Episode 85- Service Leadership with Monique Richardson: How Great Leaders Build Great Customer Experiences
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Most conversations about customer service focus on scripts, systems, and CRM software. Monique Richardson starts somewhere else entirely: with leadership.
Richardson is a customer service and service leadership expert with over 22 years in the field, more than 50,000 people trained across her career, and the author of two books. Her latest, They Serve Like We Lead, argues that the way an organisation treats its own people is the single biggest predictor of how those people will treat customers.
In a conversation with Jane Anderson on the Jane Anderson Show, Richardson walked through the philosophy behind her practice, how she built a 23-year, almost entirely referral-based business, and how she scales her work as a mother of four while running a household of seven. This article distils that conversation into a practical framework for consultants, coaches, and business owners who want to build a service-driven culture, and a sustainable practice around it.
What Is Service Leadership?
Service leadership is the idea that leaders set the tone for how their teams treat customers. If leadership is poor, unsupportive, or disconnected from frontline staff, that experience filters straight through to the customer. If leadership is genuinely people-first, staff are more likely to extend the same care outward.
Richardson traces her thinking on this back to a quote from Sir John Sainsbury: "they serve like we lead." She says the line stayed with her for years before she eventually built an entire book, and a title, around it.
"That just sums up every difference that I have ever seen in the world of service: the difference that an exceptional leader makes, or the difference of having a really terrible, non-customer-focused leader."
The distinction Richardson draws is subtle but important. This isn't the more commonly discussed concept of servant leadership on its own. It's specifically about the causal link between leadership behaviour and customer experience: leadership as the upstream input, service quality as the downstream output.
The Sir John Sainsbury Quote That Inspired the Book
Richardson says she encountered the quote roughly a decade before she wrote the book, and knew immediately she wanted to build a title around it one day. That long incubation period is worth noting for anyone building thought leadership: the ideas that eventually become a book or a signature framework often start as something you read once and can't shake.
Featured snippet answer: Service leadership is the principle that how an organisation's leaders treat their team directly determines how that team treats customers, meaning customer experience improvements start with leadership behaviour, not customer-facing scripts or systems.
From Subcontractor to Full-Time Practice Owner: Monique's Turning Point
Richardson's business didn't start as a fully formed practice. It began almost by accident, after she left a corporate training and development role when her eldest daughter was one year old.
Former colleagues began calling her for individual training sessions. A friend gave her a piece of advice that shaped everything that followed: stop specialising in everything, and focus on the one area she was most passionate about. For Richardson, that was service, a field she'd worked in since she was 14.
For years afterward, she operated as a subcontractor and associate, delivering training designed under her own IP but booked through other people's businesses. It worked well around a growing family, because she didn't have to manage business development herself.
The real shift came in January 2022, when Richardson made a deliberate decision to move away from subcontracting and focus purely on her own clients. She's clear that this wasn't a gradual drift, it was a specific decision, made on a specific date.
"Having that line in the sand and giving myself a date to be able to say, 'this is what I'm going to do now'... it's just been the best thing I could have ever done."
That distinction, a firm decision versus an open-ended "we'll see how it goes", is one of the more transferable lessons in the episode for anyone weighing a similar transition out of contract or associate work.
Hire for "Service in the Soul": Monique's Approach to Culture-Fit Recruitment
Richardson's core recruitment philosophy is straightforward: hire people who genuinely want to take care of others, and teach the rest.
"We can teach people skills, and we can teach them systems, and we can teach them the CRM... but having that at the heart, for me, always is the start of all service excellence."
The Receptionist Story: A Cautionary Tale on Job Fit
Richardson shares a story from a public training session she was running. The first participant of the day told her, unprompted, that she hated dealing with customers. When Richardson asked what she did for work, the woman said she was a receptionist.
Rather than trying to force the training to "fix" the mismatch, Richardson spent time exploring what the woman actually enjoyed, which turned out to be numbers and systems, and coached her toward recognising it was simply the wrong role for her, not a training problem.
The lesson generalises well beyond customer service roles: skills training cannot compensate for a fundamental mismatch between a person's interests and the job they're in. Culture-fit and role-fit come first; skill-building comes second.
Featured snippet answer: To hire staff who genuinely care about customer service, prioritise candidates who show a natural interest in helping and caring for people during the interview process. Technical skills and system knowledge can be trained, but a genuine disposition toward service is much harder to teach.
Building a Referral-Only Business: The System Behind the Growth
Richardson's business has been close to 100% referral-based for the majority of its 23-year history. That doesn't mean referrals happen passively; she describes a deliberate, ongoing system behind them.
The system rests on three groups that all need active nurturing:
Existing clients, kept engaged through a weekly newsletter and consistent LinkedIn visibility
New inbound clients, responded to quickly, since responsiveness itself signals the standard of service on offer
Referrers, actively thanked and looked after, since they're the source of new business in the first place
Nurturing Clients, New Leads, and Referrers
Richardson is candid that this takes deliberate effort, not luck. Publishing a newsletter every week and staying visible on LinkedIn aren't incidental; she frames them as core business development activities, done in place of cold outreach or paid advertising.
For consultants and coaches earlier in their growth, particularly those trying to move from six figures into seven, Richardson's advice centres on identifying the handful of fundamentals that matter most (a clear website, a defined offer, a system for nurturing top clients) and building consistently on those, rather than trying to do everything simultaneously.
How Monique Scales Her Practice Without Sacrificing Family Time
With four children, a baby, a husband, and her mother all in the same household, Richardson is upfront that time management isn't optional, it's structural.
The Outsourcing Stack
Richardson describes herself as "the biggest fan of outsourcing in the world," and applies it well beyond the business itself. Her outsourcing stack includes:
A virtual assistant/executive assistant who manages newsletter scheduling and administrative tasks
A business manager, brought on for a set number of hours per week
A food delivery service for household meals
A laundry service that collects and returns household linen weekly
In-home care support for the family
She explains the logic in terms of hourly value: once you calculate what your own time is worth, tasks like extensive household cleaning or laundry for a family of seven become straightforward to outsource.
"I think about the return on investment of your attention too, because in the time that you're thinking about how many sheets need to be washed... that's something that can cause a workbook that doesn't get finished properly, or a handout forgotten."
That framing, protecting attention, not just time, is arguably the more useful insight for solo practitioners who assume outsourcing is only about freeing up hours.
The 5am Club and Calendar Blocking
Richardson writes between roughly 4:30am and 7am, before the rest of the household wakes. She also structures her week loosely around themes: Mondays for life admin, Fridays for business development, and Tuesday to Thursday reserved as much as possible for delivery and family commitments, while acknowledging it doesn't always go to plan.
She's currently working on her third book using this early-morning block, and describes writing, in particular, as work only she can do; the surrounding administrative tasks (scheduling, formatting, distribution) are where outsourcing takes over.
Featured snippet answer: To scale a consulting or coaching practice without sacrificing family time, combine deliberate time-blocking (reserving specific days or hours for deep work) with outsourcing both business admin tasks and household tasks, so personal energy is reserved for the work only you can do.
Inside They Serve Like We Lead
Richardson describes They Serve Like We Lead as the book she'd wanted to write for roughly ten years, in contrast to her first book, which she wrote quickly in response to the sharp rise in difficult customer behaviour during COVID-19.
The book is structured to be practical rather than purely theoretical. After a short section distinguishing service leadership from broader servant leadership concepts, each chapter includes reflection prompts and action steps, designed so readers walk away with something to implement rather than just something to think about.
Who Should Read This Book
Based on the conversation, the book is aimed at leaders and managers who influence frontline teams, whether directly, as people managers, or indirectly, as founders shaping company culture. Richardson's own client base spans sport, healthcare, local government, IT, and logistics, suggesting the framework is designed to apply broadly rather than to any single industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is service leadership?
Service leadership is the principle that leaders' treatment of their own team directly shapes how that team treats customers. It positions leadership behaviour, not scripts, training, or CRM systems, as the primary driver of customer experience quality.
How is service leadership different from servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a broader leadership philosophy centred on leaders prioritising the needs of their people. Service leadership, as Richardson frames it, applies that same principle specifically to customer service outcomes, arguing that the standard of internal leadership sets a ceiling on the standard of external customer care.
How do you hire staff who genuinely care about customer service?
Look for candidates who show a natural inclination toward helping and caring for others, rather than relying solely on prior experience or technical skill. Systems, scripts, and CRM knowledge can be taught; a genuine interest in service is much harder to instil after the fact.
How can I grow my consulting or coaching practice through referrals?
Build a consistent system for nurturing three groups: existing clients (through regular communication like a newsletter), new inbound leads (through fast, responsive follow-up), and referrers themselves (through active appreciation and relationship-building).
What should solo business owners outsource first?
Start by calculating the hourly value of your own time, then identify tasks, both business admin and household responsibilities, that cost more in time and attention than they would to delegate. Richardson outsources scheduling, newsletter production, household cleaning, meal preparation, and laundry.
Where can I buy They Serve Like We Lead?
The book is available through Monique Richardson's website.
Conclusion
What stands out across Monique Richardson's 23-year practice isn't a single tactic, it's the consistency of a small number of core principles, applied deliberately: lead well internally so service follows externally, hire for genuine care over trainable skill, nurture relationships rather than chase leads, and protect time and attention through disciplined outsourcing.
For consultants, coaches, and business owners trying to grow a service-based practice, particularly while managing significant responsibilities outside of work, Richardson's approach offers a grounded, repeatable framework rather than a one-off inspiration story.
Work With Jane Anderson
Explore more on building a values-driven culture in Melanie Marshall's approach to organisational culture, or learn how Jane Anderson supports consultants and coaches through the Women with Influence community.
Key Takeaways from Today’s Episode:
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Jane Anderson introduces her podcast, the Jane Anderson Brand New Show, tailored for experts aiming to enhance their impact, influence, and income. She emphasizes the significance of personal connections in business and introduces Monique Richardson, a leading authority in service leadership and customer service. Richardson's extensive experience, engaging training programs, and passion for her work have garnered recognition globally. Anderson highlights Richardson's success in managing her practice alongside her family responsibilities, making her a role model within their community.
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Monique Richardson shares her journey into service leadership, which began when she left the corporate world to focus on training and development while raising her eldest daughter. With over 22 years of experience, Richardson's passion for service led her to establish her practice, initially through subcontracting work. However, a pivotal moment prompted her to shift focus solely to her practice, a decision she made strategically. Richardson emphasizes the importance of nurturing existing clients, pursuing referrals, and maintaining responsiveness to inquiries to sustain her business.
Anderson discusses Richardson's transition from subcontracting to focusing solely on her practice. Richardson attributes her success to nurturing existing clients, cultivating referrals, and maintaining responsiveness. Anderson then introduces Richardson's new book, "They Serve Like We Lead," highlighting its practical approach to service-driven leadership. Richardson explains the book's origin, emphasizing the impact of exceptional leadership on service quality. She details the book's practicality, offering reflections and actionable insights for readers. Richardson also touches on the importance of recruiting individuals with a passion for service, emphasizing the significance of aligning personal values with job roles.
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Richardson delves into the essence of her new book, "They Serve Like We Lead," emphasizing its practicality and focus on service-driven leadership. She shares a poignant anecdote about the importance of hiring individuals genuinely passionate about serving customers, underscoring the critical role of aligning personal values with job responsibilities. Richardson's philosophy emphasizes nurturing a service-oriented culture within organizations, recognizing that genuine care for customers is paramount for service excellence.
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Richardson emphasizes the significance of hiring individuals genuinely passionate about serving customers, highlighting the pivotal role of aligning personal values with job responsibilities. She stresses the importance of working with clients who value expertise and are committed to improving their customer experience. Richardson discusses her diverse clientele, ranging from sporting retailers to local government councils, emphasizing her customized approach to tailor solutions for each client. She identifies two key client types: those recognizing a need for improvement in customer experience and those aiming to enhance already exceptional service levels.
Anderson and Richardson discuss the importance of client engagement and the value of expertise in service-oriented industries. They highlight the necessity for clients to recognize the need for improvement in customer experience and emphasize the importance of genuine commitment to service excellence. Richardson shares anecdotes of clients seeking her expertise due to identified gaps in their customer service strategies, underscoring the importance of values alignment between consultant and client. They caution against working with clients who perceive training as a mere checkbox exercise, emphasizing the importance of mutual commitment to achieving meaningful outcomes.
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Richardson reflects on her growth journey over the past 18 months, emphasizing the importance of self-trust, mentorship, and execution. She acknowledges the role of mentors and communities in her development and underscores the significance of implementing advice and strategies for growth. Richardson shares her insights into time management and outsourcing, detailing her strategies for balancing professional and personal responsibilities amidst a busy household with four children. She stresses the importance of calendar management, outsourcing, and early morning productivity to maximize efficiency and focus on her priorities.
Anderson and Richardson delve into time management and outsourcing strategies, focusing on maximizing productivity and achieving work-life balance. Richardson shares her practical approaches to outsourcing household tasks, emphasizing the importance of leveraging external support to optimize time for business and family. She discusses her early morning writing routine and the significance of calendar management in maintaining focus and accomplishing goals. Anderson highlights the opportunity cost of time and emphasizes the importance of strategic outsourcing to align personal and professional priorities for optimal efficiency and fulfillment.
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Anderson and Richardson discuss the benefits of outsourcing non-core tasks to maximize efficiency and focus on essential activities. They highlight the abundance of support available through various platforms like Air Tasker and Laundry Point, emphasizing the importance of leveraging the gig economy and food delivery services to optimize time and attention. Richardson underscores the impact of time allocation on productivity, stressing the need to prioritize tasks that align with personal and professional goals. She shares her experience of outsourcing household chores and administrative tasks to maintain focus on client delivery and business development.
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Richardson elaborates on her strategies for balancing professional and personal responsibilities while growing her practice. She emphasizes the importance of prioritizing tasks aligned with personal values and leveraging support systems, both at home and in business. Richardson discusses the role of calendar management, strategic planning, and outsourcing in optimizing productivity and achieving work-life balance. She shares insights into the importance of self-care and prioritization, highlighting the need to allocate time effectively for core activities while delegating non-essential tasks to support staff. Richardson reflects on the challenges of managing a busy household alongside professional commitments, emphasizing the significance of maintaining focus and aligning actions with overarching goals.
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Anderson acknowledges Richardson's commitment to self-care and authenticity in her professional growth journey. She praises Richardson for embodying her message of customer service excellence in both her personal and professional life. Anderson highlights the importance of aligning actions with values and commends Richardson for her thoughtful approach to client care and engagement. She encourages listeners to follow Richardson's example and emphasizes the value of authenticity and dedication in professional endeavors. Richardson shares her contact information and invites listeners to connect with her online, underscoring her commitment to sharing insights and fostering meaningful connections in the service industry. As they conclude their conversation, both speakers express anticipation for Richardson's upcoming book and continue to cheer each other on in their respective endeavors. Their exchange highlights the significance of building a reputation based on authenticity, customer care, and continuous improvement in achieving professional success.
Full Show Transcript:
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Hi there, my name is Jane Anderson and this is the Jane Anderson Brand New Show. It's the podcast for experts who want to have greater impact, influence and income for their businesses and careers. As experts, we know that people buy from people and work with people who they know, who they like and who they trust.
I'm so glad you're here because it's that time again now to really amplify how you show up in the world. Hi there and welcome to the Jane Anderson Show. I am thrilled that you are here and for today's podcast.
We have a very special guest today and I am so thrilled to interview her today so that you can hear about her and her incredible practice and of course her genius. Our guest today, she's an expert and leading authority in what is called service leadership and customer service and she works with clients all over the globe, delivering really high energy, engaging keynotes, training programs. She's a conference speaker and a trainer and she really brings some incredible experience, passion, excitement and a lot of humor to her clients.
She's got over 22 years experience in her field and she's worked with and presented to over 50,000 people. She is the author of two books and she's been featured in places like Sky Business News, CEO World, CEO Institute, all sorts of places. She is also one of our members of our Women with Influence community and she's done an incredible job growing her practice, not just in her expertise but also being able to run her, she's a real shining light in terms of how she runs her family, how she runs the home and being able to balance this incredible expertise she has and the potential she has for growing her practice along with how she runs everything outside of her work life as well. So please join me and I'm sure you'll enjoy this interview today with the one and only Monique Richardson.
Welcome to today's podcast.
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I'm so thrilled you're here and to our very special guest, Monique Richardson. Yay!
Thanks, Jane. How are you, Monique? Thank you so much for joining us.
[Speaker 1] (2:33 - 2:39)
It's my pleasure and greatest joy, Jane, just to be able to be with you is just always the best thing.
[Speaker 2] (2:39 - 3:19)
Oh, it's always the big love fest when we catch up, it's great. Monique, you have had a phenomenal trajectory in your growth, in your practice. You are obviously, as I mentioned in the intro, you're a customer service expert and you have really started to really, I think, reshape how this conversation happens for organisations.
But can you take us back, before we get into all the meaty stuff, for those who don't know you, would you be able to go back to, you know, what does it look like when you started out and how have you got to your practice to where it is today?
[Speaker 1] (3:20 - 4:21)
Well, I started out with my practice when my eldest daughter was actually one and I had left, you know, the corporate world and then it was one of those things that I sort of thought rather than taking maternity leave, I knew I didn't want to go back into that sort of full-time role. So I just sort of thought we'll just see what the universe brings and then just started to get a couple of phone calls from people that I used to work with and just being able to say, you know, can you do this training? Can you do that training?
And I then had a conversation with a dear friend of mine, Peter, and he said to me, he said, rather than specialising everything, because I was in that very specific training and development role where I used to do lots of different things, he said, why don't you focus on what you are most passionate about? And for me, it was always service. I'd worked in service since I was 14 years and nine months old.
And so for me, it really felt right to then be able to, you know, start that practice, which sort of happened by accident. The next thing I had a business card and and then, you know, people then just started contacting me and calling me. And here we are.
The business turns 23 in December.
[Speaker 2] (4:22 - 4:54)
Wow. Twenty three. So you started off for a lot of women who are listening to this, who I think this is really interesting because, you know, it looks like you just woke up like this and you have these books and but there's a massive journey behind that.
How did you make this transition from was like you said, you were contracting and you had little ones and you had all this happening. And now over to into your own practice, how did you make that transition? Because it's a big transition to make.
[Speaker 1] (4:55 - 6:21)
And it really made sense for me to be able to do the subcontracting work. I always had a number of my own clients, but then worked as an associate for other brands and particularly with four children and a very, very busy life. But just, you know, for me, not having to sort of do that business development and work on the practice and just be able to book those dates in and then go and deliver.
So it was always all of my own IP. It was my design. I still met with clients and so on.
But it was then just making that really strategic shift, which I made in January twenty two that then I was only going to purely focus on my own clients. So when you shift from a predominantly subcontracting model, I still had some of my own clients, but still a huge amount of subcontracting to my own clients. That's where there was a really big shift.
But that also was a massive mindset shift to then be able to then be responsible for everything and particularly the business development side, which had always been a 100 percent referral business and still continues to this day. So it has been a referral based business, which is something that I feel immensely grateful for. But it was still a really big shift.
But I think having that line in the sand and giving myself a date to be able to say this is what I'm going to do now. And I just passionately love having my own clients and practice and designing my own client experience and how I like to care for my clients. It's just been the best thing I could have ever done.
[Speaker 2] (6:22 - 7:22)
Yeah, it's a big leap. I think you make a really great point about just making a decision, like a decision that right, because it's it's sort of a bit of I know when I shifted from contracting, you know, going, oh, I'll see how we go. And, you know, but you're sort of in this accelerator clutch kind of world.
It's the decision to go, right, I'm going to do it because it is a big change from, you know, when you're just delivering because you don't have to worry about creating necessarily new IP or thought leadership in your case. So we're using yours, but going, OK, I have to go and find clients like these. They used to just come in the door and I just used to go and deliver.
But now you actually got to go and find these clients and and find who's a good fit for you. So how how did you do that? How did you go and work out?
Well, who you said you had lots of word of mouth and referrals, but did you do anything else that you need? Was there anything else in particular you needed to do to go and find new clients?
[Speaker 1] (7:23 - 8:21)
Well, I think the things that I've sort of done in my practice have still helped it to continue to be a referral business and it still continues. But there are things that you have to do. And, you know, fortunately, I've had some incredible coaching with an amazing person called Jane Anderson that's been very specific about getting that newsletter out every week, also making sure that those LinkedIn posts are visible, of being able to nurture your existing clients.
So I do believe having a focus on that has also been instrumental. And then also you've got to be able to have that system for following up the referrals and then how you take care of your referrers. And even when you get those inbound inquiries, you still have to be very responsive and getting back to people.
So for me, it's been nurturing my existing clients and then nurturing new clients that do come in that have been referred, but then also really nurturing referrers, because I'm also so grateful for the referral work that comes in as well.
[Speaker 2] (8:21 - 8:51)
Yeah, that's a really key one, because it's I think we can sometimes forget our history or the people that we've known from the past. We go, OK, I'm just going to go work with all these people now, start with a list from scratch. But you didn't do that.
And so we have to celebrate your new book. Hooray! Hooray!
They Serve Like We Lead. So this is your what book? Is this your second book?
[Speaker 1] (8:51 - 8:51)
Second book.
[Speaker 2] (8:52 - 9:12)
Yes. So the first one you did was around managing difficult customers. Correct.
And then you've written, now you've written this one. So tell us all about, so this is Serve, They Serve Like We Lead, how to take care of your people so they take care of your customers. So tell us all about your new book.
[Speaker 1] (9:12 - 11:02)
This is my heart book, Jane. This is the book I always wanted to write. So the Difficult Customer Behaviour book just came out of COVID when I, as soon as I saw customers fighting over toilet paper, I knew our customer service community was in trouble and just seeing the accelerated behaviour.
I was just like, I have to do something. So that book literally came out of a meditation. Whereas this is the book that I'd wanted to write for about 10 years, like I'd always wanted to write this book.
So the book for me was about always being able to work so much with the frontline, internal teams, but then also working with leaders. But I just remember that point where I was, particularly when I was delivering a lot of frontline training, just hearing the impact that either an exceptional leader made or having that, seeing the impact of just really poor leadership. And I remember seeing that quote from Sir John Sainsbury, They Serve Like We Lead.
And I still remember that moment that I saw it. And I said, that just sums up everything that I have ever seen in the world of service about the difference that like an exceptional leader makes or the difference that having a really terrible, you know, non-customer, non-people focused leader. And I said at the time, one day I'm going to write a book called They Serve Like We Lead.
And it's going to have, that's going to be the title. And so for me, it's a really practical book that puts people and customers at the centre. But it is all about how to be able to lead in a service driven and people driven way.
So, you know, it's the way that I wrote it was so that, you know, you could read the book, but then also at the end of it, there's reflections. There's also actions. What am I going to go?
So I wanted it to be a really practical hands on. I can read this book and it's also going to give me skills and tips and ideas that I can go and practically apply. So there's only a little bit at the start that really talks about that difference between servant and service leadership.
But then it's a really practical hands on book.
[Speaker 2] (11:03 - 11:28)
Yeah, there's something I really love in here where you said, which is about recruiting and you said, recruit people who have service in their soul, I think is what you say, from memory. Can you tell us a bit about what you mean by that?
[Speaker 1] (11:29 - 12:56)
It's one of those things that, you know, if you get people that genuinely want to be there to take care of the customer, that love people, that love being of service, that love caring and serving other people, we can teach people skills and we can teach them systems and we can teach them the CRM and so on. But having that at the heart, you know, for me always is the start of all service excellence. And I remember doing a training session.
It was a public program that I was running and I was chatting to somebody who came in and they were the first participant of the day. And we were just having a bit of a chat. And she said, oh, she said, can't believe I'm here.
She said, I hate customers. She said, I hate dealing with them. She said, I hate talking with them.
She said, I just I just can't stand dealing with customers. So that's really interesting. I said, what is it that you do at your company?
And she said, I'm the receptionist. And I went, OK, we've got a problem right here. So, you know, you know, it's still a really lovely person, just did not want to be there to look after the customers, completely wrong job fit.
So I actually spent some time, even though I know that they'd sent this person to me for the day to be able to hopefully get them to deliver great service. It was just fundamental, you know, wrong job fit. And I suggested, you know, what else do you enjoy?
What are the things that it turns out, you know, loved numbers and systems. And so I actually did some mini coaching to be able to go and explore that because we have to have people that genuinely want to be there to to care, to take care of people. And that is where everything starts.
And if you can get that one right, everything else will follow.
[Speaker 2] (12:56 - 13:24)
Oh, I love that. And Monique, you've worked with some incredible organisations from, you know, sporting retailers, associations, local city councils. Who do you find are the type of people who who typically engage you?
Is there a specific type of, you know, industry that really connects with you or a mindset with a type of client? What do you find?
[Speaker 1] (13:25 - 14:56)
One of the things that I've always found so fascinating, Jane, is the diversity of the industries that I work in. And so, you know, literally can be from, you know, a huge, you know, sporting arena through to a, you know, health care. It can be, you know, do a lot of work in local government council.
It could also, you know, be working with a football club. I can then be with an IT company. I could then be with logistics.
It's just I love that every week I look at my diary and just go. The diversity of industry is extraordinary. And because I customise and tailor everything that I do, that's what also I love, because, you know, I don't do generic programs.
They're all bespoke. They're all created for the client. I love getting to know the client and, you know, being able to really tailor that.
But I think there's two things that I find really interesting. One is clients that recognise that we really need some help on this, you know, customer experience journey. You know, we're here and this is where we want to be.
And there's a gap. And so, you know, I always love working with organisations that have identified that gap. It's part of their strategy is another really big reason why I'm there.
So customer focus has become a really important part of their overall strategy. And interestingly, the really great ones that want to just get even better. And so they're already delivering great service.
But how do we just take service to that next level? So it's a really interesting dynamic of different clients. But at the heart of it, they all genuinely want to be able to look after the customer and their people.
[Speaker 2] (14:56 - 15:39)
Well, I think that's a really important point, Monique, because how often do you find, I don't know about you, you know, I come from a pretty strong customer service background like you. And, you know, people would say to you, you need to go and work with this business. They just have the worst service.
You need to go and work with them. Go ring them up. Go tell them that they need to work with you.
But I think you make a really great point is that it's about which clients value your expertise, because otherwise you're on kind of a crusade that you're probably going to lose. Because if they were really valuing it, then it wouldn't be as bad. Do you find people say that to you all the time?
[Speaker 1] (15:39 - 16:14)
Oh, definitely. I'll get the, oh, you need to go here. Or this happened to me on the weekend.
Or, you know, I had someone the other day that was so cross and they put in a complaint. They said, I'm going to email them. You know, I'm going to email them your details.
They need to get in touch with you, this very animated, angry customer. So but you're right, Jane, like I will never do, you know, training or anything for training's sake. Like, you know, if I did ever get that sense that this was just a tick the box, I'm not the right fit because I I care too much and I care too much about the outcomes and also making sure that, you know, also that that that values alignment for me is also really, really important.
[Speaker 2] (16:15 - 16:49)
Yeah. And you can't care more than the customer like you. You know, that's just a losing battle.
And I think that's hard sometimes, you know, if you if you're at a stage of growing your practice that thinking, oh, is there enough clients out there for me? You know, there's that sort of scarcity mindset sometimes. And I've just got to do what it takes.
And that happens for a little while. But over time, you know, it's nice to be at that point where, you know, you don't have to necessarily work with those that are doing the tick and fleek exercise and being able to go, that's OK. Someone else will help them.
[Speaker 1] (16:49 - 17:12)
Yeah. And I will work with anyone. I don't care where you are.
And I always say that it doesn't. I've worked with organizations literally like at the three, you know, out of ten in terms of looking at this sort of service culture. And I look at where they are now.
I never, ever mind where people are. But, you know, what we want to do is have that mindset that we want to get here. And so if people are genuinely wanting to be able to make that shift, then I can work with absolutely, you know, anybody.
[Speaker 2] (17:13 - 17:45)
Yeah. And, Monique, when as you've grown your practice, what have been some of the big learnings along the way? Like you've had an incredible trajectory, like really making this decision only, you know, 18 months ago, even though you've had your practice for some time, but you've really committed to making this change and and stepping into your own life and and being the thought leader in this space.
What have been the things that have been the biggest learnings for you over the last 18 months in doing that?
[Speaker 1] (17:46 - 19:31)
There's been so many, honestly, it has been, you know, I think if I look at my learnings and I thought that I'd already learnt a lot, but the last, you know, particularly three, three years, three and a half years. And that because there was a point that had to lead up to that decision that that's where there's been, you know, my biggest learnings. And I think for me, it is definitely around trusting yourself.
I think that's a really big one. Like, you know, lots of different people will, you know, give different advice. Trusting for me is a really big one.
I think also investing in mentoring. That's been really significant and making sure that you have, you know, the right mentors and the right, you know, people and communities, you know, around you as well. But also, too, it really is doing the work.
And I know that there's no, no. And I know we have a hashtag in our community that says, you know, hashtag do what Jane says. But like, you know, it is about doing the work because you can be have the best advice or you can have the best, you know, mentoring, you can have the best ideas.
But if we don't execute on that, you know, for me, that has been the biggest thing. And it's been everything from, you know, getting my showreel done through to doing my, you know, collaterals and brochures and, you know, making sure that I, you know, get everything, you know, that I say that I'm going to do, that I actually do it, doing those LinkedIn posts every week, you know, writing those articles, writing those books. You know, it's one thing to be able to say that this is what I want to do.
But executing on that. So, you know, I've been blessed to have some incredible mentors, you know, surrounding me throughout these past, you know, three and a half years for different areas, you know, in my world. But that has just made the world of difference.
And then executing on the brilliant advice that you're given or else you'll still be in the same place.
[Speaker 2] (19:32 - 19:51)
Right. Yeah, it's easy to say I don't have time to write a book. I don't have time to write my blog.
And, you know, I love that quote where it says Beyonce still has 24 hours in the day, same as the rest of us. But you in particular, you have, by the way, you have how many children?
[Speaker 1] (19:51 - 19:53)
I have four children and one fur baby.
[Speaker 2] (19:56 - 20:24)
And so you have a lot going on. You have your hubby as well. And so you're running a household for most women who are kind of going, you know, I don't know if I could do this with all this stuff on my plate and to be able to run a practice.
And for some, it's not. For some, it's like, you know what? Actually, I'm going to wait till the kids have left time.
I know that that's better for me. But there are some that have younger ones who are sort of navigating through this. How on earth have you done that?
[Speaker 1] (20:25 - 22:32)
Really interesting question. So I think one of the biggest things that I have done has been around looking at what I do genuinely to maximize my time. And that also involves outsourcing.
I am the biggest fan of outsourcing in the world. That has been from looking at things like making sure that I do like if you've got to be able to calculate that down to like an an hourly rate to then be able to go, OK, well, you know, things like cleaning, you know, with that many people and beds to change. Like it's just it's huge in our house.
Like my mum's with us as well. So we've got a family of seven plus fur baby. You know, things like making sure that I, you know, do the shopping online.
I've just found an incredible food delivery service which is probably one of my life's highlights. I always said when I got to a certain point in my business that I was going to make sure I did that. But also to, you know, to be able to, you know, I did, you know, choose to have in-home care.
So that was something that I, you know, that I sort of felt was going to work sort of for us as a family. So on those days that I did work and then tried to sort of keep it that I worked sort of having my Mondays, you know, as my life admin day, you know, Fridays as business development and try to sort of keep that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. It doesn't always work like that.
But that was the way that I sort of structured, you know, particularly with the children having that calendar management then so that you can take birthdays off. You can take, you know, special, you know, events at school and things like that as well so that you can be present. But I do think that also and my writing time is like five a.m..
Like I do genuinely get up between four thirty and five o'clock in the morning. I'm wide awake anyway. So I'm working on book three at the moment.
So I was writing at five a.m. this morning. So I have that couple of hours between five and seven that there's nobody else in the house awake and it's just me. So I've and those chunks of time and making sure it's in the calendar to write the newsletter, to do the things that we need to do.
Calendar management, outsourcing and also that five a.m. club for me. Massive.
[Speaker 2] (22:33 - 22:56)
There's so much you can get in. And when you outsource your. So what I love about this is because often we can kind of think about outsourcing as in, oh, I'll get a VA.
And but you're talking about outsourcing your all the other things you need to outsource. So it's not just about your business, but it's about things that you need done at home.
[Speaker 1] (22:56 - 23:51)
Yeah, correct. And that's right down to an app that I found called Laundry Point. You know, and they want your point.
And like they come and get all the sheets once a week and wash all the sheets because, you know, for me to wash that many, you know, it's those things. We've got a lot of sheets and, you know, outsourcing, you know, the ironing and things like that. Like I genuinely I remember when I was about 15, Jane, and I was working at Safeway, I did offer part of my wage to my mom to get a clean up.
That's how much I despised anything domestic for my whole life. But I also go, what do I want to do? I want to be able to do the work that I love and I want to be able to spend my weekends and evenings, you know, with my family and having that time.
So, you know, if we if I work hard on that, that means that I can do that. So that that for me is also about thinking about all of those things that I can do to maximise my time for my business and most importantly, my family.
[Speaker 2] (23:52 - 23:55)
Yeah, because there's an opportunity cost. Correct. That time.
[Speaker 1] (23:55 - 23:56)
Yeah.
[Speaker 2] (23:56 - 24:17)
It's like, well, what's the best use of my time? Different if you find something really fulfilling and, you know, but at the same time is going, OK, well, do I really need to do this? And and those sites are fantastic.
You know, there's so much more available every time I turn around. There's more, you know, between what is it? Air Tasker, which is what did you say?
[Speaker 1] (24:17 - 24:19)
It's laundry, laundry point, laundry point.
[Speaker 2] (24:20 - 25:38)
You know, all these sites. I think it's so much more. There's so much more available, more help available.
We've got the gig economy where people are, you know, looking for different ways to be able to increase their income and do different things that, you know, and to having food readily available like that's food delivery services. You know, I remember we're talking about recently just, you know, these things affect your delivery to like it's not necessarily like you think about what's return on investment of your time. But I think about return investment of your attention, too, because in the time that you're thinking about how many sheets need to be washed and how many what needs to be cooked for dinner and all these things is that something kind of misses out, like whether it's a workbook doesn't get finished properly or a handouts forgotten to take to a workshop or, you know, something's something's dropped somewhere.
And they're all little things that sort of start to add up, aren't they? And they do affect, you know, we can talk about how can I improve the quality of my delivery? Sometimes it's things outside of the business that we need help with to continue to improve the quality of our delivery.
Yeah, definitely. I'm thinking VAs all the time or graphic designers, but it's not that necessarily all the time, is it?
[Speaker 1] (25:38 - 26:43)
Yeah. And for me, it's both. So I think that's something that, you know, you've been instrumental in helping me to be able to look at, but also to having that help for my business and the person who was the incredible graphic designer, you know, having a wonderful executive assistant that, you know, is able to make sure that that newsletter gets sent and to be able to help with all of those tasks.
And I've recently just put on a, you know, wonderful new business manager as well. So, you know, just for a certain amount of hours per week. So there's the support there and then the support, you know, at home.
So by having both of those, it allows me to focus on what do I love to do? I love to take care of my clients. I love to deliver and I love to write.
So that keeps me, you know, doing what I absolutely love most. But I've got the support to enable me to do that because, you know, life's a lot. It's a full, you know, and busy and crazy life.
And I love it and I wouldn't have it any other way. But, you know, I've also got to be really strategic about time and and really being able to maximise, you know, those hours, you know, in the day. And then, you know, usually between 9.30 and 10 down to sleep.
[Speaker 2] (26:44 - 28:15)
So you're cooked. You are so inspiring. You make it look so easy, Monique, like with the the things that you're you obviously are such an incredible mum.
Your kids just adore you. Your photos of the time that you get to spend with your kids and your family and your mum, of course, and hubby and Timo, of course. I forget, Timo.
But, you know, you just it all looks so easy, doesn't it? Like, you know, from the surface, like, oh, you know, is that all she does? Oh, how easy is that?
You know, I can do that. But it's not till sometimes when we get into it that we're behind the scenes or, you know, if we think about the iceberg, we see just the surface level stuff underneath. There's all these things going on and it can be a bit overwhelming for some people, particularly when they're starting, starting out and going, oh, my God, I've got to write a book, do keynotes.
-
I've got to speak at conferences. I've got all these things I've got to do. What advice would you have for those who are listening to this and for them if they're trying to take their practice, particularly through to if they're coming out of those six figures into seven figure mark or they might be early days and really in those early six figures and trying to really move into the five hundred, six hundreds, you know, it could be even a hundred thousand trying to get through to there.
What advice would you have for them about growing your practice, particularly if you have other demands outside work?
[Speaker 1] (28:16 - 30:43)
I believe if you can sort of work out sort of what is most important and focus on that, that really does help. So that's where I think having like the values like for me, oh, you know, I have my own hashtag, which is family first always. So, you know, I look at what are those things that I need to make sure with my, you know, my calendar as well, that I make sure that that's sort of all in there.
So I do work to, you know, a calendar like a seven day menu plan, all of those things like calendar management when you're trying to do a lot is critically important. And for me, it's then being able to look at, OK, what are those just really important and you can still continue to improve, but making sure you've got those fundamentals of the, you know, the website, being really clear about what it is that you're offering so that then you can, you know, build those, you know, collaterals and making sure that you've got your, you know, something that you've taught us a lot about, you know, with your top 150 clients that you need to be able to nurture and and look after and then be able just for me, this has been building blocks and you can't do everything at once. Like if I look at where I was, you know, three and a half years ago with an idea to write a book and an idea to do more keynote speaking, I've had to really specifically and strategically look at what are those steps that I need to take. So if it is the idea for the book, then to be able to go, OK, when do I want that book to then be written?
So I need to give myself this amount of time. Does that mean I'm going to put a certain amount of time away each day to write or am I going to block a period? So I do see that tying into to the planning around that, but then working out what are those things that my practice really does need.
And I think even early on getting some help to do those things and particularly, you know, more of the, you know, admin and the scheduling of newsletters and those things that's, you know, for that's somebody else's genius that they can really help you with. So, you know, I think having that, you know, early on was also really helpful because it allowed me to keep focusing on, you know, clients delivery, developing, you know, an improving of programs, developing keynotes and so on. So but having that support at the same time was incredibly helpful because that was the I'd sit there for, you know, three hours trying to write and schedule this newsletter and I'll give it to my wonderful Irina and it's done, you know, like this.
So, you know, having that having that support early on so that you've got it just feels like you're being supported has been really important as well.
[Speaker 2] (30:44 - 31:06)
So it sounds like you've also spent the time on like the things that you really have to do. So you really have to do the thinking like, say, for a newsletter or the book. So, you know, you really have to do the writing and the thinking and the writing.
But after that. It's you need the support is give that to someone who is better at it, faster at it.
[Speaker 1] (31:07 - 32:43)
Definitely. Yeah. And I love I love writing.
I love, you know, writing my books. I love writing. I've got three that I'm writing at the moment, but I love, you know, writing.
I love writing my newsletters and I love writing my, you know, all of my social posts, they're all, you know, done by me. But then it's the scheduling. That's what it's the, you know, implementing that.
So, yeah, and making sure that that support there is early on, because otherwise you're trying to do everything and it can be really overwhelming, you know, when you're trying to do everything. And I think that's what I found early on when I was sort of then had all of these ideas. And that was around, you know, writing my books and growing my practice and wanting to do more speaking and so on.
You know, it felt, you know, really overwhelming. And it still does. Some days when you look at your calendar in life and just go, you know, it is a little bit like that might look like that.
But underneath with it might look like the swan, but this is going on. And just before you're jumping on a podcast, someone's fighting over who ate someone's pizza. And, you know, it's the reality.
It's life. It's just not always going to be, you know, perfect. And you think this has worked and something happens.
But if you can come back to those values, you know, for me, values about, you know, my family values of taking care of my client value around my, you know, delivery and what I need to do for my practice. And you're right. No one else can write those collaterals for you.
No one else can write those. It's got it. So it's you and then blocking in time to do it.
Though I've just recently done an update on my website. I'm working on that. I literally locked myself away for two days.
And I said to the family, I need two days. I can't I can't grab little bits of time. I need to focus days.
[Speaker 2] (32:43 - 32:43)
Yeah.
[Speaker 1] (32:44 - 33:09)
You know, did some cheeky Maccas and did some bribery and extra chocolates. But, you know, for me, you know, blocking time as well to make sure that those, you know, things are done and prioritizing. So that's where, you know, I know I've got my planner in front of me, Jane, with my Jane planner, but my you know, my vision, my year goals, my quarter goals, my three goals for today.
And you come back to those to also help to keep that on track. That's also been incredibly useful.
[Speaker 2] (33:10 - 34:34)
That's great. You know, what I'm hearing is, you know, the level of this is all self-care, not as in I think self-care. We can think about massages and retreats, but this is self-care of things that, like you said, you've had to prioritize.
But, you know, these are things that matter and then work into those values from there, and that's obviously a big driver for your practice. We are just so in awe of you, Monique. We love following you, your journey and cheering you on.
You absolutely epitomize every bit of your message and the work that you do around customer service. And and, you know, I think if I'm sure for any organization that says, I want I just want everyone in my organization to be like Monique. I just want lots of Moniques running around in my organization.
I know our customers will all get the best care and the best love because, you know, the amount of thoughtfulness, gifts, things that you send out, kind messages. I think we can all really learn a lot from you in terms of, you know, this is for those who are following. You've got to jump on and get the book, but follow Monique on social media.
And Monique, this is you just this isn't something that you just talk about. You eat, sleep and breathe this. And this is exactly who you are.
So we're so thrilled for you with your book. For those who want to buy your book or if they want to follow you, what would you like them to do?
[Speaker 1] (34:34 - 34:57)
Well, my website is just MoniqueRichardson.com.au The book is available there and would love to connect on LinkedIn as well. So that's my main platform that I share. And I've also got a weekly service insights as well.
Newsletter that you can sign up for. And that just gives tips around service leadership and service recovery and taking care of customers. So would love to.
[Speaker 2] (34:57 - 35:43)
So fabulous. Thanks so much, Monique. So make sure you jump on.
Follow Monique and make sure you read the book, even a review on Amazon as well. And take a look, because, you know, she walks the talk. And it's super inspiring, I think, for the future of work and for the future, particularly for us as consultants, thought leaders, experts in our field is our customer service is the thing that that gains a competitive advantage.
I think, like you said, is that that that's where that's why you get so many referrals and why you've been able to build your practice where it's up to is because of the reputation that you have. So thanks so much for sharing all your expertise today. We can't wait to see the next book you're obviously working on.
And and we're cheering you on.
[Speaker 1] (35:43 - 35:58)
Thank you so much, Jane. It's just been such a joy to speak with you today. And, you know, in terms of looking at generosity and taking care of people and thoughtfulness, you live and breathe that message as well.
So, you know, I'm just so grateful to have you in my world.
[Speaker 2] (35:59 - 35:59)
My pleasure.
[Speaker 1] (36:00 - 36:01)
Thanks, Jane.
Most of the guests interviewed are current or alumni members of the Women With Influence community. Click here to find out more
