Communication: Why You're Failing and the Real Reason People Don't Listen

Most business owners think they communicate well. They're wrong. In this Business Growth Podcast episode, powered by ActionCOACH UK, former Apprentice candidate Frederick Afrifa, who trains Fortune 500 executives, reveals why your communication fails under pressure and exactly how to fix it.

What You'll Discover:

Learn the two psychological phenomena sabotaging your communication: explicit monitoring (overthinking automatic actions until you forget how to speak naturally) and distraction theory (focusing on audience judgment instead of your message). Frederick shares exact techniques to overcome these barriers, drawn from his background as a 10.3-second 100-meter sprinter who understands performance under pressure.

Discover why practising in front of a mirror is worthless and what professional athletes do instead. Frederick reveals the "race simulation" approach that transforms nervous speakers into confident communicators in just 12 hours of intensive training.

Master the four-part storytelling framework that made Frederick's Apprentice presentation go viral: relate to your audience, explain the challenge, resolve it, and deliver the moral. He demonstrates this live with examples for different audiences.

Understand why listening, not speaking, is your most powerful business tool. Learn the Chinese philosophy of listening with your eyes, heart, and ears, treating every conversation partner as if they're the only person in the world. This single shift reduces resistance in negotiations, sales calls, and leadership situations.

Build unshakeable confidence through evidence, not affirmations. Frederick explains why confidence is activity-specific and how to systematically develop it in any area where you currently struggle.

Learn Frederick's biggest lesson from The Apprentice: energy management. He reveals how ignoring his introverted need for alone time, due to fear of judgment, depleted his decision-making ability and ultimately cost him the competition. This lesson applies directly to business owners burning out while trying to be everything to everyone.

Discover the "Brian" technique for managing your inner critic. Frederick shares how naming the negative voice in your head and working with it, rather than fighting it, transforms anxiety into actionable focus.

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AI-Enhanced Email Marketing: The ROI Revolution with Matthew Montoya | Constant Contact Interview

Most small businesses are leaving money on the table with their email marketing. Matthew Montoya from Constant Contact knows better. In this episode of the Business Growth Podcast, powered by ActionCoach UK, we reveal the strategies that actually work for business owners and entrepreneurs looking to maximise their digital marketing ROI.

Matthew brings 15 years of experience from the world's number one email marketing platform, having taught over 14,000 small businesses face-to-face. His insights? Email marketing delivers £36 return for every £1 spent, with an average 2% conversion rate that outperforms nearly every other marketing channel at a fraction of the cost.

Discover why click-through rate is the ultimate KPI that matters, not open rates. Learn the exact email structure that captures attention in just 9 seconds: no more than 25 lines of text, 3 images maximum, and 3 calls to action. Understand why 80% of your content should educate and only 20% should promote, and how this balance keeps your audience engaged rather than teaching them to ignore you.

Matthew debunks the biggest myth in digital marketing: that email is dead. Despite the flashiness of TikTok and social media, email marketing has thrived for 30 years because it works. The secret? Strategy, segmentation, and understanding that your audience is talking back to you through their behaviour. Are you smart enough to listen?

This episode reveals how AI has transformed email marketing from an eight-hour manual process into a minutes-long strategic exercise. Constant Contact's AI builds entire omnichannel campaigns, identifies target segments, determines optimal send times, and creates content that mirrors your brand voice. The friction that once prevented small businesses from competing with large corporations has been removed.

Learn why you should never buy email lists, how to grow your database organically, and why owning your email contacts gives you control that social media platforms never will. Understand the critical importance of relevance, timing, and personalisation in an era where audiences expect tailored content and have increasingly short attention spans.

Whether you're a small business owner just starting with digital marketing, an entrepreneur looking to optimise your email strategy, or a content creator seeking better engagement, this episode provides the blueprint for email marketing success from real experience growing campaigns to millions of subscribers.

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From Paralympic Silver to Building a Purpose-Driven & Life-Changing Business | Dr Mark Williams Limb Art Interview

Most people who face life-changing adversity spend years coming to terms with it. Dr Mark Williams turned his into a superpower within months. After losing his leg in a cycling accident at age 10, Mark became a world champion Paralympic swimmer and world record holder. Following 25 years climbing the corporate ladder at Ecolab, a chance encounter in a Morrison's car park changed everything. A 4-year-old boy spotted Mark's prosthetic leg cover and begged his mum for one. That moment birthed Limb Art, a company transforming how amputees see themselves.

Today, Limb Art operates in 15 countries and has won the King's Award for Enterprise. One ex-para who'd lost three squad mates and his leg in an IED explosion had their memorial tattoo recreated on a leg cover. When he clipped it on, he said "my mates are back," a moment that left everyone in tears.

Dr Mark Williams lost his left leg in a cycling accident at age 10 in 1982. He broke British swimming records, won silver at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, and became world champion in 1989. After 25 years at Ecolab, he founded Limb Art in 2017, now operating in 15 countries and winning the King's Award for Enterprise in 2024.

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