Building your Brand

"If I listened to my childhood trauma rather than like who I am now and the confidence I have now, then no, I would never show on video either." That's what today's guest visibility coach Maddy Shine had to say about showing up online (even when it's scary). If you listened to my revelations about playing small and my struggles with visibility in last week's episode you'll know just how poignant t...

My experience with coaching has been varied with some great experiences and some, well, mediocre ones but I recently started following online business owner, TEDX speaker, author AND podcast host Theresa Heath-Wareing and knew I needed to get her unique take on the industry. It's quite a different episode as Theresa coaches me while you get to listen in! It's really out of my comfort zone as I'm n...

Branding isn't just about looking good, it's also about understanding your values, your business goals and achievements and showcasing them in a way that feels good AND attracts the right people.  That's why I was excited to chat to my internet/IRL pal, personal branding expert Phil Pallen  who generously shared his unconventional approach to branding and digital marketing.  We talked about the di...

Our markers for business success vary and evolve as our lives change. But we rarely stop to think about how our failures can also be a marker for success.  Today I talk to PR Dispatch founder Rosie Davies-Smith about how closing her first business led to the success of her second and all the feelings that were brought up.  If you've ever worried about your own business decisions this is the perfec...

There's not a small business owner alive who hasn't grappled with their pricing. Whether it's asking if you're too expensive, too cheap, too diverse, not diverse enough chances are you've Googled "What should I charge for XYZ" and ended up as confused as you were to begin with.  That's why I wanted to chat with today's guest pricing mentor Susie Jackson. Susie shared her practical tips and financi...

In today's episode, I've roped my small biz pals into spilling the tea on their favourite memberships they've joined.  There are so many benefits to joining a membership, not least of which is the knowledge on offer from the host, the opportunities to network and the feeling of being a little less alone at work. Referenced:  My blog post   Doing it for the kids The Aligned Life The Best 90 Days Ev...

How many times have you wanted to change your branding because something else caught your eye? Or perhaps you've had to course correct in your business only to realise your branding will be completely obsolete if you do? Future proofing your branding is something I always encourage clients to think about in today's episode my guest logo designer, author and YouTuber Will Paterson talked me through...

As business owners, we are constantly writing with intent. We write to inform, educate and sell but we rarely stop to write like nobody's reading. But that is one of the best ways to get to the roots of an idea or a problem we need to get to the bottom of. You might know it as journalling but today I discuss the concept of exploratory writing (free writing without self-editing) with my guest, writ...

The fear of being copied can hold lots of us back from showing up online. This is exactly why I was so keen to talk to designer and Adobe community manager Kelsey Slay about her experience of dealing with a serial copycat and why that hasn't stopped her from showing up and creating content regardless.  Kelsey and I met via TikTok and got to meet in real life at Adobe Max so it's a really fun, chat...

Running a small business can sometimes feel like we are constantly waiting for 'success' to happen which can feel oh so frustrating.  As a small business owner, I know how tempting it is to fall down the rabbit hole of comparing myself to others, imagining they're doing it quicker and better than I am. But that's rarely true, and more often than not things take far longer to achieve than we ever s...

If you've ever hit a wall in your career you'll know igniting your creativity is the best way home to yourself. And learning something new is one of the best ways to flex that muscle, whether you're learning something related to your career or completely different to it.  In today's episode, I chatted with my friend and fellow Adobe Live Host Tony Harmer who has taught literally millions of people...

We can all agree that the last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster. Running a small business is hard work at the best of times but throw a double whammy of an unprecedented pandemic AND a recession into the mix and finding joy falls to the bottom of our (very long) to-do lists.  If you're nodding your head right now today's episode is going to transform how you think about happiness, posi...

How do you feel about money? If you're anything like me you might have a chequered history with your business finances and, let's face it, that rarely feels good. In today's empowering episode I chat with the award-winning founder of rainchq Davinia Tomlinson who is on a mission to help women take control of their financial futures. I've talked about burying my head in the sand with my business fi...

Tis the season for mince pies and reviews of the year! Which, let's face it can lead to a bit of comparisonitis and hand wringing as we feel we 'should' have done more. (Which, FYI, is never the case!) So in this very honest solo episode I share my own review of the year, warts and all! I open up about my wins, my losses and the things I'd rather forget in the hope that you'll remember everyone's...

Today's guest is the best-selling author of How to Style Your Brand and Brand Brilliance, Fiona Humberstone aka The Brand Stylist . We talk all about colour psychology and how it can help you to think strategically about brand design, taking your business to where you want it to be.  We dive deep into how to started with your branding through understanding how colour can tell your clients or custo...

If you need a reason to embrace short form video content this episode has a hep of reasons why it could transform your brand.  My guest, award winning freelance logo designer, James Barnard shares his journey to consistent viral content on TikTok, what it felt like to reach 160k followers on Instagram and exactly how that's turned into consistent leads and money in his business.  If you're a servi...

Video content has long been something us small business owners have to utilise but today I chat to Alice Loveday all about the creative power of stop-motion as a way to add personality to your brand.  While it may seem complex, stop-motion is actually relatively simple to learn (albeit time consuming at first!) and Alice shares how, 'with a wiggle and a jiggle' she creates stop motion social ads t...

As small business owners we have to know how to do EVERYTHING in our business but what if there was another way? In today's episode I chat with wholesale expert and the founder of Small Business Collaborative, Therese Ørtenblad.  Therese offers a really interesting perspective on the benefits of wholesaling and generously shares her wealth of knowledge as well as a truly mind blowing stat about th...

Brand values are a core part of your brand strategy but so many of us can feel overwhelmed at the thought of actually defining them. So in today's solo episode I'm guiding you through the principles of brand values, why knowing yours will elevate your branding and how to get clear on what yours actually are.  Referenced in the episode:  - Why brand strategy is so important with Luke Tonge - Buildi...

How do you pivot and bounce back from business stumbles? That's what Nicky Elliott and I talk about today as she opens up about her journey creating Wilder Ones, a beautiful clothing brand she started just 18 months ago.  Nicky is 'evangelical about branding' and she generously shares her branding journey, why she doesn't regret any mistakes she's made along the way and what's next for Wilder Ones...

If you've ever felt disheartened in your business a co-mentor could be the option you didn't know you needed. In today's episode Franky & Charlie share their journey from casual friends to formal co-mentors and co-hosts of their podcast, Friends with Business Benefits. It's a really inspiring episode for anyone feeling the pull to a more formal setup than random Whatsapp voicenotes! Today's ad com...

When it comes to planning, opening and growing an online business Jo McCarthy knows her stuff. Which is exactly why I had to talk to her about how online shops (and service based businesses!) can start to prepare for busy periods in their business.  In the episode Jo shares how we can start gleaning data ready for busy periods right now, and why understanding what we need to support our energy is...

If you're yet to dip your toes in the TikTok waters you'll want to hear my experience of getting 2.5 million views on one video with only 45 followers! In this episode I break down why I think that particular video went viral, what I would do differently next time and how going viral has affected my business. My hope is that you'll feel motivated and inspired to create the content you love on TikT...

If you've fallen out of love with Instagram but need it to market your small business this is the podcast episode you need! In today's episode I chat with small business mentor Astrid Bracke and about how she quit social media without damaging her profits.  Whether you need to step back from social media for your mental health or find some balance for your biz, this episode is packed with practica...

You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, right? One of the universal truths of building a brand is that you can't avoid criticism and, while it can be unpleasant, it also offers a huge opportunity for growth and change too. In today's episode I open up about my experience of criticism in my business as well as sharing some of your stories too. If you enjoyed this episode please leave...