Have you ever been in need of a safe space to share your most personal questions or concerns as a woman and just not known where to turn? If so, it’s an experience shared by many — especially the 2.5 million people who’ve joined Peanut; the groundbreaking app set up by Michelle Kennedy to ensure that no woman ever has to navigate womanhood alone. Whether it’s to connect, form friendships or just to have really open conversations with other women about the complicated areas of fertility, menopaus...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Want to meet the man who’s revolutionising the mental health movement? With our mental health care system in crisis and people struggling more than ever before, Danny Gray (founder of men’s makeup brand War Paint), saw a need for change. So he launched a revolutionary mental health platform called JAAQ. Driven by his own learned experiences as a teenage victim of bullying, and having been diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder himself, Danny is on a mission to remove the stigma around male make...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min
For most, living in a world where social media is only a positive and empowering place is nothing but a dream. Yet this week Sue Fennessy, founder and CEO of WeAre8, is here to share how she is making it a reality. Describing this venture as her ‘civic duty’, Sue has created a social media app that not only has zero tolerance for hate, but that could also generate millions of pounds shared across charities, creatives and users each and every month in the process. How? Simply by offering users th...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Want to know how Goldie MBE became one of the most compelling artists of our time? Well look no further as this week, this maverick’s story will leave you captivated, surprised and completely inspired. You might know him for his pioneering drum and bass music in the 90s, his gold teeth, or his acting career, but in this exclusive interview, Goldie shares how he defied the odds, having experienced abuse, heartbreak and battling addiction in his early years, to now seeing beauty in every waking mo...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 6 min
This week Holly speaks with Sharmadean Reid MBE, founder of The Stack World, a revolutionary media platform that enables mission-driven women to make meaningful connections and move the needle on gender equality. A serial entrepreneur and mother, Sharmadean is known for her impact on culture and women’s empowerment with the aim of helping women achieve a higher purpose and a stronger economic status. In this conversation Sharmadean shares the impact her own culture and upbringing had on her view...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min
At the end of each podcast series, Holly likes to take a moment out of the hustle and bustle of small business life, to sit and reflect on the special conversations she’s been lucky enough to have. So if you haven’t yet listened to every episode this season, or if you loved them all so much that you want to recall key moments – settle down with a cup of tea and get ready to take notes from some of the most successful founders on the planet. In this series, each of Holly’s guests have shared tale...
Nov 28, 2022•38 min
In this captivating conversation, Charlotte Wood, founder of the magical Polar Post, shares her wisdom on building a brand that truly embodies kindness, nostalgia and the spirit of Christmas. With the help of the elves, Charlotte’s founding mission was to revive the lost art of calligraphy for a new generation and create remarkable works of art in the form of letters, so that every child can feel as though Father Christmas is speaking directly to them. Since founding her enchanting business, Pol...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 13 min
How do you build a disruptive brand in a new sector, whilst keeping it accessible for all? In this episode, Nicola Elliot shares her lessons as she recounts her story building the cult status, well-being brand Neom Organics. Growing up in Yorkshire, a self declared naughty child, Nicola carved out a glittering career in advertising in her twenties before burn out forced her to refocus her energies in a different direction. Nicola recounts the early days of Neom, the risks, the setbacks, and chal...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Renée Elliott had no real inkling of what her purpose was, until walking down the aisle of a health food store in Boston. Little did she know that this moment would ignite her dream, and lead to her opening the first organic supermarket in the UK in 1995 — Planet Organic. With no prior experience but a determination to build a business that would make a difference to people's lives, Renée learnt ‘on the job’ when she had an idea to bring organically grown food to the mainstream shopper. However,...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 11 min
This week Holly speaks with Marisa Hordern, founder of London based jewellery brand, Missoma. Born at the kitchen table, Missoma started as a side hustle. Now, after over a decade of incredible hard work and grit, Missoma is an iconic jewellery brand beloved by millennials and A listers alike. Often referred to as an overnight success, Marisa sheds light on this misconception, and the first seven years she battled through to get her business off the ground, where at her lowest point, she conside...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min
“We can all do something” are the words of Josie Naughton, who is at the centre of the pioneering humanitarian aid movement, Choose Love. It’s a charity that promotes compassion, people helping people, and true generosity of heart. When Josie and her friends saw the refugee crisis unfolding in Calais in 2015 they decided to take action by raising £1,000 and organising a van load of donations to be delivered to Calais. With no former charity experience, a lack of fundraising budgets or highly pai...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Have you ever wondered how you can ditch the career ladder and find an alternative route to success, where progression doesn’t just depend on promotion? Have you asked yourself, what am I good at? What do I stand for? What motivates and drives me? This week Holly speaks with Helen and Sarah, co-founders of Amazing If, an award-winning career development company with a twist. Champions of the Squiggly Career, Helen and Sarah are at the forefront of a fundamental shift that’s happening in the work...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 27 min
This week, Holly was lucky enough to sit down with Shamil Thakrar, over a cup of Dishoom’s freshly brewed chai tea, and learnt what’s really at the heart of his business. At the very beginning, Shamil and his co-founders set out with the goal of bringing the beauty of the Irani cafés they so loved in Bombay to the UK. Now with nine restaurants across the country – boy did they do just that. Coming from a business school and consultancy background, in his younger years, Shamil was far from the pa...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Imagine if… creativity was as important as literacy, maths or science? What could we, as a species, be capable of achieving if we prioritised it and gave it the right conditions to flourish? These are questions posed by the late great Sir Ken Robinson. His daughter and closest collaborator Kate Robinson now continues his work which she describes as being a ‘love letter to human potential’ and Holly was lucky enough to meet with her recently. In this interview, Kate shares her wisdom on how we sh...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Holly’s guest this week is the vivacious, captivating and eminently stylish Trinny Woodall, who is likely to truly surprise you in more ways than one. You may know Trinny from her glittering TV career, her bestselling books or her inspired makeup brand Trinny London, but what lies underneath the energetic Instagram LIVES and YouTube tutorials? A sheer will to survive. With a career spanning more than three decades, Trinny’s story is a fascinating one involving many twists and turns. In this inte...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Every single one of Holly’s guests this series has been inspirational, passionate and holds the treasure that is their own unique story. But what Holly also recognised, is that they have each faced loss, devastation and pain in some way – and yet have somehow managed to rise from the ashes of the truly bleakest of times. In this episode, Holly reflects on some of the key moments from each of her guest’s stories – some profound, some tear-jerking and some downright funny – and all of them shed li...
Jul 18, 2022•45 min
Among the millions of other businesses on our planet, what makes one brand a cut above the rest? Is it the size of the business or the amount of money they have? No. In the words of Author and Nike’s former Chief Marketing Officer, Greg Hoffman, it’s that brand's ability to, “Go way beyond simple observations and assumptions”. And with a brand that connects as deeply as Nike has with millions of customers around the world, this is a rare opportunity to learn from the very best. In just one conve...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 18 min
In honour of the formidable Dame Deborah James, we are re-releasing this very special podcast episode. Having avidly followed the highs and lows of Deborah’s journey, Holly was honoured to have had the pleasure of speaking with her in 2020, and it’s a memory she will always treasure in her heart. In this episode, Deborah James, also known as Bowelbabe, joins Holly to talk about the rebellious spirit that would define her journey, from gymnast to Deputy Headteacher, journalist to campaigner — and...
Jul 05, 2022•47 min
What makes a brand like Hush Homewear stand out from the thousands of fashion and e-commerce businesses out there? Yes it's the quality and style of the clothes, but it's also another key element that makes them truly one-of-a-kind — and that's the brand. If you want to know the secret to building an identity that makes thousands of customers return again and again, and remain loyal to you for life, hear Mandy Watkins' hard won wisdom on the subject... Mandy started her laid back clothing and li...
Jul 04, 2022•1 hr 2 min
With 2022 seeing the 50th anniversary since the first Pride took place in the UK, there couldn’t be a better time to celebrate the incredible trailblazer that is writer, model, presenter, and founder of The Queer Bible, Jack Guinness. Fighting for change, acceptance, and kindness within our society, Jack’s conversation offers crucial education about the LGBTQ+ community, and is one that should be heard by all. A self-confessed ‘queer missionary’, Jack’s journey has been one full of challenges, s...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min
A leading expert in the farming industry, Tim Mead CEO of Yeo Valley, delves into a number of crucial topics around responsible farming, environmental consciousness and reveals how farmers can help to reverse the carbon crisis. This is an unmissable conversation that won’t only help our generation, but many to come. Tim’s family have been farming in Somerset for over 500 years and are known across the country for stocking our shelves with delicious organic milk, cheese and yogurts. However what ...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 9 min
A story of strength and courage, this remarkable account is full of thought-provoking advice that will quite literally change your life. This conversation is truly going to make you reevaluate not only the way you live, but how you react, think, feel gratitude and express yourself, too. “If I survive today, tomorrow I will be free.” These are the words of 16-year-old Edith Eger whilst imprisoned in the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz, in World War Two. Now one of the last Holocaust survivors on the p...
Jun 13, 2022•56 min
How can we solve some of the biggest societal issues we face? In this episode, Josh Littlejohn MBE shares his vision and blueprint for making meaningful change in our world through entrepreneurship. Josh is founder of Social Bite as well as The World’s Big Sleepout, and has always worked hard to make a difference. He had a strong social conscience from a young age, and when a young homeless man came into Josh’s very first Social Bite cafe asking for a job, it sparked an unexpected decade of char...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Dare to dream it, dare to believe it and dare to do it! That’s the motto of Charlotte Tilbury MBE — the makeup guru with the Midas touch, a woman trailblazing a makeup revolution and empowering women through the transformative power it brings. As a British female entrepreneur and one of the most influential makeup artists of her generation, Charlotte Tilbury has distinguished herself as being a true creative visionary who has completely disrupted the beauty industry. And although ‘empowerment’ i...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Little did Guy and Jo Schanschieff know that a chance conversation at the Taj Mahal in 1991 would spark an idea that changed their lives forever. With Bambino Mio now being the largest reusable nappy brand in the world, Guy Schanschieff MBE shares with Holly the highs and lows of their epic adventure to do business for good. Their mission to eliminate single use plastics from nappy production, before the rise of the internet and the conscious consumer, hasn’t always been easy. However with 90 bi...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Mo Gawdat had it all. An illustrious 30 year career in tech, serving as the Chief Business Officer of Google X, all the money he needed and more, and was happily married with two children. However despite his many riches, he never felt completely satisfied. Fascinated by his lack of fulfilment and with his passion for technology, Mo began building an algorithm for happiness. Then, after the sudden and devastating loss of his son Ali, Mo turned to his calculation for happiness to make it through ...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 28 min
Whilst each founder is unique, there is a golden thread that unites them all. In this episode, Holly explores what has driven each brand’s success. From triumph through adversity, each founder has faced the highs and lows of life, each experience contributing to their success. Over the next hour, Holly revisits some of the most pivotal moments in each of their lives and how that moment would lead them on to future success. Including conversations with Bobbi Brown, Dr. Willard Wigan MBE, creator ...
Feb 07, 2022•43 min
This is a conversation that teaches us all what can be achieved when we refuse to let others define us. A tragic accident would set Josh Patterson on a different path and define his purpose for the rest of his life. But as he seeks to make change in the most extraordinary way, what happens when your formative years are captured for the nation to watch and dissect from their sofa? This week Holly speaks with Josh Patterson, formerly of Made in Chelsea fame and now an ultra-athlete and mental heal...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 3 min
A child refugee, tech pioneer, philanthropist, businesswoman, mother and true trailblazer, Dame Stephanie paved the way for generations of women to come, by using intuition and action to break ideological views of what women are capable of. In her conversation with Holly she shares the breadth of her experiences, struggles and her unrelenting energy for creating positive change. After escaping Nazi Germany at the shockingly young age of five years old, Dame Stephanie Shirley reflects on her chil...
Jan 24, 2022•55 min
Jens Knoops is a man who is obsessed with chocolate. After starting his brilliant artisan hot chocolate business in 2013, Jens’ journey has catapulted him into a world that not only brings him joy everyday but that brings each of his customers a little magic too. Holly talks to Jens about the huge passion he has for his products, the sustainable goals he has for Knoops and his decision to expand the business during the pandemic. It’s a story that is both heartwarming and motivating and shows all...
Jan 17, 2022•59 min
