The Girls Mean Business™ Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Claire shares what's been going on behind the scenes: a trip to Düsseldorf with her daughter Chloe to immerse in German language ahead of her A-levels, a bout of vertigo that knocked her sideways, and weeks spent fighting to secure exam access arrangements for Chloe - a battle she knows many parents will relate to. But this episode isn't just a life upda...

Send us Fan Mail Chloe's German A-level speaking exam is in a few weeks and she's scared. So instead of more revision, we booked five days in Düsseldorf.  In this episode I'm talking about why we're going, what we've got planned, and the two lessons that come with this trip. One is for me - I've gone from a full week to two days to get everything done, which means get...

Send us Fan Mail I went to see Rick Astley in Newcastle and came home buzzing.  Sold-out crowd. Mostly people our age and older, all absolutely loving it. Gabrielle was on before him and was brilliant, and the whole night just had a really good feel to it.  Anyway, it made me think of you because he and Gabrielle both did something that we should all do more, and it doesn't involve singing!

Send us Fan Mail There are things in your business right now that are costing you money.  Not because they’re bad, or because they won’t work. Just because they’re not finished.  In this episode, Claire talks about all the half-done things that sit on your to-do list for weeks, months, sometimes years. The newsletter you meant to send. The product you started but haven’t listed. The freebie you ne...

Send us Fan Mail “I need you to do it cheap because I haven’t got much of a budget.”  Claire overheard this in a coffee shop last week… and knew exactly how that story ends.  In this episode, she talks about pricing, undercharging, and why lowering your prices to get work often brings the wrong kind of work.  You’ll hear a very honest story about charging £100 a day, working through Christmas, and...

Send us Fan Mail When did you last contact your existing customers?  Not to answer a question or chase a payment.  Actually contact them. Tell them something new. Remind them you exist. Let them know what else you do.  Because if the answer is “not for ages”… there’s money sitting there that could already be yours.  In this episode, Claire talks about why so many business owners focus on finding n...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever looked at your website or social posts and thought, “This makes total sense”… but no one’s buying?  It might not be your offer. It might not be your pricing.  It might be how you’re explaining what you do.  In this episode, Claire talks about the curse of knowledge. That point where you’ve been doing something for so long that you forget what it felt like to be new t...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of women are brilliant at what they do… and absolutely terrible at telling people about it.  In this episode, Claire talks about selling, and why so many good business owners freeze when it comes to promoting their work, putting a price on it, or asking someone to buy.  If selling has ever felt pushy, awkward, or like you’re bothering people, this will change how you see it....

Send us Fan Mail Most people know they need to put their prices up. They've known for months. The problem isn't knowing - it's the fear of what happens when you actually do it. Claire shares what really happens when you send that email, and why it's almost never as bad as you think.

Send us Fan Mail Being the cheapest option feels like a safe strategy. Fewer objections, more bookings, right? Claire breaks down what you're actually trading when you price low - and why the real cost has very little to do with money.

Send us Fan Mail If it feels like you've been busy for weeks but nothing has actually moved, this episode is probably why. Claire talks about what happens when you've got too many things competing for your attention at once - and why the answer is almost never to add something else to the list.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m talking about pricing for small business owners and why something can feel expensive to one person and completely fine to another.  Using simple real-life examples (including a £300 cycle helmet and buying flowers), I explain why value is relative, and why lowering your prices isn’t always the answer.  If you’ve ever thought “maybe I’m too expensive”, this wil...

Send us Fan Mail You know when someone sees what you offer, thinks “that looks really good”… and then doesn’t buy?  In this episode, I talk through exactly what’s going on there, using something that happened to me yesterday (and I catch myself doing it all the time).  This will take the pressure off if you’ve been thinking your pricing, offer or marketing is the problem… because a lot of the time...

Send us Fan Mail Nearly ten years ago, there was a little boutique in Darlington run by a woman called Mona.  I only ever went in for one thing…  …and somehow always came out with a full outfit.  Shoes, necklace, sometimes a bag — every time.  But I never felt sold to. I felt amazing.  In this episode, I’m sharing what Mona did (without even knowing she was doing it) and why most business owners a...

Send us Fan Mail A little story about Meggie and her favourite spot in the office… and why she refuses to stay there when something better comes along.  It got me thinking about how often we stick to the plan in our businesses, even when there’s something else right in front of us that’s working better.  If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing what you “should” be doing, but there might be an easier...

Send us Fan Mail Why does everyone else’s business look so much easier than yours?  You know the feeling.  You’re scrolling, and it looks like other people are constantly showing up, posting, selling… and it all just works.  Meanwhile, your business can feel like hard work.  In this episode, I’m talking about why that feeling shows up (even after years in business), what’s really going on behind t...

Send us Fan Mail You know that thing you were really going to stick to this year?  The emails. The posts. The showing up properly.  And then one week didn’t happen… and somehow that turned into not doing it at all.  In this episode, I’m talking about why that happens (and it’s not what you think), why January plans so often fall apart, and how to start again in a way that actually works in real li...

Send us Fan Mail It's late March and Claire was at the hairdresser this morning. Neither of them could work out where January and February had gone. This episode is that conversation - honest, no grand answers, just a reminder that you're not behind and the year isn't over yet.