03 The Hidden Danger of “Winging It” in Business (and How to Build a Business You Actually Enjoy)

In this episode of What One Thing podcast, Phil Davenport from Affirm IT Services and Hayley Baxter from Corbar Accounting spoke with business strategist Emma Hine, who shared her brutally honest story of growing — and then walking away from — a million-pound business.

What started as a side project for freedom quickly became a full-time grind. Emma’s journey highlights something every business owner needs to hear: growth without strategy isn’t success — it’s stress.

1. When Growth Becomes a Trap

Phil summed it up perfectly during the chat — too many business owners chase growth without realising that “more customers, more turnover, more staff” can actually create more problems.

As he put it, “Your turnover goes up, but so do your costs, your stress levels, and your dependency on constant motion.”

Emma’s business hit seven figures, but without a clear plan or pricing strategy, the freedom she wanted vanished.

Hayley connected this back to the numbers:

“So many people don’t want to deal with finance — but avoiding it is exactly what stops you from spotting the warning signs early.”

And she’s right. Having a trusted accountant who goes beyond “ticking boxes” and actually helps you interpret what the numbers are saying can make all the difference between a business that runs you, and a business that runs smoothly.

2. The Importance of Setting Your “Sat Nav”

Emma’s one thing was simple but profound:

“Get clear on your dream — your vision. Otherwise, you’re driving without a sat nav.”

Too many business owners launch without deciding where they’re really going. As Hayley put it, “You might get there eventually… but what a journey it’s going to be.”

At Affirm IT, Phil often sees the same issue with tech systems — businesses bolt on solutions reactively rather than designing them with strategy in mind. The result? Time wasted, data scattered, and teams frustrated. The same principle applies to business planning and finance.

When you start with the end in mind — whether that’s scalable IT, sustainable profit, or a life with more flexibility — every decision becomes easier to measure against that goal.

3. Building the Right Support Network

Phil and Hayley both agreed on the power of having a peer group that keeps you accountable, not just cheers you on. Phil compared it to Slimming World:

“Your friends will say, ‘You’re doing great, have a slice of cake.’ A good mentor will ask, ‘Was that slice of cake in line with your goals?’”

In business, that means surrounding yourself with advisors who challenge you — not just agree with you.
From Hayley’s perspective, that could be an accountant who proactively talks to you about cash flow and forecasting. From Phil’s, it’s about having an IT partner who won’t let you settle for “good enough” when your systems are holding you back.

4. Freedom Comes from Clarity, Not Chaos

Emma’s story ends with freedom — she now runs a business on her terms, one that gives her time, space, and purpose.

But she had to learn the hard way that freedom doesn’t come from scaling up — it comes from smart systems, solid strategy, and support.

And that’s exactly what What One Thing is all about — honest conversations that help small business owners make better decisions for growth, profit, and happiness.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/03-emma-hine-from-burnout-to-balance-building-a/id1819926559?i=1000719722624
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