Produced is a long-form interview podcast show hosted by Lisa Bean, exploring what it really takes to Produce original work in the world.
We want to hear about your journey. We want to hear the biggest lessons you’ve learnt on that journey (don’t skip the long dark night of the ‘what on earth am I doing with my life’ conversation). We want to hear what truths you subscribe to, and the ones you don’t.
And we really want to know what you’ve Produced that you love, what you’re busy Producing now, and what you want to have Produced in your lifetime. This could be businesses, programmes, books, TV shows, art…if you ‘produced’ it, we’d love to talk about it!
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ABOUT THE SHOW
In Produced, we explore the realities of building a business, the creative process of bringing original work to the world, the psychology of entrepreneurship, and the often messy journey between the first idea and the finished result. The conversations are thoughtful, honest and practical, with every episode designed to leave listeners with ideas they can immediately apply to their own business and creative life.
LATEST EPISODE:
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur, whether waiting for the economy to improve is holding you back, or what it really takes to build something that lasts beyond your lifetime, this conversation is going to change the way you think about business forever.
The conversations we love
We aren’t looking for polished success stories. We’re interested in the journey. We want to explore how you came back when everything seemed to be falling apart. We love to hear how you went from first uncertain draft, to final Produced outcome. We’d love insights into your mindset and process, people and ideas that influenced you, and little moments that impacted the final output.
We’d also love to talk about the projects you’re most proud of, and what you’re building next.
The tone we strike
Our tone is fun, funny, uplifting, but we don’t hide the gritty truth of what it truly takes to get something off the ground and scale. We love discussing journey. We love hearing about things that have influenced you, such as books, theories, moments in life, other entrepreneurs, artists, or work. And Lisa will always be looking for the lesson, the learning, the thing we can really draw out to help our listeners on their journey from first version to fully Produced.
Produced
For anyone wondering, “Is this really where I thought I’d be?”
PRODUCED is about feeling stuck, starting again, finding your purpose and figuring out what you actually want from life.
Honest conversations about mindset, purpose and producing what comes next.
What Nobody Tells You About Getting Published
Is it better to self publish your book, or get a book deal through an agent? In today’s episode Lisa Bean and Suzanne Alderson hold nothing back as they explore and challenge both publishing options, Lisa having self published, and Suzanne having published through Penguin Random House!
In this honest reflection on publishing your own book, best selling author Suzanne Alderson shares what it was really like to sign with a major publishing house, the challenging editing process that followed, and how the experience differed from what she expected. Lisa adds her unique perspective of paying to self publish her book, retaining almost full control of the process.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear how Suzanne’s agent got her the deal, how she became a best selling author after delivering her manuscript in February 2020, just before lockdown, along with how book advances actually work, what happens after your book is published, and why most of the promotional work falls on the author, not the publisher.
Lisa and Suzanne also explore why human stories matter more than ever in the age of AI, whether books are becoming obsolete, and what it really takes to find your voice as a writer.
This is a raw, honest conversation about creativity, validation, and what it means to make art in a world that wants everything packaged, productised, and profitable.
We hope you enjoy!
We cover:
- How Suzanne got her agent and what it takes to get into a major publishing house
- What it was like to sign a book deal with Penguin Random House
- What the true book editing process feels like
- The difference between self-publishing and getting a book deal including royalty percentages and creative freedom
- How book advances actually work
- What happens after your book is published
- Why you don’t need a book to validate you and what you should focus on instead
- How to become a better writer and why working with a fiction writer transformed Lisa’s manuscript
- How to find your voice as a writer and why you need to stop creating for other people’s approval
Guest:
Suzanne Alderson, author of Never Let Go published by Penguin Random House – https://link.amazon/B0aky9pkh
Find Suzanne on Substack: The Daily Ramble https://dailyramble.substack.com/
More from Lisa:
Lisa Bean – coaching, speaking, books + latest work: https://lisa-bean.com/
Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lisabeanuk/
4 October 2026
27 September 2026
20 September 2026
8 September 2026
7 September 2026
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What do we talk about on Produced?
Every conversation is about the business, and the work, and the person who created it. We love to discuss:
- Personal growth through entrepreneurship
- The journey of bringing art / work / books to the world
- The psychology of creative work
- Building businesses
- Production value in business and marketing
- Leadership and decision making
- Creativity, craftsmanship and excellence
- The journey from first idea to final production
- The reality behind success
- Books, ideas and frameworks worth sharing
ABOUT LISA
Lisa Bean is a UK Business Coach, motivational speaker and writer. She works with entrepreneurs, corporates and universities to teach on topics like how to scale to multiple six figures, how to develop your unique Thought Leadership and how to market your business online. With seven figures in personal sales from three multiple six figure businesses, Lisa talks effortlessly about the truth of what it takes to succeed in business and in life.