The Personal Brand Mistakes That Are Keeping You Invisible | Alex Shaw

The Personal Brand Mistakes That Are Keeping You Invisible | Alex Shaw

Most business owners are creating content constantly and still getting ignored. The problem isn't effort, it's that nobody knows who you are. In this episode, Matt Haycox sits down with personal branding expert Alex Shaw to break down why most people are invisible to the very audience they're trying to reach. Alex covers the difference between a personal brand that pulls people in and one that blends into the noise, why visibility and authority are not the same thing, and how the 60/30/10 content framework helps business owners stop posting randomly and start building real trust. They also dig into the five biggest personal branding mistakes, and why the most powerful thing you can do is be strategically vulnerable rather than just showing results. If you're a founder, coach, or entrepreneur who knows they should be building a personal brand but isn't sure why it isn't working, this episode gives you the honest answer. Chapters 0:00 - Coming Up 0:11 - Intro 1:04 - Why Personal Branding Matters: The Stats 7:48 - Personal Branding Isn't New: Tom Peters 12:48 - The 60/30/10 Content Split 14:50 - Best Platforms for Personal Branding 21:10 - Mistake #1 24:28 - Mistake #2 26:30 - Mistake #3 29:54 - Mistake #4 31:43 - Mistake #5 33:21 - Are There Dangers to Personal Branding? 34:24 - AI in Personal Branding 36:45 - Fake It ‘Till You Make It 39:08 - Where to Find Alex Shaw Follow Alex: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbenshaw/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexbenshaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shaw1312/  ======================== Connect with Matt Haycox, No BS Business Podcast Host & 8-Figure Entrepreneur. I’m Matt Haycox, entrepreneur, investor, and your straight-talking guide to building a business that actually works. I’ve raised over £750M, built (and rebuilt) 8-figure companies, and learned the hard way what it really takes to win. On No Bollocks with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bollocks to bring you raw conversations with 7–8 figure founders, investors, and experts who’ve been there, done it, and got the scars to prove it. No hype, no theory, just actionable strategies you can use today to start, grow, and scale your business. Whether you’re stuck in your 9–5, building your side hustle, or trying to hit your first £100k month, this is your go-to podcast for entrepreneur tips, startup growth strategies, raising capital, building a personal brand, and avoiding the costly mistakes most founders make. 📩 Get Matt’s free business newsletter for weekly strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons → https://nobollockswithmatthaycox.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/ [https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/] ▶ YouTube – No Bollocks Podcast - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIxli0O3OlefTxUPgPbESg] ▶ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedi... [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haycox/]

The Bali Brotherhood: Why Men Are Done Doing Life Alone | Ryan Herrington

Most men don’t lack ambition. They lack a place to offload the pressure without turning to alcohol, isolation, or silence. In this episode, Matt Haycox sits down with Ryan Herrington, co-founder of BrotherhoodXBusiness, a global brotherhood and private members club for founders and entrepreneurs who are done doing business and life alone. Ryan shares his rock-bottom moment: stepping on the scales after a breakup and realising he’d hit 19 stone after years of “work hard, play hard” living, and how that wake-up call led to coaching, sobriety, and building community. Ryan then explains how the Bali Brotherhood started with six men meeting weekly and grew purely through word of mouth into a large community. Inside the sessions: wins, accountability, small-group breakouts, and a judgment-free space to talk through business stress, relationships, and identity. They also go into the business: monetising community, scaling globally, the Genius Code (finding your zone of genius), why not everyone should be an entrepreneur, and how AI and the future of work will force people to get honest about what they’re actually built for. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro 0:59 – Rock bottom: lost years, 19 stone, wake-up call  5:11 – Recruitment consultant to Bali 7:03 – The birth of the Bali Brotherhood  13:12 – What happens inside the Brotherhood? (wins + breakouts + real conversations)  15:40 – Have men changed over generations?  17:17 – Women and the mission  19:47 – Monetising the Brotherhood + global expansion  26:24 – The Genius Code: finding your zone of genius 28:33 – Not everyone should be an entrepreneur  32:23 – AI and the future of work  36:25 – Final thoughts + where to find Ryan  Follow Ryan: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanherrington__/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-herrington-358697212/ Website: https://brotherhoodxbusiness.com/info  ======================== Connect with Matt Haycox, No BS Business Podcast Host & 8-Figure Entrepreneur. I’m Matt Haycox, entrepreneur, investor, and your straight-talking guide to building a business that actually works. I’ve raised over £750M, built (and rebuilt) 8-figure companies, and learned the hard way what it really takes to win. On No Bollocks with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bollocks to bring you raw conversations with 7–8 figure founders, investors, and experts who’ve been there, done it, and got the scars to prove it. No hype, no theory, just actionable strategies you can use today to start, grow, and scale your business. Whether you’re stuck in your 9–5, building your side hustle, or trying to hit your first £100k month, this is your go-to podcast for entrepreneur tips, startup growth strategies, raising capital, building a personal brand, and avoiding the costly mistakes most founders make. 📩 Get Matt’s free business newsletter for weekly strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons → https://nobollockswithmatthaycox.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/ [https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/] ▶ YouTube – No Bollocks Podcast - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIxli0O3OlefTxUPgPbESg] ▶ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedi... [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haycox/]

£1.3M a Month, 400 Ads and a Billionaire Plan: Will Brown’s Info Business Blueprint

Will Brown went from DJ to trader, to selling a basic $50 “Word doc” to building an online education business that hit £16.4M and sold to private equity, then he scaled his advisory firm BG&E (Build, Grow & Exit) to £1.3M/month while working with 741+ clients. In this episode, Will breaks down the real mechanics behind scaling an online business: hiring, paid ads, why most “info businesses” stay small, and how to build a product ladder that keeps clients longer (instead of losing them after a few months). They also cover the hard realities of platform dependence, what Will still gets wrong, and why ambition without balance can wreck you. If you sell knowledge online, coaching, courses, programs, masterminds, training, consulting, this is a blueprint on scaling revenue, retention, and operations without making your business fragile. Timestamps: 0:00 - Coming Up  0:16 - Intro  0:42 - Who is Will Brown?  2:38 - DJ to Trader to Info Millionaire  6:22 - Building the first business from scratch (the $50 “Word doc” start) 8:11 - Hiring, running ads, and hitting a million  15:37 - What came after the exit  17:56 - The new consulting business and first clients  19:34 - Scaling past a million a month: what changes 24:45 - Who Will learns from (and why it worked)  29:34 - The fitness coach problem: £250 CPA + the 7-month drop-off  31:43 - Product ladder: keep clients longer  34:30 - Why most online education businesses stay small 37:28 - Free time, investing, and the billionaire goal  40:39 - Can this playbook work in any niche?  43:11 - The danger of relying on one platform  48:34 - What Will gets wrong (and why balance is hard)  51:01 - Is networking bullshit?  53:47 - Final thoughts  Follow William: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willia_mbrown/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-brown-01a310182/ Website: https://buildgrowandexit.com/? ======================== Connect with Matt Haycox, No BS Business Podcast Host & 8-Figure Entrepreneur. I’m Matt Haycox, entrepreneur, investor, and your straight-talking guide to building a business that actually works. I’ve raised over £750M, built (and rebuilt) 8-figure companies, and learned the hard way what it really takes to win. On No Bollocks with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bollocks to bring you raw conversations with 7–8 figure founders, investors, and experts who’ve been there, done it, and got the scars to prove it. No hype, no theory, just actionable strategies you can use today to start, grow, and scale your business. Whether you’re stuck in your 9–5, building your side hustle, or trying to hit your first £100k month, this is your go-to podcast for entrepreneur tips, startup growth strategies, raising capital, building a personal brand, and avoiding the costly mistakes most founders make. 📩 Get Matt’s free business newsletter for weekly strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons → https://nobollockswithmatthaycox.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/ [https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/] ▶ YouTube – No Bollocks Podcast - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIxli0O3OlefTxUPgPbESg] ▶ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedi... [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haycox/]

Fired From David Lloyd to 6-Figures: The Fitness Business Built on Ads

The fitness coaching space is saturated — which means you either niche down or you disappear. In this episode, Matt Haycox sits down with Chris Wright, an online transformation coach best known for helping men over 30 lose the dad bod, get a six-pack, and stay lean without living like a monk. Chris breaks down the real business behind the results: how getting fired pushed him online, why mentors accelerated his growth, how he hires and scales, and why his client acquisition is now driven mainly by paid ads and Instagram. They also get into the unsexy truth most coaches avoid: how long clients actually stay (Chris says around 7 months on average), what happens after the first transformation, and why retention depends on giving people a new goal once they’ve “arrived.” Timestamps: 0:00 - Coming Up 0:16 - Intro 0:47 - Dubai vs Bali: where’s better for business? 7:32 - Getting fired → going online 10:59 - Using mentors to grow faster 13:45 - Hiring, scaling & paid ads (what actually works)  18:34 - Going all in on Instagram 25:05 - Why niching down is non-negotiable 27:54 - How long clients really stay (7 months average)  29:59 - What happens after 7 months (maintenance vs new goals)  32:01 - The future of the business 33:16 - Final thoughts + where to find Chris If you’re a coach, founder, or anyone building a personal brand business, this is a practical breakdown of niching, marketing, ads, retention, and scaling. Follow Chris: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_fitlab/ Website: https://fitlabcoaching.co.uk/lean365-programme/ ======================== Connect with Matt Haycox, No BS Business Podcast Host & 8-Figure Entrepreneur. I’m Matt Haycox, entrepreneur, investor, and your straight-talking guide to building a business that actually works. I’ve raised over £750M, built (and rebuilt) 8-figure companies, and learned the hard way what it really takes to win. On No Bollocks with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bollocks to bring you raw conversations with 7–8 figure founders, investors, and experts who’ve been there, done it, and got the scars to prove it. No hype, no theory, just actionable strategies you can use today to start, grow, and scale your business. Whether you’re stuck in your 9–5, building your side hustle, or trying to hit your first £100k month, this is your go-to podcast for entrepreneur tips, startup growth strategies, raising capital, building a personal brand, and avoiding the costly mistakes most founders make. 📩 Get Matt’s free business newsletter for weekly strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons → https://nobollockswithmatthaycox.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/ [https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/] ▶ YouTube – No Bollocks Podcast - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIxli0O3OlefTxUPgPbESg] ▶ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedi... [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haycox/]

Powerhouse Strategies for Success: Network, Raise Capital, Outwork Everyone

In this short No Bollocks business lesson, Matt Haycox breaks down the 3 core strategies that have driven everything he’s built, and why most entrepreneurs fail because they ignore them. This is a practical blueprint for founders who want to build a bigger network, raise finance, and stop hiding behind “work smarter” when they haven’t even done the hard work first. What you’ll learn: *  Why networking is the ultimate growth lever (relationships, partnerships, opportunities). *  How to raise capital properly (and why you only get “one bite of the cherry” when pitching). *  Why “work smarter, not harder” is incomplete, and why you must outwork & outsmart everyone else. If you’re starting a business, scaling one, or looking to raise money, this is a framework you can apply immediately. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro: 3 Powerhouse Strategies 0:13 - Networking: Partnerships Beat Ego 1:09 - Raising Finance: When Capital is Required 2:25 - Outwork Everyone: Hard Work Before Smart Work 3:02 - Final Thoughts ======================== Connect with Matt Haycox, No BS Business Podcast Host & 8-Figure Entrepreneur. I’m Matt Haycox, entrepreneur, investor, and your straight-talking guide to building a business that actually works. I’ve raised over £750M, built (and rebuilt) 8-figure companies, and learned the hard way what it really takes to win. On No Bollocks with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bollocks to bring you raw conversations with 7–8 figure founders, investors, and experts who’ve been there, done it, and got the scars to prove it. No hype, no theory, just actionable strategies you can use today to start, grow, and scale your business. Whether you’re stuck in your 9–5, building your side hustle, or trying to hit your first £100k month, this is your go-to podcast for entrepreneur tips, startup growth strategies, raising capital, building a personal brand, and avoiding the costly mistakes most founders make. 📩 Get Matt’s free business newsletter for weekly strategies, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes lessons → https://nobollockswithmatthaycox.beehiiv.com/subscribe ▶ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/ [https://www.instagram.com/thematthaycox/] ▶ YouTube – No Bollocks Podcast - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIxli0O3OlefTxUPgPbESg] ▶ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedi... [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haycox/]