Ep 114: Put yourself first (there’s no gold medal for growing faster)

What if the best thing you can do for your business is put yourself first? Before the clients, the inbox and all the bloody “shoulds”.

If you’re in the "messy middle", somewhere between the business you’ve got and the one you actually want, and you’re done with hustle-bro roadmaps, this one’s for you.

In this ep of the Unconventional Business Podcast, I’m joined by the brilliant Gemma Warren of Beautiful Client Comms, freelance marketing manager for B2B professional services firms. Four years in, Gemma gets honest about bouncing back from a rubbish coaching experience, refusing to keep herself small, and sussing out the vibes with new clients. We chat about:

🛤️ Doing it your own way: Gemma’s latest pivot point, and why growth can feel like an awkward metamorphosis.

🚩 Burned by hustle-bro coaching: Keeping a business afloat through grief, “seven steps to a million pounds”, and a big fat no to the upsell.

💪 Backing yourself: Losing clients without the panic spiral. “Come on in. Who’s next?”

🔄 Unlearning the employee hangover: Rest before the work and balancing 9am–3pm days to be at the school gates.

📈 Marketing momentum: What Gemma learned about investing in proper brand photos, video and sending fortnightly emails. “Don’t give up on marketing yourself when you’re busy, because it’s gonna bite you on the ass.”

✅ The prospect vibe check: Red flags, “moon on a stick yesterday” prospects and how to use a “hall pass” decision tree.

🎶 Parenting, perimenopause and protecting time for yourself: Why responsibility-free time fills a cup you often forget is there.

🌱 Stuck in the messy middle? Small, wobbly steps still count. As Gemma says “There’s no gold medal of who does it quicker.”

If a programme, targeted ad or coach has ever left you feeling like you were the problem, consider this your permission slip: you weren’t failing, the advice was failing YOU.

Further resources & links

• Gemma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-warren-marketing-prof/
• Gemma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifulclientcomms/
• Beautiful Client Comms (fortnightly email sign-up): https://beautifulclientcomms.co.uk/
• Which you is running your week? Take my free quiz: bigpicturebusinesscoach.com/quiz