Business with the Donnos
Join the Donno family each week as we share the real highs and lows of running a business together—mixing practical advice with unfiltered stories from behind the scenes of family life and entrepreneurship.
Email jade@1accounts.co.uk with any questions or just DM or comment on our episodes!
Business with the Donnos
You Don’t Need To Be Big To Transform Your Business
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What if small businesses could outpace big brands by making simpler, smarter choices? We dive into the practical side of digital transformation where it matters most: seamless payments, recurring bookings, faster quotes, and fewer evening admin marathons. Our goal is simple—strip away the friction that pushes customers to abandon carts and owners to burn out, and replace it with tools and processes that quietly do the heavy lifting.
We share concrete examples you can copy this week. Picture a trades business that auto-renews annual services, fills the diary via an online calendar, and collects payment instantly—no phone tag, no chasing. Think transparent pricing calculators that empower your team and speed up sales. We talk frankly about costs and complexity, why most software is cheaper than you expect, and how to get help if tech feels overwhelming. The advantage of being small shines through: you can decide today, implement tomorrow, and improve next week without waiting on a committee.
Tool choice and discipline sit at the heart of the conversation. Pick strong platforms, go deep, and resist the lure of the latest shiny app. Then layer in AI as a force multiplier: use it to draft, research, and outline, but always review and refine. We cover professional guardrails, practical prompting, and how to keep your brand voice human. Finally, we walk through a simple process mapping method—Post-it notes and all—that turns scattered steps into a smooth customer journey. Subscribe, share this with a fellow business owner, and leave a review with your biggest bottleneck—we’ll tackle the most common ones in an upcoming show.
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Framing Digital Transformation For Small Firms
SPEAKER_04Welcome to Business with the Donno's, where we talk about family, business, and everything in between. I'm your host, Jay Donno, and I'm here with my dad, Paul Donno. And this week we're talking about how digital transformation isn't just for big businesses, small businesses can be included too.
unknownToo.
SPEAKER_04So, Dad, what does digital transformation for business mean to you?
SPEAKER_02What does digital transformation mean?
SPEAKER_04Yep.
Customer Experience Over Tools
SPEAKER_02So that's kind of you know, there's still a lot of businesses out there that operate manually that don't even have basic software like Xero or Sage or Free Agent, etc. So, you know, it's it's transforming that area of the business into a digital platform, an online platform in our case, and also automating as much as possible to take away the strain from the business owner. Um, and there are so many fantastic tools out there that can help, um, at mainly software-driven, because we we mainly deal with software-driven tools, but also understanding the businesses to digitize what they've got, even something simple. Like when we had an example today, it was um a client said, What platform should I use to take payments on my website? Because I'm using a I'm using a few, um, don't think I need a few of them, blah blah blah. My comment back was, Well, actually, what's the customer experience? How is the that was Django by the way?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that was Django.
SPEAKER_02So, what's the customer experience? How does a customer interact and book this particular product on the website? Do they go on the website or do they go on the phone? I mean, how many times do you pick a phone up and go, I've got to pay for something, and they don't have PayPal or they don't have Apple Pay, and you've got to go and find a credit card that is in the depths of someone's wallet or purse or what have you, because you don't use them anymore, and then you've got to put all your numbers in. How annoying is that? I mean, I've come off so many sites because I've had to do that, so it's about the customer experience, not just other areas. Yeah, I know I went off a bit of a tangent there, but that happened this morning, so I thought I'd I'd bug that one in.
SPEAKER_04No, that is that is exactly what it is, and it's not just because you mentioned three accounting software, it's not just in your finance set bit of your business that you can digitize. Um, it is your entire business. So it's the customer experience, it's the operations, it is the financial bit, it's potentially your HR section. Obviously, you still need it's human resources, so you still need probably needs. I know what HR is, but yeah, you stayed well away. Um, but like Django's not a side.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna call HR on Django if it goes on.
SPEAKER_04Stop it.
SPEAKER_02He's looking at me going, why are you telling me this? And now he's wagging his tail. Yeah, Django's a dog, by the way.
Beyond Finance: Digitising The Whole Business
SPEAKER_04Django's a dog, my dog. Um, but yeah, it's all sections of your business. You can use AI, you can use software, um, you can use a whole host of different things to help you make your life as easy as possible so you can focus on your business.
SPEAKER_02I mean, well, look at our podcasts. We've got something going in the background recording this, haven't we? You've got what's it Brussels Sprout or whatever it's called, sending it out. I don't know. Um that sends it out.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it does. So that sends it out to multiple platforms um just automatically. It also writes me the description using AI, um, it gives me social media posts, and it gives me a blog post that I can then put on our website.
SPEAKER_02So it makes so it does everything. So how why do you say this is complicated?
SPEAKER_04I shouldn't say it's complicated. I say it does take time still. There's still there's still input.
SPEAKER_02You just have to press a button.
SPEAKER_04No, I still have to put the blog on the website and create the social media posts, but I have the content to go in them, so it's taking me a lot less time than if I didn't have that.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay.
unknownYay yay.
SPEAKER_04Um, so from a business point of view, you can make your operations smoother. Um, I mean, just think if you're a I always go back to plumbers and I don't know why. Probably because I've just had a leak. Yeah. If you're a plumber, maybe you do boiler servicing as part of your job.
SPEAKER_02Plumbers would do that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, this is an example. You can literally automate your bookings and have it renew every single year to that client so that they rebook their boiler service every year with you without any manual input. That could happen automatically, and I bet you about 89% of plumbers are not doing that.
SPEAKER_02I'll say, yeah, at least that. I mean, and and I mean, you have yours, so I use British gas for mine only for a certain reason. Um, and that is auto-renewed, that's auto-booked in, etc. etc. And I don't know that's a big national company, but there are tools as we started this podcast. There are tools that allow a smaller business to do that and to be that efficient. Why on earth are people not using it? I mean, are they just not getting the input from their accountants or what have you? I don't get it.
SPEAKER_04I don't think it's accountants necessarily, because not all accountants would help with the processes in a business. No, but like putting your accountant to one side, you as a business owner, you probably don't know where to look for that sort of help.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04You probably don't know, you probably think it's gonna cost a lot of money.
SPEAKER_02Oh, crikey, the software's like cheap as chips. I know, but if I'm not that cheap as well.
SPEAKER_04If you're a yeah, if you're a plumber and you're not that good with the computer, yeah, you're gonna think, well, that's impossible for me to do, so it's gonna cost me money to get somebody to do it for me. It's I think there's a whole host of reasons people aren't doing it, but it's so easy.
SPEAKER_02There's a big opportunity here for us, isn't there, on making tax digital because a lot of plumbers are gonna have to go down the making tax useful routes, they're gonna have to use some form of digital.
Automation Examples For Trades And Services
SPEAKER_04This is a business podcast. I know, but we're not you're not all accounting. Stop it.
SPEAKER_00Alright.
SPEAKER_04I'm really trying, listeners, not to make this podcast boring.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm an accountant.
SPEAKER_04That keeps bringing it back to tax.
SPEAKER_02Well, it's just an opportunity for us as a business to give uh that advice and help the plumbers. In fact, I'm gonna have a placard now. Help the plumbers.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so making tax digital is really gonna help them with their processes.
SPEAKER_02Well, it will if the accountant was switched on. Anyway, moving on, don't talk about tax.
SPEAKER_04Anyway, using these tools can help you have smoother operations, you can have fewer bottlenecks, less admin. I mean, the amount of people we've had come in and say, Oh, yeah, I've had to work all my evenings because of my admin.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And there's so many tools that can help you now.
SPEAKER_02I know, I know, yeah. I'm reconciling my bank that's done quickly. Um, I need to put this in, I need to do this quote. I mean, quotes do take a time.
SPEAKER_04Quotes do take time, especially if you want to look over them. But I mean, with quoting, um, something that I did this morning was our bookkeeping. We're we're forever getting asked, aren't we? Me and you, what do we charge for bookkeeping? What do we charge for bookkeeping by the team? It's been a bottleneck of ours for a long while, and we just go back with what we said. Anyway, this morning I made a bookkeeping pricing calculator. So now the whole team can price bookkeeping without having to come to us and ask questions.
SPEAKER_00It's good, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04It is good.
SPEAKER_00What's the first question they're gonna ask?
SPEAKER_04How do you use it?
SPEAKER_00Where do you find that calculator?
SPEAKER_04Oh, I told them where to find it, it is on our website in case you're interested. And it's also I've put it exactly where they would need it to price the bookkeeping.
SPEAKER_02Well done. It's a great tool. It is, it is a great tool.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it is. You sound sarcastic.
SPEAKER_02I'm not sarcastic. Oh, yeah, it is a great tool, it's gonna save a lot of time.
SPEAKER_04It will, yeah, and it's on our website, so now people can go on and have transparent pricing on exactly what they're bookkeeping.
SPEAKER_02Book a call. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Exactly.
SPEAKER_02So the plumber could do that, couldn't he?
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_02So you phone up and say, I want my boiler service, they go, Okay, here's my calendarly link. I can do that then. That's great, brilliant. Off they come, in they come, they give you the bill straight away, you pay it using Stripe or whatever, happy days, and then it goes in as a reminder next year.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, exactly. It could all be automatic on the website.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, how much does the boiler cost service?
SPEAKER_04Like£100.
SPEAKER_02£100 or whatever. So they got that repeat custom every single year and they know they're gonna get it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04Exactly.
SPEAKER_02I mean that is really easy to do.
SPEAKER_04It is really, really easy to do. But I do understand if you're no good with technology, that the thought of doing that is overwhelming, but there are people that can help you to do it. Yeah, um, I've got my other business BNSO, which does exactly that, which can help people put those processes in um to help them be more efficient. But I mean, even like if you've got younger kids or whatever, there's like people will be able to help you with the technology side of things to build those things and help you. Um it doesn't have to be just for British gas in this example. That was a good example, better than your MTD one.
SPEAKER_02Whatever.
Barriers, Costs, And Getting Help
SPEAKER_04So, the reason as well, if you get used to using these tools, if you find people that can help you, or if you learn how to use them, being a smaller business, you can actually change much quicker than a big business, like British Cas. I'm gonna keep going back to British Cas now.
SPEAKER_02Um I mean, what one thing though, and I've seen this a lot, and I've seen it a lot in my industry because we use a lot of tools, and I've spoken to lots of people in our industry. Once you stick to a product, work it, understand it, and get to really know it. Try and use industry, you know, decent bits of software, not just the free version, because a lot of people go down the free route, and it isn't really free. Um, but don't keep on changing it. The amount of people I've seen change their entire databases just because someone said that this bit of software is a little bit better. Whereas, you know, we look at carbon. Yeah, how many times have people come to us and gone, well, you pay a lot of money for carbon, which is our practice management software? Yeah, they have, which we do, and we've worked it and we've worked it really hard. Oh, yeah, but you could go to you know, whatever. Yeah, we could, but how much time does it take to change our entire database to that? Yeah, so when you've got a bit of software, it works for you, and it's doing a really good job.
SPEAKER_04Work with a software provider to make it exactly what you want because they'll listen, you're uh at the front line, they will, and there are bits and pieces you can edit with the existing software that you've got, or you might not have any software, and then you need to choose something, but it's you can mix and match, there are software that will do it all as well, and you need to use the tools that you've got available to you to really thrive and yeah, not get excited by every single new piece of the shiny object that comes comes out. Um you need to think of where your pain points in your business are and see what you can do to fix those and use it.
SPEAKER_02And if you're not using the software, ditch it because although it might only be costing you 20 quid a month, it's still 240 Venia.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but I think if you are a small business, it's much quicker to make those decisions. Yeah, you can say, right, this is this particular thing is hurting my business, they would go back to the boiler services. This is hurting my business that I keep forgetting to phone people every year to get their boiler service in. You think of a solution, you implement it straight away. That's where you've got one up on the bigger businesses because that would have to go through a team and then through another team, and then through another team, and then testing and all sorts of stuff. You can just do it and and and win on that. Change is much easier for a smaller business, it just feels less accessible, but it's not. Yeah, and also you can I've written down here you can design your processes around the people you've got as well.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, and if it's just you, you design it for yourself to work properly for you.
SPEAKER_04It might be that you hate talking on the phone. I know that doesn't that you you wouldn't understand that, but you you might be that plumber who hates talking on the phone. So automate the booking system so you don't have to talk to people on the phone, you don't have to do it.
Avoid Shiny Objects, Commit To Tools
SPEAKER_02So you know Facebook comes up with like things that happened ages ago, and it comes up as a you know, you you did this, you posted this. So there's a post that I did about nine years ago that I'd you know obviously reposted, and it was about getting your team to talk, and I'm still having that conversation. Why can't people pick the phone up and speak?
SPEAKER_04See, our business is different. We want people to talk on the phone, we want to be personable, we want to be friendly, we want to break the mould of the traditional accountant. So we want that, but you might not want that, you might not want to talk on the phone. This was just an example.
SPEAKER_01I know, but that's kind of yeah, kicked my back up. Why can't people talk?
SPEAKER_04An example I heard on a podcast the other day was that it might be that you're constantly taking calls after hours all the time.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. I mean, there's ways of yeah.
SPEAKER_04And so there are ways to fix that. You could employ a call agency to pick up your phone, or you could have an AI chatbot at the other end of the phone just out of hours to answer those out of hours calls. Some of them are very good now, and I know people aren't that keen on that sort of thing, but if that's a pain point for you and your business, it's worth thinking of these solutions of how you can think outside of the box to fix it. Yeah, and it might be that that AI robot just says, like, I'm sorry, Bob's not available right now. Um, he'll be back in tomorrow, but can you leave your name and number and he'll give you a call back? Like, that's they could do that.
SPEAKER_01Good.
SPEAKER_04Um or they can answer all the questions that you want, like it's it can they can be very good, but still, it's a solution to that that small pain point that you might think, oh, I'm just gonna have to answer these phone calls at 10 o'clock at night every single day. Um, but you don't.
SPEAKER_02No, you don't.
SPEAKER_04So I think people get really overwhelmed when they think of processes and operations, and then in inputting digital elements as well gets a lot for people, and then they just put it to one side, it seems like too big a job, and they just never do it. Why change what's not broken sort of situation? But putting digital into your operations can mean fewer steps, fewer mistakes, like fewer bits of communication to riddle together, consistency, and it means you can grow.
SPEAKER_02And more opportunity for me to break it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I try and keep dad well away from anything, really, actually.
SPEAKER_02I'm amazed I'm allowed on the podcast.
SPEAKER_04I'm amazed as well. Even though I've got the notes, everyone. Otherwise, you'd just be hearing about MTD for the next three weeks. So, I forgot what I was saying, so I'll just move on. Um, I think as well, with with all the changes that are coming, with AI coming into the mix, you've got to think differently, you've got to think outside of the box to what you would. You might think that something that's not possible is not possible when it absolutely is possible.
Designing Processes Around People
SPEAKER_02There's a lot of why things out there that can be done. And we, I mean, we use some AI tools to you know to do some research like Chat GPT, like Copilot, which we're using a lot more of now, because it's part of our Microsoft license. So there are those products that allow you, you know, if you think, oh, can I do that? Well, just dictate it, you don't even type it, just dictate it to a you know, um a uh large language model, chat GPT, yeah, copilot, there's others, whatever they're called nowadays, um, and ask it obscure stuff and see whether it's possible. It might well be possible, yeah. Um, because that's when those tools really help.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Or ask me to ask you.
SPEAKER_04Or ask me. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. If if AI and stuff is completely overwhelming to you, there's people like myself who can help.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Can help you put these processes into place and use the AI. Um, and and one thing that I do to map out a process if I'm starting at the beginning, just as a tip in case anyone's interested, um, is I'll get some post-it notes. You love post-it notes, but I will map out the client journey via post-it notes in one colour. So I might say, Well, they get this and then they get this and then they get this in one colour, and then in another colour, I'll see if I can change anything, and then I'll put another colour with the changes, and then you see how you can change that process. Yeah, you get a rainbow post-it notes, but it's a very visual way of seeing the process and how you can fix it and change it. We did it in one of our full team meetings. We didn't actually use post-it notes, I used a whiteboard, but yeah, we did it in one of our full team meetings the other day, and I think that helped people to frame frame how they were viewing the process we were doing. Yeah, um, we still need to do that, but it's it's been discussed, we've agreed how we're gonna do it, and there are things we can we can do, and there's always gonna be things we can do to make ourselves more efficient and evolve and adapt. And there's always gonna be things that you can do in your business to evolve and adapt, especially with the rate technology is changing and evolving at the moment.
SPEAKER_02I think it's quite interesting on the technology, and I'm just gonna bring into my today's guidance from our professional body.
SPEAKER_04I knew this was gonna come up, but you didn't you didn't say anything because I think you knew that I would say what's the point, don't do that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I know, but it's amazing, really. So, our professional body has now sent out a um guidance on using AI tools. Yeah, it's 15 pages of how to use it within our business, and this is all because there was a a well say it's all because it's all because a lot more people using it and relying on it, but. When you use things like AI, like and l you know, large language models, you've got to sanity check it.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
AI Use, Checks, And Professional Standards
SPEAKER_02You know, and the guidance is right. There are bits in here that I think are just like yeah, I'm not sure that whoever's done it has in entirely grasped the the the work in practice. But you know, when you're sending stuff out to clients, A, you've got to think about your professional democracy. So, you know, if you've got for arguments that you go back to your plumber and someone says, I want a report of why my boiler's not working, and they go on ChatGPT and send you a report from ChatGPT, they've got to check it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because someone might do something that blows the house up. Because ChatGPT said it's fine to disconnect the gas and light it with a torch. Yeah. But and that goes with us. So we've got now, we've got guidance on how we can use it and be transparent with a client that we are using um AI.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely. And I think as well, if you're using AI in your business, which I think is obviously a really good thing, but if you're using ChatGPT and you are literally typing in a minimal prompt, and then just copying and pasting what comes out without even reading reading it, that's a mistake because it can it can lie to you, yes, it can make mistakes, and also people aren't silly, people can see that it's been copy and pasted from chat GPT straight away. I mean, I said it to you the other day, we've got something in, and I said to you, Dad, that's just come from AI, don't worry about it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I went, Oh, that looks good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, he did. Dad, dad can't tell, but most other people can.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's really good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And it was clearly the way it was formatted and everything was when we spoke to the client, they spoke about everything other than what was on that sheet of paper.
SPEAKER_04They did because it had come straight from L. No. No, they didn't. And I I said that.
SPEAKER_03Oh no, you were right.
SPEAKER_04I was right. Oh, that's on record.
SPEAKER_03I know.
SPEAKER_04Um so you've gotta you've gotta use the tools well, like everything, it's a skill to use um these large language models. It it is a skill to use it properly, yeah. Otherwise, you are just like it's the same as like on LinkedIn. If you go on LinkedIn, you can see immediately who's post who's just copied and pasted their LinkedIn posts. If they've just prompted into ChatGPT, can you write me a post? That's it. And you can see exactly who's done that. Okay. And they won't get any engagement on their their posts. But I'm not saying don't use it for that, because you absolutely can. You've just got to make sure you're prompting it properly and checking it. That's it. Um so I think just to finish what we're saying about sort of digitally transforming your business, you don't need to wait until you feel big enough to do it. You could do it straight from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_04And I think we said last week, didn't we, just because you're super busy doesn't mean that you're making the money. And I think this is the case here as well. If you make loads of time for yourself because you're using the technology, that's a great thing. Whereas I think people think that being busy means success, and it doesn't always mean that.
SPEAKER_02I know, and I and I know this isn't kind of the AI, well, it's kind of like it, but you know, some some people will look at what you do and go, well, that's lazy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Efficiency, Time Freedom, And Mindset
SPEAKER_02You know, that that you're you're just cutting corners, that you know, that that's not being done properly. And I know, I mean, I've spoken about it before about my lawnmower. Yeah, how many people have of friends of ours have said, Well, that's just lazy, you know. You just press a button and your grass gets cut. Yeah, but then I've got time to do other stuff that I want to do. Yeah, you know, and and you've got a Hoover.
SPEAKER_04I do, I've got a Robovac for Christmas, and it's the best, it's the best present ever. I've I'm officially old.
SPEAKER_02But you know, but your friends will probably turn and go, Well, you know, you're why have you got one of those?
SPEAKER_04You're kind of you know, no, all my friends want one, yeah. Well, quite a lot of my friends who are old, and male who don't do the hoover in any way.
SPEAKER_02You can't say that in today's world.
SPEAKER_04I can't do your friends, whatever.
SPEAKER_02Anyway, use the tool to make yourself more efficient.
SPEAKER_04Yes, didn't you read a really good book on that recently? What was it called? Buy back your time? What's it called?
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, buy back your time, yeah. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Buy back your time by then someone. I think. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, put it in Amazon, but you said that that was really good because it made you realise that buy back your time. Your time is um valuable, yeah. And most people as well, I think most people become self-employed so that they can have a better work-life balance. And that's not normally the case for a lot of people. A lot of people end up having a much worse work-life balance. But if you can be more efficient, have more time with your family, or have more time to go on your holidays or whatever. Play golf, play golf, or to do whatever that freedom is that you initially set out to be self-employed to have. I think that's really important to make sure you get that and you don't then need to be busy all the time and be lazy. Like if you've got lazy, no, but if you've got something that can help you do something, don't think, oh well, I should really do that myself. Because you don't need to. If you don't need to, why? Why are you doing it?
SPEAKER_02Don't know. So bonkers.
SPEAKER_04So yeah. So on that note, let's go to our unfiltered minute.
SPEAKER_02Unfiltered minute.
SPEAKER_04Yes. So I've actually written yours for you.
SPEAKER_02Oh, thanks.
Unfiltered Minute: Course Milestone
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so yours is that you're you're you've got your graduation tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02Well, that was gonna be my unfiltered minute. So you didn't need to write it.
SPEAKER_04Oh well.
SPEAKER_02Because I was already gonna say that.
SPEAKER_04Oh well, there we go then.
SPEAKER_02So my Goldman Sachs course, which came to an Oh yes, my unfiltered minute, which is the Goldman Sachs course. We love it.
SPEAKER_04Um we had a blip in the technology. We did.
SPEAKER_02So my three months of getting my business growth plan, which is a brilliant document, absolutely brilliant, excellent experience on the course. Tomorrow is our graduation. Um, and so effectively, I I become a alumini of the Goldman Sachs 10k SMB, worldwide um thing with that Goldman Sachs do, um, and I and I'm part of their their program, they monitor us for another year, and then but we can um do a lot of things within their alumini as well, and it's absolutely fantastic. So, if anyone is interested in in doing that, just reach out and I'm more than happy to talk to you about it. Um, so yeah, so tomorrow in Oxford at Oxford University. So just this is one of Heber Townsend Townsend if she's uh listening. Um that you know I'm now an Oxford University graduate. Um as of tomorrow.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Um do you get a hat and a gown? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02No, it's modern.
SPEAKER_04You can't get a hat and a gown.
SPEAKER_02No. Why don't I want those?
SPEAKER_04Why wouldn't you want those?
SPEAKER_02Well, because it's it's more of a modern business approach, so no.
SPEAKER_04It's not a proper graduation then, is it?
SPEAKER_02Well, only insofar as you don't have the you know the gear. I'm not a proper accountant now, I haven't got a shirt and tie.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Still, well done for completing your course.
SPEAKER_03Thank you.
SPEAKER_04All on your own.
SPEAKER_03My MBA in three weeks. Three months, sorry.
SPEAKER_04I'm rolling my eyes right now. It wasn't an MBA in three months. Although it was hard work.
SPEAKER_03How do you know that?
SPEAKER_04I've got every reason to know that. May have helped Dad slightly with some of the work.
SPEAKER_03Just a smee.
SPEAKER_04I won't say anything because it's on record. If you want to know, just ask me.
SPEAKER_00Moving on, we're sure I'm moving on.
Unfiltered Minute: Theatre Precision Lessons
SPEAKER_04So mine is, and I put a LinkedIn post about this earlier today. I went to the theatre at the weekend. You did, and I didn't watch one show, I didn't watch two shows, I watched three shows in one weekend, which was really good.
SPEAKER_03How did you feel yesterday?
SPEAKER_04Terrible.
SPEAKER_03Oh, so it was really good that you watched three shows, but yesterday you were wiped out.
SPEAKER_04I was.
SPEAKER_03And is that because you're growing a human?
SPEAKER_04It is, yeah. But still, I had a really lovely time, so it was worth it. Um, but my point was actually gonna be one of the shows, well, two of the shows that I watched was The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
SPEAKER_03Um just hey!
SPEAKER_04Hopefully it's not cursed, but rude. Uh Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and it's on stage, and obviously most people know Harry Potter, it's set in a magical world. The and the play had a huge amount of special effects and magic and stuff in. And I was sitting there and I was thinking, these actors and and the lighting people and the staging people have to be so precise every single evening to make that show work and give these allusions. And I mean, there was tricks sort of every minute or so, and they had to be in the right spot at the right time, otherwise, it could be unsafe, um, it could completely ruin the um allusion to the audience that there's magic there.
SPEAKER_02Um you're such a lovey.
SPEAKER_04Uh yeah, but it was they had to be so precise, and I thought we give so many compromises, I think, with business, and I just thought they can't compromise at all, they have to be in the exact spot at the exact time, and I thought that is how business should operate. Everyone should be doing their roles and be in the exact spot at the exact time for things to work, and that is what I was thinking about when I was watching Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, and I would really recommend going. Some of the effects are unlike anything I've ever seen. They made the stage like ripple with um time travel, but they made it like a sort of I don't know how to explain it, like literally like ripple. It looked like time was bending in front of you. It was really weird and so clever. So I would recommend that. You're looking at me so disapprovingly.
SPEAKER_03I'm not disapproving, but the listener can't see you waggling your hand like a little ripply fish.
SPEAKER_04It did, it like the stage rippled. Yeah, it was good, it was good.
SPEAKER_02Anyway. So, what's the first show that my grandchild's gonna go to?
SPEAKER_04Oh, I don't know, it'll just depend what's on.
SPEAKER_02Well, Beth Be Lion Kings, that's the first one you went to.
SPEAKER_04It's not the first one I went to. What was the first one you went to? Beauty and the Beast was the first one I went to. Are you sure? Positive, a hundred percent positive. Okay, because I went to that and I got a little locket, and I remember showing the lady at nursery my little locket.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04And then we went to the Lion King and Mum was pregnant with Katie.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_04On The Lion King, and she wasn't pregnant at Beauty and the Beast. Well, not if you were there, not if I was there, but Katie wasn't there either at Beauty and the Beast, and Mum wasn't pregnant. No, but Mum was pregnant with Katie then, so the timeline must have been Beauty and the Beast first.
SPEAKER_02Okay, all right then.
Closing Thoughts And Sign Off
SPEAKER_04On that note, on that note, we'll see you next week, everybody. Goodbye.