PR Not BS

Today’s guest is Emma Jones, the new Small Business Commissioner, so if you are the owner of a small business, this podcast is not to be missed! Before going into details about her new role, Emma talks about starting her own business in her mid 20s, during the .com boom.  After reading a book by American, Dan Pink, called Free Agent Nation, and at a time when there was a rise in people becoming se...

My guest today is someone who I only met a few weeks ago at a networking group.  Harvey Boddy is the founder of HGP Property Deals. Working with his business partner, Jackie Collier, a multi-award winning property investor, they help people to buy and rent properties. They work with properties in Bradford and Leeds, where they do them up and supply them to the social housing market. Only 24, he ha...

In today's episode, Lauren talks to Paula Harsley about being a wordsmith. Paula specialises in helping businesses to bring their internal and external business communications to life. Paula worked in banking for many years and then for the Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub as one of their business navigators. Following the Covid pandemic and having met many business owners before and then dur...

My guest joining me today is Liz Perkins, a journalist who was involved in my No BS Media Summit at the end of last year. Liz is the night news editor on the Sunday Telegraph, but also she often appears on Time Radio, talking about Welsh politics. Previously, she was the night news editor at The Daily Express. She has already had an amazing career, having worked across the world, doing many differ...

Today’s episode of PR not BS with Lauren, she talks to national journalist Matt Barbour. He has been writing for national newspapers and magazines since he was in his early twenties. He got into journalism on a whim. Whilst at the University of Bristol he set up a magazine, which won The Guardian NUS Magazine of the Year Award. Following the success of the magazine, he was approached by The Times...

Lauren’s second podcast guest is Lewis Steeper, who along with his wife is the founder of the Oliver Steeper Foundation, following the tragic death of their son in 2021. Lewis shares Oliver’s story, and how he went to nursery as a fit, healthy nine month old baby who later choked while eating his dinner. After being told that all was well and it wasn’t an emergency, Lewis and Zoe arrived at the nu...

My guest today is Michael McEwan, a journalist who I’ve recently met on LinkedIn. Michael, a Scot, is a disability campaigner and freelance journalist.  He has worked for the BBC, STV and written for many different publications about disability and non-disability care issues. He talks about how as a youngster he wanted to get into media, but didn’t know how and also having cerebral palsy himself i...

Today’s episode of PR Not BS is going to be a little bit different because I’ve handed over to Lauren to interview her guest, Richard Tidmarsh! Richard is based in the Chippenham area and runs two businesses – Casali Recruitment and The Chippenham Dog Walker and Pet Care Services. Casali is a generalist recruitment business who works with a number of businesses both locally and UK wide helping the...

My guest today is a member of one of my networking groups, and I’m pleased to be talking to Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam of The FD Consultant. The FD Consultant is a collective of part time finance director consultants. After qualifying as an accountant, Romesh spent several years working at FTSE 100 businesses. Since 2008 he has either been full time chief financial officer or finance director of seve...

My guest today is my bestie, who I've known for around 15 years, Lis McDermott. Lis is a novelist, poet and writing mentor. As you’ll hear we have quite a lot in common! Lis has recently mentored me to write my second book and she talks about why she finds that weird, as I’m a writer, but also how it works. She talks about what she has learnt about PR and marketing from me and how that has im...

My guest today is Dane Whitehurst, Creative Director of Burgopak, who designs and produces packaging for different brands and products worldwide. The business is all about translating brand values into the ‘wow’ factor. Over the years the company has produced around 400 million of their patented systems! Dane talks about why packaging is important and should be one of the priorities to get in plac...

Today we have a very special episode as I sit down and talk to Lauren Roberts who is my stepdaughter and has been working with me in the business for just over a year. We’re sharing the behind the scenes of what it’s like to have a new aspect into our relationship. Lauren joined me as a media consultant and has learnt everything from scratch as what she did previously was quite different before sh...

My guest today is a fellow PR and marketing guru – Gemma Finch, the founder of Burford Creative. Although we work in the same field, we are not competitors, because of the different areas we live in, the variety of clients we work with, and the fields we tend to interact with. Therefore, we talk about collaboration, and even recognise while talking that there are some areas where we can already co...

Todays’ guest is Janet Shreeve of Shreeve Care Services. Janet and I have been working together for nearly two years, and it’s been an amazing time. Janet is passionate about her job, and as you’ll hear and although at retirement age, she has no intention of retiring! She strongly believes age has nothing to do with anything, and it’s all about your perspective on life and how you approach it. Jan...

Today’s guest is Hayley Knight, who like me works in PR and journalism.   She has been in PR for more than 10 years in a range of different jobs, from working at an in-house agency, then as a freelancer, and now running her own agency. Her journey to become a journalist is definitely interesting, as you’ll hear! She specializes in working with social impact/change and purpose led businesses, helpi...

The title of today’s podcast may sound like a joke, but you will soon find that there are very important things that affect all of us connected to the business that my guest works in. Even so, you may notice the odd loo pun… Becky Wall, along with her husband Charles is the co-owner and founder of a luxury mobile toilet company, A Plush Flush and also the co-owner and managing director of the Loo...

As a PR specialist and expert, the main aim of my professional life is to help people and their business or organisation to become more visible. In this episode I’m looking ahead to predict the things that the media will be interested in and help you to understand how you can get your voice heard by talking about those themes. As always, my over-riding message is that strong human interest stories...

Today I’m welcoming back my amazing client and friend, Chris Hunt Skelley MBE and owner of 2 Olympic medals. Chris, for anyone who doesn’t know him, is a Judo champion who won a gold medal in Tokyo, and a bronze medal in Paris.  This year has been a particularly traumatic one for Chris, who has had a lot of struggles with his mental health, leading up to taking part in his third Paralympics. I kno...

Today’s guest is a good friend of mine, plus I’m also a client of hers; she helped me to get my book published, and she is, Asha Clearwater from Turquoise Tiger Press. Asha is a content coach, book mentor and publisher who helps people to write books, create books and also create content. We have a great deal in common, in our love of books and writing, our love of telling stories and we even trai...

My guest today has already been on my podcast. His episode has been my most popular one so far and I couldn’t wait to have him back for an update. The last time Mike Rees spoke to me, he was standing (for the third time) as an independent candidate in the election for the Police and Crime Commissioner of Wiltshire. Sadly, Mike didn’t win, but came third, behind the labour and conservative party. W...

My guest today is friend and client, Kate Usher who has recently published a new book. Kate works with organisations, companies and businesses to have modern conversations about the menopause. Why? Because too many women end up leaving jobs when they hit the menopause, because they are misunderstood or can’t cope with the symptoms, which can be different for everyone. She shares how after being ma...

Today’s guest is someone I used to work with and haven’t seen for several years, and as you’ll hear we had a wonderful time catching up.  Nat Low and I met when we worked at ITV and were making documentaries, then lost touch.  He has now recently launched a new business, although remaining working in factual video and TV, he is also moving towards the world of PR, and his brother Toby is joining h...

Today’s guest is full of fascinating stories, and I know you’re going to enjoy this podcast! Jane is a correspondent for Business Insider, who lives just outside New York City and works from home. Originally from the UK, she has worked in the US for 19 years.  Business Insider is an online media outlet that as its name suggests focuses on tech and finance. However, there is a division called Insid...

My guest today is someone I know well, and who I work with – the wonderful, Dave Southby.  Dave is a financial adviser. Many of people aren’t too sure what they do, but Dave’s short definition is, ‘helping people plan for their financial future’. However, he’s what I’d call a ‘dream maker’ – and you’ll hear why during our conversation.   He has been in business for three years and loves what he do...

I have a lot of synergy with today’s guest, Carol Driver as she is also a journalist. She has been in the industry for 25 years, is now freelance, but has had a number of very interesting jobs.  She became an editor at quite a young age working with local newspapers - with huge responsibility - she then progressed in the industry to work with national papers, such as the Daily Mail; MailOnline as...