your face. People buy from humans they can see and trust. Key Takeaway Scaling isn't about building a massive, stressful team, but about designing a model that grants you freedom of time, money, and location while operating from a grounded, regulated mindset. Your Next Step Scaling a business is not about working longer hours or managing an overwhelming team. True growth comes from breaking through internal limiting beliefs, regulating your nervous system, and stepping into a strategic CEO role supported by outsourced help. Connect with Sasha Eburne Website: sashaeburne.com Instagram: @sashaeburne__ Ready to Get Support? Join the Business Business Business community (free!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessBusinessBusiness/ Join the Ideas, Impact & Marketing Circle https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/MarketingCircle Join the Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Linda https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-linda/ Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Clive https://www.enevergroup.com.au/booking-clive/ Highlights 00:57 Meet Sasha Eburne 01:27 Mindset Drives Growth 02:20 From Hospitality to Entrepreneur 04:04 Coffee Habits and Routines 04:58 Breathwork for Entrepreneurs 07:40 Balancing Solo Mom Life 09:58 Stepping Into CEO Mode 11:35 Money Mindset and Delegation 13:24 Scaling Without Big Teams 15:44 Mentors, NLP and Breakthroughs 18:44 Making Business Less Scary 21:06 Fear of Showing Up Online 23:19 Where to Find Sasha

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