2 AGO 2023 · Welcome to this week's episode of the "Future-Proof Your Business Podcast" with your host Lucy Rennie.
In this week's episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Sharon Taylor, owner and managing director of Paragon Print and Marketing Solutions who describes herself as a “nosy” printer and loves helping people elevate and bring their business to life through the power of print.
Sharon shares insights into her world of print, from her traditional Heidelberg litho printer, the intricacies of choosing the right format, colour or finish, to the magic of creating a “lumpy bumpy mail".
We have the BEST conversation about the highs and lows of running a business, about Sharon's own journey and the power of non-alcoholic beer and sausage rolls.
We chat about:
- how being a good leader in any business is all about communication and being fair.
- why you need to be able to step back and look in.
- recognising that you don’t know everything, getting the right person on your wing who can help and be brave. Be brave, make decisions, make mistakes and learn from them.
- sense-checking everything you do. Are you doing it because you've always done it that way or because that's the best way of doing it?
- being nosy, and curious, finding out more about who they are and what they want to achieve.
- how clients just want you to make them look good!
- making it bounce when it lands on someone's desk so that it's memorable, and you get that phone call.
- how to strike the balance between work and home,
and how it can feel like you're "getting onto a fast moving train at the back of the carriage and have to clamber your way through to the driving seat."
Resource Links:
- Get in touch with Sharon at Sharon@paragonprinting.co.uk
- https://paragonprinting.co.uk/marketing-solutions/
- https://www.facebook.com/Paragonprintandmarketing
- https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/ - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy.
- Listen to more episodes of The Future-Proof your Business podcast - https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast
- https://https//In%20this%20week%E2%80%99s%20episode%20of%20The%20Future-Proof%20your%20Business%20podcast,%20I%E2%80%99m%20thrilled%20to%20be%20joined%20by%20Laura%20Stroud%20and%20Pete%20Billingham%20from%20Derbyshire%20Writing%20School,%20the%20wonderful%20father-daughter%20team%20who%20are%20on%20a%20mission%20to%20help%20individuals%20bring%20their%20stories%20to%20life%20through%20their%20writing%20courses,%20coaching,%20and%20retreats.%20%20We%20have%20an%20inspiring%20conversation%20about%20the%20behind%20the%20scenes%20of%20their%20business,%20their%20passion%20for%20books%20and%20storytelling%20and%20how%20you're%20only%20allowed%20a%20certain%20amount%20of%20dad%20jokes!%20%20%20Writing%20your%20own%20book%20and%20becoming%20an%20author%20can%20help%20you%20gain%20huge%20credibility%20and%20perceived%20authority%20within%20in%20your%20marketplace%20and%20enable%20you%20to%20differentiate%20yourself%20and%20stand%20out%20from%20the%20crowd.%20%20%20Laura%20and%20Pete%20share%20some%20great%20tools%20and%20tips%20to%20help%20you%20get%20started%20in%20writing%20your%20own%20book%20including%20%20%20%20Three%20core%20questions%20to%20consider%20before%20writing%20your%20non-fiction%20book:%20%20How%20are%20you%20actually%20going%20to%20help%20them%20with%20the%20knowledge%20that%20you%20have%20to%20share?%20Instead%20of%20focusing%20on%20yourself,%20think%20about%20what%20it%20is%20that%20your%20customer%20wants?%20What%20do%20they%20need?%20What%20is%20the%20thing%20that's%20going%20to%20help%20them%20and%20get%20them%20started?%20Why%20are%20you%20the%20best%20person%20to%20write%20this%20book?%20As%20business%20owners,%20we%20often%20know%20more%20than%20we%20think%20we%20do%20and%20so%20we%20need%20to%20unpick%20our%20expertise%20and%20figure%20out%20how%20we%20can%20teach%20it%20to%20someone%20else.%20And%20why%20is%20now%20the%20best%20time%20to%20write%20this%20book?%20%20%20And%20finally,%20Laura%20challenges%20is%20you%20to%20write%20a%20list%20of%2010%20things%20that%20you%20are%20good%20at,%20it%20has%20to%20be%2010.%20Be%20really%20specific%20in%20relation%20to%20your%20business%20and%20this%20will%20help%20you%20get%20to%20the%20heart%20of%20why%20you%20are%20the%20expert,%20how%20you%20can%20help%20other%20people%20with%20your%20incredible%20knowledge%20and%20why%20you%20need%20to%20just%20get%20started%20in%20writing%20your%20book.%20%20Resource%20Links:%20https://www.derbyshirewritingschool.com/%20-%20%20https://www.derbyshirewritingschool.com/podcast%20-%20BEGIN%20the%20podcast.%20Email%20info@derbyshirewritingschool.com%20to%20reach%20out%20to%20Laura%20and%20Pete.%20https://www.iamlucyrennie.com%20-%20free%20downloadable%20resources,%20other%20episodes%20and%20more%20information%20about%20how%20to%20work%20with%20Lucy.%20Listen%20to%20more%20episodes%20of%20The%20Future-Proof%20your%20Business%20podcast%20-%20https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast%20Buy%20my%20book%20here%20-%20https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarity-Communication-Connection-Future-Proof-Business/dp/1913728900/%20Join%20me%20in%20my%20membership%20The%20Future-Proof%20Club%C2%AE%EF%B8%8F%20here%20-%20https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club%20Come%20and%20join%20me%20and%20lots%20of%20other%20small%20business%20owners%20like%20you%20in%20my%20FREE%20Facebook%20group:%20https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose
- Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club®️ here - https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-clubCome and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose