Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Angela Mathis , co-founder and Managing Director of Think Tank Maths , a specialist mathematical-modelling company working at the sharp end of energy transition and sustainable space . Angela explains, in wonderfully human terms, what her team actually does: building advanced models that help maximise every gust of wind...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Lynne Reeves , Managing Director of Motion Software , an Aberdeen-based company that provides inspection and compliance software to clients in oil and gas, renewables, construction, insurance and even live events and entertainment. If a piece of kit needs a safety certificate – from lifting gear on an offshore platform t...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Gael Simpson , personal trainer, menopause movement coach and former senior education leader. After more than 20 years as a teacher, head teacher and local authority leader for health and wellbeing, Gael has completely redesigned her career around movement, resilience and workplace wellbeing. Gael shares her journey from...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Catriona Smith , founder of Arden Property Management , an Edinburgh-based residential letting and property management agency celebrating its 20th year in business. Catriona shares how she “accidentally” became a letting agent after careers in primary teaching and a family business, starting out with her own small portfo...

In this powerful episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Becca Pearce , executive coach, former healthcare CEO and author of You Don’t Have To Achieve To Be Loved: Escape the Lies You’ve Been Sold to Design the Life You Want . Becca shares her remarkable journey from leading the implementation of Obamacare in Maryland, to a very public job loss, to a life-threatening...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Saj Sharif , CEO and founder of Zen Consultants Limited , a multi-award-winning accountancy practice supporting around 700 clients with everything from self-assessment and VAT to payroll, CIS and management accounts. Saj shares a powerful, very human business story. Once a stockbroker, she was signed off with ME/chronic...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Cecilia Righini , founder of Studio Lutalica , a queer, feminist, neurodivergent-led design agency and community interest company. Lutalica creates branding, websites and editorial design for feminist and LGBTQ+ organisations and founders, with a strong focus on lived experience, values and community impact. Cecilia shar...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined again by Margaret Brown , executive leadership coach, organisational development specialist and now author of Culture Pays – a book that has been 20 years in the making. With over 35 years’ experience working across engineering, energy, IT, construction, professional services and global corporates, Margaret has seen first-h...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Katrina Walker , co-founder of A Flat In Town , a central Edinburgh letting agency that has been “letting with heart” for 20 years. Starting as a temp in a small letting business, Katrina fell in love with the variety, the people and the privilege of being trusted with someone’s home – and eventually decided to build her...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Gayle Thomson , Employer Engagement Advisor in the Careers and Employability Service at the University of Aberdeen . Gayle works at the heart of the university’s strategy to expand work-based learning , connecting employers with students through internships, part-time roles, volunteering, mentoring and short-term shadowi...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Liz Carnie , director of PWS (formerly Power Washer Services), a second-generation family business started by her dad over 40 years ago. From one man and a van to a team of 28 covering all of Scotland, PWS now supplies and services power washers, compressors, generators, heaters and more – with a reputation built on back...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, Dr Brtenda Hector is joined by Kim Woolner , an independent HR consultant, founder of Holding Space , certified menopause coach and part-time team member at the Russell Anderson Foundation in Aberdeen. With more than 25 years in HR across energy, construction and other male-dominated industries, Kim brings a powerful mix of profession...

In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Paula Paterson , Founder and Solutions Director at FidesOak , a consultancy specialising in organisational cultural transformation in high-hazard industries. Paula explains how FidesOak helps leaders build high-performing teams that act like a “high-performing virus” inside an organisation – spreading better habits, psyc...

In this episode of  Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show , I’m joined by  Fiona Duguid , co-founder of  Indigo Seven Ventures ,  Chief Information Officer at Aurora Energy Services , and the portfolio lead for  Expo Design  – a business creating sustainable exhibition and display solutions using engineered fibreboard made from recycled cardboard. Fiona describe...

In this episode of  Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneurs Show , I’m joined by  Iona Foubister , Director and Building Surveyor at  FG Burnett , a long-established firm of chartered surveyors and commercial property consultants based in Aberdeen. Iona lifts the lid on what FG Burnett actually does – from those “For Sale” and “To Let” boards you see around town, to building surveys...

On this episode of  Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show , I’m joined by  Alana Innes , founder of  Rethink Accountancy  – a fully digital, remote-first accountancy practice that was paperless and cloud-based long before it became the norm. After 20 years in traditional firms and being told she  had  to be in the office, Alana walked away from corporate life to...

In this episode of Scale Her Up, Brenda Hector sits down with Mary Smith, founder of Relocation Scotland, who has spent 30 years helping individuals and families relocate to Scotland and call it home. From housing and schools to bank accounts and culture shock, Mary and her team support people through every step of a global move.  Mary shares how her own experiences living abroad in Zambia, S...

In this powerful episode of  Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneurs Show , I’m joined by  Marion McLaughlin , founder of  Aurora  – an autistic-led business that supports organisations to better understand and work with autistic and neurodivergent people. After years in the third sector delivering “womb to tomb” services for autistic people, Marion hit burnout trying to juggle...

Patricia Noel Drain , founder of Patricia Drain & Associates, author of 14 books, former teacher and executive recruiter turned mentor for women 50+. Patricia helps female entrepreneurs over 50  work less and make more—doing what they love . We talk reinvention, building saleable businesses with  systems  (she created 27 to step out of day-to-day), and designing life around free...

Liz Clayton-Jones , founder of Beehive Performance, advanced strengths coach and former corporate leader. Liz helps science, research and manufacturing teams become truly high-performing by putting people at the heart of every success. She shares her leap from 31 years in corporate to building a business from the  heart (not just the head) , why she once walked away from a signed contract tha...

Suz Bird, founder of Bird & Emmy, is a social media strategist working with SMEs across Scotland and the UK. She breaks down how to ditch “post for the algorithm” thinking, build a simple strategy that serves your business goals, and stay sane as a solo founder and single parent. We talk retainer vs project vs training models, why food-and-drink brands spark creative scrappiness, and how to us...

Guest:   Sophy Green , Chief Executive of Instant Neighbour, a 40-year Aberdeen charity and social enterprise. Sophy lifts the lid on balancing compassion with commercial discipline: running a food bank and the Giving Tree appeal, generating 85–90% of income through shops, an online store, joinery and carpet services, and delivering council contracts. We talk board governance (“nose in, hands...

Victoria Vyalikova, founder of Brand House, a digital marketing agency serving B2B and professional services from Aberdeen to international markets. We talk about building a specialist-first team, the associate model, and why honesty and transparency are the ultimate growth levers. Victoria shares her journey from Big Four marketing to launching during downturns, navigating COVID, and treating AI...

Welcome back to a very special episode of Scale Her Up! After 3 years of podcasts, we’ve officially hit the 100th episode . To celebrate that milestone today, we have Dr. Brenda Hector herself on the podcast. Not only is she the regular host of ScaleHerUp, she's a business development coach with ActionCoach, dedicated to helping business owners grow their business and achieve their dream. Today th...

In this Scale HER Up episode, coach and trainer  Claire Standen (Embodiment UK)  explains how to move  beyond Mental Health First Aid  into  embodied, trauma-informed leadership . We discuss reading behaviour as communication, nervous-system tools for teams, and the realities of leaping from employment to entrepreneurship as a single mum. Includes practical steps for cultu...