The Countrywoman’s Guide to Work, Life & You…

This episode was originally recorded as part of a series of interviews that I did for Do Radio, which they have generously allowed me to share with you, and I’m so pleased they did because the insights in these conversations are golden. Sarah James has been organising multi award-winning arts festivals for over 22 years. She is Managing Director and founder of non-profits Craft Festival, Bovey Tra...

Introduction One of the great things about hosting a podcast is that you get to chat to lots of people! I’m always curious to hear how people came to be doing what they do and it seems that serendipity often plays a big part in shaping careers! Timmy is no exception to this and becoming a multi-disciplined therapist happened organically after she qualified as a sports therapist. She then went on t...

So, it was an absolute treat to have an hour with him as part of my recent stint as a Do Radio presenter. David builds brands from nothing with next to nothing. Having spent a decade of his early years at Saatchi & Saatchi, he left to build his own brands. He was one of the founders of Howies in the 1990’s, which he exited via a trade sale to Timberland in the mid-2000’s. In 2008, he and Claire st...

In this episode, Sue Pryke shares her inspiring journey through ceramics, from learning how to cut leeks to prescribed lengths for supermarkets in her father’s business as a youngster, to working at Wedgwood and subsequently establishing her own design studio. She explores the importance of heritage craft skills, balancing industry with handmade quality, and how her upbringing influenced her metic...

I’ve known Dan Kieran for a little while now and first came across him when I read his book Do Start - How to Create and Run a Business (that doesn’t run you). It’s a great read and I loved the way he talked about his journey through starting and running a business. Dan is a seasoned entrepreneur and author. We’re both members of the Do Lectures community and connected on Linkedin, but our convers...

This episode was one I originally recorded for Do Radio, who have very kindly said I can also share the podcasts with you. As with the other ‘Do’ conversations, the interviews are so rich with honesty about the entrepreneurial journey and so rich with wisdom and experience that they match up really well with the things that we talk about on our CWG podcasts. I am so pleased to introduce you to Man...

Kresse Wesling, CBE, is a multi-award winning environmental entrepreneur. After first meeting the London Fire Brigade in 2005, Kresse launched Elvis & Kresse, which rescues and transforms decommissioned fire hose into innovative lifestyle products and returns 50% of profits to the Fire Fighters Charity. The company now collects 12 different waste streams and has several charitable partnerships and...

If you’re an ambitious entrepreneur scaling your business or you’re feeling stuck and can’t quite see where to go, then this interview with Les McKeown that I originally recorded for Do Radio should be on your list of things to listen to this week. Les developed his own trademark @predictablesuccess model and has worked with thousands of people running businesses over the years, so his insights ar...

I’ve known Lara for a few years now. She first popped up on my radar when she approached me to ask for advice about running her holiday let business at Combe Head House because she’d seen Dimpsey and knew that we were nearby. We met up and have become friends, chatting about business and life in general when we see each other. With three generations living together, two small children, properties...

Over Winter 2025, I hosted the Making Stuff Up Channel on Do Radio for 12 episodes, Do Radio is a new initiative which was the brainchild of David Hieatt and a fabulous team of people who came together to make it happen. Do Radio is a radio station for people who believe in the power of doing something. Featuring thought-provoking shows from inspiring minds, over the eight channels there is always...

Lucy Scudamore is one busy lady! I first came across Lucy on her Defender Deli instagram, on a reel talking through a veritable feast of delicacies that she was serving from the back of her specially converted Landrover Defender. Coronation pheasant, pheasant and stuffing sausage rolls, sticky mustard sausages - just her descriptions made me want to go and make some for my lunch! Plus being a Land...

I met Sam Cooper-Gray last year at an event for the launch of the HSBC Fearless and Thriving report about midlife female entrepreneurs, which was researched by Eleanor Mills from Noon. Sam was so passionate about raising both the profile of, and access to funding for, female entrepreneurs and the words that she spoke to the assembled room stuck with me for many weeks afterwards. Shortly after we m...

🌿 Discover the beauty of rural creativity with Kate Cullen. I finally met Kate at an event run by Charlie Dobbs and Matilda Carr earlier this year, having followed her on instagram for some time. We only had time for a brief chat but just before Christmas, Kate came down to Dimpsey in Somerset and took some beautiful photos for Dimpsey and Fablefaine , her location listing website. After we finis...

Georgia Tanner (who edits our articles and does a lot of our social media) and I had a meeting this week to discuss upcoming content for CWG. As part of that meeting, we were talking about the CWG lunch we held recently and all that we have learnt over the past year of working together. CWG has changed during that time, and to set us up ready for next year Georgia asked me if I could note down wha...

I used to suffer from this too… And it took me a lot of years to get the past tense into the above statement! * When I was in the corner at a family function, on the phone, frantically gesticulating that I would be done soon - my heart was torn in two. I felt I was being ‘less than’ at doing my job, because I wasn’t fully present, I felt I was being ‘less than’ at being a family member, because I...

I’ve got to be completely honest with you and say that when I started doing the podcast I wasn’t sure exactly how many episodes there would be. * Would I find enough people to talk to? * Would you be interested enough to listen? * Could I handle doing the tech side of things? Well, happily none of the above provided to be a problem, our interviewees have been unfailingly generous in sharing their...

I first came across Rock and Ruby socks when Ruby approached me about a collaboration with Dimpsey , my shepherd hut stay business. I took a look at Ruby’s website and loved her whole British-made ethos and the fact that her strapline talks about them being designed to last and to bring little moments of joy to the everyday. Socks for those who live thoughtfully… Handcrafted cotton and wool socks...

In this episode of the podcast, I sit down in a hand-built bow-top caravan with Sophie Allen - boatbuilder, wool-spinner, lambing shed assistant, cyclist, and explorer of paths less trodden. She’s also my goddaughter, so I’ve had the joy of watching her journey unfold from the very beginning. Sophie’s story winds from a geography degree at Bristol to a stable graduate role in the Civil Service - a...

I’m Tanya Lynch, a mother, a ridgeback owner and the founder of Ease Retreats . I love what I do, collaborating with authors and creatives, hosting retreats in beautiful venues across the UK. Most recently I launched The Bibliotherapists podcast with my co-host Toni Jones. I’m also a therapeutic journalling coach and through my programme ‘ Rage on a Page’ , I help midlife women channel their emoti...

Eva Humphries is a Nottingham-based nutritionist (BANT-registered and CNHC-accredited) with over nine years of clinical experience and an MSc in Clinical Nutrition. After switching careers from IT, she founded Wholefood Warrior to champion a down-to-earth, science-backed approach to healthy eating. Eva specialises in metabolic health, including type 2 diabetes and geriatric nutrition, and works ac...

For our 21st episode, we thought that it would be nice to go behind the scenes and get two of the team chatting together about our recent lunch, and a topic that it seems, strikes fear into the heart of many people - facing that camera and smiling while the shutter clicks away. First off, at the end of June we held our inaugral CWG lunch. It’s really important to us that we’re bringing you content...

Chloe Fuller always thought her life would follow a seemingly perfect script: she was sporty, social, and academically gifted. But everything changed in 2011, when a seemingly minor infection left her severely ill and never fully recovering. At just 13, Chloe faced a reality in stark contrast to her dreams: she lost her friends, her ability to attend school, and the independence that teens typical...

Nestled in the scenic northeast of Scotland, countryside influencer Ginny Mills is redefining what authenticity looks like in the digital age. With a warm presence and a passion for both rural living and body positivity, Ginny’s content offers a refreshing glimpse into her everyday life - one that includes muddy boots, supermarket fashion hauls, and a growing young horse named Remi. Though her ful...

In this powerful 30-minute interview, Emma speaks with Suzanne Alderson - author, speaker, and founder of the award-winning charity Parenting Mental Health . With raw honesty and a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, Suzanne shares her personal journey through trauma, crisis, and healing, and how it led her to build a lifeline for tens of thousands of parents navigating the complexities of adolescent me...

Emma Fuerbringer’s journey to ranch life in Canada wasn’t a straight line. Originally from the UK, she trained in law and fully expected to remain in England. But a twist of fate during her travels brought her to Western Canada, where she met her husband Peter. What started as a brief North American adventure turned into a 26-year love story with Alberta’s sweeping landscapes and tight-knit commun...