It's the experts that reject BuBul that make BuBul experts the best!

It may sound strange but lots of the subject matter experts we chat with who are interested in joining BuBul decide it's not for them. Why? Well we ask them to give away lots of their knowledge and experience. It's a form of content marketing but it won't deliver instant returns as the BuBul audience are micro SMEs - people who need the advice but probably don't have the budget to pay for help at the moment.

Our experts put helping and making a difference before profit. They know that BuBul will help them develop relationships that may become profitable in the long term and, if they don't, at least they will have helped someone when they needed it.

One of our experts is the incredible Brenda Etchells. We asked her a few questions so ou could get to know her a little better:

Q - Why did you want to be a BuBul expert?

A – My mission is to make Strategy Simple for small business owners.?A lot of business owners don’t like the word strategy and can be scared off by it – but in essence it is simply their HOW.?How are they going to achieve their goals.??

I work with many different business owners and introduce them to simple tools and techniques that help them to think more strategically and to put a plan in place.

My business is based on sharing my knowledge and what better platform that Bubul to do that through.??

Q - Best piece of business advice and who was it from?

A -?“Go where your energy is”.???This was by far the best piece of advice I was given by my mentor who has been on my journey with me from the start.?Whenever I was unsure what direction to take my business in he reminded me to follow the energy – and he was right.??I now use this with all my clients.?

Q - Biggest compliment you’ve ever received from a customer?

A -?Not sure if it is the biggest compliment as such,?but one comment that has had the biggest impact on me was:

?“Brenda has recently helped me to unpick the 'ball of spaghetti' in my head and find the right direction for my business regarding which areas I should focus on and invest in first”

The analogy of the ball of spaghetti really helped me to understand the value I provide from the client’s perspective – it’s all about giving clients clarity and focus.?

Q - Business achievement you’re most proud of?

A – I have recently been mentoring a client who is a lingerie designer and was working from their parents garage.?Her vision was to have her own workshop enabling her to expand her capacity, showcase her work and build a team of seamstresses.??When we started working together her vision seemed ‘out of reach‘ as she could not see a clear roadmap to achieving it.??

We worked together to clarify the target business model, put an action plan in place and built her confidence.?

Just 5 months later she has moved into her new premises in her dream location.

Seeing her success makes me proud.

·???????Favourite podcast – and why? ??

?I am currently addicted to Stephen Bartlett, Diary of a CEO.?He has such a diverse range of guests, all of whom really open up and share their life experiences, as well as their vulnerabilities.

Whilst I started to listen to it as a ‘business’ podcast – and indeed have shared many snippets with my clients, it has become almost therapeutic.??I don’t know if it is the tone of his voice but I find it very calming.

?????What’s your signature dish / bake?

Has to be my pavola.?It is one dessert I can make that turns out amazing every time.???The meringue is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.?I then keep it simple with whipped cream and strawberries – or if we are being exotic passion fruit.?

·???????Favourite holiday location?

Easy one this – Aruba.????We discovered this amazing island back in 2008 and fell in love with it.?Such a safe friendly island, and outside the hurricane belt, so can go in the summer months.??We have been 6 times over the years but have not been since 2017 as they stopped the direct flight from Manchester airport.????I have such wonderful memories of family holidays there and do plan on going back one day soon.???

·???????Exercise or boxset binge????EXERCISE every time.?I go to the gym 6 days a week and most days I do at least 2 classes.??One day last week I did 4 classes back to back – that was too much!!?Even my fitbit told me off!!

·???????Zoom or face-to-face? ??FACE TO FACE – I fully appreciate that Zoom (others are available) meant my business could continue throughout lockdown but I am a people person and I get my energy from others – this is so much easier when talking to someone face to face.?There is definitely room for both but if I had a choice it would always be face to face where practical to do so.

?·???????A talker or a listener????LISTENER.?Yup I can talk for England BUT I am a damn good listener.?I developed these skills when I did a counselling qualification and it always amazes me how quickly people with open up to me.??I often have complete strangers tell me their life story on the bus!??There is a 91 year old man who lives on my street and I love listening to his stories – it is fascinating and he appreciates that someone is taking the time to listen.

If you would like to find out more about Brenda and how she helps business owners, get in touch with her at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/brenda-etchells-80553223/ now!??