Women's Business

This is a different conversation but one I loved, with Eve Williams, general manager of eBay UK as discuss Eve's journey from a working-class upbringing in Warrington to senior leadership. Eve reflects on her mother’s community-focused teaching, unhelpful early careers advice, and creating her own opportunities, from driving a Luton van for campus promotions to becoming the “elf” on Tesco’s Ch...

My guest this week is Jane Bertch - founder of La Cuisine Paris and in this conversation Jane discusses growing up in a modest Midwestern family where pride in work and having a “good job” were central, but career education felt limited, before talking about her early banking career and move to Paris which transformed her career and her life. She founded her business off the back of a conversation...

My guest this week is illustrator and artist Louise Lockhart, aka The Printed Peanut. Louise shares growing up with artist parents, studying illustration at Glasgow School of Art, and initially waitressing and travelling while building a portfolio. A pivotal year in Canada working in a stationery shop taught her practical retail and business basics and led her to start selling her screen-printed c...

In this episode I interview executive coach and author of More Money, More Life Sarah Bennett-Nash, who spent 20 years in investment banking, including roles at Goldman Sachs before moving into coaching and changing her relationship with work and money. Sarah discusses growing up with a strong work ethic, navigating boys’ clubs, undermining and imposter syndrome, and watching loud voices win while...

My guest this week is Danielle Close - founder of My Skin Feels - a skincare brand using rescued food. Danielle discusses early lessons about hard work from her entrepreneurial father and teacher mother, struggling in an academic school as a dyslexic student, and finding her way into beauty through makeup training and an early role as Charlotte Tilbury’s PA, where she learned “never take no for an...

My guest this week is Sally McLaren, founder of Ivy - a women’s essentials brand made with certified organic cotton. In this conversation Sally traces her early exposure to her parents’ family publishing business, her passion for textiles, and a fashion design/buying degree that led to 12 years as a clothing buyer at Boden, George, F&F at Tesco, and Sweaty Betty, where she learned product deve...

My guest this week is June Angelides MBE, venture partner at Samos Investments, founder of Levare Ventures, and an angel investor. June shares growing up in a Lagos entrepreneurial family, moving to the UK at 17, choosing Reuters for culture fit, and later joining Silicon Valley Bank in London. She describes motherhood reshaping her career and inspiring Mums in Tech, a child-friendly coding school...

My guest this week is writer Caro Giles who talks to me about work, motherhood and sustaining creativity amid care responsibilities. Caro reflects on her parents’ contrasting models of work, her determination to train as an actor, and how class dynamics and financial insecurity in London pushed her toward teaching. She describes becoming a mother of four, then ending her marriage, and raising two...

In this episode I speak to Tara Dixon - personal trainer, business owner, and mum of two, about her early career in performing arts, acting, and plus-size modelling, where she was constantly told she was either too big or too small. Tara shares how years of fad dieting and the pressures of appearance-based industries shaped her relationship with her body, and how motherhood, low mental health, and...

My guest today is Holly Brooke, a founder who spent years building a career at the sharp end of the beauty and wellness industry - from the Hut Group to talent management in Australia, from Gleam Futures to running operations at Caroline Hirons' Skin Rocks from its earliest days. She had a front row seat to what it takes to build a founder-led brand that people genuinely trust, and she learned...

In this episode I speak to Niki Hutchison, founder of Marketing Insiders Club and Fully Booked Bootcamp. Niki shares how early ad-agency work experience at 14 led to a career in advertising strategy, followed by a pivot into hospitality and then founding a children’s hip hop dance company. We talk about how Niki grew the dance business to 40 staff and 3,000 customers through strong brand strategy,...

In this episode I interview journalist and author Dolly Jones (former editor of Vogue.com and strategy director at Condé Nast) about her early work influences before discussing how Dolly accidentally entered fashion journalism, built a long digital career at Vogue during the rise of the internet, and later questioned status-based definitions of success. She discusses success as financial security,...

My guest this week us Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and we get into it all here. After Joeli's early career we dive into how being dropped from a contract after disclosing her pregnancy -followed by a high-risk pregnancy -radicalised her and led her to launch an anonymous storytelling blog on International Women’s Day 2015. Joeli describes how the project grew into an advice...

In this episode I speak to Samantha Harman AKA The Style Editor - a former journalist and newspaper editor turned personal stylist and author of the upcoming book Just Get Dressed. Samantha shares growing up on a council estate, being discouraged from journalism, working three jobs through university, and pushing past elitism and sexism to become an editor before 30 while facing intense online abu...

This episode is a quiet rallying cry that change is possible, with co-founder of Hawkins Laxton & Co, Sian Hawkins. We trace Sian’s early drive to work, her psychology degree, and how volunteering on the National Domestic Violence Helpline led to paid frontline work supporting women fleeing abuse and shaped her feminist lens on patriarchy and systemic injustice. A trafficking case sparked her...

I speak to PR and content strategist Antonia Taylor about her upbringing in Cyprus, the work ethic shaped by her grandfather and mother, and how she fell into PR through publishing publicity. Antonia shares how childcare logistics and commuting led her to freelance despite warnings of a “PR graveyard,” and discusses why workplace visibility is not neutral, highlighting the “paradox of visibility”...

In this episode I speak to Penny Wincer, a book coach and author, about creativity, care, and what work means when life is complex. Penny shares her path from a childhood around film sets to studying a multidisciplinary arts degree, assisting fashion photographers in London and New York, and ultimately becoming an interiors photographer. She explains how writing returned when she ringfenced Friday...

In this episode I speak with Sara Dalrymple - a speaker, mentor, and author with a wealth of experience in the language and logic of money, sales and self-promotion. We delve into Sara’s early career in banking, where she came to grips with the inequities women face despite hard work and dedication. Sara shares invaluable insights on pricing, explaining that it should be driven by logic rather tha...

In this episode I speak to Becca Stearn, co-founder of Mustard Made, the global locker brand. Becca shares her honest and unconventional journey from an unplanned pregnancy in her university days to launching a successful, unique locker business with her sister that has gone onto global success. We delve into her non-linear path, the inspiration behind Mustard Made, and the challenges of scaling a...

In this episode, I speak to Fliss Newland, powerhouse young founder of Wild Thingz, a fun and innovative lower sugar sweet brand. We discuss her career transition from working with major retail brands like Mondelez to acquiring and rebranding a 40-year-old vegan sweet business - and the untapped opportunity that exists when taking on a business that already exists!  Fliss shares her insights on th...

A must-listen! Prepare for a mind-stretching conversation that will challenge your perspective in the best way, as I talk all things money with Yinka Ewuola, an incredible entrepreneur and thought leader, about her inspiring journey from Goldman Sachs to supporting women in business. We delve into her experiences with workplace adversity, and the cultural influences that shaped her perspectives on...

Welcome to the 100th episode of Women's Business, and in this special edition, I have the spotlight turned on me by my friend and former pod guest Imogen Partridge. We mark this milestone with a deep dive into my personal and professional journey. This episode is packed with insights about launching the podcast, stepping into my personal brand, and creating impactful events like Wilder LIVE. We de...

Unapologetic feminists unite in this episode, as I speak to Sophie Lee, a voice and visibility consultant for purpose-driven businesses. Sophie shares her journey from journalism to business journalism in China, and eventually to founding Electric Peach, a decentralised brand agency. We delve into the challenges of personal branding, female empowerment, and the importance of an intersectional femi...

In this episode I speak to Katie Lopes, co-founder of Stripe and Stare, an innovative underwear brand making knickers women really want to wear. Katie shares her early career journey from television to retail, highlighting the importance of confidence and resilience. We delve into the ideation behind Stripe and Stare, focusing on creating underwear for women to feel comfortable and confident in, a...

In this episode I speak to Dr. Mandy Lehto, a coach, writer, speaker, and podcaster who helps driven leaders and overachievers slow down and redefine success. I loved this conversation and felt like I needed to make notes and listen back repeatedly! We delve into Mandy's fascinating journey from growing up on a farm with a strong work ethic to her career in investment banking, where the constant h...