What actually makes a brand work — and how much does good marketing really influence whether someone chooses your business?

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I’m joined by Jane Entwistle from Entyce Creative, a marketing agency that works predominantly with established businesses, either complementing an existing marketing function or effectively becoming the outsourced marketing department.

From social media and websites through to branding, strategy, content and everything in between, Jane and her team take a refreshingly practical approach to marketing.

And one thing comes through clearly in this conversation:

Marketing works best when everything joins up.

We talk about the importance of branding, why businesses need strong and consistent brand guidelines, and how a well-built brand can create trust long before somebody ever picks up the phone, sends an enquiry or makes a purchase.

Branding isn’t simply a logo.

It’s how a business looks, sounds, communicates and makes people feel.

Done properly, it helps customers understand who you are, what you stand for and why they should trust you.

And in a crowded marketplace, that trust can make a huge difference when somebody is deciding who to work with.

We also explore some of the enormous changes happening across the marketing world.

Social media continues to evolve.

AI is changing how businesses create content, communicate and operate.

Consumer expectations are changing.

In this episode:

🎨 Why branding is far more than just a logo
📖 The importance of creating strong brand guidelines
🤝 How good branding can build trust with potential customers
📈 Why stronger brands can help convert more enquiries into clients
🧠 The importance of having a joined-up marketing strategy
📱 How social media continues to change the way businesses communicate
🤖 The opportunities AI is creating for businesses and marketers
⚠️ The potential threats and downsides of relying too heavily on AI
🌐 Why websites still play such an important role in a company’s marketing
🗣️ The importance of consistent messaging and tone of voice
❌ Some of the most common marketing mistakes businesses make
🎯 Why trying to market to everybody usually means connecting with nobody
🏢 How an external marketing agency can effectively become part of your business
💡 Why good marketing should ultimately support commercial objectives rather than simply create activity

One of the things I really enjoyed about this conversation was Jane and the Entyce Creative team’s straightforward approach.

Marketing doesn’t need to be filled with jargon or complicated for the sake of it.

Understand your business.

Understand your audience.

Build a strong brand.

Communicate consistently.

And make sure all the pieces are actually working together.

A great conversation about branding, marketing, social media, AI, business growth and how companies can create a stronger and more trusted presence in an increasingly noisy world.

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Do you really know who your ideal client is — and when was the last time you checked?

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by James from JG Consulting, who works with marketing agencies to help them scale, develop and navigate an industry that continues to change at an incredible pace.

James brings a fascinating perspective to the conversation, having moved from the world of large corporates to setting up and running his own consultancy.

We talk about what agencies need to get right if they want to grow sustainably, starting with something that sounds obvious but is often overlooked — knowing exactly who your ideal client is.

More importantly, that ideal client isn't something you define once and forget about.

As your business changes, your services evolve and the market moves, the type of client you really want to work with can change too.

And the marketing landscape itself certainly isn't standing still. 📈

We explore how different channels continue to evolve, from PPC and paid digital advertising through to the increasing influence of creators and influencers, and why agencies need to keep adapting rather than relying on what has worked in the past.

We also get into the growing world of fractional expertise.

For smaller agencies, bringing experienced people into the business doesn't always have to mean another full-time senior hire. James explains how fractional support can give businesses access to skills, experience and strategic thinking when they need it — without necessarily carrying the cost and commitment of building everything in-house.

Then there's James's own journey.

After years working in large organisations, he made the decision to build something of his own, create a better work-life balance and get back to working more closely with smaller agencies where he could have a direct impact.

In this episode:

🎯 Why knowing your ideal client is fundamental to growth
🔄 Why your ideal client profile needs to evolve with your business
📈 The challenges marketing agencies face when trying to scale
🌍 How the agency and marketing landscape is changing
💷 The benefits of bringing fractional expertise into your business
🧠 Accessing senior experience without necessarily making a full-time hire
🖱️ How PPC and paid marketing continue to evolve
📱 The rise of influencers and changing marketing channels
🏢 James's experience working within large corporate organisations
🚀 Why he decided to launch JG Consulting
⚖️ Building a business around a better work-life balance
🤝 Why working with smaller agencies appealed to him again

Scaling a business isn't simply about winning more clients or employing more people. It's about understanding who you want to work with, where you genuinely add value and getting the right expertise around the table as the business develops.

A really insightful conversation about marketing, agency growth, changing technology, entrepreneurship and building a business that works for you — rather than the other way around.

🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they've learned along the way.

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What makes a great portrait in a world where almost any image can now be created, or completely transformed with AI?

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by professional portrait photographer Gavin J Priest to explore his journey through an industry that has changed enormously during his career.

Gavin takes us right back to the beginning, sharing how his interest in photography developed as a youngster and the path that eventually led him to become an established and respected professional photographer.

We talk about the highs and lows of making a living from something creative, the lessons he's learned along the way and how his approach to both photography and business has evolved over the years.

And then there's technology. 📸

From the move to digital photography and increasingly sophisticated editing software to the extraordinary capabilities of AI-generated and AI-edited images, the industry is going through another period of significant change.

So where does that leave the professional photographer?

We discuss whether technology risks taking something away from photography and why there may actually be more value than ever in capturing real people, real expressions and genuine moments.

We also explore the business side of Gavin's journey, including the importance of finding your niche, specialising rather than trying to photograph everything, and where he sees his own career heading next.

In this episode:

📸 Gavin's journey from a young photography enthusiast to respected professional
👤 Why he chose to specialise in portrait photography
💼 The realities of turning creativity into a business
🎢 The highs, lows and lessons from years in the industry
💻 How technology has transformed professional photography
🤖 AI-generated images and the future of image editing
🧐 Can we still tell what's real?
❤️ Why authentic photographs of real people still matter
🎯 The value of specialising and finding your niche
🔮 What's next for Gavin and the photography industry

In a world where we can generate an apparently perfect image in seconds, perhaps the imperfect reality of a genuine photograph of a genuine person becomes even more important.

A really enjoyable and thought-provoking conversation about photography, technology, creativity, business and adapting to change.

🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they've learned along the way.

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🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they’ve learned along the way.

How much money are businesses wasting on Google Ads without even realising it?

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by Dan Roberts, co-founder of Three Clicks Digital, for a fascinating conversation about Google Ads, PPC, entrepreneurship and the rapidly changing world of digital marketing.

Dan and his two co-founders came from agency backgrounds and kept seeing the same problems: account managers stretched across too many clients, generic campaigns, a lack of communication and businesses spending significant amounts on advertising without really understanding what they were getting in return.

So they decided to do something about it.

They founded Three Clicks Digital, deliberately choosing to specialise in Google and Microsoft Ads rather than trying to become another full-service digital marketing agency.

We get into exactly what PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is, how it works and, importantly, how businesses can use it effectively to generate measurable results.

We also discuss why specialisation matters. Is there an advantage in becoming exceptionally good at one thing rather than trying to offer everything? It's a subject that comes up regularly on the podcast, and Dan has some interesting thoughts from both the agency and business-owner perspective.

Of course, we couldn't talk about digital marketing in 2026 without mentioning AI.

We explore how technology is changing Google Ads, what automation means for PPC specialists, how search behaviour itself could change and where human expertise still fits into an increasingly AI-driven world.

Three Clicks Digital is also one of the first UK agencies accepted as a ChatGPT Ads partner, so we discuss what the emergence of advertising within AI platforms could mean for businesses and the wider digital advertising landscape.

And, as always, we go beyond the technical stuff.

Dan shares his own journey, the decision to start Three Clicks with his business partners, the challenges of building a new company and their ambitions for the future.

In this episode:

💻 What PPC actually is and how Google Ads works
💷 Why businesses can waste money on poorly managed campaigns
🎯 When PPC can—and can't—work for a business
🔍 Why Three Clicks decided to become specialists rather than generalists
📊 Understanding the numbers that actually matter
🤝 Why communication between an agency and its clients is so important
🚀 Dan's journey into business ownership
👥 Founding a company with two business partners
🤖 How AI is already changing digital advertising
🔮 What the future of Google, search and PPC could look like
💬 The emergence of ChatGPT Ads and what it could mean for businesses

Even if you've never run a Google Ads campaign in your life, this is a really interesting conversation about business, technology, specialisation and how the way we find products and services online is changing.

And if you're already spending money on PPC, you might listen to this one slightly differently... particularly when we start talking about wasted ad spend! 😬

🌐 Find out more about Dan and Three Clicks Digital:
https://threeclicksdigital.co.uk/

🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs about their journeys, their challenges and the lessons they've learned along the way.

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🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they’ve learned along the way.

Mental health isn't something we leave at the door when we arrive at work.

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by Tracy Bevan from Healthy Minds Matter CIC for an open and thought-provoking conversation about mental health, pressure, resilience and the role employers can play in supporting their people.

We explore the pressures people face both inside and outside the workplace, and how those pressures can ultimately affect wellbeing, relationships and our ability to perform at our best.

We also reflect on Covid and the lasting impact it had on the way we live and work. Did it make us more willing to talk about mental health? Has the workplace changed permanently? And are employers now better equipped to recognise when someone might be struggling?

Tracy shares more about the work of Healthy Minds Matter CIC, which works with employers to reduce sickness absence, improve staff retention and build stronger, more resilient teams through resilience training, return-to-work support and tailored wellbeing coaching.

Importantly, as a Community Interest Company, their work goes further.

With support from businesses and grant-funding organisations including The National Lottery and The Bluecoat Charity, Healthy Minds Matter is able to extend support to people and groups who might otherwise struggle to access it.

We discuss:

🧠 Mental health and the pressures of modern life
💼 Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
👥 What employers can do to genuinely support their people
🏠 How Covid changed our relationship with work and mental health
🤝 Supporting employees returning to work
💪 Building resilience within individuals and teams
📉 The connection between wellbeing, sickness absence and staff retention
❤️ Why Healthy Minds Matter operates as a CIC and the communities it supports
🌱 Creating workplaces where people can thrive, not simply cope

We also talk about how businesses and individuals can support the work Healthy Minds Matter is doing.

Healthy Minds Matter CIC is holding a fundraiser on 19 September at Sage Restaurant, The Wyldewoods, Boughton. If you'd like to attend, support the event or donate a raffle prize, please get in touch with the team.

🌐 Find out more about Healthy Minds Matter and their work:
https://healthymindsmatter.co.uk/

Mental health can sometimes be a difficult subject to talk about, but that's precisely why conversations like this matter.

Whether you're a business owner, manager, employee or simply someone juggling the pressures that life occasionally throws at us, there's plenty to take away from this episode.

🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, leaders and people making a difference in their communities.

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🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they’ve learned along the way.

What does it take to build one of the UK's fastest-growing fintech businesses without compromising on service or culture?

In this extended episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by Ola Abdul, Founder and CEO of Fundment, for a fascinating conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership in the financial services industry.

Ola shares his journey from spotting an opportunity in the adviser platform market to creating Fundment—a technology business designed to make life easier for financial advisers while delivering an exceptional experience for their clients.

We explore why Fundment was founded, how the industry has evolved over recent years, and what the future of financial advice might look like as technology and Artificial Intelligence continue to reshape the profession.

One of the standout themes of our conversation is culture. As Fundment has grown rapidly, Ola explains why protecting the company's values has been just as important as scaling the business itself. We discuss the importance of hiring the right people, building high-performing teams and ensuring growth never comes at the expense of the customer experience.

This isn't just a conversation about fintech—it's about building a business with purpose, leading through change and creating an environment where great people can do their best work.

Whether you're in financial services, leading a growing business, or simply interested in entrepreneurship and innovation, this extended episode is packed with valuable insights.

In this episode:

🚀 The story behind Fundment
💡 Why Ola founded the business
📈 Scaling a high-growth fintech company
🤝 Maintaining exceptional service while growing rapidly
🌱 Why culture is a business's greatest asset
👥 Hiring, developing and retaining the right people
🤖 The future of financial services and the impact of AI
🎯 Leadership lessons from a dynamic CEO

This is one of our longer conversations—but every minute is filled with thoughtful discussion, practical insights and honest reflections from a founder who is helping shape the future of financial advice.

The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, exploring the ideas and people shaping the future. 🎙️🧔🏻‍♂️🚀

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🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they’ve learned along the way.

How do we prepare children for jobs that don't even exist yet?

In this episode of The Bearded IFA Diaries, I'm joined by Hayley Laidlaw-Wilson, co-founder of Sniff and Snails, a business on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators, creators and problem-solvers.

Together with her brother, Hayley has developed hands-on kits, educational resources and engaging content that help children build essential STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) skills while challenging outdated stereotypes about who technology is for.

In a world where technology is evolving at an incredible pace, creativity, curiosity and critical thinking have never been more important. We discuss why these skills matter, how parents and educators can encourage them, and why inspiring young people to think differently could shape the future of our workforce.

Hayley also shares the story behind Sniff and Snails—from the original idea and the challenges of launching a business, to growing a brand with a clear social purpose. We talk openly about entrepreneurship, resilience and the realities of building a business that's making a genuine difference.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, business owner or simply passionate about education and innovation, this episode is full of thought-provoking ideas and practical inspiration.

In this episode:

🚀 The story behind Sniff and Snails
🧠 Why STEAM skills are more important than ever
💡 Encouraging creativity and problem-solving in children
💻 Breaking down stereotypes around technology and engineering
👩‍💼 Building a purpose-driven business with family
📈 The challenges of launching and growing a business
🌍 Preparing young people for the careers of tomorrow
✨ Hayley's vision for the future of Sniff and Snails

This conversation is about much more than education. It's about giving the next generation the confidence, curiosity and skills they'll need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with inspiring people, exploring business, leadership, innovation and the ideas shaping tomorrow. 🎙️🧔🏻‍♂️🚀🧩

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🎙️ The Bearded IFA Diaries — real conversations with business owners, professionals and interesting people about their journeys, challenges and what they’ve learned along the way.