This episode features David Berry, Sales and Marketing Manager, from the Holiday Inn Reading-South, discussing his approach to community-focused hospitality, creative marketing, and the real-world challenges facing the sector.

The conversation explores the practical realities of building strong local engagement. David outlines his work with the RG2 discount card and community spaces, explaining how opening the hotel's doors to local charities, SMEs, and co-working groups delivers practical, long-term local support.

The discussion also delves into the strategic use of social media and video marketing, highlighting how business owners can leverage spontaneous, unscripted video content on platforms like LinkedIn to build brand visibility while emphasising the importance of keeping customer touchpoints authentic, natural, and relationship driven.

Finally, David highlights the enduring power of local networking and staff community, explaining how building genuine face-to-face relationships over time and investing in a loyal, locally recruited team provides greater stability and long-term momentum than online presence alone.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Play the Long Game with Local Networking: True networking success requires patience and genuine human connection rather than a quick hunt for leads. David emphasises that you must invest 6 to 12 months into building trust, doing your research, and simply being yourself, noting that relationships formed offline eventually yield long-term momentum.

Cut Through the Admin and Remember Your Core Purpose: David highlights that it is easy for businesses to get bogged down by spreadsheets, admin, and over-complication. Growth comes from remembering the core reason you exist rather than hiding behind a laptop.

Crowdsource Your Ideas Directly from Clients: Instead of guessing what your market wants, ask your network and customers. David notes that some of his best commercial ideas came directly from listening to client feedback, ensuring time and effort aren't wasted on unwanted products or services.

Recruit for Personality Over Paper: When scaling or maintaining service quality, systems and processes can be taught, but a genuine personality cannot. Focusing your hiring strategy on attitude and cultural fit builds a strong internal community that naturally translates into exceptional external customer care.

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome to David!

00:41 Challenges Holliday Inn Reading South faces

01:36 How David has tried to encourage people to Holiday Inn

02:45 The RG2 card

03:57 Example of a business owner who used the space

04:28 Why and how David uses LinkedIn

06:03 David's advice for people on how to network effectively

08:31 What marketing has worked for Holiday Inn

09:50 How David comes up with his LinkedIn video ideas

11:35 How David collaborates and gets ideas from his network

13:13 How Holiday Inn manages processes

14:47 David's advice on not overcomplicating tasks

16:48 David's talks to schools and groups

17:47 The importance of customer service roles and what other businesses can learn from these roles

19:33 How David found his speaking opportunities

20:11 David's inspiration and process for filming his LinkedIn videos

21:37 David's plans for Holiday Inn Reading South going forwards

22:22 David's final thoughts for listeners

This episode features Ferhan Janjua, owner of Reading Web Agency, discussing his transition into tech-based digital marketing, his philosophy on website design, and the integration of AI and local SEO.

The conversation explores the practical realities of building a modern digital presence. Ferhan outlines his work with local SEO, explaining how optimising Google Business Profiles with high-quality imagery and consistent reviews delivers quick, tangible results for service providers and shops.

The discussion also delves into the strategic use of AI, highlighting how business owners can leverage AI for back-end planning and coding while emphasising the importance of keeping customer-facing assets authentic and unreplicable. Ferhan details his methodology for avoiding generic overcrowded markets by anchoring AI outputs in personal brand vision.

Finally, Ferhan highlights the enduring power of offline relationships, explaining how community engagement and real-world networking often provide greater business stability and long-term momentum than online presence alone.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Highlight What Makes You Unreplicable: Put on your website the parts of your business that are really hard to replicate. Use high-end photography of your actual space or products, showcase strong customer reviews, and highlight your unique local community engagement so competitors cannot easily copy your distinct value.

Lead AI with Brand Self-Awareness: To use AI effectively, you need to be deeply self-aware about your brand, tone of voice, and core vision. Because AI naturally pulls from average market data, you must lead it with your own distinct opinions to avoid blending into overcrowded, generic markets.

Audit and Align Your Multiple Touchpoints: Recognise that your website is part of a broader network of multiple touchpoints (online and offline, such as shop signage, social media, and your Google Business Profile). Conduct a regular audit to ensure all these touchpoints are aligned. If you're a business that serves a local audience, prioritise getting a strong, active Google Business Profile up and running first.

TIME CODES

00:00 Welcome to Ferhan!

00:18 How Ferhan got started with his business

01:38 How Ferhan's business has developed

03:24 How Ferhan approaches website design

04:28 What is the purpose of a website?

04:53 Ferhan's advice on website structure

06:07 What to include on your website

08:00 Ferhan's thoughts on how to use AI in your business

11:37 Why you need to lead with yourself and AI to follow

13:00 Ferhan's key business advice & the role your website plays

15:06 Your business' multiple touch points

16:03 Advice to develop your Google Profile

17:39 Audit your online presences

18:19 Ferhan's final thoughts

This episode features Pete Doyle, local musician, composer, and full-time guitar educator at PDM Studios. He discusses his transition into full-time music, his community-driven guitar projects, and his unique approach to adult group education.

The conversation explores the practical realities of building a creative career later in life and how Pete uses group music-making to combat isolation. Pete outlines his work with the "Play the Guitar" project, volunteering at Launchpad's life skills centre, and running workplace guitar workshops at Green Park. He details how he teaches mixed-ability groups by breaking chords down into individual notes and intervals, uniting beginners and experienced players into a cohesive guitar orchestra.

Finally, Pete highlights his creative composition process, detailing how he blends organic acoustic elements with technology and environmental observation. He also shares his current projects, including upcoming compositions before concluding with his future ambitions, such as releasing an album and forming a massive guitar orchestra to play at the Proms by 2028!

In this episode, podcast host, Maria, concludes her deep-dive series into the AI-CAR growth funnel. This time the focus is on the Retention stage—the final part of her five-stage AI-CAR model—where customers are kept in your ecosystem to increase the likelihood of returning business. She emphasises that loyalty is something companies earn by putting customers first rather than expecting it as an entitlement.

The conversation explores practical ways to maintain connections with former customers and prevent them from drifting away. Maria highlights content strategies like the "PIE" framework, which focuses on Promotion, Information, Inspiration, Education, and Entertainment (alongside "edutainment"). She also points to the power of regular newsletters, like James Clear's, for keeping an audience engaged.

Finally, the discussion concludes with Maria's actionable advice for the week: thinking carefully about what your customers need or like next, asking for their thoughts, and building a solid support base to fuel your growth goals.

If you'd like to listen to the other episodes they are 80 (Introduction to AI-CAR series), 83 (Awareness), 85 (Interest), 87 (Consideration) and 92 (Action).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Shift from Loyalty to Retention: The final stage of the AI-CAR model was renamed from "Loyalty" to "Retention" to highlight that loyalty is earned by putting customers first, rather than something a business is inherently entitled to.

The "PIE" Content Framework: To keep customers engaged in your ecosystem, use content built around Promotion, Information, Inspiration, Entertainment, and Education (plus "edutainment").

TIME CODES

00:26 Retention Stage Definition

01:54 Types of content to retain customers: "PIE"

03:17 Example of a good business newsletter | James Clear's 1-2-3 newsletter

04:43 Action for you

This episode features Angharad Ross, Chair of Reading Business Club and Executive Coach at Rise Executive Coaching. She discusses the community-driven structure, mentoring programme, and practical peer support provided by the non-profit networking organisation.

The conversation explores the practical realities of peer support and how the club functions as a "board of directors" for local business owners. Angharad outlines the club's non-profit, member-run structure, where roles rotate to ensure diverse skill-sharing. She details how the group helps solopreneurs and small business leaders overcome operational isolation, navigate extended purchasing cycles, and refine sales, marketing, and pricing strategies in shifting economic environments.

Finally, Angharad highlights the club's six-month mentoring programme, which pairs new or pivoting business owners with mentors to build foundational skills. She also breaks down the bi-weekly meeting agenda, held at Reading Hockey and Cricket, including structured 10-minute feature presentations, member updates, informal networking over breakfast, and skill-sharing sessions. She concludes by inviting local business owners and solopreneurs to attend as guests.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Your Advisory "Board of Directors": Tap into an expert, cross-industry network of local business owners who act as a sounding board to solve operational challenges and tackle business isolation.

Low-Cost, High-Impact Mentorship: Access a structured six-month mentorship initiative that pairs new or pivoting business owners with mentors to build foundational strategies and accelerate growth.

Practical, Pitch-Free Skill Sharing: Experience a non-profit, member-owned networking model focused on genuine relationship building, and rotating feature presentations.

TIMECODES

00:00 welcome to Angharad

00:55 What is Reading Business Club?

03:42 The members of Reading Business Club

04:25 The purpose of a business group

08:17 The breakfast at Reading Business Club!

09:09 Reading Business Club's mentoring programme

11:09 Examples of challenges members have faced and how the club can help them

14:52 Advice that Angharad picked up at Reading Business Club

15:43 The benefit of having access to people from a variety of industries

16:48 The structure of each Reading Business Club meeting

19:58 Shout out to the committee that runs the group

21:10 Details for visiting Reading Business Club and finding out more information

This episode features Peter Webb, Chair of the Webb Kingpin Foundation, and Tony Cowling, President of the Reading Rotary Club and Director of Reading Rotary Community Projects. They discuss how entrepreneurial property initiatives, targeted local grants, and cross-organisation collaboration are transforming support for Reading-based charities.

The conversation explores the practical acquisition and operational vision behind Holybrook House, the new "Reading Charities Hub" co-owned by the Webb Kingpin Foundation and Reading Rotary Community Projects. The episode details how the charity Number 5 will act as the lead tenant, giving them the physical space needed to expand their essential community operations while managing day-to-day facilities. Peter and Tony explain that alongside property support, the organisation provides fast-turnaround, accessible grants ranging from £250 to £1,000 for local causes.

Finally, the discussion covers the broader growth plans for Reading Rotary Community Projects and the vital role of volunteer skill-sharing. Tony reflects on the strong community impact of their micro-grants and concludes by issuing a call for younger, digitally skilled professionals to join the Reading Rotary Club to help modernise its operations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sustainable Community Investment: Discover how Reading Rotary Community Projects leverages real estate and business acumen to build self-sustaining funding streams, reinvesting 100% of property yields back into the local area.

Frictionless Funding Access: Learn how local organisations can bypass lengthy, complex grant applications through an accessible 10-minute online form designed to deliver rapid, low-barrier support.

The Power of Corporate Skill-Sharing: See how professionals use their core business skills to solve operational challenges for charities and drive high-impact community growth.

TIMECODES

00:00 Welcome to Peter and Tony

00:40 Background to how Reading Rotary Club are helping charities with properties

01:32 How Reading Rotary club can help local charities (with their property issues)

03:37 Reading Rotary Community Projects' first property purchase

05:46 Peter's background in property

06:14 The challenges faced by local charities and how Reading property's portfolio helps them

07:26 About Webb King Pin Foundation

08:24 About the application process when applying for grants

09:52 Welcome to Tony Cowling

10:11 How Tony got involved with Reading Rotary Club and Reading Rotary Community Projects

10:34 Why Reading Rotary Community Projects is unique

11:22 Why it's taken a while to get Reading Charities Hub off the ground

11:55 How Reading Charities Hub will function

13:28 What else Reading Rotary Community Projects offers (grant applications)

14:50 What happens to the income from the Reading Charities Hub

15:27 Examples of grants awarded to local groups

16:26 The number of good causes across Reading

17:26 Reading Rotary gives away £30k a year to local causes & its local impact

18:42 How Reading Rotary Club is looking to develop and bring in diverse audiences

20:57 Closing thoughts

In this episode, podcast host, Maria Lloyd, continues her deep-dive series into the AI-CAR growth funnel. This time the focus is on the Action stage—the fourth part of her five-stage AI-CAR model—where potential customers go beyond weighing their options and officially place an order. She emphasises that a business' work doesn't end when a customer buys, but rather begins, and success lies in exceeding expectations to ensure buyers never regret their decision.

The conversation explores practical ways to create a smooth buying experience and avoid losing customers at the final step. Maria highlights tactics to delight buyers and draws from her own experience with the premium cat food brand Untamed.

Finally, the discussion concludes with Maria's actionable advice for the week: evaluating your current ordering process by examining how to make buying easy, how to make customers feel valued, and how to deliver value at every single touchpoint.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Sale is Just the Beginning: Maria highlights that a business' real work starts—not ends—when a customer places an order, making it critical to prove value and eliminate post-purchase regret right away.

Frictionless Buying & Delighters: Success in the Action stage requires removing friction (like sudden hidden delivery fees or complicated checkouts) while adding small touches that delight, such as instant post-purchase freebies, order tracking, and thoughtful packaging.