Do your thing

I heard Holly Dannhauser speak about our relationship with money and immediately thought, I need to get her on the podcast.She talked about how the things we believe about money, what our work is worth and what we should or shouldn’t be earning can influence the decisions we make without us even realising it.And it made so much sense to me.I’ve met so many business owners who struggle with money and their own sense of worth, and I know from my own experience how easy it is to pick up beliefs about money without really questioning where they’ve come from.Holly is the founder of Moon and Mountain. She works with people on the practical business stuff like strategy and direction, but also the things going on underneath that can get in the way, like confidence, money and what we believe we deserve.In this episode, Holly shares her own money wake-up call after becoming self-employed and what happened when she realised her relationship with money was influencing the way she was running her business.We talk about the beliefs and behaviours we pick up around money, why understanding them can help us make more conscious decisions, and why creatives in particular can find it difficult to put a financial value on what they do.We also get into undercharging, overdelivering because you feel guilty about what you’ve charged, and one question from Holly that I’ll definitely be taking away from this conversation: why not me?What you’ll learn in this episode:How your relationship with money can influence the decisions you make in your business without you realising itWhy struggling to see the value in what you do can affect what you charge – and how much you give in returnHow understanding your own patterns and beliefs around money can help you make decisions with more confidenceAbout Holly DannhauserHolly Dannhauser is the founder of Moon & Mountain, a strategic consultancy and coaching practice built on one belief: when purpose-driven people are truly clear on where they're going, and confident enough to back themselves, they become an unstoppable force for good.As a strategist and an accredited Money Archetypes coach, Holly connects the moon – your inner world, your relationship with money and self-worth – with the mountain – the external world of strategy, direction and planning.Address both, and you have the clarity and confidence to build something meaningful on your terms.LinksVisit the Moon & Mountain websiteConnect with Holly on LinkedInHolly’s Free Money Archetypes assessmentThis podcast is hosted by Fliss Lee, brand coach and Head of Brand at Honest Folk. Fliss helps founders and freelancers build businesses that work for them.Enjoyed this episode? I write about building a business that works for you, brand, and doing things your own way in my newsletter. Sign up here.Connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

I’ve known Sophie Greenwood for a few years now, and she’s one of those people who can take all the ideas flying around your head and help you work out what you actually want to do with them.A couple of years ago, she ran a capacity planning workshop for my Blueprinters that was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me too. Coming from the creative agency world, I’d picked up some pretty bad habits around saying yes to work and simply working more hours to fit it all in. So I knew a conversation with Sophie about planning, capacity and how we actually make our ideas happen would be an insightful one.Sophie Greenwood is the founder of Three Beams Thinking and a strategy and planning mentor for small, creatively minded businesses.In this episode, we talk about those bigger ideas we have for our businesses – the things we’d love to do one day but perhaps don’t say out loud because we’ve got no idea how we’d actually make them happen – and how planning can help you start bridging that gap.We also get into capacity planning, why so many of us overestimate how much we can realistically fit into our working week, and why having a plan doesn’t mean you have to rigidly stick to it when things change.And we talk about how Sophie has gone from chasing the next job, promotion or pay rise to being much more driven by curiosity and making room for work that excites her.What you’ll learn in this episode:How to take a big idea and start turning it into something that feels achievableWhy understanding your actual capacity can help you make more realistic decisions about your time and workloadHow to use a plan to give your business direction without feeling like you have to rigidly stick to itAbout Sophie GreenwoodSophie is the founder of Three Beams Thinking, and is a Leeds-based business planning and strategy mentor for small business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers.After working full-time as Head of Operations for six years, Sophie became self-employed in 2022. She now supports small business owners to structure big ideas into action plans, understand their capacity, and really prioritise what will push their business forward.When she’s not surrounded by post-it notes, you’ll usually find her organising a networking event, or chasing after her two young children.LinksThree Beams Thinking websiteFollow Sophie on InstagramConnect with her on LinkedInSuper Seconds FestivalThis podcast is hosted by Fliss Lee, brand coach and Head of Brand at Honest Folk. Fliss helps founders and freelancers build businesses that work for them.Enjoyed this episode? I write about building a business that works for you, brand, and doing things your own way in my newsletter. Sign up here.Connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

When I first met Emma and heard the story of how she started Bobbin & Bumble, I was struck by how matter-of-fact she was about the whole thing.Because it’s a pretty incredible story.Emma didn’t set out to start a business. She needed a more practical cover for her IKEA high chair, so she bought a £5 sewing machine and taught herself how to make one.Then she realised she wasn’t the only parent looking for more practical accessories for IKEA baby equipment – and what started as something she made for herself gradually became Bobbin & Bumble.All while Emma was balancing work and motherhood.In this episode, we talk about how she went from making products herself at home to building a baby and children’s brand and moving into manufacturing, without ever really having a grand plan for where the business would take her.We also get into something I found really interesting: despite everything she’d built, Emma spent a long time downplaying her creativity and what she’d achieved. We talk about learning to take your creativity seriously, the assumptions we make about what ‘hard work’ is supposed to look like, and why doing something you enjoy doesn’t make it any less valuable.And Emma is really honest about the harder parts too – building a business alongside motherhood, having no maternity leave and struggling with postnatal depression.What you’ll learn in this episode:How Emma turned a problem she wanted to solve for herself into a product businessWhy it took her so long to take her creativity and the business she’d built seriouslyWhat Emma has learned from building a business without a grand plan and seeing where it takes herAbout Emma CattellEmma Cattell is the founder of Bobbin & Bumble, a colourful baby and children's brand she accidentally started in 2016 after searching for a product that didn't exist.Armed with a £5 sewing machine and no idea how to sew, she taught herself and began making products from home. What started with one product has since grown into a much bigger brand, with products stocked by retailers and in family homes around the world.LinksFollow Bobbin & Bumble on InstagramFollow Emma on InstagramConnect with Emma on LinkedinVisit Bobbin & Bumble’s website This podcast is hosted by Fliss Lee, brand coach and Head of Brand at Honest Folk. Fliss helps founders and freelancers build businesses that work for them.Enjoyed this episode? I write about building a business that works for you, brand, and doing things your own way in my newsletter. Sign up here.Connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

Helen actually pitched herself to be a guest on this podcast – which, as you’ll discover in this episode, is very Helen.I’ve known Helen for a few years and have loved following the evolution of her business as an illustrator. And one of the things she’s got really good at is putting herself out there, asking for opportunities and not letting the fear of rejection stop her.She even set herself a challenge to collect 100 rejections, which completely changed the way she thinks about hearing no.Her business has evolved a lot too. She started out thinking she’d sell cards and gifts, but over the last five years she’s tried lots of different things and gradually worked out what she enjoys, what she’s good at and what makes money. Live illustration came from trying something and seeing what happened, and it’s now a big part of her business.In this episode, we talk about experimenting until you find what works for you, getting more comfortable with rejection and having the confidence to ask for the opportunities you want.We also get into pricing creative work, why fewer, better-paying clients have given Helen more space, and how she protects her creativity now that being creative is also her job – including taking herself on regular creative dates.What you’ll learn in this episode:How getting more comfortable with rejection can make it easier to put yourself and your work out thereWhy experimenting with different types of work can help you shape a creative business that works for youHow Helen uses creative dates to protect the creativity she loves now that creativity is also her jobAbout Helen RidleyHelen Ridley is a live illustrator for weddings and luxury fashion and lifestyle brands.She is the founder of Helen Ridley Illustration, painting live portraits at events and weddings in the UK and beyond, capturing guests (and pets!) in just 10 minutes in a fun and expressive style.Helen also leads watercolour and illustration workshops for corporate clients, public workshops and a local networking event for creatives in Berkshire.Her clients include Westfield, John Lewis, Assouline, Butternut Box, The Cotswold Company, Hilton and 1 Hotel Mayfair.LinksVisit Helen Ridley IllustrationFollow Helen on InstagramConnect with Helen on LinkedInJoin Helen’s newsletterThis podcast is hosted by Fliss Lee, brand coach and Head of Brand at Honest Folk. Fliss helps founders and freelancers build businesses that work for them.Enjoyed this episode? I write about building a business that works for you, brand, and doing things your own way in my newsletter. Sign up here.Connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

I worked with Rich on his brand a few years ago, and since then I’ve loved seeing him really grow into his confidence and identity as a creative business owner.When Rich first went freelance as a graphic designer, he thought he’d found the freedom he wanted. But in reality, he still felt like he was working for somebody else.Then he realised he’d love to be a sign painter.Over the next few years, Rich gradually changed his business so that sign painting now makes up around half of his work, alongside graphic design. And along the way, he’s had to unlearn a lot of the rules he brought with him from employment and stop worrying so much about what he should call himself or how other people might perceive what he does.In this episode, we talk about giving yourself permission to build a creative business around the way you actually want to work, being the boss you want to work for and making space for the different creative things you enjoy.We also get into Rich’s move into sign painting, why working with his hands helped him reconnect with his creativity, and why you don’t necessarily have to choose one thing to be known for.What you’ll learn in this episode:How Rich went from feeling like he was still working for somebody else to building a creative business around how he wants to workWhy you don’t have to choose between the different creative things you enjoyHow unlearning some of the rules of employment can give you more freedom to work in a way that suits youMentioned in this episodeRich talks about learning to set better boundaries in his business and recommends Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab.You might also like: If the freelancer-to-business-owner conversation resonates, listen to my conversation with Sophie Cross too, where we talk about why freelancers need to start taking themselves seriously as businesses.About Rich Rich Carter is the founder of Rich C Studio, an independent design and sign painting studio specialising in distinctive brand identities and hand-painted signage for independent businesses.Working from his garden studio, Rich blends traditional signwriting with modern graphic design to create bold logos and characterful shopfronts that help businesses stand out and feel proud of their space.Through honest craftsmanship and a DIY spirit, he partners with ambitious shops, start-ups and local businesses who want their brand to feel as human as the people behind it.LinksVisit Rich’s websiteConnect with Rich on LinkedInFollow Rich on InstagramShop his Holly & Co storeThis podcast is hosted by Fliss Lee, brand coach and Head of Brand at Honest Folk. Fliss helps founders and freelancers build businesses that work for them.Enjoyed this episode? I write about building a business that works for you, brand, and doing things your own way in my newsletter. Sign up here.Connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠.