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It's Not Rocket Science! Five Questions Over CoffeeHelping business owners explode their business growth Author: The Complete Approach
The mission of It's Not Rocket Science! is to bring a new idea for building business to growth-hungry business leaders and owners who want to do more with less time and so increase their business and influence. We deliver actionable ideas using our five questions over coffee. thecompleteapproach.substack.com Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Five Questions Over Coffee with Donna Amos (ep. 143)
Thursday, 26 March, 2026
Who is Donna?Donna Amos has been working with a law firm since 2010, helping them share their expertise with the world. When she first started, the firm had three attorneys and two financial planners specializing in elder care. Donna encouraged the team to create weekly videos answering frequently asked questions, making their knowledge accessible on every platform. However, when the first video shoot arrived, nerves got the better of the group—they greeted Donna with a case of beer, hoping to calm their anxiety about being on camera. Thanks to Donna’s encouragement, they pushed through their fears and successfully filmed their first video, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the firm’s outreach efforts.Key Takeaways* Action is what drives change, especially for solo and micro business owners. Donna Amos reminds us: just take that first step, even if it’s scary. Progress starts before confidence kicks in!* We often get stuck in our own heads, telling ourselves we’re not good enough. Donna’s advice: seek out someone who believes in you, encourages you, and helps you move forward. Sometimes that’s all we need.* Staying “busy” isn’t the same as making progress. Donna explored how focus and vision make the real difference—not just for ourselves, but for those we work with and serve.* Writing a book can be daunting, but Donna recommends starting with simple research and writing a little each day. In 3 months, you could have your biggest calling card and a new way to share your expertise.* The first challenge is finishing what you start. Donna shares: Only 3% of people finish their manuscript. Create discipline by writing 500 words a day—small steps lead to big results in your personal story.Don’t forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Donna, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here’s to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you’re just starting to imagine.And don’t forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn’t work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSsolo business owners, micro business owners, solopreneurs, marketing agency, self-publishing, book publishing, business inspiration, taking action, self-talk, productivity, time management, strategic vision, encouragement, coaching, marketing strategies, authority building, marketing tools, business growth, client engagement, discipline, writing a book, business storytelling, video marketing, social media promotion, networking, expert positioning, lead generation, case studies, business challenges, research techniques, Amazon researchSPEAKERDonna Amos, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:00]:Hi there and welcome back to It’s Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. My mug is in hand. Still got coffee in it, which is just as well. And I’m delighted to be welcoming Donna Amos to the podcast today. Donna is a marketer, she’s a publisher, but mostly she is someone who aims to try and inspire others to take action. I’m really excited to that we’re going to be having a discussion about how Donna is going to inspire us to be taking action today. So welcome to the podcast, Donna.Donna Amos [00:01:05]:Thanks, Stuart. I appreciate it.Stuart Webb [00:01:09]:Thank you. So let’s start by trying to understand those people who you are trying to inspire to take action. Who is it that you’re trying to help with that particular problem that I know we all have.Donna Amos [00:01:24]:So I focus on solo and micro business owners. So those are the people that I want to inspire to take action, to realize that whatever it is they want, if they just take the first step, they’ll see that it’s not impossible to make it happen.Stuart Webb [00:01:49]:Difficult sometimes to do when you’re a solopreneur or a small business owner buried under paperwork and mountains of things to do, isn’t it?Donna Amos [00:01:58]:Yes, it is. And our, our talk between our two ears, our self talk actually gets in our way a lot.Stuart Webb [00:02:08]:It does, it does. So let’s, let’s explore some of those sort of problems, some of those people. And I guess there’ll be people listening to this right at the moment there is. If you want to drop a question into the chat to get Donna to answer it or if you need to drop a question into the chat later, please do. Donna or I will pick up and answer those questions for you. But so what are the sort of problems that they might recognize? What are the, what are the things they might have tried to do to get themselves out of these situations, these that you can help them with?Donna Amos [00:02:42]:I think the. So for years, the biggest challenge that I see is that they spend time being busy because it makes them feel like they’re, you know, they’re accomplishing something, but they’re really just being busy and they’re not really focused on the end goal and, and taking the right actions towards that. And again, it’s because we get in our own heads and yes, tell ourselves that we shouldn’t be doing that we’re not good enough.Stuart Webb [00:03:22]:And that’s not good for self talk. But it’s also not good for businesses that have small numbers of employees, is it? People want to see that you have a vision that, you know, where you’re going.Donna Amos [00:03:33]:Absolutely. But for solo business owners, they also have to think about they may not have employees. Many of them will have subcontractors, though, that support them in what they’re doing. And their customers will also see if they have that vision or not. And that can either attract people to them or push people away.Stuart Webb [00:04:07]:And how, how do you help them? What is it you try to do to get them out of that situation?Donna Amos [00:04:15]:I think probably the most important thing is to encourage them that when people are encouraged by others, when they’re told that they really do have what it takes and that they. They deserve to. To accomplish whatever it is they’re looking for, then it helps them to again take that first step. So, encouragement.Stuart Webb [00:04:44]:Is this the sort of thing you spend your time doing at solopreneurs Solutions? Solopreneur Solutions.Donna Amos [00:04:50]:It is. So, you know, we’re a marketing agency, but. And we’re also a publisher, but oftentimes our clients just need somebody in their corner. Yeah, it’s telling them, yes, you can do that. We’re happy to help. We’ll hold your hand so that they will take action on the things they want to.Stuart Webb [00:05:13]:Yeah, yeah. And that’s a, that’s often the most valuable thing a marketing agents can do, isn’t it? It is, it is. Helped bring that clarity and it’s helped move those people forward. That one step.Donna Amos [00:05:25]:Exactly. Yep.Stuart Webb [00:05:28]:And so, Donna, have you got a valuable piece of advice or anything that you wish to sort of leave with people so that they can, they can understand how you could help them?Donna Amos [00:05:42]:I’ll share a quick story if that’s okay.Stuart Webb [00:05:45]:Please do.Donna Amos [00:05:46]:So I work with a law firm that has been with me since 2010. And they have. They had a staff of five attorneys. Well, staff of three attorneys and two financial planners that focus on elder care. So when we first started working together, I was encouraging them to do weekly videos, just quick, frequently asked questions that they were answering that we could then push out there to every platform. And the first day when I got there with my camera and ready to go, they had a case of beer sitting there because every one of them was scared to death to get in front of the video. They just, you know, they just didn’t think they could do it. So they got through that first video shoot.Donna Amos [00:06:47]:We did probably 15 videos that one shoot they made it through. They, when we left, they went to the bar to watch basketball because it was during Marsh Madness. But now we’re what, 15 years down the road and every week we still publish a video for them. And they get business from it constantly.Stuart Webb [00:07:15]:Brilliant.Donna Amos [00:07:17]:Yeah. So it was just encouraging them and telling them they could do it. And, you know, and that’s what I believe. So if you’re not, if you don’t think you can do something, find somebody that will wrap their arms around you and say, yes, you can. And I’m right here to help.Stuart Webb [00:07:35]:We’re going to drop some links to where you can find out more about Donna and the way she’s talking about this sort of thing and helping people in our vault. And if you want to get access to the vault, just go to www.systemizer sy s t e m I s e.me forward/free hyphen stuff that. Systemize me forward slash free hyphen stuff. You can see where Donna is posting and more about Donna in the, in the vault. And she, I’m absolutely convinced she will be more than happy to pick on any information and, and help you in the same way. Donna, you’ve talked a little bit about what you do as a, as a, as a marketer and somebody who publishes or helps people to publish books. How did you, how did you learn those skills? What, what, how did a marketer start with, become a book publisher?Donna Amos [00:08:30]:Well, interesting story. Again, I had a client that we were, we were actually doing their social media and they had a website that was about helping children overcome their fears. Her daughter, who was about 13 at the time, 13 or 14, her, she, her mom came to me and said, natalie’s written a book. We want to get it published, but we don’t know how to go about it. Can you help? And I said, absolutely. So I went looking for, you know, what I needed to do to publish a book, all the steps. And we did that. So her, Natalie and her friend.Donna Amos [00:09:17]:Her friend did the imagery for the book. We published the book. They, we promoted it, all of that good stuff. But when Natalie went away to, when she was going to go to college, she was interviewing with colleges and she took that book with her to show them that she knew how to start and finish a project. And yes, most of them were impressed. And I said to myself, duh, you need to help your other clients do this because it is a way to show authority and to share what you have. So it’s in my mind it became a large business card for them to use for marketing themselves. So it wasn’t about the publishing piece.Donna Amos [00:10:09]:They’re not going to make a lot of money selling books. That’s not what we do. But it’s about having that marketing tool that you can then use to get speaking gigs and on podcast and to develop your social, your Social Security, to develop your social media from. All of those things can be taken from one book.Stuart Webb [00:10:31]:Yes. And it’s, and you’re right, it is a, it’s an incredibly good way of demonstrating your, your, your, your expertise to demonstrate your knowledge, isn’t it? Because writing the book is, is half the story. But getting it published because it’s, it’s got the, it’s been edited and it’s, and it’s in a readable format is, is not a simple task and it does require you to actually know what you’re talking about. And that is a great demonstration to any of your potential clients that you have got the knowledge and skills that you need to be able to engage with their situation and help them.Donna Amos [00:11:06]:Absolutely. And you know when, so when I, I’ve written to myself and I use those as calling cards, I send them to people that, you know, that I might meet on LinkedIn, I will carry it with me. And when I have a face to face, I make certain that I give them one of my books because it, I don’t have to say then that I know what I’m talking about, that I have the expertise in a marketing sense. The book tells, tells the story for me.Stuart Webb [00:11:44]:Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And I know from experience that writing a book is only half the job. It is, it is a, it is a heartbreaking thing to send it to somebody to edit and they take very large chunks of it away that you spent very many hours writing and then realize that it didn’t actually aid anything to help anybody to understand what you were talking about. And the red pen that comes back is quite disheartening, but it’s such a valuable exercise. It’s true, isn’t it, that a book, sometimes less is more?Donna Amos [00:12:16]:Absolutely. It is. In any kind of writing, it is pulling all those words out that don’t need to be there can be huge in clarifying the message that you’re trying to get across. But the first challenge is actually finishing your manuscript.Stuart Webb [00:12:36]:Yeah.Donna Amos [00:12:37]:Only about 3% of the people do that.Stuart Webb [00:12:41]:Have you got any tips for people to say, how do you go about having the discipline to finish a book in that way?Donna Amos [00:12:53]:Yeah, so it takes discipline, but if you focus on writing 500 words a day, five days a week, you’ll be finished in about 90 to 120 days. And so if you just focus, okay, in three months I can be done. That is. Yeah, that’s huge.Stuart Webb [00:13:21]:Once again, if you have questions about how you can focus and structure your day to produce a marketing. This is a great marketing marketing piece. It is the biggest and best calling card you’ll ever get. If you want to drop comments down below and get Donna to give you a few tips on how you can get your book out there, it is a great way of doing it. It is really fabulous. Please drop them in the comments. I’d be more than happy Donna will pick up those comments as well. I’m sure she’ll be happy to provide you with, with, with any advice.Stuart Webb [00:13:59]:Donna, I’m kind of very aware I’ve been standing here asking you questions for the last sort of 15, 20 minutes. And you must be wondering when I’m going to get to the really key question, which is the killer question, which will actually sort of, you know, really open up the discussion. So I’m at a loss to be able to answer exactly what that question is. So I’m going to leave it to you to, to ask what that question is. And of course, once you’ve asked what the killer question is, you’ll have to answer it for us as well.Donna Amos [00:14:26]:Well, Stuart, tell me the killer question.Stuart Webb [00:14:31]:What is it? I haven’t asked you, Donna, that you’d like me to ask. Oh.Donna Amos [00:14:40]:Great question. I don’t know that you haven’t asked me anything.Stuart Webb [00:14:48]:Oh, that’s just not. I can’t believe that. Okay, I will ask you that, that question then. Donna, what it. You’re, you’re, you want to inspire somebody to take that first step? How do you. What is the best way for somebody who’s sitting there at the moment overwhelmed with marketing things to do, overwhelmed with thinking I should get on with a book, but I don’t know how to start. How do they go about making that first step?Donna Amos [00:15:14]:Start doing the research because that will help to inspire you to keep moving forward. So by that I mean there are. People have different ways of learning. So one author might be the kind that does all the studying and then shares what they’ve learned with others in their book. Another might be that they take everything they’re all their experiences and they tell them the story and how they can overcome the challenges that they have overcome. Or it might be that you use case studies to discuss what you have learned or what you want to share with others. The bottom line is do your research. Go look at.Donna Amos [00:16:10]:One of the best places to research books is Amazon. Go pull up the genre that you want to be an expert in. And every book has a look inside.Stuart Webb [00:16:28]:Yes.Donna Amos [00:16:28]:That you can click on and you can see the chapters that they wrote about. And that can help you identify gaps that you might be able to explore in your book. Do things like go to answer the Public, which is like a search engine, except it delivers to you the questions that people ask Google, and then you can take those questions and use that to help inspire you as to how you move forward. So just go, start doing some research and you’ll feel that tug at your heart to get it going.Stuart Webb [00:17:11]:What a great idea, Donna. I think that’s a really brilliant thing to leave the audience wanting to start and take that action, as I said. Look, go to the comments, post, post a question or a comment on the, on the, on the episode, and Donna or I will get back to you and answer those questions and give you the help that you’re looking for. And in the meantime, whilst you’re doing that, go to this link which is systemized SYS T E M I S I E me. Subscribe. If you get onto that and just put in your name, it doesn’t ask for anything more than your email address. And just put in your email address and each week you’ll get an email from me telling you who’s coming onto the podcast and how you get it. And follow these great people who are speaking, you know, and helping, trying to drive things forward to inspire you to take action, like Donna.Stuart Webb [00:18:05]:Please do that. And you’ll see next week who we’ve got coming on. Donna, I want to thank you very much for spending a few minutes with us. Thank you for trying to inspire us. I hope people have taken that inspiration and are even now thinking about going to Amazon or looking for a book that they ought to write because they know something that people need to hear about.Donna Amos [00:18:24]:Absolutely. Thanks, Stuart. It’s been a pleasure.Stuart Webb [00:18:27]:No problem. And thank you, Donna. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe
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