I can thank Jess and Nat from Mac + Moore (who I spoke to in episode 2 last week!) for introducing me to today's guest a few months back. On an evening in January (which feels like forever ago right now, doesn't it?!), they arranged a dinner with friends and fellow Founders to meet and connect and over the course of G&Ts and oh so scrummy dinner at Caravan in Kings Cross, I got to know the vivacious and ever-inspiring Dr Joanna Abeyie, MBE. As the Non-Executive Director for Investors in Peop...
Mar 31, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Having admired Ruth from afar for a few months now and met her for the first time at the London She can. She did. - Midweek Mingle on the 11th March (which let's face it, feels like a short lifetime ago now doesn't it?!), I thought she'd be the perfect Founder to hear from this morning to ensure that we all try and get this week off to as positive a start as possible. "Why so?" I hear you ask..! Because on the night of London's Midweek Mingle, I remember admiring her calm delivery and the clarit...
Mar 30, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Where do I start with how much I admire the legendary lady that is Kate Halfpenny!? From her impeccable taste in glasses (I have serious frame envy!) to her simply exquisite wedding dress designs and as of a few months ago, bridesmaids attire too, I've admired everything that Kate has created in Halfpenny London from pretty much day one of launching She can. She did. Whilst I haven't been to the Halfpenny London boutique, the ten year old Parent Trap fan in me that used to swoon over how truly B...
Mar 27, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Today's episode was recorded via Zoom on Monday afternoon and features the Queen of Championing Northern Makers and Artists that is Megan Jones, Founder of Curated Makers - the award winning pop-ups that are hosted in leading department stores across the North of England, including the likes of John Lewis, M&S and Paperchase ... By offering customers the opportunity to meet the makers and purchase unique and memorable gifts on the high street whilst simultaneously providing creatives with th...
Mar 26, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 4
As early as Monday 16th March (which let's face it, feels like a lifetime ago already now doesn't it!?), Cath announced to her 7.9k Instagram followers that she had already seen a huge impact on sales. As a stationery and card business that relies heavily on wholesale orders, over the course of last week, buyers from some of the UK's leading retailers called Cath personally to announce that they were cancelling orders for the foreseeable future and overnight, Sadler Jones lost £10,000 worth of r...
Mar 25, 2020•26 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Given that marketing/PR/advertising spend is commonly one of the first budgets to be cut during periods of economic uncertainty, I thought it would be beneficial to so many of you that are running service-based businesses to hear from my good friends and two of the smartest women I know, Jess MacIntyre and Natalie Moores, Co-Founders of Mac + Moore . Having launched their plug-in marketing consultancy (that considers the likes of NOW TV, The British Library and numerous female-founded companies ...
Mar 24, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Hello everyone and welcome to series 3 of the She can. She did. podcast! (How are we on series 3 already!?) As I’ve made reference to on Instagram already, over the coming weeks, this bonus series will be slightly different to the usual She can. She did. Podcast episodes that you might be used to because first and foremost, they will be coming to you daily over the next few weeks; they will be much shorter in the hope that you can pop on the kettle and tune in first thing so that they set you up...
Mar 23, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Scamp & Dude is one of the most commendable companies that I’ve come across since launching She can. She did. for so many reasons that I go on to explain in this episode, so between you and me, Jo's name was jot down almost instantly when I was thinking of who I'd love to interview on this podcast. For that reason, I'm very excited to share this week's episode! Recorded in the living room of her stunning home (which you can get a glimpse of on her personal Instagram ( @scampanddudejo ), the ...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 19
With unapologetic plans to become the leading beauty brand in the market going forward, Elsie and Dominika's shared ambition for BYBI and their story launching, sustaining and growing the 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable beauty brand to date is the perfect antidote to the winter blues in my opinion, should you find yourself lacking motivation and/or self-belief wherever you might be listening to this episode from today! We discuss everything from why, as a young, agile start-up,...
Mar 04, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Given that she delivers babies in her role as an NHS paediatrician one day and handles a multi-million pound funding round the next, it's safe to say that thirty-year old Dr Lydia Yarlott isn't your stereotypical business woman... In 2016, during her first year as a junior doctor, Lydia Co-Founded Pando - the life-saving app that is revolutionising the NHS by connecting healthcare workers so that they can find each other easily and share confidential information about their patients securely. Bo...
Feb 19, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Think running a chocolate company would be all fun and games girls?! Think again! This week, I had the pleasure of delving into the business story belonging to the Founder of a brand that I’ve had my eye on since day one of She can. She did. - the Founder in question being, of course, the creative genius that is Lucy Elliott, Co-Founder of Creighton’s Chocolaterie . Launched by Lucy and her Mum Andrea in 2011, Creighton's Chocolaterie (apologies in advance for my dreadful French accent when I tr...
Feb 13, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 16
I shouldn't have favourites should I (?!) but there's something about the concept behind Eloise's business that you can't help but love, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit more excited than normal to sit down and get this recording underway... Having been voted ‘South London’s Best Experience’ with regular 5* reviews on everything from Time Out to Trip Advisor , gone viral on Buzz Feed and more recently, earnt Eloise the title of 'Most Inspiring Woman running a business 0-3 years' at t...
Feb 05, 2020•53 min•Season 2Ep. 15
At 25, Charlotte Jones has overcome more hardships in the past decade than many of us do in a lifetime and yet in the midst of it all, managed to launch, run and grow what has become the iconic British brand that is Charlotte Elizabeth - the British ladies handbag brand that rose to fame in 2018, when none other than Megan Markle was spotted carrying one of Charlotte's classic designs, in her last public engagement before the Royal Wedding. No big deal eh girls..! When we first met in the summer...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Sounds like a wild bonus episode, I know, but roll with me here girls! It can't come as a surprise to you all that preparing for tax returns, filing for self assessment and good old bookkeeping and accounting, are a continuous source of angst for so many of the female founders that I chat to, when I ask them to reveal the biggest challenges that they battle with as business owners behind the scenes. Be it that we're unsure of where to file certain expenses (because, let's face it, there's a whol...
Jan 20, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 13
I remember when the email from today’s guest came through. The subject line read, ‘Duchess of Cambridge wears British made lifejacket by brother-sister start up’ and being the hardcore royalist and fan of 'The Crown' that I am (who also happens to always find it interesting when siblings/ family in general go into business with one another because as much as I love my older sister, I don't know if we'd work well as Co-Founders!), it didn’t take long for me to respond and get this chat scheduled ...
Jan 15, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Quite simply, the woman is seriously smart! Having studied cognitive science followed by a masters in social psychology at Brown University in the States, Julia is a self-confessed geek who importantly (to me at least!) has genuine credibility in a sea of 'business experts' online. As someone that loves learning, she opens up to me about the challenges of learning to outsource and not wear every hat as a Founder. We discuss why credibility is so ridiculously important in a world where anyone can...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 11
I don't know about you but any woman that makes a profitable business from painting and drinking prosecco, is a wise, wise woman if you ask me..! From Tiff and Lara's hilarious memories of marketing Brush & Bubbles in the early days (which may or may not have included hours of unsuccesful leafleting to drunk Londoners around Soho each night) and how their marketing techniques have evolved as their confidence in their brand has grown; how they’ve learnt to put the inevitable challenges that h...
Nov 26, 2019•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Suffice to say, this woman is pretty damn incredible! From how she grew a dedicated client base of transwomen who went on to influence her entire Jecca Blac range (which includes an incredible story of how Jess ran workshops with transitioning prisoners within one of the UK’s largest all-male prisons in Bridgend as a teenager... no biggie!); how she gained the support of L’Oreal’s Innovation Team, grew a network of other like-minded entrepreneurs and her experience seeking investment as a young ...
Nov 15, 2019•45 min•Season 2Ep. 9
From Girls That Scuba diving trips around the world, a paid membership community which fights back against 'pink tax' and the Girls That Scuba merchandise that was driven by demand from her community, it's safe to say that Sarah's well-versed in the art of juggling multiple revenue streams. If that’s not impressive enough, earlier this year, she also launched A Waste Free World - the online shop that is committed to reducing plastic consumption that was inspired by how much plastic the Girls Tha...
Nov 05, 2019•52 min•Season 2Ep. 8
From her advice on 'socialising' business ideas and building a network before you launch; how she’s funded Pepper Your Talk and The Junior Network since day one given that it was an idea that didn’t lend itself to revenue from the outset; why she’s recently scaled back to focus on learning more about business for long-term sustainability and growth; to how she deals with every day challenges like her own inner critic constantly questioning whether she’s commercially minded enough and has what it...
Oct 22, 2019•43 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Having first met Emily when her company, Roundwood Gin agreed to be the all-important G&T sponsor at the Birmingham leg of July’s Midweek Mingle roadshow, I instantly fell in love with her business when she rolled up to the event in quite possibly the coolest branded gin truck going and proceeded to serve the yummiest (and prettiest) G&Ts with an orange peel and thyme garnish throughout evening. With so many gin brands popping up left right and centre in recent years though, I was intrig...
Oct 09, 2019•45 min•Season 2Ep. 6
I’ve known today’s guest since the early days of She can. She did. and over the past two years her brand has been on quite a journey. Having launched what was previously known as Whistle & Bango with two fellow co-Founders at the age of 24, Rosie Parkes spent four and a half years running the luxury, personalised jewellery company alongside a full-time career in marketing before buying her co-Founders out a year and a half ago and going full-time with the business, rebranding to what is now ...
Oct 01, 2019•56 min•Season 2Ep. 5
As someone that once upon a time used to commute into London and walk from Euston to my office in Haymarket twice daily, I have battled with the fact that - my morning workout aside - I sit on my bum behind my laptop for the majority of the day. When I discovered Kerrie-Anne Bradley’s business therefore, everything about her brand and ethos spoke to me! From how she dealt with sceptical comments about why on Earth she left her “proper job” for Pilates At Your Desk ; how she’s learnt to value her...
Sep 20, 2019•48 min•Season 2Ep. 4
On this week’s episode, I got to chat to Christalena Vraila, the unapologetically ambitious, twenty something Founder of Mr Highline – the creative agency based in London with global reach, that is solely focused on improving the social presence of brands belonging to the hospitality industry. Originally from Greece, Christalena first noticed a demand from the market whilst working at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. After flying back to London, the self-confessed dreamer secured a meeting with ...
Sep 13, 2019•46 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Gosh, this woman is nothing short of incredible! Not many people would sell their home to fund their business but that’s exactly what inspirational, single mum-of-one, Selma Nicholls did to turn her entrepreneurial dream into what is now, a successful reality - Looks Like Me . Why risk so much, might you ask? Because at the time she felt like she had no choice. From her candid thoughts on dealing with the pressure and loneliness that can come when you’re trying to make an impact on a scale unlik...
Sep 06, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 2
From battling imposter syndrome behind the scenes, learning to establish boundaries with clients and defend their worth to the steps they took in the early days to cement their brand, carve out a USP within what is an already saturated market and utilise every possible contact they had; it’s hard not to be impressed by what Emily and Kate have accomplished with Sonder & Tell in just under two years and they’re experiences and nuggets of advice throughout this chat will resonate with many of ...
Aug 23, 2019•55 min•Season 2Ep. 1
How is it the end of series one already girls!? I know I sound like a broken record but honestly, where is this year going? We're ending series one on a high though because this week's guest is the oh so intelligent, resilient and ever so humble Founder of Books That Matter , aka. Miss Molly Masters! *please tell me you read that in your best X Factor voiceover voice!?* Having launched the empowering feminist book subscription box service (which now boasts over 700 monthly subscribers) whilst ju...
Aug 15, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In today's episode, I got to chat to a female founder whose intelligence and creativity genuinely blew me away whilst we spoke and continues to astound me every time I try and wrap my head around the technology that she's created! The woman in question being Daniela Paredes Fuentes, the Co-Founder and Inventor of Gravity Sketch - a virtual reality design tool which allows designers from all over the world to sketch, visualise and communicate their ideas in 3D. Opening up about everything from ho...
Jul 31, 2019•49 min•Season 1Ep. 19
I have so much respect for the two ladies that I got to chat to on this week’s episode because the company that they run together (formerly known as WickerWood ) has the credentials of a business ten times its size. For me, their thoughts on everything from leadership and how to grow a hardworking and invested team (they now lead a really close team of 20+ employees); how to avoid the dreaded "analysis paralysis" and deal with unconscious bias; what happens when you get stuck in the VIP section ...
Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 18
I've admired Jana's brand from afar for a while now so when a potential interviewee dropped out late the night before our planned recording (for completely understandable reasons) and I had a meeting room booked in London for 10am the next day, it didn't take long for me to message Jana and see if she fancied stepping in for a chat! Thankfully for us lot, she said, "yes!" After walking away from an anxiety-inducing career in the fashion industry to launch her own business, Jana (pronounced "Yana...
Jun 28, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 17
