The Eardlier Bird Newsletter

Weekly Tips & Insights for Professional Business Leaders Looking to Grow their Organisation

Have you ever craved guidance on scaling your business, but without all the corporate waffle? Well, you have flown to the right place!

Welcome to The Eardlier Bird Newsletter, where I, Oliver Eardley, break down the juiciest parts of the Eardley Bird Business Podcast into bite-sized nuggets you can enjoy with your morning coffee. I know how hectic day-to-day life can be. Sometimes, you’re lucky if you even have time to think about your next meeting, let alone sit down to listen to a full podcast episode!

I hope by doing this, more of you can benefit too.

Wait…What’s the Eardley Bird Podcast?

Are you new around here? let me quickly bring you up to speed. If you’re in professional services, this is the podcast for you. I chat with industry leaders and experts to bring you practical insights, smart strategies, and real stories to help you stay ahead. Because in business, just like in life, the early bird catches the worm!

Let’s dive into some expert advice on today’s topic.

Personal Branding

I’ve had the privilege of hosting some of LinkedIn’s top industry leaders, who haven’t just experienced the benefits of personal branding – they’ve owned it.

“The whole point of personal branding is you get to know and trust that person - endorsements are a winning formula” - Hilary Lewis, Global Top 50 Women in Accounting, Winchester Corporate Fiance

This is a great point from Hilary Lewis ???? . It’s easy to get caught up in what personal branding can do for your business, but it’s just as important to actually do it properly. Focus on building a genuine connection with your audience first, and the rewards will naturally follow.

“People want to create this amazing personal brand but it's not going to be authentic unless it’s actually YOU” - Grace Hardy MAAT Hardy MAAT, Hardy Accounting

We’ve all been there, right? You’ve written that insightful, thought-provoking, data-driven piece – but deep down, you couldn’t care less about it. Even writing it made you want to crawl into a cubicle and hide.

Take a leaf out of Grace’s book – stick to the topics you’re passionate about, not what you think others want to see!

“Focus on specific issues and specific topics - things that are going to benefit your ideal client” - Taq (Taqdees) Shah? Shah, Centric Consultancy Ltd

Taq is absolutely spot on. Take a moment to draft up your ICP (Ideal Client Profile). These are real game-changers that can help you narrow down who you’re speaking to and make your posts far more targeted.

Time to Chirp in…

So, what’s my advice when it comes to building a personal brand? As someone who has doubled his LinkedIn following in the last 6 months, my advice would be to start with clarity!

• What are your goals?
• Who do you want to attract?
• Who influences those people?
• What do they care about? Ie, their biggest challenges, motivators and how can your service help them!
• What content should you create? Ie, what topics do you know inside out? What have you been asked for advice on?
• Match your content with what your audience cares about!

Once you have clarity, follow it up with consistency!

Anyway, that’s all from me for now – I hope you enjoyed the read. I’ll be back at the same time next week to discuss my time with Andreea Daly , founder of fintech organisation Money Squirrel.

In this episode we discuss fundraising chaos, being a networking slapper (her words not mine) and her growth strategy.

The Eardley Bird Business Podcast goes live across Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, on Thursday at 6am.

See you then!