Bill Ross: Today's guest is Bodhi Aldridge, who is a mentor, coach, and best-selling co-author of Visionary Male Leaders. Drawing on his experience as a lawyer, father, grandfather, and global leadership facilitator, Bodhi helps men and organizations rediscover presence and authentic connection.

He specializes in integrating masculine and feminine energies for real business impact, inspiring leaders to embrace self-development and what matters most. Bodhi, welcome to our expert interview series.

Bodhi Aldridge: Thanks so much, it's a pleasure to be here.

Bill Ross: Great, great. Alright, now I know we don't have a lot of time, and the idea is to get some really good information to our listeners quickly, so I'm going to jump straight into the question, and that is, what is the most effective strategy you recommend for business owners to increase sales while also strengthening their company's reputation?

Bodhi Aldridge: Relationships.

Bill Ross: Well, that was simple. Are we done?

Bodhi Aldridge: Yep, done, that's it. I'm a man who cuts to the chase.

Bill Ross: good.

Bodhi Aldridge: It is that simple, guys, to any of the listeners. Now, the nuance is…

Yep, we all know that, you put two people in a room together, whether it's a client, a provider, a joint venture partner, any relationship, you put them together, and it depends on the context.

And what's key to relationship is communication.

Yet it starts with the relationship and communication you have with yourself.

Like, if you're not clear.

Right. Present, grounded, clear on what your intention is, clear on what your vision is. Yeah, when you go out there with a scattergun approach, then your business is going to be scattergun.

So, taking the time to really get present with yourself, and then how do I build relationships? And having, you know, coached globally for over 25 years, from, you know, the top Fortune 100 right down to the local supermarket.

And, you know, what I know is that, you know, whether it's email marketing, whether it's in-person.

It's all down to the relationships.

Bill Ross: Interesting. So I've… I've… For years now, it's really funny, because,

I graduated from college quite some time ago, and I did really well. I got good grades, I got, you know, a lot of stuff, and I…

And I really focused on the educational side of that, and I thought that was important, and my parents pushed me to that. But one of the things that I learned looking back is I did not spend a lot of time… I mean, I built friendships, lots of friendships.

But I didn't spend a lot of time building relationships beyond those initial friendships with, say, their families and things like that. And it's something that I've always looked back and kind of regretted, because I've… I've come to understand. It's like, okay, you've got all these amazing schools, like.

Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, and all these Ivy League schools, and forget the Ivy Leagues, any school for that matter. But…

The funny thing is, is, like, I have a brother with kids now, and anytime I have friends or family who ask me, you know, advice on what should they be telling their kids regarding the subject that you have actually brought up, which is relationships, is I tell them, okay, so when they go to college.

If it was my child, what I would tell them is, pass your classes, spend time on learning, it's important.

But don't make it the sole priority. Not only should they build relationships with their friends that they meet and those type of things, but they should make an effort to get to know their families and everything else to grow their network.

Is that really a microcosm of what you're telling me at this point in time that a business owner should do?

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, the real ingredient Yep, to healthy relationships and sustainable relationships, curiosity.

Bill Ross: Oh.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, if you can cultivate a mindset of curiosity, be curious. Be curious about your college friend, be curious about their family, be curious about their interests. You know, the studies are really clear that most people

Are happy to share if they feel a genuine connection and curiosity from the other person.

And that deepens the relationship. And then, yes, from that place.

Absolutely. It could be talking about their family, it could be talking about, you know, any of their interests.

And it's the same with your customers, and I know you do this very well with your business. So many business owners aren't really curious about what's going on for the customer.

And it's the same with their affiliate partners. You know, there's a psychology as to which relationships refer and which don't.

And when you understand the psychology of it, and you can be curious with your affiliate partners and go, how come this partner refers me all the time and this one doesn't?

Yeah, and there are certain keys, certain fears, and certain benefits that drive that relationship and that human behavior. So, yes, I agree with what you're saying, and I think curiosity is a superpower.

Bill Ross: I think that's… I think that's a really good point, the curiosity factor. So… so I think what you kind of laid is a little bit of a framework there, as far as… because you… you mentioned, okay, get to know yourself, your… your personal goal, not just goals, but… but,

I'm not wording this properly, but your offer, your presence, what you're giving, what, you know, your objective ultimately is, really be clear on that, and then go form those relationships. But you said something interesting about

curiosity. Be genuinely curious in the other person, and their interests, and their desires, and their goals, and that's what actually lays that foundation of

Building a good relationship, correct?

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, absolutely, and when you come from curiosity, one of the fundamental shifts for business owners and leaders

Yep, and it's… it is a process, depending where you are on your journey, what your financial situation is.

there's a shift where it's… it goes from, what can I get to what can I give?

Bill Ross: Right. Right.

Bodhi Aldridge: And when you really can own that, honestly, not frivolously.

Yeah, and really, the conversation is, I'm curious, and what can I give?

this person? What can I give in this moment? What can I give my customer? As you know, the law of reciprocity is you will get back.

Bill Ross: For so many people, it's the hustle of what can I get?

It's like…

Bodhi Aldridge: We go to a networking event, and everyone's hustling to try and get introductions and leads and everything, and there's someone standing in the corner who's really grounded, really present, really curious. And you go, I just want to meet this person.

Bill Ross: Yeah.

Bodhi Aldridge: Be that person. Be that person in the networking room.

Bill Ross: So help me… okay, so… so… so…

Kind of getting into a granular perspective of that real quick.

How would you tell a person who has been out there hustling and doing stuff, and they've…

you know, they've built a business and a foundation, but if they really want to get to that next level, and they really want more from their relationships, and let's be honest, they're thinking from a selfish standpoint. I don't mean that in a negative standpoint, but… but they are looking at, okay, how do I get more from my relationships? That is a…

A self-interested perspective.

How would you actually tell them to… to…

to look at themselves and change that perspective a little bit. That's a really hard question, I guess. I mean, because I'm thinking.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yep.

Bill Ross: And how do I even not talk about myself in this… in this thought process, right?

Bodhi Aldridge: That's it. And so the paradigm shift globally, and I've just come back from Europe, obviously my accent, I'm based in Australia, and what we're seeing, Bill, is this shift in business from the hustle to the flow.

Bill Ross: Right.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah? And what we know, the studies around effective leadership, the studies around effective business owners, and they've mapped this, they've got successful business owners to literally map their diary for a month, and they've looked at those that are most effective and those that are least effective.

And the most effective leaders, the most effective business owners have a daily reflective practice.

Bill Ross: Hmm.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, 10 minutes, 20 minutes a day, where they pause and they reflect.

Bill Ross: Interesting.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yep, and so what happens is, the analogy I use is, if you've got two wood choppers going to the forest, and there's a lot of trees to chop down.

And, you know, it's a… it's…

You know, it's gonna be a busy day, and they've both got sharp axes.

And away they go. Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop. And one wood chopper just keeps chopping, chopping, chopping, chopping, chopping, chopping. The other one, every hour, he stops.

Has a stretch, a drink of water, and sharpens his axe.

Which one's going to be more effective, do you think?

Bill Ross: Joy's the second person who's got the sharper axe.

Bodhi Aldridge: Exactly. If you're not sharpening your axe, if you're not reflecting.

Yeah, if you're not just taking some still time. Now, that's not… you know, going to the gym, doing exercise is useful, that's not reflection.

That's unpacking your to-do list and strategic thinking. But reflection, now it can be just sitting still in the garden, if you have a garden with a cup of tea.

You know, no devices, no distractions. It could be, you know, form… you know, meditating, yoga, they're movement exercises, but the key is

And the reflection… the simple reflection exercise bitways.

How did I show up today?

Bill Ross: Hmm.

Bodhi Aldridge: And if it's in the morning, how do I want to show up today?

What meetings have I got? What customers have I got? How do I want to be in that meeting?

Am I going to be curious? Am I going to be present? Or am I going to be distracted and in the hustle? Am I going to be there to be of service, or am I looking at what can I get? And the more you reflect, it's the superpower to all learning.

Yeah, you know, I work with elite athletes, as you know, all elite athletes have to have a reflective feedback process.

Bill Ross: Right.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, and interesting, when I talk about athletes, I work with a lot of athletes, elite athletes, and when some of them start working in business.

they, you know, they transfer out of their career, they're blown away. They're like, it's… when I was an athlete, if I didn't prepare myself

Get ready for training and get ready for the game. There's no way the coach would let me on the field.

Bill Ross: That's true.

Bodhi Aldridge: And he said, I see all these business people who wake up, hit the snooze button, hit the snooze button, jump out of bed, have a coffee, and go to work. They've done no prep.

Interesting. They haven't got themselves ready, they haven't reflected, and athletes go, how do they run the bloody business? Excuse the language.

Yeah, you know, and again, it doesn't make sense.

Bill Ross: It does, makes absolute sense. It makes absolute sense.

Bodhi Aldridge: Dang.

Bill Ross: And I… I think you've given some… some extremely valuable tips that I've taken personally from this. One is… is the… the aspect… because…

I genuinely want to serve, want to help, want to do those things. There's a stage in my life where, you know, my business has grown, and it is easier and enjoyable to help others grow and succeed and do those things. But

the idea of being curious, that… that was a really good tip that I think people can take and run with, because I never looked at it that way. It's like, you know.

asking questions when you're meeting somebody of true curiosity, to learn more and understand, and that's… that makes it engaging and fun. And then… and then to go on and sort of give that… the whole reflection aspect of… of…

preparing, like an athlete, for your day. You know, reflecting at the end of the day. I think those are amazing, amazing…

tips and advice to give somebody, and if they do that on a regular basis, I can see how that is a complete paradigm change. Completely.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, yeah, exactly, and if you're, if you're, you know, if you're chopping with a blunt axe, just take some time, you know, you'll be busy.

Right. And you'll feel like you're, you know, the busiest person in the room, yet you may not be as effective as someone who's got a sharper act.

Bill Ross: Fantastic. Well, Bodhi, I have one more question for you, and that is, first of all, let me say thank you, this has been an absolute pleasure, but if people want to know more, they want to know how you can help them, more information about you in general, how can they reach you?

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, the best way, firstly, my podcast, which is on, you know, Spotify, all the usual apps, is called True Freedom.

Bill Ross: Okay.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yep, and so I know that most business owners start their business looking for freedom.

Bill Ross: Right. And if you want to have a listen to some of those, you might get a sense of that.

Bodhi Aldridge: And then my website, which is, yeah, www.bodie Aldridge, it'll be in the show notes.com.

And yeah, there's some… there's some, good information there for anyone who wants to dip in, and… and obviously here to be curious and to serve, like you.

Bill Ross: That's great. Thank you, Bodhi. I really appreciate your time, and the advice you've shared with us today, I think it's extremely valuable. And again, one more time, thank you so much.

Bodhi Aldridge: Yeah, thanks, Bill, and thanks to the listeners. Go sharpen your axe. Alright, will do.