Friends with Business Benefits

It’s the perfect time of year to spring clean your rhythms and routines, so that’s what we’re talking about in today’s episode. While some things will naturally shift as the seasons change, certain areas of life and business require us to be more intentional. Listen as Charlie walks us through her process, explaining how she supports her mentees to do the same. From figuring out what’s working and...

When is a pivot not a pivot and how do you know when it’s time to evolve? This week, we’re answering both these questions and more, digging into the practicalities of switching things up in your small business. We cover the realties of being solely responsible for you own professional development, reasons you might want to evolve, and the steps you need to take in order to do so. We also share evo...

It’s time for our annual ‘planner meeting’ where we review the previous year's planners and journals and discuss what we’ll be using for the year ahead. As well as sharing the notebooks and diaries we’ve invested in this year, we explain how we’ll be using them to stay organised at work and at home. It’s a must-listen for stationery fans and those who prefer pen and paper-based productivity tools!...

We’re kicking off the new year with our annual cosy conversation about reflections and intentions. Find out what went well for us last year and what we learned from the things that didn’t. We also chat about our words of the year, share a few goals for 2025, and make some solid(ish) plans for Q1. Links and Further Reading The Power of Play Larking About Content Creatives with Charlie Swift Join th...

In our final episode of the year, join us as we run through some of our non-business related faves. As well as our favourite films, TV shows, music and books, we chat about the habits and experiences we’ve enjoyed the most. It’s an episode filled with recommendations, just for you! Thank you for listening throughout 2024 and merry Christmas from both of us to all who celebrate! Join the conversati...

This week, we’re chatting about the power of play and what happens when you choose to prioritise and embrace it. Franky describes the transformative journey she’s been on this year after choosing ‘play’ as her guiding word. We discuss the impact it’s had on her mindset, her business and her life outside work. Charlie also shares what play has looked like for her over the last 12 months, and we bot...

This week we’re tackling a huge topic - the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the small business world as a whole and on us as individuals.  Charlie talks about using AI as a collaborative tool, highlighting some of the benefits, while Franky is very honest about how she thinks ChatGPT is already affecting her bottom line. We dive into some of the ethical issues surrounding AI and contemplate a...

This week, we’re chatting all things email marketing. To kick things off, Franky shares a personal dilemma about whether or not she should move her mailing list away from Mailchimp and/or start a Substack. As well as covering the pros and cons of various email marketing platforms, we also discuss strategy, consistency, outsourcing and AI, what we write about and how we come up with ideas.   Links...

As we head into the darker, colder months of the year, we’re how we embrace and survive the autumn/winter season. Whether you love this time of year or not, there’s something in this mini-episode for everyone.   Charlie describes some of her favourite seasonal rituals and Franky raves about her beloved thermal leggings. From making our homes feel cosy to working from home when it’s cold, we share...

We’re back from our summer break and ready for a big catch up! In this episode, we’re reflecting on Quarter 3 and looking ahead to Quarter 4. Find out what felt good, what didn’t and what we’ve learned in the process.  We also talk about our words of the year and how they’ve been showing up for us since we last spoke. As well as sharing a few sources of creative inspiration, we dig into our plans...

Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have...

Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have...

Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have...

Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have...

Welcome to the Summer Series! After 5 years and 100 episodes, we’re re-releasing some of our favourite conversations while we take some time off from recording. Perhaps you missed them the first time round, but even if you’ve heard them before, we think they’re worth another listen. Friends With Business Benefits will be back with fresh, new episodes in September. In the meantime, we hope you have...

In today’s episode, we’re introducing our summer series. For the very first time, we’ll be taking a proper planned break from recording and rereleasing some of our best episodes while we’re away.  Before we switch off for the summer, we’re also chatting about how we’re going to approach the next six weeks in our businesses. We cover everything from travel plans and taking time off to juggling chil...

This week, it’s Charlie’s turn to mine Franky for some expert advice! After neglecting her business blog for a VERY long time, she’s wondering how to get back into the habit of posting. More to the point, should she even bother trying? As well as explaining the benefits of blogging, Franky shares practical tips and lots of motivation to help you create more long-form content and bring new potentia...

In this episode, we’re reflecting on Quarter 2 and looking ahead to Quarter 3. Find out what felt good, what didn’t and what we’ve learned in the process. We also talk about our words of the year and how they’ve been showing up for us since we last spoke. As well as sharing a few sources of creative inspiration, we dig into our plans for the next three months of the year and discuss what we’re bot...

This week, we’re chatting about in-person networking. Although it was something we both leaned on heavily in the early days of freelancing, the pandemic had a huge impact on its role in our businesses. As Franky recently attended her first in-person event in almost 5 years, it seems like a good time to explore this topic and discuss what networking looks and feels like in 2024.    As well as shari...

How do you feel about Instagram trends? New trends, old trends, emerging trends, micro trends - love them or hate them, the app is full of them!    In this episode, we’re discussing Instagram trends in-depth, examining their impact, weighing up the pros and cons, and exploring how you can figure the ones to avoid and the ones you should jump on. From trending audio to tiny mics, we cover a lot of...

In today’s episode, we’re asking whether ‘everything is content’. This popular mantra is a phrase we’ve used and repeated ourselves, but is it true? How helpful is this approach and are there any pitfalls to avoid? Thinking critically and adding some much needed nuance, we explore content buckets, boundaries, protecting other people’s privacy and more.     Links and Further Reading Embracing and C...

In this mini episode, Charlie poses a question she originally asked on Instagram - do you make time for non-business activities during your working week?  After discussing things that might fall under this banner including life admin, self-care and creative dates, we explore why it might be hard to dedicate time to these activities when you could be working. We also share tips and advice  to help...

Are you feeling overwhelmed by Instagram? Are you overthinking your content and struggling to show up? Franky was. Having spent the last couple of years hiding on Instagram Stories and rarely posting to the grid, she finally realised something had to change. Luckily, her co-mentor happens to be an Insta-expert who gives excellent creative pep talks! Listen as we discuss how Franky’s been feeling a...

In this chatty episode, we’re looking back on the first three months of the year and ahead to Quarter 2. Find out what felt good, what didn’t and what we’ve learned in the process. We discuss how Franky has been showing up on Instagram and her brush with having a Reel go viral, and also talk through Charlie's relationship with consistency in content creation in this season. We also chat about our...

In this mini episode, we’re sharing ideas and inspiration to help you sneak more creativity into your daily life, especially if you’re short on time and/or caring for small children.    From finding the magic in the mundane to portable crafts you can do in front of the TV, there’s a mix of practical advice and gentle encouragement, all based on personal experience and our belief that creativity ca...