Friends with Business Benefits

After an extended hiatus, we’re back with season four. Kicking off with a bit of a reintroduction, we chat about what work looks like for us both right now in our respective businesses and share a little about what’s lighting us up professionally. This podcast was recorded in person - socially distanced, of course - before the second lockdown happened in the UK. The episode includes… - A reintrodu...

We’re back for our first episode since March, catching up and sharing what life and business has been like for us both during lockdown.  During this midyear check-in, we chat about finding a balance between taking bold leaps in business and working slowly but surely towards long-term goals. This episode includes… - A quick check-in with our 2020 goals. - Our thoughts on letting go of disappointmen...

In this episode, Charlie and Franky catch up about life during the lockdown. We discuss how we’re feeling, how things have changed for us in life and business and chat through the things many of us are dealing with right now. We cover homeschooling, showing up online during these strange times and the positives we're finding in the situation. Plus, Franky shares some insight on bringing her busine...

In this episode, Charlie and Franky catch-up and discuss how 2020 is treating them so far.  Off the back of Franky’s less than perfect start to the year, we’re deep-diving into surviving rough patches and challenging times in your business. With a new month and season upon us, we’re also thinking about pressing ‘reset’ and discussing why March is the perfect time for a fresh start. This episode in...

In our first episode of 2020 we take a look back at our highlights of 2019, the lessons we learnt along the way and how these are shaping our goals and intentions for the coming year.  Charlie discusses learning to be less hard on herself and her conflicting feelings around impending maternity leave. Franky shares how she’s hoping to bring more joy into her work this year and what that might mean...

This week, we’re getting personal and discussing that tricky topic of what to charge and how. It’s something Charlie is particularly struggling within these early days of running her business and we’re sure she’s not alone. We cover finding the confidence to market yourself at the “right” price point, what to do if your dream clients can’t afford you, overcoming money hang-ups, and lots more. Get...

Are you good at responding to your own intuition? Do you let your gut guide you as a business owner? Is it easier to know when something feels wrong rather than right? In this episode, we discuss all things intuition, attempting to define what it is and sharing some of the tools we use to help us listen to its signs and signals. We cover journaling in all its forms, meditation, mindfulness, tarot...

Does it feel like everyone around you is working harder and being more productive? Boy, can we relate!  Productivity is a topic that comes up regularly on the show, but today we’re talking about comparing your output to others.  Franky starts by describing a recent bout of comparisonitis. We talk about how we’re programmed to equate our self-worth with our productivity and share tips to help you s...

Are you feeling festive yet? This week, we’re talking all things seasonal content with an emphasis on staying true to yourself and putting a personal spin on familiar seasonal tropes. We discuss how to up your game if you’re planning for a busy sales season or the kind of value you can provide if this isn’t typically a key time for your business. As well as practical advice for planning your marke...

We’re back with an update after our unplanned hiatus. Find out why the podcast has taken a backseat over the last couple of months. We also talk about adapting when you realise your priorities need to shift. When life gets busy, what can you scale back on or let go of to lighten the load? Links and further reading: Listen to Charlie interviewed on the Being Heard podcast. Get full access to Friend...

We’ve shared plenty of wins on the podcast, but what happens when things ‘fail’ or fall short of your expectations? In this episode, we discuss the best way to handle business setbacks and share our top tips for transforming them into something positive. We chat about the importance of mindset and trying to prepare for all eventualities. We also tackle the challenges and heartache setbacks can bri...

Our chat this week was inspired by a recent email from Paul Jarvis in which he asked ‘do we have to love what we do?’ Our gut reaction is yes, we want to love our jobs. But how do you sustain that love over time? Franky comes up with an analogy that likens running a business to being in a long-term relationship. As always, Charlie champions prioritising the creative work. We also discuss embracing...

In this bumper episode, we chat about our feelings towards Instagram and how we’re currently using it as a tool for business.  We cover a wide range of topics including personal content vs business content, Stories vs main grid and the importance of showing up consistently. We also ask whether Instagram is the best place for our best content.  We round things up with a series of {definitely not} ‘...

Today we’re talking about the things we do and don’t miss about traditional employment.  We share our workplace experiences before becoming self-employed, chatting about office politics, collaborating with a team and the obvious social aspect. We also discuss elements we really miss like external validation and not having to wear ALL the hats. Finally, we talk about how to recreate all the best bi...

We’re back for our third season and kicking things off with a quick work/life update. As well as sharing what we got up to over the summer, we chat about how we’re easing ourselves into a new season.  Charlie has some big news and Franky describes how she’s feeling ahead of juggling her business with a long stretch of solo parenting. With this in mind, we touch on what it means to have a ‘lifestyl...

In the final episode of Season 2, we look back on the last few months of podcasting and discuss how the year’s been shaping up for us so far. We also look ahead to September and share our excitement for that inevitable ‘back-to-school’ feeling. We hope you have a wonderful summer filled with work, rest and play! If you’ve enjoyed this season, please leave us a review on iTunes or share with your c...

This week, we’re chatting about what it’s like to be a perfectionist. Franky describes how perfectionism showed up for her at an early age and shares the horror she felt when she realised she might be passing it on to her kids.  We chat about the pros and cons of being a perfectionist in business and beyond. Plus, we discuss the role social media plays in shaping our idea of what perfection might...

We’re tackling another hot topic today - purpose and values.  We share our own business values and discuss whether they’re separate from our personal ones. We chat about the danger of overthinking these things and the pressure we can feel when we compare our values to other people’s.  We also ask whether you need to have it all figured out. Has running a ‘values-led’ business become something of a...

Today, we’re diving into a huge topic - stress.  We start by discussing how it shows up for us, touching on both physical and mental manifestations. Charlie chats about the ebbs and flows of each month and Franky describes how easily the delicate balance of her family’s lives can be thrown off by issues unrelated to work. We talk about perspective and the danger of thinking we should be able to co...

As Charlie launches something new and exciting for her clients, we’re talking about experimenting in your business and trying new things. We chat about when to experiment and how it can benefit your business at different stages. At the same time, we discuss when NOT to try new things. We also talk about devising a formula or process for your experiments and how embracing the spirit of experimentat...

This week, we’re chatting about what happens when you face your fears and do scary things. Franky reports back after her first public speaking gig. She shares what she’s learned from the experience and the advice that helped her through. Charlie describes being braver about showing up and marketing herself online. We talk about building things up to be bigger and scarier than they really are and d...

This week, we share why we think taking breaks is so important when you work for yourself. Charlie talks about how she managed maternity leave and Franky explains why she’s made regular time off non-negotiable, describing her approach to scheduling work around the academic year, planning holiday childcare, and putting money aside to cover additional costs or any shortfall in her income. We talk ab...

In this episode, we’re tackling a topic we’ve wanted to talk about for a while. Speaking candidly about our own experiences, we share what it’s like being freelance while also raising a family. We chat about the highs and lows, the challenges we’ve faced, and what it feels like when you come up against ‘The Patriarchy’. We describe different seasons of parenting, what it feels like being pulled in...

Having recently pivoted her business, Charlie shares her current struggles with marketing herself online and talking about her services on platforms that, up until now, have been predominantly personal ones. We discuss finding the balance between personal content vs business content and talk about the difference between sharing our passions in the moment or being more strategic and intentional. We...

With Franky preparing for her first proper speaking gig, we dive into a conversation about expertise. What makes someone an expert and will we ever feel like experts ourselves? As well as discussing qualifications and the absence of external validation when you’re self-employed, we also examine imposter syndrome and all that goes with it.   Get full access to Friends with Business Benefits at frie...