Small Business, Big Network cover art

Small Business, Big Network

Small Business, Big Network

Written by: Liz Drury
Listen for free

Small Business, Big Network is the podcast for small business owners who want better results from their networking. I'm Liz Drury, a freelance voiceover artist who knows that if you're not working as much as you'd like, then networking could help! The show is a mix of bite sized episodes on networking basics, and interviews with business owners who are successfully using networking to grow. There are lots of inspirational stories that will encourage you to get started or to keep going on your own networking journey.Copyright 2026 Liz Drury Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Create a niche to make yourself memorable
    Jun 1 2026

    Paul Westlake (Westy) is on a mission to make learning actually work – not just tick boxes.

    As Digital Director at PeopleUnboxed and Customer Success Director at BentoBot (BentoBot.com) – a spaced repetition solution that makes learning stick – Westy transforms how organisations develop their people.

    He also hosts the popular PeopleUnplugged podcast, where he unpacks what really works in L&D.

    But here's the thing: Westy didn't start in a boardroom. He spent five years in the trenches delivering face-to-face leadership training before leading McDonald's UK through a complete digital L&D transformation – designing learning experiences for 120,000 employees who didn't have time to waste on forgettable training.

    That experience taught him something crucial: great learning solutions need to work for both the L&D team and the people actually using them. It's like designing a car that's brilliant to drive but also easy to maintain – both sides matter.

    After his McDonald's decade, Westy moved supplier-side with Kineo, where he designed award-winning learning solutions for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Compass Group, and Mitchells & Butlers. He also hosted Kineo's "Stream of Thought" podcast, proving that learning geeks can be entertaining.

    His superpower? Combining analytical and creative thinking to challenge the status quo. He doesn't just ask "what training do you need?" – he asks "what actually needs to change?" Then he builds blended solutions that genuinely shift behaviours and deliver results.

    When he's not empowering L&D teams to be heroes, Paul's an award-winning wedding photographer whose company sponsors a race car. So his weekends are an unlikely mix of grease, spanners, running shoes, camera lenses, and bass guitar riffs. He lives with his wife and two daughters, who've learnt that Dad's enthusiasm for digital learning is matched only by his enthusiasm for... pretty much everything else.

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/westyphotography/

    PeopleUnboxed: https://peopleunboxed.co.uk/

    BentoBot: https://bentobot.com/

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Be the content of a networking meeting!
    May 25 2026

    Katrena Friel is an internationally recognised Business Mentor and networking catalyst for women in business. With over 25 years of experience, Katrena has dedicated her career to helping women build powerful professional networks that unlock opportunities, accelerate growth, and create lasting impact.

    Known as the “Business Mentor to the Awakened,” Katrena’s approach is all about connection. Connecting women to their strengths, to each other, and to the strategies that drive real results. As an award-winning author, sought-after speaker, and TEDx presenter, she has inspired thousands to step confidently into leadership, leveraging relationships as the foundation for personal and professional success.

    Katrena’s signature “Done for You Program” is more than a business accelerator, it’s a networking incubator, bringing together ambitious women who support, challenge, and champion one another. Her clients don’t just build businesses, they build communities, creating 7 distinct streams of income and a network that supports them for life.

    With a reputation for fostering authentic lifelong relationships, Katrena empowers women to move beyond self-doubt and into collaborative action. Whether on stage, in a mastermind, or during her 1:1 mentoring, she shows women how to turn every conversation into an opportunity and every connection into a catalyst for growth.

    For women ready to expand their influence, elevate their network, and thrive in the new world of business, Katrena is the “how” you've been waiting for, offering clarity, strategy, and a genuine soul's mission to support your journey.

    Website:

    http://www.becomingtheexpert.com.au

    Offer:

    Organise your Free Discovery Session

    https://www.becomingtheexpert.com.au/service-page/free-discovery-session-1

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • See things from the other person's POV first
    May 18 2026

    Laurie Kozan is a brand and marketing strategist who helps founders, experts and independent consultants attract more of the people they really want to work with, by learning what to say about what they do.

    Laurie’s work is built around the conviction that the way we communicate has real power — to create clarity, community and change. Using her background in PR, marketing, graphic design, and intuitive coaching, she develops brands that align expert perspective with audience desires, so selling feels easier + business works better.

    A mother of three, Laurie is especially good at spotting synergies, coaxing order from chaos, and taming competing priorities. Like any good parent, what absolutely lights her up is helping others figure out what they uniquely contribute to the world — and setting them up with the tools to do it really, really well.

    You can connect with her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriekozan and on her website https://www.sourcemarketingstudio.com

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet