Starting the Conversation

It wasn't until I hosted the Insta Story Thing (my own Instagram challenge focused on creating better stories) that I actually considered what how they work for my business. Fast forward to now and I'm a huge advocate for using them to grow, serve and connect with your audience online. In this week's episode, I share the ins and outs of leading an Instagram challenge, commenting on my own experien...

I've always been in total awe of mothers. The closest I come to having a baby is caring for my dog and running my business, a world away from being responsible for breathing tiny humans. When considering who to explore this topic with, I knew that Megan, as a mother of two young boys and the creative behind Blossom & Crumb, would have so much to share / bring. Megan has run Blossom & Crumb, a wedd...

When we love our business, it's only natural to attach A LOT of emotion to our social platforms and this has positives and negatives. In this episode, I'll be serving you with a dose of encouragement rather than something to do / work / action. On one hand, more emotion can make us care more, however on the flip side it can make us care too much and stand in the way of what our real focus should b...

One of my favourite things about what I do is the people I get to work with. I value people who can be honest and are willing to show the behind the scenes of what they do because that's such an important part of running a business – the actual day to day. Enter Will. We met whilst working on a studio shoot and I've finally roped him into joining me on the podcast for this episode.   Will a highly...

This episode is an incredibly personal one for me. You may already know I run a business, but what you might not know is I do this alongside suffering with depression and everyday I'm presented with two options; to lean in, or to opt out. In this episode, I discuss my own experiences with depression, how it interacts with my work and how I've established a schedule that respects my mental health....

What first comes to mind when I say 'self-care?' A bubble bath? Relaxing on an exotic beach with a book? Yoga? Since I made the conscious decision for this podcast to cover the unspoken topics of running your own business, I knew right away that I needed to speak about self-care. When I met Amy (on Instagram of course) I knew instantly she was a perfect match for this episode. As s a self-care men...

Twelve months ago, I believed the myth that a six-figure launch was as easy as some Facebook adverts, a lead magnet and a sales funnel. Oh how I was wrong. I also made the assumption that because this business model worked for others, it would work for me too and I would experience the same levels of 'success' and fulfillment. Wrong again. In this episode, I share my experience of failing to launc...

We all know that running a business can be incredibly challenging for us as entrepreneurs, but I think we often disregard the (sometimes negative) impact what we do can have on those around us. So much of what I've achieved wouldn't have happened without the support of those around me, but dealing with someone who has an unconventional relationship with their work definitely isn't always easy for...

Ever have those days where you get to 6pm and it feels like you've achieved nothing but scroll through Instagram and open the fridge about 4 times an hour *hoping* there's something appealing in there? I'm so with you. As one girl bands, our time is precious and this episode is here to ensure you're making the most of the time you do have.  Over the past 3 years I've learnt a fair bit about what i...

Let's talk money. In business, it's often a taboo subject, but it really shouldn't be which is why for todays podcast episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Julia Day, the savvy financial coach behind Easy As Vat. This lovely lady is on a mission to make managing money easy for creative female entrepreneurs and I couldn't wait to chat to her about all things numbers and business (amongst oth...

Let's be real, navigating money in a business can be and has been for me, incredibly complex. From paying tax and making investments to dealing with the fluctuating income and separating business from personal, there's a whole lot to figure out and understand. When I first started my business (tbt to 18 year old me in 2016) I spent a good 18 months being fully unaware of the financial stuff. In th...

2 months ago I was without clients, watching my bank balance decline and questioning (pretty much every day) if my business was ever going to feel 'successful' again. Fast forward to now and I'm booked out (!), planning exciting projects and feeling like I'm exactly where I want to be. No, this episode isn't about the 'secret' which got me here, but an honest look into my experience of it all. I w...

As a graphic designer and published illustrator, Sarah has learnt a whole lot about what it looks like to run a successful and fulfilling business. In this episode she shared her experience of starting out, what she practically did to gain new clients, the process she went through of pivoting her services, how we as business owners can approach our own branding and even the back story of Comic San...

I've officially uploaded 24 (now 25) episodes! To mark the mini-milestone, I'm giving you a behind the scenes look into what creating this podcast has looked like and what I've learnt along the way. Listen in to hear what I've discovered about the reality of creating content and how these 5 learning curves are continuing to impact my business as a whole. _____ To connect with me, share your though...

I have a love hate relationship with personal branding . Whilst it's a remarkable way to create an online presence which engages with an audience, it brings with it a risk of creating an unhealthy relationship with your digital content. I've first hand experienced of both how powerful and negative it can be, which is why I wanted to dive into it in this episode… I'll be talking about why it sells,...

When Sapphire (todays guest) launched The Coven a few months back, it felt like perfect timing for me. I'll let her tell you more in the episode, but The Coven is a monthly membership platform which exists to support and empower female business owners. I can truly say that membership with The Coven has been one of the best investments I've made in my business.  We sat down (in her beautiful office...

If you follow me over on Instagram, you'll know that last week I carried out a little experiment. Through a series of 3 posts I lied to my followers, intentionally sharing visuals and captions which were far from reality. The purpose? To open up a conversation surrounding the relationship we have with social media, exploring the extent of the negative impact it can have over us. _____ Find the sho...

Instagram has to be one of my favourite platforms. There's something about the way it empowers us to connect with others, share our own narrative in a creative way and surround ourselves with community and inspiration, with there always being something new to try out. Despite this, I'm hearing more and more from those using it strategically (ie – for business purposes) that they find it a difficul...

When anyone asks me what I wish I'd known when I started my business, my answer is always the same… I wish I'd realised how vital it is to get in community, learn from others' stories and connect with those who get it. Fi Grayson, founded She can. She did. just under a year ago… a platform which puts the spotlight on young women who have dared to go solo and start their own businesses in the UK, s...

Joining me for this episode is Charlotte, from MediaLuxe. She's a brand communications and content specialist, empowering brands to say the right words, to the right people, on the right platforms. Your website is a fundamental part of your online presence. When a site is at its best, it accurately communicates all there is to know about a business, takes people from strangers to customers and sea...

If there's a checklist of possible problems to face when starting a business, I would've ticked the off. From having no work / life balance and pricing myself wrong to getting isolated and experiencing total burn out - the first year of my business is a textbook example of what not to do. Whether you're new to the self employed world or have had a business for years - there's always something to l...

In todays episode I sat down with Nataly Jennings, an adventurous wedding & elopement photographer, blogger & Youtuber. Nataly talked about her story into what she does now - getting real about the ups, downs and lessons she's learnt along the way. We discussed her experience of finding and sticking to a niche in the photography market and what it's looked like to manage multiple brands as a multi...

You're probably be bored to death of hearing four letters, GDPR… I think it's slightly ironic that a legislation intended to minimise unwanted emails has resulted in my inbox being bombarded with more emails than ever... Since all this conversation has arisen surrounding email marketing, I figured what better time to talk about what effective email marketing looks like? Now we're GDPR squeaky clea...

It's #MentalHealthAwareness week and sharing about mental illness online is always something I've deliberated over. I question how I can play a part in the overall conversation, whilst still recognising that I don't have all the answers and no two experiences are the same. I sat down with the lovely Lola Hoad to discuss how mental illness has played a part in our stories and what it's looked like...

The second I met Claudia, who with 10 years of industry experience is a PR goddess, I knew I needed her to join me on an episode to break down all things PR. From how small business' can engage in PR to tips for approaching journalists and how to define what's 'news worthy' in your business - Claudia shared some gold. If you're looking to engage with PR in your business, this is an episode for you...