When we embarked on launching a podcast, we had no idea just how diverse and fascinating the stories of our interview guests would be – or how much wisdom we would glean from them!

In this episode, the finale for Season 1 of the podcast, James and Jess roundup the 9 biggest lessons they learnt across 22 interviews with Aussie business owners from around the country.

The 9 Big Lessons We Learnt1 - Formal Education is NOT Linked with Business Success

Our interview guests varied wildly in their levels of formal education – some had a Masters or a PhD; others left school at Year 10. But ALL of them were on a path of lifelong learning.

2 - Everybody Hurts

REM were right when they wrote the famous song – and it’s definitely true for business owners! None of our podcast guests had gotten through business without catastrophes and pain.

3 - Partnerships are Like Marriage

For those we interviewed who are in a business partnership, this was a common theme: that being in a business partnership isn’t easy, and takes a whole lot of trust, co-operation and compromise.

4 - Everybody’s Story is Fascinating

From circus performers to executive coaches; from academics to inventors and self-made entrepreneurs – all of the 22 business stories featured on Season 1 were fascinating in their own way.

5 - Business Owners Often Work Too Hard!

If you found yourself saying “Yes and Amen” to the above statement, you should probably head straight to Episodes 11 and 12 for some advice on burnout prevention! Many of the people we interviewed spoke of the stress and strain of business, and times of exhaustion. That’s why we got a burnout expert in for a double-episode focusing on the importance of taking care of yourself!

6 - Adversity is the Birthplace of Breakthrough

For nearly every story of adversity, there were silver linings, and growth that came after the “storm’’ was over.

7 - Uniqueness is Vital to Successful Marketing

As we interviewed our guests we saw a pattern emerging: businesses tend to do well once they really knew their niche, or their lane, and stick to it!

8 - Business Takes Passion, Courage and A Dream

For every story of adversity in business, there was also a basic foundation of a driving passion and dream, that keeps our interview guests getting up in the morning to take on another day.

9 - Word of Mouth is Marketing 101

Time and time again our interview guests confirmed one of the basics of marketing: if your product or service is good enough to spread through word of mouth, chances are you’re onto a winning formula.

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Learn More

• Explore all episodes of Getting to the Heart of Business