Style and Substance

Welcome back lovely listeners On what is reputedly the most depressing day of the year we wanted to bring a little light, a juxtaposition to the gloom and pop in with a short and hopefully sweet conversation about finding inspiration in these darker months. We share our personal thoughts on how we embrace the delights this season and some of the habits that keep us going until the shoots of spring...

Ever felt like a fraud in your own business, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for everyone to realise you're not as capable as they think? That gnawing fear isn't unique to you; it's a widespread experience known as Impostor Syndrome, and it's the topic of today’s discussion.  Welcome back lovely listeners as we dig into season 7, today we are peeling back the layers of this psychologic...

Welcome back lovely listeners and Happy New Year. We're kicking of a New Year and. New Season with our thoughts on the vibe of this year, what we're committing to and sharing a few thoughts on how to create some energy and momentum to pull you through. It's hopefully a lively, uplifting and positive episode, perfect if you need a little boost to get your mojo going as you get back to business. Hos...

Hello dear ones, As promised, if you need it over the coming days and weeks here's a few moments of guided calm for you to enjoy. Not advised to listen whilst driving so find a few minutes where you can sit undisturbed to give your nervous system a little reset. It's a sweet and simple just over five minutes guided track which is hopefully just enough time to calm everything down a little and crea...

Well lovely listeners we are finally here at the last episode of the 2023. What a year. Thank you so much for all your support of the podcast to date it really has been so wonderful to hear your feedback, answer your questions and of course read all your lovely reviews, it means such a lot. In keeping with tradition our last episode of season 6 and the year is an opportunity for us to reflect and...

Join us for our penultimate episode of the year as we explore the intricacies of navigating the holiday season with a sense of calm amidst the inevitable chaos. We delve into some of the challenges we might be facing during this hectic period, from balancing work and personal life to managing social anxiety and family dynamics. We'll share a few thoughts on finding tranquility in the mayhem, sugge...

Picture this: you've spent months, maybe even years, perfecting your unique product or service, pouring your heart and soul into every detail. Then, out of the blue, you stumble upon a carbon copy of your efforts being touted by a competitor. How do you handle it? Today, we're taking a deep dive into the murky waters of copying, comparison and competition within the entrepreneurial world. Inspired...

In this episode we explore the secrets of successful brand positioning and the power of creating a strong strategy. We look at how to set your brand apart in a crowded market and make sure it resonates with the right audience. We start with the importance of finding your niche or your ‘space’ - a crucial step towards attracting the right clients and building a loyal customer base. We'll take you t...

Join us as we discuss the fascinating world of pricing, its complexities and the challenges it poses for entrepreneurs. Navigating the world of contextualised pricing is not an easy task. However, understanding the importance of the value behind the services being provided, the costs associated with the production and delivery and the overall business positioning is key. Hear us out as we shed lig...

Welcome back lovely listeners and we are getting into the swing of season six with what we hope is a pretty dynamic episode. What if the hustle culture, so often glamorised and idolised as the only path to entrepreneurial success, was in fact a toxic trap? Leading you down a path to imposter syndrome and burnout? Imagine a business landscape where worth isn't defined solely by the latest ‘big numb...

Welcome back lovely listeners, season 6 is upon us and opening up this new season is our conversation about Entrepreneurial Spirit. Being an entrepreneur is such an exciting space to be in and one that both Fiona and I get so inspired by. In this wide ranging conversation we talk about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, the traits that make entrepreneurs different from other types of people and...

Well here it is folks, our final episode of season five before we break for half term and we hope you enjoy it. We've shaken up the format this week and dedicated it to answering some of the many questions that have come in from our lovely listeners. Everything from "how do I deal with growth not being what it was last year?" to "where do I start if I want to become a designer?" and all sorts in b...

We have a goodie for you this week lovely listeners. I am picking Fi's brains on a subject close to both our hearts - resonant branding. We explore the power of a resonant brand what it can do for your business as an entreprenuer and the game changing impact for designers. We dig into what it takes to create a truly resonant brand, what foundations you need, how to set you up in the best possible...

Hello lovely listeners, how are you feeling? Well if it's overwhelmed then we have a goodie for you! In this episode we start to explore the topic of overwhelm and our conversation goes far and wide. We cover everything from what triggers overwhelm, how we experience it and what we instinctively do in response to some of the potentially more helpful ways to tackle it. There's a whole section in th...

We've been hearing from more than a few people that it's a bit challenging at the moment and we've been asked to tackle the topic of converting clients so in this week's episode we do just that. How do we make the most of every opportunity that comes our way? How can we prepare in the right way to handle enquiries, deal with the challenge of potentially fewer sales and stay sane while we're at it?...

Welcome back lovely listeners. After last week's more personal episode, we are back to business and talking about creating positive cultures and the ripple effect possible when we show up with intention. We explore what we can do as entrepreneurs that is aligned with our passion and purpose to make a positive contribution to something beyond the financial economy. We talk about the rise in B-Corp...

Hello lovely listeners, we are back and I cannot believe it's season 5 already. This week Fiona and I are catching up about where we are at at the start of a new term and the last quarter of the year. Sharing some of our habits and ways we are staying motivated, some of our goals and aspirations and some of what we are really excited about this year. We hope you enjoy this rather more personal epi...

We have long wanted to bring this episode to you as burnout is something that many people are encountering these days. We've chosen to round off season 4 with this one as an invitation to make the most of the coming summer months for rest, rejuvenation and balance. In this conversation we explore the nature of burnout, how it shows up and why. We explore some of the practical ways to avoid it and...

Oh are we excited lovely listeners?! Just dropping by with a short bonus episode and an invitation for you to our very special September event PURPOSE & POSSIBILITIES, we can't wait to share it with you. For more information and to book your spot before the early bird discount ends, just hop over to Fiona's website here https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/purpose-and-possibilities Can't wait to s...

We have a slightly different format for you for this penultimate episode of the season. Today I'm talking to Fiona and Cecelina Tornberg about their latest collaboration, a wonderful online course, Art Directing Impactful Website Photography. We talk about the power of photography for your brand and how to create a truly emotive experience that creates impact on your website and drives that all im...

This is a wide ranging conversation where we talk through some of the tricky situations we've encountered recently when expectations change, boundaries need redefining and we encounter red flags in client interactions. We talk about the impact of ghosting, how the commercial landscape is changing for many of us and how to hopefully stay sane, maintain some perspective and communicate with grace wh...

Today we tackle one of the most common questions Fiona get's asked in conversations about branding. "How much of my own personality should I bring into my brand?" This is a common blocker for many entrepreneurs, particularly when as founders we feel so close to our businesses. Our own preferences when it comes to style and aesthetic can often cloud our judgement when it comes to what is commercial...

Welcome to episode 18 and today were digging into how to make the most of your time. Fi is a particularly good case study for how to squeeze the most out of a day and I really enjoy digging into what makes that work for her. We talk around the curses that can befall many a creative entrepreneur, everything from overwhelm, overwork, headless chicken syndrome to what happens when we go into ostrich...

Welcome back to season 4. We are delighted to be back and in this episode I get to mine Fiona's incredible brain and her wealth of knowledge in the field of colour psychology and branding. We talk about the origins of colour psychology and how Fiona's work with it over the last 15 years has evolved the original theory to apply it to the field of branding and design. We explore the benefits of this...

Well here we are at the end of Season 3 and were rounding it off with Purpose. What is it, why we need it and how to find it? A slightly daunting episode to bring out there as it's such a huge topic and so crucial to the empowered and inspired entrepreneur but hopefully there's some good food for thought. It was such an enjoyable conversation and it was so uplifting for both of us to connect with...