Working behind a bar taught Neil Rogers everything he needed to know about how to be successful in sales.

Neil Rogers gave up a successful corporate sales career to set-up Rogers Marketing and then he co-founded Positive Activity.

After a less than successful time in education Neil worked in the hospitality industry, mainly as a bar tender. His customers convinced him that he would make a good sales person. So, he returned to college and then embarked on a career in sales.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Neil explains to host Michael Millward how the lessons he learnt working behind a bar helped him to be successful both in education and in his sales career.

After hearing Jerry Murrell the founder of the Five Guys burger restaurant chain speak, Neil realised how his experience in hospitality had contributed to his career success.

Michael also started his adult career in hospitality and reflects with Neil on the lessons they both learnt from working in hospitality that helped them in their respective careers.

Tom Cruise who played a bartender in the hit movie Cocktail gets a mention.

Discover more about Neil and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

Purchase Bar Tips: Everything I Needed to Know in Sales I Learned Behind the Bar from Amazon

Neil recommends reading books by Anthony Robbins and Jim Rohn

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening

Learn how to master the art of problem-solving and creativity

The ability of a company to be creative in the way it solves problems has a direct impact on the level of success that company achieves. So why aren’t more companies and other organisations working harder at being more creative?

That is the question Nir Bashan, author of The Solution Mindset and Michael Millwarddiscuss in this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds.

Michael and Nir discuss

• How creativity is part of our DNA yet as we get older, we lose our creativity.
• How we can regain our creativity
• The role language plays in facilitating creativity
• The lack of creativity in creative industries
• Balancing creativity and analytics
• The most important stages in being creativity
• Being creative when your boss is not interested in creativity
• The creativity snowball
• How managers can effectively manage creativity

This is the podcast that empowers you to be more creative, and more successful for yourself, your team and your organisation.

Discover more about Nir and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

Books by Nir Bashan at Amazon

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest – We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

The most effective way to sell is by communicating the value of your proposition to your potential customer.

Luke Jorgenson started his sales career in commission only door to door sales. If you don’t learn quickly how to sell, you don’t eat.

Luke did learn to sell and as a result he dined well. He also learnt how to deal with a lot of rejection and worked out how to recognise people who were most likely to buy.

Nowadays, Luke is a sales coach.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Luke explains to host Michael Millward that the secret of his success was not his ability to sell, but his ability to engage in two way communication.

Michael and Luke discuss

• How selling door to door is taking the market to a totally cold customer.
• The importance of demonstrating your interest in how your potential customer lives and their challenges
• Understanding the causes of your customers problems not just the symptoms
• The role that educating your customers plays
• What putting the customer first really means
• Facilitating buying decisions
• Knowing when to walk away

This is the podcast explains how your sales team could sell more.

Discover more about Luke and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Richard Ellis describes the connection between employee wellbeing and employee engagement

Richard Ellis is a New Zealand based corporate health coach who works with businesses of all kinds to impact their bottom-line profitability by connecting employee health and wellbeing to employee engagement.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Richard explains to host Michael Millward the work of a health coach.

They discuss how the medical health care industry is focused on treating acute illnesses, the social care system on chronic conditions once they have taken hold, and health coaches focus on preventing all kinds of health problems.

A fence at the top of the cliff instead of an ambulance at the bottom.

Richard explains how our health, good or bad is a consequence of the decisions we make about every aspect of our lives. His role is to provide the information so that people can make informed choices.

This often leads to sustainable behaviour change, that impacts work performance, enhances employee engagement, improves employee productivity, and increases profits.

This is the podcast to listen to when you have to build a business case for investment in health and wellbeing.

Discover more about Richard and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work - We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Katie O’Malley explains the A.I.R. Coaching Framework

Katie O'Malley is the founder and principal coach at Chicago based (en)Courage Coaching.

As a coach Katie essentially listens for a living. Effective listening requires us to give our full attention to someone else. A task more difficult than many think.

But it is a skill that can be learnt by applying the A.I.R coaching framework that Katie has created.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Katie explains to host Michael Millward the different elements of the A.I.R. Coaching Framework and how A.I.R. repositions widely accepted approaches to coaching into a new context.

Michael and Katie discuss some of the frustrations of traditional approaches to coaching and how the change in mindset that the A.I.R. Framework facilitates in coaches creates a more productive experience for coachees.

Discover more about Katie and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Build an e-commerce business on Amazon with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA)

One night Neil Twa decided he needed to buy a product he had seen on a TV. But instead of being a consumer he decided to be a producer and create an improved version of that product. He then had to get his product in front of customers and eventually to them. The answer was a listing on Amazon and fulfilment by Amazon (FBA).

Now Neil is an entrepreneur with a stable of brands and products that are all sold and orders fulfilled by Amazon.

He is the founder of Voltage and a partner in Patriot Growth Capital.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Neil explains to host Michael Millward why selling on and fulfilling with Amazon is a great way to launch a business.

They discuss all things Fulfilment by Amazon, and

• How to identify existing demand
• The importance of research the market
• Why data is so important
• The three-year life cycle of an e-commerce business
• Expanding sales channels
• Exit strategies

Discover more about Neil and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

Neil’s book Almost Automated Income with FBA: Build a Profitable Lifestyle-Driven Amazon Business. Exit for Millions. Even Without Any Ecommerce Experience is available from Amazon.

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Understanding the three factors that create efficient and effective organisations

Janneh Wright is the founder and CEO of Primus Business Management,a provider of back office support to not-for-profit and mission led organisations.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Janneh discusses with host Michael Millward the three factors that determine how effective and efficient an organisation will be.

They discuss how

• Compliance is not just a legal issue. It can be applied to every aspect and of an organisation’s operations.
• The importance of communicating the rules and regulations.
• Compliance is achieved by using hard skills, but cultural objectives are accomplished through the application of soft skills.
• Culture creates the soul of an organisation
• Consistency is the engine of the organisation
• Effective leadership impacts the ability of an organisation to successfully apply the Three C Framework

This is the sort of podcast that will make you think about how your organisation might apply the Three C Framework.

Discover more about Janneh and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

A single point in time penetration test is just that, but the hackers are working 24/7

Jacob O’Brien is the founder and CEO of Hakware.com a provider of AI-Powered Cybersecurity & Penetration testing.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Jacob discusses with host Michael Millward how many businesses underestimate the internet security risks that they face, and how they fail to prepare for the inevitability of an attack and how they will recover from that attack.

They discuss how

• Every device with an internet connection is at risk of being attacked
• Scammers are using AI to structure their attacks
• The weak link in your security is often human
• Zero Trust contributes to good security
• The code used to build your network impacts your security
• Good hosting helps secure your network
• Always on penetration testing protects your network
• The story of Michael Culce and Hollywood films like War Gameshave contributed to the myths around hacking and hackers.

Discover more about Jacob and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.