In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading is joined by Michelle Hoskin, founder of Standards International and the Business and Operations Management Network, known as BOMS

Michelle shares how nearly three decades of working with business owners led her to a bold pivot: walking away from coaching business owners to champion the operations managers, practice managers, and business managers who are the unsung backbone of professional service firms.

This is an energetic, honest, and often hilarious conversation about following your gut, finding your people, building a community from scratch, and why the ops manager is simultaneously the most valuable and most neglected person in most businesses.

If you run a business with a team, or you are the person holding that business together from behind the scenes, this episode will resonate deeply.

Key Talking Points

• Who Michelle serves: operations managers, practice managers, and business managers in professional service firms
• Why she pivoted away from coaching business owners and why it took her 20 years longer than it should have
• How the Business and Operations Management Network (BOMS) went from idea to 700 members in under a year
• Why ops managers are the biggest flight risk in most businesses and what owners can do about it
• The personal advice Michelle would give her younger self: find a partner who has your back, and stop dimming your light
• Why confidence and refusing to settle are the two greatest gifts she'd pass on to her daughter
• The biggest obstacle facing Michelle right now: getting business owners to invest in their ops people
• Why writing a 20-page business case for a £175 conference ticket is the reality for many ops managers
• How Charlie's Learning Library concept connects to Michelle's community model
• The power of growing together: why BOMS is built on shared learning, not exclusivity
• Book recommendations: Necessary Endings, Essentialism, and Passion to Profit by Andy Harrington
• Why it's easier to find 100 ideas that make 1% difference than one idea that makes 100% difference

About the Guest Michelle Hoskin is the founder of Standards International and creator of the Business and Operations Management Network (BOMS)- a fast-growing community dedicated to the people who run professional service businesses from the inside. With nearly 30 years of experience working with business owners, Michelle made a bold pivot to champion operations managers, practice managers, and general managers who are too often overlooked, undervalued, and unsupported. Her community has grown to over 700 members and runs events, retreats, a membership platform, and an annual conference.

Find Out More

• Website: https://leadersinbusinessoperations.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/standardsexpert

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Necessary Endings — Henry Cloud
• Essentialism — Greg McKeown
• Passion to Profit — Andy Harrington
• The Business and Operations Management Network on LinkedIn: Business and Operations Management Network
• Charlie's Learning Library concept: https://thetrusted.team/learning-library/

About the Podcast Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more. Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading is joined by Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance.

Ross shares how his business was born out of adversity, why he is passionate about helping clients whose income does not fit the standard box, and how specialising in more complex mortgage scenarios has allowed his firm to create real value.

This is a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, mistakes, patience, bravery, and the reality that in most businesses, the biggest bottleneck is often the founder themselves.

If you are building a business, navigating growth, or trying to create more freedom on your own terms, this episode is packed with practical lessons and honest reflections.

Key Talking Points

• Who Ross helps: clients with non-standard or non-permanent income
• Supporting limited company directors, contractors, sports professionals, and others with more complex borrowing needs
• Why Ross focuses on turning difficult cases into yeses
• How niche expertise can create strong referral momentum and organic growth
• The adversity that led Ross to start his own business
• Moving from the military into mortgage advice and then into entrepreneurship
• How a family health crisis reshaped Ross’s priorities and desire for autonomy
• The reality that starting a business does not instantly create freedom: first you have to build it
• The advice Ross would give his younger self: be patient, be brave, and make mistakes faster
• Why failure is not the opposite of success, but part of the path to it
• The legacy lesson Ross would pass on: don’t leave crumbs
• Why integrity matters when making difficult decisions
• Ross’s biggest business obstacle: recognising that he is the bottleneck
• The importance of empowering others, delegating better, and getting out of your own way
• Two standout book recommendations: Legacy and 24 Assets
• Why values and assets, not just leads, should shape the way you build a business

About the Guest

Ross Jones is the founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, helping clients secure lending where income or circumstances do not fit standard mortgage criteria.

Ross specialises in supporting people with more complex income structures, including limited company directors, contractors, and sports professionals. His businesses are built around creating solutions where others may struggle, helping clients navigate specialist lending with greater confidence and clarity.

Find Out More

• Website: http://www.homefinancialnw.co.uk
• Linked In: linkedin.com/in/ross-jones-3688584b

🚀 Resources & Links Mentioned

• Legacy by James Kerr
• 24 Assets by Daniel Priestley
• Charlie Reading’s workshop on building a saleable and scalable business: https://youtu.be/pFigtSmHqTY

About the Podcast

Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more.

Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

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In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading is joined by Steve Price from Inspire, an accountancy firm with a very different approach.

Rather than simply helping business owners stay compliant, Steve and his team focus on helping owner-managed businesses understand, use, and improve their numbers so they can build a business that serves their life, instead of becoming a slave to it.

This conversation explores the deeper role accountants can play, the power of mentoring and accountability, and why self-belief, structure, and lifelong learning are such vital ingredients in building a better business.

If you want your business to give you more freedom, more clarity, and more control, this episode is full of practical wisdom.

Key Talking Points

· Why Inspire is focused on a mindset of business owner, not a specific sector

· The difference between compliance-led accounting and using numbers to improve a business

· Why Steve believes accountants should help improve lives, not just fill in forms

· The meaning behind Inspire’s mission: crunching numbers, inspiring business, improving lives

· How Steve discovered that business numbers are really about a person’s life, family, and freedom

· Building a business to create more flexibility and control

· The advice Steve would give his younger self: think who not how

· Why mentors, coaches, and outside perspectives can dramatically accelerate progress

· The one piece of wisdom Steve would pass on to the next generation: self-belief

· Why Steve believes most obstacles come down to time, money, or the stories we tell ourselves

· The challenge of maintaining focus and staying accountable to meaningful goals

· How accountability is embedded inside Inspire’s culture

· Why Steve uses the EOS / Traction system to create structure and momentum

· The importance of lifelong learning — not just solving immediate problems, but learning for learning’s sake

About the Guest

Steve Price is part of Inspire, an accountancy business that helps owner-managed businesses use their numbers to make better decisions, create more freedom, and build businesses that truly serve their owners.

Inspire combines strong financial expertise with a coaching-led mindset, helping clients move beyond compliance and into more intentional, strategic business growth. Through its courses and services, Inspire supports business owners who want more clarity, more control, and more from their business.

Find Out More

Website: https://www.bwp-inspire.co.uk/

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

Resources & Links Mentioned

Traction by Gino Wickman which includes The EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) framework

Inspire’s Money Freedom Course- visit https://www.bwp-inspire.co.uk

Inspire’s Exit Planning Course visit https://www.bwp-inspire.co.uk

About the Podcast

Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more.

Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

Enjoying the Show?

If this episode resonated, make sure you follow the podcast and leave a rating and review.