What happens when you stop following the rules—and start following your passion? In this inspiring and insightful episode, Stephen Ridley shares how he built a globally recognized music brand, grew an online academy that now teaches over 1.2 million students, and turned personal passion into a thriving, purpose-driven business. Whether you're an entrepreneur or creative professional, Stephen’s story offers a powerful blueprint for building something truly meaningful from the ground up.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Stephen turned live performance into global visibility—and business momentum
• The key to growing a loyal, international audience with emotional connection
• Lessons on authenticity, branding, and standing out in a saturated market
• How Ridley Academy scaled to 40 countries and over a million students
• What it really means to build a brand based on purpose, not just product

Stephen’s journey is proof that building a business with heart can also be smart—and that you don’t need to fit the mold to make a massive impact.

Stephen Ridley is a world-renowned British pianist, composer, and visionary in modern piano education. His journey from a high-fl ying investment banker to a global musical sensation is as remarkable as his performances. At the age of two, Stephen discovered his passion for the piano, receiving formal training at eleven, but it wasn’t until he left the corporate world that his true artistry fl ourished. Beginning as a street performer on the streets of London, his raw talent and electrifying performances quickly garnered international attention, propelling him onto some of the world’s most prestigious stages.

Over the past five years, Stephen has toured across 60 countries, amassing a global fan base of over one million people and generating more than 500 million views on social media. His performances have mesmerized audiences from intimate private gatherings to large-scale concerts, including Monaco Yacht Week, London Fashion Week, and Uzbekistan’s largest concert in history, where he played for 28,000 people.

Stephen’s ability to blend classical brilliance with modern showmanship has led him to perform for royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II and numerous royal dignitaries, as well as alongside A-list celebrities such as Anderson .Paak, Sting, and Keanu Reeves. In Russia alone, he performed over 400 concerts, including at Dom Musica, one of the world’s most prestigious music halls, after securing three No.1 chart hits in the country.

Beyond his career as a performer, Stephen is revolutionizing piano education through the Ridley Academy. With a mission to make learning piano accessible to everyone, he has distilled his years of experience into an intuitive step-by-step system, enabling students of all ages—from 5 to 95—to master the piano. Today, over 1.2 million students across 40 countries are benefi ting from his unique approach, redefi ning the way the world learns music.

Stephen Ridley is more than just a pianist—he is a global artist, an innovator, and a passionate educator, bringing the magic of music to audiences everywhere.

Stephen's LinkedIn

www.ridleyacademy.com

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

Negotiation is more than winning—it’s about creating value for both sides. Many business owners struggle with negotiations, relying on outdated strategies that often lead to conflict or lost opportunities.

Whether you're dealing with vendors, partners, or internal stakeholders, your ability to negotiate directly affects your bottom line and professional confidence. In this episode, you’ll learn how to negotiate with clarity, calm, and confidence — even if you don’t consider yourself a “natural” negotiator.

Host Paul Sweeney shares a powerful and practical conversation with Wendy Minne, an experienced corporate manager turned business coach. Wendy unpacks why negotiations feel so uncomfortable for many of us, and how mindset shifts and a structured approach can help you get better results without burning bridges.

You’ll discover:

• Why many business leaders avoid negotiation — and how to reframe it
• The “cost of not negotiating” and how it quietly drains your business
• A simple three-part framework Wendy uses to help clients prep for tough conversations
• How women in particular can navigate common negotiation traps

Whether you're renegotiating contracts, managing procurement, or setting client expectations, this episode will equip you with tools to advocate for what you want — and feel good doing it.

Books mentioned in the episode:

The Third Alternative by Dr Stephen Covey

Conscious Business by Fred Kofman

Another great book to check out:

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury

Check out the previous episode featuring Wendy: Ep 110 The Journey from Corporate to Small Business

Wendy Minne is accredited in Organisational Coaching and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. Her activities include coaching senior manager initiatives as well as young leader development. Wendy benefitted from coaching during her corporate career, and she is passionate about coaching for success at all levels.

Wendy’s area of specialisation in coaching is supporting leaders and potential leaders, particularly engineers, through change and transitions. It can be confronting when engineers transition from being the expert to leading others. They step back even further from their area of expertise when they are leading leaders.

Wendy has a corporate background that includes extensive experience in leading teams through change and transition. With her understanding of the business environment and her coaching skills, Wendy supports clients through a journey of self-discovery to find strengths-based solutions and develop as leaders.

www.novamentis.com.au

LinkedIn

Email wendy.minne2@gmail.com

Phone 0413 433 808

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

If you're a small or medium-sized business owner, this episode could save you from costly legal missteps that threaten your business's growth—or even its survival. Legal expert Matthew Fornaro joins the podcast to highlight the essential contracts and legal strategies that many entrepreneurs overlook in their rush to launch or scale. Whether you're just starting out or already running a business, you’ll learn how to lay the legal foundation to protect your operations, reputation, and revenue.

What You'll Learn:

• Why your business plan is a legally powerful document—not just a planning tool
• The 10 contracts every small business should have in place
• How missing legal steps early on can hurt your chances of getting a loan or surviving an audit
• What to know about doing business across state or national borders
• The difference between minimum compliance and real protection
• How to set up a business structure the right way from the beginning

Matthew also shares personal stories from his own transition from big law firms to running his own legal practice, plus practical insights from mentoring business owners like you. If you've ever wondered whether your contracts, agreements, and structures are truly protecting your business—you can’t afford to miss this episode.

Matthew Fornaro is a seasoned business law attorney and founder of Matthew Fornaro P.A., serving South Florida since 2003. He specializes in contract disputes, with expertise in intellectual property. Additionally, he mentors entrepreneurs, teaching programs like FastTrac NewVenture and the Jim Moran Institute.

Subscribe to the Fornaro Legal newsletter and get the eBook 10 Contracts Every Business Needs

www.fornarolegal.com

LinkedIn

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

If you think pay is just about numbers, think again. In today’s talent-short market, the way you compensate your people could be the reason they leave—or why they stay and thrive. In this episode, Trudy MacDonald, award-winning business leader and Managing Director of TalentCode HR, pulls back the curtain on remuneration. She explains why most businesses are getting it wrong and what you can do to build a pay strategy that actually works.

Whether you're struggling with attracting top talent, keeping your best people, or motivating your team to hit new levels of performance, this conversation is your wake-up call. Trudy shares real-world insights and practical steps that will help you stop the guesswork and start building a smarter, fairer, and more effective approach to pay.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional pay models are failing in today’s workforce—and what’s replacing them
• The biggest mistakes leaders make when designing salary and bonus structures
• How to create a pay framework that motivates performance without damaging culture
• What it means to move from “paying for presence” to “paying for value”
• Why market benchmarking might be misleading—and how to use it the right way
• How to talk about money openly with employees and build trust in your remuneration process
• Trudy’s go-to framework for strategic remuneration design in small and medium businesses

Pay isn’t just a cost—it’s one of your most powerful business levers. Done right, it drives retention, performance, and loyalty. Done wrong, it quietly erodes your culture and profitability. Trudy MacDonald offers a fresh, human-centric take on how business owners and leaders can rethink pay to fuel growth and keep their top talent engaged. If you want your team to work like they own the place—start by paying them like it matters.

For another great conversation, check out Trudy's previous episode here Ep 152 - From Burnout to Brilliance: Transforming Workplace Culture

Trudy MacDonald has worked extensively with Boards, leaders and leadership teams over the past 20 years and is a sought-after coach to leaders across industries.

She is an experienced CEO, an established business leader and thought leader in the areas of strategy, people, and culture. She specialises in empowering organisations to become great by maximising the performance and productivity of their people.

She is a multi-award-winning speaker having been honoured as “Speaker of the Year” by the world’s largest CEO network – The Executive Connection (TEC). Trudy is a regular speaker to Leaders and Boards and regularly presents on the topics of strategy, high performance organisations and leadership at Industry Associations, Conferences and Corporate Events. Her career is founded on an education in Organisational Psychology and spans Australia, New Zealand, the USA and parts of Asia.

www.talentcodehr.com.au
LinkedIn
Instagram

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

In today’s fast-changing business landscape, survival isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about adapting, innovating, and thinking long-term. In this episode, we sit down with Rick Yvanovich, an experienced entrepreneur and business strategist, to explore what it takes to thrive in an era of constant transformation. Whether you're a start-up founder or an established business leader, this conversation will help you rethink traditional business practices and embrace a more resilient approach to leadership and decision-making.

Rick shares valuable insights on why there’s no such thing as "business as usual" anymore, emphasizing the need for agility in response to changing legislation, economic conditions, and technology. He also delves into the importance of resilience, sustainability, and continuous improvement, drawing inspiration from Japanese business longevity models. Additionally, he highlights the critical role of mindset and leadership, explaining why business owners should take action instead of waiting for external solutions.

A major takeaway from this episode is the value of external accountability and support. Rick discusses how independent advisors, non-executive directors, or external mentors can provide objective feedback, reduce stress, and help business owners make better strategic decisions. He also shares his perspective on personal branding and succession planning, encouraging leaders to separate themselves from their business to ensure long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Why "business as usual" no longer exists—and how to adapt
✅ The secret to business longevity: resilience and sustainability
✅ How to develop a proactive leadership mindset in times of uncertainty
✅ The power of external support and accountability in decision-making
✅ Why curiosity and continuous improvement are critical for business success
✅ How personal branding plays a role in ensuring long-term business survival

Get Rick's book: Business As Unusual - How to Thrive in the New Renaissance

Rick Yvanovich is a true master of the business coaching craft. His proven track record of helping companies and individuals achieve unprecedented levels of success is a testament to his unparalleled ability to combine business experience with coaching interventions. Through systematic processes and unwavering commitment to employee empowerment, Rick translates vision into actionable steps that propel his clients forward towards their goals and milestones.

www.rickyvanovich.com

LinkedIn

FaceBook

YouTube

Instagram

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

If you're a business owner who feels overwhelmed, overworked, and constantly in the thick of everything, this episode is a must-listen. Host Paul Sweeney takes a deep dive into the "hub and spoke" model—a common but problematic setup where every decision, task, and communication flows through you, the owner. While this might seem manageable in the early stages, it quickly becomes a bottleneck to growth, profitability, and your personal freedom.

In this insightful solo episode, Paul outlines how to recognize the warning signs that your business is overly dependent on you. He walks you through practical steps to redesign your business systems, delegate effectively, and reclaim the time and freedom you originally set out to achieve. Learn how to assess your current setup, use tools like virtual assistants and automation, and get access to a free Value Builder score to help evaluate and grow your business without burning out.

Whether you’re stuck in the day-to-day or looking for ways to scale smartly, this episode offers clear, actionable strategies to create a business that thrives without you having to be in the centre of everything.

Check out these past episodes referred to in this podcast:

Ep 161 Hiring Smarter: The Power of Virtual Assistants in Business Success

Ep 147 Scaling with Structure: Garrett Delph on Fixing Chaos in Business

Try the Value Builders Quiz and find out how to increase the value of your business (and escape from the hub-and-spoke business model). You'll receive a free report!

Paul Sweeney Chartered Accountant & Business Advisor, launched Pretium Solutions after a long and successful career in accounting and business advisory. Paul credits his passion for small business with growing up in country NSW, where family-run businesses were the cornerstone of everyday life.

For Paul, the driving force behind The Business Behind Your Business was to make high end, proactive, directed and value-based advisory services available to small to medium businesses.

Paul brings to the table decades of experience as a highly qualified accountant and business advisor at every level of business. Through consulting, coaching and on-the-ground training and operations, his focus is on unlocking the untapped potential for greater profitability. Paul’s qualifications allow him to pair strategic advice with an advanced understanding of taxation and compliance matters.

www.pretiumsolutions.com.au

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

Are you prepared for the unexpected? Every business will face a crisis at some point—whether it’s a PR disaster, a supply chain breakdown, or a financial emergency. But the difference between businesses that survive and those that struggle often comes down to preparation. In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with crisis management expert Stephanie Craig from Kith Consulting to discuss how businesses can build resilience and respond effectively when things go wrong.

Stephanie shares her deep expertise in crisis management, explaining what defines a crisis, why preparation is key, and how businesses can protect their reputation and operations when faced with the unexpected. She dives into the importance of leadership in crisis response, the value of having a crisis team, and how to approach decision-making under pressure. Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to ensure they are not caught off guard when a crisis strikes. Whether you're a small business owner or a corporate leader, this episode will help you stay one step ahead in safeguarding your business.

Sign up for Stephanie's Crisis of the Month newsletter.

Stephanie Craig, has built her reputation as a crisis expert by guiding some of the world’s most prominent people and organizations through their most trying moments. Combining her deep experience in politics, media and business, she mitigates crisis, repairs reputations and inoculates against future crises.

Stephanie has counted former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the mayor of the nation’s 10th largest city and some of the most notable global brands as clients. When not handling crisis, Stephanie supports causes she cares about by helping to establish the groundbreaking group — I Am ALS and chairing the Force to End Harassment in Advocacy as an effort during the #Metoo movement.

In her career, Stephanie has guided media organizations, Fortune 50 tech companies and members of the House and Senate in the United States and Canada through some of their most trying days. She sharpened her crisis skills on several campaigns including three presidentials. She is a battleground specialist and likely the only person to have worked in both houses on Capitol Hill and Parliament Hill.

www.kith.co

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram

Are you attracting the right customers for your business, or are you stuck in a cycle of working long hours for clients who aren’t the right fit? In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with Marama Carmichael, CEO of Oracle Tree, to uncover why so many business owners struggle to find their ideal customers—and how to fix it. If you’re tired of feeling like your marketing efforts aren’t working or that your business has drifted away from your original vision, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you turn things around.

Marama shares how many entrepreneurs unknowingly create what she calls a Frankenstein business—taking on any client that comes their way, working unsustainable hours, and losing sight of their purpose. She explains why defining your ideal customer is critical for business success and breaks down practical strategies using her Marketing Tree framework. From clarifying your messaging to choosing the right marketing channels, Marama provides a step-by-step approach to help business owners attract high-quality clients and build a brand that truly resonates.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to refine your marketing strategy, avoid common mistakes that waste time and money, and create a business that supports your goals—rather than one that drains your energy. If you're ready to take control of your marketing and build a business that aligns with your vision, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Marama Carmichael is an industry-leading business growth consultant, digital strategist, mentor and author.

As CEO of Oracle Tree an award winning digital marketing agency and with over 25 years of experience in business, she knows what it takes to build digital strategies that convert.

She is dedicated to helping business owners work smarter (not harder!) to reach ambitious growth milestones and tackle business obstacles head-on. She is highly skilled at helping people get to the core of what is important to them and tap into their own set of unique talents and natural strengths to leverage them for growth. Professionally, she is driven by her passion to help the world prosper through giving back. She is the author of Amazon Best Seller : "Fixing Frankenstein - How to take the monster out of running our small business"

Marama lives on the Gold Coast in QLD Australia, and in her free time loves latin dance and, of course, the beach.

LinkedIn
Website www.oracletree.com
Free lunchtime workshops
Oracle Tree resources
Get Marama's book Fixing Frankenstein - How to take the monster out of running our small business

https://thebusinessbehindyourbusiness.com/

Connect with us:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram