The Business Oddcast

Pricing When You Don’t Trust Your Sense of Value - S01E32

Episode 32: Pricing When You Don’t Trust Your Sense of Value Eps 32 - Pricing When You Don’t Trust Your Sense of Value Pricing should be simple, shouldn’t it? Work out the time, add the costs, decide the margin, send the quote, float away looking financially competent. Lovely. Except for many neurodivergent business owners, pricing is rarely just maths. It gets tangled up with self-worth, rejection sensitivity, time blindness, imposter syndrome, financial instability, and the quiet horror of someone saying, “Is that your best price?” In this episode, we unpack why pricing can feel so emotionally loaded when your internal sense of value is a bit… wobbly. We talk about undercharging, overexplaining, defensive pricing, “just jobs”, comparison spirals, and why your price is not a referendum on your worth as a human being. We also get into the very real cost of giving away time you didn’t mean to give away, especially when every “quick favour” comes with admin, context switching, recovery time, and a small existential wobble. This is about building pricing that is grounded in reality, not panic. Tracking your time, reviewing your rates, adding buffers, practising pricing conversations, and learning to sit in the silence after you’ve said the number. Because you are not charging for approval. You are charging for skill, experience, capacity, and the life force required to do the work properly. Please share with anyone you think this topic might resonate with. Send any questions or suggestions to or contact us here: hosts@businessoddcast.com Don't forget to like and subscribe or follow along on the socials, see below timeline for details. Together we can build a healthier, happier way to work! ------------------------------------- TIMELINE 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction 00:00:31 - Introducing May's Theme - Money, Worth and Neurodivergent Business Confidence  00:00:55 - Topic of the Week - Pricing When You Don’t Trust Your Sense of Value 00:01:11 - Topic introduction - Pricing is more than just maths, there's self worth, rejection 00:02:40 - Pricing Is Emotional, Not Logical - Pricing is a  popularity contest 00:04:54 - Stu's views on small business pricing, service offering and market place fit 00:07:05 - Under-appreciating your own value, experience, age and soft skills matter 00:09:45 - Time-blindness and value distortion, with hyperfocus and giving away hours 00:11:41 - The value distortion of "Just Jobs" and making sure your time is valued 00:13:45 - Monotropism and hyperfocus impact on time efficiency  00:14:33 - Comparison spiral and how it distorts and reduces your sense of value  00:15:40 - The perception distortion lens, a story about being a lookalike and a lesson in pricing  00:19:50 - BUT... what happens when IMPOSTER'S SYNDROME rides in... How do beat I.S? 00:21:30 - With... the "Hair Treatment"...  00:23:00 - Shout out to Charlie Ruttle! and the antidote to Imposter's Syndrome 00:24:39 - Capacity, anxiety and defensive pricing 00:27:01 - One price doesn't fit all and capacity is variable 00:29:00 - RSD, pricing, billing, fiscal fear and over-justifying your pricing 00:32:00 - The answer... that Stu uses... FIRST THE DISCLAIMER 00:36:40 - Self confidence is required at some point as is a purpose 00:38:15 - The grateful to be paid pattern, employment, debt and financial attitudes 00:40:50 - The power of the silence after you state your price... 00:45:45 - Ideas for designing pricing with nervous system safety in mind   00:46:10 - Hannah's takeaways 00:49:30 - Stu's top tips 00:56:45 - Final words - like, share and subscribe.  00:57:55 - Next Week's content 00:59:47 - LENGTH ------------------------------------- OUR WEBSITE & CONTACT Resources: https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help/] Contact us: hosts@businessoddcast.com [hosts@businessoddcast.com]  OUR SOCIALS youtube.com/BusinessOddcast [http://youtube.com/BusinessOddcast] facebook.com/BusinessOddcast [http://facebook.com/BusinessOddcast] instagram.com/BusinessOddcast [http://instagram.com/BusinessOddcast]

Executive Dysfunction Diaries: What it Actually Feels Like - S01E31

Episode 31: Executive Dysfunction Diaries   Please share with anyone you think this topic might resonate with. Send any questions or suggestions to or contact us here: hosts@businessoddcast.com Don't forget to like and subscribe or follow along on the socials, see below timeline for details. Together we can build a healthier, happier way to work! ------------------------------------- TIMELINE 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction 00:00:52 - Topic of the Week - Executive Dysfunction Diaries: What it Actually Feels Like. 00:01:05 - Topic introduction - deep dive into how executive function failed us in our lives & businesses 00:03:20 - Model of overwhelmed brain executive function brain nopery and raw dogging it on caffeine 00:04:30 - The intention/action gap... how we fail to start and how i t erodes your confidence  00:07:35 - Tips on how to get started, eventually, because we expect our brain to nope 00:10:18 - Accepting the reality you face and not fighting it, tickle your brain 00:11:13 - Task initiation paralysis - starting but not being able to begin 00:12:14 - The footbath effect... 00:13:35 - Hannah's lady brain off picking the flowers... 00:14:10 - How do you know if anyone's run a marathon? 00:14:21 - No emotion before motion and the wall of negative reaction to the task  00:16:19 - How do you do that? The voices in Stuart's head 00:18:25 - Hannah's verson of the Sgt Major. 00:18:47 - The overwhelm of everything being important all at once and where to start 00:19:41 - Stu's "roast dinner" approach to tasks analogy 00:21:00 - What comes first? Hannah's triage process and forcing herself to eat the frog 00:22:38 - The devil is in the detail - and details are also a rabbit hole  00:24:31 - Time blindness - Hannah and Stu's nemesis and the word "JUST"! 00:27:38 - When asked about timescale - "What would you say"? and "idiot tax" 00:29:24 - The emotional friction around tasks and the battle with boredom  00:30:30 - The burden of perfectionism, detail and high standards 00:32:00 - Things Stu has learned the hard way of being at the cheap end of the market  00:33:33 - The dangers of "Boredom" and the effects on the ND brain 00:35:50 - Perfection delay - unable to finish as the project may fall short of perfection 00:36:41 - Shame, anger and frustration as your background noise 00:39:27 - The cost of "pushing through" and forcing yourself through executive dysfunction 00:44:10 - The aftermath of completion - mourning the end of a great project 00:46:24 - Hannah's biggest client red flag and how to avoid ALL project red flags 00:48:45 - Roundup - H's takeaways, amd S's hints and tips 00:54:06 - Get in touch, let us know your thoughts 01:00:00 - LENGTH ------------------------------------- RESOURCES https://here2help.uk/further-information/ [https://here2help.uk/further-information/] - Fab resource and amazing organisation raising awareness and support for autistic suicide prevention.  https://bigmoosecharity.co [https://bigmoosecharity.co] - Emergency mental health support, Big Moose provides fast and effective therapy for people who are struggling. https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help] - our range of resources for neurodivergent business owners. ------------------------------------- OUR WEBSITE & CONTACT Resources: https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help/] Contact us: hosts@businessoddcast.com [hosts@businessoddcast.com]  OUR SOCIALS youtube.com/BusinessOddcast [http://youtube.com/BusinessOddcast] facebook.com/BusinessOddcast [http://facebook.com/BusinessOddcast] instagram.com/BusinessOddcast [http://instagram.com/BusinessOddcast]

Inbox is Lava - S01E30

Episode 30: The Inbox Is Lava For something that technically takes a few minutes, the inbox has an impressive ability to feel like a full-blown psychological event. One email becomes ten decisions, three imagined consequences, and a low-level sense that you’re about to be told off… even when it’s just “checking in”. In this episode, we unpack why the inbox feels so overwhelming for neurodivergent brains — from context switching and decision fatigue to RSD, avoidance spirals, and that very specific dread of seeing a new notification and immediately assuming the worst. We talk about the “avoidance snowball”, the shame loop of delayed replies, and why small admin tasks can quietly drain more energy than the actual work. We also get practical: triaging your inbox, switching off notifications, using templates and systems to reduce cognitive load, and setting clear expectations so your day isn’t hijacked by everyone else’s priorities. Because the goal isn’t inbox zero — it’s regulation, containment, and making admin feel manageable again. If your inbox feels less like a tool and more like a threat… this one’s for you.   Please share with anyone you think this topic might resonate with. Send any questions or suggestions to or contact us here: hosts@businessoddcast.com Don't forget to like and subscribe or follow along on the socials, see below timeline for details. Together we can build a healthier, happier way to work! ------------------------------------- TIMELINE 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction 00:01:01 - Topic of the Week - Inbox is Lava  00:01:30 - Topic introduction - Why the inbox is lava! 00:04:00 - Hannah's inbox process 00:04:30 - Why small tasks feel overwhelming esp. email 00:04:47 - Inbox top tip - snooze email 00:07:30 - Context switching and constent triage 00:08:56 - Taming the emotional chaos of the inbox 00:11:07 - Reducing the anxiety & tyrrany of notifications 00:12:50 - Unable to switch off without responding same-day to ALL emails  00:14:00 - The ND "TO DO" list analogy and H's trauma dump 00:15:30 - The avoidance snowballing shame spiral 00:16:52 - The voices in your head, dread and avoidance 00:18:22 - Noisy unopened emails  00:19:44 - Red Rope around your time, everytime. Who respects your time? 00:21:26 - Unopened emails & waiting on SPECIFIC emails & cognative residue 00:23:01 - Conflicting client masking and overcoming it  00:24:53 - Coping with pending tasks, messages and the call of the inbox 00:27:24 - The stress of unknown unknowns 00:28:25 - Templates, processes and systems for reducing decision fatigue  00:30:36 - Some practical tips on how to quieten a noisy inbox 00:31:36 - Use of out of office to acknowledge receipt and speed of response  00:33:25 - Pre-triage notes on comms to communicate response time 00:34:54 - RSD, response time, over analysing and misinterpreting meaning 00:36:21 - Missing the social cues when in "work mode". 00:37:14 - How do we redefine admin success?  00:38:24 - What your business actually does & you're not your business 00:38:52 - The two succeasful models for small business success 00:40:06 - A barebones business saves energy - Stu's business insights 00:42:20 - The first task for any business owner within their business 00:43:57 - Inbox zero is NOT the goal, OCD be damned!  00:45:37 - Hannah's "Tips n Takeaways" starting with "admin fear"  00:46:35 - Boundaries, containment and templates 00:47:09 - SET FIRE TO PERFECTIONISM! 00:47:40 - Stu's "Tips" - clear communication is key 00:48:20 - Build a routine around email checking at SPECIFIC times 00:50:01 - Templates, processes and systems are your friends 00:51:12 - Archive & label to organise your email is key to happiness 00:52:44 - Stop at "good enough" - perfectionism is a mofo 00:53:37 - H's Tangent Queen in full effect 00:54:41 - Start slowly, and a genuine offer of help 00:55:50 - Final words, like,  share and subscribe 00:58:25 - LENGTH   -------------------------------------  RESOURCES https://here2help.uk/further-information/ [https://here2help.uk/further-information/] - Fab resource and amazing organisation raising awareness and support for autistic suicide prevention.  Information regarding Alexythimia and other helpful autism and autistic related factsheets on the link. https://bigmoosecharity.co [https://bigmoosecharity.co] - Emergency mental health support, Big Moose provides fast and effective therapy for people who are struggling. https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help] - our range of resources for Neurodiverse business owners, helping you thrive, survive and live more fulfilling lives. ------------------------------------- OUR WEBSITE & CONTACT Resources: https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help/] Contact us: hosts@businessoddcast.com [hosts@businessoddcast.com]  OUR SOCIALS youtube.com/BusinessOddcast [http://youtube.com/BusinessOddcast] facebook.com/BusinessOddcast [http://facebook.com/BusinessOddcast] instagram.com/BusinessOddcast [http://instagram.com/BusinessOddcast]

Protecting Your Energy When The World Won't Slow Down - S01E29

Please share with anyone you think this topic might resonate with. Send any questions or suggestions to or contact us here: hosts@businessoddcast.com Don't forget to like and subscribe or follow along on the socials, see below timeline for details. Together we can build a healthier, happier way to work! ------------------------------------- TIMELINE 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction 00:01:17 - Topic of the Week - Protecting Your Energy When The World Wont Slow Down  00:02:20 - Topic introduction and opening remarks  00:03:32 - The maintenance phase - ensuring your spoons are protected 00:04:13 - Stu's Running Analogy - Eliud Kipchoge vs Usain Bolt 00:05:50 - The world demands consistent output, it doesn't accomodate varying energy 00:07:00 - Brownouts - not quiet black out, the "just-about-functional" twighlight 00:08:20 - 24/7 always available and "chewing the cud" rumination, weight of masking 00:09:47 - Stu's Superman analogy - the ultimate in masked superheros 00:10:53 - The mismatch between fluctuating capacity and cnstant demands.  00:12:24 - The "one-size fits-all" model for small business output & drama magnets 00:14:14 - Being a people pleaser and "throwing yourself on the grenade" 00:17:46 - The guilty pleasure of people pleasing; Adrenaline & Dopamine double-tap 00:18:19 - Energy boundaries vs emotional boundaries - valuing your own boundaries  00:19:00 - Alexithymia and interoception enter the chat... 00:19:50 - No. End of sentence... and all of the feels. 00:21:04 - The consequences of not protecting boundaries and regulating your energy 00:23:28 - "I don't have capacity" is a comple te sentence, protect your energy 00:25:39 - The enthisastic wonder of the world can be draining 00:26:59 - Life is like cricket... 00:29:00 - Some people accept "no", some push back and that's a red flag 00:29:55 - Deciding what isn't worth the cost anymore, letting go of the "shoulds"  00:31:57 - I would help you, but I don't want to. Seeking immediate approval 00:33:24 - The poor returns on people pleasing - defining  the rules of a relationship 00:35:09 - How do we protect our energy? Avoiding life in perpetual brownout 00:37:56 - Planning "firebreaks" in your schedule  00:39:21 - How energy shows up for the neurodivergent and benefits of self employment 00:42:23 - Health can impact energy and enforcing boundaries 00:43:16 - Stu's  "Fuck it" formula - Living life without apologising for your boundaries & energy 00:49:50 - This episode's take aways  00:52:08 - Stu's controversial opinion about  Linked In 00:52:37 - Top tips - apply at your own risk 00:52:25 - Like, share and subscribe 00:58:00 - Next Weeks Topic: In Charge But Can’t Start - Executive Dysfunction as a Leader 00:59:04 - LENGTH ------------------------------------- RESOURCES https://here2help.uk/further-information/ [https://here2help.uk/further-information/] - Fab resource and amazing organisation raising awareness and support for autistic suicide prevention.  Information regarding Alexythimia and other helpful autism and autistic related factsheets on the link. https://bigmoosecharity.co [https://bigmoosecharity.co] - Emergency mental health support, Big Moose provides fast and effective therapy for people who are struggling. https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests [https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests%20]- if this topic responates perhaps you might want to look into the subject a little more. Use these tests to have a clearer understanding of your own neurotype profile. https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help] - our range of resources for Neurodiverse business owners, helping you thrive, survive and live more fulfilling lives. ------------------------------------- OUR WEBSITE & CONTACT https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help/] - Our resources hosts@businessoddcast.com [hosts@businessoddcast.com] - Email us OUR SOCIALS youtube.com/BusinessOddcast [http://youtube.com/BusinessOddcast] facebook.com/BusinessOddcast [http://facebook.com/BusinessOddcast] instagram.com/BusinessOddcast [http://instagram.com/BusinessOddcast]

The Anti-Hustle Tool Kit: Doing Less Without Falling Apart - S01E28

Ep30 of the Business Oddcast and we look at the toxic nature of "Hustle Culture" Ever feel like you’re training with Usain Bolt but somehow running in slow motion? In this episode, we declare ourselves refugees from the Gary Vee School of Business to dismantle the toxic "hustle culture" that lives deep inside our nervous systems.  We explore why the planet is convinced rest must be earned like some kind of cosmic achievement. We share our an anti-hustle toolkit for "slow business," inspired by the Italian slow food movement, because life should be a feast, not a protein bar shoved in your face while answering emails! The antidote to everything hustle related, listen and laugh along to our lived experiences and top tips coping in business with a brain spicier than Taco Tuesday. Please share with anyone you think this topic might resonate with. Send any questions or suggestions to or contact us here: hosts@businessoddcast.com Don't forget to like and subscribe or follow along on the socials, see below timeline for details. Together we can build a healthier, happier way to work! ------------------------------------- TIMELINE [https://shineradio.uk] 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction.  00:00:16 - Topic of the Week - The Anti-Hustle Tool Kit: Doing Less Without Falling Apart. 00:00:55 - Outline of the topic and themes of this week's show. 00:01:55 - Welcoming the refugees from the Gary V school of hustling. 00:02:30 - Hustle culture is not just external, adrenaline should not be a coping strategy. 00:03:55 - Being busy as a way to cope, work harder, block out the pain. 00:05:50 - The internal pressure of "keeping up", and always falling behind. 00:08:22 - The antidote to fast-food... is slow-food the model for a  slow-business? 00:11:25 - The Harrison Ford deadline drug and PDA. 00:12:40 - Hannah's website part nine-hundred and thirty one. The procrastination diary. 00:14:30 - The fear of falling behind if you slow down. 00:16:42 - Avoiding the "must do it all" and FOMO as a small business owner. 00:17:45 - Small business succcess is being consistent, but on your terms. 00:19:36 - The trap of unrealitic earnings expectations/ 00:21:28 - If what you're doing is NOT working. PIVOT! 00:23:05 - What do you really enjoy doing? Do that... 00:26:53 - Variety is really the neurospice of life. 00:28:41 - Hustle equates safety (sound familar?), and adrenaline, we discuss. 00:32:04 - Being enrgaed at unsolicited advice requiring a time machine to execute. 00:34:20 - Just "pushing through" is just self-harm. 00:35:42 - Time-shifting work to meet your energy, one of the benefits of being self-employed. 00:38:55 - Hannah's switched on "Granny mode". 00:40:16 - When the anti-hustle meets real world conditions, financial pressure vs time . 00:43:21 - Don't fall into the trap of failing to charge enough for your time. 00:45:50 - Self-employed minimum wage, underestimating earning potential, energy overdrafts. 00:48:57 - SiGNAL BiZHUB networking community and the dangers of undercharging. 00:50:50 - Value vs cost in retail - charging enough to make a margin despite inflation. 00:54:24 - Instead of increasing your income, reduce hours and keep the same income. 00:55:00 - How to prevent the insidious nature of hustle. Redefine your work paradigm.  00:57:55 - Celebrate the everyday, keeping plates spinning is a job well done! 00:59:30 - Challenging your unreasonable expectations, perfectionism 01:00:57 - Ignoring the shiny & new and respecting your own red rope around your time 01:01:50 - Stu's gigging story - an insight into the performers day 01:03:37 - Being realistic about the impact and toll of different projects 01:05:08 - Be clear about your own human requirements, and respect them 01:09:25 - Hannah's takeaways - build a sustainable structure and set your own goals 01:12:54 - Stu's top tips - defeat conditioning, resist hustle, respect rhythms 01:16:48 - Round up and parish notices - like, share subscribe 01:18:13 - LENGTH -------------------------------------  RESOURCES https://shineradio.uk [https://shineradio.uk] - Local Radio Petersfield, Bordon & Whitehill and beyond! https://here2help.uk/further-information/ [https://here2help.uk/further-information/] - Fab resource and amazing organisation raising awareness and support for autistic suicide prevention.  Information regarding Alexythimia and other helpful autism and autistic related factsheets on the link. https://bigmoosecharity.co [https://bigmoosecharity.co] - Emergency mental health support, Big Moose provides fast and effective therapy for people who are struggling. https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help] - our range of resources for Neurodiverse business owners, helping you thrive, survive and live more fulfilling lives. ------------------------------------- CONTACT HTML OUR WEBSITE & CONTACT https://businessoddcast.com/help [https://businessoddcast.com/help/] - Our resources hosts@businessoddcast.com [hosts@businessoddcast.com] - Email us OUR SOCIALS youtube.com/BusinessOddcast [http://youtube.com/BusinessOddcast] facebook.com/BusinessOddcast [http://facebook.com/BusinessOddcast] instagram.com/BusinessOddcast [http://instagram.com/BusinessOddcast]