Creating The Curve

In this solo episode, Anna reflects on the previous conversation with Michael Gordeev and explores why so many business owners stay busy without actually moving their business forward. She introduces the idea of "busy work" , the comfortable tasks that feel productive but don't create real progress, such as endlessly tweaking websites, experimenting with new software, or building new features inst...

In this episode, Anna is joined by marketing strategist Michael Gordeev , who shares practical lessons from large-scale brand turnarounds and explains how those same principles apply to smaller businesses. Michael talks through what really happens when business growth stalls, and why the answer is rarely doing more marketing, but doing the right marketing. He explains how many businesses spread th...

Most founders understand that customers matter. But understanding that in theory and truly knowing what customers think, want, and struggle with are very different things. In this solo episode, Anna builds on recent discussions about synthetic customers and explores one of the most common blind spots in small businesses, not spending enough time understanding customers properly. Customer research...

AI is changing how businesses understand their customers, but many founders are still unsure where to start or how to use it in a practical way. In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna is joined by Matt Wilkinson, founder of Strivenn, to explore how AI can help founders get closer to their customers without needing massive budgets or complicated tools. Matt shares his journey from scientist t...

Networking can feel uncomfortable, awkward, or even pointless when you first start, especially if you don't know where to go or who to talk to. In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna reflects on the practical realities of networking, particularly what it looks like when you're starting from scratch with no existing network. Drawing on her own experience of moving into a new area and bui...

Networking has a bit of a reputation problem. For many founders, the word alone brings up images of awkward small talk, forced introductions, and standing in the corner clutching a coffee, wondering how to escape politely. In this episode, Anna sits down with networking expert Stefan Thomas , author of multiple networking books, including Business Networking for Dummies , to break down what networ...

Many founders assume that if sales are slow, the problem must be their marketing. But what if the real issue is the offer itself? In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna reflects on her recent conversation with offer expert Janine Coombes and explores why getting your offer right is one of the most important parts of building a successful business. Anna shares real examples of businesses...

Many founders assume that if their marketing isn't working, the problem must be the marketing itself. But what if the real issue is the offer? In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna speaks with Janine Coombes , offer and positioning expert, about why so many service-based businesses struggle to sell what they do, even when they're working hard on marketing. Janine explains why a clear, well-...

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington reflects on her recent conversation with Dr Shah Siddiqui and explores a crucial question for founders: Are you trying to force yourself to do things that simply aren't in your skillset? Anna dives into the reality that many small businesses are built around one dominant expertise. Engineers hire engineers. Accountants hire accountants....

In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by Dr Shah Siddiqui to explore what it really means to be neurodivergent in the workplace and in business. As co-hosts of Neurodivergent Business Club, Anna and Dr Shah have regular conversations about ADHD, autism and different ways of thinking. In this episode, they go deeper into the lived experience of neurodivergent founders, t...

Trust isn't just a marketing tactic. It's the foundation of whether someone chooses you at all. In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington builds on last week's conversation with Lorraine Emmett and dives deeper into what trust really means for small business founders in today's climate. Drawing on insights from the Edelman Trust Barometer, conversations at You Are The Media, and...

Trust is often talked about in business, but rarely understood properly. In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by Lorraine Emmett, Managing Director of award-winning tech PR agency ECPR, to unpack why trust is not a "nice to have", but the foundation of sustainable growth. Lorraine draws on over 30 years of experience in PR and reputation management to explain why brand...

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington builds on last week's conversation about inclusion and diversity and brings it firmly into the world of practical, everyday business. Rather than treating inclusion as a tick-box exercise, Anna explores why cognitive diversity and different ways of thinking are one of the most powerful tools a business can have. Drawing on examples from...

In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna is joined by Inclusion Educator, writer, and speaker Orla McKeating, founder of Still I Rise Stories. Together, they explore what inclusion actually looks like in practice, beyond policies, buzzwords, and tick-box exercises. Orla shares how storytelling creates safer, more human spaces for difficult conversations, particularly around race, neurodiversit...

What if changing direction in your business isn't a sign of failure - but a sign you're paying attention? In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington reflects on last week's conversation with Sally Measom and goes deeper into the uncomfortable but very real space where success, identity and change collide. Drawing on her own winding career path, from programming to photography, co...

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't because you're failing, but because you've outgrown the version of success you were aiming for? In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by author, coach, and former Commercial Director Sally Measom , to talk about identity, belief systems, and what it really means to live life your way. Sally shares her journey from a demanding comm...

As founders, we spend so much time doing the work that keeps the business running that we often forget to step back and ask whether it's actually taking us where we want to go. In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington reflects on a challenging year for many business owners and explores why taking time to review, reset and plan isn't a luxury - it's essential work. Building on l...

Business protection is one of those topics most founders know they should think about… but often don't, until it's too late. In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by Tom O'Malley, business protection advisor and self-confessed industry misfit, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what business protection really is, why it's so misunderstood, and why putting it o...

Running a business can be lonely - especially when you're spending most of your time sat at your desk, trying to do everything yourself. In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington reflects on last week's conversation about community and digs into why community matters so much for founders - not just for support, but for visibility, confidence, learning, and even winning work. Dra...

In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by Mark Masters, founder of You Are The Media, to talk about what community really means in business and why it matters more than ever. They explore the shift away from broadcasting at people towards creating spaces where people feel they belong. From building trust and shared identity, to why experiences matter more than polished p...

In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington gets honest about the messy reality of making video as a founder... especially when you don't feel like it, don't have perfect equipment, or (in this case) have a full-on pre-Christmas cold. Following last week's conversation with Juma Bannister, Anna dives deeper into the real barriers behind video avoidance: procrastination, perfection...

Many founders know video would help their business… yet still avoid making it. Whether it's fear, uncertainty, perfectionism, or simply not knowing where to begin, video often feels harder than it should. In this episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington is joined by Juma Bannister , Executive Creative Director of Relate Studios, who breaks down the real reason people don't make video - and...

AI might feel like it suddenly exploded into our lives, but as Anna explains in this solo episode of Creating the Curve, the technology has been quietly shaping our world for years. The real challenge for founders isn't the AI itself - it's how we, as humans, respond to change. Drawing on decades of tech experience, personal stories, and insights from last week's guest Luke Williams, Anna explores...

AI is everywhere at the moment - but for most small business owners, it still feels confusing and overwhelming. In this episode of Creating the Curve, Anna speaks with Luke Williams, Group Head of AI at Intergage, about what it really takes for a business to adopt AI safely, ethically and without sending everyone into a panic. Rather than focusing on shiny tools or big promises, Luke takes a calm,...

If you don't know where your business is headed, how do you know what road to take? In this solo episode of Creating the Curve , Anna Bravington builds on last week's chat with HR expert Reyhana Jano by looking at one of the most overlooked questions in business: Where do you actually want to end up? Whether you plan to sell your company, pass it on, or simply work until retirement, your goals sha...