The Small Business Sessions – Podcast Review

Creative Battles in Podcasts

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We started this year with a content focus on the challenges and impacts of being a small business owner and operator. This has led our focus of our reviews under the header of Creative Battles to look for resources in books and podcasts that cover the challenges and realities of being a small business owner, operator and in many cases the single point of contact.  We’ve already looked at a long series of books in this series and previously and now we shift our focus to podcasts, one of the leading sources of online content consumption today, with millions of podcasts available covering the entire gambit of subjects and topics there is even more need now for guidance and content review due to the wild range of options and opinions. We will be doing this in our reviews starting with The Small Business Sessions.

 The Small Business sessions is a podcast that focuses on small business as the name implies, in an interview format where the host interviews a small business operator in a 30-to-35-minute direct interview conversation. The focus is on the United Kingdom and London seemed frequent in our review. The podcast has about 140 episodes at time of review, and we reviewed the last five episodes for this review. (Episodes from the 15/07, 22/07, 29/07, 05/08, 12/08). We reviewed this on Apple Podcasts, it is also available on Spotify.   Each of our podcast reviews contain the same format and process. We review the last five available podcasts, and look for tone, content, subject and its relatability to small business, creative and artist creators, as well as general business advice, content, and value.

Real Stories from Real People

The Podcast presents each episode as a single conversation, or interview with a small business owner with a focus on their story. The interviewer, who we never get a name from, will quickly introduce the person and then it is largely the interviewed person’s story to lead. With professional prompts from the host at times to direct the story we’re often hearing the journey of everyone’s origin story. How they came about starting up, what made them go into the business. Their challenges on the way and how they started. Each story is given time to develop, and questions will often drive the interviewed to give more details on how they got started.

The business owners that were interviewed in the five episodes we listened to cover a bakery, a dog groomer, a small coffee shop, a bespoke Cake business and a not-for-profit sauna business.  This is a wide range of different businesses with different focuses and different people’s stories leading to each business. I felt that the very real stories that came through in the business owners telling their path to own or starting a business very inspiring. Each one was very honest, and real, with little spin or fluff. As these are real stories from very normal people the difference in how the conversation developed was noticeable. Some people were more comfortable and skilled at telling their story where others had a more organic and demure way to share their journey. The host in the podcast never actually introduces himself, and with some sudden prompts keeps the conversation going, with some questions but broadly allowing the person to tell their own story, which gives the podcast a clear focus on the interviewed persons story. This gives the journeys authenticity and a real voice.  As well as being a real voice it also lends itself to a sense of real experience. The fact that not everything is slick and works first time, nothing is being sold to you by the participants. Their story is very much their own with their wins opportunities ideas and failures real. I appreciate greatly the authenticity in the stories and the fact that they are given the focus of the podcast vs some attempt to push the focus beyond the business and the people that created it.

As for the content of the interviews this is for me very relevant. I find that hearing business owners journeys to how they created their business inspiring as each one seems unique and complex. They tell of their wins and losses with a reality that is key for anyone who is looking at their own business or starting a business. This will be challenging and rewarding and not a straight path. It’s contains ups and downs, and luck and chance to some degree. With the sharing of these stories, while the may is not specific lessons to learn they are confirmation that your journey is not unique.

The format is a bit strange that we never learn the interviewers name and that there is no real introduction to the podcast, I do feel that it enabled the time to be focused on the small business story and I liked that. The podcast is created by Enterprise Nation that works to support members in small business community. They also are pitching in the middle of their podcast a commercial for software for small businesses. That is the only advertisement in the podcast. The commercial is short and not problematic, likewise I didn’t experience the corporate nature of the podcast owner to be influential to the content.

Stories have value.

I personally really appreciate hearing the stories of those that have gone before me. They give me perspective and comfort that I am not alone, and that is what my own experience in starting a small company has been. Lonely and solitary, so often in our journey here do we need to make decisions or look at investments or opportunities with only ourselves to make that decision. This isolation comes from the fact that we are the only ones that known most if not all the information to make the best decision and that also means we have doubts, and fears about the outcome of those decisions. Hearing that others face this exact same thing for me is very affirming and gives me comfort. Understanding how others have faced challenges that I may face, be it well or poorly is both education and feeling seen.

Being a part of community or even just virtually through hearing the story of someone else, can give me comfort and for that reason I recommend this podcast.

The fact that this is a podcast largely clean of agenda and feels raw in its story only gives it the authenticity in my opinion that many similar podcasts lack. It doesn’t tell you it’s easy or sell a course or tell you of productivity and financials. It’s a story about people and their business and told with their own voice. Which can be rare these days. If it keeps that format, I will listen.

If you’re looking for help in your journey or want some eyes on your next decisions. We can help you by focusing on your business with you, reach out to us on email or DM for a free first consultation session where we will hear your story and give our ideas where we can help you establish your dream business.

Thank you for your time,

Tim H.

Lead Consultant