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What One Thing?
One business. One lesson. Every week.
Real businesses. Real stories. Real-time.
What One Thing? is the straight-talking weekly podcast for growing UK businesses with a team who are on the move — building, scaling, and figuring it out as they go.
Join co-hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT) as they chat with fellow business owners and share their own lessons from the journey — the things they wish they'd known, the wins, the wobbles, and the one thing that made the biggest difference.
Each episode is 15–25 minutes of real-world insight, a few laughs, and practical takeaways to help you grow a better business — without the fluff.
🎙️ Expect:
- Honest interviews with business owners on the grow
- Topic episodes on key business challenges
- Straight answers, no jargon
- One clear lesson, every week
👀 Also on YouTube — because yes, it’s filmed too.
📍 Based in Derbyshire, speaking to businesses across the UK.
New episodes every week — follow to catch the next one.
What One Thing?
Delegation, Trust & Turnaround: How One Business Owner Rebuilt After Losing £80K
When everything seems to be going wrong, the hardest truth to face is that you might be the problem.
In this episode, hosts Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) talk with Steve Knowles, who shares how a consultant’s brutal honesty turned his struggling accountancy practice around — and what that taught him about leadership, control, and trust.
Key Takeaways:
- How Steve recovered from losing £80K by bringing in the right outside help
- Why business owners need to know their weaknesses — and hire around them
- The power of values-based leadership
- Letting your team find their own way (even when it’s not your way)
- Why “delegating, not abdicating” is crucial for growth
Phil and Hayley’s reflections:
Phil connects Steve’s story to the importance of trusting your team and embracing marginal gains — those small, consistent improvements that build real momentum.
Hayley relates it to the emotional toll of leadership and the balance between structure and humanity when leading a growing team.
Whether you’re running a manufacturing firm, professional service business, or IT or accounting practice, this conversation is full of real-world lessons about growth, resilience, and staying human in a world of systems and automation.
🎧 Listen now to hear how to spot the warning signs before things go wrong — and how to build a business that runs on trust, not burnout.
#WhatOneThingPodcast #SmallBusinessGrowth #LeadershipLessons #Delegation #TeamValues #EntrepreneurMindset #EastMidlandsBusiness #AffirmIT #CorbarAccounting
What One Thing Podcast – with Phil & Hayley
Each week, business owners share the one thing that made the biggest difference in their business journey — and hosts Phil (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley (Corbar Accounting) dive into the lessons, laughs, and lightbulb moments along the way.
If you’re a UK business owner looking for real stories and practical insights on growth, leadership, IT, and finance — this is the podcast for you!
Connect with the hosts
Phil Davenport | Affirm IT Services
LinkedIn
https://affirmit.co.uk/
Hayley Baxter | Corbar Accounting
LinkedIn
https://corbar.uk/
Follow What One Thing
Listen & watch on: https://www.pod.whatonething.uk/
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LinkedIn
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#UKBusinessPodcast, #SmallBusinessGrowth, #BusinessLessons, #EastMidlandsBusiness