Have you heard of operational overload? Maybe not, but chances are you know how it feels. This week my guests are Nonie White and Yvonne Biggins of Positive Entrepreneurship, authors of the The True Cost of Female Entrepreneurship report. The report makes for stark, but not surprising, reading - 83% of female founders are experiencing high stress, 66% experience extreme loneliness, we have 75% greater responsibility for the household, but 97% of us enjoy the journey. We know the system is not bu...
Jul 10, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 23
My guest on the podcast this week is Anna Bailey, founder of the Assistant community Pally Talk. She launched her business and 2 months later had her first baby, in her own words, the last year has been ‘hardcore’. Anna has a lot of practical insight into navigating a business and new baby concurrently - this is your sign to start sliding into people’s DMs on LinkedIn. We spoke really honestly about social media v reality, not only of motherhood, but the assistant world and when, for Anna, reven...
Jul 03, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 22
In 5 years I’ve gone from a one woman Virtual Assistant ‘agency’ to a team of 36. And I have learnt A Lot. Much of which I have learnt the hard way. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my 5 biggest learnings (there are so many still to talk about, I feel like I could do a whole season on it!) from the last 5 years. I’ve learnt from mistakes, I’ve learnt from the people around me, some of these lessons I am still learning, and might be a lifelong process. Resources: Nick Elston: https://nickelston.co...
Jun 26, 2025•18 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Be honest - how is your poo? My guest this week is Lisa Macfarlane, co-founder of The Gut Stuff, and she wants you to take better care of your gut. Lisa explains why gut health is so important, some easy wins to improve your own and why she went from Love Island DJ to gut evangelist. We also talk about the nuts and bolts of scaling a business - from building a brand and community as market research for the business, to pre-seed and VC funding, and creating an ecosystem with 3 different business ...
Jun 19, 2025•50 min•Season 5Ep. 20
The 5 stages of burnout are very familiar to me. I’ve been there, and even when I thought I had learnt my lessons, narrowly swerved burning out again. As a mum, especially a mum with a business, I’m sure at least a few of the stages are familiar to you too. My guest on this week’s episode is Dr Claire Ashely, aka The Burnout Doctor. Claire was a highly successful doctor, used to pretty extreme levels of stress. And then with 2 small kids, a house renovation and a difficult work environment, she ...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Last year I decided to push myself and try something new for me and my business. As a founder and mum of 2, I don't have time to be out there relationship building rather than selling. So I tried cold sales - and it worked! Cold sales have, sometimes justifiably, a bad rap - I’m sharing my worst experiences from both sides of the sale. But it really worked for me. In this episode I share my conversion rates, my ‘how to’ and the mindset tips that helped me succeed. Resources: LinkedIn: https://li...
Jun 05, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 18
This week on Bump to Business Owner, I’m joined by Danielle Lauren, creative powerhouse, former media exec, and founder of Way Too Honest, a business born from the depths of postpartum struggle and radical maternal honesty. From working at the top of global media giants like CNN and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, to battling severe pre- and postnatal depression, Danielle opens up about her experience of motherhood, identity loss, and rebuilding a life and business with purpose. TRIGGER WARN...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 17
How do you stay motivated to keep going when times get tough in your business? Good question. And an increasingly important one as the economy continues to fluctuate with tariffs, UK legislation and uncertainty creep in. In January I was in a difficult situation with my business, but I got through it and learnt a lot. This week, I’m sharing my tips for keeping going when times are tough in your business. Takeaways The realities of being a working mum Keeping going when times get hard in your bus...
May 22, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 16
This week on Bump To Business Owner, I’m joined by Ning Cheah, founder of The Beauty Crop, mum of two, and former banker turned beauty entrepreneur. What started as a side hustle to solve her own skin struggles has grown into a multi-million dollar brand, stocked by the likes of Boots and ASOS. In this honest and wide-ranging chat, Ning shares how burnout led her to rethink everything, the fertility struggles she faced while building a business, and the two very different maternity leaves that f...
May 14, 2025•42 min•Season 5Ep. 15
What is your story? What is your super power? What do you want to be known for? In today's episode of the podcast I'm giving away all my PR tips. In the last 5 years me and my business have been featured in Grazia The Guardian The Independent The Daily Mail Waitrose Magazine To name just a few. And all of that has been under my own steam, no PR experience, no connections. If you're looking for some PR coverage for your business, this is for you Resources Editorelle: https://www.editorielle.com/ ...
May 08, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 14
My guest this week is Lauren Currie OBE, mother of one, founder of 6 businesses and PTSD survivor. Lauren is a serial entrepreneur, who after being featured as the only woman on an event bill decided she needed to build something to challenge the lie of meritocracy. Her business, Upfront, was born. As a systems and organisational designer, Lauren is ideally placed to see where the holes are in our society and where we need to work on them, together. The game is rigged, it might just be that our ...
May 01, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 13
What happens when your co-founder (and sister!) steps away and you’re managing a business solo, as well as being mum to 2 kids? In this week’s delicious episode I’m in conversation with Nicola Ward, founder of CakeDrop, who talks me through her experience of exactly that. Nicola has run her business incredibly intuitively and flexibly, focusing on building relationships and leaning into creativity when Covid meant a pivot. She has some incredible advice to other founders thinking about motherhoo...
Apr 03, 2025•39 min•Season 5Ep. 12
When was the last time you reflected on how far you’ve come? In this special birthday episode, I’m reflecting on the last five years - Motherhood, trauma, recovery, business, COVID, and giving myself the advice I needed five years ago. My business and motherhood journey are intrinsically linked, and in this period of my life - out of the baby years and able to put more energy into business growth, it’s been emotional to see how much I’ve achieved. Take a moment to look back on what you’ve achiev...
Mar 27, 2025•23 min•Season 5Ep. 11
What was the lightbulb moment for your business? Did you recognise it and mark it as the life-changing moment it was? Kat Wellum-Kent, founder of Fractional Finance and one of the top 50 women in accounting took a selfie that day, because she knew ‘this was the thing’. From her ‘dream job’ at a Big Four accountancy firm, to starting her business, Kat has had some incredible support in her career journey: not only a fantastic mentor, but a strong spiritual practice. She’s also navigating a husban...
Mar 20, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 10
This week I am unpacking the sometimes controversial topic of multi-level marketing schemes. I have been targeted by representatives of various MLMs 3 times in my life; because I’m a woman, with a performance background (aka poor!), and a mother. I was targeted within months of having my first child. I share: - The ways I've been targeted - How to recognise MLMs for what they are - How to avoid them The first rule of MLMs? Deny it’s an MLM. Resources Doing it For the Kids: https://www.doingitfor...
Mar 13, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 9
How clear are you on your values? An arresting question! I’m asking because my guest on the pod this week is Dr Dupé Burgess, founder of Bloomful, medical doctor, speaker, content creator and mum of 3. At the heart of everything she does? Her values. That’s why she’s been able to build such a compelling personal brand on LinkedIn, and why she’s such a compelling speaker and founder. Because mission drives it all. If you’re building a personal brand, fundraising or building a founder network from...
Mar 06, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In this episode I’m talking about something that I think is a constant, if not battle, then area for improvement: mindset. Mindset has been a hurdle that almost prevented me from achieving a business goal. But I was able to recognise it and work on it. So I’m talking about: - How I recognised my mindset was the problem - The goal it was hindering - The steps I took to change it - The support and resources I turned to (a surprise to me too!) This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave (www.ancie...
Feb 27, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Do you have that ‘on the cusp’ feeling? I think it’s something that unites founders. There’s always something on the horizon that helps keep the faith in your business, even when on paper it’s not always clear. My guest on the pod this week is Jen Fuller, founder of Etta Loves, science backed baby sensory products that are also absolutely beautiful. Jen is really open that it’s the ‘cusp’ feeling that keeps her going rather than revenue or income goals. I loved this conversation, as a service bu...
Feb 20, 2025•50 min•Season 5Ep. 6
This week’s episode is about the thing that has made all the difference in my business and for my wellbeing: consistency. Why it's so important Why it has been a game changer for me Where I have seen big results How I make sure I stay consistent (I'm talking processes and tools - you'll love this) Why it shouldn't be another thing to beat yourself up about This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave ( www.ancientandbrave.earth/ ) . If you'd like to try any of their products (I am a big fan of t...
Feb 13, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 5
If anyone is ever in doubt about mum’s commitment to their careers post babies, please, use this conversation as proof that we are only ever more ambitious and focused. This week I’m talking to Jelena Skene, co-founder of 2 businesses raised alongside 2 small boys. It’s been a busy few years for Jelena! My main takeaway from our conversation, and there are many, is: just start. You can’t plan everything around having a family, if you have a business idea, just try it. I also loved her thoughts o...
Feb 06, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 4
I have been judging myself recently for some of the decisions I’ve been making. For 2025 my goal is business growth, and that means I’m making decisions that prioritise my work and my wellbeing at the cost of family time. There are a lot of expectations on us as mums and female founders: some from ourselves, from the people around us, the patriarchy. I am unpacking my feelings of mum guilt, and why I refuse to feel it anymore. This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave (www.ancientandbrave.ear...
Jan 30, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 3
In this inspiring episode, I’m joined by Lea Turner, LinkedIn expert, community builder, and founder of Holt, a thriving membership platform for small businesses. Content warning: there is a mention of suicidal ideation as Lea reflects on her teenage years and missed ADHD diagnosis. Lea’s journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t planned. Like so many of my guests on the pod, she didn’t initially see herself as a business owner. Her entrepreneurial path began with a transcription side hustle, which p...
Jan 23, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 2
If January has been…Januarying, then you are not alone. I’ve found it difficult to come back to work this year, comparisonitis and anxiety have been getting the better of me. So in this week’s episode I’m sharing: My biggest business learning from 2024 My focus for 2025 Who we've got coming up on the podcast for Season 5 (make sure you’re subscribed!) The wellbeing tools I keep returning to This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave ( https://ancientandbrave.earth ). If you'd like to try any o...
Jan 16, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 1
For our season finale I am joined by the wonderful Jo Woodhurst, Head of Nutrition at Ancient + Brave. And as a special gift to our listeners, Jo has kindly recorded a 10 minute to help us reconnect and recharge during the busiest and most festive time of year. We all need it! This bonus podcast episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave. If you’d like to try any of their products (I am a big fan of True Collagen!) you can use our discount code BTB20 for 20% off your first order. Links: Website: ww...
Dec 19, 2024•11 min
For our season finale I am joined by the wonderful Jo Woodhurst, Head of Nutrition at Ancient + Brave. And as a special gift to our listeners, Jo has kindly recorded a 10 minute meditation which is available as a separate bonus episode, out now. We all need it! Jo has been on her own journey in her approach to wellbeing. From burning the candle at both ends as a teacher, she moved into nutrition not only to reset how she nourished herself, but also inspired by her mum’s long illness and her appr...
Dec 19, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Pip Black started her business, Frame at 24. She and her co-founder Joan, have navigated huge changes across the fitness industry over the last 15 years. They launched in recession, tag teamed maternity leaves over 4 kids, raised funds, bought back their company and adapted almost overnight to Covid. But through it all, they have lived the brand, its values, and created a business which puts customer experience at its core - the key to their success. Coming back to exercise has been a huge sourc...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 12
What do you think is behind the global falling birthrate? Because social media thinks it’s mums’ fault (of course). We’re not sharing enough about how joyful motherhood is. Of course this is rubbish. But I do think it’s so important for mums to connect with their own sense of joy, outside of motherhood, outside of work, just for themselves. Reconnecting with my personal sense of joy has been…a journey. It honestly feels like this year is the first since I became a mum that I have truly connected...
Dec 05, 2024•13 min•Season 4Ep. 11
TRIGGER WARNING: Baby loss, depression and suicidal ideation Grace Carter didn’t tell any of her clients when she had her first baby, a year into her business. And no wonder. Working in a male dominated industry, when Grace announced her second pregnancy, she lost £15k in recurring monthly revenue almost overnight. Motherhood and running a business took their toll on Grace’s mental health. But instead of becoming smaller in her struggles, Grace took up space. She started talking about her experi...
Nov 28, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Erika Brodnik is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, angel investor, author and mum of five. She is also super relatable, inspirational and committed to bringing other women and minority founders along on the entrepreneurial journey with her by showing that motherhood and multiple successful businesses are not mutually exclusive. I loved how broad ranging our conversation was, from The Refund Years™, to representation and diversity, parenting hacks to decacorns. But Erika also shared a lot of...
Nov 21, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 9
I’ve been spending too much time on Threads. Over there, I’m seeing more and more the narrative that mums can work from home full time AND be full time carers for their kids. And I just don’t think it can work. I’m sharing exactly what childcare and support I had while setting up and running my business, because I don’t want anyone to think that I was ‘doing it all’. I very much wasn’t. I can totally see why this narrative is so tempting: childcare is laughably, tragically, expensive in the UK. ...
Nov 14, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 8
