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The Next 100 Days Podcast

The Next 100 Days Podcast

By: Kevin Appleby & Graham Arrowsmith
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The Next 100 Days Podcast is a leading UK business show. Through this podcast, Kevin and Graham reveal strategies you can use to improve your business and take it to the next level. In addition to featuring their own advice, Kevin and Graham host amazing guests from across the business world. Often the guests are successful, but lesser-known business owners and entrepreneurs, enabling the show to bring fresh content and stand out from many of the US based business shows. Graham and Kevin believe that business change comes about when a business owner focusses on just one thing that will make a real difference to his business. That might be product development, a new product launch or a marketing campaign. Focussing for less than 100 days, or focussing on too many things generally won't deliver the results you need, Equally, its difficult to maintain effective focus for much longer than 100 days without re-assessing priorities. The Next 100 Days Podcast is your source to learn how to move your business forward, with practical advice and guidance that you can put into action and make a difference in your own organisation within the next 100 days.Copyright 2026 Kevin Appleby & Graham Arrowsmith Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • #532 Mark Sherwood Edwards - Sales Side Lawyer

    #532 Mark Sherwood Edwards - Sales Side Lawyer
    Jul 3 2026
    Mark Sherwood Edwards is the Sales Side Lawyer. This podcast is all about having a sales-centric approach to legal contracting.Summary of PodcastKey TakeawaysProblem: ~50% of deals die in contracting, often due to lawyers acting as a "Department for Sales Prevention" and triggering buyer anxiety.Solution: Treat legal risk as a price point. Frame buyer requests (e.g., for unlimited liability) as commercial choices that increase the price, shifting the negotiation from legal to business.Tactic: Reduce buyer anxiety by offering easy-out clauses (e.g., monthly after 12 months). This builds trust and forces the seller to focus on service quality to retain customers.Goal: Move all deals toward "no-touch" contracting (e.g., click-through T&Cs) to eliminate negotiation friction and speed up deal closure.The Problem: Contracting Kills DealsLawyers often act as a "Department for Sales Prevention," slowing deals and creating friction.The "Spoon" Analogy: Lawyers often make minor, risk-averse changes that alter the deal's structure, even if the core agreement is sound.Key Driver → Buyer Anxiety: The primary obstacle is a buyer's personal risk ("Fear of Messing Up"), not just corporate risk.Why: A long, complex contracting process increases the risk of the deal failing due to external factors (e.g., strategy changes, competitor bids).The Solution: A Sales-Centric Legal ApproachCore Principle: Treat legal risk as a price point.How: Frame buyer requests for increased risk (e.g., unlimited liability) as commercial choices that will increase the price.Why: This shifts the negotiation from a legal debate to a commercial one, where business stakeholders are more reasonable and budget-conscious.The "Sales Side Setup": Prepare for this by stating upfront in proposals that pricing is based on your standard T&Cs and that changes may affect the price.Easy-Out Clauses: Offer flexible termination terms (e.g., monthly after an initial 12-month period).Why: This reduces buyer anxiety and forces the seller to maintain high service quality to retain the customer.Caveat: This approach may not suit deals with high upfront costs (e.g., outsourcing), where a longer lock-in is needed to reach profitability.Practical Tactics for Small BusinessesContracting Spectrum: Classify deals into three types and aim to move all toward "no-touch."No-Touch: Click-through T&Cs (e.g., Google, HubSpot).Low-Touch: Minor negotiations.High-Touch: Significant negotiation.Simplify Contracts:Use plain English and clear headings.For simple deals, use a signed letter of agreement instead of a formal contract.Payment Terms:Goal: Get paid in advance to eliminate the need for legal recovery clauses.Response to Long Terms: Counter with a price increase (e.g., 5%) or remove scope to meet the budget.The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from the UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    45 mins
  • #531 - Lisa Jane Watson Heath - Kidzplay

    #531 - Lisa Jane Watson Heath - Kidzplay
    Jun 26 2026
    Kidzplay is a national soft-play membership network that Lisa built from scratch — a wholesale model in which we buy fixed table capacity from partner venues and resell it through memberships.Lisa is an accountant! Kevin will be in heaven. PwC-trained ACA. 18 years in soft play. One MBO (Gameplay, sold to Game Group). Several businesses were built, a couple were buried, and a lot was learned.Flat Cap Friday is a grassroots broker network I co-founded with Nigel Bowers. Regionally rooted, built around genuine peer connection. No pitch decks, no lead-gen noise — just good people showing up on Fridays. Wired is a five-pillar framework for founders who are running on empty: business, financial, body, relationships, restoration. Twelve weeks. Broughton Estate, North Yorkshire. Lisa builds businesses to be cash-generative, mission-driven, and eventually sold or handed on.Summary of PodcastKey TakeawaysKids Play: A membership model solving venue cash-flow volatility by buying fixed-price slots, making family activities affordable and accessible.Wired Framework: A coaching program using 12-week sprints to help founders align business strategy with personal purpose, health, and freedom.Core Purpose: All ventures are unified by a mission to build community and combat loneliness, stemming from a personal experience.Strategic Shift: A new model of delegating operational work enables a strategic focus on high-level thinking and personal freedom.The Problem: A Crisis of ConnectionA crisis of connection stems from modern pressures (cost of living, screen time), causing parents to sacrifice family time and leading to a youth mental health crisis.COVID-19 highlighted the devastating impact of lost social interaction on children's development.Lisa's mission is to bring families together and ensure no one feels lonely.Kidzplay: An Accessible SolutionOrigin: Evolved from a soft play center Lisa bought in 2007.Business Model: A monthly membership for unlimited access to partner venues (soft play, farms, classes).Customer Benefit: Affordable, stress-free family activities.Venue Benefit: Stable, predictable income to offset cash-flow volatility (e.g., a sunny half-term cut revenue from a projected £30k to £4k).Mechanism: Kidzplay buys fixed-price slots from venues, de-risking their economics.Wider Purpose:Soft Play: Provides a safe space for physical activity and teaches sharing.Classes: Develop fine motor skills (e.g., needlework) to counter screen-time effects.Farms: Educate children on food origins.Wired Framework: Coaching for FoundersA coaching program for founders based on Lisa's personal journey from traditional accounting to purpose-driven entrepreneurship.Core Philosophy: Prioritize personal health and purpose first; business success will follow.Structure: 12-week sprints of intense focus, followed by a 1-month consolidation/rest period.Method: Uses the "7 Layers of Why" technique to help founders uncover their true purpose.Delivery: Full-day workshops at Broughton Estate to provide a focused, out-of-environment experience.Lisa's Strategic Model: Delegation for FreedomLisa's model is to delegate operational work to focus on high-level strategy.Rationale: This approach enables personal freedom and prevents burnout, a lesson learned from past overwork.Example: After realizing she was "making herself busy" with pitch decks, Lisa made the direct call to a key venue owner, Nick, securing a meeting.Other Ventures:Flat Cap Fridays: A relaxed, pub-based networking group.Inspiring Women: A goal to show women that career paths are non-linear and self-imposed limits should be challenged.The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from the UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    41 mins
  • #530 Dr Anton Janse van Rensburg - Burnout

    #530 Dr Anton Janse van Rensburg - Burnout
    Jun 19 2026
    Burnout expert Dr Anton Janse van Rensburg is a practising medical doctor from Pretoria, South Africa, with 27 years of experience as an Integrative Practitioner. Besides his MBChB degree, he has a Master’s degree in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Pretoria, and an Advanced Management Diploma from Manchester Business School. He is also a trained metal toxicologist.His clinical practice focuses on burnout, mood disorders, adjuvant therapy for cancer patients, auto-immune disorders, severe intestinal conditions, and chronic infectious diseases.Summary of PodcastKey TakeawaysBurnout is a systemic depletion, not just fatigue. It results from neglecting many small, daily habits (rest, connection, diet), not just from overwork.Dr. Anton's method is prescriptive and holistic. It prioritises daily habits (e.g., 20-min power naps, strong connections) and uses comprehensive tests to find root causes before considering medication.Nutrition is a primary tool for managing chronic conditions. A high-fat, low-carb diet can reverse Type 2 diabetes and stabilise mood by reducing cravings for refined carbs and optimising brain chemistry.Purpose and challenge are critical for longevity. Complete retirement is a risk factor for rapid aging; staying engaged with meaningful work or new challenges is essential for maintaining brain health.Burnout: Root Causes & Holistic SolutionsDefinition: A systemic depletion from neglecting many small, interconnected daily habits (physiological, emotional), not just from overwork.Origin of Insight: Dr. Anton's experience managing health for 9,000 workers on a high-stress construction site in Maputo, Mozambique (2000–2003).This role involved diagnosing 30–40 malaria cases daily and managing fatalities, providing a "crossroads" experience that informed his later focus on burnout.Dr. Anton's Prescriptive Approach:Initial Assessment: A deep history of work hours, rest habits, and personal connections.Daily Respite: Prescribes short, scheduled breaks to manage the body's natural circadian dip.Power Naps: 20-minute naps are ideal; naps >1 hour are detrimental to brain health.Social Connection: Emphasises strong relationships with friends, family, and colleagues, citing research on their importance for resilience and longevity.Physiological Testing: Uses comprehensive tests (bloods, stress ECGs) to find root causes, not just manage symptoms.Kevin's Experience: Burnout led to "reduced performance"—sitting at the desk with a large to-do list but accomplishing nothing.Solution: Stepped away from the desk more often and re-prioritised tasks to reduce stress.Mood Disorders & The Role of NutritionDefinition: A broad term for unstable brain chemistry, which can manifest as sadness, cynicism, or even physical fatigue (e.g., heavy limbs, a known symptom of low serotonin).Societal Factors: Increased prevalence in younger generations is linked to social media exposure and a sedentary lifestyle, both of which negatively impact brain chemistry.Nutrition as a Primary Tool:Core Principle: The brain requires healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, meat) and is harmed by refined carbohydrates.Mechanism: A high-fat, low-carb diet reduces cravings for refined carbs, which drives illness and instability.Case Study (Mood Disorder): A patient with a severe mood disorder saw significant improvement within 48 hours of starting a high-fat, low-carb diet, avoiding hospitalization.Case Study (Type 2 Diabetes): A patient on metformin for 25 years was advised to challenge the medication's necessity.Process: A low-carb, high-fat diet for six months, monitored with fasting insulin and HbA1c tests, can reveal if the pancreas can function without medication.Outcome: If successful, medication can be slowly and carefully reduced.Calorie Counting: Dr. Anton strongly advises against restrictive diets and calorie counting, as they are unsustainable and against human nature.The Future of Work & PurposeAI's Impact: The potential for AI to eliminate jobs raises concerns about a loss of purpose and meaning, which are often tied to work and contribution.Retirement & Longevity: Dr. Anton cautions that complete retirement is a risk factor for rapid aging.Recommendation: Stay engaged with meaningful activities (consulting, volunteering, mentoring) to maintain brain health and purpose.Challenge: The brain, like a muscle, needs to be challenged to grow and stay healthy. Avoiding challenges is detrimental to long-term well-being.The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance ...
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    56 mins
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