Women's Business

In this episode Amy Grilli shares the transformative journey that led her to create the Five Hour Club, a job board aimed at providing flexible work opportunities for parents. Amy recounts her early career in education and her struggles with identity when considering the traditional path of stay-at-home motherhood. Her viral LinkedIn post, which expressed a collective frustration with work-life inflexibility, struck a chord with literally millions of people (14millino and counting!) and prompted the creation of a platform offering five-hour workdays to cater to parents.   Amy discusses that with me, amidst the impact of societal judgment on women's roles, the emotional weight of invisible labour, and the broader implications of workplace inflexibility.   Insightful and inspiring, this episode delves into the challenges and triumphs of advocating for a work-life balance that honours both professional ambitions and family commitments.   Find the Five Hour Club online here.  Find the club on Instagram here.    Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.    --------------   Thank you so much to Tapd for supporting this episode.   Tapd is an EFT Practice run Denise Hanrahan.   More commonly known as Tapping, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is an amazing way to lower everyones favourite stress hormone - cortisol. It is also brilliant for dealing with anxiety, grief, panic attacks, even creative blocks. It could be the somatic practice you need to get yourself ‘unstuck’. For more info, check out tapd.co, or DM Denise on insta here.     Listeners will also benefit from a 20% discount on any one to one session. Use code ‘business’ when booking.    -------------   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS   03:13 Amy's Early Work Experiences 07:04 Transition to Teaching and Education 11:18 Struggles and Realizations 22:51 The Birth of the Five Hour Club 25:43 The LinkedIn Post That Changed Everything 26:35 Going Viral: The Unexpected Impact 27:26 Building Momentum: From Post to Community 31:54 Creating the Five Hour Workday 35:08 Redefining the Workplace for Parents 45:39 Future Plans and Community Building 50:00 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Anna Marthur a psychotherapist, author, podcaster and and mum of three, and in this episode Anna takes me on her journey from early entrepreneurial pursuits to her career in psychotherapy, and building her personal brand online, which started entirely by accident.  Anna shares real truths on the difficulty of monetising the work that she started on Instagram for free, as well as offering insights on managing anxiety, the importance of accepting support, and overcoming perfectionism, and we also delve into themes from Anna's latest book, 'The Uncomfortable Truth,' on confronting life's greatest fears, including failure, not being liked, and death. Anna offers practical advice for mums and her warmth comes through in spades. So much to take away from this conversation.  Find Anna's website here. Find Anna on Instagram here.  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.  -------------- Thank you so much to Tapd for supporting this episode.   Tapd is an EFT Practice run Denise Hanrahan.   More commonly known as Tapping, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is an amazing way to lower everyones favourite stress hormone - cortisol. It is also brilliant for dealing with anxiety, grief, panic attacks, even creative blocks. It could be the somatic practice you need to get yourself ‘unstuck’. For more info, check out tapd.co, or DM Denise on insta here.  Listeners will also benefit from a 20% discount on any one to one session. Use code ‘business’ when booking.  ------------------ Episode Highlights  01:12 Meet Anna Martha: Psychotherapist and Author 01:59 Anna's Early Work Experiences 03:07 The Influence of Family and Financial Struggles 06:08 Choosing a Career in Psychology 09:46 Transitioning to Psychotherapy 14:05 Building a Personal Brand on Instagram 21:20 Monetizing and Expanding Reach 28:53 Monetization and Accessibility 29:27 Supporting Mothers: Accepting Help 31:27 Perfectionism and Motherhood 34:27 Introducing 'The Uncomfortable Truth' 35:45 Embracing Life's Uncomfortable Truths 45:32 Balancing Work and Family 53:51 Reflecting on Career and Personal Growth 56:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Genevieve Sweeney is a designer and founder of a self-titled knitwear brand, who shares her journey into the fashion world with me, from working with big brands - both high street and designer - to founding her own business, where she prides herself on her commitment to slow fashion, British manufacturing and sustainable design.  Genevieve was influenced early on by her grandfather's craftsmanship, and her passion for knitting started in childhood, and I love this episode because Genevieve is a gentle and considered woman, who shows that anyone can build a brand with purpose if they have the desire and drive.  The discussion also delves into the personal challenges of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, as well as Genevieve's aspirations for the future of her business. Find Genevieve's website here And find the brand on Instagram here  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here  My community doors are now closed but you can join the waitlist for the next intake here.  ------------------- Thank you so much to Tapd for supporting this episode.    Tapd is an EFT Practice run Denise Hanrahan.   More commonly known as Tapping, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is an amazing way to lower everyones favourite stress hormone - cortisol.  It is also brilliant for dealing with anxiety, grief, panic attacks, even creative blocks. It could be the somatic practice you need to get yourself ‘unstuck’  For more info, check out tapd.co, that’s T A P D . Co  or DM Denise on insta here.  Listeners will also benefit from a 20% discount on any one to one session. Use code ‘business’ when booking.  ------------------ Episode highlights: 01:12 Meet Genevieve Sweeney: Champion of Slow Fashion 02:15 Genevieve's Early Influences and Career Beginnings 04:03 The Journey Through Education and Early Career 07:58 Navigating the Fashion Industry: High Street vs. Luxury 16:50 The Birth of a Sustainable Knitwear Brand 25:19 Scaling a Business: Brand Positioning and PR Strategies 26:00 Challenges and Successes in Gaining Press Coverage 27:09 Transition to Wholesale and Team Expansion 30:54 Balancing Motherhood and Business Growth 35:21 Improving the Knitwear Industry: Sustainability and Innovation 44:04 Future Goals: Micro Factory and Apprenticeships 45:28 Final Reflections and Personal Insights

My guest today is Rosey Davidson, founder of Just Chill Baby Sleep. She's also known as Just Chill Mama on Instagram where she has grown an engaged audience talking all things parenting - to babies and beyond.   Rosey takes us on her journey from corporate sales to becoming a renowned baby sleep consultant, driven by her own experiences as a mother, and her unique approach that she couldn't find online at the time.   We also talk business growth, marketing strategies (or lack of!) and how becoming known in your field can lead to other opportunities. There's also great insight on sleep for your older children that is worth listening out for!    Find Rosey on Instagram here    Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here    If you want to apply to join The Wilder Collective check it out here    Episode highlights: 01:50 Early Influences and Work Ethic 04:31 Academic Journey and Career Beginnings 07:17 Transition to Entrepreneurship 09:30 The Birth of Just Chill Baby Sleep 13:27 Navigating Growth and Scaling Challenges 13:50 Philosophy and Approach to Baby Sleep 21:11 Handling Criticism and Maintaining Brand Integrity 25:10 The Birth of 'Just Chill Mama' 25:49 Rapid Growth and Reality TV Connections 27:27 Building a Team and Expanding Services 29:08 Balancing Business and Family During Lockdown 32:20 Writing a Book and Organic Growth 37:49 Teen Sleep and Parenting Insights 45:08 Future Plans and Final Thoughts

In this episode Lucy Wheeler, founder of Lucy Legal talks to me about her pre-destined journey into the legal profession, her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field, and her transition from a conventional legal career to entrepreneurship when she realised she couldn't build the life she wanted in a conventional law firm.   Lucy shares insights on balancing her professional life with motherhood, the challenges of setting up her own businesses, and the importance of legal integrity for small businesses, along with the story of how her and her husband decided to do things differently with their kids, and her thoughts on challenging those stereotypes to build the life you want that spans career and family.    Lucy is offering listeners of Women's Business £10 off to join her membership with code NICKYWB. Find out more about the membership here.    Find Lucy on Instagram here    Don't forget to join in the conversation with me on Instagram here   And if you'd like to apply to join The Wilder Collective or get more information you can do that here.    Episode breakdown:    01:02 Meet Lucy Wheeler: The Journey to Lucy Legal Online 02:01 Early Influences and Work Ethic 04:32 Navigating Career Expectations 13:07 Challenges in a Male-Dominated Field 16:59 Moments of Reflection and Change 20:50 The Birth of Lucy Legal 27:45 Facing Challenges and Finding Compassion 28:36 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship 35:30 Balancing Business and Family 47:00 Legal Essentials for Small Businesses 53:38 Maintaining Integrity in Business Practices 57:45 Reflecting on Personal and Professional Growth

In this episode Lauren shares her journey from her early memories of seeing a strong work ethic in her parents, to founding UPFRONT, a business several years in the making. With her background in service design at the forefront of everything she does, Lauren has great insight on asking for feedback, and the power of using that feedback - both good and bad, to shape your business. Plus, we discuss finding confidence, how it can be learnt, and her mission to teach it through her Bond programme, with tips for listeners on unlearning societal expectations to boost their own confidence too. I think this could actually be a life-changing episode for so many people, and it's one I'll definitely revisit.    00:00 Introduction  01:04 Guest Introduction: Lauren Currie OBE 02:07 Early Memories and Work Ethic 05:29 School and Career Aspirations 07:09 Journey into Product and Service Design 14:24 Building the First Business: Service Design Consultancy 17:31 Transition to Employment and Upfront's Inception 22:18 The Evolution of Upfront 31:34 Discovering Natural Confidence 32:04 Confidence in Different Areas of Life 33:07 Building Confidence Through Community 35:01 Balancing Business and Motherhood 35:22 The Guilt of Motherhood 38:43 Pregnant Then Screwed: Advocacy and Activism 43:04 Challenges of Early Success 48:50 The Importance of Self-Compassion 54:40 Final Reflections and Advice   Bond 8 launches on the 9th September. Find out more here.   Find Lauren on Instagram here.    Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.    And find out more about The Wilder Collective and apply here.   

Finishing the current run of episodes with an absolute bang, Kira Matthews brings her unique perspective to Women's Business to set you up for summer. Not asking for the opportunities you want because of your audience size? Kira will make you think again about simply asking for what you want, asking again, embracing the rejection that may come - and separating that from yourself. She is the perfect example of someone practising what she preaches too, with stories of her own experiences that she shares, alongside her particular ideas on manifesting, what it is and how she does it, and how that can challenge the world view that is generally created for us.  All of this from a Gen Z with a whole load of wisdom - something that I am really passionate about my generation tapping into. One to listen to more than once to soak it all in - and then take action!  Find Kira on Instagram here  Find links to all of Kira's other 'stuff' here Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.  Women's Business will return in September. To pitch to be on the podcast or enquire about sponsorship head to the forms at the bottom of the page here.

Sometimes a conversation flows, and this is one of those, where Michele's story unfolded in the most natural way, with loads of learnings along the way. From her early life growing up in and around the family business, to her stint in marketing, to accidentally setting up a stationery brand, but then very intentionally scaling that brand, Michele has a really interesting story and useful insight into building a business with purpose in every sense of the word.  Shop Once Upon A Tuesday here Find Once Upon A Tuesday on Instagram here Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here

In this episode marketing expert Hannah Isted talks to me about her journey to creating The Best 90 Days Ever - a membership based on daily ten-minute marketing wins - and writing a bestselling book of the same name, to help business owners nail their marketing with just ten minutes a day.  Hannah's journey takes in her early interest in becoming a forensic scientist, before she got started in marketing and found a real flair for it, starting her own marketing agency in her early twenties. Hannah also talks to me about the chronic illness that means working for herself means she can go with her own energy and work as efficiently as possible outside of a conventional 9-5, and how underthinking has been her superpower, allowing her to worry less, and act more - something I think all over-thinkers can learn from!  Finally, Hannah shares some tangible advice on how to get some ten minute marketing wins in your own business.  Find Hannah on Instagram here. Find Hannah's website and info on the next intake for The Best 90 Days Ever here Join me on Instagram here.   

Alice Loveday first fell in love with stop motion when her Dad borrowed a camera from the BBC and made her teddy bears dance. Her fascination with the creative, tactile magic of the medium endures to this day, and in this conversation we talk about her beginnings in the film industry, her entrepreneurial mother, her lucky breaks, and how she ultimately came back to stop motion as a fun, personality-filled way for small businesses to showcase their products.  However, Alice's journey has not been without challenges, and we talk about how she tackled growing the business (with a new baby on her hip), and then navigating owning a growing business in a difficult climate, and how she innovated to keep her business going.  Alice's positivity beams through here, and I think there are lessons aplenty to reflect on.  Find Alice on Instagram here Find Alice's website here Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here  Or subscribe to my Substack here  ---------- BIG NEWS! My new community for female founders and freelancers has officially launched! If you're looking for a low cost, no pressure place to hang out (online and offline) with fellow (amaaaazing) females on the journey, then apply now - the doors are only open until Tuesday 25th June, when they will close until September. We already have 50+ amazing women through the doors and it's bloody amazing. If you want to know more or apply now check out the link below! https://thewildercollective.co.uk/

Megan Rossiter left a top private school to pursue her love for the stage, before jobbing in that profession and realising there was no clear plan, plus taking some knocks to her self-confidence, before taking a left turn into midwifery. That experience led her to eventually set up Birth Ed. Through her courses & UK top 10 parenting podcast, Megan has supported 1000s of families worldwide to prepare for satisfying, autonomous and confident experiences of birth & parenting. In this conversation we deep dive into the issues within the UK maternity system, Megan's thoughts on how to tackle that, and how Birth Ed is her way of helping people navigate the system through education and self-advocacy.  A fascinating conversation with incredible insight from Megan, in which I learnt so much. I really think it's essential listening for anyone.  Find Megan on Instagram here.  Find Megan's website here.  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.  And subscribe to my Substack here.  ----------------- Thank you so much to Smart Buy Glasses for supporting this episode. The team at SmartBuy are on a mission to help people see and be healthy regardless of their budget, and with 342 available brands on their website just now, it’s safe to say they’ve got everyone covered whether you need prescription lenses, eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses. With tools like virtual try-on – which I used to choose my new glasses and sunnies – as well as pupillary distance measurement and lens scanner, they use the latest tech to make the whole process easy and enjoyable. Use code NICKY10 for 10% off your first purchase and head to smartbuyglasses.co.uk to get yours. 

Carla Saull went through a difficult childhood and started pot washing at 13 years old, dropped out of school with one O level, and got married young, all before finding her person in her late twenties and starting again - for the first time, but not the last. Taking in a career break to raise her sons, and a business degree in her forties, Carla's determination to make something of herself and bring purpose to her life through work has been a red thread through her life, all supported by her husband who believed in her when she wasn't ready to yet, and is part of her fascinating journey to setting up Good Wash Day, which is her business baby - currently in its difficult toddler years.  Carla's story is one of determination, love, inspiration and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. A chat I really enjoyed, and I know you will too.  Find Good Wash Day here.  Find Carla and GWD on Instagram here.  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here. Or Subscribe to my Substack here.  --------- Thank you so much to https://www.smartbuyglasses.co.uk/ for supporting this episode.  The team at SmartBuy are on a mission to help people see and be healthy regardless of their budget, and with 342 available brands on their website just now, it’s safe to say they’ve got everyone covered whether you need prescription lenses, eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses.  With tools like virtual try-on – which I used to choose my new glasses and sunnies – as well as pupillary distance measurement and lens scanner, they use the latest tech to make the whole process easy and enjoyable. all Use code NICKY10 for 10% off your first purchasw and head to smartbuyglasses.co.uk to get yours   

Excuse me while I take my hat off to this powerhouse of a woman who has been dealt so many of life's curveballs, and has handled them with grace and her own relentless optimism.  Ro Feilden-Cook found herself newly single and pregnant in her last year of uni, only to find out she was actually expecting twins. Fast forward a short while to when her boys were less than a year old, and she recognised that one of them was developmentally different, and started out the long journey to getting his disability diagnosed. Ro persevered through the darkest of times as a single mum, before reuniting with the boys' dad when they were 5, and going onto marry him and have another baby. And alongside all of this she was figuring out her career, first founding a catering business which she later sold, before finding fitness and the impact it had on her mental health, and founding her second business The She Collective - a wellness app for women.  Ro's story is quite unbelievable. She has been through some unquestionably difficult things but her outlook is beautifully positive, and that shines through in this chat which is sure to offer inspiration to anyone.  Find Ro on Instagram here Find Ro's website here  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here  Or on LinkedIn here  Subscribe to my Substack here 

You might know Emma Nicolet as your favourite self-confessed 'Joyfluencer' on Instagram where she shares snapshots of real family life, with palpable honesty, but I bet you don't know how she got there. From her experience of boarding at a performing arts school, and how that has impacted her confidence throughout the rest of her life, this story takes in how Emma's love of making people happy has been a thread throughout her career - whether that was in her first job at McDonald's, dressing up as Elsa for kids' parties, or presenting on the radio, it's something she has carried through into her work and life now as an accidental influencer. Emma shares honestly about how that came about, the balance of making that work for her and her family, and what comes next for her.  It's a unique story delivered with real heart. Enjoy!  Find Emma on Instagram here Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here Or subscribe to my Substack here  If you'd like to enquire about sponsoring any future episodes of Women's Business please get in touch here. 

Rebecca Seal started her career moving up the ranks in print journalism, in a clear break away from the heavy work she had seen her parents do, before accidentally having a TV career, alongside being a cook book writer and journalist. But, when facing burnout from working alone and seeking a resource to help her through it - and finding there wasn't one - she wrote one herself, and so began a new phase of her career exploring more about mental health and wellbeing that would see her write a bestseller -Solo: How To Work Alone (And Not Lose Your Mind) - followed by her latest book Be Bad, Better: How Not Trying So Hard Will Set You Free.  This conversation covers that whole journey, with ideas and insight from Rebecca for those that are working solo, plus a dive into some of the topics from Be Bad, Better, including patriarchy, late-stage capitalism, the beauty industry and consumerism, how those are impacting are lives, and how understanding them and letting them go can really set us free.  It's both hard and hopeful, and it all comes from Rebecca's unique and brilliant brain in a way that manages to be fully relatable. I think there's so much to take from this one.  Find Rebecca's website here.  Find Rebecca on Instagram here. Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here.  Or you can subscribe to my Substack here.  If you'd like to find out about sponsoring any episodes of Women's Business please get in touch here.  Finally... please rate and review the episode if you love it and want to hear more, and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.