Crossover Episode: Our Unorthodox CEO in the Hot Seat
It's episode 12, and we have done something a little bit different! Listen as Steve gets interviewed by Matt Southam, host of the Balanced Ambition podcast! Find out more about Steve as he opens up about the rewarding reality of running a growing family business. They talk about navigating financial turmoil and coaching challenges, installing company-wide KPIs and learning how not to micromanage - we find out more why Steve is An Unorthodox CEO!00:00 Intro01:00 Growing up above the furniture shop04:30 Joining the family business full-time05:00 Restructuring after a rocky period05:40 How working with a business coach changed everything07:23 What makes Steve’s leadership style so different10:44 Performance reviews with his wife11:00 Allowing people to fail (and why that matters)13:25 Hiring people better than you16:15 Building a culture that outlives the founder21:30 Why Sussex Beds turns away low-quality sales22:30 The power of real-time data and KPIs27:20 Becoming visible as a CEO on LinkedIn28:30 Resilience: “Knock, knock, knock… win”33:00 Performance reviews around the dinner table36:00 The struggle to switch off (even on holiday)39:00 Why amateur theatre helps Steve decompress41:30 Final advice for new business owners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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44:31
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44:31
Sue Skinner: Letting go, big decisions & being a Buying Director
In this episode, listen as Sue chats with Steve about her journey and roles throughout her 30 years in the business, how she copes with challenging times and the best parts of working with her family. They explain the donkey story from Matts episode and Sue talks about her escapes from work!00:00 Intro02:00 The Early Days & School Life04:08 How Sue joined the business09:00 Managing Sleeping Solutions & the challenges13:26 Becoming a Director & looking after Sales & Buying15:11 Splitting the role of Sales & Buying 17:27 The ups, the downs & challenging moments21:50 How Sue de-stresses, her escapes & emotional times 26:15 The donkey story28:45 Quickfire Questions31:49 Tip of the week32:30 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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36:14
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36:14
Paula Pickering: Being a Wife, Mum & Marketing Director
It's episode 10, and in this one we meet Paula, Steve's wife! Listen as they talk about how they met, what it's really like being a wife to a CEO and how Paula's beauty salon changed her perspective on business! They chat about all things performance reviews and how working with your children and family is both the best and most difficult part.00:00 Intro03:00 How Paula and Steve met04:07 Paula’s life before Sussex Beds & her love of design 07:30 How AI is assisting in the role of marketers09:10 What happened when Josh came along & why Paula joined the business 12:06 Opening her beauty salon16:40 Coming back to Sussex Beds20:40 Being a wife to a CEO & the ups and downs over the years28:00 Performance reviews29:39 Quickfire Questions36:50 Paula’s hobbies38:01 Tip of the week40:00 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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42:19
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42:19
Matt Pickering: Brothers to Business Partners
In this episode of An Unorthodox CEO, listen as Matt chats with Steve about how the pressures of taking on huge projects affected him and his drive, and how they got through it together. Plus, find out what it was like growing up and working together as they share some funny stories!00:00 Intro 02:00 Life growing up together & school life09:52 When Matt joined the business14:34 Jump scares & Telescopic finger19:19 How Matt ended up in finance24:32 Transitioning into a Director & the pressure that comes with that29:30 Life at home 33:00 Escapes and hobbies39:43 Getting a Fractional CTO & CFO42:42 Quickfire Questions47:35 Tip of the week49:53 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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52:13
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52:13
John Pickering: How it all started, founding Sussex Beds
It's episode 8 and it's a big one! This week, we talk to the founder of Sussex Beds, John Pickering! Listen as he chats with Steve about what led him to found Sussex Beds, his favourite part of the job, and how his family is his motivation. 00:00 Intro02:25 Life growing up08:00 John’s first venture09:31 Buying Miles Furnishes 14:20 How Sussex Beds was born & the heart of the business23:25 John's motivations & his wife Sandra27:05 Passing the business over34:20 Toughest point in business37:01 Quickfire Questions42:23 Unorthodox tip of the week43:18 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the An Unorthodox CEO Podcast! The brand new podcast from Steve Pickering & Sussex Beds. Join us for weekly episodes as we explore the challenges of business, the ups and downs of working with family, and unorthodox tips and tricks to navigate it all! Following on from Steve's weekly LinkedIn posts, this podcast takes a deeper dive into business whilst inviting guests on to share their stories. P.S. We film this in our office, so background noise, laughing, and sneezing may be heard...😂 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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