Welcome to The Career Advantage Show
I am your host, Tony Pisanelli
On this show, we dive deep with our guests to uncover real stories, practical insights, and proven strategies that will help you reclaim your career power, navigate transitions, and design what’s next with confidence.
My very special guest today is jodi finnan ...
I’m Jodi Finnan — the Business Weapon.
I started out working behind the scenes for some of the biggest names — James Packer, Jamie Oliver, and other high-profile CEOs — learning what it really takes to build something extraordinary.
Ten years ago, I didn’t just want to start a business.
I wanted to build freedom.
Since then, my business has grown from strength to strength with every challenge, every mistake, and every win shaping me into who I am today.
Because every mistake is a free business coach.
And I’ve got a lifetime of lessons and stories to help others do the same.
Transcript
[00:00.980 --> 00:11.960] Welcome to the Career Advantage Show, where we help you reclaim your career power and design your working life on your terms.
[00:12.540 --> 00:18.640] I'm Tony Piscinelli, and each week I sit down with leaders who have faced career-defining moments,
[00:19.300 --> 00:26.080] such as a devastating job loss, burnout, stagnation, or even workplace harassment,
[00:26.080 --> 00:33.100] and been able to turn these difficult circumstances into powerful and greater opportunities.
[00:34.040 --> 00:42.400] Right. On this morning's Career Advantage Show, my special guest is Jodie Finnan. Welcome, Jodie.
[00:43.240 --> 00:44.880] Thank you. Lovely to be here, Tony.
[00:45.540 --> 00:52.540] Thank you. Jodie, you describe yourself as the business weapon and also a person who
[00:52.540 --> 01:01.020] wanted not only to start her own business, but wanted freedom. Can you share with our listeners
[01:01.020 --> 01:07.580] a little bit into that and the background in terms of how that all came about?
[01:08.680 --> 01:15.960] Yeah, absolutely. So I was, back in the day, an executive assistant to some high-profile CEOs.
[01:15.960 --> 01:23.360] So back in the UK, I was chief of staff to Jamie Oliver and his team. And then when I first arrived in Australia,
[01:23.360 --> 01:30.780] I was working for James Packer as his EA and chief of staff. And even though that gave me great clarity
[01:30.780 --> 01:38.180] into how high-profile people actually get really structured and organized and make their business go
[01:38.180 --> 01:46.540] from strength to strength, it also gave me, it just gave me a sense of knowing that I was capable of
[01:46.540 --> 01:52.800] more. And I'm one of these individuals that, you know, sometimes don't like being told what to do.
[01:53.160 --> 01:59.160] So, you know, starting my own business seemed the, you know, the best opportunity and route for me to go down.
[01:59.160 --> 02:05.080] And as I say to all my clients, because I help businesses now get ahead, as I say to all my clients,
[02:05.220 --> 02:11.220] there's no perfect moment. The key is just starting and then you can fine-tune everything as you go
[02:11.220 --> 02:16.240] along. A lot of people wait for perfection, but there's no such perfect time. People are just scared
[02:16.240 --> 02:22.380] of failure. But the failure is generally just not getting started. So you really need to just take the
[02:22.380 --> 02:28.520] ball by the horn, start and fine-tune it as you go along. And I didn't just want to create a job,
[02:28.520 --> 02:35.920] you know, I wanted to create freedom. So with my business now, I can take my laptop. I travel solo
[02:35.920 --> 02:44.460] to many places on the globe. And yeah, it's a freedom. So I'm working under my conditions
[02:44.460 --> 02:51.940] and I've never looked back since. It's interesting, as you mentioned, the likes of Jamie Packer,
[02:51.940 --> 03:00.120] they would intimidate most people. How did you go about your day in terms of interacting with the
[03:00.120 --> 03:06.940] likes of the Jamie Packers of this world? Yeah. I mean, I'm a big people person and networker. And
[03:06.940 --> 03:13.580] it's funny that you say intimidating because he actually isn't. It's actually people below him
[03:13.580 --> 03:18.320] who think that, you know, they've got some form of power because of who they work for,
[03:18.320 --> 03:24.700] who try and put that power trip on you. James is lovely to work with. And he actually had a team
[03:24.700 --> 03:30.720] of, there was five EAs and we all had our different areas and people that we managed and
[03:30.720 --> 03:37.660] looked after. So it was a really good sort of team community feel. But again, you were working for
[03:37.660 --> 03:43.640] someone else. And essentially it was, you know, even though I'm very proactive in everything that I do,
[03:43.640 --> 03:49.760] there still are ways you need to be compliant when you work for someone else and it doesn't give you
[03:49.760 --> 03:57.140] the freedom that you desire. What would have been one important piece of feedback that James Packer
[03:57.140 --> 04:04.160] would have given you along the journey? Jodie? Don't sweat the small stuff. Absolutely. There are so
[04:04.160 --> 04:11.580] many people that really sweat the small stuff. You know, I'm very similar in James Packer in terms of,
[04:11.580 --> 04:15.960] I know I'm always going to get the result for myself and my clients if I set out to do something.
[04:16.440 --> 04:23.080] Some people are very, very structured and processed. You don't need to be. That's the best piece of
[04:23.080 --> 04:31.100] advice that I can give that works for me. All right. Another catch cry or a phrase that you use is
[04:31.100 --> 04:40.980] you're someone that makes things happen. Yes. Okay. Do you want to share a story where maybe you've gone
[04:40.980 --> 04:46.080] into someone's business and they were stalled and they were stuck and they just couldn't get past
[04:46.080 --> 04:52.720] something and you actually helped them move forward? Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, that's essentially what
[04:52.720 --> 04:59.320] my business framework is all about. Seeing when people are stuck in a business, they don't necessarily
[04:59.320 --> 05:07.040] see the gaps that I see from an outsider and every business has a lot of roadblocks and, you know,
[05:07.220 --> 05:12.240] they're stuck in certain things. So, that's my superpower, coming into businesses and seeing things
[05:12.240 --> 05:20.340] that they don't. I can give you an example for, I worked for an amazing activewear brand, which has
[05:20.340 --> 05:27.900] now gone gangbusters across the globe. But it was actually, unless you have an experience for your
[05:27.900 --> 05:34.400] clients or customers that is un-Googleable, for example, anyone can copy your business model.
[05:34.700 --> 05:40.940] What they can't copy is how you make your customers feel. So, before anything, before any sales
[05:40.940 --> 05:46.000] marketing or anything that you want to find you in there, it's really the customer experience that
[05:46.000 --> 05:52.640] needs to be number one of your priority. And so, you know, I came in and was really helping people
[05:52.640 --> 05:58.360] identify something that no one else was doing. For every piece of activewear that we were sending
[05:58.360 --> 06:06.140] out, we sent a personal note from the CEO and the why she was doing what she was doing. People want
[06:06.140 --> 06:11.140] to relate. People buy from people and not just a business. So, there was a handwritten note that
[06:11.140 --> 06:18.360] we got duplicated that went out with every purchase and that really resonated with a lot of, you know,
[06:18.420 --> 06:27.440] a lot of customers that no one else was doing. Okay. Yes. A lot of, I see a lot of small business
[06:27.440 --> 06:36.420] owners, Jodie, who don't have sustainable businesses. And I always pinpoint it to one
[06:36.420 --> 06:44.520] reason, one important factor. They treat their customers as a lot of transaction and not as an
[06:44.520 --> 06:50.180] experience that they give them that can then take them on a journey and then help them sustain their
[06:50.180 --> 06:56.440] own business long-term and also become a source of referrals. Is that a fair assessment from where you're
[06:56.440 --> 07:02.700] doing? Absolutely. And I've worked with a range of small businesses, entrepreneurs, businesses have
[07:02.700 --> 07:08.800] been established for many, many years. And it's a common denominator for another example, whereas,
[07:10.140 --> 07:16.120] no, I'm not going to obviously name no names, but it was a marketing agency and they were actually just
[07:16.120 --> 07:20.860] more concerned about numbers and getting clients through the doors. But it's all about attracting and
[07:20.860 --> 07:27.700] retaining those clients, you know, and the customer, I know the customer journey for them wasn't one that
[07:27.700 --> 07:32.280] was great, but they were more concerned about getting more clients on their books. It looks great if
[07:32.280 --> 07:37.180] you've got, you know, all these clients, but that's actually not true. You really need to providing them
[07:37.180 --> 07:43.600] with a top level of service so that they stick with you and talk about you to their friends, family,
[07:43.600 --> 07:49.700] and other potential clients. Okay. So, Jodie, clearly you apply that principle to your own
[07:49.700 --> 07:56.960] business, obviously. Now, another challenge is that coaches and consultants have in their business
[07:56.960 --> 08:07.060] is actually generating a constant flow of leads into their business. What's your secret to being able
[08:07.060 --> 08:14.140] to achieve that in your business? It's probably reflecting back to what I just said. Unless
[08:14.140 --> 08:20.220] you're doing a good job, people aren't going to refer you. And I'm in the great position that every
[08:20.220 --> 08:25.540] client that I've had in my 10 years actually has been on referral. I don't advertise. I mean,
[08:25.540 --> 08:31.320] obviously I've got my website, but I'm in that fortunate position. At the moment, there's another thing as
[08:31.320 --> 08:37.680] well. Whereas they say, unless you can, you know, step out of your business and it can still run
[08:37.680 --> 08:43.800] without you, you don't have a business, you have a job. So, I'm in the, again, it could be a, you know,
[08:43.840 --> 08:49.300] a fortunate position, whereas people are paying, I do have a team, but people kind of pay the premium
[08:49.300 --> 08:55.920] for me and my direction. But I'm working at the moment, which I find quite exciting to be able to
[08:55.920 --> 09:00.860] step away from the business and have it run without me. So, that's something to bear in mind,
[09:01.040 --> 09:06.900] you know, unless you can step out of whatever journey you pursue, you don't have a business,
[09:07.020 --> 09:14.340] you have a job. Yes. I always go back to what Michael Gerber said, who wrote the E-Myth series
[09:14.340 --> 09:20.140] of books. You're supposed to work on your business, not just in your business. And that's exactly what
[09:20.140 --> 09:25.860] you're doing by the sound of it. Yeah, totally. I actually blocked my diary out. If you saw,
[09:25.920 --> 09:31.280] I'm an organised person, I like to think, but my diary is literally three days in the business,
[09:31.420 --> 09:39.600] two days on the business, and I do that without fail. So, Jodie, another thing that I think coaches
[09:39.600 --> 09:46.140] and consultants and small business owners need to consider as part of their business is the
[09:46.140 --> 09:53.800] importance of having a network around them. Would you say that along your journey, you've put that
[09:53.800 --> 10:00.660] solid base into position as well? Absolutely. And it's funny how I look back at things because
[10:00.660 --> 10:05.680] I've always been a big traveller, hence why I wanted to start this business so I could travel
[10:05.680 --> 10:10.120] and work. But I look back at some of the opportunities and events across the years that
[10:10.120 --> 10:16.080] I have been invited to. And it really pains me because, you know, I'd be in these very
[10:16.080 --> 10:21.660] high-powered events. And, you know, you make the polite introduction of, hey, how are you? What do
[10:21.660 --> 10:27.140] you do? I didn't really care back then. And now when I ask that question, I really care what you do.
[10:27.260 --> 10:32.680] I really care what your roadblocks are. I really care about how we can collaborate, who I know that
[10:32.680 --> 10:37.060] maybe I could introduce you to, to help you along the way and vice versa. So, it's a completely
[10:37.060 --> 10:39.780] different ballgame when you run your own business in asking that question.
[10:39.780 --> 10:47.620] So, for example, would you have a Rolodex of people like James Packer still in your
[10:47.620 --> 10:52.400] contact list? Oh, absolutely. I've got my little black book, basically.
[10:53.600 --> 10:58.060] Because a lot of coaches think, oh, I really don't need that person until I need them. Well,
[10:58.060 --> 11:01.080] you actually should be nurturing that relationship all the way through.
[11:01.780 --> 11:06.600] Absolutely. You know, and it's one of those things I say to clients as well. So many people are trying
[11:06.600 --> 11:12.540] to put funnels into place to try and get new leads and new clients. But in essence,
[11:13.140 --> 11:17.520] think of all the people that you've been in talks with over the years. Have you revisited those
[11:17.520 --> 11:22.120] clients? There's so many people that, you know, over the last 10 years, I don't actually need.
[11:22.220 --> 11:27.340] Because some people haven't been ready. Some people, you know, unless you're nurturing that old
[11:27.340 --> 11:31.260] lead system and that old network, you know, you're probably missing out on a goldmine.
[11:32.620 --> 11:34.560] Do you belong to a lot of networks, Jo?
[11:34.560 --> 11:41.640] Yeah, I actually yesterday just joined. I'm a member of Cub. I yesterday just joined the Pillars
[11:41.640 --> 11:46.320] as well, which I'm really excited about because I got the tour yesterday and it was fantastic. So
[11:46.320 --> 11:56.260] I've actually just joined that network. Yeah, there's lots of events. I'm off to an event tonight by
[11:56.260 --> 12:02.560] a network called BOA, which is for a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners and a lot of
[12:02.560 --> 12:07.900] brands. They're attend and they're great mentors and we learn from them a lot.
[12:09.180 --> 12:16.320] Okay. All right. Jodie, as we wrap this conversation up, a question that I ask most of my guests,
[12:16.320 --> 12:25.640] if you were to go back in time and speak to Jodie 20 years ago, based on what you've learnt,
[12:25.800 --> 12:31.300] the experiences you've had, the people you've met along the way, what's the number one piece
[12:31.300 --> 12:33.640] of advice you would give to a younger Jodie?
[12:33.640 --> 12:43.220] I would give this advice to a younger Jodie. Do not care what anyone thinks of you. It's what
[12:43.220 --> 12:49.100] you think of yourself. As long as you're moving forward every day and making better decisions,
[12:49.200 --> 12:54.700] it doesn't matter what anyone thinks of you, you know, just go forth and believe in yourself.
[12:55.980 --> 13:00.360] Perfect. That is a brilliant piece of wisdom. Thank you, Jodie. And thank you for being on the show.
[13:00.360 --> 13:09.320] Thank you, Jodie. Thanks for tuning into the Career Advantage show. Visit thecareeradvantage.show
[13:09.320 --> 13:15.640] to subscribe and claim your free career confidential toolkit. If you've enjoyed today's episode,
[13:16.060 --> 13:23.120] I truly appreciate a five-star review on your favourite podcast app. And don't forget to share
[13:23.120 --> 13:27.600] it with your friends and colleagues who might need a little career inspiration.
About The Show
Too many smart professionals feel powerless at work—burned out, boxed in, and living by someone else’s rules. But here’s the truth: no boss, no company, no system owns your power. You gave it away—and you can take it back.
The Career Advantage Show exists because the world of work is shifting faster than ever. People everywhere are questioning their careers—feeling vulnerable, uncertain, and searching for real answers.
Each episode will show you how to reclaim your power, redesign your career story, and build a future on your terms. Because in today’s world, if you don’t take control of your career, someone else surely will.
👉 Subscribe now—and start taking your power back.
Also, visit https://thecareeradvantage.show to subscribe and to grab your free "Career Confidential Toolkit"
Subscribe and get immediate access!
Want to be a guest on the show?
Apply here: https://thecareeradvantage.show/page/guest-application
Sponsored by The Career Advantage learn more at https://thecareeradvantage.com/
