Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Britney Saunders and welcome to Big Business, the
Speaker 1: place where business is very far from boring.
Speaker 2: And today you've landed.
Speaker 1: On one of my bonus episodes, which come out every Wednesday,
Speaker 1: and be sure to check out my main episodes from Monday. Now.
Speaker 2: Today we're doing another Q and A.
Speaker 1: I feel like these are like the lazy option for
Speaker 1: me to do, like answering everyone's question.
Speaker 3: So I'm the lazy episode.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah. By the way, this is producer Xander on as
Speaker 3: Usu for the Q and a's Yeah.
Speaker 2: I feel this is a little thing that we're doing.
Speaker 1: But I will say I feel in the podcast world
Speaker 1: doing a Q and A episode does seem like the
Speaker 1: easy way out or like boring or lazy or not
Speaker 1: boring but lazy. But I think it's great to actually
Speaker 1: have our community here on Big Business ask questions and
Speaker 1: we're quite literally answering them for them.
Speaker 3: I love these episodes, and not just because I'm on them.
Speaker 3: It's because I love to hear the questions that people
Speaker 3: are sent in and then some of them are so
Speaker 3: specific and some of them are so personal that we
Speaker 3: can't even have them on the podcast.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're very personal.
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what else I think we should do.
Speaker 1: Is I love these, you know, kind of question episodes,
Speaker 1: but I thought we could also do like an advice
Speaker 1: series love where it's not just asking a question in general,
Speaker 1: but people maybe send in a question about their business
Speaker 1: in particular, and then I kind of look at their
Speaker 1: business and give them advice based on whatever it is
Speaker 1: that they're wanting to know, like how can I improve
Speaker 1: my website or why is it my content performing very well?
Speaker 1: I feel like that could be a whole other angle
Speaker 1: that we take with this podcast as well. Yeah.
Speaker 3: I love that, and then if it does fail, they
Speaker 3: can blame you.
Speaker 2: Exactly, and then I'll be getting sued.
Speaker 1: Yeah all right, Well, anyway, I jumped on my big
Speaker 1: business Instagram account, like usually, if you're not following me
Speaker 1: on their feel free too, because that's where I put
Speaker 1: my question boxes for these episodes, and that's where you
Speaker 1: can DM me and I'll most likely see it because
Speaker 1: it's only got six thousand followers.
Speaker 2: So I've checked up a question box and we're.
Speaker 1: Just going to get straight into answering these questions, and
Speaker 1: Xander's gonna ask them to me as always.
Speaker 3: Question one, how do you do you deal with giving
Speaker 3: feedback like you're doing a shit job kind of feedback.
Speaker 2: Well, we definitely don't say it like that.
Speaker 1: I've said this a lot on the podcast already, but
Speaker 1: it is really tough to have those tough, awkward conversations
Speaker 1: with your employees because I mean, unless you're a really
Speaker 1: mean person, no one wants to say to anyone you're
Speaker 1: not doing a good enough job, or what happened there?
Speaker 2: Or whow was that so shit?
Speaker 1: But my advice would be keep the conversation open and
Speaker 1: ongoing with your staff at all times. Don't just talk
Speaker 1: to them when shits hit the fan, which I feel
Speaker 1: like maybe a lot of workplaces are that way, Like
Speaker 1: you don't have many catchups with your manager or anything,
Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden you're having a catch
Speaker 1: up with them, but it's about something really negative. I
Speaker 1: think if you prioritize communication in your workplace in general
Speaker 1: on a day to day basis during the week, then
Speaker 1: when it comes to having, you know, a more tough
Speaker 1: conversation with your employee, they're used to talking to you already.
Speaker 1: And the good thing about having regular catch ups and
Speaker 1: one on ones and even small team meetings is it
Speaker 1: gives you the opportunity to iron out those creases before
Speaker 1: maybe they even turn into something really shit. For this
Speaker 1: person in particular, it's just going to have to be
Speaker 1: and I know I always say this a hard conversation
Speaker 1: to have an easy life. Sit the person down, just
Speaker 1: be real and honest with them. That's one thing that
Speaker 1: I would always advise is just speak to them from
Speaker 1: one human to another. It doesn't have to be this
Speaker 1: hierarchy sort of vibe. I'm your boss and you're the
Speaker 1: employee and you've done wrong, but just make it an
Speaker 1: adult conversation. Hey, I wanted to have this chat with you.
Speaker 1: I know this is awkward for both of us, but
Speaker 1: I'm hoping that we can come up with a solution together.
Speaker 1: I've noticed you're falling behind on your tasks, or you're
Speaker 1: not meeting your deadlines or whatever it is. You know,
Speaker 1: how can I help you to make this you know,
Speaker 1: how can we fix this together instead of just putting
Speaker 1: the blame.
Speaker 3: I'm probably a good example. I don't take feedback well.
Speaker 3: And it's not because I think I'm doing such a
Speaker 3: great job. It's because I'm particularly hard on myself. So say,
Speaker 3: if there's negative or constructive feedback. I struggle to take
Speaker 3: that on in a positive way because I'm already so
Speaker 3: hard on myself.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's a lot of people like, yeah, it's
Speaker 1: hard to go, oh, fuck, I've fucked up, you know, Like.
Speaker 2: It's just hard.
Speaker 3: This is something I do personally when I start a
Speaker 3: new job or I got a new manager or something,
Speaker 3: I like to communicate them on how to kind of
Speaker 3: give me that feedback. And so I've actually passed this
Speaker 3: on to one of my managers here at Nova, and
Speaker 3: I said, one thing that will help me is just
Speaker 3: reassurance like along the way, because that really makes me go, Okay, cool,
Speaker 3: I am doing fine, I am doing good job. And
Speaker 3: when it comes to those hard conversations, I prefer to
Speaker 3: kind of go through like the wins that I have,
Speaker 3: all the positive things that I've done, and then we
Speaker 3: can kind of finish on that constructive feedback because then
Speaker 3: I just don't feel like I'm doing shit completely wrong
Speaker 3: and that there are things that I am achieving that
Speaker 3: are things goals that I'm reaching as well. And that's
Speaker 3: something that maybe anyone listening could do. That's maybe you
Speaker 3: don't like to do that, but that works for me.
Speaker 3: As someone who doesn't take feedback quite well sometimes.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that's another good point that you made
Speaker 1: as well, and one thing that we work on with
Speaker 1: our managers. It's our responsibility as managers of people to
Speaker 1: understand everyone's individual needs. You can't manage every employee exactly
Speaker 1: the same because everyone is so unique and different. So
Speaker 1: to our managers that have teams working underneath them, we
Speaker 1: always say, figure out the individual needs of each person
Speaker 1: on your team. Like you, you like words of affirmation,
Speaker 1: so it's like, Okay, Xander is on my team. He
Speaker 1: loves being told that he's doing a good job, whereas
Speaker 1: some people don't want you to say.
Speaker 2: You're doing a great job or whatever. I know some
Speaker 2: people don't like that.
Speaker 1: Maybe some people prefer for you to help more, more
Speaker 1: in a hands on kind of way, like they like
Speaker 1: practical help. I think it's really important to understand that
Speaker 1: all of your staff are different.
Speaker 2: You can't just.
Speaker 1: Have like a textbook way of treating every single employee
Speaker 1: because everyone's so different. It's finding out their needs, catering
Speaker 1: to them, and when you do have those tough conversations,
Speaker 1: be real about it and always try and do a
Speaker 1: bit of a sandwich, Like you said, come in with
Speaker 1: a positive, then touch on the negative thing in the middle,
Speaker 1: but end it on a positive, like the two pieces
Speaker 1: of bread.
Speaker 3: Are the positives a constructive sandwich?
Speaker 1: Yes, exactly right, and end it on a positive and
Speaker 1: make it how can we fix this together?
Speaker 3: Question number two, what is the best money you've spent
Speaker 3: on your business? That is a.
Speaker 2: Bloody good question.
Speaker 1: I'm going to say, Oh, there's a lot of things,
Speaker 1: and maybe that's a whole other episode in itself.
Speaker 3: I know, I was just thinking that the best.
Speaker 1: Money I've ever spent in all the different areas, I
Speaker 1: would say over the last couple of years, like the
Speaker 1: last two years, especially because we've gone from that more
Speaker 1: really small business kind of vibe where there was only
Speaker 1: ever like four of us in the office. You know,
Speaker 1: now you've got this huge office of like over ten
Speaker 1: of us. The best money that I've ever spent is
Speaker 1: hiring the right people for my business. It's like, I
Speaker 1: couldn't do what I do. Fate wouldn't be what it
Speaker 1: is if it wasn't for the amazing people that we've hired.
Speaker 2: And I see hiring people not.
Speaker 1: As an expense, which I feel like maybe a lot
Speaker 1: of business owners do. They're like, oh, it's going to
Speaker 1: cost me money, I'm going to pay them, like blah blah.
Speaker 2: But like the things that.
Speaker 1: Come out of hiring an amazing person to like in
Speaker 1: a role in your business, it's just priceless. So I'd say, like, yeah,
Speaker 1: the best money that I've spent is hiring the right
Speaker 1: people and paying them to do their jobs, because it's
Speaker 1: only making my time more free to do the things
Speaker 1: I need to and it's moving my business forward.
Speaker 3: And if you hire the right people, they're adding value.
Speaker 1: Oh, Like, your employees are like an asset to your business.
Speaker 1: They're not an expense. Even though it costs money, it's
Speaker 1: the best money you'll ever spend, really. But there's so
Speaker 1: many other things I guess that I've spent money on
Speaker 1: that's been so worth it. But I'm going to stick
Speaker 1: with that one and maybe we'll revisit that in the
Speaker 1: future and talk about all the best things that I've
Speaker 1: spent my money on.
Speaker 3: Question number three, Brittany, what age do you think you retire?
Speaker 1: Forty forty We're not.
Speaker 2: Far off, I'm kidding. That's a great question. I mean,
Speaker 2: what is the retirement age? Is it like sixty six
Speaker 2: or something.
Speaker 3: I don't know. I remember in high school it was
Speaker 3: like early sixties, and all of a sudden, I think
Speaker 3: it's close to seventy now, So that's.
Speaker 2: Crazy, I know.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think when you are an entrepreneur and
Speaker 1: a business owner, I think maybe you have a little
Speaker 1: bit of a different mindset on retiring because I don't, like,
Speaker 1: I feel like I'm very fortunate to feel like I'm
Speaker 1: not in the rat race of like wanting to build
Speaker 1: up a career to a certain point and get to
Speaker 1: the top and then retire. Like it's actually not a
Speaker 1: thought in my mind at all about retiring, even though
Speaker 1: I think it it is for some people, but maybe
Speaker 1: not so much these days. Like I feel like we're
Speaker 1: all really trying to live for now. I don't want
Speaker 1: to live for the future when I can finally retire,
Speaker 1: you know, like.
Speaker 3: Well you're not stuck in like a really mundane job
Speaker 3: that you don't enjoy doing. Yes, And I think people
Speaker 3: look forward to retirement a lot of the time because
Speaker 3: they're like, oh, I cannot work now for the rest
Speaker 3: of my life. But if you actually enjoy what you're doing,
Speaker 3: But I feel changes, Yeah.
Speaker 1: It is saying that, like I can picture myself when
Speaker 1: I am in my sixties or whatever, like cruising around
Speaker 1: the world and Italy on some yacht thing or whatever.
Speaker 2: You know, like have people go on those cruises and whatever.
Speaker 2: That'd be great.
Speaker 1: But I don't even want to think that far ahead
Speaker 1: into the future, as much as I would want to
Speaker 1: put an age on when I'm going to retire. I
Speaker 1: think I might be one of those people that's just
Speaker 1: going until I fucking drop dead. I've seen videos of
Speaker 1: like Richard Branson, and I've spoken with Mark Boris about
Speaker 1: like retiring, and Mark says like, I'm going until I'm
Speaker 1: literally dropped out, and the same with Richard Branson. I
Speaker 1: think that's it's just going to be me and who
Speaker 1: I am. I don't see myself ever stopping, but when
Speaker 1: my body stops me, I'll stop.
Speaker 2: Yeah, how about that forty?
Speaker 3: How about that forty? Last question for today? How often
Speaker 3: do you have a sale? I'm really worried that I
Speaker 3: have too many and that it makes my business cheap.
Speaker 1: Great question, and I did do a whole main episode
Speaker 1: on this. If you listen to my discount Codes episodes,
Speaker 1: like I talk about discount codes and sales, So you
Speaker 1: want to hear this more in depth. By all means,
Speaker 1: go and listen to that. But how often do we
Speaker 1: have a sale? I want to say not that often.
Speaker 1: We just did one for like the end of financial year,
Speaker 1: but we called it started financial Year, which was just
Speaker 1: this fun little idea that we had, so we called
Speaker 1: it softie instead of.
Speaker 2: Like efy sale.
Speaker 1: And then we will generally participate in Black Friday and
Speaker 1: then Boxing Day. I'd say they're like our main three.
Speaker 1: There are so many sales periods throughout the year. You
Speaker 1: can choose which ones you want to jump in or
Speaker 1: which ones you you don't. But I feel like Black
Speaker 1: Friday and Boxing Day are huge ones and they're really
Speaker 1: close together, so be mindful of that. And I think
Speaker 1: it's good doing an end of financial year or start
Speaker 1: a financial year one because it's smack bang in the middle.
Speaker 2: And then pick and choose like we do random ones.
Speaker 1: When we moved warehouse, we did a moving warehouse sale.
Speaker 1: But yeah, i'd say like three a year. Four pick
Speaker 1: and choose, and then you can treat your customers in
Speaker 1: other ways with smaller discounts throughout the year when you
Speaker 1: aren't having that big sales period.
Speaker 3: Think of this way you don't want to be Nicki Minaj,
Speaker 3: jump on every song you want to be beonce into
Speaker 3: a feature here and there.
Speaker 2: I love no shade to Nicki Minaj.
Speaker 1: Anyway, my friends, that is another bonus EP of Big
Speaker 1: Business Out the Door. I'll be back on Monday with
Speaker 1: a main episode, and in the meantime, feel free to
Speaker 1: stay up to date with me over on Insta.
Speaker 2: Thanks Xander for joining me once again.