Shownotes
This week, I chat with the brilliant Ali Tate - a powerhouse business strategist who totally gets what we're going through as hospitality owners.
If you've ever felt like you're running around like a headless chicken answering guest queries instead of driving your business forward (um, guilty as charged🙋♀️), then this episode is YOUR wake-up call.
Ali and I dive into that tricky juggling act we all know too well - trying to be a fantastic host while also being the CEO your business desperately needs you to be. And let's be honest, when you throw family commitments into the mix, it can feel completely overwhelming.
But here's the thing... it doesn't HAVE to be this way...
We unpack how to step back from the day-to-day firefighting (even when it feels impossible!), create a proper business strategy that doesn't just live in your head, get smart about delegation (no, you DON'T need to wash all those towels yourself), and structure your time so you have some left for yourself and your family.
Ready to put on your CEO hat and take back control of your business AND your life? This episode is packed with practical, no-nonsense advice that you can implement right away.
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Key Takeaways
- Put on that CEO hat - stop just reacting to whatever guest drama pops up next and start carving out time to think bigger about where you're actually heading with your business.
- Regular catch-ups with your partner or team are absolute game-changers! They clear up who's doing what, stop those "I thought YOU were handling that" moments, and make sure things actually get done.
- Boundaries are not just nice-to-haves, they're must-haves! If you don't draw the line between your business and personal life, you'll end up resenting the very business you worked so hard to build (trust me, I've been there!).
- Small tweaks can make HUGE differences. Even just blocking out 30 minutes a week to think strategically about your business can transform how efficiently you run things - and put more profit in your pocket.
Ready to take back control?
Listen to the full episode for all the juicy details on how to fall back in love with your hospitality business again.
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Transcripts
You're listening to Get Fully Booked with Sarah Orchard.
Speaker A:Are you ready to master your marketing so you can ditch your reliance on the online agents and grow your direct bookings?
Speaker A:I'll be sharing with you exactly what it takes to grow your direct bookings and the simple marketing steps to get more profit in your pocket.
Speaker A:Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of the Get Fully Booked podcast.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Sarah.
Speaker A:Sarah Orchard.
Speaker A:I'm delighted to welcome another amazing guest to the podcast.
Speaker A:Today.
Speaker A:I'm joined by Ali Tate.
Speaker A:And Ali is a business strategist, mentor and coach.
Speaker A:And I've had the pleasure of being in a mastermind group with Ali for the last couple of years.
Speaker A:And I've actually invited Ali to come and talk to us today about something that I think we all struggle with, which is about how we can be both a host and our boss in our business and how we juggle those two things.
Speaker A:So welcome to the podcast, Ali.
Speaker B:Oh, hello.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:And thank you for that lovely introduction and it's great to be here.
Speaker A:No, it's great to have you here today.
Speaker A:So I thought we might start with maybe just telling the listeners a little bit about your business and how you support small business owners.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I'm a business coach, mentor and strategist and I'm based in Chiddingstone, Kent, tiny village in Kent.
Speaker B:And I work with business owners and it's really.
Speaker B:I work with them to create these success strategies so that you can thrive both in business and in life.
Speaker B:And I've got a background of 34 years of corporate and entrepreneurial backgrounds, and that is also in hospitality, events, etc, before I retrained and became a business coach and sort of pulled all those elements together.
Speaker B:And I work with people, I mainly work one to one, but.
Speaker B:But I also run strategy days and group programs and memberships.
Speaker B:And I also have a membership called Mums in Business Network, which supports business owners who are mums and run businesses because it's even more of a juggle.
Speaker B:So I'm also a solo parent and I've got two teenage kids.
Speaker B:Lucky me.
Speaker B:Hey.
Speaker B:And a slightly crazy cockapoo called Clemmie.
Speaker A:Oh, you sound like you have a very busy life.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of the listeners will identify with that because I think most of the hosts that are probably listening juggle family life, probably pets and animals and partners, and also running their hospitality businesses.
Speaker A:So that leads me nicely, actually onto our first topic, which was to explore really, what are the challenges that you see about being a hospitality Business owner.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So there's lots of challenges that many or most hospitality business owners face, as you will know yourself, having your own side to your business, business of that as well.
Speaker B:But you know, very often you're stuck in that daily grind, aren't you?
Speaker B:So you're managing the bookings, answering inquiries, cleaning, doing all those little things that keep the business running.
Speaker B:And then of course, you know, if you're working with a family or a partner, family member or partner, the boundaries between work and home can become a bit blurry.
Speaker B:And I think often that leads to there's little time for any long term planning or thinking strategically about where you want the business to go.
Speaker B:And you know, finally the last thing that sometimes can, can sort of come about from that is it can lead to burnout.
Speaker B:You know, you feel like you're running in circles and you're not actually moving forward.
Speaker B:So I think there's, you know, it is a different type of industry.
Speaker B:I know it's one that gets under your skin as well.
Speaker B:But there are a lot of challenges that, that people face.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think the, the juggling and particularly because I think we all tend to respond, you know, like customer first.
Speaker A:So, you know, as a host you're worrying about the guests all the time and it can be really easy to sort of put maybe some of the other sort of business tasks to one side.
Speaker A:I know marketing is often something obviously which, you know, I'm passionate about and that's something that often gets sort of parked.
Speaker A:But I think also we, we're just so busy working in our businesses that we don't tend to take that sort of helicopter view of like a boss in a bigger business would do, like a CEO role.
Speaker A:So what are the key differences between being that business owner, host and acting like a CEO?
Speaker B:Well, you know, it is a shift and I think really it's starting with a mindset shift.
Speaker B:And because if you think about the operator, mindset is quite reactive as you've just described there.
Speaker B:It's a pretty reactive mindset.
Speaker B:You're focused on, you know, all those immediate tasks, you're putting out the fires, doing everything yourself, you're getting bogged down in all the details.
Speaker B:And shifting to that CEO mindset is about, is a proactive mindset.
Speaker B:You know, you're starting to think strategically, you're planning for the future, you're empowering others to handle day to day tasks as well.
Speaker B:And so if you think, as you just said, you know, you're getting out of the weeds and you're getting out above them and looking at it all the time.
Speaker B:Now that doesn't mean to say, you know, you probably will have to go back into the, the weeds.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:But giving that space to get up above it is super important.
Speaker B:And of course, making this, this mindset shift doesn't happen overnight.
Speaker B:It starts with those, you know, really small steps like carving out dedicated time each week for planning and delegating, that sort of thing.
Speaker B:It, it's small steps.
Speaker B:What small steps can you do that will gradually shift your mindset and make life a bit easier?
Speaker A:So I think that, I love that expression.
Speaker A:Getting out of the weeds sometimes does feel like you're in the weeds and it keeps dragging you back down.
Speaker A:And I think you can very easily sort of start with good intentions and then get dragged back into.
Speaker A:I mean, often there's sometimes problems in the business.
Speaker A:You know, we've had things like, you know, a door got pulled off the wall, you know, someone had an accident.
Speaker A:You know, it's like things happen in a hospitality business when you're dealing with the general public.
Speaker A:Sometimes they do silly things and you have to like, deal.
Speaker A:And obviously you can plan as much as you like, but you don't know what's going to come down the tracks at you that particular day or week.
Speaker A:So if you were giving people sort of top tips for stepping into that CEO role, you gave a couple of little indications there.
Speaker A:But what are the things that we need to do?
Speaker A:I mean, you mentioned mindset, but what else do we need to do to step into that sort of CEO type role role in our businesses?
Speaker B:You see, I think you're quite right.
Speaker B:We can get so stuck in what's happening every day that we, we don't.
Speaker B:And you know, it is, it is.
Speaker B:Hospitality by its nature is reactive.
Speaker B:You know, you are dealing with people and nothing's going to be constant.
Speaker B:We know that, but it's just giving yourself that little bit of space.
Speaker B:You know, I think a really big thing that I spend a lot of time with is setting a vision with clients and this just stepping back and going, okay, I've got this now, but what does my dream business look like in five years?
Speaker B:So very often when we start a business, we're really clear on what that looks like.
Speaker B:You know, you generally know what you're trying to achieve.
Speaker B:So if you've got, for example, you knew with your situation, lots of people, they know what they want, they've got that picture in their head and then they get to that bit and it starts running.
Speaker B:But what happens is they haven't looked at the next part.
Speaker B:So they're so busy just running it in the day to day, they haven't got.
Speaker B:Well, hang on a minute.
Speaker B:This is, I'm so busy, I'm feeling overwhelmed.
Speaker B:I feel like I'm drowning and in those weeds all the time.
Speaker B:But actually it's interesting how few people, after they've started something, go, okay, so I'm here now.
Speaker B:What does that look like in 5 years time?
Speaker B:What do I want to be happening in my life?
Speaker B:What does my dream business look like?
Speaker B:And that's really important because if you've got that, you can work towards that.
Speaker B:Which then leads me on to, you know, a lot of people think strategic planning is a really scary word.
Speaker B:It isn't.
Speaker B:That's about sort of creating one year, three year, five year goals to get you towards what that, that dream business and that dream life looks like.
Speaker B:And you know, it's the classic thing, isn't it?
Speaker B:You don't go and run a marathon when you've just been sitting on the sofa every five minutes.
Speaker B:It takes a plan to get there.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And once you've got a bit more of a, that higher vision and you can see what you want to be doing in a year, you can then break that into quarters.
Speaker B:So 90 day plans are a really good way to work.
Speaker B:So Even if it's two things you want to do in those 90 days, which, which allows you to sort of be driving the business rather than the business driving you, that's super helpful.
Speaker B:Another area of course is delegating tasks.
Speaker B:You know, I know it's quite hard sometimes, but actually outsourcing some of those routine tasks like cleaning or marketing or admin or laundry or whatever it may be may just allow you to free some time up.
Speaker B:And also there is a little bit about it.
Speaker B:I was working with not actually an events client yesterday and they're so used to doing what they're doing, they don't want to let go of it.
Speaker B:But you've got junior members of your team now.
Speaker B:You've got people around you who can help.
Speaker B:So you've got to train them and you've got to trust them because that will free you up to do more things.
Speaker B:And we all are guilty of it, but I think it's such an important area.
Speaker B:And I think lastly just scheduling some, well, you can call it whatever you want to but CEO time or you know, business time.
Speaker B:So that's about blocking out some weekly time really to really think about, you know, your growth, your strategy and planning that in and it doesn't have to be long, it can just be an hour a week, you know, sit down, have a coffee with it, but schedule it in and go.
Speaker B:I just need to think about what am I trying to do and use that time to sort of plan, reflect, focus on the growth and yeah, do that.
Speaker B:Because these tiny changes lead to big results over time.
Speaker B:If you're focusing on them and, you know, having a clue about, you know, how many guests are you hosting in five years time.
Speaker B:What does your work life balance look like?
Speaker B:You know, what does my team look like?
Speaker B:All of those things.
Speaker B:If you, if you thought about that and you know it, you can work towards it and create what you want.
Speaker B:Ultimately.
Speaker A:That is so true, Ali.
Speaker A:And actually when you were just describing that sort of like starting out and then people don't take stock, I was thinking, you're describing my business.
Speaker A:Because we went, we've gone through that process.
Speaker A:We've been going for five years.
Speaker A:And we started at the beginning.
Speaker A:You know, we had a written business strategy.
Speaker A:It was probably like, like 20 pa pages.
Speaker A:It's like we had a really clear vision of how the business was going to work and what we were aiming for.
Speaker A:And we sort of got to that point where probably beginning of last year, we sort of thought, hang on a minute, we moved here to have a work life balance and have a different, you know, to get away from our corporate careers.
Speaker A:The business was doing really well, running at sort of, you know, 96%.
Speaker A:So like fully booked, 96% occupancy.
Speaker A:We were struggling to take time off.
Speaker A:We were doing three changeovers a week and we suddenly sat down and went, I'm not sure we want this to be this busy.
Speaker A:It's like, yeah, the money was great and the money can free you up, as you rightly said, to like outsource some tasks.
Speaker A:So we had cleaners, we had the laundry outsourced.
Speaker A:You know, we could have some help with the, like the grounds maintenance and you know, to help keep the property and you know, the guest experience where we wanted it to be.
Speaker A:But, but aid and I had no time to literally know which way was up and we definitely weren't having that work life balance.
Speaker A:So we sat down and we actually made the conscious decision at the beginning of last year to run at about 80% occupancy and to block out time to have at least three main holidays a year where we shut the business down.
Speaker A:And that was a conscious decision that we needed to like you say, act like a CEO.
Speaker A:We actually sat down and thought, this is how we want to run our business.
Speaker A:We're not going to feel pressured because the business.
Speaker A:Business is there to be greedy and to take it.
Speaker A:Let's think about what we want the business to look like so that we are enjoying it, because we've been doing five years and thinking, how much longer can we keep this going because we're both exhausted.
Speaker A:And I think, like you say, when you're in it, that's the difficulty.
Speaker B:And how did that feel when you actually took that step back and could do that?
Speaker A:I think you have a couple of emotions.
Speaker A:One is that maybe you're like, leaving money on the table.
Speaker A:So there's the sort of financial imperative.
Speaker A:And also because we'd had to go like, VAT registered, so there was a bit of a sort of, like, we were sort of on the edge of the.
Speaker A:Do we push it further to make more money?
Speaker A:Because that commercially, like, makes sense.
Speaker A:But it was very empowering to sit there and make conscious decisions to claim that time back for us.
Speaker A:I mean, I remember talking to a fellow host who contacted me about marketing help and.
Speaker A:And she was very proud that in seven years they'd never had a holiday because they were so busy with their business.
Speaker A:And I sat there and thought to myself, she seems quite proud of that fact.
Speaker A:But I actually felt very sad for her.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:It was a bit like that.
Speaker A:That's not something that.
Speaker A:And maybe that wasn't important to her, but she had almost implied that they couldn't afford to do it and they felt they couldn't take their foot off the gas.
Speaker A:And I thought, well, that's a very conscious decision and you don't get that time back.
Speaker A:So, you know, we've actually started planning our exit strategy for a number of years in the future.
Speaker A:And again, that's a CEO sort of type behavior to think about.
Speaker A:How long do we want to be doing this?
Speaker A:You know, we're.
Speaker A:We're over 50 and heading towards 60.
Speaker A:So, you know, we've got to make conscious decisions about what does our future look like as well.
Speaker A:And we never thought about that when we started the business.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And I think that's so.
Speaker B:That's so key because things change, don't they?
Speaker B:And also opportunities come up, businesses shift and change and hospitality businesses.
Speaker B:You know, you might suddenly find yourself, you know, having a certain niche that always wants to come and use it and that can shift what you're doing.
Speaker B:But actually, if that's happening, just to be able to drive the business a little bit, rather than it drive you can be, you know, it can really ease the strain as well, I think.
Speaker B:And I think that taking that time is.
Speaker B:Is really key because also we never look back.
Speaker B:People never look back and go, well, what's gone really well?
Speaker B:What hasn't gone well?
Speaker B:What do we used to do that we don't do now?
Speaker B:All those questions.
Speaker B:We never do that.
Speaker B:As business owners, you're always on to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing.
Speaker B:And so actually, you just need to sometimes step back and just realize some of those areas.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like you say, constantly striving forward, and it's like, why am I striving forward for it?
Speaker A:We had a similar conversation.
Speaker A:We actually have a weekly sort of operations meeting.
Speaker A:So we are treating our business like a proper business.
Speaker A:And we sit down and chat about how things are looking in the business.
Speaker A:But we also look forward, but we also do look back and sort of things that maybe haven't gone so well.
Speaker A:And also even decisions like, we went through a phase where we were adding constant new things.
Speaker A:So we opened, and then within 18 months we'd added.
Speaker A:We developed our sort of outdoor dining sort of facilities and put in a pizza oven and upgraded that.
Speaker A:And then we put in the lookout bar sort of in 20, that was late 20, 21, 22.
Speaker A:And then we put a sauna in.
Speaker A:And Adrian turned around to me and just said, we've got to stop adding things in.
Speaker A:You know, do we need to really add things in from the guest experience point of view, or are we just doing it for the sake of it?
Speaker A:And also because it puts pressure on you as a team, not only financially, but just like resources and time.
Speaker A:And we constantly felt that we were developing new things.
Speaker A:So I think we're now sort of taking stock and sort of maybe leveraging our investment and what we've created without having to keep adding new things in.
Speaker A:And it also gives Adrian a shorter to do list as well, which he's quite happy about.
Speaker B:I bet he's delighted with that.
Speaker B:Because, you know, it's interesting, isn't it?
Speaker B:Because it's really.
Speaker B:It's really lovely to hear that you do have this operations meeting that you have, and the fact that you were able to take stock and go, oh, we're doing this.
Speaker B:We need to just stop.
Speaker B:Because it gets really blurred, doesn't it?
Speaker B:The blurred lines between personal and business life and who does what and who doesn't.
Speaker B:It's really quite a thing and can get in the way of everything.
Speaker B:Because it's super tricky to separate business and personal life anyway, let alone when it's a hospitality business that has unsociable hours and.
Speaker B:And all the rest of it, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, the operations meeting, I can't claim credit for it.
Speaker A:In a way.
Speaker A:It was a friend who's a business person and actually a coach who sort of took me to one side, literally, because I was saying that, you know, we were talking about the business, like 24 7.
Speaker A:We'd sit down for dinner and we'd be talking about it.
Speaker A:We'd be away for a break and we'd be talking about it.
Speaker A:And she.
Speaker A:We were chatting just casually, and she said to me, do you have meetings in your business?
Speaker A:And I was like, we just.
Speaker A:We just talk about it all the time.
Speaker A:And she was like, well, it's a business, you're a limited company, you know, it's a proper business.
Speaker A:You need to have, like weekly meetings.
Speaker A:I was like, yeah, we do.
Speaker A:It's like when someone pointed out to me, it was just like, why have we not done this?
Speaker A:You know, I mean, I'd worked in Corporate for 16 years.
Speaker A:It was like, you wouldn't just like rock up to people's desks and start randomly talking about stuff all the time.
Speaker A:You know, you'd schedule a meeting and you'd sit down with them and you'd discuss it and you'd have an agenda.
Speaker A:And, you know, we actually have a physical agenda.
Speaker A:It's the same sort of outline agenda that we use every week.
Speaker A:We do try and mix it up a bit.
Speaker A:Sometimes we use the meeting also as an opportunity to get off site and to go to a local pub or cafe.
Speaker A:You know, once a month we'll try and go meet somewhere, particularly if it's a nice sunny day, just try and get out of.
Speaker A:You know, we work.
Speaker A:We live and work in the same space.
Speaker A:And like Adrian says, you can.
Speaker A:He can have a week when he doesn't leave the premises, you know, he doesn't leave the house.
Speaker A:Literally working here.
Speaker A:And we're working, you know, with each other, so.
Speaker A:And I know we're going to come on and talk about that, but, you know, that causes, I won't lie, it caused a lot of friction as well, you know, and it can test a good relationship to breaking point in terms of, you know, working together and running a business just because it's.
Speaker A:It's not natural to be spending, you know, like 24 7.
Speaker A:And if you're spending 24 7, talking about just becomes all consuming, which I think a lot of the listeners will probably identify.
Speaker B:With Absolutely.
Speaker B:I completely agree with you.
Speaker B:I think it's literally, it is so key and if you think about, you know, any business, if it's a partnership, for example, nobody is the same personality so whoever you're working with, you don't see sit, you don't think the same way, you don't do things the same way.
Speaker B:So actually to try and sort of get above that and treat it like, you know, this is the business and this is home life and, and differentiating that I think is, is such a, a key thing and by, by setting those boundaries.
Speaker B:Of course, you know when the, when the work day ends.
Speaker B:I know, I know it's going to be different in times of the year and you know, the seasons and with hospital some clear time so that you've got a conscious effort to, to focus.
Speaker B:You've got, you're making that conscious effort really, aren't you, to focus on your, both family time or home time or your personal life to have that boundary to say well we finished now and we've done that.
Speaker B:And I think you're quite right, you know, scheduling regular check ins just to make sure that you're, you know, in alignment, whether that's with goals or any challenges you're having or what needs to happen, you know, what's happening in the next week or month or whatever.
Speaker B:It, you know, as you've said, you set an agenda that's super helpful, isn't it?
Speaker B:To have an agenda that, you know, these are the things we need to cover.
Speaker B:We've covered everything that we have and tell me, did you.
Speaker B:Have you, have you got.
Speaker B:I think you've touched on this a little bit but defining those clear roles and responsibilities as well.
Speaker B:So everyone knows who's in charge with what can really help with that side of things as well.
Speaker B:So there's no doubling up of tasks and you know, it's very clear who looks after what and that can also be covered off, can't it?
Speaker B:In.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Weekly meeting.
Speaker A:I think that's a really good.
Speaker A:And I think that's something we've really struggled with.
Speaker A:We like you say, we have very different personalities.
Speaker A:Aid and I, I think we make a good team because potentially like you say, opposites attract and that's why, you know, often in, particularly in, in relationships it's like, you know, obviously we complement each other but it also causes friction because the way that I want to operate and the way that he wants to operate and actually I think the thing we struggled with was a little bit about roles and responsibilities because there were things that probably aid felt that I was better suited to.
Speaker A:Obviously, you know, I do the marketing, but some of the guest communications, some of that he felt a little bit uncomfortable with.
Speaker A:So it would always end up back on my desk.
Speaker A:And I'd be a bit like, no, you need to, you know, we agreed that you would deal with this.
Speaker A:So we, you know, we do try and have clear roles and responsibilities, but I think you also have to lean into people's strengths and accept that maybe your, you know, your life partner and your business partner might find certain things more difficult and not feel comfortable doing them.
Speaker A:And you have to be really open about discussing whether they want to, you know, are happy to learn those skills or to do those tasks within the business because if they're not, they that can cause issues because it causes.
Speaker A:When things don't get done because they don't feel comfortable doing it, then you have like come head to head with a sort of why hasn't that been done Type thing or something falls through the gaps and doesn't get done.
Speaker A:So you have to be, I would say we don't get it right all the time, but we try and have an open conversation about it and try and agree roles and responsibilities so that we know what we're both doing and what we are responsible for in the business.
Speaker A:So actually that leads on really to a question about tips for working with family and friends.
Speaker A:And we've covered a few of them.
Speaker A:But what other tips have you got for us to make that go harmoniously?
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, absolutely.
Speaker B:You know, we have talked quite a lot of them.
Speaker B:So, you know, that, that defining the, the roles and responsibilities I think is a really key, is a really key one.
Speaker B:But I also think using tools like, I don't know whether it's a shared calendar or task management apps or whatever it is, whether it's a board, a whiteboard or a blackboard or you know, you have a WhatsApp channel, what.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter what it is so that it.
Speaker B:The tasks are put there and all the calendars are there so that people can be then also they can work independently and they know what needs doing and they'll do it in their time, which might not be your time.
Speaker B:You know, I remember for example, when I was my ex husband and I used to do up houses.
Speaker B:He worked very differently to me.
Speaker B:We had a big blackboard and we'd write things on the blackboard because otherwise it turned into this, you know, partner nagging scenario and that was really, really unhealthy.
Speaker B:But actually it was going to get done, but it was there and that's what we agreed and that worked and it would get done within a time frame.
Speaker B:And, and that was, that was much as soon as we popped that in.
Speaker B:It made life a lot better.
Speaker B:And I think, you know that tiny things can cause friction.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But you know, part of this operations meeting that we, you know, the regular check in that we talked about where you align on goals and talk through challenges that can also be things like, you know, this task management and having that really open, honest conversation.
Speaker B:You know, who's good at what, what are the strengths, does somebody want to do that element or not and just keep improving all the time.
Speaker B:So it becomes quite a slick operation and I think that's really good.
Speaker B:And then, you know, as we talked about before, the boundaries part is, is really key, I think, I think that's so essential to make sure there is a different differentiation between home life and work life, you know, the business side of things.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I would say those are the four really clear, really key tips that.
Speaker B:Would that help people?
Speaker A:Yeah, no, I think we're a big fan of the blackboard.
Speaker A:We have a blackboard in our kitchen corner of our kitchen and Aid likes to see a list up there.
Speaker A:So I tend to use a lot more.
Speaker A:Like I use my calendar and I write things in my calendar.
Speaker A:He is not on a computer as much as I am, so he doesn't, that doesn't help him particularly.
Speaker A:So we've gone back for the old fashioned calendar, the blackboard and we write stuff on there and that works really, really well because we can for all see it.
Speaker A:We can.
Speaker A:It's very therapeutic when you actually take things off the list as well.
Speaker A:You rub them out with the chalkboard and take them out.
Speaker A:We both like that task in terms of like getting stuff done, but also means that things that are not urgent, as you said, things get done at different time frames.
Speaker A:And I'm very much a sort of just get on with it now sort of person.
Speaker A:So Aid is more of a completer finisher, whereas I'm like multi juggling lots of things.
Speaker A:So I, you know, I'm quite happy if my, my list has sort of 15 things on it and I know they're all progressing at different speeds.
Speaker A:He prefers to have a task and complete it.
Speaker A:So obviously like having it scored off the.
Speaker A:Off the blackboard is, is, you know, he enjoys that and actually, but it means that we don't lose track of things so they can be on there and we sort of know the time frames and like that's not as urgent as that thing.
Speaker A:And it means that I know it's not been forgotten so I can move on to the next 10 things on my list.
Speaker A:But also a, it works for him as well.
Speaker A:So I think it's about compromises.
Speaker A:We tried doing a WhatsApp group because we were filling our other WhatsApp.
Speaker A:It's terrible, isn't it, when he's like whatsapping your partner all the time.
Speaker A:But often he's like down at the treehouse and stuff.
Speaker A:So sometimes there's a geography thing that he's not up at that house.
Speaker A:So we use WhatsApp a lot.
Speaker A:And I said to him, let's create a separate WhatsApp group where we put like the urgent things.
Speaker A:Because when he thinks of something, he needs to tell me immediately.
Speaker A:Where sometimes I'm in the middle of something and then I don't like being interrupted.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And that's the thing.
Speaker A:It's just we tried that, that didn't work.
Speaker A:So it's like you have to experiment.
Speaker A:And sometimes the things that work in maybe your business life or your previous business life or when you work with your clients, because obviously I have clients as well and like my club members doesn't work with your partner.
Speaker A:And you have to be very receptive to not sort of railroading them into your way of working, which isn't going to work.
Speaker A:And I've, I've had to learn that.
Speaker A:I'll be very honest and open about that.
Speaker A:I can impose my, my way of working on my husband.
Speaker A:You know, he has a different way and we have to, you have to find your way and sometimes that, you know, that's not always harmonious.
Speaker A:You sometimes have to just be very open and say, this is not working.
Speaker A:We tried that, that didn't work.
Speaker A:How else can we approach it?
Speaker A:And I think because we have these regular check ins and we don't, some weeks we don't have the meeting if there's nothing to discuss.
Speaker A:We don't sit down and waste time for the sake of it.
Speaker A:But we have that time in our calendar blocked out.
Speaker A:So it means we've got the little reminder that sort of says, you know, we'll often say to each other, do we need that this week?
Speaker A:We went through everything last week.
Speaker A:And he'll say, no, there's nothing really new that's come up and that's fine.
Speaker A:We've just acknowledged the fact that there's no need for the meeting this week.
Speaker A:But it just doesn't get forgotten for like weeks and months and, and then things escalate and you know, it's been a very good discipline and we've tried, we've tried to stick to it and.
Speaker B:I think you've, you've picked up, you know, what you're explaining there is so true.
Speaker B:When you are working with family members or your partner and you, you communicate in a very different way and sometimes it's worth remembering as well.
Speaker B:You know, if you were in a workplace, is that how you would be communicating with, with your co worker or whoever and, and a lot of the time you would.
Speaker B:So it's almost like that CEO bit is a bit like actually taking that mindset as well.
Speaker B:It's like actually this is the workplace, it's not home.
Speaker B:We're not going to fall into our, you know, lots, lots of people you fall into, fall into that sort of dance of communicating, don't you?
Speaker B:The familiar, familiar way of communicating with people, partners and family members.
Speaker B:And, and I think that CEO part of that is going actually no, we're just stepping up a bit and going to bring up the communication level to treat it like a proper business.
Speaker B:Whether I'm related or married to you or whatever, that's how to do that.
Speaker B:I think.
Speaker A:Yeah, that is such a good tip.
Speaker A:So I think lastly it'd be good to just wrap up really with sort of the benefits of thinking like a CEO.
Speaker A:We've obviously talked about some of the pain points and the challenges, but what are the real business benefits of operating in that way?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, I think the business benefits of thinking like that and adopting a CEO mindset, it means that there's more time for creativity and long term planning.
Speaker B:You know, having a bit of space like that allows your creative juices to flow.
Speaker B:And sometimes, sometimes I'm amazed at these light bulb moments that come out from clients where because they've got up above it, they're looking at it, the business differently and then all of a sudden the creative juices.
Speaker B:We could do this and it's such a light bulb moment.
Speaker B:But it also that long term planning I think is so key.
Speaker B:Like you touched on before about actually we're going to work at 80% occupancy rate because we want to go on holiday and we're blocking these dates out to do that.
Speaker B:And that's allowed you to plan out a year ahead.
Speaker B:But it also means that the business runs more efficiently which ultimately leads to increased revenue as well.
Speaker B:If you've got that efficiency level up, it strengthens relationships often as well, with family and team members and partners, etc.
Speaker B:But most importantly, and I think this is so key, particularly in hospitality businesses, you have more ability to build a business that's balanced and that's sustainable as well.
Speaker B:And that's so key.
Speaker B:That's really such a key element of it because it's tough, you know, especially in the middle of the high season and all the rest of it.
Speaker B:It's tough.
Speaker B:So you want something that is sustainable and is balanced and you still feel the love for it.
Speaker B:You don't fall out of love of it with the business, too.
Speaker A:I think, Ali, that is the strongest point, isn't it?
Speaker A:Because all those things add up to the fact that you talked, you know, I've often talked to owners who actually, they then resent their business because it, it actually has made them feel potentially it's harmed relationships, personal relationships.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's stolen family time.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's made you feel resentful that you've not had the life that you, you know, that you want.
Speaker A:And, you know, we don't get this time back, so, you know, we've got to enjoy what we're doing.
Speaker A:And yes, it comes.
Speaker A:I think most people, you know, love working in hospitality, but it can take its toll.
Speaker A:I've seen quite a few people recently selling their businesses, I think, off the back of the COVID years, which were very intense and also intense on a personal level because sometimes people couldn't, you know, you couldn't leave where you were working because of the restrictions and you were working at sort of, you know, 110%.
Speaker A:So I think that people then become resentful and want to leave their businesses.
Speaker A:So I think that's quite sad.
Speaker A:And I think if you can, like you say that the tips you've given us today means that we can maybe we, like, cut these problems off before they escalate and either, you know, damage relationships or potentially put us under a lot of, you know, it's burnout, you know, sort of mental and physical strain that people will love their businesses and want to carry on hosting for as long as it serves them.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:I totally agree.
Speaker B:And I've and I think, you know, a few tips really, to get started because you don't have to go all in.
Speaker B:You can start really small and just dedicate like 15 minutes a week to planning and strategy.
Speaker B:That's better than no time.
Speaker B:You know, it's about building the habits and shifting that mindset.
Speaker B:You know, the CEO thinking that shift from operator to CEO is all about consistency and it doesn't happen overnight, as we've talked about.
Speaker B:And I think also that focusing on the long term because ultimately your business should work for you, not the other way around.
Speaker B:And sometimes we, it's so easy to slip into it being the other way around.
Speaker B:And ultimately stepping into that CEO role, as we've talked about, is a journey.
Speaker B:And every small step that you take gets you closer to sort of creating the business that you want, you know, a thriving and fulfilling business that you're, that you still love.
Speaker B:So I think those are key, key, small final thoughts really to get people to take those small steps.
Speaker B:You don't have to go in and go, right, everything's changing and then nothing does.
Speaker B:Just do it steadily and slowly and keep at it, but keep it in your mind.
Speaker A:Such a good tip because I think that's the thing if it's like any behavior, isn't it, if you try and change it drastically overnight, we're more than likely to sort of, of fall by the wayside.
Speaker A:It's a bit like New Year's resolutions, isn't it?
Speaker A:You know, you set yourself these amazing goals and then you don't achieve them in the first three weeks and then you give up.
Speaker A:So I think that's, that's, I think that's the big one I've taken away is like, if you're going to make changes, start small.
Speaker A:Try sort of 15 minutes a day, you know, a week.
Speaker A:Even just getting that time in your diary to think about the business, the bigger picture, rather than being down in the weeds, as you said, which I think is a great expression.
Speaker A:Thank you, Ali, for joining us today.
Speaker A:I think you've shared some really, really practical and useful tips for us to, you know, just to remind us that we are the CEOs in our business.
Speaker A:I think we often forget that when we're running small businesses.
Speaker A:And thank you for joining us today and sharing those great tips.
Speaker B:It's my pleasure.
Speaker B:Thank you so much for having me here.
Speaker B:It's been really, it's really useful and helpful I think, to talk it through with you as well while, because you're a hospitality owner as well.
Speaker B:So, yeah, it's great to have this chat.
Speaker B:I've really enjoyed it.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thanks for being here today and thanks you guys for listening as well.
Speaker A:I'll be back next week with a solo episode.
Speaker A:I'll be looking at the three reasons that your emails aren't being opened.
Speaker A:So if your open rates are struggling, definitely come in back and tune in for that episode.
Speaker A:If you've enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave me a review.
Speaker A:You know how much us hosts love those five star reviews.
Speaker A:See you next time.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening to Get Fully Booked with Sarah Orchard.
Speaker A:If you want to see if you are ready to ditch the likes of Airbnb and grow your direct bookings, put your business to the test with my free Direct Booking Roadmap quiz.
Speaker A:Head to my website get- fully-booked.com quiz and learn.
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